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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 [NYTr] UN Finds No Proof of Secret Iranian Nuke Program
2 Iaea Welcomes Iran's Decision To Suspend Uranium Enrichment Programm
3 Las Vegas SUN: Iran Satisfies IAEA Regarding Enrichment
4 BBC: UN probe backs Iran nuclear claim
5 US: OMB Watch: Nuclear Commission Restores Portions of Online Librar
6 US: TODAYonline: Break oil's stranglehold: Think nuclear
7 [NukeNet] France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
8 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Big Dig has implications for Nevada
9 deepikaglobal: 36,000 nuclear warheads a matter of concern: IAEA chi
NUCLEAR REACTORS
10 France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
11 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting Nov. 22-23 on Analyzing Nuclear
12 US: TRN: Maine Yankee's decommissioning seen as model for nuclear in
13 US: NRC: Establishment of the U.S. Department of Energy as the Long-
14 US: MaineToday: Maine Yankee admininistration building comes down
15 US: MSNBC: New nuclear opportunity for companies
16 Scotsman: Nuclear Accident Response Exercise Planned
17 US: NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Find
18 ITAR-TASS: Russia set to develop nuclear energy cooperation with Jap
19 Sofia Morning News: Bulgarian Court Dumps Anti-Belene Eco Claim
20 Sofia Daily News: Bulgaria's Cabinet Brought to Court by Greenpeace
21 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Notice of Meeting
22 US: NRC: NRC Enforcement Policy
23 UK The Times: Experts fear Armenian Chernobyl
NUCLEAR SAFETY
24 US: [du-list] Below EEOICPA REFORM DO any of you have anything
25 [du-list] Report Links Exposures To Gulf War Syndrome
26 US: [du-list] Veterans Day Address to the Nation
27 US: [du-list] US report links toxins to Gulf war syndrome
28 US: St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Former nuclear workers may get a break
29 CP: Edmonton filmmaker attempts to unravel Cold War secret in Lost N
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
30 Las Vegas SUN: Another Yucca advocate likely to replace Abraham
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
31 Guardian Unlimited: Exclusive interview: Duncan Campbell meets Morde
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
32 [du-list] Oak Ridge Cylinders stall, but cleanup moving forward
33 AP Wire: Energy Department fines SRS
34 www.GovExec.com: Omnibus negotiations pick up as lawmakers seek a de
OTHER NUCLEAR
35 [FOODIRRADIATIONCA] Protect Mandatory COOL -- Contact Rep.
36 [du-list] DU: The Last Gift Of Terry Riordon; U.S. use of
37 [du-list] Pollution Chokes the Tigris, a Main Source of
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1 [NYTr] UN Finds No Proof of Secret Iranian Nuke Program
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 14:58:34 -0600 (CST)
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
AFP via Yahoo - Nov 15, 2004
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1504&e=3&u=/afp/20041115/ts_afp/iran_nuclear_iaea_041115181542
Iran Reaches Deal with UN Nuclear Watchdog
UN says found no proof of secret weapons program
VIENNA (AFP) - The UN atomic watchdog said it had found no proof of a
secret Iranian nuclear weapons program but could not yet conclude there
was no covert activity, as Iran pledged to suspend uranium enrichment to
prove its peaceful intentions.
In a confidential report, the International Atomic Energy Agency said
that while Iran had been guilty of breaching international safeguards,
almost two years of inspection had uncovered no proof of an illicit
weapons program.
The IAEA's report sets the stage for a definitive review of Iran's
nuclear program when its board of governors meets here on November 25,
with the United States charging that Tehran is secretly developing
nuclear weapons.
"All the declared material in Iran has been accounted for, and therefore
such material is not diverted to prohibited activities," the IAEA report
said, according to a copy obtained by AFP.
A diplomat close to the agency pointed out that the IAEA's legal
authority was to investigate nuclear material and was "quite limited
when you get into the area of nuclear weapons related activity."
The report said the IAEA was "not yet in a position to conclude that
there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran."
Washington wants the agency to haul Iran before the UN Security Council
for possible sanctions, but the Iranian agreement to suspend enrichment,
and the lack of a "smoking gun" in the report, will make that task harder.
The report was issued after Iran agreed in a deal with Britain, France
and Germany to suspend uranium enrichment activities pending a
longer-term accord, comprised of European Union incentives and
"objective guarantees" it will not make nuclear weapons.
A test of the agreement released in Tehran said the suspension covers
"the manufacture and import of gas centrifuges and their components; the
assembly, installation, testing or operation of gas centrifuges; work to
undertake any plutonium separation... and all tests or production at any
uranium conversion installation".
Uranium enrichment makes fuel for nuclear reactors but also what can be
the explosive core for atomic bombs.
"The suspension will be sustained while negotiations proceed on a
mutually acceptable agreement on long-term arrangements," the text said.
Iran said those talks, carried out by the European trio on behalf of the
EU would begin in the first half of December, and would include
"negotiations with the EU on a trade and cooperation agreement."
The EU "will actively support the opening of Iranian accession
negotiations at the WTO (World Trade Organisation)," the text said.
Iran's top national security official Hassan Rowhani said the timespan
of the talks should be "reasonable," as Iran has refused an indefinite
suspension of enrichment.
But Rowhani admitted the talks would "take some time."
A European diplomat in Vienna said it was now "out of the question" for
the IAEA to take Iran to the Security Council.
The United States is still certain to point out that the IAEA found
Tehran guilty of "many breaches" of international nuclear safeguards
obligations in a policy of concealment that lasted until October 2003.
"It is clear that Iran has failed in a number of instances over an
extended period of time to meet its obligations under its safeguard
agreement with respect to the reporting of nuclear material, its
processing and its use as well as the declaration of activities where
such material has been processed and stored," the IAEA report said.
"Iran's policy of concealment continued until October 2003 and has
resulted in many breaches of its obligations to comply."
Iran has been cooperating, although somewhat reluctantly, with the
agency since then. In September, the IAEA demanded that Iran suspend all
activities concerning uranium enrichment.
The report noted that Iran had invited the agency to verify the
suspension as of November 22, although this would leave inspectors only
three days before the board meeting to confirm Iran's suspension.
"We may or may not finish by the board," a Western diplomat close to the
IAEA said, adding that the agency "will do its job and do it thoroughly
and if it takes a few more days, it will take a few more days."
The board meeting is expected to last around a week, which would give
the IAEA time to verify suspension by the time it ends.
*
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2 Iaea Welcomes Iran's Decision To Suspend Uranium Enrichment Programme
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:00:32 -0500
X-Temp-Whitephrase: YES nuclear
IAEA WELCOMES IRAN'S DECISION TO SUSPEND URANIUM ENRICHMENT PROGRAMME
New York, Nov 15 2004 5:00PM
The United Nations nuclear watch-dog agency today welcomed as a confidence-building
measure Iran's announcement that it would suspend
its nuclear-enrichment programme.
According to a UN spokesman, the International Atomic Energy Agency
(<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml">IAEA)
confirmed that it had received a letter from the Iranian Government,
saying that it would "fully suspend" its uranium enrichment
as of next Monday, 22 November.
The Agency is now making arrangements to verify its implementation,
spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York.
In September, the Vienna-based IAEA adopted a resolution calling
on Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment.
2004-11-15 00:00:00.000
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3 Las Vegas SUN: Iran Satisfies IAEA Regarding Enrichment
Today: November 15, 2004 at 9:09:00 PST
By GEORGE JAHN ASSOCIATED PRESS
VIENNA, Austria (AP) -
1115iran-nuclear The U.N. atomic watchdog agency gave its
support Monday to Iran's agreement to suspend all uranium
enrichment activities, the key element of a deal with European
countries aimed at ensuring Iran does not develop nuclear
weapons.
The United States, which has been pressing for tough U.N. action
against Iran, has not yet given its position on any deal, saying
Monday it was waiting for word from Britain, Germany and France,
the nations negotiating with Tehran. The new agreement appeared
to represent a victory by the Europeans after months of
stonewalling by the Iranians.
If the tentative deal announced Sunday is sealed, it would
prevent Iran from being referred to the U.N. Security Council,
where it could face sanctions for its nuclear program. In return
for the suspension, Europe has been suggesting it would help
Iran in developing peaceful nuclear energy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a confidential
report made available Monday to The Associated Press that Iran's
promise to suspend enrichment activities by Nov. 22 would
satisfy some of the agency's demands. The document also left
open the question of whether Iran tried to develop the
technology to make atomic bombs, saying suspicions remain about
the nature of nearly two decades of clandestine nuclear
programs.
Tehran's deal with the Europeans only postponed the issue of
enrichment, committing Iran to a temporary suspension for the
time it takes to work out the details of an aid package with the
Europeans. If those negotiations fail, Tehran could resume
enrichment activities.
IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei was "not yet in the position to
conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials" that
could have been used for a weapons program, the report said.
But, it said, all nuclear material that Iran has declared to the
agency in the past year has been accounted for, "and therefore
we can say that such material is not diverted to prohibited
(weapons) activities." The report was written by ElBaradei.
In an important departure from previous documents, this one did
not specifically say ElBaradei would report to the next IAEA
board on Iran. Instead, it said it would give an accounting on
the country and its nuclear activities "as appropriate."
That wording was expected to be welcomed by Iran, who for months
has urged the agency to close its file. The United States, which
insists Iran's nuclear activities are geared toward making
weapons, was likely to be unhappy with any suggestion that
future pressure would ease.
In Washington, White House press secretary Scott McClellan took
a wait-and-see approach to the agreement.
"We will be talking to our friends and allies about this
agreement," he said. "We will have more to say after we've had
the opportunity to learn more about the specific details. At
this point, we have not had that opportunity."
The United States, which once labeled Iran part of an "axis of
evil" with North Korea and prewar Iraq, had demanded that Iran
permanently suspend - or altogether scrap - its enrichment
ambitions.
Iran insists its interest is only to generate electricity.
Iran's key concession is the suspension of activities related to
enriching uranium - a process that can produce nuclear fuel
either for power generation or for creating bombs.
The IAEA report said Iran had agreed to suspend the building of
centrifuges and the processing of uranium into the gas state
that is spun in the centrifuges for enrichment - two activities
Iran previously refused to halt. The gas can be enriched to
lower levels for producing electricity or processed into
high-level, weapons-grade uranium.
Iran underlined Monday that its suspension would be brief, and
it was agreeing voluntarily in an effort to convince the world
its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
"Iran's acceptance of suspension is a political decision, not an
obligation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said,
adding that the suspension was "the best decision under the
current circumstances."
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, said the
suspension would last until negotiations with Europe over Iran's
nuclear program are completed.
The decision is expected to anger extremists within the
hard-line camp who have called on the government to ignore
international demands and even expand, not limit, nuclear
activities.
Beyond agreeing to full suspension of uranium enrichment and
related activities, the IAEA report said Iran had asked agency
inspectors to police its commitment to the freeze, starting Nov.
22 - just three days before the IAEA governing board meets to
decide what to do about Iran's nuclear activities.
This latest IAEA report on Iran criticized Tehran's "policy of
concealment" up to about a year ago, when it started reluctantly
cooperating with the IAEA.
It called Tehran to task for "many breaches of its obligations"
to the IAEA to report all activities that have weapons
implications.
Several issues still need clarification, including the origins
of some traces of enriched uranium found within Iran that exceed
levels Tehran said it had enriched to. There also are questions
about the Islamic Republic's development of centrifuges used to
enrich uranium - a process that can be used to make nuclear fuel
or the core of weapons.
While appearing to fall short in some details of a tentative
deal worked out between Iran and the Europeans, the suspension
agreement appeared to satisfy demands made in a resolution
agreed to by the board in September.
--
*****************************************************************
4 BBC: UN probe backs Iran nuclear claim
Last Updated: Monday, 15 November, 2004
[The main control room at Iran's nuclear reactor at Bushehr]
Iran insists it has complied with all international inspection
demands
Iran has not diverted nuclear materials it declared to the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to make weapons, the UN
watchdog has concluded.
But the IAEA said it could not rule out the existence of nuclear
materials that had not been declared.
Iran has agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment activities by
22 November, following talks with the European Union, officials
in Tehran say.
Iran is facing a 25 November deadline to comply with an IAEA
resolution.
In a confidential report, the UN nuclear watchdog said: "All the
declared nuclear material in Iran has been accounted for, and
therefore such material is not diverted to prohibited
activities."
A senior diplomat close to the IAEA said "prohibited activities"
included possible work on weapons, Reuters news agency quoted him
as saying.
But the report went on to say that doubt remained over Iran's
nuclear programme.
"The Agency is, however, not in a position to conclude that there
are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran," it
added.
Sanctions threat
Iran agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment activities on
Sunday, after talks with three European Union countries.
The EU offered Iran increased co-operation on trade and energy in
exchange for the freeze.
Chief Iranian negotiator Hassan Rohani said Tehran would suspend
"almost all" its enrichment activities until a long-term
agreement on Iran's nuclear programme is reached.
Iran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful, but the US says
they are part of a secret weapons programme.
Successful uranium enrichment could be seen as a key stage in the
development of weapons-grade nuclear material.
The Vienna-based IAEA passed a resolution in September calling on
Iran to stop enriching uranium.
The findings of the report are due to be reviewed by the IAEA's
board of governors on 25 November - three days after the freeze
is set to begin.
Correspondents say this new deal makes it unlikely that the US
will refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible
sanctions.
*****************************************************************
5 OMB Watch: Nuclear Commission Restores Portions of Online Library
Democracies die behind closed doors
Published: 11/15/2004
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) restored portions of its
online reading room earlier this month shortly after security
concerns prompted the agency to block public access. Only
selected documents have been restored, although NRC asserts that
the majority will be accessible within several weeks.
As reported in the last , NRC discontinued public access to its
entire online reading room Oct. 25 after media sources revealed
the site might contain several documents useful to terrorists.
This included floor plans and locations of nuclear materials.
Instead of simply removing the "sensitive" documents, the agency
blocked all public access to that portion of the site.
Although NRC quickly restored some documents, a explained that
the remaining documents would be reviewed and reposted according
to a schedule. The agency did not provide specific timeframes,
although NRC prioritized the process to review hearing-related
documents first, time-sensitive documents that need public review
or comments second, and other nuclear reactor documents and non
facility-specific documents third. NRC also reported that any
information relating to nuclear materials "is expected to take
longer."
There is no guarantee that all the information will be restored.
NRC Chairman Nils J. Diaz stated that the agency "will withhold
any information that could be useful, or could reasonably be
expected to be useful, to a terrorist." It is unclear what
standards the agency is using to determine what information could
be useful to a terrorist. The agency also fails to explain the
legal justification for withholding large amounts of information
from the public.
© 2004 OMB Watch 1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.
20009 202-234-8494 (phone) 202-234-8584 (fax)
*****************************************************************
6 TODAYonline: Break oil's stranglehold: Think nuclear
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Jaya Prakash
CONSIDERING that Singapore's population is projected to increase
over the next few years, the country may face a problem regarding
energy resources.
Oil prices are hovering around US$50. And Singapore's confident
and rosy economic forecast for this year hinges on oil prices
that do not continue to climb.
But as Singapore's economy is linked to the vagaries of the
global marketplace, the country's fortunes could be subjected to
a roller coaster ride.
With China and India modernising their economies rapidly and
gulping down more oil than ever, these roller coaster rides look
set to get dizzier. .
Is there a major problem in the offing? Will Singapore be
compelled to look for alternative energy sources to reduce our
dependence on oil?.One option is nuclear power.
And, before the nay-sayers dismiss the idea of nuclear energy,
remember that Singapore has decided to turn to the desalination
of sea water to increase its sources of fresh water.
One would think that being in an area where rains falls almost
daily and there is an abundance of water from rivers in
neighbouring countries, the need to opt for distillation should
not have arisen. But it never hurts to have more options.
Fresh water can be obtained from sea water by boiling it and
then, condensing the vapour. But alternative technologies, such
as multi-effect distillation and reverse osmosis, can provide
cheaper drinking water.
And research by Singapore's universities could eventually result
in new ways of raising the supply of water for Singaporeans at a
cost comparable to what is being provided by rain and river.
In time, with cost-effective desalination plants, the spectre of
being short of drinking water may never arise again in Singapore.
.Of course, environmentalists may view nuclear power as flirting
with a dangerous energy source but in an era of rising energy
needs and constant price fluctuations, nuclear power is the
world's next best hope. And Singapore is no exception.
"Nuclear power is clean from an emissions point of view," says Ms
Carin de Villiers, a spokeswoman for Eskom, a company that plans
to introduce new-generation nuclear power to South Africa.
It is true that there are other safer sources such as wind,
hydroelectric power, sea waves and geothermal power, but they are
not possible in the Singapore context. .Singapore's situation can
be compared to that of Israel – which has a population of 6.5
million, not much more than Singapore's 4 million – as both rely
on external sources of energy to service growing industries.
Israel uses nuclear reactors to help ensure it can meet its power
needs.
South Africa and China also run nuclear power stations, using
pebble bed modular reactor technology, where every grain of
uranium has its own protective casing able to withstand extreme
heat. This will not only prevent a meltdown but the system also
produces much less waste than traditional ones. .Singapore, if it
opts for a nuclear power station, could share the high
operational costs by entering into a venture with neighbouring
countries, Malaysia and Indonesia – nations with depleting oil
and energy resources. This joint endeavour would provide
economies of scale in the training of personnel, the erection of
plants and joint waste disposal.
A three-nation operation could be necessary as it is envisaged
that it would require about 30 plants for a nuclear-based power
generating system to break even. The joint operation would also
provide for all partners to enjoy a common stake in one another's
well-being and prosperity.
Let's think nuclear. Many other nations have already chosen to go
this route.
The writer lectures in journalism at FIS Education Centre. If you
have a view on this, email news@newstoday.com.sg
Copyright ©2003 MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved. Terms
*****************************************************************
7 [NukeNet] France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:19:29 -0800
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/business/worldbusiness/11areva.html
France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
Areva via Bloomberg News
An Areva-built nuclear power plant in
Civaux, France. Industry growth is expected in
Asia.
By NICOLA CLARK
Published: November 11, 2004
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Alastair Miller/Bloomberg News
Anne Lauvergeon, chief
executive, is trying to position Areva to compete
for global business.
Correction Appended
PARIS, Nov. 10 - The French government forged
ahead on Wednesday with a plan to sell a one-third
stake in the nuclear power group Areva on the
Paris stock exchange early next year - a
transaction that could raise more than 3.5 billion
euros ($4.51 billion).
The sale, expected in the first half of 2005,
would increase the portion of Areva's shares that
are publicly traded to 35 to 40 percent, France's
finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, said in a
statement.
The partial privatization of Areva, the world's
largest maker of nuclear reactors, comes as the
government-owned company is trying to raise its
international profile.
The company is competing for an $8 billion
contract from China to build four nuclear
reactors. Last month it began a $250 million
project for the United States government to
convert weapons-grade plutonium into mixed-oxide
fuel rods for civilian use.
Areva has a market value of more than 10 billion
euros ($12.9 billion), based on a closing price
Wednesday of 288.80 euros for nonvoting investment
certificates.
The company had a net profit of 243 million euros
($313 million) in the first half of this year.
Last week the company said, without giving its
earnings, that its group revenue for the fiscal
year to Sept. 30 rose by 31.6 percent, to 7.7
billion euros.
"We are ready,'' Areva's chief executive, Anne
Lauvergeon, said of the share sale. "This increase
in our float capital will provide us with the
resources we need to continue expanding.''
The government said the proceeds of the share
offering would be used to help cover the costs of
dismantling 15 nuclear sites run by the
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, the nuclear
power agency that holds the bulk of the
government's stake in the company.
Denis Guelen, an analyst at the French brokerage
Fideuram Wargny, said that growth prospects for
the nuclear power sector remained moderate,
especially in Europe, where political opposition
to nuclear power is still strong. But soaring
economic growth in Asia and increasing awareness
of the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,
along with the desire to renovate and upgrade
existing nuclear sites in North America and
Russia, will combine to guarantee "solid
fundamentals'' for the industry in the decades to
come, he said.
Mr. Sarkozy announced the Areva share sale just
weeks before his planned resignation at the end of
this month. France's most popular politician, Mr.
Sarkozy is running for head of the governing
Conservative Party before an expected bid for the
French presidency in 2007.
In his final months in office, Mr. Sarkozy has
sought to accelerate the privatization of a number
of government-run companies, seeking cash to
reduce a government deficit that is expected to
reach 50 billion euros this year, about 3.6
percent of gross domestic product.
On Tuesday, the government-owned Société
d'Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône, Europe's
third-biggest toll-road operator, began selling up
to 1.35 billion euros in shares; in September, the
state sold 5.1 billion euros worth of shares in
France Télécom, bringing its stake in the phone
company below 50 percent for the first time. In
June, Mr. Sarkozy oversaw the sale of a 35 percent
stake in the aircraft engine maker Snecma, raising
1.15 billion euros.
In addition to Areva, other government-owned
groups slated for partial privatization next year
include the utility group Électricité de France
and Aéroports de Paris, the operator of the
capital's two main airports, Roissy-Charles de
Gaulle and Orly.
Correction: Nov. 13, 2004, Saturday
An article in World Business on Thursday about a
French government plan to sell a one-third stake
in the nuclear power group Areva misstated the
period for the company's 7.7 billion euros in
revenue ($9.9 billion). It was the first nine
months of this year, not the 12 months ended in
September. Because of an editing error, the
article also misstated the political affiliation
of the finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who
announced the sale. It is the Union for a Popular
Movement, a conservative party. (There is no
French Conservative Party.)
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8 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: Big Dig has implications for Nevada
Today: November 15, 2004 at 9:05:38 PST
LAS VEGAS SUN
We don't have a nickname for the work going on at Yucca
Mountain 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, although we could
easily refer to it as the "Big Mistake." Gigantic tunnels and
caverns are being built underneath the mountain to hold the
nation's high-level nuclear waste until it ceases being a fatal
threat to human beings. That would be several hundred thousand
years from now, making the whole notion of underground burial --
in a seismically active area, no less -- preposterous on its
face.
In Boston they do have a nickname for their biggest project.
They call it the "Big Dig." It's a highway re-routing and
rebuilding job that's been going on since 1991, around the time
work on Yucca Mountain started. It's designed to streamline
Boston's notorious traffic, and it involved tunneling under
Boston Harbor to Logan Airport. The nearly finished project
would merit only passing interest in Las Vegas except for two
things: Hundreds of leaks are allowing millions of gallons of
water to pour into the tunnel. And the co-manager of the Big
Dig, Bechtel Corp., is the same corporation co-managing
construction at Yucca Mountain.
Bob Loux, director of the Nevada Nuclear Projects Agency, which
is fighting against the opening of Yucca Mountain, told the
Sun's Washington reporter, Benjamin Grove, that Bechtel's
problems with the Big Dig were no surprise to him. Loux cited
the many times Nevada has faulted Yucca Mountain contractors for
flawed science and shoddy work. Bechtel and its partner at Yucca
Mountain, Science Applications International Corp., are among
the defendants in a lawsuit filed by some Yucca workers, who
have alleged the companies ignored worker safety issues.
Bechtel, founded in 1898, is one of the world's biggest
engineering, construction and project-management firms. Having
completed thousands of projects all over the world, it is, on
paper, a highly reputable company. But how can it explain away
those leaks? Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney found the work so
abominable that he called for the resignation of the head of the
state's Turnpike Authority, which had oversight over Bechtel.
Here in Nevada, we must take note of this development in Boston
and ask the logical question: If the Big Dig tunnel is not safe
the moment it opens, how can we expect the tunnels inside Yucca
Mountain, whose workmanship is being overseen by the same
corporation, to be safe for several hundred thousand years?
*****************************************************************
9 deepikaglobal: 36,000 nuclear warheads a matter of concern: IAEA chief
deepikaglobal.com - National News Detail
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
36,000 nuclear warheads a matter of concern: IAEA chief
Mumbai, Nov 15 (UNI) International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Director General Mohamed ElBaradei today stressed on the need
for meaningful steps towards nuclear disarmament without any
delay, to make a world order in which nuclear weapons have no
place.
Dr ElBaradei, the chief of international nuclear watchdog,
currently on a visit to India, said nuclear arms control and
global security went hand-in-hand and the two must be addressed
in parallel.
''We have to reduce the nuclear exiting stock pile of nearly
36,000 warheads, which exists even after 30 years of NPT
(Non-Proliferation Treaty),'' he told reporters after
inaugurating a semimar on 'Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy:
Meeting Societal Needs' organised at Trombay by the Indian
Nuclear Society.
Earlier, inaugurating the seminar, he said that it should come
as no surprise that regions facing a security deficit are also
those where proliferation concerns exists the most.
''We must therefore, begin working together to address these
regional security deficits and to develop and establish a system
of collective security that does not depend on nuclear weapons.
Concrete dialogue on this issue, and on how to take meaningful
steps towards nuclear disarmament, should begin without delay,
because until such an alternative system is developed, we are
less likely to move away from the current reliance by some on
nuclear weapons for their perceived deterrent effect,'' he said.
Dr ElBaradei pointed out that India was one of the very few
states that has not acceded to the NPT and has made the choice
to pursue nuclear weapons.
''Nevertheless,'' he said, ''It is my hope that India will be
willing to continue and contribute its insights and ideas on how
we should move forward to strengthen regional and global
security, so that future generations can enjoy a security system
that transcends borders, is based on shared human values, and in
which nuclear weapons have no place.''
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10 France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 12:02:43 -0500
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/business/worldbusiness/11areva.html
France to Sell a Third of Its Nuclear Power Group
Areva via Bloomberg News
An Areva-built nuclear power plant in
Civaux, France. Industry growth is expected in
Asia.
By NICOLA CLARK
Published: November 11, 2004
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Alastair Miller/Bloomberg News
Anne Lauvergeon, chief
executive, is trying to position Areva to compete
for global business.
Correction Appended
PARIS, Nov. 10 - The French government forged
ahead on Wednesday with a plan to sell a one-third
stake in the nuclear power group Areva on the
Paris stock exchange early next year - a
transaction that could raise more than 3.5 billion
euros ($4.51 billion).
The sale, expected in the first half of 2005,
would increase the portion of Areva's shares that
are publicly traded to 35 to 40 percent, France's
finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, said in a
statement.
The partial privatization of Areva, the world's
largest maker of nuclear reactors, comes as the
government-owned company is trying to raise its
international profile.
The company is competing for an $8 billion
contract from China to build four nuclear
reactors. Last month it began a $250 million
project for the United States government to
convert weapons-grade plutonium into mixed-oxide
fuel rods for civilian use.
Areva has a market value of more than 10 billion
euros ($12.9 billion), based on a closing price
Wednesday of 288.80 euros for nonvoting investment
certificates.
The company had a net profit of 243 million euros
($313 million) in the first half of this year.
Last week the company said, without giving its
earnings, that its group revenue for the fiscal
year to Sept. 30 rose by 31.6 percent, to 7.7
billion euros.
"We are ready,'' Areva's chief executive, Anne
Lauvergeon, said of the share sale. "This increase
in our float capital will provide us with the
resources we need to continue expanding.''
The government said the proceeds of the share
offering would be used to help cover the costs of
dismantling 15 nuclear sites run by the
Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, the nuclear
power agency that holds the bulk of the
government's stake in the company.
Denis Guelen, an analyst at the French brokerage
Fideuram Wargny, said that growth prospects for
the nuclear power sector remained moderate,
especially in Europe, where political opposition
to nuclear power is still strong. But soaring
economic growth in Asia and increasing awareness
of the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,
along with the desire to renovate and upgrade
existing nuclear sites in North America and
Russia, will combine to guarantee "solid
fundamentals'' for the industry in the decades to
come, he said.
Mr. Sarkozy announced the Areva share sale just
weeks before his planned resignation at the end of
this month. France's most popular politician, Mr.
Sarkozy is running for head of the governing
Conservative Party before an expected bid for the
French presidency in 2007.
In his final months in office, Mr. Sarkozy has
sought to accelerate the privatization of a number
of government-run companies, seeking cash to
reduce a government deficit that is expected to
reach 50 billion euros this year, about 3.6
percent of gross domestic product.
On Tuesday, the government-owned Société
d'Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône, Europe's
third-biggest toll-road operator, began selling up
to 1.35 billion euros in shares; in September, the
state sold 5.1 billion euros worth of shares in
France Télécom, bringing its stake in the phone
company below 50 percent for the first time. In
June, Mr. Sarkozy oversaw the sale of a 35 percent
stake in the aircraft engine maker Snecma, raising
1.15 billion euros.
In addition to Areva, other government-owned
groups slated for partial privatization next year
include the utility group Électricité de France
and Aéroports de Paris, the operator of the
capital's two main airports, Roissy-Charles de
Gaulle and Orly.
Correction: Nov. 13, 2004, Saturday
An article in World Business on Thursday about a
French government plan to sell a one-third stake
in the nuclear power group Areva misstated the
period for the company's 7.7 billion euros in
revenue ($9.9 billion). It was the first nine
months of this year, not the 12 months ended in
September. Because of an editing error, the
article also misstated the political affiliation
of the finance minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, who
announced the sale. It is the Union for a Popular
Movement, a conservative party. (There is no
French Conservative Party.)
*****************************************************************
11 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting Nov. 22-23 on Analyzing Nuclear Power Plant Fire Hazards
News Release - 2004-14 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office
of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC
20555-0001 E-mail: No. 04-143 November 15, 2004
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting
Nov. 22-23 in Rockville, Md., to discuss state-of-the-art
methods for performing fire hazard calculations at nuclear power
plants.
The meeting will focus on the NRCs report, NUREG-1805, Fire
Dynamics Tools (FDT) - Quantitative Fire Hazard Analysis Methods
for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Fire Protection
Inspection Program. The report will help agency inspectors
perform initial analyses of potential fire scenarios, using
principles of fire dynamics. Both NRC inspectors and plant
operators can use this reports tools to examine fires capable
of damaging the equipment necessary to safely shut down a
nuclear power plant. All U.S. nuclear power plants must have
fire protection plans that meet NRC requirements for safely
dealing with fires.
The meeting will be held in the Auditorium of Two White Flint
North, 11545 Rockville Pike, from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. both
days. Copies of NUREG-1805 and a CD of the reports software
tools will be provided. NRC staff will discuss each of the fire
dynamics tools in detail. Participants are encouraged to bring
laptop computers with Microsoft Excel 2000 installed (full
batteries are recommended due to limited AC outlets) to work
sample problems along with the instructors.
The NRC issued a draft version of the report in June 2003 for
public comment and technical peer review. Stakeholder and
reviewer comments were taken into account in preparing the final
report, which is available on the NRC's Web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1805
/.
Any technical questions regarding NUREG-1805 should be sent via
e-mail to Naeem Iqbal () or Mark Salley (), faxed to (301)
415-2300, or sent by regular mail to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Mail Stop
O11-A11, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. Any questions concerning
the November public meeting should be sent to James Downs via
e-mail at .
Last revised Monday, November 15, 2004
*****************************************************************
12 TRN: Maine Yankee's decommissioning seen as model for nuclear industry
Times Record News
www.timesrecord.com
Bob_Kalish@TimesRecord.Com 11/15/2004
BRUNSWICK The best view from the fourth floor at Fort Andross
belongs to Ted Feigenbaum, the president and CEO of Maine Yankee.
But no matter how long and how hard he stares out the window at
the Androscoggin River and Topsham below, he can't see Maine
Yankee. Or, more precisely, what is left of the Maine Yankee
Atomic Power Plant.
Feigenbaum, who has held his position for more than a year, and
Eric Howes, official spokesman for Maine Yankee and its director
of government affairs, now share a suite of offices in Fort
Andross. Their move from the site of the former nuclear power
plant in Wiscasset to an office suite in Brunswick is the latest
and one of the last phases of the lengthy decommissioning for the
power plant.
The last building to be demolished on Bailey Point is the one
housing the administrative offices. As the decommissioning
process winds down, Feigenbaum and Howes have become itinerant
executives.
"We're here until March," Feigenbaum said Wednesday.
Howes has been with Maine Yankee since 1993, when it was still an
operating power plant. When the decision was made back in 1996 to
close the plant rather than invest in an expensive project to fix
a myriad of problems that had been identified at Maine Yankee,
employees had a choice to seek employment at another power plant
or stay on until the final decommissioning. Howes chose the
latter, and he and the other employees of Maine Yankee who
decided to stay have seen something no one else has: The
country's first dismantling of a nuclear power plant.
"It's been pretty exciting," Howes said. "Keep in mind that Maine
Yankee was the first large atomic power reactor to be
decommissioned. It was so new, we were all setting precedent,
doing what was never done before. Us, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, the state of Maine, the town of Wiscasset, going
along without a precedent, feeling our way."
As he prepares for life after Maine Yankee, Howes takes a
historical perspective. He believes that as the first plant to be
decommissioned, it will be regarded historically as a success
and proof that a nuclear power plant can be safely and
efficiently dismantled.
That process has been so successful that from now until March,
the staff runs things from about 20 miles away as its old office
building is torn down. All that will remain in Wiscasset is part
of the Central Maine Power Co. grid and about 600 tons of spent
nuclear fuel, stored in a Independent Spent Fuel Storage
Installation.
Maine Yankee has gone ahead with on-site storage of spent fuel
while at the same time joining other plants in a lawsuit against
the federal government for reneging on its promise and not taking
the fuel to a federal site.
Howes attributes much of the success of the decommissioning
process to the Community Advisory Panel on Decommissioning. The
panel was formed at the beginning of the process to help the
company regain public confidence after a series of events led to
the decision to close the plant in late 1996. At that time,
public confidence in Maine Yankee and in nuclear power in general
was low and relations with the local community and state
regulators were not good.
"The whole CAP process was exemplary," Howes said. "When you
think of what happened finally, the Eaton Farm taken over by
Chewonki, the land north of Ferry Road being developed, it's all
quite remarkable and its been gratifying for us at Maine Yankee
to see such good results."
National RE/sources, which is redeveloping the Mason Station
property, bought about 430 acres of Maine Yankee land from the
town and construction has already begun for a technology or
"i.park" park development.
The Community Advisory Panel was unique because it was
deliberately created to encompass every facet of the controversy
surrounding nuclear power. The members of the panel ranged in
their views from those opposed, such as anti-nuclear activist Ray
Shadis of Edgecomb and his group, Friends of the Coast Opposing
Nuclear Pollution, to environmental groups like Chewonki
Foundation to members of the Maine Legislature to town officials
to the state nuclear safety adviser.
"I do believe this decommissioning's success stems from the CAP,"
Howes said. The future of the advisory panel has not been
decided, but Howes thinks as long as there is Maine Yankee and
the spent fuel being stored on site, there will be some kind of
community group to serve as watchdog.
"Just what it will be hasn't been set," he said.
Before Maine Yankee, Howes worked in the regional office of U.S.
Sen. William Cohen. But since 1993 his job has consisted of
taking highly technical information and making it understandable
to the average person, or at least to the average media person.
"That was the most challenging part of the job," he said.
"Sitting down with these engineers and having them explain to me
how they did something, or how something works."
When decommissioning is completed in March and the site has been
returned to its original condition, Howes, 48, will probably be
out of a job. He has no definite plans.
"I've been so busy with decommissioning, I haven't given my
future a great deal of thought," he said.
(C) 2004 All Rights Reserved
*****************************************************************
13 NRC: Establishment of the U.S. Department of Energy as the Long-Term
FR Doc 04-25257
[Federal Register: November 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 219)]
[Notices] [Page 65661] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr15no04-111] [[Page 65661]]
Custodian of the L-Bar Uranium Mill Tailings Site Near Seboyeta,
NM, and Termination of the Sohio Western Mining Company Source
Materials License for the L-Bar Site AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of establishment of the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) as the long-term custodian of the L-Bar uranium mill
tailings site near Seboyeta, New Mexico, under the general
license provisions of 10 CFR 40.28, and termination of the Sohio
Western Mining Company specific Source Materials License SUA-1472
for the L-Bar site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
------ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rick Weller, Project
Manager, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle
Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001. Telephone: (301) 415- 7287; fax number: (301)
415-5955; e-mail: rmw2@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction On September 22, 2004,
the Sohio Western Mining Company (SWMC) transferred ownership of
the L-Bar uranium mill tailings site near Seboyeta, New Mexico,
to the DOE, as required by 10 CFR 40, Appendix A, Criterion 11,
prior to termination of SWMC's specific license. Subsequently, by
letter dated October 13, 2004, the DOE submitted the final
Long-Term Surveillance Plan (LTSP) for the L-Bar site for review
by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Based on the
review of the LTSP, the NRC has determined that the LTSP
satisfies the requirements in 10 CFR part 40, Appendix A,
Criterion 12, and Sec. 40.28 for the long-term surveillance of a
tailings disposal site. Accordingly, notice is hereby given that
the NRC has accepted the LTSP for the L-Bar site. This acceptance
establishes the DOE as the long- term custodian and caretaker of
the L-Bar site under the general license specified in 10 CFR
40.28. In a concurrent action, the NRC has terminated the SWMC
specific Source Materials License SUA-1472 for the L-Bar site.
These actions complete all requirements for closure of the L-Bar
site under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of
1978, as amended. These actions do not require an environmental
assessment as they are categorically excluded under 10 CFR
51.22(c)(11). II. Further Information The NRC has prepared
correspondence which documents the actions that establish the DOE
as the long-term custodian of the L-Bar site under the general
license specified in 10 CFR 40.28 and terminate the SWMC specific
Source Materials License SUA-1472 for the L-Bar site. In
accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,''
copies of this correspondence, as well as the L-Bar LTSP
submitted by DOE letter dated October 13, 2004, are available
electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can
access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System
(ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public
documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for the documents related
to this notice are listed below. If you do not have access to
ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located
in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference
staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to
pdr@nrc.gov. Documents Related to This Notice 1. Letter dated
October 13, 2004, from J. Sink, DOE, to G. Janosko, NRC,
submitting the final LTSP for the L-Bar site. ML042920474. 2.
Letter dated October 21, 2004, from G. Janosko, NRC, to J. Sink,
DOE, accepting the final LTSP for the L-Bar site. ML043020020. 3.
Letter dated October 21, 2004, from G. Janosko, NRC, to J.
Trummel, Kennecott Energy Company, terminating the SWMC specific
Source Materials License SUA-1472 for the L-Bar site.
ML043020032. These documents may also be viewed electronically on
the public computers located at the NRC's PDR, O 1 F21, One White
Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR
reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee.
Dated in Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of November, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Gary S. Janosko, Chief, Fuel Cycle Facilities Branch, Division of
Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 04-25257 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
14 MaineToday: Maine Yankee admininistration building comes down
mainetoday.com
WISCASSET, Maine As the Maine Yankee decommissioning proceeds,
company officials have been forced to take up temporary quarters
as the administrative office building is demolished piece by
piece.
Three double-wide trailers have been set up for workers taking
part in the decommissioning, while Ted Feigenbaum, Maine Yankee
president and CEO, has moved into an office at Fort Andross in
Brunswick.
The administrative offices and two warehouses that are being
demolished are among the few reminders of the 900-megawatt
nuclear power plant that produced electricity during 24 years of
operation.
The domed containment building that was knocked down by
explosives in September has been replaced by several piles of
rubble.
As the work continues, Manafort Bros. of Connecticut is in the
process of conducting a final status survey to ensure that all
radioactivity is removed before the decommissioning is finished
this spring.
By the time decommissioning is completed, it will have cost $500
million. All that will remain are a security building and the
storage facility where canisters hold the highly radioactive fuel
rods.
Those spent fuel assemblies will remain until the federal
government follows through with its promise to build a repository
for high-level radioactive waste. The earliest that is expected
to happen is 2010.
One of the final tasks for Maine Yankee is putting into place a
corporate structure to oversee the management and security of the
spent fuel storage facility, said spokesman Eric Howes.
"Maine Yankee Corporation will continue as an entity as long as
the spent fuel is there," Howes said. "The company´s mission is
becoming an interim spent fuel storage facility."
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15 MSNBC: New nuclear opportunity for companies
By Justin Rubner Atlanta Business ChronicleUpdated: 7:00 p.m.
ET Nov. 14, 2004
With a pro-nuclear president back in office for a second term
and public fear waning 25 years after the Three Mile Island
disaster, interest in nuclear power is at an all-time high.
That could mean big opportunity for two power-generation leaders
in Atlanta: GE Energy and Southern Co. (NYSE: SO). In April the
two companies helped launch a first-of-its-kind nuclear
consortium, Pennsylvania-based NuStart Energy Development LLC. On
Nov. 4, NuStart received a commitment from the Department of
Energy to fund a new program designed to streamline the long,
complicated and expensive process of applying for a permit to
build a new nuclear power plant. The DOE also will fund another
consortium, Virginia-based Dominion.
DOE funding could save reactor developers such as GE Energy
hundreds of millions of dollars, as the agency will kick in
roughly half of all expenses associated with obtaining
construction and operating licenses. The new process also will
save time -- potentially years -- because it allows companies to
apply for both licenses at once.
"It's a very positive sign," said NuStart President Marilyn Kray.
"The fact we were formed at all is positive. We have both
individually and collectively [emphasized] that the nuclear
option needs to be preserved. Now, the DOE shares that vision."
On Nov. 2, several pro-nuke U.S. House and Senate members were
elected, industry watchers say. And with natural gas prices
shooting up, many believe the pendulum is swinging in favor of
the nuclear industry.
It has been 31 years since the last new nuclear plant was
licensed, eight years since the last one was built. Nuclear
reactor makers, which have been selling overseas for years, have
been pushing the U.S. power industry to take the leap once again.
Power companies, on the other hand, have been waiting for a
strong commitment from the federal government to proceed.
Marietta-based GE Energy will be vying against fellow NuStart
member Westinghouse Electric Co. to build a next-generation
reactor that could be in place as early as 2010.
GE Energy's nuclear division in Wilmington, N.C., has designed
the new reactor, which still has to get final clearance from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). GE Energy, a division of
General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), has eight major nuclear reactors
operating in Canada; Japan; Spain; San Jose, Calif.; Wilmington
and Huntersville, N.C. The company is almost finished building
one in Taiwan.
NuStart will work with both reactor-makers to get them certified
with the NRC. But the consortium will pick only one for the
operating license, Kray said.
Both GE Energy and Westinghouse are powerhouses in the industry.
"We believe we have an extremely competitive reactor," said Andy
White, CEO of GE Energy's nuclear division. "And we do believe we
have a superior design. But we're both headed in the right
direction."
Where the reactor will go -- no matter which manufacturer is
picked -- is up in the air. The Dominion consortium has indicated
a virgin site is possible. White, however, said the consensus
within NuStart is to build next to an existing plant.
Building on an existing site makes sense politically, White said,
because nuclear power is so controversial. It also makes sense
from a power-generation standpoint: The previous generation of
reactors were not built to their full potential.
Southern, a member of NuStart along with eight other power
companies, operates three nuclear plants in Augusta, Baxley and
Dothan, Ala. About 17 percent of its energy comes from those
plants.
Although Southern has been an active member of NuStart, the
company has not publicly announced immediate plans to build a new
plant. Steve Higginbottom, spokesman for Southern's nuclear
division in Birmingham, Ala., said the company at this point is
participating only to study the costs and risks.
Nonetheless, Higginbottom said, the climate is ripe for nuclear
power, with the decreased financial risks associated with the DOE
announcement coupled with the current political climate.
"Because of the Bush Administration's interest, we're seeing more
activity than we've seen in a while," Higginbottom said.
But by no means will building the nation's next nuclear plant be
without controversy. Several public interest groups, such as
Public Citizen, have lambasted the DOE's plan, complaining that
the agency gave the nuclear industry a carte blanche green light
without reviewing where the next plant would go. Public Citizen
cites concerns over terrorism and especially waste disposal. One
proposed repository, Yucca Mountain in Nevada, has attracted a
firestorm of opposition, not to mention lawsuits.
But with all the concern, nuclear power already is a mainstay.
There are 103 nuclear power plants in the United States,
supplying about 20 percent of the country's power. Coal,
meanwhile, makes up about 50 percent, with natural gas and other
sources making up the rest. Nuclear backers say that to maintain
the diverse mix of energy, new plants must be built to replace
aging ones.
"This is not to say nuclear should replace the others," said
NuStart's Kray. "But if you look at the need, the environmental
issues, the greater need for energy diversity and the rising
price of natural gas, this strongly suggests the need to maintain
and perhaps expand the role of nuclear." © 2004 Atlanta Business
Chronicle
© 2004 MSNBC.com
  © 2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms
*****************************************************************
16 Scotsman: Nuclear Accident Response Exercise Planned
Scotsman.com
Mon 15 Nov 2004
"PA"
Plymouth’s Naval Base is to stage a nuclear accident response
exercise on November 24 and 25.
It is designed to test emergency response procedures in the event
of a reactor accident on board a nuclear-powered submarine
berthed at Devonport Naval Base.
It is a joint response exercise including Plymouth City Council,
Devon and Cornwall Police, local councils and health authorities,
as well as Royal Naval and civilian personnel in the base.
Personnel in the Navy Base will take shelter or be evacuated to
shelter stations within the base.
©2004 Scotsman.com | contact
*****************************************************************
17 NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding
FR Doc 04-25258
[Federal Register: November 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 219)]
[Notices] [Page 65659-65660] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr15no04-109]
of No Significant Impact for License Amendment for Release of
Facility for Unrestricted Use for the Department of Veterans
Affairs Chicago Health Care System Lakeside Campus--Medical
Sciences Building, Chicago, IL AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William Snell, Senior Health
Physicist, Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Material
Safety, Region III, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2443
Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532; telephone: (630)
829-9871; fax number: (630) 515-1259; e-mail: wgs@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is issuing a license amendment to Material
License No. 03-23853-01VA issued to the Department of Veterans
Affairs (DVA) (the licensee), to authorize release of its Chicago
Health Care System, Lakeside Campus--Medical Sciences Building in
Chicago, Illinois for unrestricted use, and has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this amendment in
accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 51. Based on the
EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) is appropriate. The amendment will be issued following
the publication of this notice.
II. EA Summary The purpose of the proposed amendment is to allow
for the release of the licensee's Chicago, Illinois facility for
unrestricted use. The DVA has occupied the Chicago Health Care
System, Lakeside Campus-- Medical Sciences Building since 1978,
and during that period was authorized to use byproduct, source,
and special nuclear material for medical diagnosis, therapy, and
research. The Chicago, Illinois facility is a permittee under the
DVA NRC Master Material License (MML) Number 03-23853-01VA, and
on October 1, 2004, requested the NRC release the facility for
unrestricted use. The approval is consistent with a March 17,
2003, Letter of Understanding (LOU) between the NRC and DVA for
DVA permittees. The LOU requires the DVA to submit for NRC
review, permittee requests for the release of buildings for
unrestricted use where radioactive materials with a half-life
greater than 120 days were used. The DVA identified four isotopes
with half-lives greater than 120 days that it used in the Medical
Sciences Building: hydrogen-3, carbon- 14, sodium-22, and
chlorine-36. The DVA has conducted surveys of the facility and
provided information to the NRC to demonstrate that the site
meets the licensee termination criteria in subpart E of 10 CFR
part 20 for unrestricted release.
The staff has prepared an EA in support of the proposed license
amendment. Based on its review, the staff determined there were
no radiological or non-radiological environmental impacts
associated with the action since no radiological remediation
activities were required to complete the proposed action. The
staff has determined that the proposed action is administrative
and/or procedural in nature and will not affect listed species or
critical habitat. Likewise, NRC staff has determined that the
proposed action is not the type of activity that has the
potential to cause effects on historic properties because it is
an administrative and/or procedural action.
III. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has prepared an
EA in support of the proposed license amendment to release the
site for unrestricted use. The staff has found that the
radiological environmental impacts from the proposed amendment
are bounded by the impacts evaluated by NUREG-1496, Volumes 1-3,
``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support of Rulemaking
on Radiological Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed
Facilities'' (ML042310492, ML042320379, and ML042330385). The
staff has also found that the non-radiological impacts are not
significant. On the basis of the EA, NRC has concluded that there
are no significant environmental impacts from the proposed
amendment and has determined not to prepare an environmental
impact statement.
IV. Further Information Documents related to this action,
including the application for amendment and supporting
documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's
Electronic Reading Room at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can
access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System
(ADAMS), which provides text
[[Page 65660]] and image files of NRC's public documents. The
ADAMS accession numbers for the documents related to this notice
are: the DVA letter dated October 1, 2004 (Accession No.
ML042920457); the Final Status Survey Report, VA
Chicago--Lakeside Campus, Medical Sciences Building, September 9,
2004 (Accession No. ML042920463); and the EA summarized above
(Accession No. ML043010491). Please note that on October 25,
2004, the NRC terminated public access to ADAMS and 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 may obtain copies of the referenced
documents for review and/or copying by contacting the Public
Document Room pending resumption of public access to ADAMS. The
NRC Public Documents Room is located at NRC Headquarters in
Rockville, MD, and can be contacted at (800) 397-4209, (301)
415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. These documents may also be
viewed electronically on the public computers located at the
NRC's PDR, O 1 F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee.
Dated in Lisle, Illinois, this 4th day of November 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Kenneth G. O'Brien, Chief,
Decommissioning Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety,
Region III.
[FR Doc. 04-25258 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
18 ITAR-TASS: Russia set to develop nuclear energy cooperation with Japan
15.11.2004, 07.22
KYOTO, November 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Academician Yevgeny
Velikhov who is attending the first World Scientific Forum in
Kyoto told Itar-Tass on Monday that Russia was determined to
develop active cooperation with Japan in nuclear energy.
At the same time, Velikhov, the president of the Moscow-based
Kurchatov Institute, refused to disclose the scale of the deals
with nuclear fuel, which Tokyo used to receive from the United
States.
“There is business going on,” the academician said in this
connection.
Velikhov noted that Russia and Japan had goods prospects for
developing cooperation in the nuclear sphere. This cooperation
could include joint projects for the use of fast neutron
reactors as well as Russia’s possibility to organize a centre
for the storage and processing of spent nuclear fuel.
Velikhov noted that the fuel could be processed in Japan on
Russian-type reactors. The academician believes that such
cooperation will contribute to preserving the existing Russian
technologies and will ensure their further development. Velikhov
also said that an opportunity for trilateral cooperation could
be created if the United States joined those projects.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
19 Sofia Morning News: Bulgarian Court Dumps Anti-Belene Eco Claim
[Sofia News Agency]
novinite.com
Business: 15 November 2004, Monday.
A three-member jury of Supreme Administrative Court has ruled out
as inadmissible the claim of a Bulgarian environmentalist
movement against the construction of Belene nuclear site.
The magistrates concluded that the government had actually
adopted no decision on April 2004 to launch the construction of
the nuclear unit that was argued by the environmental
organisation "Ecoglasnost".
The ruling can be appealed at a five-member jury within seven
days.
The construction works of Bulgaria's second nuclear plant was
re-launched following a political decision, the government
spokesperson Dimitar Tsonev commented on Monday. He pointed out
that numerous procedures and tenders on the selection of a
nuclear unit were still ahead to be decided.
At a press conference on Monday environmentalists claimed that
the future-to-be plant will rise on a seismically active land and
called on the government to back up its decision of Belene with
argumentation on the economic and environmental advantages of the
project as located at Belene.[ width=]
NOVINITE.COM
All Rights Reserved © Novinite Ltd., 2001-2004 - Copyright
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency -
www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news
provider in English that informs its readers about the latest
Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily
*****************************************************************
20 Sofia Daily News: Bulgaria's Cabinet Brought to Court by Greenpeace
[Sofia News Agency]
novinite.com
Politics: 15 November 2004, Monday.
The Bulgarian High Administrative Court is to view Monday the
claim, filed by the International Organisation Greenpeace against
Government's decision for the building of Belene, Bulgaria's
second nuclear power plant.
The claim is filed by Jan Haverkamp, Greenpeace Regional
Coordinator for Central and Eastern Europe, the Chairman of the
Montana Section of the National Movement Ekoglasnost, Petar
Penchev announced.
In May 2004 Penchev initiated legal proceedings against the 29
April 2004 Cabinet's decision to launch the project of building
the Belene plant. He was supported by Greenpeace Organisation.
He demands the discussion of three issues - the impact on the
environment, changes in the economy and management of the
radioactive waste.
NOVINITE.COM
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency -
www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news
provider in English that informs its readers about the latest
Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily
*****************************************************************
21 NRC: Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste; Notice of Meeting
FR Doc 04-25259
[Federal Register: November 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 219)]
[Notices] [Page 65660] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr15no04-110]
The Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) will hold its
155th meeting on November 16-18, 2004, Room T-2B3, 11545
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.
The schedule for this meeting is as follows: Tuesday, November
16, 2004 10:30 a.m.-10:40 a.m.: Opening Statement (Open)--The
ACNW Chairman will open the meeting with brief opening remarks.
10:40 a.m.-11:40 a.m.: NMSS Division Directors' Semi-Annual
Briefing (Open)--The Committee will be briefed by the Director,
Division of High Level Waste Repository Safety and the Director,
Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection on
recent activities of interest.
11:40 a.m.-12:40 p.m.: International Transportation Meetings
(Open)-- The Director, SFPO will report on recent international
transportation- related meetings/activities of interest.
2 p.m.-3 p.m.: Format and Content of the U.S. Department of
Energy Yucca Mountain License Application (Open)--The Committee
will be briefed by a DOE representative on the general DOE format
and content of the forthcoming DOE license application.
3:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m.: ACNW 2005 Action Plan (Open)--The ACNW
Committee will continue its discussion of potential topics for
inclusion in its draft 2005 Action Plan.
Wednesday, November 17, 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.: Working Group Planning Session (Open)--The
Committee Members will discuss potential future activities
including proposed 2005 working group meetings.
10 a.m.-12 Noon: Preparation of ACNW Reports (Open)--The
Committee will discuss potential ACNW reports on matters
discussed during this meeting. It may also discuss possible
reports on matters discussed during prior meetings.
Thursday, November 18, 2004 8:30 a.m.-8:35 a.m.: Opening Remarks
by the ACNW Chairman (Open)--The Chairman will make opening
remarks regarding the conduct of today's sessions.
8:35 a.m.-12 Noon: 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 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 4:00 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://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html or
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/ (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.
Dated: November 8, 2004.
Andrew L. Bates, Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-25259 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
22 NRC: NRC Enforcement Policy
FR Doc 04-25260
[Federal Register: November 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 219)]
[Notices] [Page 65657-65659] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr15no04-108]
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Policy statement: revision.
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is revising its
General Statement of Policy and Procedure for NRC Enforcement
Actions (NUREG-1600) (Enforcement Policy or Policy) to include an
administrative change that provides that the appropriate Regional
Administrator will issue all Notices of Enforcement Discretion
(NOEDs) for power reactors.
DATES: This revision is effective November 15, 2004. Comments on
this revision to the Enforcement Policy may be submitted on or
before December 15, 2004.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to: Michael T. Lesar, Chief,
Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services,
Office of Administration, Mail Stop: T6D59, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Hand deliver
comments to: 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between
7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m., Federal workdays. Copies of comments
received may be examined at the NRC Public Document Room, Room
O1F21, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD.
You may also e-mail comments to nrcrep@nrc.gov. The NRC maintains
the current Enforcement Policy on its Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov, select What We Do, Enforcement, then
Enforcement Policy.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Herbert N. Berkow, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001, (301) 415-1395, e-mail (HNB@nrc.gov)
or Ren[eacute]e Pedersen, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, (301) 415-2742,
e-mail (RMP@nrc.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section VII.C of the Enforcement
Policy describes the circumstances when the staff may exercise
enforcement discretion in the form of a NOED for power reactors.
On occasion, circumstances may arise where a licensee's
compliance with a Technical Specification (TS) Limiting Condition
for Operation (LCO) or other license condition would involve: (1)
An unnecessary plant transient; (2) performance of testing,
inspection, or system realignment that is inappropriate with the
specific plant conditions; or, (3) unnecessary delays in plant
startup without a corresponding health and safety benefit. The
staff may also grant enforcement discretion in cases involving
severe weather or other natural phenomena. This decision is based
upon balancing the public health and safety or common defense and
security of not operating against the potential radiological or
other hazards associated with continued operation, resulting in a
determination that safety will not be impacted unacceptably by
exercising this discretion. The Commission is to be informed
expeditiously following the granting of a NOED in such
situations.
In these circumstances, the NRC staff may choose to not enforce
the applicable TS or other license condition. This enforcement
discretion, designated as a NOED, is only exercised if the NRC
staff is clearly satisfied that the action is consistent with
protecting the public health and safety. NRC guidance for
implementing the NOED policy for power reactors is provided in
the NRC Inspection Manual Part 9900 guidance.
The Enforcement Policy and implementing guidance have
historically recognized the distinction between: (1) Those
instances where a noncompliance is temporary and nonrecurring
when an amendment is not practical, and (2) those instances where
a noncompliance will occur during the brief period of time
required for the NRC staff to process an emergency or exigent
license amendment under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.91(a)(5) or
(6). In the first situation, the Regional Administrator has
issued the NOED and subsequently documented the decision for
granting the NOED. In the second situation, the Director, Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) has issued the NOED and
subsequently documented the decision for granting the NOED. In
other words, the current distinction between region-issued and
NRR-issued NOEDs for power reactors is based on the duration of
the NOED and whether or not a follow-up license amendment is
appropriate.
This revision of the Enforcement Policy eliminates the
distinction between region-issued and NRR-issued NOEDs for power
reactors.
Although historically most NOEDs have been issued and documented
by the cognizant regions without follow-up license amendments,
all NOED requests have been evaluated and decisions made jointly
by the regional and NRR staffs. Thus, the distinction is
unnecessary. The Enforcement Policy revision specifies that the
associated regional and headquarters staff will together
determine the appropriateness of granting a requested NOED. If
the NOED is determined to be appropriate, regional staff will
complete the documentation process associated with granting the
NOED.
The revision provides that, for all power reactor NOED
determinations, the Regional Administrator, or his or her
designee, may issue a NOED after consultation with headquarters
and therefore eliminates the need to categorize NOEDs as
regional- or headquarters- lead. This clarification will provide
a more predictable, clear, and consistent process for licensees
when requesting NRC to consider granting a NOED.
This policy revision, as well as other NOED process improvements,
was discussed with representatives of the Nuclear Energy
Institute (NEI) and other stakeholders at a public meeting with
the NRC staff on July 14, 2004. The NRC plans on completely
revising and reissuing its Part 9900 guidance later in the year.
In addition to the Enforcement Policy revision, other process
improvements include emphasizing that the license amendment
process should be used in preference to NOEDs whenever possible
and developing improved guidance to address the NOED request
requirement to demonstrate no net increase in radiological risk.
In addition, other concurrent improvements to the NOED process
will result in most NOEDs having follow-up license amendments
regardless of the NOED duration.
The revision to the Enforcement Policy is strictly administrative
in nature and will support simplification of the NOED process by
providing a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities
of NRC regional and headquarters staff associated with issuance
of NOEDs.
[[Page 65658]] It is anticipated that the Enforcement Policy
revision will have minimal, if any, impact on external
stakeholders.
Paperwork Reduction Act This policy statement does not contain
new or amended information collection requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) Existing
requirements were approved by the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), approval number 3150-0136. The approved information
collection requirements contained in this policy statement appear
in Section VII.C. Public Protection Notification The NRC may not
conduct or sponsor, and a person in not required to respond to,
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid
OMB control number.
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act In accordance
with the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of
1996, the NRC had determined that this action is not a major rule
and has verified this determination with the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB.
Accordingly, the proposed revision to the NRC Enforcement Policy
reads as follows: General Statement of Policy and Procedure for
NRC Enforcement Actions * * * * * VII. Exercise of Discretion * *
* * * C. Notice of Enforcement Discretion for Power Reactors and
Gaseous Diffusion Plants On occasion, circumstances may arise
where a power reactor's compliance with a Technical Specification
(TS) Limiting Condition for Operation or with other license
conditions would involve an unnecessary plant transient or
performance of testing, inspection, or system realignment that is
inappropriate with the specific plant conditions, or unnecessary
delays in plant startup without a corresponding health and safety
benefit. Similarly, for a gaseous diffusion plant (GDP),
circumstances may arise where compliance with a Technical Safety
Requirement (TSR) or technical specification or other certificate
condition would unnecessarily call for a total plant shutdown or,
notwithstanding that a safety, safeguards, or security feature
was degraded or inoperable, compliance would unnecessarily place
the plant in a transient or condition where those features could
be required.
In these circumstances, the NRC staff may choose not to enforce
the applicable TS, TSR, or other license or certificate
condition.
This enforcement discretion, designated as a Notice of
Enforcement Discretion (NOED), will only be exercised if the NRC
staff is clearly satisfied that the action is consistent with
protecting the public health and safety. The NRC staff may also
grant enforcement discretion in cases involving severe weather or
other natural phenomena, based upon balancing the public health
and safety or common defense and security of not operating
against the potential radiological or other hazards associated
with continued operation, and a determination that safety will
not be impacted unacceptably by exercising this discretion. The
Commission is to be informed expeditiously following the granting
of a NOED in these situations. A licensee or certificate holder
seeking the issuance of a NOED must provide a written
justification, or in circumstances where good cause is shown,
oral justification followed as soon as possible by written
justification, that documents the safety basis for the request
and provides whatever other information necessary for the NRC
staff to make a decision on whether to issue a NOED.
For power reactors, the appropriate Regional Administrator, or
his or her designee, may issue a NOED after consultation with the
Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, or his or her
designee, to determine the appropriateness of granting a NOED
where (1) the noncompliance is temporary and nonrecurring when an
amendment is not practical or (2) if the expected noncompliance
will occur during the brief period of time it requires the NRC
staff to process an emergency or exigent license amendment under
the provisions of 10 CFR 50.91 (a)(5() or (6). For gaseous
diffusion plants, the appropriate Regional Administrator, or his
or her designee, may issue and document a NOED where the
noncompliance is temporary and nonrecurring and when an amendment
is not practical. The Director, Office of Nuclear Materials
Safety and Safeguards, or his or her designee, may issue a NOED
if the expected noncompliance will occur during the brief period
of time it requires the NRC staff to process a certificate
amendment under 10 CFR 76.45. The person exercising enforcement
discretion will document the decision.
For an operating reactor, this exercise of enforcement discretion
is intended to minimize the potential safety consequences of
unnecessary plant transients with the accompanying operational
risks and impacts or to eliminate testing, inspection, or system
realignment which is inappropriate for the particular plant
conditions. For plants in a shutdown condition, exercising
enforcement discretion is intended to reduce shutdown risk by,
again, avoiding testing, inspection or system realignment which
is inappropriate for the particular plant conditions, in that, it
does not provide a safety benefit or may, in fact, be detrimental
to safety in the particular plant condition. Exercising
enforcement discretion for plants attempting to startup is less
likely than exercising it for an operating plant, as simply
delaying startup does not usually leave the plant in a condition
in which it could experience undesirable transients. In such
cases, the Commission would expect that discretion would be
exercised with respect to equipment or systems only when it has
at least concluded that, notwithstanding the conditions of the
license: (1) The equipment or system does not perform a safety
function in the mode in which operation is to occur; (2) the
safety function performed by the equipment or system is of only
marginal safety benefit, provided remaining in the current mode
increases the likelihood of an unnecessary plant transient; or
(3) the TS or other license condition requires a test,
inspection, or system realignment that is inappropriate for the
particular plant conditions, in that it does not provide a safety
benefit, or may, in fact, be detrimental to safety in the
particular plant condition.
For GDPs, the exercise of enforcement discretion would be used
where compliance with a certificate condition would involve an
unnecessary plant shutdown or, notwithstanding that a safety,
safeguards, or security feature was degraded or inoperable,
compliance would unnecessarily place the plant in a transient or
condition where those features could be required. Such regulatory
flexibility is needed because a total plant shutdown is not
necessarily the best response to a plant condition. GDPs are
designed to operate continuously and have never been shut down.
Although portions can be shut down for maintenance, the NRC staff
has been informed by the certificate holder that restart from a
total plant shutdown may not be practical and the staff agrees
that the design of a GDP
[[Page 65659]] does not make restart practical. Hence, the
decision to place either GDP in plant-wide shutdown condition
would be made only after determining that there is inadequate
safety, safeguards, or security and considering the total impact
of the shutdown on safety, the environment, safeguards, and
security. A NOED would not be used for noncompliances with other
than certificate requirements, or for situations where the
certificate holder cannot demonstrate adequate safety,
safeguards, or security.
The decision to exercise enforcement discretion does not change
the fact that a violation will occur nor does it imply that
enforcement discretion is being exercised for any violation that
may have led to the violation at issue. In each case where the
NRC staff has chosen to issue a NOED, enforcement action will
normally be taken for the root causes, to the extent violations
were involved, that led to the noncompliance for which
enforcement discretion was used. The enforcement action is
intended to emphasize that licensees and certificate holders
should not rely on the NRC's authority to exercise enforcement
discretion as a routine substitute for compliance or for
requesting a license or certificate amendment.
Finally, it is expected that the NRC staff will exercise
enforcement discretion in this area infrequently. Although a
plant must shut down, refueling activities may be suspended, or
plant startup may be delayed, absent the exercise of enforcement
discretion, the NRC staff is under no obligation to take such a
step merely because it has been requested. The decision to forego
enforcement is discretionary. When enforcement discretion is to
be exercised, it is to be exercised only if the NRC staff is
clearly satisfied that the action is warranted from a health and
safety perspective.
* * * * * Dated at Rockville, MD, this 8th day of November, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 04-25260 Filed 11-12-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
23 UK The Times: Experts fear Armenian Chernobyl
November 16, 2004
Jeremy Page reports from Yerevan Local people and the European
Union are at odds over a Soviet-era reactor
THE Metsamor atomic plant looms menacingly behind Eduard
Kenyasyan as he offers a slice of homegrown water melon on the
end of his knife.
“Nuclear melon?” he asks with a mischievous grin. After living
next to this Chernobyl-era power plant on a seismic fault in
southern Armenia for 30 years, he is used to the threat of
nuclear disaster.
“If anything happens, it will affect the whole country, not just
me,” he says, shrugging.
The rest of Europe has not taken such a relaxed approach. The
European Union has lobbied hard for the plant, just ten miles
from the border with Turkey, to close this year. It says that the
pressurised water-reactor, based on first generation Soviet
technology, may not withstand another serious earthquake. Alexis
Louber, the EU’s representative in Armenia, caused an uproar
recently when he said that keeping the plant open was the same as
“flying around a potential nuclear bomb”.
Metsamor was built in the 1970s and shut down after a big
earthquake in 1988, which killed at least 25,000 people in
northern Armenia and hit 5.0 on the Richter scale around
Metsamor. Yet the Armenian Government reopened the plant’s second
unit in 1995 because of severe power shortages and now says that
it can continue working until 2016 — and possibly 2031.
The resulting dispute pits growing Western concerns over obsolete
Soviet nuclear facilities against Armenia’s determination to
preserve its independence and energy security. The EU has
campaigned for the closure of dozens of atomic plants in the
former Soviet Union since Chernobyl, and its concerns have
intensified since expanding to Russia’s borders.
Although Metsamor uses different — and safer — technology from
that at Chernobyl, it lacks secondary containment facilities to
prevent radioactive leakage in the event of an accident, European
experts say.
In addition, nuclear fuel has to be flown to Yerevan from Russia
and then driven along a bumpy road to Metsamor once a year,
because Armenia’s border with Turkey is closed.
Jacques Vantomme, the EU’s acting Ambassador to Georgia and
Armenia, said: “If there is an earthquake tomorrow, would it
create a nuclear disaster? I don’t know — it depends on the size
of the earthquake.
“The EU’s policy is that we want the closure of the plant at the
earliest possible date. This type of nuclear plant is not built
to EU standards and upgrading it cannot be done at a reasonable
cost.”
The EU has offered €100 million (£70 million) in financial aid to
shut the plant and develop alternative energy sources, but Vartan
Oksanyan, the Armenian Foreign Minister, described that as
“peanuts”. Metsamor not only provides 40 per cent of Armenia’s
energy, it also sells excess power to neighbouring Georgia.
Decommissioning the plant alone could cost more than £270
million, according to local experts. With no oil and gas, and
scant wind and water resources, Armenia has few alternative
energy sources.
The mostly Christian nation is also reluctant to rely on imported
energy because of its history of hostility with its Islamic
neighbours.
“Armenia knows this plant has to go,” Mr Oksanyan said, “but
let’s make sure we have the capacity to replace it before we
close it down.”
Power shortages between 1989 and 1995 have left deep scars on the
country. Almost all Armenians can recall sleeping in multiple
layers of clothing or waking to use their one hour of power each
day.
Armenia’s forests were devastated by people cutting wood for
fuel. Gagik Markosyan, the head of the Metsamor plant, said: “I
saw the energy crisis myself. We can’t talk about closing the
plant down overnight.”
He said that more than £27 million had been spent on improving
safety since the plant reopened. British experts have been
training staff there for the past three years.
The second unit, opened in 1980, was originally designed to work
until 2010, but as it was shut for six years, it could now work
until 2016. Tests by Russian experts on similar reactors show
that Metsamor could, in theory, operate until 2031.
“As an engineer, I would not exclude that,” Mr Markosyan said.
For him, as for most Armenians, a new nuclear plant is the only
viable alternative. The EU is reluctant to foot the bill,
however, arguing that Armenia, without the Soviet Union, would
never have borne the hidden costs of development and
decommissioning.
“We need the plant,” Mr Kenyasyan says. “Like it or not, we can’t
live without it.”
Copyright The Times - timesonline.co.uk
*****************************************************************
24 [du-list] Below EEOICPA REFORM DO any of you have anything
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:19:14 -0800
View of sick workers..Where will this money all go with the DOL and how
many more sick workers will die before another sham appears..Remember the
physician panel is limiting sick workers illness now and not even looking
at what workers are being treat for.. 95 million was given to help sick
workers and around 22 thousand went to sick workers..What right does these
criminals have to say what illness we have or don't have. They government
admits they made us sick give the money to the workers not criminals..
This physician panel are not are treating doctors physician and this is
another sham...
Bush signed this into law the day before the elections. Nothing seems to
be any different other than Senator Grassley seems to have won his battle
regarding "Special Exposure Cohort" status for his Iowa Army Ammunition
Plant (IAAP) workers. Something is amiss with the survivors. I'll check
in out and see what is going on. The "SEC" issues seem to be developing
into a "sham." The Prez and US Health and Human Services Secretary
Thompson seemed to have "made a deal" that affects the SEC portion of the
EEOICPA.
============================================================
EEOICPA Reform Act of 2004
New Subtitle E ? Replaces Subtitle D
Compensation for Illnesses caused by Toxic Substances
Eligibility
? All DOE contractor workers with covered illnesses and their survivors are
eligible to apply.
? Survivors of eligible deceased workers include: surviving spouses,
children who are minor at the time of death, and other dependents Causation
Determinations and Case Processing
? Causation determinations and case development are moved to the DOL.
? Causation standard remains the same for Subtitle E as it was under
Subtitle D.
? Positive findings from Subtitle B are accepted in Subtitle E for the same
illnesses.
Payment of Compensation
? All valid claims will be paid by the Department of Labor ?there is no
need to go to any state workers? compensation system.
? Every valid claim will be paid by Department of Labor ? No need to find a
?willing payer?.
? Survivors receive compensation if the worker?s death was caused by the
covered illness and/or for work the worker missed due to the illness.
? Benefits are the same for workers wherever they worked in the DOE complex.
Benefits
? Benefits are provided for damage to a worker?s body and for work missed
work due to the illness.
? Medical benefits are paid in a uniform manner through the DOL just like
Subtitle B. Benefits are workers? compensation medical benefits, meaning
that there are not co-payments or deductibles to workers. All covered
conditions will receive medical care.
Office of Ombudsman
? Establishes Office to assist claimants with claims in this program on
matters ranging from filing a claim to filing an appeal.
Administrative Matters
? DOE will continue to gather employment, exposure, facility and medical
records.
? DOE will provide to DOL all information and data they have gathered thus
far for this program.
Residual Contamination at Atomic Weapons Employer (AWE) Facilities
? After DOE completed work in some AWE facilities, significant DOE
radioactive contamination remained.
? This provision allows some additional workers from those facilities to
apply to DOL for benefits under Subtitle B.
Funding
? Funding for the medical and workers? compensation benefits in this
program are from DOL and are mandatory funds.
------------------------------------------------------------
EEOICPA Reform Act of 2004
New Subtitle E ? Replaces Subtitle D
Compensation for Illnesses caused by Toxic Substances
Benefits
Offsets and Caps
? There is no offset between benefits under Subtitle B and Subtitle E.
? The cap for benefits under Subtitle E is $250,000.
Compensation for Workers
? Medical Care for all covered conditions.
? Cash benefits for permanent impairment: this is the physical damage
caused by the
covered illness.
o Workers receive $2,500 for every percent point of impairment. For
example, a worker with a 12 % permanent impairment caused by their covered
illness will receive 12 X $2,500 or $30,000.
o Workers who were unable to maintain their income because of their covered
illness will receive a payment for each year they lost the wages before age
65.
$10,000 for each year where a covered condition prevented a worker from
making at least 75% of their pre-illness wage before age 65.
$15,000 for each year where a covered condition prevented a worker from
making at least 50% of their pre-illness wage before age 65.
Compensation for Survivors: Eligible survivors are surviving spouses and
children who were minor or dependent at the time of death.
? If a worker dies of a covered condition, their eligible survivor will
receive $125,000.
? If a worker has died of a covered condition, and worker was unable to
earn at least 50% of their pre-illness wage for at least 10 years before
age 65 because of the covered illness, the eligible survivor will $150,000.
? If a worker has died of a covered condition, and worker was unable to
earn at least 50% of their pre-illness wage for at least 20 years before
age 65 because of the covered illness, the eligible survivor will $175,000.
? Eligible survivors will receive the highest of the dollar amounts above
for which they qualify.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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25 [du-list] Report Links Exposures To Gulf War Syndrome
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:18:26 -0800
Report Links Exposures To Gulf War Syndrome
November 14, 2004
By THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, Hartford Courant Staff Writer
http://www.ctnow.com/news/health/hc-gulfillness1114.artnov14,1,930450.story?coll=hc-headlines-health
The federal government has acknowledged that illnesses
afflicting many veterans during the 1991 Persian Gulf War
resulted from exposure to hazardous substances, but that
hasn't helped the ill veterans still waiting for benefits,
family members say.
Diane Dulka, 44, whose husband, Joseph, died of pancreatic
cancer after the war and whose son, Joseph, was born with a
cleft pallet, said Friday severely sick veterans are still
being denied benefits. In the past few years, Dulka, of
Windsor Locks, has tried, often unsuccessfully, she said, to
help hundreds of Gulf War veterans whose requests for
medical assistance have been rejected by the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs.
After more than seven years of fighting for her widow's
benefits and medical benefits for her son, Dulka obtained
the necessary approvals from the VA about five years ago. In
the meantime, she became an advocate for other Gulf War
veterans, a job she does when she is not working as a
paralegal or caring for her 12-year-old son and 17-year-old
daughter, Lindsay.
For more than a decade, high-level federal health and
military officials, sometimes during testimony under oath
before Congress, denied U.S. and allied service members were
sick from wartime exposures. The hazards included warfare
gases, depleted uranium munitions dust, oil well fires,
experimental drugs and vaccines and other pollutants. The
Pentagon and federal health agencies have spent more than
$100 million on inconclusive Gulf War illness investigations
and studies.
On Friday, a federal panel of scientific experts and
military veterans, called the Research Advisory Committee on
Gulf War Illnesses, concluded progress in understanding Gulf
War illnesses has been hampered by a lack of coordination
and availability of data within both the VA and the Defense
Department.
The panel said there is significant evidence linking
chemical warfare exposures to the so-called Gulf War
syndrome, a connection Pentagon officials have repeatedly
rejected for many years. The research panel, set up by
Congress and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
concluded veterans have long term, multi-symptom illnesses
that cannot be explained in terms of stress or psychiatric
illness that the Pentagon has long favored.
Asked why the report's findings are being released more than
13 years after the Gulf War ended, Dr. Lea Steele,
scientific director for the panel, said, "I don't know. All
the answers already have been found. So the reason is not
scientific." Steele added that there could be only two
reasons for not getting the answers until now, scientific or
political, and she would not speculate on the political
possibility.
Jonathan Perlin, the VA's acting undersecretary of heath,
said, "This report opens up new doors in terms of research,
but it doesn't provide a level of proof" for making specific
health claims from the VA.
Other committee findings include:
Thousands of veterans have significant nervous system
disorders consistent with low-level exposures to deadly
warfare gases, including sarin.
Treatments to improve veterans' health are still badly needed.
A host of other wartime exposures, including depleted
uranium munitions dust from U.S. and British weapons
explosions, may also have contributed to the illnesses.
Significant questions about the health of service members'
children and immediate family members and their relationship
to soldiers' exposures remain unanswered.
Veterans' health has to be closely monitored for disease
patterns and causes of death to determine if they are
connected to wartime service
And research on these veterans' illnesses has important
implications for other recent wars and the current conflict
in Iraq. Some 32,000 service members are said to be sick
from hazardous exposures in the recent wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
The panel estimates the research needed to connect a
specific illness to its cause will cost another $15 million.
In the 1991 Gulf War alone, roughly 697,000 U.S. troops
served. By last year, 591,000 had left the service and of
those more than 26 percent were disabled and receiving
medical benefits. Another 11,074 have died, most from
illnesses or accidents, after the war. The average age of
those service members when they went to war was 36.
Figures from the VA show 182,000 disability claims granted,
27,270 denied and 26,507 still pending, almost 14 years
after the end of the war.
Five thousand British service members of the 53,200 who
served are reported ill from the first Gulf War with about
2,000 of them awarded war pensions, The Guardian Limited
reported. More than 660 have died since the war. Thousands
of other allied force soldiers and hundreds of thousands of
Iraqi civilians who became sick from hazardous exposures
have also died.
The Defense Department, according to a report issued in June
by the Government Accountability Office, underestimated the
exposure of chemical warfare agents such as nerve and
mustard gas. Defense models of the effects of toxic plumes
of chemical agents did not "realistically simulate actual
bombings or demolitions," the GAO report said.
Despite these reports, Dulka said, many veterans and service
members from other recent wars are not getting the help they
need. Today, Dulka said, she is still trying to help a New
Jersey widow get death benefits after her husband died of
leukemia in 1994, apparently from constant Gulf War missions
hauling fuel from depots. The widow gave birth to a child
the year her husband died, and already had two toddlers,
said Dulka.
It is well documented with the VA that some soldiers
repeatedly exposed to petroleum developed leukemia and they
have been approved for VA service-connected disabilities,
Dulka said.
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26 [du-list] Veterans Day Address to the Nation
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:18:37 -0800
Veterans Day Address to the Nation
A suggested speech for the president.
seattleweekly.com
by Rick Anderson
November 10 - 23, 2004
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0446/041110_news_veteransday.php
In honor of Veterans Day this week, George Bush is likely to
say a few words about those who served. That can be a tricky
proposition for a war president, especially after he and his
father created a new class of vets who are overwhelming the
Veterans Benefits Administration. Still, as the president's
re-election suggests, never misunderestimate the persuasive
power of folksy political spin. Perhaps like . . .
My fellow Americans, first some good news. On this hallowed
day, I'd like to announce some steps we've taken to honor
our military veterans. Because the Pentagon, with a mere
$425 billion annual budget, doesn't have the cash it needs
for all the buglers necessary at veterans' funerals, we have
begun buying fake bugles, with digital recordings of "Taps."
Pardon me while I flick away a tear.
This new thing is called the Ceremonial Bugle. It's for
real. If a service member survives battle and is lucky to
live long enough to die gracefully, the government will
provide push-button horns that guests can play at military
funerals.
You know, I think I had one of those as a kid. Came from
Monkey Ward or somewhere. But mine was a bit cheaper. These
babies cost $500!
We give a lot of lip service to our veterans' plights. But
with this artificial final salute, we are able to truly
express the country's gratitude for all they've done for us.
Thank you for your applause.
We have a lot of other obligations when it comes to
veterans. Of course, many of these commitments were made in
the heat of battle, or when we had to rush to war.
We used to tell our veterans they were guaranteed medical
care for life. And they were—until the 1950s. That's when we
first learned the rising cost of war left little in the bank
for the aftermath. We felt it was our duty, however, to
continue to make promises we couldn't keep.
Trouble is, there are now 26.5 million war vets in the U.S.,
and they are dying at the rate of only 1,000 a day. That
leaves way too many for the government to financially deal
with at a time when we have to launch another $5 billion
aircraft carrier or build a $50 billion space-defense system
to make the skies safe from anthrax balloons.
So at any one time, more than 3,000 veterans are waiting six
months or longer for their first visit to the doctor.
Disabled vets are waiting six months to two years for
disability compensation. As of Aug. 31, the Department of
Veterans Affairs had a backlog of 330,000 disabled vets
awaiting evaluation. Veterans advocacy groups figure my
administration has underfunded the VA by $2.6 billion.
But we are dealing with that. We have undertaken a plan to
reduce VA spending over the next 10 years by $6 billion and
at the same time continue our push to close VA hospitals and
reduce staffing. Some veterans, such as those well-off
noncombat vets who pull down $30,000 a year as civilians,
have been cut off from VA medical care altogether.
I am confident that my continued tax cutting will have a
lasting effect, as well.
Most veterans, having once been in the service, understand
that the evil-doer is money, not policy. With war, you have
to spend more than you've got, particularly if you have no
idea what you're getting into. That's why we've had to
charge soldiers wounded in Iraq for their hospital
meals—though we stopped when word of it leaked out—and why
we haven't been able to give our soldiers all the things
they need, such as salaries.
A couple months back, a Government Accountability Office
survey showed the Army Reserve payroll system wasn't
operating as smoothly as it should. Mistakes had occurred in
95 percent of the examples the GAO examined. Most of the
time it was a case of a soldier being overpaid. We have
gotten tough with them, however, and now they've got to pay
that money back. One guy was given $36,000 too much, and we
plan to see he faces criminal charges.
And listen, soldiers are often left without paychecks. To
partly make up for it, we occasionally bill some of them for
their service to their country. Thirty-four soldiers in a
Colorado National Guard unit stationed in Afghanistan, for
example, received notices they owed the Army an average
$48,000 each. Unfortunately, their unit commander—who risked
his life by flying with payroll records to Kuwait, crossing
Uzbekistan, where his plane was fired on—straightened out
the mess, and we weren't able to collect.
We continue nonetheless to turn things around. One example:
The government typically praises its troops in battle and
then breaks its promises when they come home. Today, we're
not waiting for them to come home! Last year, the Pentagon
moved to cut troop pay for those soldiers still on the front
line in Iraq. There was something of an uproar, however, and
Congress quickly dashed that innovation.
Here's another cost-saving measure: Many troops live at
poverty level in substandard military housing and risk their
lives for $18,000 a year. They're on duty essentially 24
hours a day, which works out to $2 an hour. By keeping wages
and benefits low, we are able to help the Pentagon
continually expand its budget—predicted to hit a record $500
billion in a few years.
And clearly our generals need help. As it is, they can't
account for 56 airplanes, 32 tanks, and 36 missile
launchers, according to an inventory review, and have lost
or misplaced $1 trillion in assets. Thankfully, the American
taxpayer has opened his wallet wider and wider, with very
little complaint.
I thank you for not holding that against me during my
re-election campaign.
The VA has its budget problems, too, of course. To help
solve that, I have asked the Department of Veterans Affairs
to cross its fingers, so there won't be a delayed reaction
to some lingering war ailment that shows up in the future,
overwhelming the medical system.
True, something always comes back to bite you. Cancer from
frostbite in the Korean War. Hep C from infected yellow
fever vaccine in World War II. Secret toxic spraying of our
servicemen by our own government during the Cold War. Agent
Orange in Vietnam. And Gulf War Illnesses, the "cocktail
effect" of chemical exposures and use of the experimental
drugs and vaccines we handed out to our forces in Gulf War I.
And I will admit, we're privately worried about the weapons
of mass destruction in Iraq—the ones we brought with us. We
fired off an estimated 300 tons of armor-piercing, depleted
uranium shells in my dad's war and an estimated 200 tons so
far in my war. Since 1991, reported cancer cases in Iraq
have quadrupled, and depleted uranium is the suspected
source. It's said to be a lingering toxic nightmare for
veterans from both sides of the battle.
But I should point out that my administration has yet to
admit that depleted uranium poisoning is causing any lasting
harm to our military. OK, Great Britain has recognized it as
a disability for UK vets. But does it make any sense to
follow the policies of a country that drives on the wrong
side of the road?
Now, some of our soldiers destined for Iraq in 2003 were so
worried about exposure to both Saddam's weapons and ours
that they rushed off to have their sperm frozen before
shipping out. They also feared our medical policies and
bureaucracies of mass destruction.
Here's the thing, folks: I know our soldiers are fighting
for democracy. It's just that the military doesn't happen to
be one!
In closing, I'd like to say that during the recent
presidential campaign, the important military and veterans
issues weren't one guy's wartime service or the other guy's
war wounds, not even whether Dan Rather should fall to his
knees and apologize to the White House. The big thing
probably was whether the government should apologize to our
troops and vets. We outfit them with rifles that jam,
protective armor that doesn't protect, equipment that
breaks, and aircraft that fall from the sky. We mislead them
into war and forsake them in peace.
But what can I say? Nobody brought that stuff up!
Hey, here's a big fat salute to the Swift Boat vets.
I do promise you, my fellow Americans, that, in the
country's tradition of honoring our veterans, if I can't
solve these problems in four more years, I will do
everything in my power to leave them for the next president.
Happy Veterans Day, everyone. See you at the cemetery!
-----
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27 [du-list] US report links toxins to Gulf war syndrome
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:19:45 -0800
US report links toxins to Gulf war syndrome
The Guardian
James Meikle, health correspondent
November 13, 2004
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1350345,00.html
Troops who have fallen ill since the first Gulf war may have
fallen victim to a ticking toxic timebomb, advisers to the
US government said last night.
Scientists and veterans from the 1991 conflict went further
than any previous official body either side of the Atlantic
in identifying a complex chemical cocktail of nerve agents,
pills to protect troops from those agents and multiple
pesticides as a possible cause for their health problems.
Psychiatric illness, combat experience or other stresses
from deployment did not explain ill health in the "vast
majority" of 100,000 sick US veterans, according to the
advisers' report. On the contrary, evidence supported a
"probable link" between the toxins and veterans' illness.
Many troops had been exposed to substances belonging to a
class of compounds that affected the nervous system and a
"growing body of research" indicated that ill veterans
differed from healthy ones "on objective measures of
neuropathology and impairment."
Animal studies indicated that exposure to nerve agents at
levels too low to produce acute symptoms could result in
"chronic adverse effects on the nervous and immune systems".
In addition, research suggested that if the neurotoxins were
combined, they would be more poisonous.
Lord Morris of Manchester, who has campaigned for veterans
both here and in the US, said: "This is a major development
in unravelling the truth about thousands of still
unexplained Gulf war illnesses. Scientific opinion in the US
increasingly rejects the old medical consensus attributing
the illness to wartime stress and psychiatric illness. I am
calling for an urgent ministerial statement here in the UK."
The report was published by the US department of veterans
affairs. The committee responsible included Robert Haley,
the scientist who has suggested that three types of
Gulf-related cell damage exist in veterans, the worst
associated with confusion and vertigo, another related to
thinking problems, depression and sleep disorders, and a
third to pain.
This is not accepted here although there is consideration as
to whether some of the 6,000 British veterans who have
complained of illness should undergo similar brain scans.
The Ministry of Defence insists there is no Gulf war
syndrome, and no more deaths among veterans than among
troops who never went to the Gulf.
It accepts that many more veterans who served there report
illness. Research led by Simon Wessley of King's College,
London, has suggested that people who had a battery of
vaccinations and received them in the Gulf area, rather than
before deployment, were more likely to report illness.
The new report says no further research into stress as a
primary cause of the illnesses should be funded under
federal Gulf war programmes. Instead, more work should be
done to investigate the chronic effects of exposure to
pesticides and nerve gas, as well as the effects of tablets
taken to protect against nerve gas.
Earlier this year, a Congressional investigation blamed the
bombing of weapons dumps during the war, or their
destruction aftewards, for releasing chemical agents that
might have spread wider than previously thought.
It said the destruction of weapons bunkers at Khamisayah in
southern Iraq in March spread into Saudia Arabia and well
into Iran. This is not accepted by the British government.
The research committee also wants the health of veterans'
children monitored, and will pursue further research into
infections diseases, vaccines, smoke from burning oil wells
and depleted uranium in anti-tank shells.
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28 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Former nuclear workers may get a break
STLtoday -
By Sara ShipleyOf the
Post-Dispatch11/15/2004
Thousands of former nuclear weapons workers in the St. Louis area
will get another chance at compensation for their illnesses under
a new federal program.
A major revision to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Act
promises payments of up to $250,000 to sick ex-workers at
Mallinckrodt, Weldon Spring, Hematite and other facilities that
helped build nuclear weapons.
Last month, Congress took the program away from the Department of
Energy, which had been criticized for failing to get payments for
tens of thousands of workers nationwide, and moved it to the
Department of Labor, which runs a related program for employees
with radiation-related cancer.
Workers don't have to have cancer to qualify for the new program.
The illness may be related to any hazardous substance exposure.
Lawmakers also ensured that the government would foot the bill,
rather than relying on contractors to pay employees under state
workers' compensation programs.
"The chances of them getting paid are much greater," said Denise
Brock, a volunteer advocate for the sick workers. "It's a much
easier scale to meet."
The Energy Department program was notoriously slow. According to
federal figures, workers had been paid only $703,009 through
July. In comparison, the Labor Department program has paid out
$937 million as of Nov. 4.
The two programs are part of a complicated package created four
years ago to compensate the "Cold War warriors" who put
themselves in harm's way in the name of national defense. About
2,500 workers in the St. Louis area, many of whom worked at
Mallinckrodt plants in downtown St. Louis and in Weldon Spring,
may be eligible.
According to Labor Department data, 1,638 claims have been filed
for workers from St. Louis-area sites in Missouri and Illinois.
Only 95 of those claims have been paid, at a total of $9.274
million.
Brock said she knew of no local person who had been paid under
the Energy Department program.
Pete Turcic, who runs the compensation program for the Labor
Department, said the two programs cannot be compared.
The old Energy Department program simply offered employees
assistance in applying for state workers' compensation claims.
The employee submitted medical information to a panel of
physicians, who would give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down as to
whether the employee's illness had been caused by exposure to a
hazardous substance on the job.
The panel's recommendation could then be used in filing a claim
with the former employer or insurance company. Many companies
refused to pay anyway.
The revised program puts the government in charge of deciding who
gets the money. The Labor Department will review claims to
determine whether the employee's illness was caused by workplace
toxins. Next, officials will determine the extent of injury and
lost wages.
For example, an employee who lost approximately 12 percent of his
capacity due to a covered illness would get $30,000 for physical
damage. Employees could get up to $15,000 a year for lost wages
if they made less than 75 percent of their old salaries because
of the condition.
Survivors are eligible for the program too, but only if the
spouse or child was financially dependent on the worker at the
time of his death. Survivors may receive up to $175,000 for a
severely disabled worker.
Turcic said the program isn't necessarily easier to qualify for
than the radiation cancer program, dubbed "Part B" in government
lingo.
Under that program, employees must go through a cumbersome
process to show that they received enough radiation to cause
their particular cancer. Qualifying employees receive $150,000
plus payment of medical costs. Nearly 18,000 claims are awaiting
this "dose reconstruction" process.
Hopes are high that the new program, called "Part E," will help
people who have been unable to get payment in the past. Some
employees will qualify for both programs.
Obie Young, 68, of Hematite, said he recently applied for the new
program. His cancer claim is still pending.
Young said he processed uranium for about 12 years until he was
fired in 1964 after being exposed to radiation in an accident at
the plant. He has had three bouts with cancer and said he could
use the money.
"I would appreciate it very much," he said. "I could do a few
things with it."
Jim Tindall, 37, of Festus, contracted a rare form of cancer
called alveolar soft part sarcoma while processing nuclear fuel
pellets at the Hematite plant from 1992 to 2001. Tindall believes
his illness came from contaminated well water at the plant, plus
radiation exposure. His case may qualify under a new provision
that considers contamination left behind from previous weapons
work.
Although Tindall feels healthy now, the former bodybuilder fears
his cancer may return.
"There's no amount of money I would take for this, for having had
cancer," he said. "There's a big dent in my leg (from surgery)
and a heck of a scar. I would never be able to do what I did
before."
Reporter Sara Shipley E-mail: sshipley@post-dispatch.com Phone:
314-340-8215
*****************************************************************
29 CP: Edmonton filmmaker attempts to unravel Cold War secret in Lost Nuke
The Province
theprovince.com
Victoria Ahearn Canadian Press
Monday, November 15, 2004
Crew from the documentary Lost Nuke - Centre: Michael
Jorgensen, 3rd from left: Dirk Septer: 2nd from right: John
Clearwater: far right: Jim Laird. (CP handout)
TORONTO (CP) - High up in the mountains of northern British
Columbia, among jagged rocks and ice, lies the scorched wreckage
of a Cold War-era mystery - one that Edmonton-based filmmaker
Michael Jorgensen has tried to crack but now admits may never be
solved.
In his latest documentary Lost Nuke, which airs this Friday
evening on Discovery Channel, Jorgensen and a team of experts fly
about 160 kilometres north of Terrace, B.C., to the site of
America's first "broken arrow" incident - a military codeword for
an accident involving a nuclear weapon.
"The evidence to be able to solve this mystery is on the
mountain, because the U.S. military is never going to release the
classified documents about what really happened that night,"
Jorgensen said in a recent interview in Toronto.
The documentary by the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker centres on a
U.S. Air Force mission that began in Fairbanks, Alaska on
February 13, 1950.
A B-36 bomber - the largest bomber ever built - carrying 17
crewmembers and a Mark IV nuclear weapon flew out on a simulated
combat training mission to Fort Worth, Texas.
Part of the way to their destination, along the coast of B.C.,
three of the six engine propellers caught fire and the crew was
forced to parachute out.
Twelve of the crewmembers were later rescued from Princess Royal
Island on B.C.'s west coast while the other five were presumed
drowned.
Jorgensen says the U.S. military issued one brief news release
about the incident, six months after it happened, saying "We
dropped the weapon over the Pacific Ocean and it exploded in a
non-nuclear detonation (near Vancouver Island)."
Official U.S. Air Force documents also claim the bomber was set
to autopilot before it plunged into the Pacific.
But three years later, U.S. Air Force crews found the B-36 bomber
crashed in B.C.'s rugged interior - 300 kilometres in the
opposite direction from where it supposedly went down.
Jorgensen says the facts don't add up.
"This airplane had three engines on fire, it was losing 500 feet
per minute so it really could've only flown about another seven
minutes," he explained in an impassioned recount of the story.
"But somehow, after the crew of 17 supposedly jumped out, the
plane turned around 180 degrees and flew another 300 kilometres
in the exact opposite direction and it crashed just 80 kilometres
from Alaska."
Jorgensen says the team is convinced that somebody stayed on
board the plane and steered it toward U.S. territory, "And that
guy, they believe, is the weaponeer - the guy responsible for the
bomb, Capt. Ted Schreier."
Jorgensen calls Schreier a "hero" who "did everything in his
power to try to save the weapon," which could have been picked up
by a Soviet submarine had it been dropped in the Pacific.
And yet Schreier, the Third Pilot who was among the five men
presumed drowned, was never acknowledged by U.S. Air Force
officials as having any significant role in the operation.
In fact, when Schreier's nephew was contacted for the
documentary, he had no idea that his uncle was even a weaponeer.
"The family didn't know anything. They were told when Ted went
missing that he was on a transport plane ... they were totally
shocked," says Jorgensen, who wrote, directed, shot and produced
the documentary in about a year and a half.
What's more, after the incident, the U.S. Air Force named streets
after all of the men who perished - all except Schreier.
The actions are unexplainable, says Jorgensen, who is also
befuddled as to why the U.S. Air Force sent in a special
operations team to blow up the wreckage when it found out the
crash site.
"Why do you need to blow up an airplane that's lost in a remote
part of the mountains?" asks Jorgensen.
"It just doesn't make any sense - unless there's something there
that you don't want anybody to find."
After obtaining documents on the incident through the Freedom of
Information Act in the U.S., Jorgensen put together an expedition
team of three men who had been independently pursuing the story
for the past two decades.
The team's leader, nuclear weapons expert Dr. John Clearwater,
was then granted the first Canadian archeological permit to
remove artifacts from the site and they flew in via helicopter
last August.
During their stay, the team found several strong clues, but not
the key item they were looking for.
"One treasure hunter from the U.S. went to the site in, I think
it was in '98, and removed this object called 'the birdcage,'
which they used to transport the plutonium core in," said the
40-year-old filmmaker.
The lead-lined container may have held the key evidence to
suggest whether there was an atomic device onboard, ready for
detonation.
Jorgensen also interviewed - but obtained little information from
- two of the four surviving crewmembers who are still alive,
gunner Dick Thrasher and co-pilot Ray Whitfield, who is now a
priest.
"The couple of guys that I interviewed ... say 'there are things
that happened that we just can't talk about because we don't want
to say anything to damage our country,"' says Jorgensen.
Still, he is confident the expedition team obtained enough
strong, albeit inconclusive, evidence to explain what happened.
"I think there was a plutonium core in that birdcage, but I think
it was on the mountain and I think it was taken out in 1954, when
the Air Force went in there to destroy the airplane."
He then puts it into perspective. "It's my belief, given the
evidence that we have, that a nuclear weapon laid in the
mountains of northern Canada for four years."
But Jorgensen concedes that in the end, it's just a theory.
"Unless the Pentagon comes clean with the documents ... we may
never really know what happened."
c The Canadian Press 2004
Copyright © CanWest Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
30 Las Vegas SUN: Another Yucca advocate likely to replace Abraham
Today: November 15, 2004 at 10:54:28 PST
By Benjamin Grove SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- The departure of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
likely would not herald changes in the Energy Department's Yucca
Mountain project because President Bush is sure to appoint
another Yucca advocate, observers said today after Abraham's
resignation was announced.
The Energy Department has been studying Yucca Mountain for
nearly two decades as it researched whether the site would be a
suitable place to construct a repository for the nation's most
radioactive waste.
Abraham will be remembered by opponents of the project as the
energy secretary who ultimately approved it -- on Feb. 14, 2002,
an unwelcome Valentine to Nevada, Yucca critics noted at the
time. That led to President Bush formally approving Yucca a day
later.
In his formal endorsement, Abraham told Bush that "sound
science" proves that waste could be safely stored at Yucca.
Abraham cited "compelling national interests" in backing Yucca,
including national security and energy security.
"Secretary Abraham's tenure was an absolute disaster for the
state of Nevada, but also for the nation," Rep. Shelley Berkley,
D-Nev., said, citing Yucca and soaring gas prices.
Before nominees can join the Cabinet, they need confirmation
from the Senate.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who likely will be elected Senate
Democratic leader on Tuesday, was unavailable for comment this
morning.
Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., commended Abraham for his service,
noting Abraham's support for counterterrorism training programs
at the Nevada Test Site.
"Of course, I strongly disagree with his advocacy of the Yucca
Mountain project and believe he gave the wrong advice to
President Bush on that issue," Ensign said.
Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said he expects the next energy
secretary to be in lockstep with Bush on Yucca, but added, "It
is my hope that the individual is a forward-looing nominee who
is open to alternative solutions to nuclear waste."
Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said, "I am confident that Yucca
Mountain will be rigorously debated when confirmation hearings
begin for the new nominee in the Senate."
The delay-plagued Yucca project's future is uncertain given
court challenges, budget shortfalls and questions about
radiation safety standards.
Still, Energy Department leaders have said they are determined
to open Yucca, ideally by 2010.
The next step for the department is submitting an application
for a license to construct the underground repository.
Department officials have said they intend to submit the
application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by year's end.
Early speculation on possible replacements for Abraham centers
on Deputy Secretary Kyle McSlarrow, outgoing Sen. John Breaux,
D-La., and Thomas Kuhn, president of the Edison Electric
Institute.
McSlarrow has been a vocal supporter for advancing Yucca and
this year told Congress that it could overcome a legal setback
dealt by a federal court over health standards. But he has also
signaled that the department may not be able to meet its goal of
submitting the license application by the end of December.
Kuhn has been an outspoken Yucca advocate as leader of a trade
group that includes nuclear industry members.
Breaux met with President-elect Bush in December 2000 about
taking the job, but declined. Breaux ultimately voted against
Yucca Mountain under heavy lobbying pressure from Reid, although
he is sympathetic to the nuclear industry.
*****************************************************************
31 Guardian Unlimited: Exclusive interview: Duncan Campbell meets Mordechai Vanunu
Long walk to freedom
Mordechai Vanunu served 18 years in an Israeli prison for blowing
the whistle on the country's nuclear weapons programme. Last week
he was arrested again - but not before he had given Duncan
Campbell the following exclusive interview
Monday November 15, 2004
It was precisely noon in Jerusalem and the bells in the tower of
St George's Cathedral were echoing over the city. The short, trim
man in the apricot shirt and dark trousers who was ringing them
was smiling broadly. "Down there," he said, when he had given a
final pull to the centre bell and was gazing from the turrets to
the sprawling civic building below, "down there is where they
sentenced me to 18 years in prison. This is my way of saying I am
still here."
That was 10 days ago. Since then, Mordechai Vanunu, who emerged
from his 18-year sentence for revealing that Israel had a nuclear
weapons programme only seven months ago, has been re-arrested and
accused of disclosing classified information and of breaching the
restrictions that forbid him from associating with foreigners.
This week, the Israeli attorney general will decide what action
to take. For the time being, he is back under house arrest in a
small room at the cathedral.
The inscription at the foot of the cathedral's bell tower reads:
"When He beheld the city, He wept over it. O, pray for the peace
of Jerusalem." For the past few months, Vanunu, who converted to
Christianity in 1986, had been climbing the steps to the top of
the tower thrice daily, partly to keep fit but, more importantly,
to behold the city. Once at the top, he was in no hurry to
descend, pointing out the Mount of Olives in the distance, the
sun glinting on the dome of the Russian church, the Palestinian
school, the Hebrew university, the gardens below with their
pomegranate and fig trees and the rose and lavender beds that
give the impression of an English country churchyard transplanted
to the Middle East.
"I was very hungry for these views," he said. "One of the
greatest cruelties of prison is that you become like a blind man,
you do not have any views. But I would still rather be on the top
of the Tower of London."
It was from London that Vanunu was lured abroad to Italy 18 years
ago by a woman who was working with Mossad, the Israeli
intelligence agency. Vanunu, a former nuclear technician, had
been in England giving information about the Dimona nuclear plant
to the Sunday Times, but, depressed by the delay in publication,
had wanted to get out of the city, ironically because he feared
that Mossad was on his tail.
"It was a race between me and Mossad, so my concern was to
publish immediately. When the Sunday Times delayed publication I
decided to leave London," he said. But despite his realisation
that Mossad must have known his movements, he was persuaded by
the blonde American woman he met in Leicester Square - who
pretended to be a tourist and critical of Israel - to accompany
her to Italy for a romantic break. Once there, he was
overpowered, drugged, bound and shipped back to Israel where,
after a secret trial, he was jailed.
He does not feel anger towards the woman, who called herself
"Cindy". "I see her as a spy, part of a team, rather than as a
woman," he said. "They would like me to be angry with her as a
woman but I am not." And he said that the woman, since identified
in the media as Cindy, supposedly a Mossad agent living in
Florida, was not the one who lured him to Italy.
"She was pure American, she could have been CIA, she could have
been recruited by Mossad but she was not an Israeli woman," he
said. He believes that possibly British, French and Italian
intelligence services were all involved. One of the people on the
ship that carried him clandestinely back to Israel was a
Frenchman, he said, and his flight to Italy from London had been
delayed, possibly, he surmised, because British intelligence
services were cooperating.
Famously, when he was bundled into court for his secret trial, he
scrawled the message that he had been kidnapped on his hand.
"They told me I could not talk about the kidnapping or even
mention the word 'Rome'. I hoped that by revealing the kidnapping
on the palm of my hand it would make the government of Italy
demand my release." But the Italian government did nothing and he
was jailed for 18 years.
Vanunu was 10 when his family arrived in Israel from Morocco.
When he was 18, he resolved to travel the world, but he ended up
first doing his national service in the Israeli defence force and
then becoming a student studying geography and philosophy,
watching football and basketball and enjoying college life. He
became active in student politics, and identified with the
Palestinian students he met. It was then that he became concerned
about peace issues, not least because one of his professors was
jailed at the time for refusing military service.
Despite his radical student past, he was cleared to work as a
technician at the Dimona nuclear plant in the Negev desert and it
was there that he became disquieted by his discovery of a secret
weapons programme, which is still not officially acknowledged. He
took photos of the plant and smuggled them out. What prompted him
to take such a risk?
He was aware, he said, of what Daniel Ellsberg, now himself a
vociferous admirer of Vanunu, had done by leaking the Pentagon
papers, which had helped to end the Vietnam war. He was also
inspired by the 1979 film, The China Syndrome, the story of a
nuclear whistle-blower, which starred Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon and
Michael Douglas - "You remember the man inside taking photos,
trying to bring it to the attention of the media and they killed
him" - and, later, by Mike Nichols's 1983 film Silkwood, the true
story of Karen Silkwood, played by Meryl Streep, who leaked her
concerns about the nuclear industry before dying mysteriously.
But his main motivation was Hiroshima, he said. "I didn't have
any real role model, it was more the danger of the atomic bomb."
He did not know what to do with his information, which he first
divulged to a church group in Sydney, where he had arrived on his
travels. He was encouraged by an erratic Colombian freelance
journalist there to go public with the information, which led him
eventually to the Sunday Times.
If he has regrets about what he did, it is about the way he chose
to leak the story. "It was a mistake to go with one newspaper but
I didn't have any experience with the media," he said, sitting in
the cathedral's garden in the morning sun with news of Arafat's
impending death hovering in the background. "My target was to
bring information to the world, so the best way would have been a
press conference or to send it to 20 newspapers so that it would
not be controlled by anyone. Now things have changed and the
internet has made it much easier for information to be passed
on."
For more than 11 years he was kept in solitary confinement,
initially in a two-metre by three-metre cell. "There was a lot of
pressure, a lot of attempts at brainwashing," he says. "They
would talk to me about the Holocaust and say that the
Palestinians are terrorists or the Arabs want to destroy the
Jewish state so they need an atomic bomb. I didn't accept this:
the Holocaust is not the real issue, it does not justify having
the atomic bomb or taking the Palestinian land. Also I was very
angry about the trial; if I had received a fair trial, an open
trial, that would have been different."
In prison his main motivation was survival. "I decided from the
beginning that they could have my body in prison but my spirit,
mind, brain, I would keep free, under my control; that would be
my way out. I used my Christianity as my defence, my barrier." He
would sing hymns to himself, he said. He was visited by a priest
but there was a glass between them and they were only allowed to
communicate by exchanging notes. After five years, he decided
that he wanted to meet the priest in person or not at all. The
meetings ended.
His conversion to Christianity, which had happened in Australia
in 1986 before he went public with the secrets, has been one
source of division, not least with his family, who live in an
orthodox community in Bnei Brek, near Tel Aviv. They do not visit
him and dissociated themselves from him years ago, with the
exception of two of his brothers, Meir, a photographer now
travelling the world after guiding Mordechai's first steps
outside jail, and Asher, now teaching in Chile.
Rumours have abounded since he was released. After he spoke by
video link to the European Social Forum in London last month,
word went round his supporters in Scandinavia that he had
"escaped" and was in England. There were also reports that he had
married.
"That is the Israeli media - maybe to prevent other women's
interest in me," he said with the wide smile that frequently
punctuates his often intense manner. "There was a woman who came
here, a friend; she was very friendly. The bishop encouraged me
to marry and the rumours started and they published a picture of
us together. Now every time I go on the street the Palestinians
say: 'Are you happily married now?' But she is now in the United
States. But I do plan to find a woman and have a family."
Currently barred from leaving the country at least for a further
five months, he still hopes to live abroad, preferably in the
United States, where his adoptive parents, an American couple,
live. Some people have asked why he wants to go to the one
country in the world that had actually used an atomic bomb.
"They made a mistake. At least America has not made that mistake
again. That is good - 50 years without the atomic bomb. I am
going there because of its democracy, its freedom, there's a lot
of possibilities to write, to learn. I hope my future will be in
the academic world, reading, teaching. I don't know if I can do
it, but that is what I would like. Also I want to continue to
seek the abolition of nuclear weapons around the world, not only
in Israel but in England, France, the US, China, Pakistan, India.
The enemy now is terrorism but you cannot use atomic bombs
against terrorists. I will try and find a way to contribute. I
would like to work with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy
Agency) in Vienna or with the UN."
There had not been much coverage of his case in the American
media with the exception of the leftwing Pacifica radio network.
"Most of the American journalists are worried that they will be
expelled [if they talk to him] and no one wants to be expelled,"
he said. "Also their bosses don't want to be in conflict with
Israel. They don't want to sacrifice their situation here for my
case. The US media is very pro-Israel; they never wrote about
their nuclear weapons. They don't want to be called
anti-semitic."
On the current situation between the Israelis and Palestinians,
he said: "If President Bush decided to do something, they could
solve it. What we have now is an apartheid state. There used to
be 30% Christian [Palestinians] in east Jerusalem, now it is less
than 2%. A lot have emigrated. If I was a Palestinian, I couldn't
live under occupation. What kind of life is that?
"But the way to resist the occupation and aggression is not by
terror but by non-violence, civil disobedience and,
all-important, to build a society, an economy, universities to
prove that they are no less educated and developed and compete
with them. To have a classical orchestra, sports teams that can
compete abroad, a scientist who can compete with the Israelis.
That is the way. Since the second intifada, the reality is very,
very bad. I used to have optimism but when I came out and saw the
wall and saw the reality ... young people who live here don't
have any hope.
"Non-violence is still the only way to resist. The fact is that
Israel wants the Palestinians to react, they make use of the
terror for two things: to raise a new generation who will be much
more anti-Palestinian and more rightwing and they use the terror
for more occupation, building the wall, justifying what they do
to the Palestinians."
Vanunu had decided to talk despite the fact that the restriction
on him having any contact with foreigners has just been renewed
for a further six months. "I don't know what is the best way to
overcome this restriction - is it by silence or is it by
speaking? I decided it was by speaking," he said, talking a few
days before he was seized by the Israeli army. "If I speak, they
can see I have no more secrets, all I am doing is expressing my
views and also I am teaching them that they cannot silence anyone
... If they take away your right to speak, you are not a human
being any more." He did not speak at all about Dimona.
Officially, the reason given for him not being allowed to talk or
leave is that he may divulge more secrets. However,
Jerusalem-based correspondents say that some government ministers
privately believe that the restrictions were an error, imposed at
the behest of an intelligence service who were wrong-footed by
the disclosures in the first place and are anxious to avoid
further embarrassment. It is generally accepted that his
information is now so old as to be of little significance.
Vanunu continues to provoke strong reactions. He is lionised in
many countries, particularly in Europe, as a whistle-blower who
was prepared to risk his life to draw attention to the dangers of
nuclear warfare. He has recently received the Lennon Ono peace
prize in New York and the CND building in London was just named
after him. Daniel Ellsberg, on a recent visit to London, hailed
him as a hero. Supporters threw a 50th birthday bash for him last
month, complete with personalised cake. Performers, including
Susannah York, Arthur Smith and Mark Steel, appear this week in a
benefit concert for him in London.
In Israel, however, he is still regarded by many as a traitor and
when he emerged from jail, extremists tried to attack him,
rushing his car and making throat-slitting gestures as he left
the prison gates. Now he faces the courts once more. How had
people reacted to him?
"The people in east Jerusalem are very sympathetic and very happy
to see me; they shake my hand and invite me to coffee. Three or
four times, Israeli youths have shouted at me but I ignore them,"
he said. "I have received some hint of threats that they could
kill me. If they want to do something, it's not a big problem for
them but I am not in fear, I am just living my life. Fear will
not help me."
He has no income and lives modestly. His room is free, courtesy
of the Anglican bishop. Friends and supporters - and he has a
number of dedicated Israeli peace campaigners who have been
battling for him since the early days - have given him clothes
and a laptop. His days have been spent talking to visitors,
walking the nearby streets, swimming at a local hotel. And, until
he was re-arrested at least, climbing to the top of the bell
tower to savour the chimes of freedom.
[UP]
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
32 [du-list] Oak Ridge Cylinders stall, but cleanup moving forward
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:19:43 -0800
Cylinders stall, but cleanup moving forward
By: Paul Parson | Oak Ridger Staff November 12, 2004
paul.parson@oakridger.com
http://www.oakridger.com/stories/111204/new_20041112040.shtml
More than 2,000 uranium-related cylinders have been shipped
out of Oak Ridge to date.
The vast majority of the cylinder-stored material, referred
to as depleted uranium hexafluoride, is a byproduct of an
operation where uranium was ultimately processed into
nuclear reactor fuel and weapons-grade material. An
extremely small percentage of the cylinders contain other
forms of uranium.
For fiscal year 2004, the Department of Energy and its local
cleanup contractor, Bechtel Jacobs Co., planned to ship
approximately 2,154 cylinders from the Oak Ridge K-25 site
to the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio. But, they
ultimately transported 1,906 of them for the fiscal year
that ended on Sept. 30.
Mike Hughes, president of Bechtel Jacobs, said this week
that the number of departed cylinders has surpassed the
2,000 mark. He discussed the work during Wednesday's Oak
Ridge Site-Specific Advisory Board at the DOE Information
Center.
Hughes acknowledged that project officials spent some time
determining the best method for shipping the waste material.
And, DOE's Oak Ridge cleanup chief, Steve McCracken, said,
any "political issues" pertaining to the shipments are in
the past, adding that the looming obstacles pertain to
regulations, like weight limits for interstate shipping.
SSAB member Norman Mulvenon strongly urged DOE and Bechtel
Jacobs to remedy the situation in order to get the cylinders
back on the road to Ohio where the material will be
processed into a safer form for disposal or storage. More
than 3,000 cylinders are left, and the goal is to have all
of them out of Oak Ridge by the end of fiscal year 2005.
Bechtel Jacobs has tackled DOE's Oak Ridge environmental
remediation work since 1998. The company recently completed
the first year of its latest contract, which put cleanup
efforts on an accelerated schedule.
According to Hughes, 80 percent of the work is being done by
subcontractors while the other 20 percent is self-performed
by Bechtel Jacobs. The company has 111 subcontracts and is
working with 62 small businesses - seven of which are owned
by women.
Here's a look at some of the work that's been accomplished
so far:
* Asbestos removal is 80 percent complete in the mile-long
K-25 building, located at the site that bears the same name.
Additionally, 43 converters have been cleared from the
building while 85,000 square feet of transite panels have
been taken off its sides.
* At K-25, 43 structures have been demolished, which is
ahead of the 19 initially planned for FY 2004.
* Capping of three nuclear waste burial grounds in Melton
Valley is progressing ahead of schedule, with one of them 93
percent finished and the other two 47 percent and 35 percent
complete.
Looking at the big picture, Bechtel Jacobs' contract calls
for the Melton Valley cleanup effort to be completed in 2006
while the work at the K-25 site should be wrapped up by 2008.
--
Posted for educational and research purposes only,
~ in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 ~
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33 AP Wire: Energy Department fines SRS
| 11/15/2004 |
Associated Press
AIKEN, S.C. - The Department of Energy's Savannah River
Operations Office has levied a $1 million fine against
Westinghouse Savannah River Co. for safety problems after the
death of a worker injured by heavy equipment at the site.
Christopher McZilkey, 30, who worked for Gunther Grading and
Hauling Co. of Thomson, Ga., was hurt in July while working on
dam improvements at a pond at the former nuclear weapons
facility. He later died at the Medical College of Georgia.
The death was ruled accidental by Barnwell County Coroner Lloyd
Ward.
In a release, the Department of Energy said an accident
investigation board "identified weaknesses" in Westinghouse's
safety policies and the company has "creative a corrective action
plan" to address the problems.
"As we learn from this experience, we will never forget the
tragic loss of human life and the immense grief and sorrow it has
brought," said Jeffrey Allison, manager of the Savannah River
Operations Office.
*****************************************************************
34 www.GovExec.com: Omnibus negotiations pick up as lawmakers seek a deal
(11/15/04)
By Peter Cohn, CongressDailyPM
Negotiations on a $388.4 billion fiscal 2005 omnibus spending
package picked up Monday in hopes of striking a deal that would
avoid extending the lame duck session into next week.
Aides were struggling against an ambitious timetable to put
together a package of spending additions and offsets to remain
within an overall fiscal 2005 discretionary spending cap of
$821.9 billion.
They are also dealing with last-minute project requests and
policy riders from both sides of the Capitol, since the omnibus
is likely to be the last train out of the legislative station.
Republican leaders also are still wrestling with the need to
increase the statutory debt limit. While the Senate plans to
approve a stand-alone debt limit increase before many Democrats
leave town Wednesday for the opening of the Clinton presidential
library in Little Rock, Ark., the House has not yet decided on an
approach, leadership aides said Monday.
Senate action on a stand-alone increase does not preclude House
leaders from tucking it into another bill, aides noted, although
they held out the possibility of a separate House vote, perhaps
Thursday. The Treasury Department has been using accounting
gimmicks to stave off default on the current $7.384 trillion debt
limit, but by Thursday those cash reserves will be exhausted. An
increase of $690 billion, and possibly more, is being discussed.
The fiscal 2005 omnibus is likely to include at least eight of
the remaining nine annual spending bills -- Congress has
previously approved four -- although pessimism remains that the
Energy and Water spending bill can be completed. Staff
negotiations have not gone well, and appropriators remain apart
on funds for the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca
Mountain in Nevada, as well as other issues such as nuclear
weapons programs. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Reid opposes
increased funding for the Yucca Mountain project.
House and Senate aides were working under the assumption that
about $4 billion would be added to the omnibus, although the
details were still in flux. An across-the-board cut of about 0.75
percent is in the works for non-defense, non-homeland security
programs, which would free up $2.9 billion, and another $1
billion could be found by moving public housing authorities to a
calendar-year budget. Other savings are under discussion, aides
said, that could increase the add-on price tag. Programs funded
by the fiscal 2005 Labor-HHS appropriations bill would receive
about $1 billion more, while veterans' medical care would see an
additional $1.2 billion and NASA another $800 million.
The remaining funds would be parceled out among several accounts,
such as U.S. Postal Service biohazard defenses and the Bush
administration's Millennium Challenge account foreign-aid
initiative. There also are ongoing discussions about emergency
designations to get around spending caps. For example,
appropriators would add about $300 million for the Low Income
Heating Emergency Assistance program -- designated a "contingent
emergency" as in previous years, subject to administration
approval -- and $7 million for the Postal Service.
*****************************************************************
35 [FOODIRRADIATIONCA] Protect Mandatory COOL -- Contact Rep.
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:19:55 -0800
*please forward widely*
*apologies for cross-posting*
Tell Rep. Farr and Senator Feinstein to Protect MANDATORY Country of
Origin Labeling!
This week, Congress will be back in session to wrap up the budget bills
that were not completed before the election. Rumor has it that
opponents of country of origin labeling (COOL) will try to use the
budget process as a mechanism to push through a bill that will change
COOL from mandatory to voluntary. This would override the provision of
the 2002 Farm Bill which established a requirement for MANDATORY
country of origin labeling for fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables,
beef, lamb, pork, seafood, and peanuts.
Earlier this year, the meat and grocery industries pressured Congress
to delay the implementation of mandatory COOL by two years, until 2006.
But they aren't content to stop there --- they want to replace the
mandatory program with a voluntary system, effectively killing any
chance that consumers will receive information about where their food
comes from.
TAKE ACTION
If you can make ONE call:
Contact Rep. Farr and urge him to vote NO on any efforts to make COOL a
voluntary program!
Congressman Farr is the only California Representative that sits on the
House Ag Appropriations Subcommittee.
Call him at 202-225-2861 today!
If you can make TWO calls:
Contact Senator Feinstein and urge her to vote NO on any efforts to
make COOL a voluntary program.
Senator Feinstein sits on the Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee.
Call her at (202) 224-3841 today!
Talking Points
---Voluntary COOL does NOT have the support of commodity industries
covered by the bill. In fact, over 170 agriculture and consumer groups
support mandatory COOL, including the 2 largest farm organizations and
the 3 largest consumer organizations.
--- Every consumer survey conducted clearly indicates an overwhelming
demand and even a willingness to pay a premium for the information
provided by a mandatory COOL program.
--- Voluntary COOL is currently available and has been for a number of
years, yet companies that import cheaper, often lower-quality food
products have been unwilling to participate. Voluntary COOL is like
having a voluntary speed limit -- it is not realistic!
--------------------------------------------------------------
Background
The 2002 Farm Bill required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to write
rules for Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) of beef, lamb, pork, fish,
fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, and peanuts. The label would be
found on foods sold in grocery stores, and would state the food's
country of origin. The Farm Bill called for the rules to go into
effect in September 2004.
Since the passage of the Farm Bill, corporate agribusiness, especially
the meat and grocery industries, worked to delay and hope to ultimately
kill COOL. This kind of labeling could benefit both consumers, who will
be able to make an informed choice and buy food produced closer to home,
and producers, who need a way to identify their crops and livestock as
products of the United States.
In January, under pressure from the agribusiness and the grocery
industry, Congress voted to delay the implementation of COOL, except for
seafood, until September 2006.
Talking Points:
---Voluntary COOL does NOT have the support of commodity industries
covered by the bill. In fact, over 170 agriculture and consumer groups
support mandatory COOL, including the 2 largest farm organizations and
the 3 largest consumer organizations.
--- Every consumer survey conducted clearly indicates an overwhelming
demand and even a willingness to pay a premium for the information
provided by a mandatory COOL program.
--- Voluntary COOL is currently available and has been for a number of
years, yet companies that import cheaper, often lower-quality food
products have been unwilling to participate. Voluntary COOL is like
having a voluntary speed limit -- it is not realistic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tracy Lerman
Senior Organizer
Public Citizen, California Office
1615 Broadway, 9th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
ph: 510-663-0888 x 103 f: 510-663-8569
tlerman@citizen.org
http://www.citizen.org/california
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**********
If you do not wish to recieve these emails in the future, please send a
email to tlerman@citizen.org with "unsubscribe foodirradiationca" in the
subject line.
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36 [du-list] DU: The Last Gift Of Terry Riordon; U.S. use of
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:18:39 -0800
1- The Last Gift Of Terry Riordon
2- U.S. use of depleted uranium under fire
--
The Last Gift Of Terry Riordon
axisoflogic.com
By Raymond D. Cohen
Nov 11, 2004
http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_13520.shtml
Thousands of military veterans of the Gulf War have reported
a whole range of ailments and disabling conditions -- come
to be referred to collectively as Gulf War syndrome. The
numbers are not immediately clear for Canada, but in the
U.S. some 70,000 veterans are dealing with severe health
problems.
Symptoms of Gulf War syndrome include depression, chronic
fatigue, anxiety, respiratory problems, memory and attention
disorders, joint pain, skin rashes, musculoskeletal
disorders, shortness of breath, insomnia, hair loss,
dizziness, nausea and nerve damage.
Adding to the pain and frustration of those trying to cope
with this condition has been the negation by "experts" or
that it is more than a result of emotional trauma. Perhaps
it's just a giant coincidence that thousands participating
in the Persian Gulf conflict all happened to experience
similar symptoms at about the same time.
It is odd that when our experts don't understand a
condition, they seem more inclined to dismiss it with an
"it's-all-in-your-head" attitude over a more constructive
position of, "We don't know, we don't understand -- perhaps
we can try to find out."
Interestingly, the symptoms those contending with Gulf War
syndrome are almost identical to many Canadians with
environmental sensitivities. Their problems too were often
compounded by experts who dismissed their conditions as
being psychosomatic. And although the disability is now more
acknowledged by government, there are still other
professionals who doubt those with it.
The situation becomes even more confusing when, perhaps
inevitably, psychological effects sometimes do set in as a
consequence of the lack of intervention of the professionals
mandated to treat them, or the inaction of policy makers
mandated to look at the circumstances which caused symptoms
in the first place.
In the case of our Gulf War veterans, there seems to be some
movement at the federal level spurred on by the death last
year of Terry Riordon of Nova Scotia. Mr. Riordon's final
wish, expressed to his wife, Sue, was that his organ and
bone tissue be examined after his death to attest to what he
knew to be true all along -- Gulf War syndrome is real. The
test results indicated that traces of a radioactive metal,
depleted uranium, remained in his body -- nine years after
he left the field of conflict.
Depleted uranium was present in the tank armour and missile
shells used by the military in the Gulf War. Troops were
exposed to it either directly, or through radioactive dust
emanating from the weapons and equipment.
Defense Minister Art Eggleton now says the military will
look closely at those tests results and the possible
widespread exposure to radioactive material in the Gulf War.
The federal government is now willing to test any members of
the Canadian forces who feel they may have been exposed to
depleted uranium while on duty.
While this decision may come too late for the Terry Riordons
of the world, it is at least a willingness to assume a
stance of, "I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find
out,"as opposed to, "I don't know, so it must be all in your
head."
How often, and how much longer, must Canadians endure
official denials of life-stealing problems? Why is it that a
sweeping compromise of our health and well-being must occur
before some kind of intervention -- usually occurring too
late for those whose final sacrifices eventually forced the
issue -- is implemented?
Canada's blood scandal is not that far behind us, in which
untold thousands of Canadians were infected with HIV and
hepatitis C. In this issue of ABILITIES, we point to
unacceptable (but perfectly legal) exposure to lead
threatening our children ("Thumbs Down," p. 7). And
genetically altered food, currently common fare in our
supermarkets, is anybody's nightmare; our health department
assures us that it's safe, but the track record is not so
reassuring.
It is time we adopt a philosophy of prevention within our
policies -- and within our institutions -- and certainly
within our homes and choices of health care practitioners.
And it is time, too, that we accept that disability and pain
being expressed by people in search of relief is real --
regardless of whether or not the source is obvious.
Let's each do what we can to turn this situation around. Be
a vocal consumer. Find out who is in charge, politically,
socially, medically -- and don't be afraid to ask the hard
questions. We owe it to ourselves, our families and our
communities. And perhaps we owe it to Terry Riordon, whose
last gift was a message that it's up to citizens to speak up
when we're told, "It's all in your head."
http://www.abilities.ca/health/hlth_articles.html?showhealth=1&page=17&id=1523
-----
U.S. use of depleted uranium under fire
KING 5 News
By LORI MATSUKAWA
November 11, 2004
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_111104WABdepleteduraniumSW.49604608.html
Alvin Clark, of Tacoma, developed aplastic anemia he
believes is related to his exposure to depleted uranium dust
after he was hit by friendly fire in Saudi Arabia.
Shells and armor used by U.S. tanks, gunships and
helicopters are often made of depleted uranium because
depleted uranium, or D.U., is a heavy metal, able to pierce
armored vehicles or resist being pierced. But it's also
radioactive, a waste product of nuclear enrichment plants
like Hanford.
A pentagon training film shows how the D.U. ordnance bursts
into a fiery powder on contact.
So, what happens when U.S. Troops are forced to march
through the D.U. dust that's left on the ground? Or get hit
by friendly fire? Some vets say it made them sick. The
Pentagon disputes that.
Shinichi Matsuura of Renton fought in the first Gulf War.
His Bradley tank was hit not once, but twice, by U.S.
forces. He breathed a lot of D.U. smoke.
"Matter of fact I didn't know we were using D.U. until six
years ago," said Matsuura.
Alvin Clark of Tacoma says his unit was nearly hit by a
friendly fire missile in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. He developed
aplastic anemia and needed a bone marrow transplant.
Clark said no one ever warned him there might be some
depleted uranium out there, and if he were exposed to it,
what he was supposed to do about it.
Video Clip
KING 5's Lori Matsukawa reports
More ... Custom Video ...
Dennis Kyne of San Jose says his unit marched along the
bombed-out "highway of death" to Baghdad. He receives a
disability check from the government each month for an
"undiagnosed illness."
"My chain of command says I'm big enough and strong enough
and soldier enough to walk through this stuff and .. it's
just like lead. Just a little bit heavy and might affect the
kidneys," he said.
This October, the Pentagon released findings of a five-year
study of D.U. dust. Residue was collected from shot-up
tanks, and analyzed by computer models. The military's
conclusion? Half of the inhaled D.U. - a radioactive heavy
metal - would be excreted by the body in 10 to 100 days.
"Even individuals with the highest potential for exposure
still have doses that are well below peacetime safety
standards. Which would be allowable here in the states so if
you put that in the context of other combat risks, I'd have
to say the military exposures to depleted uranium are safe,"
said Lt. Col. Mark Melanson.
It's a slightly different story for veterans with D.U.
shrapnel embedded in their bodies.
The V.A. in Baltimore is studying about 70 Gulf War one
vets, including Shinishi Matsuura, and has found elevated
levels of uranium in the urine of several men more than a
decade after the conflict.
But Pentagon officials say this, too, is no cause for alarm.
"It's important to note that this group has been followed
for over 10 years and no adverse health effects associated
with depleted uranium have been found," officials said.
In the first Gulf War, the Pentagon estimates it used 315 to
350 tones of D.U. In today's conflict, it estimates
coalition forces have used three to six times that.
So what about the D.U. remaining in Iraq?
In a video provided by the Uranium Medical Research Centre
of Canada, researchers found soil and spent munitions with
radiation levels thousands of times higher than Department
of Defense guidelines. U.S. soldiers tried to warn-off the
researchers.
Congressman Jim McDermott, a medical doctor and Iraq war
critic, questions using D.U. at all. During a hospital visit
in Baghdad before the war, McDermott was told Iraq now has
the highest rate of childhood leukemia in the world.
"I saw what it did to the Iraqis, but now I see that we're
marching our own people through that, creating birth defects
in children, leukemia in children, illnesses among adults.
Then it becomes a question of really a war crime. The Geneva
Convention says you cannot do something that has a long term
effect on the country," said McDermott.
The Pentagon maintains D.U. is safe and necessary in war.
"You take with you the best weapons systems you can so you
can defeat the enemy with overwhelming lethality," said Dr.
Michael Kilpatrick.
The Pentagon says for penetrating armor, depleted uranium is
the heavy metal that is the best.
"It's not the best, it's the worst," said Kyne. "It
inherently becomes the worst possible weapon because it's no
longer just attacking the enemy, it's omnicidal, it kills
all of us."
The U.S. and U.K. are the only militaries that use D.U. Most
exposure to U.S. soldiers has been from fire from its own
forces.
In 1996, the United Nations Sub Commission on Promotion and
Protection of Human Rights found use of D.U. weapons
"incompatible" with existing humanitarian law.
--
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~ in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 ~
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37 [du-list] Pollution Chokes the Tigris, a Main Source of
Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:18:41 -0800
[This mentions "heavy metals" which cause cancer. I suspect
that's a euphemism for depleted uranium.]
Pollution Chokes the Tigris, a Main Source of Baghdad's
Drinking Water
newstandardnews.net
by Dahr Jamail
November 12
http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=481
Water from the Tigris River -- consumed by Iraqis in Baghdad
every day -- is contaminated with war waste, and much of it
goes untreated despite obligations of a US company to
reconstruct vital facilities.
Baghdad , Jun 6 - With reconstruction of a highly inadequate
water treatment and distribution system at a near standstill
throughout much of Central Iraq, some residents of Baghdad
are left with little choice but to drink highly polluted
water from the Tigris River. Aside from a newly formed Iraqi
non-governmental organization that is focusing on the
cleanup of one section of the river, not much is being done
to improve Baghdad residents' access to potable water, and
US contractors appear unable or unwilling to help.
While many areas of Baghdad have access to drinking water
from a few of the functional treatment plants, millions of
residents remain without a clean, reliable source. All too
many of these unfortunates turn to the rotten banks of the
Tigris, which snakes prominently through the heart of
Baghdad collecting toxins as it flows.
Abdul Salam Abdulali works on the river, running a dredging
machine. A river man for most of his life, he has long been
employed by a company that dredges the muddy Tigris, but
which was recently incorporated into the Ministry of Water
Resources.
"I am married to the water," he said standing atop his
dredging machine as it floated atop the river. "But it is
too polluted now. I wish I could eat the fish, but when I
cut them open I can smell the oil."
The remains of a cow decompose on the banks of the Tigris
near Baghdad, a major and often direct source of water for
the city's residents. (Dahr Jamail/NewStandard)
PHOTO: The remains of a cow decompose on the banks of the
Tigris near Baghdad, a major and often direct source of
water for the city's residents. (Dahr Jamail/NewStandard)
In an alarming development, Dr. Husni Mohammed's research
has additionally concluded that Iraqi and US military waste
during the 2003 invasion deposited oil and benzene into the
Tigris, the effects of which include nervous system damage,
birth defects and cancer.
The residents of the impoverished Baghdad neighborhood
called Sadr City are often forced to drink untreated water
directly from the Tigris. They are also plagued by diarrhea;
many reportedly suffer from recurring kidney stones.
Sadr City shopkeeper Ranzi Amher Aziz joined a chorus of
voices protesting the lack of potable water in this Baghdad
slum. "The situation here is worse now than before the war,"
he said, echoing others' complaints.
Many here say they cannot see any sign of the US making an
effort to help. Aziz stood near a pool of raw sewage in the
street. "There has been no work here by the Americans to
give us clean water or fix the sewage problem," he said.
Tigris River water is a concentrated cocktail of pesticides,
fertilizers, oil, gasoline and heavy metals, reports Dr.
Husni Mohammed, an Iraqi who holds a PhD in Environmental
and Biological Science and has researched the condition of
the Tigris. Raw sewage mixes with particles from antiquated
piping and US-fired depleted uranium munitions, he says,
plus remnants from untold amounts of other chemicals
released by American and Iraqi weaponry used since the 1991
Gulf War.
In an alarming development, Dr. Mohammed's research has
additionally concluded that Iraqi and US military waste
during the 2003 invasion deposited oil and benzene into the
river.
The health effects of benzene -- an ingredient found in
gasoline and jet fuel -- are well known and severe.
Short-term exposure can cause significant damage to the
nervous system and dramatic suppression of the immune
system. Consistent consumption of benzene-tainted water can
cause long-term effects including cancer (particularly
Leukemia), birth defects and damage to the reproductive system.
Heavy metals in drinking water are also known to damage the
liver, brain and other vital organs.
Adding to the hazards, very few sewage treatment plants in
Baghdad are operational. Raw waste from the city of five
million residents can be pumped through the sewer system,
completely bypassing any treatment, and flow right into the
river.
Statistics underscore the widespread suffering of Iraqis.
The incidence of diarrheal diseases, such as typhoid,
dysentery and cholera, doubled between August 2002, before
the US-led invasion, and a year later. So reported the
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
a UN agency tasked with coordinating responses to severe
humanitarian crises. Seventy percent of all children's
sicknesses are linked to contaminated water, the report adds.
Over one year into the occupation, the situation is not seen
by most residents here as having improved much. Therefore,
some have begun to take on the responsibility and work of
enacting changes they do not believe can wait for foreign
authorities or the new interim government to undertake.
Shwaqi Kareem, the president of the National Association for
Defense of Environment and Children (NADEC), founded the
non-governmental organization (NGO) because he felt it was
time to start cleaning up a particularly polluted section of
the Tigris. He hopes to remove the garbage, stop the deluge
of raw sewage that is flowing into the river and establish
gardens along the banks.
Kareem said the Tigris is in worse condition now than before
the invasion, and blames the US's disinterest in taking care
of a waterway considered vital by Iraqis.
NADEC draws on the labor of around 1,000 workers, said
co-founder Salim Kamel. Some are paid, but the majority are
volunteers. "We get some money from the municipality," Kamel
said, "but some of the volunteers are business owners who
donate money as well."
Kareem is reluctant to work with the Coalition Provisional
Authority (CPA) in the cleanup; he blames the Coalition for
allowing companies to dump their garbage and sewage into the
river over the past year.
A contractor interviewed inside the Coalition-run "Green
Zone" area echoed Kareem's sentiments. Awshalim Khammo
recently quit his job in frustration after working to clean
up the areas of the CPA near the Tigris. "I tried all last
year to help improve the Palace ground and the river side
within the Green Zone, but things went from bad to worse,"
he said. Khammo complained in particular about dumping --
which he referred to as a "disaster" -- near the Kellogg
Brown and Root warehouse and yards on the east end of the
presidential palace.
Bechtel Corporation was awarded a no-bid,
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract on April 17, 2003 worth $680
million. The controversial contract made Bechtel and its
subcontractors responsible for the rehabilitation of the
Sharkh Dijlah water treatment plant in Baghdad, as well as
the Kerkh Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Repeated contacts with various authorities in charge of
civilian press access to water treatment projects yielded no
invitations to verify progress made on any Baghdad area
water treatment facilities.
The brochure produced by Bechtel to highlight its work in
Iraq concerning the drinking water situation only gives a
concrete finishing date for two projects, one of which is
the rehabilitation and capacity-building of the Sharkh
Dijlah plant.
Work on the plant, Bechtel's number two priority in Baghdad
since June 2003, is expected to increase potable water by
225 million liters per day. The work was due to be completed
by this month.
According to the Washington Post, however, Baghdad officials
said Bechtel spent four months studying plans for the
expansion made by Iraq's state-run water company, finally
concluding they were acceptable. They then reissued the same
orders for the same parts from the same supplier Iraqi
engineers had tried to acquire them from. Bechtel estimates
it will spend $16 billion on the project, carrying out the
work essentially as had previously been done by Iraqi
engineers no longer permitted to participate.
Bechtel admits the water treatment plant is still being
rehabilitated, but says the delay is caused by extra
capacity. "We are expanding the treatment capacity of the
plant by 50 percent over the design capacity, or 50 million
gallons per day," said company spokesperson Francis Canavan.
"Our work is expected to be completed in the fall."
Dr. Abdul Latif Rashid, the Minister for Water Resources in
Iraq, told the BBC that the poor state of Iraq's
infrastructure and past mismanagement are to blame for some
of the water problems Iraqis are now facing.
The UN's OCHA report spread the blame more broadly: "Three
wars and 13 years of sanctions, as well as the Coalition
invasion and the looting that followed it, have dealt a
heavy blow to the country's already creaking water system."
Kerkh Wastewater Treatment Plant -- another Baghdad area
plant in Bechtel's Implementation Plan -- is currently
undergoing rehabilitation efforts, according to a company
spokesperson, who said, "Last week, the Kerkh Wastewater
Treatment Plant, which we are rehabilitating, began treating
sewage for the first time in years, when one-third of the
plant reopened."
During a boat tour of the Tigris' banks taken to inspect
treatment facilities, NADEC founder Shwaqi Kareem pointed to
a massive outpouring of brownish gray wastewater flowing
right into the river. The source of this vile discharge?
"The Kerkh Wastewater Treatment Plant," said Kareem.
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