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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 UN Team To Check Remaining Iraqi Nuclear Materials In Line With Non-
2 Las Vegas SUN: Warner: New Report Backs Iraq WMD Claims
3 UPI: Official denies nuclear arms found in Iraq -
4 KRT Wire: New Niger/uranium tale flops
5 JoongAng Daily: U.S. envoy presses North to make ¡®choice' on arms
6 Boston Globe: Opinion Bush and Blair keep howling about Saddam
7 From Rush's Stack of Stuff: Three Nukes Found in Iraq? No Big Deal!
8 AFP: UN nuclear inspectors return to Iraq in coming days
9 NEWS.com.au: US pressing allies on Iran
10 CBC: US-Iran-Crisis?
11 Guardian Unlimited: Asian Neighbors Agree to Help North Korea
12 Daily Yomiuri: Koizumi, Roh, discuss trade, N. Korea nukes
13 Daily Yomiuri: Maintain strong stance on North Korea
14 Korea Herald: Roh, Koizumi offer aid to N.K.
15 Korea Herald: 'N.K. regime can stay after denuclearization'
16 BBC: N Korea urged to follow Libya
17 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: N.Korea Says It Will Give Up Nuclear Weap
18 KoreaTimes: Roh, Koizumi Agree to Accelerate Settlement on N. Korean
19 AFP: US lawmakers urge greater effort in talks on North Korea's
20 USATODAY.com: Conflicting reports leave uranium case open
21 US: thedesertsun.com: Hispanic leverage huge in battleground states
22 US: NPR : Candidates on the Issues: Energy Policy
23 US: US Air Force: Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum
24 US: NRC: Live NRC Meeting Webcast
25 UK: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - PRESS RELEASE
26 Haaretz: Court bars entry for Vanunu journalist
27 albawaba.com: IAEA: No evidence for nuclear activity in Syria
28 asahi.com: EDITORIAL:Expand Asian diplomacy
NUCLEAR REACTORS
29 US: NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority, Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit No
30 Xinhuanet: China to build more nuclear power plants
31 People's Daily: China builds more nuclear power plants to ease power
32 US: East Valley Tribune: Bird droppings likely shut down nuclear com
33 US: WHBF: Defending Our Nuke Plant From Terrorist
34 US: NRC: Constellation Energy Group, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station
NUCLEAR SAFETY
35 US: [DU-WATCH] NY County calls on DOT to end DU labeling exemption
36 US: [DU-WATCH] Twisted Science & 'Depleted' Uranium
37 US: [DU-WATCH] DU transport story via DU Weapons Network
38 US: [DU-WATCH] Depleted Uranium Munitions Action Plan
39 Washington Times: Arafat says bullets raising cancer rate
40 Daily Yomiuri: Tokaimura N-accident mustn't be forgotten
41 Traprock Peace Center: Charles Sheehan-Miles on 'Depleted' Uranium
42 The Australian: Radioactive fears at defence bases
43 US: Charleston.Net: Sea sleuths zero in on lost H-bomb
44 (DV) Moret: Depleted Uranium -- The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War
45 Mos News: Russia Scraps 101 Nuclear Submarines -
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
46 Las Vegas SUN: NRC may delay its evaluation of Yucca
47 Tri-City Herald: Yucca Mountain debate needs dose of reality
48 US: chillicothegazette.com: Nuke waste conversion facility OK'd -
49 MoveOn PAC: Unity Against Yucca
50 PRN: LES Comments on the ASLB Ruling Today
51 KRNV: NRC official sees five year delay judging license for Yucca Mo
52 US: ONN. Ohio News Now: Work to begin soon on nuclear recycling plan
53 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Renewal Notice
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
54 BBC: Nuclear rivals hold peace talks
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
55 DOE: General Atomics, Inc.; Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive
56 UPI: Abraham orders Los Alamos changes -
57 SignOnSanDiego.com Abraham: Some workers don't grasp seriousness
58 Guardian Unlimited: FBI's Help Sought in Los Alamos Probe
59 Hanford News: Few seeking federal relief for toxic exposure
60 Tri-Valley Herald: Los Alamos debacle could cost UC
61 Tri-City Herald: Program screening ex-Hanford workers to end in Sept
62 Daily Texan: A joins Los Alamos bidders -
63 SF Chronicle: Energy secretary blasts lab for lapses
64 U.S. Newswire: Bechtel Portsmouth, Paducah Contract Extended for
65 U.S. Newswire: DOE Releases Final Request for Proposals for the
66 Oak Ridger: Los Alamos impact not local - yet
67 Oak Ridger: White House honors Battelle, ORNL
68 lamonitor.com: Nanos alerts council to perils of shutdown
69 PISJ: New cleanup procedures implemented at INEEL site
OTHER NUCLEAR
70 Google News Alert - nuclear
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 UN Team To Check Remaining Iraqi Nuclear Materials In Line With Non-proliferation
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 12:00:47 -0400
UN TEAM TO CHECK REMAINING IRAQI NUCLEAR MATERIALS IN LINE WITH NON-PROLIFERATION
New York, Jul 21 2004 12:00PM
The United Nations atomic watchdog agency is planning to inspect
remaining nuclear materials in Iraq this month to ensure that they
conform to the country’s safeguard obligations under the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The inspection, announced yesterday by International Atomic Energy
Agency <"http://www.iaea.or.at/">(IAEA) Director-General Mohamed
ElBaradei, is at the request of Iraq’s Foreign Minister and separate
from UN Security Council-mandated inspections, which probed
whether ousted leader Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass
destruction. Those checks ceased in mid-March 2003 shortly before
the war.
The inspection will not be the IAEA’s first related to the NPT since
the war. Last June a seven-member team went to Baghdad to determine
how much nuclear material was missing following reports of
looting at the Tuwaitha Nuclear Research Centre, which had been
under IAEA seal. It found that uranium compounds dispersed in the
looting posed no danger from the point of view of proliferation.
2004-07-21 00:00:00.000
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml
*****************************************************************
2 Las Vegas SUN: Warner: New Report Backs Iraq WMD Claims
By APARNA H. KUMAR ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) -
An upcoming report will contain "a good deal of new information"
backing up the Bush administration's contention that Saddam
Hussein pursued weapons of mass destruction, Senate Armed
Services Committee Chairman John Warner, R-Va., said.
The administration cited Saddam's hunger for such weapons as a
main reason to invade Iraq last year.
"I'm not suggesting dramatic discoveries," Warner told reporters
Tuesday, but "bits and pieces that Saddam Hussein was clearly
defying" international restrictions, "and he and his government
had a continuing interest in maintaining the potential to shift
to production of various types of weapons of mass destruction in
a short period of time."
The report is by the civilian head of the Iraq Survey Group,
Charles Duelfer, who reports to the CIA director. Initially the
report was expected to be done this summer, but instead it will
come out in September, Warner said.
Warner said the new information covers "some weapons that
predate the first Gulf War that are still around and were used
at the time Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against the
Iranians" as well as "remnants of what he was doing himself here
in the last several years." He would not elaborate, saying he
didn't want to pre-empt the report.
The senator made the comments after a closed briefing by Maj.
Gen. Keith Dayton, who updated the panel on the Iraq Survey
Group's progress. Dayton returned from Iraq last month after
giving up his post as the military head of the hunt for weapons
as part of a routine rotation. Marine Brig. Gen. Joseph J.
McMenamin became director of the Iraq Survey Group on June 12.
The intelligence community, meanwhile, hopes the trials and
interrogations of "high-level detainees" by the new Iraqi
government could yield more information about Saddam's weapons
programs, Warner said.
"The Iraqi people are still concerned that some remnants of this
program are yet to be found," Warner said.
A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity Tuesday,
said the survey group has not yet found any new evidence of
Saddam weapons. While there are "all kinds of documents" showing
his intent to produce weapons of mass destruction, there is "no
treasure map that shows 'Here is where the missing munitions
are,'" the official said.
--
*****************************************************************
3 UPI: Official denies nuclear arms found in Iraq -
(United Press International)
July 21, 2004
Baghdad, Iraq, Jul. 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. military official
Wednesday denied a report of Iraqi missiles carrying nuclear
warheads being found in a concrete trench northwest of Baghdad.
The daily al-Sabah newspaper Wednesday had quoted sources as
saying three missiles armed with nuclear warheads were discovered
in a trench near the city of Tikrit, the hometown of ousted Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein.
A U.S. military spokesman in Tikrit told United Press
International that the report was untrue.
"Nothing's been found. The report is not factual," said Master
Sgt. Robert Cowens, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division,
based in Tikrit.
The newspaper reported the three missiles were discovered by
chance when Iraqi security forces captured former Baath party
official Khoder al-Douri who revealed during interrogation the
location of the missiles saying they carried nuclear warheads.
Al-Sabah said that the missiles were discovered in a trench
under six meters of concrete, designed to evade sophisticated
sensors.
A spokesman with Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's office told UPI
that the report concerning the alleged missiles and warheads
emerged "while gathering information for Saddam Hussein's
tribunal" during the interrogation of a captured former official
of Saddam's regime.
[UPI Perspectives]
*****************************************************************
4 KRT Wire: New Niger/uranium tale flops
| 07/21/2004 |
BY TRUDY RUBIN
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT) - Did the Bush administration mislead the country to war by
hyping evidence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction?
That question hangs in the air after the devastating Senate
Intelligence Committee report on the CIA's performance. It is
bound to stay a hot topic through election season.
So Bush supporters are trying to change the story line.
The new story - as promoted by the Wall Street Journal editorial
page, conservative columnists and some of my readers - goes like
this: The president was right about WMD.
How so? Because the Senate report raised questions about the Feb.
2002 mission to Niger of Joe Wilson. He is the former diplomat
dispatched by the CIA to check whether Iraq had contracted to
purchase uranium from the African country of Niger.
Wilson, you'll recall, blew the whistle on the famous "16 words"
that appeared in the president's 2003 State of the Union address
that claimed Saddam Hussein had sought "significant quantities of
uranium from Africa." This information was attributed to the
British government.
Wilson said he'd found "it was highly doubtful that any such
transaction had ever taken place" and told the administration so.
After Wilson went public, the White House admitted the 16 words
should not have been in the speech.
Keep in mind that the 16 words were part of a speech that argued
Saddam presented an urgent and imminent threat to the country. It
contained other strong claims about WMD that we now know were not
backed up by reliable intelligence.
Soon after Wilson went public, the name of his wife, Valerie
Plame, an undercover CIA operative, was leaked to columnist
Robert Novak by two top administration officials. The leakers
claimed that Wilson's mission was a case of nepotism. But such a
leak is criminal; a special prosecutor is now investigating the
highest reaches of the administration. Wilson believed the leak
was revenge on him.
Now back to the new story line.
The Senate committee said Wilson's report made no impact and in
fact may have lent some credibility to the belief that a uranium
deal was in the works. That was because Wilson reported an
official from Niger had been queried by an Iraqi official about
increasing trade in 1999. The official from Niger thought the
Iraqi may have wanted to talk about uranium, but the subject
didn't come up.
Out of that thin gruel, the we-were-right crowd claim that the 16
words were correct. They point to the fact that the Butler report
- a highly critical take on Britain's prewar Iraq intelligence -
still defends the British info on Niger. And they point with glee
to the fact that the Senate report claims that Wilson's wife did
indeed suggest him for the Niger mission.
What's amazing about this tack is that its adherents don't seem
to have bothered to read the Senate report. It details how CIA
analysts - and even more so the State Department - repeatedly
raised suspicions about the veracity of British intelligence on
Niger, independently of Wilson's report.
In October, 2002, the CIA told Congress "the Brits have
exaggerated this issue." The same month, CIA Director George
Tenet told the White House to remove a reference to African
uranium from a key speech because the reporting behind it "was
weak." Key documents on sales of Niger uranium were found to be
forged.
We still don't know why the White House included the discredited
reference to Iraq and African uranium in the State of the Union.
Maybe Iraq would have liked to purchase African uranium, but
there's still no solid evidence to back this up. And you won't
find new evidence in the Senate report.
The new focus on Joe Wilson is simply a distraction. As for
whether Plame recommended him for the Niger mission, news reports
last July quoted senior intelligence sources as saying she
didn't. Last July, the respected Newsday reporters Tim Phelps and
Knut Royce quoted a "senior intelligence officer" as saying it
was other CIA officers, not Plame, who recommended Wilson for the
job. Maybe the Senate source got it wrong. My point is: who
cares?
Wilson had strong qualifications for the mission: He was a former
U.S. ambassador to Gabon who had served as Africa expert on the
National Security Council, and he knew Niger and its leaders.
If this was nepotism, Plame hardly did her husband a favor. We
are not talking trips to Paris here. And there obviously were no
CIA rules against sending an agent's relative on a non-secret
mission - otherwise, Wilson wouldn't have been cleared.
In other words, the new story line is a flop. The debate on Iraq
and WMD will continue. And so will the investigation into who
leaked Plame's name.
---
ABOUT THE WRITER
Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the
Philadelphia Inquirer. Readers may write to her at: Philadelphia
Inquirer, P.O. Box 8263, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101, or by e-mail at
trubin@phillynews.com [trubin@phillynews.com] .
---
© 2004, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site,
at http://www.philly.com [http://www.philly.com]
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
*****************************************************************
5 JoongAng Daily: U.S. envoy presses North to make ¡®choice' on arms
[http://joongangdaily.joins.com]
July 22, 2004 KST 11:44 (GMT+9)
The top U.S. disarmament official dismissed suggestions
yesterday the United States was stalling the effort to resolve
the nuclear stand-off with North Korea until after the November
U.S. presidential elections.
In a speech at Yonsei University, John Bolton, the U.S.
undersecretary of state for arms control and international
security, said, "The seriousness of the more detailed U.S.
proposal presented by the United States at the last round of
six-party talks should put to rest any reservations that our
side is in a holding pattern until the next U.S. presidential
elections. We seek progress now."
The United States has presented a plan that would in steps lead
to offers of aid and international recognition if the North
moves toward dismantling its nuclear arms program.
The U.S. envoy stressed that North Korea must make what he
called a "strategic choice" to eliminate its weapons of mass
destruction, and he urged Pyeongyang to follow the example of
Libya, which voluntarily gave up nuclear arms development in
exchange for international diplomatic recognition.
Using the term "strategic choice" several times, Mr. Bolton
said: "Let there be no doubt, the case of Libya has shown
concretely the benefits that can flow when leaders of isolated
regimes make the strategic choice to invest in their countries'
future, and not in WMD." The initials stand for weapons of mass
destruction.
Mr. Bolton said that Washington will continue pursuing a
multilateral resolution to the North's nuclear program, arguing
that attempting a bilateral approach with North Korea failed
with the Agreed Framework, a 1994 pact that froze the North's
nuclear efforts in exchange for energy aid principally. He said,
"We will not be fooled again."
North Korea closed its nuclear facilities to UN inspections in
late 2002.
Mr. Bolton said Kim Jong-il "still fails to recognize his
pursuit of WMD makes North Korea less, not more secure," and
dismissed giving rewards to the North.
"Our experience with Libya shows that a freeze is unnecessary,
and, moreover, would simply delay the time when the people of
North Korea could reap the benefits of rejoining the
international community," he said.
Addressing speculation that a North-South summit was imminent,
Mr. Bolton said, "The decision whether the South should have a
summit with the North is a matter for the South to decide," he
said, adding, "It's worth considering whether all of us involved
in six-party talks are contributing to a cost-benefit analysis
that leads the North Koreans to conclude that it is in their
interest to give up pursuit of WMD. That's the issue."
Last year, during a visit to Seoul Mr. Bolton called Kim
Jong-il a "tyrannical dictator" and said that North Koreans
lived in a "hellish nightmare." He appeared more restrained and
when asked about why he was refraining from criticizing the
North, he said: "It's not very interesting to give the same
speech twice."
Separately, a senior North Korean envoy to the United Nations
said in Washington, D.C. that it was unreasonable for North
Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs when, technically, the
country was still at war on the Korean Peninsula.
Ambassador Park Gil-yon and deputy ambassador Han Song-ryol,
Pyeongyang's chief UN envoys, were in the U.S. capital to attend
a forum on Korean affairs.
During a seminar, Mr. Park said, "The Democratic People's
Republic of Korea will give up its nuclear weapons if conditions
are met to end hostile U.S. policy."
He added that it might be willing to consider freezing its
nuclear program if Washington agreed to aid Pyeongyang.
Mr. Park said North Korea possessed a powerful nuclear
deterrent, but that it had no intention of "testing nuclear
weapons or declaring itself a nuclear power."
by Choi Jie-ho jieho@joongang.co.kr>
2004.07.22
Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use
*****************************************************************
6 Boston Globe: Opinion Bush and Blair keep howling about Saddam
Boston.com / News /
By Derrick Z. Jackson | July 21, 2004
LAST MONTH a New York Times poll found that 20 percent of
Americans believed that President Bush was "mostly lying" in his
statements about the war in Iraq and 59 percent said he was
"hiding something." Only 18 percent said he gave Americans the
"entire truth."
In Britain, a poll this week in the Guardian found that 55
percent of voters believedd that Prime Minister Tony Blair lied
over Iraq, compared with 37 percent who believed he did not lie.
Another poll this week in the Sunday Times found that 46 percent
of people believed that Blair distorted the evidence about
Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction, compared
with 43 percent who said that Blair genuinely believed in the
evidence he was presented by his intelligence agencies.
In Britain, the fallout from an invasion where no weapons of
mass destruction were found has 61 percent of the people in the
Sunday Times poll saying that Blair should apologize for the
war, compared with a mere 28 percent who did not want an
apology. This is despite the fact that last week, the major
British inquiry to date into the prewar intelligence cleared
Blair of lying, though it did say that Blair took the available
information to the "outer limits" of legitimate conclusions.
In response to the report, Blair conceded, "I have to accept as
the months have passed, it seems increasingly clear that at the
time of invasion, Saddam did not have stockpiles of chemical or
biological weapons ready to deploy." He even said, "I accept
full personal responsibility for the way the issue was
presented." But he neutralized his "responsibility" by also
saying: "No one lied. No one made up the intelligence. No one
inserted things into the dossier against the advice of the
intelligence services. Everyone genuinely tried to do their best
in good faith for the country in circumstances of acute
difficulty. That issue should now be at an end."
A week earlier Bush was in a similar defensive position when the
Senate Intelligence Committee issued its own report on the
prewar intelligence. That report did not address Bush's use of
intelligence. But it said the invasion was based on information
so wrong that the committee's chairman, Pat Roberts, a Kansas
Republican, told the Kansas City Star that the actual
information would have made the war a "tougher sell."
Bush said: "Listen, we thought there were going to be stockpiles
of weapons. I thought so; the Congress thought so; the UN
thought so."
Oddly, even though these official inquiries do not indict the
leaders, the people have begun to, on their own. Perhaps that is
because Bush and Blair continue to exaggerate Saddam's threat.
Bush said: "I'll tell you what we do know. Saddam Hussein had
the capacity to make weapons. See, he had the ability to make
them. He had the intent. We knew he hated America. We knew he
was paying families of suiciders. We knew he tortured his own
people, and we knew he had the capability of making weapons.
That we do know. They haven't found the stockpiles, but we do
know he could make them. And so he was a dangerous man. He was a
dangerous man. The world is better off without Saddam Hussein in
power. America is safer."
That last statement flies in the face of just about every report
that concluded that Iraq, decimated in the 1991 Gulf War, was
not an imminent threat even to its neighbors, let alone to
America or Britain.
Yesterday, Blair howled at the moon in a House of Commons
debate. "It was absolutely clear that he had every intention to
carry on developing these weapons, that he was procuring
materials to do so," Blair said of Saddam. "The intelligence
community throughout, like the United Nations, like most
intelligence services in the world, certainly did believe he had
Iraqi WMD capability and intent."
Blair and Bush continue conveniently to omit from history the
fact that in the weeks leading up to the invasion, the UN
weapons inspectors had yet to find any evidence of nuclear
weapons production and had not come to a conclusion about the
existence of WMD. Hans Blix, the most famous of the weapons
inspectors, originally believed, like most other people, that
the weapons did exist. But it became clear to him that Bush and
Blair "were not exercising sufficient critical judgement." Blix
said in one interview: "It was a little like the witch hunts of
past centuries. You know, they were so convinced that there were
witches that if they saw something like a black cat, they would
say, `Well, this is it.' "
Blix in many interviews has cautiously said he does not think
Bush or Blair acted in "bad faith." He said he wished that "they
should have put some question marks" on their intelligence
"rather than the exclamation marks that they did." They are
still not listening to Blix. They are continuing to put
exclamation marks on the evidence. It is no wonder that a
minority of citizens in the United States and Britain believe
their leaders. Even though Bush and Blair got their war, they
are still crying wolf.
Derrick Z. Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@globe.com. [ /]
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company. [ /] More News
*****************************************************************
7 From Rush's Stack of Stuff: Three Nukes Found in Iraq? No Big Deal!
The Limbaugh Letter
July 21, 2004
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: From the United Press International: "Iraqi security
reportedly discovered three missiles carrying nuclear warheads
concealed in a concrete trench northwest of Baghdad, official
sources said Wednesday. The official daily al-Sabah quoted the
sources as saying the missiles were discovered in trenches near
the city of Tikrit, the hometown of ousted Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein [al-Tikriti]. 'The three missiles were discovered
by chance when the Iraqi security forces captured former Baath
party official Khoder al-Douri who revealed during interrogation
the location of the missiles saying they carried nuclear heads,'
the sources said. They pointed out that the missiles were
actually discovered in the trenches lying under six meters of
concrete and designed in a way to unable [sic] sophisticated
sensors from discovering nuclear radiation. The sources said
al-Douri...was captured after Iraqi police intercepted an e-mail
message in which he set a meeting with another former Baath
official."
Now, one of the Iraqi internal security guys says that this is a
"stupid report."
[http://news.myway.com/top/article/id/265453|top|07-21-2004::09:4
8|reuters.html] Well, here's the thing about this, folks. So we
have this report from UPI that three missiles carrying nuclear
heads concealed in a concrete trench have been discovered near
Tikrit. We got the security guy saying, "That's stupid. That
isn't true." Now, I can understand wantin' to go keep this
quiet, (laughing) if they discovered live nuclear missiles, you
know, laying around in trenches in Tikrit. But the real
question, ladies and gentlemen, is not did we find nuclear
missiles in Iraq. That is to miss the point. As is it the case
with the Sandy Berger investigation, the question is "the timing
of the leak." The question here is, "How old are these nukes?
Could they be remnants from Hitler, from World War II? Could
they be prior to the Gulf War of '91? Could these nuclear
weapons have been there before we went to war in 2003?" And
really, it's only three, just three nuclear missiles, so I don't
know what the hubbub is about.
So, they're nukes. It's just three of them, and they may be old,
Mr. Snerdley. You are focusing on the wrong aspect of the story.
The focus is not that we have found some nuclear weapons in
Iraq, or that it's reported. The interest is, "How did we do
it?" Who leaked the information the stuff was there to be found?
How old are these nukes, and whose are they? If you don't learn
to look at it the way this is going to be portrayed in the press
-- in fact, I'm not aware that anybody besides UPI has reported
this and even picked up on this, because if this is true, heh,
heh, heh. Joe Wilson, anybody? If this is true, I mean,
Fahrenheit 9/11, anybody? (Laughing.) So we just have to keep a
sharp eye on this, but until we know if it's true, we're going
to look at it in the approved way, and that is, "So what? It's
just three, and they could have been there a long time."
END TRANSCRIPT
*****************************************************************
8 AFP: UN nuclear inspectors return to Iraq in coming days
: ElBaradei
WAR.WIRE
[http://www.spacewar.com/]
CAIRO (AFP) Jul 20, 2004
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors will return
to Iraq in the coming days at the request of its government, the
head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said here
Tuesday.
"The IAEA will send a team of inspectors to Iraq in the coming
days following an official request from Iraqi Foreign Minister
Hoshyar Zebari," ElBaradei told journalists on his arrival.
"The return of inspectors to Iraq is an absolute necessity, not
to search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but to draft the
final report on the absence of WMDs in Iraq so that the
international community can lift the (remaining) sanctions on
Iraq," he said.
UN inspectors left Iraq just before the US-led invasion in March
2003. The IAEA had indicated it had found no evidence to back up
US charges the regime of Saddam Hussein had a nuclear weapons
program.
On May 22, 2003, the United Nations Security Council lifted all
sanctions on the country, except for those on arms.
Washington had opposed the IAEA returning to Iraq, but the US-led
coalition formally ended its 14-month occupation on June 28,
handing power to a caretaker government.
The IAEA began talks about returning to Iraq with the new Iraqi
government shortly after it was formed, ElBaradei said earlier
this month, but he had warned previously that the security
situation could be a problem.
Speaking in Cairo, he said "it does not fall within the
competence of the coalition forces ... to prove or disprove the
possession by Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.
"The IAEA is the only competent party in this matter," he added,
saying "international inspectors will complete the mission
assigned to them before the invasion."
He said the IAEA's mandate in Iraq will "remain valid until the
writing of the inspectors' final report, on the basis of which
the sanctions imposed on Iraq will be lifted."
He had previously said the IAEA had work to do in Iraq "because
we know they still have the know-how" to make weapons of mass
destruction.
The US government announced July 6 it had secretly removed more
than 1.7 tonnes of enriched uranium and other radioactive
materials from Iraq that could potentially be used to manufacture
a "dirty" radiological bomb or support a nuclear weapons program.
The IAEA and the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
Commission (UNMOVIC) are the two UN agencies charged with finding
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The IAEA led the search for
nuclear weapons, UNMOVIC for biological and chemical weapons, as
well as rockets.
A US search for mass destruction weapons -- the principal
justification for the invasion -- has found nothing.
ElBaradei has said he "would like to first finish the job (in
Iraq) of verifying past programs, report to the Security Council
and then move on to an ongoing monitoring and verification phase
... then when things stabilize in Iraq completely ... go back to
normal safeguards."
WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
9 NEWS.com.au: US pressing allies on Iran
From correspondents in Washington
July 22, 2004
THE US is pressing Britain, France and Germany for strong
measures against Iran in response to its violation of a
non-proliferation agreement reached with the three last fall, a
State Department official said today.
The issue is part of a deepening American concern over recent
Iranian activities that range from weapons programs to terrorism.
To head off a potential crisis, some analysts believe the
administration should work harder to promote a dialogue with
Iran.
The US believes Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a view
reinforced by Iran's recent decision to resume construction of
centrifuges. This is a key step in the development of a
uranium-based bomb, one that Iran promised the Europeans last
spring that it would not take.
It is not clear what the US expects the three European Union
members to do in response. The administration believes it is
imperative that the three demonstrate to Iran that it must suffer
consequences for not fulfilling the agreement.
Iran has said it feels no obligation to honour the agreement,
alleging that the Europeans had violated a promise to ensure that
the UN nuclear watchdog group would give Iran a clean bill of
health.
Iran insists its nuclear program has nothing to do with weaponry
but with meeting domestic electricity needs.
There are additional American concerns, including word that the
bipartisan commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks has
concluded that Iran gave al-Qaeda hijackers safe passage through
the country after training in Afghanistan.
A White House spokesman said on Tuesday there was no evidence
that Iran had prior knowledge of the September 11 plot. The
commission report is due out tomorrow.
Amid the stepped up accusations about its behaviour, Iran has
been projecting a benign image to the world. Rend al-Rahim
Francke, Iraq's chief representative in Washington, said on
Tuesday that Iran has played a positive role in the post-Saddam
Hussein Iraq.
She said Iranian authorities recently captured 200 Afghan
fighters who were en route to Iraq.
The Bush administration, in addition to lobbying the Europeans,
has been attempting to persuade all members of the UN's nuclear
nonproliferation agency that it is time to refer Iran's nuclear
activities to the UN Security Council.
John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control, told
Congress last month that the Iranian program was a "threat to
international peace and security".
He said Iran's hard-line Islamic regime, now 25 years old,
clearly has a covert program to develop and stockpile chemical
weapons and probably has an offensive biological weapons program.
Until about a year ago, the US maintained a low-key dialogue
with Iran, then decided it was a waste of time.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said a renewed
engagement was possible only under certain conditions.
"We're willing to sit down, if the president determines it's in
our interest to do so, and if we think there's the opportunity
for progress," Mr Boucher said on Tuesday.
The Associated Press
Copyright 2004 News Limited. All times AEST (GMT+10).
*****************************************************************
10 CBC: US-Iran-Crisis?
10:53 PM EDT Jul 21
[http://www.cbc.ca/news/]
U.S. relations with Iran worsening as questions of nuclear
weapons and terrorism mount
10:53 PM EDT Jul 21
GEORGE GEDDA
WASHINGTON (AP) - It sounds like an Iraq summer rerun: Weapons of
mass destruction. Support for terrorism. Talk of UN Security
Council action. Hints of a push for regime change.
This time, however, the fuss is not over Iraq but about that
country's next-door neighbour, Iran. Recent developments have
been unsettling. Iran's ruling mullahs recently announced
resumption of activities that could lead to development of a
uranium-based bomb, apparently violating commitments they made to
three European countries last fall.
And now comes word the bipartisan commission investigating the
Sept. 11 attacks has concluded that Iran gave al-Qaida hijackers
safe passage through the country after training in Afghanistan.
A White House spokesman said Monday there was no evidence that
Iran had prior knowledge of the 9/11 plot. The reported
commission finding would appear to reinforce the administration's
long-held view that Iran is the world's most active state sponsor
of terror.
Amid the stepped up accusations, Iran has been projecting a
benign image to the world. Rend al-Rahim Francke, Iraq's chief
representative in Washington, told The Associated Press in an
interview on Monday that Iran has played a positive role in the
post-Saddam Hussein Iraq. She said Iranian authorities recently
captured 200 Afghan fighters who were en route to Iraq.
Iran insists its nuclear program has nothing to do with weaponry
but with meeting domestic electricity needs. The U.S. government
is not buying it.
Shunning direct engagement with Iran for now, the administration
is banking on international pressure to induce Iran to roll back
its nuclear program.
The administration is pressing Britain, France and Germany to
make Iran pay a high price for scuttling the
counter-proliferation deal they obtained last fall.
It also has been attempting to persuade fellow members of the
UN's nuclear watchdog agency that it is time to refer Iran's
nuclear activities to the UN Security Council.
John Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control, told
Congress last month that the Iranian program was a "threat to
international peace and security." He said Iran's hardline
Islamic regime, now 25 years old, clearly has a covert program to
develop and stockpile chemical weapons and probably has an
offensive biological weapons program.
Until about a year ago, the United States maintained a low-key
dialogue with Iran, then decided it was a waste of time.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says a renewed
engagement is possible only under certain conditions.
"We're willing to sit down, if the president determines it's in
our interest to do so, and if we think there's the opportunity
for progress," Boucher said Monday.
But a Council on Foreign Relations department issued a report
contending that the administration must do more to avert another
crisis in the Persian Gulf region.
"The urgency of the concerns surrounding Iran's policies mandates
the United States to deal with the current regime rather than
wait for it to fall," said the report, co-chaired by former
national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former CIA
director Robert Gates.
Brzezinski told reporters Monday engagement with Iran would be a
useful step even if it produced no results because it would mould
greater international solidarity in opposition to Iran.
Gates said the U.S. military option against Iran must never be
ruled out. But he said the costs of any such step would be
exorbitant because key nuclear weapons sites are located in or
near large civilian populations.
He added that a U.S. military attack would galvanize support for
the Tehran government across the country. Iranian authorities, he
said, could retaliate by destabilizing neighbouring Iraq and
Afghanistan, countries in which, he noted, the United States has
an undeniable strategic stake.
© The Canadian Press, 2004
*****************************************************************
11 Guardian Unlimited: Asian Neighbors Agree to Help North Korea
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Wednesday July 21, 2004 3:16 PM
AP Photo TOK251
By AHN YOUNG-JOON
Associated Press Writer
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AP) - South Korea pledged Wednesday to
expand economic ties with North Korea while Japan said it would
seek normal relations with the communist state when a dispute
over the North's nuclear ambitions is resolved.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi agreed during their summit meeting to
accelerate efforts to resolve the international standoff over
Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program through close consultations
with the United States.
Also Wednesday, Roh made clear that he will not hurriedly seek a
summit meeting with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Il at a time
when international efforts are underway to persuade North Korea
to give up its nuclear ambitions.
``When the North Korean nuclear issue is resolved, we made clear
that South Korea and Japan will cooperate,'' Roh said at a joint
press conference with Koizumi.
``We will implement comprehensive and specific inter-Korean
projects and Japan will actively work toward establishing
diplomatic relations and economic cooperation with the North,''
he said. He didn't elaborate on what projects South Korea was
considering.
The two Koreas have already agreed to build an industrial complex
in the North and construct railroads connecting the countries,
which are separated by a heavily fortified frontier, a legacy of
the 1950-53 Korean War.
``We hope North Korea's leader to make a return visit as agreed
upon...but now is not the appropriate time to strongly suggest
that to the North,'' Roh said, saying that doing so will not help
resolve the nuclear dispute.
Koizumi, who arrived earlier Wednesday for a two-day visit, said
he explained to Roh details of his May 22 meeting with North
Korea's leader Kim Jong Il.
``We agreed that South Korea, Japan and the United States should
work together to push North Korea to dismantle its nuclear
programs,'' he told reporters on the southern resort island of
Jeju.
He added that Japan and North Korea must build on a pact they
signed in September 2002 calling on both sides to tone down their
hostile stance toward each other and work to establish formal
ties.
Japan considers North Korea its No. 1 security threat and is
concerned about the reclusive regime's development of nuclear
weapons and missile technology.
Japan ruled Korea as a colony from 1910 until 1945, and
Tokyo-Seoul relations remained bitter for decades. Ties, however,
have warmed considerably in recent years.
On Wednesday, the two leaders agreed to hold more informal
meetings in the future.
Three rounds of talks on North Korea's nuclear ambitions have
been held in Beijing, but none has produced a breakthrough. The
United States, Russia, China, Japan and the two Koreas took part.
At the latest talks, North Korea offered to freeze its nuclear
program in exchange for energy, the lifting of U.S. economic
sanctions and removal from Washington's list of countries that
sponsor terrorism. It said the freeze would be a step toward
eventual dismantling.
The U.S. proposal required the North to disclose all its nuclear
activities, helping to dismantle facilities and allow outside
monitoring. Under the plan, some benefits would be withheld to
ensure the North cooperates.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
12 Daily Yomiuri: Koizumi, Roh, discuss trade, N. Korea nukes
Tatsuya Fukumoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Roh
Moo Hyun agreed Wednesday to work closely with the United States
to peacefully solve the issue of North Korea's nuclear
development programs.
During talks at a hotel on the South Korean resort of Jeju
Island, the two also agreed to make concerted efforts to conclude
a bilateral free trade agreement in 2005.
In line with their agreement to have more mutual visits, Koizumi
and Roh decided to hold their next summit meeting at a resort in
Japan by the end of this year.
The two leaders confirmed six-way negotiations on North Korea's
nuclear development programs had entered an important stage in
attempting to press Pyongyang to dismantle the programs.
Detailed measures to assist the progress of negotiations were
presented during the six-way talks in June that also involved
China, North Korea, Russia and the United States.
After explaining at a joint press conference following their
meeting what was discussed during his May meeting with North
Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Koizumi said close cooperation with
South Korea and the United States was necessary to ensure the
dismantlement of Pyongyang's nuclear programs.
"We should accelerate the peaceful settlement of the nuclear
issue through close cooperation between South Korea and Japan, as
well as South Korea, Japan and the United States," Roh said.
Roh said his country would provide comprehensive economic
assistance to North Korea once the nuclear issue had been
settled.
Koizumi said he hoped to normalize diplomatic relations with
North Korea at early stage.
"My term (as Liberal Democratic Party president) will expire in
two years. If North Korea implements the Pyongyang Declaration in
a sincere manner, relations could be normalized within two years,
or even as quickly as one year," Koizumi said.
The declaration, which Koizumi and Kim signed during their
meeting in Pyongyang in September 2002, covers issues including
the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents and
Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs.
Having designated the year 2005--which will mark the 40th
anniversary of the normalization of Japan-South Korea diplomatic
ties--as Japan-South Korea friendship year, Koizumi and Roh
agreed to expand exchanges in many fields.
Koizumi said Japan would grant short-stay visa exemptions to
South Koreans throughout the duration of the 2005 Aichi World
Expo, which will run from March to September.
He also said Japan would consider making visa exemptions
permanent for South Korean visitors.
Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun
*****************************************************************
13 Daily Yomiuri: Maintain strong stance on North Korea
Yomiuri Shimbun
Talks on Wednesday between the leaders of Japan and South Korea
have aroused great concern about their reconciliatory posture
toward North Korea.
On the first day of their two-day talks, Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun agreed to closely
cooperate with the United States in ensuring North Korea scraps
its nuclear weapons program.
The question is what kind of approach Tokyo, Seoul and Washington
should adopt toward Pyongyang. Efforts to properly deal with
North Korea require not only dialogue, but pressure. It seems as
though the Japanese and South Korean leaders were oblivious to
the importance of using pressure as a bargaining chip in
negotiations with North Korea. They appear to be overly
enthusiastic about dialogue with the communist state.
The international community must more strongly unite in making
the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free. Cooperation among Japan, the
United States and South Korea has never been more important than
today, when it comes to accomplishing this goal.
There is deep-seated anti-U.S. and pro-North sentiment in South
Korean political circles. The same is true among the South Korean
public.
The United States is planning to cut back its forces in South
Korea by about one-third. Meanwhile, Roh has said that Seoul will
step up efforts to ensure its national security on its own. All
this has had an adverse effect on the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
Some members of Roh's ruling Uri Party are increasingly against
sending additional South Korean soldiers to Iraq.
===
Seoul taking soft approach
Major topics taken up during inter-Korea talks do not include
Pyongyang's problematic nuclear program. South Korean officials
may believe that the reclusive state would never dare use nuclear
weapons to attack their country as the two nations comprise the
divided peninsula.
In fact, the South Korean government has implemented various
measures to improve bilateral relations in recent years,
including food and other aid for the communist nation and a
continued project to reunite Koreans separated from each other by
the Korean War (1950-53). These have been followed by projects to
build rail and road links between the South and North, while also
helping build a model industrial complex in Kesong, North Korea.
It is disturbing for Japan to see South Korean-U.S. relations
strained in recent months.
According to the South Korean defense minister, Pyongyang is
trying to build and deploy new intermediate-range ballistic
missiles that can reach Guam. The country is still operating
graphite-moderated reactors in Yongbyong. This means there has
been no change in North Korea's pursuit of its nuclear and
missile programs.
===
Resolve conflicts first
Koizumi has said that he is willing to normalize relations
between Japan and North Korea during his tenure as Liberal
Democratic Party president. It should be noted, however, that the
pursuit of diplomatic normalization must be preceded by a
comprehensive solution to the nuclear, missile and abduction
issues.
The recent six-nation talks saw no substantial progress in
resolving the dispute over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Pyongyang has made no sincere effort to provide Japan with
information about the fate of Megumi Yokota and nine other
Japanese abductees who it says are dead or never entered the
country, as well as a number of other people believed to have
been abducted by North Korean agents.
During his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in May,
Koizumi pledged 250,000 tons of food and medical aid worth 10
million dollars for that nation. The prime minister also told Kim
that Japan would not impose economic sanctions against the
communist country as long as it adhered to the Japan-North Korea
Pyongyang Declaration. Shortly after returning home from the
summit meeting, Koizumi sent a congratulatory message to a
meeting of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan
(Chongryon). He was the first LDP president to do so.
All his actions can be interpreted as conciliatory toward North
Korea, reversing his earlier strong position on that country.
North Korea is developing nuclear weapons and building and
deploying ballistic missiles at this moment. The prime minister
has no reason to be hasty about normalizing ties with that
nation.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 22)
Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun
*****************************************************************
14 Korea Herald: Roh, Koizumi offer aid to N.K.
2004.07.22
By Seo Hyun-jin
Korean president says time not appropriate for inter-Korean
summit
JEJU - President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi promised yesterday that the two countries
would provide economic assistance to North Korea if the North
dismantled its nuclear weapons programs.
Their pledge at a casual summit on this southern resort island
is seen aimed at persuading the isolationist North to make a
strategic decision to abandon its nuclear ambitions and get
various benefits, as recent positive signs have suggested the
prolonged nuclear standoff might be easing.
"Once the nuclear issue is resolved, we will implement
comprehensive and specific economic cooperation projects between
South and North Korea, and Japan will actively pursue diplomatic
normalization and economic cooperation," Roh said in a news
conference after the talks on the first day of Koizumi's two-day
visit here.
*****************************************************************
15 Korea Herald: 'N.K. regime can stay after denuclearization'
2004.07.22
By Choi Soung-ah
A "strategic decision" by North Korea to give up its nuclear
program would allow the Kim Jong-il regime to remain in power, a
senior Washington official here said yesterday.
John Bolton, undersecretary for arms control and international
security of the U.S. State Department, said North Korea should
learn from Libya, stressing that taking a similar path would
bring about security for the Kim regime.
"It is the case that we have tried to use the example of Libya
to show that it is possible for a government to make a strategic
decision that it is better off abandoning the search for weapons
of mass destruction than continuing to pursue them," Bolton said
in a news conference in Seoul.
*****************************************************************
16 BBC: N Korea urged to follow Libya
Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 July, 2004
[John Bolton at Yonsei University in Seoul, 21 July 2004]
John Bolton is one of North Korea's harshest critics
A top US disarmament official has urged North Korea to follow
Libya's example and give up its weapons of mass destruction.
John Bolton, a leading US expert on North Korea, said Washington
was not interested in a temporary freeze of the North's nuclear
facilities.
He said that path had already been tried once before, and the US
would not be fooled again.
The US and Pyongyang have been engaged in a 20-month standoff
over the issue.
Mr Bolton's comments, in a lecture to Seoul's Yonsei University,
came ahead of the arrival in South Korea of Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Mr Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held 90-minute
talks on the holiday island of Jeju, where they pledged to
co-operate to extend aid to the communist North once it had
dismantled its nuclear programmes.
'Human scum'
Mr Bolton has in the past launched scathing attacks on North
Korea, on one occasion calling it a "hellish nightmare".
Pyongyang, in return, has labelled him "human scum".
But this time the under-secretary of state outlined a way for
North Korea to escape its pariah status.
We
have a saying: 'Fool once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on
me.' We will not be fooled again John Bolton
"Let there be no doubt: The case of Libya has shown concretely
the benefits that can flow when leaders of isolated regimes make
the strategic choice to invest in their countries' future, and
not in weapons of mass destruction," Mr Bolton said in a lecture
at Seoul's Yonsei University.
He said ongoing negotiations were not making much progress
because North Korea refused to admit to the full extent of its
nuclear facilities.
Pyongyang denies US allegations that it has an enriched uranium
programme, in addition to a plutonium one.
It has offered to freeze the plutonium programme, but the US says
a freeze is not enough and all facilities must be permanently
dismantled.
Abandoned agreement
An agreement in 1994 gave the North energy aid in return for a
nuclear freeze, but that pact collapsed in 2002 when the US said
Pyongyang admitted to a secret uranium programme. Since then it
has also restarted its plutonium programme.
"We have a saying: 'Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice,
shame on me.' We will not be fooled again.
"Our experience with Libya shows that a freeze is unnecessary,
and moreover, would simply delay the time when the people of
North Korea could reap the benefits of rejoining the
international community," Mr Bolton said.
At six-party talks last month, the Bush administration proposed
to give the North fuel aid and other benefits in return for a
commitment to dismantle all its nuclear facilities.
But Mr Bolton said North Korea should not be rewarded "merely for
coming back into compliance with their past obligations".
"It is not only anathema to our values - it is a bad policy," he
said.
BREAKING THE DEADLOCK?
US reportedly ready t agree to fuel aid and 'provisional
guarantee' not to attack Talks on lifting US sanctions also on
offer In return, North must seal nuclear facilities within 3
months Fuel aid and talks will continue if North then
dismantles facilities N Korea's response
The BBC's correspondent in Seoul, Charles Scanlon, says there was
little in Mr Bolton's speech to comfort the North Koreans.
They want a nuclear deal on their own terms, and are unlikely to
be attracted by a Libyan style solution with only a vague promise
of international goodwill, our correspondent says.
And Mr Bolton's demands did not end with an abolishment of the
North's nuclear activities - he also wants Pyongyang to reduce
its conventional military threat and improve human rights.
He warned of tougher international enforcement measures if North
Korean leader Kim Jong-Il failed to comply with American demands.
The US is trying to co-ordinate a regional position on Pyongyang.
Analysts say Mr Koizumi will have been interested in trying to
ensure that Seoul's softer line on its neighbour does not deviate
too far from Washington's tougher stance.
Mr Roh said after his talks with Mr Koizumi that the two
countries would co-operate to help North, once Pyongyang comes
out from the diplomatic cold.
"My country will carry out detailed and comprehensive economic
co-operation projects with the North, and Japan will actively
pursue diplomatic relations and economic co-operation with the
North," he told a news conference.
A further round of six-party talks on the nuclear issue are
expected before the end of September.
*****************************************************************
17 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: N.Korea Says It Will Give Up Nuclear Weapons If Conditions
Are Met
Updated July.21,2004 13:25 KST
North Korea's top UN envoys are on a rare visit to Washington, to
attend a forum organized by the New York-based Korea Society.
In Tuesday's discussions, North Korea's ambassador to the United
Nations said Pyongyang is willing to scrap its nuclear ambitions
if and when Washington fulfills North Korean demands for a
security guarantee, energy aid and economic assistance among
others.
North Korea is willing to give up its nuclear weapons program if
its demands are satisfied.
So said North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Pak
Gil-yon at the Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Forum in
Washington on Tuesday.
"The DPRK will give up its nuclear weapons program if conditions
are met."
Pak said his nation will forsake its nuclear ambitions if its key
demands such as the United States giving up its hostile policy
toward North Korea among others are met.
According to the senior North Korean official, Pyongyang
ultimately wants to see a nuclear-free Korean peninsula but
emphasized that distrust and misunderstanding were the biggest
obstacles to a final resolution in the current stalemate.
Pak also demanded practical compensation in return for
Pyongyang¡¯s freezing of its nuclear weapons program, including
energy supply of 2 million kilowatts from the U.S. along with
Washington's lifting of economic sanctions against the North.
These are the very demands the North Koreans presented during the
six-way talks in Beijing late last month.
Pak and his deputy Han Song-ryol are in Washington to attend the
academic seminar, whose participants include notable North Korea
experts such as Donald Gregg, former U.S. ambassador to South
Korea.
Until now, the U.S. government has rarely let high-ranking North
Korean officials visit the U.S. capital.
Arirang TV
*****************************************************************
18 KoreaTimes: Roh, Koizumi Agree to Accelerate Settlement on N. Korean Nukes
Standoff
Hankooki.com > Korea Times
By Shim Jae-yun Staff Reporter
CHEJU ISLAND - President Roh Moo-hyun said Wednesday it is not
the proper time to seek an inter-Korean summit meeting with North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il as the ongoing talks on the North's
nuclear issue are yet to make substantial progress.
``It is not appropriate for me to expect or urge Chairman Kim
Jong-il to make a reciprocal visit to the South,'' Roh said
during a joint press conference after his summit talks with
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on this scenic resort
island.
``What is important is whether the envisioned summit will help
resolve the impasse over the North Korean nuclear program and
improve inter-Korean relations,'' Roh said.
He went on to say the North Korean leader will also have to
consider many factors before any inter-Korean summit, including
relations between Pyongyang and Washington.
``A decisive factor in dealing with the matter is the attitude of
the United States,'' he said.
Roh said South Korea will push for encompassing economic
cooperation and exchange projects while Japan will normalize its
relations with the reclusive nation once the North Korean nuclear
standoff is resolved.
Roh also said his administration will not raise past problems
with Japan while he is in office, given the need to pursue
future-oriented relations between the two nations.
The two leaders agreed to step up efforts to find a peaceful
resolution to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons
programs.
They concurred that they must build on the momentum created by
June's six-way talks in Beijing, where participants discussed a
package of incentives aimed to persuade the North to abandon its
nuclear programs.
Koizumi said the Japanese government would consider providing
South Korean citizens with a permanent visa waiver after giving a
temporary exemption during the March-September period next year
when a world exposition will be held in Japan.
He expressed the hope that Japan will be able to normalize
relations with North Korea after the North resolves pending
issues related to the suspected development of nuclear devices
and missiles and the abduction of Japanese citizens.
``But the envisioned setup of diplomatic relations could be
delayed until even after my two-year tenure should the North fail
to implement the Pyongyang-Tokyo agreement on May 22 this year,''
he said.
The two leaders agreed that the normalization of bilateral
relations would help promote peace and stability in Northeast
Asia, as well as on the Korean peninsula.
The two leaders also agreed to closely cooperate to establish a
free trade agreement as early as possible.
The summit meeting was the fifth of its kind since Roh took
office in February last year.
The recent third round of six-way talks gave rise to hopes of a
breakthrough in the nuclear impasse as participants agreed on the
need to provide North Korea with economic assistance and a
security guarantee if it takes steps towards dismantling its
nuclear programs.
Also discussed was bilateral cooperation in the international
community, especially with regard to supporting the interim
government in Iraq.
The summit proceeded in a relaxed atmosphere, with the leaders
wearing casual clothes without ties to match the warm weather on
the holiday island.
Roh and Koizumi vowed to solidify bilateral cooperation ahead of
the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two nations.
``It is the start of `shuttle' diplomacy between the two nations
which will be expanded to similar summits with leaders in
China,'' a Chong Wa Dae official said.
Under the new diplomatic concept, the leaders are set to visit
each other as frequently as possible to deepen friendship and
mutual understanding.
jayshim@koreatimes.co.kr 07-21-2004 17:00
President Roh Moo-hyun, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi at Shilla Hotel, Cheju Island,
Wednesday. / Korea Times
*****************************************************************
19 AFP: US lawmakers urge greater effort in talks on North Korea's
nuclear program
WAR.WIRE
[http://www.spacewar.com/]
WASHINGTON (AFP) Jul 20, 2004
Washington and Pyongyang both must do more to lower tensions
over North Korea's nuclear program, two top US lawmakers told
North Korea's UN envoy on his first-ever visit Tuesday to the US
Congress.
US Senator Joseph Biden admonished North Korean UN ambassador Gil
Yon Park that the country's efforts to obtain nuclear weapons
destabilized the Korean peninsula, but is self-defeating
politically and economically.
"The North's nuclear program is a giant albatross around your
neck, in my view. It's a waste of resources (and) strains
relations with your neighbors," said Biden, top Democrat on the
US Foreign Relations Committee, adding that nuclear weapons
afforded North Korea a "false sense of security."
"We seek permanent verifiable elimination of all of North Korea's
weapons," Biden said at the forum organized by the New York-based
Korea Society, which was also attended by Pyongyang's deputy UN
representative Song Ryol Han.
Both sides stand to gain from North Korea's disarming he said.
"This is not a zero sum game."
Biden's colleague in the House of Representatives, Republican
Representative Curt Weldon said that "there's no more important
issue that confronts the world" than that of building down
tensions between North Korea and the West and convincing
Pyongyang of the need to disarm.
Both lawmakers urged Washington and Seoul to work harder to
achieve significant progress when a fourth round of six-way
nuclear talks with the United States, the two Koreas, China,
Japan and Russia is held in September.
A third round of six-way talks in Beijing last month ended
without major progress, but Biden said conditions now appear
right for a breakthrough.
"This administration is now ready, Congress is ready, for
absolute serious negotiations," Biden said.
"There are a great number of us in this country who play some
small part in the political establishment who see getting the
relationship right with North Korea as absolutely critical for
our mutual security."
For his part, Park reiterated North Korea's position that it
might be willing to consider freezing its nuclear program if
Washington agrees to reward the Communist regime for the freeze,
saying that substantial differences between the two countries
remain.
Several members of South Korea's National Assembly also spoke at
the event.
North Korea has demanded energy aid and a US security guarantee
and also wants Washington to lift sanctions and remove the
Stalinist state from its list of states sponsoring terrorism.
The North Korean nuclear stand-off erupted in October 2002, when
the United States said Pyongyang had acknowledged it was
developing nuclear weapons, violating a 1994 international
agreement.
WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
20 USATODAY.com: Conflicting reports leave uranium case open
Posted 7/21/2004 7:03 AM Updated 7/21/2004 7:40 AM
By John Diamond, USA
TODAY WASHINGTON — In the case of Iraq's alleged attempt to buy
uranium in Africa a key reason the Bush administration cited
for its belief that Iraq was developing weapons of mass
destruction not even hindsight is 20/20.
Two reports released this month disagree on whether that
uranium-buying attempt ever happened. The issue gained
prominence when President Bush declared in his State of the
Union address in January 2003 that Iraq tried to buy a critical
ingredient for a nuclear bomb in Africa. Bush's 16-word charge,
which cited British reports and formed part of the rationale for
the invasion of Iraq two months later, became hugely
controversial when critics said it was based on bad
intelligence. In July 2003, the White House said the charge
should not have been in Bush's speech.
A unanimous Senate Intelligence Committee report released this
month said U.S. intelligence lacked evidence that Saddam
Hussein's regime even attempted to buy uranium in the African
nation of Niger, let alone actually made a deal. At the same
time, however, the report raised sharp questions about former
ambassador Joseph Wilson, who has positioned himself as a chief
critic of the White House's allegations of an
Iraq-Africa-uranium connection.
Meanwhile, an examination by a British investigative panel that
was released days after the Senate committee report said that
the allegations about Iraqi attempts to buy uranium from Africa
were "well-founded" and that Bush was on solid ground to repeat
Britain's concerns in his speech.
In the heated environment of the presidential campaign, the new
reports, and the reaction to them in conservative circles, have
ignited the issue of Wilson's credibility to a point that has
eclipsed questions about whether Iraq actually sought uranium.
Wilson charged last July that his own investigation in Niger,
done at the CIA's request, revealed no evidence that Iraq had
sought to buy uranium there, and that the White House knew or
should have known that. His whistleblower message gained
credibility because at the time he delivered it, U.S. forces
occupying Iraq were failing to find any evidence of Saddam's
allegedly extensive nuclear weapons development program, or any
of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.
But in its new report, the Senate Intelligence Committee says
Wilson's report from Niger modestly bolstered the case for an
Iraq-Niger connection. And the committee disputed his claim that
his wife, a CIA employee, played no role in getting him the
Niger assignment.
Republicans have seized on the issue, making Wilson fodder for
conservative talk radio and frequent e-mails to the news media
from the Republican National Committee. They've used it to
attack Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, whose
campaign is allied with Wilson and had been paying for Wilson's
web site attacking Bush.
Critics have also accused the media, including USA TODAY, of
trumpeting Wilson's original charges, not doing enough to check
his credibility and underreporting the new concerns about the
accuracy of some of his statements.
Bush joined the fray Tuesday when an audience member at a
political rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, asked him, "Did
Ambassador Wilson lie?"
"Well, you need to ask the press that question," Bush replied.
In another twist, a federal grand jury has been interviewing
White House officials in an investigation of whether someone
there violated security laws by disclosing that Wilson's wife,
Valerie Plame, is an undercover CIA officer. Bush and Vice
President Cheney were interviewed and have retained private
attorneys.
Despite its complexities, the controversy surrounding Wilson and
the Iraq-uranium allegations can be boiled down to some simple
questions:
"Why would Iraq try to buy uranium from Niger when it already
had uranium of its own? Iraq had 550 tons of partially processed
uranium ore, or yellowcake, that it had mined and processed
itself or imported in the 1980s from Niger. But the material was
subject to United Nations inspections, and Iraq's uranium mining
and processing facilities had been destroyed in the 1991 Persian
Gulf War. British intelligence believed Iraq wanted a secret
source of uranium to evade U.N. inspections. U.S. intelligence
said Iraq was unlikely to risk exposure in an international
uranium deal and would more likely divert its own stockpile
because the U.N. inspections occurred only once a year.
"What was Wilson's role? Wilson had been an ambassador to Gabon
and was posted to Niger earlier in his career. In 1999, he had
gone to Niger to gather information about rumors of uranium
sales to Iraq. The CIA sent Wilson back to Niger in February
2002 to check on unconfirmed reports about an Iraqi contract to
buy uranium. Wilson reported that he found no evidence of a
contract and that Niger's uranium was under French control and
could not be diverted to Iraq.
He said Niger's former prime minister, Ibrahim Mayaki, had told
him that in 1999 he had been approached by a businessman who
urged him to meet with an Iraqi delegation. Mayaki said he
assumed the meeting would be about uranium, but uranium never
came up.
"What did the Senate Intelligence Committee report say about
Wilson, and how does he respond? The committee reported that CIA
analysts believe Mayaki's comments about the meeting, while
inconclusive, tended to support allegations that Iraq was at
least trying to buy uranium. Wilson says the Mayaki information
was thin and notes that the CIA did not deem it important enough
to report to the White House.
The committee reported that Wilson conceded he may have
"misspoken" when he told a reporter last year that documents
purporting to confirm an Iraq-Niger deal were forgeries when, in
fact, he had no access to those documents and could not have
known they were forgeries. Wilson says he never claimed to have
known about the forged documents.
The committee also questioned Wilson's repeated denials that his
wife had "anything to do" with his selection by the CIA to go to
Niger. It quoted from a memo by Plame that lays out Wilson's
qualifications for the assignment. Wilson and the CIA confirm
that the agency, not Plame, selected him for the mission. He
says the memo merely laid out his qualifications after he was
picked.
"Did Iraq, in fact, try to buy uranium in Niger? The Senate
Intelligence Committee report accepted the CIA's ultimate
assessment not reached until after the war that there was
little, if any, credible evidence available to U.S. intelligence
to support the charge that Iraq sought, let alone bought,
uranium from Niger.
"Has the White House changed its position on Bush's January 2003
charge? The White House has not withdrawn or amended its
statement last July that the intelligence behind the charge "did
not rise to the level of inclusion in a presidential speech."
Uranium case open7/21/2004 7:40 AMBy John Diamond, USA
TODAYWASHINGTON -->
© Copyright 2004 USA TODAY, a division of
*****************************************************************
21 thedesertsun.com: Hispanic leverage huge in battleground states
[http://www.thedesertsun.com]
USA TODAY
July 21, 2004
President Bush wants to lift his share of the U.S. Hispanic vote
from 35 percent in 2000 to 40 percent in 2004. Democrats want to
turn out more of their own Hispanic supporters.
In the prime battlegrounds such as Arizona and Nevada, Hispanic
leverage "is going to be huge," says Joe Velasquez, a Democratic
campaign consultant. "If you get 10,000 to 30,000 new voters to
the polls who are Hispanic, that’s going to have a tremendous
impact." These states’ electoral votes could swing the election,
analysts say.
Arizona
In 1996, President Clinton became the first Democrat since Harry
Truman in 1948 to carry Arizona. Democrat Janet Napolitano was
elected governor in 2002, buoying party hopes of turning this
"red" state blue again.
Only 25 percent of Arizona Hispanics are foreign-born and
naturalized, so "there’s not that much of a swing vote" open to
the GOP, pollster Sergio Bendixen says. U.S. Reps. Ed Pastor in
Phoenix and Raul Grijalva in Tucson are lending their
organizations to Kerry. Napolitano’s organization "helps
tremendously," Grijalva says.
Democrats face an uphill battle. In a statewide poll of 670
voters released Thursday, Bush led Kerry, 48 percent to 36
percent. The Behavior Research Center Poll has a margin of error
of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Arizona’s strong economy is a plus for Bush.
Lisa Garcia Bedolla, a political science professor at the
University of California-Irvine, says Hispanic growth has been
matched by Anglo growth. This tends to be Republican, so growth
"may be a wash" for the two parties, she says. The influx of
young professionals for high-tech work isn’t all good news for
Republicans, says John Sanchez, director of the Bush campaign in
five Western states.
For Democrats, "it’s going to take a real effort," Richardson
says. "I think Arizona is very doable with ground efforts
targeted to Native Americans and Hispanics."
Nevada
Low turnout at the polls may limit impact.
Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the 1990s. Population
rose 66 percent. Hispanics increased 200 percent, drawn to Las
Vegas casino-hotel jobs. But Hispanic power has yet to stir at
the polls. In 2002 elections, 42 percent of registered Hispanics
voted in Las Vegas, compared with 57 percent turnout overall.
"Latino turnout is not as high as we would like it to be, but it
is growing," says Attorney General Brian Sandoval, the Bush
campaign’s Nevada co-chair.
Many local politicos say the Hispanic potential is exaggerated
and that it will be 10 years before a critical mass of newcomers
attains the levels of homeownership, education and income that
trigger voting.
It’s a wide-open Hispanic electorate, mostly foreign-born. Hotel
workers are unionized but "can be pushed in one direction or the
other," pollster Sergio Bendixen says. Groups ranging from the
Culinary Workers Union to Republican volunteers have been pushing
since September to register and turn out Hispanics.
The early start is "phenomenal," says Andres Ramirez, a
Democratic campaign consultant.
A robust economy aids Bush. But polls show that, like other
Nevadans, many Hispanics are sour on Bush for approving a
national repository for dangerous nuclear waste at Yucca
Mountain, 90 miles from Las Vegas. Even Sandoval has told the
White House "we respectfully disagree."
Analysis by Paul Overberg, USA TODAY. Reporting by Martin
Kasindorf, USA TODAY. Desert Sun staff writer Jose Paul Corona
contributed to this report. Sources: Census Bureau, Univision,
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
and Pew Hispanic Center.
border="0"> [http://www.gannett.com] © Gannett Co., Inc., 7950
Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22107 " (703) 854-6000 Copyright ©
2004 The Desert Sun. Use of this site signifies your agreement to
the Terms of [http://www.thedesertsun.com/tos.shtml]
*****************************************************************
22 NPR : Candidates on the Issues: Energy Policy
[http://www.npr.org/]
Programs and Schedules All Programs
Bush, Kerry Both Urge Independence from Foreign Oil
[audio icon] Morning Edition audio
Credit: Reuters
» HEAR THE CANDIDATES ON OTHER ISSUES
The Candidates on Energy Policy
[Listen] Sen. Kerry on on Energy Independence (from a speech
given May 27, 2004 in Seattle)
[Listen] Kerry on Spurring Alternative Energy Sources (from a
March 29, 2004, speech in Sacramento, Calif.)
[Listen] Kerry on Energy Independence (from a May 25, 2004,
speech in Portland, Ore.)
[Listen] President Bush on the Need for Congress to Pass an
Energy Bill (from a May 13, 2004, speech in Parkersburg, W.Va.)
[Listen] Bush on Energy Independence, Hydrogen-Fueled Cars and
Nuclear Power (from a May 3, 2004, speech in Niles, Mich.)
[Listen] Bush on Gasoline Prices (from remarks to reporters
following a May 19, 2004, Cabinet meeting)
July 20, 2004 -- Energy policy rarely takes center stage in a
presidential race. But amid high gasoline prices this year,
voters seem to be paying attention.
Both President Bush and Sen. John Kerry are touting long-term
plans to cut dependence on foreign oil and develop new sources
of energy at home -- while criticizing each other's positions.
NPR's Allison Aubrey
[http://www.npr.org/about/people/bios/aaubrey.html] reports.
Related NPR Stories
[http://www.npr.org/politics/issues2004/] Compare Candidates'
Remarks on the Issues [http://www.npr.org/politics/issues2004/]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1431999] Bush
Pushes Clean Air, Energy Plans
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1431999]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1900613] Record
Gas Prices Put Pressure on Bush
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1900613]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1813990] Task
Force Calls for Stricter Rules for Utilities
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1813990]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1853372] Cheney's
Impact on Energy Policy
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1853372]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1874931] 'The End
of Oil' [http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1874931]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1917670]
Commentary: Gas Tax Would Boost Conservation
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1917670]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1869989]
Commentary: Energy Policy and Politics
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1869989]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1893089] Three
Views on Global Warming
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1893089]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1575226] U.S. to
Lease Alaskan Petroleum Reserve
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1575226]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1874920] NYC
Proposes Massive Windmills Offshore for Electricity
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1874920]
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3087017] New
Jersey Bets on Solar Power
[http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3087017]
Web Resources
•John Kerry Campaign Site on Energy, Environment
[http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/]
•President Bush Campaign Site on Energy
[http://www.georgewbush.com/Energy/]
•Bush Campaign Site on the Environment
[http://www.georgewbush.com/Environment/]
*****************************************************************
23 US Air Force: Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum
The museum received its “Little Boy” atomic bomb following
restoration at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque,
N.M. It is the same type as the one the "> +
[Atomic bomb returns to Air Force Museum]
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- A "Little Boy" atomic
bomb returned to the Air Force Museum here July 15 after a
yearlong restoration project. It is the same type as the one the
dropped Aug. 6, 1945, over Hiroshima, Japan. (U.S. Air Force
photo by Jeff Fisher)
by Chris McGee
U.S. Air Force Museum Public Affairs
7/21/2004 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFPN) -- A
poignant symbol of World War II history returned to the Air
Force Museum here July 15 after a yearlong restoration project.
The museum received its “Little Boy” atomic bomb following
restoration at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque,
N.M. It is the same type as the one the dropped Aug. 6, 1945,
over Hiroshima, Japan. Denotation occurred at an altitude of
1,800 feet.
A Little Boy bomb was the first nuclear weapon used in warfare.
Sandia workers painted the Little Boy and added parts to the
bomb to make it more reflective of its World War II-era
configuration. The process of shipping, restoring and returning
the bomb involved a coordinated effort among officials at the
museum, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons and Counterproliferation
Agency, Sandia and the 4th Airlift Squadron at McChord Air Force
Base, Wash.
Agency officials served as project coordinators, facilitating
actions between the museum and Sandia. A 4th AS crew returned
the bomb here in a C-17 Globemaster III.
The bomb will return to display in the museum’s Air Power
Gallery, which features aircraft, exhibits and items dedicated
to the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II.
“By putting a much-improved Little Boy bomb back on display, we
upgrade our collection and storyline,” said retired Maj. Gen.
Charles D. Metcalf, museum director. “But more than that, we
demonstrate a key characteristic of today’s Air Force, which is
the integration of disparate units and capabilities to
accomplish a common mission.”
Lt. Col. Don Robbins, agency commander, viewed the efforts of
his organization and that of others involved as essential to
preserving and presenting a prominent part of history.
“It is critical to preserve this important historical artifact
for future generations,” Colonel Robbins said. “It’s gratifying
to know that various units cooperated in lending their
capabilities to provide the American people with a restored,
improved item of particular historical significance.”
The 4th AS is the sole operator of Air Mobility Command’s prime
nuclear airlift force and routinely handles the nation’s most
sensitive cargo. It is the Air Force’s oldest active airlift
squadron.
*****************************************************************
24 NRC: Live NRC Meeting Webcast
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission [ border=]
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently broadcasting
some Commission meetings over the Internet as a means of
improving communications with the public.
Date Subject
date in m/d/yy Meeting title
time
-->
The following resources will assist you in participating:
+ Public Meeting Schedule - provides a complete listing of
agency meetings. Live meetings shown as [webcast]
+ Commission Meeting Schedule - lists all Commission meetings
for a six (6) week period. Live meetings shown as [webcast]
+ Slides - available in advance of the meeting
+ Transcripts - available within 48 hours of the conclusion of
the live meeting
+ Meeting SRM - Documentation of any Commission's decisions
from the meeting.
To view a webcast you will need to Download Webcast Viewer
RealOne Plugin [RealNetworks Media Streaming Player icon] .
You may also view previously held webcast meetings at our
[http://video.nrc.gov:8383/nrc_webcast/archive.jsp] .
Comments and Feedback
To help us determine the value of continuing to provide this
service, the NRC would appreciate your assistance by providing
comments and feedback on the usefulness, performance, and
frequency with which you might use this service or any other
items related to this service.
+ Contact Us About Webcasts
+ Webcast Interest Survey
Notes on Accessibility
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires equal access to
the Federal government's electronic and information technology.
In compliance with this Act, NRC is including text equivalents
(captioning) as part of the video image being shown over the
Internet during the Commission meeting. Although every effort is
made to assure the accuracy and completeness of this text, users
should be aware that errors may nonetheless occur. Expressions
of opinion in this text do not necessarily reflect final
determination or beliefs. No pleadings or other paper may be
filed with the Commission in any proceeding as a result of any
statement or argument contained in the text-equivalent
(captioned) material.
Last revised Wednesday, July 21, 2004
*****************************************************************
25 UK: Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - PRESS RELEASE
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 12:31:13 -0500 (CDT)
CND - Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
www.cnduk.org
PRESS RELEASE 21st July 2004 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE REALITY OF THE DEFENCE SPENDING CUTS
Despite the spin about defence spending cuts, Geoff Hoon has actually
increased so-called defence spending from #29.7 billion this year to $33.4
billion by 2007-8. This equals an annual increase of 1.4% in real terms. The
emphasis is on modernisation, bringing with it new digital systems closely
integrated with US military systems, and a renewed commitment to maintaining
the so-called nuclear deterrent. This includes making the necessary
investment at AWE Aldermaston, and keeping open the options for a
necessary successor to Trident. CND deplores these developments and urges
the government to break its special nuclear relationship with the US.
CND Chair Kate Hudson said:
Geoff Hoons statement confirms our worst suspicions: increasing
integration with the US military machine, and investment at AWE
Aldermaston Britains nuclear bomb factory. The government continually
denies that it is intending to develop new nuclear weapons there, to be used
in further pre-emptive wars, but these denials are looking increasingly
weak. The reality is that our government buys in to the USs new nuclear
strategy for new nuclear weapons to be used in pre-emptive wars - as
outlined in the US Nuclear Posture Review. Sadly, this announcement shows
that Britain is well on the way down that disastrous track.
CND urges the government to comply with its nuclear disarmament
obligations. Britain is committed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
to abolish its nuclear weapons. So Britain should be scrapping Trident, not
planning a successor and investing in a new generation of nuclear weapons.
----
press office: 020 7700 2350 switchboard: 020 7700 2393
fax 020 7700 2357 mobile 07968 420859
e-mail pressoffice@cnduk.org web www.cnduk.org
ENDS
----------
Notes to editor:
1. For further information please contact Ruth Tanner CNDs Press &
Communications Officer on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
Ruth Tanner
Press and Communications Officer
CND - Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
direct line 020 7700 2350
switchboard 020 7700 2393
mobile 07968 420859
fax 020 7700 2357
e-mail pressoffice@cnduk.org
web www.cnduk.org
*****************************************************************
26 Haaretz: Court bars entry for Vanunu journalist
[ border=] [http://www.haaretz.com]
News Updates Thu., July 22, 2004 Av 4, 5764 Israel Time:
By Haaretz Staff
The High Court of Justice has denied British journalist Peter
Hounam's appeal to enter the country to interview Mordechai
Vanunu, who had revealed classified information on Israel's
nuclear program to the journalist.
Interior Minister Avraham Poraz had earlier denied Hounam's entry
to Israel, and the courts have ruled that his reasons for doing
so were valid.
Hounam, who originally broke the story in The Sunday Times of
London, had petitioned the Jerusalem District Court on June 24 to
overrule the interior minister's decision. At the Jerusalem
hearing, Judge Yoram Noam was presented with classified
information in chambers with only representatives of the
prosecution present.
In his petition, Hounam said the decision harmed "Israel's image
as a democratic state." The court ruled that Hounam cannot use
Israeli law in his defense as a foreign citizen, and could not
demand to be allowed into the country but could only request it.
Poraz said the information he had received from security
officials showed that Hounam had assisted Vanunu to violate the
restrictions placed on him when he was released after 18 years in
jail.
Poraz said he was sure Hounam would use his entry to expose
classified information. The judge ruled that the information he
received was sound, and was the result of a thorough
investigation.
[feedback@haaretz.co.il]
[http://www.haaretz.com] |
© Copyright Haaretz. All rights reserved
*****************************************************************
27 albawaba.com: IAEA: No evidence for nuclear activity in Syria
Al Bawaba - Middle East News and Information
21-07-2004, 13:19
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday denied
the existence of any evidence that Syria has been developing
banned nuclear weapons.
In a statement to Egyptian TV, General-Director of the IAEA
Mohammed el-Baradei said "the Agency has no evidence on Syria’s
attempts to build any nuclear program that violates the
Non-Proliferation Treaty." "Syrian officials are ready to
cooperate with the IAEA to prove that an allegation against Syria
in this respect is groundless," he added.
He called all the regional states to work on preventing the
spread of weapons of mass destruction in the region.
US President George W. Bush on May 11 imposed sanctions on Syria,
which Washington accuses of supporting "terrorism," seeking to
produce arms of mass destruction and trying to destabilize Iraq.
(albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
[http://www.albawaba.com]
*****************************************************************
28 asahi.com: EDITORIAL:Expand Asian diplomacy
Koizumi should mend relations with China.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visits South Korea Wednesday for
a meeting with South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun, as relations
between the two countries have never been better. Amicable ties
between the two countries are indispensable to stability and
development in Northeast Asia.
Many important issues lie ahead of Koizumi and Roh, such as North
Korea's nuclear and missile development and negotiations for a
free trade agreement. The two leaders are expected to agree to
hold talks about twice a year. We hope they will hold frank
discussions about how the two countries should associate in the
years ahead.
But Tokyo's relations with Beijing are a worry in the promotion
of cooperative ties between Japan and South Korea. If positive
links are to be created among major Asian countries in terms of
politics and economics, it is necessary to incorporate China into
such an association.
No Chinese leader has visited Japan since President Jiang Zemin
came here in 1998. The current president, Hu Jintao, has not come
to Japan since he assumed the presidency in March last year. And
the last visit to China by a Japanese prime minister was made by
Koizumi in autumn 2001.
In contrast to the chilly diplomatic relations between Japan and
China, economic ties between them, such as trade and external
investment, continue to grow closer every year because of China's
remarkable economic growth. Reports say China's researchers refer
to Tokyo-Beijing relations ironically as ``chilly politics and
hot economics.'' The exchanges between the Japanese and Chinese
leaders should not be allowed to peter out even though economic
relations are favorable.
The bane of the chilly political relations are Koizumi's visits
to Yasukuni Shrine. Every time he visits the shrine, Koizumi says
the Chinese and South Koreans ``will come to show an
understanding sooner or later.'' But there is no indication of
change being made in the ties between Japan and China. And there
is no sign at all that the prime minister has made any effort at
improving the situation.
Many things might have been achieved, however, had there been
dialogue between the Japanese and Chinese leaders. In the
development of a gas field in the East China Sea, the two
countries could have jointly started work rather than wrangling
over China's current venture. Japan could have offered
technological assistance in China's development of alternative
energy and in efforts to solve China's environmental problems
that have emerged with its rapid economic growth.
As for the construction of a rapid transit railway system in
China, no headway has been made in providing Japan's Shinkansen
technology to it.
If Japan can cooperate with China as well as with South Korea in
matters concerning North Korea, moreover, there will be increased
pressure on Pyongyang to resolve the problems of abducted
Japanese and its nuclear and missile development.
Some members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have
expressed concerns over Japan's leadership, which is unable to
hold a political dialogue with China. Tokyo's poor political
relations with Beijing have had an adverse effect far beyond its
ties with China.
In his inaugural address last year, Roh emphasized that his
country would be a bridge between China and Japan. We suggest,
then, that Koizumi propose, at his meeting with Roh, to have a
tripartite summit by the leaders of South Korea, China and Japan.
If such meetings are held in turn in the countries' capitals,
they can offer a breakthrough for mutual visits of leaders.
Japan's successive prime ministers in the past have tried to
maintain good relations with China, which has a much different
political regime. Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu paid a visit to
China earlier than any Western leader after China's crackdown on
the democracy movement at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Japan also
supported China's entry into the World Trade Organization earlier
than any Western country.
Koizumi should face up to China from a broad perspective of
Japan's diplomatic policy toward Asia. His visit to South Korea
should be the first step toward that end.
--The Asahi Shimbun, July 20(IHT/Asahi: July 21,2004) (07/21)
*****************************************************************
29 NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority, Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1
FR Doc 04-16532
[Federal Register: July 21, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 139)]
[Notices] [Page 43633-43635] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr21jy04-118]
and 2; Exemption 1.0 Background The Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA, the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License
Nos. DPR-77 and DPR-79, which authorize operation of the Sequoyah
Nuclear Plant (facility or SQN), Unit Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.
The licenses provide, among other things, that the facility is
subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) now or hereafter in
effect.
The facility consists of two pressurized water reactors located
in Hamilton County, Tennessee.
2.0 Request/Action Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR) part 50, Appendix G requires that pressure-temperature
(P-T) limits be established for reactor pressure vessels (RPVs)
during normal operating and hydrostatic or leak rate testing
conditions. TVA requested that they be able to use Westinghouse
Report WCAP-15315, ``Reactor Vessel Closure Head/Vessel Flange
Requirements Evaluation for Operating PWR [Pressurized-Water
Reactor] and BWR [Boiling-Water Reactor] Plants'' in lieu of 10
CFR, Appendix G, Footnote 2 to Table 1.
3.0 Discussion Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon
application by any interested person or upon its own initiative,
grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when (1)
the exemptions are authorized by law, will not present an undue
risk to public health or safety, and are consistent with the
common defense and security, and (2) when special circumstances
are present. Therefore, in determining the acceptability of the
licensee's exemption request, the staff has performed the
following regulatory, technical, and legal evaluations to satisfy
the requirements of 10 CFR 50.12 for granting the exemption.
3.1 Regulatory Evaluation It is stated in 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix G that ``[t]he minimum temperature requirements * * *
pertain to the controlling material, which is either the material
in the closure flange or the material in the beltline region with
the highest reference temperature * * * the minimum temperature
requirements and the controlling material depend on the operating
condition (i.e., hydrostatic pressure and leak tests, or normal
operation including anticipated normal operational occurrences),
the vessel pressure, whether fuel is in the vessel, and whether
the core is critical. The metal temperature of the controlling
material, in the region of the controlling material which has the
least favorable combination of stress and temperature, must
exceed the appropriate minimum temperature requirement for the
condition and pressure of the vessel specified in Table 1 [of 10
CFR Part 50, Appendix G].'' Footnote 2 to Table 1 in 10 CFR part
50, Appendix G specifies that RPV minimum temperature
requirements related to RPV closure flange considerations shall
be based on ``[t]he highest reference temperature of the material
in the closure flange region that is highly stressed by bolt
preload.'' In order to address provisions of amendments to modify
SQN Units 1 and 2 Technical Specifications (TSs) to implement a
pressure- temperature limits report (PTLR) for each unit, TVA
requested in its submittal dated September 6, 2002, that the
staff exempt SQN Units 1 and 2 from the application of specific
requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, as they pertain to
the establishment of minimum temperature requirements, for all
modes of operation addressed by 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, based
on the material properties of the material of the RPV closure
flange region that is highly stressed by the bolt preload. The
licensee's initial technical basis for this exemption request was
submitted on December 19, 2002. The requirements from which TVA
requested that SQN Units 1 and 2 be exempted shall be referred to
for the purpose of this exemption as ``those requirements related
to the application of Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR Part 50,
Appendix G.'' The proposed action is in accordance with the
licensee's
[[Page 43634]] application for exemption contained in its
September 6, 2002, submittal, and is needed to support the TS
amendments that are contained in the same submittal. The proposed
amendments will revise the SQN Units 1 and 2 TSs to permit the
implementation of a PTLR for each unit.
TVA's final, complete technical basis for the requested exemption
was submitted to the NRC by letters dated June 24, 2003, and
December 18, 2003. The licensee's June 24, 2003, letter included
as an attachment Westinghouse report WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1,
``Reactor Closure Head/Vessel Flange Requirements Evaluation for
SQN Units 1 and 2.'' This revision of WCAP-15984 updated
information provided in WCAP- 15984-P, Revision 0, which had been
submitted to the staff on December 19, 2002. The licensee's
December 18, 2003, letter provided responses to specific
questions raised by the NRC staff to clarify information in
WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1.
3.2 Technical Evaluation WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1 included a
fracture mechanics analysis of postulated flaws in SQN Units 1
and 2 RPV closure flange regions under boltup, 100 degrees
Fahrenheit per hour ([deg]F/hr) heatup, 100 [deg]F/ hr cooldown,
and steady-state conditions, with the heatup and cooldown
transients being modeled in accordance with what would be
permissible using P-T limit curves based on SQN Units 1 and 2
beltline materials. Westinghouse performed finite element
modeling to calculate the stresses present at critical locations
within the flange region and determined that the 100 [deg]F/hr
heatup transient was the most severe condition with the upper
head-to-flange weld being the most limiting location. With these
stresses, Westinghouse calculated the applied stress intensity
(KI applied) for semi-elliptical, outside diameter initiated,
surface breaking flaws with an aspect ratio (length vs. depth) of
6:1, and with depths ranging from 0 to 90 percent of the
thickness of the component wall. The KI applied values were
calculated in accordance with the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME Code) Section XI,
Appendix G, subparagraph G-2220 requirements for the analysis of
flange locations. Westinghouse then compared these KI applied
values to ASME Code lower bound static crack initiation fracture
toughness (KIC) values determined from the nil-ductility
transition reference temperature (RTNDT) values for the SQN Units
1 and 2 RPV closure flange materials. Westinghouse also provided
an assessment of the potential for changes in the material RTNDT
values for the SQN Units 1 and 2 RPV closure flange materials due
to thermal aging resulting from exposure to the RPV operating
environment.
The use of ASME Code KIC as the material property for the
fracture mechanics analysis represents the most significant
change between the analysis provided in WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1
and the analysis which was performed as the basis for
establishing the minimum temperature requirements in 10 CFR part
50, Appendix G. The minimum temperature requirements related to
Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G were
incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations in the early
1980s and were based on analyses which used ASME Code lower bound
crack arrest/dynamic test fracture toughness (KIA) as the
parameter for characterizing a material's ability to resist crack
initiation and propagation. The use of ASME Code KIA is always
conservative with respect to the use of ASME Code KIC for
fracture mechanics evaluations, and its use in the evaluations
which established the requirements in 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G
was justified based on the more limited knowledge of RPV material
behavior that was available in the early eighties. However, the
use of ASME Code KIC, not ASME Code KIA, is consistent with the
actual physical processes that would govern flaw initiation under
conditions of normal RPV operation, including RPV heatup,
cooldown, and hydrostatic and leak testing. Based on our current
understanding of the behavior of RPV materials, the NRC staff has
routinely approved licensees utilization of ASME Code KIC as the
basis for evaluating RPV beltline materials to demonstrate
compliance with the intent of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G through
the licensees use of ASME Code Cases N-640 and N-641.
The minimum KIC value given in ASME Code for a RPV steel,
regardless of material RTNDT value or temperature, is 33.2
ksi[radic]in. This value represents the ``lower shelf'' of the
ASME Code KIC curve. Based on information in WCAP-15984-P,
Revision 1 and the licensee's December 18, 2003, response to NRC
staff questions, it is apparent that the KIapplied for any flaw
up to \1/4\ of the wall thickness (\1/4\ T) at the limiting
location (refer to WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1, Figure 4-2), would
not exceed 33.2 ksi[radic]in (including staff consideration of
ASME Code structural factors) until between 1 and 2 hours into
the 100[deg]F/hr heatup transient. The temperature at the tip of
postulated flaws up to \1/4\ T size would be adequate at that
point in time to ensure that the limiting SQN flange materials
would exhibit fracture toughness properties in excess of ASME
Code ``lower shelf'' behavior.
Hence, the analysis provided in WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1 has
demonstrated that, for the most limiting transient addressed by
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix G, the combination of factors which
would have to exist (high stresses in the RPV flange region along
with the metal of the flange region being at low temperature)
cannot exist simultaneously, and the structural integrity of the
SQN Units 1 and 2 RPV closure flange materials will not be
challenged by facility operation in accordance with P-T limit
curves based consideration of SQN Units 1 and 2 beltline
materials. Therefore, the more conservative minimum temperature
requirements related to Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix G are not necessary to meet the underlying intent of 10
CFR part 50, Appendix G, to protect SQN Units 1 and 2 RPVs from
brittle failure during normal operation under both core critical
and core non-critical conditions and RPV hydrostatic and leak
test conditions.
3.3 Legal Basis for Exemption Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the
Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon
its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of 10
CFR part 50, when (1) the exemptions are authorized by law, will
not present an undue risk to public health or safety, and are
consistent with the common defense and security; and (2) when
special circumstances are present. The staff accepts the
licensee's determination that an exemption would be required to
permit TVA to not meet those requirements related to the
application of Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix
G. The staff examined the licensee's rationale to support the
exemption request and agrees that based on the information
provided in WCAP-15984-P, Revision 1 and TVA's December 18, 2003,
letter, an acceptable technical basis has been established to
exempt SQN Units 1 and 2 from requirements related to the
application of Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix
G. The technical basis provided by TVA has established that an
adequate margin of safety against brittle failure would continue
to be maintained for SQN Units 1 and 2 RPVs without the
application of those requirements related to the application of
Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G, for normal
operation under both core critical and core non-
[[Page 43635]] critical conditions and RPV hydrostatic and leak
test conditions. Hence, the staff concludes that, pursuant to 10
CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix G will be achieved without the application of those
requirements related to the application of Footnote 2 to Table 1
of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G. Therefore, the staff concludes
that requesting the exemption under the special circumstances of
10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) is appropriate, and should be granted to
TVA such that those requirements related to the application of
Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix G need not be
applied to SQN Units 1 and 2.
4.0 Conclusion Accordingly, the Commission has determined that,
pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law,
will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety,
and is consistent with the common defense and security. Also,
special circumstances are present. Therefore, the Commission
hereby grants TVA an exemption from those requirements related to
the application of Footnote 2 to Table 1 of 10 CFR part 50,
Appendix G, for SQN Units 1 and 2.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the
granting of this exemption will not result in any significant
effect on the quality of the human environment (69 FR 32372).
This exemption is effective upon issuance.
Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 7th day of July, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ledyard B. Marsh, Director, Division of Licensing Project
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-16532 Filed 7-20-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
30 Xinhuanet: China to build more nuclear power plants
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2004-07-21 22:52:37
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhuanet) -- The Chinese State Council on
Wednesday approved two nuclear power plant projects in provinces
to ease power shortage.
The decision to start construction of the second-phase
project of the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in south China's
Guangdong Province, and the first-phase project of the Sanmen
Nuclear Power Plant in east China's Zhejiang Province, was made
at a State Council meeting on acceleration of nuclear power
station construction by mainly relying on China itself.
"Nuclear power generating is a kind of clean and safe way of
power supply with mature technology and good flexibility," the
meeting pointed out.
"The increase of nuclear energy's proportion in total power
supply is of great importance to the development of high-tech and
manufacturing industries, the economic growth, adjustment of
energy supply structure, safeguarding of energy security as well
as the sustainable development strategy," the meeting said.
Up to now, China has put into use or is constructing 11
nuclear power generating units, with quite complete managerial
and quick-response systems established in this regard, according
to the meeting.
"But still only a small portion of the country's total power
supply is provided by nuclear plants, which were constructed
expensively," sources with the meeting said.
The meeting stressed that the relevant sectors should make
great efforts to raise capabilities to build China's own brand
nuclear power station with its own design by absorbing advanced
technology from foreign countries.
Electricity generated by nuclear power accounts for only
about 1.4 percent of China's total electricity supply, compared
to 16 percent in developed countries, according to figures from
the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
There were four nuclear power plants in China by May 2004.
Theyare the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, located in Haiyan County
of Zhejiang Province, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and Ling'ao
Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, and Tianwan Nuclear
Power Plant that is being built in Lianyungang City of eastern
Jiangsu Province.
"China is expected to obtain 4 percent of its electricity, or
32 million kilowatts, from nuclear plants by 2020," Xu Jianzhong,
a researcher with the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics
under the CAS said.
Chinese engineers can easily develop the 1-million-kw nuclear
generating unit on the basis of the 600,000-kw one, with the
introduction of necessary advanced designing software from other
countries, Ye Qizhen, chief designer of the second-phase project
of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant told Xinhua.
All the Chinese nuclear power plants are located in
economically developed coastal provinces, where the power
shortage problems are particularly serious.
Statistics show that the country's electricity demand has
increased about 16 percent in the first six months of this year
over the same period last year, with 757,000 power brownouts
imposed and some 19.45 billion kwh in electricity lost. Enditem
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
31 People's Daily: China builds more nuclear power plants to ease power shortage
UPDATED: 08:45, July 22, 2004
The Chinese State Council on Wednesday approved two nuclear power
plant projects in provinces to ease power shortage.
The decision to start construction of the second-phase project of
the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Plant in south China's Guangdong
[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/guangdong.html]
Province, and the first-phase project of the Sanmen Nuclear Power
Plant in east China's Zhejiang
[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/Zhejiang.html]
Province, was made at a State Council meeting on acceleration of
nuclear power station construction by mainly relying on China
itself.
"Nuclear power generating is a kind of clean and safe way of
power supply with mature technology and good flexibility," the
meeting pointed out.
"The increase of nuclear energy's proportion in total power
supply is of great importance to the development of high-tech and
manufacturing industries, the economic growth, adjustment of
energy supply structure, safeguarding of energy security as well
as the sustainable development strategy," the meeting said.
Up to now, China has put into use or is constructing 11
nuclearpower generating units, with quite complete managerial and
quick-response systems established in this regard, according to
the meeting.
"But still only a small portion of the country's total power
supply is provided by nuclear plants, which were constructed
expensively," sources with the meeting said.
The meeting stressed that the relevant sectors should make great
efforts to raise capabilities to build China's own brand nuclear
power station with its own design by absorbing advanced
technology from foreign countries.
Electricity generated by nuclear power accounts for only about
1.4 percent of China's total electricity supply, compared to 16
percent in developed countries, according to figures from the
Chinese Academy of Sciences
[http://www.cas.ac.cn/] (CAS).
There were four nuclear power plants in China by May 2004.
Theyare the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant, located in Haiyan County
of Zhejiang Province, Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant and Ling'ao
Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province, and Tianwan Nuclear
Power Plant that is being built in Lianyungang City of eastern
Jiangsu
[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/jiangsu.html]
Province.
"China is expected to obtain 4 percent of its electricity, or 32
million kilowatts, from nuclear plants by 2020," Xu Jianzhong, a
researcher with the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics under
the CAS said.
Chinese engineers can easily develop the 1-million-kw nuclear
generating unit on the basis of the 600,000-kw one, with the
introduction of necessary advanced designing software from other
countries, Ye Qizhen, chief designer of the second-phase project
of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant told Xinhua.
All the Chinese nuclear power plants are located in economically
developed coastal provinces, where the power shortage problems
are particularly serious.
Statistics show that the country's electricity demand has
increased about 16 percent in the first six months of this year
over the same period last year, with 757,000 power brownouts
imposed and some 19.45 billion kwh in electricity lost.
Source: Xinhua
Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved
*****************************************************************
32 East Valley Tribune: Bird droppings likely shut down nuclear complex
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Investigators suspect bird droppings may have temporarily shut
down the Palo Verde nuclear plant last month.
By Ed Taylor, Tribune
Investigators think they have the straight poop on what
caused the nation's largest nuclear power complex to shut down
last month.
Bird droppings.
[http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=25105]
“There were eyewitnesses,” said Kwin Peterson, a
spokesman for the Western Electricity Coordinating Council, which
is looking into the Palo Verde nuclear plant incident that caused
outages all the way to Canada.
“There was a bird on a 230 kilovolt power line west of Phoenix,
and as the bird took off, it let loose as birds often do. The
excrement contaminated an insulator, and electricity flashed to
the tower, creating a short.”
At the time, utility officials said all three units at the
station, plus the natural gas-fired Red Hawk power plant, turned
themselves off because of a disturbance in the transmission
system. But they did not know the cause.
There was no radioactivity leakage or danger to plant workers or
nearby residents, but the loss of the 5,000 megawatts caused
short power outages across Arizona to New Mexico, central
California and as far as the Canadian province of Alberta.
A final report has not been completed on the cause, but evidence
is strong that a bird initiated the incident, Peterson said.
Such incidents happen all the time, he said, but in this case a
relay failed that normally would cause a circuit breaker to trip
and contain the problem. A backup relay also failed, he said.
A circuit breaker further along the line did trip, but it was so
close to the Palo Verde and Red Hawk plants that they had no way
to transmit the electricity they were producing, Peterson said.
In such a circumstance, the units were designed to automatically
shut down.
“A power plant has to get rid of the energy as it is generated,
and in this case there were not enough lines available to take
the energy being produced,” he said.
The Red Hawk plant was returned to service the same day, and the
Palo Verde units were running again within a few days.
Peterson said the electricity council doesn't consider it to be a
major incident because most of the 50,000 customers who lost
power had it back on within two hours. But a final report due in
about two months will make recommendations on how to prevent a
reoccurrence, he said.
A spokesman for Arizona Public Service, which operates the Palo
Verde plant, declined to comment.
One silver lining in the incident was it proved the Palo Verde
plant is capable of doing what it was designed to do, said Mike
Gleason, a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, which
regulates Arizona utilities.
“It was the best test we've had to show it does work,” he said.
Contact Ed Taylor by [etaylor@aztrib.com] , or phone (480)
898-6537
Policy | © 2001 - 2004 All Rights Reserved.
[http://www.freedom.com/]
*****************************************************************
33 WHBF: Defending Our Nuke Plant From Terrorist
July 21, 2004
With a nuclear power plant in our backyard, the Quad Cities is a
target for terrorist and there is always the chance of an
accident. To be better prepared the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency put its defenses to the test.
Representatives from five counties an two states combined forces
to test the accident response at the Quad Cities nuclear power
station at Cordova.
"We've had plans in place to respond to an incident at a nuclear
power station since the early 1980's and those plans are updated
ever year," says Dave Smith of IEMA.
Wednesday's scenario as fabricated but Michael Muth with the
Exelon Nuclear plant says they take it seriously.
"We activate our facilities as we would in a real event,"
explains Muth. "We staff our facilities, we would go through the
same procedures."
Representatives from both Illinois and Iowa participate in the
exercise. The drill even has a mock press conference testing
emergency response plans in the event of an accident in the Quad
Cities.
"We have never had an actual nuclear power plant accident in the
state of Illinois that has threatened the off site public," says
Smith. We want people to understand that we're working jointly
with utility, with all levels of government and we're in a
position to where we can respond to protect the citizens. "
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will announce their
preliminary finding from the results of the drill on Friday.
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2000 -
2004 WorldNow and WHBF. All Rights Reserved. For more information
*****************************************************************
34 NRC: Constellation Energy Group, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station,
FR Doc 04-16531
[Federal Register: July 21, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 139)]
[Notices] [Page 43631-43633] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr21jy04-117]
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-63 and NPF-69 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- 63 and NPF-69, which
authorize the Constellation Energy Group Inc., to operate the
Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2 at 1850 megawatts
thermal for Unit 1 and 3467 megawatts thermal for Unit 2. The
renewed licenses would authorize the applicant to operate the
Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, for an additional
20 years beyond the period specified in the current licenses. The
current operating license for the Nine Mile Point Nuclear
Station, Unit 1 expires on August 22, 2009, and the current
operating license for the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit 2
expires on October 31, 2026.
The Commission's staff has received an application dated May 26,
2004, from Constellation Energy Group Inc., pursuant to 10 CFR
Part 54, to renew the Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69
for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, respectively.
A Notice of Receipt and Availability of the license renewal
application, ``Constellation Energy Group; Nine Mile Point
Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Receipt and
Availability of Application for Renewal Facility Operating
License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69 for an Additional 20-Year
Period,'' was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2004
(69 FR 32069).
The Commission's staff has determined that Constellation Energy
Group 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. 50-220 and 50-410 for
Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69, 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
[[Page 43632]] 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://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html]
. 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
e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . If a request for a hearing
or a petition for leave to intervene is filed within the 60-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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \1\ To the extent that the application contains
attachments and supporting documents that are not publicly
available because they are asserted to contain safeguards or
proprietary information, petitioners desiring access to this
information should contact the applicant or applicant's counsel
to discuss the need for a protective order.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- 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 Nine
Mile Nuclear Station, 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) e-mail addressed to the Office of
the Secretary,
[[Page 43633]] U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV [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 e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov
[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://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html
[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 website. Copies of the
application to renew the operating licenses for the Nine Mile
Point Nuclear Station, 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
20852-2738, and at
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati
ons
[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] the NRC's website 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://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html]
under ADAMS accession number ML041490211. 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 [pdr@nrc.gov] . The staff has verified that
a copy of the license renewal application is also available to
local residents near the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station at the
Penfield Library (Selective Depository), Reference and Documents
Department, State University of New York, Oswego, New York 13126.
Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this the 15th day of July 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director, License Renewal and Environmental
Impacts Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-16531 Filed 7-20-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
35 [DU-WATCH] NY County calls on DOT to end DU labeling exemption
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:14:49 -0500 (CDT)
See 'Depleted' Uranium Munitions Action Plan -
http://www.traprockpeace.org/07july04_du_shipments.html
Nuke ammo transport worries county
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=12402488&BRD=248&PAG=461&dept_id=462341&rfi=6
By: JACK MABB 07/20/2004
----------
HUDSON-At any given time radioactive material in the form of depleted
uranium from nuclear power plants and munitions may be traveling
the rails and roadways of America.
And while local officials understand the need for security surrounding
these shipments, a growing number of them also say the safety of
local first responders, responding to a train or truck accident
involving these shipments, must be considered.
Last week, Columbia County supervisors voiced their concerns on the
subject following a request from the Ulster County Legislature.
"We need to protect our first responders at all cost. It isn't fair
that they have no clue what they are dealing with," says Susan
Zimet, a member of the Ulster County Legislature. She sponsored a
resolution in her county that calls on the federal Department of
Transportation not to renew DOT-E9649, a regulation that allows the
Military Management Command to transport explosives and radioactive
material with only an "explosive" placard affixed to the container.
In the event of an accident that released the material, first
responders coming to the scene would have no knowledge of the
potential radioactive danger.
The regulation expired June 30 of this year. And Ms. Zimet says the
DOT has listened to those opposed to continuation of the regulation
and has not yet renewed it. In May, the Ulster County Legislature
unanimously approved the resolution calling for the DOT to require
identification of radioactive cargoes. The Columbia County Board
of Supervisors adopted a similar resolution at its meeting last
week.
While Columbia County seems far removed from weapons production and
nuclear power plants, the threads that link this county with other
vulnerable communities are the two CSX rail lines that pass through
eight towns here.
Ms. Zimet says Ulster's emergency management director tried to find
out the routes and times the material is shipped but ran into a
brick wall of silence.
She says federal officials were "not forthcoming on information of
the route or manner the material was transported over." Ms. Zimet
says at one point some radioactive material was produced in the
Albany suburb of Colonie, which leads here to believe "that material
passed though our counties at some time."
Opponents of the regulation describe DU as "extremely toxic material,"
with the danger increased when it is shipped as part of munitions.
One group, Nukewatch, in Luck, Wis., says an accident with these
weapons could have the effect of igniting what the federal government
has described as "dirty bomb," a device the government has said
terrorist organizations might try to build and detonate.
County Fire Coordinator James Van Deusen says it is a good idea to
mark the containers to give first responders a fighting chance. "If
they get there and then discover what it is I think they will be
out of luck," he says. He adds that while firefighters are taught
to check the scene for their own safety first, the drive to help
may overwhelm that learned prudence.
"Know what you're getting into-we teach it all the time. But in the
heat of a call sometimes it's how fast can you get there," he says.
While train transport is relatively safe, the Department of
Transportation reports that there are 2,000 derailments and 7,300
train accidents annually.
The Military Management Command has said that because of the risk
of terrorism, a cask ruptured on purpose is essentially a dirty
bomb, and the government needs to keep security on the shipments
tight.
Ms. Zimet understands the argument, but she wonders why in lieu of
a placard on the cars or trailer identifying radioactive materials
local emergency management offices couldn't be notified of nuclear
materials transportation routes and times.
"I believe that they believe they need to keep this a secret, but
that doesn't mean we stop worrying about our first responders," she
says.
Mr. Van Deusen agrees that prior notification could work well as
long as that notice is well ahead of the transport.
The Independent 2004
Charles Jenks, attorney at law President of the Core Group Traprock
Peace Center 103A Keets Road Deerfield, MA 01342 413-773-1633; fax
413-773-7507 charles@mtdata.com http://www.traprockpeace.org
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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36 [DU-WATCH] Twisted Science & 'Depleted' Uranium
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:25:14 -0500 (CDT)
http://www.traprockpeace.org/charles_sheehan-miles.html
"The science is being twisted around to serve the Pentagon's needs."
On May 30, 2004, Charles Sheehan-Miles, Gulf War veteran and Executive
Director of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute, addressed the DU workshop
at the National Grassroots Peace Network Conference, Bloomington, IN. He
spoke about his experiences in Gulf War I - a radiological war; on why he
has come to focus on the DU issue; Pentagon attempts to cover up the truth;
and scientific studies on DU health effects and environmental impact.
Hear audio programs, view photo-journals and download resources for the
peace movement at http://www.traprockpeace.org
Also, try out our interactive calendar for non-profit/non-partisan events.
Charles Jenks, attorney at law
President of the Core Group
Traprock Peace Center
103A Keets Road
Deerfield, MA 01342
413-773-1633; Fax 413-773-7507
charles@mtdata.com
http://traprockpeace.org
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37 [DU-WATCH] DU transport story via DU Weapons Network
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 23:04:22 -0500 (CDT)
Hi all,
Text of the story forwarded by Sheree, of the Sheree of the DU
Weapons Network of the Hudson Mohawk Region.
Cheers,
Robert
Wednesday 21 July, 2004
Top Stories
Nuke ammo transport worries county
By: JACK MABB 07/20/2004
HUDSON-At any given time radioactive material in the form of depleted
uranium from nuclear power plants and munitions may be traveling the
rails and roadways of America.
And while local officials understand the need for security
surrounding these shipments, a growing number of them also say the
safety of local first responders, responding to a train or truck
accident involving these shipments, must be considered.
Last week, Columbia County supervisors voiced their concerns
on the subject following a request from the Ulster County Legislature.
"We need to protect our first responders at all cost. It isn't
fair that they have no clue what they are dealing with," says Susan
Zimet, a member of the Ulster County Legislature. She sponsored a
resolution in her county that calls on the federal Department of
Transportation not to renew DOT-E9649, a regulation that allows the
Military Management Command to transport explosives and radioactive
material with only an "explosive" placard affixed to the container.
In the event of an accident that released the material, first
responders coming to the scene would have no knowledge of the
potential radioactive danger.
The regulation expired June 30 of this year. And Ms. Zimet
says the DOT has listened to those opposed to continuation of the
regulation and has not yet renewed it.
In May, the Ulster County Legislature unanimously approved the
resolution calling for the DOT to require identification of
radioactive cargoes. The Columbia County Board of Supervisors adopted
a similar resolution at its meeting last week.
While Columbia County seems far removed from weapons
production and nuclear power plants, the threads that link this
county with other vulnerable communities are the two CSX rail lines
that pass through eight towns here.
Ms. Zimet says Ulster's emergency management director tried to
find out the routes and times the material is shipped but ran into a
brick wall of silence.
She says federal officials were "not forthcoming on
information of the route or manner the material was transported
over." Ms. Zimet says at one point some radioactive material was
produced in the Albany suburb of Colonie, which leads here to
believe "that material passed though our counties at some time."
Opponents of the regulation describe DU as "extremely toxic
material," with the danger increased when it is shipped as part of
munitions. One group, Nukewatch, in Luck, Wis., says an accident with
these weapons could have the effect of igniting what the federal
government has described as "dirty bomb," a device the government has
said terrorist organizations might try to build and detonate.
County Fire Coordinator James Van Deusen says it is a good
idea to mark the containers to give first responders a fighting
chance. "If they get there and then discover what it is I think they
will be out of luck," he says. He adds that while firefighters are
taught to check the scene for their own safety first, the drive to
help may overwhelm that learned prudence.
"Know what you're getting into-we teach it all the time. But
in the heat of a call sometimes it's how fast can you get there," he
says.
While train transport is relatively safe, the Department of
Transportation reports that there are 2,000 derailments and 7,300
train accidents annually.
The Military Management Command has said that because of the
risk of terrorism, a cask ruptured on purpose is essentially a dirty
bomb, and the government needs to keep security on the shipments
tight. Ms. Zimet understands the argument, but she wonders why in
lieu of a placard on the cars or trailer identifying radioactive
materials local emergency management offices couldn't be notified of
nuclear materials transportation routes and times.
"I believe that they believe they need to keep this a secret,
but that doesn't mean we stop worrying about our first responders,"
she says.
Mr. Van Deusen agrees that prior notification could work well
as long as that notice is well ahead of the transport.
Reader Opinions
Be the first person to voice your opinion on this story!
)The Independent 2004
Back to top
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>
> A good article was forwarded today by Sheree of the DU Weapons
Network of the Hudson Mohawk Region. The article is at
>
> http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=12402488&BRD=248&PAG=461&dept_id=462341&rfi=6
>
>
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38 [DU-WATCH] Depleted Uranium Munitions Action Plan
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 23:49:45 -0500 (CDT)
FYI, Elaine
Glen Milner wrote:To: du-list@yahoogroups.com
From: Glen Milner Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 17:51:10 -0700 Subject:
[du-list] DU Munitions Action Plan Update July 20, 2004
Depleted Uranium Munitions Action Plan
Updated July 20, 2004 by Glen Milner
DOT-E 9649 has not been renewed. Letters may still be sent to the
Department of Transportation.
The Depleted Uranium Munitions Action Plan is an attempt by activists
across the United States to prevent the renewal of a special U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT) exemption, DOT-E 9649, which
allows the shipment of depleted uranium munitions without a DOT
Radioactive placard displayed on the shipment.
The expiration date for the exemption was June 30, 2004. The
complete action plan is posted at
http://www.traprockpeace.org/du_mun_action_plan.pdf or contact
info@gzcenter.org for a copy.
I spoke with Mr. Delmer Billings of the Department of Transportation
today on July 20, 2004. He stated they were having problems
transferring information they scanned onto the DOT docket management
system. He thought they would have to scan all documents again.
Delmer Billings said of the Department of Defense that the ball is
in their court. He said that things will remain unchanged for at
least another two weeks. We have this time, and possibly more time,
to submit new information regarding DOT-E 9649.
Delmer Billings is also processing a Freedom of Information Act
request I have submitted regarding this issue.
Delmer Billings, and others in the Exemptions and Approvals office
of the DOT, seem to be conscientious about their jobs. They appear
to be understaffed and overworked, but serious about public safety.
A good article was forwarded today by Sheree of the DU Weapons
Network of the Hudson Mohawk Region. The article is at
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12402488&BRD=248&PAG=461&dept_id=462341&rfi=6
To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to
du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message
type unsubscribe and send.
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39 Washington Times: Arafat says bullets raising cancer rate
World - July 21, 2004
RAMALLAH, West Bank Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat accused
Israel of polluting the West Bank and Gaza Strip with
depleted-uranium bullets, causing a sharp increase in cancer
rates.
"They have caused cancer that is like Hiroshima and Nagasaki,"
Mr. Arafat said in an interview.
"America could not find uranium in Iraq, but we have found it
here in Palestine and the Israelis are using it to kill our
people."
Mr. Arafat, his eyes bulging with anger and his lips trembling,
the effect of rumored Parkinson's disease, encouraged reporters
to visit Palestinian hospitals and see the cancer patients.
Cancer specialists at two hospitals, one in Ramallah and the
other in Bethlehem, said they had seen no increase in cancer
rates during the current uprising, which began in September 2000.
The Palestinian leader was referring to dense bullets of depleted
uranium that are sometimes used by U.S. forces to pierce tank
armor. The Palestinians have no tanks.
Mr. Arafat also accused Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of
being linked to the 1995 assassination of then-Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Mr. Sharon is "part of that group of fanatics who killed my
partner, Yitzhak Rabin, with whom I signed the peace of the
brave," said the Palestinian leader, referring to the now-defunct
1993 Oslo peace accords.
Israeli government spokesman Danny Seaman described Mr. Arafat's
charges as "the product of a sick mind and a fevered
imagination."
Apart from what Mr. Arafat said during the interview at his
Ramallah compound, his tone and demeanor raised questions about
the degree of control that the Palestinian leader has over
national events and over himself.
The visit lasted several hours. Palestinian officials said two
previous interviewers were ordered to leave after angering Mr.
Arafat with their questions.
A list of questions or topics was demanded before this interview,
and many questions were vetoed by Mr. Arafat's top adviser, Nabil
Abu Rdeineh.
Mr. Arafat declined to discuss the recent upheavals within the
Palestinian Authority.
To back the charges of cancer-causing uranium bullets, Mr. Arafat
waved a report that he said he had received from the so-called
Quartet behind the latest Middle East peace initiative the
United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations.
"This report, an American report, proves it," he said, handing a
copy to visiting reporters.
The document turned out to have been written by an obscure peace
group. It contained no evidence that Israel had used uranium
bullets. It did conclude that Israel probably has such weapons in
its armory because it has a close military relationship with the
United States.
Separately, no analysis of cancer rates was available at the
Palestinian Authority's official bureau of statistics or its
department of health.
Mr. Arafat's remarks mixed aggression toward his interviewers
with anger at his enemies.
He became upset when asked why the Israelis had recently killed
the two top leaders of the rival Palestinian group Hamas but had
not eliminated him.
"How dare you?" he yelled, his finger pointing menacingly and
lips quivering more than usual. "Are you a Mossad agent? Do you
work for the killers of Rabin? Of course they want to kill me,
too.
"Look at my bedroom that he bombed. Remember, one of [Mr.
Sharon's] ministers said a 2-ton bomb would finish me off ... he
tried to kill me 13 times in Beirut."
Israeli spokesmen have said that if their army or air force
wanted to kill Mr Arafat, they could have easily done so numerous
times. For more than two years, he has remained at his compound
in Ramallah.
Mr. Arafat insisted on conducting the interview in a small room
in front of a photo of the Dome of the Rock, the ubiquitous
symbol of Palestinian ambition for sovereignty over the holiest
site in Jerusalem.
Mr. Arafat said he was convinced Mr Sharon was not serious about
his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
"If he'd wanted to withdraw, he need not have gone to his own
[Likud Party] first when they voted against," he said.
"He could have gone to the Knesset and got a big majority with
[the opposition Labor Party] supporting him. So I think it's just
a show, just a theater to fool the world."
*****************************************************************
40 Daily Yomiuri: Tokaimura N-accident mustn't be forgotten
Isamu Mishima
It will soon be five years since the worst accident in the
history of Japan's nuclear energy development. The memory of the
nation's first criticality accident is fading gradually with the
passage of time--but it should never be forgotten. I hope those
concerned will ensure that the accident is remembered so that it
can serve as a lesson in the education of those involved in the
development of nuclear power.
The accident occurred on Sept. 30, 1999, at the JCO Inc. uranium
fuel-processing company in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, while
the company was producing uranium fuel for the Joyo experimental
fast-breeder reactor under contract to the Japan Nuclear Cycle
Development Institute. It happened when uranium solution was
pumped into a large sedimentation tank--a container about 50
centimeters in diameter and about 60 centimeters in
height--rather than the small container required by official
regulations. The excess quantities of the solution then went
critical, inadvertently starting an uncontrolled nuclear chain
reaction. As a result, radiation was released into the immediate
area, exposing three JCO employees to dangerous levels of
radioactivity. Two of them died in a hospital and a third became
seriously ill.
The state of criticality continued for about 20 hours. During
this time, neighborhood residents were forced to evacuate from
their homes and about 310,000 other people within a radius of 10
kilometers were told to stand by at home. An estimated 319
company employees, fire department workers and residents were
exposed to radioactivity totaling more than 1 millisievert.
The mishap resulted in the strengthening of nuclear power safety
regulations and central and local governments' measures to cope
with nuclear disasters, since it laid bare JCO's lack of safety
awareness, problems with the state's nuclear energy disaster
prevention system and the inadequate emergency medical services
for radiation victims.
Memories of the incident inevitably fade with time, however. This
is particularly true when the memories involve a mistake that
people would rather forget. The more damage to society from the
failure, however, the more need there is to ensure that it is not
forgotten by subsequent generations. Unless such efforts are
made, major failures will be repeated.
Effective methods of keeping alive the memory of the critical
accident and handing it down to future generations include
safeguarding the location of the accident and storing related
records. The voluminous files on the Tokaimura incident are kept
in state records or by various media, including the newspapers.
However, the preservation of the accident site is endangered in
part because of JCO's suspension of nuclear fuel processing.
How have the scenes of accidents of past nuclear power mishaps
been conserved?
An accident occurred in the No. 2 reactor at Kansai Electric
Power Co.'s Mihama atomic power plant in Fukui Prefecture in
February 1991 when a narrow pipe in a steam generator broke,
causing the activation of the reactor's emergency core cooling
system. The pipe had metal fatigue following many years of
vibrations, but the cause of the accident ultimately lay with
construction faults in the generator that caused the
vibrations--a problem that was overlooked during regular tests.
To ensure that the accident served as a lesson, Kansai Electric
Power Co. has preserved the generator in the Mihama power plant
as well as newspaper accounts of the accident.
Similarly, JNC is preserving facilities and machinery related to
accidents to serve as a lesson to people concerned with nuclear
safety.
Another accident occurred when sodium leaked from piping in the
Monju fast breeder reactor in Fukui in December 1995. The
incident occurred when a thermometer inserted in the piping broke
due to its having been manufactured in an incorrect shape. JNC
displays the thermometer and sodium oxide that was formed when
the sodium coolant reacted with the air in a building adjacent to
the Monju reactor.
In March, 1997, there was a fire and explosion at the
bituminization facility at Tokaimura. The incident happened when
a drum filled with low-level radioactive waste dissolved in
asphalt sparked a fire and then an explosion that destroyed the
facility. JNC has put some remnants of the accident on display,
such as twisted ferroconcrete from a wall that was destroyed in
the blast.
Kansai Electric Power Co. and JNC say they are keeping the
machinery that caused the accidents and part of the sites of the
mishaps in order to keep alive the memory of the incident.
What about the criticality accident in Tokaimura? JCO is thinking
of clearing the scene of the accident and disposing of the
equipment. Opinions are split among officials of the local
governing body, with the mayor of the village wishing to preserve
the accident site and relevant machinery while the village
assembly is demanding that they be removed. A survey showed that
local residents also were divided over the matter.
Certainly, many people want to forget this horrible accident as
soon as possible. But what will happen if it is forgotten? If we
fail to learn from the past, then we may be doomed to repeat the
same mistakes. Preserving the location of the criticality
accident that destroyed the myth of atomic power safety surely
will provide us with the place and time to consider how to make
it safe in the future.
Mishima is a deputy science news editor of The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun
*****************************************************************
41 Traprock Peace Center: Charles Sheehan-Miles on 'Depleted' Uranium
103A Keets Road, Deerfield, MA 01342 (413) 773-7427
[http://traprockpeace.org]
Together We Explore Nonviolence, Foster Community, Work to end
war, Promote Communication & Take Initiatives on Environmental
and Justice issues
Go to [http://traprockpeace.org/] or Search this site for
related information
Comment on this topic in the
[http://www.traprockpeace.org/forum/]
Reflections on Radiological War: Charles Sheehan-Miles on
'Depleted' Uraniun
"The science is being twisted around to serve the Pentagon's
needs."
On May 30, 2004 Charles Sheehan-Miles addressed the DU workshop,
[http://www.endthewar.org] Conference, Bloomington, IN.
Sheehan-Miles gave a moving talk about his experiences in Gulf
War I, on why he has come to focus on the DU issue, Pentagon
attempts to cover up the truth, and scientific studies on DU
health effects and environmental impact.
Play and Download MP3 audio - 35 minutes or, for dialup
connections, RealAudio version.
Charles Sheehan-Miles, a veteran of Gulf War I, is Executive
Director of the [http://www.nuclearpolicy.org/] and an
[http://www.sheehanmiles.com/] . photo © 2004 Charles Jenks
MP3 audio - 35 minutes or, for dialup connections, Realaudio
version.
July 18, 2004 - page created by [charles@mtdata.com] Traprock
Peace Center
103A Keets Road, Woolman Hill
Deerfield, MA 01342
Phone: (413) 773-7427; Fax:(413)773-7507;
[traprock@crocker.com]
*****************************************************************
42 The Australian: Radioactive fears at defence bases
[July 22, 2004]
By Cameron Stewart and Michael McKinnon
THE Australian Defence Force is investigating if some of its key
military bases are blighted by radioactive contamination.
The search reflects fears that poor environmental management may
have left a legacy of radioactive contamination on some heavily
populated defence bases and in military research centres.
It is unknown at this stage, what levels of contamination - if
any - will be discovered and whether they pose any health risks
for military personnel.
"A process of strategic environmental evaluation and
investigation of site contamination is under way," a defence
spokesman confirmed yesterday.
"This process will identify those sites that could possibly have
environmental contamination issues that may have resulted from
historical practices.'
FOI documents obtained by The Australian show that the ADF is
conducting "radioactive contamination reviews" at three key
military bases -- the RAAF base at Richmond in NSW, the RAAF base
at Amberley in Queensland and at the Defence Science and
Technology Organisation at Melbourne's Fisherman's Bend.
A defence spokesman said that the radioactive reviews might be
extended to other RAAF bases if results showed unacceptable
levels of contamination.
The radioactive investigation is the first of its kind by the ADF
and follows concern that past environmental practices on ADF
property -- covering about 3 million hectares of land and 25,000
facilities -- often fell far short of current standards.
"Early waste management practices throughout Australia sometimes
included burying wastes, which at the time was thought to be the
safest method of disposal," a defence spokesman said.
"This might have included decommissioned military equipment
incorporating such things as instrumentation that might have used
radioactive light sources."
The spokesman said that aircraft maintenance procedures in the
past involved "the use of sources of low-level radioactivity such
as the radium used in the luminescent dial of aircraft
instruments".
"This may have left traces in the environment that now need
further management action."
The ADF says the radioactive contamination reviews currently
under way at Richmond, Amberley and Fisherman's Bend were not yet
completed. The results will be made public when they become
available.
The ADF says that if the reviews -- which are being conducted by
independent environmental auditors -- find disturbing levels of
contamination, a clean-up will start immediately.
"Where environmental site contamination is found that poses a
risk to people or the environment, both on or off defence sites,
defence will undertake actions to mitigate such risks," the
spokesman said.
"The initial environmental review is expected to identify if past
management practices were appropriate."
The radioactive contamination reviews cost between $6000 and
$15,000 for each military base.
privacy © The Australian
*****************************************************************
43 Charleston.Net: Sea sleuths zero in on lost H-bomb
07/21/04
If found, leave it alone, Air Force says
BY TONY BARTELME Of The Post and Courier Staff
A group of amateur nuclear bomb hunters from Georgia said Tuesday
they may have pinpointed a lost 7,600-pound hydrogen bomb the Air
Force accidentally dropped in the ocean near Savannah in 1958.
Using equipment that detects radiation and large metal objects,
the group scoured a football-field-sized area off Tybee Beach
Tuesday morning.
Derek Duke, a retired Air Force colonel who has made the
so-called "Tybee bomb" his personal mission, said the group's
gear identified a spot where radiation levels were seven to 10
times greater than normal.
Duke said he and his colleagues then detected "a massive
underwater object."
"It might be nothing," he said. "Our big question now is, 'What
do we do next?'"
The Air Force's answer: Leave it alone.
Billy Mullins, the Air Force's associate director of nuclear and
counter-proliferation, said the bomb is probably entombed in 20
feet of mud. The bomb does contain uranium and 400 pounds of
explosives, but doesn't have a plutonium capsule.
With no capsule, the bomb is incapable of creating a nuclear
explosion, he said.
Still, the bomb does pose a hazard if it's disturbed.
"If you want to determine for sure that it was the Mark 15
(nuclear bomb), you would have to dig it up with a big dredging
type of operation, and that presents two risks," Mullins said.
The first: A dredge could hit the bomb and detonate the high
explosives, threatening the salvage crew.
The second: An explosion might blow a hole in a clay layer
protecting an aquifer that supplies drinking water to Savannah.
"We really don't think it's in the best interest in the safety
of Savannah to be digging around there when it's perfectly safe
where it is," Mullins said.
Duke and others who have followed the Tybee bomb issue remain
concerned that the plutonium capsule is still in the bomb.
"If this is indeed the spot where the bomb is, the Air Force
needs to come in and come clean," Duke said.
The Post and Courier earlier this year reported how the crew of
a B-47 Stratojet accidentally dropped the hydrogen bomb in 1958
after it collided with a Charleston-based jet fighter.
Most documents support the Air Force's contention that the bomb
was not armed with a plutonium capsule.
Still, the debate is an important one. When armed, the Mark 15's
explosive power was 100 times greater than the bomb dropped on
Hiroshima. The suspected location is about 100 miles from
Charleston.
The military searched for the bomb in 1958 but gave up after
three months.
In recent months, the Tybee bomb story has received international
attention, and a National Geographic crew documented Tuesday's
search, Duke said.
The search took place in Wassau Sound, a shallow area near Tybee
beach. "We launched at dawn, and the water was like glass." Duke
and four others put a string of sea buoys in a radiation hot spot
and then went back and forth with radiation detection equipment.
"That's how we established ground zero."
Duke, who lives in Statesboro, Ga., said he plans to take the
results of Tuesday's search to labs for analysis and is
considering whether to hand over his findings to the Air Force or
Georgia environmental officials.
"Tell the Air Force to call me," he said.
Mullins, however, said that even if Duke's people found the bomb
and passed the information to the Air Force, "our position would
still be that it is best left alone."
Tony Bartelme can be reached at bartelme@postandcourier.com or
937-5554.
Copyright © 2004, The Post and Courier, All Rights Reserved.
Comments about our site, write:
webmaster@postandcourier.com [webmaster@postandcourier.com]
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44 (DV) Moret: Depleted Uranium -- The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War
by Leuren Moret
www.dissidentvoice.org
July 21, 2004
"Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot that it do singe
yourself."
-- William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
Since 1991, the United States has staged four wars using
depleted uranium weaponry, illegal under all international
treaties, conventions and agreements, as well as under the US
military law. The continued use of this illegal radioactive
weaponry, which has already contaminated vast regions with low
level radiation and will contaminate other parts of the world
over time, is indeed a world affair and an international issue.
The deeper purpose is revealed by comparing regions now
contaminated with depleted uranium — from Egypt, the Middle
East, Central Asia and the northern half of India — to the US
geostrategic imperatives described in Zbigniew Brzezinski’s 1997
book The Grand Chessboard.
Figure 1: Brzezinski’s map of the Eurasian Chessboard
SOUTH REGION: “This huge region, torn by volatile hatreds and
surrounded by competing powerful neighbors, is likely to be a
major battlefield, both for wars among nation-states and, more
likely, for protracted ethnic and religious violence. Whether
India acts as a restraint or whether it takes advantage of some
opportunity to impose its will on Pakistan will greatly affect
the regional scope of the likely conflicts. The internal strains
within Turkey and Iran are likely not only to get worse but to
greatly reduce the stabilizing role these states are capable of
playing within this volcanic region. Such developments will in
turn make it more difficult to assimilate the new Central Asian
states into the international community, while also adversely
affecting the American-dominated security of the Persian Gulf
region. In any case, both America and the international
community may be faced here with a challenge that will dwarf the
recent crisis in the former Yugoslavia.” -- Brzezinski
The fact is that the United States and its military partners
have staged four nuclear wars, "slipping nukes under the wire"
by using dirty bombs and dirty weapons in countries the US needs
to control. Depleted uranium aerosols will permanently
contaminate vast regions and slowly destroy the genetic future
of populations living in those regions, where there are
resources which the US must control, in order to establish and
maintain American primacy.
Described as the Trojan Horse of nuclear war, depleted uranium
is the weapon that keeps killing. The half-life of Uranium-238
is 4.5 billion years, the age of the earth. And, as Uranium-238
decays into daughter radioactive products, in four steps before
turning into lead, it continues to release more radiation at
each step. There is no way to turn it off, and there is no way
to clean it up. It meets the US Government’s own definition of
Weapons of Mass Destruction.
After forming microscopic and submicroscopic insoluble Uranium
oxide particles on the battlefield, they remain suspended in air
and travel around the earth as a radioactive component of
atmospheric dust, contaminating the environment,
indiscriminately killing, maiming and causing disease in all
living things where rain, snow and moisture remove it from the
atmosphere. Global radioactive contamination from atmospheric
testing was the equivalent of 40,000 Hiroshima bombs, and still
contaminates the atmosphere and lower orbital space today. The
amount of low level radioactive pollution from depleted uranium
released since 1991, is many times more (deposited internally in
the body), than was released from atmospheric testing fallout.
A 2003 independent report for the European Parliament by the
European Committee on Radiation Risk (ECRR), reports that based
on Chernobyl studies, low level radiation risk is 100 to 1000
times greater than the International Committee for Radiation
Protection models estimate which are based on the flawed Atomic
and Hydrogen Bomb Studies conducted by the US Government.
Referring to the extreme killing effects of radiation on
biological systems, Dr. Rosalie Bertell, one of the 46
international radiation expert authors of the ECRR report,
describes it as:
"The concept of species annihilation means a relatively swift,
deliberately induced end to history, culture, science,
biological reproduction and memory. It is the ultimate human
rejection of the gift of life, an act which requires a new word
to describe it: omnicide."
1943 MANHATTAN PROJECT BLUEPRINT FOR DEPLETED URANIUM
In a declassified memo to General Leslie R. Groves, dated
October 30, 1943, three of the top physicists in the Manhattan
Project, Dr James B Conant, A H Compton, and H C Urey, made
their recommendation, as members of the Subcommittee of the S-1
Executive Committee, on the ‘Use of Radioactive Materials as a
Military Weapon’:
"As a gas warfare instrument the material would be ground into
particles of microscopic size to form dust and smoke and
distributed by a ground-fired projectile, land vehicles, or
aerial bombs. In this form it would be inhaled by personnel. The
amount necessary to cause death to a person inhaling the
material is extremely small … There are no known methods of
treatment for such a casualty … it will permeate a standard gas
mask filter in quantities large enough to be extremely
damaging."
As a Terrain Contaminant:
"To be used in this manner, the radioactive materials would be
spread on the ground either from the air or from the ground if
in enemy controlled territory. In order to deny terrain to
either side except at the expense of exposing personnel to
harmful radiations … Areas so contaminated by radioactive
material would be dangerous until the slow natural decay of the
material took place … for average terrain no decontaminating
methods are known. No effective protective clothing for
personnel seems possible of development. … Reservoirs or wells
would be contaminated or food poisoned with an effect similar to
that resulting from inhalation of dust or smoke."
Internal Exposure:
"… Particles smaller than 1µ [micron] are more likely to be
deposited in the alveoli where they will either remain
indefinitely or be absorbed into the lymphatics or blood. …
could get into the gastro-intestinal tract from polluted water,
or food, or air. … may be absorbed from the lungs or G-I tract
into the blood and so distributed throughout the body."
Both the fission products and depleted uranium waste from the
Atomic Bomb Project were to be utilized under this plan. The
pyrophoric nature of depleted uranium, which causes it to begin
to burn at very low temperatures from friction in the gun
barrel, made it an ideal radioactive gas weapon then and now.
Also it was more available because the amount of depleted
uranium produced was much greater than the amount of fission
products produced in 1943.
Britain had thoughts of using poisoned gas on Iraq long before
1991:
"I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against
uncivilized tribes. The moral effect should be good... and it
would spread a lively terror..." (Winston Churchill commenting
on the British use of poison gas against the Iraqis after the
First World War).
GUIDED WEAPONS SYSTEMS
Depleted uranium weapons were first given by the US to Israel
for use under US supervision in the 1973 Sinai war against the
Arabs. Since then the US has tested, manufactured, and sold
depleted uranium weapons systems to 29 countries. An
international taboo prevented their use until 1991, when the US
broke the taboo and used them for the first time, on the
battlefields of Iraq and Kuwait.
The US military admitted using depleted uranium projectiles in
tanks and planes, but warheads in missiles and bombs are
classified or referred to as a ‘dense’ or ‘mystery metal’. Dai
Williams, a researcher at the 2003 World Depleted Uranium
Weapons Conference, reported finding 11 US patents for guided
weapons systems with the term ‘depleted uranium’ or ‘dense
metal’, which from the density can only be depleted uranium or
tungsten, in order to fit the dimensions of the warhead.
Figure 2 - Hard target guided weapons in 2002: smart bombs &
cruise
missiles with "dense metal" warheads (updated September 2002)
Warhead weights include explosives (~20%) and casing. Dense
metal ballast or liners (suspected to be DU) estimated to be
50-75% of warhead weight - necessary to double the density of
previous versions. AUP = Advanced penetrators. S/CH = Shaped
Charge. BR = BROACH Multiple Warhead System (S/CH+AUP). P =
older 'heavy metal' penetrators. © Dai Williams 2002
Source: Depleted Uranium weapons in 2001-2002: Occupational,
public and environmental health issues - Mystery Metal Nightmare
in Afghanistan? Collected studies and public domain sources
compiled by Dai Williams, first edition 31 January 2002
Extensive carpet bombing, grid bombing, and the frequent use of
missiles and depleted uranium bullets on buildings in densely
populated areas has occurred in Iraq, Yugoslavia, and
Afghanistan. The discovery that bomb craters in Yugoslavia in
1999 were radioactive, and that an unexploded missile in 1999
contained a depleted uranium warhead, implies that the total
amount of depleted uranium used since 1991 has been greatly
underestimated. Of even greater concern, is that 100 per cent of
the depleted uranium in bombs and missiles is aerosolized upon
impact and immediately released into the atmosphere. This amount
can be as much as 1.5 tons in the large bombs. In bullets and
cannon shells, the amount aerosolized is 40-70 per cent, leaving
pieces and unexploded shells in the environment, to provide new
sources of radioactive dust and contamination of the groundwater
from dissolved depleted uranium metal long after the battles are
over, as reported in a 2003 report by the UN Environmental
Program on Yugoslavia. Considering that the US has admitted
using 34 tons of depleted uranium from bullets and cannon shells
in Yugoslavia, and the fact that 35,000 NATO bombing missions
occurred there in 1999, potentially the amount of depleted
uranium contaminating Yugoslavia and transboundary drift into
surrounding countries is staggering.
Because of mysterious illnesses and post-war birth defects
reported among Gulf War veterans and civilians in southern Iraq,
and radiation related illnesses in UN Peacekeepers serving in
Yugoslavia, growing concerns about radiation effects and
environmental damage has stirred up international outrage about
the use of radioactive weapons by the US after 1991. At the 2003
meeting of parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty,
discussing the U.S. desire to maintain its nuclear weapons
stockpile, the Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi AKIBA stated,
"It is incumbent upon the rest of the world ... to stand up now
and tell all of our military leaders that we refuse to be
threatened or protected by nuclear weapons. We refuse to live in
a world of continually recycled fear and hatred".
ILLEGAL UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
Four reasons why using depleted uranium weapons violates the UN
Convention on Human Rights:
LEGALITY TEST FOR WEAPONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
TEMPORAL TEST – Weapons must not continue to act after the
battle is over.
ENVIRONMENTAL TEST – Weapons must not be unduly harmful to the
environment.
TERRITORIAL TEST – Weapons must not act off of the battlefield.
HUMANENESS TEST – Weapons must not kill or wound inhumanly.
International Human Rights and humanitarian lawyer, Karen
Parker, determined that depleted uranium weaponry fails the four
tests for legal weapons under international law, and that it is
also illegal under the definition of a ‘poison’ weapon. Through
Karen Parker’s continued efforts, a sub-commission of the UN
Human Rights Commission determined in 1996 that depleted uranium
is a weapon of mass destruction that should not be used:
RESOLUTION 1996/16 ON STOPPING THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM - DU
The military use of DU violates current international
humanitarian law, including the principle that there is no
unlimited right to choose the means and methods of warfare (Art.
22 Hague Convention VI (HCIV); Art. 35 of the Additional
Protocol to the Geneva (GP1); the ban on causing unnecessary
suffering and superfluous injury (Art. 23 §le HCIV; Art. 35 §2
GP1), indiscriminate warfare (Art. 51 §4c and 5b GP1) as well as
the use of poison or poisoned weapons.
The deployment and use of DU violate the principles of
international environmental and human rights protection. They
contradict the right to life established by the Resolution
1996/16 of the UN Subcommittee on Human Rights.
"Military Men Are Just Dumb,
Stupid, Animals To Be Used
As Pawns In Foreign Policy"
— Henry Kissinger
FOUR NUCLEAR WARS
Although restricted to battlefields in Iraq and Kuwait, the 1991
Gulf War was one of the most toxic and environmentally
devastating wars in world history. Oil well fires, the bombing
of oil tankers and oil wells which released millions of gallons
of oil into the Gulf of Arabia and desert, and the devastation
from tanks and heavy equipment destroyed the desert ecosystem.
The long term and far reaching effects, and dispersal of at
least 340 tons of depleted uranium weapons, had a global
environmental effect. Smoke from the oil fires was later found
in deposits in South America, the Himalayas and Hawaii. Large
annual dust storms originating in North Africa, the Middle East,
and Central Asia will quickly spread the radioactive
contamination around the world, and weathering of old depleted
uranium munitions on battlefields and other areas will provide
new sources of radioactive contamination in future years.
Downwind from the radioactive devastation in Iraq, Israel is
also suffering from large increases in breast cancer, leukemia
and childhood diabetes.
RADIATION RESPECTS NO BORDERS, NO SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS, AND NO
RELIGION
The expendability of the sanctity of life to achieve US
political ends was described by US soldiers on the ground, and
from the air, along the Highway of Death in Iraq in 1991:
"Iraqi soldiers [whether they] be young boys or old men. They
were a sad sight, with absolutely no fight left in them. Their
leaders had cut their Achilles’ tendons so they couldn’t run
away and then left them. What weapons they had were in bad
repair and little ammunition was on hand. They were hungry,
cold, and scared. The hate I had for any Iraqi dissipated. These
people had no business being on a battlefield." (Seymour Hersh,
New Yorker, May 22, 2000)
American pilots bombing and strafing, with depleted uranium
weapons, helpless retreating Iraqi soldiers who had already
surrendered, exclaimed:
"We toasted him…. we hit the jackpot….a turkey shoot….shooting
fish in a barrel….basically just sitting ducks… There’s just
nothing like it. It’s the biggest Fourth of July show you’ve
ever seen, and to see those tanks just ‘boom’, and more stuff
just keeps spewing out of them… they just become white hot. It’s
wonderful." (LA Times and Washington Post, both February 27,
1991)
Nearly 700,000 American Gulf War Veterans returned to the US
from a war that lasted just a few weeks. Today more than 240,000
of those soldiers are on permanent medical disability, and over
11,000 are dead. In a US Government study on post-Gulf War
babies born to 251 veterans, 67 per cent of the babies were
reported to have serious illnesses or serious birth defects.
They were born without eyes, ears, had missing organs, fused
fingers, thyroid or other malfunctions. Depleted uranium in the
semen of the soldiers internally contaminated their wives.
Severe birth defects have been reported in babies born to
contaminated civilians in Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan and
the incidence and severity of defects is increasing over time.
Women in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq are afraid now to have
babies, and when they do give birth, instead of asking if it is
a girl or a boy, they ask "is it normal?"
KNOWN ILLNESSES INFLICTED BY INTERNALIZATION OF DEPLETED URANIUM
PARTICLES
Table 1: Compiled by Leuren Moret from Interviews with Gulf War
Vets and their families
GENERAL
abnormal births and birth defects
abnormal metabolism of semen: contains
amine & ammonium alkaline
acute autoimmune symptoms
(lung-, liver-, kidney failure)
acute myeloid leukemia
(deadly within days or weeks)
acute immune depression
acute respiratory failure
asthma
auto-immune deficiencies
Balkan-syndrome
blood in stools and urine
body function control loss
bone cancer
brain damage
brain tumors
burning semen
burning sensations
calcium loss in body
cardiovascular signs or symptoms
chemical sensitivities
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
chronic kidney and liver disorders
chronic myeloid leukemia
chronic respiratory infections
colon cancer
confusion
diarrhea
digestive problems
dizziness
Epstein Barr Syndrome
fluid buildup
fibromyalgia
gastrointestinal signs/symptoms
general fatigue
genetic alterations
glandular carcinoma
Gulf war-syndrome
headaches (severe)
heart attack/disease
high blood pressure
high frequency of micturition
Hodgkin lymphoma
immune system deficiency
infections
insomnia
involuntary movements
joint/muscle/leg pain
kidney failure/damage
leukemia
liver carcinoma
loss of feeling in fingers
Lou Gehrigs Disease -ALS
low blood oxygen saturation
( low HbO2)
low lung volume
lung damage
lung cancer
lymph cancer
lymphoma
melanoma
memory loss
metallic taste
Microplasma fermentans/
incognitis infections
mood swings – violence
homicide/suicide
multiple cancers
multiple myeloma
myeloma
muscle pain
nerve damage
neuro-muscular degenerative
disease
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
other malignancies
pancreas carcinoma
Parkinsons disease
petit & grand mal fits
rashes
reactive airway disease
reduced IQ
respiratory ailments
shortness of breath
sinus diseases
skin cancer
skin damage: sweat glands
with trapped du-particles
skin infections
skin spotting
smell, loss of
sleep disturbances
stiffening of fingers
teeth crumbling
thyroid cancer
thyroid disease
unable to walk
unusual fevers/night sweats
unusual hair loss
vision problems
weight loss
CHILDREN
alimentary disorders
asthma
bladder & sphincter paralysis
blindness
complete range of known and
unknown Congenital Defects
deafness
dyspraxia
headache
kidney disease
leukemia
lymphoma
malformations of legs, arms,
toes & fingers
respiratory disorders
stillbirth
neural tube defects
FEMALE
abdominal pain
breast cancer
breast cancer at very young
age (20)
cervix cancer
endometriosis
headaches
incontinence
joint pain
lung cancer at age 20 and
non-smoker
menstrual problems
miscarriages
nausea
ovarian cancer
paralysis of digestive system
thyroid problems
uterine cancer
MALE
(acute) headache
acute myeloid leukemia
arthritis
avoiding people
breathing problems
(stridor)
chemical sensitivity
chronic myeloid leukemia
endometriosis in partners
gastrointestinal disorder
hip and leg pain
joint pain
lung cancer at young age
lymphoma
skin cancer
skin eruptions
stomach pain
suicide
testicular cancer
unable to walk
VISIE: www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/VISIE/du-diagnosis.html
DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM website:
www.ushostnet.com/gulfwar/articles.htm, 04/1504
Soldiers who served in Bradley fighting vehicles, where it was
common to sit on ammunition boxes where depleted uranium
ammunition was stored, are now reporting that many have rectal
cancer.
For the first time, medical doctors in Yugoslavia and Iraq have
reported multiple in situ unrelated cancers developing in
patients, and even in families who are living in highly
contaminated areas. Even stranger, they report that cancer was
unknown in previous generations. Very rare and unusual cancers
and birth defects have also been reported to be increasing above
normal levels prior to 1991, not only in war torn countries, but
in neighboring countries from transboundary contamination.
Dr. Keith Baverstock, a senior radiation advisor who was on the
staff of the World Health Organization, co-authored a report in
November 2001, warning that the long-term health effects of
depleted uranium would endanger Iraq’s civilian population, and
that the dry climate would increase exposure from the tiny
particles blowing around and be inhaled for years to come. The
WHO refused to give him permission to publish the study, bowing
to pressure from the IAEA. Dr. Baverstock released the damning
report to the media in February 2004. Pekka Haavisto, Chairman
of the UN Environment Program’s Post-Conflict Assessment Unit in
Geneva, shares Baverstock’s anxiety about depleted uranium but
UNEP experts have not been allowed into Iraq to assess the
pollution.
"DEPLETED URANIUM SCARE" -- Claimed by President George W. Bush
on the official White House website:
"During the Gulf War, coalition forces used armor-piercing
ammunition made from depleted uranium, which is ideal for the
purpose because of its great density. In recent years, the Iraqi
regime has made substantial efforts to promote the false claim
that the depleted uranium rounds fired by coalition forces have
caused cancers and birth defects in Iraq. Iraq has distributed
horrifying pictures of children with birth defects and linked
them to depleted uranium. The campaign has two major propaganda
assets:"
"Uranium is a name that has frightening associations in the mind
of the average person, which makes the lie relatively easy to
sell; and Iraq could take advantage of an established
international network of antinuclear activists who had already
launched their own campaign against depleted uranium."
"But scientists working for the World Health Organization, the
UN Environmental Programme, and the European Union could find no
health effects linked to exposure to depleted uranium."
The US war in Afghanistan made it clear that this was not a war
IN the third world, but a war AGAINST the third world. In
Afghanistan where 800 to 1000 tons of depleted uranium was
estimated to have been used in 2001, even uneducated Afghanis
understand the impact these weapons have had on their children
and on future generations:
"After the Americans destroyed our village and killed many of
us, we also lost our houses and have nothing to eat. However, we
would have endured these miseries and even accepted them, if the
Americans had not sentenced us all to death. When I saw my
deformed grandson, I realized that my hopes of the future have
vanished for good, different from the hopelessness of the
Russian barbarism, even though at that time I lost my older son
Shafiqullah. This time, however, I know we are part of the
invisible genocide brought on us by America, a silent death from
which I know we will not escape."
(Jooma Khan of Laghman province, March 2003)
In 1990, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)
wrote a report warning about the potential health and
environmental catastrophe from the use of depleted uranium
weapons. The health effects had been known for a long time. The
report sent to the UK government warned "in their estimation, if
50 tonnes of residual DU dust remained ‘in the region’ there
could be half a million extra cancers by the end of the century
[2000]." Estimates of depleted uranium weapons used in 1991, now
range from the Pentagon’s admitted 325 tons, to other scientific
bodies who put the figure as high as 900 tons. That would make
the number of estimated cancers as high as 9,000,000, depending
on the amount used in the 1991 Gulf War. In the 2003 Gulf War,
estimates of 2200 tons have been given — causing about
22,000,000 new cancer cases. Altogether the total number of
cancer patients estimated using the UKAEA data would be
25,250,000. In July of 1998, the CIA estimated the population of
Iraq to be approximately 24,683,313.
Ironically, the UN Resolution 661 calling for sanctions against
Iraq, was signed on Hiroshima Day, August 6, 1990.
THE PARALLELS
"War can really cause no economic boom, at least not directly,
since an increase in wealth never does result from destruction
of goods."
-– Ludwig von Mises
The parallels between Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan are
startlingly similar. The weapons used, the unfair treaties
offered by the US, and the bombing and destruction of the
environment and entire infrastructure. In every city of Iraq and
Yugoslavia, the television and radio stations were bombed.
Educational centers were targeted, and stores where educational
materials were sold were destroyed on nearly the same day. Under
UN sanctions, Iraq was not even allowed pencils for
schoolchildren. Cultural antiquities and historical treasures
were targeted and destroyed in all three countries, a kind of
cultural and historical cleansing, a collective national psychic
trauma.
The permanent radioactive contamination and environmental
devastation of all three countries is unprecedented, resulting
in huge increases in cancer and birth defects following the
attacks. These will increase over time from unknown effects due
to chronic exposure, increasing internal levels of radiation
from depleted uranium dust, and permanent genetic effects passed
on to future generations. Clearly, this has been a genocidal
plan from the start.
Figure 3: Map of regions within a 1000 mile radius of Baghdad
and Afghanistan which have been contaminated with depleted
uranium since 1991. Depleted uranium dust will be repeatedly
recycled throughout this dry region, and also carried around the
world. More than ten times the amount of radiation, released
during atmospheric testing, has been released from depleted
uranium weaponry since 1991. In 2002 the US government admitted
that every person living in the US between 1957 and 1963 was
internally contaminated with radiation. Note that the
contaminated region corresponds with the "South" region on the
Eurasian chessboard in Fig. 1.
What has happened to Human Rights, to the Rights of the Child,
to civil society, and to common humanity?
It is up to the citizens of the world to stop the depleted
uranium wars, and future nuclear wars, causing irreversible
devastation. There are just a few generations left before the
collapse of our environment, and then it will be too late. We
can be no healthier than the health of the environment — we
breathe the same air, drink the same water, eat food from the
same soil.
"Our collective gene pool of life, evolving for hundreds of
millions of years has been seriously damaged in less than the
past fifty. The time remaining to reverse this culture of
‘lemming death’ is on the wane. In the future, what will you
tell our grandchildren about what you did in the prime of your
life to turn around this death process?" (Rosalie Bertell, 1982)
THE DEEPER PURPOSE: G*O*D* [Gold, Oil, and Drugs]
"We must become the owners, or at any rate the controllers at
the source, of at least a proportion of the oil which we
require."
(British Royal Commission, agreeing with Winston Churchill's
policy towards Iraq 1913).
"It is clear our nation is reliant upon big foreign oil. More
and more of our imports come from overseas."
(US President George W. Bush, Beaverton, Oregon, Sep. 25,
2000).
"If they turn on the radars we're going to blow up their goddamn
SAMs (surface-to-air missiles). They know we own their country.
We own their airspace... We dictate the way they live and talk.
And that's what's great about America right now. It's a good
thing, especially when there's a lot of oil out there we need."
-- US Brig. General William Looney in 1999, referring to Iraq
Millions of years ago, before India crashed into the Eurasian
continent and uplifted the Himalayas, the ancient shallow Tethys
sea stretched from the Atlantic across what is now the
Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Aral seas. Rich oil deposits
are now located where ancient life accumulated and ‘cooked’
under just the right conditions to form large oil deposits in
the ancient sediments. Long before 1991, Unocal in Afghanistan,
Amoco in Yugoslavia, and various oil companies interested in
Iraq oil deposits, had conducted extensive exploration and
characterization of oil deposits in the Middle East and Central
Asian regions, including the northern half of India.
Britain has maintained an interest in Middle Eastern oil
deposits for a century, and has been the staunchest military
partner of the US since the first depleted uranium war in 1991
in Iraq. Germany, another military partner in Yugoslavia with
forces now in Afghanistan, was one of the major economic
beneficiaries of the breakup of Yugoslavia and the colonization
of the Balkans. US interest in Yugoslavia had much to do with
building pipelines from Central Asia to the Mediterranean warm
water ports in Yugoslavia. A silent and hidden partnership
between the US and Japan provided large amounts of cash from
Japan to finance the 1991 Iraq and 1995/1999 Yugoslavian wars,
with additional help in Afghanistan by providing not only cash,
but fuel for the war, from Aegis warships of the Japanese Self
Defense Forces in the Indian Ocean. Nippon Steel, Mitsubishi,
and Halliburton are now partners in a Central Asian oil pipeline
project. In 2004, despite much citizen opposition in Japan, the
Japanese government has sent Self Defense Forces to Iraq for
"reconstruction". This action taken by the Japanese government,
of placing troops on the ground in a war zone, will lead to
rescinding Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which forever
prohibits military aggression by Japan.
THE IRON TRIANGLE (all under one roof): MILITARY, BIG BUSINESS,
POLITICS
"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate
the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger
than their democratic State itself. That, in its essence, is
Fascism -- ownership of government by an individual, by a group,
or any controlling private power."
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
But what do oil, military partners, depleted uranium wars, and
US foreign policy have to do with nuclear weapons? The answer
came to me in 1991 when I became a whistleblower at the
Livermore Nuclear Weapons Laboratory near San Francisco,
California. Richard Berta, the Western Regional Inspector for
the Department of Energy, told me "The Pentagon exists for the
oil companies… and the nuclear weapons labs exist for the
Pentagon."
Depleted uranium was used beginning in 1991 for three reasons:
+ To test the radiobiological effects of 4th generation
nuclear weapons, which are still under development
+ To blur and break down the distinction between conventional
and nuclear weapons
+ To make it easier to reintroduce nuclear weapons into the US
military arsenal
Today, the US is number one in 4th generation nuclear weapons
research and development, followed by Japan and Germany tied for
number two, and Russia and other countries follow.
Figure 4: Depleted uranium and 4th generation nuclear weapons
The Carlyle Group, a private massive equity firm, the 12th
largest defense business with an obscenely high profit margin,
is a business "arrangement" between the Bush and Bin Laden
families, wealthy Saudis, former British Prime Minister John
Major, James Baker III, Afsaneh Masheyekhi, Frank Carlucci,
Colin Powell, other former US Government administrators, and
Madeleine Albright’s daughter. The Carlyle Group is the
‘gatekeeper’ to the Saudi investment community. It owns 70
percent of Lockheed Martin Marietta, the largest military
contractor in the US, and because Carlyle is privately owned,
has no scrutiny or accountability whatsoever. A journalist who
calls himself ‘a skunk at the garden party’ described
investigating the Carlyle Group, he said ‘it’s like shadow
boxing with a ghost’. The Group hires as lobbyists the best
known politicians from around the world, in order to influence
the politics of war, and privately profit from their previous
public policies. The conflict of interest is obvious: President
George W. Bush is creating wars as his father, former President
George Bush, is globally peddling weapons and "protection".
Lockheed Martin Marietta now owns Sandia Laboratories, a private
contractor that makes the trigger for nuclear weapons, with a
Sandia laboratory facility across the street from Los Alamos and
Livermore National Laboratories, where the nuclear bombs are
made.
At the May 2003 University of California Regents meeting which I
attended, Admiral Linton Brooks was present and newly in charge
of the nuclear weapons program under the Department of Energy.
Admiral Brooks informed California Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante
and the UC Regents that the management contract for the nuclear
weapons laboratories, held unchallenged by the University of
California for over 60 years, will be put up for competitive bid
in 2005. The favored institution, with a faculty member on the
‘blue ribbon committee’ making the contract award, is the
University of Texas. This privatization and management contract
transfer of the US nuclear weapons program will put control of
the US nuclear weapons program close to the Carlyle Group. The
incestuous relationship between the US government, private
companies, and the Bush and Bin Laden families in a way answers
many of the lingering questions in everyone’s minds about many
of the ill fated decisions and policies that have been
implemented.
But who is Osama bin Laden really?
Let me rephrase that. What is Osama bin Laden?
He’s America’s family secret. He is the American President’s
dark doppelganger. The savage twin of all that purports to be
beautiful and civilised. He has been sculpted from the spare rib
of a world laid to waste by America’s foreign policy; its
gunboat diplomacy, its nuclear arsenal, its vulgarly stated
policy of "full spectrum dominance," its chilling disregard for
non-American lives, its barbarous military interventions, its
support for despotic and dictatorial regimes, its merciless
economic agenda that has munched through the economies of poor
countries like a cloud of locusts. Its marauding multinationals
who are taking over the air we breathe, the ground we stand on,
the water we drink, the thoughts we think.
-- Arundhati Roy
"The Algebra of Infinite Justice"
Leuren Moret has worked at two US nuclear weapons laboratories
as a geoscientist. In 1991 she became a whistleblower at the
Livermore nuclear weapons lab, and since then has worked as an
independent citizen scientist and radiation specialist in
communities around the world, and contributed to the UN
subcommission investigating depleted uranium. Her research on
the environmental and public health effects of low level
radiation from atmospheric testing fallout, nuclear power
plants, and depleted uranium weaponry, is available on the
internet and at www.mindfully.org. In 2003, she testified at the
International Criminal Tribunal for Afghanistan held in Japan,
and presented at the World Depleted Uranium Weapons Conference
in Hamburg, Germany, and at the World Court of Women at the
World Social Forum in Bombay, India in January 2004. She is a
Contributing Editor to GLOBAL OUTLOOK, a City of Berkeley
Environmental Commissioner, and the Past President of the
Association for Women Geoscientists.
Websites:
* International Criminal Tribunal for Afghanistan written
opinion of Judge N. Bhagwat
[http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Afghanistan-Criminal-Tribun
al10mar04.htm] : also at
http://www.traprockpeace.org/tokyo_trial_13march04.doc
[http://www.traprockpeace.org/tokyo_trial_13march04.doc]
* Question 11: What does the US Government know about depleted
uranium?
* World Depleted Uranium Weapons Conference:
www.uraniumweaponsconference.de
[http://www.uraniumweaponsconference.de]
* Radiation and Public Health Project:
http://www.radiation.org [http://www.radiation.org]
* "A comparison of delayed radiobiological effects of
depleted-uranium munitions versus fourth-generation nuclear
weapons," by A. Gsponer, J.-P. Hurni, and B. Vitale, 4th
International Conference of the Yugoslav Nuclear Society,
Belgrade, September 30-October 4, 2002.
* "Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons: The Physical Principles Of
Thermonuclear Explosives, Inertial Confinement Fusion, And The
Quest For Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons," by Andre Gsponer
and Jean-Pierre Hurni
* 54 minute VPRO Dutch TV "Carlyle Group" documentary on the
internet.
* Real Player Video Documentary on the Carlyle Group, by VPRO
Dutch television [500 kbps real video]
* Real Player Video Documentary on the Carlyle Group, by VPRO
Dutch television [100 kbps real video]
* Overview of documentary - Interactive Flash Animation - with
links to biographies and articles (Dutch) and specific sections
of video.
* English translation of Dutch introduction Translation of the
first one minute forty seven seconds of this program.
The war in Iraq is over.
The rubble is still smoking While the first dozers are already
entering the country.
After the coalition forces destroyed Baghdad it is now
primarily American companies who are to rebuild Iraq.
An interesting point is that these companies usually have people
on the payroll who have been politicians. Is this a conflict of
interests or a new (global) way of doing business?
One of the corporations that work this way is the Carlyle Group.
On their payroll are people like : George Bush (Sr.), James
Baker III and old premier John Major.
The Carlyle Group is a private investment bank which doesn't
come to the publics attention very often but it is one of the
biggest American (ed: USA) investors of the defense industry,
telecom, property and financial services.
What is the Carlyle Group? Who are the people behind the name?
And how much power does Carlyle have?
* Global Outlook: http://www.globalresearch.de
Articles
* The Bush-bin Laden Connection by Andrew Wheat
* Q&A: UT System on possible national lab bid
* Carlyle goes to the movies by Jeff Clabaugh
* Army post candidate has ties to Carlyle by David Lazarus
* Robert Maxwell Was a Mossad Spy by Gordon Thomas And Martin
Dillon
* The Mossad Penetrates US Intelligence Communications by TBR
News
HOME [http://www.dissidentvoice.org/]
*****************************************************************
45 Mos News: Russia Scraps 101 Nuclear Submarines -
NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM
Created: 21.07.2004 12:38 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 15:04 MSK
MosNews
Russia has scrapped 101 nuclear submarines that are no longer fit
for use, a representative of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency
told Interfax.
“We plan to scrap 17 submarines this year, and nuclear fuel has
been unloaded from 12 of them,” the source said.
According to the Federal Atomic Energy Agency’s data for December
2003, 193 submarines have been stricken from the navy.
The agency is working on neutralizing 24 of them, Interfax quoted
the source as saying. “It takes approximately two and a half
years to scrap a nuclear submarine’s hull and 3 months to unload
the fuel,” he said.
Some 1.9 billion rubles ($65.5 million) will be allocated from
the state budget to scrap the nuclear submarines. In addition,
foreign investments in this program in 2004 are expected to reach
2.1 billion rubles.
Atomic Energy Agency experts say the scrapping process involves a
number of highly complicated operations that are potentially
dangerous in terms of radiation, chemicals and toxicity.
Considerable funds are needed to ensure the safe disposal of
these submarines and rehabilitate the radioactive equipment used
in the scrapping. According to expert evaluations, the cost of
primary work in this area is estimated at $4 billion.
Write us: info@mosnews.com [info@mosnews.com]
Copyright © 2004 MOSNEWS.COM
*****************************************************************
46 Las Vegas SUN: NRC may delay its evaluation of Yucca
Licensing process up in air as radiation standard sorted out
By Suzanne Struglinski SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may have to
delay its evaluation of the Yucca Mountain project license
application, Commissioner Edward McGaffigan said today.
McGaffigan said a delay may be necessary until an official
decision is made on the radiation protection standards, which a
federal appeals court earlier this month threw out.
Commission Chairman Nils Diaz said the agency's general counsel
is still trying to determine the commission's responsibilities
for evaluating the license in light of the recent court decision,
but McGaffigan said a delay is possible.
The Energy Department has pledged to file its license
application to build the Yucca Mountain project, 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas, by the end of the year and wants to open
the proposed nuclear repository by 2010.
If the licensing request is delayed, it could push the timetable
for Yucca Mountain back by several years.
The license application is based on a radiation protection
standard. If the court ruling holds up, the department would have
to wait until a new standard was set and would then have to
defend its design against that standard.
The NRC is waiting for advice from its attorneys.
"We have asked the general counsel to consider the possibility
that the application will be submitted and what are our options,"
Diaz said. "Those options have not been sorted out. ... We are
waiting for a clear legal opinion."
Earlier this month the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia threw out the standard set by the Environmental
Protection Agency that said the project needed to hold radiation
for 10,000 years.
Now either an appeals court decision, legislative action by
Congress or a new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency
will have to be in place before the commission can fully review
the application, McGaffigan said.
An outcome may not be reached until at least 2007, he estimated,
which would throw the project off track for its 2010 opening
date.
Energy Department officials have said they still plan to submit
the application this year. Energy Department officials were
immediately unavailable to comment today.
McGaffigan said it is the department's call on what is wants to
do with the license application.
McGaffigan doubted Congress would be able to pass any language
changing the court's ruling this year, and added that the legal
and rulemaking processes also take time.
The commission may take the license if the department sends it
in December, but "the issue our staff will have to face is how
much work to do on that once it is submitted," he said.
Some work could be done on chapters that do not involve the
10,000-year standard in question but time and cost related to
evaluating the document will be an issue. Under federal law the
commission had three years to evaluate the application with an
optional additional year with Congress's approval.
McGaffigan said the commission may not start the clock until a
final decision on the radiation standards is in place.
McGaffigan said the 2010 opening date for the Yucca Mountain
project was not viable even before the federal court of appeals
threw out a key environmental standard for the project. He said
that date was based on an estimate from the first Bush
administration on a 2000 submittal of the license application.
"From the date at which clarity emerges legally and statutorily,
from that point it's 10 years (to open the site)," McGaffigan
said. He said the 2012 to 2015 time frame is a conservative
estimate to open the site.
Beyond the initial license to construct the repository and the
related hearing, the department also needs a second license to
accept waste, which will have a short hearing phase, McGaffigan
said.
*****************************************************************
47 Tri-City Herald: Yucca Mountain debate needs dose of reality
This story was published Wednesday, July 21st, 2004
What's missing from the latest debate over Yucca Mountain is
reality.
Opponents of the plan to build a nuclear waste repository in
Nevada are demanding an all-or-nothing answer.
That is, they either will accept a perfect plan or no plan.
That might be an appropriate approach if Yucca were a referendum
on whether the United States should be producing nuclear waste.
But it is not. That choice was made long ago, during the frenzy
of trying to win World War II. Now the nation has nuclear waste
scattered across 39 states, where it sits in relatively
vulnerable conditions -- such as single-shell tanks at Hanford --
waiting for a safer place to go.
That place is Yucca. It is the government's best attempt to plan
for safe storage.
Notice that says "best." Not "perfect."
The difference between the two is apparent in the disagreement
over establishing radiation protection standards for the site.
An appeals court ruled this month that a 10,000-year prediction
of safety is too short.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
ruled that the feds must follow the lead of the National Academy
of Sciences. That's a direction that could push the radiation
protection standard as high as a million years.
It's true that some of the waste will be reaching its most
dangerous state after 10,000 years. But consider, for a moment,
just how long 10,000 years is. That's the recorded history of man
with an extra 4,000 years thrown in for good measure.
Predicting even out that far seems a questionable feat, given the
number of unknowns. The chance that scientists would de-velop new
technology for treating or using nuclear waste before then is as
likely as anything else.
Extending that look to as many as a million years is a fool's
errand. But opponents are insisting on the longer window, which
could effectively kill the project.
In typical full-speed-ahead Department of Energy fashion, Deputy
Secretary Kyle McSlarrow told Congress last week that Yucca won't
be slowed by the court ruling.
He said there is no reason why the department cannot file the
project application with the 10,000-year standard now, then
update it later if the Environmental Protection Agency re-quires
the million-year standard.
Still, there is the little matter of the law cited by the court
that requires EPA to follow the recommendations of the National
Academy. Barring a reversal of the court's decision, Congress
will need to change the law to keep the project on track.
There is no perfect solution to storing nuclear waste. But there
is a good one, and that's Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Lawmakers
cannot allow the perfect to become the enemy of the good.
© 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
48 chillicothegazette.com: Nuke waste conversion facility OK'd -
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
By DANIEL PRAZER Gazette Staff Writer
A bureaucratic hurdle cleared Tuesday means waste at the Piketon
uranium enrichment plant will be on its way out of Piketon's
backyard.
The Department of Energy approved the construction and operation
of a facility to convert depleted uranium waste into more stable
by products safe enough to take elsewhere for disposal or reuse.
"It means we're really making solid progress on the environmental
management goals, and that's to make sure we do clean up the site
so that it can be available for reuse for the community to take
over at some point," said Laura Schachter, a spokeswoman at the
DOE's Lexington, Ky., office that oversees the Piketon plant.
"It's been a long time coming to find a solution to how to solve
the problem with the cylinders."
Groundbreaking is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 28, and
Schachter said she expects higher-ups from the DOE and area
congressional leaders to be present.
Thousands of cylinders of depleted uranium hexaflouride (DUF-6)
are stored in outdoor yards, and it includes all the DUF-6
produced during the plant's operation. The plant was built in the
1950s.
Cylinders from the DOE's facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn., are also
being shipped to Ohio for conversion.
"At this point, we've been managing them safely and would
continue to, but now there will be a permanent solution,"
Schachter said. "They'll be able to be shipped off-site, and
we'll move on to the next challenge."
Schachter said by leaving the waste outside, it will cost
taxpayers more money to continue monitoring how well they're
holding up against the elements. She said building and running
the conversion facility will cost taxpayers less than mitigating
the risk of having them on site.
The conversion facility will be built and run for at least five
years by Uranium Disposition Services, LLC. It's expected to take
18 years to stabilize all the waste.
"This is good news for Southern Ohio's economy and is an
important step forward in cleaning up the Piketon plant. The
DUF-6 plant will mean 190 construction jobs and for nearly two
decades, 150 permanent jobs," said U.S. Rep. Rob Portman,
R-Cincinnati. His 2nd Congressional District includes Pike
County.
(Prazer can be reached at 772-9364 or via e-mail at
[dprazer@nncogannett.com]
Originally published Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Copyright ©2004 Chillicothe Gazette. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
49 MoveOn PAC: Unity Against Yucca
After the recent US Court of Appeals ruling, we have a chance to
stop the Yucca Mountain Project. Renewed opposition to the
Project from the Nevada Republican Party will strengthen our
Congressional delegations fight against Yucca. Please sign up
below well immediately forward your comments to the Earlene
Forsythe, Chairwoman of the Republican Party and then ask your
friends and colleagues to sign. We need unity in our fight
against Yucca and we want the Nevada Republican Party back on our
side. We urge the Nevada Republican Party:
" Join with Nevadans across the political spectrum by once
again opposing President Bushs plan to make our state a nuclear
waste dump."
A compiled petition with your individual comment will be
presented to NV Republican Party Chairwoman Earlene Forsythe.
Your Name
E-mail
Your Street Address
City State Zip
Your message (optional):
I authorize MoveOn.org to send an email statement containing
my comment (see right), in my name and from my email address, to
NV Republican Party Chairwoman Earlene Forsythe.
(see privacy policy below)
YOUR PETITION LETTER
TO: NV Republican Party Chair Earlene Forsythe
FROM: (Your Name and Email)
SUBJECT: Unity Against Yucca
Dear Chairwoman Forsythe:
(Your personal note)
I urge the Nevada Republican Party to join with Nevadans across
the political spectrum by once again opposing President Bush's
plan to make our state a nuclear waste dump.
After the recent US Court of Appeals ruling, Nevada has a chance
to stop the Yucca Mountain Project. We are going to need unity
in the fight against Yucca, and I want you back on our side.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(your address)
This campaign is based solely on word of mouth. It is
CRUCIAL that you tell others. To transmit a brief letter to your
e-mail circle, just press:
Volunteer: We need your help. If you have some time to
give, press here.
Donate: If you can't give time, can you make a financial
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We treat your name, city, state, and comments as public
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disclosing email addresses. We may also make your comments along
with your city and state available to the press and public
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Send unanswered questions to info@moveon.org [info@moveon.org] .
The " Stop Yucca " campaign is brought to you by MoveOn PAC.
Home [http://www.moveonpac.org/index.html] View the
Paid for by MOVEON PAC, website: www.moveonpac.org. This
*****************************************************************
50 PRN: LES Comments on the ASLB Ruling Today
[http://www.prnewswire.com/] [ /]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) issued their ruling regarding
standing, contentions, procedural and administrative matters
regarding the license application submitted by Louisiana Energy
Services (LES) to construct and operate the National Enrichment
Facility (NEF) outside Eunice, New Mexico.
"Several of New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the
Attorney General's contentions were accepted by the ASLB, an
action we have supported. But -- as we have said before --
regardless of whether an issue will be heard by the board, LES
remains committed to working with the NMED on all issues
including ultimate disposal of the byproduct and any other issues
related to the health and safety of the public and the
environment," said Marshall Cohen, LES Vice President of
Communications and Government Relations.
"We also remain concerned about the possibility of delay for
delay's sake in regard to the contentions raised by NIRS/Public
Citizen. We believe they have one goal and that is to make sure
that the NEF is never built. They have a very different purpose
than the State of New Mexico which is to protect the health and
safety of the citizens," stated Cohen.
The NEF will provide more than 200 permanent jobs and 400 to
800 multi-year construction jobs in Southeast New Mexico. It
will use a proven technology that has operated safely in Europe
for 30 years. NEF expects that the facility by product will be
treated by a new privately operated deconversion facility, and be
safely disposed of following that treatment. LES is now in
discussions with three companies possessing deconversion
technology, looking to have an agreement with one of those
companies by the time the NEF is licensed.
LES is a partnership of major nuclear energy companies.
Partners include Urenco, Westinghouse and U.S. energy companies
Duke Power, Entergy and Exelon.
SOURCE National Enrichment Facility
Copyright © 1996-2004 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights
*****************************************************************
51 KRNV: NRC official sees five year delay judging license for Yucca Mountain
July 21, 2004
LAS VEGAS, NV, July 21
A Nuclear Regulatory Commission member's now saying the Energy
Department might miss its 2010 target for opening the Yucca
Mountain project by five years.
Commissioner Edward McGaffigan says it could take that long to
recast a radiation safety standard that a federal appeals court
rejected on July ninth.
The court ruled an Environmental Protection Agency standard
limiting radiation from the site for 10,000 years has to be made
much stricter. Since the license application will have to adhere
to the EPA standard, that could set the whole process back.
The Energy Department's insisting it'll still apply this year for
a license to build and operate the repository 90 miles northwest
of Las Vegas. It expects NRC to approve the license within four
years, and initial construction to be done in time to start
burying the nation's nuclear waste by 2010.
(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2001 - 2004
WorldNow and KRNV. All Rights Reserved. For more information on
*****************************************************************
52 ONN. Ohio News Now: Work to begin soon on nuclear recycling plant
July 21, 2004
WASHINGTON -- Construction plans have been approved and work
should begin soon on plants in Ohio and Kentucky that will
recycle low-level nuclear waste into a more stable form, the U.S.
Energy Department announced this week.
The Ohio plant will be built at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion
Plant in Piketon and be operational by 2007. A sister facility
will be constructed at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in
Kentucky.
Piketon's plant is expected to handle about 20,931 cylinders, or
260,100 tons, of depleted uranium over the next 18 years. About
38,000 cylinders will be processed in Kentucky.
The Ohio plant, which once enriched uranium for weaponry and
later for use in nuclear fuel, was closed in 2001 when operations
were consolidated to Paducah. A $1.5 billion facility to enrich
uranium using a new technology is expected to be completed at
Piketon by 2010.
The recycling plant being built at Piketon will convert spent
uranium hexafluoride from the plant's former enrichment
operations, which currently is being stored in thousands of
cylinders sitting in outdoor yards, into more stable material for
storage, use or disposal.
It also will process cylinders of nuclear waste from the Energy
Department's facility in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
"We've been managing them safely and would continue to, but now
there will be a permanent solution," said Laura Schachter, an
Energy Department spokeswoman.
The new factory is expected to generate about 190 construction
jobs and employ 150 full-time workers once it goes online, said
Rep. Rob Portman, a Cincinnati Republican whose district includes
the plant. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Wednesday.
Uranium Disposition Services, based in Oak Ridge, has a $558
million contract to build both the plants and run them for at
least five years, after which UDS will bid for continued work.
The groundbreaking comes after four years of delays. Congress
passed a measure in the late summer of 2002 giving the Department
of Energy a short window of time to award a contract for the
plant and start construction by July 31, 2004.
___
On the Web:
www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/documents.html
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
53 NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Renewal Notice
FR Doc 04-16530
[Federal Register: July 21, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 139)]
[Notices] [Page 43635] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr21jy04-119]
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: This notice is to announce the renewal of the Advisory
Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) for a period of two years.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) has determined that the renewal of the charter for the
Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste for the two year period
commencing on July 15, 2004, is in the public interest, in
connection with duties imposed on the Commission by law. This
action is being taken in accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, after consultation with the Committee Management
Secretariat, General Services Administration.
The purpose of the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste is to
report to and advise the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on
nuclear waste management. The bases of ACNW reviews include 10
CFR Parts 20, 40, 50, 60, 61, 63, 70, 71 and 72, and other
applicable regulations and legislative mandates. In performing
its work, the Committee will examine and report on those areas of
concern referred to it by the Commission and may undertake
studies and activities on its own initiative, as appropriate.
Emphasis will be on protecting the public health and safety in
the disposal of nuclear waste. The Committee will undertake
studies and activities related to nuclear waste management such
as transportation, storage and disposal facilities, the effects
of low levels of ionizing radiation, decommissioning, materials
safety, application of risk-informed, performance-based
regulations, and evaluation of licensing documents, rules and
regulatory guidance. The Committee will interact with
representatives of the public, NRC, ACRS, other Federal agencies,
State and local agencies, Indian Tribes, and private,
international and other organizations as appropriate to fulfill
its responsibilities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John T. Larkins, Executive
Director of the Committee, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555, telephone (301) 415-7360.
Dated July 15, 2004.
Andrew L. Bates, Federal Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-16530 Filed 7-20-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
54 BBC: Nuclear rivals hold peace talks
Last Updated: Wednesday, 21 July, 2004
[Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and Pakistan counterpart
Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri ]
Both sides are trying to build confidence before tackling the
Kashmir dispute
The foreign ministers of India and Pakistan have met on the
sidelines of a regional summit, in a further effort to lay the
foundations for a peace deal.
Officials say they discussed the contentious Kashmir issue as
well as a proposed bus service linking Indian and Pakistani
Kashmir.
On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
vowed to pursue peace with India.
Ties between them have been improving steadily in the past six
months.
Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh met his Pakistani
counterpart Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri for a meeting over breakfast
in the Pakistani capital that lasted 75 minutes.
The two sides described their talks as "frank and friendly".
"We discussed all issues between India and Pakistan, including
that of Jammu and Kashmir," Mr Kasuri told journalists.
It was their third meeting since the new Indian Government took
over in May.
Formal talks between the two men are scheduled for September and
analysts say these meetings are aimed at building trust.
Bus link
Among the proposals discussed between the foreign ministers on
Wednesday was a plan to link the capitals of Indian and Pakistani
Kashmir by bus.
[Indian troops in Kashmir] India and Pakistan have fought two
wars over Kashmir since 1947
"We also discussed cross-border terrorism and the infiltration
issue with Pakistan," Mr Singh said, referring to the movement of
Kashmiri militants across the Line of Control that divides the
two sides.
On Tuesday Prime Minister Hussain told foreign ministers from the
seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(Saarc) that Pakistan was pursuing efforts to resolve all
disputes with India - including the contentious Kashmir issue,
which has soured relations for nearly 60 years.
"I want to assure all members of Saarc and indeed the world that
Pakistan is committed to pursuing peace with India," he said.
Peace talks between the two countries began earlier this year
after months of hostility.
Six more rounds of talks are planned over the next month and a
half.
*****************************************************************
55 DOE: General Atomics, Inc.; Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive
FR Doc 04-16585
[Federal Register: July 21, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 139)]
[Notices] [Page 43569-43570] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr21jy04-45]
Patent License AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department
of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of intent to grant exclusive patent license.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given to an intent to grant to General
Atomics, Inc., of San Diego, CA, an exclusive license to practice
the invention described in U.S. Patent No. 6,379,841, entitled
``Solid State Electrochemical Current Source''. The invention is
owned by the United States of America, as represented by the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE).
DATES: Written comments or nonexclusive license applications are
to be received at the address listed below no later than August
20, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Technology
Transfer and Intellectual Property, U.S. Department of Energy,
1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585. FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT: John T. Lucas, Office of the Assistant
General Counsel for Technology Transfer and Intellectual
Property, U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room
6F-067, 1000 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20585;
telephone (202) 586-2939.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 35 U.S.C. 209 provides federal
agencies with authority to grant exclusive licenses in
federally-owned inventions, if, among other things, the agency
finds that the public will be served by the granting of the
license. The statute requires that no exclusive license may be
granted unless public notice of the intent to grant the license
has been provided, and the agency has considered all comments
received in response to that public notice, before the end of the
comment period.
General Atomics, Inc. of San Diego, CA has applied for an
exclusive license to practice the invention embodied in U.S.
Patent No. 6,379,841, and has plans for commercialization of the
invention.
The exclusive license will be subject to a license and other
rights retained by the U.S. Government, and other terms and
conditions to be negotiated. DOE intends to negotiate to grant
the license, unless, within 30 days of this notice, the Assistant
General Counsel for Technology Transfer and Intellectual
Property, Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20585, receives in
writing any of the following, together with supporting documents:
(i) A statement from any person setting forth reasons why it
would not be in the best interests of the United States to grant
the proposed license; or (ii) An application for a nonexclusive
license to the invention in which applicant states that it
already has brought the invention to practical application or is
likely to bring the invention to practical application
expeditiously.
[[Page 43570]] The Department will review all timely written
responses to this notice, and will proceed with negotiating the
license if, after consideration of written responses to this
notice, a finding is made that the license is in the public
interest.
Issued in Washington, DC on July 15, 2004.
Paul A. Gottlieb, Assistant General Counsel for Technology,
Transfer and Intellectual Property.
[FR Doc. 04-16585 Filed 7-20-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
*****************************************************************
56 UPI: Abraham orders Los Alamos changes -
(United Press International)
July 21, 2004
Washington, DC, Jul. 21 (UPI) -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
says classified use of portable data will not resume at the Los
Alamos National Laboratory until security is improved.
Abraham's statement was issued late Tuesday after he received a
briefing from officials he dispatched to New Mexico to begin an
investigation into the recent loss of two computer data storage
devices at the nuclear weapons research facility.
Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow and National Nuclear
Security Administrator Linton Brooks concluded "the failure to
follow appropriate procedures is widespread and extends beyond
the security area," the energy secretary said.
Abraham said classified operations involving the so-called
Controlled Removable Electronic Media will not resume until
McSlarrow and Brooks are satisfied that new corrective actions
will protect the security of classified files.
The University of California, which runs the lab for the Energy
Department, and Laboratory Director Peter Nanos have closed down
nearly all operations at Los Alamos until the review is
completed. The missing devices have not been found.
[UPI Perspectives]
*****************************************************************
57 SignOnSanDiego.com Abraham: Some workers don't grasp seriousness
of Los Alamos lab security breaches
By Mark Evans ASSOCIATED PRESS
7:19 p.m. July 20, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. With Los Alamos National Laboratory still
idled because of security worries, the nation's top energy
official said Tuesday that procedural lapses were widespread at
the lab and that some workers aren't taking the problem
seriously.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham commented from Washington, D.C.,
after being briefed by two federal officials he dispatched to New
Mexico in a probe into the lab, where two electronic devices
containing classified data were reported missing earlier this
month.
The officials Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow and
National Nuclear Security Administration Director Linton Brooks
concluded during their visit Monday that "failure to follow
appropriate procedures is widespread," reaching beyond secured
areas at the lab, Abraham said in a release.
McSlarrow and Brooks also "are concerned that some within the
laboratory work force fail to understand the seriousness of the
situation," Abraham said. "This clearly illustrates the need both
for immediate, effective and permanent corrective action and for
meaningful administrative and disciplinary action at an
appropriate time."
Meanwhile, the 12,000 Los Alamos workers did show up at the lab
not for their usual duties, but to focus on how to fix problems
that led to the stand-down ordered last week, spokesman Jim
Fallin said.
Abraham offered no timetable on when work would resume, but said
it would likely come in stages, after all procedural problems are
addressed and corrected.
Asked about the mood among workers, Fallin said: "I would say
it's somber, it's serious. But there's an underlying energy that
is derived from the fact that, for the vast majority of staff
members at this lab, this whole thing's been a long time in
coming."
"They have a sense of institutional embarrassment," he added.
"They understand that what we're talking about today is the
survival of the institution."
Lab Director Pete Nanos met Tuesday with senior management and is
"keeping a very, very close eye on the progress that is being
made," Fallin said. "He is assuming nothing."
On Thursday, the Unversity of Califoria, which manages the lab,
ordered a halt to all classified work after the two items
containing classified information were discovered missing. A day
later, Nanos ordered stopped all work at the lab.
S. Robert Foley, UC's vice president of laboratory management,
said Tuesday that university officials plan to work closely with
Abraham during the investigation and to support Nanos.
"The university continues to take strong action to ensure that
safety and security policies and procedures are in place and that
LANL employees fully understand that there is no room for
mistakes," Foley said.
The missing items were the latest in a series of embarrassments
that have prompted federal officials to put the Los Alamos
management contract up for bid for the first time.
In addition to the missing storage devices, the lab has also
responded earlier this week to an unconfirmed report by the
Project on Government Oversight, or POGO, which said classified
information had been sent over the lab's unclassified e-mail
system 17 times in recent months.
The lab declined to discuss specifics but said all incidents
involving unclassified e-mail and classified information have
been reported to NNSA and were "immediately and properly
mitigated to prevent significant risk to national security."
On the Net:
Los Alamos National Laboratory: www.lanl.gov
[http://www.lanl.gov]
About the Union-Tribune | Contact the Union-Tribune
© Copyright 2004 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
*****************************************************************
58 Guardian Unlimited: FBI's Help Sought in Los Alamos Probe
the Associated Press
[UP]
Thursday July 22, 2004 1:16 AM
AP Photo NMJG101
By LESLIE HOFFMAN
Associated Press Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Energy Department officials said
Wednesday they want the FBI to help investigate the disappearance
of two classified computer disks at Los Alamos National
Laboratory, but cautioned there is nothing to suggest that
espionage was behind the latest in a series of security breaches
at the nuclear weapons lab.
In a memo to National Nuclear Security Administration chief
Linton Brooks, Deputy Energy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow said that
although the agency has not found ``evidence of activity with a
hostile intelligence motive,'' criminal charges may be warranted
under the law that places strict controls on restricted data.
All classified work at Los Alamos was shut down last Thursday by
the lab's manager, the University of California, after the disks
were found to be missing. A day later, lab Director Pete Nanos
stopped nearly all work at the lab.
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said he will not allow
classified work involving computer disks, CDs and other
electronic storage devices to resume until Energy Department
officials are sure the lab can keep track of them.
The missing disks are among several embarrassing problems to hit
Los Alamos recently, including a number of other security lapses
and a scandal over fraudulent use of credit cards. The Energy
Department has responded by seeking bids for management of Los
Alamos, which the university has run since the lab was founded 61
years ago.
Officials have not said what was on the two missing disks, which
may simply have been destroyed without the required paperwork.
A ``cavalier attitude'' among researchers about security
procedures seems to be at the root of the problem, said Rep.
Diana DeGette, D-Colo., a member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee who visited the lab this week.
The committee plans hearings in September. Members of Congress
are expecting a specific timeline from the lab and UC about how
they plan to fix security problems, DeGette said.
---
Associated Press reporter Sue Major Holmes contributed to this
report.
^---
On the Net:
Los Alamos National Laboratory: http://www.lanl.gov
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
59 Hanford News: Few seeking federal relief for toxic exposure
[http://www.hanfordnews.com]
This story was published Tuesday, July 20th, 2004
By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer
Federal compensation paid to former Hanford workers who developed
cancer or a rare lung disease because of toxic exposures while
working at the nuclear reservation has reached $11.2 million.
But officials assigned to help current and former workers collect
benefits are concerned that too few are applying for the $150,000
payments or for a separate program that offers free medical
screening.
A meeting is planned at 6 p.m. today in Pasco to help workers
learn about both programs. It will be at the Plumbers
&Pipefitters 598 hall, 1328 Road 28.
About 40,000 current and former workers out of an estimated
120,000 workers who had covered toxic exposures could be expected
to develop a cancer that's eligible to be considered in the
compensation program, said Knut Ringen of The Center to Protect
Workers' Rights.
But by mid-July, just 3,800 claims had been filed by Hanford
workers, former workers or the families of deceased workers.
"People are ruling themselves out," said Eunice Godfrey, site
manager for the Energy Employees Compensation Resource Center in
Richland.
Some people don't realize that skin cancers, including basal cell
carcinoma, are covered. Others don't realize that they could be
eligible for compensation for lung cancer even if they smoked.
Workers who have recovered from cancer also are eligible.
So far, 36 Hanford cancer claims have been paid, as well as 41
Hanford claims for chronic beryllium disease, which is caused by
breathing in small particles of the metal beryllium. By the end
of the year, about 100 Hanford cancer claims could be paid per
month through the program administered by the Department of
Labor, Ringen said.
Claims processing for cancer is speeding up as the government
develops more expertise and knowledge in reconstruction of
radiation doses to workers.
Workers must prove they have cancer. The government then uses
their work history and other information to estimate how much
radiation they might have been exposed to on the job. If those
calculations show their cancer had at least a 50 percent
likelihood of being caused by the radiation, they are given
$150,000 in compensation and medical coverage.
A different set of Department of Energy programs offers medical
screening to former workers for a range of illnesses, including
the lung diseases asbestosis and berylliosis. The programs and
the screenings vary for production and construction workers.
Those programs will end Sept. 30. But the DOE will be starting a
nationwide medical screening program that is intended to provide
continuous coverage for former Hanford workers and to expand the
program to other sites in the DOE nuclear complex. An integrated
network of medical services is planned with local screening,
according to DOE.
The current program for former Hanford workers has provided
screening for just 15 percent of the workers who are eligible,
but is continuing to accept applicants.
"If people call, we will find a way to examine them before (the
transition)," Ringen said.
However, former Hanford production workers are likely to be
deferred to the new national program because of a backlog of
requests for screening.
Some people may have opted not to be screened because of fear
they might have trouble with health or life insurance coverage if
they test positive for sensitivity to the metal beryllium. Some
people have an allergic-like reaction if they breathe in small
particles of the metal and later develop berylliosis, a chronic
lung disease.
"I know of no discrimination," despite workers' worries, Ringen
said.
Building trades workers who want to be screened may call 543-2090
or 800-866-9663.
For help applying for the federal compensation program, present
and former Hanford workers or their families may contact the
resource center in Richland. It has moved its office from
Kennewick to 303 Bradley Blvd., Richland, just off the south end
of George Washington Way. The office can be reached at 946-3333
or 1-888-654-0014.
That office also can explain another program offered to help
workers get unemployment compensation for certain illnesses
caused by exposure to toxic substances. That program,
administered by DOE, has made little progress, drawing complaints
from congressional leaders. No representative from that program
is expected to attend tonight's meeting.
© 2004 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
60 Tri-Valley Herald: Los Alamos debacle could cost UC
7/21/2004
Los Alamos debacle clouds university's bid to oversee labs
By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER
As security officers and scientists turned Los Alamos National
Laboratory upside down last week for two missing disks of
weapons-related secrets, Ward Connerly, a member of the
University of California Board of Regents that ostensibly runs
Los Alamos, said he was tempted by the idea of "firing
everybody."
"But I'm an American citizen," Connerly said, "and I want to do
what's right for the country."
This time-worn argument -- that the University of California
alone can best serve America and its security by running Los
Alamos -- has been eclipsed, if not decimated by unrelenting bad
news from the lab that designed almost 80 percent of the U.S.
nuclear arsenal.
Now, as the university prepares to fight to keep its operating
contract at Los Alamos, former Energy Department and weapons lab
officials suggest the recent spate of security and safety
incidents has eroded trust in the university and its incumbent
advantage as the lab's sole manager from the early days of the
Manhattan Project.
"Certainly, that's in question," said Charles Curtis, former
undersecretary of energy during the Clinton administration.
The university's prestige, once considered essential for
recruiting young scientists to nuclear-weapons work, is so deeply
tarnished that the university will have to rely as never before
on private contractors and perhaps other universities to save its
contract at Los Alamos.
"The two (nuclear) device labs over 50 years have accumulated a
great rep-
utation and a great following in Congress. I think that's
probably eroding now," said Bob Peurifoy, a former Sandia
National Laboratories weapons manager.
"I don't see how they can successfully compete for this contract
unless they have a very, very strong bidding partner to bring a
prudential hand to managing the lab," Curtis said. "It would take
someone like Lockheed."
The university and Lockheed Martin, the nation's largest defense
contractor and operator of Sandia nuclear weapons laboratories,
have been in talks for months on forming a bidding team. But
sources say the latest management crisis at Los Alamos has
prompted such a powerful and negative reaction in Congress and
the Energy Department that Lockheed officials are wary of the
arrangement.
So are other major management contractors. For months, the
university had insisted that it be the lead contractor and any
partners be subcontractors or secondary team members. Now, when
the university needs a strong or stronger partner, it must look
to the handful of top-level competitors who may have a vested
interest in keeping the university weak to strengthen their own
hand as lead contractors.
"The strongest candidates won't need UC," said Danielle Brian,
executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, a
watchdog group in Washington. "They are going to look at UC as
more of a liability than a benefit... For anyone to say they
trust (UC's) management skills right now is just delusional."
The word in Washington these days, according to an executive of a
potential Los Alamos bidding contractor is, "he who partners with
California right now is dancing with the wrong girl."
The lost weapons data, the damage to a young scientist's eyes by
a laser and repeated instances of lab staff dropping classified
information into publicly disseminated email are hardly the worst
news ever from Los Alamos. But they echo earlier, and more
serious, safety and security incidents that the University of
California vowed to fix five years ago and eight years before
that.
"It really appears there is a serious cultural problem at Los
Alamos or else they wouldn't keep having these types of
incidents," said Philip Coyle, a former Lawrence Livermore lab
executive and former testing chief for the Pentagon.
It is now imaginable that university officials, looking ahead at
contract competitions for operating three Energy Department labs
-- Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore -- will
consider focusing their efforts on the California-based labs and
not bid for Los Alamos.
"Personally, I'm hoping the university will not come to that
point of view. I think for scientific excellence and integrity,
the university is needed (at Los Alamos)," Coyle said. "But
considering the distances and the difficulties they've had in
appearing to change Los Alamos, they might just say it isn't
worth the trouble anymore."
UC executives have the nation's largest public research
university to run and can't afford constant distractions by
problems at a New Mexico lab, Peurifoy said.
"If I were (UC president) Bob Dynes, I would turn in a no-bid,"
he said. "What's in it for them anymore? All they're doing is
getting harassed by outsiders and that can't be any fun."
Several lab observers say the latest incidents have tilted the
odds of success against the university and made it highly
unlikely that the Energy Department could defend, on political
terms, re-awarding the school with all three lab contracts.
"I would be amazed if three years from now they managed all three
labs. There's too much noise," said Hugh Gusterson, an MIT
cultural anthropologist who has studied the weapons labs and
their scientists for years. "As I see it, UC has very few friends
on this issue anywhere in D.C."
If the university bids and loses, Gusterson said, it could pay a
price in dignity as well as the millions of dollars needed to
bid.
"Given how much it costs to mount a bid and the chances of
success, I might walk away," he said.
Tri-Valley Herald All Rights Reserved
*****************************************************************
61 Tri-City Herald: Program screening ex-Hanford workers to end in September
This story was published Wednesday, July 21st, 2004
By Annette Cary Herald staff writer
A significant number of cases of lung disease have been found in
former Hanford workers, including those who have never smoked,
say investigators for two medical programs.
The programs to screen former production and construction workers
at Hanford will end Sept. 30. The Department of Energy plans to
replace the programs with a nationwide screening program.
The Hanford Building Trades Medical Screening Program found 33
percent of the 2,600 former workers it screened showed evidence
of lung disease that could be work-related based on breathing
tests. The disease could have been caused by asbestos or dust,
said Knut Ringen, principal investigator, at the Center to
Protect Workers' Rights.
Even more, 37 percent, had X-rays showing abnormal lung
conditions. Among nonsmokers, 12 percent had X-rays that showed
significant damage.
About 3.5 percent of workers screened had an allergylike
sensitivity to beryllium, a metal used in the nuclear industry.
Workers with that sensitivity are at risk to develop chronic
beryllium disease, an illness characterized by the progressive
loss of lung function because of inhaling particles or vapors
from beryllium in the past.
The Hanford screening program was the first to document that
construction workers were at risk of beryllium diseases, Ringen
said.
Buildings at Hanford have been checked for beryllium, but
typically checks did not include the places where construction
workers may be exposed, such as behind wallboards, in subfloors
and the rafters, Ringen said.
"Most construction is renovation of old (buildings)," Ringen
said.
The program also found about two-thirds of workers who signed up
for the screenings had serious illnesses that needed treatment,
including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. One
hundred new cases of cancer were diagnosed.
A companion screening program for Hanford production workers
located 5,400 former workers interested in exams but has so far
been able to conduct only 1,865 exams.
Of those, 38 percent had breathing abnormalities, said Dr. Tim
Takaro, principal investigator, at the University of Washington.
Many cases appeared to be linked to asbestos or beryllium. About
47 percent had abnormal chest X-rays.
The program was the first to find beryllium exposure at Hanford.
It found 53 people with beryllium sensitization.
When doctors examined 360 former workers who had been healthy in
earlier exams, more than 8 percent had developed work-related
illnesses.
"It's important to get ongoing screening," Takaro said. Lung
damage from asbestos and beryllium may develop many years after
exposure.
His program helped about 350 people win state worker compensation
claims. That included 150 people with asbestos claims. The
largest number of successful claims were for hearing loss.
The production and construction screening programs found that
about three-fourths of former workers had significant hearing
loss, which might have been caused by exposure to noise on the
job.
The screening program for construction workers continues to
accept new applications for screenings in the final months of the
program. For information, call 543-2090 or 1-800-866-9663.
Former production and construction workers also may leave a
message for the new national screening program at 1-888-580-1746.
Takaro and Ringen spoke at a Pasco meeting Tuesday night attended
by about 80 people to learn more about Hanford medical programs.
Also discussed was a compensation program that pays $150,000 to
workers, former workers or their survivors if the federal
government determines they developed cancer because of exposure
to radiation at Hanford or other nuclear sites. One of the most
frequently covered cancers to date in the program has been skin
cancer, Ringen said.
One of the programs most important benefits is the medical
expenses it reimburses for covered diseases, said Christy Long of
the Department of Labor. That includes assisted living or nursing
home expenses and prescriptions.
The program also provides compensation or medical care for people
with beryllium disease.
To learn more about the compensation program, call the Energy
Employees Compensation Resource Center at its new office at 303
Bradley Blvd., Suite 104, in Richland, at 946-3333 or
1-888-654-0014.
© 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
62 Daily Texan: A joins Los Alamos bidders -
[http://www.dailytexanonline.com]
Top Stories | 7/21/2004
By Clint Johnson
The Texas A System is interested in bidding on a contract to
manage Los Alamos National Laboratory, A System Vice Chancellor
for Research and Federal Relations Lee Peddicord said Tuesday.
The A System joins the UT System, the UC System and 10 private
companies that have sent a formal notice of interest in the New
Mexico weapons lab to the National Nuclear Security
Administration, which will conduct the bidding process in the
fall.
The A System has not officially decided whether or not to bid,
but will continue to explore the possibility, Peddicord said. He
said the A System is considering partnering with other
universities or private companies, but said it is too early to
name the companies that have been contacted.
The UT System is one of the institutions under consideration for
a partnership, Peddicord said.
"Personally, I think a commission of the major Texas universities
would make a substantive team," he said, adding that the A System
might consider smaller, private universities as well.
UT System officials could not be reached for comment about a
potential partnership with the Texas A System.
Peddicord said he has heard about some of the opposition to Los
Alamos from student groups at UT-Austin but has not seen any
similar resistance at Texas A.
Texas A has traditionally supported national security, and
students at the two universities often hold very different
political views, he said.
"I think most of the people at A would feel good supporting such
a lab," Peddicord said.
The A System, in conjunction with several other companies, also
plans to submit a bid this summer for management of Idaho
National Engineering and Environmental Laboratories. The labs are
owned by the U.S. Department of Energy but are not classified as
weapons labs.
*****************************************************************
63 SF Chronicle: Energy secretary blasts lab for lapses
UC-run Los Alamos can't keep its secrets, says irate Abraham
[http://sfgate.com]
James Sterngold, Chronicle Staff Writer
[chronfeedback@sfchronicle.com] Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham issued a blistering rebuke of
Los Alamos National Laboratory late Tuesday, saying the nuclear
weapons lab managed by the University of California appeared
incapable of protecting its secrets and threatening to fire
managers responsible for the failures.
Nearly all work was halted at the lab after portable computer
devices filled with sensitive information disappeared recently.
The incident was just the latest in a string of security lapses
at the research center.
Abraham said senior federal officials sent to examine the latest
lapse had found widespread management weaknesses, even outside
the division that lost the devices. He also said the lab had no
effective means of holding people accountable for the security
problems.
Some of the staff members at the lab, which is a repository of
the country's most important nuclear secrets, "fail to understand
the seriousness of the situation," he concluded, adding that he
would take "meaningful administrative and disciplinary action at
an appropriate time," though he offered no specifics.
The University of California, which has managed Los Alamos since
it was formed in secret to create the first atomic bomb six
decades ago, has faced withering criticisms ever since the
oversight problems began surfacing in 1999. In that year it was
disclosed that a weapons scientist, Wen Ho Lee, had gone
undetected while improperly downloading a huge volume of nuclear
secrets, some of which then disappeared.
But Abraham's statement was the darkest yet from a senior Bush
administration official about the management of the lab.
Abraham's tone suggested he had all but lost confidence in the
lab's internal controls and in UC, which stands to lose the
prestigious management contract because of the problems.
In a previous rebuke, Abraham announced last year that he was
placing the contract for managing Los Alamos, on New Mexico's
high desert, and its sister lab, the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in Livermore, up for competitive bidding for the first
time.
UC has been trying to decide whether it will fight to retain its
role.
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of the House Committee on
Energy and Commerce, returned from a visit to Los Alamos on
Monday and suggested the latest problems -- the disappearance of
the computer disks and the transfer of sensitive information over
an insecure e-mail system -- could have even graver
repercussions.
"This may turn into intentional disregard for the rules or an
espionage investigation led by the FBI," Barton told the
Washington Post.
The senior UC official hired to prevent the recurrence of such
problems, S. Robert Foley, a retired admiral, issued a statement
late Tuesday saying, "UC supports the immediate implementation of
all necessary improvements to security and safety procedures to
ensure that the secretary and the American people once again have
confidence in the lab and its employees."
Chris Harrington, a UC spokesman, also pledged to improve
security.
"We want to see an end to the culture that leads to security and
safety incidents at the laboratory," he said.
But Abraham's exasperated tone was echoed by a number of experts
who said they have concluded that the lapses are the product of a
laxity that UC may not be capable of changing.
"I think it's fundamentally a cultural problem," said Albert
Narath, a former director of the Sandia National Laboratories, a
neighbor of Los Alamos in New Mexico that is managed by Lockheed
Martin. "There must be a fundamental incompatibility between the
culture and the current controls required. Until that is changed,
I think you'll always have these problems."
Harold Agnew, who helped develop the first atomic bomb and was
director of Los Alamos from 1970 to 1979, said he felt the
criticisms were being exaggerated, but he also expressed
amazement that the lab had been unable to put a stop to the
problems.
"I'm just baffled," said Agnew, who is an adviser to the UC
president on lab issues. "I don't understand how they can lose
these things."
A previous scandal erupted in late 2002 when a string of
management and security abuses were uncovered. Initially, UC
responded by firing the two security officers it had hired to
tighten internal controls after they found evidence of widespread
abuses and lax procedures.
One of the two, Glenn Walp, said he agreed that UC was not
capable of repairing the lab and instituting tougher controls.
"This doesn't surprise me at all," said Walp, a former
Pennsylvania State Police commissioner and the former head of the
lab's Office of Security Inquiries. "They just live in their own
world up there. When I initially said the problem was the
culture, they came at me with both barrels blazing. Now they use
the word. But culture is the most difficult thing to change, and
I don't think they can do it on their own."
Walp said the lab had even developed an unusually expensive
system to track all such lapses and compile data on how they
happened as a way of offering preventive suggestions for the
future. Even with that system, he said, there were several
unreported instances during his tenure when portable computer
devices with sensitive information disappeared.
Even Gerald Parsky, chairman of the UC Board of Regents and head
of President Bush's re-election effort in the state, acknowledged
Tuesday that the university has an uphill battle in convincing a
skeptical administration and Congress that UC can fix the
problems.
"We have got some work to do," Parsky told reporters during a
visit to Washington, D.C.
Some observers say they have heard the promises of change too
many times. After the scandal two years ago, UC dismissed Los
Alamos' director and appointed George "Pete" Nanos, a retired
admiral, who immediately promised he would "drain the swamp" at
the lab.
The new problems have now prompted Nanos to shut down nearly all
classified research at the lab and lecture the staff on the need
to adhere to security procedures.
Several experts said one of the traditional strengths of the lab,
its quasi-academic environment, may now be its greatest weakness.
The lab boasted a relatively loose academic environment that
helped foster a free exchange of ideas and inspired innovation,
experts said.
Now there is a heightened concern about preventing information
from circulating too widely, and it is questionable whether a
university, as opposed to an industrial organization, can enforce
such restrictions.
"The staff at Los Alamos has always thought of itself as being,
in my view, in an academic institution," said Narath. "The rest
sort of follows from that."
Chronicle staff writer Zachary Coile contributed to this
report.E-mail James Sterngold at jsterngold@sfchronicle.com
[jsterngold@sfchronicle.com] .
[graphical line]
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©2004 San Francisco Chronicle | Feedback | FAQ
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64 U.S. Newswire: Bechtel Portsmouth, Paducah Contract Extended for
Six Months to Allow for Completion of New Contracts Competition
7/21/2004 5:01:00 PM
To: National Desk, Energy Reporter
Contact: Chris Kielich of the U.S. Department of Energy,
202-586-5806
WASHINGTON, July 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Department of Energy
(DOE) announced today that the contract for Bechtel Jacobs
Company LLC, DOE's environmental management contractor for
cleanup work at Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Ky., will be
extended for six months to allow for the award of the
infrastructure and remediation contracts for these sites based on
an ongoing competition, and transition to the successful bidders.
The current Bechtel Jacobs contract expires on September 30,
2004.
[http://www.usnewswire.com/]
-0-
*****************************************************************
65 U.S. Newswire: DOE Releases Final Request for Proposals for the
Idaho Cleanup Project
7/21/2004 5:53:00 PM
To: National Desk, Energy Reporter
Contact: Joe Davis of the U.S. Department of Energy, 202-586-4940
WASHINGTON, July 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) today released a Final Request for Proposals (RFP)
for the Idaho Cleanup Project that will expedite safe cleanup of
the Idaho site, while fully protecting the Snake River Plain
Aquifer and meeting all of the environmental and regulatory
requirements for safe and effective cleanup.
"Our cleanup plan marks a significant and aggressive new approach
for the safe and effective cleanup at the Idaho facilities," said
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham.
"Our plan maintains the department's commitment to the workers at
the Idaho National Lab, the citizens of the state and the
environment. We expect the successful contractor to work closely
with the public and the regulators to ensure the success of the
cleanup project. And, I appreciate the strong leadership and the
cooperation that the members of the Idaho delegation and Governor
Kempthorne have provided to the department to forge this path
forward."
DOE will award a cost-plus-incentive-fee (CPIF) contract to the
offeror that represents the best value to the government and
demonstrates that it can meet the cleanup goals for the Idaho
site. DOE anticipates award of the contract March 15, 2005, with
a contract takeover date of May 1, 2005.
Contract requirements include treatment and disposal of
radioactive waste; retrieval, disposal and other remediation
related to buried waste; safe management of spent nuclear fuel;
and disposition of nuclear materials, disposition of reactor and
non-reactor nuclear facilities, and environmental remediation
activities currently funded through DOE's Office of Environmental
Management. The contract is intended to meet the 2012 vision
developed by the site and represents an acceleration of work over
the original cleanup that extended until 2070. The schedule for
this workscope will also comply with or exceed all existing
regulatory and environmental commitment milestones.
The success of the ICP contract will be enhanced through
partnerships with small businesses. As such, part of the
department's evaluation of proposals will include how the bidders
incorporate small businesses into their business approach.
Proposals are due to DOE by 3 p.m., Mountain Time, on September
20, 2004. A second round of facility tours will be offered the
week of July 26, 2004. Please see the solicitation web site for
additional details regarding sign-up for the site tours.
The RFP, No. DE-RP07-03ID14516, may be found at the solicitation
web site, http://www.id.doe.gov
[http://releases.usnewswire.com/redir.asp?ReleaseID=33734&Link=ht
tp://www.id.doe.gov] .
In order to further the government's policy of maximizing
electronic commerce and making the acquisition process optimally
cost effective, electronic media will be used exclusively for
postings relating to this solicitation. The solicitation and any
amendments will be posted on the ICP web page. Offerors and all
other interested parties should monitor this web page to remain
abreast of the latest available information.
http://www.usnewswire.com/ [http://www.usnewswire.com/]
/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
*****************************************************************
66 Oak Ridger: Los Alamos impact not local - yet
Story last updated at 11:51 a.m. on July 21, 2004
FEDERAL OFFICIAL: 'We've not received any new directives.'
By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff
[paul.parson@oakridger.com]
Security woes can be a nightmare for a government contractor.
It ranks right up there with safety as an issue that officials
don't want a proverbial dark cloud hanging over.
And, given the recent security breaches at New Mexico's Los
Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, it's only natural to
assume that the Department of Energy might issue some type of
blanket guidance or directive pertaining to the issue.
But, that apparently isn't the case - yet.
"We've not received any new directives," Steven Wyatt, who
serves as a spokesman for DOE's Oak Ridge Operations office as
well as the local National Nuclear Security Administration
office, said this morning.
Spokesmen for several of DOE's Oak Ridge contractors also said
the facilities they represent have not heard anything from the
federal agency that's tied to the Los Alamos and Sandia problems.
At Los Alamos, DOE officials have been investigating the
disappearance of two electronic data storage devices and more
recently an "anonymous tip that classified information had been
sent over the lab's unclassified e-mail system 17 times in
recent months," The Associated Press reported.
Similarly, though apparently less severe, a single classified
floppy disk recently turned up missing at the Sandia facility.
The disk reportedly contained no weapons data or information
that could have damaged national security, and it was eventually
found in what officials described as a "secure area" of the
laboratory.
On the local level, the most recent major security issue took
place last year when somewhere between 200 to 250 keys turned up
missing from the Y-12 National Security Complex - a nuclear
weapons plant. This is a problem that at least two other DOE
facilities have faced.
One DOE-related official said it's still possible the federal
agency will issue some type of security-related guidance or
directive, but that might not happen until an investigation at
Los Alamos is complete. DOE Deputy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow and
NNSA Administrator Linton Brooks were both dispatched to the
weapons lab to oversee the inquiry into the underlying security
failures.
*****************************************************************
67 Oak Ridger: White House honors Battelle, ORNL
Story last updated at 11:57 a.m. on July 21, 2004
Environmental sustainability and reduction of waste at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory have helped Battelle Memorial Institute earn
a White House "Closing the Circle" Award for environmental
stewardship.
The award recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship
through pollution prevention, recycling, green purchasing,
sustainable building and use of environmental management systems.
Battelle was cited for leadership and management in the
development and integration of environmental management systems
into the operational and business systems of ORNL, Brookhaven and
Pacific Northwest national laboratories, and projects in
Columbus, Ohio.
"The commitment of this laboratory and its staff to not only
protect but restore the environment is something that we as a
community should be collectively proud of," said Kelly
Beierschmitt, ORNL's associate laboratory director for
environment, safety, health and quality.
Beierschmitt, who attended the presentation ceremony, said ORNL
was recognized for integrating environmental sustainability
principles into all laboratory operations.
For example, officials have purchased only flex-fuel sedans and
light-duty trucks for the past five years that can run either on
gasoline or E-85, a combination of ethanol and gasoline.
Beierschmitt said ORNL's environmental sustainability is based on
a managing system structure aimed at achieving long-term
efficiency, cost reduction and goals that reduce environmental
impact.
The laboratory is scheduled this month to undergo a third-party
registration audit to the international standard in environmental
management, he said.
*****************************************************************
68 lamonitor.com: Nanos alerts council to perils of shutdown
The Online News Source for Los Alamos
[http://www.lanl.gov/worldview]
[http://www.lac-nm.us]
DARRYL NEWMAN, [lareporter@lamonitor.com] , Monitor Staff Writer
As Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham reflected on a dark
assessment of Los Alamos brought back to Washington on Tuesday
by his top lieutenants, Los Alamos National Laboratory Director
G. Peter Nanos appealed to the local community for help during a
critical time.
In a statement Abraham said that Deputy Secretary of Energy Kyle
McSlarrow and Linton Brooks, administrator of the National
Nuclear Security Administration "concluded that the failure to
follow appropriate procedures is widespread and extends beyond
the security area."
Abraham said his representatives were impressed with the strong
action being taken by the laboratory director, but they
expressed a concern "that some within the laboratory work force
fail to understand the seriousness of the situation."
In remarks to the county council Tuesday night Nanos posed
possible ramifications for the community if the lab fails to
solve its security problems.
Nanos reminded the councilors of the successful restructuring of
business processes at the lab but emphasized that the current
problems with the loss of classified information are associated
with lab employees rather than procedures. "The problem is
individuals at the lab not following procedure and taking it
seriously," Nanos said. "This is a very grave situation."
Nanos said he has a full range of the gravity of the situation
after speaking with regents at the University of California, the
federal officials as they conducted their inquiry. "There really
is little understanding and patience in the country and at large
about these problems at the lab," Nanos said. "Los Alamos is not
important enough that it will continue to be supported by the
nation."
Nanos appealed to the council as a vital part of the solution to
the security problems at the lab.
"It's not overburdened people or procedure, it's people not doing
things they are supposed to do," Nanos said. "If we don't pull
this off as an institution, they (the Department of Energy) will
question whether this problem can be solved at all."
The loss of revenue to the lab also is being felt, Nanos said, as
some of the lab's traditional customers are beginning to seek
other avenues to accomplish their work.
"I'm sorry to have to deliver this type of message," he said.
"Your lab is on a real 24-hour footing to put together a plan to
bring the lab back online."
Nanos said an assessment of every manager of the lab is being
conducted that involves evaluating his or her trustworthiness and
capabilities.
Councilor Mike Wismer offered words of encouragement after Nanos
finished addressing the council.
"I'm a support staff manager and I talked to my employees and
they said they believe in your leadership," Wismer said. "Go get
them, Pete."
[http://www.dncu.org/]
[http://www.lanb.com/]
© 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
69 PISJ: New cleanup procedures implemented at INEEL site
Pocatello Idaho State Journal:
By [dboyd@journalnet.com] - Journal Writer
ARCO - The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday the
cleanup methods for three contaminated areas at Argonne National
Laboratory-West will be changed.
ANL-W, at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental
Laboratory, has used a process called phytoremediation to remove
contamination from soil since 1998.
The process has worked at several sites, but was deemed
impractical for cleaning up the final three sites, of which one
is an industrial waste pond and two are ditches.
The DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality all agreed on the change,
which is expected to expedite the cleanup process.
Phytoremediation uses plants to absorb or break down
contamination from the soil. It has been touted as a more
efficient, earth-friendly way of removing contamination.
Now at ANL-W, however, such soil will be removed and disposed of
by more traditional methods. The soils in question at the sites
are tainted with varying quantities of mercury, chromium, zinc,
selenium and cesium-137.
When pond soil is removed, it will be placed in the INEEL CERCLA
Disposal Facility. Ditch soils will be disposed of in a landfill
since they don't contain radioactive contamination.
Copyright © 2004 Pocatello Idaho State Journal
P O Box 431 Pocatello, ID 83204-0431
*****************************************************************
70 Google News Alert - nuclear
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 15:37:14 -0700 (PDT)
FEAR of Nuclear Iran Could Influence US Diplomacy
Wired News - USA
... debate in Washington over possible diplomatic engagement with Iran
has been fueled by the growing fear that Tehran is determined to become
a nuclear power and ...
See all stories on this topic:
ENERGY Secretary Criticizes Nuclear Research Lab for Security ...
Voice of America - Washington,DC,USA
The United States' top energy official says his aides have found a "widespread"
disregard for procedures at one of the nation's nuclear research labs,
and that ...
See all stories on this topic:
TOKYO, Seoul promise aid if Pyongyang abandons nuclear programme
Channel News Asia - Singapore
SEOUL : Japan and South Korea will extend aid to North Korea if it abandons
its nuclear arms programme, the leaders of the two countries have announced.
...
See all stories on this topic:
NRC official sees delay judging license for Nevada nuclear dump
San Jose Mercury News (subscription) - San Jose,CA,USA
LAS VEGAS - The Energy Department's 2010 target for opening a national
nuclear waste dump in Nevada might be pushed back five years to allow
the Nuclear ...
See all stories on this topic:
ISRAEL Sees 'Nuclear Capable' Iran by 2007
Reuters - USA
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli estimates of when Iran will be able to build
a nuclear bomb have been shifted two more years to 2007, an intelligence
report said ...
See all stories on this topic:
SOUTH Korea, Japan Offer North Better Ties to End Nuclear Row
Bloomberg - USA
... Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi offered to boost economic ties with
North Korea in return for the dismantling of the communist nation's nuclear
weapons program ...
See all stories on this topic:
IAEA: No evidence for nuclear activity in Syria
Albawaba Middle East News - Amman,Middle East
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday denied the existence
of any evidence that Syria has been developing banned nuclear weapons.
...
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IRAQ dismisses nuclear find report
Reuters - London,England,UK
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Interior Ministry has dismissed as "stupid"
a report in a local newspaper that said three nuclear missiles were found
near Saddam ...
See all stories on this topic:
US, Pak hold nuclear safety talks
Indian Express - New Delhi,India
Washington, July 21: Pakistani and US officials have met for the first
time to discuss the safety of Pakistan's civilian nuclear reactor programme,
a US ...
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NUCLEAR rivals hold peace talks
BBC News - London,England,UK
The two nuclear rivals kept tight-lipped about the closed-door meeting
in Islamabad, but they are believed to have reviewed progress in the thaw.
...
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