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                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 AFP: US, Canada see eye-to-eye on Iranian nuclear program, human rig
2 KR Washington Bureau: Bush administration stepping up pressure to st
3 US: Union of Concerned Scientists Legislative Update August 2004
4 Taipei Times: Editorial: Taiwan needs nuclear deterrent 
5 Mos News: Russia Denies Testing Nukes After Japan Complaints 
6 Sun Network: Pak officials refused to prosecute A Q Khan despite evi
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
7 Japanese Utility to Shut Down All Nuke Plants
8 US: NRC: NRC Says Florida Nuclear Power Plants Prepared for Hurrican
9 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Orders Nuke Plants to Check Records
10 US: Brattleboro Reformer: VY workers rally over contract
11 US: North Adams Transcript: Yankee official: Activists' requests wou
12 Mainichi Interactive: KEPCO to freeze nuclear operations
13 UPI: Czech nuclear plant malfunctions again - 
14 Daily Yomiuri: Pipe exceeded product life by 13 years 
15 US: NRC: NRC Enforcement Policy; Alternative Dispute Resolution
16 BBC: Japan nuclear firm shuts plants 
17 US: NRC: Detroit Edison Company; Fermi 2; Notice of Consideration of
18 KoreaTimes: US to Bear Cost of Dismantling NK Nukes 
19 US: TheDay.com: Waterford - Seaweed Forces Millstone To Reduce Power
20 asahi.com: Criminal charges sought in fatal nuclear plant accident 
21 AFP: Ukraine plays down nuclear breakdown
22 AFP: Japan nuclear reactors shut down for checks after four killed
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
23 [DU-WATCH] DU Blamed for cancer cluster among iraq war veterans
24 US: [NukeNet] plutonium Danger Greater Than Thought
25 US: [NukeNet] Sick Nuclear Workers Resource Center-longer version
26 US: UCS BulletinWire News: Nuclear fuel foul-up
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
27 Las Vegas RJ: President stands by Yucca Mountain decisions 
28 Las Vegas RJ: Bush supporters, protesters face to face at union hall
29 Las Vegas RJ: NRC denies Yucca Mountain bias claim 
30 KTNV: Bush in Nevada
31 Las Vegas SUN: Protesters brave the heat
32 Las Vegas SUN: NRC staff not pushing for Yucca, attorney says
33 Las Vegas SUN: Columnist Jeff German: Kerry has guts to stop nuke wa
34 Las Vegas SUN: Bush explains Yucca stance to LV
35 Las Vegas SUN: Democrats say Bush didn't address Yucca problems
36 PVT: OFFICIAL WHO BUILT NYE'S YUCCA OVERSIGHT CALLS IT QUITS 
37 Pahrump Valley Times: DOE accused of cutting corners for repository 
38 Pahrump Valley Times: Kerry says Bush broke his word about Yucca 
39 Scotsman.com News: Sellafield Cuts Radioactive Discharge Levels
40 US: Morgan Hill Times: City water supplies still stressed to the lim
41 KVBC: President Bush Addresses Yucca Mountain Issue While In Las Veg
42 US: Pahrump Valley Times: The road to waste 
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
43 Epoch Times: History Remembered ... August 1945: Dropping the Bomb
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
44 SF New Mexican: School's bid for LANL put on hold
45 RGJ: NRC denies favoring Energy Department
46 MoJo: The Museum of Attempted Suicide
47 DOE: Amended Record of Decision for the Department of Energy's Final
48 DOE: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
49 [du-list] Protective measures for DU! Valid?  What do you
50 [du-list] DU in the News -   13th Aug. 04
51 Google News Alert - nuclear
*****************************************************************
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                         FULL NEWS STORIES
*****************************************************************
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 1 AFP: US, Canada see eye-to-eye on Iranian nuclear program, human rights concerns

WAR.WIRE

WASHINGTON (AFP) Aug 13, 2004

 The United States and Canada share concerns about the extent of 
Iran's nuclear programs and Tehran's poor human rights record, US 
Secretary of State Colin Powell and Canadian Foreign Minsiter 
Pierre Pettigrew said Friday.

Washington and Ottawa will both look for tough action on Iran 
from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) when it meets 
next month in Vienna and will press Tehran to resolve lingering 
questions about the death in custody in Iran of a 
Canadian-Iranian photographer last year, they said.

"We are very preoccupied by the nuclear proliferation and we are 
not pleased at all with the way the Iranians are conducting this 
particular question of nuclear proliferation," Pettigrew told 
reporters after meeting Powell at the State Department.

"This is something on which we need to cooperate and make sure 
that Iran respects international obligations and absolutely 
limits that," he said.

The United States, which accuses of Iran of hiding a nuclear 
weapons development program under the guise of a civilian atomic 
energy program, is leading a charge at the IAEA to push Tehran 
into respecting commitments under the nuclear Non-Proliferation 
Treaty and bring it into compliance with a pledge to suspend all 
enrichment-related activities.

Iran vehemently rejects the US charges but has bristled at 
pressure from the IAEA which has found it to be in violation of 
several commitments.

In addition to the nuclear issue, Pettigrew said Canada had 
serious concerns about the investigation into the death of the 
photographer, Zahra Kazemi, who died in Iranian custody in July 
2003 after being arrested for taking photos outside a prison.

Despite a conclusion by Iran's reformist government that the 
54-year-old photographer had died from a brain hemorrhage caused 
by a blow to her skull, an Iranian court last month acquitted a 
security agent in her murder, ruling she had injured herself in a 
fall after having been on a hunger strike.

Canada has categorically rejected the latest explanation, 
deepening a diplomatic rift over the affair, and Pettigrew on 
Friday called Kazemi's death an "assassination" and termed the 
Iranian investigation into the matter "a farce."

"We have no cooperation from the Iranian government," he said, 
noting the requests for Kazemi's body to be returned to Canada 
had not been met.

"We have realized that the whole justice system has been treating 
this as a farce, unfortunately," Pettigrew said, adding that he 
intended to raise the issue next month when the United Nations 
General Assembly convenes.

Iran's decision to bar Canadian diplomats from the last day of 
hearings in the case in July prompted a furious Ottawa to recall 
its ambassador to the Islamic Republic and a senior Canadian 
foreign ministry official said privately that relations with Iran 
might be downgraded.

  WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
 2 KR Washington Bureau: Bush administration stepping up pressure to stop Iran's nuclear 
program

| 08/13/2004 | 

krinvestigations@krwashington.com

  REZA MOATTARIAN / KRT   
  The Bushehr nuclear power plant in Bushehr, Iran.  

By Warren P. Strobel

 Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Get ready for another crisis over weapons of mass 
destruction. 

Convinced that Iran is covertly speeding toward making nuclear 
weapons, the Bush administration has begun a diplomatic campaign 
to sharply increase the pressure on Tehran. 

The sudden sense of urgency follows the apparent collapse of a 
three-nation European initiative to persuade Iran to freeze its 
nuclear program. Iran is trying to renegotiate the deal and 
insists that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes. 

        The Bush administration faces a fundamental dilemma 
similar to the one it faced two years ago in Iraq: Should the 
United States continue to work with allies who favor negotiation 
or should it take pre-emptive, unilateral action to stop Iran? 

        President Bush's go-it-alone course in Iraq continues to 
draw criticism, both from foreign allies and many Americans as 
they prepare to select their next president. But action to 
confront Iran may be more necessary than against Iraq, some 
officials and private experts argue, because Iran has a far more 
advanced nuclear program and much closer ties to terrorist groups 
than Iraq did in 2003. 

        Concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions have bubbled for 
more than a decade, but they've taken a back seat to Iraq and the 
war on terrorism. That could soon change. 

        "Iran is going to be the 800-pound gorilla of American 
foreign policy come September," said a State Department official. 

        A senior European diplomat in Washington agreed. It is 
"one of the two or three biggest issues that we'll have to deal 
with in the next period," he said. Both spoke on condition of 
anonymity, citing diplomatic sensitivities. 

        U.S. officials say they will begin a new push to have 
Iran's nuclear activities referred to the United Nations Security 
Council, which can impose sanctions. The next crossroads is a 
mid-September meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, 
which has been monitoring Iran's nuclear work. 

        "This is a troubling development ... and you just can't 
ignore it any longer," Secretary of State Colin Powell said 
recently. 

        A senior administration official went further in an 
interview this week. He hinted that if Bush is re-elected, the 
use of U.S. military force to stop Iran from going nuclear - even 
by overthrowing the government in Tehran - wouldn't be out of the 
question. 

        U.S. credibility on Iran, however, has been undercut by 
the failure to find the weapons of mass destruction that the 
White House warned of in Iraq. 

        "This administration has been discredited by the WMD 
experience" in Iraq, said Zbigniew Brzezinski, the national 
security adviser to President Jimmy Carter. 

        Said another State Department official: "Would it have 
been better if prewar Iraq intelligence had been better? Sure. 
... But it doesn't mean we're wrong" on Iran. 

        Brzezinski co-chaired a task force sponsored by the 
private Council on Foreign Relations that last month called on 
the White House to open a broad dialogue with Iran, rather than 
waiting until the nuclear issue is settled. 

        "The problem with this administration is, it doesn't know 
the difference between diplomacy and unilateralism," Brzezinski 
said. "If it simply uses inflammatory rhetoric, it will make the 
Iranians dig in their heels." Moreover, Iran, which borders Iraq 
and Afghanistan, could make life much more difficult for the 
United States in those places if it chose to, he said. 

        The CIA's rough estimate is that Iran could have a 
nuclear weapon by the end of the decade. Israel puts the date at 
2007. 

        But the real crunch date could come sooner, when Iran's 
nuclear program becomes self-sufficient, rendering trade bans and 
other sanctions irrelevant. 

        Vastly complicating matters, Iran's suspected weapons 
program uses the same basic technology involved in a civilian 
nuclear energy program, which it's permitted to have under the 
1968 Non-Proliferation Treaty. 

        "Our ability to stop that program is very limited," said 
former CIA Director Robert Gates, who co-chaired the task force 
with Brzezinski. 

        Bush administration officials argue that momentum is 
moving behind the U.S. position, with the collapse of a deal 
struck by Britain, France and Germany in which Iran agreed to 
stop enriching uranium and associated activities. 

        If the international community agrees Iran is moving 
toward a nuclear weapons capability, "then you have to ask 
yourselves what are you going to do?" said the senior 
administration official. 

        Iran has resumed assembling centrifuges to enrich 
uranium, in violation of its pledges. At a stormy meeting with 
diplomats from the three European nations in late July, Iranian 
representatives demanded a series of concessions, including 
security guarantees. 

        Yet the Europeans remain cautious about taking the issue 
to the Security Council. 

        "The question is, what then?" said the senior European 
diplomat. "Taking it to the Security Council does not 
automatically mean you are taking a step toward solution." 

        U.S. plans to squeeze Tehran hit another speed bump this 
week when IAEA inspectors appeared to verify one of Iran's 
central contentions about its nuclear research. 

        The inspectors determined that particles of enriched 
uranium found at Iranian industrial sites came from equipment 
purchased abroad, buttressing Iran's denial that it has been 
conducting home-grown enrichment of uranium for a bomb program. 

        IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming declined to comment, 
pending a Sept. 3 report by the agency. 

        It now appears the United States will not have enough 
support to refer Iran to the Security Council when the IAEA's 
35-nation Board of Governors meets in mid-September. The issue 
could come to a head at the next meeting in December. 

        U.S. officials and many outside experts say there's 
plenty of other evidence Iran is striving for nuclear weapons. 

        They charge it includes Iran's construction of a heavy 
water reactor, ideal for producing plutonium; covert uranium 
processing; experiments with a substance called polonium-210, 
used to initiate nuclear explosions; and secret procurement of 
centrifuges from the nuclear smuggling network of Abdul Qadeer 
Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear weapon. 

        Iran had denied having a covert uranium enrichment 
program until it was exposed by an exile opposition group in 
August 2002. 

        U.S. officials say they still hope diplomatic pressure 
might work. Iran, they note, is keenly sensitive to its world 
image, and its economy is badly in need of outside help. 

        "We're still at a place where we hope diplomacy can 
change their mind," a senior State Department official said. 
"They have not yet changed their mind." 
	--- 

(Knight Ridder correspondent Renee Schoof contributed to this 
report.) 

*****************************************************************
 3 Union of Concerned Scientists Legislative Update August 2004
 
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 01:32:45 -0500 (CDT)

 
Thank you for your continued support as a member of the UCS Action Network.
Keeping you informed of the latest action alerts, action results, and other
legislative and corporate campaigns
is crucial for our success.

Restoring Scientific Integrity

Since the release of UCS's Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking
report in February, more than 5,000 scientists--including 48 Nobel
laureates, 62 National Medal of Science recipients, and 129 members of the
National Academy of Sciences--have signed the scientists statement calling
for an end to the Bush administration's suppression and manipulation of
science. Unfortunately, the administration continues to deny a problem
exists. In July, UCS released a new report documenting additional scientific
manipulation and abuse, from suppression of federal agency research to
political litmus tests for scientific advisory committee participation and
outlined five steps needed to help prevent these activities. UCS activists
have continued to play a critical role in this campaign. In May activists
sent more than 14,000 letters to Congress to urge members to stop the
administration from eliminating scientific input from the U.S. Forest
service's national forest policy decision-making process.

Clean Energy

Through the spring and into the summer UCS has successfully blocked efforts
to revive the harmful national energy bill that offers massive subsidies to
dirty fossil fuels and nuclear power while largely excluding clean energy
measures that would improve our security, economy, and protect our
environment. UCS has also advanced other clean energy initiatives. For the
second year in a row, we helped secure House support for the full
restoration of $23 million in renewable energy and energy efficiency funding
provided in the farm bill. We are also working to secure an extension and
expansion of the renewable energy production tax credit.

Clean Vehicles 

There seems to be no summer slowdown for major clean vehicles issues.
Funding for a clean school bus grant program got a slight increase from the
House, but not nearly the amount requested by the administration. The EPA
also began a process to consider revising its outmoded testing procedures
that overestimate real world fuel economy. Finally, California is poised to
embark on a historic first for U.S. pollution control with new regulations
to limit greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.

Global Security

In recent months, the UCS Global Security Program engaged and challenged
Congress on missile defense, preventing nuclear terrorism and U.S. nuclear
weapons policies. Major headway was made when the House voted to eliminate
the most provocative and dangerous nuclear weapons programs proposed by the
Bush administration. When Congress returns in September, the Senate will
decide whether to support or oppose those same programs. Your voice may be
critical in helping the House position prevail.

Global Warming

Although Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) were not
able to bring the Climate Stewardship Act (CSA), S.139 to a vote this
summer, the senators are determined to keep pushing for a vote when Congress
returns this fall. The CSA, which has received strong bipartisan support,
proposes to use market forces to reduce global warming pollution. Recently,
a bipartisan group of representatives introduced a companion version to the
CSA in the U.S. House of Representatives. UCS expects to work for passage of
the bill this fall and during the next Congress.

Food and Environment

This summer, UCS has continued to promote policies that advance our
sustainable agriculture goals. Our activists have maintained pressure on
Congress and corporations to curb the rampant overuse of antibiotics in
animal agriculture. We helped ensure that a new drug-approval bill did not
encourage inappropriate antibiotic uses or allow transgenic fish to more
easily enter the food supply. UCS and other groups also succeeded in
pressuring the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow public
comments on applications to grow pharmaceutical and industrial crops.
Finally, an outcry from UCS and other citizen groups caused the USDA to
rescinded new guidelines that diluted organic standards.

Invasive Species

After a year of slow progress, there is a flurry of activity around the
National Aquatic Invasive Species Act (NAISA), comprehensive legislation
targeting the introduction of aquatic invasive species. Thanks to the
combined efforts of UCS activists and our coalition, NAISA now has 22
co-sponsors in the Senate (S.525), while related House bills, HR 1080 and
1081, have 99 and 88 co-sponsors, respectfully. Recently, a competing bill
lacking NAISA's broad focus was introduced in the Senate and other
alternative bills are being drafted. Since votes on these options may still
occur this fall, UCS is watching developments closely and is ready to
intervene. 
*****************************************************************
 4 Taipei Times: Editorial: Taiwan needs nuclear deterrent 

Friday, Aug 13, 2004,Page 8 

Is it six days or two weeks? This is the range of speculation 
over how long Taiwan will be able to hold out should China decide 
to launch a full-scale attack. A recent computer simulation 
suggested six days. No sooner had this been reported than 
"authoritative military sources" -- whatever those are -- rushed 
to tell some local media outlets that, in fact, Taiwan could hold 
out for a whole two weeks.

 That anyone should find the possibility of a war lasting twice 
as long reassuring is symptomatic of the air of unreality which 
tends to surround this gravest of topics. The logic behind this 
view is essentially that Taiwan has to hold out until the US 
comes to its aid and, given the tortoise-like speed of US 
military deployment, the longer the better.

 This is assuming that the US will come to Taiwan's aid, and 
there are people in the US who ask, "Why should we?" Because the 
US has a strategic interest in denying China control of the 
Western Pacific and the sea lanes to Japan, the conquest of 
Taiwan would effectively mean the end of the US' "hyperpower" 
status.

 Some people in Taiwan think this means that Taiwan can hitch a 
free ride on the back of US strategic interests. One of the more 
foolish, and distressingly widespread, follies we have heard from 
the pan-green camp is that Taiwan does not need to spend money on 
upgrading its military effectiveness because the US is compelled 
to defend it, come what may. This is utter rubbish. But is it any 
more idiotic than the nature of the debate about the kind of 
weapons Taiwan needs?

 The major threat from China comes from its missiles -- 500 of 
them at the moment and at least 600 by the end of next year. 
Taiwan is obviously interested in defense against missiles, but 
in a curiously myopic way. It is obsessed with high-tech 
solutions of extremely doubtful value while eschewing more basic, 
albeit less showy, measures. For example, a cornerstone of 
Taiwan's defense strategy is acquiring the Patriot III 
anti-missile system, despite this system's highly questionable 
effectiveness. Instead of putting its faith in a magic umbrella 
full of holes, Taiwan might more usefully upgrade its facilities 
to make sure they can withstand being struck by China's missiles. 
Pouring concrete lacks the glamor of high-tech gadgetry, but 
might be more effective in the long run -- and certainly cheaper. 

But the myopia extends beyond this. The chief problem is the 
"reactive" interpretation of what constitutes defense. Taiwan 
wants to stop China if it indeed tries anything, which means 
finding weapons to counter the weapons that China has. What 
Taiwan needs is the ability to stop Beijing from trying anything 
in the first place. That does not just mean the ability to 
inflict big losses on an attacking force, but the ability to 
raise the cost of attacking Taiwan far beyond China's willingness 
to pay. In the end this comes down to Taiwan's need for nuclear 
weapons. The ability to obliterate China's 10 largest cities and 
the Three Gorges Dam would be a powerful deterrent to China's 
adventurism. Some might find this horrible to contemplate, but if 
China leaves Taiwan in peace it is something that would never 
have to be faced. It would be up to China. 

It is current US policy to prevent nuclear proliferation, or so 
Washington says. The irony is that in preventing Taiwan many 
years ago from working on its own nuclear deterrent, the US may 
one day risk a nuclear exchange with China because of Taiwan. To 
avoid this, it might be useful to think about how Taiwan might 
acquire the means to stop China even thinking about an attack. 
This story has been viewed 989 times.              

Copyright � 1999-2004 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 5 Mos News: Russia Denies Testing Nukes After Japan Complaints 

MOSNEWS.COM
 
Japan Angered At Russia�s Nuke Tests

Hiroshima mayor accuses Russia of betrayal  

Created: 13.08.2004 12:06 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 12:09 MSK 

Russia�s Foreign Ministry has denied that Russia has ever 
conducted nuclear testing, after several Japanese mayors accused 
Moscow of betraying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. 

The ministry issued a statement saying that Russia has never 
tested nuclear weapons since becoming a sovereign state in 1991, 
after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

Earlier Russia�s atomic chief said that Russia conducted a series 
of �sub-critical� nuclear tests this year at its Arctic testing 
ground Novoya Zemlya, the country�s Chief of Atomic Energy agency 
had said Monday. 

In �sub-critical� tests the explosion is contained, and no 
radiation is released. 

�Such experiments are conducted every year to verify the 
integrity of nuclear warheads,� Chief of Atomic Energy Agency 
Alexander Rumyantsev was quoted as saying earlier by Itar-Tass.

In a written message to President Vladimir Putin Hiroshima Mayor 
Tadatoshi Akiba expressed his anger, saying that �if the report 
is true, it will betray the wish of atomic bomb victims and 
others around the world hoping for the elimination of nuclear 
weapons.�
 
  Write us: <b>info@mosnews.com</b>
Copyright � 2004 MOSNEWS.COM
 Designed by <b>kB "Gazeta.Ru"</b>
*****************************************************************
 6 Sun Network: Pak officials refused to prosecute A Q Khan despite evidence   

Saturday, 14 Aug 2004      
    
  Washington, Aug 13 - Despite earlier "evidence" that Pakistani 
nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan was involved in nuclear 
proliferation, Pakistani armed forces, which are involved in the 
country's nuclear programme, refused to prosecute him, a senior 
research fellow with an American foundation has claimed.

 He alleged that the army itself was engaged in proliferation. 

By 1988, when Khan's network of suppliers was well established in 
Europe and the US, the Pakistani Army had "enough in its 
confidential files to prosecute him (Khan) easily for 
corruption", said Wilson John of the Observer Research 
foundation. 

Lt Gen Hamid Gul, then ISI chief, had specific reports of Khan 
having access to enormous sums of money. A senior scientist from 
Kahuta Research Laboratories had even personally met with Gen. 
Gul to register his complaint. 

Gen Gul's successor, Lt Gen Shamsur Rahman Kallue wrote the first 
report on Khan's activities and forwarded it to the Prime 
Minister and the Army Chief of Staff. It was shelved, Wilson 
said. 

Gen Kallue's successor, Lt Gen Asad Durrani, was equally in the 
know about A Q Khan's activities, especially his travels to Iran 
in 1991 and 1992. 

Wilson claimed that "many believe that Gen Durrani and his 
superior, Gen Aslam Beg, the Army Chief of Staff, were deeply 
involved in the clandestine nuclear deals". 

Iran was by then quite interested in paying heavily for a nuclear 
gateway with Pakistan. Iran had offered $3.2 billion to finance 
Pakistan's nuclear weapons development programme in exchange for 
the transfer of nuclear technology, said Wilson.   
  
-- Site optimised for Browsers 4.0 and above. Copyrights � 2000
Sun Network. All Rights Reserved.--> 
*****************************************************************
 7 Japanese Utility to Shut Down All Nuke Plants
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 13:47:21 -0400

 

  Videos: http://www.envirovideo.com


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Japan-Nuclear-Accident.html

Japan Utility to Shut Down All Nuke Plants
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 13, 2004


Filed at 7:10 a.m. ET

TOKYO (AP) -- A Japanese utility said Friday it
will temporarily shut down all of its nuclear
power facilities to conduct safety checks,
following a deadly accident this week at one of
its plants.

Kansai Electric Power Co., Japan's second-largest
utility, reached its decision a day after being
ordered by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Agency to review inspection records of cooling
pipes and check for signs of erosion at its
nuclear power plants. Six other Japanese utility
companies were given similar orders.

     Advertisement


Kansai Electric officials are drawing up specifics
for the plan, company spokesman Hiroshi Kinami
said. The utility runs a total 11 nuclear power
facilities, all in western Japan.

The shutdown will not affect Kansai Electric's
power supply because the utility will restart two
idle thermal power units to compensate for lost
capacity, company spokesman Akira Maruta said. The
plants will be shut down at separate times, not
all at once.

Electricity supply from nuclear reactors accounted
for 65 percent of Kansai Electric's total
electricity output last year. Thermal power and
hydroelectric power supplied the remaining 35
percent.

The shutdown will not affect Kansai Electric's
power supply because the utility will restart two
idle thermal power units to compensate for lost
capacity, company spokesman Akira Maruta said.

Government investigators launched a probe Friday
at the plant in Mihama, 200 miles west of Tokyo,
where four people were killed and seven injured
when a corroded pipe exploded Monday, spewing
boiling water and superheated steam on the
workers.

Investigators were collecting safety records and
other documents and questioning executives over
Monday's accident, said Toshiyuki Kadono, a
spokesman for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety
Agency.

There was no radiation leak in Monday's accident.
But it has added to concerns about safety at
Japan's nuclear plants, which account for 35
percent of this resource-poor country's energy
supply. It also has pressured the government to
reconsider plans to build 11 reactors by 2010.

Kansai Electric acknowledged Tuesday that the
cooling pipe that caused the accident had not been
thoroughly checked, despite a warning from
inspectors last year that it posed a danger. A new
inspection had been scheduled to take place on
Saturday.

Government officials have said they failed to
discover Kansai Electric's lax safety measures in
a 2000 company report that included cooling pipe
inspection plans at the Mihama plant. In the
report, Kansai Electric said it routinely checked
the extent of pipe erosion and found no
abnormality.

Submission of inspection records became compulsory
only after October 2003, when the Tokyo Electric
Power Co. was criticized for a series of
falsifications and cover-ups at its plants.

Japan's nuclear program has been in limbo
following the recent safety cover-ups at power
plants and a 1999 accident at a reprocessing plant
outside Tokyo in which two workers were killed and
hundreds of people exposed to radioactivity.






http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-nuclear-japan-accident.html

Japan's Kansai Electric to Shut Reactors
By REUTERS

Published: August 13, 2004


Filed at 4:34 a.m. ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Kansai Electric Power
Co. said it would gradually shut down all of its
nuclear reactors for safety checks starting from
Friday, four days after the deadliest nuclear
industry accident in Japanese history.

Four workers were killed on Monday when super-hot
non-radioactive steam gushed from a ruptured pipe
at the company's Mihama nuclear plant, 320 km (200
miles) west of Tokyo.

     Advertisement



Japan's second-largest power utility, which has 11
reactors serving the heavily industrialized area
around the city of Osaka, said no power shortages
would result from the phased closures.

Kansai Electric said procedures would begin on
Friday to shut down three units. The reactor where
the accident occurred is already closed while two
others are shut for regular maintenance.

The government of Fukui prefecture, the region
where the plant is located, had asked for
inspections to be conducted.

``Normally it would take about six weeks to carry
out the checks,'' Kansai Electric spokesman Yonezo
Tsujikura said at a news conference in Tokyo.

Kansai Electric said it would restart two
oil-fired generators to help make up for lost
nuclear production.

The company said the closures could cost it the
equivalent of about $90 million, depending on the
duration.

Other power companies said they had no plans for
shut-downs in the wake of the accident, which has
heightened public mistrust of Japan's
scandal-prone nuclear industry.

Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said the
government would do its utmost to ensure a stable
supply of electricity.

Resource-poor Japan, which has 52 nuclear
reactors, relies on atomic energy for over a third
of its electricity needs.

Kansai Electric said on Tuesday the pipe that
burst had not been inspected in 28 years and that
it had not taken action even after being advised
by a sub-contractor that it needed attention.

Police and officials from the national
government's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency
were at the accident site on Friday gathering
evidence that could lead to charges of negligence.

NO PLAN TO RESIGN

Media reports said Kansai Electric President
Yosaku Fuji was likely to resign to take
responsibility for the accident, but he told
reporters: ``I don't have that in mind for now.''

The NISA, Japan's nuclear watchdog, has told power
companies to check documentation to ensure
inspections on pipes similar to the one that
ruptured at Mihama have been carried out properly.

Similar checks have been ordered at non-nuclear
power plants.

The NISA has told the companies to report back by
August 18. If the records show they have neglected
proper inspections plants may be required to shut
down for checks.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the world's
biggest privately owned electric utility, denied a
report that it would restart thermal power units
in case its nuclear reactors needed to be taken
out of service for safety checks.

Firing up thermal plants would increase demand for
oil imports at a time when prices are at record
highs and Japan is having one of the hottest
summers in recent years.

The Nihon Keizai newspaper said that TEPCO and
Kansai would increase purchases of crude oil and
fuel oil by between 10 and 20 percent to run their
thermal generators.

TEPCO had to temporarily close all of its 17
reactors after revelations in 2002 that it had
tampered with safety records.

The only previous fatal accident at a Japanese
nuclear power plant occurred in 1967. One person
died when a fire broke out at a plant in Ibaraki
prefecture just north of Tokyo.

As in the latest incident, there was no radiation
leak.

The worst previous accident at a nuclear facility
in Japan was at a uranium processing plant in
Tokaimura, north of Tokyo.

That took place on September 30, 1999, when an
uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction was triggered
after three poorly trained workers used buckets to
mix nuclear fuel in a tub.

The resulting release of radiation killed two
workers and forced the evacuation of thousands of
nearby residents.





*****************************************************************
 8 NRC: NRC Says Florida Nuclear Power Plants Prepared for Hurricane Charley
 
News Release - Region II - 2004-04
 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region II No. II-04-046                         
August 13, 2004 CONTACT:     Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. 
Hannah (404) 562-4417     E-mail:   

Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Atlanta said Friday
morning that Floridas three commercial nuclear power plants
have made preparations for response to Hurricane Charley. 

Charles A. Casto, acting Regional Administrator of the agencys
Region II office in Atlanta, said the NRC has activated its
Atlanta Incident Response Center to monitor and assist Floridas
nuclear power plants at Crystal River, St. Lucie, and Turkey
Point. He said additional NRC personnel have already been
dispatched where needed to the plants and to Floridas Emergency
Response Center in Tallahassee. 

Casto said Friday morning that the agencys primary focus is on
the Crystal River nuclear power plant, located about 90 miles
north of Tampa on the Gulf coast. He said the plant has declared
a Notice of Unusual Event, the lowest of NRCs emergency
declarations, and is prepared to shut down if necessary. The
Unusual Event declaration is routine in the event of a
hurricane, and the plants procedures require that it be shut
down should hurricane winds reach Category III, which is 111
miles per hour or higher. The plant has emergency diesel
generators available if needed and has additional diesel
generators, normally used in routine operations, and emergency
battery power available should the need arise. 

The Crystal River nuclear power plant is elevated some 20 feet
above sea level, he said, above any predicted storm surge. It is
part of a power generating complex near the town of Crystal
River which contains four coal-fired plants in addition to the
nuclear unit. 

Casto said the NRC regional office in Atlanta will maintain
close contact with the agencys Washington, D. C. headquarters,
Florida state officials and the plant sites until the hurricane
threat has passed.   



  


 	Last revised Friday, August 13, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 9 Guardian Unlimited: Japan Orders Nuke Plants to Check Records
 
From the Associated Press        

[UP] 

Friday August 13, 2004 5:16 AM

By MARI YAMAGUCHI 

Associated Press Writer 

TOKYO (AP) - Japan has ordered safety checks at the country's 52 
nuclear plants and 800 non-nuclear power stations to prevent the 
type of accident that killed four people at a reactor this week, 
government officials said Thursday. 

Government investigators kept up searches and questioning 
Thursday at the plant at Mihama, 200 miles west of Tokyo, where a 
cooling pipe exploded Monday. The operator, Kansai Electric 
Power, is under suspicion of negligence. 

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency ordered Kansai Electric 
and six other Japanese utility companies to review inspection 
records of cooling pipes at nuclear power plants to check for 
signs of erosion, agency official Koichi Shiraga said Thursday. 

Kansai said Friday it will temporarily shut down all of its 
nuclear power facilities for safety checks. Officials are still 
hashing out details of the plan, including when the inspections 
will begin, company spokesman Hiroshi Kinami said. The utility 
runs a total 11 nuclear power facilities, all in western Japan. 

The utilities were requested to submit the results by Aug. 18. 
The agency also ordered operators to check inspection records at 
their non-nuclear, thermoelectric power stations. 

The agency plans to send more officials to investigate Kansai 
Electric and to collect documents related to safety records, 
Shiraga said. 

In Mihama, a corroded pipe exploded and spewed boiling water and 
superheated steam on workers, killing four instantly and injuring 
seven others. 

Two victims suffocated when the steam burned their windpipes, and 
the other two apparently died from serious burns, Japanese media 
reported Thursday. 

Kansai Electric acknowledged Tuesday that the cooling pipe that 
caused the accident had not been thoroughly checked, despite a 
warning from inspectors last year that it posed a danger. Kyodo 
News agency reported that police planned to raid the company's 
offices. 

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said his 
ministry would take punitive steps against the operator ``at an 
appropriate time.'' 

Government officials also acknowledged that they failed to 
discover Kansai Electric's lax safety measures in a 2000 company 
report that included cooling pipe inspection plans at the Mihama 
plant, said Yasushi Morishita, another agency official. 

In the report, Kansai Electric said it routinely checked the 
extent of pipe erosion and found no abnormality, and the 
government had praised the company efforts, Morishita said. He 
added the report was only intended to detail a plan of action and 
did not have to reflect the actual inspection and its outcome. 

``Looking back, the practice at that time was not strict 
enough,'' he said. 

Submission of inspection records became compulsory only after 
October, when the Tokyo Electric Power Co. was criticized for a 
series of falsifications and cover-ups at its plants. 

There was no radiation leak in Mihama, but the accident rekindled 
concerns about nuclear plant safety. It also raised questions 
about government plans to build 11 reactors by 2010. 

In 1999, two workers died when they set off an uncontrolled 
nuclear reaction by mixing uranium in buckets instead of using 
special mechanized tanks at another Japanese nuclear plant. 
Hundreds were exposed to radiation. 

The governor of Fukui Prefecture, where the Mihama plant is 
located, suggested Thursday he might prevent Kansai Electric from 
using recycled fuel - called mixed uranium-plutonium oxide, or 
MOX - at one of its nuclear power stations in Fukui by 2007. 

``The accident shattered the public's trust about the safety of 
nuclear power,'' Gov. Issei Nishikawa said. 

A national energy blueprint calls for the introduction of MOX at 
up to 18 of Japan's 52 commercial nuclear reactors by 2010. Japan 
hopes to reduce radioactive waste in storage by generating MOX, 
which is recycled from uranium that has been used as nuclear 
fuel.    
  
      Guardian Unlimited � Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 10 Brattleboro Reformer: VY workers rally over contract

August 14, 2004 Brattleboro, VT                                                                                 
 			 								 					
By CAROLYN LORI� Reformer Staff

BRATTLEBORO -- They're prepared to walk.

 That was the message conveyed by Vermont Yankee members of the 
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at a rally 
Thursday in Plaza Park.

 With less than seven days left before their current contract 
expires, between 75 and 100 workers gathered to voice their 
displeasure with Entergy Nuclear's offer in ongoing negotiations.

 According to Corey Daniels, chairman of Local 300, Unit 8, the 
company plans to increase workers' health care costs by 500 
percent over the next three years. He also said that the wage 
increase proposed by Entergy would not keep pace with inflation.

 "What they're offering isn't fair. It's completely 
unacceptable," said Daniels, who is a licensed reactor operator 
at the plant. "The employees here -- with the deal that's on the 
table -- they're walking out at midnight on Aug. 19." 

The two sides will meet again next Wednesday with a mediator to 
discuss a final agreement. A vote on the offer will take place on 
Aug. 19, just hours before the strike deadline.

 In addition to frustration with the contract negotiations, 
workers said they were concerned with Entergy's contingency plan 
if a strike does occur.

 "The most important thing is that they can't run that plant 
safely without us," said Daniels. "If we're not there, they 
should pull the plug on that plant."

 Officials at Vermont Yankee disagreed with that assessment, 
saying that the safe running of the plant would remain the 
company's top priority.

 According to Brian Cosgrove, director of public affairs at the 
plant, positions left open by striking workers will be filled by 
managers who previously held those jobs and are familiar with the 
day-to-day running of the plant.

 He denied rumors that workers from other plants would be brought 
in. Cosgrove did say, however, that a long-term strike might 
force the company to consider looking outside the plant to fill 
"ancillary" positions.

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission must approve the company's 
contingency plan before it can be implemented. Diane Screnci, 
spokeswoman for Region I of the NRC, said the plan is already 
under review.

 Daniels said that the union will be sending a letter to the NRC 
today, asking the federal regulator to do a closer examination of 
the plan.

 Among the 148 workers who may be striking are licensed reactor 
operators, auxiliary operators, instrument and control 
technicians, chemistry technicians, electricians and utility 
workers.

 In addition to workers, the rally drew union supporters, many of 
whom don't support nuclear power. Among them was state Rep. Steve 
Hintgen, P-Burlington, the Progressive Party candidate for 
lieutenant governor.

 "There are differences of opinion about Vermont Yankee, but I 
don't think anyone would argue that we want it to run safely," 
said Hintgen.

 Hintgen said he planned to contact legislators from around the 
state to alert them to the possible strike. He also expressed a 
common theme at the rally, namely that the Louisiana-based 
company does not understand how to do business in Vermont.

 "Entergy has to learn about Vermont values the hard way, it 
seems," said Hintgen, addressing the crowd.

 Also on hand was Cheryl Rivers, who is a Democratic candidate 
for lieutenant governor.

 "The issues are clear and what is clear to me is that Entergy is 
not conducting itself in the way we would like in the state of 
Vermont," she said.

 Rivers said she called on Gov. James Douglas and Lt. Gov. Brian 
Dubie to support the workers and intervene on their behalf.

 Both candidates said that the impending strike pointed out the 
problems with the state of health care, adding that a 
single-payer system would do away with struggles between 
employees and employers.

 Terry Smith, a radiation protection technician who has been at 
the plant for 20 years, said that she and other workers welcomed 
outside support, including from those opposed to nuclear power.

 "I think it's good. We all want to have a safe plant," she said.

 Workers claimed that, although Vermont Yankee is among the 
company's top performing plants, they are not compensated as well 
as employees at Entergy's seven other plants.

 Donning gray T-shirts that read, "Best Performance/Worst 
Compensation," workers expressed concern about their future with 
the company.

 Rudy Wilson, a radiation protection specialist who has been at 
the plant for more than 18 years, said that this is the first 
time the union has had to negotiate with Entergy. The 
multi-million dollar corporation purchased the plant in 2002.

 "I hope this is not the way it's going to be in the future," 
said Wilson.

 Daniels said the negotiations are important because they are 
indicative of Entergy's business practices.

 "This contract negotiation is going to be the best barometer for 
how Entergy is going to treat Vermont, the ratepayers and 
everyone they sell to," he said.

 That sentiment was echoed by Rep. Daryl Pillsbury, 
I-Brattleboro, who also attended Thursday's rally.

 Cosgrove said that plant officials remain hopeful that a fair 
resolution can be reached before Thursday's deadline.

 Hintgen said that the company was "crazy to be picking a fight 
with workers right now." The comment was in reference to the fact 
that Vermont Yankee is seeking to increase power by 20 percent 
and has been plagued by a spate of problems -- missing fuel rods, 
cracks in the steam dryer and a transformer fire -- that has 
increased scrutiny of the plant's proposal.

 He added that the company was operating under the assumption 
that Vermonters will allow the plant to run with replacement 
workers.

 "They're dead wrong," he said.

       Copyright �1999-2004 New England Newspapers, Inc., a 
*****************************************************************
 11 North Adams Transcript: Yankee official: Activists' requests would create hazard
 
August 14, 2004 North Adams, MA                                                                                 
 			 								 					
By Susan Bush
 North Adams Transcript

ROWE -- Calls for spacing and dirt barriers between dry-cask 
storage containers that house nuclear spent fuel rods at the 
Yankee Rowe facility are misguided, according to Kelley Smith, a 
representative of the Yankee Atomic company. 

Deb Katz, the executive director of the Citizens Awareness 
Network, said during a Tuesday press conference held in 
Greenfield that the dry-cask storage area could be a terrorist 
target, and that by moving the containers 12 feet further apart, 
creating double-walled canisters of stainless steel, piling dirt 
mounds between the containers and camouflaging the units would 
make the area safer and less appealing to terrorists.

 But Katz's suggestions would actually create a hazard, Smith 
said on Thursday.

 "There is major flaw [with Katz proposal]," Smith said. 

Smith said that the casks are air-cooled, and additional layers 
of steel coupled with dirt mounds and then camouflage material 
would hinder the cooling process. That in turn traps the fuel rod 
heat and creates an obstacle for cask maintenance and inspection, 
Smith said.

 "This would turn the casks basically into furnaces, trapping the 
heat," she said.

 Smith said that environmental testing has occurred at Yankee 
Rowe since before the facility was actually erected, and that 
testing is on-going.

 "Since before the plant was built there has been an off-site 
monitoring program," she said, referring to testing that is 
conducted in areas surrounding the facility. "During the more 
than 40 years of testing, there's been no impact on the 
environment."

 However, tritium levels exceeding the drinking water standards 
has been detected at one of the numerous test wells drilled at 
the site as part of the facility decommissioning process, Smith 
said. The affected water has been detected in a well drilled very 
close to the area that housed the spent fuel rod pool. The pool 
contained spent fuel rods until the rods were placed in dry-cask 
storage, Smith said.

 Remediation efforts are underway at that site and the 
remediation is expected to resolve the matter, Smith said.

 "Any water that was discharged into the Deerfield River over the 
course of [facility] operations was strictly regulated and met 
the standards for releases," Smith said. "It met the drinking 
water standards. All groundwater at that plant except that one 
site meets drinking water standards."

 The Yankee Rowe facility no longer produces nuclear energy and 
is in the final phases of a decommissioning process. Because 
spent fuel rods are being stored at the site, Yankee officials 
will not be allowed to abandon responsibility for the entire 
property but will have to oversee the dry-cask storage area until 
the rods can be moved.

 The federal Department of Energy did contract with Yankee 
officials to remove and store the rods but a planned nuclear 
waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nev. has not been 
erected and will not likely be built by a previously publicized 
expected completion date of 2010. During the press conference, 
Katz said that the moving nuclear waste to such a site creates 
another terrorist target.

 Smith said that the planned nuclear waste storage facility would 
be underground and receive federal protection.

 "The site would eliminate various storage sites across the 
country," Smith said, and added that Yankee Rowe was not designed 
as a nuclear waste storage facility nor was it intended to serve 
as one.

       Copyright �1999-2004 New England Newspapers, Inc., a 
*****************************************************************
 12 Mainichi Interactive: KEPCO to freeze nuclear operations
 
OSAKA -- Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) is set to stop 
operations of all its nuclear power plants for inspections 
following a deadly accident that occurred at its Mihama Nuclear 
Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture last Monday, company officials 
said Friday. 

The Osaka-based power supplier made the decision at the strong 
urging of the Fukui Prefectural Government. 

During inspections, company technicians are expected to examine 
pipes at all the eight reactors at its nuclear power stations to 
see if they have worn thin. 

The combined output of KEPCO's eight reactors in operation is 
689.2 kilowatts. In order to make up for a shortage of electric 
power, KEPCO will reactivate two thermal power generators in 
Hyogo Prefecture that are not in operation. 

Moreover, the company has decided to suspend its plutonium 
thermal use project, in which mixed oxide fuel comprising uranium 
and plutonium is used as fuel in nuclear power plants. 

Four workers died and seven others were injured after scalding 
steam leaked from a ruptured pipe in a turbine room at the No. 3 
reactor of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Monday afternoon. 
Subsequent inspections have proven that the pipe had worn thin. 

(Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Aug. 13, 2004) 
  
� 2004 The Mainichi Newspapers Co. Under the 
*****************************************************************
 13 UPI: Czech nuclear plant malfunctions again - 

(United Press International)
     
August 13, 2004                          

Prague, Czech Republic, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A reactor at the Czech 
Republic's Temelin nuclear power plant has been closed down due 
to a malfunction in a generator, the Pravo newspaper reported 
Friday. 

Officials at the plant said the reactor could be restarted 
Saturday. The Temelin nuclear plant was originally constructed 
according to a Soviet design in the communist era.

 Temelin has suffered numerous problems in recent years but there 
have been no serious incidents threatening leakage of radioactive 
material.

 Nevertheless, non-nuclear Austria, which borders the Czech 
Republic around 35 miles south of the Temelin plant, has launched 
frequent protests and has called for the plant to be closed down.

 The Czech Republic says it has no intention of yielding to such 
demands.

 Temelin has two 1,000-megawatt reactors. The plant's owner, Cez, 
is the second largest electricity exporter in Europe.

[UPI Perspectives]                                                                    
 					     				 				 		
Copyright 2004 United Press International
*****************************************************************
 14 Daily Yomiuri: Pipe exceeded product life by 13 years 

Yomiuri Shimbun 

Kansai Electric Power Co. said the pipe that burst Monday, 
killing four people and injuring seven others at Mihama Nuclear 
Power Plant in Mihamacho, Fukui Prefecture, should have been 
replaced 13 years ago. 

According to a guideline in KEPCO's maintenance manual, a pipe 
should be classed as worn out when the thickness of the wall 
drops below 4.7 millimeters, which occurs after about 102,000 
hours of use. 

The pipe reached this limit in 1991, but was kept in use. It was 
186,000 hours old when the accident occurred. 

As pipes generally wear out at different times at each plant, the 
guide suggests that they be checked from at least two years 
before they reach the maximum number of hours of use. If 
necessary, they should be replaced before reaching that point. 

According to the company's quality assurance program, which was 
introduced in October, if any parts are not inspected, the 
inspector should calculate the parts' ages. 

KEPCO then has the option of closing down the plant temporarily, 
among other measures, to deal with any subsequent maintenance. 

But the pipe that burst had not been checked for 28 years. 
Subcontractor Nihon Arm Co. pointed out in November that the pipe 
had been left off the inspection list, but KEPCO neglected to 
check it for another nine months until the plant was due for a 
periodic inspection. The company has not explained the delay and 
did not calculate the pipe's age earlier. 

A KEPCO spokesman said: "In November, we were still in a 
transition period of implementing the quality assurance program. 
We don't know whether the plant did the calculations when the 
subcontractor found that the pipe had been left off the list. 
Headquarters never received a report about it." 

=== 

KEPCO shuts media out 



KEPCO said it would not provide the media with information 
relating to a criminal investigation of the plant. 

The announcement marks a turn-around from earlier comments in 
which the company said it would disclose as much information as 
possible. 

A company spokesman said Thursday, "The accident may develop into 
a criminal investigation, so there'll be some parts we won't be 
able to talk about as a focus of the investigation." 

KEPCO has allowed fact-finding teams from the Liberal Democratic 
Party and Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) to enter the 
accident site since Tuesday, but has banned the media.   

Copyright 2004 The Yomiuri Shimbun 
*****************************************************************
 15 NRC: NRC Enforcement Policy; Alternative Dispute Resolution
 
                        FR Doc 04-18509 

[Federal Register: August 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 156)] 
[Notices] [Page 50219-50223] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13au04-105]                         
 
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
ACTION: Policy statement: revision.
 
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or 
Commission) is publishing a revision to its Enforcement Policy 
(NUREG-1600, ``General Statement of Policy and Procedures for NRC 
Enforcement Action) to include an interim enforcement policy 
regarding the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the 
enforcement program for discrimination and other wrongdoing 
cases.
 
The Commission published a proposed pilot program to address the 
use of ADR in the enforcement program in the Federal Register (69 
FR 21166) on April 20, 2004. The Commission received input from 
the public, in response to 69 FR 21166, expressing their support 
for the pilot program and providing comments.
 
 
DATES: The ADR process will be implemented in a phased approach. 
Because only the licensee and the NRC are involved in ADR after 
an OI investigation is complete, the staff will begin offering 
the opportunity to engage in ADR during the post investigation 
enforcement process upon issuance in the Federal Register. The 
staff will begin offering early ADR to whistleblowers who have 
established a prima facie case of discrimination approximately 30 
days after the issuance of the Federal Register notice. The 
additional delay will allow the staff to complete the development 
of a brochure providing additional information regarding ADR in 
general and the NRC's program in particular.
 
Comments on this revision to the Enforcement Policy may be 
submitted on or before September 13, 2004.
 
 
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to: Michael T. Lesar, Chief, 
Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, 
Office of Administration, Mail Stop: T6D59, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Hand deliver 
comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between 
7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal workdays. Copies of comments 
received may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, Room 
O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.
 
You may also e-mail comments to nrcrep@nrc.gov. FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Hilton, Senior Enforcement Specialist, 
Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, (301) 415-3055, e-mail ndh@nrc.gov.
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC received 11 sets of comments 
in response to the proposed pilot program published in the 
Federal Register on April 20, 2004. All of the commentors were 
either power reactor licensees or representatives of power 
reactor licensees.
 
All commentors supported the pilot program with most offering 
that the comments provided either clarification opportunities or 
thoughts for future consideration after the pilot has operated 
for a period of time. The comments are available in their 
entirety on the Office of Enforcement's ADR Web page at 
http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/enforcement/adr.html#com 
ments .
 
The following is a synopsis of stakeholder comments received 
regarding the proposed ADR pilot program and the NRC response to 
the suggested changes.
 
Comment: The NRC should reconsider the treatment of an ADR 
settlement occurring after a formal enforcement action is taken 
(e.g., a notice of violation (NOV) is issued) as a factor in 
determining a future escalated enforcement (civil penalty) 
amount. The proposed Interim Enforcement Policy on the use of ADR 
stated that settlements occurring after a formal enforcement 
action is taken will count as an enforcement case for purposes of 
determining whether identification credit is considered when 
assessing the amount of a civil penalty.
 
Response: The NRC would allow the status of a particular case 
being mediated to be negotiated during the dispute resolution 
session. Therefore, to allow greater flexibility, the NRC revised 
Section IV.A of the interim policy to state that, ``settlements 
under the enforcement ADR program occurring after a formal 
enforcement action is taken (e.g. an NOV is issued) may count as 
an enforcement case for purposes of determining whether 
identification credit is considered'' (emphasis added).
 
Comment: A press release should not be issued for those cases 
where an agreed upon settlement is reached through ADR after the 
Office of Investigations (OI) completes its investigation given 
that a confirmatory order is made public for such cases.
 
Response: A press release is standard agency practice when 
issuing an order. In many cases, the public may be aware of the 
issue through previous news articles for cases that had a 
proposed civil penalty, documents contained in ADAMS, the Federal 
Register, or OE Web page. The press release will serve to 
publically close out the issue, and increase the acceptance and 
public confidence in the ADR process.
 
Comment: The policy should be flexible enough to allow for a 
cooling off period prior to attempting to resolve the dispute 
through ADR without impacting the 90-day time frame for Early 
ADR.
 
Response: The process of notifying the NRC, establishing a prima 
facie case, agreeing to mediate, choosing a mediator, and 
scheduling the mediation session should be of sufficient duration 
to allow both parties an ample cooling off period. One purpose of 
the NRC program is to achieve a timely resolution. A delay in the 
implementation of the process may also put undue pressure on the 
employee due to the Department of Labor (DOL) timeliness 
requirements, lengthen potential unemployment time, etc.
 
Comment: An OI investigation or enforcement action should not be 
initiated if a settlement between the parties has been reached in 
principle.
 
Response: In Early ADR, the case is not referred to OI until 
after the neutral returns the case back to the NRC. However, a 
settlement is expected to be reached and signed within 90 days 
from when the parties agree to attempt ADR. The NRC may allow a 
small extension to the 90-day limit to allow for completion of a 
settlement agreement.
 
Comment: The NRC should monitor the ADR process to ensure it is 
not abused by employees since the process could create an 
artificial incentive for employee's to seek ADR for a claim of 
discrimination during the pilot program.
 
Response: Prior to entering into ADR, an employee must 
articulate, and an Allegation Review Board must then determine 
that, a prima facie case exists. In addition, a licensee's 
involvement in ADR is voluntary. If a licensee believes that the 
other party is attempting to abuse the ADR process, they do not 
have to agree to participate. The NRC
 
[[Page 50220]] will also periodically assess the program in order 
to correct any problems such as abuse.
 
Comment: The policy should be explicit in that a settlement 
reached among the parties without the aid of a neutral will have 
the same effect as a settlement reached with the help of a 
neutral.
 
Further, no OI investigation or enforcement should occur in any 
cases where a settlement or resolution has been reached through 
ADR.
 
Response: A minor change was made to the interim policy to 
reflect that notification to the NRC that a settlement has been 
reached must be made prior to initiation of an investigation. 
This was implicit in the proposed policy. Section III.A states 
that ``If notified of the settlement, the NRC will review the 
settlement for restrictive agreements * * * assuming no such 
restrictive agreements exist, the NRC will not investigate or 
take enforcement action.'' However, for those cases where a 
settlement agreement between the whistleblower and the licensee 
or contractor is reached after the initiation of an OI 
investigation or late in the DOL process enforcement action will 
be considered. If the NRC believes enforcement is appropriate, 
the licensee or contractor would be able to request ADR with the 
NRC to discuss the appropriate enforcement sanctions and 
corrective actions.
 
Comment: Settlement documents submitted to the NRC for review 
need not include names of individuals, numerical financial terms, 
or other information that would reveal specific personnel 
information and actions. Further, an unsigned, proposed 
settlement agreement constitutes a draft document, and should be 
withheld from public disclosure under the same confidentiality 
provisions that govern the ADR process in general.
 
Response: As part of the Early ADR portion of the program, signed 
and completed settlement documents are to be submitted to the NRC 
in their final form for review. As noted in the proposed interim 
policy, these documents are treated consistent with the 
allegation program procedures. As such, the settlement agreements 
will not routinely be made public. If requested under the Freedom 
of Information Act, a settlement agreement would be redacted as 
appropriate. The program does not contemplate that draft 
agreements will be submitted to the NRC in early ADR.
 
Comment: OI reports should be provided to licensees in other 
wrongdoing cases in additional to discrimination cases.
 
Response: This issue is outside of the ADR pilot program.
 
The staff requirements memorandum (SRM) for SECY 02-0166, dated 
March 26, 2003, directed the NRC staff (staff) to release OI 
reports prior to a predecisional enforcement conference (PEC) for 
cases involving discrimination. This SRM does not apply to other 
wrongdoing cases. However, as the NRC gains experience with the 
release of OI reports for discrimination cases, the staff may 
consider recommending to the Commission that OI reports be 
released for other wrongdoing cases.
 
Comment: DOL should inform complainants of NRC's Early ADR 
process to ensure that such individuals, who may not have 
contacted the NRC, are made aware of the Early ADR process.
 
Response: The NRC has no authority over the DOL process.
 
Requesting the DOL to discuss the NRC's ADR program could suggest 
that the NRC does not support employee's use of the DOL process. 
Also, experience indicates that individuals are more likely to 
come to the NRC and DOL, or the NRC alone, than they are to go to 
the DOL alone.
 
The staff has had informal discussions with the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and plans to have 
additional discussions with OSHA management regarding the NRC's 
Enforcement Policy in more detail. This will include discussions 
regarding the option for whistleblowers to enter into the NRC's 
Early ADR process.
 
In addition, individuals will be made aware of the availability 
of the ADR process through various means including the Federal 
Register and the NRC public web site. Other means of publicizing 
the process are also being considered. In addition, licensees are 
free to settle with individuals using licensee sponsored programs 
to resolve NRC or DOL issues.
 
Staff comment: While preparing to implement the pilot program, 
the NRC staff identified that additional flexibility is needed 
regarding who performs administrative or intake neutral 
functions.
 
Response: Section II.A of the interim policy was revised to allow 
flexibility for the staff to use Office Allegation Coordinators 
or a third party organization to serve as intake neutrals who 
would assist the parties in resolving the dispute. As a result of 
this revision, conforming changes were also made to Sections 
II.A, II.B.5, and II.B.6. Paperwork Reduction Act This policy 
statement does not contain new or amended information collection 
requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) Existing requirements were approved by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), approval number 3150-0136. 
The approved information collection requirements contained in 
this policy statement appear in Section VII.C. Public Protection 
Notification The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person in 
not required to respond to, collection of information unless it 
displays a currently valid OMB control number.
 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act In accordance 
with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 
1996, the NRC had determined that this action is not a major rule 
and has verified this determination with the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB.
 
Accordingly, the NRC Enforcement Policy amended by including the 
Interim Enforcement Policy Regarding the use of Alternate Dispute 
Resolution in the Enforcement Program reads as follows: General 
Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement Actions 
Table of Contents * * * * * Interim Enforcement Policies * * * * 
* Interim Enforcement Policy Regarding Enforcement Discretion for 
Certain Fire Protection Issues (10 CFR 50.48) * * * * * Interim 
Enforcement Policy Regarding the Use of Alternative Dispute 
Resolution * * * * * Interim Enforcement Policies * * * * * 
Interim Enforcement Policy Regarding Enforcement Discretion for 
Certain Fire Protection Issues (10 CFR 50.48) * * * * * Interim 
Enforcement Policy Regarding the Use of Alternative Dispute 
Resolution I. Introduction A. Background This section sets forth 
the interim enforcement policy that the NRC will follow to 
undertake a pilot program testing the use of Alternative Dispute 
Resolution (ADR) in the enforcement program.
 
 
[[Page 50221]] B. Scope The pilot program scope consists of the 
trial use of ADR for cases involving: (1) alleged discrimination 
for engaging in protected activity prior to an NRC investigation; 
and (2) both discrimination and other wrongdoing cases after the 
Office of Investigations has competed an investigation. Specific 
points in the enforcement process where ADR may be requested are 
specified below. Mediation will be the form of ADR typically 
utilized. Certain cases may only require facilitation, a process 
where the neutral's function is primarily to support the 
communication process rather than focusing on the parties 
reaching a settlement.
 
Note: Although the NRC's ADR program may cause the parties to 
negotiate issues which may also form the basis for a claim under 
section 211 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended, 
the Department of Labor's (DOL) timeliness requirements for 
filing a claim are in no way altered by the NRC's program.
 
In cases involving an allegation of discrimination, any 
underlying technical issue will be treated as a separate issue, 
or concern, within the allegation program. The allegation program 
will be used to resolve concerns (typically safety concerns) and 
issues other than the discrimination complaint.
 
II. General A. Responsibilities and Program Administration The 
Director, OE, is responsible for the overall program. In 
addition, the Director, OE, will serve as the lead NRC negotiator 
for cases involving discrimination after OI completes an 
investigation. The Director, OE, may also designate the Deputy 
Director, OE, to act as the lead negotiator.
 
Regional Administrators are designated as the lead NRC negotiator 
for cases involving wrongdoing other than discrimination. The 
Regional Administrator may designate the Deputy Regional 
Administrator to act as the lead negotiator or the Director or 
Deputy Director, OE, may also serve as the lead negotiator for 
other wrongdoing cases.
 
The Program Administrator will provide program oversight and 
support for each region and headquarters program offices.
 
Program and neutral evaluations will be provided to the Program 
Administrator. The Program Administrator may serve as the intake 
neutral for post investigation ADR. An ``intake neutral'' 
develops information and processes information for mediation. As 
an intake neutral, the confidentiality provisions discussed below 
will apply.
 
The Office Allegation Coordinators (OACs) are normally a 
complainant's first substantive contact when a concern regarding 
discrimination is raised. As such, the OACs may serve as an 
intake neutral who develops information and processes the 
necessary information for mediation under Early ADR. The OAC has 
the option to refer the whistleblower to the third party neutral 
to process the necessary information for mediation under Early 
ADR. The confidentiality provisions in Section II.B.7 will apply 
to the OAC, third party intake neutral, and Program 
Administrator. The OAC will also process documentation necessary 
to operate the program.
 
B. General Rules/Principles Unless specifically addressed in a 
subsequent section, the rules described in this section apply 
generally throughout the ADR program, regardless of where in the 
overall enforcement process the ADR sessions occur.
 
1. Voluntary. Use of the NRC ADR program is voluntary, and any 
participant may end the mediation at any time. The goal is to 
obtain an agreement satisfactory to all participants on issues in 
controversy.
 
2. Neutral qualification. Generally, a neutral should be 
knowledgeable and experienced with nuclear matters or labor and 
employment law. However, any neutral that is satisfactory to the 
parties is acceptable.
 
3. Roster of neutrals. OE will maintain a list of organizations 
from which services of neutrals could be obtained. The parties 
may select a mediator from any of these organizations; however, 
the parties are not required to use the organizations provided 
and any neutral mutually agreeable to the parties is acceptable.
 
4. Mediator selection. If the parties have not selected a 
mediator within fourteen days, the Program Administrator or OAC 
may propose a mediator for the parties' consideration.
 
5. Neutrality. Mediators are neutral. The role of the mediator is 
to provide an environment where all participants will have an 
opportunity to resolve their differences. The parties should each 
consult an attorney or other professional if any question of law, 
content of a proposed agreement on issues in controversy, or 
other issues exists.
 
For Early ADR, the OAC or third party neutral will serve as an 
intake neutral. Should any party seek to discuss the NRC's 
enforcement ADR process in detail, the party should be referred 
to the OAC or third party neutral. The OAC will initiate 
discussion of the option to mediate and process the necessary 
documentation. Subsequently, for post investigation ADR, the 
program administrator or third party neutral will serve as the 
intake neutral. Due to the nature of conversations that typically 
occur between an intake neutral and the parties, these 
conversations will also be considered confidential.
 
6. Mediation sessions. Once selected by the parties and 
contracted by the OAC or third party intake neutral, the mediator 
will promptly contact each of the parties to discuss the 
mediation process under the Program, reconfirm party interest in 
proceeding, establish a date and location for the mediation 
session and obtain any other information s/ he believes likely to 
be useful. The mediator will preside over all mediation sessions, 
and will be expected to complete the mediation within 90 days 
after referral unless the parties, and the NRC if not a party, 
agree otherwise. At the conclusion of the mediation, parties will 
be asked to fill out and submit an evaluation form for the 
mediator that will be sent to the Program Administrator.
 
Normally, a settlement is expected to be reached and signed 
within 90 days from when the parties agree to attempt ADR. A 
principal reason for Early ADR is the quick resolution of the 
claim, thereby improving the safety conscious work environment 
(SCWE). If the parties cannot agree to a settlement within 90 
days, the NRC must assume a settlement will not be reached and 
continue with the investigation and enforcement process. Where 
good cause is shown and all parties agree, the NRC may allow a 
small extension to the 90 day limit to allow for completion of a 
settlement agreement.
 
Settlement agreements in Early ADR will not be final until 3 days 
after the agreement has been signed. Either party may reconsider 
the settlement agreement during the 3 day period. Subsequent 
concerns regarding implementation of the settlement agreement 
should be directed to the neutral, or if necessary, the OAC.
 
7. Confidentiality. The mediator will specifically inform all 
parties and other attendees that all mediation activities under 
the Program are subject to the confidentiality provisions of the 
Administrative Dispute Resolution Act, 5 U.S.C. 574; the Federal 
ADR Council's guidance document entitled ``Confidentiality in 
Federal ADR Programs;'' and the explicit confidentiality terms 
set forth in the Agreement to Begin Voluntary Mediation signed by 
the parties.
 
The mediator will explain these
 
[[Page 50222]] confidentiality terms and offer to answer 
questions regarding them.
 
8. Good Faith. All participants will participate in good faith in 
the mediation process and explore potentially feasible options 
that could lead to the management or resolution of issues in 
controversy.
 
9. Not legal representation. A mediator is not a legal 
representative or legal counsel. The mediator will not represent 
any party in the instant case or any future proceeding or matter 
relating to the issues in controversy in this case. The mediator 
is not either party's lawyer and no party should rely on the 
mediator for legal advice.
 
10. Mediator Fees. If Early ADR (defined below) is utilized, the 
NRC, subject to the availability of funds, will pay the 
mediator's entire fee. For cases where a licensee requests ADR 
subsequent to the completion of an OI report, the licensee 
requesting ADR will pay half of the mediator's fee and the NRC, 
subject to the availability of funds, will pay half. The NRC will 
recover the mediator fees it pays through annual fees assessed to 
licensees under 10 CFR Part 171.
 
11. Exceptions. The only exception to the offering of Early ADR 
by the NRC will be abuse of the program, e.g., a large number of 
repetitive requests for ADR by a particular facility, contractor, 
or whistleblower. Should the NRC believe the ADR program has been 
abused in some manner by one of the parties potentially involved, 
the Director, OE will be notified.
 
To maximize the potential use of the ADR pilot program, for cases 
after an OI investigation is completed, the NRC will at least 
consider negotiating a settlement with a licensee for any 
wrongdoing case if requested. However, there may be certain 
circumstances where it may not be appropriate for the NRC to 
engage in ADR.
 
12. Number of settlement attempts. Each case will be afforded a 
maximum of two attempts to reach a settlement on the same 
underlying issue through the use of ADR. An ``attempt'' is 
defined as one or more mediated sessions conducted at a specific 
point in the NRC's enforcement process (generally within a 90 day 
period). However, in general, settlement at any time without the 
use of a neutral is not precluded by the ADR program.
 
13. Finality. Cases that reach a settlement (and are acceptable 
to the NRC), either in Early ADR or after an OI investigation is 
complete, constitute a final enforcement decision on the case by 
the NRC.
 
III. ADR Opportunities A. Licensee Sponsored Programs Licensees 
are encouraged to develop ADR programs of their own for use in 
conjunction with an employee concerns type program. If an 
employee who alleges retaliation for engaging in protected 
activity utilizes a licensee's program to settle the 
discrimination concern, either before or after contacting the 
NRC, the licensee may voluntarily report the settlement to the 
NRC as a settlement within the NRC's jurisdiction. If notified of 
the settlement prior to initiation of an investigation, the NRC 
will review the settlement for restrictive agreements potentially 
in violation of 10 CFR 50.7(f), or other, similar regulations. 
Assuming no such restrictive agreements exist, the NRC will not 
investigate or take enforcement action.
 
B. Early ADR The term ``Early ADR'' refers to the use of ADR 
prior to an OI investigation. The parties to Early ADR will 
normally be the complainant and the licensee. If the complainant 
is an employee of a licensee contractor, the parties will be the 
complainant and the contractor. Generally, the Early ADR process 
will parallel and work in conjunction with the NRC allegation 
program.
 
The allegation process will be used through the determination of 
a prima facie case. If an Allegation Review Board (ARB) 
determines a prima facie case exists, the ARB will normally 
recommend the parties be offered the opportunity to use Early 
ADR. Exceptions to such a recommendation should be rare and be 
based solely on an identified and articulated abuse of the ADR 
process by a party who would be involved in the case under 
consideration. Exceptions will be approved by the Director, OE, 
prior to initiating an investigation based on denial of ADR.
 
Early ADR cases will be tracked in the Allegation Management 
System (AMS). However, the allegation process timeliness 
measurement will be stayed once the ARB determines that ADR 
should be offered until the point in time ADR is declined by 
either party or the case is settled.
 
When an agreement is reached, the mediator will record the terms 
of that agreement. The parties may sign the agreement at the 
mediation session, or any party may review the agreement with 
his/her attorney before the document is placed in final form and 
signed. However, as noted above, settlement agreements in Early 
ADR will not be final until at least 3 days after the agreement 
has been signed. No participant will hold the NRC liable for the 
results of the mediation, whether or not a resolution is reached.
 
A settlement agreement between the parties will be reviewed by 
the NRC. OE will coordinate the review with the Office of the 
General Counsel (OGC). The review will ensure that no restrictive 
agreements in violation of 10 CFR 50.7(f) or other NRC 
regulations are contained in the settlement and will normally be 
completed within 5 working days of receipt. Given an acceptable 
settlement, the NRC will not investigate or take enforcement 
action.
 
The NRC expects that parties to Early ADR will agree to some form 
of confidentiality. However, that agreement cannot extend to the 
reporting of any safety concerns potentially discussed during the 
ADR sessions if one of the parties desires to report the concern.
 
Either party may report safety concerns discussed during ADR 
sessions to the NRC without regard to confidentiality agreements. 
Safety concerns and their disposition may be discussed between 
the parties if desired. In cases where an Early ADR negotiation 
is between a licensee contractor and the contractor's employee, 
the NRC expects the contractor to ensure the licensee is aware of 
any safety issues discussed during the negotiations.
 
In addition to the settlement agreement, the licensee should 
provide the NRC with any planned or completed actions relevant to 
the safety conscious work environment that the licensee has 
determined to be appropriate.
 
Generally no press release or other public announcement will be 
made by the NRC for cases settled by early ADR. However, all 
documents, including the proposed settlement agreement, submitted 
to the NRC will be official agency records, and while not 
generally publicly available, still subject to the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA).
 
Documents associated with processing an Early ADR case will not 
generally be publicly available, consistent with the allegation 
program. However, documents may be subject to the FOIA and may be 
released, subject to redaction, pursuant to an FOIA request.
 
Some negotiations may fail to settle the case. When a settlement 
is not reached, the appropriate intake neutral will be notified, 
typically by the mediator, and an ARB will determine the 
appropriate action in accordance with the allegation program.
 
C. Post-Investigation ADR Post-investigation ADR refers to the 
use of ADR anytime after an OI
 
[[Page 50223]] investigation is complete and an enforcement panel 
concludes that pursuit of an enforcement action appears 
warranted. Generally, post- investigation ADR processes will 
parallel and work in conjunction with the NRC enforcement 
program.
 
After an investigation is complete, there are generally three 
issues that can be resolved using ADR; whether a violation 
occurred, the appropriate enforcement action, and the appropriate 
corrective actions for the violation(s). If the parties agree, 
any or all three may be considered in an ADR session.
 
Two different types of enforcement cases will be eligible for ADR 
after an investigation is complete, discrimination and other 
wrongdoing cases. ADR will normally be considered at three places 
in the enforcement process after OI has completed an 
investigation: (1) After an enforcement panel has concluded there 
is the need to continue pursuing potential enforcement action 
based on an OI case and prior to the conduct of a predecisional 
enforcement conference (PEC); (2) after the initial enforcement 
action is taken, typically a Notice of Violation (NOV) and 
potentially a proposed civil penalty; and (3) after imposition of 
a civil penalty and prior to a hearing request.
 
The parties to an ADR session after an OI investigation is 
complete will be the licensee and the NRC. Fees associated with 
the neutral will typically be divided between the NRC and the 
licensee, with each paying half of the total cost.
 
Settlement discussions are expected to be complete within 90 days 
of initiating ADR prior to a PEC. The NRC may withdraw from 
settlement discussions if negotiations have not been completed in 
a timely manner.
 
The terms of a settlement agreement will normally be confirmed by 
order. Typically, the specific terms of settlement will be agreed 
to during the negotiation. The staff will then incorporate 
appropriate terms into a confirmatory order, a draft of which 
will then be agreed to by the licensee prior to issuance.
 
If an attempt to resolve a case using ADR prior to the conduct of 
a PEC fails, a predecisional enforcement conference will normally 
be offered to the licensee. The PEC will be conducted as 
described in the Enforcement Policy.
 
For cases within the scope of the pilot program, after a panel 
concludes that a case warrants continuation of the enforcement 
process, the responsible region or office will contact the 
licensee and offer either a PEC or ADR. Consistent with the 
Enforcement Policy, a written response could be offered at the 
staff's discretion.
 
Public notification of the settlement will normally be a press 
release and the confirmatory order will be published in the 
Federal Register.
 
Confidentiality with the NRC as a party will be determined by the 
parties as allowed by the ADR Act.
 
1. Discrimination Cases Consistent with centralization of the 
discrimination enforcement process, the Director, Office of 
Enforcement, will normally negotiate for the NRC.
 
Normally the NRC will coordinate participation of the 
complainant. While the complainant will not be a party to the ADR 
process after OI issues an investigation report, the NRC will 
typically seek the complainant's input to the process. Normally, 
the NRC will at least seek input from the complainant regarding 
suggested corrective actions aimed at improving the safety 
conscious work environment.
 
OI reports (not including exhibits) will normally be provided to 
the licensee when the choice of ADR or a PEC is offered.
 
A licensee may request ADR for discrimination violations based 
solely on a finding by DOL. However, the staff will not negotiate 
the finding by DOL. The appropriate enforcement sanction and 
corrective actions will be the typical focus of settlement 
discussions.
 
2. Other Than Discrimination Wrongdoing The regional 
administrator will normally be the principal negotiator for the 
NRC in ADR sessions on other wrongdoing cases. After imposition 
of a civil penalty or other order, the Director, Office of 
Enforcement and applicable regional administrator may determine 
that the Director would be the appropriate negotiator.
 
Typically, an enforcement panel will be conducted to discuss the 
NRC's specific interests in the case prior to the regional 
administrator attending the settlement discussions. A limited 
review of the settlement terms may be conducted in conjunction 
with the preparation of the confirmatory order.
 
The OI report will not routinely be offered to the licensee prior 
to ADR. However, the OI report may be provided, as necessary, 
during the negotiations with the licensee.
 
IV. Integration With Traditional Enforcement Policy A. Potential 
Future Enforcement Actions Civil Penalty Assessments Section 
VI.C.2 of the Enforcement Policy provides the method for 
determination of a civil penalty amount. One aspect of the 
determination uses enforcement history as a factor. If the staff 
considers a civil penalty for a future escalated enforcement 
action, settlements under the enforcement ADR program occurring 
after a formal enforcement action is taken (e.g. an NOV is 
issued) may count as an enforcement case for purposes of 
determining whether identification credit is considered. 
Settlements occurring prior to an OI investigation will not count 
as previous enforcement. The status of settlement agreements 
occurring after an investigation is completed but prior to an NOV 
being issued will be established as part of the negotiation 
between the parties.
 
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 6th day of August, 2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary of the Commission.
 
[FR Doc. 04-18509 Filed 8-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 16 BBC: Japan nuclear firm shuts plants 
 
  Last Updated: Friday, 13 August, 2004
 
[A burst cooling pipe at the Mihama power station in Japan]                                  
Experts from Japan's nuclear safety agency are at the site                                                                

The Japanese company running a nuclear power plant where four 
workers died on Monday is to gradually close all 11 of its 
reactors for safety checks. 

Kansai Electric Power Co (Kepco) said it would start procedures 
immediately to take three units off line. 

The country's number two power firm, was asked to carry out the 
work by the government of Fukui prefecture. 

Workers died when non-radioactive steam escaped from a ruptured 
pipe at Kepco's Mihama plant. 

The incident was the nation's deadliest nuclear industry 
accident. 

We currently are putting o top priority on finding out the cause 
of the accident Kepco spokesman         

The Mihama No 3 reactor, where the fatalities took place, is 
already closed while two others are shut for regular maintenance. 

Kepco, which provides power to the heavily industrialised region 
around Osaka, said no power shortage would result from the phased 
closures. 

To make up for the shortfall in power the company said it would 
restart two oil-fired generators. 

'No resignation' 

Japan has a total of 52 nuclear reactors and relies on atomic 
energy for more than one-third of its energy needs. 

No other of Japan's power companies have as yet followed Kepco's 
lead of announcing closures for safety checks. 

Media reports in Japan have said Kepco president Yosaku Fuji is 
likely to resign to take responsibility for Monday's accident. 

But a Kepco spokesman said there were no plans for its president 
to resign and no discussion of it. 

"We currently are putting our top priority on finding out the 
cause of the accident," the spokesman said. 

Experts from the national Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency 
were at the accident site on Friday. 

Power companies have been instructed by the country's nuclear 
watchdog to check documentation, in order to ensure inspections 
on pipes similar to the one that ruptured at Mihama have been 
carried out properly. 

Similar checks have also been ordered at thermal plants. 



*****************************************************************
 17 NRC: Detroit Edison Company; Fermi 2; Notice of Consideration of 
 
                        FR Doc 04-18510 
[Federal Register: August 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 156)] 
[Notices] [Page 50217-50219] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13au04-104]                         
 
Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating License, Proposed No 
Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and Opportunity 
for a Hearing The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the 
Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-43, issued to the Detroit Edison 
Company (the licensee), for operation of Fermi 2 located in 
Monroe County, Michigan.
 
The proposed amendment would (1) add License Condition 2.C.(22) 
requiring an integrated tracer gas test of the control room 
envelope using methods described in American Society for Testing 
and Materials E741-00, ``Standard Test Method for Determining Air 
Change in a Single Zone by Means of a Tracer Gas Dilution,'' and 
(2) delete Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.7.3.6, which requires 
verification that unfiltered inleakage from control room 
emergency filtration system duct work outside the control room 
envelope is within limits. The proposed amendment was submitted 
by application dated July 30, 2004.
 
The July 30, 2004, application supersedes the licensee's previous 
application dated March 31, 2003, in its entirety. The March 31, 
2003, application was previously noticed in the Federal Register 
on May 27, 2003 (68 FR 28848).
 
Before issuance of the proposed license amendment, the Commission 
will have made findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's regulations.
 
The Commission has made a proposed determination that the 
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. 
Under the Commission's regulations in Title 10 of the CODE OF 
FEDERAL REGULATIONS (10 CFR), Section 50.92, this means that 
operation of the facility in accordance with the proposed 
amendment would not (1) involve a significant increase in the 
probability or consequences of an accident previously evaluated; 
or (2) create the possibility of a new or different kind of 
accident from any accident previously evaluated; or (3) involve a 
significant reduction in a margin of safety. As required by 10 
CFR 50.91(a), the licensee has provided its analysis of the issue 
of no significant hazards consideration, which is presented 
below: 1. The proposed change does not involve a significant 
increase in the probability or consequences of an accident 
previously evaluated.
 
The proposed change is to add a License Condition for tracer gas 
testing and eliminate SR 3.7.3.6. The Control Room Emergency 
Filtration (CREF) system provides a configuration for mitigating 
radiological consequences of accidents; however, it is not 
considered an initiator of any previously analyzed accident. 
Therefore, the proposed change cannot increase the probability of 
any previously evaluated accident.
 
The CREF system provides a radiologically controlled environment 
from which the plant can be safely operated following a 
radiological accident. The current TS surveillance (SR 3.7.3.6) 
measures inleakage from four sections of CREF system duct work 
outside the Control Room Envelope (CRE) that are at negative 
pressure during accident conditions. Performance of tracer gas 
testing will provide essentially the same degree of assurance 
that CRE integrity is being maintained as before. Therefore, the 
proposed change does not significantly increase the radiological 
consequences of any previously analyzed accident.
 
Based on the above, the proposed change does not significantly 
increase the probability or consequences of any accident 
previously evaluated.
 
2. The proposed change does not create the possibility of a new 
or different kind of accident from any accident previously 
evaluated.
 
The proposed change to add a License Condition for tracer gas 
testing and to eliminate SR 3.7.3.6 does not alter the design or 
function of the system involved, nor does it introduce any new 
modes of plant or CREF system operation. Therefore, the proposed 
change does not create the potential for a new or different kind 
of accident from any accident previously evaluated.
 
3. The proposed change does not involve a significant reduction 
in the margin of safety.
 
The proposed change to add a License Condition for tracer gas 
testing and to eliminate SR 3.7.3.6 will not affect the 
radiological release from a design basis accident. The postulated 
dose to the control room occupants as a result of an accident 
will remain approximately the same. Therefore, the proposed 
changes will not result in a significant reduction in the margin 
of safety.
 
The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's analysis and, based on 
this review, it appears that the three standards of 10 CFR 
50.92(c) are satisfied. Therefore, the NRC staff proposes to 
determine that the amendment request involves no significant 
hazards consideration.
 
The Commission is seeking public comments on this proposed 
determination. Any comments received within 30 days after the 
date of publication of this notice will be considered in making 
any final determination.
 
Normally, the Commission will not issue the amendment until the 
expiration of 60 days after the date of publication of this 
notice. The Commission may issue the license amendment before 
expiration of the 60- day period provided that its final 
determination is that the amendment involves no significant 
hazards consideration. In addition, the Commission may issue the 
amendment prior to the expiration of the 30- day comment period 
should circumstances change during the 30-day comment period such 
that failure to act in a timely way would result, for example in 
derating or shutdown of the facility. Should the Commission take 
action prior to the expiration of either the comment period or 
the notice period, it will publish in the Federal Register a 
notice of issuance. Should the Commission make a final No 
Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, any hearing will 
take place after issuance. The Commission expects that the need 
to take this action will occur very infrequently.
 
Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and 
Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of 
Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, 
DC 20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page 
number of this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also 
be delivered to Room 6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, Maryland, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Federal 
workdays. Documents may be examined, and/or
 
[[Page 50218]] copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document 
Room, located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 
11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland.
 
The filing of requests for hearing and petitions for leave to 
intervene is discussed below.
 
Within 60 days after the date of publication of this notice, the 
licensee may file a request for a hearing with respect to 
issuance of the amendment to the subject facility operating 
license and any person whose interest may be affected by this 
proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the 
proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a 
petition for leave to intervene. Requests for a hearing and a 
petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with 
the Commission's ``Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing 
Proceedings'' in 10 CFR Part 2. Interested persons should consult 
a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, 2.304, and 2.305 which is 
available at the Commission's PDR, located at One White Flint 
North, Public File Area 01F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first 
floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be 
accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management 
System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet 
at the NRC Web site, 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/. If a request 
for a hearing and petition for leave to intervene is filed by the 
above date, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by 
the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic 
Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the request and 
petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of 
the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a 
hearing or an appropriate order.
 
As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene 
shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner 
in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the 
results of the proceeding. The petition should specifically 
explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with 
particular reference to the following general requirements: (1) 
The name, address and telephone number of the requestor or 
petitioner; (2) the nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right 
under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (3) the 
nature and extent of the requestor's/petitioner's property, 
financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (4) the 
possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in 
the proceeding on the requestors/petitioner's interest. The 
petition must also identify the specific contentions which the 
petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding.
 
Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue 
of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the 
petitioner/requestor shall provide a brief explanation of the 
bases for the contention and a concise statement of the alleged 
facts or expert opinion which support the contention and on which 
the petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the 
hearing. The petitioner/requestor must also provide references to 
those specific sources and documents of which the petitioner is 
aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to establish 
those facts or expert opinion. The petition must include 
sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with 
the applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions 
shall be limited to matters within the scope of the amendment 
under consideration. The contention must be one which, if proven, 
would entitle the petitioner to relief. A petitioner/requestor 
who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least 
one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
 
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, 
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to 
intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the 
conduct of the hearing.
 
If a hearing is requested, the Commission will make a final 
determination on the issue of no significant hazards 
consideration. The final determination will serve to decide when 
the hearing is held. If the final determination is that the 
amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration, 
the Commission may issue the amendment and make it immediately 
effective, notwithstanding the request for a hearing. Any hearing 
held would take place after issuance of the amendment. If the 
final determination is that the amendment request involves a 
significant hazards consideration, any hearing held would take 
place before the issuance of any amendment.
 
Nontimely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be 
entertained absent a determination by the Commission or the 
presiding officer of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that 
the petition, request and/or the contentions should be granted 
based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 
2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii). A request for a hearing and a petition for 
leave to intervene must be filed by: (1) First class mail 
addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, 
Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; (2) courier, 
express mail, or expedited delivery services: Office of the 
Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking 
and Adjudications Staff; (3) e-mail addressed to the Office of 
the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
HEARINGDOCKET@NRC.GOV; or (4) facsimile transmission addressed to 
the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at 
(301) 415-1101, verification number is (301) 415-1966. A request 
for hearing and petition for leave to intervene filed by e-mail 
or facsimile transmission need not comply with the requirements 
of 10 CFR 2.304 (b)(c) and (d) if an original and two (2) copies 
otherwise comply with the requirements of Section 2.304 are 
mailed within two (2) days, of the filing by e-mail or facsimile 
transmission to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and 
Adjudications Staff. A copy of the request for hearing and 
petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the Office 
of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be 
transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 
301-415-3725 or by email to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. A copy of the 
request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should 
also be sent to Peter Marquardt, Legal Department, 688 WCB, 
Detroit Edison Company, 2000 2nd Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 
48226-1279, the attorney for the licensee.
 
For further details with respect to this action, see the 
application for amendment dated July 30, 2004, which is available 
for public inspection at the Commission's PDR, located at One 
White Flint North, File Public Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike 
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records 
will be accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and 
Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the 
Internet at the NRC Web site, 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have 
access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the 
documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR
 
[[Page 50219]] Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 
301-415-4737, or by e- mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, 
Maryland, this 6th day of August 2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
David P. Beaulieu, Project Manager, Section 1, Project 
Directorate III, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office 
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
 
[FR Doc. 04-18510 Filed 8-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 18 KoreaTimes: US to Bear Cost of Dismantling NK Nukes 

      Hankooki.com > Korea Times   

US to Fund Dismantling of NK Nukes: Powell

By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter

 U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday the United 
States is ready to fund the dismantling of North Korea��s nuclear 
arms programs, but he stressed it should be a ``totally 
irreversible���� dismantlement of all of its nuclear programs.

 But the senior White House official rejected the North��s call 
on the U.S. to join the four other nations involved in the 
six-party talks in providing energy aid to resolve the prolonged 
standoff over Pyongyang��s nuclear ambitions.

 ``I think just as we did with Libya in helping to remove the 
burden it had with those programs, we would certainly help North 
Korea,���� he said in an interview with Radio Free Asia and a 
group of Japanese journalists in Washington.

 ``I think the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and all 
of the other parties to the six-party talks would have a role to 
play,���� he added.

 Powell, however, stressed that the dismantlement has to be 
totally irreversible and across the entire program, and it has to 
acknowledge not only the previous programs, but the enriched 
uranium programs as well.

 ``So, if that was what they were willing to do, certainly the 
United States would be willing to assist with the cost of 
removal, destruction and total elimination of the programs,���� 
he said.

 Powell, well known as one of the leading doves in the U.S. 
administration led by George W. Bush, however, rejected the 
North��s demand that the U.S. should add something to the energy 
aid proposed by Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo and Moscow in return for 
its nuclear dismantling.

 ``Since other members of the six-party talks have said they 
would put something up front to assist North Korea with its fuel 
and energy needs, that should be enough,���� he said.

 He added the U.S. has made it clear that it will provide 
assurances to North Korea with respect to ``our lack of a hostile 
intent���� as well as ``our assertion and statement that we have 
no plans to invade or attack.����

 The North Korean nuclear impasse erupted in October 2002 when 
Washington claimed that Pyongyang had acknowledged it was 
developing nuclear arms in violation of a 1994 international 
agreement.

 A third round of six-way nuclear talks in Beijing ended without 
breakthrough in late June, although the U.S., the two Koreas, 
China, Japan and Russia agreed to meet again before the end of 
September. 

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr 08-13-2004 17:27         
        
*****************************************************************
 19 TheDay.com: Waterford - Seaweed Forces Millstone To Reduce Power
 		 		 		
Published on 8/13/2004

Seaweed from Long Island Sound got caught in the Millstone 3 
reactor's turbine building Wednesday night, forcing plant 
operators to slightly reduce power until they can clean the area.

Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, the owner of Millstone Power 
Station, reduced power at Millstone 3 from 100 percent to 91 
percent after some seaweed got past racks designed to strain out 
debris at the entrance to the intake building, according to 
spokesman Pete Hyde.

The power plant relies on water from Long Island Sound as a 
secondary means of cooling steam, which is used to turn a large 
turbine and generate electricity. On Wednesday, seaweed got past 
the racks and onto the condenser tubes used to cool the steam, 
Hyde said. 

The seaweed reduced the flow of the water, so the company reduced 
plant power and is cleaning the area. 

The weather's been choppy lately, Hyde said, so there may have 
been more seaweed than usual.

The plant should return to full power sometime today, Hyde said.

 Patricia Daddona   

1998-2004 The Day Publishing Co.   	 	
*****************************************************************
 20 asahi.com: Criminal charges sought in fatal nuclear plant accident 

The Asahi Shimbun 

FUKUI-Prefectural police will pursue charges of professional 
negligence resulting in death in Monday's accident at the Mihama 
Nuclear Power Plant that killed four workers and injured seven, 
sources said Thursday. 

The accident in Fukui Prefecture occurred when a section of pipe 
at the plant's No. 3 reactor burst and blasted the workers with 
scalding steam. 

Corrosion had reduced the original 1-centimeter thickness of the 
pipe to only 1.4 millimeters in some spots. 

The minimum thickness of the pipe should have been 4.7 mm, 
according to safety standards. But the pipe section was not 
checked even once in the 28 years since the nuclear reactor 
started operating in 1976. 

In Tokyo, Shoichi Nakagawa, the economy, trade and industry 
minister, said the accident was a ``disaster caused by human 
factor.'' 

He also said the responsibilities of the companies in question 
``should definitely be questioned.'' 

Investigators will try to find evidence that the companies 
involved knew the unchecked pipe risked rupturing but did nothing 
to reduce the danger, the sources said. 

Police said the companies should have learned a lesson from a 
similar steam-leakage accident in 1986 at the Surry nuclear power 
plant in the U.S. state of Virginia. The 1986 accident also 
killed four workers when a ruptured pipe spewed out steam. 

The Virginia accident was caused by so-called corrosion wastage, 
which is what happens when corrosion from water turbulence inside 
a pipe reduces its thickness. 

Police believe the same problem occurred at the Mihama Nuclear 
Power Plant, and said the risky section of the pipe would had 
been discovered if an ultrasonic checkup was properly conducted. 

But checkups on the pipe section never took place after 
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., in charge of pipe inspections 
until 1996, failed to enter the pipe section on its checklist. 

Osaka-based Nihon Arm Co., which took over the inspection task 
from Mitsubishi Heavy in 1996, says it did not notice the 
omission from the checklist until April last year. 

And Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO), the operator of the Mihama 
nuclear station, insists it was not informed of the omission 
until last fall. 

Even after KEPCO knew the pipe section had not been checked, it 
put off an examination of the section until a routine inspection 
scheduled to start Saturday. 

The accident was Japan's worst at a nuclear facility in terms of 
fatalities. 

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency of the Ministry of 
Economy, Trade and Industry on Wednesday told operators of the 52 
nuclear reactors in the nation to check for corrosion wastage of 
all pipes and report the results by next Wednesday. 

The agency gave the same instructions to operators of all 837 
thermal power facilities.(IHT/Asahi: August 13,2004) (08/13) 

[Copyright Asahi Shimbun. All rights reserved. No reproduction
*****************************************************************
 21 AFP: Ukraine plays down nuclear breakdown

KIEV (AFP) Aug 12, 2004

 The Ukrainian authorities sought on Thursday to play down a 
series of incidents which disabled a brand new nuclear reactor, 
saying there was no cause for concern and accusing the media of 
alarmism.

The reactor at Khmelnitsky power station had to be shut down on 
Sunday, less than two hours after it went into operation, 
Interfax news agency reported on Wednesday. Further technical 
failures prevented it operating on Monday and Tuesday.

"These incidents do not represent any threat to the public or to 
the environment," state nuclear energy company Energoatom said in 
a statement.

Ukraine was the scene of the world's worst civilian nuclear 
disaster in 1986, when a reactor at Chernobyl nuclear power 
station exploded, contaminating large areas in Ukraine and 
neighbouring Belarus and Russia.

Energoatom confirmed incidents had occurred at Khmelnitsky but 
said it "saw no cause for concern". 

"Certain media inflated the affair," it said.

The K2 Russian-designed VVER pressurised water reactor at 
Khmelnitsky, which has a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, was brought 
on stream on Sunday at a ceremony attended by Ukrainian President 
Leonid Kuchma.

But it ground to a halt almost immediately.

An official at Ukraine's governmental commission for atomic 
energy said that automatic security systems at the power plant 
had cut off the reactor from the electricity grid. 

The reactor was reconnected to the grid three hours later but had 
to be totally shut down later because of a failure in the cooling 
system caused by a power breakdown, the official added.

The reactor was restarted on Monday, only to be stopped again on 
Tuesday, officially to test its shut-down system and cooling 
units.

Energoatom said the incidents had been linked to tests conducted 
after the start up of the reactor. These tests were expected to 
continue until December.

Four nuclear power stations provide nearly 50 percent of 
Ukraine's electrical power.

Chenrobyl finally closed down in 2000, a move imposed by the 
international community before it would provide further aid to 
Ukraine's power programme.

  WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
 22 AFP: Japan nuclear reactors shut down for checks after four killed

WAR.WIRE

TOKYO (AFP) Aug 13, 2004

 Kansai Electric Power Co. began shutting down all its operating 
nuclear reactors for safety checks Friday after an accident that 
killed four workers in Japan's deadliest accident at a nuclear 
plant.

Kansai Electric, Japan's second largest power company, began the 
phased shutdown as the government's nuclear safety agency started 
inspecting the scene of Monday's accident at a nuclear reactor in 
Mihama, 350 kilometresmiles) west of Tokyo.

Police are also investigating the company for possible 
negligence.

The four workers were killed and seven others were severely 
burned when non-radioactive steam blasted from a corroded water 
pipe that ruptured in a turbine room at the Mihama plant.

The company admitted afterwards that the ruptured pipe had not 
been properly checked for 28 years and the thickness of the walls 
had fallen below the legal minimum.

Kansai Electric began shutting down three nuclear reactors at 
three power stations Friday to prepare for ultrasonic tests on 
its pipes, company spokesman Takahiro Seno said. They were to be 
shut for about two weeks.

Three reactors had already been halted, while the utility's 
remaining five would be shut down in stages later for about two 
weeks each, he said.

The company will spend 10 billion yen (91 million dollars) 
covering the shortfall in power by restarting two dormant heavy 
oil power plants, he said.

"We will be able to cover the full amount of the power 
reduction," Seno said.

The shutdown came after the local governor of Fukui prefecture, 
where the accident happened, asked Kansai to check all similar 
pipes at its 11 reactors, "including halting operations if 
necessary," prefectural official Koichi Sakamoto said.

Kansai's nuclear reactors, all in Fukui, have a capacity of 9.8 
million kilowatt hours and account for 28 percent of the 
company's total output.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on Thursday asked all 
the nation's 10 power companies, which operate a combined 52 
reactors, to scan their records to find neglected piping, agency 
official Shigeru Maeda said. Their reports were due Wednesday.

"If they find there is a pipe they haven't checked, we also asked 
them to report what they will do about it," he said.

The government inspection at Mihama was to determine the faulty 
pipe's mechanisms and why the company had failed to inspect it, 
agency official Kazuma Yokota said.

  WAR.WIRE
*****************************************************************
 23 [DU-WATCH] DU Blamed for cancer cluster among iraq war veterans
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 01:29:20 -0500 (CDT)

 
DU article number 2 from American Free Press to be published this
weekend.  There will be 2 more articles following this one.

[Read Article #1 at www.americanfreepress.net]

DEPLETED URANIUM BLAMED FOR

CANCER CLUSTERS AMONG IRAQ WAR VETS

By Christopher Bollyn

American Free Press

A discovery by American Free Press that nearly half of the recently
returned soldiers in one unit from Iraq have malignant growths is
critical evidence, according to experts, that depleted uranium
weapons are responsible for the huge number of disabled Gulf War
vets  and damage to their DNA.

A growing number of U.S. military personnel who are serving, or
have served, in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan have become
sick and disabled from a variety of symptoms commonly known as Gulf
War Syndrome.  Depleted uranium (DU) weapons have been blamed for
causing many of the symptoms.

Gulf War vets are coming down with these symptoms at twice the rate
of vets from previous conflicts, said Barbara A. Goodno from the
Dept. of Defenses Deployment Health Support Directorate.

A recent discovery by American Free Press that nearly half the
soldiers in one returned unit have malignant growths has provided
the scientific community with critical evidence, experts say, to
help understand exactly how depleted uranium affects humans  and
their DNA.

One of the first published researchers of Gulf War Syndrome, Dr.
Andras Korinyi-Both told AFP that 27-28 percent of Gulf War veterans
have suffered chronic health problems, more than 5 times the rate
of Viet Nam vets, and 4 times the rate of Korean War vets.

Korinyi-Both said his son had recently returned from Iraq, where
he had been part of the initial assault from Kuwait to Baghdad.
>From his unit of 20 men, 8 now have malignant growths, Korinyi-Both
said.

Dr. Korinyi-Both is not an expert on DU, but has written extensively
about how the fine desert sand blowing around Iraq and the Arabian
Peninsula provides a ideal vehicle for toxins, increasing the range
and effect of biological and chemical agents, such as DU, that
attach themselves to the particles of sand.

Korinyi-Both described how, during the 1991 Gulf War, he and others
had inhaled large quantities of sand dust that could have been laden
with chemical or biological agents.  The sand destroyed our immune
systems, he said.

FULKS THEORY

Marion Fulk, a former nuclear chemical physicist at Lawrence Livermore
lab, is investigating how DU affects the human body.  Fulk said
that 8 malignancies out of 20, in 16 months, is spectacular  and
of serious concern.

The high rate of malignancies found in this unit appears to have
been caused by exposure to DU weapons on the battlefield.  If DU
were found to be the cause, this case would be critical evidence
of Fulks theory on how the DU particulate affects DNA.

Such quick malignancies are caused by the particulate effect of DU,
according to Fulk:

When DU (Uranium 238) decays, it transforms into two short-lived
and very hot isotopes  Thorium 234 and Protactinium 234.  As it
transforms in the body, the DU particle is firing off faster and
faster bullets into the DNA, Fulk said, or wherever it is lodged.

Because uranium has a natural attraction to phosphorus, however,
it is drawn to the phosphate in the DNA.

As the Uranium 238 decays, it releases alpha and beta particles
with millions of electron volts.  When a DU particle makes this
transformation in the human body it releases huge amounts of energy
in the same location doing lots of damage very quickly, Fulk said.

Thorium 234 has a half-life of 24 days and emits a beta particle
of .270 million electron volts as it transforms into Protactinium
234, which has a half-life of less than 7 hours.  Protactinium then
emits a beta particle of 2.19 million electron volts as it transforms
into the more stable Uranium 234.

The chemical binding energy in the molecules of the human cell is
less than 10 electron volts.  One alpha particle from U-238 is over
4 million electron volts, which is like nuking a cell.

Leuren Moret, a scientist who is opposed to the use of DU, compared
it to sitting in front of a fire and putting a red-hot coal in your
mouth.  The nuclear establishment wants us to believe that it is
like sitting in front of the fire and warming the whole body evenly
and that no harm is done, but that is not the reality, she said.

We can expect to see multiple cancers in one person, Moret said.
These multiple unrelated cancers in the same individual have been
reported in Yugoslavia and Iraq in families that had no history of
any cancer.

This is unknown in the previous studies of cancer, she said. A new
phenomenon.

The Pentagons Goodno questioned Dr. Korinyi-Boths report that 8 of
20 recently returned soldiers from one unit had experienced malignant
growths. Goodno and Korinyi-Both did agree, however, that Iraqi
chemical and biological agents had not played a role in the 2003
invasion.

This is significant because three factors have generally been blamed
for causing Gulf War Syndrome:

Iraqi chemical and biological weapons, the cocktail of vaccinations
given to coalition soldiers, and depleted uranium.  The absence of
any detectable chemical or biological agents during the 2003 invasion
of Iraq reduces the number of potential factors for the malignancies
in the veterans to pre-war vaccinations and DU.

Statistics published in Encyclopedia Britannicas 2003 Almanac
indicate that 325,000 Gulf War vets were receiving compensation for
service-related disabilities in 2000.  The almanac lists 580,400
combatants in the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91, yet only 467 U.S.
personnel were actually wounded during the conflict.  The 325,000
disabled Gulf War vets are equivalent to 56 percent of the number
of military personnel serving in the theater of operation.

Furthermore, in 2000, nine years after the three-week war in Iraq
had ended, the number of disabled vets from the Gulf War was
increasing yearly by more than 43,000.  While the number of disabled
vets from previous wars is decreasing by about 35,000 per year,
since the War on Terror began in 2001, the total number of disabled
vets has grown to some 2.5 million.

MORE DISABLED VETS

More than ever before, Brad Flohr of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs
said about the total number of disabled vets.  Asked if there are
more disabled vets now than even after World War II, Flohr said he
believed so.

Terry Jemison of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs told AFP that current
statistics indicate that more than half a million veterans of the
14-year-old Gulf War era are now receiving disability compensation.

During this period, some 7,035 soldiers are reported having been
wounded in Iraq.

With 518,739 disabled Gulf-era veterans currently receiving disability
compensation, according to Jemison, the number of veterans disabled
after the war is more than 73 times the total number of wounded,
in and out of combat, from the entire 14-year conflict with Iraq.

DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS

Last December, Dr. Asaf Durakovic, a nuclear medicine expert who
has conducted extensive research on depleted uranium, examined nine
soldiers from the 442nd Military Police Company of New York and
found that four of the men had absorbed or inhaled depleted uranium
(U-238).

Several of the men had traces of another uranium isotope, U-236,
which is only produced in a nuclear reaction process.  Both U-238
and U-236 are man-made forms of uranium.

These men were almost certainly exposed to radioactive weapons on
the battlefield, Durakovic said.

Due to the current proliferation of DU weaponry, the battlefields
of the future will be unlike any battlefields in history, Durakovic,
then Chief of Nuclear Medicine for the Veterans Administration said
after the first Gulf War, in which he served.

Since 1991, the U.S. military has used DU in munitions as penetrating
rods, which destroy enemy tanks and their occupants, and as armor
on U.S. tanks.  When DU penetrating rods strike a hard target some
of the radioactive and chemically toxic DU is vaporized into
ultra-fine particles that are easily inhaled or absorbed through
the skin.

According to a survey of 10,051 Gulf War veterans, conducted between
1991 and 1995 by Vic Sylvester and the Operation Desert Shield/Desert
Storm Association, 82 percent of veterans reported having entered
captured Iraqi vehicles. This would suggest that 123,000 soldiers
have been directly exposed to DU, Durakovic said.

Since the effects of contamination by uranium cannot be directed
or contained, uraniums chemical and radiological toxicity will
create environments that are hostile not only to the health of enemy
forces but of ones own forces as well, Durakovic said.

Because of the chemical and radiological toxicity of DU, the small
number of particles trapped in the lungs, kidneys, and bone greatly
increase the risk of cancer and all other illnesses over time,
Durakovic, an expert of internal contamination of radio-isotopes,
said.

According to Durakovic, other symptoms associated with DU poisoning
are: emotional and mental deterioration, fatigue, loss of bowel and
bladder control, and numerous forms of cancer. Such symptoms are
increasing showing up in Iraqs children and among Gulf War veterans
and their offspring, he said.

Although I personally served in Operation Desert Shield as Unit
Commander, Durakovic said, my expertise of internal contamination
was never used because we were never informed of the intended use
of DU prior to or during the war.

The numbers are overwhelming, but the potential horrors only get
worse, Robert C. Koehler of the Chicago-based Tribune Media Services
wrote in his March 25 article on DU weapons, Silent Genocide.

DU dust does more than wreak havoc on the immune systems of those
who breathe it or touch it; the substance also alters ones genetic
code, Koehler wrote. The Pentagons response to such charges is
denial, denial, denial.  And the American media is its moral
co-conspirator.

As AFP reported last week, the smallest particles of DU, when
inhaled, are capable of moving throughout the human body, passing
through cell walls and affecting the persons Master Code, according
to Fulk, and the _expression of the DNA.

Four years after the Gulf War of 1991, Life magazine published a
photo-essay entitled The Tiny Victims of Desert Storm, which focused
on the numerous cases of severe birth defects that had occurred in
families of veterans from that war.

Life reported, Of the 400 sick vets who had already answered [Don
Riegles Senate Banking] committee inquiries, a startling 65 percent
reported birth defects or immune-system problems in children conceived
after the war.

AFP asked the Dept. of Veterans Affairs if they kept records of the
birth defects occurring among the families of veterans, and was
told they do not.

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 24 [NukeNet] plutonium Danger Greater Than Thought
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:55:20 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
Hi, colleagues:
There have been several requests for this article, so I thought I'd share
it more broadly.
Peace, Marylia Kelley

Plutonium Danger Greater Than Thought

By Inga Olson and Marylia Kelley

 >From Tri-Valley CAREs' August 2004 newsletter, Citizen's Watch

There is no doubt, according to a new report leaked to the "New Scientist"
magazine, that radiation emitted by plutonium and other radionuclides may
cause much more damage to human cells than was previously believed.

The report, due to be released in the next several months, was produced by
the Committee Examining Radiation Risks from Internal Emitters (CERRIE).
The committee was composed of 12 specialists from the British government's
National Radiological Protection Board, the nuclear industry, universities
and environmental groups.

All CERRIE members reportedly agreed that, "the margin of uncertainty over
the risks of plutonium inside the body could extend over at least an order
of magnitude."

The CERRIE report raises the profile of recent scientific discoveries about
the less obvious effects of low-level radiation. For example, descendants
of cells that appear to be unharmed by radiation may, in fact, suffer
delayed damage. This is referred to as "genomic instability," and it
carries major implications for how the biological impacts of so-called
"low-level" radiation exposures are calculated. (Note that research into
genomic instability has also been previously reported in "New Scientist"
and other journals, and copies are available at the Tri-Valley CAREs
office.)

Additionally, scientific experiments are showing that cells located near
irradiated cells can also be damaged by a phenomenon called "the bystander
effect." We often call this "the neighborhood effect," a term coined by
Marion Fulk, a retired Livermore Lab physicist and science advisor to
Tri-Valley CAREs. And, according to "New Scientist," small pieces of DNA,
called mini-satellites, that are passed from one generation to another show
an increase in the number of mutations.

The concern is that these effects could result in cancer and a wide variety
of other illnesses. Therefore, says CERRIE, the cancer risk from exposure
to plutonium inside the body could be 10 times higher than is allowed for
in calculating international safety limits.

The CERRIE report, and other new scientific research showing that the
current "allowable limits" used by regulatory agencies may not be
sufficiently protective of human health, should be taken into consideration
when analyzing operations at Livermore Lab.

For example, if plutonium exposure is more harmful than previously
calculated, our government agencies should take a fresh look at the
question of who received the plutonium-contaminated sludge released by the
Lab and distributed free to residents between 1958 and 1974. Pu-239 has a
half-life of 24,000 years, making this an issue of current and future as
well as past exposures.

The proposal to more than double the plutonium limit at Livermore Lab to
3,300 pounds becomes even more alarming when seen through the lens of this
new research. The CERRIE report provides all the more reason to move
Livermore Lab in the opposite direction; that is, toward terminating its
plutonium work.

Already, there have been numerous reports citing security deficiencies
involving plutonium at Livermore Lab. And, the General Accounting Office
and others have strongly criticized the DOE's ability to respond to a
terror attack at Livermore. Under fire, DOE Secretary Spencer Abraham
recently agreed to study whether special nuclear materials should be
removed from Livermore.

A decision whether to de-inventory the plutonium at Livermore is supposed
to be forthcoming from Abraham's office in 2005. However, the DOE decision
on whether to more than double the plutonium storage limit at Livermore Lab
is also due in 2005. Can anyone say "mutually incompatible?"

The CERRIE report is a wake up call  locally - and to the 7 million people
living within a 50-mile radius of Livermore Lab. We hope CERRIE's findings
will help in our efforts to ramp down the plutonium activities at Livermore
Lab, obtain cleanup and relief for families that have contaminated sludge
in their gardens and get justice for sick and dying workers and community
members.

We invite you to join us in these efforts!

ends

Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
(Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA USA 94551

<http://www.trivalleycares.org> - is our web site address. Please visit us
there!

(925) 443-7148 - is our phone
(925) 443-0177 - is our fax



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 25 [NukeNet] Sick Nuclear Workers Resource Center-longer version
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:55:21 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
Dear friends-- Here is the slightly longer version of the story. Peace, Marylia

Livermore Center for Sick Atomic Workers Opens Its Doors

By Inga Olson
 >From Tri-Valley CAREs' August 2004 newsletter, Citizen's Watch

A long overdue step on the road to justice for sick atomic workers was
taken on July 12, 2004, with the opening of a new Resource Center in
Livermore. Though the official ceremony will take place later in the year,
the center's doors are open, the phone is on, and the work can begin.

We are elated that sick workers from the Livermore Lab and other Dept. of
Energy (DOE) facilities in the area now have a permanent location and staff
to help them apply for compensation and medical benefits. People who are
ill with cancer, chronic beryllium disease or silicosis due to on-the-job
exposures, and certain family members, can apply to receive a payment of
$150,000 and medical care costs. Workers with other diseases or exposures
to other toxic poisons can get help applying for State Workers'
Compensation benefits.

Tri-Valley CAREs has offered its expertise as an advocacy center for the
sick workers since 2001 when the Energy Employees Occupational Illness
Compensation program began. We have conducted outreach to DOE workers and
the public about the program, helped people apply for compensation, and
facilitated a support group for sick workers. We will continue this work,
and expect that the opening of a permanent Dept. of Labor/DOE Resource
Center will mean additional outreach and assistance to workers.

The siting of a Resource Center in Livermore is the result of public and
congressional efforts. Tri-Valley CAREs and leaders of the sick worker
support group (with special kudos going to Joyce Brooks, Linda Gallego, and
Gerry Giovacchini), along with other support group members, conducted
letter writing campaigns, made phone calls, held meetings with DOE and
Labor officials in Washington and generally raised "hell" to get a
permanent Resource Center located in the community. Our Rep. Ellen Tauscher
and our Sen. Dianne Feinstein were key in passing legislation to mandate
the center and provide the funds to set it up, and we thank them.

Tri-Valley CAREs, the sick worker support group and the Society of
Professional Scientists and Engineers, which represents workers at
Livermore Lab, recruited top-notch candidates to apply for employment
positions at the Resource Center. The government chose not to hire any of
them. Still, we three groups know the extreme need for services for sick
and dying atomic workers, and we are giving the Resource Center and its
staff every opportunity to prove their worth.

Tri-Valley CAREs and the other organizations will work with the Resource
Center to ensure that the center acts to the full extent of its authority
to mount a vigorous outreach program to the DOE labs, other employers,
contractors, healthcare providers, unions and community groups so that all
eligible workers and family members throughout the State will understand
their right to apply for compensation and services. We expect, also, that
the Resource Center will help workers secure copies of their employment and
exposure records. In addition, we hope the center's services will extend to
helping the workers find appropriate legal and medical specialists to
answer questions about their exposures and diseases and such things as
where to get the proper tests for beryllium sensitivity.

Another "next step" for Tri-Valley CAREs will be to identify whether there
are areas at Livermore Lab and Sandia Lab that might qualify the workers
under the "Special Exposure Cohort" rule. This designation can be made if
the workers were contaminated and there was inadequate monitoring or
record-keeping. Certainly, these things have been true at the weapons labs,
the hard part will be convincing a government bureaucracy that doesn't want
to hear it. If we succeed in getting a special cohort designation, it could
expedite payment of claims. This is important because the government has
done an abysmal job so far in paying any awards.

At Livermore and Sandia Labs, most workers' claims have been referred to
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and are
waiting for individual dose reconstructions.  In many cases these claims
have been sitting at NIOSH for 1 to 3 years. Currently, NIOSH is working at
Livermore Lab to complete a site-wide dose reconstruction. We are
collecting stories from workers about accidents, exposures and hot areas to
make sure that NIOSH doesn't overlook important information, for example
due to poor records.

Current or former employees of Livermore Lab, Sandia, Livermore, the
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Lawrence Berkeley Lab or any of the
other 31 covered facilities in CA who have information about accidents,
exposures, monitoring or record-keeping deficiencies, please call Inga
Olson at the Tri-Valley CAREs' office (925) 443-7148.

The Resource Center for Sick Workers is located at 2600 Kitty Hawk Road,
Suite 101, Livermore, CA 94550 (take Airway Blvd. Exit off I-580). The
phone is (925) 606-6302.

ends

Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
(Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA USA 94551

<http://www.trivalleycares.org> - is our web site address. Please visit us
there!

(925) 443-7148 - is our phone
(925) 443-0177 - is our fax



_______________________________________________________________________
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 26 UCS BulletinWire News: Nuclear fuel foul-up
 		
August 13, 2004

Following the discovery that a potentially dangerous 
concentration of uranium was present in the ash of an incinerator 
at a Columbia, South Carolina, nuclear fuel plant, the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced it was fining the plants 
operator, Westinghouse Electric Company, $24,000.
 						
Enough uranium had collected in the incinerator, which burns 
contaminated waste, to present a significant increase in the 
likelihood of a nuclear criticality event, according to the NRC. 
Westinghouse acknowledged its responsibility for allowing the 
uranium to build up and blamed the mistake on a miscommunication 
between employees who knew of the potential for uranium to build 
up in the incinerator and those who did not.
 						
There is a weakness in this organization, which we are 
addressing, said Mark Fecteau, the plants manager. In hindsight, 
you can see we had opportunities to catch this (The State, August 
10).
 						
Although Westinghouse averted disaster despite the weakness in 
its organization, the JCO fuel production plant in Tokaimura, 
Japan, was less fortunate. In 1999, ill-trained employees were at 
fault when a criticality accident occurred while they were 
misusing a precipitation vessel to prepare nuclear fuel.
 					
Although it is difficult to believe, [the employees] apparently 
did not understand that the amount of intermediate-enriched 
uranium that could be safely poured into the vessel was smaller 
than the safe amount of low-enriched uranium, the material they 
were accustomed to working with. Yokokawa, the supervisor, told 
investigators later that he didnt even know what a criticality 
was, reported Edwin Lyman and Steven Dolley in the March/April 
2000 Bulletin.
 													
After it was discovered that the company operating the JCO plant 
had been using illegal procedures, the role of Japans regulatory 
Science and Technology Agency in the accident came into question. 
Although the companys part in the accident is beyond  dispute, 
the agency also deserves part of the blame, concluded Lyman and 
Dolley.
 													
Similarly, the NRCs role in the Columbia incident also came into 
question, considering that the recent incident was not the first 
time Westinghouse has let uranium accumulate dangerously in the 
incinerator. A recent NRC inspection report found that 
Westinghouse exceeded criticality safety limits in incinerator 
ash six times from 1996 to 2004, according to The State.
 													
Whether or not it deserves any of the blame, the NRC deserves no 
credit for dealing with the problem, Arjun Makhijani, president 
of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, told The 
State.
 												
Bulletin Resources
 													   												 											
Beryllium's nasty legacy lives on
                                                                                        
The government program to compensate employees made sick from 
years of working in the nuclear weapons industry has paid out 
more than $900 million in benefits in response to more than 
11,500 claims. But when it comes to those exposed to beryllium�a 
light, strong metal used in nuclear weapon construction that is 
known to have damaged the lungs of some workers�the compensation 
program still has some work to do.
 													
In order to reach more former workers who might be suffering from 
illnesses caused by beryllium exposure�including chronic 
beryllium disease (CBD)�the Energy Department is planning to 
broaden its effort into a nationwide initiative to identify 
potential claimants (Wired News, August 11).
 												
The claims paid thus far represent only a fraction of the total 
number of potential claimants, as the government has yet to reach 
many former workers who may have relocated or retired, according 
to Dr. Laura Welch, medical director for the Center to Protect 
Workers Rights, wrote Wired News reporter John Gartner in the 
first of his two-part series on beryllium. Welch said fewer than 
half the construction workers who worked at an Energy Department 
site in Hanford, Washington, knew they were exposed to beryllium 
when Energy contacted them.
 												
Despite the push to fully recognize the scope of the damage 
caused by beryllium exposure, health officials are still 
searching for ways to protect workers who are exposed to the 
potentially dangerous metal during commercial fabrication 
processes today, Gartner wrote in the second part of his series.
 												
In an opinion article in the November/December 2002 Bulletin, 
author Glenn Bell wrote about Energy Department plans to work 
with the government of Kazakhstan to establish a beryllium 
production industry in the Central Asian country.
 												
Bell, a member of the Beryllium Victims Alliance and an advocate 
for recognizing the risks posed by beryllium exposure, lamented 
that a new generation of workers is likely to fall victim to the 
dangers of beryllium exposure.
 												
Given the substantial number of beryllium-related illnesses in 
the United States, it is inappropriate for U.S. authorities to 
support expanding the metals production abroad, where health and 
safety regulations are sorely inadequate. There is no guarantee 
that criminal organizations will not try to exploit these private 
enterprises, wrote Bell.
 											
*****************************************************************
 27 Las Vegas RJ: President stands by Yucca Mountain decisions 
 
Friday, August 13, 2004
 

By ERIN NEFF
REVIEW-JOURNAL

President Bush emphasizes a point during his 45-minute speech 
Thursday before an invited crowd of 1,300 in Las Vegas. Photo by 
John Gurzinski.

President Bush on Thursday stood by his decision to locate a 
national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain and pledged 
to abide by any court or licensing decision related to the 
project.
 
 "I will allow this process to be appealed to the courts and to 
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and I will stand by the 
decision of the courts and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," 
Bush said in his speech at the carpenters union training center 
south of the airport. Bush called Yucca Mountain a "vital 
question" and said "we need to keep facts, not politics, at the 
center of the debate."
 
 In his first public statements on the issue, viewed as central 
in a key battleground state, Bush accused Democratic presidential 
candidate John Kerry of "trying to turn Yucca Mountain into a 
political poker chip."
 
 Bush said the issue has been developing over the years and 
mentioned the 1987 congressional vote to exclusively study Yucca 
Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as a potential 
repository. Implied, but not spoken, was Kerry's vote in support 
of that bill.
 
 During a two-day campaign tour in Southern Nevada this week, 
Kerry said his 1987 vote was to study the issue, and he noted he 
voted against the repository on every substantive vote.
 
 Bush has been criticized by Democrats for approving Yucca 
Mountain a year into his presidency, which they contend violated 
a 2000 promise to Nevada voters that he would base his decision 
on "sound science, not politics."
 
 The president addressed his promise.
 
 "When I campaigned here in this state, I said I would make a 
decision based upon science, not politics," Bush said. "I said I 
would listen to the scientists, those involved with determining 
whether or not this project could move forward in a safe manner. 
And that's exactly what I did. ... I listened to the people who 
know the facts and know the science, and made a decision."
 
 Bush also addressed Nevada's Republican leaders who disagree 
with him on the decision, including Gov. Kenny Guinn, who 
attended the event.
 
 "They didn't agree with my decision. I understand that. They 
made themselves very clear," Bush said. The president went on to 
say that he would allow the process to be appealed.
 
 Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said she couldn't believe Bush's 
comments.
 
 "He didn't allow the state of Nevada to go to court," she said. 
"The state has a constitutional right to go to court, and we won 
on this issue."
 
 Berkley was referring to a recent U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals 
decision which invalidated a requirement that the repository be 
able to contain radioactive materials safely for at least 10,000 
years, suggesting the period should be longer -- perhaps hundreds 
of thousands of years. During his trip to Las Vegas, Kerry called 
on Bush to hold off submitting an application for licensing the 
repository. Kerry also said that, if elected, he would withdraw 
any application for a license the Bush administration submits, 
and that he would veto any congressional attempts to change the 
EPA's radiation standards. The Bush-Cheney campaign said Kerry 
has been playing politics with the issue. The campaign handed out 
a 1996 letter Kerry and fellow Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy 
wrote to then-Department of Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary. In 
the letter, the senators urge her to comply with the 
congressional budget bill directing the department to complete 
core scientific tests at Yucca Mountain.
 
 "It is important for us to move towards a viable and safe 
solution to the nation's need for a permanent nuclear waste 
repository," the letter states. "We are hopeful that DOE will 
move expeditiously to comply with the direction of the conferees 
and properly fund scientific and technical suitability testing at 
Yucca Mountain."
 
 On Wednesday, Kerry said he has studied the science over the 
years and no longer believes geological burial of the waste can 
be done safely.
 
 The Bush campaign also pointed to a 1999 letter Kerry, Kennedy 
and the two Connecticut senators wrote to then-Sen. Frank 
Murkowski, chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee, seeking to expedite shipments to Nevada if an interim 
repository were approved.
 
 On Wednesday, Kerry said he didn't recall signing it, suggested 
it was a delegation-generated letter and pointed out that he 
voted against interim storage when it did come to Congress.
 
 Murkowski, now governor of Alaska, issued a statement for the 
Bush campaign Thursday that said: "John Kerry's message with this 
letter was clear; get nuclear waste out of my state now, and send 
it to Nevada."
 
 Bush was less blunt, saying: "My opponent says he's strongly 
against Yucca here in Nevada, but he voted for it several times. 
And so did his running mate."
 
 Kerry voted against the repository in 2002 and in 1999. Vice 
presidential candidate John Edwards voted for the repository in 
2002 and now says he would defer to Kerry's position on Yucca 
Mountain.
 
 "My point to you is that, if they're going to change one day 
they may change again," Bush said to a standing ovation. "I think 
we need -- I think you need straight talk on this issue. I think 
you need somebody who is going to do what he says he's going to 
do."
 
 Peggy Maze Johnson, president of Citizen Alert, is one of the 
plaintiffs in Nevada's lawsuit challenging the Yucca Mountain 
repository. She disputed Bush made his decision based on science, 
saying the Government Accounting Agency has identified more than 
200 unresolved scientific issues involving the repository and 
that the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board has found no 
leak-proof canister for storing the waste.
 
 "The citizens of Nevada are not stupid," Maze Johnson said. 
"Don't lie to us once again, Mr. President."
 
 According to a poll commissioned in July for the Review-Journal, 
57 percent of Nevada voters said Bush's approval of the 
repository would have no influence on their presidential vote. 
Thirty-five percent said the decision would make them less likely 
to vote for Bush, and 6 percent said it would make them more 
likely to support Bush.
 
 Just before his speech, during a tour of the training center, 
Bush was asked twice why he approved Yucca Mountain. He smiled 
and waved at the reporter.
 
 
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
 28 Las Vegas RJ: Bush supporters, protesters face to face at union hall 
 
Friday, August 13, 2004

By RICHARD LAKE REVIEW-JOURNAL

Police hold the line between protesters opposed to President Bush 
and his supporters entering the rally where he spoke Thursday at 
the Carpenters and Joiners Union training center. Photo by 
Samantha Clemens

Democratic protesters shouted personal insults at people who 
attended President Bush's speech Thursday, capping off a protest 
rally led by labor union members who support John Kerry.
 
 "Hey you bunch of losers, keep walking," shouted Bill 
Pasiecznik, with the laborers local 872, as a steady stream of 
speech attendees walked to their cars.
 
 "Shame on you. Shame on you," came the taunts from Randy Soltero 
with the sheetmetal workers union. "Did you believe the lies?"
 
 The protesters began gathering before 9 a.m., armed with signs 
declaring Bush a liar, a war monger and a bad manager of the 
economy. Police said they had to break up a fistfight at one 
point between a Bush supporter and a Kerry supporter, and 
officers were seen escorting Bush supporters to their cars. But 
police said they made no arrests.
 
 "I don't have a problem with protesting," said Gaylene Teshima, 
who attended the speech with her family. "But for them to be so 
rude and go so far as to tear the bumper stickers off our car, 
that to me really spoke volumes about where they stand as far as 
integrity and honor."
 
 Bush was in town briefly to speak at the United Brotherhood of 
Carpenters and Joiners of America's training center, just south 
of McCarran International Airport. The president arrived at the 
center through a rear entrance about 10:30 a.m., and left about 
an hour later. The protesters never got to see him before he took 
off for Southern California. Police estimated the number of 
protesters at about 250, though the crowd looked to be about 
twice that size. A Democratic Party volunteer said he thought 
there were 2,000 protesters there, though that number seemed 
inordinately high.
 
 In heat that topped 100 degrees, the protesters varied chanting 
"No more Bush," "Hey hey, ho ho, George Bush has got to go," and 
"Hell no, we won't glow," a reference to Bush's approval of Yucca 
Mountain, located 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as a proposed 
nuclear waste repository.
 
 Some protesters wore T-shirts declaring "Bush sucks," or "Bush 
is an idiot." There were others, however, who toned down their 
message.
 
 "I don't want four more years of Bush, and I'll stand out here 
in 150 degrees if I have to," said Connie Gilmore, a homemaker 
whose husband is a member of the Carpenter's union. "Bush has 
united Americans like no one has united them before, and we're 
all against him."
 
 Amid the signs was one made by Lyla Bartholomae, 62. "Bush, you 
lied. You're fired. Here's your pink slip," said the sign, which 
featured the kind of pink slip typically worn under a dress.

Review-Journal writer Brian Haynes contributed to this report.
 
 
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
 29 Las Vegas RJ: NRC denies Yucca Mountain bias claim 
 
Friday, August 13, 2004

Letter rejects Nevada agency official's charge By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- A suggestion by Nevada officials that Nuclear
Regulatory Commission evaluators are biased in favor of the
Yucca Mountain Project drew a sharp rebuttal.
 
 Karen Cyr, NRC general counsel, said Nevada leaders were
irresponsible to suggest agency staffers are biased after the
state expressed unhappiness with a legal opinion on a segment of
the nuclear waste repository plan.
 
 Cyr commented in a letter sent Wednesday to Robert Loux,
executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
Loux had asked Cyr to investigate whether agency staff was being
encouraged to tilt in favor of the Department of Energy on Yucca
Mountain matters. 
Loux said NRC attorney Mitzi Young crossed the line Aug. 4 when
she delivered a legal opinion favoring the Energy Department at
a hearing.
 
 Cyr wrote that she spoke to Young and that staffers have not
been compromised.
 
 "Merely because the staff's views may diverge from those of the
state in a particular instance, it is irresponsible to suggest
that they therefore reflect an inappropriate bias toward the
Department of Energy," the NRC official wrote.
 
 Loux said Thursday he still believes the Energy Department and
the NRC "are in bed together" to get the nuclear repository
approved.
 
 
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
 30 KTNV: Bush in Nevada

[Channel 13]

After 2 days of John Kerry in Las Vegas, it was President Bush's 
turn to woo voters. The President spoke to more than 1,000 people 
Thursday morning at the "United Brotherhood of Carpenters and 
Joiners of America." He talked about a number of things, from 
national security to Yucca Mountain. He voted in 2002 to allow 
Yucca Mountain to be the storage site for 77,000 tons of nuclear 
waste, and while it's an issue that could determine the 
presidency, he said it was a decision based on science.

I'll tell you what I will do; I will allow this process to be 
appealed to the courts and to the nuclear regulatroy commission 
and I will stand by the decision of the courts and the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission," the President said.

While his opponent, John Kerry maintains mister Bush broke his 
promise to Nevada, the President said check out Kerry's voting 
record.

"Now my opponent is trying to turn Yucca mountain into a 
political poker chip, he said he's strongly against Yucca here in 
Nevada, but he voted for it several times," he said.

The President also said America must make good on it's word when 
it comes to Iraq and standing up to terrorists.

"It's a risk we could not afford to take and knowing what I know 
now, I would've made the same decision and the world is better 
off for it," he said."

Hundreds showed up outside to protest the President's visit.

� 2004 KTNV and Journal Broadcast Group                         
 			 			   		 	
*****************************************************************
 31 Las Vegas SUN: Protesters brave the heat

By Christina Littlefield <clittle@lasvegassun.com> LAS VEGAS SUN

 John Kerry supporters and/or George Bush despisers came out in
droves Thursday morning -- despite the scorching heat -- to
protest the U.S. president's speech at the local Carpenter's
union.

 Organizers passed out water bottles constantly throughout the
event, which lasted about four hours, but as the temperature
rose 10 degrees throughout the morning, the once-energetic crowd
began to peter out.

 With sweat dripping from his hair, 20-year-old Vincent Carson
was even begging other protesters to take their turn in the hot
Hazmat suit the young man was wearing to protest Bush's support
of the Yucca Mountain dump.

 While Yucca Mountain brought several dozen of the protesters
out, most were union members who said they were upset at what
they called the Bush administration's anti-labor policies, the
outsourcing of American jobs, and the new overtime law that they
said hurt American workers.

 "We can't afford four more years of this guy," Danny Thompson,
executive secretary treasurer of the Nevada AFL-CIO, said.

 The Nevada AFL-CIO organized the protest along with the
Democratic party and were joined in the protest by political
groups Move-On and America Coming Together.

 The protesters never got a glimpse of the president, as his
entourage took a back way into the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners of America International Training Center,
where he gave a speech, and bypassed the union members and John
Kerry supporters lining Gilespie Street just south of McCarran
International Airport.

 Police estimated the crowd at about 250 to 300 people, but
Democratic party leader Jon Summers said his people had counted
1,300 -- well above the 1,000 the party had hoped to get. The
crowd grew to 500 or more when the protest hit its peak just
before 11 a.m., when Bush began his speech.

 Led by bull-horn wielding protesters, the crowd displayed high
energy as they chanted together, shouting things like "No more
Bush," "Three more months" and "Bush and Cheney have to go."

 Most protesters held signs that said "Bush hands off overtime,"
but others displayed more creativity. One younger protester,
Meagan Lewis, a 15-year-old canvaser for America Coming
Together, held a sign that was almost bigger than she was and
that said "Let's kick this son-of-a-Bush out."

 Dozens of police cars blocked most of the protesters away from
where some Bush supporters entered and exited the union training
center, and about 25 officers initially guarded the area.

 As temperatures began to rise, so did tempers in the formerly
peaceful crowd.

 Just before noon, as temperatures hit 102 and many protesters
had been out in the heat for almost four hours, Bush supporters
began trickling out of the union facility.

 By then, the protesters had dwindled to less than 100 people,
but they began to heckle the Bush supporters coming out, and the
heckling quickly turned to profanity.

 Most of the protesters asked the Bush supporters how they felt
being lied to, or, as one man put it, "Bush-ited."

 Most of the Bush supporters just waved at the protesters, but a
few of the Bush supporters decided to heckle them back, and a
few shouting matches turned into minor shoving matches police
had to break up. In one fight, a Pro-Bush man shouting "Four
more years" had to be protected from Kerry supporters shouting
"Three more months."

 By then, the number of officers guarding the area had doubled
to nearly 50.

 No arrests were made, Metro Police Lt. Dave Braden said.

 One man, Jose Martinez, shouted "flip-flop" to the protesters.
Another, Vietnam veteran Tino Mendoza, held a sign that said he
had served a "full tour of duty in Vietnam," referencing Kerry's
short term.

 Police had to escort some union members to their cars and
protected a little girl and her mother after protesters began to
shout "Shame on you" at the pair as they were the only Bush
supporters left on the street.

 For the most part, the Bush supporters said they supported the
rights of the Kerry people to protest.

 "They're exercising their right to free speech, and that is
great," Claire DeJesus said. "That's what makes this country
great."

 

*****************************************************************
 32 Las Vegas SUN: NRC staff not pushing for Yucca, attorney says

Today: August 13, 2004 at 9:28:17 PDT 

By Suzanne Struglinski <suzanne@lasvegassun.com> SUN WASHINGTON 
BUREAU

 WASHINGTON -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is not
advocating for the Energy Department's Yucca Mountain project,
the agency's attorney assured Nevada officials Wednesday.

 Nevada had accused the commission's staff of being partial to
the department based on comments made by an attorney during an
administrative court hearing last month.

 Attorney Mitzi Young used the phrase "hard sell" when
describing the agency's support for the Energy Department's
position on Nevada's challenge to the document database.

 Nevada officials believe the department violated the rules when
it created its own Web site and posted millions of documents to
it, only to have the site be unusable for days following its
release. Energy Department officials believe the database is
acceptable under the law. The department needed to make the
documents public six months before it planned to turn in its
license application.

 "Merely because the staff's views may diverge from those of the
state in a particular instance, it is irresponsible to suggest
that they therefore reflect an inappropriate bias towards the
Department of Energy," NRC General Counsel Karen Cyr said in a
letter sent to Bob Loux, executive director of the state's
Agency for Nuclear Projects Wednesday.

 "Please be assured that there have been no communications that
would compromise the separation of functions requirements or
suggest that the staff should depart from its traditional role
in this matter," Cyr said.

 She said she had spoken with Young and other attorneys and
found nothing wrong.

 The state emphasized that the agency is required to be an
independent evaluator in the whole process.

 The administrative court has not yet issued a decision on
whether the database satisfies the law. A ruling in the state's
favor could delay the project.

 
 
*****************************************************************
 33 Las Vegas SUN: Columnist Jeff German: Kerry has guts to stop nuke waste 
 
Columnist Jeff German: Kerry has guts to stop nuke waste 
Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and
Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.comor (702)
259-4067.

���

 If the presidential race for Nevada's five electoral votes comes 
down to Yucca Mountain, which it should, Sen. John Kerry already 
has won the race.

 The difference between Kerry and President Bush on this issue 
was as clear this week as the bright Southern Nevada sky after a 
summer rainstorm.

 While Kerry, the Democrat, spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Las 
Vegas hammering home his opposition to Yucca Mountain at public 
event after public event, Bush, the Republican, let it be known 
during a single campaign appearance Thursday that he was 
determined to ram nuclear waste down our throats.

 With Gov. Kenny Guinn and other top Republicans at his side, 
Bush offered no reassurance in a televised speech that he would 
stop sending the deadliest substance known to man our way. 
Instead he attempted to poke holes in Kerry's voting record on 
Yucca Mountain which, any way you look at it, is a zillion times 
better than the president's. Bush had one vote in 2002 and that 
was to recommend the project to Congress.

 Kerry, on the other hand, whether chatting with local officials 
at a small town hall meeting or preaching to an overflowing crowd 
of an estimated 15,000 supporters at the Thomas &Mack Center, 
stepped up his tough anti-Yucca Mountain talk. And he backed it 
up with specifics. He appeared much more knowledgeable about the 
dangers of the project than he did back in May when he first 
promised that Yucca Mountain would not happen on his watch.

 What impressed me the most was not Kerry's campaign rhetoric, 
but the depth of his opposition, which came into focus during a 
news conference Wednesday with a half-dozen local journalists.

 In a relaxed mood, after addressing a group of friendly seniors 
in Henderson, Kerry said he's no longer even sure storing 
radioactive waste at a centralized location is the right way to 
go. That's a significant statement when you consider that some 
$20 billion in taxpayer money already has been poured into the 
still-unfinished Yucca Mountain project.

 "The more I've looked at the issue and the more I've learned 
about it, the less comfortable I am with the concept of a 
repository," Kerry said.

 It's why the Massachusetts senator said earlier during his visit 
that, as president, he would put the nation's scientists to work 
to once and for all find the best and safest way to deal with 
nuclear waste.

 More than that, however, Kerry outlined how he would move to 
kill the dump.

 He said he would start by finding an energy secretary and an 
interior secretary who share his anti-Yucca Mountain vision for 
nuclear waste. That sounded like an invitation for the likes of 
former Nevada governors Bob Miller and Richard Bryan, two of the 
fiercest Yucca Mountain critics, to update their resumes.

 Then he said he would not only hold up the Yucca Mountain 
licensing process, but would also veto any anticipated 
congressional legislation aimed at lowering the safety standards 
for storing waste. The legislation is being contemplated by the 
pro-Yucca forces in Washington to circumvent a federal court 
decision that said the current standards by law are unsafe.

 One thing that could interfere with Kerry's pledge to derail 
Yucca Mountain is pressure from the wealthy nuclear industry, 
which is desperate to move nuclear waste from power plants in 33 
states. The industry has spread plenty of money around Capitol 
Hill, winning many friends.

 But Kerry appeared undaunted.

 When I asked him whether he was concerned about taking heat from 
the influential industry, he looked me in the eye and said in a 
confident voice, "I'm not worried about the pressure."

 They are the words of a winner.

 
 
*****************************************************************
 34 Las Vegas SUN: Bush explains Yucca stance to LV

Today: August 13, 2004 at 11:14:23 PDT 

President says fate of dump now up to courts

 By Kirsten Searer <searer@lasvegassun.com> LAS VEGAS SUN

 Reaching back to his campaign promise in 2000, President Bush
said Thursday that he did rely on science when he signed off on
the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site.

 Speaking for the first time in Nevada about the Yucca Mountain
decision, Bush said he did what he said he would when he made
the decision in 2000 to move forward with the repository.

 Bashed in the state for the decision and accused of breaking
the 2000 campaign promise, in which he said he would rely on
"sound science," Bush said he listened to the scientists and to
Nevada's leaders.

 He said he would now leave the issue to court appeals and the
licensing process.

 "We need to keep facts, not politics, at the center of the
debate," he said to applause Thursday at the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners of America International Training
Center in Las Vegas.

 The president spent about two hours in Las Vegas on a campaign
swing Thursday, touring the training center and making a speech
before leaving just after noon.

 An estimated 1,300 Bush supporters and union members attended
the speech, at which Bush spoke for about 45 minutes on several
topics, including the economy and the war on terrorism.

 His comments Thursday about the Yucca project were the first
Bush has made publicly since he approved it in 2002.

 He told the crowd that the issue has been brewing for a while,
including in 1987, when Congress voted on the "Screw Nevada"
bill that focused on Yucca Mountain as the sole site that could
host the nation's nuclear waste.

 His opponent, Sen. John Kerry, voted in favor of that bill,
though Kerry has since voted against Yucca Mountain and has
pledged to stop it if he is elected president.

 "When I campaigned here, I said I would make a decision based
upon science, not politics," Bush said. "I said I would listen
to the scientists, those involved with determining whether or
not this project could move forward in a safe manner. And that's
exactly what I did."

 Bush said he has listened to Nevada representatives such as
Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, Attorney General Brian Sandoval and
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who have argued against the site.
Guinn and Sandoval co-chair Bush's re-election campaign in
Nevada.

 "And I said, 'Well, I appreciate your opinion, but I'll tell
you what I will do: I will allow this process to be appealed to
the courts and to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,' " he said.
"And I will stand by the decision of the courts and the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission."

 Bush did not mention the federal court rulings issued this
summer that found the Environmental Protection Agency did not
follow the law setting radiation standards for the proposed
repository.

 A law passed by Congress required the EPA to set a standard in
consultation with the National Academy of Sciences. The court,
which stayed its decision pending appeal, said the EPA failed to
do that when it said the project must hold in radiation for
10,000 years.

 The National Academy of Sciences suggested a standard of more
than 100,000 years.

 Congress could change the law so that it fits with the EPA
requirements. Bush did not comment on whether he would support
changes to the radiation standards, and Bush campaign
spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt declined to comment further, saying
Bush's comments on the project stand on their own.

 Kerry has promised to veto any attempts by Congress to loosen
the radiation standards.

 It was one of several hard-line positions against Yucca
Mountain that Kerry took during his two-day tour here. He also
pledged to stop the licensing project for the site.

 On Thursday, Bush accused Kerry of using the issue as a
"political poker chip" and pointed out that Kerry voted for the
"Screw Nevada" bill.

 "He says he's strongly against Yucca here in Nevada, but he
voted for it several times," Bush said to laughter. "And so did
his running mate.

 "My point to you is that if they're going to change, one day
they may change again. I think you need straight talk on this
issue. I think you need somebody who is going to do what he says
he's going to do."

 The crowd gave Bush a standing ovation in response.

 Bush also focused on another Nevada issue, water rights. He
credited his administration with working out an agreement in the
dispute over Colorado River water and creating the Water 2025
initiative to promote conservation and technology to create
automated pumping and canal controls.

 "We look forward to working with the states and the local
authorities to better safeguard this precious resource," he said.

 Bush toured the carpenters union's national training facility
and, during his speech, he said the strong American work ethic
has helped the country pull out of a recession pulled down even
further by the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the corporate
earnings scandals.

 "We've overcome these obstacles because we refuse to be
intimidated," he said. "The spirit of America is strong and our
economy is strong."

 In his tour of the training program, workers pointed out giant
bolts to Bush and let him flip the switch on a machine that
would be similar to one found in a power plant.

 "I believe we ought to increase our budgets for these training
programs, and we'll continue to call upon Congress to do so
because it's money well spent," Bush later said.

 "See, I think the role of government is to help people help
themselves, and one way to do so is through good, valid
education programs just like they do here at this site," he said.

 Bush defended the war in Iraq, partly by comparing Iraq to
post-World War II Japan, which became a self-governing country
during U.S. occupation and now is a key American ally.

 The war on terror is a different kind of war, however, that
allows enemies to hide around the world, Bush said. Therefore,
the U.S. has to go after them and people willing to harbor them.

 Saddam Hussein also defied U.N. inspectors, Bush said.

 "I thought we were going to find stockpiles," he said.
"Everybody did. But he had the capability of making weapons. And
if the world had turned away from watching Saddam, that
capability could have been passed on to terrorist enemies. It's
a risk we could not afford to take."

 He joked about Kerry's comments that he would vote for the war
in Iraq if he had to do it again.

 "It looked like for a while he was trying to squirm out of that
vote," Bush said. "The other day he said that knowing what we
know today, he agreed that the use of force in Iraq was
necessary. I welcome that clarification. Still got 82 days left
in the campaign, though."

 The president got some of his biggest applause when he said his
administration worked to eliminate the marriage penalty.

 "I mean, it's a backward tax code, isn't it, when you penalize
marriage?" he said. "We ought to be encouraging marriage in our
country."

 The crowd also applauded loudly when he said the nation needs a
national energy policy that makes it less dependent on oil.

 "In order to keep jobs here at home, we need an energy policy
in America to make us less dependent on foreign sources of
energy," he said.

 Health care can be made more affordable by welcoming technology
that will deliver efficient services, enact medical liability
reform, and to create health savings accounts so that federal
bureaucrats stay out of decision making, he said.

 Kerry's health care plan relies largely on reinstating taxes
for people in upper income levels. Bush cautioned the audience
about Kerry's plan.

 "You know how that goes," he said. "The so-called rich hire
accountants and lawyers to maybe not pay as much. And therefore
in order to meet all of these promises, guess who ends up
getting stuck with the bill? The working people.

 "Be careful of this language. We've heard it before in American
politics."

 
               Questions or problems? Click here.
*****************************************************************
 35 Las Vegas SUN: Democrats say Bush didn't address Yucca problems

Today: August 13, 2004 at 11:14:23 PDT 

 By Kirsten Searer 

 LAS VEGAS SUN

 Democrats have called on President Bush to talk about Yucca
Mountain for months, and after hearing him Thursday they
remained unsatisfied.

 "He has spoken loud and clear, and now the people of the state
of Nevada need to speak equally clearly," said Rep. Shelley
Berkley, D-Nev. "And they'll do that in November."

 Bush told about 1,300 supporters that he looked to science when
he decided to proceed with the project and will heed the
decisions of the court system and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.

 "I said I would listen to the scientists, those involved with
determining whether or not this project could move forward in a
safe manner," Bush said. "And that's exactly what I did."

 But Berkley pointed out that a recent federal court decision
pointed to a standard that suggests the project be designed to
hold nuclear waste for 300,000 years. The standard for the
project, however, is 10,000 years.

 "They missed the mark by 290,000 years," Berkley said.

 Despite the court ruling, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has
said the Yucca project will continue until the matter is
resolved.

 "If he was serious about standing with the people of the state
of Nevada, he would have stopped this project instead of
fighting the ruling," Berkley said.

 Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, a Democrat, mocked the
president's assertion that he would follow the court challenges.

 "He doesn't have a choice, does he?" Goodman said.

 Regardless of what the president says, "he's shown his true
colors" on the issue, Goodman said.

 Some Republicans said Thursday they were glad that the
president commented on the issue while in Las Vegas.

 Before they rode with Bush from the airport to the event
Thursday, both Reps. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Jon Porter,
R-Nev., said they were glad the president was addressing the
issue. They said they planned to express concerns about Yucca
Mountain to the president -- just as they said they do every
time they see him.

 In his visit to Las Vegas, Bush made it clear that he is not
allowing politics to influence his decisions, said Porter
spokesman Adam Mayberry.

 "Congressman Porter was very pleased that President Bush took
Yucca Mountain head on," Mayberry said. "But that doesn't stop
the fact that Congressman Porter is dead set against bringing
70,000 tons of nuclear waste to Nevada, period."

 Soon after his speech, Democrats issued a press release saying
that Bush claims to have relied on science but ignored the more
than 200 scientific questions that remain to be answered about
Yucca Mountain.

 Nor did he address a 2001 General Accounting Office study that
urged the Bush administration to postpone the waste site just a
few months before Bush approved the site. The study said that
plans for Yucca Mountain "may not describe the facilities that
(the Department of Education) would actually develop."

 Democratic party spokesman Jon Summers said Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry spoke with local print
reporters for about 30 minutes on Wednesday and answered
questions about Yucca Mountain.

 Bush, he said, "chose to slip out the back door and avoid any
sincere discussions about the most important issue facing our
state."

 Hundreds of people protested Bush outside of the event at the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America training
center, including many members of other unions, who criticized
the carpenters for hosting the president.

 In recent years, some building trade unions have said that
Yucca Mountain would provide construction jobs. But Monte Byers,
chief of staff for the Carpenters Union, said Yucca Mountain was
not the impetus for hosting the president.

 "That's not our emphasis," he said. "We've been working with
the administration in a number of areas, none of them are
related to Yucca Mountain."

 A few years ago the union had issued an invitation to the
president to tour the Las Vegas facility, and the White House
recently informed them that Bush would take their offer, Byers
said. Byers said the union has received a couple of calls in
protest.

 
 
*****************************************************************
 36 PVT: OFFICIAL WHO BUILT NYE'S YUCCA OVERSIGHT CALLS IT QUITS 

Pahrump Valley Times 

- Nye County's Largest Newspaper Circulation
 
August 13, 2004
 
Bradshaw announces resignation 

By DOUG McMURDO PVT 

DOUG McMURDO / PVT Les Bradshaw retires Sept. 7 following an 
eventful and successful career in Nye County government.   

Nye County Department of Natural Resources and Federal Facilities 
Director Les Bradshaw leaves the employ of Nye County Sept. 7 - 
and when he does 13 years of institutional memory leaves with 
him. He's confident someone will step in and fill his shoes upon 
his retirement, but who that might be is anybody's guess at this 
point. 

Bradshaw began his career in Nye County in 1991 as a deputy 
district attorney under then District Attorney Art Wehrmeister. 
He was promoted to chief deputy district attorney and by April of 
1993, he accepted a position as the manager of the county's Yucca 
Mountain Repository program, taking over for Steve Bradhurst, who 
had served as a repository consultant. 

During fiscal years 1996 and 1997 Congress declined to fund Yucca 
Mountain Project oversight funding because the federal government 
was "upset with the state," Bradshaw said, alluding to most of 
Nevada's strong opposition to Yucca Mountain.

 Without funds to continue repository oversight, Bradshaw escaped 
limbo in March 1996 when he took on the role of county manager in 
the wake of the termination of Bill Offutt, who had been fired 
amid disturbing allegations of widespread sexual harassment. "I 
was a caretaker for the county during the time oversight money 
wasn't available," said Bradshaw.

 In 1998 the federal government reinstated the funding and the 
county's repository office was back in action. "We geared up and 
moved the office to Pahrump," explained Bradshaw, adding with a 
knowing smile: "I actually resigned as county manager instead of 
getting fired."

 But even while Congress slammed shut the cookie jar, Nye County 
wasn't completely out of the Yucca Mountain loop. During the 
two-year shutdown Nye County officials were successful in asking 
the Energy Department for funding to establish an independent 
scientific investigations program under the late Nick Stellavato. 
The funding was used to drill wells in the path of Yucca Mountain 
groundwater on its way to Amargosa Valley 20 miles south. "We put 
instruments down to monitor groundwater conditions," he 
explained. 

The focus of the group's work has been on the obtainment of 
better figures regarding the Energy Department's groundwater 
model, and to look at various characteristics at the site 50 
miles northwest of Pahrump where the government intends to store 
thousands of metric tons of the nation's high-level nuclear waste 
created at commercial and government sites in 39 states. The idea 
has always been to improve the quality and quantity of 
information available. 

"The objective of all that was to have the best possible model to 
predict how the water flows under Yucca Mountain to Amargosa 
Valley - and give us a better idea of where and how fast that 
water goes," said Bradshaw. 

The casks that will contain the waste will eventually 
deteriorate, he further explained, but exactly when that would 
happen is open to speculation, hence the emphasis on groundwater 
flow pattern.

 "Where will the water go," he asked rhetorically. "And who has a 
well in the path of radionuclides?"

 From Bradshaw's perspective, nobody alive today - or even in the 
next century or two - need worry about the potential threat. "It 
will be hundreds if not thousands of years in the future. There's 
no immediate threat to the next several generations, or even any 
rational scenarios."

 If Bradshaw sounds like he's confident, it's because he is. "Our 
aim is public assurance," he said. "The well monitoring program 
is designed to give people the surety there is no danger, and the 
monitoring program will give us proof positive if the repository 
is working or not." 

Even if a canister or a series of canisters breach and spill 
their deadly contents into the groundwater, Bradshaw said the 
monitoring wells would detect the problem and contaminated water 
could be treated. "People don't want their water treated, they 
want credible assurances that they are safe."

 The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, N.M., performs 
similar work. Air is monitored and wells down grade from the 
caverns where waste is stored are monitored with vigilance. Human 
whole body counts are also taken. "The same thing is being 
envisioned for Nye County so, by golly, if there is leakage the 
DOE can take immediate action," Bradshaw said.

 If Bradshaw's plan is followed after he leaves, Nye County will 
always have a seat at the table when it comes to Yucca Mountain. 
That means county employees would have access to scientists. 
"That's the only way the public will be able to accept the 
repository," he explained. "They have to know it's safe through 
their own evaluation of the evidence."

 That evidence is more than 20 years in the gathering - and the 
federal government has been generous in giving Nye County the 
means to evaluate its own science. Since the mid-1980s Nye County 
has received roughly $18.5 million in oversight funding. An 
additional $18 million has been forked over in the last decade to 
fund the independent scientific investigations performed by a 
host of private consultants - scientists - retained by 
commissioners. 

The bulk of the scientific funding has gone into drilling said 
Bradshaw. "(Drilling) is a good way to spend a lot of money in a 
short period of time," he said. 

The government, by Bradshaw's estimation, has spent more than $7 
billion on the project; he said Nye County used its cut to 
develop a credible and nationally respected program. 

In fact, Bradshaw considers the program his most significant 
achievement while in Nye County. He said viable socio-economic 
programs have come on line as a result, and most of the data 
compiled by Nye scientists is considered admissible as evidence 
when the Energy Department files its license application to build 
and maintain the repository. The application must be submitted in 
December. 

Another high mark in Bradshaw's career involved the Payments 
Equal to Taxes program. PETT funding is paid by the federal 
government for the land value of Yucca Mountain. The first 
payment was made in 1994, the second in 1998, the third in 2001. 
The next payment is due in 2005.

 Collectively, PETT has brought in more than $88 million, or the 
equivalent of 40 percent of the county's general fund revenue in 
years the payments were made. "We've been able to do many good 
things," said Bradshaw. "In my view the board (of county 
commissioners) has been very responsible with PETT; virtually all 
of the money has gone into community betterment."

 Bradshaw also said the county hasn't been careless when it uses 
PETT funding to shore up the county's general fund. He said $3 
million of the county's $50 million annual general fund this year 
is PETT money, a relatively insignificant figure that wouldn't 
bankrupt the county should the federal dollars disappear. 

By comparison Toelle County, Utah uses special payments from the 
Army as its general operating funds and if those payments go away 
that county is "upside down," which is not the case in Nye. 

The county government buildings in Pahrump and Tonopah were built 
with PETT funds at no cost to local taxpayers, school buses have 
been purchased, $4 million was dedicated toward the construction 
of Rosemary Clarke Middle School, chunks of money have been 
dedicated to parks and recreation, and Nye Regional Medical 
Center in Tonopah was kept open through PETT funding and Pahrump 
Medical Center also benefited from the payments. 

Ambulances, police sedans, heavy equipment for the road 
department and road paving and chip sealing were also paid 
through PETT. "The commissioners haven't spent money on things 
that don't have lasting value." Another huge capital improvement 
project to benefit from PETT is the Community College of Southern 
Nevada Pahrump Learning Center, and a proposed two-plus-two CCSN 
campus in Pahrump will be built in part through PETT funding if 
the board of Regents ultimately approves the project. 

"I've been very happy to serve Nye County for 13 years," said 
Bradshaw. "It's been an interesting journey. I started as a law 
clerk for Judge Bill Beko, went to the D.A.'s office, worked as 
county manager and then the repository. I've been involved in 
virtually all major functions of county government." He said 
there "are plenty of good people and firms" to take over where he 
left off, and he sees the work he helped start continuing into 
the future. 

But on Sept. 7, the day Bradshaw celebrates his 60th birthday, he 
will attend his last county commission meeting his last day on 
the job. "I don't plan on being too serious that day," he said 
with a grin. 

Soon thereafter he and his wife Pauline will spend time on church 
work, humanitarian service, family togetherness and working on 
their personal relationship. They will live "in a nice country 
place we have" in Wellington in Lyon County, not far from 
Yerington. "Pauline is a nurse practitioner and she wants to 
build that up. I might practice a little law ... but not too 
much."

For comment or questions, please e-mail 
Copyright � Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2003 
*****************************************************************
 37 Pahrump Valley Times: DOE accused of cutting corners for repository 
                
                 August 13, 2004
 
By STEVE TETREAULT PVT WASHINGTON BUREAU 

WASHINGTON - Nevada officials lodged a new complaint Monday that 
the Department of Energy is cutting corners to license a nuclear 
waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

 DOE is "walking away" from a pledge to resolve 293 outstanding 
technical issues before it files a repository license application 
later this year, the state's nuclear director charged in a letter 
to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 

Bob Loux, head of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, focused 
on comments made earlier this summer by Joseph Ziegler, the 
licensing director for the Yucca Mountain Project. 

Ziegler told NRC officials in a July 23 letter that further 
questions they may have about unresolved technical issues will be 
answered in the department's license bid, or after the license 
paperwork is handed in. 

But Loux said that approach violates NRC rules that require the 
agency be given "sufficient information" before DOE hands over a 
licensing package. 

Under those circumstances, Loux urged NRC chairman Nils Diaz to 
reject the DOE's application when it is submitted. The NRC had no 
immediate comment.

 The Energy Department wants to file an application with the NRC 
by the end of the year, although there are questions whether it 
will be permitted to do so in the wake of a July 9 federal court 
ruling invalidating the project's 10,000 year radiation health 
standard.

 Staffs for the DOE and NRC had developed a list of 293 issues 
they agreed should be addressed before licensing, including 
questions about corrosion of waste-bearing canisters, earthquake 
and volcanic activity near the site, and the chemical environment 
within repository tunnels where waste will be stored.

 According to Ziegler, 105 of the technical issue agreements were 
resolved, while another 159 were in stages of review. The Energy 
Department planned to supply at least some information about the 
remainder by the end of August, although NRC reviewers generally 
ask follow-up questions.

 DOE spokesman Allen Benson said Monday that project staffers 
need now to focus on completing the license application, a 
5,000-page package outlining the case to store nuclear waste at 
the Yucca site. 

"At some point we have to stop answering questions and write the 
application," Benson said. "Any information the NRC wants will be 
provided. We have to complete preparing the license application 
and information may be addressed after the submittal."

 But Loux said that resolving the key technical issues" "is at 
the heart of the case that DOE must put forward for the safety of 
the Yucca Mountain 

For comment or questions, please e-mail 
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com Copyright � Pahrump Valley 
Times, 1997 - 2003 
*****************************************************************
 38 Pahrump Valley Times: Kerry says Bush broke his word about Yucca 

August 13, 2004

By NEDRA PICKLER The Associated Press 

LAS VEGAS -- Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry, 
making a play for a state that supported President Bush four 
years ago, accused the president of breaking his word with a plan 
to bury nuclear waste in Nevada. 

Kerry said the president broke the promise he made in the 2000 
race to ensure science and not politics determined his decision 
whether to ship waste to Yucca Mountain. Bush approved Yucca 
Mountain as the nation's nuclear dumpsite after winning the 
presidency, even though many scientific studies remained 
unfinished. 

"It's about promises kept and promises broken," Kerry said during 
an appearance at a school along the route that the waste would be 
shipped. 

He made his own campaign promise: "When John Kerry is president, 
there is going to be no nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Period," 
he said. 

Kerry remained focused on Yucca Mountain while campaigning in 
Nevada, even as other events dominated the presidential campaign. 
But at a rally attended by thousands Tuesday night, he defended 
himself from Bush's charge that he has changed his position on 
the Iraq war. 

"I voted to stand up to Saddam Hussein, but I thought we ought to 
do it right," Kerry said. "I thought we ought to reach out to 
other countries, we ought to build an international coalition."

 He did not speak about Bush's selection of Florida Rep. Porter 
Goss to head the CIA, instead responding by written statement 
from his campaign headquarters in Washington. 

Kerry's statement called for quick Senate hearings on Goss' 
nomination but kept the heat on Bush to name a national 
intelligence director and follow other recommendations of the 
Sept. 11 commission. 

For years, Nevada has been fighting plans to move the nation's 
used reactor fuel to Yucca Mountain. 

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt accused Kerry of 
flip-flopping on Yucca Mountain because Kerry has voted for some 
measures that included provisions that would have allowed nuclear 
dumps there. But every time he has faced the simple choice of 
voting whether or not to send waste to Yucca, Kerry has voted 
against it. 

Kerry said he is concerned about the safety and security of 
storing the waste 90 miles outside of Las Vegas at a mountain 
that sits atop the region's major water supply. Kerry also noted 
seismic activity has been measured at the mountain and could pose 
a safety threat. 

A federal appeals court last month rejected the Environmental 
Protection Agency's radiation standard for the repository, which 
could doom the project. Kerry promised at the rally, "If they try 
to change the standards on radiation at the EPA and they send it 
to my desk, veto pen. Gone. Out."

 Kerry said he would leave waste at nuclear sites around the 
country while he instructs the National Academy of Science to 
study how the world should deal with nuclear waste and storage. 

Kerry and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Nevada voters should 
choose Kerry for another reason - he saved the life of one of 
their senators. 

Kerry and Reid recalled how, on was July 12, 1988, Nevada 
Republican Sen. Chic Hecht was attending a weekly GOP luncheon in 
the Capitol when a piece of apple lodged in his throat. Kerry, 
running late for the corresponding Democratic luncheon, was just 
getting off an elevator when he saw Hecht buckled over in the 
corridor. He rushed over and performed the Heimlich maneuver. 

"I suspect that I was late for that meeting and I walked out of 
that elevator because there was a higher power that said that was 
the moment that I was blessed to be there for Chic Hecht," Kerry 
said.

For comment or questions, please e-mail 
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com Copyright � Pahrump Valley 
Times, 1997 - 2003 
*****************************************************************
 39 Scotsman.com News: Sellafield Cuts Radioactive Discharge Levels
 
Fri 13 Aug 2004   			 			
 		   	 	
By Amanda Brown, Environment Correspondent, PA News. 

A major UK nuclear site is achieving “significant 
reductions,” in radioactive discharges, it was reported today.
 
Tough new rules on waste levels at the British Nuclear Fuels 
Sellafield site in Cumbria, had made the cutbacks possible 
according to pollution watchdog, the Environment Agency.
 
It said levels of radiation exposure resulting from radioactive 
discharges from the site, are within statutory limits.
 
But they had fallen substantially since the 1970s.
 
Now measures in the new authorisation, will lead to further 
reductions at the authorised limits of 35% for liquid discharges 
and almost 60% for gaseous discharges.
 
Environment Agency Chief Executive Labour peer Baroness Young 
said: “Sellafield is the most significant nuclear site in the 
UK and I am delighted that the Agency has been able to complete 
its review of the site authorisation.
 
“This has been a massive and complex task, and involved us and 
our fellow regulatory bodies and Government departments in major 
technical assessments and engagements with stakeholders over the 
past four years.
 
“Issuing the new authorisation now means that we will achieve 
real and lasting improvements in environmental regulation of the 
site.
 
“The new authorisation will bring substantial benefits to the 
public and enhance environmental protection.
 
“With the additional changes, and updating of our 2002 
proposals, the Agency has achieved even greater reductions in 
site discharge limits, meaning the overall impact of permitted 
discharges will be considerably reduced.
 
“The new and significantly strengthened controls in the 
authorisation will allow a more transparent and flexible approach 
to the regulation of the site.
 
“This will be very important in the future when the Nuclear 
Decommissioning Authority takes over the site ownership and 
accelerates the site clean-up programme.”

*****************************************************************
 40 Morgan Hill Times: City water supplies still stressed to the limit
 	 	 	 	 	 	
Saturday, August 14, 2004       www.morganhilltimes.com[

Email The Editor


Friday, August 13, 2004

Morgan Hill water users are conserving as public works officials 
had hoped, but an overly warm weekend forecast could cause a 
shortage to return. Fortunately the local fire scene has been 
quiet.

Carl Bjarke, deputy director of public works, said Thursday that 
the reservoirs are holding their own in the face of slightly 
lower water use.

�The public outreach has been helping,� Bjarke said. 

Both The Times and Channel 17, the city�s public service cable 
channel have asked for conservation.

Ever since an �Urgent� level was proclaimed during the July 24-25 
weekend, officials have asked the public to take care with water 
use. Residents have limited their water use enough to keep the 
urgency level from moving to stage two - Critical - or stage 
three - Emergency - and water reserves have returned close to 
normal.

�We did cut parks� irrigation by 50 percent last Friday,� Bjarke 
said.

 Browned grass is being replaced by bark. 

Weather will continue unhelpful with temperatures expecting to 
reach the low to mid-90s today and Saturday, but a cooling trend 
should appear Sunday through Wednesday, 87 down to 82. 

The earlier predicament came about because the city cannot use 
three wells to pump enough water to meet the increased demand.

The wells were closed in 2003 when detectable levels of the 
chemical perchlorate were found. Olin Corp., the company 
responsible for perchlorate in the South Valley aquifer, has paid 
the city for one replacement well but is resisting helping out in 
other ways. The city has retained legal counsel and is working 
through the state Regional Water Quality Control board to force 
Olin to ease the ongoing situation.

 Residents are still asked to conserve and �water heroes� could 
be asked to cut their irrigation by 50 percent during the crisis. 

A water hero is a business that uses great amounts of water but 
is willing to cut back when needed. Ashcraft said four Morgan 
Hill School District sites, Alien Technology and Towa/Intercon 
Technologies in Morgan Hill Business Park and Cochrane Plaza have 
all signed up as water heroes. 

Public Works Director Jim Ashcraft said four Morgan Hill School 
District sites, Alien Technology and Towa/Intercon Technologies 
in Morgan Hill Business Park and Cochrane Plaza have all signed 
up as water heroes. 

The city provides Morgan Hill residents with low-flow shower 
heads and aerators for kitchen and bath faucets free for the 
asking. They also have a packet for waterwise gardening and water 
conservation kits. Stop by City Hall, 17555 Peak Ave. Monday 
through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or call Andi at 779-7247 and she 
will mail the packet and kit.

Fire Prevention Specialist Chris Morgan, based at the California 
Department of Forestry, South Santa Clara County Fire Protection 
District in Morgan Hill, said Thursday that the local fire scene 
has been �reasonably quiet� the last few days. He had good news 
about the 1,246-acre Kincaid fire on San Jose�s Mt. Hamilton.

�We expect to announce by 8 p.m. Thursday that the Kincaid fire 
is controlled,� Morgan said.

The 250 crew members working the fire will be demobilized to 
rest, return to their home stations or move north to help out 
with the Bear Fire on the east end of Lake Shasta.

The electricity supply has also eased a bit from warnings earlier 
in the week.

Jeff Smith, spokesman for PG, said the statewide power authority 
has issued warnings, but locally, things are not too bad. 

�We are continuing to encourage the public to conserve,� Smith 
said, �and, if it does, we should not have any required loss of 
power during the current heatwave.�

Carol Holzgrafe is a reporter at the Morgan Hill Times. She 
covers all local news, including City Hall.   

*****************************************************************
 41 KVBC: President Bush Addresses Yucca Mountain Issue While In Las Vegas

President Bush Addresses Yucca Mountain Issue While In LV 

August 12th, 2004 

President Bush surprised a lot of people with the speech he gave 
here in Las Vegas this morning. Bush was at a local union 
training center when he addressed a hand picked crowd of 
supporters. We knew he'd talk about the economy, and he did. We 
knew he'd talk about the war in Iraq, and he did. What we didn't 
know was whether he would talk about his decision to approve 
Yucca Mountain, a sore subject with a lot of people here. Some 
expected him to steer clear of it, but he didn't. 

"The other issue, of course, I want to talk about is Yucca 
Mountain. It's a vital question. We need to keep the facts, not 
politics, at the center of the debate." President Bush addresses 
Yucca Mountain head on, taking a swipe at Senator Kerry. "My 
opponents try to turn Yucca into a political poker chip. He says 
he's strongly against Yucca, but he voted for it several times, 
and so did his running mate." 

The President says he's the only candidate that's offering 
straight talk to the American people. "When I campaigned here in 
this state, I said I would make a decision based upon science, 
not politics. I said I would listen to the scientists, those 
involved with determining if this project could move forward in a 
safe manner, and that's exactly what I did. I listened to the 
people who know the facts and science and I made a decision." 

The President said he took decisive action on an issue that had 
been debated for years before him. His decision on Yucca Mountain 
earned him criticism from Nevada politicians within his own 
party. The president said that he heard those voices loud and 
clear and leaves the decision now with the courts, and the 
outcome, Bush says, he would support. 

"I will stand by the decision of the courts and the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission." The President says he picked the 
Carpenters Union Training Center for his speech because it's a 
great example of what America needs, more chances for workers to 
learn new skills for the jobs of the future.   

All content � Copyright 2000 - 2004 WorldNow and KVBC. All
Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
 42 Pahrump Valley Times: The road to waste 
 
August 13, 2004

PAHRUMP, TONOPAH SEE BULK OF TRANSPORTS 

PVT 

It was reported last week that in the second quarter of 2004, Nye 
County's two population centers hosted the bulk of the load of 
low-level nuclear waste transported to the Nevada Test Site. Of 
723 loads shipped from California, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, 
Colorado, Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee 716 
traveled through either Tonopah or Pahrump with only 7 shipments 
being transported through the Las Vegas Valley or other routes.

 Of the 723 loads shipped, 408 traveled through Tonopah in those 
months along Highway 95 or Highway 6. Coming through Pahrump 
during those months on Highway 160 were 308 loads. The eight 
trips through Las Vegas Valley required over dimensional permits 
issued by Nevada Department of Transportation and approved by 
Nevada Highway Patrol prior to use. Of the 408 loads that came 
through Tonopah approximately 371 traveled through Smoky Valley 
on Highway 50.

 The waste is transported to the Nevada Test Site near Yucca 
Mountain, near Amargosa Valley and is buried in large open pits 
designed by the federal government for storing the waste. The 723 
shipments totaled 1,146,775 cubic feet of low-level waste coming 
from energy generators and labs in nine states. 

		 		   	 
For comment or questions, please e-mail 
webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com Copyright � Pahrump Valley 
Times, 1997 - 2003 
*****************************************************************
 43 Epoch Times: History Remembered ... August 1945: Dropping the Bomb
 
  Maureen Zebian Aug 13, 2004
  
A visitor at the Hiroshima Peace Monument passes by a picture of 
the mushroom cloud created by the atomic bomb. (Junko 
Kimura/Getty Images)                                                                    

It was Aug. 6, 1945, when President Harry S. Truman ordered the 
Enola Gay to drop the first atomic bomb at the military base in 
the city of Hiroshima. The action was justified by saying that it 
would end the war quickly and save the lives of half a million 
American servicemen who would not have to invade Japan�s main 
islands. A second bomb was dropped three days later in Nagasaki, 
and seven days later the Japanese government surrendered, ending 
World War II.

Most generals at the time were in agreement with Truman�s, 
decision except for few notables, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower, 
who said in 1963, �I told him I was against it on two counts. 
First, the Japanese were ready to surrender and second, it wasn�t 
necessary to hit them with that awful thing.�

However, after witnessing the kamikaze guerrilla warfare from 
Guadalcanal to Okinawa, costing thousands of lives, the half 
million causalities may not have been an unreasonable estimation. 
But did the military have options besides the bomb and the 
invasion? Or was the United States flexing military muscle to 
send a message to the aggressive, land grabbing Soviets: �We have 
the bomb and aren�t afraid to use it.� 

Whether using the bombing was a reasonable solution is still a 
hotly debated issue. Military studies in the 1980s suggest that 
the Japanese decision to surrender came not because of the 
bombing, but because of the Soviet Union�s entry into the war. 
Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall had advised the President 
that the Soviet Union declaration of war could force the Japanese 
into surrendering.

By dropping of the bomb, the United States became the ultimate 
aggressors, killing in one fell swoop 70,000 mostly civilian 
Japanese, including many women and children, with tens of 
thousands dying more slowly from the radiation poison. It is 
still not clear why a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki that 
immediately killed 40,000 more, but some suggest it was to study 
the effects of the plutonium-made atomic bomb. 

While Truman�s military objective clearly stated that �soldiers 
and sailors were the target,� the highly experimental bomb killed 
indiscriminately.

�The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a 
world of nuclear giants and ethical infants,� said Gen. Omar 
Bradley.

The bomb�s safety net lasted only a short time after the 
supposedly well-guarded secrets were passed on by British 
scientist spy Klaus Fuchs to Soviet rivals. The Soviets detonated 
their own atomic bombs four years later. What transpired was the 
emergence of the Cold War, and the madness of Mutually Assured 
Destruction, which led fearful Americans to build bomb shelters 
in their back yards. As the great arms race was officially under 
way, no longer would Americans be kept safe by an ocean, but a 
stockpile of nuclear weapons.   

Webmaster Copyright 2004 - The Epoch Times       
*****************************************************************
 44 SF New Mexican: School's bid for LANL put on hold
 
 Fri Aug 13, 2004 10:25 pm   

The Associated Press

 AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas System appears to be 
cooling off on a potential bid to take over operations at Los 
Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

James Huffines, chairman of the UT Board of Regents, and 
Chancellor Mark Yudof said it's unlikely the UT System would 
either go alone with a bid or even be the lead partner in a joint 
bid with another institution or industrial partner.

"We'd want to be part of a collaboration if we did it at all, but 
not the lead when you look at the types of concerns that are out 
there," Yudof said.

They said the evolving model for operating the national lab seems 
to be a team of corporate and academic partners.

Lockheed Martin Corp., a potential project partner with UT, 
recently announced it would not compete for the contract.

The University of California has operated Los Alamos lab since 
the lab was established as part of the World War II Manhattan 
Project to build the first atomic bomb.

Federal officials decided to put the contract up for bid for the 
first time after recent scandals about security problems at the 
Northern New Mexico site. The contract could be awarded in June 
2005.

University of Texas System officials have informed the U.S. 
Department of Energy they are interested in the project and might 
bid to manage it.

Texas officials have not made a final decision. The subject is 
not on the agenda of this week's regents meeting in Houston. 
Texas officials must decide if the project is worth it.

The system could be credited with contributing to national 
security if it could make the lab more secure and efficient. 
Failure and potential problems would likely open the university 
to criticism from Congress.

"One of the things that's changed is that the furor in Congress 
and at the Department of Energy seems at a higher level," Yudof 
said. "The other thing is that the University of California has 
been instituting a number of changes, but the culture seems 
highly resistant to it."

He said system officials are willing to explore a collaboration 
with the Texas A&M University System. Both systems have filed a 
formal "expression of interest" in operating the lab.

Yudof said he has contacted Texas A&M system leaders, but no 
formal, high-level discussions have taken place.

Several members of the Texas congressional delegation have urged 
UT system officials to pursue the Los Alamos contract. 
Anti-nuclear and peace activists have urged UT to stay away from 
the nuclear-weapons lab.                                                           
    
  
 Copyright 2004 Santa Fe New Mexican   

*****************************************************************
 45 RGJ: NRC denies favoring Energy Department
 
RGJ.com

Ken RitterASSOCIATED PRESS
8/12/2004 11:49 pm 

ON THE WEB 
Nevada�s Agency for Nuclear Projects: 
<i>www.state.nv.us/nucwaste</i>
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: 
<i>www.nrc.gov</i>
Yucca Mountain project:
 <i>www.ocrwm.doe.gov</i>

LAS VEGAS � The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is denying it 
favors the Energy Department in a dispute about whether the 
department met a requirement to submit documents about a national 
nuclear waste repository in Nevada.

Responding to a state complaint, a commission lawyer said in a 
letter made public Thursday that NRC officials sometimes advocate 
positions �consistent with one party or another.�

But Karen Cyr, Nuclear Regulatory Commission general counsel, 
called it �irresponsible� to suggest bias �merely because (NRC) 
staff�s views may diverge from those of the state.�

Commission officials offered no additional comment about the 
letter, dated Wednesday and sent to Bob Loux, the state�s top 
anti-Yucca Mountain project administrator.

Loux called the response expected. He said it could prompt a 
legal challenge if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission decides the 
Energy Department met a June 30 deadline for sharing millions of 
pages of documents underpinning its application to build and 
operate the repository.

�We have said, and we continue to say, they are biased,� Loux 
said. �We�ve put them on notice.�

The state complained Aug. 3 about a commission lawyer�s comment 
at a July 27 hearing that NRC staff was making a �hard sell� on 
behalf of the Energy Department.

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 at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles 
northwest of Las Vegas.

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 
storing spent nuclear fuel from 39 states in 2010. 

Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett Co. Inc.Newspaper. Use 
*****************************************************************
 46 MoJo: The Museum of Attempted Suicide
 
  [MotherJones.com] [Mother Jones] [News]   

The Museum of Attempted Suicide 

In these edgy times, when the possibility of nuclear war seems a
thing of the past, a visit to the Nevada Test Site should be a
requirement for holding public office in America. 
By Jon Else 
August 12, 2004 

An enormous Mosler bank vault sits abandoned and forgotten on
the dry lake bed of Frenchman Flat. It is ugly, and rusting, a
big cookie jar from Hell -- yet it is in some sense America's
zgreatest monument to hope and clear thinking. 

That giant safe at the Nevada Test Site is a relic of an Atomic 
Energy Commission experiment in 1957 ("Response of Protective 
Vaults to Blast Loading"). Filled with stocks and bonds, gold and 
silver, cash and insurance policies, it confirmed that our 
official valuables, contracts and financial instruments, could 
survive nuclear war. The test must have seemed like a good idea 
at the time, a masterpiece of steel-and-concrete realpolitik. 
After all, safes had tested well -- quite by accident -- at 
Hiroshima in 1945, when four Mosler vaults in the basement of the 
Teikoku Bank near Ground Zero were discovered in the ruins with 
their contents miraculously intact. In fact, American troops 
entering Hiroshima some weeks after the bombing, reported 
hundreds of small safes resting in the city's ashes. 

Today at the Nevada Site all that remains of the vault's 
reinforced concrete "bank building," itself specially constructed 
for the test, are a few shards of blasted concrete and a tangle 
of rusting, arm-thick steel reinforcing rod, swept back like so 
many cat's whiskers in the wind. 

Just before dawn on June 24 1957, a 37-kiloton fission bomb, 
code-named "Priscilla," was suspended from a helium balloon about 
half a mile from where the big safe stands. In the path of 
Priscilla's shock wave the Atomic Energy Commission had built its 
own tiny twentieth century city. Priscilla rocked that 
mini-civilization in southern Nevada with twice the explosive 
force of the bomb that leveled Hiroshima. Its flash -- far 
brighter than the sun -- was reflected back off the moon, and 
soldiers covering their eyes in trenches two miles away claim 
they were able to see the bones in their hands. 

Domed shelters of 2-inch thick aluminum alloy were flattened like 
so many soda pop cans stamped flat on a job site. The shock wave 
hammered reinforced concrete shelters, industrial buildings, cars 
in an underground parking garage, community shelters, a railroad 
trestle, a 55-ton diesel locomotive, parked airplanes, dummies in 
Russian and Chinese protective clothing, and a man-made pine 
forest rooted in concrete on the desert floor. Anesthetized 
Cheshire pigs in little protective suits were roasted alive in 
Priscilla's thermal pulse. We'll never know for sure but 
Priscilla's heat, like that of the Hiroshima bomb, must have 
instantly incinerated unsuspecting ravens in mid-flight. Later 
that morning, the fallout cloud drifted eastward, where in the 
months to come it mingled with residual radioactive products from 
other atmospheric tests and eventually dispersed around the 
globe. Today, anyone in the world born after 1957 carries in his 
or her bones at least a few atoms of Strontium-90 fallout from 
Priscilla. 
z In 1957, at about the moment that human self-extinction first 
became possible, many policy-makers already believed all-out 
nuclear war with the Soviets to be an inevitability. In fact, 
some of those planning the Priscilla shot, and assumedly curious 
to discover whether our stock and insurance certificates could 
survive it, must have known that full-scale nuclear war could 
theoretically end all life on earth. That year, hardly a decade 
after the atomic bomb had been but an exotic laboratory device, 
it was already a commodity; Priscilla was just one of 6,744 
nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile. (The Soviets had 660.) 

Here at Frenchman Flat we rehearsed our failed attempt at global 
suicide. It would have been a grand, charismatic gesture, 
spectacular pornography -- the human species going out with a 
great bang, nothing dreary and plodding like AIDS or global 
climate change. It would have been visible throughout the solar 
system; and as Priscilla did indeed show, our valuables, safely 
locked away, would indeed have survived us. 

The Nevada Test Site, a particularly desolate thousand square 
miles of the Great Basin, was chosen in 1951 for our nuclear 
tests partly because it's ringed by low mountains, naturally 
shielded from the prying eyes of the outside world. Today, if you 
stand amid the charmless wreckage at Frenchman Flat, another 
thing is clear: It is also impossible to see out of the basin; 
the place is disconnected from the rest of Nevada, from America, 
from civilization itself. It is a lifeless, humorless, Planet of 
the Apes location. These could have been the ruins of a future we 
stopped in its tracks -- the ruins of Las Vegas, Vienna, or 
Tokyo, your town or my town, bombed back to the Stone Age. 

Today, as we sweat over whether North Korea has four bombs or 
six, or whether Iran has any at all, remember that in 1957, only 
12 years after the Trinity test, the United States was 
manufacturing ten nuclear bombs per day, 3000 fission and fusion 
bombs every year. The largest in our '57 arsenal was the 
5-megaton Mark 21, powerful enough to flatten 400 Hiroshimas (or 
Fallujas or Oaklands) at a pop. 
z Filling that vault with stocks and bonds in 1957 now seems a 
surreal gesture of hope, a vain defense against a future that 
never happened: Imagine the survivors -- a hairless, sterilized 
post-nuclear Adam and Eve, dry heaving (like the radioactive 
feral dogs that roamed the deserted streets of Chernobyl) -- 
crawling toward the bank vault in their bloody rags, trying to 
remember the combination, praying for their Chrysler stock, or 
grandpa's gold watch, or their Prudential personal liability 
policies. 

Or imagine another future, one in which no humans remain to open 
the vault. This is the Twelve Monkeys future in which the global 
suicide only rehearsed at the Nevada Test Site in 1957 actually 
succeeds and no one mops up the radioactive slop or collects the 
insurance -- with only ants and cockroaches left to puzzle over a 
warm, blasted vault on the radioactive sands of what was once 
Nevada. 

But cooler heads prevailed. Someone drifting off on a 47-year nap 
in 1957, when nuclear war seemed inevitable, might wake today 
startled to find that those crimes against the future have so far 
been held at bay. Our nuclear arsenal peaked at 30,000 weapons in 
1966, and has stood at about 10,000 for the past five years. We 
have -- so far -- spared ourselves that future, mainly because of 
the hard work and clear thinking of two generations of leaders 
who understood what the wreckage at Frenchman Flat meant. Give 
them credit. Give credit to Dwight D. Eisenhower and Henry Cabot 
Lodge for introducing a plan for nuclear disarmament in 1957, 
only weeks after the Priscilla shot; and give credit to JFK for 
the Atmospheric Test Ban Treaty; to Richard Nixon for the SALT 
and ABM treaties; to Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and 
Mikhail Gorbachev for negotiating START I and START II. Give 
credit to Carter and Ford for signing strategic arms limitation 
agreements with Brezhnev. Give credit to thousands of dissident 
scientists, activists and ordinary citizens whose relentless 
pressure helped tip the balance away from madness. Above all, 
give credit to hundreds of clear thinking selfless men and women 
in the U.S. and Russia who recognized a slippery slope to Hell 
when they saw one, and were willing to do the hard work of 
negotiation and compromise. 

The insects and sagebrush have returned to the silent desert at 
the Nevada Test Site, and ravens once again circle above the 
vault. But the nuclear dog sleeps with one eye open. Weapons far 
larger than Priscilla are on alert today, no more anachronistic 
than rifles or anthrax. Twenty miles north of Frenchman Flat, the 
tower for "Ice Cap," a shot put on hold in '92 when George 
Herbert Walker Bush suspended American nuclear testing, still 
stands patiently ready to receive its bomb. As mandated in George 
W. Bush's current "Nuclear Posture Review," the Nevada Test Site 
is today in the process of ramping up its "ready status" from 2 
years to 18 months. 

Meanwhile, the United States and 70 other nations maintain 
thousands of deeply buried, hardened underground bunkers for 
their top military and civilian officials, a defense against 
future nuclear war. This is the Frenchman Flat vault scenario 
writ large. And just in case -- after withdrawing support for the 
ABM treaty -- the Bush administration is aggressively pursuing 
the development of "usable bunker busters," the first new 
generation of nuclear weapons since the Cold War. On the grounds 
of the Nevada Test Site, five miles west of the bank vault, 
stands the just finished $100,000,000 Device Assembly Facility, 
poised for either the disassembly of weapons from our stockpile, 
or for the assembly of new weapons. 

In these edgy times, when the possibility of nuclear war seems a 
thing of the past, a visit to Frenchman Flat should be a 
requirement for holding public office in America. To stand amid 
the rusty junk, amid the ruins of a ghastly future that was 
turned back -- deliberately and methodically turned back by 
statesmen -- is to reach a deep understanding of what is 
possible. This is the bone yard of a very bad idea, recognized 
for what it was. 

Copyright C2004 Jon Else 

This piece first appeared at Tomdispatch.com. 

Jon Else is a documentary cinematographer and director whose 
films include Cadillac Desert, Sing Faster, and The Day After 
Trinity. He teaches in the Graduate School of Journalism at the 
University of California, Berkeley. Earlier this year, for a new 
film about nuclear weapons, he spent several days working at the 
Nevada Test Site and so visited, not for the first time, the 
vault at Frenchman Flat. 

� 2004 The Foundation for National Progress 
*****************************************************************
 47 DOE: Amended Record of Decision for the Department of Energy's Final 
 
                        FR Doc 04-18534 
[Federal Register: August 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 156)] 
[Notices] [Page 50180-50181] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13au04-60]                         
 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Accomplishing 
Expanded Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and Development and 
Isotope Production Missions in the United States, Including the 
Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility, DOE/EIS-0310 AGENCY: 
Department of Energy.
 
ACTION: Amended record of decision.
 
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to 10 CFR 
1021.315, its implementing regulations under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), is amending its Record of 
Decision (ROD) (66 FR 7877, January 26, 2001) for its Final 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Accomplishing 
Expanded Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and Development and 
Isotope Production Missions in the United States, Including the 
Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility (Nuclear Infrastructure (NI) 
PEIS). DOE had decided to transport neptunium-237 (Np-237), after 
conversion to neptunium oxide (NpO2), from DOE's Savannah River 
Site (SRS) to the Radiochemical Engineering Development Center 
(REDC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for use in 
production of plutonium-238 in the future. Np-237 is categorized 
as special nuclear material (SNM). After the September 11, 2001, 
terrorist attack, storage of all SNM requires additional security 
and safeguards. Since REDC does not meet security requirements 
for storage of SNM, it would require costly security upgrades to 
qualify for safe storage of NpO2. DOE's Argonne National 
Laboratory- West (ANL-W) site, located in Idaho, meets the 
security requirements for storage of SNM, currently stores such 
materials, and has the storage space available for storage of 
NpO2.
 
DOE prepared a Supplement Analysis (SA) for the NI PEIS for the 
change of storage location of NpO2 from REDC to ANL-W (DOE/ 
EIS-0310-SA-01) to determine whether further NEPA review is 
required. DOE has determined that no additional NEPA review is 
necessary because the relocation and change in storage location 
does not constitute a substantial change in the original proposed 
action, and the impacts analyzed in the NI PEIS bound the impacts 
of transfer to and storage at the new proposed storage location. 
Therefore, DOE has decided to change its decision on the storage 
location for NpO2 from REDC to ANL-W.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this 
project or to receive copies of the SA, initial ROD, or this 
Amended ROD contact: Dr. Rajendra Sharma, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, 19901 
Germantown Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874, telephone (301) 
903-2899, fax (301) 903- 5005, e-mail: . For general information 
on the DOE NEPA process, contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 
Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, EH-42/Forrestal 
Building, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, telephone (202) 586-4600 or leave 
a message at (800) 472-2756.
 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The SRS has the remaining 
domestic inventory of recovered Np-237 which is no longer useable 
at that site because production of Pu-238 is no longer possible 
since the reactors have been shutdown. To support the future 
production of Pu-238 for the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) and national security missions, DOE must 
convert this material to neptunium oxide (NpO2), a stable form, 
that can be safely stored and used later to produce Pu-238. The 
NpO2 also needs to be relocated and stored at a site that meets 
the security requirements for storage of SNM (Np-237 is 
categorized as SNM) and is readily available for production of 
Pu-238. After analyzing various alternatives, DOE originally 
selected REDC, located at ORNL, for storage of NpO2. However, 
REDC no longer meets the security requirements for storage of SNM 
and would have to incur costly upgrades to comply with such 
requirements.
 
ANL-W site in Idaho already stores SNM and meets the enhanced 
security requirements for storage of SNM.
 
The proposed plan calls for the shipment of approximately 70 
drums containing small cans of NpO2 to ANL-W beginning in FY 2004 
and ending in FY 2006. For shipment from SRS, one to three 
(depending on mass of neptunium, no more than 6 kg) crimp-sealed 
can(s) of NpO2 will be placed inside a 35-gallon shipping drum. 
The drums will be transported to ANL-W where the material will be 
stored until needed for Pu-238 production.
 
Basis for Decision DOE has prepared a SA (DOE/EIS-0310-SA-01) in 
accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and 
DOE regulations
 
[[Page 50181]] implementing NEPA. CEQ regulations at title 40, 
section 1502.9(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CFR 
1502.9(c)) require Federal agencies to prepare a supplement to an 
EIS when an agency makes substantial changes in the proposed 
action that are relevant to environmental concerns or there are 
significant new circumstances or information relevant to 
environmental concerns and bearing on the proposed action or its 
impacts. DOE regulations at 10 CFR 1021.314(c) direct that when 
it is unclear whether a supplement to an EIS is required, an SA 
be prepared to determine whether an EIS should be supplemented; a 
new EIS should be prepared; or no further NEPA documentation is 
required. The SA analyzed whether this transportation and storage 
(change of NpO2 storage location from ORNL to ANL-W) is 
substantially relevant to environmental concerns and whether a 
supplement to the NI PEIS should be prepared. The environmental 
impacts of shipment of NpO2 from SRS were analyzed in the NI PEIS 
for several storage locations including FDPF and CPP-651 storage 
vault at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental 
Laboratory (INEEL). The ANL-W site is in close proximity of FDPF 
and CPP-651. The transportation route and distance from SRS to 
ANL-W is virtually identical to FDPF/CPP-651. Because the impacts 
of shipment to and storage at FDPF/CPP-651 at INEEL were analyzed 
in the NI PEIS, the impacts for shipment to and storage at ANL-W 
are expected to be virtually the same. In addition, ANL-W 
currently stores SNM and meets the security requirements for 
storage of SNM. This change of storage location for NpO2 would 
obviate the need for costly security upgrades at ORNL.
 
Decision On the basis of the SA and the analyses conducted in NI 
PEIS, DOE has determined that the proposed change in storage 
location of NpO2 from REDC to ANL-W would not require further 
review under NEPA. The impacts due to relocation and storage of 
NpO2 would be no greater than those assessed in the NI PEIS.
 
DOE is issuing this amendment to the original ROD to announce the 
change of storage location for NpO2 from REDC to ANL-W.
 
Issued in Washington, DC, August 5, 2004.
 
William D. Magwood, IV, Director, Office of Nuclear Energy, 
Science and Technology.
 
[FR Doc. 04-18534 Filed 8-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 48 DOE: Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
 
                        FR Doc 04-18535 
[Federal Register: August 13, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 156)] 
[Notices] [Page 50176-50180] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13au04-59]                         
 
for the Decommissioning of the Fast Flux Test Facility at the 
Hanford Site, Richland, WA AGENCY: Department of Energy.
 
ACTION: Notice of intent.
 
[[Page 50177]]
 
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent 
to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), on proposed 
decommissioning of the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) at the 
Hanford Site, Richland, Washington. DOE proposes to decommission 
the FFTF and its support buildings on the Hanford Site. 
Alternatives to be analyzed will include no action, entombment, 
and removal.
 
 
DATES: DOE invites public comments on the proposed scope of this 
EIS. The public scoping period begins with the publication of 
this notice and concludes October 8, 2004. DOE invites Federal 
agencies, Native American Tribal Nations, State and local 
governments, and the public to comment on the scope of this EIS. 
To ensure consideration, comments must be postmarked by Friday, 
October 8, 2004. Late comments will be considered to the extent 
practicable. Two public scoping meetings will be held to provide 
the public with an opportunity to ask questions on the scope of 
the EIS, discuss concerns with DOE officials, and present 
comments. The locations, dates, and times for the meetings are as 
follows: Wednesday, September 22, 2004, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m., at 
the Red Lion Inn--Hanford House, 802 George Washington Way, 
Richland, Washington 99352; and on Thursday, September 30, 2004, 
from 7 p.m.-10 p.m., at the Shilo Inn, 780 Lindsay Boulevard, 
Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402.
 
 
ADDRESSES: Comments or suggestions on the scope for the EIS and 
questions concerning the proposed action may be submitted to: Mr. 
Douglas H. Chapin, NEPA Document Manager, FFTF Decommissioning 
EIS, U.S. Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office, Post 
Office Box 550, Mail Stop A3-04, Richland, Washington, 99352. You 
may also leave a message at (888) 886-0821, send a fax to (509) 
376-0177, or an e-mail to: Douglas_H_Chapin@rl.gov. FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information about FFTF, to 
request information about this EIS and the public scoping 
meetings, or to be placed on the EIS distribution list, please 
contact Mr.
 
Chapin using any of the methods identified above. For general 
information about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol 
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance 
(EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0119, telephone: (202) 586-4600, or 
leave a message at (800) 472-2756.
 
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The FFTF is a DOE-owned, 
400-megawatt (thermal) liquid- metal (sodium) cooled nuclear test 
reactor located on the DOE Hanford Site's 400 Area near Richland, 
Washington. FFTF full-scale operations were conducted between 
1982 and 1992. DOE operated FFTF as a non- breeder test reactor 
for the U.S. liquid metal fast breeder reactor program testing 
advanced nuclear fuels, materials, components, and reactor safety 
designs. DOE also conducted ancillary experimental activities 
including cooperative international research and irradiation to 
produce a variety of medical and industrial isotopes.
 
In May 1995, DOE issued the Environmental Assessment: Shutdown of 
the Fast Flux Test Facility, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington 
(DOE/ EA-0993, May 1995) and Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI, May 1995). This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluated 
the potential impacts associated with actions necessary to place 
the FFTF in a radiologically-safe and industrially-safe permanent 
shutdown and deactivation condition (Phase I), suitable for a 
long-term surveillance and maintenance (Phase II) prior to 
decommissioning (Phase III).
 
The EA did not evaluate Phase III. DOE determined that an EIS was 
not required for the permanent shutdown and deactivation of the 
FFTF, and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
 
Based on the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement 
for Accomplishing Expanded Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and 
Development and Isotope Production Missions in the United States, 
Including the Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility (NI-PEIS)( 
DOE/EIS-0310, December 2000), DOE decided in the Record of 
Decision (ROD) (66 FR 7877, January 26, 2001), that the permanent 
closure of FFTF was to be resumed, with no new missions. The NI 
PEIS reviewed the environmental impacts associated with enhancing 
the existing DOE nuclear facility infrastructure to provide for 
the following missions: (1) Production of isotopes for medical, 
research, and industrial uses; (2) production of plutonium-238 
for use in advanced radioactive isotope power systems for future 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space 
exploration missions, and (3) to support the nation's civilian 
nuclear energy research and development needs. In the NI PEIS, 
FFTF was evaluated as an alternative irradiation services 
facility for the aforementioned missions.
 
DOE is currently engaged in the permanent deactivation of the 
FFTF consistent with the May 1995 FFTF Shutdown EA and FONSI and 
the January 26, 2001, ROD. Major deactivation activities underway 
at this time include: washing the FFTF fuel to remove sodium, 
placing the fuel into dry cask storage, draining sodium systems, 
and deactivating auxiliary plant systems. The FFTF fuel, which 
includes sodium-bonded fuel, is being managed and dispositioned 
consistent with previous applicable DOE NEPA decisions (see 
``Related NEPA Reviews'').
 
Proposed Action: NEPA requires the preparation of an EIS for 
major federal actions that significantly affect the quality of 
the human environment. DOE is preparing an EIS (DOE/EIS-0364) for 
proposed FFTF decommissioning activities.
 
DOE's purpose and need is to reduce long-term risks associated 
with the deactivated FFTF and its ancillary support facilities, 
and to reduce surveillance and maintenance costs. In order to 
meet this purpose and need, DOE proposes to decommission the 
deactivated FFTF and its support facilities by September 2012, 
consistent with the ongoing Request for Proposal No. 
DE-RP06-04RL14600 for the FFTF Closure Project. Alternatives for 
accomplishing this proposed action described below.
 
Preliminary Alternatives: Consistent with NEPA implementation 
requirements, the EIS will assess the range of reasonable 
alternatives regarding DOE's need for decommissioning the FFTF, 
and a No Action alternative. The EIS will provide a means for 
soliciting public input on the alternatives to be analyzed as 
part of DOE's decisionmaking process. DOE's current proposed 
alternatives include entombment and removal.
 
Other reasonable alternatives that may arise during public 
scoping and preparation of the draft EIS would also be 
considered.
 
Because DOE has made a programmatic decision to permanently 
shutdown and deactivate FFTF, and is currently performing 
deactivation activities consistent with this decision, restart of 
the FFTF is not considered a reasonable decommissioning 
alternative. The preferred alternative for decommissioning would 
be identified in the EIS and DOE's decision would be announced in 
a ROD. Consistent with this ROD, DOE would also prepare any 
regulatory documents that might be required as a result of 
permitting, closure, or documentation requirements under the 
Atomic Energy Act; the Resource Conservation and Recovery
 
[[Page 50178]] Act, and the Washington State Hazardous Waste 
Management Act of 1976; or the Comprehensive Environmental, 
Response, Compensation and Liability Act. In meeting any State 
(of Washington) Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) requirements 
related to state permitting or other regulatory actions, the 
State of Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) can adopt a 
NEPA document if it determines that it is sufficient to meet SEPA 
requirements. DOE intends to coordinate with Ecology to ensure 
these needs are addressed.
 
The EIS will analyze reasonable alternatives for the management 
and disposition of FFTF waste, and reasonable onsite (Hanford 
Site) and offsite (Idaho) alternatives for the management and 
disposition of the Hanford Site radioactive sodium inventory.
 
The proposed alternatives to be considered in the EIS include: No 
Action Alternative. The Council on Environmental Quality NEPA 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the DOE NEPA 
Regulations (10 CFR part 1021) require analysis of a No Action 
alternative. Under this alternative, deactivation would be 
completed consistent with previous NEPA decisions, such that the 
FFTF and support buildings could be maintained in a long-term 
surveillance and maintenance condition for the foreseeable 
future; no decommissioning would occur. The facility would be 
monitored and periodic surveillance and maintenance performed to 
ensure that no environmental releases or safety issues develop. 
The impacts from this No Action alternative will be used as the 
basis for comparing the impacts of the action alternatives.
 
Entombment Alternative. Under this alternative, DOE would 
decontaminate, dismantle, and remove the FFTF Reactor Containment 
Building dome (and structures within) above grade level (i.e., 
550 feet above mean sea level). The FFTF Reactor Vessel, 
contained within the Reactor Containment Building, along with 
radioactive and contaminated equipment, components, piping, and 
materials, including any asbestos, depleted uranium shielding, 
and lead shielding, would remain in place. The Reactor 
Containment Building below grade level would be filled with grout 
or other suitable fill material to immobilize remaining 
radioactive and chemically-hazardous materials to the maximum 
extent practicable, and to minimize subsidence. The Reactor 
Containment Building fill material may include hazardous, and/or 
radioactive and contaminated materials, as allowed by 
regulations. A regulatory- compliant, engineered barrier would be 
used to cover the filled area. The barrier, together with the 
lower Reactor Containment Building structure and internal 
structures, and the immobilization and/or subsidence matrix would 
comprise the entombment structure (i.e., the entombed area).
 
The FFTF support buildings outside the entombed area, would be 
decontaminated and demolished to below grade level, backfilled, 
and remediated, as appropriate. Below-grade portions would be 
backfilled and covered to minimize free (void) spaces. 
Appropriate institutional controls would also be implemented 
(e.g., deed restrictions, etc.). Removal Alternative. Under this 
alternative, DOE would decontaminate, dismantle, and remove the 
Reactor Containment Building dome (and structures within) above 
grade level. The Reactor Vessel, contained within the Reactor 
Containment Building below grade level, along with radioactive 
and contaminated equipment, components, piping, and materials, 
including any asbestos, depleted uranium shielding, and lead 
shielding, would also be removed. The removed radioactive and 
contaminated equipment, components, piping, and materials would 
include intermediate heat exchangers, primary pumps, primary 
isolation valves, primary overflow tanks, Interim Examination and 
Maintenance Cell equipment, test assembly hardware, and the 
Interim Decay Storage tank. Additional radioactive and 
contaminated equipment from the Reactor Containment Building and 
the FFTF Heat Transport System would also be removed, as 
necessary. The removed radioactive and contaminated equipment, 
components, piping, and materials would be disposed of in 
appropriate Hanford Site 200 Area disposal units such as, but not 
necessarily limited to, the existing Environmental Restoration 
and Disposal Facility or the Integrated Disposal Facility, which 
is proposed for construction. The Reactor Containment Building 
(and structures within) at grade and below grade, and the FFTF 
support buildings outside the Reactor Containment Building area, 
would be decontaminated and demolished to below grade, backfilled 
and covered to minimize free (void) spaces), and remediated, as 
appropriate. Appropriate institutional controls would also be 
implemented (e.g., deed restrictions, etc.). EIS Schedule: This 
EIS will be prepared pursuant to NEPA, the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and DOE's NEPA 
Implementing Procedures (10 CFR part 1021). Following publication 
of this Notice of Intent, DOE will conduct a 45-day public 
scoping period, including public scoping meetings; and prepare 
and distribute the draft EIS. A comment period on the draft EIS 
is planned, which will include public hearings to receive 
comments. Availability of the draft EIS, the dates of the public 
comment period, and information about the public hearings will be 
announced in the Federal Register and in local news media. The 
final EIS is scheduled for issuance by September 2005. A ROD 
would be issued no sooner than 30 days after publication of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Notice of Availability 
of the final EIS in the Federal Register.
 
Preliminary Identification of Environmental and Other Issues DOE 
intends to analyze the following issues when assessing the 
potential environmental impacts of the proposed action and 
alternatives in this EIS. DOE invites comments on these and any 
other issues that should be addressed in this EIS.
 
Potential accident scenarios at appropriate onsite (Hanford Site) 
and offsite locations associated with the decommissioning of the 
FFTF and support facilities and with the management and 
disposition of resulting waste and Hanford Site radioactive 
sodium inventory.
 
Potential effects on the public and onsite workers from releases 
of radiological and nonradiological materials during 
decommissioning operations and reasonably foreseeable accidents.
 
Potential long-term risks resulting from the management and 
disposition of the FFTF waste and Hanford Site radioactive sodium 
inventory.
 
Potential effects on air quality, and water quantity and quality 
from decommissioning operations and reasonably foreseeable 
accidents.
 
Potential cumulative effects, including impacts from other past, 
present and reasonably foreseeable actions at or in the vicinity 
of the Hanford Site.
 
Potential effects on biological resources (e.g., rare, 
threatened, or endangered species and their habitat).
 
Potential effects on archaeological/cultural/historical sites.
 
 
[[Page 50179]] Potential effects from transportation activities 
and from reasonably foreseeable transportation accidents.
 
Potential socioeconomic impacts on surrounding communities.
 
Potential for disproportionately high and adverse effects on 
low-income and minority populations (Environmental Justice).
 
Potential, unavoidable adverse environmental effects.
 
Potential, short-term uses of the environment versus long- term 
productivity.
 
Potential irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources.
 
Potential consumption of natural resources and energy, including 
water, geologic materials, natural gas, and electricity.
 
Potential pollution prevention, waste minimization, and 
mitigative measures.
 
Related NEPA Reviews: Listed below are some of the key NEPA 
documents to be considered in relation to the EIS: Environmental 
Statement, Fast Flux Test Facility, Richland, Washington 
(WASH-1510, May 1972). This Environmental Statement (prepared by 
the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission) assessed the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the FFTF Project.
 
Final Environmental Impact Statement: Department of Energy 
Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National 
Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste 
Management Programs (DOE/EIS-0203, April 1995) and ROD (60 FR 
28680, May 1, 1995). This EIS analyzed (at a programmatic level) 
the potential environmental consequences over the next 40 years 
of alternatives related to the transportation, receipt, 
processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel under the 
responsibility of DOE. For programmatic spent nuclear fuel 
management, this EIS analyzed alternatives of no action, 
decentralization, regionalization, centralization, and the use of 
the plans that existed in 1992 and 1993 for the management of 
these materials.
 
Environmental Assessment: Shutdown of the Fast Flux Test 
Facility, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington and FONSI 
(DOE/EA-0993, May 1995). This EA evaluated the impacts associated 
with deactivation actions necessary to place the FFTF in a 
radiologically- and industrially-safe condition (Phase I), 
suitable for long-term surveillance and maintenance (Phase II) 
prior to decommissioning (Phase III). The EA did not evaluate 
Phase III. DOE determined that an EIS was not required for the 
permanent shutdown and deactivation of the FFTF and issued a 
FONSI.
 
Environmental Assessment: Management of Hanford Site Non- Defense 
Production Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, Hanford Site, Richland, 
Washington and FONSI (DOE/EA-1185, March 1997). This EA evaluated 
the environmental impacts associated with actions necessary to 
place the Hanford Site's non-defense production reactor spent 
nuclear fuel, which includes FFTF's spent nuclear fuel, in a 
radiologically- and industrially-safe, and passive, consolidated 
storage condition pending final decommissioning. DOE determined 
that the interim management and storage of the subject spent 
nuclear fuel at the Hanford Site did not require an EIS and 
issued a FONSI.
 
Environmental Assessment: Shutdown of Experimental Breeder 
Reactor-II (EBR-II) at Argonne National Laboratory-West and FONSI 
(DOE/ EA-1199, September 1997). This EA addressed the placement 
of EBR-II and its supporting facilities in an industrially and 
radiologically safe shutdown condition pending ultimate 
decommissioning, including the draining of the primary and 
secondary sodium and reaction of the sodium in the Sodium 
Processing Facility. The EA did not evaluate final 
decontamination and decommissioning of EBR-II or the Sodium 
Processing Facility. DOE determined that an EIS was not required 
and issued a FONSI.
 
Final Hanford Comprehensive Land Use Plan Environmental Impact 
Statement (DOE/EIS-0222, September 1999) and ROD (64 FR 61615, 
November 12, 1999). This EIS focused on developing an overall 
strategy for future land use at Hanford and included a proposed 
comprehensive land use plan for the Hanford Site for at least the 
next 50 years of ownership. DOE decided in the ROD that the 400 
Area would be designated ``industrial.'' This land-use 
designation supports the 1997 EPA Brownfields Initiative for 
contaminated areas (``Brownfields Economic Development 
Initiative, EPA 500-F-97-158, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Washington, D.C., September 1997.'') Final Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Treatment and Management of 
Sodium-Bonded Spent Nuclear Fuel (DOE/EIS-0306, July 2000) and 
ROD (65 FR 56565, September 19, 2000). This EIS evaluated 
strategies to remove or stabilize the reactive sodium contained 
in a portion of DOE's spent nuclear fuel inventory to prepare the 
spent nuclear fuel for disposal in a geologic repository. The EIS 
analyzed, under the proposed action, six alternatives that employ 
one or more of the following technology options at nuclear fuel 
management facilities at the Savannah River Site or the INEEL: 
electrometallurgical treatment; the plutonium-uranium extraction 
process; packaging in high- integrity cans; and the melt and 
dilute treatment process. DOE decided in the ROD to implement the 
preferred alternative of electrometallurgically treating the 
EBR-II spent nuclear fuel and miscellaneous small lots of sodium 
bonded spent nuclear fuel at the ANL-W facility at the INEEL. 
FFTF has a small inventory of sodium bonded fuel identified in 
this EIS.
 
Final Environmental Impact Statement, Commercial Low-Level 
Radioactive Waste Disposal Site, Hanford Site, Richland, 
Washington, State of Washington Department of Ecology (May 
2004)). This EIS was prepared by Ecology to evaluate pending 
actions, including an operating license renewal, at the existing 
commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal site located on 
the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington.
 
Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for 
Accomplishing Expanded Civilian Nuclear Energy Research and 
Development and Isotope Production Missions in the United States, 
Including the Role of the Fast Flux Test Facility (NI-PEIS, 
DOE/EIS-0310, December 2000) and ROD (66 FR 7877, January 26, 
2001). This nuclear infrastructure programmatic EIS evaluated the 
proposed expansion of the nuclear irradiation capabilities for 
accomplishing civilian nuclear energy research and development 
activities, accommodating the projected growth in demand for 
medical and industrial isotopes, and production of plutonium-238 
to support future National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
space exploration missions. Also included was an alternative to 
permanently deactivate the FFTF. The EIS concluded that ``lack of 
clear commitments from likely users discouraged the Department 
from planning to build new facilities or to restart the FFTF.'' 
DOE decided in the ROD that the FFTF would be permanently 
deactivated.
 
Final Hanford Site Solid (Radioactive and Hazardous) Waste 
Program Environmental Impact Statement, Richland, Washington 
(DOE/EIS- 0286, January 2004) and ROD (69 FR 39449, June 30, 
2004). This EIS evaluated alternatives to provide capabilities to 
treat, store, and/or dispose of existing and anticipated 
quantities of solid low-level waste
 
[[Page 50180]] (LLW), mixed low-level waste (MLLW), Transuranic 
(TRU) waste, and immobilized low activity waste to support clean 
up at Hanford and to assist other DOE sites in completing their 
cleanup programs. DOE decided in the ROD to (1) limit the volumes 
of LLW and MLLW received at Hanford from other sites for 
disposal; (2) dispose of LLW in lined disposal facilities, a 
practice already used for MLLW; (3) construct and operate a 
lined, combined-use disposal facility (previously referenced in 
this Notice of Intent as the ``Integrated Disposal Facility'') in 
Hanford's 200 East Area for disposal of LLW and MLLW, and further 
limit offsite waste receipts until the IDF is constructed; (4) 
treat LLW and MLLW (requiring treatment) at either offsite 
facilities or existing or modified facilities, as appropriate; 
and (5) use existing and modified onsite facilities to store, 
process, and certify TRU waste for subsequent shipment to the DOE 
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
 
Environmental Impact Statement for Retrieval, Treatment, and 
Disposal of Tank Waste and Closure of Single-Shell Tanks at the 
Hanford Site, Richland, Washington (DOE/EIS-0356). This EIS will 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the proposed 
action and range of reasonable alternatives, including no action, 
to treating and disposing of the subject tank waste and the safe 
management and closure of the subject tanks. The document is 
currently in development and a draft EIS has not yet been issued.
 
Public Reading Rooms Documents referenced in this Notice of 
Intent and related information are available at the following 
locations: DOE Reading Room, WSU Tri-Cities, 2710 University 
Drive, Richland, Washington 99352, 509- 372-7443; and the U.S. 
Department of Energy Headquarters Public Reading Room, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Room 1E-190 (ME-74) FORS, Washington, 
DC 20585, 202-586-3142.
 
Issued in Washington, DC on August 9, 2004.
 
John Spitaleri Shaw, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of 
Environment, Safety and Health.
 
[FR Doc. 04-18535 Filed 8-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 49 [du-list] Protective measures for DU! Valid?  What do you
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:55:31 -0700

 
<x-flowed>


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Protective measures for DU! Valid? What do you think??? Let me
know... Sheree
Date: 	Wed, 11 Aug 2004 10:41:59 -0400
From: 	Sheree <sheree@nycap.rr.com>
To: 	<Undisclosed-Recipient:;>



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   Protect yourself from the harmful effects of radiation or radioactive
   exposure with this new information

	

/Just released - The world�s only alternative medicine manual on how to
detoxify and rebuild the body after excessive radiation or radioactive
exposure./

(PRWEB) August 11, 2004 -- Top Shape Publishing LLC, has recently
released a new book addressing the national security and health issue on
how to detoxify your body of the effects from radiation and radioactive
exposure.

Just recently there was another accident at a Japanese nuclear power
plant in Mihama that didn't involve radiation, but killed four people
and brings to light this on-going but unresolved concern. Now there is
finally a plan of action.

Thousands of people are continually exposed to the dangers of excessive
radiation every year. There are cancer patients who undergo radiation
therapy, medical workers who deal with nuclear medicine, power plant
workers, Gulf War veterans and military personnel who become exposed to
depleted uranium, uranium miners and workers at plutonium processing
facilities, scientists who do radioactive lab research and residents who
live near old atomic testing grounds or active nuclear energy facilities.

�How to Neutralize the Harmful Effects of Radiation or Radioactive
Exposure� is the first book of its kind that not only reviews the
typical health results of radiation toxicity and sickness in layman�s
terms, but focuses on the various ways by which you can eliminate
radioactive particles from your body and start healing yourself from the
damaging effects of radiation exposure.

Author William Bodri says, �I wanted to write a book, as my own national
contribution, that addressed a security concern that everyone seemed to
be ignoring, which is the emergency detoxification of radioactive
exposure. Scan the internet and most of what you find simply focuses on
telling you that radiation is bad for you. Well, we don�t need more
studies telling us what we already know. While most of the radiation
research is focused in that direction what we really need are
alternative and naturopathic protocols you can use to help protect
yourself or heal yourself from excessive radiation or radioactive
exposure. Unfortunately, as one researcher told me, there's no funds for
that type of research as there's no demand, meaning we're not thinking
ahead in terms of real national concerns. We say we want to send
astronauts to Mars and they also need this sort of information. Every
little bit helps when it comes to adjunct naturopathic therapies, and if
the hospitals and government stockpiles of potassium iodine or Prussian
Blue run out in an emergency, this the very sort of information the
public will be screaming for and it's what health care workers need to
know.�

Delving into options as diverse as seaweeds, chlorella, spirulina, teas,
thiol compounds, amino acids, shark alkyglycerols and dozens of other
natural substances that have been used at Nagasaki or Chernobyl, studied
for their radioprotective effects or used in other incidents of
radiation sickness and exposure, the book also focuses on various proven
natural means that can help neutralize radioactive compounds and rebuild
the body�s blood, gastrointestinal and immune system after exposure to
radiation.

How to Neutralize the Harmful Effects of Radiation or Radioactive Exposure
By William Bodri
www.RadiationDetox.com <http://www.radiationdetox.com/>

# # #


	
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CONTACT INFORMATION
*William Bodri*
Top Shape Publishing, LLC
Visit Our Site <http://www.radiationdetox.com/>
718-539-2811
Email us Here <http://www.prweb.com/emailmember.php?prid=148374>
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*****************************************************************
 50 [du-list] DU in the News -   13th Aug. 04
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:55:15 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
DEPLETED uranium still a danger, speaker says
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle - Bozeman,MT,USA
... Library. The talk, centering on the use and effects of depleted uranium
in ammunition, was sponsored by the Bozeman Peace Seekers. ...
<<http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2004/08/12/news/uranium.txt>http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2004/08/12/news/uranium.txt>

GULF War Illnesses -- At Home and Abroad
Infoshop News - USA
... 0ct. 2003), I had hoped that the mainstream press would have picked
up the depleted uranium (DU) issue. Alas, this is not the case. ...
<<http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/08/12/0816776>http://www.infoshop.org/inews/stories.php?story=04/08/12/0816776>

RETURNING troops may not be seeking treatment
The Journal News.com - Westchester,NY,USA
... If you're concerned about depleted uranium, respiratory problems or
other symptoms, they will hold you over for a week or a month for additional
tests. ...
<<http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/081204/a0112ptsd.html>http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/081204/a0112ptsd.html>

ANDY D: USA to collapse
Pravda - Moscow,Russia
... people. The Iraqi people have suffered so much from American and British
nuclear (depleted uranium) and terror attacks. Their gambit ...
<<http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/386/13738_US.html>http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/386/13738_US.html>

IN Defense of Supporting Attacks on US Troops---John Paul Cupp
Collective Bellaciao - Paris,France
... one's opinion of it) while demanding the very Clinton responsible for
killing millions of Iraqis via sanctions and for the depleted uranium
being dropped on ...
<<http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=2626>http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=2626>


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*****************************************************************
 51 Google News Alert - nuclear
 
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 17:54:50 -0700 (PDT)

 
UTILITY to Temporarily Shutter Nuclear Plants
Los Angeles Times (subscription) - Los Angeles,CA,USA
A Japanese utility said it would temporarily shut down all 11 of its nuclear
power facilities to conduct safety checks because of this week's deadly
accident ...
<http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-briefs13.2aug13,1,3612734.story?coll=la-headlines-world>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-briefs13.2aug13,1,3612734.story%3Fcoll%3Dla-headlines-world>

WASHINGTON threatens Iran, demanding it halt nuclear energy ...
The Militant - New York,NY,USA
... International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a cover to intensify the
imperialist campaign against Iran, waged under the banner of �nuclear
non-proliferation ...
<http://www.themilitant.com/2004/6831/683105.html>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.themilitant.com/2004/6831/683105.html>

RUSSIA denies conducting nuclear tests
Xinhua - China
MOSCOW, Aug. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday denied
the country had conducted any nuclear tests in post-Soviet times. ...
<http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-08/13/content_1777139.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-08/13/content_1777139.htm>

BUSH defends decision on Nevada nuclear dump
Miami Herald (subscription) - Miami,FL,USA
LAS VEGAS - (AP) -- President Bush on Thursday defended his decision to
use Nevada's Yucca Mountain as the nation's high-level nuclear waste dump,
an unpopular ...
<http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9388228.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9388228.htm>

AUSTRALIA links aid to N.Korea nuclear programme
Reuters AlertNet - London,England,UK
SYDNEY, Aug 13 (Reuters) - North Korea could expect vital economic assistance
if it disbanded its nuclear programmes, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander
...
<http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD217470.htm>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD217470.htm>

INTEREST in nuclear power rises as costs fall
National Business Review - New Zealand
Strong international demand is nuking the price of clean, green nuclear
reactors and has renewed a call for rational analysis of a New Zealand-friendly
nuclear ...
<http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=9886&cid=8&cname=News>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp%3Fid%3D9886%26cid%3D8%26cname%3DNews>

US, Canada See Eye-to-eye On Iranian Nuclear Program, Human Rights ...
Turkish Press - Turkey
WASHINGTON, Aug 13 (AFP) - The United States and Canada share concerns
about the extent of Iran's nuclear programs and Tehran's poor human rights
record, US ...
<http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp?ID=24487>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.turkishpress.com/turkishpress/news.asp%3FID%3D24487>

SUN Gets Nuclear Cluster Deal
TechWeb - USA
Sun Microsystem Thursday announced a $2 million deal with the Department
of Energy to build a clustered supercomputer at the agency's nuclear research
lab in ...
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20040813S0004>
See all stories on this topic:
<http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&num=30&hl=en&client=google&newsclusterurl=http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20040813S0004>

NUCLEAR plants to close for inspections
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
13 (UPI) -- Following a fatal accident at one of its nuclear power plants,
Japan's Kansai Electric Power Company said Friday it would close all its
plants for ...
<http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040813-051352-9550r.htm>

CZECH nuclear plant malfunctions again
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
13 (UPI) -- A reactor at the Czech Republic's Temelin nuclear power plant
has been closed down due to a malfunction in a generator, the Pravo newspaper
...
<http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040813-051528-5350r.htm>

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