***************************************************************** 12/08/04 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 12.292 ***************************************************************** 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 [NYTr] DPRK Slams US for Deployment of Missiles in S.Korea 2 [NukeNet] North Korea Said to Expand Arms Program 3 Guardian Unlimited: S. Korean President Visits Iraq Troops 4 YWS: (LEAD) U.S. Nuclear Negotiator to Arrive in Seoul for Strategy 5 US: [CMEP] Energy Report Dominated by Industry Interests; Nuke 6 US: [NukeNet] NYT: New Energy Report Promotes Nukes 7 US: New York Times: Report on Energy Impasse, With Some Improbable V 8 US: North Lake Tahoe Bonanza - Opinion: When whistles blow and no on 9 WorldNetDaily: Those nattering neo-cons 10 Bellona: Norway implements tax incentives for hydrogen-fuel cell veh 11 BBC: Musharraf thrives on US support 12 FT.com: Europe - Atomic attractions 13 AFP: Pakistan test fires medium range nuclear-capable missile NUCLEAR REACTORS 14 US: [NukeNet] Fwd: NRC Credibility on the Line 15 [DU-WATCH] new Chernobyl effects falsify radiation risk model 16 US: Fwd: Shut San Onofre down permanently NOW!!! Here's why (please 17 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting of the 18 US: NRC: Notice of Issuance of Materials License SNM-2512 for the Id 19 US: NRC: Union Electric Company; Notice of Withdrawal of Application 20 US: Free Lance-Star!: North Anna could get more reactors 21 Bellona: First reactor unit at Leningrad NPP shut down again 22 iafrica.com: sa news Pebble bed partner 'bad news' 23 US: The Herald: Nuclear officials to question Duke over alleged viol 24 US: APP.COM: Meeting on nuclear plant planned 25 University of Western Ontario: Making Nuclear Power Safer 26 US: The Clarion-Ledger: Supes support nuclear reactor - 27 US: Times Argus: Entergy says it won't fight $85,000 state fine 28 NEWS.com.au | N-reactors shut down after leak (December 9, 2004) 29 US: NRC: NRC Restores Online Availability of Large Number of Reactor 30 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Predecisional Enforcement Conference on Duke Am 31 US: NRC: NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste to Meet Dec. 13-14 NUCLEAR SAFETY 32 [DU-WATCH] DU-Worker's Life a "Living Hell" 33 US: [DU-WATCH] Grove Memo Endorsed DU as Radiological Poison 34 [DU-WATCH] Murderers in White Coats 35 US: News-Review: Radioactive material removed from fire station chai 36 US: News-Miner: A toxic legacy? 37 US: Observer-Reporter: Study: Greene residents sickened by pollution 38 US: Star Tribune: Cleanup at Arden Hills munitions plant goes to the 39 AU ABC: Olympic Dam plans prompt uranium transport fears NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 40 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Notice of Meeting 41 US: NRC: General Electric Company Notice of Issuance of an Environme 42 US: Bradenton Herald: Tallevast residents want answers 43 US: L.A. Daily News: Bermite site sale eyed 44 Free Lance-Star!: Yucca Mountain repository is not the answer for nu 45 US: Casper Star-Tribune: Nuclear power group fights Utah efforts to 46 Pahrump Valley Times: Nye can use DOE repository funding 47 US: NRC: NRC Approves 40-Year License Renewal for Independent Spent NUCLEAR WEAPONS US DEPT. OF ENERGY 48 AP Wire: Containment plant in Aiken Co. could create 800 jobs 49 Las Vegas SUN: Panel Examines Funds for Energy Security 50 SPI: Hanford initiative injunction retained 51 ABQjournal: LANL RFP Separates Cleanup Contract OTHER NUCLEAR 53 The Sunflower - December 2004 - Issue 91 54 Las Vegas SUN: Museum looking for Las Vegas' 1957 blonde atomic bomb 55 TheDay.com: Electric Boat President John P. Casey 56 TheDay.com: Electric Boat Sharing Sub Expertise With Spain ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [NYTr] DPRK Slams US for Deployment of Missiles in S.Korea Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 22:57:58 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Xinhua - Dec 8, 2004 http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,63871384,5658,f/ DPRK slams US for deployment of Patriot missiles in South Korea The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday roundly condemned United States' policy of deploying a new type of Patriot missile in Kwangju, South Korea. "This indicates that the US plan to start a new war on the Korean Peninsula is being stepped up towards the final stage," the Minju Joson newspaper said. The US confirmed last week it had completed the deployment of its Patriot PAC-3 missile system in South Korea as part of an 11 billion US dollar upgrade of its military presence on the Korean Peninsula. The Patriot missile system is designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and enemy aircraft. US calls for dialogue and peace are "no more than a ruse to cover up preparations for a war against the DPRK," the article said. "It (the US) is shipping ultra-modern military hardware into South Korea behind the curtain of 'dialogue and peace' so as to mount a preemptive surprise attack on the DPRK," it added. The newspaper said the DPRK will continue to increase its war deterrent force in response to US military actions in South Korea. Source: Xinhua * Search the NYTr Archives at: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ To subscribe or unsubscribe or change your settings via the web, visit: http://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= ***************************************************************** 2 [NukeNet] North Korea Said to Expand Arms Program Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 18:34:24 -0800 Mothersalert: http://www.mothersalert.org Videos Including Space Weaponization, Nuclearization: http://www.envirovideo.com http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/06/international/asia/06korea.html?oref=login North Korea Said to Expand Arms Program By DAVID E. SANGER and WILLIAM J. BROAD Published: December 6, 2004 Roland Schlager/European Pressphoto Agency Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency, left, with Cho Chang Beom of South Korea at a recent agency meeting. ARTICLE TOOLS E-Mail This Article Printer-Friendly Format Most E-Mailed Articles Reprints & Permissions TIMES NEWS TRACKER Topics Alerts United States International Relations Atomic Energy International Relations Nuclear Tests Track news that interests you. IENNA, Dec. 3 - Nearly two years after international nuclear inspectors were ejected from North Korea, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency says he is now certain that the nuclear material his agency once monitored there has been converted into fuel for four to six nuclear bombs. The assessment by the energy agency's chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, in an interview here at its headquarters, aligns with the private assessments of many American intelligence officials. But it goes well beyond anything that the Central Intelligence Agency or President Bush and his aides have said in public. Some Bush administration officials have said they are not eager to update their public assessment of North Korea's abilities, out of a concern that it could create pressure for action - either greater efforts to force the collapse of the North Korean government, or greater concessions in negotiations, as North Korea has demanded. In the interview, Dr. ElBaradei said his judgment that North Korea had converted its stockpile of spent nuclear fuel into weapons-grade plutonium was not based on new intelligence. Instead, he said, it was based on the agency's years of accumulated knowledge of North Korea's abilities, and the amount of time that had passed since North Korea ejected inspectors and began removing the 8,000 spent nuclear fuel rods that inspectors had been monitoring. "I'm sure they have reprocessed it all," he said. "We know they have the fissile material," he said, a reference to the rods, which can be reprocessed into weapons-grade plutonium. "The production process is not that difficult" to turn the rods into bomb fuel, he said, and now enough time has passed for North Korea to have solved any production problems. Until now, the United States has insisted that North Korea has enough nuclear material to make only one or two weapons, based on an estimate made in the early 1990's. Because the United States and the I.A.E.A. have never seen that material or any nuclear weapons, it was an educated guess, and one that has been the subject of considerable behind-the-scenes debate. But it was also assumed that one or two weapons posed relatively little threat: North Korea could not afford to sell its plutonium, or even conduct a nuclear test, if those actions would eradicate its stockpile. If Dr. ElBaradei's new estimate is right - and several American experts interviewed in recent days said they believed it probably was - then that equation changes, and could give North Korea far more leverage. Richard L. Armitage, who is departing as the deputy secretary of state, warned Congress nearly two years ago that if North Korea reprocessed its fuel rods, there was a far more significant risk that it could sell the material. The comment alarmed some administration officials, who have striven to convey a sense that there is not a great strategic difference if North Korea holds one or two weapons or if it holds seven or eight. But internally, there has been significant debate on that subject at the White House and the Pentagon. Last month, Gen. Leon J. LaPorte, commander of United States forces in South Korea, told reporters in Seoul that he was increasingly concerned that "North Korea, in its desire for hard currency, would sell weapons-grade plutonium to some terrorist organizations." Robert J. Einhorn, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington and a former senior State Department official who has often dealt with North Korea, said Dr. ElBaradei's comments "certainly create some pressure on the Bush administration." "Would the North Koreans ever sell their plutonium? I don't think so, but who knows?" he said. "It becomes more plausible if they think we are turning the screws on them. And it makes the military situation more difficult," he said, because North Korea could hide its weapons around the country, making them more difficult to target or seize. A spokesman for the National Security Council, Sean McCormack, said he was unaware of any change in the official assessment of North Korea's abilities. Dr. ElBaradei's assessment puts him in the opposite position he was in two years ago, when the Bush administration was pressing him to find evidence that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. Dr. ElBaradei balked then, saying there was little evidence of activity since the 1991 Persian Gulf war in 1991. His view was later supported by the American-led Iraq Survey Group. But in the case of North Korea, it is Dr. ElBaradei who appears more willing to raise alarms. That may reflect, in part, the breakdown in communication between the I.A.E.A. and the United States on North Korea - the agency has been largely frozen out of the little new intelligence that the United States has gathered about North Korea's activities since inspectors left. One senior official of the agency said that was to be expected because "without inspectors in North Korea, there's not much we could do with the intelligence." Dr. ElBaradei's assessment, in the same week that he raised new questions about whether Iran might be hiding elements of its nuclear program, frames the two most urgent proliferation threats. While Mr. Bush, who said last year that he would not "tolerate" a nuclear-armed North Korea, has avoided public discussion of its apparently expanding nuclear capacity, the subject clearly concerns his aides. But there have been a few hints of those worries. In September, just before the presidential election, a senior administration official with access to the highest level intelligence told The New York Times that there was satellite evidence indicating that North Korea was preparing to conduct a nuclear test. The statement appeared to be an effort to warn North Korea and China, the North Koreans' main economic lifeline, not to interfere with the election by proceeding with the test. Soon after, activity at the suspected test site diminished, though experts here in Vienna say their own examination of other satellite imagery suggests that a test is still a strong possibility. In interviews, officials here said that if their assessment was correct, North Korea now had six or more "bomb cores." But it is unclear whether those cores have been made into weapons. Either way, the officials said, North Korea's action could complicate the inspection process if the North agreed to disarm. "This is going to be a nightmare if we don't have full cooperation and full access" throughout the country, said Pierre Goldschmidt, who directs the department of safeguards at the nuclear agency, which is responsible for inspections. With so much material now produced, he said, North Korea has had time to disperse it around the country and conceal it. "It will almost be an impossible job," he said. But he said the agency had already developed a plan in case talks between North Korea and five other nations - China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia - resulted in a deal to allow inspectors back into the country. That plan calls for far more intrusive inspections than any the agency has conducted before. Mr. Goldschmidt said that even with full cooperation by the North Koreans, completing the inspections could take several years. _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 3 Guardian Unlimited: S. Korean President Visits Iraq Troops From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday December 8, 2004 10:16 AM SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - President Roh Moo-hyun made a surprise visit Wednesday to northern Iraq where 3,600 South Korean troops are helping rebuild the violence-wracked country, his office said. The visit came the same day a parliamentary committee approved a government proposal to extend the deployment of South Korean troops in Iraq for another year. The bill must be approved by a plenary session of the National Assembly, which convenes Thursday. The government decided last month to extend the troop deployment until the end of 2005. The president was on his way home from a trip to France when he stopped over in the Kurdish town of Irbil to cheer soldiers there, Roh's spokesman Lee Byung-wan said in a statement. ``The purpose of the visit is clear. It is to cheer Zaytun,'' Lee said, referring to a code name for the South Korean troops' operation in Iraq, which means ``olive'' in Arabic. Roh's visit to Irbil was planned before his departure last month on a trip including stops in Laos, Britain, Poland and France, Lee said. No other details were immediately available on Roh's visit to Iraq. He was to return to South Korea early Thursday. South Korea, a key ally of the United States, has portrayed the troop deployment as a way of strengthening ties with Washington and winning U.S. support for a peaceful end to the standoff over North Korea's nuclear activity. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004 ***************************************************************** 4 YWS: (LEAD) U.S. Nuclear Negotiator to Arrive in Seoul for Strategy Talks YONHAPNEWS WORLD SERVICE::ENGLISH NEWS Thursday, December 09, 2004 [http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/] .. 2004/12/08 15:53 KST By Chang Jae-soon SEOUL, Dec. 8 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. nuclear negotiator met his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss how to persuade North Korea back to the negotiating table on its nuclear program. Cho Tae-yong(L) and Joseph DeTrani "I hope we will resume these talks very quickly," Amb. Joseph DeTrani said at the start of his meeting with Cho Tae-yong, head of the South Korean Foreign Ministry's task force on the nuclear problem. ***************************************************************** 5 [CMEP] Energy Report Dominated by Industry Interests; Nuke Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 16:54:39 -0600 (CST) ***please forward widely*** ***apologies for cross-posting*** This email contains two press releases. ============================================ * P R E S S R E L E A S E * Dec. 8, 2004 Contact: Tyson Slocum (202) 454-5191 Erica Hartman (202) 454-5174 Commission That Produced "Bipartisan" Energy Report Dominated by Industry Interests, Produced Wish List for Energy Companies Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Director, Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program Congress and the public should read the National Commission on Energy Policy's report (released today) with a critical eye and should not be fooled by a false "bipartisan and independent" label. The reality is that this panel was dominated by energy industry interests. It is no surprise that the policies embraced in today's report represent a wish list for energy companies and coal in the stockings for America's consumers and the environment. The commission bows to the electricity industry's interests by supporting an increase in coal fueled electric power while opposing a federal renewable energy standard - despite the fact that such a clean power standard has already been adopted by 18 states. The report readily admits that cost, safety, security, waste and proliferation risks are all "substantial" barriers to expanding nuclear power. Yet, with the energy giant Exelon's chief executive as the co chair of the panel, the commission dismisses these issues as easily resolved and recommends throwing another $2 billion at the industry. And the report is silent on the failure of energy deregulation to provide lower prices and a cleaner environment, as it fails to endorse strong new regulations of the energy industry that are necessary to protect consumers from continued market manipulation. The energy industry's influence on the commission also is apparent in the report's recommendation that the law be changed to ensure that Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) - and not states - has exclusive jurisdiction over onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities. This controversial recommendation is the subject of a lawsuit brought by the state of California against FERC asserting that states and local communities should have adequate say over the siting and permitting of these controversial projects. (Congress slipped language into the recent appropriations bill saying that FERC can pre-empt states on LNG facility siting, but lawmakers didn't go so far as to change the law.) And the report's message on the critical need for improvements in fuel economy and reductions in harmful vehicle-related greenhouse gas emissions is mixed at best. While the report says that meaningful increases in fuel economy standards of 10-20 miles per gallon are feasible, it fails to include a target number or time frame. And while it concedes that the safety concerns related to fuel economy are properly viewed as a thing of the past because of new advances in technology and the advent of hybrids, it advocates a "credit trading" program (allowing automakers that exceed fuel economy standards to trade "credits" to those that do not) that is political pie-in-the-sky. The enormous advantage foreign manufacturers have over the domestics means that Detroit would likely resist any such program. Overall, the results are not surprising. The commission was dominated by individuals with significant financial interests in major energy corporations, presenting clear conflicts of interest. Among the commission members: John Rowe, president and CEO of Exelon, the largest nuclear power plant operator in the U.S.; Linda Gillespie Stuntz, a corporate lobbyist for the energy industry; and Archie Dunham, chairman of ConocoPhillips, a company that has spent $5.7 million since 2001 lobbying the government on energy policy. Despite touting themselves as a diverse group of interests, the 16-member commission includes only one person classified as a consumer advocate, who is also the former chair of a state utility commission, , while 10 of the members have direct, financial ties to energy corporations. This is certainly welcome and desperately needed, but a solo voice for consumer interests is insufficient. ### Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit www.citizen.org. ============================================ * P R E S S R E L E A S E * PUBLIC CITIZEN * NUCLEAR INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SERVICE * BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE For Immediate Release: December 7, 2004 Contact: Michele Boyd, PC (202) 454-5134 Paul Gunter, NIRS (202) 328-0002 Lou Zeller, BREDL (336) 982-2691 Nuclear Agency Ignores True Impact of New Reactors New Environmental Analysis Doesnt Consider Nuclear Waste, Terrorism, or Need for Power LOUISA, Va. The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released today for a permit to site at least one new nuclear reactor at Dominions North Anna site in Virginia is incomplete and does not consider many important issues normally examined in an EIS, according to Public Citizen, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS). Dominion has applied for an Early Site Permit (ESP), which would allow the company to bank the site for 20 years, during which time it can choose a reactor type and apply for a combined construction and operating license. The draft EIS based on Dominions application was released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which has recommended that the permit be issued. The NRC made their preliminary recommendation despite unresolved questions about the impacts on the lake and the fishery, said Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizens Energy Program. Moreover, critical issues related to the safety, security, and consumer protection are not even allowed to be addressed. Specifically, the draft EIS does not examine the effect of increased production of nuclear waste absent a comprehensive national strategy for dealing with it. Nor does it consider a host of security issues associated with deploying more atomic reactors as potential targets of terrorism concentrated at a site only 60 miles from Washington, DC. NRC has deliberately turned a blind eye to ignore the most troubling environmental problems with a new generation of reactors, said Paul Gunter, director of the Reactor Watchdog Project at NIRS. The fact that there is no scientifically accepted plan for the new nuclear waste that would be generated reveals NRC and Dominions dangerous tunnel vision. The need for power was also ignored in the EIS. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, an EIS is required to contain an analysis of alternatives to the proposed action, such as the need for power. The draft EIS for North Anna does not include this information. Technically, this should not be considered an EIS because it fails to demonstrate that we need more power. How can anyone make a sound judgment when none of the vital and necessary information has been collected or scrutinized? said Lou Zeller, a Community Organizer with BREDL. Pursuant to Virginia law, and pending approval of the North Carolina Utilities Commission, Dominion will join the PJM interconnection on or around January 1, 2005. PJM is the largest regional transmission organization (RTO) in the U.S., and currently coordinates the movement of electricity in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. By allowing Dominion to join PJM, Virginia residents can expect two outcomes: * It becomes far easier, and in fact more likely that Dominion will export the electricity generated by power plants in Virginia, including new reactors at North Anna, to other states such as New Jersey where electricity prices are twice as high as Virginia and revenues will be greater. In other words, the primary benefit of new reactorsmore electricitywill be enjoyed by others while the costs and risks will be borne by Virginians. * Under federal law, Dominion may be able to merge with any company that is a PJM member regardless of their geographic location. Normally, an electric utility must have a service area that is contiguous. Members of PJM operate from as far away as Illinois. If Dominion merges with another company from outside the area, control of North Annas existing and possible new reactors may be headquartered elsewhere, removing needed local control and accountability. Dominion wants to build these new reactors in Virginia, but the benefit will go to states in the Northeast or Midwest, said Hauter. Dominions actions betray their words: they are not interested in lowering Virginians electricity bills or improving its service. RTOs often lead to higher electricity rates, and the federal Energy Information Administration acknowledges that for the foreseeable future, nuclear power will cost more than other forms of generation, including wind. Public Citizen, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) are involved in an intervention against the possible plant expansion. Despite the narrow scope of issues that can be discussed during the siting review, the groups have successfully raised several arguments, or contentions, in their legal intervention. An NRC administrative judicial panel in July admitted questions about the new reactors impact on the lakes striped bass population to a hearing in the fall of 2005. Ten other contentions related to public safety, security and environmental protection were thrown out because NRC deemed them outside the scope of its streamlined review. ### ********** If you would like to be removed from the CMEP ListServ, send an email to listserv@listserver.citizen.org with the words "unsubscribe CMEP" in the message. Questions about the CMEP ListServ can be directed to CMEP-request@LISTSERVER.CITIZEN.ORG. To learn more about this and other Public Citizen Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program campaigns, visit our website at http://www.citizen.org/cmep/ -Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program ***************************************************************** 6 [NukeNet] NYT: New Energy Report Promotes Nukes Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 16:08:02 -0800 December 8, 2004 Report on Energy Impasse, With Some Improbable Views By MATTHEW L. WALD ASHINGTON, Dec. 7 - In an attempt to break a deadlock on energy policy, a diverse group of environmentalists, academics and former government officials will publish a report on Wednesday that presents strategies for making the country cleaner, more competitive and less vulnerable to energy shocks. The strategies, intended to be the basis for action by Congress, include policies that are generally anathema to at least some of the constituencies represented by members of the group. It says the government should force increases in efficiency in cars and electrical equipment, stimulate global oil production, regulate greenhouse gas emissions with a trading system, rapidly expand a new method of burning coal and explore a revival of nuclear power. The $5 million, two-year private study, titled "Ending the Energy Stalemate," is intended to be a package-deal blueprint, akin to a Ford Foundation report 30 years ago that first suggested vehicle mileage standards and a national petroleum reserve. "There are people in this group who would not have endorsed one part if not for corresponding parts," said William K. Reilly, a co-chairman of the study and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the first President George Bush in the late 1980's and early 90's. "I'm a lifelong conservationist," Mr. Reilly said, "and 10 or 12 years ago would not have imagined myself advancing the future of coal." The group, the National Commission on Energy Policy, was financed by the Hewlett Foundation and other private sources. John P. Holdren, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard and also a co-chairman, said that with the pressures of the presidential election over, the combination of high prices for oil and natural gas and "the way things evolved in Iraq" might make the country "more ready in principle for this sort of package." The third co-chairman was John W. Rowe, chairman of Exelon, a big power company; members of the group included R. James Woolsey, a former director of central intelligence, and Martin B. Zimmerman, a vice president of Ford. The group's report suggests sharp increases in fuel economy requirements, and letting automakers buy and sell mileage credits in much the same way utilities now trade the right to emit pollution. It calls for a similar cap-and-trade system for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, with a price limit on the value of a ton of emissions, to avoid stunting economic growth. The group advocates spending $2 billion to build one or two sample nuclear reactors using advanced technology. It also supports building electricity plants that cook coal to produce combustible gases, which are then burned in turbines like those used at natural gas plants. This approach leaves open the possibility that carbon dioxide can be captured to prevent global warming. The study gives short shrift to several perennial ideas on energy. Hydrogen, championed by the current President Bush in the 2003 State of the Union speech, fails on at least two of the four criteria the commission said a new technology should have: being compatible with the existing distribution infrastructure, and being competitive with gasoline by 2020. The commission cited an estimate by the National Academy of Sciences that full development of hydrogen technology is 50 years away. It was not enthusiastic about corn ethanol, because its potential to replace gasoline is limited and the reduction of carbon dioxide is modest. And it costs twice what gasoline does, the report said. Another possibility, the authors said, was an emerging technology, ethanol made from the woody part of plants. The report also did not stress ordering electric companies to buy more power from solar and wind plants and other renewable sources. Eighteen states have renewable energy standards, specifying a quotas for such sources; Colorado voters approved one in last month's election. Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 7 New York Times: Report on Energy Impasse, With Some Improbable Views By MATTHEW L. WALD Published: December 8, 2004 [W] ASHINGTON, Dec. 7 - In an attempt to break a deadlock on energy policy, a diverse group of environmentalists, academics and former government officials will publish a report on Wednesday that presents strategies for making the country cleaner, more competitive and less vulnerable to energy shocks. The strategies, intended to be the basis for action by Congress, include policies that are generally anathema to at least some of the constituencies represented by members of the group. It says the government should force increases in efficiency in cars and electrical equipment, stimulate global oil production, regulate greenhouse gas emissions with a trading system, rapidly expand a new method of burning coal and explore a revival of nuclear power. The $5 million, two-year private study, titled "Ending the Energy Stalemate," is intended to be a package-deal blueprint, akin to a Ford Foundation report 30 years ago that first suggested vehicle mileage standards and a national petroleum reserve. "There are people in this group who would not have endorsed one part if not for corresponding parts," said William K. Reilly, a co-chairman of the study and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the first President George Bush in the late 1980's and early 90's. "I'm a lifelong conservationist," Mr. Reilly said, "and 10 or 12 years ago would not have imagined myself advancing the future of coal." The group, the National Commission on Energy Policy, was financed by the Hewlett Foundation and other private sources. John P. Holdren, a professor of environmental policy at Harvard and also a co-chairman, said that with the pressures of the presidential election over, the combination of high prices for oil and natural gas and "the way things evolved in Iraq" might make the country "more ready in principle for this sort of package." The third co-chairman was John W. Rowe, chairman of Exelon, a big power company; members of the group included R. James Woolsey, a former director of central intelligence, and Martin B. Zimmerman, a vice president of Ford. The group's report suggests sharp increases in fuel economy requirements, and letting automakers buy and sell mileage credits in much the same way utilities now trade the right to emit pollution. It calls for a similar cap-and-trade system for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, with a price limit on the value of a ton of emissions, to avoid stunting economic growth. The group advocates spending $2 billion to build one or two sample nuclear reactors using advanced technology. It also supports building electricity plants that cook coal to produce combustible gases, which are then burned in turbines like those used at natural gas plants. This approach leaves open the possibility that carbon dioxide can be captured to prevent global warming. The study gives short shrift to several perennial ideas on energy. Hydrogen, championed by the current President Bush in the 2003 State of the Union speech, fails on at least two of the four criteria the commission said a new technology should have: being compatible with the existing distribution infrastructure, and being competitive with gasoline by 2020. The commission cited an estimate by the National Academy of Sciences that full development of hydrogen technology is 50 years away. It was not enthusiastic about corn ethanol, because its potential to replace gasoline is limited and the reduction of carbon dioxide is modest. And it costs twice what gasoline does, the report said. Another possibility, the authors said, was an emerging technology, ethanol made from the woody part of plants. The report also did not stress ordering electric companies to buy more power from solar and wind plants and other renewable sources. Eighteen states have renewable energy standards, specifying a quotas for such sources; Colorado voters approved one in last month's election. Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company ***************************************************************** 8 North Lake Tahoe Bonanza - Opinion: When whistles blow and no one hears December 8, 2004 Ed Gurowitz Even before the official start of the administration's second term, there are signs pointing to the possibility of hostility toward legitimate dissent in the coming four years. This goes beyond the ongoing campaign by the right to paint those who disagree with them on the war, abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research as unpatriotic, anti-God, and worse, and it goes beyond the Religious Right calling in chits for its supposed role in re-electing the President. CBS and NBC have refused to run an ad by the United Church of Christ affirming its policy of welcoming all, including gays, and government employees who would act to protect the public are being systematically suppressed. Earle Dixon, a Carson City resident, was the project manager for hazardous waste management and compliance at the Anaconda Mine in Yerington. Anaconda is an abandoned copper mine covering some 3,600 acres, where acid run-off and waste rock containing uranium and other toxic metals have been disposed of in unlined ponds. The mine has had numerous owners, and half of its land is on public property managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Dixon worked for the BLM coordinating with a number of agencies. He was fired by BLM Nevada director Bob Abbey on Oct. 5, after less than a year on the job. According to Dixon's complaint in a federal whistleblower suit against the BLM, he had presented Abbey with mounting evidence of contamination and worker exposure. If Dixon's case were singular, we might ignore it; unfortunately it is far from unique. Organizations such as the Project on Government Oversight have documented case after case of whistleblowers being threatened and suppressed by the agencies they work for, and the Federal Whistleblower Protection Act has been so weakened by what the administration would characterize in other contexts as "activist judges," that it is almost more dangerous than if there were no such law - it provides an appearance of protection where there is none, effectively luring whistleblowers out into the open where they can be picked off. There are bills under consideration in congress to fix the act, but the White House is actively attempting to stall this legislation to let it die. Federal courts have found major loopholes in the present Act's protection and have set a standard of "irrefutable proof" that is impossible for whistleblowers to meet. This ruthless suppression of those who would attempt to protect the public is not limited to environmental causes. It was a whistleblower, Coleen Rowley (Time Magazine's 2002 co-Person of the Year), who exposed the FBI's failure to heed clear evidence of terrorist plots before 9/11, yet this administration has systematically attacked whistleblowers, including in the FBI. Robert Wright, an FBI Special Agent, reported weakness in his antiterrorism unit, and was met with investigations aimed at silencing or discrediting him. Richard Levernier reported serious security problems at nuclear weapons sites and was stripped of his security clearance, effectively ending his employment. And these are just two examples among many. It takes enormous courage for anyone to step forward and make incompetence and malfeasance public, particularly in government agencies. Doing so is unlikely to be met with approval and they can expect to be attacked and vilified by those at whom their fingers are pointed. Yet few would deny that Coleen Rowley and others have done an enormous public service with little or no expectation of personal reward. As Ms. Rowley and others told Congress recently, "It is unrealistic to expect that government workers will defend the public if they can't defend themselves." As the president populates his new cabinet with yes-people and the extreme right moves to suppress any public discussion of issues it finds disagreeable, it is more important than ever that the protective devices that have been built into our system over the years be themselves protected and strengthened. Remember, to paraphrase the great Conservative Edmund Burke, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. If you are interested in learning more about this, I recommend the website of Public Employees for Environmental Responsible (PEER), www.peer.org [http://www.peer.org] . All contents © Copyright 2004 tahoebonanza.com North Lake Tahoe Bonanza - 925 Tahoe Blvd., Suite 206 - Incline Village, NV 89452 ***************************************************************** 9 WorldNetDaily: Those nattering neo-cons SATURDAY DECEMBER 4 2004 © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com On Dec. 18, 2003, Iran signed an Additional Protocol to their Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Although not required to do so until the Iranian Parliament "ratifies" it, Iran volunteered to act "in accordance with the provisions of the Additional Protocol, as a confidence-building measure." The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty requires all signatories not already having nuclear weapons to negotiate and conclude a Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA, with a view to preventing diversion of "source or special fissionable material" – whether it is being produced, processed or used in any principal nuclear facility or outside any such facility – from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons. The IAEA employs periodic on-site inspections and continuous on-site monitoring to verify the correctness of signatories' reports of "declared" nuclear material and activities. At the end of the Persian Gulf War, the IAEA discovered that its inspections of "declared" sites were insufficient to detect clandestine nuclear programs at other sites. It turned out that Iraq had a multi-billion dollar broad-based "undeclared" program to enrich uranium that had gone undetected. So, to increase the IAEA's capability for detecting such clandestine programs, the international community developed the Model Additional Protocol. This protocol – which enhances the authority of the IAEA-NPT Safeguards regime – is to be used as a "model" for an Additional Protocol, to amend each existing IAEA Safeguards agreement. The Additional Protocol provides for much easier access and far greater transparency to nuclear programs and nuclear-related activities, enabling the IAEA not only to verify the non-diversion of "declared" nuclear material, but also to provide assurances of the absence of undeclared nuclear material and of any prohibited activities in a state. In particular, the original Safeguards Agreement merely required the disclosure of information on new facilities handling safeguarded nuclear materials a few months before the nuclear materials were actually introduced. The Additional Protocol now requires disclosure of that design information as soon as Iranian authorities decide to construct, authorize construction or modify such a facility. From then on, the IAEA has the continuing right to verify the design and construction information over the facility's lifecycle, including decommissioning. The Additional Protocol also provides for "voluntary reporting on imports and exports of nuclear material and exports of specified equipment and non-nuclear material." Last week, the IAEA Board of Governors heard a progress report from Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, whereupon the board passed a unanimous IAEA resolution on the implementation of its Safeguards Agreement with Iran. The board noted "specifically the director general's assessment that all the declared nuclear material in Iran has been accounted for, and that such material is not diverted to prohibited activities." And, while recognizing "the right of states to the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes" and recognizing that it was "a voluntary, non-legally binding confidence-building measure," the board welcomed "the fact that Iran has decided to continue and extend its suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities" Needless to say, the IAEA resolution – essentially praising Iran for its unprecedented cooperation – wasn't praised by the neo-crazies. In fact, the New York Times reported that the U.S. representative to the IAEA , Jackie Sanders, at a meeting of the board last week, raised questions about Iranian efforts to obtain equipment "in the nuclear military area" and demanded a specific list of Iran's purchases "so we can make our own decisions about Iran's intentions." But recall that the Additional Protocol merely provides for "voluntary" reporting of certain imports and exports. Furthermore, it requires the IAEA to take into account "the need to avoid hampering the economic and technological development of Iran" and "to take every precaution to protect commercial, technological and industrial secrets as well as other confidential information coming to its knowledge." To that end, the IAEA "shall maintain a stringent regime to ensure effective protection against disclosure of commercial, technological and industrial secrets and other confidential information coming to its knowledge, including such information coming to the agency's knowledge in the implementation of this Protocol." Sanders is apparently demanding that ElBaradei provide her the list of imports Iran has voluntarily provided him in confidence. She wants to overrule the IAEA Board's "inaction" and take Iran's alleged nuke program directly to the U.N. Security Council. ElBaradei came close to thwarting the neo-crazies' invasion of Iraq last year. He may well thwart their invasion of Iran next year. He might as well. Whatever he does, the neo-crazies will see to it he doesn't get appointed for another term. Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. -- ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. [gprather@worldnetdaily.com] | GO TO GORDON PRATHER'S ARCHIVE © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com, Inc. ***************************************************************** 10 Bellona: Norway implements tax incentives for hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles The Norwegian government has proposed an incentive involving the removal of vehicle taxes–including registration fees and annual taxes for hydrogen fuel powered vehicles be removed as of January 1st next year. The issue under discussion by Norwegian parliament and only minor formalities remain in the political process, officials said. Bellona's Isak Oksvold takes Opel's hydrogen car for a spin. Hanne Bakke/Bellona Bent Isak Ramberg Oksvold, 2004-12-08 12:58 The new Norwegian tax incentives for hydrogen fuel cell based transport could serve as a model for other countries in Europe and worldwide hoping to pursue the emissions-free technology, a move Bellona strongly encourages. Bellona's vision for the hydrogen society In this policy paper, Bellona addresses the opportunities and challenges facing the transition to an economy driven by clean energy.  Jump to working papers » [http://www.bellona.no/en/27317.html#32457] The proposal to remove repeal taxed for hydrogen cell fuel vehicles was made by the Norwegian government as a result of steady and continuous pressure from NGOs, such as Bellona as well as well as recommendations from the government’s official working group formed to develop a national hydrogen programme. A history of zero-taxes on zero-emissions Norway already has a strong history of tax incentives for cars running on alternative energy sources such as electricity. In 1990, registration taxes were removed for electric cars. Shortly thereafter, in 1996, annual vehicle taxation, road tolls were scrapped for them. In 2001, their Value Added Tax (VAT) was also removed. These tax incentives have made the use of electric cars in Norway more attractive, but perhaps the strongest boost in driver demand came for them in 2003 when electric cars were given the right to drive in bus lanes, the prohibition of which is a constant headache and source of traffic snarls for drivers of standard cars. Reducing barriers for commercialisation The Ford Focus 1,8 l and Opel Zafira 1,6 l —which are similar to the Ford Focus FCV and the Opel Zafira HyGen3—fetch approximately EUR 10,500 in tax-benefits. The FCHV-4, which is a larger vehicle from Toyota, gets a total tax slash in Norway of EUR 23,000. Norwegian vehicle taxes are calculated, in order of importance, on the bases of vehicle weight, engine capacity and engine power. At current, these tax incentives for hydrogen cars make little difference in comparison to the cost of present hydrogen cars and the lack of infrastructure to support them. But as the market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles grows and manufacturing costs are reduced, the tax incentives will play an important role in their commercialisation. In this sense, Norway could become a large-scale testing ground for large, powerful hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Norwegian industry is also fertile territory from a hydrogen industry point of view, as the proposal for a national hydrogen programme is strongly focused on clean hydrogen production from fossil fuels. European NGOs: Assessing Pathways to The Hydrogen Economy European NGOs are finally discussing hydrogen and the controversial subject of carbon capture and storage, known as C. Bellona, which has been a promoter of C as a possible bridge to a hydrogen society, sees the debate as a step in the right direction.  Read on » [http://www.bellona.no/en/energy/31361.html] Securing a hydrogen supply from clean fossil fuels—a long way to go but worth the trip For several years, a debate has simmered in Norway over whether to build gas fired power plants with carbon dioxide-capture and storage or to build conventional power plants, which emit carbon dioxide. One energy company, Hammerfest Energi, has announced the construction of the first power plant with carbon dioxide capture and storage, scheduled to go on line in 2007. The availability of renewable energy for hydrogen production is scarce, to be sure, and renewables have a long way to go before they can significantly contribute clean energy to both the stationary power market and the transportation sector. Carbon dioxide-capture technology can be applied via large scale reforming of fossil fuels into hydrogen. In this way, the supply of hydrogen can be secured with fossil fuels without contributing to climate change. Publisher: Bellona Foundation [bellona@bellona.no] , President: Frederic Hauge [frederic@bellona.no] Information: info@bellona.no [info@bellona.no] , Technical contact: webmaster@bellona.no [webmaster@bellona.no] Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway ***************************************************************** 11 BBC: Musharraf thrives on US support Last Updated: Wednesday, 8 December, 2004 By Aamer Ahmed Khan BBC News, Karachi Pakistani leader Gen Pervez Musharraf is concluding an extensive tour of the Americas and Europe in circumstances vastly different from his first official visit to a Western nation about five years ago. [President Musharraf] Musharraf - boosted at home by praise from President Bush Then, Western governments widely saw him as a military dictator following his 1999 coup - his ideological and political moorings were deemed suspect. Now, he is seen more as a constitutional president who is a trusted ally and a close personal friend of many Western leaders. The transition has been anything but smooth, especially in the context of US-Pakistan relations. From concerted attacks against US installations and Western citizens based in Pakistan to nuclear proliferation concerns to deep-rooted suspicions between intelligence officials of the two countries, the evolution in Gen Musharraf's status has weathered many storms. 'Out of control' Many observers feel the only thing that has carried this relationship through is the Musharraf government's success in containing what was a developing relationship between militant sectarian outfits operating out of Pakistan and senior figures within al-Qaeda. Gen Musharraf's role in t US-led war on terror was the only area that earned him unqualified praise from President Bush during his recent visit to Washington "There was a time when the situation could have spiralled out of control," a senior police official deeply involved in anti-terror investigations told BBC News. "We were shocked at the lateral as well as vertical spread of Pakistani terrorist outfits." According to these officials, Pakistani authorities had little knowledge of the links that Pakistan's sectarian organisations such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had established with al-Qaeda members slipping down from Afghanistan until the kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The extent and nature of these links came to light during investigations into Pearl's killing. Officials say that soon after Pearl's death, Pakistani authorities found themselves confronted with a spectre of an alliance between al-Qaeda and local sectarian organisations. "Had their links matured and prospered, it would have taken the war on terror into the country's streets and back alleys, making it impossible for the government to control the situation," says a senior government official. 'Local issue' Aided by state-of-the-art counter-espionage technology provided by the United States, Pakistani authorities started to focus on killing or capturing sectarian militants. [Daniel Pearl in shackles] Pearl's killing brought attention to Pakistan's al-Qaeda problem This has been regarded by Washington as "a local issue" in which the US was extremely reluctant to get directly involved. Over the past year, key militants in almost every sectarian organisation have either been killed or driven out of action. During the same period, bombings by militants have claimed more than 200 civilian lives. President Musharraf himself was lucky to survive two assassination attempts within the space of a fortnight last year. In contrast, Pakistan's drive against militants from Afghanistan filtering into the border belt of Waziristan has been somewhat less successful. According to figures provided by Corps Commander Peshawar, Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain, in 35 military operations up till October this year, Pakistani military and paramilitary forces have killed 250 militants in Waziristan. Nearly 600 have been captured. About 100 "hardcore militants" are still said to be hiding out in Waziristan. Pakistani forces have lost 175 men in the process, making it the heaviest military losses for Pakistan since the brief conflict with Indian forces in Kargil five years ago. Concessions failure That was perhaps why Gen Musharraf's role in the US-led war on terror was the only area that earned him unqualified praise from President George W Bush during a recent visit to Washington. [Protesters in London] Protesters in London during Musharraf's tour While he failed to win concessions over any of the other issues raised in his meeting with Mr Bush - textile export quotas to the US, a refund of $4bn paid for F-16s over 10 years ago and third party mediation in Kashmir - Gen Musharraf will not be complaining. Praise from a powerful ally, even if limited to one area of a fairly wide-ranging relationship, was enough for many analysts in Pakistan to bill Gen Musharraf's US visit a success. The Karachi stock market rose more than 100 points in three days in the wake of Mr Bush's laudatory remarks. More importantly, it sent a powerful signal to Gen Musharraf's opposition of the support that he still enjoys from one of the three pillars that are said to prop Pakistani politics - Allah, Army and America. Observers are convinced that it is enough to blunt the opposition's plans to generate protests against Gen Musharraf's dual role as president and army chief. The general's opposition, it seems, now has no option but to concede that their adversary has returned from the US as a powerful military leader who will remain in control despite what it may mean for the future of democracy in Pakistan. ***************************************************************** 12 FT.com: Europe - Atomic attractions By Brian Groom Published: December 8 2004 02:00 | Last updated: December 8 2004 The Paris-based International Energy Agency has used uncharacteristically strong language to warn Europe of the risks of becoming over-dependent on Russian natural gas. With North Sea supplies shrinking and the once abundant Lacq field in south-western France long depleted, Europe will rely mainly on Russia for about 80 per cent of its gas needs over the next 30 years. Worse, it will become increasingly dependent on a single powerful Russian monopolistic supplier, Gazprom, with every interest in squeezing prices higher. Hence, the IEA's call for urgent steps to diversify not only Europe's suppliers but supply routes, currently heavily concentrated in Ukraine. One solution is to increase foreign supplies of liquefied natural gas and coal. But energy experts argue this would constitute only a temporary alternative given electricity consumption is expected to double by 2050 while CO2 emissions will have to be reduced by half. So it is hardly surprising to see a revival of interest in nuclear energy. After Finland's decision to build Europe's first new nuclear plant in more than a decade, France has now chosen the first site for a new generation reactor to replace eventually its 58 ageing nuclear plants. Rather than campaigning to ensure the plant was built elsewhere, French regions actively competed for the new reactor, underlining the shift of sentiment. This too has prompted Paris to partially privatise its nuclear champion Areva next year. The atom is making a slow comeback. [ height=] © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2004. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. ***************************************************************** 13 AFP: Pakistan test fires medium range nuclear-capable missile [http://www.turkishpress.com/] [http://www.anatolia.com] 12-08-2004, 05h58 ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan successfully test fired a medium range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, capable of hitting targets deep inside rival India, the military said. The Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1) missile which can hit targets up to 700 kilometers (437 miles) away was launched from an undisclosed location, a military spokesman told AFP. The test was Pakistan's second in 10 days. Pakistan and rival India, who carried out tit-for-tat nuclear detonations in 1998, both conduct regular missile launches. "Pakistan today carried out a successful test fire of its indigenously developed, medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf-IV (Shaheen-1)," the military said in a statement. The test was to validate "additional technical parameters" of the missile, which is already part of Pakistan's military inventory. Foreign office spokesman Masood Khan said the launch was not meant to send any message to India. The two countries are engaged in a peace dialogue aimed at resolving all issues including the disputed Himalayan state of Kashmir. "It is not a signal to India. Maintaining our nuclear deterrence is a national priority," Khan told AFP. "Such tests are conducted periodically to validate technical parameters of our missile tests." The military said the recent missile tests were "indicative of the government resolve to consolidate and strengthen Pakistan's nuclear deterrence capability." [http://www.afp.com/] Copyright © 2004 ***************************************************************** 14 [NukeNet] Fwd: NRC Credibility on the Line Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2004 16:08:07 -0800 Dr Harvin's letter says it all. Will the NRC show some backbone or not? Norm ------- Forwarded message ------- From: Drkymn@aol.com To: sjc1@nrc.gov, ARB@nrc.gov, ewc@nrc.gov, cfh@nrc.gov Subject: NRC Credibility on the Line Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 15:04:17 EST Mr. Sam Collins, Mr. Randall Blough, Mr. Eugene Cobey, Mr. Cornelius Holden: Sam, Randy, Gene, Cornelius, This is a letter I wish I did not feel compelled to write. In the days since the December 4, 2004, public meeting with PSEG, I have spoken with Congressional aides, government leaders, reporters, watchdogs, area residents, and people from Salem/Hope Creek. I've not heard of anyone who was satisfied with the public meeting, the NRC's scrutiny of PSEG's presentation and statements, and the discussion of the safety and equipment issues at Hope Creek. Much is at stake in the coming weeks as you now contemplate what actions to take, specifically related to the restart of the Hope Creek nuclear reactor. I want to make this clear in my "straight talk" fashion: The NRC's credibility is publicly and fully on the line. I am saying to you, gentlemen, what I said publicly to PSEG Nuclear's Chief Nuclear Officer Chris Bakken: Changing out the B recirculation pump at Hope Creek is a "no brainer." There have been so many issues with that pump for so long that to postpone repairs for another cycle is ludicrous. Much like metrics, engineering reports can be written to support any position. Don't fall prey to the company's agenda. PSEG blew its chance to take a giant step forward in "walking the talk" of safety over production, regaining trust of employees, the public, the industry, Wall Street and other stakeholders. Instead a critical equipment repair was postponed....again. The company's credibility--and its admittedly weak safety culture--has suffered as a result. The already beleaguered site now has an even steeper climb as a result of actions by PSEG's highest corporate officers. The dedicated employees of Salem and Hope Creek deserve better...as do we all. Now, we turn to the NRC...to you, gentlemen...for action that will demand Safety First and require the repair of this equipment and the collateral damage it has caused before Hope Creek restarts. You have the opportunity to cause a giant step forward in how the NRC is viewed...or a giant step backwards. The choice is yours. When as a PSEG "whistleblower" I first met Hub Miller in September 2003, I spoke of my desire to see the NRC regain the public's trust, not suffer another "black eye" like Millstone and Davis-Besse. I urge you to make this reality. Demonstrate beyond any one's doubt that you are, indeed, the public's guardian. Compel PSEG to replace Hope Creek's "B" recirculation pump. And confirm all safety systems are indeed working properly. Settle for nothing less than Safety First. Sincerely, Nancy Kymn Harvin, Ph.D. Recipient of the IEEE's Carl Barus Award for Outstanding Service in the Public Interest cell: 267 312 1252 cc: Congressional delegation--NJ, DE NRC Commissioners and Chairman NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection NJ Board of Public Utilities Governor's Office, NJ and DE Bernard Kerik, Department of Homeland Security Dr. Shirley Jackson Interested stakeholders -- Coalition for Peace and Justice UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321 Barr Ave, Linwood NJ 08221; 609-601-8583; cell 609-742-0982 ncohen12@comcast.net; www.unplugsalem.org _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 15 [DU-WATCH] new Chernobyl effects falsify radiation risk model Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 01:14:31 -0600 (CST) "north Sweden received ... fallout in the form of Uranium fuel particles." new Chernobyl effects falsify radiation risk model ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [the parsing below is mine. I find that reorganising difficult material into verses makes it easier to understand. If you find it irritating, the block text is repeated below. Apologies to RB if necessary. Adult cancer in sweden Richard Bramhall A study published by the British Medical Association in November (Tondel 2004) shows an unexpected increase in adult cancers in Sweden after Chernobyl. A preliminary examination shows:- 1) The 849 extra cancers registered in 9 post-accident years 1988 and 1996 (a 30% increase in incidence) are at least 125 times the incidence predicted by ICRP on the basis of Caesium doses. This minimum figure is on the conservative assumption that the effect is transient and that there will be no excess after 1996. This is very unlikely. It is more likely that the effect is representative of the distribution of risks throughout life, and in this case the increase is more than 600 times greater than expected. If, as the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority is now saying (BBC 2004), Most cancer cases dont develop until 20, 30 or 50 years later (compare with the lifetime follow-up of Hiroshima survivors, which shows a consistent upward trend) The excess will worsen and the implied error in ICRPs modelling will be greater than 600. We can see 600 as the central estimate. (We will shortly add a page to www.llrc.org to show the calculation of these figures. Note that SRPA has previously estimated that in 50 years around 300 people in Sweden would be affected by the Chernobyl fallout [BBC 2004]) 2) The dose response trend calculated by Tondel on the basis [that the pattern of] the level of Caesium deposition is biphasic, not linear. In other words it does not conform with the ICRP dogma that dose and effect are always strictly proportional or "linear". The Tondel study does not show twice as much dose causing twice as much cancer. Many observations show non-linear relationships like this - see, for example, the summaries of papers from the Chernobyl affected territories on www.llrc.org/chernobyl.htm. 3) The 30% increase conforms with predictions made by Chris Busby in "Wings of Death" (Busby 1996) on the basis of cancer data in Wales and England following weapons test fallout. Further comment: The doses given by Tondel et al. are calculated from Caesium fallout. This may mean nothing since Caesium is a gamma emitter which means that its energy deposition (in the form of ionisations) is spatially well distributed in tissue. It is, moreover, soluble and does not form particles. Its health effects are therefore likely to conform with the external irradiation models. However, it is well known that north Sweden received a large amount of fallout in the form of Uranium fuel particles. With diameters of less than a few millionths of a metre such particles are highly mobile in the environment and they can be inhaled or swallowed. Once embedded in body tissue they deliver their energy so locally that the few cells immediately next to them are irradiated at very high energies while the rest of the body gets no dose at all. This makes nonsense of the concept of "average dose" another establishment dogma. Childhood leukaemia after Chernobyl more evidence falsifying Cerrie. Infant leukaemia increases after Chernobyl, according to the Cerrie Majority Report, did not feed through into incidence beyond the first year of life. We have now obtained data from the whole of Wales and Scotland which shows that this is wrong. Plotting incidence in children up to the age of 9 shows that the cohort born in 1986 88 has roughly 50% greater risk of leukaemia compared to the pre-accident period. We are preparing a paper for publication. References BBC News on-line 21st Nov 04 see Chernobyl caused Sweden cancers Busby 1996 "Wings of Death: Nuclear Pollution and Human Health" Green Audit, Aberystwyth 1995 ISBN: 1-897761-03-1 Martin Tondel, Peter Hjalmarsson, Lennart Hardell, Gvran Carlsson and Olav Axelson Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2004;58:1011-1016 "Increase of regional total cancer incidence in north Sweden due to the Chernobyl accident?" (abstract at http://jech.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/58/12/1011 Richard Bramhall Low Level Radiation Campaign bramhall@llrc.org The Knoll, Montpellier Park Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5LW U.K. +44(0)1597 824771 07887 942043 ======================== Adult cancer in sweden A study published by the British Medical Association in November (Tondel 2004) shows an unexpected increase in adult cancers in Sweden after Chernobyl. A preliminary examination shows:- 1) The 849 extra cancers registered in 9 post-accident years 1988 and 1996 (a 30% increase in incidence) are at least 125 times the incidence predicted by ICRP on the basis of Caesium doses. This minimum figure is on the conservative assumption that the effect is transient and that there will be no excess after 1996. This is very unlikely. It is more likely that the effect is representative of the distribution of risks throughout life, and in this case the increase is more than 600 times greater than expected. If, as the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority is now saying (BBC 2004), Most cancer cases dont develop until 20, 30 or 50 years later (compare with the lifetime follow-up of Hiroshima survivors, which shows a consistent upward trend) the excess will worsen and the implied error in ICRPs modelling will be greater than 600. We can see 600 as the central estimate. (We will shortly add a page to www.llrc.org to show the calculation of these figures. Note that SRPA has previously estimated that in 50 years around 300 people in Sweden would be affected by the Chernobyl fallout [BBC 2004]) 2) The dose response trend calculated by Tondel on the basis of the various level of Caesium deposition is biphasic, not linear. In other words it does not conform with the ICRP dogma that dose and effect are always strictly proportional or "linear". The Tondel study does not show twice as much dose causing twice as much cancer. Many observations show non-linear relationships like this - see, for example, the summaries of papers from the Chernobyl affected territories on www.llrc.org/chernobyl.htm. 3) The 30% increase conforms with predictions made by Chris Busby in "Wings of Death" (Busby 1996) on the basis of cancer data in Wales and England following weapons test fallout. Further comment: The doses given by Tondel et al. are calculated from Caesium fallout. This may mean nothing since Caesium is a gamma emitter which means that its energy deposition (in the form of ionisations) is spatially well distributed in tissue. It is, moreover, soluble and does not form particles. Its health effects are therefore likely to conform with the external irradiation models. However, it is well known that north Sweden received a large amount of fallout in the form of Uranium fuel particles. With diameters of less than a few millionths of a metre such particles are highly mobile in the environment and they can be inhaled or swallowed. Once embedded in body tissue they deliver their energy so locally that the few cells immediately next to them are irradiated at very high energies while the rest of the body gets no dose at all. This makes nonsense of the concept of "average dose" another establishment dogma. Childhood leukaemia after Chernobyl more evidence falsifying Cerrie. Infant leukaemia increases after Chernobyl, according to the Cerrie Majority Report, did not feed through into incidence beyond the first year of life. We have now obtained data from the whole of Wales and Scotland which shows that this is wrong. Plotting incidence in children up to the age of 9 shows that the cohort born in 1986 88 has roughly 50% greater risk of leukaemia compared to the pre-accident period. We are preparing a paper for publication. References BBC News on-line 21st Nov 04 see Chernobyl caused Sweden cancers Busby 1996 "Wings of Death: Nuclear Pollution and Human Health" Green Audit, Aberystwyth 1995 ISBN: 1-897761-03-1 Martin Tondel, Peter Hjalmarsson, Lennart Hardell, Gvran Carlsson and Olav Axelson Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2004;58:1011-1016 "Increase of regional total cancer incidence in north Sweden due to the Chernobyl accident?" (abstract at http://jech.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/58/12/1011 Richard Bramhall Low Level Radiation Campaign bramhall@llrc.org The Knoll, Montpellier Park Llandrindod Wells, Powys LD1 5LW U.K. +44(0)1597 824771 07887 942043 =========================================== = == = = = = = = Tondel (2004) - abstract only = = = = = = Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2004;58:1011-1016 ) 2004 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd RESEARCH REPORT Increase of regional total cancer incidence in north Sweden due to the Chernobyl accident? Martin Tondel1, Peter Hjalmarsson1, Lennart Hardell2, Gvran Carlsson3 and Olav Axelson1 1 Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkvping University, Linkvping, Sweden 2 Department of Oncology, Vrebro University Hospital, Vrebro, Sweden 3 Department of Health Policy, Vdsternorrland County Council, Hdrnvsand, Sweden Correspondence to: Dr M Tondel Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linkvping University, 581 85 Linkvping, Sweden; Study objective: Is there any epidemiologically visible influence on the cancer incidence after the Chernobyl fallout in Sweden? Design: A cohort study was focused on the fallout of caesium-137 in relation to cancer incidence 19881996. Setting: In northern Sweden, affected by the Chernobyl accident in 1986, 450 parishes were categorised by caesium-137 deposition: <3 (reference), 329, 3039, 4059, 6079, and 80120 kiloBecquerel/m2. Participants: All people 060 years living in these parishes in 1986 to 1987 were identified and enrolled in a cohort of 1 143 182 persons. In the follow up 22 409 incident cancer cases were retrieved in 19881996 [an 8-year time period] A further analysis focused on the secular trend. [but was not abstracted here] Main results: Taking age and population density as confounding factors, and lung cancer incidence in 19881996 and total cancer incidence in 19861987 by municipality as proxy confounders for smoking and time trends, respectively, the adjusted relative risks for the deposition categories were 1.00 (reference <3 kiloBecquerel/m2), 1.05, 1.03, 1.08, 1.10, and 1.21. The excess relative risk was 0.11 per 100 kiloBecquerel/m2 (95% [Confidence Interval] 0.03 to 0.20). Considering the secular trend, directly age standardised cancer incidence rate differences per 100 000 person years between 1988 to 1996 and the reference period 19861987, were 30.3 (indicating a time trend in the reference category), 36.8, 42.0, 45.8, 50.1, and 56.4. No clear excess occurred for leukaemia or thyroid cancer. Conclusions: Unless attributable to chance or remaining uncontrolled confounding, a slight exposure related increase in total cancer incidence has occurred in northern Sweden after the Chernobyl accident. -- - - - - - - - - - Keywords: ionising radiation; epidemiology; environment Related articles in J Epidemiol Community Health: The journal of the increasingly relevant Carlos Alvarez-Dardet and John R Ashton J Epidemiol Community Health 2004 58: 965. [Extract] [Full Text] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/Sj.0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 16 Fwd: Shut San Onofre down permanently NOW!!! Here's why (please Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 01:04:35 -0600 (CST) Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 12:35:56 -0800 From: "Russell D. Hoffman" Subject: Shut San Onofre down permanently NOW!!! Here's why (please forward widely!) December 6th, 2004 To The Editor: Right now, San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station is in a bad way. Nearly everything in the whole facility is cracking apart. It is embrittled, frail, old. Its bones are hardened. Its arteries are clogged and stiff. It keeps popping and poofing, bursting and spilling, leaking, spraying, steaming, venting, dripping, gushing, pouring out poisons into our environment. The tritium released from the plant alone is a major environmental concern for swimmers and surfers in the water up and down the coast from the plant. Tritium is absorbed by the body everywhere, because chemically, it is just radioactively altered water. Tritium has a half-life of about 12 years and while it does occur naturally, there is no good reason on earth to increase the dose to people. In the course of its daily operation the plant also releases Cesium-137, Strontium-90, uranium, plutonium (both in a variety of isotopes) and over 200 other radioactive "daughter products" of the nuclear reaction. The nuclear industry and the lame-duck, industry-flunky "regulators" who watch it assert that these releases are harmless. It is foolhardy to agree with them when so many of the mechanisms for damage by radioactivity are well-known in the scientific community and undeniable to any unbiased observer. When the nuclear industry started promoting its dogma about how clean nuclear power was, far fewer of these facts were established, such as the role of "free-radicals" in the creation of cancer. Now, these things are much better known, but the entire nuclear industry refuses to acknowledge these issues. They still try to convince people that a little of their radiation, scattered into your body randomly through pollution, might even be good for you. It isn't. One atomic decay inside your body can directly destroy 20,000 or more chemical bonds -- creating tritium inside your body, for instance, or breaking apart a delicate protein -- the structure of life. One damaged DNA strand can lead to fetal deformities or cancer. San Onofre's "steam generators" need to all be replaced -- two per plant, two plants -- total cost: estimated conservatively by the company at about 600 million dollars -- it will probably be a lot more. And they'll have to slice into the uni-body "containment dome" to do the replacement, seriously and permanently weakening that structure. And the replacement parts, unlike the originals (which were never supposed to need to be replaced, but they aged much more rapidly than expected), won't even be made in America, subject to American inspections, or made to American standards of quality (what's left of those standards, anyway). San Onofre's "water heaters" also all need to be replaced (about 30 per unit). Cost? Just another seven million dollars for each plant, but there's more: Pipes have been cracking -- probably they ALL need to be replaced, too (especially if the recent accident in Japan that killed five workers teaches us anything). That's a couple more hundred million dollars that could go to renewable energy solutions instead. Strapping for crane lifts has gotten old and failed. This reportedly cost over 5 million dollars to fix. The plant is a wreck waiting to happen. Radiation ages things (including humans). Salty air destroys most metals. San Onofre is breaking down far faster than "industry standards" because many nukes in America use fresh-water lakes and rivers for coolant. Not San Onofre -- it uses sea water. But despite San Onofre's accelerated aging, the plant's owners are usually behind the eight ball when it comes to repairing things. "Let it fail, then fix it quietly" seems to be their operating motto. Even fork lift tines have dropped suddenly, due to aging. That should NEVER happen! Transformers have exploded because they were old, throwing shards of glass onto the nearby railway and freeway (they are so close!). Old breakers have exploded and burned, causing hundred-million dollar outages. (But in keeping with their motto, the 130-or so similar breakers were NOT replaced.) Workers have been exposed to radiation. Releases to the public have occurred, and there have even been threats of domestic sabotage directed against the plant -- for example, from an extremely well-armed disgruntled worker who knew the plant intimately because he had broad access privileges before being demoted and eventually fired. It's time to SHUT SAN ONOFRE DOWN. Its power is replaceable. Our land and our lives are not. The choice to keep San Onofre's twin reactors generating 500 pounds of extremely toxic waste every day because we are too lazy to build large-scale renewable energy systems is a deadly sin we should stop committing. But even if we did not convert to renewable energy, consider this: It's fairly easy to prove that nuclear power does not generate ANY "net" energy whatsoever, anyway! That's reason enough right there to get rid of the plants. This assertion stems from the incredibly energy-intensive processes need to mine and refine uranium into fuel, as well as construction costs (and reconstruction costs), and dismantling costs. But there are even more costs -- for example, the energy that will be needed to take care of the waste for the next million years, including the dismantled pieces and the "spent" fuel. Such equations also ignore any energy expended on caring for the millions of sick and dying that would result from a serious nuclear accident. Nuclear energy is a financial rat-hole as well as a terrorist's primary target. San Onofre makes money only for its immediate owners, who are practically GIVEN uranium fuel by the U.S. Government, who also promises (but so far has failed) to take it away after it has been turned into radioactive waste (at great profit) by Southern California Edison. San Onofre can and should be shut down NOW. While operating, it is thousands of times more vulnerable to terrorism or forces of nature than when it is shut down, even though the fuel will still be there long after the last watt of electricity is produced, and it will still be a danger. But it's much more dangerous now, and now is a perfect time to cut our losses. Sincerely, Russell Hoffman Concerned Citizen Carlsbad, CA The author is an independent researcher on nuclear power. He has written thousands of essays on the subject and his work has been published in several different languages and in more than a dozen countries. More than two dozen nuclear activist organizations link to his web site or have republished his essays or computer-animated tutorials about nuclear power at their sites. (Some URLs for his material are given below.) He has been quoted in the Washington Post and several dozen other media outlets. Please distribute this document to all your California friends and media. We CAN get San Onofre (and possibly Diablo Canyon) SHUT DOWN TODAY!) Please visit these web sites: SHUT SAN ONOFRE!: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/onofre/index.htm POISON FIRE USA: An animated history of major nuclear activities in the continental United States: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/poifu/poifu.swf Internet Glossary of Nuclear Terminology / "The Demon Hot Atom": http://www.animatedsoftware.com/hotwords/index.htm List of every nuclear power plant in America, with history, activist orgs, specs, etc.: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/nukelist.htm List of ~350 books and videos about nuclear issues in my collection (donations welcome!): http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/mybooks.htm Learn about The Effects of Nuclear War here: http://www.animatedsoftware.com/environm/no_nukes/tenw/nuke_war.htm ============================================================ ************************************************* ** THE ANIMATED SOFTWARE COMPANY ** Russell D. Hoffman, Owner and Chief Programmer ** P.O. Box 1936, Carlsbad CA 92018-1936 ** (800) 551-2726 ** (760) 720-7261 ** Fax: (760) 720-7394 ** Visit the world's most eclectic web site: ** http://www.animatedsoftware.com ************************************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Search /RENEGADE/ for articles that mention nukes - http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi?keywords=NUKES&increment=weeks&many=52 [only articles for the last one year will be indexed] /RENEGADE/ Search - GO TO: http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi? and just type in your topic. For differing results you may uncheck "article" and search on just "subject," etc. /RENEGADE/ also has "time-frame" in the search, so you can tailor your results that way, too. ----- -- Peace! *STRIDER* Sector Air Raid Warden at /RENEGADE/ Home: http://fornits.com/renegade/ DEDICATED TO SPIRIT, TRUTH, PEACE, JUSTICE, AND FREEDOM Articles posted in the last 10 days: http://fornits.com/renegade/peaars.cgi?search=Search&increment=days&many=10 Blog: http://striders-renegade.blogspot.com/ Bay_Area_Activist list ---- Membership by invitation only - moderated / archives for members only Contact bay_area_activist-owner@yahoogroups.com to request membership. EF! list --------------- earthfirstalert - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/earthfirstalert List-Subscribe: usenet: news:misc.activism.progressive e-mail: mailto:strider@fornits.com strider@fornits.com No War! No Nukes! Impeach! WHEN SPIDERS UNITE, THEY CAN TIE DOWN A LION -- Ethiopian Proverb ***************************************************************** 17 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting of the FR Doc 04-26902 [Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)] [Notices] [Page 71085] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08de04-137] Subcommittee on Reactor Fuels; Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittee on Reactor Fuels will hold a meeting on December 15-16, 2004, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Wednesday, December 15, 2004--8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of business. Thursday, December 16, 2004--8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the draft final safety evaluation report for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility construction authorization request. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Ms. Maggalean W. Weston (telephone (301) 415-3151) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (e.t.). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes to the agenda. Dated: December 1, 2004. John H. Flack, Acting Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. 04-26902 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 18 NRC: Notice of Issuance of Materials License SNM-2512 for the Idaho FR Doc 04-26903 [Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)] [Notices] [Page 71081-71082] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08de04-133] Spent Fuel Facility AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Issuance of Materials License. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James R. Hall, Senior Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: (301) 415-1336; fax number: (301) 415-8555; e-mail: jrh@nrc.gov [jrh@nrc.gov] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) has issued Materials License No. SNM-2512 to the Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation (FWENC) for the receipt, possession, storage, and transfer of spent fuel at the Idaho Spent Fuel (ISF) Facility, an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) to be located at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), located in Butte County, Idaho. This Materials License is issued under the provisions of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 72 (10 CFR Part 72), and is effective as of the date of issuance. A license for an ISFSI under 10 CFR Part 72 is issued for 20 years, but the licensee may seek to renew the license prior to its expiration. The ISF Facility is licensed to provide interim dry storage for approximately 22 metric tons of heavy metal contained in unique fuel elements and associated radioactive materials resulting from the [[Page 71082]] operation of the Peach Bottom Unit 1 high-temperature gas reactor, the Shippingport light water breeder reactor, and various Training, Research, and Isotope reactors built by General Atomics (TRIGA reactors). The ISF Facility is designed for the repackaging of specific quantities of this spent nuclear fuel, currently stored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) at the INEEL, into new storage canisters, followed by its placement into an interim dry storage vault, in preparation for eventual shipment to a high-level waste geologic repository. The ISF Facility represents one element of a Settlement Agreement, dated October 17, 1995, among the DOE, the U.S. Navy, and the State of Idaho, regarding waste removal and environmental cleanup at the INEEL. Following receipt of FWENC's application dated November 19, 2001, the NRC staff published a ``Notice of Docketing, Notice of Consideration of Issuance, and Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing for a Materials License for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility'' in the Federal Register on June 27, 2002 (67 FR 43358). In conjunction with the issuance of this license, the staff published a final environmental impact statement (FEIS), ``Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Idaho Spent Fuel Facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in Butte County, Idaho,'' (NUREG-1773, Final Report, January 2004). A Notice of Availability of the FEIS was published in the Federal Register on February 27, 2004 (69 FR 9387). The staff has determined that no significant environmental impacts will be generated as a result of construction and operation of the proposed ISF Facility. The NRC staff has completed its environmental safeguards, and safety reviews of the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility license application and safety analysis report, as amended. The NRC staff issued Materials License No. SNM-2512 and its Safety Evaluation Report (SER) for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility on November 30, 2004. Further details with respect to this action are provided in the application dated November 19, 2001, as amended November 8, 2002, and March 28 and November 14, 2003; the staff's FEIS dated January 2004; Materials License SNM-2512 and the staff's SER, dated November 30, 2004; and other related documents, which are normally available in the records component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). The NRC maintains ADAMS, which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. However, as of October 25, 2004, the NRC initiated an additional security review of publicly available documents to ensure that potentially sensitive information is removed from the ADAMS database accessible through the NRC's Web site. Interested members of the public should check the NRC's web pages for updates on the availability of documents through the ADAMS system. When public availability is restored, these documents may be accessed through the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] . After resumption of public access to ADAMS, copies of the referenced documents will also be available for review at the NRC Public Document Room (PDR), located at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD, 20852. PDR reference staff can be contacted at 1-800-397-4209, (301) 415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [ pdr@nrc.gov] . The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of November, 2004. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. James R. Hall, Senior Project Manager, Licensing Section, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 04-26903 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 19 NRC: Union Electric Company; Notice of Withdrawal of Application for FR Doc 04-26905 [Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)] [Notices] [Page 71082] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08de04-134] Amendment to Facility Operating License The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has granted the request of Union Electric Company (the licensee) to withdraw its December 15, 2003, application for proposed amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-30 for the Callaway Plant, Unit No. 1, located in Callaway County, Missouri. The proposed amendment would have revised Technical Specifications (TSs) 3.3.9, ``Boron Dilution Mitigation System (BDMS),'' and 3.9.2, ``Unborated Water Source Isolation Valves.'' The proposed changes would replace the phrase ``unborated water'' by the word ``dilution'' in several places and delete references to isolation valves BGV0178 and BGV0601. A Note would also be added to TS 3.9.2 about dilution source path valves may be unisolated. The Commission had previously issued a Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment published in the Federal Register on February 3, 2004 (69 FR 5211). However, by letter dated October 29, 2004, the licensee withdrew the proposed change. For further details with respect to this action, see the licensee's application for amendment dated December 15, 2003, and the licensee's letter dated October 29, 2004, which withdrew the application for a license amendment. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room \1\ on the internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/html] . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or (301) 415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [ pdr@nrc.gov] . ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Public access to ADAMS has been temporarily suspended so that security reviews of publicly available documents may be performed and potentially sensitive information removed. Please check the NRC Web site for updates on the resumption of ADAMS access. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of December 2004. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Jack Donohew, Senior Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 04-26905 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 20 Free Lance-Star!: North Anna could get more reactors [http://www.fredericksburg.com/ Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 NRC says additional reactors at North Anna wouldn't harm the environment By RUSTY DENNEN Environmental considerations won't stand in the way of the possibility of additional nuclear reactors at North Anna Power Station, should Dominion Power be allowed to build them. That's the preliminary conclusion of a draft environmental impact statement, which will be the subject of a public hearing Jan. 19 in Louisa County. The session will begin at 7 p.m. at Louisa Middle School. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission scheduled the hearing as part of an ongoing review of Dominion's application for an early site permit to allow up to two new reactors at the plant on Lake Anna. In its announcement yesterday, the NRC said the early site permit should be issued. "There are no environmentally preferable or obviously superior sites, and that any adverse environmental impacts from possible site preparation and preliminary construction activities at North Anna could be redressed," according to the NRC. "It's not really a surprise," said Louis Zeller, administrator and community organizer for the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, which opposes any new reactors at the plant. "Many of the major objections that [we] and others have raised have been dismissed out of hand--mostly regarding impacts on human health." Brendan Hoffman, a spokesman for Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer-advocacy organization in Washington, said yesterday that the agency hasn't had a chance to review the voluminous report. "What is clear is that the main things that need to be addressed--terrorism, the security situation and the impact of a plant" adding reactors 60 miles from nation's capital--haven't been, he said. Lake Anna forms the southwestern boundary between Spotsylvania and Louisa counties. The NRC's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruled several months ago that concerns over security, radioactive waste and safety issues would not be admissible in an environmental review of Dominion's proposal. An environmental coalition was allowed to challenge the potential impact on fish and whether plans to cool additional reactors at North Anna were sufficient. But those issues weren't enough to sway the NRC in its environmental review. Dominion's early site permit application would allow the utility to resolve site and environmental issues prior to submitting a construction plan and to "bank" a site for 20 years. Dominion is the parent company of Dominion Virginia Power. The company has said it has no immediate plan to add any new reactors at North Anna, but wants to have that option. "We're pleased with their conclusion," Richard Zuercher, spokesman for Dominion's nuclear operations in Virginia, said yesterday. "But they're still going to take in public comment on that, and there's still a lot of the process to go here." If the early site permit is approved, Dominion would have to obtain a combined construction and operating permit before adding any reactors at the plant. There are currently two reactors at North Anna, though the plant was originally designed for four. Last month, the Department of Energy announced that two industry-led consortia, headed by Dominion and NuStart Energy of Pennsylvania, will be the first to work through an untested NRC process for licensing the construction and operation of new nuclear plants. To reach RUSTY DENNEN: 540/374-5431 rdennen@freelancestar.com Date published: 12/8/2004 Fredericksburg.com, 605 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Comments? Send us Feedback, Phone: 540-368-5055 To contact all other newspaper departments, please call 540-374-5000. Copyright 2004, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Va. ***************************************************************** 21 Bellona: First reactor unit at Leningrad NPP shut down again The reactor can be launched again in two days or later. 2004-12-07 16:23 On December 6, 11:48 local time the first reactor unit of the Leningrad NPP was shut down by the automatic safety system. The reason of the shut down is still not clear. The new sensitive safety system could react to some personnel actions or some disturbances in the control system could trigger the safety shutdown system. The reactor can be back in operation not before December 9, Interfax reported. The press-department representative of the Leningrad NPP said to Interfax that in such cases the reactor can be launched in two days or even later. The radiation levels reported to be normal. This is the second incident with the oldest “Chernobyl” type reactor at the Leningrad NPP after its recent reconstruction. The unit received new safety system but all equipment was not changed. So, on October 10, after two days after the reactor start, the automatic safety shutdown system was triggered. The investigation commission concluded it happened due to the “breaking-in” of the new and old parts of the equipment. Publisher: Bellona Foundation [bellona@bellona.no] , President: Frederic Hauge [frederic@bellona.no] Information: info@bellona.no [info@bellona.no] , Technical contact: webmaster@bellona.no [webmaster@bellona.no] Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway ***************************************************************** 22 iafrica.com: sa news Pebble bed partner 'bad news' height=30> [http://iafrica.com/news] CAPE TOWN Posted Wed, 08 Dec 2004 British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) is a "partner from hell" and should not be involved in the proposed pebble bed modular reactor, says environmental lobby group Earthlife Africa. "This bankrupt British company, wasting billions of British taxpayers' pounds, is not welcome in South Africa," said spokesperson Mashile Phalane on Wednesday. He said members of Earthlife's Johannesburg branch and of the Nuclear Energy Costs the Earth campaign would hand over a memorandum to the British consulate on Thursday containing their objections. BNFL is a 22.5 percent partner with Eskom and the state-owned Industrial Development Corporation in the company formed to oversee the commercialising of the mini-nuclear reactor. Eskom is currently seeking approval to build a demonstration model at Koeberg outside Cape Town. Phalane said BNFL, which operates in 15 countries, was technically bankrupt, with a debt of some R350-billion, which would be carried by the British taxpayer. He also said BNFL was "not very good" at making nuclear fuel. After eight years the Mox fuel plant in Sellafield had not generated any income, and BNFL had had to buy Mox from Belgians to fulfil a contract. In addition, BNFL was "dangerous". The governments of Ireland and Norway officially complained in 2003 that BNFL at Sellafield was polluting their lobster, shellfish and salmon by discharging technetium-99 in the sea. "What does this tell us about the Pebble Bed project if this is the only kind of partner the PBMR can attract? The only other non-South African partner, Exelon, has left already. The full cost of this expensive experiment will be carried by South African and British taxpayers," said Phalane. Sapa Copyright © 2002 iafrica.com, a division of Metropolis*. ***************************************************************** 23 The Herald: Nuclear officials to question Duke over alleged violations HOME [http://www.heraldonline.com] LOCAL Updated: 12/08/04 By Jason Cato [jcato@heraldonline.com] The Herald U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will question Duke Energy officials next week about alleged violations in their application to use mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel at Catawba Nuclear Station on Lake Wylie. The questions will be addressed at an enforcement conference from 9 to 11 a.m. Dec. 17 in Rockville, Md. The public is invited and will have an opportunity to speak with NRC officials. Duke spokeswoman Rose Cummings said the problems were discovered by Duke officials and then reported to the NRC. The completeness and accuracy of Duke's license amendment request -- something the company would need to use the MOX -- account for two of the alleged violations, according to the NRC. The third violation involves Duke's failure to periodically update a report, called the final safety analysis report, for the Catawba plant. No decision will be made at the meeting. Any action taken by the NRC will come later. "Certainly, we take anything like this seriously," said Cummings, describing this process as a "formal conversation." Duke has had similar hearings in the past, Cummings said. The commission can dismiss complaints, uphold them but only note them, or uphold them and impose fines. One of the violations involved errors in calculating the amount of radiation that could be released in a potential accident, Cummings said. A table used in the FSAR to make the calculations was incorrect; the NRC will question Duke officials about that error. The NRC was felt Duke could have been more precise about plans to have multiple test fuel programs going on at the same time at Catawba, Cummings said. None of the other programs will be related to MOX. The test MOX program would allow Duke Power to use a mixture of plutonium and uranium at the Catawba plant. The program is part of an agreement between the United States and Russia to each rid 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium taken from nuclear weapons. The NRC is expected to rule on the application by spring. None of the violations in question next week are related to the safety concerns filed with the NRC by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Cummings said. Jason Cato " 329-4071 jcato@heraldonline.com [jcato@heraldonline.com] The Herald is owned by The McClatchy Company [http://www.mcclatchy.com] The Herald is a Member of the South Carolina Press Association [http://www.scpress.org] Copyright © 2004 The Herald, Rock Hill, South Carolina ***************************************************************** 24 APP.COM: Meeting on nuclear plant planned ASBURY PARK PRESS Published in the Asbury Park Press 12/08/04By NICHOLAS CLUNN MANAHAWKIN BUREAU TINTON FALLS -- A Monmouth County assemblyman announced yesterday that he will hold a meeting here tomorrow to allow residents the chance to speak about a plan to extend the life of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey. Assemblyman Michael J. Panter, D-Monmouth, will also share information gathered Dec. 2 during a special hearing held in Brick by the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee. Panter serves as the committee's vice chairman. About 300 people attended that hearing, which the committee called to get a better understanding of the merits and drawbacks of a 20-year renewal of the reactor's operating license. Without a renewal, the plant would close when its initial 40-year license expires in April 2009. Committee members will consider public input when drafting a resolution that would establish the state's official position on Oyster Creek's plan to seek a license renewal from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Although it is up to federal regulators to decide whether the reactor can operate safely if its license is renewed, state lawmakers are morally responsible for the health and safety of residents, said committee Chairman John F. McKeon, D-Essex. About 3.5 million people live within a 50-mile radius of the reactor. Emergency planners believe a radiological release from the plant could contaminate food and water within that distance. The public has been invited to meet at Seabrook Village, 3000 Essex Road. Nicholas Clunn: (609) 978-4597 or nclunn@app.com [nclunn@app.com] Go Back | Subscribe to the Asbury Park Press [http://marketing.injersey.com/subscriptions.html] ***************************************************************** 25 University of Western Ontario: Making Nuclear Power Safer [http://www.uwo.ca/] Dec 8th, 2004 NSERC President Tom Brzustowski (above) shares some remarks regarding the appointment of Western Engineering Professor Jin Jiang as NSERC-UNENE Industrial Research Chair in Control, Instrumentation and Electrical Systems in Nuclear Power Engineering. Below, former Western Engineering Dean Mohan Mathur, and current UNENE President, was also on hand for the announcement. Western Professor Jin Jiang has plans to bring Canada’s nuclear power industry into the 21st Century, after being awarded $2 million over the next five years by Science and Engineering Research Canada (more commonly known as NSERC) and the University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering (UNENE) for his leading research. Jiang is looking to make nuclear power systems developed more than 20 years ago safer, more reliable and increasingly cost-effective by improving upon their control and instrumentation systems and operation. According to the Ontario Power Generation, nuclear power meets 40 per cent of the province’s electricity needs. “Many people have a perception that nuclear plants are not safe, or are even harmful,” says Jiang. “This is simply not the case - nuclear energy is pretty much the only form of major power generation that can reduce greenhouse gases.” A top researcher and decorated teacher in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Jiang will focus his efforts on the application of computer technologies in CANada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear power plants, and will also enhance training simulators for engineering applications. He has spent many years researching fault-tolerant control system design and analysis to ensure reliability, maintainability and survivability of safety-critical systems. As the Industrial Research Chair in Control, Instrumentation and Electrical Systems in Nuclear Power Plants, Jiang will also train the next generation of nuclear engineers by recruiting graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to London. He also hopes to better educate the general public about nuclear power being a secure and clean source of energy. “Jin Jiang is both an internationally-renowned researcher and award-winning professor here at Western, and we are proud and fortunate to have him as a member of our Engineering faculty,” says Western President Paul Davenport. “The UNENE Chair program provides important links to industry and other university research, while enabling us to develop engineers who will carry the Canadian nuclear industry forward.” In total, there are six UNENE Chairs at universities across Ontario, five of which are currently filled. Ontario Power Generation, Bruce Power and Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. are the industrial sponsors of Jiang’s Chair. UNENE’s other industrial partners include the CANDU Owners Group (COG), Nuclear Safety Solutions (NSS) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). “We are looking forward to Professor Jiang and his research team closely collaborating with our industry members in researching, analyzing and designing robust controls for new reactors, and for the load-following mode of operation of the existing reactors,” says Dr. R. Mohan Mathur, President and CEO of UNENE. “We are happy to assist Professor Jiang in the refurbishment of old digital controls and the application of new technologies for accurately and continuously monitoring the health of operating power plants.” “The development of a strong nuclear engineering research program, combined with the training of students, will definitely be of benefit to Western, Canada’s nuclear power industry, Canada’s economy and, ultimately, the environment, since nuclear power produces no greenhouse gases,” says Dr. Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC. [http://www.uwo.ca/] ***************************************************************** 26 The Clarion-Ledger: Supes support nuclear reactor - [http://www.clarionledger.com/ [The Clarion-Ledger: Mississippi's News Source] December 8, 2004 PORT GIBSON — The Claiborne County Board of Supervisors unanimously endorsed a plan Monday to pursue the construction of a second nuclear reactor at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station. Supervisor Charles Shorts said a second reactor would add jobs and pump needed revenue into Claiborne County's economy. The supervisors endorsed a six-point resolution that included comments on nuclear power in general and the plants' effect on county tax revenues. Among other things, the document said the $8 million in property taxes paid by Grand Gulf Nuclear Station is the reason Claiborne County residents enjoy some of the lowest auto license tags and homeowner property taxes in the state. Ken Hughey, an Entergy Nuclear senior manager of business development, thanked the board for its support. "This sends a very, very strong message," he said of the resolution. Interviewed after the meeting, supervisors said the decision to have the resolution drafted and passed was made by the board as a group and that the time was simply right to go on record in support of the possibility. Entergy has applied for one of two major licenses it would need to build a second reactor unit at the site, which has one reactor that has been in operation since 1985. The application is with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which is scheduled to hand down a decision in October 2006. The license application is part of a new, streamlined regulatory-approval process designed to reduce the risk of escalating costs and delays for potential builders of nuclear reactors. If Entergy were to receive the license, it would have a 20-year option to apply for the second major license. Copyright © 2004, The Clarion-Ledger. ***************************************************************** 27 Times Argus: Entergy says it won't fight $85,000 state fine December 8, 2004 Associated Press BRATTLEBORO — Entergy Nuclear won't fight an $85,000 fine recommended by the Public Service Board against the nuclear company for starting construction last year on a large building without necessary state permits. In a letter to the Vermont Public Service Board, Victoria Brown, an attorney for Entergy Nuclear, said the fine wasn't deserved, but that company would not fight it. "While Entergy VY respectfully disagrees with the proposed decision, Entergy VY has resolved not to challenge the fine as proposed," she wrote. Brown called the violation inadvertent. The Public Service Board hearing officer had pointed out that several key managers knew the company needed state approval to construct the building. Documents in the case reveal that Entergy only admitted it had started construction on the building when the Public Service Board announced it was coming to visit the site. Brown said Entergy "takes seriously its responsibility to meet all its regulatory obligations." She said that the company was implementing changes to address the concerns raised by George Young, the PSB hearing officer who recommended the $85,000 fine. The review came after Entergy started construction in the fall of 2003 on a large storage building that it was going to use to retrofit a key component, the turbine rotor, in preparation for its proposed power boost. The company later dropped its plans to construct the building near the reactor and instead shipped the rotor to a vacant paper mill in nearby Brattleboro. Under state law, the Public Service Board could have recommended a $100,000 fine, but Young said there were some mitigating factors and recommended less than the full amount. The $85,000 fine will go to the state's general fund, according to David O'Brien, commissioner of the Department of Public Service. © 2004 [http://www.timesargus.com/] ***************************************************************** 28 NEWS.com.au | N-reactors shut down after leak (December 9, 2004) + ' + ' '; //--> a.ninnbar{font-family:arial; font-weight:bold; font-size:11px; text-decoration:none; color:#000000;} a.ninnbar:visited{color:#000000;font-weight:bold} a.ninnbar:active{color:#000000;font-weight:bold} a.ninnbar:hover{color:#000000;font-weight:bold} NEWS.com.au [http://www.news.com.au/] Dude, you've got to read this | [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11636552%255E170 2,00.html] Not my fault, I'm Canadian [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11631238%255E401 ,00.html] Weird and wacky Chrissie gifts | FOXTEL - $0 Install ends soon[AD] [http://adserver.news.com.au/html.ng/site=news§ion=foxtel] [http://adserver.news.com.au/click.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=n ews§ion=breakingnews&tab=leaderboard&adsize=468x60&pagepos=1] December 9, 2004 News Home [http://www.news.com.au] Breaking News State News The Nation The World The Other Side Audio News Multimedia Cartoons Other Sections Business [http://finance.news.com.au] Technology Entertainment [http://entertainment.news.com.au] Travel [http://travel.news.com.au] body+soul [http://www.news.com.au/bodyandsoul/] Dating [http://newsinteractive.match.com/match/mt.cfm?pg=channel&tcid=20 1083] People [http://www.news.com.au/people] Horoscopes [http://news.com.au/horoscopes/] Trivia Quiz Sport [http://foxsports.news.com.au] Weather [http://weather.news.com.au] Search [http://search.news.com.au] Classifieds [http://classifieds.news.com.au] Real Estate [http://www.realestate.com.au] homesite [http://www.homesite.com.au] Careers [http://www.careerone.com.au] Cars [http://newsmotoring.news.com.au/news] Desktop Alerts Email Edition Wireless Edition News Tracker Business Owner [http://finance.news.com.au/businessowner/] --> Our Newspapers The Australian [http://theaustralian.news.com.au] Herald Sun [http://heraldsun.news.com.au] Daily Telegraph [http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au] The Courier-Mail [http://www.couriermail.news.com.au] The Advertiser [http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au] The Mercury [http://www.themercury.com.au] NT News [http://www.ntnews.news.com.au] Sunday Times [http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au] More. . . [http://news.com.au/common/our_sites/] Feedback Help '); } else{ document.write(''); } //--> [Ad] .google_bold { font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; } [ border=] HOME [http://news.com.au] > BREAKING NEWS > STORY Get News by Email [http://news.com.au/newspulsestory/] Print This Article Email This Article N-reactors shut down after leak From correspondents in Tokyo December 9, 2004 TWO nuclear reactors in Japan would be shut down today as a small amount of radioactive water had leaked from their piping systems, the world's largest private power company, Tokyo Electric Power, said. The leaks occurred at the Fukushima No 1 nuclear power plant in northern Japan and did not enter the outside environment, the company said. News reports said three workers had been exposed to radiation but only of a permissible level that was of no health risk. 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Click here ul.rp_storylist {list-style-image: url(/images/red_arrow.gif); margin-left:21px; margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px;} NEWS AT A GLANCE COVER STORY + Man goes on carjacking spree  BREAKING NEWS [http://www.news.com.au/common/storylib/0,4810,BreakingNews%255EB REAKING%2520NEWS%255ETEXT%255Enews,00.html] [http://www.news.com.au/common/storylib/0,4810,BreakingNews%255EB REAKING%2520NEWS%255ETEXT%255Enews,00.html] Media kept out of police loop Jobless could go lower: Costello Scrapyard fire almost out Stocks take a breather THE NATION [ hspace=] + Hardie in sight of $2 billion deal + MP censured for defence of Hardie + Aborigines told to wash for petrol THE WORLD [ hspace=] + Rumsfeld under fire from troops + Christians take over cathedral + Mid-East summit agreed  PEOPLE [http://news.com.au/people] [http://news.com.au/people] + Dick Clark suffers stroke + Pope visits Spanish Steps + Gay takes on Sam over jibes [http://adserver.news.com.au/click.ng/Params.richmedia=yes&site=n ews§ion=breakingnews&adsize=190x96&pagepos=1] ELSEWHERE ON NEWS.COM.AU   THE OTHER SIDE [http://www.news.com.au/common/indexlib/0,4823,hotspots%255ETHE%2 520OTHER%2520SIDE%255ETEXT%255Enews45,00.html] [http://www.news.com.au/common/indexlib/0,4823,hotspots%255ETHE%2 520OTHER%2520SIDE%255ETEXT%255Enews45,00.html] + Train service buys spares on Ebay + 96 percent of women lie: study + Store starts daycare creches for men + Postman delivers all but 21,255 letters  FOX SPORTS [http://foxsports.news.com.au] [http://foxsports.news.com.au] Hayden decider doubt Lockyer to keep role Pair say strip cheats Tanya happy to take gold  MONEY [http://finance.news.com.au] [http://finance.news.com.au] + Dollar drops, gains wiped + WMC forecasts record profit + Virgin Atlantic arrives  ENTERTAINMENT [http://entertainment.news.com.au] [http://entertainment.news.com.au] + Delta farce + Nic's making millions + Tamsyn teed up as fan  TECHNOLOGY [http://news.com.au/technology] [http://news.com.au/technology] + US groups forge phishing alliance + CFO exits touchy-feely Vodafone + Senate to probe new watchdog  TRAVEL [http://travel.news.com.au] [http://travel.news.com.au] + Jewel in the crown [http://travel.news.com.au/story/0,9142,11294136-27983,00.html] + Farther than the crow flies [http://travel.news.com.au/story/0,9142,11293837-27985,00.html] + My Turkish delight [http://travel.news.com.au/story/0,9142,11294924-27983,00.html] + Just wild about Sarawak [http://travel.news.com.au/story/0,9142,11294342-27983,00.html]  CARSGUIDE [http://carsguide.news.com.au] [http://carsguide.news.com.au] + Territory is our Car of the Year [http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,11627519%255 E21822,00.html] + Three cars into one [http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,11615447%255 E21822,00.html] + Helta-Skelta machine [http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,11603065%255 E21822,00.html]  CAREERONE [http://www.careerone.com.au] [http://www.careerone.com.au] + Career profile: Embalmer [http://www.careerone.com.au/resources/story/0,8523,11601548-2254 9,00.html] + Headhunters on the prowl [http://www.careerone.com.au/newsviews/story/0,8523,11542953-2256 2,00.html] About us [http://www.news.com.au/help/] | Advertise with us [http://www.advertising.ni.com.au/] | Help and contacts [http://news.com.au/help/] | Jobs at News Limited [http://jobs.careerone.com.au/newslimited] | Privacy policy [http://www.news.com.au/common/privacy/0,4841,,00.html] | Terms [http://www.news.com.au/terms] Copyright 2004 News Limited. All times AEDT (GMT+11). [http://www.advertising.ni.com.au/] ***************************************************************** 29 NRC: NRC Restores Online Availability of Large Number of Reactor-Related Documents News Release - 2004-15 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-153 December 7, 2004 its Web site, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has returned a large number of reactor-related documents to its online public library, ADAMS. The documents are now available from ADAMS by using the CITRIX access to the NRC electronic reading room site, available at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Users should click on CITRIX and follow the instructions for loading this software program. Help in using ADAMS through CITRIX is available by contacting the NRC Public Document Room by phone at 1/800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to PDR@nrc.gov [PDR@nrc.gov] . The restoration includes power, research and test reactor documents that were formerly accessible through ADAMS and deemed non-sensitive as a result of the NRCs review. This action restores a large portion of documents that were removed on Oct. 25 for a security review. The remaining non-docket-related and non-reactor documents are being screened through a security review to identify documents that contain sensitive information. Last revised Wednesday, December 08, 2004 ***************************************************************** 30 NRC: NRC to Hold Predecisional Enforcement Conference on Duke Amendment Request for Catawba Nuclear Station News Release - 2004-15 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-154 December 7, 2004 predecisional enforcement conference with Duke Energy Corp. Dec. 17 in Rockville, Md., to discuss three apparent violations of NRC requirements. The apparent violations are related to Dukes license amendment request to allow the use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at its Catawba Nuclear Station 17 miles from Charlotte, N.C. The enforcement conference will be from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville. The public is invited to observe the meeting, and will have an opportunity to communicate with NRC officials after the business portion, but before the meeting is adjourned. Two of the alleged violations involve the completeness and accuracy of Dukes license amendment request and the third involves a failure to periodically update the Final Safety Analysis Report for the Catawba plant. The proposed amendment would allow Duke to use four MOX assemblies at Catawba. MOX contains a mixture of plutonium and uranium oxides. The Duke request is part of a joint U.S.-Russian Federation program to dispose of surplus plutonium from nuclear weapons by converting the material into MOX fuel for use in nuclear reactors. The conference is an opportunity for company officials to provide their perspective on the apparent violations and to offer any other information that they believe the NRC should take into consideration in making an enforcement decision. No decision on the apparent violations or any enforcement action will be made at the conference. Those decisions will be made later by NRC officials. Last revised Wednesday, December 08, 2004 ***************************************************************** 31 NRC: NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste to Meet Dec. 13-14 in Rockville, Maryland News Release - 2004-15 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-155 December 8, 2004 The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste will hold a public meeting Dec. 13-14, in Rockville, Md., to receive an update from the Department of Energy, the Maryland Department of Radiation Protection and others on recent activities related to the control and tracking of sealed sources of radioactive material, including medical and industrial devices. The committee will also discuss its previous recommendations regarding the 10,000-year-compliance period for the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level waste repository. The meeting on Monday will run from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. The meeting will be held in Room T-2B3 of the agencys Two White Flint North Building, at 11545 Rockville Pike. A complete agenda is available on the NRCs Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acnw/agenda/2004/. For additional information, please contact Howard Larson at 301-415-6805. Last revised Wednesday, December 08, 2004 ***************************************************************** 32 [DU-WATCH] DU-Worker's Life a "Living Hell" Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 01:15:24 -0600 (CST) The Scotsman - Edinburgh,Scotland,UK A former defence worker claimed in the High Court today that his life had been made a "living hell" by exposure to depleted uranium at a British factory. ... http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3849556 ------------------------ 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/Sj.0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 33 [DU-WATCH] Grove Memo Endorsed DU as Radiological Poison Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 01:20:55 -0600 (CST) List: Leuren Moret sends this communication to the entire list. This contains startling revelations made public for the first time in as much as 61 years. The world famous former Lawrence Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab scientist sets the record straight on the use of "DU" in the 1943 era. Moret talked to scientists who were present at the time working on the Manhattan Project. Moret also sets the record straight on a loathsome little man, "a DOE sycophant" Robert Holloway, too. Bob Nichols Elaine Hunter Dear Elaine, I have confirmed with three Manhattan Project scientists that DU was intended to be used in the Groves memo recommending developing radioactive materials as POISON GAS MILITARY WEAPONS in 1943. Dr. James Conant, was President of Harvard when John Kerry's father (a high level CIA agent) brought him into the Manhattan Project to develop poison gas warfare weapons. Conant had developed poison gas warfare weapons in WW I so he was already an expert on them. The three Manhattan Project scientists who confirmed to me that DU was intended to be used in the Groves memo are: Marion Fulk, a retired nuclear physical chemist who worked on the research of rainout of nuclear materials for the nuclear weapons program at Livermore (where I also formerly worked), Dr. Fred Wood, and a third one I met in Willits, Calif. while giving a talk a few months ago with Dennis Kyne on DU. In addition to those three, Dr. Ernest Sternglass - who is a world expert on ionizing radiation and convinced the Senate to sign the partial test ban treaty in 1963 at the request of Pres. Kennedy - also confirmed that DU was intended to be used in the Groves memo. The first testing of DU munitions as a terrain contaminant were crude tests done in the late 1940s on the Badlands Bombing Range in South (or North) Dakota. These were bags and barrels of uranium poked through with holes which were exposed to the wind and the downwind effects tested on unsuspecting Native Americans and other poor white folks who happened to live there too. The pernicious effects of DU are now global with reported increases in infant mortality in 20 regions of Europe reported in the January 2004 Lancet medical journal in the UK, in the US for the first time in 41 years which was reported in Feb. 2004 in the NYT, and in the UK Guardian last spring throughout Europe. No one can escape this horrendous amount of radiation now globally contaminating the entire atmosphere at levels that are 5 times higher than the legal allowable exposure limit under US law. Major Doug Rokke was ordered by General Paul Greenberg in 1992, as head of the DU cleanup team for the US Army in Gulf War I, to write a DU report to Brown and Root (a Halliburton subsidiary) which was passed to them through the Secretary of State from the Army. Today, the UK govt. air monitoring station in Aldermaston, England, which measures uranium in the air and must report those levels each year has failed to provide any reports for the past three years because they claim they are not measuring it now. It is no coincidence but certainly curious that Brown and Root (a Halliburton subsidiary) has now taken over Aldermaston in England, a British govt. facility.... This terrible truth and global tragedy is what Holloway and the other prostitutes for the nuclear establishment are hiding by lying about the intended purpose of the Groves memo. Holloway himself worked for the EPA in Nevada. The EPA had a secret dairy on the Nevada test site during atmospheric testing and underground testing until 1982. Horrible experiments were done on animals at this dairy, and tissue and bone samples were sent to the Livermore Lab, Lawrence Berkeley Lab and the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard secret radiation lab in San Francisco. I have just obtained declassified reports on animal studies, the EPA dairy and other beef herds exposed to atmospheric testing fallout and rainout in Nevada. All of this was hidden even from the Livermore lab where Marion Fulk tried to get the information and never could. Now 50 years later I have given it to him, to Sternglass and to Dr. Janette Sherman who did bone marrow studies at Hunters Point in the 50s on those very same animals. What was Holloway doing at the EPA in Nevada? And what does he know about the secret EPA dairy? Plenty is my guess. The milk, manure and the carcasses from the EPA dairy were so radioactive they had to be packed into discarded munitions boxes and thrown in bomb test craters at the test site. It doesnt really matter what they were thinking in 1943 because now Halliburton, three Presidential administrations, and the Carlyle Group/munitions manufacturers have poisoned the entire world and slow deaths and long lingering illnesses will increase. It is part of the eugenics plan developed under Jimmy Carter by Kissinger, Brzezinski, Haig and Ed Muskie to depopulate the world by 2-3 billion in 1979. It is the "Global 2000" plan which you can easily read on the internet. DU is also being used since 1991 to study the radiobiological effects of 4th generation nuclear weapons. Read about the nuclear weapons program here: UC Regents Lose Management Contract of Nuclear Weapons Program Part 1 http://www.sfbayview.com/091504/ucregents091504.shtml Part 2 http://www.sfbayview.com/092204/nuclearweapons092204.shtml Part 3 http://www.sfbayview.com/092904/nuclearweapons2092904.shtml Part 4 http://www.sfbayview.com/100604/nuclearweapons100604.shtml Part 5 http://www.sfbayview.com/101304/nuclearweapons101304.shtml Part 6 http://www.sfbayview.com/110304/ucregents110304.shtml Part 7 http://www.sfbayview.com/112404/ucregents112404.shtml Part 8 http://www.sfbayview.com/120104/nuclearcorridor120104.shtml Leuren Moret Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab whistleblower --- Bob Nichols wrote: __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 250MB free storage. Do more. Manage less. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 [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/Sj.0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 34 [DU-WATCH] Murderers in White Coats Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 01:14:59 -0600 (CST) Dear all, Some more early history of that serial killer DU & it's other gang members.Some of the early beginnings of experiments on the effects of radioactive materials on human beings by inhumane beings. Here's a quiz question: What are: 1) "product"; 2) well we know what radium is; 3) postum (they're NOT talking about thatstuff you can buy in a store for making a hot beverage!); 4) "tuballoy" (everybody know, right,right?!) ; 5) oh well, we know lead only too intimately. A tip of the hat to anyone who knows what all the code words signify. Here's the link and it's contents: Elaine http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/radiation/dir/mstreet/commeet/meet11/brief1 1/tab_g/br11g1q.txt GENERAL PLAN -- A. Fifty subjects are to be provided by the Rochester Area. These subjects are to compose 5 groups of 10 subjects each. Group I will receive product; Group II will receive radium; Group III, postum; Group IV, tuballoy; and Group V will receive lead. Each group will be under observation for 30 days as follows: 1. The first week will be a clinical observation period during which time the status of kidney and liver function will be established. Blanks on feces, blood and urine will be taken and other preliminaries taken care of. ATTACHMENT 17 Detailed Plan of Product part of Rochester Experiment L. H. Hempelmann and Wright H. Langham 1. General Plans According to Colonel Warren the Product experiment is to be conducted first because of contamination possibilities from the other materials. Ten subjects will be provided by the Rochester area. These subjects will be admitted to the metabolism ward in a group of four per month for the first two months. The third month there will be only two. Two of the subjects for one of the other studies may be run simultaneously during the third month. During the first six days blank blood, urine and feces samples will be taken and clinical chemistry and hematological tests run. Careful clinical observations will be made also. This is to be done by the Rochester Group. On the morning of the seventh day each subject will receive a single intravenous injection of product. After the injection careful clinical observations, hematology and clinical chemistry will continue throughout the experimental period of 24 days. The feces from each subject will be collected and pooled into samples representing three day's excretion. All urine will be collected on a strict 24-hour sampling basis. A 10-ml. blood sample will be taken from each subject 4 hours after injection and at regular 3 or 4 day intervals until the end of the experiment. The injections, supervision of the ward, hematology, clinical chemistry, clinical observations and sample collections are to be carried out by the Rochester group. All samples are to be properly labeled, packed and shipped to W. H. Langham, P.O. Box 1663, Santa Fe, H.M. It will be the responsibility of the Santa Fe Group to analyze all samples for Product. II. Specific Considerations A. Hematology - 1. Complete Blood Count 2. Sedimentation Rate 1 3. B. Clinical Chemistry As complete clinical laboratory studies as possible to determine function of liver, kidneys and bone marrow. C. Clinical Observations Those recommended by Rochester Group. D. Preliminary Observation Period and collection of blank samples - This period is to consist of the first six days during which the following should be accomplished: 1. Make preliminary clinical observations. 2. Make preliminary hematological and clinical chemistry tests. 3. Establish sampling routine. 4. Collect at least three 24 hour urine samples from each subject for blank determinations. 5. Collect at least two 10 ml. blood samples from each subject for blank determinations. 6. Collect two feces samples from each subject. Each sample should consist of the pooled excrement representing three days excretion. These are for blank determinations. E. Injection - To be performed in the morning of the seventh day. 1. Size of dose, 1 or 5 micrograms? 2. Nature of dose, plus four product complexed with 0.5% sodium citrate in sterile water, at pH 6.0 and in a vol. of 0.5 ml. 3. Preparation of injection solution. (W. Langham) a. Stock solution -- Carefully clean and weigh 10 mg. of pure product metal. Dissolve in the smallest possible amount of 6N HCl. When completely dissolved add 250 lambda of 8N HNO3 and warm under a heat lamp until the color of the solution changes completely from blue to brown. Dilute to 2 ml. with distilled water. This gives a solution of 2 plus 4 nitrate containing 5 mg. per ml. of product in 1N HNO3. This solution is stable over a long period of time with regard to plus four product. A complete spectrophotometric curve will be run however, each time the solution is used to make sure that the material is entirely plus four. This solution will be assayed carefully for total product concentration. (If thought necessary Langham will come to Rochester to prepare the solution) b. Injection solution -- Fifty lambda (250 ??) of stock solution is carefully measured into a sterile 25 ml. volumetric flask containing about 20 ml. of sterile 0.5% sodium citrate (5H2O) solution. The solution is then diluted to exactly 25 ml. with sterile citrate solution. Test preparations of this solution will be made. These will be assayed carefully for product concentration and pH as well as for the per cent of plus 4 product to make sure no valence disproportination occurs during dilution. In case all concerned agree that the dose should be 1?? instead of 5?? the above solution will be diluted five fold with 0.5% citrate solution. 4. Injection procedure -- The injection is to be performed by the Rochester group. One-half ml. (5.0?? product ?) of the citrate solution is given to each subject in a single injection into a cubital vein using a dry tuberculin syringe. Care should be taken to avoid any leakage into the tissue. 5. Calibration of syringe and determination of amount of product injected- Using the same syringe and needle and the same technique used for filling the syringe and making the injection; 0.5 ml. of the injection solution is discharged into each of five twenty-five ml. volumetric flasks containing 4N HCl. These will be diluted to volume with 4N acid and mixed thoroughly. 3 If the Rochester Group is not equipped to do product assays, these flasks should be carefully sealed and shipped to the Santa Fe Group. One hundred lambda portions of each solution are plated directly on platinum plates and counted in an alpha counter. The average product content of these five solutions is taken as the dosage received by each subject. III. Collection and handling of samples - 1. Blood samples: a. Collection - a 10 ml. blood sample should be taken from each subject at regular intervals perhaps every 3 or 4 days. The first sample should be taken 4 hours after injection. b. Preserving - The sample should be sealed in a suitable tube containing sodium citrate as an anticoagulant and one ml. of formaldehyde as a preservative. c. Labeling and shipping - The sample should be labeled with an identification number relating it to the subject and his clinical record. The label should also give the date, and the time elapsed between the time of injection and taking of the sample. The samples should then be adequately packed and shipped. 2. Urine samples: a. Collection: -- Straight twenty-four hour samples are to be taken for the entire observation period. b. Preserving -- Each sample is transferred, as collected, to a suitable bottle (Baxter bottles?) containing 10 ml. of 40% formaldehyde. The formaldehyde should be added at the beginning of the collection period instead of at the end. c. Labeling and Shipping -- The tag on the bottle should carry an identification number relating the sample to the individual and to the clinical record. The label should give the date of the beginning of the collection period, the actual time at which the collection period began and the actual time of the close of the period. It is of greatest importance that any losses be indicated. Therefore, if the time of each voiding is recorded on the label and time of loss indicated, some estimation of the period of loss in hours can be made. The volume lost means nothing, the important thing is the time interval the loss represents. 4 3. Feces samples: a. Collection -- The stools from each subject should be pooled into samples representing three day's excretion. The time of each stool should be noted in order to permit the estimation of the time interval represented by any losses that may occur. b. Preserving -- The jar or container into which the stools are transferred should contain, 100 ml. of 4N HCl as a preservative. The HCl should be added to the container at the beginning of each collection period. At the close of the collection period the container should be closed and the sample thoroughly emulsified with the preservative by vigorous shaking. c. Labeling and Shipping -- The tag on the feces container should carry an identification number relating the sample to the individual and his clinical record. The label should give the date and time of the beginning and the date and time of the close of the collection period. It should also give the time of each stool in order to enable one to estimate the time interval represented by any losses that may occur. IV. Analysis of Samples: This is to be done by the Santa Fe Group using procedures that are already standardized. GENERAL PLAN OF ROCHESTER EXPERIMENT The following is a general picture of the Rochester Experiment as obtained from Colonel Warren during a ten minute conversation. GENERAL PLAN -- A. Fifty subjects are to be provided by the Rochester Area. These subjects are to compose 5 groups of 10 subjects each. Group I will receive product; Group II will receive radium; Group III, postum; Group IV, tuballoy; and Group V will receive lead. Each group will be under observation for 30 days as follows: 1. The first week will be a clinical observation period during which time the status of kidney and liver function will be established. Blanks on feces, blood and urine will be taken and other preliminaries taken care of. 5 2. Injection will be with a single dose, the size of which will be the same for each member of the group. 3. Feces, blood and urine samples will be taken with great care and sent to the various group heads for the purpose of quantitating the amount of the injected material occurring therein. 4. The ward will be under 24-hour supervision. Four subjects will be handled at a time. 5. Clinical observations and studies will be carried on throughout the entire 30 day period. B. Purpose -- The purpose of the study is to establish, on a statistically significant number of subjects, the metabolic behavior of the hazardous materials, product, radium, postum, tubally and lead. More specifically this will serve to establish the relation between any two of these hazardous materials in regard to a number of metabolic processes such as: 1. Rate of urinary and fecal excretion. 2. Ratio between blood level and rate of urinary and/or fecal excretion. 3. Relation between size of dose and blood level. 4. Total body retention of material in relation to time after injection. 5. Relation of blood level to time after injection. 6. The spread in individual variations with regard to blood level, urinary excretion and fecal excretion as a function of size of dosage and time after injection. C. Personnel and Distribution of Responsibility: 1. General Director of Rochester Area, Dr. Andrew Dowdy, Monroe 8972, Rochester, N.Y. 2. In charge of Wards, Dr. William McKann and Dr. Sam Bassett. 3. Injection, Lt. Valentine. 4. Postum, William Bale. 5. Product, W. H. Langham & L. H. Hempelmann. 6 6. Radium -? 7. Tuballoy, Harold Hodge. 8. Lead -? 9. Statistics, Murray Wantman 7 [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/Sj.0lB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> [Brought to you by HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-watch/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-watch-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 35 News-Review: Radioactive material removed from fire station chairs December 8, 2004 Roseburg Fire Department officials have no idea how five of their chairs became contaminated by a radioactive material known as cesium-137. Firefighters were conducting a hazardous materials training session at the Rose Street station with a state official from the Department of Human Services when radiation was discovered in the chairs on Nov. 29. The training exercise quickly escalated into a formal response, as HazMat Team members worked to isolate the affected chairs, bringing in technical experts from the state to identify the radioactive material. The source of the radiation has yet to be determined. It was found in low-level concentrations and is not believed to have posed a health threat to fire station employees, said Division Chief Mike Lane. Of the 15 or 20 chairs at the department, only five were contaminated. The contamination was limited to the fabric and foam, which were then cut out of the chairs. Similar chairs at the Roseburg Police Department and Douglas County Fire District No. 2 were analyzed and deemed safe. To save the cost of hiring an environmental cleanup crew to dispose of the material, the department is applying for a $600 license to take care of it themselves. It will be transported out of Roseburg by Oregon's emergency response manager for radiation emergencies. The material will eventually wind up at the Hanford nuclear site in Washington. All contents © Copyright 2004 newsreview.info The News-Review - 345 N.E. Winchester - PO Box 1248 - Roseburg, OR 97470 ***************************************************************** 36 News-Miner: A toxic legacy? Fairbanks Daily News-Miner · 200 North Cushman Street · Fairbanks, AK · 99707 · (907) 456-6661 [http://www.news-miner.com/] December 08, 2004 Many Alaska Natives believe environmental contamination is behind outbreaks of cancer By DIANA CAMPBELL EDITOR'S NOTE: In 2003 the Alicia Patterson Foundation awarded News-Miner reporter Diana Campbell a yearlong fellowship to explore cancer's attack on Alaska Natives. Campbell and News-Miner photographer Eric Engman teamed to tell the story. Part 4 of 5 NORTHWAY, Alaska--Mary Ann Albert doesn't take steam baths anymore. She's too embarrassed because of her mastectomy scars, the products of breast cancer. Now, instead of spending time with women friends in a homemade steam bath popular in the Athabascan village of Northway, she stays at home to watch granddaughters. Ask her how she thinks she became a cancer patient in 2001, and she'll tell you she was a regular smoker until her diagnosis. But she'll also tell you that she wonders if the military barrels of mysterious origin buried in the land on which her house sits may also have been a factor. No one knows. What is known, though, is that the military used Northway for an airfield during World War II and that the community was also a staging area for construction of the Alaska Highway. Garbage, like green military knapsacks, from another era pokes out of the soil at the side of Albert's driveway. Although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed many of the barrels from beneath Albert's house, and at other sites around Northway, the 56-year-old Albert fears the contents of those barrels remain. "I feel like I'm sitting on a ticking time bomb," she said, sitting in her sparsely furnished but tidy home. Freshly baked bread scented the air as her granddaughters took bites of it smothered in homemade Alaska blueberry jam late last year. Mary Ann Albert and the military garbage beneath her house are but one of many situations that help explain the endurance of the powerful belief among Alaska Natives that, even though no evidence has shown it, the high cancer rate among their people has been caused to some degree by the military. And the deep entrenchment of that belief works against those who are trying to reverse the cancer trend among Alaska Natives through other means by convincing people that personal behavior choices are the overriding problem. Decades of skepticism Such beliefs about outside causes of cancer have existed among Alaska Natives for decades. The state of Alaska's 1994 "Cancer Control Plan" included a passage about Alaska Natives' beliefs regarding the causes of cancer. It noted that no statewide study of cancer beliefs had been undertaken but that one study, reported in the journal Alaska Medicine, had been conducted in an Alaska village in 1987 as part of an inquiry about a cluster of lung cancer cases among seven smokers. "Among 46 households interviewed, 34 understood that cigarette smoking is a cause of cancer; 34 believed that the cancer cluster under investigation was due to consumption of contaminated drinking water; and 14 thought that the cancers might have resulted from fallout from foreign nuclear testing. "Thus, despite their understanding that cigarette smoking is a cause of lung cancer, many villagers attributed the cancer cluster to putative risk-exposures outside their control." The National Cancer Institute cited the 1987 survey in its 2003 report about cancer in Alaska Native women and bluntly stated its potential impact. "Such beliefs have important implications for the design of cancer information and prevention programs." Yet there is no evidence, despite the enduring belief and many calls to action by Alaska Native people, that the elevated cancer rate among Alaska Natives is linked to environmental contamination, either from military testing or dumping or from any other source. Instead, a 30-year registry points primarily to tobacco use and dietary change as the leading factors. "Native people are concerned that exposures to environmental agents are the cause of their cancers, but there is little direct evidence," Dr. Anne Lanier, the primary founder of the Alaska Native Tumor Registry, said in an e-mail response to the question. "However, many agencies and individuals are working on this. We need to know more." Concern about contamination--from petroleum products, herbicides and other chemicals and biological materials--and a subsequent desire to blame the military comes from many quarters and draws on several examples. Among them: * Out on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, Yupik Eskimo elder and activist Annie Alowa attributed her cancer to contamination caused by military dump sites on the island where she lived. She died in 1999 from the disease, according to the Alaska Community Action on Toxics, a statewide environmental organization that Alowa worked with to get her story out. * In the Aleutians, Aleuts who live on islands near Amchitka Island, the site of three underground atomic tests in 1965, 1969 and 1971, demand to know if the food they harvest from the sea is safe. The government assures them it is, but they remain skeptical. * The U.S. Air Force conducted tests on Inupiat Eskimos, Interior Athabascans and airmen to study how they withstood cold weather by injecting them with radioactive iodine during the 1950s. The government never fully explained the experiment, and though there is no proof that the experiments made these people sick, the government paid out about $7.1 million in compensation. * In the 1960s and 1970s, the Department of Defense conducted secret biological and chemical warfare testing near the Gerstle River, down the Alaska Highway. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that cleanup efforts have left nothing that would harm humans or wildlife. * Some former soldiers and civilian workers claim the potent defoliants Agent Orange and Agent Purple were sprayed along the Alaska Highway and other places in Alaska. One Corps of Engineers search turned up no evidence, but enough plausible stories persist that the agency wants to conduct further surveys. * Past military activity in and around Barrow has left tons of garbage, including vehicles, barrels and other equipment, that an Arctic storm washed off a ship into a nearby lagoon. "My heart is so heavy toward the people dying of cancer," said Larry Aiken, who voluntarily cleans up some military waste left on the North Slope, during a 2003 conference on the military and toxins in Alaska. "So heavy it hurts to see my people dying of cancer." The official response Alaska became important to U.S defenses during World War II. At that time, military watchposts began dotting the vast western coast of Alaska to watch for Japanese invasions. Years later, during the Cold War, much of rural Alaska again served as a listening post to monitor the Soviet Union and other communist countries. When those services were no longer needed, many of the sites were shut down. But instead of moving all the gear and equipment out, the military left much of it in the remote locations, said Pat Richardson, spokeswoman with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Since then, the corps has been investigating and cleaning up the former military sites. "A lot of our cleanup is petroleum-based products and PCBs from transformers," Richardson said. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a probable cancer-causing agent in humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates the handling and disposal of PCBs. The corps has identified 603 properties around Alaska that are known as Formerly Used Defense Sites, an official name of the corps program that has stringent guidelines for cleaning up old military properties, Richardson said. Of those sites, the corps has determined that 128 need cleanup; 10 of those have been cleaned to the state's satisfaction, and 40 are now priorities for the corps, Richardson said. Those span the state: from St. Lawrence Island, to 300 miles of the defunct Haines-to-Fairbanks petroleum pipeline, and down to Kodiak, she said. Tamar Stephens, a DEC environmental specialist, said properties used by the military usually have a wide array of contaminants. Villagers, aware of military activity because they have seen it firsthand in their communities, always ask about cancer risks from those contaminants, Stephens said, adding that the DEC always investigates and establishes the cancer risk to humans. "We do find carcinogenic things," she said. "The most common thing are PCBs from the past mishandling of transformers. We are always looking for PCBs." But what role the contamination has in the high cancer rates for Alaska Natives isn't known. Studies have been scant. Cancer registry officials have said, though, that their data have not yielded cancer clusters--an official grouping of people with cancer caused by contamination. According to their figures, only 11 percent of cancers nationally could be caused by environmental factors other than tobacco. The Alaska Native Science Commission is trying to determine whether contamination has made it into the traditional foods of Alaska Natives, said Patricia Cochran, the commission's executive director. They have heard from Natives who wonder about the safety of their foods. Preliminary studies indicate that wild foods are relatively safe to eat, she said. "There certainly is reason for concern in our community," she said. "If people were to replace their traditional foods with store-bought foods, we'd be in worse shape." Agents Orange and Purple Alaskans and others around the country know most about Agent Orange from what they saw on television during the Vietnam War and in the years that followed. Networks aired footage of aerial tankers spraying the defoliant over the dense treetops, which were hiding the enemy below. Now most people know Agent Orange to be a cause of serious illness. The chemical--just one of many products that Alaska Natives say the military used in Alaska to their detriment--is believed to have caused certain types of cancer, skin disease and Type II diabetes in the war's veterans and others who came into contact with it. The main toxic ingredient, dioxin, was an unintentional byproduct of the manufacturing process and has been called the world's deadliest manmade toxin by researchers. But confusion exists over whether Agent Orange, or its more potent cousin, Agent Purple, were even used in Alaska. Consequently, there have been no studies concerning any population along the old Haines-to-Fairbanks military pipeline route, parallel to the Alaska Highway, that was reportedly cleared with Agent Orange. "The whole area is clouded with uncertainty," said Tracey Lynn, program manager and epidemiologist in the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services in 2003. Nor has there been any official finding of deformities among the wildlife that inhabits the area, said Bruce Woods, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "I don't know of any studies," he said. "I suspect if something were happening, it would have been noticed." Last year, the Department of Environmental Conservation searched military records to see if anything mentions herbicide use, specifically Agent Orange or Purple, said Greg Light, a DEC worker involved in the issue of military contamination but who has since moved to a different department. Nothing was found, but then herbicide bills of sale may not have been something the Army kept track of, he said. Last year, a state and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' search for evidence that Agent Orange was used on the Alaska Highway pipeline turned up no trace. Nor is there any record of Agent Purple, which contained more dioxin than Agent Orange, being used in Alaska, said Jean Mager Stellman, who co-wrote an article published in the magazine Nature. She is deputy director of Columbia University's health and management department. "I've read many of the records from researchers developing the herbicides, and all their reports of round-the-world testing/usage and nothing indicates that the military was actually using the herbicides for those purposes at that time," she wrote in response to a News-Miner query in 2003. But stories of Agent Orange and other potentially toxic herbicide use have persisted, causing the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Corps of Engineers to consider further action. The corps may conduct more soil tests to look for the remnants of the herbicide, said John Halverson, DEC environmental specialist in Anchorage. The two agencies also will look for petroleum and other chemical spills along the pipeline route. John Erickson, a former worker at the Tok Alaska Communication Services site, said he knows that Agent Orange was used. He said the military ordered him to bury six barrels of the herbicide there 30 years ago. The corps hasn't been able to get permission from the current land owner to search the property, which is covered with construction equipment and several buildings, with little growing on it but scrub brush. DEC is concerned about the Tok site, too, Halverson said. "It's definitely on our list of follow-up." George Hanson's story George Hanson says his leather work boots never dried the two summers he sprayed herbicides to clear a path of trees and brush that interfered with Interior Alaska communication lines vital to national security in the 1950s. By the end of the day he was saturated with the noxious smelling stuff, so bad that soap and water couldn't wash away the odor. He never thought much about it then. It was just part of work. He thinks a lot about it now. "Even now all the hide comes off my legs and stuff," he said from his modest trailer home in El Paso, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Ruth. "I keep putting cream on them." Hanson, 74, is convinced that his health problems stem from when he was an Army sergeant saturating Alaska wilderness with herbicides along the Alaska Highway, the Richardson Highway and the Glenn Highway and all 42 White Alice sites. Now he says he has less than 50 percent of his lung capacity and he breaks out with unexplained hard lesions all over his body. He suffers from chronic sinus trouble. He's had internal aneurysms that doctors have been able to fix so far. He won't survive another operation to repair them, he said. Another man, Charles Gillick of Seldovia, who led the spray crew after Hanson, has survived prostate cancer, a cancer linked to the Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange. He suffered from an unexplained skin rash on his shins and back. "I have lumps all over my body," he said. They are painless and hard and in his arms and abdomen. Surgeons at Elmendorf Air Force Base removed a grapefruit-sized growth from his neck; the biopsy was inconclusive, he said. The Veterans Administration has repeatedly turned both down for disability, they said. There is no record that they sprayed herbicides, they say they've been told. That comes despite Hanson providing signed affidavits, including from his commanding officer, Col. Claude Harris, and others who served with him verifying that he did what he says he did. Hanson said the herbicide, which he said was called Barco, came in 50-gallon barrels marked with a purple stripe. The crew mixed the herbicide with an agent that caused the herbicide to stick to the leaves. It came in another barrel with white lettering, and the men called it "sticker," Hanson said. The two chemicals were mixed with water pumped from lakes, ponds, creeks and rivers and sprayed from a 1,000-gallon tank on a spray truck. Sometimes the crew used backpack sprayers, he said. The product would kill everything, even a tree up to a foot in diameter, Hanson said. "You could spray and in about three hours you could see the difference." Hanson said he was the only person to work the entire two summers exclusively spraying the telephone rights of way and White Alice sites. Hanson said he is getting sicker. "Sometimes I can't even get a whisper out," he said, oxygen pumped from a canister through a clear tube lassoed around his head to his nose. "I spit up yellowish-green crap out of my lungs. All the lining is completely gone out of my lungs." Diana Campbell can be reached at 459-7523 or dcampbell@newsminer.com [dcampbell@newsminer.com] . ©2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Inc. ***************************************************************** 37 Observer-Reporter: Study: Greene residents sickened by pollution © 2004 Observer Publishing Co. Washington, PA Wednesday, December 8, 2004 BY CARA HOST, Staff writer [chost@observer-reporter.com] PITTSBURGH – An environmental study released Tuesday claims that pollution in Greene County is making people sick, and the state and federal government have failed to enforce laws that would improve the situation. "Greene County is a real-world example of what happens when the state government and the federal government fail to do their jobs," said Erik Olson, who co-authored the report as a senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), based in Washington, D.C. The study, entitled "Pollution Unchecked," faults federal agencies and the state Department of Environmental Protection for insufficient pollution monitoring and poor enforcement of environmental laws. DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty said the study brings up some important issues, but "there's no reason for the people of Greene County to panic." Many of the issues brought up in the report will be addressed through Gov. Ed Rendell's Growing Greener II proposal, she said. Lawmakers have not yet passed the measure, but it may be on the spring ballot. "The Legislature is failing the people of Pennsylvania by dragging their feet on that legislation," McGinty said. Three groups sponsored "Pollution Unchecked." Representatives from the NRDC, Pennsylvania Environmental Council of Pittsburgh and Monongahela Riverkeeper in Waynesburg discussed pollution's effects on Greene County at a news conference at Carnegie Science Center. "As a former Greene County commissioner, this is not exactly how I wanted to put Greene County on the map," said Farley Toothman of Monongahela Riverkeeper. "However, what you heard about Greene County and what you read in that report is not unique to Greene County." Pollution is a concern elsewhere in the region, but the NRDC study focuses on Greene County because of arsenic levels in some public water supplies, as well as the presence of Allegheny Energy's Hatfields Ferry Power Station near Carmichaels, Olson said. Arsenic levels of 30 parts per billion were reported by two of the six public water authorities in Greene County. That arsenic level was detected nine years ago in water from Dunkard Valley Joint Municipal Water Authority and East Dunkard Water Association. The most recent testing detected no arsenic in either water supply. Those levels fall below the current federal water quality standard of no more than 50 ppb, but above the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standard of 10 ppb. That standard will not become effective until January 2006. Hatfields Ferry, as well as another Allegheny Energy power plant, Fort Martin Power Station in Maidsville, W.Va., are cited as the major sources of pollution in the county. However, other sources, including abandoned coal mines and wildcat sewerage systems, also contribute to pollution levels. A precise level of contaminants in the air is hard to determine because there is not enough air-quality monitoring, the report claims. The DEP maintains one ambient air-quality monitoring system in Greene County, in Holbrook, but the system does not test for many of the pollutants emitted from Hatfields Ferry, such as particulate matter, lead and heavy metals. It also is difficult to determine the health impact on the local community since the county is too small to host its own health department to track those statistics. The NRDC study cites National Cancer Institute data, which was collected from 1998 to 2000, that says the occurrence of cancer among Greene County residents is higher than the state or national average. The cancer rate in Greene is about 8 percent higher than the national rate and 3 percent higher than the state rate. Other evidence that indicates pollution-related health problems in Greene County is anecdotal. The environmental groups provided personal statements from residents of Masontown and Carmichaels who fear that their family's health problems might be related to the pollution in the area. "Sickness, unfortunately, seems to be a way of life in Carmichaels and other local communities. When I get together with friends, we talk about the numbers of very young people we know suffering heart attacks and lung disease. People as young as 30 are suffering from heart attacks," wrote Mary Lewis of Carmichaels. Lewis said many of her children and grandchildren have heart and lung disease. Concrete health statistics are largely unavailable. "But that should not be used as an excuse for not (cleaning up) the environment now," said Devra Davis, director of the Center of Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and author of the book, "When Smoke Runs Like Water." "The point is that the exposures here are above what have been determined to be hazardous in other areas," she continued. NRDC calls on the DEP to require regular testing of the drinking water for arsenic and other contaminants. Olson said the testing is especially important in places near Hatfields Ferry, which released more than 7 million pounds of pollutants in 2002, including arsenic, beryllium and other chemicals, according to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory. The study also recommended more air quality-monitoring stations, particularly near Hatfields Ferry. Pennsylvania and West Virginia environmental agencies should strengthen permitting systems for power plants and other potential pollution sources and enforce permit violations through fines or lawsuits, the report said. ***************************************************************** 38 Star Tribune: Cleanup at Arden Hills munitions plant goes to the public tonight [http://www.startribune.com] Last update: December 8, 2004 at 6:38 AM Tom Meersman, Federal officials will hold a public meeting this evening to discuss radioactive waste cleanup at the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng said a former munitions manufacturing site there has been restored so that it can be used for other purposes. It is part of a 775-acre property owned by the federal government. Parts of the property eventually could be redeveloped. The cleanup involved depleted uranium, which Honeywell workers machined from bars into munitions from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s. The density of the depleted uranium allows the projectiles to penetrate hard surfaces, such as tank armor. Because the uranium retained some radioactivity, Honeywell had a license from the NRC to handle the material and dispose of wastes. Alliant Techsystems, the Edina defense contractor spun off from Honeywell in 1990, cleaned up the uranium over the past four years. Dave Gosen, the company's director of environmental remediation, said the contaminated material was in walls, floors and ceilings of the 25,000-square-foot-building where projectiles were manufactured. Most of the structure was demolished, Gosen said, and the contaminated debris and soil were shipped to licensed radioactive-waste disposal sites outside of Minnesota. He declined to answer how much the cleanup cost. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m., in Arden Hills City Hall, 1245 W. Hwy. 96. NRC officials will offer an update on the cleanup and take questions and comments, Mitlyng said. In a few weeks, the NRC expects to approve the uranium cleanup as completed. Other parts of the former Ammunition Plant were contaminated with solvents and other hazardous chemicals. Several sites are being cleaned up under the supervision of the Army, which has leased the land to defense contractors for more than half a century. Tom Meersman is at meersman@startribune.com [meersman@startribune.com] . Return to top [Star Tribune] © 2004 Star Tribune. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 39 AU ABC: Olympic Dam plans prompt uranium transport fears [http://abc.net.au/] Wednesday, 8 December 2004 Environmentalists are calling for extensive studies into how a multi-billion dollar expansion of South Australia's Olympic Dam would affect the transportation of yellowcake uranium from the mine. WMC Resources is seeking state, territory and Federal Government approval to transport yellowcake from Roxby Downs on the Adelaide to Darwin railway. Friends of the Earth spokesman Jim Green says the amount of uranium being transported could double or even triple with an expansion of the mine. He says it needs to be proven that rail will be the safest option in the long-term. "They can't simply go for their preferred option and the cheapest option without doing those scientific studies, but also the risks, say if they're going to take the yellowcake to Darwin ports instead of Adelaide ports, there are obviously increased risks in Darwin and decreased risks in Adelaide," he said. "So it's a question of what sort of compensation applies and whether territorians will accept those risks." Last Updated: 08/12/2004 12:47:00 (ACDT) [ABC Online] [http://www.abc.net.au/common/copyrigh.htm] | [http://www.abc.net.au/privacy.htm] | ***************************************************************** 40 NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Notice of Meeting FR Doc 04-26901 [Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)] [Notices] [Page 71084-71085] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08de04-136] The Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) will hold its 156th meeting on December 13-14, 2004, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The schedule for this meeting is as follows: Monday, December 13, 2004 2:30 p.m.-2:40 p.m.: Opening Statement (Open)--The ACNW Chairman will open the meeting with brief opening remarks. 2:40 p.m.-3:45 p.m.: Preparation for Meeting with the NRC Commissioners (Open)--The Committee will discuss the proposed presentation topics for its meeting with the NRC Commissioners, which is scheduled to be held between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2005. 4 p.m.-5 p.m.: Time-of-Compliance for a Proposed High-Level Waste Repository (Open)--The Committee will discuss its previous recommendations regarding time-of-compliance for a proposed high-level waste repository. 5 p.m.-6 p.m.: ACNW 2005 Operating Plan (Open)--The ACNW Committee will continue its discussions and finalize the relevant sections of the 2005 Operating Plan. Tuesday, December 14, 2004 8:30 a.m.-8:35 a.m.: Opening Statement (Open)--The ACNW Chairman will make opening remarks regarding the conduct of today's sessions. 8:35 a.m.-10 a.m.: Agreement State Program (Open)--The Committee will receive an update from the Director, Office of State and Tribal Programs (OSTP) on recent activities of his office. 10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Working Group Planning Session (Open)--The Members will discuss draft prospectuses for proposed 2005 working group meetings. 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.: Sealed Sources (Open)--The Committee will hear from representatives of the NRC staff, DOE, State of Maryland Department of Radiation Protection and other stakeholders on recent activities related to the control and tracking of sealed sources. 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m.: Preparation of ACNW Report (Open)--The Committee will discuss the ACNW report on Sealed Sources (Tentative). 5 p.m.-5:15 p.m.: Miscellaneous (Open)--The Committee will discuss matters related to the conduct of Committee activities and matters and specific issues that were not completed during previous meetings, as time and availability of information permit. Procedures for the conduct of and participation in ACNW meetings were published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2004 (69 FR 61416). In [[Page 71085]] accordance with these procedures, oral or written statements may be presented by members of the public. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. Persons desiring to make oral statements should notify Mr. Howard J. Larson, (Telephone 301-415-6805), between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. e.t., as far in advance as practicable so that appropriate arrangements can be made to schedule the necessary time during the meeting for such statements. Use of still, motion picture, and television cameras during this meeting will be limited to selected portions of the meeting as determined by the ACNW Chairman. Information regarding the time to be set aside for taking pictures may be obtained by contacting the ACNW office prior to the meeting. In view of the possibility that the schedule for ACNW meetings may be adjusted by the Chairman as necessary to facilitate the conduct of the meeting, persons planning to attend should notify Mr. Howard J. Larson as to their particular needs. Further information regarding topics to be discussed, whether the meeting has been canceled or rescheduled, the Chairman's ruling on requests for the opportunity to present oral statements and the time allotted, therefore can be obtained by contacting Mr. Howard J. Larson. ACNW meeting agenda, meeting transcripts, and letter reports are available through the NRC Public Document Room at [pdr@nrc.gov] , or by calling the PDR at 1-800-397-4209, or from the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS) which is accessible from the NRC Web site at [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] or [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collecti ons/] (ACRS & ACNW Mtg schedules/agendas). Video Teleconferencing service is available for observing open sessions of ACNW meetings. Those wishing to use this service for observing ACNW meetings should contact Mr. Theron Brown, ACNW Audiovisual Technician (301-415-8066), between 7:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. e.t., at least 10 days before the meeting to ensure the availability of this service. Individuals or organizations requesting this service will be responsible for telephone line charges and for providing the equipment and facilities that they use to establish the video teleconferencing link. The availability of video teleconferencing services is not guaranteed. The ACNW meeting dates for Calendar Year 2005 are provided below: ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------- ACNW meeting No. Meeting dates ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------- January 2005 (No meeting). 157................................ February 23-25, 2005. 158................................ March 15-17, 2005. 159................................ April 19-21, 2005. 160................................ May 17-19, 2005. 161................................ June 15-17, 2005. 162................................ July 19-21, 2005. August 2005 (No meeting). 163................................ September 20-22, 2005. 164................................ October 18-20, 2005. November 2005 (No meeting). 165................................ December 13-15, 2005. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ------- Dated: December 1, 2004. Andrew L. Bates, Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 04-26901 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 41 NRC: General Electric Company Notice of Issuance of an Environmental FR Doc 04-26904 [Federal Register: December 8, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 235)] [Notices] [Page 71082-71084] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08de04-135] Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for License Renewal of the Morris Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher M. Regan, Senior Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, [[Page 71083]] Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: (301) 415-1179; fax number: (301) 415-1179; e-mail: cmr1@nrc.gov [cmr1@nrc.gov] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is considering the renewal of the materials license under the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, part 72 (10 CFR part 72), to the General Electric Company (the applicant), authorizing the operation for an additional 20 years, beyond the initial license term, of the General Electric Morris Operation (GEMO) independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) located in Grundy County, Illinois. The Commission's Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) has completed its review of the environmental report, submitted by the applicant on May 22, 2000, in support of its application for renewal of its materials license. The staff's ``Environmental Assessment Related to the License Renewal of the General Electric Morris Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation'' has been issued in accordance with 10 CFR part 51. I. Summary of Environmental Assessment (EA) Description of the Proposed Action: The proposed licensing action would renew the license to operate a wet storage ISFSI at the GEMO site. The purpose of the ISFSI is to provide for interim storage of spent nuclear fuel generated from the operation of nuclear power reactors using natural water for cooling and enriched Uranium-235 fuel. The GEMO ISFSI is a wet pool storage design and is the only wet ``away from reactor'' ISFSI of its kind in the U.S. The major components of the system for storage of spent nuclear fuel include the stainless steel lined concrete storage basins, the pool structure, the spent fuel storage grid structure and fuel storage baskets each containing nine boiling water reactor (BWR) spent fuel assemblies or twelve pressurized water (PWR) spent fuel assemblies, ancillary equipment necessary for the movement of spent nuclear fuel, e.g., cranes and basket grappling devices, and equipment necessary for the maintenance of the pool water quality and level. A license issued for an ISFSI under 10 CFR part 72 is issued for a fixed period not to exceed 20 years. The proposed GEMO ISFSI renewed license will expire in May 2022, 20 years from expiration of the current ISFSI license. Need for the Proposed Action: The GEMO ISFSI is needed to provide continued interim storage capacity until such a time that the spent nuclear fuel will be accepted for disposition at a Federal repository. A denial of the request to renew the ISFSI license would result in the cessation of normal operations and the beginning of decommissioning activities. By providing continued interim storage in the GEMO ISFSI there will be no immediate need to move the fuel to another interim storage facility. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The NRC staff has concluded that the continued operation of the GEMO ISFSI will not result in a significant impact to the environment. The prior NRC Environmental Impact Appraisal associated with the issuance of Materials License SNM-2500 in May 1982 continues to form the basis for assessing the potential environmental impacts of the proposed license renewal action. The environmental impacts associated with the proposed action concentrate on only those impacts projected to occur during the 20 year license renewal time period. Environmental impacts include the potential direct effects on the ambient environment and its resources. These potential impacts can be categorized as non-radiological and radiological impacts. There will be no significant radiological or non-radiological environmental impacts from routine operation of the GEMO ISFSI during the extended period of operation. The ISFSI is essentially a passive facility with no liquid and gaseous effluents released from the ISFSI that exceed Federal regulatory limits. The continued operation of the GEMO ISFSI will result in no change to the current impact on land use, water resources, air quality, generation of wastewater, geology, biota, cultural resources, and area demographics and socio-economics. The GEMO ISFSI is in its completed configuration and as such there will be no environmental impacts from construction activities. The staff does not expect operation of the GEMO ISFSI for an additional period of 20 years to impact any threatened or endangered species. The radiological dose rates from the spent fuel pool will be limited by the design of the basin, the depth of basin water, and the basin superstructure. The total occupational dose to workers at the GEMO site resulting from continued ISFSI operation will have a small impact on workers or the public, but all occupational doses must be maintained below the limits specified in 10 CFR part 20. The annual dose to the nearest resident from GEMO ISFSI activities remains significantly below the annual dose limits specified in 10 CFR 72.104 and 10 CFR 20.1301 (25 mrem and 100 mrem, respectively). The cumulative dose to an individual offsite from all site activities will be 2.2 x 10-\5\ mrem/year, which is also much less than the limits specified in 10 CFR 72.104 and 10 CFR 20.1301. These doses are also a small fraction of the doses resulting from naturally-occurring terrestrial and cosmic radiation of about 100 mrem/yr in the vicinity of the GEMO ISFSI. Additionally, occupational doses received by facility workers will not exceed the limits specified in 10 CFR 20.1201. For hypothetical accidents, the calculated dose to an individual at the nearest site boundary is well below the 5 rem limit for accidents set forth in 10 CFR 72.106(b) and in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's protective action guidelines. Alternatives to the Proposed Action: The applicant's Environmental Report and the staff's EA discuss the No Action alternative to renewal of the GEMO ISFSI license. The No-Action alternative includes shipment of the spent nuclear fuel off site to another NRC licensed interim storage facility and subsequent decommissioning of the GEMO ISFSI. Other alternatives, including shipping of spent nuclear fuel from GEMO to a permanent Federal repository, to a reprocessing facility, or to a privately owned spent fuel storage facility were determined to be non- viable alternatives, as no such facilities are currently available in the United States, and shipping the spent fuel overseas is impractical in light of the political, legal, and logistical uncertainties and the high cost and therefore were also not considered viable alternatives. The No-Action alternative considered the environmental consequences of shipping the GEMO spent nuclear fuel inventory to another NRC licensed ISFSI and the consequences of immediate decommissioning and decontamination (D) verses D at the end of the renewed license renewal term. The environmental impacts from the No-Action alternative include an immediate short term increase in air releases from machinery necessary for the transport of the spent nuclear fuel offsite and the equipment necessary for dismantling and demolition of the GEMO buildings. Additionally, there will be a small impact on water resources resulting from an increase in water consumption from decontamination activities necessary for fuel shipment. The specific type of D activities will remain unchanged, however, the activities would be undertaken immediately rather than at [[Page 71084]] the end of the proposed 20-year extended period of operation. Onsite facilities are capable of processing of the sanitary wastewater generated by D activities and therefore D activities would result in no long-term small impacts. The No-Action alternative would result in no other non-radiological long-term small impacts. The No-Action alternative would require movement of the spent nuclear fuel inventory to another NRC licensed ISFSI. These activities are similar to, but in reverse of, receipt operations and do result in an increased level of occupational exposures and exposure to the public. Shipment of the spent nuclear fuel to another NRC licensed ISFSI before the Federal repository is ready to receive the fuel would result in two separate shipping activities, the first shipment moving the spent nuclear fuel from the GEMO ISFSI to another NRC licensed ISFSI, and the second from the second NRC licensed ISFSI to the Federal repository. Two shipments would result in more radiological consequences than a single shipment. Additionally, since the constituents of the spent nuclear fuel decay over time the radiological impacts of shipment would be larger if the spent nuclear fuel were moved immediately verses movement at the end of the proposed license renewal period in the year 2022. In the long-term, the immediate decommissioning of the GEMO ISFSI would have a larger negative impact on the local economy and infrastructure than if decommissioning were to take place at the end of the proposed extended period of operation. For the reasons cited above, the No-Action alternative considered is a less practical alternative. As discussed in the EA, the Commission has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed license renewal of the GEMO ISFSI, and other alternatives were not pursued because of additional occupational exposures, and the impracticality of other offsite storage options. Agencies and Persons Contacted: Officials from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Office of the Governor were contacted in preparing the staff's Environmental Assessment. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency, provided comments by letter dated May 14, 2004. These comments have been addressed in the Environmental Assessment. II. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has reviewed the environmental impacts for the proposed license renewal of the GEMO ISFSI relative to the requirements set forth in 10 CFR part 51, and has prepared an Environmental Assessment. Based on the Environmental Assessment, the staff concludes that there are no significant radiological or non-radiological impacts associated with the proposed action and that issuance of a renewed license for the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel at the GEMO ISFSI will have no significant impact on the quality of the human environment. Therefore, pursuant to 10 CFR 51.31 and 51.32, a finding of no significant impact is appropriate and an environmental impact statement need not be prepared for the issuance of a renewed materials license for the GEMO ISFSI. Further details related to this proposed action are provided in the license application, dated May 5, 2000, as supplemented August 13, 2001, September 27, 2003, and August 9, 2004, and the staff's Environmental Assessment, dated November 30, 2004. However, as of October 25, 2004, the NRC initiated an additional security review of publicly available documents to ensure that potentially sensitive information is removed from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) database accessible through the NRC's 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] . Interested members of the public should check the NRC's Web pages for updates on the availability of documents through the ADAMS system. Copies of the referenced documents are available for review and/or copying at the Commission's Public Document Room, One White Flint North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, pending resumption of public access to ADAMS. The NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff can be contacted at 1-800-397-4209, (301) 415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [ pdr@nrc.gov] . Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of November 2004. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Christopher M. Regan, Senior Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 04-26904 Filed 12-7-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 42 Bradenton Herald: Tallevast residents want answers | 12/08/2004 | [This unused commercial property at the southeast corner of Tallevast Road and 15th Street East, currently owned by WHOGAS, Inc., of Sarasota, is being tested to determine if environmental contamination still exists. The last time the site was tested was in 1996.] HERALD FILE PHOTO This unused commercial property at the southeast corner of Tallevast Road and 15th Street East, currently owned by WHOGAS, Inc., of Sarasota, is being tested to determine if environmental contamination still exists. The last time the site was tested was in 1996. DONNA WRIGHT Herald Staff Writer Tallevast residents want answers. Did a past industrial spill put their health at risk? Are the illnesses, miscarriages and cancers they have experienced during the past 40 years connected to toxins released by the now-defunct Loral American Beryllium Co.? The questions don't stop at Tallavest's borders. Former employees of the Tallavest plant want to know if their exposure to beryllium dust during the processing of the exotic metal put them at risk for a rare and sometimes fatal lung disease. Residents who lived close to the plant are concerned about chronic beryllium disease, too, because of their exposure to dust from the factory. Finding answers to those long-term health questions could take months, if not years, as scientists and industrial health experts run tests to learn who might have been exposed to what toxins in the air, groundwater and even private, drinking-water wells. Local and state health officials are scheduled to update residents today on the Tallevast Health Assessment, an official study being conducted by a state team under the supervision of the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Participants will also hear an overview of the county's plan to test former workers and residents known to have a past high risk of exposure to beryllium dust, said Dr. Gladys Branic, Manatee County's health department director. Branic said she will also share her strategy for collecting medical histories by sending health workers door to door to gather data on cancer deaths among Tallevast's 85 households. That data will then be matched with maps of the contamination area to see if any patterns emerge, Branic said. In preparation for tonight's meeting the Herald reviews the situation in Tallevast and some of the health concerns expressed by residents and former workers on page 11A. Beryllium contamination questions answered When were the toxins found? In 2000 state environmental officials discovered cancer-causing solvents had leaked from the former American Beryllium plant into the soil and groundwater under and around the plant. The toxins also contaminated wells some Tallevast residents used for drinking water. Three years passed before the public was informed of the toxic spill. What toxins were found? The primary contaminate found was trichloroethylene or TCE. Levels of TCE 10,000 times the state's allowable standard were found in one hot spot beneath the plant. Tests on 17 private wells revealed five contained levels of TCE above the state's allowable standards. What illnesses have Tallevast residents reported to the Florida Department of Health? Survey results submitted to the state on June 16 list breast, ovarian and liver cancers, leukemia, miscarriages, respiratory problems, sinus infections, heart valve and circulatory problems, seizure, diabetes, lupus, high blood pressure, epilepsy, rash , kidney damage, thyroid problems, allergies, vertigo and phlebitis. What are health officials doing with this list? All of the concerns reported to the Department of Health are going to be addressed in the Tallevast Public Health Assessment. What is a public health assessment? A scientific process to answer health questions raised by members of a defined community facing a public health threat. The community's questions and concerns are investigated by local, state and federal health experts. Their findings are reported to the Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), which funds the assessment process. ATSDR reviews the study findings before the final report is issued, said Randy Merchant, assessment team leader. What contaminant poses the greatest health risk to the public? Trichloroethylene or TCE is the primary contaminate, according to Charles Henry of the Manatee County Health Department. TCE is the one contaminate that had a route of exposure through drinking water wells, Henry said. What health risks are associated with TCE? Drinking or breathing high levels of TCE may cause damage to the nervous system, damage to the liver and lungs, abnormal heart beat, coma and possible death, as stated on the ATSDR Web site. ATSDR cautions that breathing small amounts of the toxic solvent can cause headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, poor coordination and difficulty concentrating. Breathing large amounts can cause impaired heart function, unconsciousness and death, the agency warns. Drinking large amounts of TCE may cause nausea, liver damage, unconsciousness, impaired heart function or even death. Liver and kidney damage, impaired immune system function and impaired fetal development in pregnant women can result from drinking even small amounts over a long period of time, the ATSDR reports says. TCE contact with the skin can produce rashes. Some studies of people who have been exposed to high levels of TCE in drinking water or in workplace air over long periods of time have shown increased incidents of cancers. Exposure to TCE can be detected through breath, blood and urine tests. Have past chemical leaks and beryllium dust emissions put nearby residents and former workers at risk? Local, state and federal health experts are trying to find answers to those questions. A release of dust from an industrial plant does not always lead to exposure, the CDC says. You were exposed only if you came in contact with the dust or other toxic chemicals that may have leaked from the plant. Machinists or those employees who came in direct contact with levels of dust associated with chronic beryllium disease in other settings may carry a lifetime risk, said Dr. Lisa Maier, a nationally known lung expert from National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. Those workers could spread the risk, Maier said, if they have contact with others while wearing dusty clothing or a family member launders that dusty clothing. A minority of people develop chronic beryllium disease, Maier cautioned. Some people may be unaffected by exposure to the dust while for others inhaling the toxic particles can produce profound symptoms and chronic beryllium disease. What is beryllium? Beryllium is a naturally occurring metal found in rocks, soil and even many foods, says an ATSDR fact sheet. In its pure form beryllium metal is used in nuclear weapons and reactors, aircraft and space vehicle structures, instruments, X-ray machines and mirrors. Beryllium alloys are used for golf clubs and bicycle frames as well as dental bridges and automobiles. Can exposure to beryllium make you sick? Beryllium can be harmful if you inhale it depending upon how much and how long you are exposed to it, says the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. If you are exposed to beryllium dust, many factors come into play on whether you will be harmed, the CDC says. Those factors include how much beryllium you breath in, the length of time you inhale the dust and how you came in contact with it. Other factors include other chemicals you have been exposed to, your age, sex, diet, family traits, lifestyle and state of health. Handling beryllium in its solid form is not known to cause illness, according to a fact sheet from National Jewish Center. Beryllium primarily affects the lungs, but if beryllium enters the skin through a sliver or a cut, it can also cause a rash or wart-like skin bumps. Wounds that contain beryllium dust may be slow to heal. What is beryllium sensitization? Sensitization is an allergic reaction to beryllium that does not produce any symptoms, the National Jewish Center fact sheet says. Sensitization can develop after a person breathes beryllium dust or fumes. Sensitization occurs when the body's immune system sees beryllium as a "foreign invader" and builds an army of cells in the bloodstream that are prepared to attack beryllium whenever they see it, the fact sheet says. Is there a test for beryllium sensitization? Yes. It's called the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test or BeLPT. Pioneered by scientists at National Jewish Center, the blood test is now offered at only five labs throughout the nation. How does the test work? Some of the army of white blood cells prepared to attack beryllium can be found in the blood. The BeLPT measures beryllium sensitization, the National Jewish Center fact sheet says. Individuals who have not developed beryllium sensitization will not respond to beryllium in any manner. The blood test is an important first step in diagnosing disease but it cannot determine if you have chronic beryllium disease. Individuals who have two or more abnormal BeLPT tests are encouraged to have other diagnostic tests to determine if chronic beryllium disease is present, National Jewish Center advises. How is the test done? A small amount of blood is drawn from a vein in your arm. The white blood cells are then separated from the rest of the blood cells and mixed with a beryllium solution. If your body is sensitized to beryllium, those cells will multiply, the National Jewish fact sheet says. If your body is not sensitized the cells will not multiply, the fact sheet says. Who should have a BeLPT? National Jewish advises the following people have BeLPT tests: • Individuals who work with beryllium or have in the past. • Individuals who have been in buildings where beryllium dust or fumes was created by others. • Individuals who have disturbed beryllium dust in some manner - janitors or construction workers. • Family members of workers who wore beryllium-contaminated clothing or shoes home from work. • Short-term employees, including summer students, since chronic beryllium disease can develop within a few months of exposure. • Any person with lung disease, especially scarring of the lungs, who has current or past exposure to beryllium. How much does the blood test cost? Prices for the test range from $210 to $600, depending upon the laboratory that does the test. Are there programs that will cover the cost of the test? Former employees of American Beryllium Co. may qualify for free testing through the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act. Manatee County has allocated the health department $50,000 to pay for blood tests for former workers, their family members who resided with them during the period of their employment and those residents who either lived in close proximity to American Beryllium or had a close association with workers. The health department is providing $4,000 in in-kind services to do the blood draws and ship the tests to the participating lab. Those who apply for tests will be asked to sign a statement that neither the county nor the state bears any responsibility for the cost of treatment, Branic said. Branic said the testing program will focus on those individuals at highest risk. Applicants for the local health department testing program must be current Manatee County residents. Are residents eligible for compensation? No. Only workers are eligible for compensation through the Department of Energy program. Just taking the blood test does not qualify anyone for any lump sum payment, Branic said. What is chronic beryllium disease? What are the symptoms? Is there a cure? Chronic beryllium disease results when the battle between the immune system and the beryllium particles results in scarring in the lungs, the National Jewish Center fact sheet says. No symptoms may be evident at first, but as the disease progresses, patients may experience shortness of breath, dry cough, fatigue, night sweats, chest and joint pain and lost of appetite, the fact sheet says. There is no cure, but immunosuppressive drugs like prednisone can help slow the body's response to beryllium and decrease symptoms while improving gas exchange between the lungs and bloodstream. TONIGHT'S MEETING WHAT: Tallevast Community Health Meeting WHEN: 7 p.m. today WHERE: Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church Meeting Hall, 1703 Tallevast Road SUBJECT: Update of health issues connected to the former American Beryllium Co. site ON PAGE 11A: Support grows for stopping construction in contamination-plagued Tallevast Donna Wright, h ealth and social services reporter, can be reached at 745-7049 or at dwright@bradentonherald.com [dwright@bradentonherald.com] . ***************************************************************** 43 L.A. Daily News: Bermite site sale eyed Article Published: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - Upland firm wants former munitions plant By Susan Abram, Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA -- An Upland-based real estate group has entered into an agreement to buy the contaminated Whittaker-Bermite property, a site the city has been eager to clean up and develop for years. Lewis-Soledad Canyon LLC filed a motion of interest in an Arizona bankruptcy court Tuesday to make way for the possible purchase from three shareholders of the 996 acres. "They believe they have all the resources to pull the top experts together to remediate the property," said Annette McCluskey, spokeswoman for the Lewis Group of Companies. The Lewis Group is considered one of the nation's largest privately held real estate development groups, McCluskey said. The Lewis Group focuses on developing mixed-use planned communities and residential subdivisions in California and Nevada, as well as building multifamily communities, shopping centers, office parks and industrial space, according to its Web site. For nearly 50 years, the 996 acres off Soledad Canyon Road were used by defense contractors to build and test dynamite, Sidewinder missiles and small rockets used in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. Manufacturing operations at Whittaker-Bermite concluded in 1987, but the site is contaminated with various chemical compounds, including perchlorate and heavy metals, solvents and possibly remnants of fired munitions, which have migrated into the valley's groundwater system. The area is known locally as the "doughnut hole," because it sits undeveloped in the middle of the city of Santa Clarita. Because of perchlorate contamination, five drinking water wells have been closed and an extensive cleanup effort ordered. The Castaic Lake Water Agency, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since 2002, is working to design a process to purify the contaminated areas. The capital cost is $4 million, agency officials estimate, and an additional $1 million annually for the cleanup. Santa Clarita officials have said the city's best chance of quickly cleaning up Bermite and the water supply was if a developer specializing in contaminated properties would acquire it to build a mix of homes and commercial developments. Cherokee Investment Partners, a North Carolina-based firm that specializes in such projects, has been interested in the property for more than two years. But Cherokee's bid for the land has stalled because of the $65 million worth of liens on the property. "We have been pursuing purchase of this site for more than two years and feel we have a handle on remediation needs and requirements," said Cherokee spokesman Dwight Stenseth, who was visiting Santa Clarita Tuesday to discuss the issue with city officials. "We've talked to all the various stakeholders and we are strongly interested in moving forward," he said. The Lewis Groups' court filing will open the doors for other companies to make bids on the property. "This company coming in and developing an agreement doesn't preclude other entities from bidding on the property as well," said Santa Clarita Planning Manager Lisa Hardy. "There are any number of bidders that can throw their hats in." Despite the long process of waiting for a suitable company to take over the site, city officials have maintained they have certain expectations for whoever gets ownership. "We're looking for a company that has the financial wherewithal and technical expertise to address the contamination of this property," Hardy said. "We're looking for a company that can expedite the remediations and clean it to the most conservative levels." The site's current condition has stood in the way of future developments, Hardy said, though the portion of the 8.5-mile Cross Valley Connector that crosses through Whittaker-Bermite has been completed. "The No. 1 goal is to protect the general welfare of the population," Hardy said. "There is a sense of urgency to expedite the cleanup, to bring this blighted industrial property to use -- from open space to institutional use." Susan Abram, (661) 257-5257 susan.abram@dailynews.com [susan.abram@dailynews.com] Copyright © 2004 Los Angeles Daily News Los Angeles ***************************************************************** 44 Free Lance-Star!: Yucca Mountain repository is not the answer for nuclear waste [http://www.fredericksburg.com] Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2004 How would Virginians like it if the feds wanted to deposit nuclear waste in the Shenandoah Valley? J.WINSTON PORTER ["How to wise- ly deal with nuclear waste? Uti- lize Yucca Mountain," Nov. 22] suggested the answer to the country's growing nuclear-waste problem involves moving the waste from 39 states to Yucca Mountain, Nev. The commentary contained distortions propagated by those hoping to make the national nuclear-waste problem disappear from public awareness, though they cannot make the waste itself disappear. Porter's thesis seems to be that any solution is better than no solution. Nothing could be further from the truth. Except as otherwise noted, the data in this commentary come from the Department of Energy's 2002 Final Environmental Impact Statement. Porter starts with "Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the site for a national waste repository in 1987," and asks whether we wouldn't all be better off burying the waste "a half-mile deep." Both of these headline statements are false. Congress directed the government to evaluate Yucca Mountain for suitability. The actual depth of waste burial is still to be determined, but it appears that it would be in the range of 660 feet to 1,000 feet, far less than a "half-mile." After 17 years of study, it is clear that Yucca Mountain is not a suitable site. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake there damaged DOE buildings in 1992. DOE has repeatedly watered down the criteria for the site, so Yucca Mountain could qualify even though it does not meet the original safety standards. In July, a federal appeals court said that the government would have to show it could contain waste for hundreds of thousands of years, not just 10,000 years! Congress directed study of a storage facility of 70,000 metric tons, but DOE now estimates that at least 129,000 tons will need to be stored. DOE is also subsidizing early site permit processes to expand nuclear plants around the country (including a doubling of nuclear reactors at Lake Anna) even though the proposed federal nuclear-waste storage facility would already be oversubscribed. Is that good public policy? Although past proposals consider burying the waste immediately so that it gets as hot as a self-cleaning oven, the federal environmental impact statement contemplated the more sensible approach that the waste would be stored aboveground for the first 50 years after arrival for cooling. Putting the waste inside would take 24 years, and closing the repository (actually burying the waste) would start from 74 years to 300 years after the waste is in place. Would you trust government or a contractor to reliably and economically manage a project that takes more than a century? Before I moved to Virginia, I lived in Nevada and worked in the power industry for 18 years. The nearest sizeable town to Yucca Mountain is just 14 miles away, and a national park is within 22 miles. Even in the desert, these areas are connected by underground aquifers. In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, Yucca Mountain is one of the best-documented places where water flows from underneath one mountain range to the next. Neighboring Clark County has more than 1.4 million people. Between 1990 and 2000, the population in the three nearest counties grew by 88 percent. Here in Virginia, we strongly believe in states' rights. Nevadans are overwhelmingly opposed to Yucca Mountain should we set the precedent of allowing the federal government to store radioactive materials at an unsafe location against the will of most state residents? How would Virginians feel if the site was on a piece of federal land in the Shenandoah, say, near Luray? The land at Yucca Mountain was reserved for the Shoshone Indians in an 1863 treaty. In the 1950s, U.S. courts tried to take it back, offering a payment the tribe still has not accepted. Does it make sense to invest billions in property with disputed title? If the federal government could not uphold a treaty obligation on this land for less than 100 years, how can we expect it to responsibly steward and monitor the site for tens of thousands of years? This is not just a local issue in southern Nevada. The waste will be shipped from nuclear power plants across the country. According to studies commissioned by the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Office, 50 million people live within a half-mile of the transportation routes for the estimated 53,000 truck shipments or the 10,700 mostly rail shipments. About 35 times more nuclear waste would be shipped each year than has ever previously been transported. DOE estimates the cost of shipping and storing the waste will be between $42.8 billion and $57.3 billion. Will these costs be solely borne by the users of nuclear-generated electricity, or will it be fodder for yet another government subsidy of the nuclear industry? Does it make common sense for the United States to put all of its nuclear-waste eggs in one basket? Think about this question long and hard, given that the eggs will be strongly radioactive for tens of thousands of years and the basket is already showing signs of cracking. This is not just a concern of "anti-nuclear activists," but of citizens like you and me across the country, who will be exposed to unidentified shipments of highly radioactive waste. Shipment of all of the nuclear waste generated in this country across the continent to an earthquake-prone site near the fastest-growing population center in the country, where wastes will sit aboveground for the foreseeable future, is not the catch-all solution glibly described by Porter. AVIV GOLDSMITH lives in Spotsylvania County and volunteers with the Battlefields Sierra Group and the People's Alliance for Clean Energy. Date published: 12/8/2004 Fredericksburg.com, 605 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Comments? Send us Feedback, Phone: 540-368-5055 To contact all other newspaper departments, please call 540-374-5000. Copyright 2004, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Va. ***************************************************************** 45 Casper Star-Tribune: Nuclear power group fights Utah efforts to block Goshute waste site [http://www.casperstartribune.net/] > hoflstmr SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Organizers of a proposed temporary nuclear waste dump on an American Indian reservation are trying to block a late effort to prevent regulatory acceptance of the project. The State of Utah had filed a contention with the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board alleging that new information from the Department of Energy means the waste won't be transported for permanent storage, as planned, at the proposed Yucca Mountain facility. The state has long opposed the project planned for Skull Valley Band of Goshutes' land, but filed that complaint Nov. 12, after the time limit for filing new arguments had closed. It alleged that Gary Lanthrum, a DOE official involved with transporting nuclear waste, told state officials in October in a private conversation the DOE wasn't obligated to accept waste from the Goshute site because it would be in welded canisters. In its response Monday, Private Fuel Storage, a nuclear power utility consortium that is organizing the project, argued the alleged statement - presented in an affidavit from a state official and a newspaper report in The Salt Lake Tribune - wasn't on official transcripts, and therefore wasn't sufficient. PFS also argued the statements were wrong in the first place, because DOE is legally required to accept all spent nuclear fuel from utilities. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board is deciding whether Skull Valley can safely keep nuclear fuel. The board in March 2003 stalled construction by ruling the chances of a fighter jet from Hill Air Force Base crashing into the storage pad makes the project too risky. It has taken arguments for and against that decision and is weighing other aspects of the project. As planned, the storage pad would hold up to 4,000 casks filled with depleted nuclear fuel - about 10 million rods - across 100 acres of the Skull Valley. The waste would be shipped over rail lines, mostly from reactors east of the Mississippi. Utah has no nuclear power plants. AP-WS-12-08-04 1947EST ***************************************************************** 46 Pahrump Valley Times: Nye can use DOE repository funding December 8, 2004 CONGRESS SOLVES PETT FUND DISPUTE By STEVE TETREAULT PVT WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON - Congress has resolved a dispute over how Nevada counties can spend federal money on Yucca Mountain in favor of the counties, officials said last week. A year-end spending bill that lawmakers passed on Nov. 20 makes clear that local governments can use Energy Department grants to take part in licensing for the proposed nuclear waste repository, they said. Clark County commissioners protested after DOE issued new grant guidelines in August. One directive disallowed use of grant money for activities such as loading pertinent research into an electronic database being built for Yucca Mountain license hearings. County leaders said the rules would restrict their ability to fully participate in upcoming hearings before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A provision that reverses the directive was proposed by Clark County officials and was inserted into the bill by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., according to Capitol Hill officials. Abigail Johnson, a nuclear waste consultant to Eureka County, said the problem appears to be solved for now. "It provides the specific language that answers the questions that had come up over how we can use our oversight funds," she said. Reid aides said the provision would need to be renewed each year. Nine Nevada counties and Inyo County in California shared $4 million this year and are being given $8 million during fiscal 2005 to monitor DOE's work at Yucca Mountain and to study the planned repository's potential impacts on their residents. Yucca Mountain hearings will be conducted in a trial-like format before an NRC administrative panel. DOE officials said their August guidelines were based on their reading of a law that prohibits the counties from spending federal money on repository "litigation." Energy Department spokesman Allen Benson said DOE welcomed the instructions from Congress. "Congress has for many years provided us guidance as well as the state and the (counties) on how the funds should be spent," Benson said. "Now we have congressional direction, which helps all of us." For comment or questions, please e-mail webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com [webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com] Copyright © Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2004 ***************************************************************** 47 NRC: NRC Approves 40-Year License Renewal for Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Surry Nuclear Plant News Release - 2004-15 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 04-156 December 8, 2004 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has authorized the staff to issue a 40-year license renewal to Dominion Generation for its dry-cask independent spent fuel storage installation at the Surry nuclear power plant in Surry, Va., after appropriate license conditions are developed. This will be the first license renewal granted to a dry-cask spent fuel storage installation. In approving the new license for a duration of 40 years, the Commission approved granting Dominion an exemption from NRC regulations that specify a 20-year license term and directed the NRC staff to explore potential rulemaking to change the license duration in NRC regulations. The Commission also directed the staff to approve the same exemption in its ongoing review of the license renewal application of Progress Energy for its dry-cask spent fuel storage installation at the H.B. Robinson nuclear plant in South Carolina. The new Surry license will be issued once the agency and the licensee have finalized any needed maintenance and inspection requirements that will be included as conditions in the license. We are confident that casks meeting NRCs strict standards will be able to store spent fuel safely over an extended period, said Larry Camper, deputy director of the NRCs Spent Fuel Project Office. Even so, the license conditions and our inspections of the facility will ensure that the effects of aging do not degrade the casks ability to protect the public and the environment. Surry was the first commercial nuclear plant to be licensed by the NRC to operate an independent spent fuel storage installation. Its license, issued in 1986, expires next year. There are now 30 such installations in the United States. Typically, spent fuel is moved into NRC-approved dry casks after cooling at least five years in pools of water. Surrys spent fuel pools are at capacity, making continued use of dry-cask storage essential if the plants two reactors are to continue to operate to the end of their current operating licenses in 2032 and 2033. The NRC continues to view dry casks as an interim or temporary storage method for spent nuclear fuel until a permanent repository for high-level nuclear waste is available. The Commission found in 1990 as part of its revised Waste Confidence Decision that spent fuel could be safely stored in spent fuel pools or dry casks without significant environmental impact for at least 100 years. The Commission reaffirmed its finding in 1999. The original 20-year license period was a policy decision by the Commission at a time when the Department of Energy was expected to begin receiving spent fuel for disposal in a repository by 1998. Given the need for continued interim storage of spent fuel until a repository is available, the Commission approved granting Dominions request for an exemption from the 20-year limit. Progress Energy requested a similar exemption in its February 2004 application to renew the license of the H.B. Robinson storage installation. Last revised Wednesday, December 08, 2004 ***************************************************************** 48 AP Wire: Containment plant in Aiken Co. could create 800 jobs | 12/08/2004 | Associated Press NEW PLANT: Flanders Corp. will build $60 million Global Containment Systems in Aiken County and hire as many as 800 people to make glove boxes for use in nuclear industries. The company will reach full employment if the federal government builds a mixed-oxide fuel plant at the Savannah River Site. PAY: Workers doing similar engineering, welding, machinery and other jobs at other Flanders plants make $12 to $14 an hour. PAYOFF: The jobs could benefit residents of nearby Barnwell County where the unemployment rate is 10 percent. ***************************************************************** 49 Las Vegas SUN: Panel Examines Funds for Energy Security By H. JOSEF HEBERT ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON (AP) - Future energy security will require development of new nuclear power plants, coal that is less polluting and tougher federal requirements on automobile fuel economy, a nonpartisan panel of energy experts says. The privately funded panel, charged two years ago with developing a consensus energy blueprint for the country, concludes in a report being issued Wednesday that the government will need to spend billions of dollars to ensure future energy security. The recommendations of the 16-member National Commission on Energy Policy are viewed as significant because the commission includes a wide cross-section of energy experts, including Republicans and Democrats, industry executives, environmentalists, labor leaders and former government officials involved in energy issues. The group has no actual authority except to make its recommendations known to the Bush administration and members of Congress where lawmakers for four years have been stymied in trying to produce a national energy agenda. A key finding by the panel is the need for greater government involvement in developing new and more environmentally friendly energy sources, including a proposed doubling of money for federal energy research and development, according to a copy of the group's recommendations obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. Among the group's recommendations will be that the government impose a mandatory permit program aimed at reducing so-called greenhouse gas pollution - mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels - believed to contribute to climate change and that it "significantly strengthen" vehicle fuel efficiency standards to reduce oil consumption. The Bush administration has strongly opposed mandatory actions on climate change as well as imposing higher fuel economy requirement on automakers. Efforts to advance such initiatives also have failed repeatedly in Congress. Commission co-chairman Bill Reilly, who was EPA administrator in the first Bush administration, said the panel was recommending "a gradual but decisive shift in the nation's energy policy toward one that directly addresses our long-term oil, climate, electricity supply and technology challenges." Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who was briefed on the panel's findings Tuesday, commended the group for addressing climate change in its report. "The energy challenges facing our nation must take into account the environmental impacts of our actions," Lugar said. In some of its recommendations, the panel reflects many of the same priorities outlined in 2001 by Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. For example, the panel calls for expanded development of coal, natural gas and nuclear power, saying that all these sources will be needed to achieve energy security. It calls for $7 billion in federal spending over 10 years on clean coal technology and research into ways to capture emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants, thereby "ensuring a future for the nation's most plentiful energy source." The panel also recommends incentives for advanced nuclear power reactors, calling for $2 billion over 10 years in federal reactor research. The nuclear industry maintains that federal funds for an initial group of reactors are needed to jump-start the next-generation of nuclear power plants. To help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, the group calls for $3 billion in federal spending to advance development of hybrid gasoline-electric cars, which have proven popular in auto showrooms but are not yet being produced on a large scale. It also said construction of liquefied natural gas terminals should be encouraged, and $1.5 billion in federal funds are needed over 10 years to increase domestic production of non-petroleum renewable transportation fuels. The commission members include both Republicans and Democrats and senior energy and environmental officials of both the first Bush administration and the Clinton administration. --- On the Net: National Commission on Energy Policy: http://www.energycommission.org/ [http://www.energycommission.org/] -- ***************************************************************** 50 SPI: Hanford initiative injunction retained [seattlepi.com] Seattle Post-Intelligencer] Wednesday, December 8, 2004 Cleanup involves court case over constitutionality of voter-backed I-297 By SHANNON DININNY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS YAKIMA -- State officials agreed yesterday to extend a stay of a voter-approved initiative that deals with cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Last week, a federal judge imposed a temporary injunction preventing Initiative 297 from becoming law. Among other things, the measure bars the Department of Energy from sending more radioactive waste to Hanford until all existing waste there is cleaned up. Shipments to Hanford of waste generated in other states already had been largely halted as a result of another lawsuit. The temporary injunction essentially allowed Hanford workers to maintain the status quo with regard to cleanup until a judge can rule on the measure itself. A hearing to discuss extending the injunction had been scheduled for Dec. 13. However, state officials agreed to allow the injunction to carry over into 2005 while the two sides make their case in court on the question of I-297's constitutionality, said Blain Rethmeier, a Justice Department spokesman. The judge still must agree to the extension. "This agreement will protect the federal employees and their contractors, allow cleanup to continue, and give the court a full opportunity to address the important issues advanced in this case," Rethmeier said. The Justice Department ultimately hopes to invalidate the initiative on the grounds that it violates federal laws governing interstate commerce and nuclear waste. Hanford, a federal site, is immune from state regulation, the government has argued. State officials have said they will vigorously defend the initiative in court. "We believe this schedule serves the state's interest by allowing our attorneys time to address the significant legal issues raised in the case and to ensure the best possible defense of the initiative," said Sheryl Hutchison, a state Department of Ecology spokeswoman. "This agreement also protects the state's interest by ensuring that the federal Department of Energy will not resume waste shipments throughout this period," she said. At issue are the federal government's plans for disposing of waste from nuclear weapons production nationwide. The Energy Department chose Hanford to dispose of some mildly radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste, which is laced with chemicals. The site also would serve as a packaging center for some transuranic waste before it is shipped elsewhere for long-term disposal. Transuranic waste is highly radioactive and can take thousands of years to decay to safe levels. More than 10,000 people work at the 586-square-mile reservation. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] 101 Elliott Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 448-8000 Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com [newmedia@seattlepi.com] ©1996-2004 Seattle Post-Intelligencer Terms of Service/Privacy ***************************************************************** 51 ABQjournal: LANL RFP Separates Cleanup Contract Wednesday, December 8, 2004 Albuquerque Journal--> By Adam Rankin Journal Staff Writer A small but significant clause in the draft request for proposals to operate Los Alamos National Laboratory lays out a new future for how environmental cleanup and management of the most controversial waste sites will be handled at the nuclear weapons research facility. Work that has until now been the responsibility of the main contractor, the University of California, will soon be assigned to a separate contractor in an effort to improve efficiencies and cut overhead costs, according to federal officials. Beginning as soon as 2007, the next primary operator of the laboratory will no longer be responsible for environmental restoration work, nor for a significant component of waste management at the laboratory, according to the draft criteria released last week by the National Nuclear Security Administration. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced in April 2003 that the LANL contract would be put up for bid for the first time in the laboratory's 61-year history following a series of security failures and financial management problems. University of California has operated LANL since 1943, but its contract to run LANL expires at the end of September 2005. Management of LANL's Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility, Technical Area 54— including the radioactive waste dump known as Area G, cleanup of legacy wastes, decontamination and decommissioning, as well as responsibility for all legacy wastes and environmental restoration could be included in the separate contract. "For the taxpayers, we need to do whatever we can to make the process more efficient, while fulfilling the mission," said John Ordaz, assistant manager for environmental management for NNSA at the Los Alamos Site Office. Other Energy Department and NNSA sites, including Oak Ridge in Tennessee and Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory, have separate cleanup contractors, he said. "We are trying to get efficiencies in the program" by reducing overhead costs, he said. Since 1993 about $700 million of taxpayer money has been poured into environmental cleanup programs and investigations at LANL. Environmentalists and New Mexico's two senators, Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat, and Pete Domenici, a Republican, have expressed concerns that LANL and the Energy Department have little to show for all the money that has been spent on cleanup there and around the country over the years. Those worries culminated in a nationwide plan to speed up environmental cleanup for a lower cost at the Energy Department's facilities. The so-called "accelerated" plan could cut $100 billion and 30 years off cleanup, according to federal officials. Ordaz said the effort to improve cleanup efficiencies and cut costs at LANL by creating a separate cleanup contract is part of an effort that has been in the works for several years. The new contract start date of 2007 also coincides with NNSA's takeover of environmental management responsibilities from the Energy Department, he said. "We are not saying that the laboratory folks are not doing a good job," he said, but by creating a separate contract for cleanup the government can get a better deal. Environmental groups view the proposal with mixed reactions. "We have some real concerns that a new layer of bureaucracy is being created that will use up resources and prevent shovels being put in the ground to remove the waste that is threatening our ground water," said Joanie Arends, director of the watchdog group Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety. "We'd like to see more information about how this is going to be a better system," she said. But others support the action and say it is a move they touted years ago. "We've been trying to make that happen for ten years," but the effort was blocked, said Greg Mello, director of the Los Alamos Study Group. "It was just felt that almost anybody would be better (than University of California)— some real environmental contractor who was used to producing actual work," he said. "Contractors who work for private industry are expected to get things done." Jay Coghlan, director of Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, said he sees the provision "as a slap in UC's face" for doing a poor job over the years. "Sure, let's give it to someone who specializes in it, but ... we'd really like to see contractors from within the state get that job," he said. Ordaz said NNSA will form a review board over the next few months, similar to the one that generated the LANL contract criteria, to develop a scope of work for the cleanup contract that will be open to competitive bids. [Get Copyright Clearance] Copyright 2004 Albuquerque Journal ***************************************************************** 53 Sunflower: eNewsletter of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Resources Sunflower December 2004, No. 91 The Sunflower is a monthly e-newsletter providing educational information on nuclear weapons abolition and other issues relating to global security. Help us spread the word and forward this to a friend. Click here to help sustain this valuable resource by making a donation. To receive our free monthly e-newsletter subscribe at http://www.wagingpeace.org/subscribe/ + Editorial Team + Luke Brothers + David Krieger + Carah Ong Perspectives Freedom at War with Fear According to Whom? | Top Just nine days after the September 11 terrorist attacks President Bush addressed the grieving American people during a joint session of Congress. Around the world, hundreds of millions listened to the President with bated breaths. Everyone was asking themselves the same question: why was the US attacked? The President explained that the US was attacked by terrorists who hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. Not so, says the Department of Defense (DoD). According to a September 2004 report from the DoD Defense Science Board Taskforce on Strategic Communication, Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather, they hate our policies. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the longstanding, even increasing support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and the Gulf states. The report not only debunks the Bush administrations perception of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but discredits claims made by officials that current policies will lead to a more peaceful and just world order. On 26 October 2003, US Secretary of Defense Donald S. Rumsfeld stated, To win the war on terror, we must also win the war of ideas the battle for the minds of those who are being recruited by terrorist networks across the globe That is why the president is using all elements of national power: military, financial, diplomatic, law enforcement, intelligence and public diplomacy. US National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice similarly stated, We are engaged primarily in a war of ideas, not of armies. It will be won by visionaries who can look past the momentIt is absolutely the case that the United States needs to put new energy into its public diplomacy. In the judgment made by the Defense Science Board, US leadership did the exact opposite and misused most elements of national power. This misuse of American power according to the report has elevated the authority of the Jihadi insurgents and tended to ratify their legitimacy among Muslims. The report finds that US policies are making success impossible in the war of ideas and in the struggle for hearts and minds. The Defense Science Board taskforce consists of military, diplomatic, academic and business experts who were assigned to develop a strategy for communications in the "global war on terrorism". To read the report as a PDF document click here [http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/dsb/commun.pdf] . An Open Letter to the Regents of the University of California | Top by David Kreiger The decision that you make on whether or not to bid to continue managing and overseeing the nation's nuclear weapons laboratories transcends ordinary university business decisions; it is a decision of profound moral consequence. The question that must be confronted is whether or not an institution of higher education should be involved in the creation and maintenance of weapons of mass destruction. While nuclear weapons are intended primarily for deterrence, the concept of deterrence itself is based on an implied assumption that the weapons might be used. Are the Regents of the University of California willing to continue to affiliate the University with laboratories that research and develop nuclear weapons, recognizing that the mass destruction of human beings could result? Although it may not be the intent, the potential use of nuclear weapons and larger implications of the university's involvement cannot be denied. Read the full article at: http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/11/00_krieger_open-lette r-uc-regents.htm [http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/11/00_krieger_open-lett er-uc-regents.htm] Ballistic Missile Defense = Space Weapons | Top by Douglas Roche, Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament December 4, 2004 The Canadian government must not be fooled by US President Bushs assurance that the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system does not imply the weaponization of space. This assurance given to Prime Minister Martin during the Presidents visit to Canada this week has as much credibility as President Bushs previous assertion that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. The website of the Missile Defense Agency contains a clear statement of the intention to eventually include space-based interceptors in its arsenal. This program, currently called the Space-Based Interceptor Test Bed, was granted $10 million by Congress for 2005. More money will be sought in 2006 for additional experiments. By 2008, the US intends to deploy a test bed of space-based kinetic-energy kill vehicles to destroy high-speed collision test targets in space. Despite the Presidents verbal assurance, space-based missile defense is a real program with a real budget. The plan is for the Missile Defense Agency to orbit three to six interceptors for testing in 2012. Because kinetic-energy kill vehicles designed to intercept missiles could also function as anti-satellite weapons, other countries will feel compelled to develop means to counter these U.S. space weapons. Prime Minister Martin has repeatedly said that Canada would not participate in the weaponization of space. It is impossible for the Canadian government to join the BMD system and still proclaim that it opposes weapons in space. BMD, though starting with ground-based interceptors in Alaska, will evolve into a multi-layered system in space. The US government states: Over time, [the Missile Defense Agencys] acquisition approach will yield a fully integrated and layered BMDS capable of defeating ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight. The Canadian government is playing with fire in trying to pretend that the US BMD program will not lead to weapons in space and will not start a new nuclear arms race. The French, Russian and Chinese governments have all told Ottawa that the US program will re-start the nuclear arms race. On November 17, 2004, President Putin, in a speech to top ranking commanders of the Russian armed forces, confirmed that Russia is carrying out research and missile tests of state-of-the-art nuclear missile systems, and that Russia would continue to build up firmly and insistently our armed forces, including the nuclear component. The majority of Canadians oppose ballistic missile defense because they understand that it will lead to great insecurity, not more security. It is time for Canada to say no to BMD and start working harder to protect the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which shows the way to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Take Action Join the Turn the Tide Campaign Action Alert Network | Top Join the Turn the Tide Campaign and take action to help chart a new course for US nuclear policy. When you join, you will receive periodic action alerts on US nuclear policy issues. Help us spread the word! Tell your friends about Turn the Tide and encourage them to join as well. For more information and to join, please visit: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/action/index.htm [http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/action/index.htm] Stop Expansion of Plutonium Activities | Top The US Department of Energy (DoE) is considering major expansions of nuclear weapons programs and materials at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. Among other dangerous plans, the DoE has proposed to more than double the plutonium limit at Livermore Lab to 3,300 pounds. THIS IS ENOUGH PLUTONIUM TO MAKE MORE THAN 300 NUCLEAR BOMBS. Having this large of an amount of plutonium in Livermore presents unstudied risks such as making the lab a terrorist target, leaving the San Francisco Bay area vulnerable to environmental releases from accidents or routine operations, and provoking other countries to follow suit and increase their stockpiles of nuclear materials. Click here [http://capwiz.com/wagingpeace/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=671 8276] to take action today to stop the US Department of Energy from expanding plutonium activities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Book Your Flight to Porto Alegre, Brazil for the 2005 World Social Forum | Top The 2005 World Social Forum (WSF) is just around the corner and is being held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 26-31 January 2005. The WSF is an open meeting place where groups and movements of civil society opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by capital or by any form of imperialism, but engaged in building a planetary society centered on the human person, come together to pursue their thinking, to debate ideas democratically, for formulate proposals, share their experiences freely and network for effective action. The WSF proposed to debate alternative means to building a globalization in solidarity, which respects universal human rights and those of all men and women of all nations and the environment, and is grounded in democratic international systems and institutions at the service of social justice, equality and the sovereignty of peoples. For more information about the World Social Forum see www.forumsocialmundial.org.br. Make sure you attend the all-day Anti-War Assemblies and Peace Strategy Sessions on 27 January. Click here [http://www.forumsocialmundial.org.br/index.php?cd_language=2&id_ menu=] to learn more. Click here [http://www.globalexchange.org/tours/594.html] to join a Reality Tour to Porto Alegre with Global Exchange. Non-Proliferation US Congress Cuts Funding for New Nukes Designs | Top In a stunning move, conferees to the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus appropriations cut or eliminated funding for a number of key nuclear weapons programs. "Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Hobson and the hard work of his like-minded colleagues, and a strong push this year from thousands of concerned citizens across the country, we have won a major victory against new nuclear weapons," said Susan Gordon, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) Director. "These budget cuts represent an important shift in the debate on U.S. nuclear weapons policy," noted Jim Bridgman, ANA's Program Director. "Chairman Hobson recognizes the provocative nature of new U.S. nuclear weapons programs at a time when we are trying to emphasize the importance of nonproliferation, and has wisely, and rather courageously, fought to curb the administration's nuclear appetite." The final Energy & Water Development Appropriations, part of the FY2005 omnibus bill, zeroes out funding for the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, a program to modify existing nuclear weapons for new bunker-busting missions, and the Advanced Concepts Initiative, an open-ended program that involved research into low-yield nuclear weapons, including so-called "mini-nukes." These programs are carried out at the Department of Energy's nuclear weapon design labs, Lawrence Livermore in California and Los Alamos in New Mexico. "Congratulations also go to California Senator Dianne Feinstein for delivering on her promise to lead the fight to cut new nuclear weapons funding in the Senate," noted Nuclear Age Peace Foundations Communications Director, Carah Ong. Senator Feinstein called the cuts "consequential," and said they "should send a very loud message to the Administration." According to Committee Staff, the conferees split the difference on enhancing the readiness for conducting underground tests at the Nevada Test Site between the Administration's request of $30 million and the House-passed total of $15 million, for a final figure of $22.5 million. The conferees also restricted the test readiness level to 24 months, rather than 18 months as the administration has planned. Funding for a new nuclear bomb plant, the Modern Pit Facility, was cut from a request of $29.8 million, to a final level of $7 million. However, work on the final Environmental Impact Statement will be allowed to continue without choosing a site. Funding for the Life Extension and Stockpile System Programs, meant to upgrade aging nuclear weapons, was cut by $41 million. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and ANA have been critical of these programs as unnecessary in lieu of anticipated reductions under the Moscow Treaty and for crowding out needed warhead dismantlement, which are performed at the same facilities. The conferees effectively doubled funding for dismantlement, from the prior year's level of approximately $38 million to $75 million. In environmental cleanup, the conferees provided $7.034 billion for Defense Environmental Management, including $6.096 billion for Defense Site Acceleration Completion and $937 million for Defense Environmental Services. This represents an increase above the administration's request, with almost all of the increase going to the 2006 closure sites, particularly in moving materials off of the Mound site in Ohio. Cleanup funding for high level waste, $350 million in the request, was funded at $291.9 million by the conferees. ANA opposed the unofficial high level waste sub-account from the beginning as it was designed to blackmail states into agreeing to accept the Energy Department's plans for Waste Incidental to Reprocessing. This prediction appears to have become true as Washington opted out of the language providing DOE with an authority to reclassify high level waste in the Defense Authorization bill, and funding for cleaning up Hanford's high level waste tanks was cut in half in the conference bill. In nuclear waste disposal, the conferees provided $577 million for Yucca Mountain, the same funding that was provided in Fiscal Year 2004. This still represents a reduction of over $300 million from the administration's request, due to the administration's gambling on Congress approving the use of the Nuclear Waste Fund for ongoing Yucca expenditures. In fissile materials disposition, the conferees note the ongoing delays in the plutonium disposition program and adopt the cut of $25 million approved in the defense authorization. However, the Mixed Oxide fuel fabrication facility, cut significantly by the House earlier in the year, received full funding of $368 million, as did the Pit disassembly and conversion facility, at $32.3 million. Construction of facilities in either Russia or the United States has not started, leaving hundreds of millions of dollars in unused balances from prior years. Conferees met new spending limits by enforcing an across-the-board cut of 0.8% to all non-defense and non-homeland security appropriations. All Energy & Water appropriations, including both Environmental Management and the National Nuclear Security Administration will share in this budget cut. Source: Alliance for Nuclear Accountability Press Release, 22 November 2004. Iran Tango | Top You put your left foot in, you take your left foot out; you put an inspector in, you take an inspector outoh wait, that is the hokey pokey, but it has been another month of diplomatic tango with Iran. For every two steps forward, there has been one step back. In negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency and France, Germany and the UK, the Iranians have been sending mixed signals. In mid-November, Iran indicated that it would abide by international requests to curb their nuclear program, only later to renege and then to return again to the negotiating table. At the end of November, Iran accepted the proposals of France, Germany and the UK to suspend enriching uranium and avoided being referred to UN Security Council for possible sanctions, an action that some hawks in the Bush administration are pressing. Being referred to the Security Council could pave way for possible military action against the country, which is unlikely, but a possibility nevertheless. On 27 November, Hussein Moussavian, Secretary of the Foreign Department of Iran's Supreme Council for National Security, said on Iranian state-run television, "We have reached a final agreement with the three European powers. The Iranian government termed "appropriate" a draft IAEA resolution regarding its nuclear program. Government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said the resolution does not satisfy all of Iran's demands but is acceptable under the circumstances. However, on 3 December, former Iranian President and senior Iranian cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani told worshipers that Iran's suspension of its nuclear program is temporary and the country could resume uranium enrichment within six months. Mr. Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Council, Iran's final arbiter on legislation, said Iran has the right to enrich uranium at low levels to fuel nuclear power stations. Regarding the US role in the Iranian tango, Shibley Telhami, University of Maryland professor of political science and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, says, "The Bush administration is on a collision course with Iran. Professor Telhami thinks the current US approach on Iran will not work. Telhami warns that the more Iran is pressured, the more the theocratic regime in Iran is strengthened. Meanwhile, Iran believes nuclear weapons will improve its security. According to Professor Telhami, because of this, "I have no doubt in my mind Iran will continue to seek nuclear capability." Iran has already witnessed how easily the US invaded neighboring Iraq. Iran feels it needs nuclear weapons for its own security, unless it can be given concrete assurances that foregoing a nuclear weapons program will make it more secure. Sources: VOA News, 3 December 2004; Washington Times, 3 December 2004; AP, 27 November 2004. Proliferation UN Issues Nuclear Weapons Proliferation Alert | Top On 2 December, a high level UN reform panel issued a report stating that the world system to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons is being rapidly eroded, threatening a cascade of proliferation. The report recommended the UN Security Council slow the spread of weapons using an explicit pledge of collective action against any state or group that launches a nuclear attack or even threatens such an attack on a non-nuclear-weapon state. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan established the high level panel last year comprised of 16 veteran politicians and diplomats from around the world to identify the main threats facing mankind. It identifies nuclear proliferation as a particular danger and warns: The nuclear proliferation regime is at risk because of lack of compliance with existing commitments, a changing international security environment, and radical advances in technology. We are approaching a point at which the erosion of the nuclear regime could become irreversible, and result in a cascade of proliferation. In 1963, only four states had nuclear arsenals. Today eight states are known to have nuclear weapons, and several others are suspected of developing them. Close to 60 states operate or are building nuclear power or research reactors, and at least 30 possess the infrastructure to build nuclear weapons at relatively short notice. Terrorists are also believed to be seeking them. To help prevent secret weapons programs, the panel also urged all countries to stop building enrichment or reprocessing facilities, until a global scheme is designed to enable the International Atomic Energy Agency to guarantee the supply of fissile material to genuine civil nuclear users. The panel examined a wide range of threats, including terrorism, disease, poverty and environmental degradation. However, the nuclear threat may be the most pressing of all, and has led to growing disagreement over how to tackle nuclear advances in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. It argues that nuclear weapons states must honor their commitments to move towards disarmament, and reaffirm promises not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. The Security Council pledge for collective action could help ease non-nuclear states' concerns. All de facto nuclear states, including Israel, Pakistan and India (which are not named in the report), should pledge a commitment to non-proliferation and disarmament, ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and support talks on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. In order to reduce supply, the panel says the IAEA's additional protocol should become the standard, and urges a new system whereby peaceful nuclear technology users could be guaranteed fissile material although the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes must be preserved. In a bow to the US, the report also calls on all states to join the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative. Source: Financial Times, 30 November 2004. China Launches New Class of Nuclear Submarine | Top US defense officials announced on 3 December that China has launched the first submarine in a new class of nuclear subs designed to fire intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to one official, the submarine is, at a minimum, months away from having missiles installed and being deployed. The US military views the move as evidence of China's intentions to expand both its nuclear weapons and submarine forces. The launch was first reported in The Washington Times. The newspaper reported that U.S. intelligence spotted the sub at a shipyard 250 miles northwest of Beijing. It was widely known that China was building the new class of nuclear-missile submarine, called the Type 094, but the launch is far ahead of what US intelligence expected. According to officials, it is China's first submarine capable of launching nuclear weapons that could reach the US from the country's home waters. The Chinese military has also been developing a new class of submarine-launched ballistic missile, called the JL-2, which is expected to have a range in excess of 4,600 miles. The Type 094 submarine would carry these missiles, but it is not clear whether the missiles are ready for deployment. Previously, China has had only one submarine capable of launching nuclear missiles, called the Type 092, or Xia, class. A 2001 Pentagon report said the Xia was not operational. Its missiles were of an older class that could fly only 600 miles. Successful cruises by the Type 094 would give China a new strategic deterrent against the US and no longer limit the country to land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and weapons carried on aircraft. US defense officials do note that China is behind the US in its ability to hide submarines from sophisticated sonars and other sensors. China is also modernizing its land-based nuclear missile force, replacing its estimated 20 ICBMs with more modern versions. In a report on China's military issued last May, the Pentagon said China's cache of ICBMs could increase to 30 by next year and 60 by 2010. France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US all have submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. Source: AP, 3 December 2004. South Korea Chided for Nuclear Experiments | Top On 26 November, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gave South Korea a slap on the wrist for making small amounts of weapons-grade nuclear material but opted not to refer the country to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. In a statement, the IAEA said "that the quantities of nuclear material have not been significant and that to date there is no indication that the undeclared experiments have continued. The statement from the IAEAs 35-nation board of governors echoed previous comments from Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, saying that "the failure of the ROK (Republic of Korea) to report these activities in accordance with its safeguards agreements is of serious concern." However, "the Board welcomed the corrective actions taken by the ROK and the active cooperation it has provided to the agency. ElBaradei stated that South Korea has set up a "new board for precise accounting of nuclear material" and that "some of the scientists who have been involved in this experiment have since left their positions." Cho Changbeom, South Koreas ambassador to the IAEA, said, "We are happy about the results. It's very constructive. In August 2004, South Korea admitted to the IAEA that its scientists had conducted secret experiments to separate plutonium in the 1980s and produced 0.7 grams of weapon-grade, 98 percent pure plutonium-239 isotope. According to an IAEA report on 11 November, South Korea also reported laser enrichment of uranium "in 2000 by scientists at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) in Daejeon" that produced 200 milligrams of uranium enriched to an average level of 10.2 percent and up to the highly enriched level 77 percent, which is close to weapons-grade. However, South Korea said the tests were conducted without government authorization and had stopped. The revelations about the nuclear experiments have embarrassed both South Korea and the US, which are trying to pressure North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program. After the IAEA released its 11 November report, North Korea's government said the South Korean experiments and a hostile US policy toward the communist nation are preventing the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program from resuming. On 13 November, North Korea said that it was "quite possible" to settle the international standoff over its nuclear weapons program if the US drops its alleged policy of toppling the communist regime. "If the US drops its hostile policy aimed at 'bringing down the system' in the (North) and opts for coexisting with the latter in practice, it will be quite possible to settle the issue," a Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the North's official news agency, KCNA. Talks between the US, North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia have been stalled since North Korea failed to participate in a scheduled fourth round in September. The issue of South Koreas nuclear experiments has also taken on special significance since the US wants Iran to be referred to the UN Security Council for what it says is a covert nuclear weapons program. Diplomats said the US had been willing to have South Korea referred to the Council as a matter of principle, in order to not set a precedent for Iran to avoid sanctions. However, one diplomat said the US had become aware that referral to the Security Council also risked inflaming a nationalist backlash from South Korea. Source: AFP, 26 November 2004; AP, 13 November 2004; The Guardian, 12 November 2004. Nuclear Laboratories DoE Releases Request for Lab Management Bids | Top On 1 December, the US Department of Energy (DoE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released the long-awaited draft Request for Proposals (RfP) that outlines the criteria government officials will use to decide who will be the next manager of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), famous as the birthplace of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project of World War II. The University of California has operated LANL since it was founded in 1943 with periodic contract extensions. This is the first time management has ever been put up for competitive bid. Outgoing Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced the decision to compete the Los Alamos contract in 2003 after repeated security and fiscal management scandals and calls for competition from Congress. UC's current contract expires on 31 September 2005, but UC is also expected to submit a bid for continued management of the Lab. According to the RfP criteria, the ability to conduct major scientific research and technology programs will factor heavily into the decision. On a weighted scale, DoE and NNSA assigned science and technology 325 points out of a total of 1,000 points, compared to 175 points for laboratory operations and 75 points for business operations. Past performance, going back five years, will account for only 75 points on the scale. Also among the criteria included in the draft is the requirement that potential operators maintain salaries and benefits comparable to what is provided now for the laboratory work force, which must be rehired by the next operator. Only the director and top managers can be replaced by the next operator. The DoE and NNSA are accepting public comments on the draft request for proposals through 7 January, after which a final version will be released on an unspecified date, but likely sometime late in January or early February. Following the close of the public comment period, potential operators will have another 60 days to submit their proposals to run Los Alamos. DOE and NNSA officials will announce the new operator sometime in the summer with the contract taking effect 1 October 2005. At least 15 companies have expressed interest in the LANL contract including UC, the University of Texas and Texas A&M, but it doesnt necessarily mean they will bid. A copy of the draft Request for Proposals is available on the UC Nuclear Free website at http://www.ucnuclearfree.org [http://www.ucnuclearfree.org] Source: Albuquerque Journal, 2 December 2004. Nuclear Watchdog Group to Bid on Los Alamos Management Contract | Top On the day the Department of Energy (DOE) posted a draft Request for Proposal (RfP) to manage the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Nuclear Watch New Mexico, a non-profit, non-partisan nuclear watchdog organization, announced its plans to bid to manage the lab. Nuclear Watch New Mexico cited the labs Statement of Work, which declares that LANLs primary mission is strengthening the United States security through development and application of world-class science and technology to advance the nations defense and to reduce the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. It also states that the future contractor must bring the highest degree of vision to the execution of LANLs programs. Precisely because Nuclear Watch New Mexico believes higher vision is critically needed for the Labs and the nations future, we are throwing our hat into the ring, said Scott Kovac, Nuclear Watch New Mexico Operations Director. Our prospects are perhaps brightened in that we could win the contract partially by default, given that other potential competitors have apparently lost interest after the continuing scandals. Moreover, the University of Californias (UC) past management performance has been so poor that in comparison we could look good. With respect to reducing the global threat from weapons of mass destruction, what a golden opportunity higher vision could bring to Los Alamos, observed Jay Coghlan, Nuclear Watch New Mexico Director. Lets start right here at home and get the Lab off of its continuing advancement of nuclear weapons, which only prompts other countries to follow. The Statement of Work explicitly states that the future contractor shall explore advanced nuclear weapons concepts and engineering development. But its time for that to change, and Congress apparently agrees, added Coghlan. In terms of strengthening the United States long-range security, Coghlan continued, under NukeWatch management the Labs strategic direction would radically shift from being over 70% funded for nuclear weapons to other more beneficial programs, such as energy independence and defending against the potentially devastating effects of global climate change. Current Lab funding for research in renewable energy technologies is zero and climate change research is miniscule as a percentage of the Labs $2 billion budget. With respect to reducing the global threat from terrorism NukeWatch would initiate vigorous investigation into preventing the conditions that breed terrorism to begin with. LANL nuclear nonproliferation programs currently receive only one dollar for every nine that goes into its core nuclear weapons research, testing and production programs. Nuclear Watch New Mexico says it would invert that ratio. The stalled dismantlement of nuclear weapons would be given the highest priority. Top priority would be given to genuine cleanup at LANL in close cooperation with New Mexico. UC had repeatedly sued the State in order to obstruct mandated cleanup. Moreover, UC did such a poor job that the DoE plans to de-scope cleanup from the contract in FY 2007. Nuclear Watch New Mexico says that under its management, a strong preference would be given to New Mexican subcontractors. Besides prompting regional economic development, the pride that we New Mexicans would take in cleaning up our own land would likely motivate such stellar performance that DoE would be persuaded to keep cleanup under one contract. Although it too is a nonprofit organization, Nuclear Watch New Mexico says it would voluntarily pay New Mexico gross receipts taxes on any compensation for its management services. This could ultimately provide up to $80 million annually to the State (nearly half of which would go to public education). LANL has never paid taxes to New Mexico because UC is a non-profit. Source: Nuclear Watch New Mexico, 2 December 2004. UC Regents Meet on LANL Bid and Release Student Survey Results | Top The saga regarding the University of California's role in nuclear weapons development continued in November as UC Regents meet at UC Los Angeles from 17-18 November. UC Students were able to briefly express their thoughts on whether or not UC should manage Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories during a Public Comment Period. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson also attended the Regents meeting to persuade them to bid for the LANL management contract, despite his previous criticisms of UC. "I urge you to enter this competition," Richardson said at the UC Regents meeting. "You have my full support." He recommended that the UC bid include a partnership with a private company and the University of New Mexico. Richardson is a former US Secretary of Energy and has been involved with LANL since 1982, when he became a US representative for New Mexico. On 18 November, the Regents and broader community also learned the results of the 2004 University of California Undergraduate Experience Study (UCUES), which included questions about UC-managed Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. Only 35 percent of the 17,296 respondents favored or strongly favored UCs bidding to continue management of the labs, while 51 percent were undecided or did not have enough information. The UC Office of the President announced that because 72 percent of respondents with a preference favored bidding, these results parallel those of the faculty survey, where 67 percent of respondents favored bidding for renewal of the management contracts. This flagrant misrepresentation of the results demonstrates UC has always had a clear intention to bid for continued management of the labs. Students also criticized the survey conducted last spring. "The UC Regents need to be more accountable to students. A student survey is not helpful when only 11 percent of the undergraduate population responds and not when controversial questions about nuclear weapons labs are introduced without education and outreach on the issue, said Gloria Ross, an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara. The Regents should shift their focus from making nuclear weapons to making education accessible for all and contributing toward a safe and peaceful future for generations to come." UC Berkeley undergraduate, Chelsea Collonge stated, "I applaud all efforts to give students more voice as stakeholders in the UC community. However, the UCUES introduction to the questions regarding the nuclear weapons laboratories was misleading. It said that the labs' research was for 'maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile,' but in reality lab scientists are designing new, more powerful, and more usable nuclear weapons. These activities are out of compliance with international law, and students need to know this to make an educated decision." oth students are a part of the Coalition to Demilitarize the University of California, which is made up of student groups on UC Campuses at Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles working in collaboration with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara, Tri-Valley CAREs in Livermore, the Western States Legal Foundation in Oakland, and the Nevada Desert Experience in Berkeley. For more information about the Coalition, visit: http://www.ucnuclearfree.org [http://www.ucnuclearfree.org] . Plutonium Space Project Moves to Idaho | Top A US government project to produce a plutonium isotope used to power deep-space probes once destined for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is now being sent to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). INEEL will process plutonium-238 for space power sources and other defense purposes. According to the Department of Energy (DoE), the move will significantly increase security, reduce risks associated with transporting nuclear materials across the country and reduce costs. The US stopped making plutonium-238 in the 1980s and the stockpile is expected to run out in 2010. For more than a decade, the US has been buying the material from Russia but those sources have been deemed too unreliable for NASA's long-term needs. The nuclear industry considers Plutonium-238, a sister to plutonium-239 that is used in nuclear weapons, an ideal power source for spacecraft too far from the sun to use solar panels. Source: AP, 3 December 2004. Missiles and Missile Defense US Installs Sixth Interceptor at Ft. Greely | Top On 12 November, The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced that the first phase of the national defense system was completed with installation of the initial round of ballistic missile interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska. The sixth 55-foot interceptor was placed inside a silo at the Interior Alaska post on 11 November, after days of delays because of strong wind. The multibillion-dollar system is still being tested, with activation expected by year's end. Critics say the system is flawed, noting the interceptors failed three of eight highly controlled tests. At least 10 more interceptors are planned for Fort Greely, about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Four others will be placed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The US also has proposed a third interceptor site somewhere in Europe that, according to the MDA, will expand coverage against missiles fired from the Middle East. However, no decision has been made on where to locate it. By the end of 2007, the numbers of ground-based missile interceptors are scheduled to grow to 28 at both the Ft. Greely and Vandenberg launch sites. By 2007, the MDA also plans to have 18 Navy Aegis warships armed with new and faster missiles capable of intercepting and destroying medium-range missiles. Already two Aegis warships have been deployed in the waters off the coast of North Korea to serve as platforms for forward radars for the missile defense system. Opponents have charged that the US is deploying the system without adequate testing. The MDA is planning to conduct its first attempted intercept in more than two years sometime next month, resuming flight tests that were cancelled or delayed six times since December 2002. In earlier tests, target missiles have been successfully intercepted in five of eight attempts, but those have been under artificial conditions using tracking and homing devices in addition to some surrogate components. The system uses a network of early warning satellites and high powered radars to detect and track and target long range missiles, feeding data to command centers that then fire interceptor missiles into a collision in space with the incoming missile. Sources: AP, 17 November 2004; AP, 12 November 2004. Missile Defense Agency Tests Airborne Laser | Top On 10 November, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) test-fired the first megawatt-class laser for the Airborne Laser (ABL) system. The test marks the first time a directed energy weapon suitable for use in an airborne environment has been demonstrated. The laser was built by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The ground-based test, referred to as "First Light," took place on ABL's laser testbed at the Systems Integration Laboratory, a special building at Edwards Air Force Base, in California, which houses a modified Boeing 747 freighter fuselage where all elements of the laser system are being assembled and tested. The purpose of the ABL is to detect, track and destroy hostile ballistic missiles during the boost phase. The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are working closely with the Air Force and the MDA to develop the ABL. Source: Northrop Grumman Press Release, 12 November 2004. US Bolsters Missile Defenses in South Korea | Top On 30 November, the US military announced that it has deployed new missile defense batteries as part of an $11 billion upgrade on the Korean peninsula. The US 8th Army's 35th Air Defense Brigade, which recently relocated to South Korea from Fort Bliss , Texas , completed its deployment of Patriot PAC-3 missile systems to Gwangju Air Base. The Patriot missile systems are designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and enemy aircraft. Several batteries are already based in South Korea . Despite the new missile deployments and upgrades that will take place over the next three years, the US military plans to withdraw a third of its troops now based in South Korea by 2008, leaving a total 24,500 soldiers. The US insists that the upgrades, including the new PAC-3 missiles, will make its forces more effective despite the decreased troops. The overhaul includes swift-action units, high-tech air surveillance and high-speed transport for troops based in Japan . In the past, North Korea has strongly denounced the deployments of Patriot missiles in South Korea , accusing the US of bolstering its forces as a prelude to an invasion. However, there was no immediate response to the new deployment. Source: AP, 30 November 2004. Russia Tests Modernized Missile Defense System | Top On 29 November, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said that the military successfully tested a modernized missile defense system, but he gave no details of the missile involved. According to news reports, Ivanov told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the defense ministry would also “further perfect and modernize the anti-ballistic missile system.” According to Ivanov, the missile had passed its test on 29 November at the Sary-Shagaz testing range in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan . The test came less than two weeks after President Putin announced that Russia was carrying out tests on "the latest nuclear rocket systems" unlike any weapon held by other nuclear powers. Putin also stated, "International terrorism is one of the major threats for Russia . We understand as soon as we ignore such components of our defense as a nuclear and missile shield, other threats may occur." Russia has been cryptic about missile defense and other system it is working on, amid efforts to counter the proposed US missile defense system and US plans to research and develop new nuclear weapons. Ivanov said earlier that Russia would test-fire a mobile version of the new Topol-M missile before the year's end and would commission it next year. Topol-Ms have a range of about 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) and reportedly can maneuver in ways that are difficult to detect. The missile, which can intercept and destroy other missiles, has been deployed in silos since 1998. Source: Interfax, 29 November 2004; AP, 29 November 2004; AP, 17 November 2004. Pakistan Tests Nuclear-Capable Missile | Top On 29 November, the Pakistani military announced that it test-fired the “Ghaznavi” or Hatf-III, a short-range, surface-to-surface, nuclear-capable missile with a range of 180 miles (290 kilometers). The missile test was the fifth this year and Pakistan notified neighboring countries, including India , ahead of time. Many analysts believe that most of the missile tests conducted this year have been meant to ease domestic fears that Pakistan may be pressured to dismantle its nuclear program. Pakistan has been the center of international attention since A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear program, confessed in February to being involved in a clandestine nuclear network and selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea. According to military analyst General Talat Masood (Retired), the most recent test was “aimed at reassuring hawks in Pakistan that the Musharraf government has no plan to freeze the country's nuclear program." The test came one week after the prime ministers of India and Pakistan met for the first time, in the middle of a step-by-step peace process some two years after the countries nearly went to war. Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the best guarantee of peace in the region was to improve the country's defense capability. Masood noted that India and Pakistan were trying peace moves alongside a military buildup. He added, "This parallel and contradictory development will continue for sometime until the peace process comes to a satisfactory conclusion. The significance of the latest test is that it signals (to India ) that we are not lagging behind as far as the country's defense is concerned.” Pakistan will host a meeting with India on nuclear issues from 14-15 December to discuss a possible agreement on advance information about nuclear tests. Source: AFP 29 November 2004. India Conducts Two Tests of its Akash Anti-Aircraft Missile | Top On 26 and 30 November, India test-fired a short-range anti-aircraft missile, named Akash, which means Sky in Hindi. Both tests were conducted from the Chandipur-on-Sea testing site in the eastern state of Orissa. The 700-kilogram Akash can carry a 60-kilogram warhead, is designed to travel 27 kilometers and can strike several targets simultaneously. Akash is one of five missiles being developed by India 's state-run Defense Research and Development Organization. Sources: AFX, 30 November 2004; AFX, 26 November 2004. Nuclear Energy and Waste KEDO Suspends North Korean Reactor Project for Another Year | Top On 26 November, the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) announced that the project to build two nuclear power plants for North Korea would be suspended for a second year, beginning 1 December. According to a KEDO statement, "The future of the project will be assessed and decided ... before the expiration of the suspension period.” However, it added, “The preservation and maintenance work both on site and off site will continue.” The multibillion-dollar plan to build two 1,000-megawatt light water nuclear reactors, deemed less suitable for weapons-grade plutonium production, was a result of the 1994 Agreed Framework between the US and North Korea. However, the deal has been ruptured since 2002 when the Bush administration accused North Korea of launching a prohibited program to enrich uranium for weapons production. Since then, North Korea has thrown out international inspectors, unfrozen its Yongbyon nuclear plant and pulled out of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. KEDO groups together the United States , the European Union, South Korea and Japan . The KEDO board first announced the suspension of its project – effective 1 December 2003 – in November of last year, citing tensions over North Korea 's nuclear ambitions. Construction was about 34 percent complete at the time. The two light-water nuclear reactors had originally been scheduled for completion this year. Experts say it would take at least five more years to finish the complex. Source: AFP, 26 November 2004. Deals Cut on Yucca Mountain | Top November 2004 proved an important 30 days for Yucca Mountain . The energy and water bill that was part of the 2005 omnibus appropriations package that was passed provides Yucca Mountain with $577 million, the same amount of funding it received last year, yet down from the $880 million requested by the Bush administration. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) led the funding battle against Yucca Mountain and opposed the Bush administration's $880 million request. Reid says the administration's funding plan, which draws from a trust fund whose coffers depend upon utility industry fees, would reduce congressional oversight on spending at Yucca Mountain . Support for the administration's trust fund plan didn't materialize which forced cuts in water projects in order to fund Yucca Mountain. During discussions on President Bush's nominations for office Reid managed to negotiate a seat on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for Gregory Jaczko, Reid's advisor on nuclear issues. It's likely that Jaczko will oppose the Department of Energy's plan to turn Yucca Mountain in to the US ' nuclear waste repository. As such, Jaczko's appointment to the NRC corresponds with Navy Vice Admiral Albert H. Konetzni's nomination. Konetzni will likely become the chairman of the NRC within a year. Under the agreement, Jaczko and Konetzni would be appointed to the NRC for a two-year term, but Jaczko will recuse himself from matters concerning Yucca Mountain for the first 12 months of his appointment to the NRC. In other Yucca Mountain news, on 30 November, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) dropped its fight against a 9 July 2004 federal court ruling that has stalled plans for the waste repository. (See “ Yucca Mountain : 10,000 Years Not Enough” to learn more about the 9 July 2004 ruling. [http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/09_sunf lower.htm#9b]) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will likely develop new radiation safety standards, a process that may take years to complete. The decision by the NEI will force the Department of Energy to postpone the repository license application for Yucca Mountain . Sources: CQ Today, 20 November 2004; Associated Press, 23 November 2004. Groups Tell Homeland Security Not to Weaken Radioactive Clean-up Plans | Top On 3 December, more than 50 public policy organizations called on the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt plans to dramatically weaken requirements for cleaning up radioactive contamination from a terrorist radiological or nuclear explosive. The groups disclosed that DHS is about to release new guidance that could permit ongoing contamination at levels equivalent to a person receiving tens of thousands of chest X-rays over thirty years. Official government risk figures estimate that as many as a quarter of the people exposed to such doses would develop cancer. In a letter to outgoing DHS Secretary Tom Ridge , the groups said, “An attack by a terrorist group using a ‘dirty bomb' or improvised nuclear device would be a terrible tragedy. . . .But should such a radiological weapon go off in the US , our government should not compound the situation by employment of standards for cleaning up the radioactive contamination that are inadequately protective of the public.” “Benchmark” cleanup standards contemplated in the DHS guidance are up to 2500 times less protective than the risk levels considered by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as barely acceptable for cleanup of Superfund toxic and radioactive sites. In a parallel letter to EPA, the groups urged Administrator Michael Leavitt to resist any effort to establish cleanup standards that permit public risks significantly outside EPA's longstanding legally allowable risk range. The full letters to Ridge and Leavitt and supporting attachments are available on the website of the Nuclear Information Resource Service at http://www.nirs.org. [http://www.nirs.org/] Cracks Discovered at California Nuclear Reactor | Top Early morning on 19 November 2004 Unit 2 at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station unexpectedly went off-line. Officials quickly urged the public to limit electricity usage as Unit 3 at the Generating Station was also offline. Inspectors determined ground wires shorted out in the Unit 2 electrical generator causing the unexpected shutdown. Unit 3 at San Onofre was taken offline on 26 September 2004 for a scheduled 55-day refueling service. During inspections of the reactor engineers discovered cracks in the water heaters and were forced to postpone the reactors return to service. Clyde Osterholtz, senior San Onofre plant inspector for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the cracks don't pose an immediate safety risk. Apparently the cracks can't be seen with the naked human eye. Nevertheless the heaters will be replaced at a cost of $7 million. Unit 3 will likely remain offline until January 2005. Sources: San Diego Union Tribune, 19, 23 November 2004; Associated Press, 1 December 2004; North County Times, 1 December 2004. Lithuania to Shut Down Nuclear Reactor | Top The Lithuanian Government announced at the end of November that the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in eastern Lithuania will be closed by 31 December 2004. The Ignalina plant operates the two largest operational nuclear reactors in the world. Together both reactors can produce approximately 2,760 megawatts of electricity and account for about 80% of Lithuania 's electricity. Untold numbers of people are thrilled to learn the plant will be shut down as both reactors are a Chernobyl-style, Soviet-era design. The reactors are actually rated to operate at much higher levels, but officials have limited operation to relatively low levels for fear of a catastrophe. The European Union has promised $2.5 billion to help Lithuania close the reactor and find alternative energy sources. Sources: BBC News, 24 November 2004; International Nuclear Safety Center. France to Privatize Fraction of Nuclear Power Group | Top On 24 November the French cabinet authorized the sale of 35-40% of the State-owned nuclear engineering company Areva. The sale is scheduled for the second half of 2005. French officials will use funds raised to pay back debts and to fund reactor dismantlement operations. On 10 November, Nicolas Sarkozy, outgoing French Minister of Finance, announced the sale. Sarkozy said “The state will continue to hold, directly or indirectly, more than half of Areva's capital, given the strategic nature of atomic energy for France .” The privatization scheme is viewed as a means to strengthen Areva's fragile situation. Sources: Associated Press, 10 November 2004; New York Times, 11 November 2004; Financial Times, 30 November 2004; Nuclear Engineering International, 30 November 2004. INEEL Partnership Announced to Develop Hydrogen Fuel from Nuclear Reactor | Top On 29 November, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and Ceramatec Inc. announced a partnership on a $2.6 million project to develop commercially viable hydrogen from nuclear reactors. The project will develop hydrogen by high temperature electrolysis. During the process, oxygen and hydrogen within steam heated by a nuclear reactor is separated by an electrical current. The Department of Energy is hoping for a demonstration of commercial-scale hydrogen production using the process by 2017. There are other methods that could be used to produce the high temperatures needed for the separation process, like harnessing wind power with solar concentrators, but using a nuclear reactor is the only one being considered by this team. Sources: Associated Press, 29 November 2004; Department of Energy Research News. Extreme Microbes May Aid Nuclear Waste Disposal | Top Researchers with the US Department of Energy (DoE) have developed genetically manipulated "extreme microbes.” Able to survive in earth's most inhospitable environments – some thrive at above-boiling temperatures, enjoy the company of toxic chemicals, and can endure large doses of radiation – these "extremophiles" may become a valuable tool for eliminating nuclear waste. Lab-enhanced versions could be drafted to begin ingesting and breaking down toxins "in the not-too-distant future," outgoing Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said earlier this year. In addition to saving money – the DoE estimates conventional clean-up methods for nuclear waste could cost up to $260 billion – the microbes break down radioactive elements into insoluble forms, making them less likely to leak into aquifers and streams. Source: The Wall Street Journal, 16 November 2004. Salem Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down Because of Oil Spill | Top On 2 December, the operator of the Salem nuclear power plant announced that the plant would shut down beginning 3 December because oil spilled from a damaged tanker has spread dangerously close to its water intake valves. The closure, which is unusual for the second-largest nuclear power complex in the US, grew out of fears that booms set up to contain the oil would fail, as they have in other parts of the Delaware River. According to A. Christopher Bakken, president of PSEG Nuclear L.L.C. utility company that runs the Salem plant, "Rather than wait, we are taking the right actions to have the plant in a safe, cooled condition. We will stay shut down as long as necessary." Source: Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer, 3 December 2004. Nuclear Insanity Oh, the Verifiable Hypocrisy! | Top The Bush administration believes Iran is attempting to build a nuclear weapon, and while it welcomed the country's most recent commitment to suspend uranium enrichment, it has said it needs "proof" of Iran 's intentions. On 26 November, President George W. Bush said the only solid deal is "one that's verifiable." "I appreciate the nations of Great Britain , Germany and France , who are working to try to convince Iran to honor their international treaty obligations," Bush said. "I look forward to talking to the leaders of those countries, if they can get Iran to agree to a deal, to make sure it's verifiable. I know the prime minister of Great Britain wants a verifiable deal, because I've talked to him personally about it." However, when it comes to US treaty commitments, the Bush administration is opposed to verifiability. In July 2004, the Bush administration changed its position in support of a treaty to end the production of fissile materials – plutonium and highly enriched uranium – that are fundamental ingredients for all nuclear weapons, but stated that it will not support a verifiable Fissile Materials Cutoff Treaty (FMCT). Perhaps Iran would be more willing to cooperate if the US led by example rather than demanding of others what it itself will not do. Source: CNN, 26 November 2004. Nuclear Warning in Iraq | Top An unclassified warning to all US mission employees in Iraq urges cooperation in efforts to deny terrorists access to nuclear materials. The warning begins by pointing out "illicit trafficking of nuclear and other radioactive materials is a global problem." The warning continues, "Posts' participation in investigating and reporting all alleged nuclear smuggling and illicit trafficking incidents is imperative as we seek to deny terrorist access to dangerous materials. The USG places a high priority on posts reporting all activities that could relate to a terrorist incident and documenting all smuggling incidents as fully as possible." One intelligence source found it strange the memo was distributed and even stranger that it called for reports about nuclear smuggling to be emailed to proper authorities. According to the intelligence source, "Imagine someone just discovered evidence of nuclear smuggling in Iraq or elsewhere in the world. Does the US government really want that person emailing the information? Isn't that what you would call a high-priority communication that should be dealt with immediately by the highest authorities?" The warning continued: "The Iraq Survey Group (ISG) currently maintains the mandate to investigate and report on nuclear and other radioactive smuggling incidents. The ISG is in contact with the Interim Iraqi Government (IIG) in order to coordinate on any alleged smuggling incidents. Given the current security environment in Iraq , all incidents should be reported to the ISG." The report then provided a number of email addresses to be used to report nuclear smuggling incidents. No other forms of communication were offered. Source: WorldNet Daily, 29 November 2004. Drunken Pilot Convicted of Risking Catastrophe | Top On 1 December, a drunken pilot who flew his plane near a nuclear power plant and came near six commercial airliners was sentenced to six to 23 months in prison. According to authorities, John V. Salamone had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent when he landed his plane after an erratic, four-hour flight on 15 January 2004 over the Philadelphia region. The legal blood alcohol level limit for pilots, set by the Federal Aviation Administration, is 0.04 percent, half the amount for drivers in Pennsylvania . Salamone, 44, was convicted of risking a catastrophe and reckless endangerment after prosecutors learned the initial state charge of driving under the influence does not apply to pilots. Because of the case, lawmakers have tried to rectify the legal loophole by passing a bill - now awaiting the governor's signature - that makes flying drunk a crime. Salamone, flying a single-engine Piper Cherokee, meandered into New Jersey and flew into forbidden airspace. He flew as low as 100 feet and within a quarter mile of the Limerick nuclear power plant. A Philadelphia police helicopter helped force the plane down. Officials said there was little they could do, physically, to bring the plane down after the North American Aerospace Defense Command concluded it was not a terrorist threat. Source: AP, 1 December 2004. Foundation Activities Add Your Voice for a More Secure World | Top During the recent presidential campaign, both candidates agreed that nuclear proliferation poses the greatest threat to the US and the world. The recognition of this threat confirms what we have long-known and tried to prevent. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation provides a voice of reason in a troubled world faced with ongoing proliferation, terrorism and policies that make the use of nuclear weapons more likely. The urgency of this period calls for a bold response and the participation of all those concerned with creating a more secure future. Against this backdrop, the Foundation has launched its 20 th Anniversary Campaign to provide innovative thinking, broad public education and committed action to the challenges confronting our world. We urge you to participate in our 20th Anniversary Campaign and allow us to magnify your voice in the creation of a world at peace, safe from nuclear threats. Together we can make a difference. This is the Foundation's first major fundraising campaign, and we are seeking to raise $2 million. We are aiming to complete the campaign by February 2005 and hope that you will consider making a gift to help us meet our goal. The success of the campaign will allow the Foundation to: + Solidify its ongoing programs; + Initiate new projects seeking policy changes at the national and international levels; and + Ensure the continuity of its programs through income generated from endowment. YOU can help make the world more secure by adding your voice to a rising chorus of concerned individuals who are investing in the human race, not the arms race. We appreciate your support and believe that together we can make a difference concerning the greatest threat facing us today. At the end of this campaign, we will know that we have done all we can to pass on a more secure world to our children and grandchildren. For more information, please visit: http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/about/anniversary/index.htm [http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/about/anniversary/index.htm] Make a gift to support the campaign using our secure online server at: https://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/about/anniversary/support/ Resources News Zero: The New York Times and the Bomb by Beverly Deepe Keever | Top How did a world class newspaper become little more than a propaganda outlet for the US government in its drive to cover up the dangers of radioactivity emanating from the testing of nuclear weapons? And why is it still offering warped coverage of the issues 40 years after the end of nuclear tests above ground? Hiding nearly half of the tests from public view, The New York Times' stories predated by more than 40 years its recent crisis of made-up stories by reporter Jayson Blair. And the people of Enewetak, removed from their Pacific Islands and still exiled, have much to tell the Iraqis about the sad history of US governance abroad. In this compelling case study, author Beverly Deepe Keever takes you inside our most prestigious newspaper to show just how the New York Times covered up the reality from half lives with half truths. Order a copy online from Common Courage Press at: http://www.commoncouragepress.com/index.cfm?action=book&booki d=282 [http://www.commoncouragepress.com/index.cfm?action=book&bookid=2 82] What the DOE Knows it Doesn't Know About Grout | Top Brice Smith, with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, has released a new study of high-level waste immobilization at South Carolina's Savannah River entitled, “What the DoE Knows it Doesn't Know About Grout.” The report finds that serious doubts remain about the durability of proposed waste containment solutions and recommends the Department of Energy develop more realistic testing procedures before moving forward with inadequate standards. Click here [http://www.ieer.org/reports/srs/grout.pdf] to read the complete report. United States Air Force: Counterspace Operations | Top On 2 August 2004, the United States Air Force published a new doctrine called Counterspace Operations . General John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff of the US Air Force writes in the foreword, “Counterspace operations have defensive and offensive elements, both of which depend on robust space situation awareness. These operations may be utilized throughout the spectrum of conflict and may achieve a variety of effects from temporary denial to complete destruction of the adversary's space capability.” Click here [http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/service_pubs/afdd2_2_1.pdf] to view the original document. Quotable “In my view, we have come to a fork in the road: either there must be a demonstrated commitment to move toward nuclear disarmament, or we should resign ourselves to the fact that other countries will pursue a more dangerous parity through proliferation. The difficulty of achieving our ultimate objective — the elimination of all nuclear weapons — should by no means be underestimated. But at the same time, it should not be used as a pretext for failing to start the process of drastic reductions in existing nuclear arsenals, and simultaneously to explore the development of collective response mechanisms that will be needed against any future clandestine nuclear proliferation efforts.” -IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei Statements made at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) [http://cisac.stanford.edu/] 4 November 2004 “Nuclear war serves no military purpose whatsoever. It's totally useless." -Former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara Statements made at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University 11 November 2004 “The instant you see the strip — the one they pin to your coverall to measure your exposure to radiation — you understand how high the stakes are. Yucca Mountain isn't for the faint of heart.” -Jack Laleigh From his article, “What Happens at Yucca Mountain Stays at Yucca Mountain ” 17 November 2004 “On January 18, I advised you that the Department of Justice had issued a formal legal opinion concluding that the Geneva Convention III on the Treatment of Prisoners of War (GPW) does not apply to the conflict with al Qaeda. I also advised you that DOJ's opinion concludes that there are reasonable grounds for you to conclude that GPW does not apply with respect to the conflict with the Taliban. I understand that you decided that GPW does not apply and; accordingly, that al Qaeda and Taliban detainees are not prisoners of war under the GPW…The war against terrorism is a new kind of war…In my judgment, this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions…” Alberto Gonzales, President Bush's nominee for Attorney General Excerpts from Gonzales' memo to President Bush on the application of Geneva Conventions on Prisoners of War 25 January 2002 “We need to rededicate ourselves to working for peace. Not just further empowering the anti-war movement, but to look at peace as a creative endeavor…” -Dennis Kucinich Taken from his post-election statement 5 November 2004 “They made a wasteland and called it peace,' Tacitus famously said. It was left to the United States , champion of freedom, to update the formula: They made a wasteland and called it democracy.” Jonathan Schell From his article “What Happened to Hearts?” on the War in Iraq 6 December 2004 Editorial Team Editorial Team | Top + Luke Brothers + David Krieger + Carah Ong Resources Sunflower December 2004, No. 91 © Nuclear Age Peace Foundation 1998 - | Powered by EverZen.com [http://www.everzen.com] ***************************************************************** 54 Las Vegas SUN: Museum looking for Las Vegas' 1957 blonde atomic bombshell Today: December 08, 2004 at 10:14:20 PST By JOAN WHITELY ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - She may be the most famous pop-culture image of aboveground nuclear explosions at the Nevada Test Site. Her photograph, snapped in 1957, shows a young, high-heeled woman attired mostly in a frothy cotton mushroom cloud, gleefully throwing her hands in the desert air. Her identity has been lost, but Robert Friedrichs is doing his best to find her. Friedrichs is employed by the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for the test site and monitors Bechtel Nevada, the test site operator. His agency is assisting in the upcoming opening of the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas. Friedrichs wants to properly credit the mystery woman when the museum has its grand opening in February with her likeness on gift shop products and written materials. The museum is near the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Its mission is to show the scientific, political and economic role the test site played in the Cold War. It will depict what Director Bill Johnson called a "crisscross" of viewpoints, including the experience of "downwinders" who lived in areas affected by radioactive fallout, and American Indians who consider the test site their tribal land. "It's about balance (of viewpoints). It's about equity. It's about preserving what happened," says Vanya Scott, museum registrar, who has been collecting and organizing artifacts for display. The museum is a project of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation. In the 1950s, many Americans saw the mushroom cloud as "a symbol of American power and our greatness," Scott said. "And Las Vegas was the epicenter of that." The federal government was reluctant to publicize its atomic testing program, even after World War II. But Johnson says that when the government opened the test site in 1951, Las Vegans used it as an attraction. Businesses incorporated the term "atomic" in their products and services. Some used the mushroom cloud as a visual element in promotions. One of the best-known icons became the blonde, whose image will appear in a section of the museum dealing with the popular impact of atomic testing on Las Vegas, and in the wider pop culture. Friedrichs knows a lot about her, but not her name. He hopes news accounts can provide tips about who she was, and how to locate her or her family. She was a Copa Girl at the Sands Hotel, now the site of The Venetian hotel-casino. The girls performed in the hotel's Copa Room and appeared at special events. For the picture, the Las Vegas News Bureau dispatched photographer Don English in May 1957 to snap a picture outside the Sands Hotel in connection with aboveground testing at the test site. Friedrichs interviewed English, and emerged with details that dispelled several myths surrounding the photo. English, who is retired but still lives in Las Vegas, said the blasts were considered a chance to draw publicity for Las Vegas. But it had become repetitious to photograph a mushroom cloud for each atomic test. So he and co-workers devised the cotton mushroom cloud, consisting of cotton wadding glued to cardboard. It was attached over the model's swimsuit. The vibrant woman is sometimes described as a Miss Atomic Blast, but English confirmed that no beauty pageant occurred in connection with the atomic test. English did not photograph her at the exact moment of a test blast, as is sometimes claimed. The landscape behind the model shows the photo was taken facing east - away from the test site. The 1,375-square-mile federal reservation, 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, hosted 1,021 full-scale nuclear blasts from 1951 to 1992. Friedrichs researched Sands hotel documents archived by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas library. He found some promotional material from May 1957 that includes biographies of Copa Girls, but none are the woman in the photo. He hopes that some other former Copa Girls may still live in southern Nevada and provide information about the woman. Friedrichs' work is complicated by the fact that turnover was high among Copa Girls. Many used the position as a springboard to higher-paying positions in Hollywood or elsewhere. Friedrichs also uncovered a wealth of related information about showgirls of the day, and other women who were photographed with atomic-related props. The 1957 photo is far from the only Las Vegas publicity shot to link beautiful women to nuclear detonations. Entertainment executive Jack Entratter, who produced shows for the Sands during the era, paid Copa Girls $125 a week, according to a Sept. 11, 1957, memo by Sands publicist Al Freeman. Copa Girl Linda Lawson was photographed on May 1, 1955, being crowned "Mis-Cue" by six Army soldiers. Her crown is topped by a mushroom cloud. Lawson went on to become an actress and singer. The Sands used the image to win space in newspapers across the country, in connection with a test site detonation called Operation Cue. When bad weather delayed the test shot for several days, the hotel devised the "miscue" title. The soldiers depicted were from Camp Desert Rock at the test site. Military personnel present for testing were allowed trips into town. Friedrichs found an obituary for another southern Nevada woman who had been photographed with atomic regalia. Paula Margaret Hamilton Davis died in February 2002 at age 65. Her obituary reports that she participated in a 1953 Miss North Las Vegas Atomic Bomb contest. "That was her prize moment, to tell you the truth," her son, Stutz Davis, recently recalled. His mother, who competed under the name Paula Harris, rode a North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce float in the 1953 Helldorado parade. The float belched smoke in a mushroom shape as it carried Harris. Its banner touted North Las Vegas as "new and modern as the A-Bomb." The atomic testing program was a source of civic pride because it demonstrated U.S. might. Friedrichs believes it helped force the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. --- On the Net: Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation: http://www.ntshf.org [http://www.ntshf.org] -- ***************************************************************** 55 TheDay.com: Electric Boat President John P. Casey Wednesday, Dec 8, 2004 EB Making Plans For Less Productive Future Workload shrinking, says Casey; sub base's future also poses potential threat By ROBERT A. HAMILTON Day Staff Writer, Navy/Defense/Electric Boat Published on 12/8/2004 Groton  Electric Boat President John P. Casey said the shipyard could shrink to half its current size over the next five years, although he is struggling to find work that might help to keep the company from contracting that much. I think we could be successful at half our current size, and I think we could be there somewhere down the road, Casey said during his annual meeting with local elected and business officials Tuesday morning at the shipyard. Our plan going forward is not to be what we are today, Casey said. We will become a smaller business going forward, and we have to be successful for those who remain. Casey also said that if the Naval Submarine Base were ordered shut down by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission next year, it would eliminate a significant portion of the submarine repair work that has become the foundation for the shipyard business. I'm not going to tell you if the sub base goes, Electric Boat goes, Casey said. I will not give up that easily. But it is important that the base stay here because Electric Boat can only be fully capable if we're involved in everything from concept and design right down through and including repairing vessels that have already been at sea. Assuming the base stays and the Navy continues to order one new submarine a year, Casey said, the business would be viable, but smaller. He promised the company will be in a position where we can remain successful if that's what the market will bear, if that's what the market says we have available. We're going to retain the capability to be successful in those circumstances. And, Casey said, most of the cutbacks should be accomplished through attrition rather than the heavy layoffs the company experienced in the 1990s. There may be some small pockets that need adjustment, but I think we're in good shape to be fairly stable for most of this year, Casey said. The long-term prospects could still improve for the company, he said; five years ago he would have predicted EB would be at about 7,000 workers in 2004, but it has almost 12,000, including 8,750 in Groton and 2,100 in Quonset Point, R.I., because of a couple of special projects. Projections about declining business opportunities have a way of correcting themselves, but it requires a lot of effort, Casey said. I think the Navy is very anxious to make sure that we remain successful as well. They recognize that challenge and I think they're sincerely interested in trying to help us with that. Thomas A. Sheridan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, said he was encouraged that Casey seemed committed to a healthy shipbuilding operation in the region. He made it very clear they're going to do their best to look for new work, Sheridan said. I thought it was a pretty positive, upbeat report. I came away with the feeling this company is going to fight to have an existence in southeastern Connecticut. """At the height of the Cold War, EB employed almost 25,000 people delivering sometimes as many as six or seven submarines a year. But orders fell off sharply after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Employment at EB dropped below 9,000 at one point, though it has started to climb back on the basis of some special projects, including an $887 million hull module for the Jimmy Carter and the conversion of four former ballistic missile submarines into SSGNs, which can fire conventional missiles and carry large complements of Special Forces. But EB is preparing to deliver the Carter in a few weeks and is making rapid progress on the SSGN. As those projects wind down, the only work behind them is the Virginia-class submarine program. The Navy seems to have settled into a pattern of ordering one Virginia-class submarine a year, and EB shares that work with Northrop Grumman Newport News in Virginia, so Casey said the company is seeking other opportunities. We will look at adjacent markets, but we're not going to stray far, he said. We are not going to try to make ourselves into a bowling-pin manufacturer or a truck-body manufacturer (two lines of business EB pursued between the World Wars), but we will look at areas that we think closely overlap with our core competencies. The shipyard has also benefited from a surplus of work in the public shipyard area. Because a large number of Los Angeles- or 688-class submarines have come due for refueling and the public yards don't have the capacity to do smaller repair jobs, he said, EB has gotten back into the ship repair business. Recently it started its first major nonrefueling overhaul in more than 30 years. In addition, EB personnel are increasingly working up the river at the base, operating the Shippingport drydock, staffing the New England Maintenance Manpower Initiative to do small pierside repair jobs, and managing the Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department. But that work is threatened by a couple of developments, Casey said: When the refuelings for the 688 class come to an end, the naval shipyards are going to want to bring that work back into their facilities, provided none of them are closed by the BRAC. In addition, he noted, it makes sense to have EB do repair work on the submarines because it's so close to the base, which means crews don't have to be away from their families for months at a time during an overhaul. If the base closed, he said, that advantage would no longer exist and the repair work could dry up. A state analysis found that if the submarine base closed and EB followed a few years later, southeastern Connecticut could lose 24,000 jobs and more than $2.5 billion a year in its economy. But Casey said the region is not going to be able to prevent the submarine base from closing by arguing that it would be devastating to close it. No matter which bases get closed, it will have a deleterious impact on the communities involved. So if you're a national-level politician, somebody's community is going to suffer. That's a given. We have to have a story that says why it's the right thing to have a base here. I think it has to be an approach where we stress that the submarine center of excellence is here, and that's the right thing for the country, to keep it here. John C. Markowicz, chairman of the Subase Realignment Coalition, which is fighting to save the base, said his group has stressed from the start of its campaign that having the base and EB yields a synergy that is unmatched at any other base. The key determining factor in BRAC will be military value, Markowicz said. We're on the same page. b.hamilton@theday.com 1998-2004 The Day Publishing Co. ***************************************************************** 56 TheDay.com: Electric Boat Sharing Sub Expertise With Spain By ROBERT A. HAMILTON Day Staff Writer, Navy/Defense/Electric Boat Published on 12/8/2004 Groton  Electric Boat is in preliminary discussions with Spain about assisting that country with its submarine program, which could give the company a toehold in its third foreign market in as many years. EB President John P. Casey said the company has maybe a half a dozen people working on the project, which involves providing advice to the Spanish Navy on its plans for the S-80 class of submarine, its version of the French Scorpene class. They're interested in having us review that to make sure that it's done properly, Casey said. We would ... play the role that Navsea (Naval Sea Systems Command, which oversees ship construction) does for us. Casey said the company also has been following the proposal for the U.S. Navy to build as many as eight diesel-electric submarines for Taiwan. He said he discussed the matter with U.S. Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., before he left for a visit to Taiwan this week. The question there has always been, in my mind, will the Taiwanese actually pay for those ships? Casey said. Will their political process authorize money to pay for those ships? If they decide that they should, that is potentially a significant program, albeit a non-nuclear program, and there will be a lot of people scratching at that. We don't have an automatic ability to win that, we're going to have to compete. But, Casey added, If that program becomes a reality, we will do what we have to do to be involved in it. Casey cautioned that discussions about both the Spanish and Taiwanese programs are preliminary, and that before they could proceed, he would have to win approval from the host countries and the U.S. Navy, which would want assurances that no U.S. submarine technology would find its way into products for another country. EB already is involved in a $20 million, three-year program to help Australia with its Collins-class of diesel-electric submarine, under a pact that could be extended to seven years, and about 100 EB designers are working on the British Astute class of nuclear submarine, a program run by an EB executive. I wouldn't read too much into it, but if work is available I want to be aware of it, Casey said. If it's something where we can be helpful, if it's something that we do, we want to know about it. Casey announced the possible collaboration with Spain during an annual breakfast meeting with local elected and business officials. Spain intends to build four of the submarines at a total cost of about $2.4 billion, and is exploring the possibility of an air-independent propulsion system based on fuel cells that would allow them to operate for extended periods without surfacing to recharge their batteries. Casey said the EB division that is working on a new electric drive system for U.S. submarines also has been working closely with Gamesa, a Spanish industrial group . r.hamilton@theday.com 1998-2004 The Day Publishing Co. ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************