***************************************************************** 09/24/04 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 12.229 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 [southnews] Expert told PM of error on Iraqi weapons 2 US: DN!: Two Debates: Is the U.S. winning in Iraq? Is Nuclear Power 3 eTaiwanNews.com: Iran is just following Israel's lead 4 Interfax: Iran does not need nuclear weapons - Putin 5 BBC: Iran adamant on nuclear programme 6 Khaleej Times Online: IAEA calls for nuclear-free zone in Middle Eas 7 Radio Netherlands: Iran's nuclear stubbornness 8 Xinhuanet: IAEA urges DPRK to accept comprehensive safeguards agreem 9 Las Vegas SUN: U.S. Agency Demands N. Korea Scrap Nukes 10 UN Atomic Watchdog Assists South Africa In Probing Nuclear Smuggling 11 Las Vegas SUN: Vanunu Says Nuke Revelation Changed World 12 BBC: Gulf war health checks 'too late' 13 New Kerala: Pak seeks nuke plant JVs under IAEA supervision: 14 New Kerala: Musharraf says A Q Khan episode was his biggest challeng 15 AFP: Japan sticks to six-party framework for nuclear fusion project NUCLEAR REACTORS 16 BBC: British Energy seeks to delist 17 Hi Pakistan: Nuclear power parks proposed --> 18 US: Hudson Valley News: Indian Point safety issue makes it to the Or 19 Sofia Morning News: Bulgaria's 2nd Nuke Tender "May be Delayed" 20 US: NRC: Indiana Michigan Power Company Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant 21 US: NRC: Notice of Clarification to Steam Generator Tube Integrity E NUCLEAR SAFETY 22 US: [du-list] [Fwd: [mtpbases] Are DOD Exemptions Justified?] 23 US: [du-list] Documentation RE: DU ammo tests in 50'-60's 24 Guardian Unlimited: U.N. Nuke Inspectors: No Access in Brazil 25 US: IJ: Sen. Schumer Seeks N.Y. Nuke Workers' Compensation 26 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Downwinders may get IOUs, not cash NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 27 UN Nuclear Watchdog Calls On Iran To Suspend All Uranium-enrichment 28 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Berkley reinforces attack 29 US: Island Packet Online: America needs cohesive plan for nuclear di 30 AFP: UN nuclear inspectors to Brazil in flap over hidden enrichment NUCLEAR WEAPONS US DEPT. OF ENERGY 31 Daily Camera: 903 Pad cleanup done OTHER NUCLEAR 32 BBC: Top Indian nuclear scientist dies ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [southnews] Expert told PM of error on Iraqi weapons Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 19:33:42 -0500 (CDT) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/7gSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Australia's leading expert on weapons of mass destruction defied political and bureaucratic barriers to warn the Prime Minister that his case for war against Iraq was based on falsehoods and would make Australia a bigger terrorist target. A copy of Dr Mathews' letter has been obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald. The lengthy critique called on Mr Howard to reconsider his position and take action to dissuade the US from its path. In the letter, he said there was not even circumstantial evidence to back the view that Saddam Hussein had substantial stockpiles of usable WMD. Weapons expert's fight to warn PM By Tom Allard, Defence Reporter SMH September 25, 2004 Australia's leading expert on weapons of mass destruction defied political and bureaucratic barriers to warn the Prime Minister that his case for war against Iraq was based on falsehoods and would make Australia a bigger terrorist target. Bob Mathews, a 35-year veteran of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation, wrote to John Howard as a private citizen three days before he committed Australia to the war - a last, desperate act after the expert's superiors repeatedly blocked him from expressing his views. Dr Mathews was a principal research scientist for weapons of mass destruction and arms control at the organisation when he wrote the letter and has an esteemed international reputation in WMD and counter-terrorism. The Herald has obtained a copy of Dr Mathews's letter and been appraised of what one colleague described as his "disgraceful" treatment both before and after it was sent to Mr Howard. His actions were investigated, his travel was curtailed and charges were contemplated. Dr Mathews's lengthy critique called on Mr Howard to reconsider his position and take action to dissuade the US from its path. In the letter, he said: There was not even circumstantial evidence to back the view that Saddam Hussein had substantial stockpiles of usable WMD. If he did have WMD, and if Iraq were invaded, there was a "high probability" they would be passed on to terrorists. He said there was no chance of their falling into al-Qaeda's hands while Saddam remained in power. Australia would "face an increased risk of terrorist acts" if it joined the invasion, which was a "serious distraction to the fight against terrorism". Australia would have greater difficulties dealing with South-East Asian nations in combating terrorism due to the Iraq war. The United Nations must be given more time for inspections, and was an important curb on Saddam's WMD ambitions. "There are no reasons at the present time to justify supporting a US-led invasion of Iraq," Dr Mathews told Mr Howard, urging him to make a last-ditch effort to persuade the Americans to abandon their war plans. Dr Mathews sent his letter to Mr Howard on March 17 last year, three days before the Prime Minister formally announced Australia was at war. In his televised address, Mr Howard said "the reason above all others" for the Iraq war was the threat posed by terrorists with WMD. "Far from our action in Iraq increasing the terrorist threat, it will, by stopping the spread of chemical and biological weapons, make it less likely that a devastating terrorist attack will be carried out against Australia," the Prime Minister said. As he directly contradicted Dr Mathews's advice on several fronts, Mr Howard and his office were already aware of the contents of the letter. Indeed, his office - and the Minister for Defence, Robert Hill - had already begun a furious damage-control plan to discredit Dr Mathews. Mr Howard's spokesman did not respond to calls from the Herald yesterday. Jane Errey, the assistant to the then chief defence scientist, Ian Chessell, was asked to deliver a brief to Senator Hill that he would use as "talking points" should the media get hold of the story. That brief was undertaken the day before war was declared, she said. She immediately took leave because she did not want to be associated with false "propaganda" that would have misled the public. Dr Mathews wrote the letter to Mr Howard in a personal capacity because senior figures in his organisation had for months thwarted his attempts to relay his concerns up the chain of command. Dr Mathews faced reprisals after he sent the letter, including having his top-secret security clearance frozen while he was investigated. His travel abroad was restricted while senior Government advisers considered prosecuting him for passing on classified material. "They treated him appallingly," a former colleague said. Dr Mathews, who has been overseas and could not be contacted, remains at the organisation. Friends say he faced a distressing decision about whether to "pull the pin or stay". http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/24/1095961864769.html?oneclick=true _________________________ War not the answer, letter told Howard Bob Mathews has a missionary's zeal when it comes to combating weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, and the countenance of the archetypal public servant. more... http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/24/1095961858524.html The archives of South News can be found at http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southnews/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: southnews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 2 DN!: Two Debates: Is the U.S. winning in Iraq? Is Nuclear Power the Solution Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 11:49:10 -0400 = = = = = = = = = DEMOCRACY NOW! DAILY EMAIL DIGEST September 24, 2004 http://www.democracynow.org Welcome to Democracy Now!'s new daily email digest. Please forward this to friends and family and encourage them to subscribe. (If you wish to unsubscribe see information below.) = = = = = = = = = To unsubscribe: send a blank email digest-unsub@list.democracynow.org Check for detailed instructions in email below. = = = = = = = = = ** AMY'S SPEAKING EVENTS ** Durango, CO: Sat, Sept 25, 7 PM Tucson, AZ: Sun, Sept 26, 7 PM Yuma, AZ: Mon, Sept 27, 7 PM Phoenix, AZ: Tues, Sept 28, 7 PM Sante Fe, NM: Wed, Sept 29, 7-9 PM Check for details in email below. = = = = = = = = = TODAY'S SHOW: Friday, September 24 * Is the U.S. Winning in Iraq? A Debate Between The Nation's Christian Parenti and the American Enterprise Institute * As the former CIA agent and current Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi comes to Washington to praise President Bush's occupation of Iraq, we examine the reality on the ground. We host a debate with two reporters who have been embedded in Iraq, Karl Zinsmeister of American Enterprise magazine and Christian Parenti of The Nation. Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/24/1359218 * Is Nuclear Power The Solution to Global Warming? * As a fourth hurricane prepares to hit Florida, we look at an emerging debate on global warming: could the increased use of nuclear power help end global warming? We are joined by longtime anti-nuclear activsit Dr. Helen Caldicott and Scott Peterson, from the Nuclear Energy Institute. Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/24/1359225 * Headlines for September 24, 2004 * - Allawi: Iraq Is “Moving In The Right Direction” - Rumsfeld: Up to 25% Of Iraq May Not Vote in Election - Kerry: Allawi’s Here To Help Bush - Death Toll in Haiti May Rise to 2,000 - Kerry’s Wife: Don’t Be Surprised If Osama Caught Soon - CAIR Questions U.S. Treatment of Cat Stevens - UK Anglicans Calls For Divestment From Israel - NYPD Threatens Arrests At Critical Mass Ride Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/09/24/1359209 = = = = = = = = = COMING UP ON DEMOCRACY NOW! 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You can also listen to and watch all Democracy Now! shows online: http://www.democracynow.org To bring Democracy Now! to your community, go to: http://www.democracynow.org/bringDNtoyou.html = = = = = = = = = --+---------------------------------------------------------------- You are subscribed as: news@energy-net.org To unsubscribe, send email to: digest-unsub-24240406@list.democracynow.org Or go to: http://list.democracynow.org/list/digest/?p=unsub&pre=l&e=24240406&pw=8ouv5h3qu7 --+-- ***************************************************************** 3 eTaiwanNews.com: Iran is just following Israel's lead [http://www.etaiwannews.com/] 2004-09-24 / Taiwan News, Contributing Writer / By Jonathan Power To persuade Iran to forgo nuclear weapons is a laudable objective. The more nuclear matches are lying around, the more the chances of them being used either through political ineptitude in a crisis or more likely by accident or by being stolen or sold to the black market. But for the U.S., Britain and France to insist on it is, to say the least, hypocritical. Iran is situated in the heart of one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods. Why shouldn't it have a deterrent too, since these western powers have argued so convincingly for decades that nuclear deterrence keeps the peace and themselves maintain nuclear armories long after the Cold War has ended? Double standards never got anyone anywhere. And where is the source of the threat that makes Iran, a country that has never started a war in 200 years, feel so nervous that it must now take the nuclear road? If Saddam Hussein's Iraq with its nuclear ambitions used to be one reason the other is certainly Israel, the country that hard liners in the U.S. are encouraging to launch a preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear industry before bombs are made. The U.S. refuses to acknowledge formally that Israel has nuclear weapons, even though top officials will tell you privately it has 200. Until this issue is openly acknowledged the U.S., Britain and France are probably wasting their time trying to persuade Iran to forgo nuclear weapons development. The sauce that is good for the goose is good for the gander. The supposition is that Israel lives in an even more dangerous neighborhood than Iran. It is a beleaguered nation under constant threat of being eliminated by the combined muscle of its Arab opponents. But this argument simply doesn't stand up. There is no evidence that the Arab states have invested the financial and human resources necessary to fight a war that would be catastrophic for Israel. And the corollary of that is that there is not one bit of evidence that Israel's nuclear weapons have deterred the Arabs from more limited wars or from the local Palestinian intifadas and suicide bombers. Nor have they influenced Arab attitudes towards making peace. In fact in both the 1973 Arab war against Israel and the I991 Gulf war Israel's nuclear weapons clearly failed in their supposed deterrence effect. The Arabs knew, as the North Vietnamese knew during the Vietnam War, that their opponent would not dare to use its nuclear weapons. Israel pro bomb propaganda always raises the argument of the need to be nuclear armed in case one day an opportunistic Egypt and Syria, sensing Israel's guard is down, revert to their old stance of total hostility and participate in a joint Arab attack against Israel. But, as Professor Zeev Maoz has argued in Harvard University's "International Security," these countries keep to their treaty obligations. Egypt did not violate its peace treaty with Israel when the latter launched an unprovoked attack on Syria and Lebanon in 1982. Syria did not violate the May 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel even when its forces were under Israeli attack. Nor did Egypt, Jordan and Syria violate their treaty commitments when the al-Aqsa intifada broke out in September 2000. Since its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Egypt has reduced its defense spending from 22 percent of its GNP in 1974 to a mere 2.75 percent in 2002. Syria's has fallen from 26 percent to 6.7 percent. The combined defense expenditures of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon amount to only 58 percent of Israel's. Indeed the shoe is on the other foot - it is the Arabs who should be worried by Israel's might. Israel's nuclear weapons are both politically unusable and militarily irrelevant, given the real threats it face. But they have been very effective in allowing countries as diverse as India, Pakistan, Libya, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, North Korea and now Iran to think they too have good reason to build a nuclear deterrent. However, the very fact that four of these countries have now dismantled their nuclear weapons factories means that nuclear policies are not cast in stone. The way to go with Iran is to prove to its leadership that nuclear weapons will add nothing to its security, just as they don't to Israel's. This may require a grand bargain, which would mean the U.S. offering a mutual non-aggression pact, ending its embargo over access to the International Monetary Fund and allowing American investment in Iran, particularly in its petroleum sector. It would mean too the U.S. coming clean about Israel's nuclear armory and engaging in a vigorous effort to persuade Israel to forgo its nuclear deterrent. If the Western powers want to grasp the nettle of nuclear proliferation they need to take hold of the whole plant, not just one leaf. Jonathan Power is London-based columnist and a regular contributor to the Taiwan News. © 2001-2004 Taiwan News. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 Interfax: Iran does not need nuclear weapons - Putin Interfax.com [http://www.interfax.com] Sep 24 2004 2:59PM MOSCOW. Sept 24 (Interfax) - Iran does not need nuclear weapons, said Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Possession of a nuclear bomb will not enhance Iran's security or regional security," Putting told the First World Congress of News Agencies in Moscow on Friday. "Will Iran use the bomb when it has one? The possession of a bomb would only change the regional situation dramatically," Putin said. "Iran will not join the nuclear club," he said. "Russia is prepared to reassure the world community that Iran does not have such plans," the president said. On the other hand, Iran must "meet the IAEA halfway," Putin said. © 1991-2004 Interfax All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 5 BBC: Iran adamant on nuclear programme Last Updated: Friday, 24 September, 2004 By Jill McGivering BBC correspondent in New York [Preliminary installation of a turbo generator at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant] Iran denies it wants to build nuclear weapons Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi has defended his country's right to pursue nuclear technology. In a robust speech at the UN General Assembly, Mr Kharrazi insisted it was only for peaceful purposes. That claim is hotly disputed by many in the international community, most vocally by the United States. It accuses Iran of pursuing a nuclear-weapons programme and wants the case to be referred to the United Nations Security Council. Regional concerns Mr Kharrazi went on to accuse Israel of being the main regional and global threat to peace, citing its nuclear weapons capability and what he called its record of aggression. Israel neither confirms nor denies nuclear capability. Mr Kharrazi also focused on Iraq. Many in Iran were joyous, he said, to see Saddam Hussein behind bars - although even so, there was concern in Iran about the use of force without the approval of the UN. He called for free and fair elections in Iraq and condemned all acts of terrorism and violence there. That is likely to be welcomed by both Iraqi and American officials, who have expressed concern about possible Iranian interference, especially in the south of the country, and warned Tehran not to exploit the current chaos by trying to extend its influence. ***************************************************************** 6 Khaleej Times Online: IAEA calls for nuclear-free zone in Middle East [http://www.khaleejtimes.com (AFP) 24 September 2004 VIENNA - The UN atomic agency called Friday for the creation of a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East, in a move clearly aimed at Israel, which is believed to be the only state in the region with atomic weapons. The resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency, presented by Egypt and adopted by consensus, “affirms the urgent need for all states in the Middle East to forthwith accept the application of full-scope agency safeguards to all their nuclear activities . . . as a step in enchancing peace and security in the context of the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone.” The resolution did not specifically mention Israel, which neither confirms nor denies that it has atomic weapons and is the only state in the region which has not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which sets safeguards that are monitored by the IAEA. Israel is believed to have up to 200 nuclear weapons. The resolution said the 140-member IAEA was “concerned by the grave consequence, endangering peace and security, of the presence in the Middle East regions of nuclear activities not wholly devoted to peaceful purposes.” © 2004 Khaleej Times All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 Radio Netherlands: Iran's nuclear stubbornness [http://www.rnw.nl Friday, 24 September, 2004 by RN Security and Defence editor Hans de Vreij, [iranflag+atom-composite] Iran and the United Nations remain on collision course as Tehran sticks by its refusal to end its uranium enrichment programme. While Iran is still voluntarily observing a temporary halt to the enrichment process proper, technical preparations for the programme are ongoing. The government of the Islamic Republic says the ultimate aim is energy production, but the United States, Israel and other countries have strong suspicions that the enrichment programme is connected with Tehran's plans to develop a nuclear weapon. This week's meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna produced little more than another delay. A resolution adopted by the agency just last weekend gives Iran until the end of November this year to provide full transparency about the programme. Failure to do so could mean the IAEA will decide to put the matter to the UN Security Council, opening the way for possible sanctions. Armed intervention might also be on the cards, although that option is regarded as being highly unlikely to happen. A right Iranian President Mohammad Khatami fanned the flames still further this week, just days after the IAEA member states issued an urgent call to his country. He responded by saying that further cooperation with the agency would be dependent on the IAEA's willingness to allow Iran to proceed with its uranium enrichment programme: "This right is enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and we will not relinquish it". Iran has also announced that it intends to enrich a quantity of uranium ore, but not enough to qualify as "enriched uranium" let alone the kind of "highly-enriched uranium" which can also be used in the production of nuclear weapons. [Sr-Nunez] Antonio Nunez Garcia-Sauco In an interview with Radio Netherlands Spanish language section, the chairman of the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors, Antonio Nunez Garcia-Sauco of Spain, confirmed that - in principle - Iran indeed has the right to enrich uranium. However, he also says that Tehran brought the current situation upon itself by carrying out years of nuclear research in secret. As Mr Nunez puts it: "Iran has a credibility problem. Many western nations have little confidence in Iran. This lack of credibility arises from the fact that, for more than 18 years, Iran engaged in activities which it should have brought to the attention of the IAEA. It didn't do that, hence this lack of trust. Now Iran has to make an extra effort to win back that trust." Test-ban ratification According to the IAEA, one of the measures Iran needs to take in the short term is to incorporate what is known as the Additional Protocol to the NPT into its national legislation. This would make more thorough inspections possible inside Iran itself which, in turn, could help remove international mistrust of Tehran's motives. Behind the scenes, Iran is also being pushed to sign up to the international ban on nuclear weapons testing. Some countries, however, most notably the US and Israel, believe that Iran is set on producing a nuclear weapon, and is merely playing for time. Dr Ephraim Ascolai of Israel's Jaffee Centre for Strategic Studies in Tel Aviv says, "There's no other explanation for Iran's current attitude. Iran says it wants to enrich uranium for energy production, but it could do so much more cheaply by importing the nuclear material it needs from Russia or Europe." As Dr Ascolai sees it, a partial explanation for Iran's present stance on the issue is the undiminished influence of the country's radical fundamentalist forces. "The other reason could be that Iran feels hemmed in by the United States." ***************************************************************** 8 Xinhuanet: IAEA urges DPRK to accept comprehensive safeguards agreement www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2004-09-24 21:03:49 VIENNA, Sept. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Friday to promptly accept comprehensive safeguards agreement on its nuclear issue and cooperate with the agency in its full and effective implementation. The call was made in a resolution without a vote at the 48th General Conference of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog. The resolution said that the DPRK should "completely dismantle any nuclear weapons program in a prompt, transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner," maintaining the essential verification role of the IAEA. The IAEA stressed its desire for a peaceful resolution through dialogues to the nuclear issue, leading to a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula, with a view to maintaining peace and security inthe region. It strongly encourages diplomatic efforts to facilitate a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, and particularly welcomes the six-party talks which have taken place in Beijing since August 2003 and the consensus emerging fromthat process as a clear step in the right direction, the resolution said. The IAEA is looking forward to the fourth round of the six-party talks, the resolution added. Enditem Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 Las Vegas SUN: U.S. Agency Demands N. Korea Scrap Nukes By GEORGE JAHN ASSOCIATED PRESS VIENNA, Austria (AP) - A 137-nation meeting of the atomic watchdog agency demanded on Friday that North Korea scrap nuclear weapons ambitions and urged it to again allow agency inspectors to supervise its return to peaceful activities. The conference has no authority to enforce its resolutions and North Korea severed its ties with the agency in 2002. Still, the document reflected international concern over North Korea's threats to build nuclear weapons and attempts to use that as a bargaining chip at six-party talks designed to wrest concessions from the United States and others. IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told the agency's board last week that the nuclear standoff with North Korea posed a "serious challenge" to the global effort to control the spread of atomic weaponry. He said that - with his agency shut out from North Korea since December 2002 - it cannot say whether the country has diverted sensitive nuclear material to other nations or groups looking to build the bomb. The crisis began in late 2002 when U.S. officials said North Korea admitted having a nuclear weapons program in violation of a 1994 agreement. The IAEA declared North Korea in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in February 2003. The United States and its allies suspended oil shipments to the isolated communist country. North Korea in turn expelled IAEA inspectors, disabled the agency's monitoring cameras, withdrew from the global nuclear arms-control treaty and said it would reactivate its main nuclear complex, frozen since 1994. Six-party talks with North Korea aimed at persuading it to end its nuclear weapons development are on hold. Voicing its latest objection to resuming the talks, the North recently said it would not agree on a new date until South Korea fully discloses details of its recently revealed secret atomic experiments. Friday's resolution, adopted by consensus, urged the communist country to "completely dismantle any nuclear weapons program in a prompt, transparent, verifiable and irreversible manner." It said it "deplores" North Korea's decision to break ties with the IAEA and proclaim itself no longer bound by the Nonproliferation Treaty; and called on it to again accept IAEA safeguards meant to oversee its return to peaceful uses of the atom. Japanese delegate Yukio Takasu told the conference that North Korea "must immediately commit itself to dismantling" all its nuclear programs. "The early peaceful resolution of the ... (North Korean) nuclear issue is essential for securing peace and stability in Northeast Asia," he said. The conference, which began Monday, was adjourned until Friday afternoon after agreement on the North Korean resolution to allow back-room consultations on differences between Israel and its Muslim neighbors over the issue of nuclear weapons and the Middle East. Israel is widely considered to have such weapons even though it has not confirmed owning them. As at most past general conferences, Muslim nations were expected to desist from submitting a resolution condemning Israel's purported "nuclear capacities and threat" in exchange for agreement to keep the issue on the agenda for next year's meeting. In exchange, Israel was expected to drop opposition to a resolution submitted by Egypt calling for a nuclear-free Middle East. ---- On the Net: IAEA, [http://www.iaea.org] -- ***************************************************************** 10 UN Atomic Watchdog Assists South Africa In Probing Nuclear Smuggling Case Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 11:04:59 -0400 X-Sender-Hostname: mx3.un.org X-Temp-Whitephrase: YES X-Temp-Subjectphrase2: YES assist UN ATOMIC WATCHDOG ASSISTS SOUTH AFRICA IN PROBING NUCLEAR SMUGGLING CASE New York, Sep 16 2004 1:00PM South African authorities are working closely with the United Nations atomic watchdog agency in investigating cases of illicit trafficking of sensitive nuclear technology allegedly intended to help Earlier this year the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2004/sa_trafficking.html">IAEA) called for a “vital” upgrading of security to prevent nuclear technology from falling into the wrong hands through an emerging global network of sophisticated black marketeering in weapons The Chairman of the South African Council for the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, Abdul Samad Minty, told a media briefing in Vienna, where the IAEA Board of Governors is meeting, that the probe related to the import and export of a controlled flow-forming lathe as well as production and possession of certain components associated with a centrifuge enrichment plant. Arrests have been made and police searches of companies and facilities have uncovered shipping containers associated with a centrifuge uranium enrichment plant, he said yesterday. Enriched uranium can be used to produce nuclear bombs. IAEA safeguards inspectors have placed the containers as well as other uncovered equipment The <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2004/sa_trafficking.html">IAEA has long been concerned over trafficking in nuclear materials. “What we are seeing is a very sophisticated and complex underground network of black market operators not that much different from organized crime cartels,” IAEA Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei “It’s vital that we keep making progress in combined efforts against illicit trafficking, and to keep upgrading security to effectively prevent sensitive nuclear material and technology from falling 2004-09-16 00:00:00.000 ________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml ***************************************************************** 11 Las Vegas SUN: Vanunu Says Nuke Revelation Changed World ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON (AP) - Mordechai Vanunu, who was imprisoned for 18 years for spilling Israel's nuclear secrets, said Friday he believed his action had changed the world. In an interview broadcast by the World Service of the British Broadcasting Corp., Vanunu said he had relied on radio, newspapers and magazines to follow world news during his imprisonment. The interviewer asked what he had made of major events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. "My conclusion was that my revelation about that very serious nuclear weapons in Israel, a very large stockpile that no one imagined, made all the world very alert," he said by telephone from Jerusalem. "All the world realized that every state, every small state, can do the same, any small state have the power to create a nuclear war and bring nuclear war to all the world. So the world decided to end this situation of nuclear conflict, to solve it, to end the Cold War, set many states free, including South Africa, and to start destroying nuclear weapons." Vanunu was convicted of treason in 1988 for divulging information and pictures of Israel's top-secret nuclear reactor. The details, published in London's Sunday Times, led experts to conclude that Israel has the sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, including hundreds of warheads. Vanunu, a former technician at Israel's nuclear reactor, was released from prison in April. He is forbidden from leaving Israel, and from speaking to foreign journalists - a condition he has frequently ignored. Vanunu said he intended to continue speaking about Israel's nuclear program because nothing has been done to stop it. "Instead they are talking about Iran" and not making peace overtures to the Palestinians, Vanunu said, adding that his contribution to peace "is to write on this issue." -- ***************************************************************** 12 BBC: Gulf war health checks 'too late' Last Updated: Friday, 24 September, 2004 [Image of a tank] DU is used in armour-piercing shells Tests to detect uranium in the bodies of Gulf war soldiers are 14 years too late, say veterans. The National Gulf Veterans and Families Association accused the Ministry of Defence of deliberately dragging its feet. Screening has started, but veterans say this will not help the thousands with years of un-explained ill health. The MoD said uranium was not considered an issue until 2001 and testing was offered at the soonest possible date. To test for it 14 years lat is far too late. Ray Bristow of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association Support groups claim some 6,000 British veterans have suffered unexplained poor health since the 1991 war. In 2001, the MoD agreed to a voluntary screening programme for UK service personnel and civilians who had served in the Balkans and the Gulf war and could have been exposed to depleted uranium (DU). An independent committee, the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board, was appointed that year to oversee the project, which included scientists and veterans' representatives.. It is now making screening available for those who wish to be tested. But many military and civilian personnel exposed to radiation while serving in the Gulf war believe they may have levels of DU in their bodies that can no longer be detected by the urine test. They worry DU may have damaged their health. Gulf war syndrome Head of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, Ray Bristow, believes the MoD deliberately delayed testing to ensure enough time had passed so there would be less chance of detecting anything. "It's nothing more than hogwash," he said. Mr Bristow who worked as a medic during the Gulf war and was a veteran's representative on the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board, paid to be tested in the US in 1998. "The experts who tested me told me it might not be possible to detect it eight to 10 years, and certainly 10-12 years, after exposure. There is some uncertaint The availability of this test helps us look directly at whether people were exposed and, if so, how much. Professor David Coggon, chairman of the Depleted Uranium Oversight Board "So to test for it 14 years later is far too late," he said. Mr Bristow said he had levels 100 times the safe limit for DU exposure and now goes for health screens every six months to check for cancer. A spokesman from the Ministry of Defence said the test had been made available at the soonest possible date. Professor David Coggon, chairman of the independent committee overseeing the screening, said the tests would be accurate and sensitive and that it had taken three years to ensure the test was "fit to purpose". He said the available scientific evidence suggested it was extremely unlikely that the vast majority people had sufficient exposure for their health to be damaged. "But there is some uncertainty. The availability of this test helps us look directly at whether people were exposed and, if so, how much," he said. ***************************************************************** 13 New Kerala: Pak seeks nuke plant JVs under IAEA supervision: [http://www.newkerala.com] [World News] Lahore, Sept.24 : The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) has reportedly expressed an interest in kick starting joint venture nuclear plants, but under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Commission (IAEA) "Pakistan has made good economic progress in recent years and its energy needs have also increased, for which it requires more atomic power plants," the Daily Times quoted PAEC chief Dr. Pervez Butt, as saying at the 48th session of the General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna. "Pakistan has significantly increased measures to protect its nuclear installations," Butt added. According to The News, Butt also suggested the creation of nuclear power parks at specially designated sites can be covered by IAEA safeguards Butt, who is representing Pakistan as one of the governors on the IAEA board, said with increasing global warming and an alarming outlook of oil price hikes, the nuclear power is resurging. The PAEC chief, however, noted with dismay that Pakistan was being offered only theoretical help on improving the safety of its plants as the developed world has denied supply of necessary equipment and materials to achieve desired safety level. He urged the western countries to work out ways and means of not restricting the supply of parts and technology essential to operate nuclear power plants safely. "We are left with no other recourse but to turn to indigenous development, which at times is not cost-effective," he said. (ANI) © 2001-2004 Pehla Technologies. All rights reserved | September 25 2004 ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is a strong believer in the enormous potential of peaceful use of nuclear energy for socio-economic development and it has been pursuing this objective since the early 60s. According to a statement by Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Chairman, PAEC Parvez Butt said Pakistan is one of those countries who has a long history of peaceful uses of atomic energy”. Parvez is representing Pakistan as one of the Governors of IAEA’s Board. He was delivering the statement of Islamic Republic of Pakistan at 48th regular session of IAEA General Conference which is in session at Vienna, Austria. Chairman, PAEC said Chashma Unit-1 is operating quite satisfactorily and more than 30 years old KANUPP has been refurbished. He said Pakistan propose that the international community consider setting up “nuclear power parks”to meet the urgent needs of increasing power demand in countries like Pakistan, as joint ventures to be located in specially designated sites and covered by appropriate IAEA safeguards to mitigate proliferation concerns. He informed Pakistan may have to install more nuclear power plants than it previously planned to cater for power needs of accelerated national economic growth, witnessed in the past four years. Factors prompting Pakistan to go for more nuclear power plants is the unpredictable rainfall which makes hydro electricity less dependable,and random increase of oil prices in international market,which makes thermal power less dependable. While telling peaceful application in social sector chairman PAEC said PAEC is running thirteen Nuclear Medical Centres which are benefiting more than 325,000 cancer patients annually. Five more such centres will be added soon. PAEC’s agricultural centres have evolved new crop varieties and have set up five demonstration farms to help farmers in the utilization of salinity affected lands. It has developed eco-friendly technology for control of insect pests to reduce excessive dependence on chemical pesticides. He said Pakistan ratified “Convention on Nuclear Safety” which is a demonstration of its commitment to international community.However he expressed his sorrow over non-cooperative behaviour regarding the supply of necessary equipment and materials to achieve that a high and most reliable safety level. Citing the level of Pakistan’s cooperation with IAEA, Mr. Butt said “We have maintained active cooperation with the Agency through Coordinated Research Projects (CRPs). We now have thirty operational CRPs. These CRPs are a source of exchange of information between member states and this partnership must be encouraged. The Agency’s membership needs to demonstrate a strong and positive political will if it wants to fully reap the benefits of economic development, which the peaceful aspects of nuclear energy can provide”. “We the nuclear power plant operators are aware of the highest possible standards and goals targeted for in the IAEA “Nuclear Safety Standards”. However, in the application of these standards, ground realities may vary from country to country as was pointed out by the DG in his opening address, requiring that a “Practical Approach” to ultimately achieve the “Best of the Best” may need to be developed. We look forward to IAEA for helping countries, which do not have extensive indigenous nuclear power plant capability in developing this practical approach”, Butt suggested. In his statement, Chairman, PAEC sought IAEA’s help in the area of search for and prospection of uranium. For us, uranium is the “Oil of Future” and its search must begin now so that its requirements for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy could be met not only economically but also without dependence on others. Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 18 Hudson Valley News: Indian Point safety issue makes it to the Orange county Legislature agenda Friday, September 24, 2004 Copyright © 2004 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc. A proposal by Democratic Orange County legislator Bonnie Kraham requesting that the Department of Homeland Security investigate the safety of the storage of the spent fuel rods at the Indian Point nuclear power plant will be on the next agenda of the lawmaking body. Kraham, a member of the legislative minority, secured two Republican votes in the Public Safety Committee yesterday to have the issue placed on the full agenda. My only concern in this resolution is that there be an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, the NRC and the New York State Department of homeland Security so they can determine what is the safest way to protect these fuel rods, she said. These fuel rod storage containers were really seen as short-term solutions, but now with Yucca Mountain in Nevada not seeming like a viable solution to a national depository, we need to know that the storage at the site is the utmost in safety. The Rules Committee of the legislature refused to approve the measure, but it only takes approval of one committee to place it on the full agenda. Hudson Valley ***************************************************************** 19 Sofia Morning News: Bulgaria's 2nd Nuke Tender "May be Delayed" [Sofia News Agency] novinite.com Politics: 24 September 2004, Friday. The upcoming tender over Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant in Belene might be postponed, according to Energy Minister Milko Kovachev. In an interview for the private bTV channel Kovachev said that there are certain people willing to obstruct the construction of Bulgaria's second nuke. In his words there are specific "economic interests" exerting influence over Bulgaria's nuclear policy. Several major companies including US company Westinghouse, France's Framatome, the Czech Republic's Skoda and Russia's Atomstroyexport have declared their interest to bid for the power plant construction. The Bulgarian state will hold at least 51 % in the Belene nuclear power plant. The plant in Belene should be built by 2010. Its construction was stalled in 1990 over financial problems, and after protests of environmentalists. In the beginning of May 2004 the project was officially unfrozen. Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg then said the government would choose a private investor by the end of the year.[ width=] NOVINITE.COM Novinite.com (thebulgariannews.com also) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also ***************************************************************** 20 NRC: Indiana Michigan Power Company Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant; FR Doc 04-21342 [Federal Register: September 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 185)] [Notices] [Page 57366-57367] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24se04-132] Notice of Availability of the Draft Supplement 20 to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement and Public Meeting for the License Renewal of Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has published a draft plant-specific supplement to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS), NUREG-1437, regarding the renewal of operating licenses DPR-58 and DPR-74 for an additional 20 years of operation at Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (CNP). CNP is located in Berrien County, Michigan, about 55 miles east of Chicago, Illinois. Possible alternatives to the proposed action (license renewal) include no action and reasonable alternative energy sources. The draft Supplement to the GEIS is available for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland, 20852 or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the PDR reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301- 415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . In addition, the Bridgman Public Library, 4460 Lake Street, Bridgman, Michigan and the Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library, 500 Market Street, St. Joseph, Michigan have agreed to make the draft plant-specific supplement to the GEIS available for public inspection. Any interested party may submit comments on the draft supplement to the GEIS for consideration by the NRC staff. To be certain of consideration, comments on the draft supplement to the GEIS and the proposed action must be received by December 8, 2004. Comments received after the due date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC staff is able to assure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. Written comments on the draft supplement to the GEIS should be sent to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mailstop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001. Comments may be hand-delivered to the NRC at 11545 Rockville Pike, Room T-6D59, Rockville, Maryland, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Electronic comments may be submitted to the NRC by e- mail at CookEIS@nrc.gov [CookEIS@nrc.gov] . All comments received by the Commission, including those made by Federal, State, and local agencies, Native American Tribes, or other interested persons, will be made available electronically at the Commission's PDR in Rockville, [[Page 57367]] Maryland, and from the PARS component of ADAMS. The NRC staff will hold two public meetings to present an overview of the draft plant-specific supplement to the GEIS and to accept public comments on the document. The public meetings will be held on November 9, 2004, at the Lake Charter Township Hall, 3220 Shawnee Road, Bridgman, Michigan. The first session will convene at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second session will convene at 7 p.m. with a repeat of the overview portions of the meeting and will continue until 10 p.m., as necessary. Both meetings will be transcribed and will include: (1) A presentation of the contents of the draft plant-specific supplement to the GEIS, and (2) the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to provide comments on the draft report. Additionally, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour before the start of each meeting at the Lake Charter Township Hall. No comments on the draft supplement to the GEIS will be accepted during the informal discussions. To be considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings or in writing, as discussed below. Persons may register to attend or present oral comments at the meetings by contacting Mr. Robert Schaaf, by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 1312, or by e- mail at CookEIS@nrc.gov [CookEIS@nrc.gov] no later than November 3, 2004. Members of the public may also register to speak at the meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each session. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. Members of the public who have not registered may also have an opportunity to speak, if time permits. If special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend or present information at the public meeting, Mr. Schaaf will need to be contacted no later than November 1, 2004, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the request can be accommodated. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mr. Robert Schaaf, License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555- 0001. Mr. Schaaf may be contacted at the aforementioned telephone number or e-mail address. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 8th day of September, 2004. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director, License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 04-21342 Filed 9-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 21 NRC: Notice of Clarification to Steam Generator Tube Integrity Event FR Doc 04-21424 [Federal Register: September 24, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 185)] [Notices] [Page 57367-57368] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr24se04-133] Reporting Guideline in NUREG-1022, ``Event Reporting Guidelines 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73'' AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of clarification in reporting guideline for steam generator tube integrity event. SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made a clarification in the reporting guideline for serious steam generator tube degradation contained within Revision 2 to NUREG-1022, ``Event Reporting Guidelines 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73.'' The NRC will issue an errata to NUREG-1022, Revision 2. The purpose of this clarification is to ensure that the NRC receives timely notification of serious steam generator tube degradation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 18, 2004, the NRC staff issued a Federal Register notice (69 FR 7661) that requested comments on the staff's intent to issue errata to Revision 2 of NUREG-1022, ``Event Reporting Guidelines 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73.'' The errata would indicate that steam generator tube degradation is considered serious if either of the two criteria specified in Section 3.2.4(A)(3) of NUREG- 1022, Revision 2, is not satisfied. Steam generator tube degradation is currently characterized in Section 3.2.4(A)(3) of NUREG-1022 as being seriously degraded if the tubing fails to meet the following two performance criteria: (A) Steam generator tubing shall retain structural integrity over the full range of normal operating conditions (including startup, operation in the power range, hot standby, and cooldown and all anticipated transients included in the design specification) and design basis accidents. This includes retaining a margin of 3.0 against burst under normal steady state full power operation and a margin of 1.4 against burst under the limiting design basis accident concurrent with a safe shutdown earthquake. (B) The primary to secondary accident induced leakage rate for the limiting design basis accident, other than a steam generator tube rupture, shall not exceed the leakage rate assumed in the accident analysis in terms of total leakage rate for all steam generators and leakage rate for an individual steam generator. The licensing basis accident analyses typically assume a 1 gallon per minute primary to secondary leak rate per steam generator, except for specific types of degradation at specific locations where the tubes are confined, as approved by the NRC and enumerated in conjunction with the list of approved repair criteria in the licensee's design basis documents. The first performance criterion is commonly referred to as the structural integrity performance criterion and the second criterion is commonly referred to as the accident induced leakage performance criterion. As written, NUREG-1022 could be read to indicate that the principal safety barrier (i.e., the steam generator tubes in this case) would only be considered seriously degraded if it had neither structural nor leakage integrity. Accordingly, if the steam generator tubes lacked only one of structural or leakage integrity, they would not be considered seriously degraded. This is contradictory to existing NRC regulations which require, in part, that the reactor coolant pressure boundary (which includes the steam generator tubes) be designed to permit periodic inspection and testing of important areas and features to assess both their structural and leaktight integrity (refer to General Design Criterion 32 of Appendix A to 10 CFR part 50) and be designed and tested so as to have an extremely low probability of abnormal leakage, of rapidly propagating failure, and of gross rupture (refer to General Design Criterion 14 of Appendix A to 10 CFR part 50). The regulations, therefore, indicate that both structural and leakage integrity criteria must be satisfied, and not meeting either one of the two performance criteria should constitute serious degradation of the principal safety barrier. In response to the Federal Register notice, one public comment was received from Progress Energy (ML040850494). The comment was that the notice did not indicate whether the new criteria would require the re- evaluation of the reportability of existing steam generator tube degradation that was previously evaluated based on the criteria that were in effect before issuance of the errata. The commenter also indicated that [[Page 57368]] retroactive application of the new event reporting criteria to previously evaluated events would add burden to the licensees but would not provide timely notification to the NRC. Based on this comment and the reasons set forth below, the staff recommends that the errata clarify that retroactive notification is necessary only required if either of the criteria were exceeded during the last steam generator tube inspections. The errata to NUREG-1022 are intended to clarify existing requirements rather than to establish new requirements or criteria; however, the NRC recognizes that the wording in NUREG-1022 may have resulted in confusion regarding whether a report was required, given the condition of the tubes. As a result, the staff assessed the purpose of the report, other steam generator tube inspection reports received, and the potential value of evaluating previous inspection results. These items are discussed further below. The main purpose of the event report is to notify the staff, in a timely manner, of significant degradation of the steam generator tubes. This report allows the staff to review the corrective actions taken, to assess the generic implications of the findings, and to take any regulatory action that may be appropriated. From a practical perspective, the staff and public are informed of the results of the steam generator tube inspections following each inspection through reports submitted to the NRC in accordance with technical specification reporting requirements. These reports are typically submitted to the NRC within one year of the inspection. As a result, if a licensee were to experience significant degradation of the steam generator tubes, the staff and public would have the opportunity to identify this through the review of these reports. In addition, it is highly likely that if significant degradation was observed, it would have been assessed as part of the reactor oversight process. For this reason, retroactive notification of previous occurrences when either criterion was exceeded is not likely to provide any new information. This logic holds for all previous inspections except for the last steam generator tube inspections since these results may not have been reported and/or the NRC may not have completed its review of these reports. As a result, the staff concludes that the last steam generator tube inspection results should be reviewed and if either criterion was exceeded, this should be reported in accordance with 10 CFR 50.72 and 50.73. Given that the industry's steam generator initiative (referred to as NEI 97- 06) has essentially the same criteria and all pressurized water reactors have committed to follow this initiative, no significant burden should be imposed on any licensee in assessing whether the criteria were exceeded during the last steam generator tube inspection. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T6-D59, Washington, DC 20555-0001, and cite the publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice. Written comments may also be delivered to NRC Headquarters, 11545 Rockville Pike (Room T6-D59), Rockville, Maryland, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Samuel S. Lee at (301) 415-1061 or by e-mail to ssl@nrc.gov [ssl@nrc.gov] , or Kenneth J. Karwoski at (301) 415-2752 or by e-mail to kjk1@nrc.gov [kjk1@nrc.gov] . Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of August, 2004. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Francis M. Costello, Acting Chief, Reactor Operations Branch, Division of Inspection Program Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 04-21424 Filed 9-23-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 22 [du-list] [Fwd: [mtpbases] Are DOD Exemptions Justified?] Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 20:00:45 -0700 From Environmental Science and Technology, September 22, 2004 Note especially the following points: - "Cohen tells /ES&T/ that DOD plans to resubmit the exemptions during the next congressional session. An internal document leaked to the press states that exemptions to other environmental laws are also being considered. "There was a lot of expression of legislative support," Cohen says." - "Nevertheless, the military has been desperately seeking cases where environmental regulations conflict with military readiness. DOD Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz sent a letter in 2003 to all the armed services asking for cases where environmental regulations were interfering with national security or military readiness. To date, Cohen tells /ES&T/, not a single instance has been found." -- Steve Taylor National Organizer Military Toxics Project "Networking for Environmental Justice" www.miltoxproj.org (207) 783-5091 ACS Publications The authoritative voice of the environmental research community. Policy News - September 22, 2004 Are environmental exemptions for the U.S. military justified? During the early 1990s, a fight began heating up in North Carolina. Environmentalists sued the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for failing to protect the habitat of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker at Fort Bragg, home of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. Both sides were meeting to try to work out a compromise, when the post commander strode into the room and knocked the environmentalists right out of their seats. In 1996, the U.S. Defense Department released this poster, the first in a series touting environmental awareness. Today, the military claims that measures to protect plover habitat threaten marine training and war readiness. "I've been a warrior for all these years," the general reportedly said, "and it's my duty to protect this country and all its inhabitants, including its endangered species." This opening statement changed the whole debate, says Ray Clark, then the Assistant for Environment with the Army. With about 161,000 acres of mostly longleaf pine, Fort Bragg soon began partnering with local conservation groups to buy land along the edges of the post. These buffer zones helped protect both army training areas and the woodpecker habitat. The program quickly became a top priority as part of DOD's press campaign to sell the military as a fighting force that not only protected America from threats abroad but also preserved the environment at home. How times have changed. Since President George W. Bush came into office, DOD has won exemptions from sections of the laws that protect endangered species, migratory birds, and marine mammals. The department is now trying to win exemptions from laws covering toxic Superfund sites, solid-waste management, and clean air. According to notes from a 2002 DOD meeting leaked to the press, the fight for these exemptions will "require a multiyear campaign." As a result, DOD is now battling environmentalists and other government officials on several fronts. Many critics of the administration say that the campaign is more about undermining environmental laws than protecting military readiness. The stakes are huge and highly complex. Of the 158 federal facilities on Superfund's National Priorities List, DOD is responsible for 129; the projected cleanup cost for these sites is more than $14 billion. On the other hand, DOD invests $4 billion annually in environmental protection and provides more funding for marine-mammal research than any other federal agency. And with 25 million acres of property, DOD houses the greatest concentration of endangered species on any federal land. So while critics complain about the military, they also tip their hats. The problem, they say, is that elements within the current Bush Administration and the Pentagon are leading an unfounded campaign against environmental laws. "The armed services have a history they can be proud of," says Clark. From the Nixon to Clinton administrations, military leaders were told they had a responsibility to balance military readiness with environmental protection, he tells /ES&T/. "This administration is a departure from that value set," he adds. However, others see it differently. In a Senate hearing in April 2003, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-OK) said the exemptions are needed to protect the lives of service men and women. "Rather than seeking compromise, environmental groups file lawsuits, many of which could seriously undermine training and readiness.... But despite their unfortunate rhetoric, this proposal we are considering today is balanced, bipartisan, rooted in common sense, and good for the environment." Numerous current and former DOD officials and military leaders say that change began in the late 1990s when the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Navy under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The center cited the navy for killing migratory birds during bombing on Farallon de Medinilla, a small, uninhabited Pacific island. In an interview with /ES&T/, DOD General Counsel for the Environment, Ben Cohen, said that pilot skills degrade as aircraft carriers transit across the Pacific from the United States. "It was the last place in the region where carrier aircraft could train as they prepared to enter the theater of operation," he says. At the same time that the Navy feared losing the Farallon as a training site, other groups were suing the government to protect habitat for endangered species at another naval installation, California's Camp Pendleton. Fearing more lawsuits, DOD sources tell /ES&T/ that a group of naval lawyers began pushing for legislative protection against lawsuits when President Bush came into office; his political appointees saw a green light to roll back environmental oversight after September 11, 2001. A former high-ranking DOD environmental official, who asked for anonymity, says there are real concerns with endangered species at Pendleton but that they could have been easily handled if the DOD focused on other problems, such as suburban growth around military bases. "That has not been the priority of this administration. They have focused on how to get relief from environmental laws because they believe they have a favorable political climate." The final straw for the Navy, say DOD officials, was lawsuits by environmental groups to curtail the use of certain types of sonar. Scientists are not exactly certain how sonar affects marine mammals, but since 1960, numerous stranding incidents have occurred, involving mostly beaked whales, when navy sonar was in the area. In March 2000, 17 whales beached themselves in the Bahamas at a time when navy sonar was being used. Six later died. "It appeared from all evidence that the whales attempted to get out of the sonar and then swam onto the beach," says Dan Schregardus, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment in the Navy. In September 2002, 14 whales became stranded on the Canary Islands just 4 hours after the onset of a naval training exercise. Necropsies found tissue damage consistent with trauma due to in vivo gas bubble formation (/Nature/ *2003*, /425/, 575). "It's not clear if the sound is so loud it damages the animals directly or if it triggers a behavioral response so that the animals surface too quickly and get something like the bends," says Peter Tyack, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "In the end, we know there is some correlation between these sounds and the animals ending up on the beach." While beachings of whales have captured headlines, there are other incidents where environmental laws and military training could be in conflict. Cohen cites Fort Richardson in Alaska as a prime example of a "potential train wreck." In April 2002, a coalition of public-interest groups and Native American tribes sent a notice of intent to file a lawsuit against DOD for poisoning water with toxins leaching from unexploded munitions. Cohen says DOD lawyers fear such third-party lawsuits could force EPA to shut down live-fire ranges because the training harms the wildlife and endangers water supplies. "It's not responsible for us to wait until we're actually shut down at a vital installation, before we go to Congress and tell them there are troubles," says Cohen. However, last year former EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman told Congress that there have been no incidents where the agency was forced to interfere with military readiness. "I'm not aware of any particular area where environmental protection regulations are preventing the desired training," she testified. This was made clear during a packed congressional hearing in April at which the DOD exemptions were strongly opposed by a host of groups, including a group of 39 state attorneys general, local water agencies, numerous state coalitions, and environmental groups. Under heated questioning by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), DOD Deputy Under Secretary Ray DuBois admitted that there was not a single incident where Superfund, solid-waste, or clean-air legislation had interfered with military readiness. There are other indications that the military has not been affected by environmental regulations. In the late 1990s, David Henkins, an Earthjustice lawyer who participated in the suit over bombing activity on the Farallon, succeeded in stopping training on the Makua military range on Hawaii's Oahu Island for violations of environmental laws. For three years, the military was unable to use the range and regularly told judges and the press that lack of training was degrading readiness. Yet, when Henkins reviewed the military training records from the local commanders, they were pretty much the same: "ready to perform our wartime mission." Nevertheless, the military has been desperately seeking cases where environmental regulations conflict with military readiness. DOD Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz sent a letter in 2003 to all the armed services asking for cases where environmental regulations were interfering with national security or military readiness. To date, Cohen tells /ES&T/, not a single instance has been found. But military activities have affected the environment in numerous instances. Forty DOD sites have contaminated groundwater or surface water with perchlorate. In both Massachusetts and Maryland, DOD contamination of groundwater has forced the shutdown of local wells. The contamination in Maryland has resulted in numerous underground toxin plumes originating from two local military installations. Thousands of testing wells now dot the Cape Cod area, monitoring pollution underneath this famous Massachusetts vacation spot; the total cleanup cost is projected at about $1 billion. "The question becomes what [DOD] would have done if they hadn't been required to meet [environmental] statutes," says Ed Eichner, a hydrologist with the Cape Cod Commission. "The main issue here, after stripping away all the details, is that the DOD wants to become self-regulating," charges Sylvia Lowrance, former top administrator for enforcement at EPA. Cohen tells /ES&T/ that DOD plans to resubmit the exemptions during the next congressional session. An internal document leaked to the press states that exemptions to other environmental laws are also being considered. "There was a lot of expression of legislative support," Cohen says. --PAUL D. THACKER [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/0CfwlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To Post a message, send it to: mtpbases@yahoogroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: mtpbases-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 23 [du-list] Documentation RE: DU ammo tests in 50'-60's Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 20:00:53 -0700 Home What's New Easy Search Advanced Search Comments Security/Disclaimer Help --> Document #825698 --> --> Single Page Search Search within individual pages of the full-text without downloading the document Full Text Native Format PDF (0K) Full Text Native Format PDF(0K) -->PURL www.osti.gov/dublincore/gpo/servlets/purl/825698-pkZ91R/native/ Title Using Hydro-Cutting to Aid in Remediation of a Firing Range Contaminated with Depleted Uranium Creator/Author Styvaert, Michael S.; Conley, Richard D.; Watters, David J. Publication Date 2003 Feb 24 Other Numbers TRN: US200423%%388 Resource/ Doc Type Conference Resource Relation Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 24 Feb 2003 Research Organization U.S. Department of Defense Executive Agent for Low-Level Radioactive Waste; Cabrera Services (US) Sponsoring Organization none (US) Subject 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; DECOMMISSIONING; DEPLETED URANIUM; MILITARY EQUIPMENT; RESOURCE CONSERVATION; WASTE MANAGEMENT; WASTES Description/ Abstract This paper describes the challenges encountered in decommissioning a firing range that had been used to test fire depleted uranium rounds in the late 1950's and early 1960's. The paper details the operational challenges and innovative solutions involved in remediating and decommissioning a firing range bullet catcher once unexploded ordnance was discovered. It also discusses how the Army dealt with an intertwining web of regulatory and permit issues that arose in treating and disposing of multiple waste streams. The paper will show how the use of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Temporary Authorization allowed the Army to deal with the treatment of a variety of waste streams and how hydro-cutting process was used to demilitarize the potentially unexploded rounds. Publisher WM Symposia, Inc. Country of Publication United States Language English Format Size: 8 pages; Format: Adobe PDF Document with Extractable Text OSTI Identifier OSTI ID: 825698 System Entry Date 2004 Aug 16 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 24 Guardian Unlimited: U.N. Nuke Inspectors: No Access in Brazil From the Associated Press [UP] Friday September 24, 2004 4:31 AM By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Brazil has emphasized that its commitment to an international treaty meant to stop the spread of nuclear weapons may not be open-ended, and it continues to resist giving U.N. inspectors access to its technology that can make such weapons, diplomats said Thursday. Brazil made the comments at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency this week, said the diplomats, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Brazil signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in 1997 and said its own atomic program had peaceful objectives. But Eduardo Campos, Brazil's minister of science and technology, told the IAEA session Wednesday that his country approved the treaty on condition of a ``cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date, and to the complete elimination of all atomic weapons.'' The treaty calls on nuclear-armed nations to disarm as quickly as possible. The diplomats, who are familiar with Brazil's nuclear program, said the IAEA has concerns over Brazil's emphasis of the link between total nuclear disarmament and its own commitment to the treaty. This comes at a time when Brazil disagrees with the agency on how to inspect its uranium enrichment program - technology that can be used to make nuclear arms. Questions about Brazil's commitment to the treaty have simmered for more than a year. The government confirmed in June that IAEA inspectors were denied access in February and March to centrifuges at the facility in Resende, about 60 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro. Citing the need to protect industrial secrets, Brazil said the centrifuges were, and will remain, off-limits for visual inspection. The centrifuges are used to enrich uranium so it can be used for fuel in nuclear reactors - and potentially in bombs. Brazil, which has the world's sixth-largest uranium reserve, has said it hopes to enrich enough uranium to run three nuclear plants by 2014. The IAEA had ``made some progress'' on the dispute, agency spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said, but he suggested that a deal was not yet finalized, saying IAEA officials ``remain in discussions with the Brazilian authorities'' over full access to the centrifuges. One diplomat said the agency continued to insist on enough ``visual access ... to do proper verification'' that there was no illegal removal of enriched uranium from the facilities. On the Net: IAEA: http://www.iaea.org Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004 ***************************************************************** 25 IJ: Sen. Schumer Seeks N.Y. Nuke Workers' Compensation [http://www.insurancejournal.com September 23, 2004 Standing with former nuclear workers from western New York, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) took the federal government to task for not processing claims of 525 former nuclear workers or their survivors, and called on them to push the process forward immediately. A report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) last week indicated that claims processing has "essentially stopped" at Linde Air and Linde Ceramics in Tonawanda, Hooker Electrochemical and Simonds Saw in Niagara Falls, and Bliss and Laughlin Steel in Buffalo. "It simply boggles the mind that after these men and women got dangerously ill from helping develop the country's nuclear weapons program, the federal government would turn its back on them," Schumer said. "We have New Yorkers literally dying off as they wait for these payments that were promised to them. It's time for the federal government to step up to the plate and deliver them the compensation they deserve." To date, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has yet to develop site profiles for the former Linde Air Products and Linde Ceramics in Tonawanda, Hooker Electrochemical and Simonds Saw in Niagara Falls, and Bliss and Laughlin Steel in Buffalo, all of which were involved in nuclear weapons-related activity during the Cold War. Last week, GAO's report on the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICPA), reveald that the processing of claims associated with facilities that do not have site profiles has essentially stopped in some instances and NIOSH has not established a time frame for completing these remaining site profiles. NIOSH asserts that site profiles are being developed, and has claimed it would establish time frames for their completion, but to date has not done so. The EEOICPA program has been in existence for four years and numerous western New York sites still do not have their site profiles completed, according to Schumer. Schumer said that at Linde Air and Linde Ceramics in Tonawanda, a total of 270 claims are languishing at NIOSH because of incomplete site profiles. In Niagara Falls, at Simonds Saw and Steel, 144 claims are waiting at NIOSH; workers from Hooker Electrochemical have 76 claims in at NIOSH, while there are 35 claims from Buffalo's Bliss and Laughlin, all waiting to be reviewed. For decades during the Cold War, thousands of New Yorkers labored in hazardous conditions at DOE and atomic weapon employer facilities, unaware of the considerable health risks. During the Cold War, New York alone was home to 36 former Atomic Weapon Employer sites and DOE clean up facilities. In the eight counties of western New York, there were 14 facilities that participated in the manufacture of America's nuclear arsenal. "Our atomic weapons program workers are true Cold War heroes, and we need to get those workers the compensation that Congress promised them in 2000," Schumer said. © 2004 by Wells Publishing, Inc. Privacy Policy [http://www.insurancejournal.com/privacy/] | Terms & ***************************************************************** 26 Salt Lake Tribune: Downwinders may get IOUs, not cash Article Last Updated: 09/24/2004 02:12:28 AM Uanium miners and those exposed to Cold War nuclear testing fallout again might face delays By Robert Gehrke The Salt Lake Tribune WASHINGTON - Utah's Downwinders once again face the prospect of getting IOUs from the government instead of a payment for their illnesses caused by radioactive fallout from Cold War nuclear tests. A Senate spending bill approved by the appropriations committee last week wiped out $72 million requested by President Bush to prevent a shortfall in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) trust fund that the Justice Department is forecasting for next year. The last time the fund ran out of money, in 2001, the Justice Department sent IOUs to ill Downwinders - people exposed to radioactive fallout carried by winds from nuclear testing in Nevada - and uranium miners. Many died waiting for the government to make good. “I thought we were done with this IOU thing,” said Ed Brickey, co-chairman of the Western States RECA Reform Coalition, which represents uranium miners and others suffering from exposure. “I never thought that would be something that would ever be heard of again.” Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett say they are battling to restore the money and are hopeful they will succeed. “I do not want to repeat the problems we had in 2001,” Hatch said. RECA provided for $100,000 payments to uranium miners, millers and ore haulers, while Downwinders were eligible to receive $50,000. “The shortfall in the RECA trust fund is a serious problem,” said Bennett, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, while also pledging to work within the appropriations committee to boost funding. Adding insult to the potential injury, House and Senate members of the Armed Services Committees are considering guaranteed payments to a new group of Energy Department workers sickened by weapons development. Hatch views the discussion as patently unfair to the RECA recipients who are once again fighting to keep their compensation fund from drying up. “I don't think it's right,” Hatch said. “We should be working to resolve the RECA funding issues before looking at adding more people to [the Energy Department Richard Miller, an expert on the compensation program with the Government Accountability Project, said Hatch is right that RECA claimants should be paid. But the problem is not the Energy Department workers and contractors who filed claims under a law passed four years ago and have been patiently awaiting payment. “There's 25,000 claims that have been filed with the Energy Department and DOE has only processed 6 percent,” Miller said. “There's an expectation that these claims deserve an answer and the meritorious claims should be paid.” The DOE has sent payments to just 31 of the claimants, despite $95 million in administrative costs. “This begged for reform,” Miller said. “That's not to say that RECA workers shouldn't worry about receiving IOUs and if there are inequities they should be examined.” In the past, the law said the federal government would merely assist the particular group of Energy workers in getting assistance from their employer or the state workers compensation program. An amendment backed by Sens. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Jim Bunning, R-Ky., would require the federal government to take over the compensation payments and ensure they are made without annual appropriation fights. “There shouldn't be a separation between radiation workers,” said Brickey. “That doesn't seem to me like the American way of doing things. We should take care of all of them, put them on equal ground.” © Copyright 2004, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 27 UN Nuclear Watchdog Calls On Iran To Suspend All Uranium-enrichment Activities Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 11:04:58 -0400 X-Sender-Hostname: mx3.un.org X-Temp-Whitephrase: YES UN NUCLEAR WATCHDOG CALLS ON IRAN TO SUSPEND ALL URANIUM-ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES New York, Sep 20 2004 11:00AM The United Nations atomic watchdog agency has called on Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment, a potential step to producing nuclear weapons, and will decide in November whether further steps are required regarding the country’s obligations In a resolution adopted over the weekend by its Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2004/GTRI_opens.html">IAEA) said it was making steady progress towards understanding Iran’s nuclear programmes. But it noted “with serious concern” that Iran has not “heeded repeated calls from the Board to suspend, as a confidence building measure, all enrichment-related and reprocessing It called on the country, as a further confidence-building measure, to voluntarily “reconsider its decision to start construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water” – another possible The Agency has already strongly deplored Iranian breaches of the NPT, including an almost two decade-long failure to disclose past activities. But IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei has repeatedly said it has no proof Iran’s activities are linked to a nuclear weapons programme, and Tehran has consistently denied any such The resolution did not say what further steps the Board might consider in November, but it could report any NPT breaches to the UN The resolution stressed “the need for effective safeguards to prevent nuclear material from being used for prohibited purposes” and underlined “the vital importance of effective safeguards for facilitating In another nuclear-related matter, Mr. ElBaradei has said that the need to protect nuclear materials and radioactive sources from being used by terrorists has become an ever more global priority. "International cooperation has become the hallmark of these security efforts,” he told The Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) International Partners Conference in Vienna over the weekend. “If GTRI and related initiatives are successful, we will achieve a meaningful reduction in our vulnerability to nuclear and radiological The conference, co-sponsored by the United States and Russia, aims to generate international support for national programmes to secure high-risk nuclear and other radioactive material that pose a 2004-09-20 00:00:00.000 ________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml ***************************************************************** 28 Las Vegas RJ: YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Berkley reinforces attack Friday, September 24, 2004 Congresswoman tries to help Gallagher's campaign against incumbent Porter By STEVE TETREAULT STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., on Thursday inserted herself into the campaign for Congress between Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., and Democratic challenger Tom Gallagher. Berkley said Porter's votes for a 2003 energy bill that included subsidies for the nuclear power industry have undercut efforts to fight the Yucca Mountain Project. Berkley extended her criticism to Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev. He voted for the bill when it passed the House on April 11, 2003, and again on Nov. 18, 2003. Porter and Gibbons responded the votes had nothing to do with Yucca Mountain. "This is the silly season," Gibbons said. Berkley said tax incentives in the bill would encourage construction of nuclear power plants that would generate larger volumes of radioactive waste, increasing pressure for a repository the Energy Department proposes to build in Nevada. "I spend a good part of my day in Washington fighting to keep nuclear waste out of Yucca Mountain," Berkley said. "If we had a more united front as a delegation, we could make a statement and send a message that we don't want this stuff." Porter and Gibbons bowed to Republican leaders in voting for the energy bill, Berkley said. "This is a time when you separate the men from the boys," Berkley said. Yucca Mountain "dominates what we do here on Capitol Hill." Berkley's criticism aimed to reinforce an attack that Gallagher has mounted against Porter on the energy bill. Gallagher planned to start airing a 30-second television commercial today that mentions the Republican's energy votes. Porter said he voted for the bills because they contained initiatives to boost domestic energy production apart from nuclear. He said they offered an energy strategy that Democrats failed to develop when they controlled Congress. "This bill not only provided a national plan for energy, it is good for Nevada," Porter said. "It provides incentives for geothermal energy, wind, solar and biomass that is the future for us as far as economic development and energy." Porter said he disagreed with the argument that more nuclear plants means more nuclear waste for Nevada. "There will be additional ways to take care of nuclear waste," he said. "There are 41 days left in the campaign, and the energy bill has been around for months," Porter said. "It's really unfortunate (Berkley) is taking orders from leadership to engage in this." Gibbons said to eliminate nuclear power is unrealistic, but more should be spent on technology to find alternatives to underground disposal of waste. "The energy bill had absolutely nothing in there on Yucca Mountain, and if it did, I would have voted against it," he said. The bill remains stalled in the Senate. Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal ***************************************************************** 29 Island Packet Online: America needs cohesive plan for nuclear disposal [http://www.islandpacket.com/] Fri, September 24, 2004 Communities around the nation need Yucca Mountain Washington state has fined the federal government for allegedly wrongfully shipping unknown nuclear waste from the Savannah River Site. But last week's record $270,000 fine tells only part of the story. The real story is the lack of cohesive, national plans to dispose of nuclear waste. Washington's fine stems from a practice in which nuclear waste is shipped from coast to coast for testing. Material from the Hanford nuclear reservation near Seattle was sent to SRS, near Aiken. Washington now contends many barrels of material was shipped back that should have stayed at SRS. The case illustrates a growing national need for a permanent disposal site that will remove the waste from SRS, Hanford and other depositories of nuclear waste scattered around the nation. The best thing America has going for it is the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site in Nevada. Congress and the president need to push for the site to open. A recent court ruling is the latest holdup. And Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says he would stop the Yucca Mountain project. That is short-sighted. The nation, as a whole, needs a plan for nuclear waste. What is best for the majority must rule. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled in July that the federal government had not set strict enough rules to guard against potential radioactivity leakage at Yucca Mountain. But what they are talking about is absurd. They're saying the period of peak risk must be defined as hundreds of thousands of years rather than 10,000 years. How about the period of risk to our area -- the Savannah River basin? How about the period of risk for the hundreds of thousands of people who live near Seattle? Storage conditions at SRS and Hanford would seem like cardboard boxes when compared to the deep, geologic burial site in the deserts of Nevada. Yucca Mountain is key to the nation's overall safety, and Congress must find a way to make it happen. A scientist said last week that the court made its decision based on an incomplete reading of a National Academy of Sciences study. The man who headed the committee that made the study said the court assumed people would be living, drinking well water and watering crops in an area near Yucca Mountain that would not be inhabited. While politicians and judges dig deeper into the world of make believe, the nation suffers. America is going to have to do better than that. Nuclear waste disposal requires a long-term, cohesive plan and the leadership needed to stick to the plan. [http://www.islandpacket.com/services/useragreement] © 2004 The Island Packet | Privacy Policy ***************************************************************** 30 AFP: UN nuclear inspectors to Brazil in flap over hidden enrichment facility [http://www.spacewar.com/ VIENNA (AFP) Sep 23, 2004 UN atomic agency inspectors are to head to Brazil next month to try to resolve a dispute after Brazilian authorities denied the agency access to a uranium enrichment facility, a spokesman said Thursday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is "sending a team of experts who will be arriving October 15 to visit Brazil to look at possible verification approaches for this facility," IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky told reporters. He was correcting his previous report that the experts would be arriving October 18. The Brazilian Science and Technology Ministry said its talks with the IAEA in Vienna this week produced "agreement on the principles on which guarantees on the Resende enrichment plant (near Rio de Janeiro) will be focused. "The Brazilian government and the IAEA are finalizing a formula that will allow the agency to implement technically viable guarantees at the Resende plant, and at the same time preserve the country's technological and commercial secrets," the ministry said in a statement. The IAEA spokesman said, "We've made some progress but we remain in discussions with the Brazilian authorities on this issue." A Western diplomat close to the IAEA said no deal had been struck in the affair that comes as the IAEA is cracking down on Iran over an alleged nuclear weapons program. The US government said in April that it was confident Brazil was not seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The Brazilian ministry stressed that IAEA inspectors "will only have access to parts indispensible to the application of guarantees, without revealing the cores of the centrifuges. "After a five-month suspension, negotiations on the inspection of the plant have resumed," Science and Technology spokeswoman Vera Canfran told AFP. She said Brazil and the IAEA "were agreed on the principles on which the accord will be based." She said the accord would not be signed before the IAEA team of experts comes to Brazil in October. "It's a very sensitive subject but I believe our government has a terrific amount of confidence in Brazil," said Assistant US Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere Roger Noriega. Non-proliferation specialists say that if the United States and IAEA do not act to curtail Brazil's program, or at least insist on inspections, it could undermine White House calls for Iran and North Korea to halt their efforts to enrich uranium. Brazil, which has one of the world's largest uranium reserves, denied IAEA inspectors access in February and March to a uranium-enriching facility in Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, saying it wanted to protect industry trade secrets. IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei has said Brazil should not be an exception to IAEA norms. Uranium enrichment makes fuel for civilian reactors but can also be used to make the explosive core of atomic bombs. The IAEA is mandated by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to make sure member states do not divert nuclear material for military purposes. "It's all about visual access but not too much visual access," the Western diplomat said, adding the IAEA would have to place cameras at the plant to monitor the enrichment activities and make sure nuclear materials are not being diverted. All rights reserved. © 2004 Agence France-Presse [http://www.afp.com/] . Sections of the information displayed on ***************************************************************** 31 Daily Camera: 903 Pad cleanup done [newsroom@dailycamera.com] . Area caused most contamination at Rocky Flats By Todd Neff, Camera Staff Writer September 24, 2004 Afternoon winds ripped across Rocky Flats' former 903 Pad on Thursday. It was just like old times, except for the absence of highly contaminated soil to be blown toward Denver suburbs. Two years after workers began shipping what will amount to 97,800 tons of dirt to Utah, the cleanup of the former nuclear-weapons plant's notorious 903 Pad and its surrounding "lip area" is done. Marking the milestone Thursday, about 50 workers in hard hats and orange vests leaned against the gusts with officials from the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. "We had to fight this for two years out here," said Michael Keating, project manager for the 903 Pad and lip-area cleanup for Kaiser-Hill. The company is leading the $7.2 billion Rocky Flats cleanup effort, scheduled for completion in late 2006. Plutonium at the 903 Pad caused more environmental contamination than anything else at the Rocky Flats, and that includes serious fires in 1957 and 1969. More than 5,000 steel drums, most full of liquids tainted with plutonium or uranium, were stored on 3.5 acres of open ground from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. Many corroded, seeping radioactivity into the soil before the barrels' eventual shipment to Idaho in 1967 and 1968. But winds like Thursday's blew plutonium-laced soil eastward by the time the 903 Pad was paved over in late 1969. The Department of Energy estimates the 903 Pad was responsible for up to 3 ounces of airborne plutonium, or more than 95 percent of the total through the site's history. Much of it landed within a 36-acre area immediately surrounding the 903 Pad, which came to be called the 903 lip area. "903 was probably our biggest insult here at Rocky Flats over the years, and it's been one of the hardest to clean up," said Frazer Lockhart, the Department of Energy's Rocky Flats manager. The 903 Pad cleanup started in October 2002. In 13 months, workers removed 32,000 tons of contaminated soil and asphalt, much of the work done with heavy equipment under massive white tents. The 36.3-acre lip-area cleanup took nine months, and involved removing 66,000 tons of contaminated dirt. A good deal of it was still on site Thursday, packed in truck-bed-sized intermodal containers and dozens of massive white sacks packed with 10 tons of soil each. It's all waiting for trains — which began running last week — to carry them west to Envirocare of Utah Inc. A thick, coconut mesh blankets the stripped land, to slow erosion and foster regrowth of plant life. Steven Gunderson, Rocky Flats cleanup coordinator for the state health department, said all the surface soil remaining is below the maximum radioactivity permitted by regulators, 50-picocuries per gram, and that "in virtually all cases it would be way under 30" picocuries. Howard Roitman, the state health department's director of environmental programs, said his agency and the EPA were "confident that the cleanup met the standards agreed upon." "This was always out here as the elephant as far as the environmental restoration," Roitman said. Department of Energy officials say cleanup is complete at 75 percent of the environmental sites affected by the plant's 40-year history. Contact Camera Staff Writer Todd Neff at (303) 473-1327 or nefft@dailycamera.com. ***************************************************************** 32 BBC: Top Indian nuclear scientist dies Last Updated: Friday, 24 September, 2004 [Dr Raja Ramanna] Dr Raja Ramanna masterminded India's first atomic test A top Indian nuclear scientist and the scientific mastermind behind the country's first atomic test, has died in the western city of Bombay (Mumbai). Raja Ramanna, 79, who had been unwell for some time, died in a city hospital early on Friday. Dr Ramanna was the head of India's premier nuclear research centre when the country exploded its first nuclear device in 1974. India conducted nuclear tests again in 1998, which resulted in US sanctions. The website of India's upper house of parliament where Dr Ramanna served as a nominated member describes him as the "leader of the group which successfully conducted (the) peaceful explosion... in 1974". Critical role India's first atomic device was designed by the Bombay-based Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc), which Dr Ramanna headed. Dr Ramanna, who was a respected scientist and a professional pianist, also headed India's Atomic Energy Commission and served a term as the country's junior defence minister. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting, said Dr Ramanna was associated with India's nuclear programme at a critical stage of its development, the Press Trust of India news agency reported Mr Singh said the scientist contributed to putting India's own nuclear capabilities on a firm footing. India and Pakistan stunned the world with back-to-back nuclear tests in May 1998, sparking fears of an arms race on the sub-continent. ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************