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Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject
line and first line of body
NUCLEAR POLICY
1 NEWS.com.au: I was right on Iraq, says Bush
2 AFP: Greenpeace urges UN to track down nuclear material looted in Ir
3 AFP: Enriching uranium is Iran's legitimate right, foreign minister
4 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Seoul-Washington Continue Nuke Dialogue S
5 KoreaTimes: ASEAN Vows Role as Diplomatic Deterrent in NK Nuke Issue
6 Mainichi Interactive: U.S. secretly agreed to buy Belgium uranium fo
7 Guardian Unlimited: Lest we forget
8 BBC NEWS: Oil's relentless rise continues
9 Dawn Herald: N-programme won't be rolled back - Aziz
10 VNANET: Viet Nam opposes use of nuclear weapons - President
NUCLEAR REACTORS
11 US: [NukeNet] Spotlight on Fire Hazards at U.S. N-Power Stations
12 US: [NukeNet] NRC decides to withhold more security information
13 US: ENS: Manual Shutdown of U.S. Reactors on Fire May Be Allowed
14 US: Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear Safety Lapses Won't Be Revealed
15 US: NRC: NRC Modifies Availability of Security Information for All N
16 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeti
17 US: NRC: NUREG-1792, Good Practices for Implementing Human Reliabili
18 US: NRC: Constellation Energy Group; Notice of Acceptance for Docket
19 US: NRC: Notice of Consideration of Amendment Request To Decommissio
20 US: Ohio News Now: Davis-Besse reactor shuts down unexpectedly durin
21 US: WNEP: Officials: California man scales fence at nuclear power st
22 The Australian: Safety pledge as new reactor gets a grilling
NUCLEAR SAFETY
23 [du-list] Iraqi doctor learns from Hiroshima's past
24 [du-list] Nanopathology of DU
25 [du-list] Keith Baverstock on Radiation Risk, 4 July
26 US: AP Wire: Few injured, ill troops get disability pay they request
27 US: Bradenton Herald: Former beryllium workers file claims
28 TheStar.com: Canada to spend $24.4M to help Russian scrap subs
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
29 Las Vegas SUN: Reid: Bush's "character" key in Nev.; broke word on Y
30 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada asks NRC whether Yucca Mountain getting prefer
31 US: Fredericksburg.com: Testing Lake Anna's waters
32 US: LJWorld.com: Region's nuclear waste may wind up in Texas
33 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Yucca takes a back seat
34 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada wants 'hard sell' probe
35 US: Tonganoxie Mirror: EPA tets itself on strategies to handle hazar
36 US: The Reporter - Letters: Nuclear waste transport is very safe
37 US: Bradenton Herald: State debate continues on telling residents of
38 Pahrump Valley Times: FEAR OF CORROSION AT YUCCA SITE NO LONGER AN I
39 Pahrump Valley Times: Kerry's Yucca voting record sparks debate
40 US: PRNEWS: LES Selects Washington Group International
41 US: KLTV 7: Commission to consider possible settlement
42 Pahrump Valley Times: Yucca Mountain contractor qualifies for $11 mi
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
43 DOE: Agency Information Collection Extension
44 Hanford News: Hanford day care extended one year
45 Tri-City Herald: DOE seeks improved Hanford safety after close calls
46 Oak Ridger: ETEBA hosts 'thank you' reception for Wamp
47 Daily Camera: Governments want cleanup verified
48 C Enquirer: Bush bypasses Bunning on post
49 PISJ: Four major bidders set sights on INEEL contract
OTHER NUCLEAR
50 Google News Alert - nuclear
51 Re: [du-list] 'someone's' misunderstanding
52 [du-list] DU in the news
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 NEWS.com.au: I was right on Iraq, says Bush
(August 3, 2004)
From correspondents in Washington
US President George W. Bush defiantly defended the war in Iraq
today, saying the invasion was "the right decision" and holding
out hope that weapons of mass destruction might yet be found.
"Knowing what I know today, we still would have gone on into
Iraq. We still would have gone to make our country more secure,"
he said.
He maintained the now-deposed Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein,
had posed a threat to global security at the time of the
invasion.
"He had the capability of making weapons. He had terrorist
ties."
Mr Bush alleged that Saddam possessed arsenals of chemical and
biological weapons before the war, but US-led forces have not
found such stockpiles.
"We all thought we'd find stockpiles of weapons. We may still
find weapons. We haven't found them yet," the president said.
"But what we do know is that Saddam Hussein had the capability
of making weapons.
"The decision I made was the right decision. The world is better
off without Saddam Hussein in power."
The president also took a thinly-veiled shot at his Democratic
rival for the White House, Senator John Kerry, who is expected to
mount sustained attacks on Mr Bush's handling of the war in the
run up to the November 2 election.
"I find it interesting in the political process that someone
says, 'Well, I voted for the intelligence'. And now they won't
say whether or not it was the right decision to take Saddam
Hussein out," he said.
Mr Kerry, who is running neck-and-neck with Mr Bush in most
national polls, voted in favour of legislation authorising Mr
Bush to use military force against Iraq.
He now says the president botched the diplomatic efforts before
the war and mishandled the post-invasion period.
Agence France-Presse
[http://news.com.au/help/] | Jobs at News Limited
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2 AFP: Greenpeace urges UN to track down nuclear material looted in Iraq
TERRA.WIRE [http://www.terradaily.com/]
VIENNA (AFP) Aug 03, 2004
The environmental group Greenpeace has urged the UN nuclear
watchdog to track radioactive material missing from the looted
Tuwaitha facility in Iraq to ensure it does not fall into the
hands of terrorists.
Greenpeace said in a letter to the head of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), acknowledged by the Vienna-based
body on Tuesday, that a mission it sent to Iraq a year ago found
radioactive material in communities living near Tuwaitha.
It was sent to IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei last week as UN
inspectors were preparing to return to Iraq for the first time
since the war, at the invitation of the new Iraqi government.
"During the upcoming inspection, the IAEA team must identify the
radioisotopes and other dangerous materials still missing,"
Greenpeace said, adding that it should determine how much
material could have found its way "onto the black market."
The United States revealed on July 6 that it had removed more
than 1.7 tonnes of radioactive materials from Iraq that could be
used to manufacture a "dirty" radiological bomb or support a
nuclear weapons programme.
Greenpeace said the IAEA had to obtain an exhaustive list of what
the United States airlifted from Iraq in the aftermath of the
war, and compare that to pre-war inventories in order to see what
could remain inside communities or have fallen into the wrong
hands.
"When it comes to the possibility of loose nukes and terrorists
building so-called dirty bombs, US assurances that 'roughly'
1,000 highly radioactive sources had been taken out of harms way
are simply not good enough."
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said Tuesday that ElBaradei was
studying Greenpeace's requests.
She said the IAEA would for security reasons not give the exact
date its inspectors, who left Iraq just before the US-led war in
March 2003, were due to begin their mission.
Their work is not centred on Tuwaitha, which suffered extensive
looting after the fall of Saddam Hussein, but rather meant to be
a routine mission to check nuclear sites already under IAEA
safeguards, she added.
ElBaradei has described the return of inspectors to Iraq as "an
absolute necessity" to draft a final report on the failed search
for weapons of mass destruction in order to allow the
international community to lift remaining sanctions of Iraq.
TERRA.WIRE
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3 AFP: Enriching uranium is Iran's legitimate right, foreign minister says
WAR.WIRE [http://www.spacewar.com/]
TEHRAN (AFP) Aug 04, 2004
Iran's foreign minister asserted Wednesday the Islamic republic
had a "legitimate right" to enrich uranium, the most sensitive
part of the nuclear fuel cycle that the country is under pressure
to abandon.
"We will lobby for our rights in the international community to
deal with the negative atmosphere our enemies have created
against Iran," Kamal Kharazi was quoted as saying by the state
news agency IRNA.
"We will never allow the enemy to trample upon our legitimate
rights enshrined in the international conventions," he added.
The European Union's "big three" -- Britain, France and Germany
-- have been pressing Iran to cease working on the nuclear fuel
cycle in exchange for increased trade and cooperation and the
guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel from abroad.
Such work is permitted under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), but the concern is that once fully mastered, a country
possessing such technology can easily divert it into military
usage.
Many diplomats believe that even if Iran may not be working on
nuclear weapons now, it would like to have the option in the
future. Iran denies charges it is seeking to develop a nuclear
bomb.
Iran has agreed to temporarily suspend enrichment pending the
completion of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) probe,
but is working on other parts of the fuel cycle and has recently
resumed making centrifuges used for enrichment.
Talks in Paris last week between the three European nations and
Iran ended with "no substantial progress" being made in efforts
to restrict Iranian activities.
"There has been absolutely no agreement that Iran would stop
enriching uranium, since enrichment is our legitimate right,"
Kharazi said.
"We will continue negotiations with the European countries, the
International Atomic Energy Agency and members of Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM)," he added.
He said Iran needed to "clarify our programme to them and make it
clear that Iran needs nuclear energy to go ahead with its
economic development plan."
"We should wait and see. We will not allow the Iranian file to be
referred to the Security Council. We will enlighten the world
community about Iran`s nuclear program and I hope that we will
defuse the propaganda campaign against Iran," he added.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said last Thursday that it was
"more and more likely" that Iran would be referred to the UN
Security Council as a possible prelude to sanctions.
The United States has accused Iran of wantonly flouting
international calls to curb its nuclear activities, saying Tehran
is engaged in a "direct challenge" to the IAEA.
WAR.WIRE
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4 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Seoul-Washington Continue Nuke Dialogue Strategy Discussions
Updated Aug.4,2004 13:53 KST
In Washington, South Korea and the United States held two days of
talks on the 22-month-old stalemate on North Korea's nuclear row.
On the second day Tuesday, Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Lee
Soo-hyuck met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly
for preparatory discussions on a lower-level meeting set for
later this month in Beijing among the two Koreas, the U.S.,
China, Japan and Russia.
The so-called working-group meeting is to pave the way for the
fourth round of higher-level six-party talks slated for before
the end of September.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a news
briefing the two negotiators examined ongoing international
efforts to dismantle North Korea's nuclear programs as well as
strategies for the upcoming multilateral forum.
Arirang TV
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5 KoreaTimes: ASEAN Vows Role as Diplomatic Deterrent in NK Nuke Issue
saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr 08-04-2004 20:38
Hankooki.com > Korea Times > Nation
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter
A top official of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) vowed the member nations will increase its efforts to
serve as a "diplomatic deterrent" in the process of resolving the
lingering impasse over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong set the premise of "not yet, and
maybe not in a substantial way," but also showed cautious
optimism concerning the issue, saying the regional organization
carries with it certain psychological value and effects.
"I think North Korea doesn't want to be left out, as their
participation at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) clearly
indicates. Moreover, the ASEAN+3 (Korea, Japan and China) system
helps North Korea step up onto the international stage with
others," he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times.
ARF is a subsidiary forum of ASEAN, where the United States and
European Union as well as all ASEAN+3 countries meet and discuss
common politics and security issues in the region.
The Singaporean is here to attend a youth forum organized by the
East Asia Common Space (EACOS) with participation of some 300
youngsters from 13 Asian nations. Regarding the "psychological
effects," there seems to be another positive aspect for the
region in the economic field, such as preventing the possible
attacks of currency traders from western speculative funds.
"Chiang Mai Initiative, which is based on the provision of
bilateral liquidity support through the arrangement of currency
swaps between the central banks in the East Asian region, has
definitely contributed to reducing risks of financial crisis like
that in 1997," Ong said. He stressed that economic integrations
propelled by cooperation for reducing risks also helps increase
the sense of community.
In terms of community, growing numbers of scholars and
politicians are suggesting many versions of visions for the East
Asian community these days, but ASEAN+3 has already created some
tangible outcomes, as well as fledgling roadmaps that can be
summed up in three points.
"First, it has allowed 10 Asian countries, including small ones
like Singapore and Brunei, to deal with Korea, Japan and China
with more comfort and confidence," Ong said. "How could they
otherwise discuss not only energy security or regional
development but also subjects like the relationship with the U.S.
and terrorism with one another?" The second merit is that the
meetings and events organized by the system brings the two
Koreas, China and Japan together, the ASEAN secretarygeneral
pointed out.
"I know it is difficult for the three countries to get along
well with each other because of their history, but at the table
during breakfast or lunch where we meet to talk about the latest
issues in the ASEAN+3 rounds, they all come across friendly and
try to understand each other better," he said.
Ong also stressed, "Last but not the least, the community needs
to get approval from outside people."
"As we meet regularly and evolve into a loose, yet cohesive
group, they look at our development and get a sense of 'East
Asian community.' And I ground my optimism in that there has been
no objection felt from outside so far. Even the U.S. appears to
show 'benign neglect' toward us, as Dr. Kim (secretary-general of
EACOS) pointed out. In global power games, the fact that your
idea is accepted is important," he concluded.
*****************************************************************
6 Mainichi Interactive: U.S. secretly agreed to buy Belgium uranium for Hiroshima bomb
BRUSSELS -- A Belgian historian has found documents showing that
the United States reached a secret agreement with Belgium during
World War II to obtain the right to purchase uranium ore that was
later used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Jacques Vanderlinden, a professor of history at the Free
University of Brussels, uncovered the documents at the British
Public Record Office in London.
It is already known that uranium from Congo, which was under
Belgium's colonial rule, was used in the Hiroshima and Nagasaki
bombs, but it is the first time that details of the secret
agreement between Belgium and the United States have emerged.
During World War II, the United States purchased about 30,000
tons of uranium ore that had been mined in Congo from Belgium for
close to 100 million dollars. It continued to purchase uranium
under this agreement after World War II during the Cold War.
Vanderlinden said a Belgian firm driven by national policy began
mining uranium ore from the south of Congo, which was under its
colonial rule, before World War II.
In 1939 the company began searching for a market to sell the
uranium in North America, and began transporting it to the United
States and Canada. It was sold for the purpose of coloring
ceramics and to produce radium for medical use.
But in September 1942 officials participating in the United
States' Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb visited the
New York office of this firm and formed a purchase agreement to
buy the uranium. By 1944 the firm had sold about 30,000 tons of
uranium.
The United States also engaged in consultations with England to
stabilize its supply of uranium, and in August 1944, it entered
into a secret agreement with the Belgian government in exile in
London for the right to buy the uranium. At the time Belgium was
occupied by Nazi Germany.
The agreement documents stated the reason for supplying the
uranium as the protection of civilization. They said that the
United States and England had the exclusive right to purchase
uranium for military use, and that both countries would fund the
extraction of the uranium.
In addition, the documents stated that the countries would supply
Belgium with technology for the peaceful use of uranium in the
future.
The documents gave code names to the radioactive substances.
Uranium oxide was "Q-11," and radium was "K-65." It was decided
that these terms would be used in import and export documents.
Between 1945 and 1960, when the agreement was deemed to expire,
uranium imports totaled about 15,000 tons.
The Belgian government set up a secret account, and it collected
part of the sales of the uranium from the company as tax. The
amount it collected totaled more than 14 million dollars.
Vanderlinden said at least 75 percent of the uranium used in the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs was obtained through the
Congo route. He said the firm that sold the uranium knew that it
was being put to military use, but did not know that it was the
material for an atomic bomb until after the bombing of Hiroshima.
The Belgian government in exile at first did not know about the
U.S. atomic bomb project.
He said that the Belgian government supported its ally the United
States at the time and did not react against the bombing of
Hiroshima. It was not until after the war, he said, that Europe
began to debate over the tragedy of the bombing. He said leaders
at the time believed the U.S. nuclear umbrella was offering the
protection of "freedom" under the threat of the Soviet Union.
(Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, August 4, 2004)
© 2004 The Mainichi Newspapers Co. Under the
*****************************************************************
7 Guardian Unlimited: Lest we forget
Nearly six decades after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, Justin McCurry reports on efforts to ensure that
the horrors of a nuclear strike remain etched on the collective
memory
Wednesday August 4, 2004
On Friday, the people of Hiroshima will come together to remember
the morning of August 6th 1945, when their city became the target
of the first atomic bomb unleashed on a civilian population.
Gathering within sight of the burned out shell of the former
industrial promotion hall near the epicentre of the blast, they
will remember the 200,000 people who perished in the immediate
aftermath or who died later from the effects of exposure to
radiation.
Remembering the A-bomb, though, is becoming an increasingly local
affair. Representatives of just two of the world's seven
acknowledged nuclear powers - Pakistan and Russia - will attend.
Almost six decades after the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
collective horror at their consequences is being replaced by
collective amnesia. And to forget, say those who survived, is to
invite the prospect of a disastrous repeat of the radioactive
infernos of the summer of 1945.
The hibakusha - the Japanese name for those who survived the
bombings - are falling victim to the passage of time and shifts
in the geopolitical environment that are concentrating minds on
terrorism and regime change at the expense of more traditional
threats, such as nuclear war.
In Japan itself, the anti-nuclear movement has been marginalised.
What was once a mass movement - a largely silent but powerful
majority committed to upholding the country's pacifist
constitution and non-nuclear principles - has become too closely
associated with the impotent political parties of the far left.
To many, the rallying cry of "No More Hiroshimas!" sounds cloying
and hopelessly out of date.
It is little wonder, then, that the voices of the hibakusha are
being drowned out amid the din of real politik, especially in a
region that is coming to terms with a North Korea emboldened by a
nuclear weapons programme.
Inevitably, age, too, is an obstacle. Most of the survivors are
in their 70s, 80s and 90s. Many are in poor health.
Yet they are determined not to be written off as mere
unfortunates in a singularly tragic event. They still have
battles to be won - for recognition and to secure their rightful
place in history, lest, they say, it be repeated.
"They are not forgotten, but they have been forced to exist in a
historical file labelled 'A-Bomb'," said Kazumi Mizumoto, an
associate professor at the Hiroshima Research Institute.
"At the same time, they are the only people to have experienced
the effects of the military use of nuclear bombs. Whenever the
world faces the danger of nuclear weapons, they alone can tell
the world what the result will be. In that sense they are still
important, and I think the world understands that."
The community of atomic bomb survivors is now a diaspora spread
between Japan, North and South Korea, China, the United States
and Brazil - separated geographically, but united in their
experience of coming under nuclear attack and by fear that many
are not getting the official assistance that they deserve in
their old age.
The subjects of numerous books, magazines and recordings, their
recollections will survive long after they are gone.
In one of the biggest such projects, conducted just over 40 years
after the attacks, NHK, Japan's public broadcaster, and the
Hiroshima Peace Cultural Centre, asked 100 survivors to talk
about the day their world fell apart.
Among them was Toshiko Saeki, a 26-year-old-woman who rushed to
Hiroshima from her home in the suburbs on the afternoon of August
6 1945 from her home in the suburbs to search for her mother and
other family members.
Saeki, who lost 13 relatives in the attack, made perhaps the most
eloquent case for not allowing the voices of the A-bomb survivors
like her to fade into obscurity.
"Our experience must not be forgotten," she said. "What we
believed in during the war turned out to be worth nothing. I went
through hell on earth [so that] Hiroshima should not be repeated
again. That is why I keep telling the same old story over and
over again. And I'll keep on repeating it."
Hers is just one of countless similar experiences that Mizumoto
believes will remind the region and the world of what they stand
to lose should they ever be pushed to the brink of nuclear war.
Simply rationalising the political consequences, he says, is not
enough.
"People are often motivated more by emotion than by logical
discussion," he said. "That is where the meaning behind Hiroshima
and Nagasaki plays a part, and will continue to play a part."
Email justin.mccurry@guardian.co.uk
[justin.mccurry@guardian.co.uk]
Useful links
Japan Times [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/]
Japan Today [http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=home]
Japan Information Network [http://jin.jcic.or.jp/jd/]
Asahi.com [http://www.asahi.com/english/english.html]
Far Eastern Economic Review [http://www.feer.com/]
Fuji News Network [http://www.fnn-news.com/en/index.html]
Kyodo News [http://home.kyodo.co.jp/]
[UP]
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
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8 BBC NEWS: Oil's relentless rise continues
[http://www.bbc.co.uk]
Wednesday, 4 August, 2004, 14:41 GMT
[Traders in crude oil futures in New York]
Markets across the world have been hit by record oil prices
US oil prices have continued to rise, hitting record highs on
fears over threats to supplies in Iraq and Russia.
The price of light, sweet crude reached $44.28 a barrel in New
York, four cents up on Tuesday's high of $44.24.
The rise followed warnings from oil producers' cartel Opec that
it was unable to raise output to cool prices.
Attacks on a major Iraqi oil pipeline, combined with concerns
over possible breaks in supplies from Russian oil giant Yukos,
fuelled fresh uncertainty.
Markets hit
In London, the price of a barrel of benchmark Brent crude oil
rose to $40.82, after hitting a closing high of $40.64 on
Tuesday.
Analysts said UK motorists should expect to see petrol price
rises by the end of the week.
Wednesday's oil price rise also hit stock markets across the
world.
We may see new record highs in the weeks to come, but we are
still expecting a substantial fall in oil prices by the end of
2004 or early 2005 [ src=] Julien Seetharamdoo,
Capital Economics [ src=]
[http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/fds/hi/business/market_data/c
ommodities/28698/default.stm]
Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed down 1.2% while UK and other
European markets were down by 0.5-1.5% in late trading.
US shares were also modestly lower.
Oil prices could touch $45 a barrel in the coming weeks,
according to international economist Julien Seetharamdoo of
consultants Capital Economics.
"The oil market is spooked because of a lack of spare capacity,
but so far production has kept up with demand," he told BBC News
Online.
"We may see new record highs in the weeks to come, but we are
still expecting a substantial fall in oil prices by the end of
2004 or early 2005."
Demand accelerating
Opec president Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Tuesday that oil
prices had reached "crazy" levels and the organisation was
powerless to cool the market.
OIL PRICE TRENDS
[Oil installation]
Why are oil prices so high? UK petrol prices hit 81p a litre
"There is no more supply," said Mr Yusgiantoro, who is also
Indonesia's energy minister.
High prices are underpinned by soaring demand from the
fast-growing Chinese economy and economic recovery in the US.
The cost of oil is sensitive to any development which could
affect the global supply situation, such as instability in the
Middle East or warnings of possible terrorist attacks.
On Tuesday, saboteurs blew up an oil pipeline that supplies
Iraq's main refinery and feeds the country's main northern export
line.
Meanwhile, at the start of the week, financial institutions in
the US - including the New York Stock Exchange and the World Bank
in Washington - were warned by the US government that they were
targets of Al-Qaeda-inspired terrorists.
The price of oil has risen by more than a third since the end of
2003, on concerns that accelerating global demand has left
supplies overstretched.
Allowing for inflation, prices are close to the level hit during
the 1973 Opec oil embargo, and just over half the level reached
during the oil price shock that followed the Iranian revolution
in 1979.
SelectOil slips as supply fears recedeBoost to Yukos as
bailiffs relentDrugs firm settles fraud chargesFootball clubs
'rein in spending'Olympic costs hit Greek deficitSubscriber
slowdown hammers BSkyBWTO raps EU over sugar subsidiesOil's
relentless rise continues
[http://www.opec.org/]
Yukos
[http://www.yukos.com/]
*****************************************************************
9 Dawn Herald: N-programme won't be rolled back - Aziz
04 August, 2004
alt="Herald"> [http://dawn.com/herald]
Jamadi-us-Saani 1425
ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday
categorically stated that Pakistan's nuclear programme would not
be rolled back, as it guaranteed the integrity, sovereignty and
security of the country.
He stated this while addressing a lager number of the ex-
servicemen from Hassanabdal and Fatehjang of District Attock who
called on the minister here at the Punjab House. Brig (Retd)
Talat Saeed, Maj (R) Mohammad Yasin, Irfan Nawazish, Capt (R)
Muneer, Capt (R) Hameed and Omar Ayub Khan MNA also spoke on the
occasion.
"We will never roll back the country's nuclear programme instead
it will further be augmented to strengthen the defence of the
motherland", Mr Aziz said. He said: "We are ready to offer even
more sacrifices so that our enemy could not cast an evil eye
towards our country and its solidarity".
"We want to make defence and economy of the country even stronger
and efforts will be made to achieve this objective", he remarked.
Mr Aziz said that government will make efforts for the provision
of speedy justice to the people and improve their living
conditions.
Mr Aziz said that when he took over the charge of finance
minister, some five years ago the national kitty was empty. He
informed them that there was no money even to pay the import bill
for oil and to pay salaries of the employees.
Pakistan's economy and defence is now stronger than ever and
Pakistani nation and its valiant troops have the courage and
capability to thwart any aggression from the enemy, he said.
He said government is taking several steps to enhance
agricultural productivity, uplift of education, health sectors
and to improve the living standard of the people especially the
common man.
He assured the delegation that their problems would be resolved
on priority basis keeping in view of their services to the
defence of the motherland. He also assured them that after being
elected, it would be his first priority to take steps for solving
the problems of the area.
Omar Ayub Khan appreciated the services of Shaukat Aziz for cause
of Pakistan and improving its economy. He reminded that when
former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced "Debt retirement
scheme" soon after Pakistan went nuclear in 1998, Shaukat Aziz
donated highest amount of US $ one million as an overseas
Pakistani in the scheme. He also donated US $ 100,000 to National
Commission for Human Development Fund. -APP
© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004
*****************************************************************
10 VNANET: Viet Nam opposes use of nuclear weapons - President
[http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/travel/index.htm]
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
HA NOI — President Tran Duc Luong said Viet Nam expressed its
solidarity in the fight against nuclear and atomic wars, waged
by atomic bomb sufferers in Japan and across the world.
Luong sent the message on Monday to the on-going 2004 World
Conference Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, held from August
2-9 in Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He added that
Viet Nam strongly supported the call for a complete abolishment
of weapons of mass destruction.
"The Vietnamese are well aware of the immediate and prolonged
impacts of weapons of mass destruction, including the effects of
atomic and hydrogen bombs on human beings and the environment,"
Luong said.
"As you all know, the Vietnamese people fought hard and paid
dearly for national independence, with massive losses of people
and property."
Though the wars ended three decades ago, a great number of
Vietnamese people still suffer from the aftermath—particularly
those exposed to toxic Agent Orange/Dioxin substances used by
the US during the American War. More than three million are sick
from the toxicants, and thousands have died, he said.
"On behalf of the Vietnamese State and people, I would like to
take this chance to express our heartfelt gratitude to friends
and peace lovers in Japan and throughout the world, who
enthusiastically supported our fights for national liberation,
as well as our doi moi (renewal) process," said Luong.
Luong said with the ambitious goals and tireless joint efforts
of the peace-loving forces in Japan and world-wide, the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki disasters should not happen again. The
success of the conference will further establish the people of
Japan, regionally and internationally, as promoters of peace,
stability, co-operation and development, he added. — VNS
*****************************************************************
11 [NukeNet] Spotlight on Fire Hazards at U.S. N-Power Stations
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:40:46 -0700
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C47A35.2381CDC2"
Content-class: urn:content-classes:message
Two recent articles focusing on nuclear-industry wide fire protection
violations express a growing concern of NIRS and the public safety community.
Long standing and widespread n-industry non-compliance with federal law,
NRC's failure to bring enforcement action to safety and security-related
fire code violations and the agency's current effort to lower fire
protection standards at nuclear power stations in a cost driven compliance
strategy represent a significant increase in risk to the public and the
environment considering the clear and present danger of a Post September 11
world and aging power reactors.
The Progressive, August 2004 Cover story:
http://www.progressive.org/august04/cusac0804.html
Environmental News Service, August 04, 2004
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2004/2004-08-03-02.asp
For more information contact NIRS.
Paul Gunter, Director
Reactor Watchdog Project
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
1424 16th Street NW Suite 404
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. 202 328 0002
http://www.nirs.org
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12 [NukeNet] NRC decides to withhold more security information
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:40:48 -0700
NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
www.nrc.gov
No. 04-091 August 4, 2004
NRC MODIFIES AVAILABILITY OF SECURITY INFORMATION FOR ALL NUCLEAR
PLANTS
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2004/04-091.html
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that certain security
information formerly included in the Reactor Oversight Process will no
longer be publicly available, and will no longer be updated on the
agency's web site.
"The Commission has a responsibility for public health and safety, and
that responsibility is evaluated in considering which information should
be made public," said NRC Chairman Nils Diaz. "We deliberated for many
months on finding the balance between the NRC's commitment to openness
and the concern that sensitive information might be misused by those who
wish us harm."
The NRC will continue to inspect and assess physical security of
nuclear facilities, but the results will no longer be made publicly
available and will be exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests.
Enforcement information associated with physical protection of nuclear
facilities will be withheld as well. The NRC will continue to provide
these types of information to state officials, local law enforcement
agencies and other federal agencies.
For more information on the changes, contact Steven Stein at
301-415-0221 or Ronald Frahm at 301-415-2986.
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13 ENS: Manual Shutdown of U.S. Reactors on Fire May Be Allowed
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:37:02 -0700
Manual Shutdown of U.S. Reactors on Fire May Be Allowed
WASHINGTON, DC, August 3, 2004 (ENS) - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is
poised to allow manual shutdown of nuclear power plants in the event of
fire, instead of insisting that plant operators protect electric cabling
with physical fire barriers as required by law. The manual strategy allows
operators to dispatch station personnel throughout a reactor facility to
turn valves, pull circuit breakers, or flip switches to shut down the
reactor.
According to documents obtained by the Nuclear Information and Resource
Service (NIRS) under the Freedom of Information Act, many reactor operators
already have adopted manual action strategies that are unapproved by the
commission, unanalyzed for reactor and worker safety, and illegal under
federal law.
Current federal law requires that nuclear power station operators physically
protect emergency backup electrical systems - power, control and instrument
cables - used to remotely shut down the reactor from the control room in
case of fire.
Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, 25 south of Miami, Florida, uses manual
actions rather than fire barriers. (Photo courtesy NRC
)
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) states that nuclear power plants
will encounter "three or four significant fires over their operating
lifetime," in its 1999 report "Severe Accident Risks; An Assessment for Five
U.S. Nuclear Power Plants."
The regulation at issue requires the physical fire protection of electrical
cabling to be independently tested to American Society Test and Measure
standards for rating as qualified fire barriers.
These fire protection systems are to be designed, installed and maintained
to resist the passage of flame and hot gas to protect the encased electrical
cables from excessive temperatures for either:
a minimum of three hours
or one hour in conjunction with sprinkler and smoke detector equipment
or to provide physically separate redundant cables with a minimum of 20 feet
between them with sprinklers and detectors in the same area
But documents obtained by NIRS show that instead of requiring nuclear
utilities to upgrade and maintain physical fire protection features at
reactors, the commission and the nuclear industry association, the Nuclear
Energy Institute, are seeking to abandon the requirement by substituting
³operator manual actions.²
³The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is lowering the fire protection bar at
nuclear power plants to bring its regulations into compliance with
widespread nuclear industry violations,² said Paul Gunter, director of NIRS'
Reactor Watchdog Project.
³The federal retreat from fire code enforcement simultaneously raises the
risk to public health, safety and security around the nation¹s nuclear power
stations,² Gunter warned.
The fire code was put in place for U.S. nuclear power stations following the
fire at Alabama¹s Browns Ferry nuclear power station on March 22, 1975 to
ensure that no single fire could destroy a control room¹s ability to safely
and remotely shut down the reactor.
The Browns Ferry fire was started by an employee using a candle flame to
check for air leaks along electrical cable trays under the reactor control
room, initially igniting polyurethane foam insulating material. The fire
burned out of control for seven and half hours destroying over 1,600
electrical cables including 628 safety related cable systems.
Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant (Photo courtesy TVA
)
"The Browns Ferry fire demonstrated that a high number of circuit failures
can occur in a relatively short period of time, in this case within 15
minutes from the ignition of the foam material," wrote Patrick Madden of the
NRC in a July 28, 1998 report.
In an assessment of the fire in 1976, the Union of Concerned Scientists
wrote that it demonstrated that the federal government¹s non-regulation of
fire protection requirements at nuclear power stations was a principle
contributing factor to the seriousness of the fire. Station nuclear
engineers privately confided a catastrophic release of radiation was avoided
only by ³sheer luck,² the UCS report said.
In 1992, the majority of the U.S. nuclear power industry, 79 out of 104
nuclear plants, was found to be using ³inoperable² Thermo-Lag 330 fire
barriers in an unsuccessful effort to protect the reactor safe shutdown
systems from fire damage.
Other nuclear power station operators were found to be in violation of the
alternate requirement for 20 feet of separation between backup safe shutdown
wiring.
By 1998, NRC began issuing a series of Confirmatory Orders requiring
licensees to replace the non-functioning Thermo-Lag fire barriers and
restore fire barrier operability at nuclear power stations. Through a set of
Confirmatory Orders licensees responded that they would come into compliance
with the law by restoring operability to the fire barriers.
Between 2000 and 2004, renewed NRC fire inspections discovered that a large
number of nuclear power station operators never fulfilled their obligations
to restore fire barrier operability or achieve cable separation.
While a few NRC inspectors had, on a case-by-case basis, provided approval
for a small number of simple operator manual actions through the regulatory
exemption process, the industry had adopted a wholesale application of
manual actions that never sought to get NRC approval nor completed adequate
safety reviews, NIRS found.
One station operator was discovered with over 100 unapproved and illegal
manual actions.
NRC identified that licensees had taken manual actions to the ³extreme
interpretation² resulting in a significant increase in risk of reactor core
damage in the event of fire.
One NRC official, John Hannon, wrote in a November 2001 letter to Alex
Marion of the Nuclear Energy Institute, ³This condition is similar to the
condition Browns Ferry was in prior to the 1975 fire.² The letter was
disclosed as part of NIRS' Freedom of Information Act request.
The NRC has found that the violations are so numerous throughout the
industry that an enforcement effort ³creates a prospect of significant
resource expenditure without clear safety benefits."
In its June 2003 document, "Rulemaking Plan On Post-Fire Operator Manual
Actions," the NRC wrote, "Licensees faced with enforcement actions might
flood NRC with exemption or deviation requests, which would divert NRC
resources from more significant safety issues and may not result in any net
safety improvement if the operator manual actions are determined to be
acceptable.²
³NRC is abandoning front line fire protection features at nuclear power
stations and falling back to what should be considered desperate last ditch
efforts, just to provide industry with a less costly compliance strategy,²
responded Gunter.
But the industry sees the new approach to fire protection as a step in the
right direction. "The NRC and the industry agree that, in general,
regulations should become more risk-informed and performance-based," the NEI
says in a July 2003 statement.
"A risk-informed and performance-based approach to fire safety in a nuclear
power plant would include an assessment of the actual risks in various areas
- the amount of combustible material, potential ignition sources, whether
fire suppression systems have been installed and so on," the NEI says.
Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant nine miles south of Toms River, New Jersey
has been issued a Compliance Order to install fire barriers, but has not
complied, according to documents discovered as part of NIRS' Freedom of
Information Act request. (Photo courtesy NRC)
"It also would consider the relative importance of the systems and
components in that area to achieving and maintaining safe shutdown of the
plant. Fire protection measures would then be based on a more realistic
assessment of the actual fire hazard than is assumed in existing
requirements," the industry association says.
³There is no assurance that workers sent into the reactor to manually
operate safety equipment won¹t encounter hazardous conditions, such as fire,
smoke, radiation, or even terrorists, that prevent them from accomplishing
vital tasks,² Gunter said. ³That¹s why qualified fire barriers for
electrical cable protection and separation were mandated to provide adequate
safe shutdown margins in the first place."
But the NEI says the "automatic" fire barrier regulation creates problems
for power plant operators. "If something triggers the system falsely, there
is a potential for electrical equipment to be damaged by the suppression
system when no fire threat exists." So some companies have asked the NRC¹s
permission to use manually activated suppression in areas where electrical
equipment is located, and some 1,200 exemptions have been granted.
The industry complains that the three hour and one hour fire barrier ratings
are "somewhat arbitrary."
"They apply equally to all areas where fire barriers are used, regardless of
the actual fire hazard in a given area. In practice, however, the NRC has
granted limited exemptions for plant areas where the fire hazard is low and
where features of the plant would make it extremely difficult to install a
fire barrier," the NEI says.
NIRS is not the only organization concerned about the commission's move to
allow manual shut downs in case of fire. The Project On Government
Oversight, a Washington, DC organization which has investigated safety and
security issues at nuclear power plants since the mid-1990s, also opposes
the NRC's draft revision to the fire protection regulations. "The NRC's
acquiescence to the nuclear power industry is extremely distressing," this
group wrote in January.
The agency struggled with the non-compliant and non-cooperating nuclear
industry until 1998 before issuing Orders to restore compliance, wrote NIRS
in public comments to the commission on the "Draft Criteria for Determining
Feasibility of Manual Actions to Achieve Post-Fire Safe Shutdown.²
"The industry blatantly failed to comply with agency Orders and further
violated fire code law by instituting illegal operator manual actions
without NRC review," wrote NIRS. "These compounded violations didn¹t start
turning up until the Triennial Fire Protection Inspections were instituted
in 2000."
Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant four miles north of Glen Rose, Texas, was
issued a Compliance Order for fire barriers that it has yet to comply with.
(Photo courtesy NRC)
NRC manager Sunil Weerakkody documents that after years of noncompliance,
the industry and the commission agreed to forgive and forget the fire
protection violations. "NRC and nuclear industry agreed to suspend debate
over past history and focus on regulatory actions that would permit these
actions provided their feasibility could be assured," he stated for the
record on November 12, 2003.
So, today the NRC proposes to provide nuclear power plant licensees with an
option to voluntarily abandon physical fire protection requirements and
adopt an alternate set of criteria that would bring ³feasible² manual
actions into interim ³compliance.²
Through subsequent rulemaking, the NRC proposes to codify the interim
criteria into law, deeming industry designated manual actions not only legal
but providing the equivalent level of safety as independently tested and
qualified fire barriers, sprinkler and smoke detection systems and designed
physical separation for reactor shutdown electrical systems.
But NIRS contends this decision "is extremely disturbing and does not
warrant the trust of the public and the fire protection community."
In public comments to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Gunter writes, "NIRS
sternly advises NRC not to attempt to 'suspend' enforcement of Confirmatory
Orders along as part of the so-called 'historical debate' over inadequate
fire protection and industry non-cooperation to remediate these dangerous
inadequacies. In our view to do so is a serious dereliction of the agency¹s
mandate and duty to protect the public health and safety."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
US NRC: Won't Reveal Nuclear Power Plant Safety Lapses
August 4, 2004 3:40 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP)--The U.S. government will no longer reveal security gaps
discovered at nuclear power plants, hoping to prevent terrorists from using
the information, regulators said Wednesday.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the change in policy during its
first public meeting on power plant safety since the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Until now, the NRC has provided regular public updates on vulnerabilities
its inspectors found at the country's 103 nuclear power reactors, such as
broken fences or weaknesses in training programs.
"We need to blacken some of our processes so that our adversaries won't have
that information," said Roy Zimmerman, director of the commission's Office
of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, which was created after the
attacks.
NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said commissioners voted to take the step March
29, but kept it quiet as agency staff worked to implement the plan. The vote
itself was revealed Wednesday.
"We deliberated for many months on finding the balance between the NRC's
commitment to openness and the concern that sensitive information might be
misused by those who wish us harm," commission Chairman Nils Diaz said in a
written statement.
Protection at the nation's nuclear power reactors - located at 64 sites in
31 states - has been ratcheted up since the Sept. 11 attacks. The commission
has long been guarded about revealing specifics of the security efforts.
But that hasn't stopped accusations of inadequate guard training and other
security lapses.
Congressional investigations have found problems such as a guard falling
asleep on the job and lost keys to sensitive areas. Reports from the Energy
Department's inspector general noted other problems, such as guards being
warned of upcoming security exercises and inconsistent training from site to
site.
Nuclear activists have expressed concern about the adequacy of guard
training, fire protection, the security of pools containing spent nuclear
fuel, and planning for different kinds of attacks.
"The vulnerabilities at a lot of the reactors in this country have not been
addressed," said Jim Riccio, a nuclear policy analyst for Greenpeace. "Here
we are nearly three years from the attacks and I don't see anything they've
done except extending the perimeters of these facilities."
In the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, operators at the nation's nuclear
power plants posted more guards, added security patrols and reduced access
to the installations' most sensitive areas.
Military planes at nearby bases stood ready to intercept any suspicious
aircraft, the Coast Guard patrolled the Great Lakes near power plants to
keep ships away, and many facilities enlisted the help of National Guard
troops.
Some critics have said nothing short of military occupation of the plants
will provide adequate safety. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in May
that the possibility of creating a federal police force to guard nuclear
plants was being seriously discussed.
Paul Gunter, a nuclear expert at the watchdog group Nuclear Information and
Resource Service, said he's worried that plants since 1992 have been allowed
to delay implementation of fire protection equipment for control room
cables.
"Our major concern is that the NRC really has to stop protecting the nuclear
power industry from the cost of security and really start protecting it from
the clear and present danger of terrorism," Gunter said.
*****************************************************************
14 Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear Safety Lapses Won't Be Revealed
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Thursday August 5, 2004 1:01 AM
By MALIA RULON
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing a need to keep information from
terrorists, regulators said Wednesday the government will no
longer reveal security gaps discovered at nuclear power plants or
the subsequent enforcement actions taken against plant operators.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced the change in policy
during its first public meeting on power plant safety since the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It drew barbs from critics who
said the secrecy would erode public confidence in the agency.
Until now, the NRC has provided regular public updates on
vulnerabilities its inspectors found at the country's 103 nuclear
power reactors, such as broken fences or weaknesses in training
programs.
``We need to blacken some of our processes so that our
adversaries won't have that information,'' said Roy Zimmerman,
director of the commission's Office of Nuclear Security and
Incident Response, which was created after the attacks.
NRC spokesman Scott Burnell said commissioners voted to take the
step March 29, but kept it quiet as agency staff worked to
implement the plan. The vote itself was revealed Wednesday and
had nothing to do with this week's warnings that terrorists had
surveyed U.S. financial institutions, Burnell said.
``We deliberated for many months on finding the balance between
the NRC's commitment to openness and the concern that sensitive
information might be misused by those who wish us harm,''
commission Chairman Nils Diaz said in a written statement.
Michele Boyd, a lobbyist for the consumer group Public Citizen,
said the NRC had not struck that balance.
``The public has zero confidence in NRC and making this
information completely out of the public, not available, does not
bring any more confidence,'' Boyd told the commission.
Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a longtime critic of the nuclear
industry, said the policy will ``further deepen public skepticism
of the commission's performance and calls into question whether
the commission is doing what it must do to keep nuclear reactors
safe from terrorist attacks.''
Zimmerman of the NRC said the agency is considering providing
general information on security vulnerabilities that would not
include plant names or other details.
Protection at the nation's nuclear power reactors - located at 64
sites in 31 states - has been boosted since the Sept. 11 attacks.
Since then, the commission has been guarded about revealing
specifics of the security efforts.
That has not stopped accusations of inadequate guard training and
other security lapses.
Congressional investigations have found problems such as a guard
falling asleep on the job and falsification of security logs.
They also have noted other problems, such as guards being warned
of upcoming security exercises and inconsistent training from
site to site.
Nuclear activists expressed concerns at the meeting about the
adequacy of guard training, fire protection, the security of
pools containing spent nuclear fuel, and planning for different
kinds of attacks.
They also raised concerns about the agency's plans to allow the
security firm Wackenhut Corp. to run mock terrorist attacks on
the plants, nearly half of which are protected by Wackenhut
security guards.
``When you have Wackenhut test Wackenhut, nobody is going to
believe those results,'' said Peter Stockton, senior investigator
with the Project on Government Oversight, a research group.
NRC's Zimmerman said the agency would closely monitor the
exercises to make sure no information about the timing or methods
of the mock attacks is leaked to plant personnel.
In the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, operators at the
nation's nuclear power plants posted more guards, added security
patrols and reduced access to the installations' most sensitive
areas.
Military planes at nearby bases stood ready to intercept any
suspicious aircraft; the Coast Guard patrolled the Great Lakes
near power plants to keep ships away; and many facilities
enlisted the help of National Guard troops.
Some critics say more needs to be done.
``The vulnerabilities at a lot of the reactors in this country
have not been addressed,'' said Jim Riccio, a nuclear policy
analyst for Greenpeace. ``Here we are nearly three years from the
attacks and I don't see anything they've done except extending
the perimeters of these facilities.''
The energy sector contributed $3.7 million, more than half of
which came directly from nuclear and electric power companies, to
Democrats during the 2004 election cycle. Republicans got $9.2
million from energy sources, including $2.7 million from power
companies.
On the Net:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
15 NRC: NRC Modifies Availability of Security Information for All Nuclear Plants
News Release - 2004-09 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office
of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC
20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-091 August 4, 2004
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that certain
security information formerly included in the Reactor Oversight
Process will no longer be publicly available, and will no longer
be updated on the agencys web site.
The Commission has a responsibility for public health and
safety, and that responsibility is evaluated in considering
which information should be made public, said NRC Chairman Nils
Diaz. We deliberated for many months on finding the balance
between the NRCs commitment to openness and the concern that
sensitive information might be misused by those who wish us
harm.
The NRC will continue to inspect and assess physical security of
nuclear facilities, but the results will no longer be made
publicly available and will be exempt from Freedom of
Information Act requests. Enforcement information associated
with physical protection of nuclear facilities will be withheld
as well. The NRC will continue to provide these types of
information to state officials, local law enforcement agencies
and other federal agencies.
For more information on the changes, contact Steven Stein at
301-415-0221 or Ronald Frahm at 301-415-2986.
Last revised Wednesday, August 04, 2004
*****************************************************************
16 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on
FR Doc 04-17706
[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices] [Page 47187] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04au04-122]
Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena; Postponed The meeting of the ACRS
Subcommittee on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena scheduled to be held
on August 17-18, 2004 in Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland has been postponed at the request of the NRC
staff due to delays in the completion of certain technical
reviews. Notice of this meeting was published in the Federal
Register on Monday, July 26, 2004 (69 FR 44553). Rescheduling of
this meeting will be announced in a future Federal Register
Notice.
For further information contact: Mr. Ralph Caruso, cognizant ACRS
staff engineer (telephone 301-415-8065) between 7:30 a.m. and 5
p.m. (ET) or by e-mail rxc@nrc.gov [rxc@nrc.gov] . Dated: July
28, 2004.
Michael R. Snodderly, Acting Associate Director for Technical
Support, ACRS/ACNW.
[FR Doc. 04-17706 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
17 NRC: NUREG-1792, Good Practices for Implementing Human Reliability
FR Doc 04-17707
[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices] [Page 47187-47188] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04au04-123]
Analysis (HRA), Draft Report for Comment AGENCY: Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of availability of Draft NUREG-1792 ``Good
Practices for Implementing Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) for
comment, and notice of public meeting.
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is announcing the
availability of and is seeking comments on NUREG-1792, ``Good
Practices for Implementing Human Reliability Analysis (HRA),
Draft Report for Public Comment.''
DATES: Comments on this document should be submitted by October
4, 2004. Comments received after that date will be considered to
the extent practicable. To ensure efficient and complete comment
resolution, comments should include references to the section,
page, and line numbers of the document to which the comment
applies, if possible.
ADDRESSES: Members of the public are invited and encouraged to
submit written comments to Michael Lesar, Chief, Rules and
Directives Branch, Office of Administration, Mail Stop T6-D59,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Hand-deliver comments attention to Michael Lesar, 11545 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, MD, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal
workdays. Comments may also be sent electronically to
NRCREP@nrc.gov [NRCREP@nrc.gov] . This document is available at
the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web
site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html]
under Accession No. ML041980358; on the NRC Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/docs4comment
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collecti
ons/nuregs/docs4comment] ; and at the NRC Public Document Room,
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. The PDR's mailing address is
USNRC PDR, Washington, DC 20555; telephone (301) 415-4737 or
(800) 397-4205; fax (301) 415-3548; e-mail
PDR@NRC.GOV [ PDR@NRC.GOV] . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Erasmia Lois, Probability Risk Assessment Branch, Office of
Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone (301) 415-6560, e-mail
exl1@nrc.gov [exl1@nrc.gov] , or Susan Cooper, Probability Risk
Assessment Branch, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research,
telephone (301) 415-5183 or (302) 234-4423, e-mail sec1@nrc.gov
[sec1@nrc.gov] .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NUREG-1792, ``Good Practices for
Implementing Human Reliability Analysis (HRA), Draft Report for
Comment'' The purpose of Good Practices for Implementing Human
Reliability Analysis (HRA) Draft Report for Comment is to provide
guidance for performing HRA and reviewing HRAs to assess the
quality of analyses. This report supports the NRC's activities
for addressing probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) quality issues
and supports the implementation of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200,
``An Approach for Determining the Technical Adequacy of
Probabilistic Risk Assessment Results For Risk- Informed
Activities.'' The HRA good practices described in NUREG-1792 are
generic; that is, they
[[Page 47188]] are not tied to any specific methods or tools that
could be used for doing HRAs. The document provides guidance for
implementing the RG 1.200 when performing a Level 1 and a limited
Level 2 PRA for internal events (excluding fire) with the reactor
at full power. The good practices are directly linked to RG
1.200, which reflects and endorses, with certain clarifications
and substitutions, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) standard RA-Sa-2003, ``Addenda to ASME Standard for
Probabilistic Risk Assessment for Nuclear Power Plant
Applications,'' and Revision A3 of the Nuclear Energy Institute
(NEI) document ``Probabilistic Risk (PRA) Peer Review Process
Guidance'' (NEI-00-02).
The NRC will hold a public meeting on August 16, 2004, at the NRC
headquarters, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, Room
T-10A1 (8:30 am--5 pm, preliminary agenda attached). The purpose
of the meeting is to present and discuss the HRA good practices
and to allow stakeholders to address issues needing
clarification. The NRC is not soliciting comments on the draft
NUREG as part of this meeting.
Public comments on the draft NUREG can be provided as discussed
above.
The NRC is seeking public comment in order to receive feedback
from the widest range of interested parties and to ensure that
all information relevant to developing this document is available
to the NRC staff. This document is issued for comment only and is
not intended for interim use. The NRC will review public comments
received on the document, incorporate suggested changes as
necessary, and issue the final NUREG-1792 for use.
Dated at Rockville, MD, this 28th day of July 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Charles Ader, Director, Division of Risk Analysis and
Applications, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
Attachment Public Meeting on NUREG-1792: ``Good Practices for
Implementing Human Reliability Analysis (HRA), Draft Report for
Comment'' U.S. NRC Headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
MD 20852, Room T-10A1 August 16, 2004 Preliminary Agenda Time and
Topic 9 to 9:15 a.m.--Introduction and Overview of HRA Good
Practices 9:15 to 9:30 a.m.--General HRA Good Practices 9:30 to
10:30 a.m.--Post-Initiator Human Events 10:30 a.m.--to 10:45
a.m.--BREAK 10:45 a.m.--to 11:45 a.m.--Post-Initiator Human
Events (continued) 11:45 to 1 p.m.--LUNCH 1 to 2:45
p.m.--Pre-Initiator Human Events 2:45 to 3 p.m.--BREAK 3 to 3:45
p.m.--Errors of Commission 3:45 to 4:30 p.m.--HRA Documentation
4:30 to 5 p.m.--Wrap-up [FR Doc. 04-17707 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
18 NRC: Constellation Energy Group; Notice of Acceptance for Docketing
FR Doc 04-17708
[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices] [Page 47185] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04au04-120]
of the Application and Notice of Opportunity for Hearing
Regarding Renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and
NPF-69; Correction AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Individual notice; correction.
SUMMARY: This document corrects a notice appearing in the Federal
Register on July 21, 2004 (69 FR 43633), that contained an
incorrect Name of Attorney for the Applicant. This action is
necessary to correct the Name of Attorney for the Applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tommy Le, Project Manager,
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone (301) 415-1458,
e-mail: nbl@nrc.gov [nbl@nrc.gov] .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On page 43633, in the first column, in
the first paragraph, twenty-first line, the text should be
corrected from ``[Attorney for the Applicant: David R. Lewis,
Esq., Shaw Pittman, 2300 N Street, NW. Washington, DC 20037]'' to
read ``[Attorney for the Applicant: Kathryn M. Sutton, Esq.,
Winston & Strawn, 1400 L Street, NW., Washington, DC
20005-3502]'' Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of
July, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Samson S. Lee, Acting Program Director, License Renewal and
Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement
Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-17708 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
19 NRC: Notice of Consideration of Amendment Request To Decommission
FR Doc 04-17709
[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices] [Page 47185-47187] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04au04-121]
Northern States Power Company D.B.A. Xcel Energy Pathfinder Site
at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Opportunity To Provide Comments
and Request a Hearing AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of a license amendment request and opportunity to
provide public comments and request a hearing. Notice of Public
Meeting.
DATES: Comments must be sent by September 3, 2004. A request for
a hearing must be filed by October 4, 2004. Public meeting will
be held on August 31, 2004.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Glenn, Project Manager,
Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555- 0001; telephone (301) 415-6722; fax (301) 415-5398; or
email at
cjg1@nrc.gov [ cjg1@nrc.gov] .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of a license
amendment to Byproduct Material License No. 22- 08799-02 issued
to Northern States Power Company D.B.A. Xcel Energy (the
licensee), to authorize decommissioning of its Pathfinder Site in
Minnehaha County, South Dakota, and to allow termination of this
license.
On February 12, 2004, Xcel Energy submitted the Pathfinder
Decommissioning Plan (DP) for NRC for review, approval, and
incorporation by amendment in License 22-08799-02. A detailed NRC
administrative review, documented in a letter to Xcel Energy,
dated July 16, 2004, found the DP acceptable to begin a technical
review.
If the NRC approves the DP, the approval will be documented in an
amendment to NRC License No. 22-08799-02. However, before
approving the proposed amendment, the NRC will need to make the
findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,
and NRC's regulations. These findings will be documented in a
Safety Evaluation Report and an Environmental Assessment.
[[Page 47186]] II. Opportunity to Provide Comments In accordance
with 10 CFR 20.1405, the NRC is providing notice to individuals
in the vicinity of the site that the NRC is in receipt of a DP,
and will accept comments concerning this decommissioning proposal
and its associated environmental impacts. Comments with respect
to this amendment should be provided in writing by September 3,
2004 and addressed to Chad Glenn, Project Manager, Mail Stop:
T-7F27, Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management
and Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555- 0001, telephone (301) 415-6722, fax number (301)
415-5398 or e-mail cjg1@nrc.gov [ cjg1@nrc.gov] . Because of
possible disruptions in the delivery of mail to United States
Government offices, it is requested that comments mailed also be
transmitted to the Project Manager by means of facsimile
transmission or by e-mail. Comments received after 30 days will
be considered if practicable to do so, but only those comments
received on or before the due date can be assured consideration.
III. Public Meeting A public meeting will be held in Minnehaha
County, South Dakota, to solicit comments from individuals in the
vicinity of the site and answer any questions about NRC's review
of the DP for Xcel Energy's Pathfinder Site. The public meeting
will be held August 31, 2004, on the 2nd Floor of the County
Administration Building, 415 N.
Dakota Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57104.
IV. Opportunity to Request a Hearing The NRC hereby provides
notice that this is a proceeding on an application for a license
amendment. In accordance with the general requirements in Subpart
C of 10 CFR Part 2, as amended on January 14, 2004 (69 FR 2182),
any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and
who desires to participate as a party must file a written request
for a hearing and a specification of the contentions which the
person seeks to have litigated in the hearing.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.302 (a), a request for a hearing must
be filed with the Commission either by: 1. First class mail
addressed to: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications; 2. Courier, express mail, and expedited delivery
services: Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, Attention
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15
p.m., Federal workdays; 3. E-mail addressed to the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV [HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV] ; or 4. By
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.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.302 (b), all documents offered for
filing must be accompanied by proof of service on all parties to
the proceeding or their attorneys of record as required by law or
by rule or order of the Commission, including: 1. The applicant,
by delivery to [Insert Contact and Contact Information]; and, 2.
The NRC staff, by delivery to the Office of the General Counsel,
One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852,
or by mail addressed to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Hearing
requests should also be transmitted to the Office of the General
Counsel, either by means of facsimile transmission to (301)
415-3725, or by e-mail to ogcmailcenter@nrc.gov [
ogcmailcenter@nrc.gov] . The formal requirements for documents
are contained in 10 CFR 2.304 (b), (c), (d), and (e), and must be
met. However, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.304 (f), a document
filed by electronic mail or facsimile transmission need not
comply with the formal requirements of 10 CFR 2.304 (b), (c), and
(d), if an original and two (2) copies otherwise complying with
all of the requirements of 10 CFR 2.304 (b), (c), and (d) are
mailed within two (2) days thereafter to the Secretary, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001,
Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (b), a request for a hearing must
be filed by October 4, 2004.
In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of 10 CFR
part 2 of the NRC's regulations, the general requirements
involving a request for a hearing filed by a person other than an
applicant must state: 1. The name, address and telephone number
of the requester; 2. The nature of the requester's right under
the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; 3. The nature and
extent of the requester's property, financial or other interest
in the proceeding; 4. The possible effect of any decision or
order that may be issued in the proceeding on the requester's
interest; and 5. The circumstances establishing that the request
for a hearing is timely in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (b). In
accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (f)(1), a request for hearing or
petitions for leave to intervene must set forth with
particularity the contentions sought to be raised. For each
contention, the request or petition must: 1. Provide a specific
statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or
controverted; 2. Provide a brief explanation of the basis for the
contention; 3. Demonstrate that the issue raised in the
contention is within the scope of the proceeding; 4. Demonstrate
that the issue raised in the contention is material to the
findings that the NRC must make to support the action that is
involved in the proceeding; 5. Provide a concise statement of the
alleged facts or expert opinions which support the
requester's/petitioner's position on the issue and on which the
requester/petitioner intends to rely to support its position on
the issue; and 6. Provide sufficient information to show that a
genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of
law or fact.
This information must include references to specific portions of
the application that the requester/petitioner disputes and the
supporting reasons for each dispute, or, if the
requester/petitioner believes the application fails to contain
information on a relevant matter as required by law, the
identification of each failure and the supporting reasons for the
requester's/petitioner's belief.
In addition, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (f)(2), contentions
must be based on documents or other information available at the
time the petition is to be filed, such as the application or
other supporting documents filed by the applicant, or otherwise
available to the petitioner. Contentions may be amended or new
contentions filed after the initial filing only with leave of the
presiding officer.
Requesters/petitioners should, when possible, consult with each
other in preparing contentions and combine similar subject matter
concerns into a joint contention, for which one of the
co-sponsoring requesters/petitioners is designated the lead
representative.
Further, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (f)(3), any
requester/petitioner that
[[Page 47187]] wishes to adopt a contention proposed by another
requester/petitioner must do so in writing within ten days of the
date the contention is filed, and designate a representative who
shall have the authority to act for the requester/petitioner.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.309 (g), a request for hearing and/or
petition for leave to intervene may also address the selection of
the hearing procedures, taking into account the provisions of 10
CFR 2.310. I. Further Information Documents related to this
action, including the applications for renewals and supporting
documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's
Electronic Reading Room 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]
.
From this site, you can access the NRC's Agencywide Document
Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and
image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession
numbers for the documents related to this Notice are:
ML040630549, which contains Xcel Energy's February 17, 2004
application for license amendment and the DP for the Pathfinder
Site; ML041910319, which contains the July 16, 2004 NRC
acceptance review letter; ML041900197, which contains Attachment
1-4 to the Characterization Survey Report; and ML041960307, which
contains the Final Status Survey design for the Pathfinder site.
Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems
in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the
NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at (800) 397-4209 or (301)
415-4737, or by email to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . These
documents may also be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the
NRC Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville Pike (First Floor), Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
is open from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except on Federal holidays. Xcel Energy's amendment request and
Pathfinder DP may also be examined at the Siouxland Libraries in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. To view this information at the
Siouxland Libraries, request access to the ``Pathfinder
Decommissioning Plan'' prepared by Xcel Energy, dated February
2004.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 28th day of July, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Daniel M. Gillen, Deputy Director, Decommissioning Directorate,
Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 04-17709 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
20 Ohio News Now: Davis-Besse reactor shuts down unexpectedly during testing
ONN.
August 4, 2004
OAK HARBOR, Ohio -- The Davis-Besse nuclear power plant reactor
unexpectedly shut down Wednesday during testing, marking the
first problem for the plant since it resumed generating
electricity at full capacity in April after being shut down for
two years.
No workers were in danger, and two U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission inspectors were present when the shutdown occurred at
10:24 a.m., said NRC spokesman Jan Strasma.
Todd Schneider, spokesman for FirstEnergy Corp., which owns the
plant, said the cause of the shutdown was unknown.
"It's looking like it could be related to some routine testing
that was being conducted at the time," he said.
Strasma said there was a routine surveillance test being
conducted on one of four reactor trip circuit breakers. He said
the circuit breaker shuts down the reactor as a safety
precaution.
"All plant safety systems functioned normally," Strasma said.
Schneider said the reactor was expected to be restarted within a
few days.
The plant along Lake Erie in northern Ohio was closed in February
2002 for routine maintenance. A month later, inspectors found
corrosion on the reactor. Leaking boric acid had eaten almost
through a 6-inch-thick steel cap. The damage led to a review of
68 similar plants nationwide.
Davis-Besse has undergone $600 million in repairs.
Improving the safety culture of the plant was one of the
requirements FirstEnergy had to document before it was allowed to
end the long repair shutdown.
Strasma said one of the four reactor trip circuit breakers is
checked each three weeks, so that they are all checked over a
three-month period.
"Whether it has to do with an equipment problem, personnel or if
it was procedural has not been determined," he said.
The reactor was in "hot standby" mode after the trip. That means
it remained at normal operating pressure and temperature and was
ready for restart pending testing or any repair that may be
needed, Strasma said.
___
On the Net:
FirstEnergy Corp.: http://www.firstenergycorp.com
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2004,
WorldNow and Dispatch Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
21 WNEP: Officials: California man scales fence at nuclear power station
August 4, 2004
SHIPPINGPORT, Pa. Officials say a man who scaled an
eight-foot-high security fence at the Beaver Valley Nuclear
Power Station told police he didn't know he had been
trespassing.
Security officers caught 40-year-old Modesto, California,
resident Craig Billington shortly after he scaled the fence at
the nuclear facility Monday.
A spokesman for plant owner FirstEnergy Corporation says
Billington didn't have any weapons or threatening items.
The spokesman says it looks like Billington was in the middle of
a cross-country trip and the fence got in the way.Billington
faces charges of criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
He was sent to the Beaver County Jail.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights
All content © Copyright 2002 - 2004 WorldNow and WNEP. All
Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
22 The Australian: Safety pledge as new reactor gets a grilling
[August 05, 2004]
By Jonathan Porter
"YOU couldn't make a decent cup of tea with it." That was the
assurance given yesterday by Ross Miller, assistant project
manager for the nation's $300 million replacement research
reactor.
Mr Miller was defending the reactor's safety after its
architecturally sensitive aircraft grille, or "chip basket", was
lowered into place.
The grille resembles an upside-down chip basket and is there to
protect the reactor, which will replace the obsolete but still
operational 44-year-old High Flux Australian Reactor at Lucas
Heights, in southern Sydney.
The grille is part of the defence-in-depth the reactor's
designers say will protect the core -- and our most populous city
-- from the effects of a potential missile strike.
The reactor operates at low pressure and temperature compared
with the reactors used to generate power, hence the remark about
the decent cup of tea.
A recent security assessment found there would be no significant
release of radioactivity in the event of a 9/11-type attack -- a
jet laden with fuel and passengers hitting the reactor. But
details of the assessment "are not something we release
publicly", Mr Miller said.
The original plans called for the reactor to be made secure
against a light plane impact.
"A number of risk assessments have been done since September 11,
2001," said Mr Miller, who has worked at the Australian Nuclear
Science & Technology Organisation since starting as a junior
student engineer in 1975.
ANSTO director of public affairs Ron Cameron said: "It's also
safer, because there'll be so much less uranium in its inventory
than in a power reactor."
z When it goes online or "hot" in August next year, the reactor
will use 6.25kg of uranium -- enough to fit in a coffee mug. It
will produce a range of diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes that
are expected to save thousands of lives across the nation and
will also be exported to New Zealand.
The core will sit in a pool of demineralised water and, when the
reactor is online, the control room will be bathed in the glow of
blue Cerenkov radiation.
The new reactor's higher flux will quadruple ANSTO's production
of radioisotopes.
When the nearby HIFAR plant is closed down, it will be left for
30 years to allow almost all the nuclear waste to decay.
"It is our first nuclear reactor -- one option is to perhaps
convert it into a museum," Dr Cameron said.
privacy terms © The Australian
*****************************************************************
23 [du-list] Iraqi doctor learns from Hiroshima's past
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:40:44 -0700
Iraqi doctor learns from Hiroshima's past
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=706
Shinya Ajima and Shinsuke Takahashi
HIROSHIMA — An Iraqi doctor left his war-battered
country in April. His destination was Hiroshima, and
the purpose of his trip was to obtain knowledge and
data on radiation effects in the city once devastated
by the first atomic bombing in the world.
Hussam Mahmood Salih, 34, a pediatrician from Basra,
said the number of child cancer cases jumped eightfold
in the southern Iraqi city between 1988 and 2002,
suspecting it was caused by the 1991 Gulf War, in
which U.S. forces used depleted uranium shells.
There are also reports in Iraq about newborn babies
lacking limbs or craniums. Depleted uranium has been
long blamed for such birth defects in babies believed
exposed to radiation while in the womb.
"We don't have any decent facilities in Iraq to check
the amount of radiation in human bodies. But we can
see the incidences of cancer increased greatly during
the first four to five years of the 1990s," said
Salih, now studying at Hiroshima University Hospital
at the invitation of a Japanese civic group.
Under economic sanctions on Iraq that followed the
war, Iraqi hospitals were prohibited from obtaining
essential drugs as well as new medical equipment like
tools for radio therapy because the international
community feared they might be used for military
purposes, he said.
"So, death and disease, and death and disease...this
is the life of people in Iraq. I want to save Iraqi
children," said Salih.
The U.S. military uses depleted uranium-tipped shells,
known for their armor-piercing capability, against
tanks and other hard military targets.
Although Iraqi doctors allege DU weapons cause
leukemia and cancer, U.S. authorities deny direct
links between DU and the cancer on the rise in Iraq
since the 1991 war.
The medical community in Japan, a U.S. staunch ally,
is also reluctant to admit a connection.
"Even so, it is sensible for him to visit Hiroshima,
which has skills and knowledge on treating leukemia
patients," said Atsuko Oe, a representative of Save
the Iraq Children Hiroshima, the group that arranged
Salih's visit.
In August last year, when some Iraqi doctors visited
Japan to deliver lectures, they asked Oe and other
civic group members to look for Japanese medical
institutions that can train young doctors from Iraq.
Universities in Hiroshima and Nagoya then agreed to
accept some doctors from hospitals in Basra through
the civic groups.
Salih said he had never hesitated to come to Japan
when chosen as a trainee due to his background as an
expert on pediatric leukemia.
His visit apparently exposed a new face of Japan as
the sole A-bomb victim in the world.
"Hiroshima had suffered a lot from war, deaths and
radiation effects, and the Japanese doctors understand
about these diseases...and all strategies about
detection, treatment and follow-up. I think we cold
learn very much from Japan's experiences," said Salih.
He added there are more Iraqi doctors hoping to learn
in Japan and bring back advanced techniques, knowledge
and equipment that have been unavailable to Iraqis.
"This is a great chance, a very nice chance. They
could do better to save patients," he said.
Another civic group invited two other Iraqi doctors
for training at Nagoya University Hospital, as well as
a young patient whom Salih has treated.
The United States attacked Hiroshima with an atomic
bomb on Aug 6, 1945, and dropped another on Nagasaki
three days later. Japan surrendered to Allied forces
Aug 15.
The bomb dropped on Hiroshima contained high
quantities of highly enriched uranium. There are
reports that a number of microcephalic babies were
born in the western Japan city after the bombing, Oe
said.
Salih is learning from Japanese professors at the
university hospital, mainly about chemotherapy and
bone-marrow transplants.
He has been given access to data stored in many
facilities and organizations in this city, and has
opportunities to talk with radiation victims as well
as their families.
He is also going to attend the ceremony for the 59th
anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima next month.
"We wish Mr Salih could learn something by referring
to the stored data and comparing them with those kept
in Iraq," Oe said.
Salih will stay in Japan until the fall and return to
Iraq, where his wife and two children live.
Governments in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are concerned
about the aging of A-bomb victims. Their average age
was 72.2 as of March, and thousands of the registered
radiation victims die every year.
Both cities are forced to take measures to leave the
victims' messages and experiences of the atrocities to
succeeding generations.
Salih's stay in Hiroshima shows how Japan should be
the first and hopefully last country of A-bomb victims
in the world by taking on new roles no other country
can undertake, Oe said.
"Each of us has our own role," she said, adding, "If
we did not act, there would be a third following
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is important for us to
think how individuals can be involved in peace or
antinuclear activities." (Kyodo News)
August 4, 2004
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24 [du-list] Nanopathology of DU
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:47:00 -0700
Dr Montanari has sent this outline in immediate response to a
request for a reaction to recently publicised proposals attempting to
regulate the use of nanoparticles, and has asked me to distribute the same.
He will hopefully be able to send additional response in the near future.
Kind Regards, David Broatch, Environmental Futures Research
efr@xtra.co.nz
http://www.eco-expo.org/EFR_Consulting.htm
Message from Dr Gatti..
Like many scientific discoveries becoming technology, nanotechnology has
been welcomed as something miraculous, capable of solving innumerable
problems and, eventually, making our life easier. But, again like in most
technologies, if it’s true that old problems are indeed solved, it is as
true that new problems arise, which we did not expect, in some cases we are
not prepared to face or, even worse, we don’t want to see.
The objects produced through the nanotechnological and other novel
processes have a size close to that of some proteins, prionic aggregates,
or viruses and are or may be considerably smaller than a cell. The EC
Project Nanopathology QLRT-2001-147, of which I am the international
coordinator and that deals with the pathologies caused by micro- and
nanoparticles, showed that those particles are not entirely safe. Thanks to
an innovative diagnostic technique, we could demonstrate that micro- and
nanoparticles are released unawares by high-temperature industrial
processes and that "dust", often neither biocompatible nor biodegradable,
when inhaled or ingested, can easily and quickly negotiate the so-called
physiological barriers and reach virtually any tissue or organ. There, if
the exposure is chronic or particularly intense, they accumulate and, as
soon as certain threshold concentrations are exceeded, they behave like any
foreign body, producing an inflammatory reaction that becomes a pathology
which, in some instances, can be extremely severe. Not few forms of cancer
may have this origin.
The problem is that those particles may be smaller than the cell membrane
sensors, are not recognized and can reach the interior of a cell where they
interfere with the DNA.
The same phenomenon as briefly described above occurs with soldiers and
civilians involved in the Gulf war and in the Balkans war. When the DU
bombs hit their mark, they induce a temperature above 3,000 °C and a great
quantity of heat, enough to have the target, or part of it, sublime, i.e.
become a gas. In a short time that "vapour" solidifies again in the form of
very tiny particles that, being extremely light, stay suspended in the
atmosphere for hours or even days and are transported by the wind even
relatively far from their origin. While those micro- and nanoparticles
float in the air, all people, friends or foes, soldiers or civilians, men
or beasts, can inhale them; but eventually those small objects fall to the
ground, on grass, fruits and vegetables, where they become food for men and
animals.
Their chemistry is very peculiar, as in many instances we find alloys that
do not exist in any handbook, for they are the accidental aggregation of
the metals present in the bulk of the mark vaporized.
In the now fair number of cases checked, we found those particles to be
detectable in all the diseased tissues coming from dead or sick civilians
or soldiers, mainly Italian, but also of other nationalities (we are now
starting to work with the French, but have already seen cases from
Canadians, Bosnians, etc.). All the till now unexplained pathologies (e.g.
atypical pneumonias like in Iraq, August 2003, or odd infections like in
Afghanistan, May 2002, among many others) find an easy explanation when
looked at in the light of this new science.
It may be interesting to observe that those particles are present in the
sperm of some of the subjects we checked, adherent to the spermatozoa.
In an entirely different field, industrial procedures involving
nanothechnologies produce nano-sized dust which, when dealt with or
disposed of in a non appropriate way, could be the responsible of cancerous
pathologies. At a very important American company producing semiconductors,
more than 3,000 workers out of 20,000 developed a cancer, and it would be
very interesting to see if nanoparticles, for example of Silicon, can be
found at the interface between healthy and pathological tissue, a
technically easy investigation when the new technique is employed.
But pathologies linked to micro- and nano-sized inorganic debris, be they
inhaled or ingested, are much more wide-spread then most people expect.
Food, drugs, cosmetics, environment (specially in factories) can all be
polluted and be the cause of severe diseases. In many cases, comparatively
simple and not particularly expensive measures can be enough to prevent
their trigger, the first being information.
For more information, please see www.nanopathology.net
or contact stefano.montanari29@tin.it
or call +39 348 2931249.
Dr Antonietta M. Gatti
Nanodiagnostics
Viale Argiolas, 70
41100 Modena
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25 [du-list] Keith Baverstock on Radiation Risk, 4 July
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:44:13 -0700
Radiation risk `underplayed' to avoid compensation payouts
http://www.sundayherald.com/43149
By Rob Edwards
Governments have deliberately downplayed the dangers of radiation so
that they can avoid paying compensation to veterans of nuclear tests
and carry on deploying depleted uranium (DU) weapons.
Dr Keith Baverstock, who was the World Health Organisation's senior
radiation adviser in Europe, says that science has been "perverted
for political ends" by government agencies which should be protecting
public health.
"Politics, aided and abetted by some in the scientific community, has
poisoned the well which sustains democratic decision-making," he told
a conference on low-level radiation in Edinburgh yesterday.
Baverstock, now advising the UK government as a member of the
Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, delivered a fierce attack
on government scientists. He accused the National Radiological
Protection Board (NRPB) of "misusing" science in their studies of
nuclear test veterans.
Over 21,000 members of the British armed services watched 46 nuclear
tests in Australia and the Pacific between 1952 and 1962. Many have
since become ill, and campaigned for compensation from the Ministry
of Defence.
The MoD has rejected their claims on the grounds that there was no
proof that radiation from the tests made them sick. The ministry is
backed by three major studies carried out by the NRPB over the past
20 years, most recently in 2002.
Yesterday, Baverstock alleged that there was a "serious flaw" in the
NRPB's methodology because as many as 15% of the veterans could be
missing from the studies. This could conceal an excess in cancer
deaths, he said.
He pointed out that there was a lack of information on how much
radiation people had been exposed to. A statistical excess of
leukaemia among the veterans had also been dismissed as a "chance"
finding.
"The conclusion is that the NRPB survey is deficient," he
said. "Further work needs to be done. It is sad that the NRPB, which
should be an independent body, was complicit ."
The NRPB, based at Didcot in Oxfordshire, strongly denied the
accusation. "We used standard methods for finding deaths and cases of
cancer. These have been used in hundreds of studies," said Gerry
Kendal, head of population exposure at the NRPB.
He maintained that to have introduced additional cases in an ad hoc
way would have produced "biased" results. The independent committee
that oversaw the research was happy with the approach that was taken,
he added.
The 2002 NRPB study was originally challenged by Sue Roff, a senior
research fellow at Dundee University Medical School. She contended
that up to 30% of multiple myeloma cancer cases among veterans had
been overlooked by the NRPB.
"I'm not sure if this was a political or a scientific decision by the
NRPB. But it was certainly more of a comfort to the MoD than to
veterans," she said.
Baverstock also accused the World Health Organisation of
having "suppressed" a report he wrote in 2001 highlighting the
dangers of DU in Iraq. The Sunday Herald revealed in February that
the report predicted that DU from US and UK weapons would increase
cancer rates among adults and children in the country.
By downplaying the risks from radiation, government agencies had
undermined public trust in science and technology, he concluded. This
was going to make it much more difficult to find an acceptable
solution to the problem of how to dispose of radioactive waste from
nuclear power stations.
04 July 2004
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26 AP Wire: Few injured, ill troops get disability pay they requested
| 08/01/2004 |
LARRY MARGASAK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The military's system for compensating soldiers who
become sick, injured or wounded can be as unforgiving as the
battlefield: Fewer than one in 10 applicants receives the
long-term disability payments they request.
Nearly one-third of injured National Guard and Reserve veterans
returning from the Iraqi and Afghan wars are being forced to wait
more than four months to learn if they will even be compensated.
That is a long time for soldiers who might not have other sources
of income.
The Army knows that troops are unhappy. But military officials
say soldiers do not understand that their disability system
measures fitness for duty, not the degree of one's sacrifice.
Most soldiers applying for disability pay - 56 percent in the
Army's case - are leaving the military with a one-time, lump sum
payment that some say is inadequate.
Lavoda Anderson, of Ninety Six, S.C., said she had a
life-altering injury to her back while under fire in Iraq last
year. In constant pain, she was jolted anew when the Army
calculated her compensation for medical retirement at $13,400.
"I feel I was treated very unfairly," said Anderson, who did not
return to her prewar job as a dialysis technician and is raising
her 4-year-old daughter. "I didn't get adequate care. I feel like
I'm useless most of the time."
The military's disability system is like workers' compensation
and long-term disability in the private sector. It pays people
when they have illnesses and injuries that are job-related.
The military, however, looks at a much narrower set of
circumstances than insurers or the Department of Veterans
Affairs. It only evaluates ailments that make a soldier unfit for
duty in his or her specialty. For example, can an infantryman
still run?
The more generous VA compensation system considers all
service-connected medical conditions.
Soldiers who receive disability compensation from the military
also can apply to the VA for disability pay. The military
compensation is needed, however, to tide a soldier over while
waiting for the VA. The department recently was averaging 171
days to make initial disability decisions.
When the VA's disability compensation kicks in, it usually
replaces military pay. Recipients cannot benefit from both
systems at the same time.
In the military system, the Army says, many soldiers
misunderstand that pain by itself won't win them compensation.
"You can't be retired on pain claims alone," said Dennis Brower,
legal adviser to the Army Disability Agency. "Pain is
unmeasurable. It's subjective."
The Army does not keep statistics on the dollar amounts of
disability payouts because they are based on a formula that
includes a percentage assigned to each soldier's disability. But
it does keep records on how many soldiers applying for long-term
disability receive compensation.
The majority, 56.1 percent, were given a one-time lump sum
payment in 2003. Seventeen percent received nothing at all
because they either were declared fit for duty or determined to
suffer injuries unrelated to their service or due to negligence.
Another 17.1 percent received temporary disability payments that
can be reviewed within five years. And just 9.8 percent won
long-term disability pay that lasts for life.
Jesus Oliveras, a chief warrant officer in an Augusta, Ga.,
reserve unit, was among those ordered back to duty without
compensation.
Oliveras said doctors wrote on his records that he had a hearing
loss. He contends they gave little recognition to his real
problems: debilitating back and shoulder injuries. Despite those
injuries, the maintenance technician volunteered for service in
Iraq.
"At times I felt lousy, as a second-class citizen, especially
coming from a war zone," Oliveras said. "They sent us to fight an
enemy and when we returned, we had to fight another enemy - us."
Oliveras said he accepted the fit-for-duty ruling because he is
eligible for regular military retirement in three years.
Brower, the lawyer for the Army disability agency, said, "You
can't give higher disability ratings to soldiers who you feel
emotionally deserve it. It would be nice to give every soldier
100 percent (disability), but as a taxpayer, you might not like
that."
Soldiers, particularly National Guard and Reserve members, also
complain about long delays in medical diagnosis and treatment
before they can receive a determination of disability.
Col. Michael Deaton of the Army surgeon general's office said
that as of late June, 32 percent of the activated Guard and
Reserve members were in a medical holdover status more than 120
days. That compares with 41 percent in November.
A program that allows soldiers to be treated near where they live
has helped to reduce waiting times for medical care, he said.
Spc. John Ramsey, a deputy sheriff in Orange County, Fla., had
medical bills in the thousands of dollars and was dogged by
creditors. Meanwhile, the state and federal governments fought
over responsibility for his shoulder injuries suffered in Iraq.
"My wife and I and two kids were put through hell because of
this," Ramsey said.
Sgt. John Beard of Jacksonville, Fla., who returned from Iraq
with shrapnel wounds in his back, legs and face, said he
painfully waited in long lines for processing. On one occasion,
confronting an irritable soldier handling pay records, Beard
said, "I snatched my orders out of his hands and left."
Staff Sgt. Dwayne Fitzpatrick of Orlando, Fla., won his appeal of
an initial offer of a one-time, $23,000 severance payment. He
qualified instead for a disability payment of $1,300 a month.
"They dangle some money in your face, so many soldiers will take
it and run," he said. "They low-ball everybody. I'm looking at
the long term."
ON THE NET
Army Disability Agency
https://www.perscom.army.mil/tagd/pda/pdapage.htm.
Army Medical Command
http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/default2.htm
[http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/default2.htm] .
[http://www.knightridder.com] Copyright
*****************************************************************
27 Bradenton Herald: Former beryllium workers file claims
| 08/04/2004 |
[Ruth Rueckert of Palmetto gathers her paperwork Tuesday. Her
husband, Otto, worked at American Beryllium Co. for 12 years and
died of prostate cancer.]
PAUL GONZALEZ VIDELA-The Herald
Ruth Rueckert of Palmetto gathers her paperwork Tuesday. Her
husband, Otto, worked at American Beryllium Co. for 12 years and
died of prostate cancer.
DONNA WRIGHT
Herald Staff Writer
MANATEE - Larry Richmond was among dozens of former employees of
the American Beryllium Co. in Tallevast who filed claims Tuesday
for compensation for illnesses caused by exposure to beryllium.
If Richmond qualifies, the former quality control inspector could
receive lifetime medical care and compensation up to $150,000
through the U.S. Department of Labor.
His medical history indicates he may qualify.
Richmond lost the top half of his right lung in 1996 after
doctors found two nodules and scarring that could be
characteristic of berylliosis of chronic beryllium disease.
Breathing beryllium mist, dust and fumes can cause both
short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) health problems.
The claims program compensates workers who were exposed to
beryllium while working in the nuclear weapons industry for the
Department of Energy or one of its contractors, one of which was
American Beryllium.
Richmond, who now lives in St. Petersburg, worked for the
Tallevast company from 1987 to 1990, when he was forced to quit
at age 46 because of chronic breathing problems.
Now 58, Richmond has been on disability ever since.
Richmond's spleen has been removed and his immune system is so
compromised a common cold can keep him down for weeks.
His health problems, Richmond said, have put a strain on his
seven-year marriage to his wife, Barbara, who is now living in
North Carolina.
In a quiet voice that at times was barely above a whisper,
Richmond explained his medical problems to Theresa Davy, a
technical assistant with the Department of Labor's Jacksonville
regional office, who helped him fill out his claim at the Holiday
Inn on Riverfront Drive.
Details emerge
Davy asked Richmond to explain in detail how he came in contact
with beryllium.
He said the metal was constantly in his hands.
"We couldn't avoid it," Richmond said. "They did provide gloves,
but there were times when the wafers were so thin that you
couldn't pick them up wearing the gloves."
Even though beryllium is hard and has high tensile strength, the
metal would flake and spur, creating dust in the air, Richmond
explained.
"They didn't provide any masks," Richmond said. "We weren't
required to use masks."
Richmond's respiratory problems began during his second year of
employment.
"I felt tired, even during the workday," he recalled. "I had a
hard time catching my breath. . . . I don't know what beryllium
does to a person. I don't know how it gets into your blood, but I
was sick for two years with chronic bronchitis."
In 1996 his doctors spotted the nodules on his lungs during a CT
scan for digestive problems.
While Richmond said American Beryllium provided employees with
annual physicals and generous medical coverage that required no
deductible, he had concerns at the time that the company wasn't
doing all they should to protect workers.
"Some of the machinists opted to wear masks, but it was optional
- not required," Richmond said. "Wherever you went, there was the
dust in the air. It was everywhere."
That dust, he said, was so valuable it was collected for
recycling.
"There were big dust collectors that the air went through into
big bags that collected the dust, which was melted down somewhere
to retrieve the metal because it was so expensive," Richmond told
Davy. "It had to be in the air."
The next step
All of these details are included in Richmond's claim form, which
will now be reviewed by a claims examiner who will verify his
employment.
The claims examiner will contact Richmond, instructing him on
where to get additional medical tests or send his medical records
to substantiate his claim.
The first medical requirement is a beryllium sensitivity blood
test that is performed in only five laboratories in the United
States, the cost of which the applicant must cover.
The test can be ordered by a family physician, who can arrange
for the blood to be drawn and shipped to one of the five labs.
Should the test show abnormal results or a sensitivity to
beryllium, the applicant will be eligible for medical benefits
related to beryllium disease for the rest of his or her life.
Should additional tests, including a pulmonary function test,
biopsy or MRI, indicate chronic beryllium disease or berylliosis,
then the applicant may be eligible for a lump sum compensation of
up to $150,000.
Richmond's previous medical records may provide all the data
examiners need to determine if he has had the relevant tests.
"I would rather have normal test results and be healthy than have
the disease and get compensated," Richmond said. "I knew there
were risks from working there. You heard people talking about it
in the shop. But they took good care of us, as much as they
could."
Richmond was surprised when Davy asked him if had worn a
dosimetry badge that records levels of radiation.
He had never heard of such a device.
Davy said she had already processed claims from other American
Beryllium workers who had worn badges.
Richmond paused before he answered.
"If some people were required to wear it, why weren't we all?"
Richmond asked.
Davy said she couldn't answer that question.
Notification process
Larry Williams, chief of operations for the Jacksonville regional
office, said the Department of Labor is solely responsible for
informing former employees of the compensation program. Former
employers, such the American Beryllium Co., has no responsibility
to alert workers, as Williams understands.
He said the Labor Department's current visit is the first time
the program has been announced in Manatee County.
"The compensation program covers employees of any former
Department of Energy employee, contractor or subcontractor who
might have incurred an illness, typically cancer or
beryllium-related disease, while they worked with our nation's
nuclear energy and weapons industry," Williams said.
The Labor Department's demographic studies show that many retired
workers from other Department of Energy contractors throughout
the nation live in the Manatee County area.
Williams hopes these workers come today to the Holiday Inn or
contact the Labor Department in the future to file claims.
The program was passed by Congress in 2000 and implemented by the
Department of Labor in 2001.
Williams said the first contacts were made in large nuclear
facilities such as those in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and the Savannah
River District.
"The more we market this program, the more we hear that we need
to inform our potential clients about the opportunities that they
have," Williams said.
The Bradenton visit was scheduled months ago, Williams said, and
was not triggered by the soil and groundwater contamination
recently discovered at the site of the former American Beryllium
plant.
- Donna Wright, health and social services reporter, can be
reached at 745-7049 or at dwright@bradentonherald.com
[dwright@bradentonherald.com] .
MORE INFO
Department of Labor personnel will help former employees of the
American Beryllium Co. fill out claim forms from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
today at the Riverfront Holiday Inn, 100 Riverfront Drive,
Bradenton. Information: (866) 666-4606.
Bradenton.com
*****************************************************************
28 TheStar.com: Canada to spend $24.4M to help Russian scrap subs
Wed. Aug. 4, 2004. | Updated at 07:45 PM
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA Canada has agreed to spend $24.4 million to help Russia
scrap three Cold-War-vintage nuclear submarines, Foreign Affairs
Minister Pierre Pettigrew announced today.
The agreement says Canada will eventually help dismantle 12 of
the Victor-class subs, at a cost of more than $100 million.
Russia has 56 retired submarines awaiting disposal in the
Barents Sea region, Foreign Affairs said.
The Canadian contribution is part of a $20-billion program to
help dispose of Russian nuclear weapons and materials, which was
announced at the Kananaskis, Alta., G-8 summit meeting two years
ago.
"Spent nuclear fuel in Russian submarine reactors presents an
international security risk and an environmental threat to the
Arctic and Barents Sea," Mr. Pettigrew said. "Funding this
initiative is a key element of our international security
agenda."
Canada joins Britain, Norway, Japan, Germany and the U.S. in
funding Russian nuclear submarine dismantling.
Canada plans to contribute up to $1 billion to the G-8 program
over 10 years.
At the end of the Cold War, Russia was left with nearly 200
nuclear submarines rusting at the dockside. The Victor-class
boats were the workhorses of the Soviet-era sub fleet.
Scrapping decommissioned nuclear subs is a long and costly
process. The vessels have to be guarded, moved to a defuelling
facility and stripped of their radioactive fuel. That material
has to be safely disposed of, along with radioactive equipment
such as the reactor itself.
Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All
*****************************************************************
29 Las Vegas SUN: Reid: Bush's "character" key in Nev.; broke word on Yucca
Today: August 04, 2004 at 15:27:35 PDT
By SCOTT SONNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
RENO, Nev. (AP) - President Bush's "character" is a bigger issue
in Nevada than national security or the state's rebounding
economy after he broke his pledge to use sound science in
deciding whether to bury nuclear waste here, Sen. Harry Reid
said.
And after attacking Democrat John Kerry's record on the proposed
repository at Yucca Mountain last week, Republican Sen. John
Ensign is acknowledging Kerry has "been better than George Bush"
on "this one issue."
Reid, D-Nev., raised Bush's character as an issue in the
presidential race in this battleground state during an interview
Tuesday with The Associated Press.
"The man doesn't appear to be a person of his word," said Reid,
the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate.
Bush and Kerry are locked in a "very close" race in Nevada -
which Bush narrowly carried in 2000 after Democrat Bill Clinton
had won it twice - partly because it's the only state to
register a net increase in manufacturing jobs under Bush, Reid
said.
"The economy is such a big issue in other states. But in Nevada,
it's not as big of issue. The economy in Nevada has done well,"
he said during a wide-ranging interview at the AP bureau in
Reno.
The biggest issue in Nevada is nuclear waste, Reid said.
"And the issue is more important than (just) nuclear waste
because it deals with George Bush's character," the senator
said.
Republicans "welcome a battle of character" between Bush and
Kerry, Ensign's spokesman Jack Finn said Wednesday.
"If this presidential race comes down to a question of
character, President Bush will win in a landslide over a man
whose career is marked by the most extreme liberalism and
blatant flip-flops on just about every major issue," Finn said.
Kerry has "flip-flopped on funding the troops in Iraq, the
Patriot Act, the death penalty for terrorists" and the North
American Free Trade Agreement, said Tracey Schmitt, a
spokeswoman for the Bush-Cheney campaign.
"John Kerry is not a candidate of conviction," she said.
Reid said Bush broke his word to Nevadans when he prematurely
authorized the Yucca Mountain site while hundreds of studies
were still pending in 2002 despite saying during his
presidential campaign that he would use "sound science" to
evaluate the project.
Kerry, D-Mass., voted against the project in 2000 and 2002 but
Republicans accused him last week of being disingenuous about
his voting record on the matter because he's also voted for
Yucca Mountain.
Ensign issued a list of seven "pro-Yucca" votes that he said
Kerry has taken since 1987, including one on a bill with the
infamous "Screw Nevada" provision limiting studies for a
potential dump site to Yucca Mountain. The provision was part of
a $17.6 billion budget package.
"The people of Nevada have been led to believe that John Kerry
is some sort of savior in our battle against the Yucca Mountain
project," Ensign said last week. "Kerry's voting record shows
just the opposite."
Ensign altered his criticism on Monday, saying Yucca Mountain is
"one issue" in an election with many important issues, including
the economy and the global war on terrorism.
"John Kerry is a left-wing Massachusetts liberal that does not
reflect the values of Nevadans. On this one issue he's been
better than George Bush, but that's on one issue," he told
political commentator Jon Ralston on "Face to Face" carried on a
Las Vegas cable channel.
Reid said Kerry's votes on Yucca Mountain were on omnibus
spending bills he had to support because they included "tons of
stuff" for Massachusetts.
"Every time we've needed him on nuclear waste, he's been there
for us," Reid said.
Ensign said he has had many conversations with the president
about Yucca Mountain.
"His advisers are telling him it is based on sound science.
Obviously ... I personally disagree with that science. The
National Academy of Sciences disagrees with the science," Ensign
said on "Face to Face," which is carried on Las Vegas 1, jointly
owned by KLAS-TV, The Las Vegas Sun and Cox Communications.
Finn said Wednesday that Ensign believes federal courts will
determine if Yucca Mountain will be built "regardless of who is
the president."
"John Kerry says `If I'm president, there will be no
repository.' He can't make that statement. Nevadans should not
believe him," Finn said.
"In terms of Yucca Mountain, this is a man (Kerry) who outright
lied to the people of Nevada about his record. We were told he
had a consistent record, a pure record, and that is an absolute
falsehood," he said.
--
*****************************************************************
30 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada asks NRC whether Yucca Mountain getting preferred handling
Today: August 04, 2004 at 13:22:44 PDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nevada is accusing Nuclear Regulatory Commission
staff of favoring the Energy Department in a dispute about
whether the department followed commission policy in submitting
documents about a national nuclear waste repository.
The state's top anti-Yucca Mountain administrator cites a
commission lawyer's comment at a July 27 hearing that NRC staff
was making a "hard sell" on behalf of the Energy Department.
In a Tuesday letter, Bob Loux, chief of the state's Agency for
Nuclear Projects, asks Karen Cyr, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
general counsel, to investigate whether NRC staff had been
instructed or lobbied by higher-ups "to advocate in favor of the
Yucca Mountain applicant."
NRC spokeswoman Sue Gagner said Wednesday the commission was
taking the request under advisement.
Loux insisted the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should have a
neutral role judging the Energy Department's plan to entomb the
nation's most radioactive waste beneath a desert ridge 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas.
The commission will be asked to issue an operating license for
the Energy Department to store 77,000 tons of nuclear waste at
Yucca Mountain. Congress approved the Yucca site in 2002.
The Energy Department plans to seek a repository operating
license from the NRC by the end of the year. Licensing is
expected to take several years, and the government wants to begin
accepting spent nuclear fuel from 39 states in 2010.
The dispute that prompted the July 27 hearing stems from Nevada's
claim the Energy Department did not meet a June 30 deadline for
making public millions of pages of documents underpinning its
application.
The Energy Department certified that it met the deadline.
If the state's contention is upheld, it could delay the project.
---
On the Net:
Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects:
http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste [http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: http://www.nrc.gov
[http://www.nrc.gov]
Yucca Mountain project: http://www.ymp.gov [http://www.ymp.gov]
--
*****************************************************************
31 Fredericksburg.com: Testing Lake Anna's waters
Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2004
The Free Lance-Star
State to increase PCB testing at reservoir
By RUSTY DENNEN
State officials step up search for PCB source
For years, scientists and health officials have known that some
areas of Lake Anna are contaminated with PCBs.
But just how much--and where it's coming from--is unknown. Soon,
the problem may be better understood.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality announced
yesterday that it will begin a more in-depth study for the
cancer-causing chemical in the lake on the Spotsylvania, Louisa
and Orange county lines.
"We are dedicated to reducing PCB contamination throughout
Virginia," DEQ Deputy Director Rick Weeks said. "This project is
an important step in understanding the extent and source of
possible contamination in Lake Anna."
DEQ will take about 30 sediment samples from the lake this week.
The tests will be for PCBs and for metals, such as copper and
mercury.
Later this month, more tests will be done to determine potential
contamination levels in fish.
Polychlorinated biphenyls, used in electrical transformer oils,
were banned in the 1970s and have been linked to cancer and
nervous-system disorders. PCBs remain in the soil and sediment
for decades after being released into the environment.
In June, the state Health Department issued a fish-consumption
advisory for carp in Lake Anna.
It was the first-ever fish warning for the 13,000-acre lake
formed in 1972 to cool nuclear reactors at North Anna Power
Station.
Carp are susceptible to PCB contamination because they are
bottom-feeders.
Tests conducted last year by the Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality found PCB levels exceeding the
600-parts-per-billion limit. One of the tests on five carp from
the lake showed levels of 857 parts per billion.
The advisory urges people to limit carp consumption to no more
than two meals a month. Women who are pregnant or may become
pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should not eat any
of the fish.
Tests last year on other more edible fish, such as largemouth
bass and sunfish, all showed PCB levels well below the limit.
In the tests this month, DEQ hopes to locate spots in the lake
with high PCB levels to eventually determine the source. The
testing is being done in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
To reach RUSTY DENNEN: 540/374-5431 rdennen@freelancestar.com
Date published: 8/4/2004
Copyright 2004, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of
Fredericksburg, Va.
*****************************************************************
32 LJWorld.com: Region's nuclear waste may wind up in Texas
The Lawrence Journal-World]
County commissioner in Lone Star State says his area ‘would
love to have' disposal facility
The Associated Press
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Lincoln, Neb. — Low-level radioactive waste generated in Nebraska
and four other states, including Kansas, would be welcome in
Andrews County, Texas, says one county official there.
"We would love to have you," Lloyd Eisenrich, president of the
county's industrial foundation, told the Lincoln Journal Star.
Permanently housing the waste from nuclear power plants and
hospitals would mean more money and jobs for the Texas county
near the New Mexico border, Eisenrich said.
Low-level nuclear waste usually includes material used to handle
the highly radioactive parts of nuclear reactors, such as
cooling water pipes and radiation suits, and waste from medical
procedures involving radioactive treatments or X-rays.
Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns has approached Texas Gov. Rick Perry
about storing nuclear waste. Nebraska has offered to pay Texas
$30 million if Texas were to accept the deal. Johanns has said
that a successful agreement with Texas could help lower a $151
million judgment against Nebraska.
In 2002, a district judge ruled that former Nebraska Gov. Ben
Nelson, now a U.S. senator, engaged in a politically motivated
plot to keep a regional dump from being built in Nebraska. The
8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld that ruling, and
last month Nebraska appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The dump was to take waste from the Central Interstate Low-Level
Radioactive Waste Compact, made up of Nebraska, Kansas,
Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.
A telephone call by The Associated Press seeking comment from
Perry's office was not returned Tuesday.
With an average annual rainfall of about 14 inches and a
800-foot deep band of red clay that would act as a barrier
against the waste entering the water system, Andrews County is
the ideal home for the waste, which can remain radioactive for
hundreds of years, Eisenrich said.
"We got a fantastic geological location to store it
permanently," Eisenrich said.
The Texas Legislature approved a bill last year that allows for
the creation of two privately run waste disposal facilities
licensed by the state.
Companies wanting to build a low-level radioactive waste site
have until Friday to submit an application and nonrefundable
$500,000 fee to the Texas Natural Resources Commission.
So far only one Texas company, Waste Control Specialists, has
publicly announced its plans to submit an application. The
company already has a hazardous waste storage facility about 45
miles northwest of Andrews -- the Andrews County seat.
Eisenrich said he was not aware of any local opposition to
permanently storing the low-level radioactive waste in Andrews
County.
"There's no organized opposition but there's bound to be
individuals," he said.
[http://ljworld.com/site/new_copyright.html] 2004 The Lawrence
Journal-World. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
33 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Yucca takes a back seat
LAS VEGAS SUN
We understand the urgency associated with the war on terrorism.
Even still, there are other issues that must remain a priority.
That's why we were taken aback Monday as Sen. John Ensign,
R-Nev., explained why he and fellow Nevada Republicans, Gov.
Kenny Guinn and Rep. Jim Gibbons, haven't aggressively confronted
President Bush with their opposition to Yucca Mountain.
On the Las Vegas Sun's televised news show, "Face to Face With
Jon Ralston," Ensign said, "(Yucca Mountain) is a major issue,
but there is a global war on terrorism, there is the economy,
there are many other issues." Other issues? In Nevada, whose
future for the rest of time is threatened by this proposed
nuclear waste dump, there is no issue more important.
Ensign did concede, in a backhanded sort of way, that John Kerry
is better for Nevada than President Bush when it comes to Yucca
Mountain. "On this one issue (Yucca Mountain)," Ensign told
Ralston, "he's (Kerry's) been better than George Bush, but that's
on one issue."
And we would add: The one issue that means the most to Nevada.
*****************************************************************
34 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada wants 'hard sell' probe
By Suzanne Struglinski < [suzanne@lasvegassun.com] > SUN
WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- Nevada is accusing the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission's staff of being partial to the Energy Department in
an argument over whether or not the department followed the
commission policy.
State officials want the NRC to investigate whether the
commissioners or the agency's senior staff members have
instructed employees to advocate for the Yucca Mountain project.
The commission will ultimately decide whether the Energy
Department can store 77,000 tons of nuclear waste at Yucca
Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The commission is
supposed to be an independent evaluator of the project. The
Energy Department has to prove the project is safe to get a
license from the commission.
But Bob Loux, executive director of the state's Agency for
Nuclear Projects said "any small hope" the state had that the
commission would make an independent evaluation "vanished" when
NRC Staff Attorney Mitzi Young argued before the Atomic Safety
and Licensing Board last week.
Nevada officials claim the Energy Department did not follow the
rules for posting a document database to support its application
to build Yucca Mountain when it made millions of project
documents public last month.
If the argument is upheld, it would delay the project. The
department believes it did satisfy the rules and wants to move
forward.
At the administrative hearing, before three judges, Nevada
argued its point with the NRC attorney arguing against Nevada. A
decision is pending. One judge questioned the NRC attorney about
an apparent change of position.
Young said during the hearing that Nevada could not prove the
department did not make all its documents available "as a result
of good faith efforts" to the database. She said making the
documents available would satisfy the rule.
But Judge Thomas Moore said Young took a different position at a
June advisory review panel meeting where she said loading all of
he documents into one central database would not happen
overnight.
She said at the earlier meeting "I don't know how you
substantially comply with the requirement if you wait until one
minute before midnight to load a substantial number of documents
in terms of making them available to the NRC and to the public."
Moore pointed out that this position contradicts what Young said
during an earlier meeting on the database status, saying her
comments at the hearing were "180 degrees from what you are
saying today."
The state wants to know what led to the change and if anyone
inside the commission is pushing for the project to go through.
In a two-page letter sent to NRC General Counsel Karen Cyr, Loux
explained that Young told the hearing board that commission staff
members were making a "hard sell" for the Energy Department's
position on Nevada's challenge to the project's document
database.
"When the board asked Ms. Young how she could profess that staff
was remaining neutral while she was standing before the board
advocating DOE's position -- a position the board thought was
wrong under the law -- she answered, 'I know it's a hard
sell.'¢thº "
Loux said the commission staff should be "advocating only for
compliance with the law by the applicant."
NRC spokeswoman Sue Gagner said the commission will take Loux's
request under advisement but could not offer any other details
yet on what the next steps would be.
*****************************************************************
35 Tonganoxie Mirror: EPA tets itself on strategies to handle hazardous materials
tonganoxiemirror.com]
By Lisa Scheller, News Editor
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
It only looked scary.
Last Thursday afternoon, a half-dozen EPA officials walked down
a dusty road that leads into the county's rock quarry.
They were in search of radioactive materials. Their equipment
included a Geiger counter mounted to a jogging stroller, a flame
ionization detector, a thermal imaging camera and an assortment
of handheld communication devices.
This was all part of operation "Ruby Slipper," a disaster drill
in which more than 130 EPA agents from across the country
participated.
The event, in which no hazardous materials were used, was staged
Thursday and Friday in and near Tonganoxie. A command center was
set up at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds, and the search was
conducted at the quarry a mile west of Tonganoxie.
According to a presentation by Jeffrey Holmstead, EPA assistant
administrator for air and radiation, last week's drill gave the
federal officials an opportunity to "test and evaluate the
effectiveness of its internal response plans, procedures an
capabilities in the event of a radiological emergency of
national significance."
Kathleen Fenton, who works in public affairs for EPA in Region
7, helped organize the event. Fenton said the quarry was chosen
because of its rugged terrain. And, Tonganoxie was chosen
because of its proximity to Fort Leavenworth, where another
section of the drill was held.
"We picked something that was far enough away that they actually
would have to commute the work and the information back to Fort
Leavenworth," Fenton said.
And, she said, according to the script, the search was taking
place not in Kansas, but in Oklahoma.
"We're simulating Oklahoma because we wanted to involve another
region," Fenton said. "We're Region 7, they're Region 6, so we
wanted to test our communications."
Region 7, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., covers Iowa,
Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Region 6, headquartered in
Dallas, includes Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and
Texas.
By Thursday afternoon, it appeared the drill was operating as
planned.
"The partners that EPA have worked with at the Fort and in
Leavenworth County and Tonganoxie have been fabulous," Fenton
said. "To pull off a big exercise like this has been very tough
logistically, and people have been very gracious in helping us
make this as real as possible."
Some of the participants in the exercise were EPA officials, she
said, and others were contractors who partner with the EPA to
provide computer and technical support, Fenton said.
The goals were multifaceted.
"To understand how our protocols work," Fenton said. "And if our
communications networks are what they need to be, and do all our
technological tools work."
Months of planning preceded the event.
"This is a very big operation," Fenton said. "This exercise took
a year to logistically plan, and the folks that are here are
training all the time to be ready for events like this."
Copyright © 2004 The Tonganoxie Mirror. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
36 The Reporter - Letters: Nuclear waste transport is very safe
"The Reporter" [http://www.thereporter.com/]
August 04, 2004
Reporter Editor:
In a recent letter, a high school freshman from Vacaville gave
his opinion about transporting nuclear waste ("Transporting
nuclear waste makes no sense for anyone," Forum, The Reporter,
Aug. 1).
Actually, while it may be true that the public at large may not
feel comfortable with the proposition, they and the letter writer
may know little about the facts that nuclear waste shipments are
highly regulated for strict adherence to safety and that such
shipments have been successfully conducted in the United States
and in other countries for more than 35 years.
If we were to base our public policy choices on what we see on
"60 Minutes," we arguably would have a different world. But a
review of the story aired in May on this topic would suggest that
the letter writer took away the points raised by opponents of
nuclear waste disposal in Nevada and seems to have discarded the
facts presented by the federal government that conducts or
regulates such transportation. No one familiar with the facts of
radiological health would agree with the letter writer's
conclusion that "only a little would have to leak out" and be
lethal to an entire city.
As to the danger that the letter writer says our leaders and
people need to know about before proceeding with the proposed
waste disposal, he may not realize that the Congress considered
such waste policy - underground disposal in one or two suitable
sites with transportation to the sites from present temporary
sites - at least three times: In 1983, when it chose the disposal
method, in 1987 when it chose to study Yucca Mountain, and in
2002 when the president recommended proceeding with Yucca
Mountain and Congress approved that plan.
The transportation of nuclear waste does make sense to the
people who actually do it and are more at risk than the general
public. And it makes sense to the various federal, state and
local public safety officials who regulate such transportation to
ensure that the excellent safety record is sustained.
Brian O'Connell, Washington, D.C.
The author is the director of the Nuclear Waste Program Office
of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
in Washington, D.C. - Editor.
*****************************************************************
37 Bradenton Herald: State debate continues on telling residents of toxins
| 08/04/2004 |
KEVIN O'HORAN
Herald Staff Writer
TALLAHASSEE - A day of questions, explanations and opinions
brought little consensus to the debate over revamping Florida
laws that require notifying communities when they face toxic
leaks, as at the former American Beryllium Co. plant in
Tallevast.
Regulators, activists and even industry representatives continue
to disagree on when and to whom the warnings should go out but
did find common ground on one key issue during a public workshop
Tuesday to discuss proposed changes.
"There's a community in Manatee County called Tallevast where the
notification provisions of our rules were not adequate," said
Doug Jones, chief of the waste management division within
Florida's Department of Environmental Protection.
"That's given us reason to re-evaluate our existing rules."
The latest step in that process came Tuesday, when 150-some
people crowded into a conference room in DEP's Tallahassee
headquarters to learn about and weigh in on agency efforts to
streamline a suite of contamination rules.
That effort likely will culminate Sept. 30, when the state's
environmental regulations commission meets to consider and vote
on the agency's plan.
Key to Tallevast residents in that re-evaluation process is a
look at Chapter 62-780.220 of the Florida Administrative Code, a
section simply entitled "Notices."
Residents in the close-knit community have prodded the agency to
change the rules since November, after learning only then that
DEP leaders had known since January 2000 of contamination in the
soil at and groundwater beneath the plant.
And nothing in the rules then required the agency - or Lockheed
Martin Corp., the aerospace giant that at the time owned the 1600
Tallevast Road plant - to warn residents.
That would change under the revamped rules.
Somewhat.
The agency's latest proposal - earlier drafts came in June 2003
and February 2004 - would require polluters to warn everyone in a
community, though in a variety of ways and under a host of
conditions.
Whenever a poison spreads from a site, the polluter would have to
notify DEP within a week of finding the problem, and within 30
days provide a written notice to the county health department and
post warning signs and run newspaper ads in the community.
If the toxins reach drinking water supplies or surface soil -
that is, if they pose an "imminent threat" - the polluter has to
step up the warnings to alert DEP, the health department,
property owners, tenants and businesses within three days.
"We have an obligation to notify these folks quickly," Jones
said, "and we're proposing three days as quickly."
But some industry leaders say that might be too quick. They worry
that such a tight turnaround doesn't provide enough opportunity
to thoroughly review test results, to verify findings with
another round of tests or even to compile a full set of property
owners to warn.
"We understand the need for notification to be made, but there
has to be adequate time for that information to be reviewed," Bob
Fox, vice president at SCS Engineers in Tampa, told Jones and
other DEP officials gathered for the workshop.
Worse, argued others on the corporate side of the street, the
quick notice provision might do more harm than good.
"You're creating an opportunity to get an awful lot of people
upset about something that may not be an actual threat," said
Bruce DeGrove, regulatory affairs director with the Florida
Phosphate Council, a trade organization.
Tallevast residents, who applaud the proposed changes but write
them off as too late to help locally, have heard the arguments
before. Each time, they counter that they can cope with talk of
possible exposures but have no say in dealing with potential
dangers if they're kept in the dark.
And that continues to be a problem in the latest rewrite of the
rules, said Cynthia Valencic, vice president at Legal
Environmental Assistance Foundation, a Tallahassee-based citizen
advocacy group.
"LEAF believes the most important aspect, whether the threat is
imminent or not imminent, is to get notice to the residents,"
Valencic said.
"Residents need to know what is happening in their community to
make informed decisions about their future. And the notices need
to go out to every resident, and they need to go out in writing."
TOXIC POLLUTION Tallevast residents are dealing with a plume of
contamination in their neighborhood from the former American
Beryllium Co. plant. Meanwhile, the state is working on a rule to
notify residents affected by such contamination.
TO COMMENT
• WHAT: DEP proposing changes to how and when the agency notifies
property owners and others near contaminated sites like the
former American Beryllium Co. plant in Tallevast.
• INFORMATION: Comments will be accepted until Aug. 10. Write to:
Roger Register, Bureau of Waste Cleanup, 2600 Blair Stone Road,
MS 4505, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400. E-mail to:
roger.register@dep.state.fl.us [roger.register@dep.state.fl.us] .
Phone: (850) 245-8934.
[http://www.knightridder.com] Copyright
*****************************************************************
38 Pahrump Valley Times: FEAR OF CORROSION AT YUCCA SITE NO LONGER AN ISSUE
August 4, 2004
WAFFLING SCIENTISTS
Experts reverse cask opinion
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS - Prominent scientists have shifted their stance on a
key element of a national nuclear waste dump in Nevada, saying
they no longer fear one type of corrosion would quickly weaken
casks designed to contain radioactivity.
The new position by members of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review
Board boosts plans for the Yucca Mountain repository while the
Energy Department prepares to seek a crucial operating license
from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Board executive William Barnard attributed the shift to the
evolution of understanding about the first-of-its-kind
repository.
"It's a learning process for DOE," he said, "and a learning
process for the board." Opponents downplayed the effect the
finding would have on state efforts to block the federal
government from burying the nation's most radioactive waste
approximately 50 miles northeast of Pahrump.
Steve Frishman, a state consultant on Yucca Mountain, said that
while it appeared the Energy Department had solved one corrosion
problem, Yucca engineers had not addressed questions about other
minerals that could create problems.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., insisted Friday that "overwhelming
scientific evidence shows that Yucca Mountain is not safe."
"Deciding which type of corrosion is most dangerous will not
change that underlying fact," he said.
The Energy Department maintains the Yucca project will be safe.
The board outlined its position in a four-page letter last week
to Margaret Chu, director of Energy Department's Office of
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, which directs the Yucca
project. Chu did not plan to comment, a spokesman said.
Technical Review Board staff members said that while some
concerns had been allayed, more needed to be known before
scientists can be confident the Yucca Mountain repository would
work the way the Energy Department expects.
Congress in 2002 picked Yucca Mountain as the site to bury 77,000
tons of highly radioactive waste from commercial nuclear reactors
and military and industrial sites in 39 states.
The Energy Department wants to open the repository in 2010 and
spend 24 years entombing the waste in casks made of nickel 22
metal alloy in tunnels 1,000 feet below ground.
The Technical Review Board threw a wrench into the plan last
October, with a report based on Energy Department research that
calcium chloride, a mineral compound, could react with moisture
in the tunnels and form a brine that could corrode casks within
1,000 years. Such a finding would make it difficult for the
repository to win an operating license.
The review board, created by Congress to evaluate Yucca science,
convened a two-day seminar in May at which the Energy Department
and other organizations presented updated analyses.
Based on those presentations, the board told Chu in its letter
that the calcium chloride corrosion scenario "appears unlikely."
For comment or questions, please e-mail
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com
[webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com] Copyright © Pahrump Valley
Times, 1997 - 2003
*****************************************************************
39 Pahrump Valley Times: Kerry's Yucca voting record sparks debate
August 4, 2004
By CHRISTINA ALMEIDA THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS - As Democrats signaled strong opposition to a plan to
bury the nation's nuclear waste in Southern Nevada, the state's
Republicans criticized Sen. John Kerry last week as being
disingenuous about his voting record on Yucca Mountain.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., issued a list of seven "pro-Yucca"
votes that he said Kerry has taken since 1987, including one on a
bill that included an infamous "Screw Nevada'' provision limiting
studies for a potential dumpsite to Nye County's Yucca Mountain.
The provision was part of a massive $17.6 billion budget package.
"The people of Nevada have been led to believe that John Kerry is
some sort of savior in our battle against the Yucca Mountain
project," Ensign said. "Kerry's voting record shows just the
opposite."
Besides the so-called "Screw Nevada" amendment, Kerry voted in
1997 to table an amendment that would have required gubernatorial
approval before any nuclear waste could be transported through a
state, Ensign said.
"John Kerry is trying to take the moral high ground, and he
cannot occupy that moral high ground because of his record,"
Ensign said.
Democrats in the state, including Sen. Harry Reid and Rep.
Shelley Berkley, have cited the Massachusetts senator's record of
voting against the plan to bury 77,000 tons of highly radioactive
waste at a site in close proximity to three Nye County
communities, including the fast-growing Pahrump.
Last week the party adopted a national platform that included a
plank opposing Yucca Mountain, the strongest statement made by
either party against the project. Kerry, who was nominated as his
party's presidential candidate last week, also visited Nevada
earlier this year and pledged Yucca Mountain will not be a
repository if he wins in November.
Sean Smith, spokesman for the Kerry campaign in Nevada, said
Republicans were "grasping at straws" and dismissed the votes as
procedural.
"They are very afraid that this issue is going to cost them the
state of Nevada and quite possibly the presidency, that they
would resort to cherry-picking through a 16-year record of
opposition," Smith said.
Yucca Mountain has been a central political issue in Nevada, one
of 17 battleground states identified by both parties as being
crucial to winning the presidential election.
Democrats have trumpeted Kerry's votes against the project in
2000 and 2002, while pointing out that President Bush authorized
the plan despite saying during his presidential campaign that he
would use "sound science" to evaluate the project.
"They're dead wrong on this issue. They need to attack their own
president and get him to change his position," Berkley said by
telephone from the Democratic convention in Boston. "They have no
standing to attack Kerry when their president has deliberately
misled the people of Nevada just to get our vote in 2000."
Reid, who sponsored many of the amendments cited by Ensign, said
they were crafted by him and then-Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., to
focus attention on Yucca Mountain.
"With rare exception (Bryan) and I were the only ones who voted
for the amendments," Reid said, adding the one concerning
gubernatorial approval was unconstitutional.
"On the issues relating to Yucca Mountain that mattered, when we
needed John Kerry, he was with us without reservation," Reid
said.
But Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said it was important for Nevadans
to hear about Kerry's voting record.
"He didn't come clean. He didn't tell us the truth," Porter said.
"People are going to look at consistency and leadership, and this
is one more example where John Kerry is flip-flopping. His only
consistency is his inconsistency."
For comment or questions, please e-mail
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com
[webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com] Copyright © Pahrump Valley
Times, 1997 - 2003
*****************************************************************
40 PRNEWS: LES Selects Washington Group International
[http://www.prnewswire.com/] [ /]
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Washington Group
International, Inc. (Nasdaq: WGII
[http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=prnewswire&Pag
eName=QUOTE&Ticker=WGII] ) has been chosen as the architect and
engineering firm that will be responsible for final design and
construction planning of the National Enrichment Facility (NEF)
and for project management support during actual construction
according to an announcement made today by Louisiana Energy
Services (LES) and Washington Group International.
"We are very excited to add Washington Group to our team,"
said Jim Ferland, President of LES. "They are going to bring a
superb team of experienced engineers, designers and construction
planners to this project, exactly what we need at this time.
This is a very important milestone for the project, and we look
forward to an effective partnership with Washington Group as the
project moves toward construction."
Washington Group International was selected following a
competitive bid process over the last several months. The
company's ability to meet the current building schedule and the
requirements established in both the NEF license application
submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and in New
Mexico state permit applications was key in the decision to hire
Washington Group. The value of Washington Group's contract is
approximately $16 million.
"We welcome the opportunity to work on this significant
project," said Lou Pardi, President of Washington Group's Power
Business Unit. "Our company has done a great deal of work in New
Mexico, and we enjoy the people and the challenges of New
Mexico's unique landscape. It's a privilege to be working here
again on this exciting project. We look forward to working with
LES as an active corporate citizen in the community to hire
workers and subcontract with companies in Lea County."
Construction of the NEF project is expected to start in the
fall of 2006, and the facility is expected to be ready for
partial production in the winter of 2008.
The NEF is the first major nuclear technology project for
Washington Group's Power Business Unit in New Mexico. Another
Washington Group business unit has managed the U.S. Department of
Energy's nearby Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) since 1985.
Under terms of the deal, Washington Group will be responsible
for providing civil and mechanical design for site preparation,
site infrastructure, and basic building structures. The company
will also provide construction planning and project management
support during construction.
The NEF project will provide more than 200 permanent jobs and
more than 400 multi-year construction jobs in southeast New
Mexico. It will use a proven technology that has operated safely
in Europe for 30 years.
LES is a partnership of major nuclear energy companies.
Partners include Urenco, Westinghouse and U.S. energy companies
Duke Power, Entergy and Exelon.
Washington Group International, Inc., headquartered in Boise,
Idaho, provides the talent, innovation, and proven performance to
deliver integrated engineering, construction, and management
solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. With
approximately 27,000 employees at work in over 40 states and more
than 30 countries, the company provides professional, scientific,
management, and development services in more than two dozen major
markets. Included among those markets are: power generation,
transmission and distribution, and clean air solutions;
environmental remediation; heavy civil construction; mining;
nuclear services; defense, homeland security, and global threat
reduction; industrial, gas, chemical, and pharmaceutical
processing; manufacturing; facilities operations and management;
transportation; and water resources.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the private securities litigation reform act of
1995, which are identified by the use of forward-looking
terminology such as may, will, could, should, expect, anticipate,
intend, plan, estimate, or continue or the negative thereof or
other variations thereof. Such forward-looking statements are
necessarily based on various assumptions and estimates and are
inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties, including
risks and uncertainties relating to the possible invalidity of
the underlying assumptions and estimates and possible changes or
developments in social, economic, business, industry, market,
legal, and regulatory circumstances and conditions and actions
taken or omitted to be taken by third parties, including the
corporation's customers, suppliers, business partners, and
competitors and legislative, regulatory, judicial, and other
governmental authorities and officials.
SOURCE Louisiana Energy Services
A United Business Media [http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com]
*****************************************************************
41 KLTV 7: Commission to consider possible settlement
Tyler-Longview-Jacksonville, TX:
August 4, 2004
LINCOLN, Neb. A group suing Nebraska for refusing to host a
regional nuclear waste dump will discuss a possible settlement at
an emergency meeting Monday.Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklaahoma
and Louisiana belong to the Central Interstate Low-Level
Radioactive Waste Commission.
Group leaders say they'll consider a settlement with the
Nebraska.
The Eighth U-S Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling against
Nebraska, and the state took its appeal to the U-S Supreme Court.
But state leaders also are trying for an out-of-court settlement.
Two state senators in Nebraska have proposed using Dawes County
as a site for the storehouse. Nebraska also reportedly has
offered Texas 30 (m) million dollars to accept the waste.Nobody
is talking about what the deal might be.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
[http://www.worldnow.com] All content © Copyright 2001 -
2004 WorldNow and KLTV. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
42 Pahrump Valley Times: Yucca Mountain contractor qualifies for $11 million payment
August 4, 2004
By STEVE TETREAULT PVT WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - The management contractor for the Yucca Mountain
nuclear waste repository qualified for an $11 million incentive
fee after handing over a draft license application last week, an
Energy Department spokesman said.
Examiners must verify 5,000 pages of material submitted by
Bechtel- SAIC Co., LLC before payment can be certified, said
Allen Benson, spokesman for the Office of Repository
Development.
The company qualified for an $11,043,476 fee by meeting a July
26 target, Benson said. Incentives were negotiated within the
firm's $1.88 billion contract to manage the department's
repository program.
In preparing its licensing draft, Bechtel-SAIC assumed a
10,000-year radiation health protections for the repository even
though that standard was thrown out by a federal circuit court
on July 9.
Benson said the Energy Department considers the standard still
applicable until the court's mandate is finalized following an
appeal period.
DOE officials say they want to file an application at the end
of the year and retain the 10,000-year standard at least during
initial license reviews by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
although the NRC has not decided whether that will be allowed.
Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear
Projects, criticized the Energy Department for authorizing a big
contractor payout when the Yucca Mountain Project faces such
uncertainties.
Loux, who coordinates the state's opposition to the repository,
said the Yucca program is being driven by the promise of
financial bonuses rather than by science.
"I think they shouldn't have gotten the money," Loux said of
Bechtel-SAIC. "It's clear these folks will do anything for
money. The idea they would hand in a draft with a standard they
know will not stand just says it all."
A number of incentives were written into the Bechtel-SAIC
contract, including a $15.3 million fee for finalizing a
repository application by Nov. 30 and a $22 million payment if
the NRC accepts the licensing package for formal review within
91 days after submittal.
Loux asked the Energy Department inspector general in May to
examine the Yucca management contract for possible legal or
ethical violations. A spokeswoman for inspector general Gregory
Friedman, contacted late Wednesday, said she could not
immediately get information about the status of the request.
The draft licensing package contains the results of studies and
technical analyses to detail the Energy Department's claim that
77,000 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste can be secured
within the mountain in close proximity to Pahrump, Amargosa
Valley and Beatty.
Benson said the package will be reviewed to ensure it conforms
to licensing guidelines set by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
before the payment is authorized.
For comment or questions, please e-mail
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com
[webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com]
Copyright © Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2003
*****************************************************************
43 DOE: Agency Information Collection Extension
FR Doc 04-17733
[Federal Register: August 4, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 149)]
[Notices] [Page 47134] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr04au04-56] [[Page 47134]]
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Submission for Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
review; comment request.
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted an
information collection package to the OMB for extension under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The package
requests a three-year extension of its collection of information
concerning annual applications from the owners of qualified
renewable energy generation facilities for the consideration of
Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI) payments, OMB
Control Number 1910-0068. This information collection package
covers information necessary to determine if an applicant's
facility qualifies for these payments and to determine the amount
of net electricity produced that qualifies for these payments and
ensures that the government has sufficient information to ensure
the proper use of public funds for these incentive payments.
DATES: Comments regarding this collection must be received on or
before September 3, 2004. If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments, but find it difficult to do so within the
period of time allowed by this notice, please advise the OMB Desk
Officer of your intention to make a submission as soon as
possible. The Desk Officer may be telephoned at 202-395-3122.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to DOE Desk Officer,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of
Management and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10102,
735 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
Comments should also be addressed to Susan L. Frey, Director,
Records Management Division, IM-11/Germantown Bldg., Office of
the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-1290, or e-mail at
[ susan.frey@im.doe.gov] ; and to Dan Beckley, Energy Efficiency
and Renewable Energy, EE-2K/Forrestal Bldg., U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, or
e-mail at [ dan.beckley@ee.doe.gov] . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT: The DOE persons listed in ADDRESSEES.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This package contains: (1) OMB No.:
1910- 0068; (2) Package Title: Renewable Energy Production
Incentive; (3) Purpose: To provide required information to
receive consideration for payment for qualified renewable energy
electricity produced in the prior fiscal year; (4) Estimated
Number of Respondents: 75 (5) Estimated Total Burden Hours: 450;
(6) Number of Collections: The package contains 75 (one per
grantee annually) information and/or recordkeeping requirements.
Statutory Authority: Energy Policy Act of 1992, Pub. L. 102-486,
42 U.S.C. 13317. Issued in Washington, DC, on July 27, 2004.
Susan L. Frey, Director, Records Management Division, Office of
the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-17733 Filed 8-3-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
*****************************************************************
44 Hanford News: Hanford day care extended one year
[http://www.hanfordnews.com]
This story was published Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004
By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer
The Department of Energy has agreed to continue its subsidy of
the Learning Landscape day care for Hanford workers for one more
year.
That will give employees another year to find alternative care
for their children, said DOE spokeswoman Colleen Clark in
Richland.
An occupancy agreement has been signed, and DOE has directed the
Government Services Administration, which oversees the day care
program, to negotiate a one-year extension to the lease on the
Richland building.
DOE will not be investing money in a new building for the day
care, however, employees were told Monday.
Bids already had been received on a proposed new building and
$280,000 spent on its design when DOE announced earlier this year
that it would end the subsidy for the day care Sept. 30, the end
of fiscal year 2004. DOE and Hanford contractors are paying
$132,000 to supplement costs of the day care this year.
The federal government is spending about $2 billion annually to
clean up contamination left at Hanford from the past production
of plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program.
"We're certainly happy they're going to extend (the subsidy) for
a year so kids are not on the street come Oct. 1," said John
Sellards, spokesman for the American Federation of Government
Employees Local 788, which includes the Richland Operations
Office and the Office of River Protection workers.
But organized labor is going to continue fighting to extend the
worker benefit for more than a year, he said.
Nationally, the Richland day care is the only one among those
serving in the DOE complex that's losing the subsidy, Sellards
said.
© 2004 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
45 Tri-City Herald: DOE seeks improved Hanford safety after close calls
This story was published Wednesday, August 4th, 2004
By Annette Cary Herald staff writer
Two near-miss accidents at the vitrification plant under
construction at Hanford led the Department of Energy to call for
improvements at the end of June.
"These events extend a declining trend in worker safety this year
that must be immediately corrected," wrote Roy Schepens, manager
of DOE's Office of River Protection in a letter to contractor
Bechtel National.
The project, the largest federal construction project in the
nation this year, still has a much lower rate of accidents than
the industry average.
It had 1.53 accidents per 200,000 construction hours worked for
the first six months of this year compared with the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration's national average construction
rate of 7 recordable accidents per 200,000 hours worked. That's
the number of hours 100 people would work in a year.
But the near-misses, which are not included in the accident
statistics, are being taken seriously because they had the
potential to be life threatening if a worker had been in the
wrong place.
On June 22, a 100-pound piece of steel supposed to be embedded in
concrete fell 40 to 45 feet, according to a Defense Nuclear
Facilities Safety Board report released Friday. It landed 8 feet
from a worker.
Five days earlier, pieces of rebar fell when a "curtain" of
crosshatched rebar was being lifted into the air by crane.
Other problems in late June included a worker who lost the end of
a finger when his glove caught in a drill press, a worker who
fell when a ladder slid out from under him and a worker who fell
inside a wall of rebar.
The year had started with some other problems described in
another safety board report. A 1,112-pound steel beam fell about
20 feet after the choker holding it contacted a handrail. The
area had been cleared of people before work started, according to
Bechtel National.
Also that month a stainless steel plate was dropped 8 feet and a
section of telescoping brace was dropped 12 feet, according to
the safety board.
After the June incidents, contractor Bechtel National stopped
work on day and night shifts for a safety awareness day to
emphasize its goal of zero accidents.
The day was used to gather information from workers to improve
the project's safety performance and emphasize to workers that
safety was more important than production or cost, said Jim
Henschel, project director for Bechtel National.
Bechtel paid about $500,000 in wages that day although no work
was done on the $5.7 billion vitrification plant.
About 1,300 craft workers, such as carpenters and pipefitters,
are employed to build the plant. It will turn radioactive waste
left from the past production of plutonium at Hanford for the
nation's nuclear weapons program into a more stable glass form
for disposal.
Work at the plant has taken on another degree of danger as walls
go up on the massive buildings of the plant and more work is done
high off the ground, Henschel said. The pretreatment building
will stand 119 feet tall.
A safety analysis has determined that workers are most likely to
have an accident in their first 90 days of work on the project,
Henschel said. That presents a potential problem because of the
number of workers being added to the construction project as work
progresses.
New hires now are being identified with a green sticker on their
hard hats for their first three months on the job.
Workers, who have an average age of 48 at the construction site,
also are being reminded that muscular and skeletal injuries are
more likely as they age.
In the first two years of construction at Hanford, 1943 and 1944,
workers were racing to win World War II and 18 workers died,
Henschel has pointed out to current construction workers.
"We live in a different time," he said. "We're serious about zero
accidents."
© 2004 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
*****************************************************************
46 Oak Ridger: ETEBA hosts 'thank you' reception for Wamp
Story last updated at 12:28 p.m. on August 4, 2004
from staff reports
The East Tennessee Environmental Business Association will host a
reception Monday honoring U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District,
for his efforts on behalf of Oak Ridge federal programs.
"He understands the intricacies of the work here and,
consequently, is able to be an extremely effective spokesman for
our programs," noted Bill Niemeyer, ETEBA's president. "ETEBA
wants to thank him for that support and let him know how much we
appreciate his hard work in Washington."
ETEBA is a non-profit organization representing 125 companies
that provide technical services to the Department of Energy and
National Nuclear Security Administration as well as their prime
contractors.
The Wamp reception will begin at 4 p.m. Monday at the Oak Ridge
DoubleTree Hotel. The event is open to representatives of ETEBA
member companies who must RSVP to Grace Miller at grace@eteba.org
or 947-5505.
*****************************************************************
47 Daily Camera: Governments want cleanup verified
Rocky Flats project has been monitored by EPA since 1995
By Todd Neff, Camera Staff Writer
August 4, 2004
The U.S. Department of Energy and contractor Kaiser-Hill Co. say
Rocky Flats will be clean when the $7.2 billion decontamination
and destruction of the former nuclear-weapons plant is done in
late 2006.
Local governments want to be sure.
Led by representatives from the city and county of Broomfield,
The Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments is investigating
how to independently verify that the 6,300-acre site meets
agreed-upon cleanup standards.
The cleanup's quality will probably have a direct public impact.
The Department of Energy plans to transfer all but 1,000 acres to
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at closure, to create the
Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge.
The Wildlife Service wants to build 16 miles of trails through
the plant's former "buffer zone," as well as allow occasional
off-trail hunting and other activities. The 1,000-acre Department
of Energy-retained "industrial area" will include the capped and
buried remains of parts of the 385-acre complex and surrounding
areas, which include former landfills. It's still not clear how
it all will be fenced off from the refuge.
"When I talk to folks in Broomfield, they very often ask the
question of who is independently verifying that the job's being
done right," said Gary Brosz, a Broomfield city councilman who is
on the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments board. "We just
need to work out the details."
The biggest question is what "independent verification" means. An
independent review of Kaiser-Hill's cleanup documentation would
cost a fraction of actually taking and analyzing soil samples,
for example.
"We could do a review costing anything from $100,000 to millions
of dollars. There's a huge range," said David Abelson, executive
director of the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments.
The money, he said, would probably come from the Department of
Energy.
Kaiser-Hill's cleanup work has been monitored by U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency as well as the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment since 1995.
"I would argue that there is a fair amount of independent
regulation," said Steve Gunderson, who oversees the Rocky Flats
cleanup for the state health department. "Having said that, there
are times that I see real value in having a completely different
set of eyes looking at the situation."
Gunderson said additional sampling might not be the best use of
money, given that the site has had more samples taken than "any
other site we've ever dealt with," and that the sampling work
continues.
"As far as independent verification goes, it's already built into
our existing system and processes now through closure,"
Department of Energy spokeswoman Karen Lutz said.
Kaiser-Hill had taken about 10,718 samples — 4,718 in the
industrial area and 5,977 in the buffer zone — as of early May.
LeRoy Moore, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice
Center, said independent verification should include public
input, as was the case with the Radionucleotide Soil Action
Levels Oversight Panel in the late 1990s, which set the cleanup
standards for the land around Rocky Flats.
Moore said the panel's final report in February 2000 warned
against compositing — or mixing several soil samples prior to
testing for radioactivity. Among other things, the method could
dilute a given hot spot with clean earth from other samples.
Across thousands of acres, Kaiser-Hill has been taking five
samples across 30-acre plots and compositing them prior to
testing.
Anne Fenerty of Boulder, a former Rocky Flats Citizens Advisory
Board member, said she's most interested in a second opinion on
Kaiser-Hill's cleanup methods and the accuracy of their results.
"This was a terribly contaminated site," she said. "I think it's
very important just to ask these questions."
Contact Camera Staff Writer Todd Neff at (303) 473-1327 or
nefft@dailycamera.com.
[http://www.scripps.com] Copyright 2004, The Daily Camera
*****************************************************************
48 C Enquirer: Bush bypasses Bunning on post
+
[http://www.cincinnati.com]
ENQUIRER [http://www.enquirer.com] | POST
Wednesday, August 4, 2004
Senator blocked energy official
The Associated Press
PADUCAH, Ky. - A recess appointment by President Bush will mean a
new chief financial officer for the Department of Energy.
U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., had blocked the appointment of
Susan Grant to highlight what he considers the agency's failed
program to compensate sick nuclear workers.
Bush on Friday announced his intention to appoint Grant to the
position. She is chief financial officer of the Defense Finance
and Accounting Service.
In a statement Saturday, Bunning explained why he had previously
put a hold on Grant's nomination.
"The DOE has shown itself to be incompetent in its handling of
the sick worker compensation program," Bunning said. "DOE has
failed miserably in its attempt to make any progress in getting
well-deserved relief to those workers who have suffered illnesses
as a result of their brave work at DOE nuclear plants during the
Cold War."
An Energy Department spokeswoman, Chris Kielich, declined comment
Monday.
Despite spending $95 million since the measure was passed four
years ago, DOE has a backlog of 24,000 claims by people exposed
to workplace toxins. Only 10 have been paid, at an average of
$22,147 per claim.
No claims have been paid for Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
workers, for whom there is a backlog of 3,000 claims.
"That is simply unacceptable," Bunning said.
CINCINNATI.COM [http://www.cincinnati.com] | ENQUIRER
*****************************************************************
49 PISJ: Four major bidders set sights on INEEL contract
Pocatello Idaho State Journal:
By [dboyd@journalnet.com] - Journal Writer
Argonne-West National Laboratory near Arco, currently operated
by the University of Chicago, will be part of the new Idaho
National Laboratory in February. Journal file photo.
ARCO - With only months remaining before a major overhaul of
Idaho's nuclear energy site, the line between contenders and
pretenders is being drawn.
On July 26, the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho office received
four proposals from multi-faceted teams that hope to win the
10-year contract to manage the new Idaho National Laboratory.
That day marked the deadline for contract proposals for the INL,
which comes into existence Feb. 1, 2005.
The four teams that submitted proposals are: - Bechtel, Texas A
&M University, Honeywell and Entergy.
- Battelle, BWX Technologies, Washington Group International,
EPRI and a consortium of universities.
- The University of Chicago, Kellogg Brown and Root Services,
Teledyne Brown Engineering and Nuclear Fuel Services.
- Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc. and University of
Missouri.
Idaho DOE spokesman Tim Jackson said a source evaluation board
made up of Idaho and Washington DOE officials will now begin
evaluating the proposals.
Jackson said a decision is expected to be made in mid-November
with the winning contractor taking over Feb. 1, 2005.
In the final request for proposals, the DOE estimated funding for
the INL will range from $400 to $600 million per year with an
annual maximum contractor's fee of $18.7 million.
While DOE personnel are prohibited from discussing the specific
proposals by federal procurement guidelines, team members are
revving up for the stretch drive. "We're confident," said Bechtel
spokesman Rick Dale. "This is a solid team of world class
companies that has been assembled to lead the INL."
Dale said Bechtel's experience as current site contractor (along
with BWXT) is beneficial.
"We're certainly familiar with the nuances of the contract," he
said. "Our past performance record indicates we're doing an
outstanding job."
U.S. Department of Energy sources say the new title won't change
the fundamental mission of what is currently the Idaho National
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, but the INL is expected
to take on an increased role in Generation IV national nuclear
systems research.
z [dboyd@journalnet.com] covers higher education and natural
resource issues for the Journal. He can be reached at 239-3168 or
by e-mail at dboyd@journalnet.com.
Copyright © 2004 Pocatello Idaho State Journal
P O Box 431 Pocatello, ID 83204-0431
*****************************************************************
50 Google News Alert - nuclear
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 17:12:51 -0700 (PDT)
AUSTRALIA Sends Minister to North Korea to Help Nuclear Accord
Bloomberg - USA
... Downer will visit North Korea in the coming weeks to ``inject momentum''
into six-nation talks aimed at ending the communist nation's nuclear weapons
program. ...
See all stories on this topic:
IRAN'S nuclear ambitions must be contained
International Herald Tribune - Paris,France
... of Iraq, which President George W. Bush has often said would help stabilize
the Middle East, is now hindering efforts to deal with a real nuclear
threat: Iran. ...
See all stories on this topic:
GOV'T to end public nuclear updates
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Seattle,WA,USA
WASHINGTON -- The government will no longer reveal security gaps discovered
at nuclear power plants, hoping to prevent terrorists from using the information
...
See all stories on this topic:
CANADA to help Russia dismantle nuclear subs
The Globe and Mail - Canada
... Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said Wednesday that he has pledged
$24.4-million to help Russia in the dismantling of its decommissioned
nuclear submarines. ...
See all stories on this topic:
AUSTRALIA to head peace mission to NKorea over its nuclear program
ABC Asia Pacific - Asia
... Alexander Downer, is to lead an international peace mission to North
Korea as part of ongoing efforts to ease tension over North Korea's nuclear
program. ...
DAVIS-BESSE nuclear plant shuts down
Akron Beacon Journal (subscription) - Akron,OH,USA
FirstEnergy Corp.'s Davis-Besse nuclear power plant shut down unexpectedly
Wednesday morning during routine testing of plant circuit breaker equipment
that ...
See all stories on this topic:
NORTH Korean nuclear missile 'could reach US'
Guardian - UK
North Korea is deploying a new missile which may be able to strike the
US mainland with a nuclear warhead, a report in Jane's Defence Weekly
says today. ...
See all stories on this topic:
NUCLEAR waste transport is very safe
TheReporter.com - Vacaville,CA,United States
In a recent letter, a high school freshman from Vacaville gave his opinion
about transporting nuclear waste ("Transporting nuclear waste makes no
sense for ...
NUCLEAR plant due for $706 million repair
San Francisco Chronicle - San Francisco,CA,USA
... increase in net income Tuesday, wants its customers to pay $706 million
-- and possibly more -- to overhaul the utility's Diablo Canyon nuclear
power plant. ...
See all stories on this topic:
IRAN'S Nuclear Threat
On Point Radio - MA,USA
... to Iran, a member of President Bush's infamous "Axis of Evil" whose
government is now openly defying warnings to cease its nuclear development
programs. ...
See all stories on this topic:
This daily-once News Alert is brought to you by Google News (BETA)...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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*****************************************************************
51 Re: [du-list] 'someone's' misunderstanding
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:49:06 -0700
I invite folks to see the page by Tedd Weyman and Chris Busby.
http://www.traprockpeace.org/tedd_weyman_15july04.html
Differences in interpretation aside, MoD could have clarified the
matter but declined to do so, per the DUOB member who was there - Dr.
Busby.
There's a saying in the law (and I'm a trial lawyer in my 'spare' time)
- When you don't have the facts on your site, argue the law, and when
you don't have the law on your side, argue the facts, and when you have
neither, keep repeating loudly what you've already said (or something
like that).
A word on our friend Robert Holloway. He is an 'expert' in terms of his
experience in the field of health physics. But that's hardly the point.
He is not in any way shape or form disinterested on the topic of DU. He
formed http://www.ntanet.net and came from a background as "laboratory
supervisor in radiochemistry, in work related to radiation monitoring
near the Nevada Test Site." So, he was part of the nuclear bomb testing
establishment. Now, he heads a group that trains people in "radiation
safety."That's an oxymoron in my book.
In a February 13 memo to organizers of the MIT panels (held in March,
2003 on DU), he wrote, in part, "I am not nearly as upset with small
amounts of DU in the environment as some activists. The mainstream
view that DU is not especially dangerous except in isolated instances
is the correct view it seems to me."
His email took a number of people to task, and I won't repeat his
accusations and thereby give him a forum.
He ended the email with "Keep on with what you are doing and have some
security on hand to take care of these critics if they get ugly. I was
told that some of them are unstable. I don't doubt it." Give me a
F*%&ing break!
It must be clear that Mr. Holloway is pro-DU and working against the
anti-DU movement. I have at least 27 emails from him, not all read and
some received after I asked him to stop writing to me. That does not
include postings to DU-Watch or DU-List under assumed names, e.g. Mark
Twain.
What is the purpose of DU-List? Is it a forum for the DoD and its
sympathizers? If it is meant in part to educate the public about DU,
then we'll have a more confused public than we already have. If it is
intended as a discussion board, come all that may, then we'll end up
(have ended up) spending (I say wasting) a lot of time.
As for the acrimony that has surfaced so vigorously lately, surely, we
can have a reasoned discussion about our own resources and positions
without character assassinations. It's harmful to our movement. Please
note the "our." Whether we're "Banners" or "Abolitionists" - we can
agree that DU shouldn't be used as a weapon. On that basis, let's
reason together and at least support each other's efforts to end DU
use, if not joining in each other's campaigns.
Peace to all except Robert (only kidding - you too, Robert)
Charlie
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
On Jul 30, 2004, at 2:50 AM, marktwain403 wrote:
Mr. Jenks,
I note that in your recent post you do not disagree with my statement
that Tedd Weyman misunderstood the remarks that he quoted. It is also
clear that you posted his remarks on your web site apparently without
understanding that Weyman's remarks were based on a mistake. The gist
of Weyman's remarks was an accusation that people were being
deliberately misled by a certain committee on whether or not depleted
uranium was present in urine samples from soldiers. Fair play requires
that you post a correction on your web site now that I have shown you
how Weyman misunderstood the remarks. I don't know any of the people
involved personally but I am offended in an intellecual sense by those
such as Ted Weyman who make unfair accusations based on their own lack
of understanding. This happens all too often in the world of DU
activisim. How about lending your support to an effort to speak only
the truth about these important issues? Maybe you simply didn't
review Weyman's remarks carefully when you put them on your web site
but now that the mistake has been pointed out to you, you are
ethically bound to make some sort of correction on your web site.
I note that you have at least added some material on your web site
that sort of half-way recognizes that Doug Rokke posted incorrect
information about the 1943 Groves memo. (For those who may not know,
the Groves memo is not about uranium, contrary to the information
originally published by the Traprock Peace Center and Doug Rokke)
To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to
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unsubscribe and send.
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52 [du-list] DU in the news
Date: Wed, 04 Aug 2004 18:44:12 -0700
IRAQI doctor learns from Hiroshima's past
Japan Today - Tokyo,Japan
... eightfold in the southern Iraqi city between 1988 and 2002, suspecting
it was caused by the 1991 Gulf War, in which US forces used depleted uranium
shells. ...
<http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=706>
ANARCHY and Occupation, the Epilogue To Genocide
Aljazeerah.info
... of Iraq, killing its people, with a combination of starvation, biological
(call it bacteriological ) warfare, radiation from depleted uranium missiles
plus ...
<http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2004%20opinions/August/3o/Anarchy%20and%20Occupation,%20the%20Epilogue%20To%20Genocide%20By%20Edward%20W%20Miller.htm>
USEC Inc. Reports $11.7 Million Net Income for 2nd Quarter; Higher ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
... 1,426.7 Property, Plant and Equipment, net 180.7 185.1 Other Assets
Deferred income taxes 54.0 52.5 Prepayment and deposit for depleted uranium
23.5 47.1 ...
<http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040803005954&newsLang=en>
MELTDOWN? Try Hollywood Tears Down The USA. Again!
American Daily - Stow,OH,USA
... Of course these poor, poor soldiers have also all gotten cancer from
depleted uranium shell casings that they were forced to handle in their
duties in ...
<http://www.americandaily.com/article/780>
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