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                         NUCLEAR POLICY
 
1 UN Watchdog Concerned By Disappearance Of Nuclear Material From Iraq
2 UK The Times: 'The 45-minute claim may have been wrong, but we were 
3 BBC: Nuclear assets 'vanish' in Iraq
4 BBC: Confusion over Iraq nuclear assets
5 BBC: Iraq says nuclear sites 'secure'
6 BBC: Iraq asks nuclear watchdog back
7 BBC NEWS Analysis: Death of the 45-minute claim
8 Daily Iowan - Opinions: Britney Spears reality - 
9 Scotsman.com News: Blix Believed Iraq Dossier Was 'Understated'
10 Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear materials from Iraq 'missing'
11 Aljazeera.com: IAEA: Nuclear materials disappeared from Iraq - 
12 US: Rush Is Right: UN Loses Nuclear Material in Iraq
13 AU ABC: Weapons inspectors welcome back in Iraq. 
14 UK Independent: Nuclear material 'has gone missing' since war
15 UK Independent: How a sensational claim exploded in the face of the 
16 Las Vegas SUN: White House Sounds Out Europeans on Iran
17 Guardian Unlimited: U.S. Considering Incentives for Iran
18 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: NK Has 2 to 9 Nuclear Bombs, Says Report 
19 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Professor Advises Seoul Against Pro-China
20 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Yale professor says Korea can't ignore U.S.
21 Korea Herald: U.S. envoy 'in-step' with Korea   
22 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL]Roh's view on the North   
23 Korea Herald: Seoul may dispatch envoys to promote peace   
24 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [OUTLOOK]Don't forget our principles
25 US: Press Action: Views from Two Ground Zeros
26 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan Test-Fires Nuke-Capable Missile
27 Interfax: Brazil seeks space, nuclear energy cooperation with Russia
28 BBC: Musharraf five years on
29 Hi Pakistan: Shaukat for Indo-Pak N-restraint     --> 
30 Khaleej Times: nuclear fuel - report
 
                         NUCLEAR REACTORS
 
31 US: [NukeNet] NY Times - big artcile on Salem/Hope Creek problems
32 US: [NukeNet] AC Press article on Salem's woes
33 US: [epa-impact] Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric
34 US: Albuquerque Tribune: Domenici tome extols nuclear power         
35 US: JS Online: Kewaunee plant out of service
36 Xinhuanet: Dongfang Electric joins hands with Alsthom on nuclear pow
37 US: News 10: Demonstrators march in support of former nuclear plant 
38 US: PRN: Consumers Energy Announces Likely Extension of Palisades Nu
39 Guardian Unlimited: Speedier, cheaper clean-up raises prospects of n
40 US: NRC: ASLB to Hear Oral Arguments on Petitions Seeking Hearings O
 
                          NUCLEAR SAFETY
 
41 [du-list] egypt -jordan radioactive scrap imports
42 Depleted Uranium the new Leprosy _ lifetime quarantine for
43 US: NRC: EX/IMPORT of radioactive material
44 US: NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Find
45 US: Craig Daily Press: Nuclear workers' advocate victorius
46 US: deseret news: Congress expands downwind funding
47 AP Wire Study: Atomic Radiation Down in Arctic
48 US: APP.COM: Nuclear agency probes plant shortcomings 
 
                         NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
 
49 NRC: Notice of Issuance of License Amendment 51 for Nuclear Fuel 
50 Platts: Court ruling forces US nuclear industry to rethink appeal
51 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: 5 percent looms large
52 Las Vegas SUN: AG warns Yucca board about open meeting law violation
53 Las Vegas SUN: UNLV profs: Yucca won't be key issue in race
54 Las Vegas SUN: Appeals court denies Yucca radiation request
55 RGJ: Candidates differ on Yucca positions
56 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Bishop engages new strategy in attempt to der
57 US: The Ledger: Will EPA Rethink Gypsum Policy?
58 US: Times-News: Some view nuke waste bill suspiciously ... 
59 Yucca Newsletter: DOE Failed to Alert Workers to Disease Risk   
60 AU ABC: NT to push Commonwealth over Kakadu uranium waste
 
                         NUCLEAR WEAPONS
 
61 The Sunflower - October 2004 - Issue 89
 
                        US DEPT. OF ENERGY
 
62 Las Vegas SUN: Senate approves funding for Test Site anti-terrorism 
63 Rocky Mountain News: Plans for Flats plant change
64 The State: Momentum gains on $1B accelerator project
65 WVLT: Mold found in nuclear weapons plant office
 
                          OTHER NUCLEAR
 
66 MTP Fall 2004 eNewsletter
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                         FULL NEWS STORIES
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 1 UN Watchdog Concerned By Disappearance Of Nuclear Material From Iraq
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 12:00:21 -0400

 
X-Sender-Hostname: mx3.un.org
 
X-Temp-Whitephrase: YES NUCLEAR 

UN WATCHDOG CONCERNED BY DISAPPEARANCE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL FROM IRAQ
New York, Oct 12 2004 12:00PM
Satellite images show equipment and materials that could be used 
to make nuclear weapons have disappeared from Iraq, the United Nations 
atomic watchdog agency has warned, and it has called on countries 
to provide information concerning their whereabouts. 

Entire buildings once monitored and tagged by the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) have been dismantled, and equipment and 
materials in open storage areas have been removed, the Agency’s 
Director-General, Mohamed ElBaradei, wrote in a <"http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2004/786">letter 
to the Security 
Council. 

“The IAEA continues to be concerned about the widespread and apparently 
systematic dismantlement that has taken place at sites previously 
relevant to Iraq’s nuclear programme and sites previously 
subject to ongoing monitoring and verification” by the Agency, he 
said. 

Since 1991 the IAEA has been required by Security Council resolutions 
to submit progress reports every six months on its inspections 
of Iraq’s nuclear weapons programme. However, the Agency pulled 
out of the country on the eve of the war last year, and since then 
has been concentrating on analyzing information collected since 
it began those checks. In August, the Agency did complete a separate, 
physical inspection of nuclear safeguards under the terms 
of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 

Mr. ElBaradei said through visits to other countries, the IAEA had 
been able to identify quantities of industrial items, some radioactively 
contaminated, that had been transferred out of Iraq from 
sites monitored by the Agency. “However, none of the high-quality 
dual-use equipment or materials referred to above has been found,” 
he added. 

“As the disappearance of such equipment and materials may be of proliferation 
significance, any State that has information about the 
location of such items should provide the IAEA with that information,” 
he said. 

Mr. ElBaradei also said the <"http://www.iaea.org/">IAEA is considering 
requests by Iraq for help with the sale of leftover nuclear 
material at its Tuwaitha facility, except for a small batch for 
research purposes; the dismantlement and decontamination of former 
nuclear facilities; and the resumption of IAEA assistance under 
a number of technical cooperation projects that had been suspended 
since December 1998. 
 2004-10-12 00:00:00.000 

________________

For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news

To change your profile or unsubscribe go to:
http://www.un.org/news/dh/latest/subscribe.shtml
*****************************************************************
 2 UK The Times: 'The 45-minute claim may have been wrong, but we were right'
 
October 13, 2004                       
 
By Philip Webster

Jack Straw holds the official line after MI6 drops Iraq 
intelligence sources
		 		
THE Government sought yesterday finally to bury the claim that 
Iraqi weapons could be deployed within 45 minutes, as British 
Intelligence announced that it had dropped the source of the 
information. 

The source of another claim about Iraqi production of biological 
weapons agents, described only as a “liaison service”, has 
suffered the same fate, Jack Straw told the Commons. 

But at the same time Mr Straw revealed that Hans Blix, the United 
Nations’ chief weapons inspector, had been shown a draft of the 
Government’s dossier on Iraqi weapons and had accepted — as late 
as September 2002, shortly before the dossier’s publication — its 
section on chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic weapons 
programmes. If anything, he believed that the dossier understated 
the case, documents released by the Foreign and Commonwealth 
Office show. 

It was the first time ministers have mentioned that Dr Blix was 
consulted over the dossier and it is understood that Dr Blix was 
warned by Mr Straw that the contact would be made known to show 
that most of the international community believed that Saddam 
Hussein was a threat at the time. 

The disclosure of the dropped sources means that the Secret 
Intelligence Service has had to withdraw three of its main lines 
of intelligence reporting on Iraq’s weapons before the war. 

But neither Mr Straw nor Tony Blair will go further than the 
apologies already given over the war intelligence. 

Downing Street said Mr Blair would not go beyond his statement at 
the time of the Butler report that he accepted responsibility for 
mistakes made in the intelligence gathered by America and 
Britain. 

Officials said he had avoided the word “sorry” because it would 
be be misused by critics as an apology for the war itself, 
something Mr Blair would never be prepared to give. 

Nearly 18 months after the end of the war in Iraq and days after 
the Iraq Survey Group concluded that Saddam had no weapons of 
mass destruction, Mr Straw acknowledged that some of the 
information on which the Government had based its judgments about 
the war was wrong. However, he said that he did not accept, even 
with hindsight, that the Government had been wrong to act as it 
had, given the circumstances it faced at the time. 

He said that the international community, and every one of the 15 
members of the UN Security Council, had concluded at the time 
that Saddam posed a threat to international security. 

Mr Straw said that Dr Blix had been shown a draft — not the final 
version — of the weapons dossier in September 2002, shortly 
before it was published. 

According to Mr Straw: “There was a huge demand from March of 
2002 for us to put before the House a summary of the intelligence 
we had seen. That dossier . . . accurately reflected the views of 
the Joint Intelligence Committee at the time. 

“We sought to cross-check the dossier with many people. One of my 
officials in New York showed Dr Blix section six of the dossier 
and my official wrote: ‘On the whole Blix liked section six. He 
felt it did not exaggerate the facts nor revert to rhetoric’.” 

The Foreign Office said that an offical called Adam Bye had 
penned the note. 

Mr Straw said: “It is very, very important that the House 
understands that the evidence we put forward was a view . . . 
shared at the time by other foreign intelligence agencies, as 
well, as it happens, by Dr Blix.”   	 		

							   	 	
Copyright The Times - timesonline.co.uk
*****************************************************************
 3 BBC: Nuclear assets 'vanish' in Iraq
 
  Last Updated: Monday, 11 October, 2004
 
[US troops look down on the nuclear facility at Tuwaitha, Iraq ]                                

The US has been blocking full UN inspections in Iraq                                                             

Equipment and materials that could be used to make nuclear arms 
have been vanishing in Iraq since the invasion, the United 
Nations has warned. 

Satellite images show entire buildings have been dismantled 
without any record being made, said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head 
of the UN nuclear watchdog. 

Iraq's US-backed leaders have not reported to the UN on the state 
of nuclear plants despite a duty to do so. 

But they have asked the UN to help sell off unwanted nuclear 
material. 

The disappearance of su equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance            [ src=] Mohamed ElBaradei 
Iraq's nuclear puzzle           

Inspectors from Mr ElBaradei's International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA), who established that Saddam Hussein had abandoned any 
nuclear weapons programme before the war, have not been allowed 
to move about Iraq freely by the US. 

Apart from a couple of limited checks on the main nuclear 
facility at Tuwaitha last June after reports of looting - and 
with no teams now on the ground - the IAEA has to rely on 
satellite imagery and other sources. 

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Mr ElBaradei said 
buildings related to Iraq's previous nuclear programme appeared 
to have been systematically dismantled and equipment and material 
removed. 

"The disappearance of such equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance," the IAEA director general warned. 

No reports 

Sensitive technology such as rocket engines has turned up for 
sale abroad, Mr ElBaradei said. 

However, high-precision "dual-use" items including milling 
machines and electron beam welders appear to have disappeared, as 
has material such as high-strength aluminium. 

Mr ElBaradei called on any state with information on the location 
of such items to inform his agency. 

The US removed nearly two tonnes of low-enriched uranium from 
Iraq earlier this year. The IAEA has verified that 550 tonnes of 
nuclear material still remain at Tuwaitha. 

Iraq, the agency says, has asked for help to sell the nuclear 
material and in dismantling and decontaminating former nuclear 
facilities. 

Mr ElBaradei reminded the Security Council that Iraq was still 
obliged to "declare semi-annually changes that have occurred or 
are foreseen at sites deemed relevant" by the IAEA. 

However, since March 2003 "the agency has received no such 
notifications or declarations from any state", he said. 

Last week, a report from chief US weapons inspector Charles 
Duelfer concluded that Saddam Hussein had stopped trying to build 
weapons of mass destruction following the 1991 Gulf War. 



*****************************************************************
 4 BBC: Confusion over Iraq nuclear assets
 
  Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 October, 2004
 
        By David Bamford BBC security correspondent   

[US troops guard canister containing traces of uranium]                                
The IAEA has not been able to properly check Iraq's facilities 
since looting last year                                                               

The statement by Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN's nuclear 
monitoring agency, on the disappearance of nuclear equipment and 
materials in Iraq, may give rise to some confusion. 

The IAEA director-general said entire buildings related to Iraq's 
former nuclear programme appeared to have been dismantled, and 
that the agency had lost track of high-precision equipment 
thought to have been inside the buildings. 

News headlines have been full for months of acknowledgements in 
the US and elsewhere that Iraq had long ago abandoned plans to 
build nuclear weapons. 

Yet now the IAEA is talking of equipment known to have been in 
Iraq as recently as last year that had potential nuclear use. 

Back in the 1970s and 80s, Iraq did have a civilian nuclear 
programme, being developed under close supervision by the IAEA. 

It suffered a major setback in 1981 when the Israelis attacked 
and destroyed Iraq's French-built Osirak nuclear reactor. 

Since then, atomic energy inspectors have visited Iraq but they 
were forced to leave last year because of the Iraq war. 

Answers needed 

The Americans have still not allowed them back for further 
inspections, and this seems to be a key factor lying behind Mr 
ElBaradei's statement now. 

He says the agency knows in which buildings this sensitive 
equipment was stored when it left Iraq. 

Now satellite photos suggest the entire buildings have been 
dismantled. 

The Iraqi interim Minister of Science and Technology, Rashad 
Omar, told the BBC that the buildings concerned were 
comprehensively looted during the days following the American-led 
capture of Baghdad last year and before the coalition troops 
could secure the facilities. 

He said the US did take control - with the approval of the IAEA - 
of quantities of low-grade uranium. 

[US troops look down on the nuclear facility at Tuwaitha, Iraq ] 
The US has been blocking full UN inspections in Iraq                                                             

Since the transfer of sovereignty, the Iraqi government has 
assumed responsibility for the sites. 

An IAEA spokesman, Mark Gwozdecky, said that the Agency has been 
monitoring foreign ports to try to track the flow of 
nuclear-related and 'dual-usage' items out of Iraq. 

He said there has been a steady flow of mildly radioactive scrap 
items, including missile engines, turning up in locations 
including Jordan and the Netherlands. 

The IAEA says it cannot do its job of guarding the world against 
secret nuclear proliferation if it is prevented from keeping 
track of such equipment. 

The Americans may well know what has happened to it - or they may 
not. 

Mr ElBaradei does not know because he has been kept out of the 
information loop - and he wants some answers. 



*****************************************************************
 5 BBC: Iraq says nuclear sites 'secure'
 
  Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 October, 2004
 
[US troops look down on the nuclear facility at Tuwaitha, Iraq ]                                
The US has been blocking full UN inspections in Iraq                                                             

Iraq's interim government is playing down concerns over the 
disappearance of materials from nuclear sites that could be used 
to make atomic weapons. 

The UN nuclear monitoring agency says satellite imagery shows 
that entire buildings have been dismantled and specialised 
equipment is missing. 

Interim Technology Minister Rashid Omar said equipment was taken 
by looters soon after the US-led invasion. 

But since then, he told the BBC, Iraq's nuclear facilities had 
been secured. 

The disappearance of su equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance            [ src=] IAEA head Mohamed 
ElBaradei Iraq's nuclear puzzle           

	 	 

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spokesman, Mark 
Gwozdecky, said the Americans themselves might have been 
responsible for dismantling buildings and removing materials, but 
had not yet responded to requests for clarification. 

He added that the problem would remain one of nuclear 
proliferation until it could be shown that the missing materials 
were in responsible hands. 

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has ordered a detailed 
report into the matter. 

'Science park' 

Mr Omar said he was not aware of any buildings being demolished 
at Iraq's main nuclear site at Tuwaitha. 

But he added that eight buildings there were being rehabilitated 
as part of a plan to turn the site into a science and technology 
park for peaceful research. 

"As far as I am concerned, the ministry of Science and Technology 
which controlled the Tuwaitha site, which included the Iraqi 
nuclear facilities, the location was looted - the buildings, the 
equipment - immediately after the collapse of the regime," he 
told the BBC. 

"Then afterwards it came under the control of the coalition 
forces and the area was well-protected until the transition of 
sovereignty. 

"After the transition of sovereignty to us it is under our 
control and the location is well-protected and there is no 
looting." 

Mr Omar insisted that Iraq would fulfil its responsibilities to 
the IAEA, and inform it of any equipment being moved. 

He invited the agency to come when it wanted to Iraq, promising 
free access. 

Inspectors from the IAEA, who established that Saddam Hussein had 
abandoned any nuclear weapons programme before the war, have not 
been allowed to move about Iraq freely by the US. 

Apart from a couple of limited checks on Tuwaitha last June after 
reports of looting - and with no teams now on the ground - the 
IAEA has to rely on satellite imagery and other sources. 

'On sale abroad' 

In a letter to the UN Security Council, Mr ElBaradei said 
buildings related to Iraq's previous nuclear programme appeared 
to have been systematically dismantled and equipment and material 
removed. 

"The disappearance of such equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance," the IAEA director general warned. 

Sensitive technology such as rocket engines had turned up for 
sale abroad, Mr ElBaradei said. 

However, high-precision "dual-use" items including milling 
machines and electron beam welders appear to have disappeared, as 
has material such as high-strength aluminium. 

Mr ElBaradei called on any state with information on the location 
of such items to inform his agency. 

The US removed nearly two tonnes of low-enriched uranium from 
Iraq earlier this year. The IAEA has verified that 550 tonnes of 
nuclear material still remain at Tuwaitha. 

Iraq, the agency says, has asked for help to sell the nuclear 
material and in dismantling and decontaminating former nuclear 
facilities. 

Mr ElBaradei reminded the Security Council that Iraq was still 
obliged to "declare semi-annually changes that have occurred or 
are foreseen at sites deemed relevant" by the IAEA. 

However, since March 2003 "the agency has received no such 
notifications or declarations from any state", he said. 





*****************************************************************
 6 BBC: Iraq asks nuclear watchdog back
 
  Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 October, 2004
 
[US troops look down on the nuclear facility at Tuwaitha, Iraq ]                                
The US has been blocking full UN inspections in Iraq                                                             

Iraq's interim government has invited the UN nuclear watchdog to 
check on the disappearance of materials from its former nuclear 
sites. 

Iraqi Technology Minister Rashad Omar said International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors had free access and could come 
back when they wanted. 

He said there had been looting at the start of the US-led 
invasion, but the sites were now secure. 

An IAEA report says technology is missing from Iraq's nuclear 
sites. 

The agency says satellite imagery shows that entire buildings 
have been dismantled, while materials and specialised equipment 
have disappeared. 

The IAEA responded to Iraq's invitation by saying that any 
decision on the return of its inspectors would have to come from 
the UN Security Council. 

IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the agency was concerned 
that sensitive technology might have fallen into the hands of 
those involved in the black market in nuclear weapons. 
	
The disappearance of su equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance            

IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei Iraq's nuclear puzzle           

She said scrap metal from Iraqi nuclear sites, some of which was 
mildly radioactive, had been turning up abroad. 

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher echoed the IAEA's 
concerns, saying Washington had no detailed knowledge of what 
might have disappeared or where it might have gone. 

"That's a problem that occurred right after the war that we do 
think has been brought under control," he said. 

However, Mr Boucher added that the IAEA had been allowed access 
to Iraq's main nuclear site, Tuwaitha, twice since the US-led war 
- in June last year and August this year. 

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has ordered a detailed 
report into the matter. 

'Science park' 

Mr Omar said he was not aware of any buildings being demolished 
at Tuwaitha. 

But he added that eight buildings there were being rehabilitated, 
as part of a plan to turn the site into a science and technology 
park for peaceful research. 

"As far as I am concerned, the ministry of science and technology 
which controlled the Tuwaitha site, which included the Iraqi 
nuclear facilities, the location was looted - the buildings, the 
equipment - immediately after the collapse of the regime," he 
told the BBC. 

"Then afterwards it came under the control of the coalition 
forces and the area was well-protected until the transition of 
sovereignty. 

"After the transition of sovereignty to us it is under our 
control and the location is well-protected and there is no 
looting." 

Mr Omar insisted that Iraq would fulfil its responsibilities to 
the IAEA, and inform it of any equipment being moved. 

Inspectors from the IAEA, who established that Saddam Hussein had 
abandoned any nuclear weapons programme before the war, have not 
been allowed to move about Iraq freely by the US. 

With no teams now on the ground, the IAEA has to rely on 
satellite imagery and other sources. 

'On sale abroad' 

In a letter to the UN Security Council, IAEA head Mohamed 
ElBaradei said buildings related to Iraq's previous nuclear 
programme appeared to have been systematically dismantled and 
equipment and material removed. 

"The disappearance of such equipment and materials may be of 
proliferation significance," the IAEA director general warned. 

Sensitive technology such as rocket engines had turned up for 
sale abroad, Mr ElBaradei said. 

However, high-precision "dual-use" items including milling 
machines and electron beam welders appear to have disappeared, as 
has material such as high-strength aluminium. 

Mr ElBaradei called on any state with information on the location 
of such items to inform his agency. 

The US removed nearly two tonnes of low-enriched uranium from 
Iraq earlier this year. The IAEA has verified that 550 tonnes of 
nuclear material still remain at Tuwaitha. 

Iraq, the agency says, has asked for help to sell the nuclear 
material and in dismantling and decontaminating former nuclear 
facilities. 





*****************************************************************
 7 BBC NEWS Analysis: Death of the 45-minute claim
 
[http://www.bbc.co.uk]                                       

  Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 October, 2004, 22:31 GMT 23:31 UK [

By Gordon Corera BBC security correspondent   

On Tuesday, the claim that Iraq could launch weapons of mass 
destruction within 45 minutes was finally laid to rest by Jack 
Straw in the House of Commons. 

[Rockets filled with sarin found after 1991 war] WMB have not 
been found in Iraq since Saddam was toppled                        
			   		
A year and a half after the war actually took place, an innocent 
observer may have thought it was fairly obvious by now that Iraq 
was not able to launch such weapons at such short notice. 

But it is only now that the long saga has been brought to its 
formal conclusion and that particular claim laid to rest. 

Concerns first arose in mid-May regarding the validity of the 
intelligence reporting on which the 45-minute claim was based. 

Government ministers were informed at the beginning of June about 
these concerns. 

Officially false 

The Butler report in mid-July, which investigated the WMD 
intelligence, stated that it had been told by the Secret 
Intelligence Service (often known as MI6) that one of the links 
in the reporting claim had been "thrown into doubt". 

But in the weeks between mid-July and Straw's statement, SIS 
finished its investigation of the source and finally withdrew the 
report as "officially" false. 

Another separate line of reporting on the existence of mobile 
biological facilities, which came from another foreign 
intelligence service, has also now been finally withdrawn after 
having been questioned in Butler. 

The Butler inquiry found that British intelligence had five main 
sources reporting on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction 
programme. 

Reports from one key source - reports which were crucial in the 
belief that there was active, current production of chemical and 
biological weapons and which played an important role in the 
famous September 2002 dossier - were withdrawn in July 2003. 

Long, slow death 

This happened when one of the links in the chain which brought 
the intelligence to SIS was interviewed after the war and denied 
having ever provided the information in the reports. 

[Jack Straw]            [ src=] Straw withdraws 45-minute claim                 

The long, slow death of these claims is a product of the ongoing 
process of validating - or confirming - sources. 

Validation has always been part of the work of any intelligence 
service as it checks that someone giving information is who they 
say they are, really does have access to the information they 
claim to be passing on, and is not providing false information 
for any reason. 

In the case of Iraq, because of the closed nature of the regime, 
it was difficult to validate sources to the depth that would 
normally have been considered ideal. 

Once the war finished, this began to change and the SIS continued 
to investigate its sources in more detail, leading ultimately to 
these final withdrawals. 

Under pressure 

The Butler report highlighted problems in terms of both resources 
and process when it came to validation. 

To cite Lord Butler's delicate turn of phrase, "more weight was 
placed on the intelligence than it could bear"                [ 

According to those appearing before Lord Butler, in the mid-1990s 
budgets were under pressure and, in order to make staff savings, 
more junior intelligence officers were given the job of checking 
the validity of sources. 

The process was also subjected to the "operational imperative to 
produce results". 

In the case of Iraq, Sir Richard Dearlove, the chief of SIS until 
this summer, also made clear there was a "pressure on the Service 
to produce" as it tried to ramp up its coverage of Iraq from 
mid-2002. 

Supporters of the intelligence services point to these structural 
problems of validation as the cause of many of the problems over 
Iraqi WMD, rather than any caving in to political pressure to 
produce what the government wanted. 

Validation review 

However, what remains unclear - even after Butler - is the exact 
process by which the intelligence collected by SIS was 
transformed into the confident judgements of the September 
dossier when, to cite Lord Butler's delicate turn of phrase, 
"more weight was placed on the intelligence than it could bear." 

SIS has since launched a review into its validation procedures 
which is headed by a senior officer of the service. 

This review is ongoing and has already led to changes in both 
process and resourcing with the aim of rectifying the problems 
identified. 

What is interesting though, is that not every claim has yet been 
abandoned by British intelligence. 

In London, the 45-minutes claim became the focus of attention, 
but in Washington it was the claim that Iraq had sought to 
procure uranium from Niger. 

Fight another day 

In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush made much 
of this claim and credited it to British intelligence. 

Since then, the US has backed off this assertion and the Iraq 
Survey Group report stated that it "has not found evidence to 
show that Iraq sought uranium from abroad after 1991". 

However, even now British intelligence still stands by this 
claim, emphasising, as it has done all along, that it has access 
to information that it has not been able to share with the US 
government or the Iraq Survey Group. 

As a result, it sees no reason to withdraw this piece of 
intelligence. 

So, just as we finally bid a final farewell to some other 
controversial claims and sources, others live on to fight another 
day. 

*****************************************************************
 8 Daily Iowan - Opinions: Britney Spears reality - 

ww.dailyiowan.com]    							 						

By Beau Elliot  Published: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 

So it appears that Saddam's weapons of mass destruction, the 
lurid tales of which led the Bush administration to embark upon 
the great adventure in Iraq, turn out to have as much substance 
as indelible ink in the Afghan election.
 
Roughly the half-life of boiled cabbage.
 
As you probably heard, the chief U.S. weapons inspector in Iraq, 
Charles Duelfer, released a report last week ("Comprehensive 
Report by the Special Adviser to the DCI on Iraq's WMD") saying 
there were no Iraqi WMD. That would be "no" as in none. Nada. 
Zero. (A word I hesitate to use because the concept of zero was 
introduced to the Western world by Arabs. Do you think it's a 
plot?)
 
Duelfer said that not only were there no weapons, there were no 
weapons programs, either. Saddam Hussein dismantled everything 
after the 1991 Gulf War. Just as one of his sons-in-law, Hussein 
Kamal, told interrogators when he defected to the West in 1995.
 
In short, there was no "imminent threat." (Yes, I know - 
defenders of the president claim that the Cowboy in Chief never 
uttered those two words. But two White House spokesmen did in the 
run-up to the war. For who were they speaking? John Kerry?)
 
So basically, Iraqi WMD were about as real as Britney Spears' 
first marriage. And about as much of a threat to U.S. and world 
security.
 
Not that you could tell from anything Bush &Co. have had to say. 
Their point, as near as I can tell from listening to them, is 
that Iraq's having no WMD proves that we had to invade Iraq.
 
Huh?
 
No, really. Because the U.N. sanctions and U.N. weapons 
inspectors were working, we had to yank the inspectors out of 
Iraq so we could go to war. And, by the way, black is white, up 
is down, and the sun rises in the West.
 
Some days - no, just about every day, you just have to wonder 
what parallel universe these people are living in. Because it 
seems to have infrequent contact with what the rest of us call 
reality.
 
For instance, it turns out that Duelfer's outfit, the Iraq Survey 
Group, employed 1,700 people and spent almost $1 billion to 
discover that there was nothing to discover. That dollar figure 
is just about what the United States has spent on reconstruction 
in Iraq. It's good to know we have our priorities straight.
 
To be fair to Bush, you can kind of understand why he would 
prefer to reside in a fairy tale, because he's had an awful 
couple of weeks. There was his inept performance in the first 
debate. Then Paul Pillar, the chief CIA officer for the Middle 
East, revealed that the agency had warned the administration 
before the war that invading Iraq would lead to rebellion, 
insurgency, and an increase in support for Islamists - which are 
not exactly the flowers and open arms that the administration 
promised us.
 
Then the New York Times published a long article (Oct. 3) 
detailing the story of Iraq's infamous aluminum tubes. It's a 
complex tale, but the basic plot line goes like this: The 
administration kept insisting that the tubes were meant for 
centrifuges to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, while U.S. 
nuclear-weapon experts kept insisting that the tubes couldn't be 
used for that purpose because they were the wrong size.
 
And the result? The tubes cannot be used to centrifuge uranium in 
the production of weapons because they're the wrong size.
 
If that weren't enough, the CIA leaked a report demonstrating the 
agency's grave doubts about any link between Saddam and Jordanian 
militant Musab al-Zarqawi, who is considered to be responsible 
for the much of the reign of terror around Fallujah.
 
And L. Paul Bremer, the former U.S. administrator of Iraq, said 
there weren't enough U.S. troops in Iraq to prevent violence. And 
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld admitted that he had never 
seen "strong, hard evidence" of a connection between Saddam and 
Al Qaeda.
 
What's a poor president to do?
 
Apparently, take up housekeeping in Wonderland, where Saddam 
juggles radioactive ions and Iraqis shower our troops with 
flowers because they're liberators, not occupiers.
 
Yeah, that's the way it happened. 

ww.dailyiowan.com]  		   	 

*****************************************************************
 9 Scotsman.com News: Blix Believed Iraq Dossier Was 'Understated'
 
Wednesday, 13th October 2004    	 

By Gavin Cordon, Whitehall Editor, PA News 

Former UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix believed the 
Government’s controversial Iraq weapons dossier actually 
understated the case against Saddam Hussein, according to 
documents released today by the Foreign Office.
 
The papers released by the FO show that British officials at the 
United Nations in New York showed a draft of the dossier to Dr 
Blix in September 2002, two weeks before the final version was 
published.
 
A note from one official, Adam Bye, said that Dr Blix had liked 
the section on chemical, biological and nuclear weapons as he 
believed that it did not exaggerate the facts.
 
According to the note, Dr Blix said that the dossier even risked 
understating Iraq’s ability to produce weapons of mass 
destruction – particularly the lethal anthrax virus.
 
He also described the claim that even if Iraq was able to acquire 
fissile material from abroad, it would still take at least two 
years to build a working nuclear bomb as “modest”.
 
Since war, Dr Blix has strongly criticised the case made for war 
by Britain and the United States, based on Saddam Hussein’s 
supposed possession of illegal WMD.
 
However, in a Commons statement, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw 
said that at the time the dossier was published, the assumption 
that Iraq did indeed have WMD was shared across the international 
community.
 
In his note, sent to Mr Straw’s office, Mr Bye said: “On the 
whole, Blix liked section 6 (on WMD) – he felt it did not 
exaggerate the facts, nor revert to rhetoric, probably both 
desirable for its credibility.
 
“Blix felt that more evidence of illegal procurement activities 
would have been good – this was the sort of activity/evidence 
that most impressed him when reading WMD reports (Blix is of 
course a more sophisticated reader than most).
 
“Blix also thought that the section risked understating 
Iraq’s indigenous capacity to produce WMD (ie meaning that, 
even if it held low stocks of WMD, it could quickly produce 
more).
 
“Specific mention of anthrax might be particularly worthwhile 
in this respect – Unmovic (the UN weapons inspectors) believed 
this was an area where Iraq had very likely maintained indigenous 
capability (though Unmovic had not said so in public, nor was the 
case totally watertight).”
 
Under “additional thoughts”, Mr Bye noted that Dr Blix 
regarded the assessment in the dossier of the time it would take 
for Iraq to build a nuclear bomb as “modest”.
 
“Blix believed the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) 
had, at the time, assessed Iraq could complete a nuclear bomb 
within a year. While Iraq had trouble putting together a missile 
(mismatch between the size of the bomb and size of the missile) a 
bomb could have been delivered by plane,” he wrote.
 
Mr Bye said Dr Blix also regarded the section on Iraq’s 
chemical weapons capacity as “modest” and he had not 
challenged the claim in the dossier that Iraq had tried to 
acquire uranium from the African state of Niger.
 
“He thought we should be clear that such uranium was not 
weapons usable without enrichment (no small feat). However it was 
illegal for Iraq to buy it,” Mr Bye wrote.
 
However Dr Blix did challenge claims in the dossier that 
aluminium pipes acquired by Iraq were for the purpose of uranium 
enrichment and that castor oil resin could be used by the Iraqis 
to create a battlefield weapon.
 
The comments by Dr Blix were made before UN weapons inspectors 
were able to re-enter Iraq and see for themselves conditions on 
the ground.
 
However they will be seen by the Foreign Office as further 
corroboration for their view that at the time the dossier was 
published, the view that Iraq had WMD was widely shared across 
the international community.              [ border=]             

*****************************************************************
 10 Guardian Unlimited: Nuclear materials from Iraq 'missing'
 
[UP] 

Ian Traynor in Zagreb
Wednesday October 13, 2004
The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk]  		
 		
Equipment which could be used in an illicit nuclear bomb 
programme has disappeared from previously monitored sites in 
Iraq, and radioactively contaminated items from there have been 
found abroad, the International Atomic Energy Agency has told the 
UN. 

Installations in Saddam Hussein's former nuclear bomb programme 
were being systematically dismantled, its director general, 
Mohamed ElBaradei, has told the security council, warning of the 
implications for trafficking. 

In a letter to Sir Emyr Jones Parry, the British diplomat 
presiding over the security council, Dr ElBaradei said his 
inspectors had "been able to identify quantities of industrial 
items, some radioactively contaminated, that had been transferred 
out of Iraq from sites [previously] monitored by the IAEA". 

These did not not include "high precision equipment" with a dual 
civilian or military use which would be valuable in a nuclear 
bomb programme. But he added: "The disappearance of such 
equipment and materials may be of proliferation significance." 

The warning will further embarrass the US and British 
governments, which justified the war in Iraq with the alleged 
threat of weapons of mass destruction, insisting that Saddam 
Hussein had an active nuclear bomb programme. 

Dr ElBaradei appealed for information about any of the vanished 
equipment. Last night the Iraqi science and technology minister, 
Rashad Omar, invited the UN nuclear inspectors to return to Iraq 
to check on the missing equipment and materials. 

"The locations that belong to the science and technology ministry 
are secure and under our control," Mr Omar told Reuters. He said 
that Tuwaitha, the vast compound south of Baghdad which contained 
Iraq's main nuclear facility, was being turned into a science 
park. "The IAEA came back one month ago, it inspected the plant 
and other ones and didn't say anything. 

"We are transparent. We are happy for the IAEA or any other 
organisation to come and inspect," he said, adding that he had 
not seen the agency's report to the security council. 

The run-up to the war in Iraq last year was marked by intense 
hostility between the Bush administration and the weapons 
inspectors, with Washington and London scorning the inspections, 
which are now known to have successfully dismantled Saddam 
Hussein's secret bomb programme in the mid-90s. 

The inspectors have been virtually barred from Iraq by the US 
since before the war and Dr ElBaradei's information on the 
missing equipment has come from satellite photography and other 
sources. 

Some of the contaminated equipment and material from Iraq is 
believed to have been located in Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and the 
Netherlands. 

Iran is widely suspected of conducting a clandestine bomb project 
and might be keen to obtain some of the sophisticated engineering 
equipment on the loose in Iraq. 

The past nine months have also seen revelations about an 
extensive international network of nuclear smugglers, centred in 
Pakistan, supplying contraband equipment to at least three 
countries. 

"The invasion of Iraq was supposed to be about stopping weapons 
of mass destruction. It was supposed to be about stopping nuclear 
materials from getting out from under UN control," Greenpeace 
said yesterday. "The only winners in this story are those who are 
looking to capitalise on security failures by scoring loose 
nukes." 

Greenpeace raised the alarm about nuclear chaos in Iraq last year 
after visiting the Tuwaitha complex. 

In June, just before the US handed authority in Iraq to the 
interim government, the US forces secretly flew almost two tonnes 
of uranium and associated equipment from Iraq to the US, causing 
a diplomatic row with the IAEA, which is mandated to monitor and 
verify the nuclear complexes and stockpiles. 

The IAEA, Dr ElBaradei said, "continues to be concerned about the 
widespread and apparently systematic dismantlement that has taken 
place at sites previously relevant to Iraq's nuclear programme". 

· Saddam Hussein underwent an operation to repair a hernia about 
10 days ago but has made a full recovery, Iraqi sources said 
yesterday. 
	
 	
        Special report Iraq

Chronology Iraq timeline: Feb 1 2004 - present 
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/page/0,12438,1151021,00.html] 
Iraq timeline: July 16 1979 - Jan 31 2004 
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/page/0,12438,793802,00.html] 

Interactive guides Click-through graphics on Iraq

Key documents Full text of speeches and documents

Audio reports Audio reports on Iraq

More special reports Politics and the war Aid for Iraq Iraq - the 
media war The anti-war movement 28.01.2003: Guide to anti-war 
websites

Useful links Provisional authority: rebuilding Iraq 
[http://www.rebuilding-iraq.net/] Iraqi-American chamber of 
commerce [http://www.i-acci.org/main.shtml] cnn.com: David Kay's 
evidence to US Senate committee 
[http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/28/kay.transcript/] 

[UP] 
      Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 11 Aljazeera.com: IAEA: Nuclear materials disappeared from Iraq - 

   [http://www.aljazeera.com]     [

  10/12/2004 1:30:00 PM GMT   
  
Materials that could be used in developing nuclear bombs have 
been lost in Iraq, El Bradei said. 

Equipment and material that could be used in developing nuclear 
weapons have disappeared from Iraq and could be misused because 
of the chaos in the country, the head of the UN's atomic watchdog 
agency warned. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that 
high-precision tools and materials have disappeared from Iraq 
after the U.S. invasion last year. 

The IAEA also said that new satellite images showed that entire 
buildings in Iraq- where tools that could make nuclear bombs were 
stored- had been dismantled and neither the interim government 
nor the U.S. appeared to have noticed. 

In the report, IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei said that though some 
of the radioactive tools- which have been stolen from Iraq after 
the invasion- have been found in other countries, none of the 
high-quality, dual-use equipment or materials that is missing has 
been discovered. 

He added that the tools and material used in developing bombs 
have been removed from open storage areas in Iraq and have 
disappeared without trace.  

The United States banned UN weapons investigators from returning 
to Iraq after the invasion in March last year, thereby it 
prevented the IAEA from monitoring the hi-tech equipment 
materials. The Bush administration then assigned American teams 
in what turned out to be an unsuccessful hunt for Iraqi WMD. 

According to the anti-proliferation agreements, the U.S. 
occupation authorities and the Iraqi interim government should 
inform the IAEA if they moved or exported any of these materials 
or equipments. 

The IAEA said in its letter that U.S. and Iraqi officials have 
not reported dismantling any locations that are related to Iraq's 
nuclear program. 

Since March 2003 "the agency has received no such notifications 
or declarations from any state," ElBaradei said. 

Therefore, the IAEA had to depend on satellite images to know 
what is happening with Iraq's nukes sites. 

"The imagery shows in many instances the dismantlement of entire 
buildings that housed high precision equipment ... formerly 
monitored and tagged with IAEA seals, as well as the removal of 
equipment and materials (such as high-strength aluminum) from 
open storage areas," El Baradei said. 

He added that "as the disappearance of such equipment and 
materials may be of proliferation significance, any state that 
has information about the location of such items should provide 
IAEA with that information." 

UN diplomats said the satellite images suggest that the equipment 
had been moved to new locations inside Iraq or stolen. 

"We simply don't know, although we are trying to get the 
information," said one UN official.  

In early September, a UN commission responsible for monitoring 
the elimination of any banned Iraqi WMD, also expressed his 
concerns about the disappearance of the high-precision equipment. 

Demetri Perricos, head of the commission, known as UNMOVIC, said 
in a report to the UN that the former Iraqi government have been 
shipping thousands of tons of scrap metal for over a year, 
including at least 42 engines from banned missiles and other 
tools that could be used in developing develop banned weapons. 

A CIA report released last week by chief U.S. arms inspector 
Charles Duelfer proved that Saddam Hussein terminated his nukes 
program after the first Gulf War in 1991. 

   Copyright 2004 AlJazeera Publishing Limited   
*****************************************************************
 12 Rush Is Right: UN Loses Nuclear Material in Iraq
 		 		 			 			 
The Limbaugh Letter                                                 
 				     			 		 			
October 12, 2004               
	     	
Listen to Rush… 
(...ask how the nuclear material Saddam didn’t have disappeared)
[http://mfile.akamai.com/5020/wma/rushlimb.download.akamai.com/50
20/clips/04/10/101204_7_iraq_nukes.asx] 

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT 

This is a toughie here, folks. I'm having a lot of trouble here.
I've been delaying doing this story because I actually don't
believe it and I'm struggling here to do this with a straight
face, to be objective as a journalist (clearing throat) would
be. I'm choked up just thinking about doing this story. It's an
Associated Press story by Edith Lederer
[http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/10/12/un_panel_co
ncerned_about_missing_nuclear_equipment/] . Now, normally the
Associated Press is a transcript service for the Kerry campaign,
but this is not going to fit that template. Well, I'm sure Kerry
can make something out of it. I'll pretend I'm Kerry trying to
make something out of this. He's a master debater (ahem!) and
not a leader. "The UN nuclear watchdog group expressed concern
yesterday about the disappearance from Iraq's nuclear facilities
of high-precision equipment that could be used to make nuclear
weapons." 

Now, this nation that has experienced this disappearance of
nuclear facilities is Iraq! Iraq! The United Nations is
concerned that nuclear technology and equipment is missing
from... Iraq? Nuclear stuff in Iraq? "In a letter to the UN
Security Council, the head of the International Atomic Energy
Agency--" That would be our good buddy, Mohammed ElBaradei,
"--said that some industrial material that Iraq sent overseas--"
(feigned coughing) "--has been located in other countries--"
(feigned coughing) What? You mean the UN has admitted that some
industrial material that Iraq sent overseas has been located in
other countries, "but not high-precision items including milling
machines and electron beam welders that have both commercial and
military uses."   	 		 			
 				     			 			 		
Well, I guess this is the peaceful nuclear weapons stuff
that Saddam was working on, like North Korea and Iran are
working on: the peaceful nuclear weapon material. "ElBaradei
said, 'As the disappearance of such equipment and materials may
be of proliferation significance, any state that has information
about the location of such items should provide IAEA with that
information.'" So the questions abound here. There are obvious
questions like, "If it wasn't there, if Saddam didn't have any
of this, then how did it get shipped out? How did it go missing
if it wasn't there in the first place?" The second question is,
"If it wasn't there in the first place, but is missing, then
somebody had to bring it in there. Who brought it in there?" 

When did it arrive and then who stole it? This is not missing.
What we're dealing with here is stolen nuclear material. Call it
what you will. This is really right up John Kerry's alley. The
UN has put out a hard-hitting notice, and that notice is to
whoever has this, please return it. It's sort of like posting a
message on a lost-and-found board in junior high: Hey, we're
missing some nuclear material in Iraq. Uh, could you send it
back? "As a result of the IAEA's ongoing review of satellite
photos and follow-up investigations, ElBaradei said, 'The IAEA
continues to be concerned about the widespread and apparently
systematic dismantlement that has taken place at sites
previously relevant to Iraq's nuclear program and sites
previously subject to ongoing monitoring and verification by the
agency.'" 

So apparently this happened right under the UN's nose. The UN's
monitoring these places and somehow this stuff that's not there
is missing. What am I missing here? What am I missing? (program
observer interruption) What chaos of the war? I don't care
whether it happened in the chaos of the war. How could it have
happened in the chaos of anything if it wasn't there, Mr.
Snerdley? The point is Saddam didn't have nuke material, Saddam
didn't have weapons of mass destruction, there wasn't any,
nothing was found, there were no stock piles, zilch, zero, nada.
Now all of a sudden some stuff is missing brought about by the
chaos of the war. It had to be there if it's missing. If they've
asked for it to be given back, it had to be there. 
		 
Now, this may be a nuance for Senator Kerry. Imagining how the
Kerry campaign will deal with this is quite exciting. (Doing
Kerry impression) "Well, this just proves the incompetence of
the Bush administration. They no doubt had taken nuclear
material to Iraq to help work against insurgents and now it's
been stolen. Another bungled move by the Bush administration,
trying to sneak nuclear materials into Iraq." And they'll have
hearings and they'll bring Bremer up there and Tommy Franks,
"When did you put the nuclear materials there?" 		 
Am I alone here in reacting to this the way I am? Does this not
just blow your mind? It is incomprehensible to me, nuclear
material that wasn't there is missing. 

BREAK TRANSCRIPT 

RUSH: Let's go to Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Hello, Robert. You're
next welcome, sir. Nice to have you on the program. 

CALLER: How you doing, Rush? And thanks for taking my call. 

RUSH: You bet. 

CALLER: Rush, before the war started, the IAEA sealed and had
those things monitored and tagged. As soon as the war started
they were not allowed to return, but it was taken over by the
U.S. teams and then the Iraqi teams and then all the stuff
started disappearing. The stuff is being monitored by satellite,
and as it turned out, whole buildings would disappear. So what
you have is this anti-proliferation agreement that was set up,
and we were supposed to keep tabs on that stuff and get back to
the AEIU. 

RUSH: Oh, okay, thanks for explaining this to me, Robert. This
makes sense. I missed a key element of this, then. I appreciate
you setting me straight. See, because I was under the impression
this stuff didn't exist. 

CALLER: No, it was there. 

RUSH: Oh, yeah. Yes, it was there, and it's our fault now that
it's gone, and despite the fact that the UN was monitoring this,
it's our fault that it was gone, and satellite photos -- 

CALLER: The U.S. was supposed to keep an eye on it since we
wouldn't let the UN or the AEI [sic] back in, and under the
agreements that we had set up with them we were supposed to keep
an eye on it and report anything that was removed and the
buildings are gone with all this nuclear-making material. So
that's not keeping an eye on things.   	 		 			
 				     			 			 		
RUSH: Well, hang on. Let me read this story again here. "In
a letter to the UN Security Council, the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency said some industrial material
that Iraq sent overseas has been located in other countries--" 

CALLER: Uh-huh. 

RUSH: How about that. 

CALLER: Yeah, we can't keep an eye and it's being sent all over
the place. 

RUSH: No, this is beforehand. This is before the war this stuff
got sent. 

CALLER: No, no, I got an article right in front of me, Rush. 

RUSH: There is no way stuff was sent overseas after the war. 

CALLER: Rush, I got it right in front of me. 

RUSH: Not that Iraq sent. Iraq didn't send anything after the
war. Iraq wasn't in charge of anything at the time this stuff
went missing. 

CALLER: Before the war the IAEA was keeping tabs of this stuff
with the UN. They had this sealed and tagged. 

RUSH: There's nothing there. 

CALLER: Oh, yeah. 

RUSH: We can't square this, Robert. Either stuff was there or
was not. We're talking nuclear material here. If it was there it
was there. If it wasn't there it wasn't there. Everybody
believes there was nothing there. Now all of a sudden there was
stuff there, it's missing, and it's our fault. 

CALLER: Functions that the building contained and the contents
that were in the buildings was monitored and sealed. 

RUSH: What are you reading from? 

CALLER: The Guardian. 

RUSH: The Guardian? You may as well be reading from the George
Soros website. 

CALLER: There's a couple of different places where I read this.
This is just the one I have in front of me. The point is, how
can a whole building disappear? How can a whole building
disappear once we get there? 

RUSH: Okay, then tell me where you think it went. 

CALLER: It was taken apart and being built somewhere else. 

RUSH: By who?   	 		 			
 				     			 			 		
CALLER: That's the question. 

RUSH: Who took it apart? 

CALLER: That's the question. 

RUSH: What do you think happened? 

CALLER: What do I think happened? 

RUSH: Yeah. 

CALLER: I would think that maybe Iran, whoever needs this
nuclear stuff, these tools or equipment. 

RUSH: Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait. We're at war with
Iran? Iran is in there dismantling nuclear material under our
very eyes? 

CALLER: Exactly. 

RUSH: Really. 

CALLER: Now, what do you think about that? 

RUSH: I think it's absurd. 

CALLER: Then you think it was us that took the thing apart? 

RUSH: No. 

CALLER: We're saying we don't know what happened to it. 

RUSH: No. I don't think it was us at all. 

CALLER: So we're telling them we don't know what happened to the
building, and they were keeping satellite pictures of this -- 

RUSH: The news-- 

CALLER: The building disappeared right in front of our eyes,
Rush [sic]. How did that happen? 

RUSH: Robert. You're missing a step. 

CALLER: The step is where did it go? 

RUSH: The stuff "didn't exist," Robert. 

CALLER: It did exist. It was in black and white. It was tagged.
It was sealed. 

RUSH: Why don't you call the Kerry campaign and tell them to
stop lying about this, then? 

CALLER: Why don't you call the Bush campaign and ask them what
happened to this stuff, or if they know what happened to it? 

RUSH: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. The first stuff is: "The
stuff didn't exist. Bush lied." It's the whole theory of the
Kerry campaign: "Bush lied! Bush misled!" Edwards says it every
freaking day. Kerry is out there saying it as often as he can
remember to say it. Now all of a sudden it's there and it's,
"Oh, yeah." You admit that your candidates are lying about it;
it was there, just so you can take the occasion of this story to
say Bush is incompetent again? I want to read here. This is the
AP version. "In a letter to the UN Security Council the head of
the International Atomic Energy Agency said that some industrial
material that Iraq sent overseas had been located in other
countries..." Iraq sent overseas, Iraq. "...but not high
precision items, including milling machines and," blah, blah,
blah, blah. "As the disappearance of such equipment and
materials may be of proliferation significance, any state that
has it," da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da, da-da-da-da. "The IAEA
inspectors left Iraq just before the March 2003 US-led invasion.
US teams turned out to be what they looked into. The Bush
administration barred UN weapons inspectors from returning,
deploying U.S. teams instead to what turned out to be an
unsuccessful search for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. 

"Nonetheless UN teams were allowed into Iraq in June 2003 to
investigate reports of widespread looting of storage rooms at
the main nuclear complex of Tawaitha and in August to take an
inventory of several tons of natural uranium in storage near
Tawaitha. ElBaradei told the council that Iraq is still
obligated, under IAEA agreements, 'to declare semiannually
changes that have occurred or are foreseen at sites deemed
relevant by the agency.' As a result of the IAEA's ongoing
review of satellite photos and follow-up investigations,
ElBaradei said, 'The IAEA continues to be concerned about the
widespread and apparently systematic dismantlement that has
taken place at sites previously relevant to Iraq's nuclear
program and sites previously subject to ongoing monitoring and
verification by the agency.'" 

This is unbelievable. The UN knows full well what happened here.
The UN knows full well there was a nuclear program
[http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/12/iraq.nuclear/] .
There was a nuclear program in Iraq; the IAEA knew it. We
allowed them in to catalog these things. Now the stuff is
missing after the UN comes in to catalog it, and all along,
"Bush lied! Bush misled! There were no weapons of mass
destruction and Kerry's got a better, more effective smarter way
of doing this." I just love it when the libs call here and say,
"Oh, yeah, this stuff is missing and it's Bush's fault," when
before this news comes out the libs all say, "It was never there
and Bush lied. Saddam didn't have any of this stuff." 

Yeah, yeah, we don't know which countries this stuff has turned
up in. It might have been Iran that got in under our noses and
took this stuff out. No, couldn't have been a terrorist, because
terrorists wouldn't be interested in this, would they? What
about France? Could this stuff be in France? Maybe it's in
Syria. Maybe it's in Libya. You know, there are still 400 Iraqi
scientists in Libya that have not been talked to. They have not.
Maybe it's in Berlin. I don't know where the stuff is. Yellow
cake was found in Rotterdam. Maybe it's in North Korea. Could be
in North Korea. I mean, there's any number of places that the
nuclear material that didn't exist in Iraq could now be. Well,
shazam, folks! Why, hot damn! Where's this going to take us? Be
back after this. Build your bomb shelters fast, folks. 

END TRANSCRIPT   	 		 			
 				     			 			 		
*****************************************************************
 13 AU ABC: Weapons inspectors welcome back in Iraq. 

13/10/2004. ABC News Online
 	
   [http://www.abc.net.au/]

An Iraqi minister has said United Nations nuclear inspectors are
welcome to return in response to concerns of an "apparent
systematic dismantlement" of Saddam Hussein's once-vigorous
nuclear program. 

Science and Technology Minister Rashad Omar was responding to an
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report that neither
Baghdad nor Washington appeared to have noticed the
disappearance of nuclear equipment and materials once closely
monitored by the agency. 

"The locations that belong to the Science and Technology
ministry are secure and under our control," Mr Omar told
Reuters. 

He said nothing had gone missing since a looting spree after
last year's US-led invasion, which the United States and Britain
said was to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. 

Both countries now admit Saddam had no banned weapons. 

Mr Omar said Tuwaitha, a vast compound south of Baghdad that
included Iraq's main nuclear facility, was being turned into a
science park. 

"The IAEA came back one month ago, they inspected the plant and
others and didn't say anything. 

"We are transparent. We are happy for the IAEA or any other
organisation to come and inspect," he said, adding he had not
seen the agency's report to the Security Council. 

The IAEA report, released three weeks ahead of the US
presidential election, could fuel criticism of the Iraq policies
of the Bush administration, already under fire for its handling
of an insurgency that has so far proved impossible to crush. 
--Reuters 

 [http://www.abc.net.au] 

© 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 
This service may include material from Agence France-Presse
(AFP), AAP(International), APTN, Reuters, CNN and
*****************************************************************
 14 UK Independent: Nuclear material 'has gone missing' since war
 
By Anne Penketh, Diplomatic Editor
 
13 October 2004

 	 

An alarming report that nuclear material had disappeared from
Iraq under the noses of the US-led Allies and Iraqi authorities
yesterday prompted calls for the return of UN weapons
inspectors. 

The UN nuclear watchdog said in a letter to the UN Security
Council that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
remained concerned about the "widespread and apparently
systematic" dismantling of Iraqi nuclear sites. 

It is not the first time that the IAEA has expressed such
concern, prompting fears that the equipment could be sold by
looters to countries such as Iran. But the timing of the report
is politically sensitive. Coming less than three weeks before
the US presidential election, it could cause further criticism
of policies in Iraq. 

The Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, played down the IAEA report
in Parliament, saying that he believed that most of the looting
had taken place amid the chaos that followed the Iraq war in
spring last year. 

But IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said that the systematic
looting had now been going on "for more than a year." The IAEA
was first alerted to the problem last December when a steel
vessel contaminated with uranium turned up in a Rotterdam
scrapyard. The shipment was traced back to Iraq via Jordan.
Other nuclear-related material has shown up in Turkey. 

In his 1 October letter to the UN Security Council, the IAEA
director general, Mohamed El Baradei, said that satellite
pictures had in some cases shown "the dismantling of entire
buildings that housed high precision equipment". The
nuclear-related material had been looted from sites which had
been monitored by the IAEA until the Iraq war, to guard against
Iraq resuming its clandestine nuclear activities. Since then,
the sites were supposed to have been guarded by coalition forces
and by Iraqi authorities. 

The Iraqi interim Science and Technology Minister, Rashad Omar,
said that if the nuclear inspectors wanted to return to Iraq to
check for the missing equipment and materials they were welcome. 

• The Bush administration, which has opposed deals with what it
branded "axis of evil" states such as Iran, is working with
Europe on a plan to use threats and incentives to persuade
Tehran to end its nuclear activities. 	           


UK Independent Ltd.
*****************************************************************
 15 UK Independent: How a sensational claim exploded in the face of the Government
 
By Anne Penketh Diplomatic Editor
 
13 October 2004

 	 

The most astonishing thing about the 45-minute claim is that
before it was withdrawn yesterday by the Government for being
wrong, it had caused one death, at least one inquiry and the
decapitation of the BBC. 

The Government set out to prove in its September 2002 dossier
that the weapons of mass destruction held by Saddam Hussein
posed a risk to the British people, and to use that argument as
a justification for war. So the dossier warned that
extended-range Iraqi Scud missiles were capable of reaching
"Cyprus, eastern Turkey, Tehran and Israel". 

Add to the mix, the affirmation in the dossier's foreword by
Tony Blair that Saddam's military planning "allows for some of
the WMD to be ready within 45 minutes of an order to use them"
and the headlines in the tabloids wereguaranteed. On the day of
the report's publication, 24 September 2002, the Evening
Standard headline screamed: "45 minutes from attack". 

Other newspapers and commentators picked up on the claim that
Saddam's weapons could reach British military bases in Cyprus,
as well as the alarming affirmation that Iraq had attempted to
procure "significant quantities" of uranium from an African
country. But otherwise, as the Butler report on the intelligence
that led to the war points out, "when first published, it was
regarded as cautious, and even dull". 

At the time, the chief UN weapons inspector, Hans Blix, said he
felt that the dossier was more an argument for arms inspections
than for war. 

But the 45-minute claim exploded again in the public domain
after the war, when journalists began investigating the puzzling
lack of real discoveries of weapons of mass destruction as US
and British troops fanned out through the country they had
invaded. 

In May 2003, Andrew Gilligan, the BBC Today programme reporter,
had a fateful conversation with Dr David Kelly, a former UN
weapons inspector attached both to the Ministry of Defence and
Foreign Office as an expert. During the course of their
conversation in a London hotel, the weapons expert mentioned the
unease in the intelligence services about the 45-minute claim in
the September dossier. 

On 29 May, in a broadcast that went out at 6.07am, Mr Gilligan
appeared to suggest that the Government had known that there was
no basis to the claim that Iraq could deploy weapons of mass
destruction in 45 minutes, but went ahead with it anyway. Even
then, there was no furore. Until Mr Gilligan suggested in an
article in The Mail on Sunday - still quoting his anonymous
source - that the person responsible for inserting the 45-minute
claim was Alastair Campbell. Dr Kelly had inadvertently walked
into a minefield. The resulting storm led to an intensification
of the war between the BBC and Downing Street over the reporting
of Iraq, the death of Dr Kelly after he was "outed" as Mr
Gilligan's source, and the Hutton inquiry. 

During the investigation by Lord Hutton into Dr Kelly's suicide,
the 45-minute claim resurfaced with the startling revelation
from the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee, John
Scarlett, that it had not applied to long-range missiles at all,
as everybody had supposed. The conclusions of Lord Hutton, who
reported in January, then led to the resignations of Mr Gilligan
and his bosses at the BBC, including the director-general, Greg
Dyke, and the chairman of the board, Gavyn Davies. Lord Hutton
criticised the BBC's "unfounded" report and Mr Blair accepted an
apology from the BBC. Mr Campbell had already resigned as Tony
Blair's spokesman, saying there was no connection to the Hutton
inquiry. 

THEN AND NOW - WHAT THEY SAID 

THE 45-MINUTE CLAIM 

What they said then: The Government's September 2002 dossier
highlighted in its introduction the claim that Saddam's military
planning "allows for some of the WMD to be ready within 45
minutes of an order to use them." The Evening Standard headline
on that day was "45 minutes from attack". 

What they say now: Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, revealed
yesterday in parliament that the chief of the secret
intelligence service had withdrawn the claim, which had been
associated with claims the Government had "sexed up" its
intelligence reports, following criticism of its validity by the
Butler report. 

BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS PRODUCTION 

What they said then: In February 2003, Jack Straw said "it is
clear that the regime continued to hold vast stocks of deadly
weaponry." President George Bush in his State of the Union
address in January 2003 spoke of "several mobile weapons
laboratories" mobilised by Saddam Hussein. 

What they say now: Mr Straw yesterday informed parliament a line
of reporting that produced claims about Iraqi production of
biological agent should be withdrawn. The Butler report had
criticised the reporting of the liaison service as "seriously
flawed." The same service produced the claim about mobile germ
laboratories. 

CONNECTION BETWEEN SADDAM AND AL QA'IDA 

What they said then: British intelligence was always wary of the
US claim of co-operation between Saddam Hussein and al Qa'ida.
US Vice president Dick Cheney, highlighted a purported meeting
between between the lead hijacker of the 11 September attacks
and an Iraqi agent. Another link was highlighted by the US
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, in February 2003. 

What they say now: Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defence Secretary,
admitted last week that "to my knowledge, I have not seen any
strong, hard evidence that links the two." He subsequently
backtracked, saying that his comments had been "misunderstood."
	           


UK Independent Ltd.
*****************************************************************
 16 Las Vegas SUN: White House Sounds Out Europeans on Iran

 By BARRY SCHWEID ASSOCIATED PRESS 

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration will talk with
European allies later this week about possible economic
incentives to Iran if it agrees to suspend the enrichment of
uranium, a key step in the production of nuclear weapons, U.S.
officials said Tuesday. 

While the Bush administration has not yet taken a stand on
whether to dangle such incentives before Tehran, a high-profile
meeting with allies on the issue would mark a significant shift
in U.S. strategy and could have implications in the presidential
race. 

In the meantime, the administration continues to insist that
Iran must stop developing nuclear weapons or face sanctions from
the United Nations. 

On several occasions, the administration has tried to take the
dispute to the U.N. Security Council. Another attempt is
virtually certain after a meeting in late November of the United
Nations' nuclear watchdog agency if Iran has not complied by
then. 

Working with European allies to resolve a major security problem
is the sort of multilateral diplomacy that Democratic
presidential candidate John Kerry has charged is lacking in the
administration. President Bush disputes that charge. 

"They are going to come and tell us what kind of package and
discussions they have been having, and we will hear them out,"
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said of the meeting
Friday with European allies. 

Britain, France and Germany are inclined to try to work out some
sort of agreement with Iran and are not inclined at this point
to impose economic sanctions. 

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the
proposed European package included providing fuel to Iran for
civilian nuclear projects. That official and another, also
speaking anonymously, said that while the administration was
interested in the idea of proposing a package of incentives,
none of Europe's specific proposals had received U.S.
endorsement. 

European diplomats said the talks with the Bush administration
were in an initial stage. They also said the United States was
holding on to its option of pushing for U.N. Security Council
action against Iran if it is found in defiance of international
demands to stop all activities related to uranium enrichment. 

A European government official said Russia was skeptical of any
Security Council move to punish Iran because of concerns that
Russia's $800 million deal to build a nuclear reactor in
Bushehr, in southern Iran, could be jeopardized. 

Also Tuesday, Iran's foreign minister offered European
governments assurances that his government would never produce
nuclear bombs if Iran's right to enrich uranium was recognized. 

"The time has come for Europe to take a step forward and suggest
that our legitimate right for complete use of nuclear energy is
recognized," Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said in a speech to
an energy conference in Tehran. 

White House spokesman Sean McCormack said the package the
Europeans were touting was not "different materially" from
proposal that have already been discussed with Tehran. 

Invited to the meeting on Iran, along with the three European
allies, were the other members of the G-8 group of leading
industrialized countries - Russia, Japan, Italy and Canada. The
meeting grows out of talks Secretary of State Colin Powell held
last month with G-8 foreign ministers at the United Nations in
New York. 

President Bush condemned Iran in his 2001 State of the Union
address as part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North
Korea. 

Negotiations to end North Korea's nuclear program are
sputtering. Talks have been suspended, and while Bush defends
his strategy of a joint approach with South Korea, Japan, Russia
and China, Kerry is calling for one-on-one talks. 

In 1994 North Korea promised to freeze its plutonium program and
put it under international inspection in exchange for civilian
energy assistance from South Korea and Japan. 

The Europeans' proposal that civilian nuclear fuel might be
provided to Iran to stop enriching uranium is somewhat parallel
to the Clinton administration's deal with North Korea. 

---- 

Associated Press writers George Jahn in Vienna and Ali Akbar
Dareini in Tehran contributed to this report. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 17 Guardian Unlimited: U.S. Considering Incentives for Iran
 
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/

From the Associated Press        

[UP] 

Tuesday October 12, 2004 8:16 PM

AP Photo VAH103 

By GEORGE JAHN 

Associated Press Writer 

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Reconsidering its hard line on Iran, the 
United States is weighing the idea of rewarding the Islamic 
republic if it gives up technology that can be used for nuclear 
arms, diplomats and U.S. officials said Tuesday. 

The diplomats, who spoke to The Associated Press from Vienna and 
another European capital, said senior European negotiators 
directly answerable to their foreign ministers planned to go to 
Washington this week for discussions with top U.S. State 
Department officials on a common Iran strategy. 

``Discussions are ongoing between the Americans and the Europeans 
on how to address the nuclear question in Iran,'' a diplomat 
said. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi offered European 
governments assurances Tuesday in Tehran that his country would 
never produce nuclear bombs if Tehran's right to enrich uranium 
was recognized. 

``The time has come for Europe to take a step forward and suggest 
that our legitimate right for complete use of nuclear energy is 
recognized (in return for) assurances that our program will not 
be diverted toward weapons,'' Kharrazi said. 

The offer, which came about six weeks before Iran has to show the 
U.N. nuclear watchdog that it has ceased enrichment and all 
related activities, was brushed aside by a senior U.S. official 
in Washington. 

However, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 
the Bush administration was prepared to consider with the 
Europeans a package of incentives. 

The package of incentives will be discussed at a meeting Friday 
at the State Department by European envoys with Undersecretary of 
State John R. Bolton and either Secretary of State Colin Powell 
or Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage, a U.S. official said. 

Incentives could include access to imported nuclear fuel, but the 
two U.S. officials said that while the administration was 
interested in proposing a package of incentives, none of its 
parts had received U.S. endorsement. 

Cooperating with Europe on incentives to Iran would represent a 
shift in Bush administration strategy and could have significant 
implications in the presidential race. Democratic candidate John 
Kerry has criticized the administration for what he calls 
insufficient cooperation with allied governments in shaping U.S. 
foreign policy. 

President Bush has responded that he works with allied 
governments whenever possible. 

The European diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, 
emphasized that the talks were still at an initial stage. They 
also said the United States was holding on to its option of 
pushing for U.N. Security Council action against Iran if it is 
found in defiance of international demands to stop all activities 
related to uranium enrichment. 

For more than a year, the United States has pushed other nations 
at board meetings of the International Atomic Energy Agency to 
find Iran in violation of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and 
refer it to the Security Council, which could impose sanctions. 
But its attempts foundered due to resistance from other members 
of the 35-nation IAEA board of governors. 

The new strategy, disclosed by the diplomats, appeared in part 
prompted by recognition that Washington could again fall short of 
support at the next board meeting in Vienna in November. 

Uranium enrichment can be used to generate power or make nuclear 
warheads. The Americans insist the Iranians are hiding a secret 
weapons program - something Tehran denies. 

The Americans have in the past said they welcomed attempts by 
France, Britain and Germany to get Iran to shelve plans to enrich 
in exchange for pledges to help Tehran develop its peaceful 
nuclear program. 

But one of the diplomats said the Americans now are more actively 
involved in planning the package - which would offer incentives 
but also penalties should Iran remain defiant. 

``I think they are speaking less about sanctions and how to move 
the process forward,'' said the diplomat, who is familiar with 
the talks. 
  
      Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 18 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: NK Has 2 to 9 Nuclear Bombs, Says Report   
 
      Updated Oct.12,2004 19:00 KST   
 
  There were approximately 3,700 tons of plutonium and highly
concentrated uranium in the world at the end of 2003 and North
Korea had 15 to 38 tons of that plutonium, enough to make two to
nine nuclear bombs, according to a recent report by the
Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) based in
Washington DC. 

The private research center, which was established back in 1993,
said in its report that stockpiles are growing and that four
countries have secretly conducted nuclear weapons programs,
including Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea, who together
possess up to 1,218 kilograms of plutonium and 404 nuclear
weapons. 

The institute believes that Israel has 110 to 190 nuclear
weapons, India has 55 to 115 and Pakistan has 55 to 90. 

With the production of plutonium over the past 20 years, North
Korea is at a stage where it can now enrich uranium, disclosed
the report. It went on to add that the plutonium inventory in
the world increases 70 to 75 thousand tons per a year. 

(Huh Yong-bum, heo@chosun.com ) 

*****************************************************************
 19 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Professor Advises Seoul Against Pro-China Policy   
 
      Updated Oct.12,2004 22:10 KST   
 
  American history professor Paul Kennedy on Tuesday advised
South Korea not to abruptly shift to a pro-China policy, saying
that if South Korea does shift its pro-American policy into a
pro-China one, its survival would be threatened. 

Likening Korea to a small animal surrounded by four giant
elephants, Kennedy said in a press conference held in Seoul that
if South Korea employed a policy favoring one elephant, then the
other elephants would be enraged. He suggested that South Korea
carry out a delicate tug-of-war diplomacy, lest any of the four
elephants should become enraged. 

The Yale University history professor said it was a foolish
assertion that Seoul should place priority in its relations with
China and move away from its relations with the U.S. An open
discussion of such a matter, especially when South Korea has not
even received any assurances from China, would cause a security
vacuum, he said. 

Even if Senator John Kerry won the upcoming U.S. presidential
election, Kennedy believes that his administration would have no
choice but to strongly oppose North Korea's recklessness, as in
its nuclear weapons experiments. 

Kennedy is visiting Seoul to participate in the 5th world
knowledge forum. Born in Britain, he has authored a number of
famous books discussing world order, including "The Rise and
Fall of the Great Powers" and "Preparing for the 21st Century." 

(Choi Woo-sok, wschoi@chosun.com ) 

*****************************************************************
 20 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Yale professor says Korea can't ignore U.S.
 
[http://joongangdaily.joins.com]

Octorber 13, 2004 KST 12:14 (GMT+9)

  The idea that Korea should focus on strengthening its ties
with China instead of the United States is very rash, said Paul
Kennedy, director of International Security Studies at Yale
University, at a press conference in Seoul yesterday.

 "[The idea] can only irritate Americans without guaranteeing in
any way that you get preference from China," said Mr. Kennedy.
He added that China also needs to have a closer relationship
with the United States.

 Mr. Kennedy, 59, the author of "The Rise and Fall of the Great
Powers," is in Seoul to attend the World Knowledge Forum 2004.
In his 1987 book, he asserted that a country's relative rise and
fall is tied to the use of its military.

 Mr. Kennedy cited economists who predicted China's economic
growth would be 6 percent to 8 percent each year and the United
States' annual growth rate would be 3 percent, giving China a
chance to close the gap between them. He also cited a recent
forecast by Goldman Sachs that China would have a larger economy
than the United States in 2050. 

But Mr. Kennedy said two factors were left out in the analysis:
politics and the per capita gross domestic product, or GDP. 

"They don't consider the possibility of internal unrest in China
and possibilities that China being involved in serious regional
wars either with India or Taiwan or along the Russian border." 

He said the forecasts are measuring China's total GDP, not the
per capita income. 

"Since there will be 1.4 billion Chinese in 2050 compared with
330 million Americans, when you come to compare per capita
income, Americans will still be three or four times richer than
the average Chinese person," he said. 

If John Kerry is elected as president next month, he said, the
new administration would take multilateral approach, such as
regional conferences, and attempt to improve relations by
diplomacy, as the Clinton administration did.

 "It is clear that many policymakers from previous democratic
administration will come back into office," he said. 

"If, however, the regime in the North acts aggressively, tests
missiles and tests small nuclear warheads, then the Kerry
administration will have to be very strong in its response," he
added, because the Republicans would look for signs of weakness
in Mr. Kerry.

 Mr. Kennedy said the United States is in a "double juggling
act" to obtain both economic and military power by allocating a
huge amount of its budget to the national defense. But he said
there are signs that the nation's economy is unhealthy in terms
of trade deficits and U.S. government budget deficits. "If these
are not solved, then the U.S. will be facing a financial
crisis," he said. 

The U.S. government is spending almost $450 billion a year on
defense, he said, and the nation would have to cut its defense
spending before the nation loses economic ground, such as a
sharp depreciation of the U.S. dollar or a drop in sales of U.S.
government bonds.

 As for the future of the Koreas, Mr. Kennedy said the United
States, whether led by a Democrat or a Republican, would not
object to a unified Korea. 

The State Department and Pentagon would be more concerned about
how such a country would act, he said: What sort of a country a
united Korea would be, what kind of policies would it carry out,
would the policies provoke the Chinese, would it be neutral in
the war on terrorism, and would it push for a trade or political
bloc that excludes the United States in the Northeast Asian
region. 

"But in principle, the U.S. government and citizens would
welcome a united, peaceful Korea, because it would take away the
military obligation which America has had to carry for 50
years," he said.

 Asked what a small country like South Korea can do to survive
in the global order, Mr. Kennedy said, "It has to have a very
clever foreign ministry and have one of the best diplomatic
services in the world."

 He said Korea has two major problems in lifting its military
and diplomatic levels: The 50-year-long antagonism with North
Korea, and its geographic position between four big powers,
China, Japan, Russia and the United States. 

"It is like a small animal sitting between four elephants," he
said. He added that Korea has to play quadrilateral diplomacy to
avoid crises. 

by Park Sung-ha sungha@joongang.co.kr>   
    
  2004.10.12       

[http://joongangdaily.joins.com/faq.html]    		 		

*****************************************************************
 21 Korea Herald: U.S. envoy 'in-step' with Korea   
 
2004.10.13
 
By Choi Soung-ah 
        
[http://www.voiceware.co.kr]                       

"It takes two to tango." 

That's what Christopher R. Hill said back in July when he was
sworn in as Washington's new envoy to Seoul, spotlighting
attention on the need for the governments and people of South
Korea and the United States to cooperate as partners. 

And the new U.S. ambassador has certainly been keeping his dance
steps in tune with the music that flows here as part of the
half-century alliance between the two countries. 

Focusing on improving Korea-U.S. relations as his top mission,
the 52-year-old career diplomat is putting great energy into
engaging people. He says he is committed to winning back the
"friendship" of the Korean public that has seemingly faded in
recent years. 

Relations between the two countries have often been
characterized by criticism and fallout in Korea. Lately,
however, some analysts have even pointed out the America has
gone from being Korea's most admired ally to the least, as a
growing number of Koreans have felt the U.S. has tried to
arm-twist all others into complying with its wishes. 

Since arriving in Seoul to take his post just two months ago on
August 12, Hill has assiduously participated in a long schedule
of breakfast meetings and afternoon conferences - in the local
community as well as in the diplomatic arena. 

He has already delivered about a dozen speeches addressing the
importance of Korea-U.S. alliance, and has spoken to private
groupings in many sectors including business and academia. 

Soon after landing in Seoul, Hill paid visits to top officials
including Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and Unification Minister
Chung Dong-yong, as well as several top lawmakers including Park
Geun-hae, head of the conservative Grand National Party. 

And to the surprise of many Koreans, the ambassador and his wife
Patty paid their respects to the fallen victims of the 1980
democratic movement at the May 18 cemetery in the southern city
of Gwangju. His visit there was the first by a diplomat from the
U.S., which is seen as having played a controversial role when
the pro-democracy uprising was suppressed. 

"I am here with great respect - and great sorrow - for the
memory of those brave victims. May they always be remembered and
may their memory inspire us all," reads a handwritten message by
Hill at the cemetery. 

Hill is a clear contrast with his predecessor, Thomas C.
Hubbard, who was older, less energetic, and more reserved. For
Hubbard and some other U.S. envoys, Korea was a last post before
retirement, which makes Hill's relative youth more noticeable.
His youth is viewed as a good match with the current government,
which has many youthful members, including the President. 

As an apparent anomaly from many of his predecessors, the new
ambassador, who knows the community better, has been spotted at
numerous formal and informal places and events, from diplomatic
receptions to local restaurants for Sunday brunch. 

"It's a good sign for the future of Korea-U.S. alliance that the
American ambassador is actively engaging the local community,"
says a senior Foreign Ministry official. 

"We're certainly glad to see him active. He is creating an
improved impression of the U.S. diplomatic mission. So far, most
people have praised his efforts. We just hope Hill continues the
work of engaging the public," the official says. 

Complying with the local courtesy where business cards come
almost automatically when people introduce themselves, the
ambassador is reputed to be the first American top envoy here to
give out his card to those who approach him, officials and
reporters alike. 

Hill, who calls Korea the "land of the morning traffic," last
served in Seoul from 1983 to 1985 as the embassy's secretary for
economic affairs. Today, he acknowledges, Korea is a completely
different place. 

Having joined the State Department in 1977, he comes here after
serving four years as ambassador to Poland. He was previously
ambassador to Macedonia and a special envoy during the Kosovo
crisis. 

Even while becoming more popular than his predecessors, however,
Hill looks to face some tough audiences and tough work on
difficult issues, including the problems in bilateral relations
and the North Korean nuclear standoff. 

While some consider the changing attitudes toward the U.S. as
normal wear and tear on relations that are more than five
decades old, others argue that the alliance must be renewed as
it undergoes dramatic evolution. 

Many of the younger and more liberal members of the population
express dissatisfaction over Washington's attitude toward Korea,
saying it is patronizing. They are looking for a more equal
alliance. 

Hill is well aware of those attitudes. "Korea is going through
some very fundamental changes, both domestic and foreign. I
think internal changes in Korea are influencing the country's
external relations," he said in a recent speech, adding that as
generations change, there is a shift in "certain collective
memory." 

A left of center drift in South Korean politics - seen first in
the election of President Roh Moo-hyun and then in this year's
parliamentary takeover by the liberal Uri Party - has been
attributed largely to a generation of voters born after the
1950-53 Korea War. 

The administration has been talking about pursuing a more
"independent" foreign policy, although Roh has stressed that the
alliance with Washington remains critical. He made good on
promises to send thousands of Korean troops to Iraq despite
strong domestic opposition. 

Hill, acknowledging that the relationship between the two
countries is changing, has said, "It's very important to make
sure that there is no change in anyone's perception about our
commitment to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula." 
"The relationship rests on a somewhat new base and is moving
into a time when it will tread on new ground." 

With Korea having the third largest number of foreign students
in the United States, and also sending many visitors there for
tourist and business travel, South Koreans are also demanding
that Korea be added to the visa-waiver program, which would
allow travel without visas. 

Hill has promised to try to change the abrasive visa situation,
although he has also pointed out that it will be difficult as
long as Korea is still a source of many illegal immigrants to
the U.S. Nonetheless, Koreans are holding their breath to see
what he can accomplish on the issue during his term here. 

For Hill, this is just a beginning, experts point out. At the
end of the day, they say, Korea hopes the new ambassador can do
an efficient job of meeting the expectations of both Korea and
the United States. 
(bluelle@heraldm.com) 

By Choi Soung-ah 

2004.10.13
*****************************************************************
 22 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL]Roh's view on the North   
 
2004.10.13
 
[http://www.voiceware.co.kr]                       

President Roh Moo-hyun, who for some time had been saving up his 
words in apparent efforts not to stir unnecessary controversy in 
our highly sensitive politics, spoke rather freely on the 
economy, trade and security affairs to reporters accompanying him 
on his visits to India and Vietnam. His comments on North Korea 
and other parties in the slow-moving six-way talks drew our 
attention. 

First of all, he observed that North Korea has not engaged in any 
"extreme" terrorist act since the downing of a Korean Air flight 
in 1987 which killed all 115 people aboard and hoped the 
international community would "squarely look at the fact." He 
must be referring to the description in the U.S. State 
Department's world terrorism report 2004 released in April but it 
sounded like he was expressing skepticism about Washington's 
continued designation of North Korea as a terror-sponsoring 
nation. 

The president went on to present his moderate view on North Korea 
with a prediction that Pyongyang would not take radical steps 
with its nuclear weapons development program as South Korea, 
China, Japan and Russia are "opposed to prodding the North to 
resort to extreme measures." There was a little ambiguity in his 
remarks but one can find a discreet hint of a contrasting 
attitude toward North Korea between the United States and other 
parties in the multilateral talks to resolve Pyongyang's nuclear 
problem. 

His overall assessment of the current structure of the nuclear 
issue on the Korean Peninsula is "stable" and it is "not the most 
dangerous or difficult" one facing the international community. 
He stressed the need for world nations to give the North hope and 
refrain from provoking it so it could participate in dialogue. 
Again, he gave an impression that he was directing his caution 
toward Washington of all the five other parties currently 
participating in the six-way process with the North. 

Summing up, the presidential remarks may have been made out of 
his earnest wishes to have the North come to the conference 
table, possibly soon after the Nov. 2 presidential election in 
the United States. Still, his latest comments could lead the 
North Koreans to assume there was a rift between Washington and 
other governments on how to treat them. This is least desirable 
and we hope the president will send clearer messages to 
Pyongyang, as well as to other parties which are bound together 
by the common goal of non-proliferation on the peninsula.

2004.10.13
 
[http://www.heraldcampus.co.kr/Premium/]           

*****************************************************************
 23 Korea Herald: Seoul may dispatch envoys to promote peace   
 
2004.10.13
 
By Shin Hae-in
        
[http://www.voiceware.co.kr]                       

The ruling camp is pushing for the dispatch of special envoys to 
North Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia in 
efforts to achieve a major diplomatic breakthrough on the North 
Korea nuclear standoff and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.

 Ruling Uri Party leader Lee Bu-young revealed the plan while 
attending a debate forum organized by the Kwanhun Club, a 
fraternity of senior journalists.

 Former President Kim Dae-jung and opposition Grand National 
Party leader Park Geun-hye are both welcome to be among the 
envoys, he said, emphasizing that the matter should go beyond 
partisan politics. 

Lee, who himself was a reporter at the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper back 
in the 1960s, said that former president Kim had expressed his 
desire to contribute to the plan that the party is pushing 
forward. "I will be meeting former president Kim tomorrow to 
discuss his position on the matter," Lee said.

 "The U.S. presidential elections are bound to bring huge changes 
on the Korean Peninsula. We will use this as a chance to ease the 
tension with the North," he said. The elections are scheduled 
Nov. 2.

 Lee said that the opposition party and its leader, Park, should 
be more active in supporting repeal of the anticommunist National 
Security Law and the probe into contentious events of the 
nation's modern history, since both the law and the events are 
reflections of the cold war era that damaged the peninsula. 

"I am pretty sure that the North and the South will be competing 
against each other much more actively in the near future," said 
Lee. "Before the time comes to compare the two societies, such 
matters must be solved. It is crucial to reorganize these matters 
for the nation's future."

 Korea should now be able to guard its peace independently, said 
Lee. "There is no reason why the Korea-U.S. alliance cannot 
coexist with South-North relations. The conflict between the two 
was due to the cold war, which has long been ended."

 Lee said that the ruling party will work harder to activate the 
sagging economy and do its best to close gaps in opinion between 
it and the opposition party to avoid unnecessary inter-party 
strife. 

"A new policy to improve economic conditions and stimulate 
business employment will be announced shortly, as the Ministry of 
Finance and Economy is discussing the matter with the 
government," said Lee. 

(hayney@heraldm.com) 

By Shin Hae-in

2004.10.13
 
[http://www.heraldcampus.co.kr/Premium/]           
*****************************************************************
 24 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [OUTLOOK]Don't forget our principles
 
[http://joongangdaily.joins.com]

Octorber 13, 2004 KST 12:14 (GMT+9)                                    
	 	
  "What is Seoul's strategy toward North Korea?" a European
diplomat asked. He meant to ask what was the ultimate purpose of
South Korea's economic cooperation with the North. Are we
helping the North Korean economy to overcome the current crisis
and start on the road of rapid development? Or do we want to use
economic cooperation as a catalyst to open the secluded nation
and bring changes in its system? 

This European dignitary is not the only one curious about the
issue. Does Seoul want to make the Kim Jong-il regime more
stable by helping the North Korean economy? Or will Seoul's
involvement bring an end to autocratic rule? Even if the South
Korean government is pursuing the latter, Seoul cannot openly
say that its ultimate goal is to change North Korea's system. As
long as an entity named North Korea exists, the government has
to deal with Pyeongyang.

 But the reaction of the Roh Moo-hyun administration and the
ruling party to the approval of a North Korean human rights bill
by the U.S. Congress leaves us with doubts about whether the
government even has a strategy. The government might not be able
to declare that it is pursuing systematic change in North Korea,
but it doesn't need to react negatively toward the U.S.
legislation either.

 The government and the ruling party worry that the legislation
will "provoke" Pyeongyang. According to Lew Seon-ho, who leads
the Uri Party members at the National Assembly's Unification,
Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, the North Korean human
rights act "irritates the pride of North Korea and could be
considered as pressure related to the collapse of the system."

 If the North Korean human rights act indeed provokes
Pyeongyang, precisely what will happen? The opponents of the act
claim that the inter-Korean relations would be frozen and
Pyeongyang-Washington relations would be aggravated, resulting
in a negative influence on the six-nation talks. If the law
actually addresses the problem areas, we should support efforts
to improve the human rights conditions of our fellow Koreans in
the North.

 Some insist that it is more effective to approach the human
rights issue through quiet dialogue. And they are right in some
ways. But we cannot expect Pyeongyang to voluntarily acknowledge
the severe conditions there and start respecting the human
rights of its people without any international pressure. Just as
the South experienced under the authoritarian regimes,
international pressure often make it possible to improve human
rights conditions. 

Others worry that the nuclear issue has gotten more complicated
because the United States adopted the human rights act. But even
before the Congress passed the bill, Pyeongyang had refused to
give up nuclear weapons development. 

North Korean leaders are not stupid enough to start a war
because of the human rights act. Moreover, they know too well
how helpful economic cooperation with the South is. Therefore,
we don't have to be too careful not to provoke Pyeongyang and
should instead exploit our edge in inter-Korean economic
cooperation. Of course, when we link economic cooperation with a
system change in the North, we cannot mechanically translate the
demands of each side. In fact, as we pursue the strategy to
connect the two issues, tactical flexibility will be required.

 Our North Korean strategy should be designed to use our
cooperation to help North Korean society develop into one where
living a life as a human is allowed. The ultimate purpose of our
strategy must reflect South Korea's values. If we turn away from
the starvation and pain of North Koreans fearing Pyeongyang's
rejection of inter-Korea talks, that is not a clever, realistic
approach but a defeatist response based on a mistaken analysis
of the situation. 

Moreover, insisting that expressing our concerns about the human
rights conditions in the North would threaten the system of
North Korea and thus we should keep silent on the issue is like
claiming that preservation of the Kim Jong-il regime is the
ultimate purpose of South Korea's strategy. That is
inconceivable. Our strategy toward North Korea is not to
preserve the patrimonial autocracy in the North but to help
improve the quality of life for fellow Koreans. We must not
forget our principles.
 
* The writer, a former ambassador to the United States, is a
professor emeritus at Korea University. Translation by the
JoongAng Daily staff.
 
by Kim Kyung-won   

  2004.10.12       

[http://joongangdaily.joins.com/faq.html]    		 		

*****************************************************************
 25 Press Action: Views from Two Ground Zeros
 
[http://www.pressaction.com/news] 
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 

By Jun Hoshikawa 

The Americans are at last beginning to notice how badly the Bush 
administration has damaged their reputations worldwide, earned 
over decades if not centuries by so much effort and goodwill. It 
is as tragic to them as to us outside who have admired American 
values and acquired many American friends. 

Make no mistake. The anti-Americanism is on a steep rise, not 
only in the Islamic world, but also in surprising places like 
Japan. And its all because of the way Bush & Co. has mishandled 
their War on Terror after 9-11. 

In March 2003, on the eve of Anglo-American invasion into Iraq, I 
was struck by an article in one of the major weeklies in Japan. 
In it, an old woman, mother of a popular illustrator of 
childrens books, said to her son: Americans can do such 
arrogant things because we have allowed them to get away with 
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

Yes, she meant those two nuclear bombs and the utter devastation 
we suffered. Nearly 200,000 died in respective explosions on 
August 6th and 9th, 1945, around the two Ground Zeros, followed 
by countless additional deaths and disease from radioactivity 
later. The toll continues to this day. 

She is no radical, nor particularly liberal; just an ordinary 
person who has lived long enough to gain a historical 
perspective. As the overwhelming majority of Japanese do, she 
knows what we did as a small Empire was terrible before and 
during the WWII, and is very happy to live now in a democracy. 
She probably has, like so many of us, maintained general good 
feelings toward Americans. 

Yet, she remembers. 

Born in 1952, I didn’t experience WWII firsthand, but grew up 
hearing numerous war stories, including those about the A-bombs. 
Actually, nobody in Japan really knew what the nuclear bombs and 
their effects were for quite a while, because the GHQ, the 
post-war occupation authority led by General Douglas MacArthur, 
didnt permit facts related to the two bombings go public until 
1949. The ban on publication of scientific papers on A-bombs was 
only lifted in 1951. 

By then Hiroshima and Nagasaki were kind of distant rumors 
described simply as hells on earth. Their realities only hit home 
again when 23 Japanese fishermen out in the Pacific, together 
with some 20,000 native islanders in the area, were exposed to an 
American Hydrogen bomb experiment in the Marshalls in 1954. 
Twelve of the fishermen have died of radiation disease since. 
Imagine the toll for Marshall Islanders who bore the total of 87 
such experiments. 

In the summer of 1955, the first World Conference Against Atomic 
and Hydrogen Bombs was convened in Hiroshima. This was Japans 
rather belated awakening to the nuclear nightmares. Ever since, 
the shared national sentiments against nuclear weapons have been 
very strong, although in terms of nuclear power generation the 
public opinion is sharply split with more than 50 nuclear power 
stations gradually spreading along the archipelago. 

Yet virtually no antagonism had been directed to America or the 
Americans explicitly in terms of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The old 
womans passing comment in print may have been predictive. The 
matter is very complex. No one blamed America for the nuclear 
massacres, not because we were fools. No one blamed America for 
the genocides, because we knew we did our own wrongs to other 
peoples in Asia, to the opponents in the war, and even to the 
fellow Japanese. No one blamed America for dropping two A-bombs, 
because we knew somehow those hells ended other hells of war and 
military imperialism we ourselves couldnt stop. 

But above all, no one in Japan blamed America for Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki, because the Americans we came to know after the war 
were champions of liberal democratic values who more or less 
walked the talk and emanated genuine goodwill. We have forgiven 
you as you have forgiven us. We embraced defeat, as the leading 
historian on US-Japan post-war relationship John W. Dower puts 
it...to an extent. 

In short, it has taken a moral reservation of heroic proportions 
on the part of post-war Japanese citizens, especially of 
surviving A-bomb victims, not to direct their anger and 
resentment toward Americans. Instead they, we, have focused on 
how to create a world never again threatened or actually 
devastated by such nuclear catastrophes. Hence, we said No More 
Hiroshima and Nagasaki! instead of Nuke America! 

Not that we could nor we wanted to, but the latter thought never 
entered in our public discourse, as though it were forbidden. As 
post-WWII Germany has been admirably successful in clearing their 
collective consciousness of the Nazi influences, I think Japan 
did a similarly good job of clearing our collective psyche of 
vengeance born out of the two Ground Zeros. Again, to an extent. 

When America began to shed her 20th century good face in the wake 
of Dubyas occupancy of the White House, and then simply threw it 
off after the tragedies of 9-11 to devolve into the cowboy 
unilateralism of You are with us, or you are with the 
terrorists, many in Japan began to wonder, too. Maybe we were 
like Indians in the Far West; so bad and inhuman (also yellow), 
experimental subjects of two types of newly developed atomic 
bombs in 1945 as a show of absolute power over the Russians, and 
over the entire world. 

It has been historically proven that the dropping of two A-bombs 
were not essential for Japans surrender. Maybe the Neocons 
werent satisfied, and they meant to move the Frontier much 
further westward to Israel, their favorite outpost, fighting new 
Indians in the form of Palestinians, Arabs, Islamic 
fundamentalists, or Iraqi insurgents, you name it. The crooked 
reasoning and naked self-interest of Bushs America seem to have 
revived, to the eyes of so many, a hidden face of ugly Washechu, 
stealer of fats, as Native Americans used to call the white 
men. 

Then it was only natural for people like the old woman to wonder 
if we Japanese should have made just a bit more fuss about the 
first two nuclear devastations in human history. We know that the 
Americans are terrified of being subjected to nuclear blasts 
themselves, but a surprising majority of them dont actually know 
how Hiroshima and Nagasaki were. You shut yourself up, and we 
dared not tell. 

Perhaps, the old woman was saying, We were too polite, and that 
wouldnt help the world after all. 

I have stood at the two Ground Zeros. They are one of the most 
sacred sites Ive ever visited. They are time-space portals 
across which you are thrown into another dimension where there is 
no more war, simply because we can afford no more Hiroshimas and 
Nagasakis. They were meant to be the first and the last such 
Ground Zeros. The views from them are not at all tinted by rage 
of returning menace. They are profoundly and resolutely of making 
peace. 

Article 9 of the post-war Japanese Constitution was our 
declaration of interdependence born out of these views. However, 
the old woman hints that we may have been a little too lazy, too 
timid, in asserting them. More of us agree. 

To be sure, we will never replay Kamikaze attacks into your 
skyscrapers or explode belt-bombs in your public transports. But 
we will, as friends, visit you more with stories and pictures to 
intimately share the reality of being under American war 
machines, including nuclear bombs. Then you may better understand 
that wars are ultimately not sensible nor effective means to 
achieve peace, even in fighting terrorism. 

Otherwise, who knows? Someday, in Japan too, the fundamentalist 
factions could gain enough momentum in favor of retaliation in 
one way or the other. The last thing we hope is for a 
nationalistic government deciding to nuclear-arm itself to make 
up for the long suppressed ill pride. 

Meanwhile, we say in the Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, 
widely believed to have been one of the best American gifts which 
the same Americans now want to eliminate in the hope of employing 
us as foot soldiers in your perennial global war: "Aspiring 
sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, 
the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of 
the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling 
international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the 
preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other 
war potential, will never be maintained. The right of 
belligerency of the state will not be recognized." 

*This article first appeared at  [http://www.truthout.org] . 

Jun Hoshikawa is a Japanese author and book translator with some 
65 titles published. He is a senior editor at TUP, Translators 
United for Peace, an independent media project dedicated to 
translate and distribute via the Internet peace-relevant foreign 
articles in Japanese. TUP received the 2004 Citizen Media Award 
from the Japan Congress of Journalists. 

 [http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/listing/C98/] 

Copyright © 2002-2004  [http://www.pressaction.com] . 
*****************************************************************
 26 Las Vegas SUN: Pakistan Test-Fires Nuke-Capable Missile

 By MUNIR AHMAD ASSOCIATED PRESS 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - 

Pakistan on Tuesday successfully test-fired a medium-range,
nuclear-capable missile that would be able to hit most cities in
neighboring India, but defense officials said the test was not
intended as a message to its South Asian rival. 

"The new version of the Ghauri V missile, which was test-fired
today, has a range of 930 miles, and can hit most cities in
India," a senior defense official told The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity. 

He said Pakistani authorities had informed India and other
neighboring countries beforehand about the test. 

Pakistan's military in a statement confirmed the test saying:
"Pakistan this morning carried out another successful test of
the indigenously produced intermediate Range Ballistic Missile
Hatf V (Ghauri) as part of a series of tests planned for the
Ghauri Missile System." 

The ceremony to launch the missile was witnessed by Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz, the statement said, but it gave no
details about the location from where the missile was fired. 

The official said they have not sent "any wrong signal to India"
by test firing the missile at a time when the two nations are
engaged in peace talks. 

Pakistan became a declared nuclear power on May 28, 1998, when
it conducted underground nuclear tests following earlier tests
carried out by India. 

The two countries have a history of bitter relations and have
fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Since
coming to the brink of a fourth conflict in 2001, relations have
thawed and leaders from both South Asian countries have started
peace talks. 

-- 



*****************************************************************
 27 Interfax: Brazil seeks space, nuclear energy cooperation with Russia -
Vice president
 
Interfax.com [http://www.interfax.com]     Text version

Oct 12 2004 7:42PM
 
MOSCOW. Oct 12 (Interfax) - Space exploration and peaceful 
utilization of nuclear energy are among the most promising areas 
of cooperation between Russia and Brazil, Brazilian Vice 
President Jose Alencar said at a meeting of the Russian-Brazilian 
high-level commission for trade and economic cooperation on 
Tuesday. 

Alencar also mentioned civil aviation and power industry among 
the promising avenues of bilateral cooperation. Among the factors 
promoting development of relations between the two countries, 
Alencar pointed to high economic growth rates in both Brazil and 
Russia. Brazil expects to see its economy to grow over 4% in 
2004.     

© 1991-2004 Interfax
 All rights reserved
 
*****************************************************************
 28 BBC: Musharraf five years on
 
  Last Updated: Tuesday, 12 October, 2004
 
Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of General Pervez Musharraf 
seizing power in Pakistan returning the country, once more, to 
military rule. 

[President Musharraf]                           
Musharraf has indicated he may hang on to his uniform                                                              

He has been praised by Western powers for helping topple the 
Taleban in Afghanistan and for taking on radical Islamists on 
Pakistani soil. At home he has been courting controversy in 
recent months by going back on a pledge to step down as chief of 
the armed forces by the end of this year. 

Our correspondent in Islamabad, Charles Haviland, has been 
looking at Gen Musharraf's record. 

On 12 October 1999, Gen Musharraf was sacked as head of the armed 
services, and reacted by deposing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and 
taking political power. 

The bloodless coup received widespread international condemnation 
and Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth. 

But within a couple of years, as Western powers bombed 
Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 attacks, Gen Musharraf 
proved himself an indispensable partner. 

Becoming, in General Musharraf's own words, part of a coalition 
to fight terrorism, meant abandoning Islamabad's friends, the 
Taleban. 

Young people who come out these madrassas... join extremist 
organisations and terrorist organisations Samina Ahmed 
International Crisis Group      

Many Pakistanis were enraged and reacted by taking to the streets 
with pro-Osama Bin Laden songs and slogans. 

The Pakistani army's recent bloody drive against alleged al-Qaeda 
elements in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan has also courted 
controversy. 

However, some observers, like Samina Ahmed, of the International 
Crisis Group in Pakistan, believes General Musharraf is being 
inconsistent in his moves against extremists. 

She says he has failed to regulate the madrassas, or religious 
schools, which she says are breeding grounds for domestic and 
foreign extremists. 

Islamist opposition 

"There is no legislation to remove the hate content there. The 
end result in most of Pakistan is what we see - young people who 
come out of these madrassas who join extremist organisations and 
terrorist organisations. 

The Taleban were able establish security, law and order, justice, 
peace. They are... scholars who are providing service to the 
people Professor Khurshid Ahmed Jamiat-e Islami madrassa        

"An interesting fact that I think very few people know - that of 
the Pakistanis that were detained after 9/11 by the United 
States, the largest group came from a madrassa in Karachi. The 
second-largest group were graduates - if you can call them that - 
of a madrassa in Balochistan, in western Pakistan. 

"And now, of course, this was also the base of the Taleban 
themselves." 

Madrassa reform is opposed by Islamist political parties, which, 
since a controversial election two years ago, now lead the 
opposition. 

'No knife' 

Professor Khurshid Ahmed, the deputy head of the Jamiat-e Islami 
madrassa, says: "The Taleban were able to establish security, law 
and order, justice, peace. They are the best products from the 
madrassas - 99.9% of them are the scholars who are providing 
service to the people." 

I asked him if the opposition did not want the madrassas 
reformed... and were holding a knife to President Musharraf's 
throat to stop him reforming them. 

"There is no knife. General Pervez Musharraf does not want and 
cannot change the madrassa because madrassa is a natural part of 
the Muslim society," he replied. 

But pro-secular Pakistanis point out that the religious parties 
supported last year's major constitutional amendment which 
increased the president's powers, and say that Gen Musharraf is 
therefore now beholden to them. 

[A supporter of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif is arrested] Some 
Islamists object to Musharraf's policies                   
			   		
Official statistics from a 2002 referendum on whether he should 
stay in power gave Gen Musharraf a 96% "yes" vote - a figure many 
considered implausible. 

But it is common to find Pakistanis who feel that as a military 
man, Gen Musharraf brings sorely-needed discipline to the 
country. 

"We need discipline in every sector in Pakistan - in the economic 
field, defence, foreign policies," says a shopkeeper. 

"He is faring well about his economic policies - Pakistan has 
shown consistency which was lacking in the previous civil 
governments." 

At home and abroad Gen Musharraf arouses conflicting views. 

He is seen as a secular-minded liberal, who some fear is in 
thrall to religious conservatives; and as an ally of the West 
who, nonetheless, pardoned a top scientist who sold nuclear arms 
technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea. 

His supporters say Pakistan needs his firm hand. 

But, as parliament prepares to pass a bill letting the president 
retain his armed forces role, his secular opponents say this man, 
who refuses to submit to competitive elections, is an 
anachronism. 



*****************************************************************
 29 Hi Pakistan: Shaukat for Indo-Pak N-restraint     --> 
 
October 13 2004     
 
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday underlined the 
need for Pakistan and India to continue to develop 
confidence-building measures and work towards establishing mutual 
nuclear restraint and conventional arms balance.

Speaking at a banquet here in honour of Prime Minister of 
Mauritius Paul Berenger and his delegation, he said Pakistan was 
committed to the sustainability and success of the dialogue 
process between Pakistan and India.

"Meaningful progress towards a final settlement of Jammu and 
Kashmir, in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiris, is 
critical to the sustainability and success of the dialogue 
process," he said.

"We remain committed to this process," he added. Shaukat referred 
to the recent meeting between President Pervez Musharraf and 
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York and described it as 
very encouraging.

He said the realisation of the right of the Kashmiri people to 
self-determination remains critical to long-term peace and 
stability. The prime minister said the dividends of peace between 
India and Pakistan would be enormous and can open vast 
opportunities for progress and prosperity for one-fifth of the 
humanity that lives in South Asia.

Referring to the situation in Afghanistan, Shaukat said the 
international community has made a huge investment for peace, 
stability and reconstruction. "Pakistan is committed to assisting 
Afghanistan in these spheres," he added

He said Pakistan was a frontline state in the fight against 
terrorism, even before the tragic events of 9/11. "We believe 
that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is 
reprehensible and there can be no justification for it. 
Terrorism, however, has to be tackled at its roots."

The president of Pakistan, he said, has put forward the concept 
of "Enlightened Moderation" as the key to tackling this problem. 
The prime minister said there was greater need for national, 
regional and international cooperation in Sudan, rather than 
threats of sanctions.

He said Pakistan’s economy has made a remarkable recovery and its 
reforms have succeeded with positive growth in almost all 
macro-economic indicators and is now known as a "success-story."

He said Pakistan has emerged as an attractive investment 
destination. "Pakistan also would soon become the first 
developing nation of the world to opt out of the IMF Poverty 
Reduction Growth Facility," the prime minister said.

He said globalisation has introduced fresh challenges and with 
vast differences in size, population, resources, scientific and 
technological level, the developing countries do not, and may 
never, enjoy a level playing field in the emerging global 
economic order.

"We support the cause of developing countries in multilateral 
trade negotiations, particularly Small Island Developing States, 
for a fair deal." He said the goals and aspirations of Pakistan 
and Mauritius are the same. "We both wish to see the 
establishment of a just and equitable world order."

He said relations between Pakistan and Mauritius were rooted in 
history, culture and geography. "Interaction between our two 
people has been sustained by centuries old maritime, trade and 
cultural contacts, which have been further enhanced after the 
independence of both nations."

He said Pakistan was one of the first countries to establish 
diplomatic relations with a resident mission in Port Louis, when 
Mauritius became independent in 1968. He, however, noted that the 
"full potential of our relationship is yet to be reached." He 
said Pakistan and Mauritius both enjoy strategic locations and 
can serve as "hubs" of trade and commerce in their respective 
regions. "Pakistan looks forward to a new partnership for mutual 
benefit with your beautiful country," he said, adding, "The 
coming years will witness greater content in our bilateral 
cooperation, particularly in the economic and commercial field."

 					     							 				 				   				 				
      
Copyright 1996-2002 . Hi Pakistan. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 30 Khaleej Times: nuclear fuel - report
 	 
 [http://www.khaleejtimes.com

 (AFP)

12 October 2004 

WASHINGTON - The United States is holding talks with European 
allies on a possible deal with Iran that would give Tehran access 
to imported nuclear fuel in return for suspension of uranium 
enrichment activities, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Citing unnamed European and US diplomats, the newspaper said
that while the administration had not endorsed any incentives
for Iran, it was not discouraging Britain, France and Germany
from assembling a package that the Bush administration would
consider after the November 2 election. 

The report said any support of a package of incentives, even if
it is to be offered by Europeans, would indicate a significant
shift in the Bush administration policy of demanding sanctions
to get Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons program. 

The package under discussion might also lift certain economic
sanctions on Iran, in particular allowing it to import spare
parts for its ailing civilian airline, according to The Times. 
But the discussions with the Europeans are also said to include
specifics on what sanctions would be sought if Iran turns down
any incentives presented by the Europeans, the paper said. 

Because there may not be enough votes for sanctions on the UN
Security Council, the United States, Britain, France, Germany
and Japan might only adopt sanctions, the report said. 

The paper quotes European diplomats as saying the administration
was very squeamish about even discussing incentives, in part
because it would represent a policy reversal that would provoke
a vigorous internal debate, and in part because of the
presidential campaign. 

Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has said that if
elected he would endorse a deal supplying Iran with civilian
nuclear fuel under tight restrictions and would press for
sanctions if Iran refused. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency has set late November as
the deadline by which Iran must make additional steps to
disclose its nuclear activities. 

The United States is insisting on referring the matter to the
Security Council, if Tehran fails to comply. 						 						

  © 2004 Khaleej Times All Rights Reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 31 [NukeNet] NY Times - big artcile on Salem/Hope Creek problems
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:14:50 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
  Problems Cited at Nuclear Plant in South Jersey

October 11, 2004
  By JOHN SULLIVAN

Government and industry experts have identified a wide
array of problems at one of the country's largest nuclear
power plants - the Salem nuclear power station in
southwestern New Jersey - including a leaky generator,
unreliable controls on a reactor, and workers who were so
discouraged by lack of maintenance that they stopped
calling for repairs.

Earlier this year, a private consultant told the company
that owns the Salem plant, which has the second-largest
nuclear energy output in the United States, that the plant
was deficient in dozens of critical aspects, from the
reliability of equipment and the availability of spare
parts to supervision in a control room.

Another consultant found that some employees were reluctant
to report problems because they were afraid of angering
their superiors. The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission
is investigating reports from at least two employees that
superiors retaliated against them after they expressed
concerns about safety.

The reports were made public by the company soon after it
received them this year, but they received scant public
attention.

Most of the problems have to do with lax maintenance, and
federal officials say it is critical that they be fixed
because, if ignored, they could lead to more serious safety
issues. The federal officials say the nuclear plant is safe
to operate, and executives at the company that owns the
plant, P.S.E.G. Nuclear L.L.C., said that the plant met all
safety standards even with the problems that had been
identified, and that they were doing everything possible to
address the concerns of experts and regulators and to fix
the equipment problems.

Consultants' reports show that the plant was in the bottom
quarter of the nation's 103 nuclear plants in terms of
maintenance and detection of problems, according to plant
managers.

In the past few months, P.S.E.G. has replaced many senior
managers at the Salem complex. The company plans to shut
down one of the station's three reactors for extensive
repairs this fall and has adopted a new maintenance program
to whittle down the backlog of complaints about failing or
faulty equipment. The company also said that it had already
fixed some problems cited in the various reports, and that
other problems, like the reactor's controls and the
generators, were scheduled to be fixed this fall.

Still, A. Christopher Bakken III, who became the company's
president and chief nuclear officer on July 1, estimated
that it could take two years to improve the company's
ability to detect and repair maintenance problems.

"This is not a quick fix," Mr. Bakken said in an interview.
"I believe we are making measurable progress, but this is a
long-term thing."

The federal investigation at Salem, with its emphasis on
preventive maintenance, reflects a change at the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, which for years concentrated on
equipment failures rather than human performance. Driven in
part by the increasing need for maintenance at the nation's
aging stock of nuclear plants, regulators have begun paying
more attention to ways of ensuring that nuclear operators
catch small problems before they get worse.

Still, this is not the first time that P.S.E.G. has found
itself under regulatory scrutiny for failing to address
employees' warnings about equipment problems. In 1995, the
company voluntarily closed two of Salem's reactors for two
years because poor maintenance had degraded the plant's
equipment.

For the past two years, the regulatory commission has
repeatedly warned P.S.E.G. that its system for detecting
maintenance problems was unacceptable. In its most recent
report, the commission warned of rusted metal supports on
water pipes to a reactor, poor insulation on piping, and
poor maintenance that led to the failure of a pump valve.

In March, the consultants hired to evaluate the plant added
to the list of problems: emergency diesel generators had
160 backlogged maintenance orders, some older than 18
months; water circulation pumps repeatedly failed; workers
complained of "oil leaks and roof leaks"; hydraulic systems
used to move the control rods inside one reactor leaked;
fumes from one generator were so bad that workers nearby
had to wear breathing masks; and engineers were forced to
bypass nine nonworking sensors used to measure the reaction
in the nuclear core because there were no replacement
parts.

The consultants concluded: "The plant physical condition
reflects management and staff tolerance for degraded
equipment condition."

Because of the possible consequences of an accident at any
of the 103 nuclear plants in the country, the federal
regulatory commission is charged with maintaining close
oversight of nuclear operations. Serious accidents have
been extremely rare, although disasters like the partial
meltdown in 1979 at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania have
demonstrated the high stakes involved with nuclear power.

The regulatory commission began a special investigation of
the operations at Salem last fall, after receiving
troubling information about the plant "in various
allegations and N.R.C. inspections over the past few
years," according to the commission report.

As a result of its nine-month investigation, which
concluded in July, the commission has increased the number
of its inspections and has approved the company's plan to
fix the outstanding problems.

Watchdog groups, like the Union of Concerned Scientists,
have called on the commission to close the plant until
everything is fixed, but regulators say such drastic action
is not needed now.

The commission started emphasizing the monitoring of
maintenance equipment after workers discovered two years
ago that boric acid had nearly eaten through the steel
reactor vessel at the Davis-Besse plant east of Toledo,
Ohio. A subsequent federal investigation criticized plant
managers for not detecting and repairing maintenance
problems.

"Until the change that the N.R.C. made recently, they had
been assuming that a bad safety culture would manifest
itself in some measurable way," said David Lochbaum, a
nuclear safety engineer with the Union of Concerned
Scientists, a private nonprofit organization in Washington.
"What Davis-Besse taught them was, that may be true but
intervention at that point may be too late."

Salem's reactors, which provide electricity to more than
half of P.S.E.G.'s two million customers in New Jersey, sit
on the Delaware River about 15 miles south of Wilmington,
Del. About 1,800 employees service three reactors - Salem
1, Salem 2 and Hope Creek - set amid a maze of buildings
and pipes.

Over the past few years, workers' ability to keep up with
maintenance problems began to fray, according to several
inquiries. Steel struts rusted, oil pooled on the deck
beneath one gigantic generator, water dripped through
building roofs. As the maintenance orders piled up, some
workers gave up on all but critical requests.

Earlier this year, a consultant wrote, "Staff still
believes some items will not get fixed because 'that's the
way it is.' "

Like any other business, nuclear plants operate under
pressure to produce profits, and time spent partly or
completely shut down can mean millions of dollars in lost
revenue. P.S.E.G. insists that safety comes first, but
unfinished repairs made some employees think their
superiors were placing too much emphasis on the bottom
line, according to investigators.

Things came to a head in March 2003, when a critical piece
of safety equipment, a turbine bypass valve, jammed open in
the Hope Creek reactor. The valve helps to control pressure
inside the reactor. Operators shut down the reactor,
causing the valve to close on its own. Once the reactor was
down, operators and senior managers discussed whether to
repair the valve before starting up again, and according to
later reports, the discussions grew heated at times.

In the end, the valve was fixed first, but the fact that
managers considered restarting the reactor without
repairing it shocked some workers. Kymn Harvin, a manager
who helped employees report problems, said one manager
complained that if they had not fixed the valve, "it would
have been grounds for taking the keys away."

Dr. Harvin reported the manager's concerns to the chief
nuclear officer at the time, but instead of addressing the
problem, she said, the company fired her.

"In my role as the person who is supposed to speak up about
these issues, I bring them forward and then get nailed,"
said Dr. Harvin, who has since filed a lawsuit against
P.S.E.G.

Edwin Selover, the general counsel for P.S.E.G.'s parent
company, Public Service Enterprise Group, said Dr. Harvin
lost her job as part of a general reorganization at the
plant. "It did not have anything to do with safety
concerns," he said.

Dr. Harvin complained to federal regulators last fall, just
before they began their investigation into conditions at
Salem. Regulators say the investigation into her allegation
was continuing.

In September 2003, the regulatory commission opened a
review that ultimately involved 40 staff members from the
commission's Region 1 office near Philadelphia and its
headquarters outside Washington. The regulators interviewed
more than 60 Salem employees during a nine-month
investigation. The commission declined to characterize the
size of the inquiry, but Mr. Bakken of P.S.E.G. said, "It
was the biggest one I have ever been involved in."

Regulators released very few details from the investigation
and would not discuss the matter in depth, instead
referring to public letters the commission sent the plant's
operators. In the first, on Jan. 28, regulators said the
investigation raised questions about operators' "ability to
effectively address potential safety issues." The
regulators told P.S.E.G. to hire consultants to evaluate
operations at the plant.

The company had already hired three independent consultants
to review operations. Their reports, delivered this spring,
were scathing. One group, Utilities Service Alliance, a
nuclear industry group that helps analyze plant conditions,
described details of equipment problems, from faulty water
pumps to bad reactor sensors. Another team, headed by James
P. O'Hanlon, the former president and chief nuclear officer
of Dominion Energy in Virginia, found that some managers
emphasized production over cautious decisions. In one case,
managers delayed shutting a reactor after operators
reported a stuck water valve. The delay, the team found,
supported the view that managers concentrated too much on
production and scheduling.

The team also criticized managers for expecting employees
to work around worn-out equipment and for intervening in
decisions better left to control room workers.

Mr. Bakken said his company had acted to address the
concerns raised in the consultants' reports. For one thing,
he said, the company has placed a new emphasis on
maintenance and has told workers they should report any
problems without hesitation. He said control-room
supervisors, rather than senior managers, have been given
authority over operational decisions.

On July 30, when the regulators issued the results of their
investigation saying the plant was safe, they also warned
that improvements were needed. Echoing the consultants,
regulators said weaknesses in leadership had "led to a
perception among some staff and managers that the company
has emphasized production to the point that negatively
impacts the handling of emergent equipment issues."

The commission's regional administrator, Samuel J. Collins,
said extra federal inspections scheduled for the plant
would monitor the company's progress in making required
repairs. He said the company has taken steps to address
outstanding problems, but "we won't hesitate to take
stronger actions if needed."

Private watchdog groups have urged regulators to take a
stronger stance, arguing that the reactors should be shut
until problems are fixed.

"The operating margin is too thin," said Norm Cohen,
coordinator of the Unplug Salem Campaign, a private
advocacy group. Speaking of the failure to report
maintenance problems, he said, "It is very difficult to fix
the human problem while the plant continues to run."

Mr. Bakken disagrees. Even taking the consultants'
criticism into account, the plant meets federal safety
standards, he said.

He said company was investing millions in plant repairs
this year. The more aggressive repair operation, he said,
will help convince employees that the company is serious
about addressing maintenance and safety concerns.

"It is in everyone's best interest to be honest about what
we are doing," Mr. Bakken said. "I am confident we can
correct this problem, and the team here can deliver."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/11/nyregion/11salem.html?ex=1098534764&ei=1&en=9624a85ba9cc153c


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 32 [NukeNet] AC Press article on Salem's woes
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:15:01 -0700

 
<x-flowed>
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/ocean/101204NUCLEAR1.cfm?CFID=1016062&CFTOKEN=e485fe6b94731128-8DC90DDE-03AE-9FC6-00E5F81719FF61F9


Salem N-plant woes no surprise for some
By JEROME MONTES Staff Writer, (856) 794-5115

LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TOWNSHIP - Nuclear watchdog groups say reports of
faulty equipment, unreliable controls and workers afraid to express safety
concerns at Salem County's nuclear power plant should come as no surprise
to anyone familiar with the facility.

A private consultant said the Lower Alloways Creek Township facility is
plagued with dozens of mechanical and equipment problems, the Associated
Press reported Monday. Among the problems cited specifically were a leaky
generator, rusted metal supports on water pipes leading to a reactor, and
the availability of spare parts for a variety of equipment.

Most issues could be traced to the facility's system of detecting and
repairing maintenance problems, the reports said. Another consultant found
workers reluctant to report such problems for fear of angering superiors.

The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC, is currently
investigating claims that plant employees were terminated by Public
Service Enterprise Group, whose nuclear division owns the facility, after
raising safety concerns.

Norm Cohen, coordinator for the nuclear watchdog coalition Unplug Salem,
says the independent reports confirm what he and others have known all
along - that the plant is unsafe.

"What they're most concerned with is production, not safety," Cohen said.
"From our understanding, this is a company-wide problem of production
coming first."

But PSEG executives said Monday that long-term plans are in place to
improve the facility's record of dealing with necessary repairs. They also
insist that workers may be reluctant to report routine maintenance issues,
but never problems that deal directly with nuclear energy.

"We have some workers who got discouraged after some maintenance problems
weren't dealt with," said A. Christopher Bakken III, PSEG's chief nuclear
officer. "But they will always come to us with any issue of nuclear
safety."

Bakken added that any questions regarding the employee terminations should
be referred to the NRC. Federal officials could not be reached for comment
Monday.

Cohen contends that Bakken's statements about the plant's employees are
lies. He said one high-ranking employee was both fired from PSEG and
blackballed within the industry.

"It's not the workers, it's the workforce culture," said Jane Nogaki, an
organizer for one of the groups associated with Unplug Salem. "The workers
aren't provided with the support they need."

The PSEG nuclear facility is the second largest in the nation, with
approximately 1,800 employees working on a 292-acre site. The facility's
three reactors provide electricity for about 60 percent of PSEG's two
million customers, company officials said.

According to the Associated Press, the NRC has repeatedly warned PSEG for
the past two years that its system for detecting maintenance problems was
unacceptable.

One scathing rebuke from the regulatory commission in early 2004 gave the
company 30 days to draft sweeping changes in safety procedures. The letter
from NRC Regional Administrator Hubert Miller called PSEG Nuclear's
ability to effectively address safety concerns into doubt.

"While to this point we have not identified any serious safety violations,
collectively, information gathered has led to concerns about the station's
work environment, particularly as it relates to handling of emergent
equipment issues and associated operational decision making," the letter
read.

Bakken, who became PSEG's chief nuclear officer in July, says changes
enacted earlier this year have already reduced the facility's backlog of
maintenance problems by 30 percent. But he also emphasized that the
company had a long way to go.

"We've made big improvements with dealing with the backlog and following
through on maintenance issues," he said. "But this is not something we're
going to turn around overnight."

Bakken estimated it would take until the end of 2005 for the company to
completely overhaul its system of detecting and repairing maintenance
problems.

Activists like Cohen say they want the facility shut down until all safety
problems can be resolved. They say federal officials have not done enough
to force PSEG to address the plant's hazards.

"They're operating while they have problems, and that's no good," he said.
"We don't think the NRC has taken this problem seriously enough. They
should be shut down while the problems are worked on."

To e-mail Jerome Montes at The Press:

JMontes@pressofac.com




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 33 [epa-impact] Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 11:33:17 -0400 (EDT)

 
http://epa.gov/EPA-IMPACT/2004/October/Day-12/  
=======================================================================


[Federal Register: October 12, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 196)]
[Notices]
[Page 60672-60677]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12oc04-123]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-382]
 
Entergy Operations, Inc.; Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 
3 Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact 
Related to the Proposed License Amendment To Increase the Maximum 
Reactor Power Level

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice of opportunity for public comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The NRC has prepared a draft environmental assessment as its 
evaluation of a request by Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the 
licensee) for a license amendment to increase the maximum thermal power 
at the Waterford Steam Electric Station 3 (Waterford 3) from 3441 
megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3716 MWt. This represents a power increase 
of approximately 8 percent for Waterford 3. The NRC staff has the 
option of preparing an environmental impact statement if it believes a 
power uprate will have a significant impact on the human environment. 
The NRC staff did not identify any significant impact from the 
information provided in the licensee's extended power uprate (EPU) 
application for Waterford 3 or the NRC staff's independent review; 
therefore, the NRC staff is documenting its environmental assessment. 
The draft environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact 
is being published in the Federal Register with a 30-day public comment 
period.

Environmental Assessment

Background

Plant Site and Environs
    The NRC is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility 
Operating License No. NPF-38, issued to Entergy for Waterford 3 which 
has been in operation since March 4, 1985. The facility is located on 
the west (right descending) bank of the Mississippi River, 
approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of New Orleans on Louisiana 
Highway 18 (River Road) in St. Charles Parish, in the city of Killona, 
Louisiana. The plant's topography, except for the levee along the 
Mississippi River, is generally flat with an elevation of 8 to 16 feet 
above mean sea level. Electricity is generated using a pressurized 
water reactor and steam turbine with a maximum generating capacity of 
1,104 Megawatts electric. The fuel source for the unit is enriched 
Uranium-235. The exhaust steam is condensed using a once-through 
circulating water system with the Mississippi River as a heat sink. 
Additionally, the component cooling water system serves as the 
station's ultimate heat sink and is designed to remove heat from the 
plant during normal operation, shutdown, or emergency shutdown.
    Three-quarters of a mile downstream from the Waterford 3 site is 
the Bonnet Carre' Spillway. The Bonnet Carre' Spillway is a vital 
element of the comprehensive plan for flood control in the Lower 
Mississippi Valley. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi 
River, approximately 25 miles above New Orleans and was constructed to 
divert approximately 250,000 cubic feet per second of floodwaters from 
the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain to prevent overtopping of 
levees at and below New Orleans, assuring the safety of New Orleans and 
the downstream delta area during major floods on the Lower Mississippi.
Identification of the Proposed Action
    By letter dated November 13, 2003, Entergy proposed to increase the 
maximum thermal power level of Waterford 3 by approximately 8 percent, 
from 3441 MWt to 3716 MWt. The change is considered an EPU because it 
would raise the reactor core power level more than 7 percent above the 
originally

[[Page 60673]]

licensed maximum power level. The NRC originally licensed Waterford 3 
on March 16, 1985, for operation at a reactor core power not to exceed 
3390 MWt. On March 29, 2002, the NRC staff approved a power increase of 
approximately 1.5 percent allowing Waterford 3 to operate at a core 
power level not to exceed 3441 MWt. Therefore, this proposed action 
would result in a total increase of approximately 9.6 percent over the 
originally licensed maximum power level. The amendment would allow the 
heat output of the reactor to increase, which would increase the flow 
of steam to the turbine. This would allow the turbine generator to 
increase the production of power as well as increase the amount of heat 
dissipated by the condenser. Moreover, this would result in an increase 
in temperature of the water being released into the Mississippi River.
Need for the Proposed Action
    Entergy is requesting an amendment to the operating license for 
Waterford 3 to increase the maximum thermal power level, thereby 
increasing the electric power generation. The increase in electric 
power generation provides Entergy with lower cost power than can be 
obtained in the current and anticipated energy market.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action
    This assessment summarizes the non-radiological and radiological 
impacts on the environment that may result from the licensee's 
amendment request application dated November 13, 2003.

Non-Radiological Impacts

Land Use Impacts
    The potential impacts associated with land use for the proposed 
action include impacts from construction and plant modifications. The 
Waterford 3 property is made up of 52 percent wetlands and 22 percent 
of the land is used for agriculture. There is no residential or 
recreational land on the property. There is no plan to construct any 
new facilities or expand buildings, roads, parking lots, equipment 
storage, or laydown areas. No changes to the onsite transmission and 
distribution equipment, including power line rights-of-way, are 
anticipated to support this action. No new construction outside of the 
existing facilities will be necessary.
    The proposed EPU will require a modification to the high pressure 
turbine. The turbine is located within the turbine building, and the 
modification will not require any land disturbance. The EPU would not 
significantly affect material storage, including chemicals, fuels, and 
other materials stored aboveground or underground. There is no 
modification to land use at the site, and no impact on the lands with 
historic or archeological significance. The proposed EPU would not 
modify the current land use at the site significantly over that 
described in the Final Environmental Statement (FES).
    The licensee has stated that the proposed EPU will not change the 
character, sources, or energy of noise generated at the plant. Modified 
structures, systems, and components necessary to implement the power 
uprate will be installed within existing plant buildings and no 
noticeable increase in ambient noise levels within the plant is expected.
    Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the environmental impacts 
of the proposed EPU are bounded by the impacts previously evaluated in 
the FES.
Transmission Facility Impacts
    The potential impacts associated with transmission facilities for 
the proposed action include changes in transmission line corridor 
right-of-way maintenance and electric shock hazards due to increased 
current. The proposed EPU would not require any physical modifications 
to the transmission lines. Entergy's transmission line right-of-way 
maintenance practices, including the management of vegetation growth, 
would not be affected. No new requirements or changes to onsite 
transmission equipment, operating voltages, or transmission line 
rights-of-way would be necessary to support the EPU. The main plant 
transformers will be modified and replaced to support the uprate; 
however, replacement of the transformers would have been required 
before the end of plant life as part of the licensee's ongoing 
maintenance program. Therefore, no significant environmental impact 
beyond that considered in the FES is expected from this kind of 
replacement of onsite equipment.
    The National Electric Safety Code (NESC) provides design criteria 
that limit hazards from steady-state currents. The NESC limits the 
short-circuit current to ground to less than 5 milli-ampere. There will 
be an increase in current passing through the transmission lines 
associated with the increased power level of the proposed EPU. The 
increased electrical current passing through the transmission lines 
will cause an increase in electromagnetic field strength. Since the 
increase in power level is approximately 8 percent, the increase in the 
electromagnetic field will not be significant. The licensee's analysis 
shows that the transmission lines will continue to meet the applicable 
shock prevention provisions of the NESC. Therefore, even with the 
slight increase in current attributable to the EPU, adequate protection 
is provided against hazards from electric shock.
    The impacts associated with transmission facilities for the 
proposed action will not change significantly over the impacts 
associated with current plant operation. There are no physical 
modifications to the transmission lines; transmission line right-of-way 
maintenance practices will not change. There are no changes to 
transmission line rights-of-way or vertical clearances and the electric 
current passing through the transmission lines will increase only 
slightly. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that there are no 
significant impacts associated with transmission facilities for the 
proposed action. The transmission lines are designed and constructed in 
accordance with the applicable shock prevention provisions of the NESC.
Water Use Impacts
    Potential water use impacts from the proposed action include 
hydrological alterations to the Mississippi River and changes to the 
plant water supply. The Mississippi River is the source of water for 
cooling and most auxiliary water systems at Waterford 3. The cooling 
water is withdrawn from the Mississippi River via an intake canal 
approximately 49 meters (m) (162 feet (ft)) long leading from the river 
to an intake structure containing four water pumps. The cooling water 
for the circulating water system (CWS) is pumped through the condenser 
to condense the turbine exhaust steam to water. The water then flows to 
the discharge canal approximately 29 m (95 ft) long and is returned to 
the river through the discharge structure. The water from the CWS is 
also used in the turbine system heat exchangers and the steam generator 
blowdown system.
    The Mississippi River is the principal water source of all 
municipal, industrial, and agricultural use for towns and water 
districts downstream of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. All of the water 
required for plant operation, except potable water, will be withdrawn 
from the Mississippi River. The rate of withdrawal will not increase as 
a result of the EPU. As a result, operation of Waterford 3 will not 
affect the availability of water to downstream water users. Groundwater 
is not used in

[[Page 60674]]

plant operations; therefore, there are no impacts to onsite groundwater 
use. The NRC staff concludes that the EPU would not have a significant 
impact on water usage as a result of hydrological alterations or 
changes in the plant water supply.
Discharge Impacts
    The potential impacts to the Mississippi River from the plant 
discharge include turbidity, scouring, erosion, and sedimentation. 
These impacts can occur as a result of significant changes in the 
thermal discharge, sanitary waste discharge, and chemical discharge.

1. Thermal Discharge

    Surface water and wastewater discharges at Waterford 3 are 
regulated by the State of Louisiana via a Louisiana Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System (LPDES) Permit. This permit is periodically reviewed 
and renewed by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality 
(LDEQ). The EPU is expected to increase the temperature of the water 
discharged to the Mississippi River.
    The LPDES Permit (1) restricts the temperature rise in the 
discharge water to five degrees Fahrenheit over the temperature of the 
river water and (2) limits the temperature of the discharge water to 
118 degrees Fahrenheit. The licensee has calculated the increased heat 
load delivered to the CWS under EPU conditions and estimated an 
expected increase in the discharge water temperature of 2.2 degrees 
Fahrenheit. Based on this expected temperature increase from power 
uprate, the temperature limits defined in the LPDES Permit are 
adequate, and no changes to the LPDES Permit are necessary.

2. Chemical Discharge

    Wastewater treatment chemicals that are currently regulated and 
approved by the State of Louisiana through the LPDES Permit for use in 
the once-through cooling water will not change as a result of the power 
uprate. The concentration of pollutants in the once-through effluent 
stream will remain the same and have insignificant impact.

3. Sanitary Waste Discharge

    Sanitary wastes at the Waterford 3 facility are discharged to an 
onsite sewage treatment plant. Since there will be no increase in the 
Waterford 3 staffing levels as a result of the power uprate, there will 
also be no increase in sanitary waste. The use of chemicals will not 
change as a result of the power uprate, and the power uprate will have 
no impact on current water chemical usage.
    Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the environmental impacts 
associated with the plant discharge will not be significant.
Impacts on Aquatic Biota
    The potential impacts to aquatic biota from the proposed actions 
include impingement and entrainment, thermal discharge effects, and 
changes associated with the transmission line rights-of-way. Aquatic 
species found in the vicinity of Waterford 3 are associated with the 
Mississippi River. The river near the Waterford 3 site region supports 
aquatic biota ranging from microorganisms and various plankton to large 
commercial finfish. The more abundant fish near the site area include 
blue catfish, channel catfish, freshwater drum, and striped mullet. 
There are no unique fish habitats in the river near Waterford 3.

1. Impingement and Entrainment

    Fish and other organisms removed from the cooling water by the 
traveling water screens are washed to a trough to a point downstream of 
the intake. The EPU will not increase the withdrawal rate or change 
current pumping operations. Therefore, the water velocity through the 
traveling screens will not change as a result of the EPU. The flowrate 
of water being withdrawn from the intake canal at the intake structure 
would not increase and no change would be made in the design of the 
intake structure screens. Therefore, changes in the entrainment of 
aquatic organisms or in the impingement of fish are not anticipated as 
a result of the EPU.

2. Thermal Discharge Effects (Heat Shock)

    Entergy has conducted thermal studies in the Mississippi River in 
the vicinity of the Waterford 3 discharge for over 25 years and no 
adverse impacts on fish have been observed. The temperature of the 
water discharged to the river will remain within the limits of the 
LPDES Permit. The LPDES Permit states that the bounding thermal limit 
adequately regulates the amount of heat discharged to the Mississippi 
River from this facility such that it protects the balanced indigenous 
population.

3. Transmission Line Rights-of-Way

    There will not be changes in transmission line right-of-way 
maintenance practices associated with the EPU. Therefore, no changes 
are expected in the amount of water or in the water quality of the 
water run-off to the streams or the river.
    The EPU will not increase the flow of the water withdrawn from the 
river, and the amount of heat discharged to the Mississippi River will 
remain within the thermal limit specified by the LPDES Permit. There 
are no changes in transmission line right-of-way maintenance practices 
associated with the proposed action. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes 
that there are no significant impacts to aquatic biota for the proposed 
action.
Impacts on Terrestrial Biota
    The potential impacts to terrestrial biota from the proposed action 
include construction activities and changes associated with the 
transmission line right-of-way maintenance. The power uprate will not 
disturb land, and no construction activities are planned for the EPU. 
The proposed EPU will not change the land use at Waterford 3, and no 
habitat of any terrestrial plant or animal species will be disturbed as 
a result of this power uprate. In addition, none of Entergy's 
transmission line rights-of-way maintenance practices will change. 
Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that there will be no significant 
impact to the habitat of any terrestrial plant or animal species as a 
result of the EPU.
Threatened and Endangered Species
    Potential impacts to threatened and endangered species from the 
proposed action include the impacts assessed in the aquatic and 
terrestrial biota sections of this environmental assessment. These 
impacts include impingement and entrainment, thermal discharge effects, 
and impacts due to transmission line right-of-way maintenance for 
aquatic species, and impacts to terrestrial species from transmission 
line right-of-way maintenance and construction activities.
    There are five species listed as threatened or endangered under the 
Federal Endangered Species Act within St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. 
These are the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), brown pelican 
(Pelecanus occidentalis), Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi), 
pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), and the West Indian manatee 
(Trichechu manatus). There have been reported sightings of the bald 
eagle (H. leucocephalus), gulf sturgeon (A. oxyrinchus desotoi), and 
the pallid sturgeon (S. albus) in St. Charles Parish. Thermal studies 
documented in the LPDES fact sheet found that no threatened or 
endangered species were present near Waterford 3.

[[Page 60675]]

    In a letter dated March 15, 2004, the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife 
Service (LFWS) commented on the endangered species in the vicinity of 
the station. The pallid sturgeon was identified as an endangered fish 
found in both the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. The West Indian 
manatee (T. manatus) was also listed as a Federally protected species 
known to inhabit Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas and associated 
coastal waters and stream during summer months. The LFWS did not 
identify any critical habitat in the vicinity of the site.
    According to Entergy, the impacts from the Waterford 3 EPU to these 
species is insignificant because: (1) the EPU for Waterford 3 will not 
result in a decline of suitable habitat for these species; and (2) 
sightings of these species are rare and infrequent. Therefore, the NRC 
staff concludes that the proposed EPU would not affect threatened and 
endangered species significantly over the effects described in the FES.
Social and Economic Impacts
    Potential social and economic impacts due to the proposed action 
include changes in tax revenue for St. Charles Parish and changes in 
the size of the workforce at Waterford 3. The NRC staff has reviewed 
information provided by the licensee regarding socioeconomic impacts. 
Waterford 3 is a major employer in the community with approximately 750 
full-time employees. Entergy is also a major contributor to the local 
tax base. Entergy personnel also contribute to the tax base by paying 
sales taxes. Because the plant modifications needed to implement the 
EPU would be minor, any increase in sales tax and additional revenue to 
local and national business will be negligible relative to the large 
tax revenues generated by Waterford 3. It is expected that the proposed 
uprate will reduce incremental operating costs, enhance the value of 
Waterford 3 as a power-generating asset, and lower the probability of 
early plant retirement. Early plant retirement would be expected to 
have a significant negative impact on the local economy and the 
community as a whole by reducing tax revenues and limiting local 
employment opportunities, although these effects could be mitigated by 
decommissioning activities in the short term. The proposed EPU would 
not significantly affect the size of the Waterford 3 labor force and 
would have no material effect upon the labor force required for future 
outages after all stages of the modifications needed to support the EPU 
are completed.
Summary
    In summary, the proposed EPU would not result in a significant 
change in non-radiological impacts in the areas of site, land use, 
transmission facility operation, water use, discharge, aquatic biota, 
terrestrial biota, threatened and endangered species, or social and 
economic factors. No other non-radiological impacts were identified or 
would be expected. Table 1 summarizes the non-radiological 
environmental impacts of the proposed EPU at Waterford 3.

       Table 1.--Summary of Non-Radiological Environmental Impacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Land Use.....................  No change in land use or aesthetics; will
                                not impact lands with historic or
                                archeological significance. No
                                significant impact due to noise.
Transmission Facilities......  No physical modifications to the
                                transmission lines and facilities; no
                                changes to rights-of-way; no significant
                                change in electromagnetic field around
                                the transmission lines; shock safety
                                requirements will be met.
Water Use Surface Water......  No increase in the water withdrawal rate
                                from the river. Water withdrawal rate
                                remains consistent with previous levels.
Groundwater..................  No change in groundwater use.
Discharge thermal discharge..  No significant increase in temperature or
                                heat load. Current LPDES Permit has
                                adequate limits to accommodate any
                                expected temperature and heat load
                                increases.
Chemical and Sanitary          No expected change to chemical use and
 Discharge.                     subsequent discharge, or sanitary waste
                                systems; no change in pollutants to once-
                                through cooling water effluent. No
                                changes to sanitary waste discharges.
Aquatic Biota................  No expected increased impact on aquatic
                                biota.
Thermal Discharge (Heat        Historically not a problem. Additional
 Shock).                        heat is not expected to affect frequency
                                of heat shock events or significantly
                                increase the impact to aquatic biota.
Terrestrial Biota............  No additional impact on terrestrial
                                biota.
Threatened and Endangered      No expected increased impact on
 Species.                       threatened and endangered species as a
                                result of the EPU.
Social and Economic..........  No significant change in size of
                                Waterford 3 workforce.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Radiological Impacts

Radioactive Waste Systems
    Waterford 3 uses Waste Treatment Systems designed to collect, 
process, and dispose of radioactive gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes 
in accordance with the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) part 20 and 10 CFR part 50, appendix I. The NRC 
staff concludes that the proposed power uprate will not result in 
changes to the operation or design of equipment used in the radioactive 
gaseous, liquid, or solid waste systems.
Gaseous Radioactive Waste
    The Waterford 3 Gaseous Waste Treatment System is designed to 
collect, process, and dispose of radioactive gaseous waste in 
accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR part 20 and 10 CFR part 50, 
appendix I.
    The licensee calculated that the EPU will increase the potential 
doses to the public from gaseous effluents by less than 0.1 millirem 
per year over current doses, which are less than one millirem per year. 
These potential doses are well within the dose design objectives of 10 
CFR part 50, appendix I and the annual doses projected in the FES. 
Therefore, the estimated increase in the offsite dose from gaseous 
effluents due to the EPU will be small with no significant impact on 
human health.
Liquid Radioactive Waste
    The Waterford 3 Liquid Waste Treatment System is designed to 
collect, process, and dispose of radioactive liquid waste in accordance 
with the requirements of 10 CFR part 20 and 10 CFR part 50, appendix I.
    The licensee calculated that the EPU will increase the potential 
doses to the public from liquid effluents by approximately 10 percent 
over the current doses, which are less than 0.01 millirem per year. 
These potential doses are well within the dose design objectives of 10 
CFR Part 50, Appendix I and the annual doses projected in the FES. 
Therefore, the estimated increase in the offsite dose from liquid 
effluents

[[Page 60676]]

due to the EPU will be small with no significant impact on human 
health.
Solid Radioactive Waste
    The Solid Radioactive Waste System collects, monitors, processes, 
packages, and provides temporary storage facilities for radioactive 
solid wastes prior to offsite shipment and permanent disposal. From 
1998 through 2002, approximately 22,520 cubic feet of low level 
radioactive waste was generated, for an average of about 4,500 cubic 
feet per year.
    There are three types of solid radioactive waste: wet waste, dry 
waste, and irradiated reactor components. The typical contributors to 
solid radioactive wet waste are secondary and primary resin, 
contaminated filters, oil, and sludge from various plant systems. The 
EPU will not change either reactor water cleanup flow rates or filter 
performance. However, the increased core inventory of radionuclides may 
lead to slightly more frequent replacement of filters and resins. 
Therefore, implementation of the EPU will not have a significant impact 
on the volume or activity of solid radioactive wet waste generated at 
Waterford 3.
    Dry radioactive waste consists primarily of air filters, paper 
products, rags, clothing, tools, equipment parts that cannot be 
effectively decontaminated, and solid laboratory wastes. No significant 
change in the amount of dry waste is expected as a result of the EPU.
    Irradiated reactor components such as in-core detectors and fuel 
assemblies must be replaced periodically. The volume and activity of 
waste generated from spent fuel assemblies and in-core detectors will 
increase slightly with the EPU conditions. The EPU would increase the 
number of fresh fuel bundles needed during each refueling cycle by 
four. This increase in the number of bundles will result in a slight 
increase in spent fuel discharge to the spent fuel pool.
    The NRC staff concludes that any projected increases in solid waste 
generation under the EPU conditions will not be significant.
Direct Radiation Dose
    The licensee evaluated the direct radiation dose to the 
unrestricted area and concluded that it is not a significant exposure 
pathway. Since the EPU will slightly increase the core inventory of 
radionuclides and the amount of solid radioactive wastes, the NRC staff 
concludes that direct radiation dose will not be significantly affected 
by the EPU and will continue to meet the limits in 10 CFR part 20.
Occupational Dose
    Occupational exposures from in-plant radiation primarily occur 
during routine maintenance, special maintenance, and refueling 
operations. An increase in power at Waterford 3 could increase the 
radiation levels in the reactor coolant system. However, plant programs 
and administrative controls such as shielding, plant chemistry, and the 
radiation protection program will help compensate for these potential 
increases. The average collective worker dose at Waterford 3 over the 
five-year period from 1998 to 2002 was 80.3 person-rem/yr. 
Conservatively assuming a linear increase in the occupational exposure 
due to the EPU, the projected in-plant occupational exposure would 
increase to approximately 88 person-rem/yr, which is well below the 
1300 person-rem/yr estimated in the Waterford 3 FES. The increase is 
based on the power uprate ratio of .096 (3716 MWt/3390 MWt). Therefore, 
no significant occupational dose impacts will occur as a result of the 
EPU.
    The EPU will not result in a significant increase in normal 
operational radioactive gaseous and liquid effluent levels, direct 
doses offsite, or occupational exposure. Potential doses to the public 
from effluents will continue to be well within the dose design 
objectives of 10 CFR part 50, appendix I and the annual doses projected 
in the FES. Any increase in direct doses offsite will continue to be 
within the limits of 10 CFR part 20 and the slight potential increase 
in occupational exposure will be well within the FES estimate.
Postulated Accident Doses
    As a result of implementation of the proposed EPU, there will be an 
increase in the source term used in the evaluation of some of the 
postulated accidents in the FES.
    The inventory of radionuclides in the reactor core is dependent on 
power level; therefore, the core inventory of radionuclides could 
increase by as much as 9.6 percent. The concentration of radionuclides 
in the reactor coolant may also increase by as much as 9.6 percent; 
however, this concentration is limited by the Waterford 3 Technical 
Specifications and is more dependent on the degree of leakage occurring 
through the fuel cladding. The overall quality of fuel cladding has 
improved since the FES was published and Waterford 3 has been 
experiencing very little fuel cladding leakage in recent years. 
Therefore, the reactor coolant concentration of radionuclides would not 
be expected to increase significantly. This coolant concentration is 
part of the source term considered in some of the postulated accident 
analyses.
    For those postulated accidents where the source term increased, the 
calculated potential radiation dose to individuals at the site boundary 
(the exclusion area) and in the low population zone would be increased 
over the values presented in the FES. However, the calculated doses 
would still be below the acceptance criteria of 10 CFR part 100, 
``Reactor Site Criteria,'' and the Standard Review Plan (NUREG-0800). 
Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the increased environmental 
impact in terms of potential increased doses from the postulated 
accidents are not significant.
Fuel Cycle and Transportation
    The environmental impacts of the fuel cycle and transportation of 
fuels and wastes are described in Tables S-3 and S-4 of 10 CFR 51.51 
and 10 CFR 51.52, respectively. An additional NRC generic environmental 
assessment (53 FR 30355, dated August 11, 1988, as corrected by 53 FR 
32322, dated August 24, 1988) evaluated the applicability of Tables S-3 
and S-4 to higher burnup cycle. The assessment concluded that there is 
no significant change in environmental impacts for fuel cycles with 
uranium enrichments up to 5.0 weight-percent U-235 and burnups less 
than 60 gigawatt-day per metric ton of uranium (GWd/MTU) from the 
parameters evaluated in Tables S-3 and S-4. In an amendment dated July 
10, 1998, Waterford 3 was granted the ability to increase the fuel 
enrichment from 4.9 percent to 5.0 percent. Since the fuel enrichment 
for the power uprate will not exceed 5.0 weight-percent U-235 and the 
rod average discharge exposure will not exceed 60 GWd/MTU, the 
environmental impacts of the proposed power uprate will remain bounded 
by these conclusions and will not be significant.
Summary
    The proposed EPU would not result in a significant increase in 
occupational or public radiation exposure, would not significantly 
increase the potential doses from postulated accidents, and would not 
result in significant additional fuel cycle environmental impacts. 
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there are no significant 
radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. 
Table 2 summarizes the radiological environmental impacts of the 
proposed EPU at Waterford 3.

[[Page 60677]]

         Table 2.--Summary of Radiological Environmental Impacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Radiological Waste Stream....  No change in design or operation of waste
                                streams.
Gaseous Waste................  Slight increase in amount of radioactive
                                material in gaseous effluents; within
                                FES estimate; offsite doses would
                                continue to be well within NRC criteria.
Liquid Waste.................  Slight increase in amount of radioactive
                                material in liquid effluents; within FES
                                estimate; offsite doses would continue
                                to be well within NRC criteria.
Solid Waste..................  No significant change in radioactive
                                resins; no significant changes in dry
                                waste; no significant changes in
                                irradiated components.
Dose Impacts Occupational      Up to 9.6 percent increase in collective
 Dose.                          occupational dose possible; well within
                                FES estimate.
Offsite Direct Dose..........  Slight increase possible; not
                                significant; offsite doses would
                                continue to be within NRC criteria.
Postulated Accidents.........  Up to 9.6 percent increase in calculated
                                doses from some postulated accidents;
                                calculated doses within NRC criteria.
Fuel Cycle and Transportation  Increase in bundle average enrichment.
                                Fuel enrichment and burnup would
                                continue to be within bounding
                                assumptions for Tables S-3 and S-4 in 10
                                CFR Part 51, ``Environmental Protection
                                Regulations for Domestic Licensing and
                                Related Regulatory Function;''
                                conclusions of tables regarding impact
                                would remain valid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alternatives to Proposed Action
    As an alternative to the proposed action, the NRC staff considered 
denial of the proposed EPU (i.e., the ``no-action alternative''). 
Denial of the application would result in no change in the current 
environmental impacts; however, other fossil-fuel generating facilities 
may need to be built in order to maintain sufficient power-generating 
capacity. As an alternative, the licensee could purchase power from 
power generating facilities outside the service area. The additional 
power would likely also be generated by fossil fuel facilities. 
Construction and operation of a fossil-fueled plant would create 
impacts in air quality, land use, and waste management significantly 
greater than those identified for the EPU at Waterford 3.
    Implementation of the proposed EPU would have less impact on the 
environment than the construction and operation of a new fossil-fueled 
generating facility or the operator of fossil facilities outside the 
service area. Furthermore, the EPU does not involve environmental 
impacts that are significantly different from those presented in the 
1981 FES for Waterford 3.
Alternative Use of Resources
    This action does not involve the use of any resources not 
previously considered in the 1981 FES for Waterford 3.
Agencies and Persons Consulted
    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 13, 2004, the NRC 
staff consulted with the Louisiana State official, Ms. Nan Calhoun of 
the LDEQ, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. 
The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined 
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action.

DATES: The comment period expires November 12, 2004. Comments received 
after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the 
Commission is able to assure consideration of comments received on or 
before this date.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Chief, Rules and Directives 
Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Mail Stop T-6 D59, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Written comments may also 
be delivered to 11545 Rockville Pike, Room T-6D59, Rockville, Maryland 
20852, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Federal workdays. Copies of 
written comments received will be electronically available at the NRC's 
Public Electronic Reading Room link <A HREF="http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html">http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/
adams.html</A> on the NRC Homepage or at the NRC's Public Document 
 Room located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), 
Rockville, Maryland. 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 Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-
4737, or by e-mail at <A HREF="mailto:pdr@nrc.gov">pdr@nrc.gov</A>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC is considering issuance of an 
amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-38 issued to Entergy 
for operation of Waterford 3 located in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: N. Kalyanam, Office of Nuclear Reactor 
Regulation, Mail Stop O-7D1, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at (301) 415-1480, or by e-mail 
at <A HREF="mailto:nxk@nrc.gov">nxk@nrc.gov</A>.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of September 2004.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael K. Webb,
Acting Chief, Section 1, Project Directorate IV, Division of Licensing 
Project Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-22786 Filed 10-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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 34 Albuquerque Tribune: Domenici tome extols nuclear power                      
 
[http://www.abqtrib.com/includes/search.htm]   	 	 	 
		 		     		 		
ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico, U.S.A.                              
   		 		
October 12, 2004

TAGS BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS AS SHOWN --> By James W. Brosnan

[brosnanj@shns.com] Scripps Howard News Service

 WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici has written a book that 
won't be a best seller, won't make him rich and probably won't 
bring many benefits to New Mexico.

 But with publication of "A Brighter Tomorrow: Fulfilling the 
Promise of Nuclear Energy," the Albuquerque Republican and Senate 
Energy Committee chairman hopes to restart the debate about 
turning once again to building nuclear power plants as the way to 
cure the energy shortage and air pollution.

 "When you're a United States senator and you're an energy 
person, somebody has to pick up the cause for something that's 
simply important," Domenici said.

 The book goes on sale Friday for a list price of $24.95. 
Domenici will be making promotional appearances on Fox News and 
on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show with host Don Imus. One 
Albuquerque bookstore, Bound To Be Read, has scheduled a book 
signing at 7 p.m. Nov. 12.

 It's not unusual for senators to write books. In 1980, Domenici 
wrote, "A Changing America: Conservatives View the '80s from the 
United States Senate."

 Twenty-seven other senators are authors. Book royalties and 
advances are exempt from the Senate's ethics ban on outside 
earned income. But unlike Hillary Rodham Clinton, who received a 
reported $8 million before even one sale of her White House 
memoir, "Living History," Domenici is not receiving any advance. 
The book's publisher, Rowman &Littlefield, is planning an initial 
run of 20,000 copies.

 "It's a niche book," Domenici explained, aimed at officeholders 
policy-makers, utility executives and others interested in 
energy.

 Domenici, 72, could have finished the book he always has wanted 
to write about the budget reforms he passed in the 1980s, or he 
could have started on his memoirs.

 But as with the budget mess, "on any big subject I looked at, I 
thought if America was doing something irrational, I would try to 
make it right," Domenici said.

 When he told Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee 
Republican, last spring of his interest in writing about nuclear 
power, Frist put Domenici in touch with Jed Lyons, president of 
Rowman &Littlefield, which published Frist's book about what 
people can do to protect themselves from bioterrorism.

 It was an easy sell. Lyons' wife, Blythe Lyons, is a senior 
consultant with Energy Resources International, a nuclear energy 
consulting firm. She and colleague Julian Steyn helped Domenici 
enough to get co-credits on the book cover.

 Frist hosted a reception for Domenici in a room near the Senate 
floor Wednesday night. As he opened copies for Domenici to sign, 
Frist said he hopes the book will "move America toward a safer, 
cleaner, more prosperous nuclear energy policy, all of which can 
be done if the public is educated."

 "Pete is the kind of colleague who makes you want to go back and 
check your facts if he differs with you on an issue," former U.S. 
Sen. Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat, says in a forward to the book.

 Domenici's interest in nuclear power began with his efforts to 
help the state's once-thriving uranium miners and continued with 
research conducted at Los Alamos and Sandia National 
laboratories. But New Mexico is one of 14 states without a 
nuclear power plant and, given the plants' need to gulp vast 
amounts of water for cooling, is an unlikely future site for one.

 "I didn't write this book for New Mexico," Domenici said. "In a 
roundabout way I wrote about some things going on in New Mexico. 
The great scientists who know about this are there."

 The last senator to write a book about energy was Al Gore, whose 
"Earth in the Balance," warning of the dangers of global warming, 
became a best seller in 1991, a year before Bill Clinton picked 
the Tennessean as his running mate. Gore emphasized conservation 
as the solution, devoting only two pages to nuclear power, which 
he dismissed as a "technological dead end."

 Although the 103 nuclear power plants operating in the United 
States supply electricity to one in five homes, not a single new 
plant has gone into operation since 1996, and the last new 
commercial plant ordered was in 1973. 

Domenici concedes it would have been more popular to write about 
renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, which he 
also supports. 

"But that's easy. Everybody does that. And people would want to 
read that," he said. "But frankly, as somebody involved in 
energy, I don't think that's the issue. The issue over the next 
50 years and starting soon is how is a growing world and a 
prospering America going to satisfy essentially its electricity 
needs."

 In 250 pages, Domenici builds the case for a nuclear power 
comeback in tedious fashion, with 32 tables, graphs and charts. 
Information includes, for example, the number of supplies of AMU 
(already mined uranium) and the estimated growth of U.S. energy 
supplies in quads, short for a quadrillion British thermal units 
(BTUs).

 "We receive 1,000 times the amount of electricity from a nuclear 
power plant on just four times the amount of land used for a wind 
farm," Domenici wrote.

 But the senator's passion occasionally cuts through statistics. 

"If we are to ameliorate some of the causes of war, proliferation 
and terrorism - such as poverty - we must ensure that other 
countries have access to clean energy supplies to drive their 
engines of economic development," Domenici writes.

 Only irrational fear holds back nuclear power development in the 
United States, he argues.

 What about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island?

 The Soviets built Chernobyl with an unsafe design, Domenici 
said.

 At Three Mile Island, 90 percent of the fuel rods ruptured, but 
the maximum exposure to the nearest member of the public was a 
little more than a third of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's 
yearly limit, he said. Within three to four years a safer, 
second-generation reactor will be ready for utilities, he said.

 Environmental critics say the risk isn't worth the cost. Thomas 
Cochran, director of the nuclear program at the Natural Resources 
Defense Council, told the Western Governors' Association energy 
summit in April that nuclear power plant construction has 
stopped, not because of public opposition, but because it is 
uneconomical.

 But nuclear power was recently endorsed by one prominent 
environmentalist, James Lovelock, author of "The Gaia Theory." 

"There is at present no other safe, practical and economic 
substitute for the dangerous practice of burning carbon fuels," 
Lovelock wrote recently.

 Domenici's own efforts to pass incentives for nuclear power have 
not been successful. His energy bill died this year over 
parochial interests, most notably the insistence by House 
Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, a fellow Republican, in 
adding an amendment specifying that oil companies be exempt from 
lawsuits over groundwater contamination from the fuel additive 
MTBE. 

What's it going to take to build support for nuclear power plants 
in the United States?

 Presidential support, new reactor design, streamlined regulatory 
approval, continued problems with air pollution, and the world 
realizing energy is in short supply and very expensive, Domenici 
said.

 "And that's where we are right now," he said.

 

Print this [http://www.abqtrib.com/print/index.cfm] 

  

© The Albuquerque Tribune. Users of this site are subject to our 
*****************************************************************
 35 JS Online: Kewaunee plant out of service
 
 [http://www.jsonline.com/]     

Utility aims to avert long-term shutdown

 By THOMAS CONTENT

tcontent@journalsentinel.com Posted: Oct. 11, 2004 

The Kewaunee nuclear plant was taken out of service on Saturday 
to replace its vessel head, a $20 million project that is 
designed to help prevent a long-term shutdown. 

Reactor vessel heads are being replaced at plants across the 
country because of the sudden shutdown of the Davis-Besse nuclear 
plant near Toledo three years ago. That shutdown came after 
inspectors discovered that boric acid had eaten a football-sized 
hole into the vessel head. The problem kept the plant shut down 
for two years. 

The temporary Kewaunee shutdown comes as the plant's co-owners 
await a decision from Wisconsin energy regulators on whether the 
facility can be sold to an out-of-state energy firm. 

No signs of significant problems have been detected at the 
Kewaunee vessel head, but the part is being replaced to avoid 
lengthy and costly inspections every time the reactor is 
refueled. 

The Kewaunee work will be overseen by Hudson-based Nuclear 
Management Co., the operating company created by utilities in the 
Upper Midwest to manage nuclear plants. Kewaunee will be the 
first of the six Nuclear Management reactors to have its vessel 
head replaced. 

The vessel heads at the two Point Beach reactors, owned by 
Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Energy Corp., will be replaced next 
year at a cost of $53.9 million. 

Nuclear-industry refueling shutdowns typically last about five 
weeks. The last such shutdown at Kewaunee, in 2003, lasted 36 
days. 

During the shutdown, more than 550 contractors will assist the 
Kewaunee plant's staff with reactor inspections and approximately 
4,000 preventive maintenance activities, Nuclear Management Co. 
said in a statement. The plant employs about 450 people. 

Last fall, Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green Bay and 
Wisconsin Power &Light Co. of Madison, which co-own the plant, 
announced their plan to sell the Kewaunee plant for $220 million 
to Dominion Resources Inc. of Richmond, Va. 

The proposal has won the approval of federal regulators but 
remains pending in Madison, amid opposition raised by customer 
groups that represent manufacturers and residential customers, as 
well as municipal utilities. 

The opponents see the sale as another attempt to bring Wisconsin 
closer to electricity deregulation. They predict that rates could 
climb significantly after 2013 - when Dominion is no longer 
required to sell the power back to the Wisconsin utilities. At 
that time, critics say, profits from the low-cost plant would 
flow to Virginia rather than stay in Wisconsin. 

The utilities have rejected those concerns, stating that the deal 
is simple: the sale of a single power plant to one of a handful 
of companies that are buying such plants across the country. 

A decision on the sale is expected by the end of the year. During 
presentations on Monday to investment analysts, WPS Chief 
Financial Officer Joe O'Leary said the company has received all 
the other approvals it needs for the sale, but that the pending 
Wisconsin decision remains "the most critical part of the 
process. 

"At this time, we have not identified any regulatory issues that 
would preclude closing on the transaction in 2004," O'Leary said. 

    From the Oct. 13, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal 
Sentinel Get the Journal Sentinel delivered to your home. 
Subscribe now. [http://www.jsonline.com/services] 

              
&copy;&nbsp;Copyright 2004
[http://www.jsonline.com/copyright.html] , Journal Sentinel Inc.
All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
 36 Xinhuanet: Dongfang Electric joins hands with Alsthom on nuclear power   

  www.xinhuanet.com

  www.chinaview.cn 2004-10-12 21:05:46   

    CHENGDU, Oct. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- China's largest manufacturer 
of generating equipment, the Dongfang Electric Corporation, 
signed agreement with the French-based Alsthom here recently on 
the second-phase project of Ling'ao nuclear power station in 
south China's Guangdong province. 

    According to the agreement, Alsthom will supply the project 
with equipment, including two steam generators. 

    The second-phase project of Ling'ao nuclear power station has 
just been approved by the Chinese State Development and Reform 
Commission (SDRC), which needs generating units with the great 
power and highest technical level. 

    The project is also the first one of a group new nuclear 
power projects to be built in China, said the SDRC. 

    Alsthom is the world top supplier of thermal power and steam 
nuclear power units. The company has worked successfully in 
cooperation with the Dongfang Electric Corporation in the past 
decade and participated in the first-phase project of the Ling'ao 
nuclear power station. 

    Alsthom said it is planning to set up a world top-class 
jointing rotor production base in China, which will serve not 
onlythe Chinese market, but the global market. 

    Located in Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan province, the 
Dongfang Electric Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers 
in China that makes generators and contracts generating station 
projects. It has been listed among the 225 largest international 
contractors. Enditem   

  Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 37 News 10: Demonstrators march in support of former nuclear plant employee

  [News 10 Syracuse - Home] 

Updated: 10/12/2004 8:39 AM
By: News 10 Now Staff

Demonstrators were out on Bridge Street in Oswego supporting a
long time employee of FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. 

They say Carl Patrickson was fired because he brought up safety
concerns to Entergy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Patrickson claimed there was a flaw in the ventilation system of
the emergency service water pump room. 

"It's been a hell of a life being unemployed for almost a year
and been trying to get a job in utility type industries, nuclear
plants in particular. Just haven't been able to either because
of my age or this whistleblower case," said Patrickson. 

Demonstrators march in support of former nuclear plant employee

Demonstrators were out on Bridge Street in Oswego supporting a 
long time employee of FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant.

The Spokesperson from FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant says Entergy does 
not fire anyone who raises safety concerns. She says the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission and OSHA investigated Patrickson's concerns 
but they we're unfound. 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	   	
[http://news10now.com/

Copyright ©2004 TWEAN News Channel of Syracuse, LLC, d/b/a News
10 Now.
All Rights Reserved. 
*****************************************************************
 38 PRN: Consumers Energy Announces Likely Extension of Palisades Nuclear
Plant Outage and Investors Conference Call on Plant Status 

[http://www.prnewswire.com/]           [ /]            [ /]    

         [http://www.cmsenergy.com] 

    JACKSON, Mich., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CMS 
Energy's principal subsidiary, Consumers Energy, announced today 
that it likely will extend the refueling outage at its Palisades 
nuclear plant for five to six weeks to allow for further 
inspections and possible repairs to two reactor vessel head 
penetrations.

    The reactor vessel head has 45 penetrations that house 
control rods.  Of those, 43 have been inspected and two of them 
have been identified for further testing and possible repairs.  
There were no issues with the remaining 41. Two remaining 
penetrations will be inspected in the next few days.  There is no 
risk to the public or workers from this development.

    The plant shut down Sept. 19 for a scheduled refueling and 
now is expected to return to service in early December.  CMS 
Energy filed a Form 8-K report with the U.S. Securities and 
Exchange Commission today about the outage extension.  (The text 
of filing is at the bottom of this news release.)

    David Joos, CMS Energy's president and chief executive 
officer, will discuss the status of the Palisades plant with 
investors during a 2 p.m. EDT conference call and webcast.  The 
call-in number for the conference call is (617) 614-3473.  The 
pass code is 16723881.  A replay of the conference call will be 
available after 3 p.m. EDT at (617) 801-6888.  The pass code is 
99412192.

    To access the webcast, go to the CMS Energy website at 
[http://www.cmsenergy.com]  and click on "Invest in CMS" then 
select "Webcasts."

    CMS Energy (NYSE: 
[http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=prnewswire&Pag 
eName=QUOTE&Ticker=CMS] ) is an integrated energy company, which 
has as its primary business operations an electric and natural 
gas utility, natural gas pipeline systems, and independent power 
generation.

    For more information on CMS Energy, please visit our web site 
at: [http://www.cmsenergy.com] Text of CMS Energy's Form 8-K 
Filing Nuclear Management Company LLC ("NMC"), the operator of 
the Palisades nuclear plant owned by Consumers Energy Company 
("Consumers"), a subsidiary of CMS Energy Corporation, in 
conjunction with a regularly scheduled re-fueling outage has 
conducted a planned inspection of Palisades' reactor vessel head 
penetrations.  The reactor vessel head penetrations inspection 
was conducted pursuant to a generic issue broadly affecting 
pressurized water reactors. Forty-three of forty-five control rod 
drive penetrations have been inspected and the remaining two 
penetrations will be inspected over the next few days. Two of the 
penetrations that have already been inspected have indications 
requiring further inspection and possible repair.  These 
additional inspections will include, as a minimum, a "bare metal" 
inspection of the reactor vessel head in the vicinity of the two 
penetrations having indications.  There is no risk to the public 
or workers.  NMC conducted a visual "bare metal" inspection of 
the Palisades reactor vessel head in March, 2003.  No leakages 
were identified at that time.

    As of September 1, 2004, 14 different U.S. nuclear generating 
units owned by various utilities had identified and repaired 
similar indications.  At this time based on preliminary 
information and industry experience, Consumers expects that the 
current re-fueling outage may be extended by five to six weeks.  
Consumers expects to have sufficient power at all times to meet 
its load requirements from its other plants or purchase 
arrangements.  

These arrangements could increase the cost of power to Consumers 
by an estimated $1.6 million (pre-tax) per week during an 
extended re-fueling outage.  Of this estimated amount, 
approximately $0.6 million per week is not recoverable from 
ratepayers.  The preliminary estimate of the costs of additional 
inspections and possible activities to repair the reactor vessel 
penetrations is $5 million.  The ability of Consumers to make off 
system sales may also be affected by an extension of the 
re-fueling outage.  However, until all the inspections are 
completed and all of the possible repairs are made there can be 
no assurance of the length and effect of the outage on Consumers' 
operations and CMS Energy Corporation's consolidated earnings.

 SOURCE Consumers Energy Web Site:  [http://www.cmsenergy.com] 

 Copyright © 1996-2004 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights
*****************************************************************
 39 Guardian Unlimited: Speedier, cheaper clean-up raises prospects of nuclear energy
 
Mark Milner
Tuesday October 12, 2004
The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk]  		
 		
The UK Atomic Energy Authority yesterday slashed its estimates of 
the cost of cleaning up its nuclear liabilities by some Ł1.5bn in 
a move that could improve the industry's long-term prospects. 

It said some of the work could be completed by up to 35 years 
earlier than had previously been expected. 

Government energy policy is focused on boosting supply from 
renewable sources and increasing energy efficiency, though it has 
not ruled out a nuclear option. 

With Britain's renewable energy targets seen as challenging in 
some sections of the energy industry, however, and the price of 
oil and gas having risen sharply, there have been suggestions 
that nuclear energy could push its way back on to the agenda. 

Yesterday Dipesh Shah, the UKAEA's chief executive, said the 
lower costs and accelerated timescale of the clean-up "will 
instill further confidence in the community that we can clean up 
the legacy of the past." Asked if the lower costs would make the 
government more likely to approve nuclear power stations in the 
future, he told BBC Radio 4's Today: "I think the government is 
right to keep the options open. The kind of work the UKAEA is 
doing in clearing up the legacy of the past will be an essential 
precondition." 

UKAEA's responsibilities take in the reactors and other 
facilities built as part of the nuclear research and development 
programme in the 40s and 50s, as well as the production of 
weapons-grade plutonium, and cover sites such as Dounreay, 
Harwell and Windscale. 

Yesterday it said it was cutting its previous forecast for the 
cost of the clean-up from Ł6.3bn to Ł4.8bn, taking advantage of 
new technologies - including remote-controlled vehicles developed 
for the offshore oil industry - and the cost-effective treatment 
of fuels. Much of the saving would be accounted for by Dounreay, 
where work is now expected to be completed by 2036, rather than 
2063, and at a cost of Ł2.7bn rather than Ł3.7bn. 

Though the industry may hope that cheaper and faster 
decommissioning of nuclear plants will help change public 
perceptions, critics say the economics are still firmly against 
nuclear power. 

Greenpeace's Jean McSorley said the idea that the economics of 
the market for nuclear power would be changed by such factors was 
"nonsense". Much of the capital cost of new nuclear capacity was 
incurred at the beginning of the project. 

"And what are they going to do with the waste?" she asked. "It 
does not just disappear."
 	
 	
        Special report The nuclear industry

Graphics The Mox ships' journey around the world (pdf) 
[http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2002/09 
/17/nuclear_ship.pdf] Nuclear map of Britain US nuclear map

Useful links British Energy [http://www.british-energy.com/] 
Department of Trade and Industry [http://www.dti.gov.uk/] British 
Nuclear Fuels Ltd [http://www.bnfl.co.uk/website.nsf/default.htm] 
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [http://www.cnduk.org/] 
Greenpeace [http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/] HSE nuclear 
glossary [http://www.hse.gov.uk/nsd/ilrwglos.htm] UK atomic 
energy authority [http://www.ukaea.org.uk/] National Radiological 
Protection Board [http://www.nrpb.org.uk/] Friends of the Earth 
[http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/dump_nuc 
lear/index.html] World Nuclear Association 
[http://www.uilondon.org/] World Nuclear Transport Institute 
[http://www.wnti.co.uk] 

[UP] 

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
*****************************************************************
 40 NRC: ASLB to Hear Oral Arguments on Petitions Seeking Hearings On Proposed Vermont
Yankee Power Uprate

News Release - Region I - 2004-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY 
COMMISSION 

Office of Public Affairs, Region I No. I-04-045                          
October 12, 2004 CONTACT:     Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil 
A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331                     E-mail: 
opa1@nrc.gov [opa1@nrc.gov]   
  

arguments on Oct. 21 and, if needed, Oct. 22 regarding two 
requests for hearings on a proposed power uprate at the Vermont 
Yankee nuclear power plant, located in Vernon, Vt. The 
proceedings are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in the Maria 
Lawrence Room at the Vermont Agricultural Business Education 
Center, 157 Old Guilford Road in Brattleboro, Vt. 

Directions to the center are available on its web site at 
www.vabec.com [http://www.vabec.com] [exit icon] or by calling 
the facility at 802-257-4755. 

Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC, which operates the plant, is 
seeking permission from the NRC to increase the reactors power 
output by 20 percent. To do so, its operating license must be 
amended. An amendment application was submitted to the NRC late 
last year and deemed complete as of late January. The NRC is 
currently reviewing that filing and will not grant approval 
unless the agency concludes the changes can be safely 
implemented. 

The request for the amendment created an opportunity for those 
with concerns about the power uprate to request a hearing. On 
Aug. 30, the Vermont Department of Public Service and the New 
England Coalition filed petitions with the NRC requesting a 
hearing on a number of issues. The ASLB, which is part of the NRC 
but renders decisions independently of the agencys staff, 
conducts all licensing and other hearings as directed by the 
Commission that oversees the NRC. An ASLB panel has been 
designated to review the Vermont Yankee petitions and determine 
whether a hearing is warranted.
 
During the oral arguments, the ASLB will hear from participants 
on such issues as standing, admissibility of contentions and 
other preliminary issues to assist the board in expeditiously 
deciding such matters. Participants will include representatives 
of the Vermont Department of Public Service, the New England 
Coalition, NRC staff and Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee. 

While statements from the general public will not be heard at 
this time, such statements may be heard in the future. However, 
any interested individual may file a written statement setting 
forth his or her position on the issues in this proceeding. These 
statements may be submitted at any time by mail, e-mail or fax. 
Statements should be mailed to: The Office of the Secretary, U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, 
Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudication Staff, with a copy to 
Alex S. Karlin, Chairman of the ASLB panel at: Atomic Safety and 
Licensing Board, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop 
T-3 F23, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. E-mailed statements should 
be sent to the Office of the Secretary at hearingdocket@nrc.gov 
[hearingdocket@nrc.gov] , with a copy to the panel Chairman at 
ask2@nrc.gov [ask2@nrc.gov] . Statements can be faxed to the 
Office of the Secretary at 301-415-1966, with a copy to the panel 
Chairman at 301-415-7550. 

There will be other opportunities for the public to offer 
comments to the NRC on the uprate proposal, including an upcoming 
exit meeting for an engineering inspection conducted by the 
agency at the plant in August.   



  


 	Last revised Tuesday, October 12, 2004 	   
*****************************************************************
 41 [du-list] egypt -jordan radioactive scrap imports
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:15:09 -0700

 
<x-flowed>


http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/10/c2967a97-8fb8-4334-9bdb-3978d435375e.html

Cairo's "Al-Sha'b" reported on 1 October that People's Assembly deputies 
have called on the Egyptian government to take steps to prevent the entry 
of military equipment and scrap metal through the Egyptian-Jordanian 
border. The metal, coming from Iraq, is reportedly radioactive and includes 
"the machines, equipment, and residue of buildings." The deputies called 
for coordination with the Jordanian authorities to thwart the smuggling of 
scrap metal. The deputies reportedly quoted Jordanian expert, Fu'ad 
al-Khalili, as saying that Iraqi scrap metal contained a high rate of uranium,

-does anyone know anything more about this? I tried searching for Al-sha'b 
but it appears to be in egyptian and I couldn't find an english translation.


		
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*****************************************************************
 42 Depleted Uranium the new Leprosy _ lifetime quarantine for
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 21:30:35 -0500 (CDT)

 
Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html
Blog
http://raenergy.blogspot.com/

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a
boot stamping on a human face -- for ever." -
George Orwell, 1984 http://www.holdthemaccountable2004.com/home.htm

"Military Men Are Just Dumb,
Stupid, Animals To Be Used
As Pawns In Foreign Policy"
Henry Kissinger

Depleted Uranium the new Leprosy _ lifetime quarantine for vets?

snip: http://www.dissidentvoice.org/July2004/Moret0721.htm
Nearly 700,000 American Gulf War Veterans returned to the US from a war 
that lasted just a few weeks. Today more than 240,000 of those soldiers are 
on permanent medical disability, and over 11,000 are dead. In a US 
Government study on post-Gulf War babies born to 251 veterans, 67 per cent 
of the babies were reported to have serious illnesses or serious birth 
defects. They were born without eyes, ears, had missing organs, fused 
fingers, thyroid or other malfunctions. Depleted uranium in the semen of 
the soldiers internally contaminated their wives. Severe birth defects have 
been reported in babies born to contaminated civilians in Iraq, Yugoslavia, 
and Afghanistan and the incidence and severity of defects is increasing 
over time. Women in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq are afraid now to have 
babies, and when they do give birth, instead of asking if it is a girl or a 
boy, they ask "is it normal?"

snip: http://www.dissidentvoice.org/July2004/Moret0721.htm
"After the Americans destroyed our village and killed many of us, we also 
lost our houses and have nothing to eat. However, we would have endured 
these miseries and even accepted them, if the Americans had not sentenced 
us all to death. When I saw my deformed grandson, I realized that my hopes 
of the future have vanished for good, different from the hopelessness of 
the Russian barbarism, even though at that time I lost my older son 
Shafiqullah. This time, however, I know we are part of the invisible 
genocide brought on us by America, a silent death from which I know we will 
not escape."
(Jooma Khan of Laghman province, March 2003)

snip; www.rimbaud.freeserve.co.uk/dhap99.pdf

A POST-WAR DISASTER FOR
ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

A July, 1990 U.S. Army report predicted:
"Following combat, the condition of the battlefield,
and the long-term health risks to natives
and combat veterans may become issues in the
The United States established a precedent
during the Gulf War which permits an armed
force to use depleted uranium weapons without
warning civilian populations about contamination
of the land. The United States is continuing this
practice in the Kosovo war. Nations involved in
conflicts in which depleted uranium weapons are
used may find themselves faced with the "exces- nium ammunition.
sive" costs of long-term health care for exposed
soldiers and civilians. The health and environmental
consequences of depleted uranium
weapons will likely receive less attention in nations
where the populations are unaware of its
use, or unable to voice their concerns and assert
their rights.

Depleted Uranium: The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War
http://www.dissidentvoice.org/July2004/Moret0721.htm

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth 
of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic 
State itself. That, in its essence, is Fascism -- ownership of government 
by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

DU kills forever
http://www.kucinich.us/dkdu.html

SING THE VOTE
http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/contentPlay/shockwave.jsp?id=this_land&preplay=1&ratingBar=off
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE in song is the first step to a fascism free planet
"THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND, THIS LAND IS MADE FOR YOU 
AND ME"

IMAGINE: WE are children of the universe, no less than the trees and the 
stars; WE ALL have a right to be here

START SINGING THE PLANET'S ANTHEM AT ALL EVENTS TO SHOW HOW "WE" HAVE 
ALREADY VOTED.
This would get some air time if we did it at GOP campaign events even in 
congress this Summer and fall and beyond after all it is the anthem of the 
Age of Aquarius no. We suggested that "THIS LAND" be the Global Village 
Planetary anthem at Woodies celebration in San Francisco at the Geary 
Theater in 1967. It was seconded by three ambassadors and has become the 
second third fourth etc. anthems to many countries.

FOLKSAY(people say) ............ has become Our defacto Global Village 
Planetary anthem and in essence we voted for citizen empowerment as we sung 
it. Now let's get it officially on record by singing it everywhere as 
direct democracy.
	THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS is the reality at hand! The children of 
the universe, the right to be here generation _ the meek taking their 
prophetic inheritance out of probate is not a conspiracy.

Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
http://raenergy.igc.org/raenergy.html

Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html

Newsgroups beginning in the eighties click on date and web
http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Ra+Energy+Fdn%2E%22

Call to Action blog
http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Vote+raenergy&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=02Eigc%2Eorg%2Faction%2Ehtml

Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html
Blog
http://raenergy.blogspot.com/

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a
boot stamping on a human face -- for ever." -
George Orwell, 1984 http://www.holdthemaccountable2004.com/home.htm

SING THE VOTE
http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/contentPlay/shockwave.jsp?id=this_land&preplay=1&ratingBar=off
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE in song is the first step to a fascism free planet
"THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND, THIS LAND IS MADE FOR YOU 
AND ME"

IMAGINE: WE are children of the universe, no less than the trees and the 
stars; WE ALL have a right to be here

START SINGING THE PLANET'S ANTHEM AT ALL EVENTS TO SHOW HOW "WE" HAVE 
ALREADY VOTED.
This would get some air time if we did it at GOP campaign events even in 
congress this Summer and fall and beyond after all it is the anthem of the 
Age of Aquarius no. We suggested that "THIS LAND" be the Global Village 
Planetary anthem at Woodies celebration in San Francisco at the Geary 
Theater in 1967. It was seconded by three ambassadors and has become the 
second third fourth etc. anthems to many countries.

FOLKSAY(people say) ............ has become Our defacto Global Village 
Planetary anthem and in essence we voted for citizen empowerment as we sung 
it. Now let's get it officially on record by singing it everywhere as 
direct democracy.
	THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS is the reality at hand! The children of 
the universe, the right to be here generation _ the meek taking their 
prophetic inheritance out of probate is not a conspiracy.

Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
http://raenergy.igc.org/raenergy.html

Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html

Newsgroups beginning in the eighties click on date and web
http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Ra+Energy+Fdn%2E%22

Call to Action blog
http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Vote+raenergy&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=02Eigc%2Eorg%2Faction%2Ehtml

Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html
Blog
http://raenergy.blogspot.com/

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a
boot stamping on a human face -- for ever." -
George Orwell, 1984 http://www.holdthemaccountable2004.com/home.htm

SING THE VOTE
http://atomfilms.shockwave.com/contentPlay/shockwave.jsp?id=this_land&preplay=1&ratingBar=off
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE in song is the first step to a fascism free planet
"THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS LAND IS MY LAND, THIS LAND IS MADE FOR YOU 
AND ME"

IMAGINE: WE are children of the universe, no less than the trees and the 
stars; WE ALL have a right to be here

START SINGING THE PLANET'S ANTHEM AT ALL EVENTS TO SHOW HOW "WE" HAVE 
ALREADY VOTED.
This would get some air time if we did it at GOP campaign events even in 
congress this Summer and fall and beyond after all it is the anthem of the 
Age of Aquarius no. We suggested that "THIS LAND" be the Global Village 
Planetary anthem at Woodies celebration in San Francisco at the Geary 
Theater in 1967. It was seconded by three ambassadors and has become the 
second third fourth etc. anthems to many countries.

FOLKSAY(people say) ............ has become Our defacto Global Village 
Planetary anthem and in essence we voted for citizen empowerment as we sung 
it. Now let's get it officially on record by singing it everywhere as 
direct democracy.
	THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS is the reality at hand! The children of 
the universe, the right to be here generation _ the meek taking their 
prophetic inheritance out of probate is not a conspiracy.

Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
http://raenergy.igc.org/raenergy.html

Worksheet bio
http://www.igc.apc.org/raenergy/bio.html

Newsgroups beginning in the eighties click on date and web
http://groups.google.com/groups?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Ra+Energy+Fdn%2E%22

Call to Action blog
http://www.google.com/search?q=Global+Vote+raenergy&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=02Eigc%2Eorg%2Faction%2Ehtml
*****************************************************************
 43 NRC: EX/IMPORT of radioactive material

RIN 3150-AH44
 
                        FR Doc 04-22784 
[Federal Register: October 12, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 196)] 
[Proposed Rules] [Page 60567-60568] From the Federal Register 
Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr12oc04-18]                         
 

 
Export and Import of Nuclear Equipment and Radioactive Materials: 
Security Policies; Notice of Public Meeting AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of public 
meeting.
 
SUMMARY: A public meeting will be held to discuss the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposed rule amending its 
regulations pertaining to the export and import of nuclear 
equipment and materials. The proposed rule was published in the 
Federal Register on September 16, 2004 (69 FR 55785). This rule 
implements recent changes to the nuclear and radioactive material 
security policies of the Commission and the Executive Branch. The 
meeting is open to the public and all interested parties may 
attend.
 
 
DATES: The public meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 
2004, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Should it become necessary to 
change the date or time of this meeting, the NRC will provide the 
revised information in a meeting notice posted on the NRC's 
public Web site at 
http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/meeting-schedul 
e.html 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-m 
eetings/meeting-schedule.html] .
 
 
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission One White Flint North Building, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, Room 1-F16.
 
The proposed rule, the regulatory analysis and any public 
comments received may be viewed and downloaded electronically via 
the NRC's rulemaking Web site at http://ruleforum.llnl.gov 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://ruleforum.llnl.gov] . Publicly 
available documents related to this rulemaking may be viewed 
electronically on public computers in the NRC Public Document
 
[[Page 60568]] Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 
11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852, Room O-1 F21, and open 
to the public on Federal workdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. 
The PDR reproduction contractor will make copies of documents for 
a fee.
 
Publicly available NRC documents created or received in 
connection with this rulemaking are also available electronically 
via the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
. From this site, the public can gain entry into the NRC's 
Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which 
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The 
proposed rule is available under ADAMS accession number 
ML042440237; the regulatory analysis is available under accession 
number ML0418404900. If you do not have access to ADAMS, or if 
there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, 
contact the NRC PDR Reference staff at (800) 397- 4209, (301) 
415-4737 or by e-mail at PDR@nrc.gov [PDR@nrc.gov] . FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT: Suzanne Schuyler-Hayes, Office of 
International Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415-2333, e-mail: 
ssh@nrc.gov [ssh@nrc.gov] .
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: New specific licensing and reporting 
requirements for certain exports and imports of nuclear and 
radioactive material will be discussed. The meeting is open to 
the public. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of October 
2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
James W. Clifford, Acting Deputy Director, Office of 
International Programs.
 
[FR Doc. 04-22784 Filed 10-8-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 44 NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding
 
                        FR Doc 04-22787 
[Federal Register: October 12, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 196)] 
[Notices] [Page 60671-60672] From the Federal Register Online via 
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr12oc04-122]                         
 
of No Significant Impact for License Amendment for Brooke Army 
Medical Center, Sam Houston, TX AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission.
 
ACTION: Notice of availability.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel S. Browder, M.S., Health 
Physicist, Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, Division of 
Nuclear Materials Safety, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Region IV, Arlington Texas 76011. Telephone: (817) 276-6552; fax 
number: (817) 860-8263; e-mail:  [rsb3@nrc.gov] .
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission (NRC) is issuing a license amendment to Byproduct 
Materials License No. 42-01368-01 issued to Department of the 
Army, Brooke Army Medical Center, to authorize release of its 
Building 2630, ``Department of Pathology and Laboratory 
Services,'' except for rooms 120 and 156, for unrestricted use. 
Building 2630 is located at 2473 Schofield Road, Fort Sam 
Houston, Texas, and is surrounded by veterinary facilities and 
recreational/ dinner amenities. The NRC 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 Building 2630, ``Department of Pathology and 
Laboratory Services,'' except for rooms 120 and 156, located on 
the Brooke Army Medical Center campus in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 
for unrestricted use. Brooke Army Medical Center is authorized by 
the NRC in License Number 42-01368-01 to use radioactive 
materials for medical research, diagnosis, therapy, in vitro 
studies, in addition to studies in laboratory animals.
 
Brooke Army Medical Center obtained Building 2630 in 1968. The 
building originally housed the chemistry section of the Army 
Medical Lab.
 
In 1975, the Army Medical Lab was consolidated with the 
Department of Pathology to form the Department of Pathology and 
Area Laboratory Services. This consolidation also consisted of 
Army Medical Lab's NRC license being combined with Brooke Army 
Medical Center's NRC License. Currently, Building 2630 is 
partially occupied and controlled by the Veterinary Clinic staff. 
On February 10, 2004, Brooke Army Medical Center requested that 
NRC release the facility for unrestricted use, except for rooms 
120 and 156. Brooke Army Medical Center has conducted surveys of 
the building and submitted the Final Status Survey Report to the 
NRC to demonstrate that the building meets the license 
termination criteria in subpart E of 10 CFR part 20 for 
unrestricted use.
 
There is no radiological contamination above the U.S. Army 
criteria for release or distinguishable from background as 
reflected by the survey results. No radiological remediation 
activities are required to complete the proposed action.
 
The staff has prepared an EA in support of the proposed license 
amendment to the NRC Byproduct Materials License No. 42-01368-01 
issued to Department of the Army, Brooke Army Medical Center, to 
release Building 2630, except for rooms 120 and 156, for 
unrestricted use. The NRC is fulfilling its responsibilities 
under the Atomic Energy Act to make a decision on the proposed 
action for decommissioning which ensures residual radioactivity 
is reduced to a level that is protective of the pubic health and 
safety and the environment, and allows Brooke Army Medical Center 
to release Building 2630, except for rooms 120 and 156, for 
unrestricted use.
 
 
[[Page 60672]] The NRC staff has reviewed the information and 
final status surveys submitted by Brooke Army Medical Center. 
Based on its review, the staff determined there were no 
radiological or non-radiological remediation activities required 
to complete the proposed action.
 
Additionally, there are no outdoor areas affected by the use of 
licensed materials. The staff has therefore concluded that the 
release of Brooke Army Medical Center's Building 2630, except for 
rooms 120 and 156, for unrestricted use is acceptable. The only 
alternative to the proposed action of releasing the facility for 
unrestricted use is no action. The no-action alternative is not 
acceptable because it is inconsistent with the NRC's Timeliness 
Rule (10 CFR 30.36), which requires licensees to decommission 
their facilities when licensed activities cease in any separate 
building or outdoor area, and subsequently request release of the 
respective building or outdoor area. Denial of the license 
amendment request would result in no change to current conditions 
at the facility.
 
III. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has prepared an 
EA in support of the proposed license amendment to release 
Building 2630, except for rooms 120 and 156 for unrestricted use. 
The staff has found that the 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://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
.
 
From this site, you may 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: Licensee's 
Amendment Request (ML040570755), NRC's Request for Additional 
Information (ML040960238), Licensee's Response to Request 
(ML041600167), and Environmental Assessment (ML042670059). 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] . These documents may also be viewed 
electronically on the public computers located at the NRC's 
Public Document Room (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 at Arlington, Texas this 4th day of October, 2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
Jack E. Whitten, Chief, Nuclear Materials Licensing Branch, 
Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region 4.
 
[FR Doc. 04-22787 Filed 10-8-04; 9:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
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 45 Craig Daily Press: Nuclear workers' advocate victorius
 
  +  [editor@craigdailypress.com] 

Terrie Barrie had lobbied Congress in mid-September 
By Rob Gebhart 
Tuesday, October 12, 2004 

After spending at least eight hours a day lobbying for federal
help for sick nuclear workers, Terrie Berrie was happy to spend
Monday morning writing a thank-you letter to her friends and
neighbors who helped her win her battle. 

On Saturday, the Craig woman's years of effort paid off when
Congress voted to overhaul a compensation plan for sick workers
from nuclear bomb factories such as Rocky Flats. 

For the past several years, Terrie Barrie has been working with
a network of nuclear worker advocates from across the nation to
get federal funding for the 24,000 workers who, like her
husband, George Barrie, got sick after they were exposed to
radiation while making weapons during the Cold War. 

"This is exactly what the workers needed," Barrie said. 

George Barrie suffers from 30 illnesses, including pre-cancerous
conditions and bone diseases. Terrie was in Washington, D.C., as
recently as mid-September to lobby for worker compensation. 

The overhaul means George Barrie won't have to pay his medical
claims through worker's compensation programs as he fights
insurance companies for his money, Terrie Barrie said. Nor will
he have to wait interminably for the U. S. Department of Energy
to process his claim. 

That department was in charge of processing the claims of
workers who, like George, suffer precancerous conditions. It has
paid only 31 workers who suffer precancerous conditions, but it
has spent $95 million doing so. 

By voting to overhaul the program, Congress will move the
processing of claims such as George's from the Department of
Energy to the Department of Labor. 

The Department of Labor has handled the claims of workers with
cancer for years, and the department has approved 95 percent of
the claims it has received. 

Terrie Barrie and other nuclear worker advocates hope the
Department of Labor will demonstrate the same diligence in
processing the claims of the workers who have waited so long for
decisions from the Department of Energy. 

The new program also provides aid for uranium workers who got
sick while mining. 

Each member of Colorado's Congressional delegation voted for the
plan, including Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs. Until
recently, Hefley had been neutral on the issue. 

The plan awaits President Bush's approval. 

In May, the Bush administration issued a statement of
administration policy opposing the change. 

Congress passed the plan as part of the defense authorization
bill. Terrie Barrie said she doubted that Bush would veto the
plan, because it was part of the bill. 

Rob Gebhart can be reached at 824-7031 or
rgebhart@craigdailypress.com. 

  Copyright © 2004 The Craig Daily Press. All rights reserved.   
*****************************************************************
 46 deseret news: Congress expands downwind funding
 	 
[deseretnews.com] 
 	
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
 	   	 
Uranium mill workers to gain compensation

By Jerry Spangler Deseret Morning News

WASHINGTON — Uranium mill workers — many
of them Utahns — sickened by radioactivity from the nation's
atomic weapons program in the 1950s and 1960s will now be
compensated, thanks to a rare weekend congressional session that
saw a plethora of bills pass before members of Congress race
home to resume their political campaigns.

       The funding, pushed by U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah,
made its way into the Defense Authorization Act, which contains
a provision that claims by uranium miners, millers and
transporters will now be fully funded by the Energy Employees
Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). The
amount of the funding increase was not immediately available.

       The Department of Justice, which oversees the program,
testified before the Judiciary Committee, which Hatch chairs,
that the trust fund to pay claims will soon run out of money and
claimants will be issued IOUs unless additional funding was
found.

      "This transfer is good for everyone," Hatch said. "These
uranium workers will now receive the same benefits that other
atomic weapons program workers receive, and (the fund) has more
money to pay downwinders who have suffered from exposure."

       Uranium workers received $100,000 under the Radiation
Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and an additional $50,000
through EEOICPA, along with full medical benefits. The new
provision designates that EEOICPA will now cover the full
compensation for these workers.

       "This is a good first step, but everyone harmed by
nuclear testing — including downwinders — should receive equal
compensation," said Hatch, who tried but failed to get
downwinders compensated under the program. "The fight is not
over, and I will not rest until all RECA claimants receive the
coverage they deserve."

       Currently, those who lived downwind from nuclear testing
during the Cold War are eligible for compensation only if they
lived in certain counties, during certain periods of time and
contracted certain types of cancers.

       U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, also praised the bill to
compensate "nuclear weapons production workers who developed
serious illnesses after being exposed to radioactive materials
at Department of Energy sites during the Cold War era."

       • The Defense Authorization Act also includes a provision
sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, to end the so-called
"widow's tax," where survivors of military personnel saw their
benefits reduced upon reaching age 62.

       "The families of our men and women in uniform serve right
alongside our troops," Bishop said. "This bill makes plain our
dedication to protecting the financial security of the survivors
of military retirees."

       Under current law, beneficiaries see a reduction in their
annuity from 55 percent of the retiree's pay to 35 percent.
Thousands of these survivors were never told about this annuity
cut and the unexpected loss of income can be devastating, Bishop
said.

       • Congress also approved the 2005 Military Construction
Appropriations bill (HR4837), which contains $7.7 million in
funding for an ICBM Propellant Analysis project at northern
Utah's Hill Air Force Base.

       "This complex will allow Hill to expand their workload
and upgrade their equipment, as well as increase the life of
these weapons and provide more accurate data analysis," Hatch
said. "Clearly, this complex is necessary for Hill to best
support our forces."

       • On Monday, Congress finally passed a relief package
that will make Utah farmers, ranchers and fruit growers eligible
for assistance for crop and grazing losses caused by the
six-year drought that has ravaged Utah and other Western states.
It also includes relief for farm damage caused by hurricanes in
the Southeast.

       U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate
Agriculture Appropriations Committee, called the package
"critical" and said all Utah producers with losses in 2003 or
2004 will receive assistance.

       All Utah counties meet the qualifications for 2003, and
most did for 2004, he noted. Farmers will be able to claim
benefits under one of the two years.

       • Also on Monday, Congress passed legislation bringing
the United States into compliance with an export ruling by the
World Trade Organization. Buried in the legislation were a
number of other provisions that will help Utah businesses.

       One in particular is a provision that specifies that
foreign manufacturers of arrows have to pay the same excise tax
that domestic manufacturers pay. Utah-based Easton Aluminum has
been fighting for the change for years, claiming the current law
created a loophole that allowed foreign companies to unfairly
compete.

       There is also a provision that allows tax breaks for
producers of geothermal electrical power — and Utah has lots of
untapped geothermal reserves.

       A provision on depreciation for aircraft manufacturers
will benefit an Ogden company that makes aircraft engines, and
other provisions will help Utah's high-tech industry better
export their products to foreign companies. High-tech companies
will also benefit from new rules regarding employee stock
options and stock purchase plans because they won't have to pay
payroll taxes on those stocks.

       "If we are really concerned about jobs moving overseas,
we must be concerned about creating and maintaining the kind of
environment in the United States that attracts businesses,"
Hatch said. "These changes will go a long way in ensuring that
U.S. tax laws do not drive businesses offshore to other nations
with more favorable tax laws."

       • Hatch's biggest victory of the weekend may have been
his hard-fought DNA bill that commits billions of dollars for
DNA testing of untested rape kits, upgrading crime labs and
using DNA to exonerate those wrongfully convicted.

       "This is a groundbreaking crime bill that will allow us
to unleash the evidentiary power of DNA," Hatch said. "It will
provide law enforcement the ability to find and punish the
guilty yet give us the comfort of more certainty in criminal
prosecutions."

       The bill — co-sponsored by prominent Democrats — includes
$755 million to eliminate the backlog of 400,000 untested rape
kits and other crime scene evidence; $500 million to improve
federal, state and local crime labs and to promote the use of
DNA in missing persons cases; and $25 million to defray the
states' costs of post-conviction DNA testing to ensure those
convicted have not been wrongfully imprisoned.

E-mail: spang@desnews.com [spang@desnews.com]       
	 
 © 2004 Deseret News Publishing Company 
*****************************************************************
 47 AP Wire Study: Atomic Radiation Down in Arctic

| 10/12/2004 | 

DOUG MELLGREN

 Associated Press

OSLO, Norway - Atomic radiation levels are beginning to decline 
in the Arctic, years after Soviet nuclear weapons tests and the 
Chernobyl nuclear accident spewed their fallout over the region, 
according to a study released Tuesday. 

But the far north, with its fragile ecosystems, remains at risk 
from vast depots of aging post-Soviet nuclear weapons, 
submarines, power plants and waste in northwest Russia, experts 
say. 

"The Arctic is the most sensitive region for nuclear fallout, yet 
parts of the Arctic have the world's greatest concentration of 
nuclear materials," Per Strand, of the Norwegian Nuclear 
Protection Authority, told The Associated Press. 

Since 1991, scientists from the international Arctic Monitoring 
and Assessment Program have been keeping track of pollutants that 
reach the remote Arctic. 

In its 1991-2002 study, released Tuesday, the group said 
radiation levels had begun to decline on Arctic land masses. 

"The levels are going down in the Arctic, which is a good thing. 
But it has taken much longer than in the rest of the world," said 
Strand, whose agency led the study in cooperation with the 
Russian environment and meteorology agency Roshydromet. 

He said it has taken longer because tundra vegetation, including 
mosses, mushrooms and grasses, absorbs more radiation than most 
plants. 

That radiation is then passed on to animals, such as reindeer, 
and in turn to the people who eat them, including the Arctic's 
indigenous Sami herders. 

Because the region is so vast and the types of radiation are so 
varied, Strand could give no overall estimate of the decline. 

The 1986 Soviet nuclear power plant accident at Chernobyl, in 
Ukraine, killed more than 4,000 people and spread its fallout to 
the far north. Its impact can still be measured in the Arctic. 

The study also examined other sources of radiation, including a 
nuclear armed U.S. B-52 bomber that crashed and burned in 
Greenland in 1968. It carried four nuclear weapons. 

Strand said the greatest threat comes from the Kola Peninsula in 
northwest Russia, which has the world's greatest concentration of 
nuclear materials. 

The Arctic peninsula, bordering Norway and Finland, is home to 
Russia's North Fleet, which includes 52 decommissioned and 
rundown nuclear submarines, many with nuclear fuel still aboard. 
At least two Russian nuclear submarines have sunk while on patrol 
in the Arctic in the past 15 years. 

The peninsula is also home to depots of nuclear weapons and an 
old nuclear power plant. The Norwegian environmental group 
Bellona also says about 21,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies are 
stored there and many of the containers are leaking. 

Strand said it will take billions of dollars to clean up. 

The Arctic monitoring program was set up to advise the Arctic 
Council, made up of the governments of eight Arctic nations: 
Canada, Denmark (with Greenland), Finland, Iceland, Norway, 
Russia, Sweden and the United States. 

ON THE NET 

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program: www.amap.no   

*****************************************************************
 48 APP.COM: Nuclear agency probes plant shortcomings 
         
  ASBURY PARK PRESS

Published in the Home News Tribune 10/12/04THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 TRENTON -- The Salem nuclear plant is deficient in dozens of 
critical aspects and is being investigated over reports that 
employees were afraid to express safety concerns, according to a 
published report.

 Problems cited in reports by private consultants include the 
reliability of equipment and availability of spare parts, The New 
York Times reported in yesterday's editions. Reports specifically 
noted a leaky generator and unreliable controls on a reactor.

 In addition, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission is 
investigating claims by at least two employees that their 
superiors retaliated against them after they expressed concerns 
about safety, the newspaper reported.

 Executives at Public Service Enterprise Group's nuclear 
division, which owns the plant, said the plant has met all safety 
standards and that efforts were being made to address the 
concerns of experts and regulators. But company president 
Christopher Bakken III said it would take two years to improve 
the system of detecting and repairing maintenance problems.

 "This is not a quick fix," Mr. Bakken told The Times.

 The federal regulatory commission has warned PSEG repeatedly in 
the last two years about its system of detecting maintenance 
problems. The commission warned in its most recent report about 
poor maintenance that led to the failure of a pump valve, 
inadequate insulation on piping and rusted metal supports on 
water pipes leading to a reactor.

 PSEG plans to shut down one of the station's three reactors for 
extensive repairs this fall, the newspaper reported.

 PSEG Nuclear operates the Hope Creek and Salem I and II reactors 
at a complex in Lower Alloways Creek Township in Salem County 
along the Delaware River. They provide electricity to more than 
half of PSEG's two million customers in New Jersey. 
[http://www.injersey.com/apnotice/index.html]  

*****************************************************************
 49 NRC: Notice of Issuance of License Amendment 51 for Nuclear Fuel 
 
                        FR Doc 04-22785 
[Federal Register: October 12, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 196)] 
[Notices] [Page 60671] From the Federal Register Online via GPO 
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr12oc04-121] [[Page 60671]]
 
Services, Inc., Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Processing Facility, 
Erwin, TN AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
ACTION: Notice of issuance of Amendment 51 to Materials License 
SNM- 124.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Lamastra, Fuel Cycle 
Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T8 F42, Washington, DC 
20555-0001, Telephone (301) 415-8139 or via email to mxl2@nrc.gov 
[mxl2@nrc.gov] .
 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Pursuant to 10 CFR 
2.106, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing 
notice of the issuance of Amendment 51 to Special Nuclear 
Materials License SNM-124 to Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.
 
(NFS) authorizing the possession and use of special nuclear 
material in the Blended Low-Enriched Uranium Oxide Conversion 
Building and Effluent Processing Building at the licensee's site 
in Erwin, Tennessee.
 
NFS' request for the proposed action was previously noticed in 
the Federal Register on December 24, 2003 (68 FR 74653), along 
with a notice of opportunity to request a hearing.
 
This amendment complies with the standards and requirements of 
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and NRC's rules and 
regulations as set forth in 10 CFR chapter 1. Accordingly, this 
amendment was issued on July 30, 2004, and was effective 
immediately.
 
II. Further Information The NRC has prepared a non-proprietary 
(public) version of the Safety Evaluation Report (SER) that 
documents the information that was reviewed and NRC's conclusion. 
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's ``Rules of 
Practice,'' details with respect to this action, including the 
non-proprietary version of the SER and accompanying documentation 
included in the license amendment package, are available for 
inspection at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room at 
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html 
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving 
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] 
(ADAMS accession number ML042660436). These documents may also be 
viewed electronically on the computers located at the NRC Public 
Document Room (PDR), O1F21 One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will 
copy documents for a fee. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS 
should contact the NRC PDR Reference Staff by telephone at 1 
(800) 397-4209 or (301) 415-4737, or via e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov 
[pdr@nrc.gov] . Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of 
October, 2004.
 
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
John Lubinski, Chief, Fuel Manufacturing Section, Fuel Cycle 
Facilities Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, 
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
 
[FR Doc. 04-22785 Filed 10-8-04; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

 
*****************************************************************
 50 Platts: Court ruling forces US nuclear industry to rethink appeal
 
  [The McGraw-Hill Companies]   

 
+ The US nuclear industry is considering whether it will proceed 
with a planned appeal to the US Supreme Court of an appeals court 
ruling remanding to the Environmental Protection Agency a 
10,000-year regulatory requirement considered critical to the 
licensing of a high-level nuclear waste respository in Nevada, a 
spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute said Tuesday. 

The group was forced to reconsider its options after the US Court 
of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Friday rejected 
the organization's request to stay the remand order pending an 
appeal to the high court. 

All petitions seeking Supreme Court review must be filed by Nov 
30. 

In its ruling earlier this year, the appeals court found that the 
EPA regulation, which was designed to protect humans from 
radioactivity for 10,000, was insufficient. 

Washington (Platts)--12Oct2004

Copyright © 2004 - Platts, All Rights Reserved
 [The McGraw-Hill Companies]       
*****************************************************************
 51 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: 5 percent looms large

 LAS VEGAS SUN

 Results last week from a poll partially sponsored by the Las
Vegas Sun revealed that 56 percent of Nevadans most likely to
vote "strongly oppose" Yucca Mountain. Another 10 percent said
they were "somewhat opposed" to the nuclear waste dump the
federal government is planning to open in six years 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas. And 36 percent of the voters said Yucca
Mountain was among the most important issues for them.

 An additional 5 percent felt that Yucca Mountain was the most
important issue. This should not be discounted as miniscule.
Ralph Nader, and the Libertarian Party candidate, Michael
Badnarik, for example, will very likely not get 5 percent
between them.

 John Kerry has guaranteed Nevadans that "Yucca Mountain is not
going to happen" if he's elected. In a close race, those 5
percent of voters could carry the state for Kerry, who deserves
their votes. From that perspective, they loom large indeed. 

*****************************************************************
 52 Las Vegas SUN: AG warns Yucca board about open meeting law violations
 
Today: October 12, 2004 at 11:05:53 PDT 

By Stephen Curran LAS VEGAS SUN

 Members of a board created to study the proposed rail line from
Caliente to Yucca Mountain may have knowingly violated Nevada's
open meeting laws when it closed its doors to local residents
and media, according an attorney general's legal opinion
released Monday.

 In the opinion, Deputy Attorney General Neil Rombardo wrote
that the Central Nevada Community Protection Working Group,
which includes members of the Caliente City Council and the Nye,
Esmeralda and Lincoln county commissions, fit the state's
definition as a "public body" and, as such, was bound by open
meeting laws.

 The opinion comes in response to a complaint that was
originally made in April by the Sun and joined by the Nevada
Press Association.

 The working group, which uses federal money for Yucca Mountain
oversight, was formed earlier this year to allow the governments
to cooperate in their dealings with the Energy Department. It
came under fire in April after members allowed Pahrump residents
Sally Devlin and Grant Hudlow to address the board when it met
at the Pahrump Community Library, then asked them to leave.

 Devlin and Hudlow are members of Citizen Alert, an anti-Yucca
advocacy group. A reporter from the Pahrump Valley Times was
also asked to leave.

 The opinion states that "the pattern of deception, privacy,
exclusion and non-disclosure by the members of the (working
group) strongly suggests the level of intent necessary for a
criminal violation of the Open Meeting Law."

 The advisory opinion does not entail civil or criminal charges
for the group's members because it was issued after the 120-day
statute of limitations ran out, Rombardo said.

 It does, however, include a proposed settlement agreement
between the attorney general's office and the working group that
requires the board reconsider all past items discussed in the
private meetings. The agreement would bar the group from
considering new items until the old ones had been revisited in
public.

 The group still needs to sign off on the deal.

 "If they violate it again, that's when we consider whether to
litigate," Rombardo said. "We do stand ready and willing to
litigate this case."

 Future complaints could effectively nullify each of the working
group's decisions and could mean misdemeanor charges for its
members, he said.

 Lincoln County Commission Chairman Spencer Hafen, a working
group member who in previous meetings has been designated a main
contact between the counties and the Energy Department, said the
working group will comply with the opinion.

 "I can live with it," he said. "I have no problems with it.
We'll carry on with the same goals in mind. We'll just have to
make sure it's open to the public."

 Hafen and other members had previously told the Sun they did
not believe the meetings were subject to the law because the
members does not represent a quorum and does not vote on policy.

 He said he still does not think the closed meetings broke the
open meeting law.

 "I felt it was a working group," Hafen said. "It was just a
group of people getting together to hammer out issues. I don't
really feel there was anything wrong done, but if the attorney
general says so we will open them up."

 The proposed 318-mile rail line to Yucca Mountain has created a
division between bustling Clark County and the rural counties
that would be home to the railroad. Government officials in Nye,
Lincoln and Esmeralda counties have long touted the project as a
potential boon for their flagging economies.

 The Nye County Commission in July approved a resolution
"constructively and energetically " supporting the development
of the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

 Kent Lauer, executive director of the Nevada Press Association,
applauded the opinion, calling the members' defense "nonsense."

 "Their excuse that they didn't have to obey the open meeting
law because they were an informal group was nonsense," Lauer
said. "They simply didn't want to conduct the public's business
in public."

 The open meeting law defines a public body as "any
administrative, executive or legislative body of the state or a
local government," which either spends or disburses taxpayer
money or advises a government body that does.

 A judge in 1987 ordered that meetings stay open unless there is
a specific exemption in the law to allow the public body to hold
a closed meeting.

 Lincoln County Commissioner Tommy Rowe, a working group member,
defended the decision to close the meetings, saying that open
meetings would prevent members from having "a decent discussion"
without being interrupted.

 After the complaint was filed, Rowe said he urged working group
members to post meeting agendas, although those meetings
continued to exclude the public.

 "The main reason is that they (the meetings) involve Yucca
Mountain," Rowe said. "It's such a controversial issue that
there are always the radical people. You couldn't have a decent
discussion without people objecting to everything that's said."

 Devlin praised the opinion but wished it had come sooner.

 "I want open meetings, and I want accountability," she said.
"The public doesn't know what's going on. There's too much
secret stuff. There's all kinds of hanky panky going on."

 Hafen, meanwhile, said he did not believe opening the meetings
would drastically slow the process.

 Future meetings, including one tentatively scheduled for early
November in Lincoln County, will continue, he said.

 "It will be a little more difficult," Hafen said. "But we'll
just have to make sure everything is posted and timely. I think,
overall, what we're trying to accomplish will still get done." 



*****************************************************************
 53 Las Vegas SUN: UNLV profs: Yucca won't be key issue in race

Political experts discuss key elements of campaigns

 By Dan Kulin <dan@lasvegassun.com [dan@lasvegassun.com] > LAS 
VEGAS SUN

 With Las Vegas on the verge of a presidential-candidate filled
couple of days, some of the top political scientists at UNLV
gathered for an on-campus forum Monday night to talk about the
coming election.

 The panel of six academics agreed the war in Iraq is the
biggest issue in the campaign, but some said that issue might be
overshadowed in key states.

 "In some key battleground states the economy may overpower
terrorism or Iraq," said Kenneth Fernandez, whose expertise is
in public policy and American politics.

 While the debate over turning Yucca Mountain into a nuclear
waste dump might energize some voters, panel members said it
doesn't appear the issue will play a large role in the election.

 "It won't turn Republicans to Democrats or vice-versa, but it
may well turn nonvoters into voters," political science
Professor Ted Jelen said.

 Overall there was agreement that President George Bush and Sen.
John Kerry are locked in a close race.

 The first debate "rendered the contest competitive," assistant
professor Michele Kuenzi said.

 Jelen agreed it could go to the wire. "The evidence suggests
we're heading toward another all-nighter if not another
all-monther."

 About 50 people attended the forum, which was held at the
Richard Tam Alumni Center at UNLV and was hosted by Las Vegas
ONE anchor Jeff Gillan. The forum was held as Las Vegas readies
for the expected arrival of independent presidential candidate
Ralph Nader on Wednesday, and then Kerry and Bush on Thursday.

 The forum also touched on the congressional race between
incumbent Republican Jon Porter and Democrat Tom Gallagher.

 David Fott, who specializes in American government and
politics, said Gallagher would likely need a big boost from the
Kerry camp to beat the incumbent. He also said it is unusual for
candidates with a sizable lead, such as Porter, to turn to
negative campaigning, and others agreed.

 "Porter is running as if he's four points behind, and not like
someone with a double-digit lead," Jelen said.

 The panel also weighed in on the explosion of ballot
initiatives. Clark County residents will see at least 10 on the
ballot.

 Assistant professor David Damore said the original intent of
ballot initiatives was that they would be a grass-roots effort
from the voters. However, they are instead tools of special
interests that use the initiative process to work around state
Legislatures.

 Kuenzi said ballot initiatives are bad for democracy because
they remove consensus-building from the political process.

 The forum also discussed the Electoral College.

 Ann Ward, an expert in ancient political philosophy, said the
Electoral College has certainly affected the choice of
presidential candidates. For example, Kerry's running mate John
Edwards was picked at least in part because he is from North
Carolina and is expected to help win Southern votes.

 Likewise, Bush hails from the electoral-vote-rich state of
Texas, she said.

 Damore added that the Electoral College creates a disincentive
to campaigning across the country, because candidates are best
served by focusing on the states where the races will be close. 

*****************************************************************
 54 Las Vegas SUN: Appeals court denies Yucca radiation request

State: Without standard, application would be worthless

 By Suzanne Struglinski <suzanne@lasvegassun.com 
[suzanne@lasvegassun.com] > SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

 WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court has denied a request to
keep the Yucca Mountain radiation standards in place until the
Supreme Court decides whether to hear the case.

 With just under three months to go before the Energy Department
plans to submit a license application for the planned nuclear
waste dump, the court's original decision to throw out the
radiation standard will take effect in a week or less.

 In a one-page order issued Friday, the court denied the request
by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's lobbying arm,
but gave no explanation of its decision.

 The department has insisted it would meet its self-imposed
deadline of Dec. 30 to file the license application, but Deputy
Secretary of Energy Kyle McSlarrow said last month that goal may
not be met.

 State officials say that without a radiation standard any
application the department would submit this year would be
worthless because all the science and data in it would be based
on a protection standard that no longer exists.

 "It's a free country and you can mail packages to whomever you
want but that doesn't mean it has any effect in the real world,"
said Joe Egan, an attorney hired by the state to handle Yucca
issues.

 Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis said the Environmental
Protection Agency will develop an appropriate regulatory
response to the court's decision.

 "We have a whole lot of unanswered questions affecting the
program right now, including a decision by the NRC (Nuclear
Regulatory Commission) on the (document database), a regulatory
standard yet to be determined and that is several months away,
and the budget for the program."

 The Energy Department has received other setbacks this year.
The federal budget has not been passed and so far the project
has been slated to receive less money than it hoped for to
continue the work on the waste dump. The NRC also found it had
not met a deadline to turn in a database of backup documents for
its application -- a decision that could push the project
timeline back.

 Davis did not say whether the department still could meet the
Dec. 30 deadline for the license application.

 In July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
threw out the 10,000 year radiation compliance period for the
proposed nuclear waste storage project at Yucca, 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas, had to meet. The court found the
Environmental Protection Agency did not follow recommendations
of the National Academy of Sciences, as outlined in a federal
energy law. The academy saw no reason to use a 10,000-year
standard but wanted the site to be able to hold radiation in
through the peak dose period, which would come several hundred
thousand years into the future.

 The court also threw out the NRC's licensing rule using the
radiation standard until Congress changed the law requiring the
EPA to follow the academy's recommendation, or the EPA came up
with a new standard. This means the commission could not
evaluate that portion of the license until a new compliance
standard was in place.

 The radiation standard stayed in place for several months
because the Nuclear Energy Institute asked the court to rehear
the case, which was denied, and then asked the court to keep the
standard in place until the Supreme Court could decide to take
up the case.

 The Department of Justice's Office of Solicitor General has
said the federal government will not take the case to the
Supreme Court.

 Egan said the state also will not pursue the matter in the
Supreme Court. He said by taking out the radiation standard, the
state has removed the "constitutional defect" it argued
wrongfully singled out the state.

 The court ruling did not outright stop the project, but may
delay it because a new standard could take at least two years to
complete, especially if the academy is asked to provide comment
on it, Egan said.

 The department aims to open the repository by 2010.

 NEI spokesman Steve Kerekes said the group's senior staff is
evaluating what this decision means and what its next steps will
be.

 NRC spokesman David McIntyre said if and when the commission
receives a license application, it will review it for technical
information to see it if can be accepted and the court's
decision will be weighed at that time.

 "The 10,000 year question will be part of that review,"
McIntyre said.

 Calls to the Environmental Protection Agency were not returned.

 

*****************************************************************
 55 RGJ: Candidates differ on Yucca positions
 
  ||| Home [http://www.rgj.com/] |         

Candidates differ on Yucca positions Assembly races:
Environmental issues discussed at main library. Alison Bath

[abath@rgj.com] RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
10/12/2004 01:52 am 

Nevada Assembly candidates don’t differ much on their positions 
about area environmental concerns except when it comes to storing 
nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

A majority of candidates participating in Monday night’s 
Environmental Leadership “Meet the Candidates Night” at the 
Washoe County main library agreed taking money in negotiations 
with the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the nuclear waste 
dump proposed for the desert near Las Vegas was a bad idea. 

But Randi Thompson, the Republican candidate in District 31, said 
the idea might be tolerable. 

Nevada should accept federal funds and use them to ensure the 
dump is safe and productive, Thompson said. State legislators 
also should consider ways Nevada could profit from accepting 
nuclear waste, she said. 

“We should be looking at ways we can reprocess (nuclear waste),” 
said Thompson, who noted she didn’t support the decision to put 
the nation’s nuclear waste dump in Nevada. “Let’s utilize it as a 
resource.” 

Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, urged the audience to “stay 
the course” and not assume the dump was inevitable. 

“By negotiating, we are clearly undermining our position,” said 
Leslie of District 27. “It is absolutely the wrong course (of 
action).” 

Thompson and Leslie were among eight candidates who spoke to 
about 40 area residents attending the forum.

Other panel members were Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks; 
District 30 Democratic candidate Debbie Smith; District 25 
Democratic candidate Dan Meyer; District 24 candidates Republican 
Brooks Holcomb and Democrat David Love; and District 26 
Democratic candidate Paul Mozen.

The discussion, moderated by University of Nevada, Reno 
environmental sciences professor Nancy Markee, included topics 
such as as a coal-fired plant proposed near Gerlach, sales of 
local water rights to out-of-state companies, noxious weed 
control and encouraging alternative energy sources. 

Anderson and most other panel members agreed with state 
initiatives to encourage the use of geothermal, solar and other 
alternative energy, saying those efforts also required providing 
incentives to producers and buyers. 

“We need to encourage a partnership between renewable energy and 
utility companies and then go on from there,” Anderson said. 

But Meyer said those efforts would fall flat if consumers weren’t 
encouraged to use alternative energy.

“We need also to provide incentives to homeowners to jump on the 
band wagon,” he said. 

Reno resident Lisa Kornze, 29, said listening to Meyer’s and 
other candidates’ positions on local environmental issues would 
influence her vote.

“If they are not going to be (for) preserving our environment 
within limits that benefit Nevadans, then I’m not going to 
support them,” Kornze said. 

Karen Fontaine of Reno said she was impressed with the panel’s 
knowledge of environmental issues and relieved to know many 
didn’t support the coal plant. 

“I was reassured (to find out) that they were working to prevent 
it,” said the 57-year-old who works at Truckee Meadows Community 
College. 

Forum coordinator Sonya Hem said the turnout of residents such as 
Kornze and Fontaine shows a growing voter concern over ecological 
problems. 

“Environmental issues are very close to the surface,” said Hem, 
Environmental Leadership executive director. “People are becoming 
more and more aware.” 

Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett Co. Inc. 
*****************************************************************
 56 Salt Lake Tribune: Bishop engages new strategy in attempt to derail N-waste storage
 			 			 			 			 			 			
   [http://www.sltrib.com]       
		 		 	 	 	   
Article Last Updated: 10/12/2004 12:11:41 PM                              
                   
  By Robert Gehrke The Salt Lake Tribune 
  	   
  WASHINGTON - There still may be life left in efforts by Utah's
congressional delegation to block storage of high-level nuclear
waste in the state, despite suffering a major setback this week.

    “The issue is still alive,” said Rep. Rob Bishop. “As long
as there are still days in this session there are still cards
left to play.”

    Bishop's bill, which seeks to establish a wilderness area in
Utah's west desert, and in the process block a rail line needed
to deliver waste to the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation,
was quietly tacked onto an innocuous package of land bills this
week.

    The measure is the best option left   to block the waste
from coming to the state, since key senators objected to
including the provision in a defense spending bill passed Friday.

    It is unclear when the Senate might consider the package of 
bills sent to them by the House. Congressional leaders are moving 
quickly to try to finish work and return home return following 
the election, but with a limited agenda.

    The sprawling range is used by the Air Force for training
missions and missile tests. Storing the nuclear waste so near
the range could severely limit its usefulness, Bishop said,
because of the risk a stray missile or plane   could smash into
the casks containing the waste and release radiation.

    Losing the range would hurt the state's case when the Defense 
Department begins its upcoming round of base closures. Wilderness 
status would prevent the BLM from licensing a rail line across 
the land.
   
© Copyright 2004, The Salt Lake Tribune. 
*****************************************************************
 57 The Ledger: Will EPA Rethink Gypsum Policy?

  Lakeland, Florida | October 12, 2004     
  
  [http://www.theledger.com/

  CINDY SKOP/SPECIAL TO THE LEDGER

 A phosphogypsum stack rendered inactive more than a year ago
became the source for Parrish Road in Fort Meade. The road was
built in 1985 to help answer construction and environmental
questions about the byproduct of phosphate.   
       						 	 	 	 	 	
 Published Monday, October 11, 2004
 RECENT SPILLS
 
By Cory Reiss Ledger Washington Bureau [reissc@nytimes.com] 

WASHINGTON -- Recent spills of contaminated water from 
phosphogypsum stacks have added to pressure from a Polk County 
congressman for the Environmental Protection Agency to allow an 
alternative use of radioactive gypsum.

Critics of federal gypsum policy expect the EPA to approve an 
experimental permit to dump 50 tons of the industrial byproduct 
into a Brevard County landfill. They say that would be a 
breakthrough in a 15-year feud over why use of the substance is 
banned with limited exceptions.

The EPA has deemed most gypsum too radioactive for practical use. 
About 24 gypsum stacks dot Central Florida in piles more than 100 
feet high. The stacks grow by about 30 million tons a year.

Contaminated and acidic water from the gypsum stacks creates 
ponds at the top of the piles. The ponds grow with rain and have 
spilled into waterways and adjacent land.

"It certainly appears to me that the public health threat and the 
environmental threat is far greater from these releases than it 
is from spreading phosphogypsum out in a landfill or a roadbed," 
said Rep. Adam Putnam, a Bartow Republican who is pressuring the 
EPA to reconsider its stacking policy.

  
  CINDY SKOP/SPECIAL TO THE LEDGER Mike Lloyd, director of 
chemical processing research at the Florida Institute of 
Phosphate Research in Bartow, stands in the center of Parrish 
Road in Fort Meade -- one of the institute's experiments 
regarding the use of phosphogypsum.   
         			 	 
Adam Klinger, director of the radiation protection division at 
the EPA, confirmed the landfill request is further along than any 
previous application for an onsite experiment. Klinger said the 
EPA is doing a final review of the application, which was filed 
in 2000.

Gypsum is a byproduct of processing phosphate into fertilizer. 
With about 1 billion tons already stacked, alternative uses would 
not rid Florida of gypsum piles in the foreseeable future. But 
state environmental officials say reducing stacks would cut 
contaminated water and the threat of spills. They are bound, 
however, by EPA rules and are wary of radiation risks.

Putnam and others said spills from two stacks during hurricanes 
Frances and Jeanne have added leverage for other uses.

The breach at a Cargill Crop Nutrition stack in Riverview during 
Frances spilled about 70 million gallons of contaminated water 
into Archie Creek. A much smaller spill from another Cargill 
stack during Jeanne never reached a waterway. The water is not 
considered a great threat to human health but is capable of 
wiping out aquatic life.

  CINDY SKOP/SPECIAL TO THE LEDGER A piece of heavy equipment 
sculpts the top of an active phosphogypsum stack.   
         			 	 
The state of Florida expects to spend as much as $160 million 
cleaning up and maintaining stacks at the abandoned Piney Point 
site and in Mulberry, the site of a catastrophic spill into 
Alafia River in 1997.

The landfill permit would allow the Florida Institute of 
Phosphate Research, a lab in Bartow funded by the state with 
taxes on phosphate mines, to dump about 50 tons into a small part 
of the landfill. Researchers say gypsum is a good fuel for 
microorganisms that decompose trash and could cut the state's 
landfill needs in half.

Mike Lloyd, a research director at the institute who has 
questioned the EPA's conclusions about gypsum for years, said 
state officials have approved the experiment as a potential 
answer to landfill shortages.

Environmental groups are not swayed.

"We have real concerns with spreading out toxins," said Glenn 
Compton, chairman of ManaSota-88, a group that forced the 
original EPA decision in 1989.

AN OLD DEBATE

Radioactive elements in gypsum produce cancer-causing radon gas. 
The fight has been about whether gypsum poses enough risk to 
warrant indefinite storage in stacks.

Environmentalists say they trust the EPA's analysis. But they 
also say the stacks are a threat that demand stricter state 
enforcement and consideration when the state approves new mining 
operations. They blame the phosphate industry for spills.

EPA gypsum policy began with a misstep in 1989. Radon, a natural 
radiation that can emanate from common soil, became a household 
word and a political issue in the 1988 campaign year because of 
estimates that it was killing thousands of people and polluting 
home basements and schools.

The EPA in 1989 ordered phosphogypsum to be stored in stacks or 
in spent phosphate mines, which it had determined was the best 
way to prevent spreading exposure. Phosphate companies had been 
stacking gypsum for decades but were selling relatively small 
amounts for road construction and as a soil conditioner.

Mining companies and the institute complained the EPA imposed the 
ban without thorough scientific analysis and in violation of 
several rules. They forced the agency to consider other options.

"It was just politically better to say, `We won't use it for 
anything,' " said Gray Gordon, vice president of Cargill Crop 
Nutrition.

The EPA studied various scenarios for using gypsum in 
agriculture, roadbeds and lab experiments. A 1992 report 
justified most of the original ban, with a few exceptions. 
Interviews with state and federal officials and researchers and a 
review of the study and related documents show the EPA:


+  Made errors when deciding how much gypsum could be safely used 
in a lab, a limit that was later bumped from 700 pounds to 7,000. 
The agency denied objections to many other assumptions.


+  Could not produce mathematical work that underpins the policy 
when a private consultant for the institute was unable to 
duplicate the 1992 results using EPA software and assumptions. 
Douglas Chambers of SENES Consultants in Ontario, Canada, got 
close to matching many but not all the results after extensive 
consultation with EPA and an EPA consultant in the mid 1990s, 
according to a SENES memos at the time.

Lloyd said the slightly lower recalculations suggest EPA policy 
might be different if it were to redo its math. In any case, 
Chambers said, the science "should have been a heck of a lot more 
transparent than that." An EPA official acknowledged a problem 
re-creating the results but said the agency has no plans to 
reopen the report.


+  Could have allowed broader use of gypsum in agriculture while 
meeting safety limits but chose not to. Most gypsum was 
determined to raise cancer risks above the EPA threshold -- one 
to three cancer cases per 10,000 people -- under worst-case 
scenarios if the agency assumed people would build homes on 
farmland that was treated biennially with gypsum for 100 years 
and live there for 70 years.

The EPA estimated effects on farm workers, neighbors, people 
eating food grown in the treated soil and drinking water from 
nearby wells but did not find those risks too high.

The EPA reported it could allow farm use if it created sliding 
limits on how much gypsum could be spread per acre depending on 
how much radium the gypsum contained. The agency decided that 
would be too complicated and only made an exception for gypsum 
produced in northern Florida, which has the least radioactivity 
and was not considered a threat.


+  Barred gypsum's use in road construction on the assumption 
that people might build homes on top of former road sites and 
live in them for 70 years, putting them at too high a risk for 
cancer. Other potential hazards were ruled out.

The EPA never produced guidelines for how to apply for 
exemptions, which gypsum researchers say has allowed the agency 
to smother requests with unending demands. An EPA official said 
the agency is now working on exemption guidelines, which are 
expected to ease future applications.

Environmental groups say the risks outlined in the report are 
valid and real. The institute, the phosphate industry and other 
critics disagree.

"Somebody, somewhere, for some reason, has determined that 
they're not going to budge on the use of phosphogypsum, and 
they've gotten away with it until now," said Putnam, who is 
widely regarded as the instigator of recent EPA movement.

DOWN GYPSUM ROAD?

Critics level many charges at the EPA's underlying assumptions in 
the 1992 report. For example, they say the notion that people 
would build homes on former road sites, let alone live in them 
for 70 years, is far-fetched. The EPA recently defended its 
methods as valid in a letter to Putnam.

Advocates of gypsum in road construction say it would save 
$100,000 per mile of two-lane road. They have tried to moot the 
EPA's objections by vowing to impose deed restrictions that would 
prevent construction on road sites.

Polk County officials and institute researchers tried to get an 
EPA permit to build a gypsum road in the mid-1990s by promising a 
deed restriction. But the EPA never approved and the developer 
built the road conventionally.

State officials did not patently object to a gypsum road 
experiment but wanted assurances of adequate environmental 
monitoring.

The institute built a gypsum-based road south of Fort Meade in 
1985 and the institute says its data demonstrate safety. The 
state, however, considers the radiation and pollution data 
inconclusive. State officials say they want better data, but that 
would require construction of another road.

Environmental groups don't want radioactive roads and highways 
crisscrossing the state, with or without deed restrictions.

"The whole state would be a Superfund site," said Karen Mulcahy, 
coastal campaign organizer and gypsum watcher for the Florida 
chapter of the Sierra Club.

Several environmental groups were unaware of the landfill 
proposal.

Environmentalists blame phosphate companies for creating the 
stacks and failing to maintain them. They say Cargill is to blame 
for recent spills and that fertilizer companies are not taking 
responsibility for their waste.

"It just costs more money and the industry says, `Let us take the 
stacks and spread them around,' " said Tom Reese, a Florida 
environmental lawyer who represented ManaSota 88 during early 
dealings with the EPA and maintains that gypsum is a radioactive 
nightmare. "You don't take a hazardous material and spread it 
around."

Putnam said the EPA has begun to soften but threatened 
congressional action. He summoned an EPA official to a hearing in 
his district that he convened this past spring to challenge the 
agency's science.

The EPA has not compared risks to human health if gypsum were 
used to the environmental risk of spills when it is stacked. 
Klinger, the EPA official, said the agency would consider such a 
study if Florida were to seek one.

"We are open to that that kind of dialogue," he said.

Phil Coram, chief of the Bureau of Mine Reclamation in the 
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, said a comparison 
could not be direct but nevertheless is worthwhile because the 
stacks "pose a major environmental risk."

"The risk assessments need to address all risks, both 
environmental and human health," he said.

Lloyd said approval of the landfill application would be a first 
step toward showing that gypsum can be used safely. He said the 
institute would again turn to road proposals if the landfill 
project moves forward as he expects.

"I think they're going to do it for the simple reason that I 
think they've had too much publicity," he said, "too much 
pressure."

  Last modified: October 11. 2004 6:05AM Back to Top

Copyright 2004 The Ledger     
*****************************************************************
 58 Times-News: Some view nuke waste bill suspiciously ... 

Twin Falls, Idaho
 			 			 			 			 			 				 
[http://www.magicvalley.com/]         

    Tuesday, October 12, 2004   •   Twin Falls, Idaho   

Anti-nuclear interests remain worried about precedent it sets

The Associated Press

BOISE -- Nuclear waste critics believe Idaho dodged, at least or 
now, attempts to weaken cleanup efforts at the Idaho National 
Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

But they worry that the cleanup plan could still be attacked in 
Congress.

"We're lucky that we got what we got, and that's thanks in part 
to the folks at the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality 
keeping their eye on the ball," Snake River Alliance Director 
Jeremy Maxand said on Monday. "Our concern is the process. It 
shut the public and interest groups out in the cold."

Legislation won final congressional approval last weekend to 
reverse a July 2003 federal court ruling that the Energy 
Department cannot unilaterally reclassify radioactive sludge from 
nuclear bomb production as low-level waste that does not have to 
removed to the nation's nuclear waste dump, now slated for Yucca 
Mountain in Nevada.

The entire issue was handled without hearings or public 
involvement and that's what should worry state officials, Maxand 
said.

"So we got out of this, so the state of Idaho fought for some 
regulatory oversights and got them," Maxand said. "But that 
doesn't mean that the Department of Energy won't pull something 
like this to our state's detriment in the future.

"This is not how you should make policy," he said. "This is not 
how you build bridges. This isn't how you build relationships 
with communities."

The department lobbied hard for the legislation following the 
court ruling in Idaho, ignoring warnings that failing to 
completely clean out the tanks would affect water supplies. 
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said the new law will accelerate 
waste cleanup projects and save $16 billion.

The legislation awaiting President Bush's signature applies only 
to sludge in the 51 underground tanks at the Savannah River Site 
in South Carolina. It keeps the 10 remaining tanks at INEEL under 
1990s court-enforced cleanup agreements with the Department of 
Energy while specifically excluding the 177 tanks at the Hanford 
Nuclear Reservation in Washington.

The government contends its plans for the South Carolina tanks 
protect the environment. The sludge, the final 1,000 gallons of 
material at the bottom of the tanks, will be mixed with grout to 
stabilize it and then concrete will be poured in until the entire 
tank is filled.

South Carolina leaders supported the plan and won the backing of 
Idaho lawmakers once the bill excluded material at INEEL from the 
reclassification provision.

"This bill now lays out a process of using the standards of the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission -- and the regulatory control of 
the state of Idaho -- to force DOE into the cleanup that we 
intended to extract from them all along," Republican U.S. Sen. 
Larry Craig said.

GOP Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and his Democratic and Republican 
predecessors all criticized the attempt to legalize the 
reclassification of the South Carolina sludge, warning that it 
jeopardized Idaho's cleanup plans. But Kempthorne dropped his 
opposition with the addition of the provision protecting Idaho.

The governor agreed with Maxand and others that slipping the 
issue into a compromise defense bill without going through normal 
legislative processes was not his preferred way to make policy, 
but said the bill "protects our legal agreements, relies on 
publicly vetted radiation standards and provides for independent 
oversight and judicial review."                     

Oct. 13, 2004 -:47 a.m.
  
Copyright © 2004, Lee Publications Inc.

Magicvalley.com is an on-line division of The Times-News,
published daily at 132 W. Fairfield St.,
*****************************************************************
 59 Yucca Newsletter: DOE Failed to Alert Workers to Disease Risk   
 		
  Volume 2 Issue 7     http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste 
October 15, 2004   

Editors note:The following story is reprinted with permission 
from the August 5, 2004 issue of the Las Vegas SUN newspaper.
											
WASHINGTON – The Energy Department was warned of the dangers of 
silica at Yucca Mountain years before it told workers of the 
threat, department documents show. Memos and e-mails sent over 
several years show that key managers were told there was silica 
dust, which can lead to the fatal lung disease silicosis, in the 
mountain's tunnels during and after the main tunnel of the 
proposed nuclear waste repository was dug.                                                                                                                                                         
  
The documents, which are public and part of the department's
material supporting its license application to build the
repository, show that the department failed to follow up on
plans to protect workers. 

And, the documents show, the department waited almost three
years to notify workers after being warned that it needed to do
so. 

Feds Knew of Silica Dangers in Yucca Tunnels for Years 

"The Department of Energy sent their workers into that mountain
knowing full well of the presence of silica and knowing full
well that exposure to silica can cause death," said Sen. Harry
Reid, D-Nev. "DOE also knew that exposure is 100 percent
preventable, but did nothing that would have protected these
workers." 

Reid held a Senate subcommittee field hearing in Las Vegas
earlier this year. Workers now ill from their time in the
mountain talked about their experiences. 																	

"The fact that the DOE[Sen. Harry Reid]  withheld this
information from the workers at the Yucca Mountain site is
completely irresponsible and further proves the reckless fashion
in which this project is being handled," Reid said.
																	
The Energy Department did not respond to several requests for
comment. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., called the attitude shown
in the document "the height of arrogance." 																	

"Rather than just a case of negligence or carelessness, these
documents indicate that DOE knew its actions were wrong and that
workers should have been told years earlier about the dangers
created by tunneling work without proper protection," she said. 
Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., said the Energy Department chose to
"ignore the danger and put their employees at risk in order to
keep the Yucca Mountain Project on schedule." 

"If the Department of Energy has such blatant disregard for the
life, health and safety of their own employees, how can we trust
they will protect the health and safety of the American public
by storing 77,000 tons of high level radioactive waste at Yucca
Mountain?" he said. 

Several Energy Department contractors are facing a class-action
lawsuit filed in District Court earlier this year. The lawsuit
is led by former Yucca Mountain employee Gene Griego, who worked
at Yucca Mountain from 1993 to 2002, during the research phase,
and was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
last year. 

The department said it created its screening program after
employees, like Griego, raised concerns about their exposure in
September 2003. It acknowledged worker protections were not
strongly enforced during times workers could be exposed, and
documents show it knew of the potential health risk to the
workers but still did not notify them until this year. 
An April 2001 memo shows the department knew the severity of
keeping the exposure a secret as well as the importance of
getting workers tests for disease. 

"An issue concerning silica exposures will become more visible
as time goes by," according to an April 4, 2001, memo labeled
"sensitive" from department Industrial Hygienist Phillip Boehme
to Suzanne Mellington, assistant manager of the office of
project execution. "Workers in the early days of Yucca Mountain
were exposed to silica without respiratory protection. It is
advisable to medically monitor them through the rest of their
lives." 

He recommended that "all exposed employees from the early years
must be identified" and contacted, even if they no longer work
for the department. 

Boehme even said the program "may become newsworthy" and
"illnesses may become subject of lawsuits, even class action." 
"We should begin a coordinated effort," he wrote. "Lawsuits,
public affairs and medical surveillance will be shared
problems." 

Three different memos, two from 2001 and one from 2002, from
Wilbert Townsend, an engineering specialist, show raised silica
levels long after the drilling stopped and that the limits the
department was using were outdated or lab reports were wrong. 
On Feb. 13, 2002, Townsend monitored levels inside the mountain
and found that people working in certain areas at that time
would be overexposed in about four hours without appropriate
protection. 

[Attorney Joe Egan] "This is still dangerous," said attorney Joe
Egan. "This is years after the digging." 

After examining the documents, Egan, of Egan, Fitzpatrick,
Malsch and Cynkar, one of the law firms representing Griego and
the other plaintiffs in the class-action suit, said he has found
similar ones showing the department delayed getting the message
to workers. 

"These show they anticipated it, yet still did not have the
courtesy to tell these people they should be going to the
doctor," Egan said. "DOE (the Energy Department) actually set up
procedures and requirements but the contractors said no." 

Egan also represents the state in its battle against the Yucca
project, but the state is not a party to the silicosis case. 

The documents essentially paint a chronology of the Energy
Department's knowledge of the problems with silica and show that
the department was slow to act despite warnings. 

Glenn Milligan, manager of the Safety and Health Complication
Department, sent a letter to project manager Carl Gertz
outlining a silica sampling plan for the project in July 1992,
four months before the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health issued a nationwide alert about silicosis to
any workers involved in rock drilling. 

However, an evaluation of training and tunnel operations from
July 18, 1994, to Aug. 12, 1994, found there was no safety
training for supervisors who specifically worked with the tunnel
boring machine. 
The project also had problems equipping workers with safety
equipment to protect against silicosis. 
In August 1994 Wendy Dixon, the project's assistant manager for
environment, safety and health, wrote Daniel Koss, the technical
project officer for the site characterization office, that those
working in the tunnel "must use appropriate respiratory
protection" and the appropriate sampling should occur to monitor
the exposure. 
Margaret Chu, the project's current director, told Sen. Harry
Reid, D-Nev., in February that dust masks were available but
more advanced respiratory protection was not available -- or
their use enforced -- until 1996. 
In March 1996 Dixon told L. Dale Foust, technical project
officer for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office,
that disposable respirators did not satisfy the required
protection needed, so a better plan and stronger respirators
were needed. 
The documents also show a pattern of warnings, concerns and
issues with silica: 
" On April 15, 1996, four Federal Mine Safety and Health
Administration inspectors were denied access to the site after a
complaint. 
" In May 1996, Dixon's name appears on an "informal memorandum"
sent from Russell Baumeister, a safety and occupational health
specialist on the project, saying certain activities like tunnel
drilling and mining, labeled "dust producers," should be shut
down for at least two hours prior to a visit by members of the
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. 
"Visitors exposed to these operations may exceed the exposure
levels for silica," Baumeister wrote. "Visitors should have the
capability to don respirators during their visit." 
" A May 1996 memo from Robert Hull, a health and safety
coordinator, said that silica levels in at least six of the 10
researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory who visited
the site that month exceeded the enforcement levels. Hull
recommended the employees be given respiratory protection and
said the lab should perform its own monitoring. 
" A Sept. 5, 1996, "informal memorandum" from Dr. Fred Kissell
of the department's Pittsburgh Research Center wrote that it was
"not feasible to clean up the entire tunnel." 
"There are too many sources of dust, the cost is unreasonable
and the implementation time is too long," Kissell wrote. "It has
been suggested that new ventilation lines be established to
remove dusty air from the alcoves. This many help a little but
suffers from cost and implementation time problems." 
" J. Davitt McAteer, assistant secretary for mine safety and
health, wrote the department in October 1996 after an assessment
had been done in April 1996. 
"If (the Mine Safety and Health Administration) had inspected
the Yucca Mountain project as a regular mine, the 10 Compliance
Assistance Visit notices given to the Department of Energy
representatives would have been citations and a time limit for
abatement would have been set," McAteer wrote. 
All contents copyright 2004 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.   

    														

Denial of State
 																				and County Oversight Funds –
																	
A New Low
 																				Even For DOE 																	
Just when you thought theres no way for DOE to be more
outrageous when it comes to the Yucca Mountain program, the
Department manages to come up with ever more outlandish and
heavy-handed decisions. 																	
The latest is a decision attempting to severely limit how the
state and local governments can use specially earmarked federal
Yucca Mountain oversight funds. DOE told a meeting of affected
units of government in August that they will no longer be
permitted to use such funds to oversee DOEs license application
process, participate in the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions
licensing proceedings, or engage in any planning or oversight
related to the transportation of waste to the proposed
repository. 																	
Outrageous? You bet. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 as
amended clearly intended for Nevada and its affected counties to
be provided with funds to oversee DOE Yucca Mountain activities
and to participate in the program until two years after DOE had
received a license to begin bringing waste to the facility.
Today, the most important DOE activities requiring oversight are
DOEs efforts to plan for and implement a transportation program
for getting waste to Yucca Mountain and DOEs work related to the
preparation and submission of a license application the NRC.
																	
Yet these are precisely the areas where DOE wants to deny
affected jurisdictions the use of federal oversight monies.
																	
Attempts to restrict the use of nuclear waste oversight funds
are not new. As early as 1984, DOE attempted to prevent the
State of Nevada from using federal funds for overseeing the
Departments technical work at Yucca Mountain after state
researchers began to focus on fundamental flaws with the site
that DOE was ignoring. The state was forced to go to court to
compel DOE to comply with the law. 																	
Later, in the 1980s, DOE sought to put a halt to the states
socioeconomic impact assessment work when findings from those
studies were beginning to reveal significant negative effects
from the proposed repository project. A pattern emerged over the
years whereby DOE, either directly or through its supporters in
Congress, would seek to restrict Nevadas use of funds for those
activities that were producing findings not in sync with the
DOEs party line on Yucca Mountain. 																	
In the 1990s, DOE unilaterally withheld all funds for the states
oversight program at a time when crucial site characterization
work was underway and findings strongly questioning the Yucca
sites suitability were coming out. 																	
Despite clear language in the 1987 amendments to the Nuclear
Waste Policy Act requiring DOE to provide funds to affected
units of local government, DOE initially sought to deny such
funds to affected Nevada counties. The counties actually had to
file a lawsuit (which they won) to force DOE to comply with the
law. Over a decade later, however, DOE is still thumbing its
nose at the law and continuing to play politics with oversight
monies. 																	
Why has DOE been so consistently and adamantly opposed to
carrying out the clear intent of federal law that the State of
Nevada and formally designated affected units of government be
provided with adequate funds to oversee the Yucca Mountain
program? The answer seems obvious. DOE simply cannot operate
under the glare of real, legitimate oversight. 																	
From the beginning, DOE has sought to cover up shoddy science,
horrendous mis-management, and wasteful spending at Yucca
Mountain. Now that cover-up is continuing with respect to how
DOE is approaching transportation planning and the NRC licensing
process. 																	
At the same time DOE is denying legitimate oversight funds to
the state and counties, the Department is coddling favor with
certain "friendly" local governments by making monies available
outside the established process for oversight funds. While
denying funds for transportation studies to Clark County
(arguably the Nevada county most potentially affected by
shipments of deadly nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain) and other
counties, DOE is lavishing discretionary funds through so-called
"cooperative agreements" on three counties that it counts as
allies. 																	
In spite of – or perhaps because of – DOEs ongoing attempts to
shield itself from meaningful oversight, the Yucca Mountain
program is on the verge of collapse. Nevadas recent legal
victory (in which the court ruled that Yucca Mountain must be
able to meet stringent waste isolation standards that the site
is incapable of meeting) is likely the death knell for the
program. But the court really did nothing more than validate
what the states oversight program has been telling DOE for years
that Yucca Mountain simply wont cut it. 																	
This latest attempt to discourage meaningful oversight of its
Yucca Mountain activities should be seen for what it is – a last
ditch attempt by a bankrupt and dying program to hide
fundamental flaws and incompetence. 																  
																     															 															
 																     																     																    
															 														

 													   
    

  

  
    

  	 	
 		     	 	
 	     	
 	       	       	   	 


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*****************************************************************
 60 AU ABC: NT to push Commonwealth over Kakadu uranium waste

. 12/10/2004. ABC News Online
 	
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Online">
[http://www.abc.net.au/]  

The Northern Territory Government says it will approach the 
Federal Government about radioactive waste storage inside Kakadu 
National Park.

 It has been confirmed that tailings from old uranium mines are 
being kept in a shipping container near a popular tourist 
campsite close to the South Alligator River.

 The Chief Minister has confirmed that as a regular visitor to 
the area she has known about the site for some time.

 Environment Minister Marion Scrymgour has told Parliament the 
Commonwealth is responsible. 

"Bare in mind that this park and that area ... are managed and 
monitored by the Commonwealth," she said.

 "Look we are worried and now that the federal election is out of 
the way, that is something I will be taking up with my federal 
counterpart." 

© 2004 Australian Broadcasting Corporation This service may 
include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), 
AAP(International), APTN, Reuters, CNN and
*****************************************************************
 61 The Sunflower - October 2004 - Issue 89
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 01:15:42 -0500 (CDT)

 
The Sunflower is a monthly e-newsletter providing educational
information on nuclear weapons abolition and other issues relating to
global security. Help us spread the word and forward this to a friend.

Click here <https://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/donate/index_secure.htm>
to help sustain this valuable resource by making a donation.

To receive our free monthly e-newsletter subscribe at
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 Download the complete PDF Version
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.pdf>

*	Perspectives

	*	Meeting the Russell-Einstein Challenge to Humanity
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#2a>
by David Krieger
	*	Who Will Make Us Safer From the Biggest Threat Facing
the US?
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#2b>
by Carah Ong

*	Take Action

	*	Turn the Tide: Urge Congress to Clean Up Radioactive
Waste
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#3a
>*	Urge Your Mayor to Participate in the Mayors for Peace
Emergency Campaign
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#3b
>
	*	Participate in Energy Independence Day
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#3c
>
	*	Attend the Italian Pugwash Course - Constructing
Security in Europe after Madrid
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#3d
>
	*	Participate in the Rally for International Disarmament -
Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (RID - NBC)
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#3e
>

*	Proliferation

	*	North Korea Reveals Details of Its Nuclear Program
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#4a
>
	*	Showdown with Iran
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#4b
>
	*	US Lifts Curbs on Nuclear, Space Exports to India, Opens
Dialogue on Missile Defense Cooperation
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#4c
>
	*	US to Deploy Third Nuclear-Powered Sub to Guam
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#4d
>

*	Nuclear Legacy

	*	Battle Continues Over French Nuclear Test Veterans
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#5a
>
	*	"Most Radioactive Man on the Planet" Dies
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#5b
>

*	Nuclear Laboratories

	*	LANL Continues to Suffer from Scandals
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#6a
>

*	Non-Proliferation

	*	CTBT Celebrates Eighth Anniversary, Three New
Ratifications and Renewed US Funding
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#7a
>
	*	IAEA Annual Conference Addresses Middle East, North
Korea and Nuclear Terrorism
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#7b
>

*	Missiles and Missile Defense

	*	US Proceeds With Untested, Unproven Missile Defense
System
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#8a
>

*	Nuclear Energy and Waste

	*	Agreement Reached on Partial Inspection Access to
Brazilian Uranium Enrichment Plant
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#9a
>
	*	How Safe is the Transatlantic Conversion Project? - Part
Deux
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#9b
>
	*	DoE Issued $2.4 Million Fine over Waste Mismanagement
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#9c
>
	*	Deja Vu - DoE Issued $270,000 Fine over Hanford Waste
Mismanagement
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#9d
>

*	Nuclear Insanity

	*	Rumsfeld, Abraham Urge Restored Nuke Weapons Funding
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#10
a>

*	Foundation Activities

	*	21st Annual Evening for Peace Broadcasting Peace: A
Conversation with Walter Cronkite
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#11
a>
	*	Mayors for Peace Receive 2004 World Citizenship Award
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#11
b>

*	Resources

	*	The Economic Future of Nuclear Power
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#12
a>
	*	Nuclear Insecurity: A Critique of the Bush
Administration's Nuclear Weapons Policies
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#12
b>
	*	Oxford Research Group International Security Monthly
Briefings
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#12
c>
	*	A Critical Mass
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#12
d>
	*	PEOPLE OF THE BOMB: Portraits of America 's Nuclear
Complex
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#12
e>

*	Quotable

	*
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/09_sunflower.htm#13
a> Presidential Candidate Senator John Kerry
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
a>
	*	Zhang Huazhu
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
b>
	*	Bob Herbert
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
c>
	*	Senator Edward M. Kennedy
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
d>
	*	E. L. Doctorow
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
e>
	*	Former soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
f>
	*	Israeli Nuclear Whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
g>
	*	United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
h>
	*	Arundhati Roy
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
i>
	*	United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
j>
	*	Javier Mar
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm#13
k>

*	Editorial Team

	*	Luke Brothers
	*	David Krieger
	*	Carah Ong

Perspectives

The following is an excerpt from a speech given on 8 October 2004 in
Hiroshima, Japan at the ceremony honoring the Mayors for Peace with the
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's 2004 World Citizenship Award.

Meeting the Russell-Einstein Challenge to Humanity | Top
by David Krieger

"Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an
orientation of the heart."
- Vaclav Havel

The Russell-Einstein Manifesto calls upon humanity to choose
dramatically different futures. Since humanity is made up of all of us,
we all must choose. And the choice of each of us matters. This great
city of Hiroshima , a city that has experienced so much devastation and
rebirth, led by its hibakusha , has chosen the path of a nuclear
weapons-free future. I am always inspired by the spirit of Hiroshima and
its courageous hibakusha , and I stand in solidarity with you on this
path.

One truly hopeful action at this time is the Mayors for Peace Emergency
Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons. This campaign, led by the Mayors of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, calls for the initiation of negotiations in 2005
and the completion of negotiations in 2010 for the elimination of all
nuclear weapons in the world by the year 2020. This is a great and
necessary challenge, one which deserves our collective support. Just a
few days ago, on behalf of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, I presented
our 2004 World Citizenship Award to the Mayors for Peace for their
critical effort on behalf of humanity.

Our cause is right and it is noble. It seeks, in the spirit of the
Russell-Einstein Manifesto, to preserve humanity's future. It calls upon
us to raise our voices, to stand our ground, and to never give up. The
year 2005 is a critical year, but it is not the only year. Our efforts
must be sustained over a long period of time, perhaps longer than our
lifetimes. This means we must inspire new generations to act for
humanity.

There will be times when we may be tired and discouraged, but we are not
allowed to cease our efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. No
matter what obstacles we face in the form of political intransigence or
public apathy, we are not allowed to give up hope. This is the price of
being fully human in the Nuclear Age. The future demands of us that we
keep our hearts strong, our voices firm, and our hope alive.

Click here to read the full speech.
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/10/00_krieger_meeting-russell-einst
ein-challenge.htm>

David Krieger is President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Who Will Make Us Safer From the Biggest Threat Facing the US? | Top
by Carah Ong

If you watched or heard about the first Presidential debate on September
30th, then you probably already know that one thing both presidential
candidates agree upon is that nuclear proliferation poses the biggest
threat to the US . What you might not know is which candidate will
actually make Americans far safer and more secure. Understanding how the
presidential candidates will deal with nuclear proliferation is
essential in allowing US citizens to make an informed decision on who is
best suited to lead this great country.

One thing President Bush failed to mention is that, despite calls from
past Presidents, nuclear weapons have assumed a far more central role in
US security policy. The new, more "usable" role that the US government
has assigned to nuclear weapons and its doctrine of pre-emptive warfare
can encourage other nations to obtain nuclear weapons (and other weapons
of mass destruction) in pursuit of their own security needs. These
policies diminish US national security and attempts to control the
spread of weapons of mass destruction, increasing the risk that other
countries and terrorists will obtain and use nuclear weapons or other
weapons of mass destruction against the US .

So, let's take a moment to examine exactly where President Bush and
Senator Kerry stand on just four key policies that would protect
Americans and their families.

Click here to read the full article.
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/10/01_ong_who-will-make-us-safer.ht
m>

To view the entire Sunflower, visit:
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.htm>
or  Download the complete PDF Version
<http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/sunflower/2004/10_sunflower.pdf>

To receive our free monthly e-newsletter subscribe at
http://www.wagingpeace.org/menu/resources/subscribe/
*****************************************************************
 62 Las Vegas SUN: Senate approves funding for Test Site anti-terrorism training
 
Today: October 12, 2004 at 9:42:48 PDT 

SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Monday approved $20 million for next
year for counter-terrorism training at the Nevada Test Site.

 The money was part of the final version of a Homeland Security
spending bill that will now go President Bush for signing.

 Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., worked
together to secure money for the training at the Test Site. The
former nuclear weapons proving ground has found a more modern
purpose as a weapons of mass destruction training facility.

 Congress approved $20 million for the training at the Test Site
last year, too.

 "Nevada has always played a key role in our national defense,"
Reid said. "Now we're leading the way in the war on terror, too."

 The Senate also approved the final version of a military
construction spending bill that included $12.8 million for a
Nevada Army National Guard Readiness Center. The
90,000-square-foot center would be a new home for the new
22-member Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team for
Nevada.

 Congress last year created similar teams in 12 states to
prepare for terrorist threats. A 54-acre site is available for
the center near Decatur Boulevard and Serene Avenue.

 The military construction bill also contains $4.7 million for
new storage for high explosives at Fallon Naval Air Station in
Northern Nevada.

 



*****************************************************************
 63 Rocky Mountain News: Plans for Flats plant change

By Rocky Mountain News October 12, 2004

BOULDER - Officials have abandoned a plan to blow up a plutonium 
processing plant at the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant, 
saying it can't be scoured clean enough to make detonation safe. 

The 300,000-square-foot Building 371 and its 3-foot-thick, 
earthquake-resistant walls will have to be demolished manually, 
cleanup contractor Kaiser-Hill Co. said. 

 Kaiser-Hill is in charge of the $7 billion project to clean up 
the plant west of Denver. Rocky Flats manufactured plutonium 
triggers for nuclear weapons from the 1950s to 1989, when it was 
shut down because of safety problems and the end of the Cold War. 

The site will eventually become a national wildlife refuge. 

Kaiser-Hill had state and federal approval to detonate the 
building and use the rubble to fill in its 65-foot-deep basement, 
but only if the above-ground portion could be cleaned to 
"free-release" level - clean enough to be used in someone's back 
yard. 

Kaiser-Hill spokesman John Corsi said a vault where plutonium was 
processed and later stored cannot be brought up to that standard. 

Instead, the vault will be demolished and its rubble will be 
shipped away for disposal as low-level radioactive waste. Debris 
from the rest of the building will fill in the basement and be 
covered. 

Corsi said that should occur next summer. 

Steven Gunderson, Rocky Flats cleanup coordinator for the 
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said 
manually dismantling the vault will require "an engineering 
marvel." 

The Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments, representing 
government officials from communities near Rocky Flats, wants to 
know more about the change. 

"How do you know you can do it safely and that you can monitor 
what's happening?" said David Abelson, executive director of the 
coalition.  

SITE MAP PHOTO REPRINTS CORRECTIONS    2004 © The E.W. Scripps
*****************************************************************
 64 The State: Momentum gains on $1B accelerator project

Officials to revise draft for rare isotope project

 www.statenews.com
 
October 12, 2004

By  [http://www.statenews.com/reporterinfo.phtml?pk=344] 

The State News

MSU hopes to move one step closer to bringing the nearly $1
billion Rare Isotope Accelerator project to campus after
university officials respond to the U.S. Department of Energy's
draft request for a proposal issued last week.

 The RIA draft request is a 340-page, 13-section document which
outlines specifications for the isotope project. MSU and other
interested parties will review the document and its requirements
and then submit a response to the draft by Oct. 25. 
The draft, which is available online at the Department of
Energy's Web site, indicates a RIA host institute will be picked
by winter of 2005. MSU and the Argonne National Laboratory,
located near Chicago, are the finalists vying for the project.

 "After we receive the draft, there is a two-week window where
we can comment on this draft and document whether its project
specifications would unduly advantage or disadvantage our team,"
said Konrad Gelbke, director of MSU's Cyclotron.

 The RIA project is a nuclear accelerator facility which will
allow scientists to study rare isotopes that cannot be found on
earth. The facility will make its host the most technically
advanced institute in the field of nuclear physics.

 About a half-dozen scientists at MSU are reviewing separate
parts of the draft. The group will convene sometime in the next
two weeks to discuss the implications of the draft, Gelbke said.

 The draft asks interested parties to comment on details ranging
from proposed costs, to infrastructure to workforce issues. 
MSU's response to the draft proposal will include which
requirements university scientists think can't be accomplished,
Gelbke said. 

"Some of the unreasonable requirements of the draft that just
don't make sense will be brought to the department's attention,"
Gelbke said. "In principle, the (Department of Energy) calls the
shots, but in the end, they, too, want to know what is workable."

 After the proposals are due, the Department of Energy will
review each response and develop final proposal requirements.
Gelbke said the draft request is reviewed seriously by all
project bidders.

 "There are very important and implicit issues in this," Gelbke
said. "It's like when you're playing a game - you want to make
sure you have the right players and you know what the rules are."

 Howard Gobstein, MSU's associate vice president for
governmental affairs, said university officials are happy the
draft proposal has been issued because it means the project is
moving forward. 

"We are very pleased to see that this is going because we have
been waiting several years and (the Department of Energy) has
been slow in moving," Gobstein said. "We're not sure of the
hold-up, but well beyond just RIA, the department has other
major competitions for other federal facilities and labs and we
understand there is some delay in many of them as well."

 Although anyone can access the document, Gobstein said the
competition is really between MSU and the Argonne National
Laboratory. 

"We're still expecting it's going to basically be Argonne and
MSU. It is possible there will be a third, but we don't know,"
Gobstein said. "It's so defined because the scientific community
has time to get a pretty good sense of which institutes are the
best in this area and there really aren't many others that are
even in close competition."

 MSU President M. Peter McPherson said he agrees the university
is a top competitor for the project, which he said would have a
huge impact on the economy in Michigan as well as raise MSU's
status in the scientific community.

 "We have the best nuclear physics program of any university in
the country," McPherson said. "We have an outstanding team of
people and there is very strong support institutionally for the
project. We will be an excellent candidate." 
	

All content ©2004 The State News
*****************************************************************
 65 WVLT: Mold found in nuclear weapons plant office

VOLUNTEER TV Knoxville, TN: 

October 12, 2004   

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. Health and safety experts have been called in
to battle a mold problem in a building at Oak Ridge's nuclear
weapons plant.

Mold and mildew have been discovered throughout a 20-year-old 
office building known as Building 9109 at the high-security Y-12 
National Security Complex.

The office houses public affairs officers and union 
leaders.Ceiling tiles are being replaced, new air conditioners 
installed and carpet removed. No health complaints have been made 
so far.                            

Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This 
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or 
redistributed.                                     

   [http://www.worldnow.com]     All content © Copyright 2001 -
2004 WorldNow and WVLT VOLUNTEER TV,
*****************************************************************
 66 MTP Fall 2004 eNewsletter
 
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 20:15:05 -0700

 
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4Military Toxics Project eNewsletter3

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Touching Bases
The Newsletter of the Military Toxics Project
Fall 2004

* Please support MTP - 
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Here to Donate *

Put Your Organization on the Map

MTP & SEAC Debut New Resource to Help
Youth and Community Leaders Connect

Letter from the Executive Director
MTP Grassroots Board of Directors
What's in your Water?
Burn Baby Burn! DOD Toxic Burning in Wisconsin and California
Depleted Uranium in the Twin Cities
Indigenous Peoples and Militarism
Stop Uranium Weapons
Biodefense Spending Spree Threatens Roxbury and Frederick
No October Burns at Indiana AAP
Put Your Organization on the Map


* This eNewsletter does not include photos, maps, or graphics contained in 
the print version. Contact us at 
<mailto:mtp@miltoxproj.org>mtp@miltoxproj.org to receive a print copy. *

MTP Still Going Strong in Tough Times

Tara Thornton
MTP Executive Director

Despite cutbacks in funding that have afflicted most non-profit 
organizations, MTP is still going strong!
MTP and the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) just finished 
development of a web-based interactive military toxics map. MTP is 
finishing up a new resource packet on the Clean Water Act and what groups 
can do about military water contamination issues. Within the month, MTP 
will unveil our new website, which we hope is far more user friendly and 
informative than our old website.

MTP has been actively involved in several coalitions this year, including 
the Be Safe Coalition (which supports a precautionary approach to prevent 
pollution and environmental destruction before it happens) and the 
International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (working for an 
international treaty to ban depleted uranium munitions).

We have continued to support local groups on the ground through our 
Community Empowerment Program (CEP). For example, MTP helped facilitate a 
community vision summit in Vieques, PR; co-sponsored a Vieques solidarity 
conference in Washington, DC; supported member groups in San Antonio, TX 
developing a people's plan for cleanup; sent local leaders to Brussels, 
Begium and New Orleans, LA for national and international meetings; and 
brought grassroots leaders to Congressional offices on lobbying visits in 
Washington, DC and to foundations on fundraising visits in New York 
City.This year we have also initiated a strategic planning process and will 
have an in-person meeting to develop the long-term vision and direction for 
the Military Toxics Project. As always, it is important to MTP to involve 
all members in the strategic planning process. The Board and staff will 
interview all member groups over the next two months. MTP has learned from 
past surveys and evaluations that our efforts are most effective when we 
help communities help themselves and help local organizations network with 
other organizations facing similar problems. Grassroots networking and 
support will definitely remain the core of our work.

I am amazed when I think about all that MTP has accomplished the past two 
years even though our budget is tight and funding is slim. Major kudos go 
out to Steve Taylor, MTP's National Organizer (his official title, but it 
could also be Administrator, Webmaster, Computer Technician and all around 
trouble- shooter, to name a few)! Also to the MTP Board of Directors and to 
our loyal donors and foundations for sticking with MTP during a very 
difficult and trying time - THANK YOU!


In Peace and Solidarity,
Tara Thornton, Executive Director

Introducing MTP's Grassroots Board

To learn about MTP's current Grassroots Board of Directors, visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89475>http://www.defendourhealth.org/board_and_staff.htm

What's in Your Water?

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is our nation's largest toxic 
polluter. Decades of military operations have poisoned rivers, lakes, and 
aquifers across the country. The true scope of military water pollution is 
not known, but there is evidence that the extent of the problem is truly 
massive.

Perchlorate - a constituent of military munitions, rockets, and missiles - 
has contaminated water at hundreds of locations in over 40 states. The vast 
majority of these sites are either military bases or defense contracting 
facilities. Over 20 million people receive their drinking water from 
sources known to be contaminated with perchlorate. The U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency recently released a list of 66 DOD facilities with known 
perchlorate releases. DOD has resisted widespread sampling for perchlorate, 
so many military facilities have not been tested.

Fuels and solvents are the principal contaminants at as much as 60% of DOD 
sites. Over 850 chlorinated solvent sites exist at Navy and Marine Corps 
installations, and at least 600 to 900 solvent sites exist at Air Force 
bases. Thousands of Marines and their families drank water contaminated 
with solvents at Camp Lejeune, NC for years after the Corps knew about the 
problem. Solvent contamination was linked to abnormally low birth weights 
in babies born near Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma.

The extent of water contamination at military firing and training ranges 
has barely begun to be studied. DOD manages 8,087 training and firing 
ranges on 500 installations covering at least 24 million acres of land (not 
including offshore ocean ranges). According to EPA, at least 49 military 
facilities have contaminated groundwater, drinking water, or surface water 
with constituents of military munitions. Because DOD has not conducted 
widespread testing of water for munitions constituents, the scope of 
munitions contamination at DOD's ranges is likely much, much wider. One DOD 
study of the treatment of RDX (a toxic explosive compound) in groundwater 
noted that "there are 583 sites at 82 Army installations within 10 Major 
Army Commands (MACOMs) where groundwater contamination has been confirmed." 
DOD estimates that 16 million acres of land already transferred to other 
agencies or the public may contain unexploded ordnance (UXO) and toxic 
munitions constituents.
Just a few examples of DOD water contamination and community organizing to 
demand accountability follow.
Camp Pendleton, CA - The Marine Corps' failure to address massive sewage 
problems resulted in over 14,000 Clean Water Act violations in just two 
years. Local organizations were forced to file suit to force the Marines to 
correct the problem.

Vieques, PR - Navy bombing of Vieques resulted in over 100 Clean Water Act 
violations through August 1999, according to EPA. At least 20 toxic 
substances have been released into Vieques waters at levels in violation of 
the CWA. Widespread community resistance to all harmful aspects of the 
Navy's presence led to the end of bombing in May 2003.

Fort Richardson, AK - Over fifty years of firing munitions contaminated the 
fragile estuarine salt marsh of Eagle River Flats with white phosphorus and 
other toxic substances. The Army's refusal to address the toxic 
contamination and over 10,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance (UXO) caused 
local organizations to file a notice of intent to sue under the Clean Water 
Act and the CERCLA law in June 2001.

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD - Toxic constituents of munitions have been 
found in groundwater and drinking water sources both inside and outside 
base property. Perchlorate contamination caused a town drinking water 
production well to be shut down.

Kelly Air Force Base, TX - Pollution from Kelly contaminated a shallow 
aquifer that base neighbors used to water their vegetable gardens. The 
contamination extends several miles under over 20,000 homes in primarily 
Latino neighborhoods. The Air Force has focused on passive "natural 
attenuation" methods to address the problem instead of actual cleanup.

Most cleanup actions at military facilities are forced by organized 
communities and state or federal regulators under RCRA (the Resource 
Conservation and Recovery Act) or CERCLA (the Superfund toxic cleanup law). 
Both of these laws can require removal of toxins from groundwater and 
surface water. The Safe Drinking Water Act gives EPA strong emergency 
powers to force action by polluters - including the military - if 
contaminants threaten a source of drinking water and pose an imminent and 
substantial endangerment to the public. The Clean Water Act - which 
regulates pollution of water - can also limit toxic discharges to water. 
MTP has an extensive resource packet on the Safe Drinking Water Act and is 
preparing to release a new packet on the Clean Water Act. Contact our 
office at mtp@miltoxproj.org or (207) 783-5091 to request copies.

Burning PCBs Will Set Dangerous Precedent

By Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger

Badger Army Ammunition Plant is seeking an exemption to a federal law that 
prohibits open burning of waste materials containing more than 50 parts per 
million (ppm) of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). PCB concentrations in 
paint in certain buildings at Badger have been detected as high as 22,000 
parts per million - more than 400 times the permissible limit set by the 
EPA. No other military installation in the nation has been allowed to open 
burn PCB-contaminated wastes exceeding the federal limit of 50 ppm. If 
approved by EPA, the exemption will open the door for open burning of 
extraordinary levels of PCBs at Badger and other U.S. bases here and abroad.

What are PCBs and why are they in some paints?

PCBs were first manufactured in 1929. Due to their carcinogenic 
characteristics, the manufacture of PCBs was banned in 1978. There are 209 
possible compounds or congeners of PCBs. Paint manufacturers used around 5 
to 12 percent PCBs in paints as a plasticizer, primarily in specialty 
paints intended for industrial or military applications.

What happens when you burn PCBs?

Open burning results in the uncontrolled release of PCBs, dioxins, and 
other products of combustion to the environment. Both PCBs and dioxins are 
persistent in the environment and do not readily degrade. PCBs can travel 
long distances in the air (>10 miles) and deposit in areas far from where 
they were released. PCBs are taken up by small organisms, fish, and marine 
mammals, reaching levels that may be many thousands of times higher than 
the water itself.

Open burning of PCBs results in the formation of polychlorinated 
dibenzofurans (PCDFs). These compounds are probable human carcinogens and 
their toxicity can be up to 100 times higher than the toxicity of some PCBs.

About 90% of exposure to dioxins and furans is from eating contaminated 
food. Dioxins and furans typically build up in the fatty tissues of 
animals. This means that eating beef, pork, poultry, fish, and dairy 
products can be a source of exposure.

What are some of the potential health affects?

Human exposure to PCBs is a concern because of the wide range of adverse 
health effects including skin irritation, reproductive and developmental 
effects, immunologic effects, liver damage, and cancer. Some PCBs can mimic 
or block the action of hormones from the thyroid and other endocrine 
glands, affecting normal growth and development.

The developing fetus, infants, and children are the population groups most 
vulnerable to exposure. Exposure may impede the development of their 
brains, reproductive, immune, and endocrine systems. PCBs can be passed to 
the human fetus through the placenta and to the infant through breast feeding.

What are the risks specific to Badger?

The exact level of risk is still unknown. The EPA is currently gathering 
information to help answer this question.

How can the Army remove the PCBs and still protect human health?

Not burn. As this fact sheet has explained, thermal treatment not only 
causes an uncontrolled release of PCBs to the air and surrounding soils, it 
creates toxic by-products that can be 100 times more toxic than the PCBs 
themselves.

Examples of non-thermal technologies include chemical deactivation, 
biological deactivation, fluid penetration, ozone treatment, and robotic 
removal.

PCB contamination above 50 ppm is expected to be a concern in a small 
number of buildings, making alternative technologies, which are not easily 
implemented on a large scale, feasible.

What is the current status of Badger's proposal?

Any "person" wishing to dispose of PCB-contaminated wastes by a means OTHER 
than landfilling, incineration, high efficiency boiler, or other regulated 
disposal process, must apply in writing to the EPA Regional Administrator.

EPA is still in the information-gathering stage. The Army has not submitted 
a formal application for the exemption. EPA will issue a written approval 
if it finds that the method will "not pose an unreasonable risk of injury 
to health or the environment."

At least 100 buildings, and perhaps many more, are targeted for open 
burning. The burning, once given this final approval, will continue for 
approximately 10 years.

No Thoughts of the Future

By Vienna Merritt Moore
Say No to Fort Ord Toxic Burnings

In 1917, when Fort Ord Military Training Base was established, I doubt that 
there was much if any concern over the safety to the communities that would 
one day surround the base. Bazookas were launched and missiles with 
warheads deployed. For over eight decades, the ammunition needed for many 
wars was deposited on a once pristine coastal landscape. There are 
literally lakes of ammunition and pits where ordnance and explosives were 
dumped with no thoughts of the future.

The future is here and the Army is in the midst of a campaign to clean up 
Fort Ord in response to a feeding frenzy like land grab. Their cleanup 
technique - open burning! The Army has chosen to burn off vegetation on 
thousands of acres of highly contaminated firing ranges, a process that 
will release toxic substances from unexploded ordnance and contaminated 
plants into the air.

Most of us are aware that weapons are designed for killing and composed of 
materials that are hazardous to human health and the environment.

Would you be comfortable knowing that you were surrounded by hazardous 
waste, breathing it, consuming it with food or drinking it? The thought 
that our children could be inhaling it as they energetically bike ride or 
swing from jungle gyms at their schools is quite disturbing. According to 
the Army's own laboratory analysis the following materials enter the air 
during open burning and detonation: heavy metals, RDX, HMX, TNT, DDT, 
furans, dioxins and more.

Several planned open burnings have taken place, each one getting out of 
control, with the last on October 24, 2003. This fire burned three times 
the planned area, and took several days to put out and mop up.

"The Army blew it on this burn" said Congressman Sam Farr after the most 
recent inferno ended up with an unprecedented fumigation of the more 
affluent areas of Monterey, Pebble Beach and Carmel. Since his 
grandstanding request for a congressional review, his actions have 
dissipated but left no residue (unlike the toxic smoke). Fort Ord appears 
to be a microcosm of what Americans face with their top leaders and 
mainstream media. Our local government officials and our local media appear 
to be loyal to the Military Industrial Complex and oblivious to reason and 
science with no thoughts of the future.

The community has spoken out, armed with support from numerous public 
interest groups such as: Sierra Club, Central Coast Alliance on Health, 
Spreckels School District (had children sent to hospital) and others. 
William Mitchell, an EPA Division Chief for 30 years, officially commented 
that:

* Contaminated particulate (from burning) could be a very toxic material in 
itself and be a short and long term hazard to ... those living on the 
Monterey peninsula.

* The Army is misleading the public with emissions studies that Mitchell 
himself supervised.

* Alternatives that are safe, cost effective, and fast are being ignored.

Despite widespread public opposition, the Army marches forward with burning 
with no thoughts of the future.

For more information contact: Say NO to Fort Ord TOXIC BURNINGS! at 
831-384-7658 or E-mail: <mailto:Vs3trees@sbcglobal.net>Vs3trees@sbcglobal.net

Invisible DU

By Christine Ziebold, Twin Cities Philip Berrigan Depleted Uranium Group

The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) is an 1,100 acre 
government-owned contractor-operated manufacturing plant in Arden Hills, 
Minnesota, 8 miles north of downtown St. Paul and Minneapolis. It is 
Minnesota's largest Superfund site. Ironically, the original citizen 
complaint leading to TCAAP's listing on the National Priority List (NPL) in 
1983 was that depleted uranium (DU) might contaminate a nearby lake and a 
water well. Yet DU never became what regulators call a "contaminant of 
concern". Therefore, we have the schizophrenic situation of the DU 
production site - building 502 - being part of the Superfund, but not its 
main product, DU. TCAAP was eventually listed on the NPL because of 
Trichlorethylene (TCE) contamination.

Alliant Techsystems (ATK), part of Honeywell before 1996, is a $2 billion 
aerospace and "defense" company, the US 's largest producer of 
anti-personnel landmines and cluster bombs. It manufactured 16 million 
armor penetrating 120 mm and unknown quantities of 30mm DU shells at TCAAP. 
These were shot in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan. In the words of the Army, 
Alliant "performed a substantial DU ammunition manufacturing mission for 
the Army and Air Force from the 1950's through the early 1980's" (The Rad 
Waste News Vol2 (5) 1997 online at 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89476>http://www.osc.army.mil/dm/DMWWEB/newsmay.htm#twin). 


History

The first official evidence of Honeywell's DU use is from 1969, when the 
Atomic Energy Commission (today Nuclear Regulatory Commission or NRC) 
granted it a license to possess 2,700 lbs of uranium. Honeywell's NRC 
license was consistently amended to allow ever-larger quantities, including 
750,000 Kg of DU, despite 5 documented violations.

The dates when DU production ceased vary between sources: Army 1985, NRC 
1987, ATK 1988. The Army wrote it "placed the DU wing of Building 502 in 
mothball status" after that, without noting the reason. The title of a 
partially withheld NRC document shows that a worker complained to OSHA that 
mixed waste containing DU, wood and plastic in barrels of concrete had 
caused an explosion. Talking about wastes: The first NRC document 
concerning Honeywell and radioactive waste is from 1985, after 16 years of 
possessing DU and at least 10 years of production, when Honeywell asked for 
waste material containing quantities of polychlorinated biphenyl, heavy 
metals and DU to be classified as non radioactive. The Army finally wanted 
to dispose of six pieces of contaminated manufacturing equipment in 1993. 
The date coincides with citizens forming an "Arsenal Cleanup and Conversion 
Committee". During 1993-1996 the Army's "Headquarters Industrial Operations 
Command, Radioactive Waste Disposal Division" contracted with the 
Scientific Ecology Group in Oak Ridge, TN to dismantle, transport and 
dispose of over 500,000 lbs of contaminated government-owned manufacturing 
equipment. ATK made their own arrangement with SEG for equipment removal 
and by fall 1996 the DU wing of Building 502 was empty.

The RAB

Enter the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) or not quite... In 1995 Army had 
denied a citizens petition for a RAB arguing that RAB's were only for 
closing bases. But in 1996, luck changed and a RAB was formed. Army dropped 
their plans to close TCAAP, decided to keep the West half open to 
"industrial operations" (Alliant only), but transferred the Eastern half to 
National Guard. >From the beginning there were differences in opinion 
regarding the clean up: RAB community members argued that future 
residential use should guide the clean up, while Army fought for industrial 
cleanup goals to save money - and you know who wins on an advisory board. 
In 1997 a "Record of Decision" was signed, setting clean up goals for most 
everything but DU. The matter of DU contamination had completely escaped 
public attention. Yet during the same year Army representatives from HQ and 
ATK feverishly worked out a decommissioning plan for building 502, which 
was submitted to the NRC in August 1997.

I participated in weekly peace vigils in front of ATK's headquarters for 
almost 2 years before acting on the realization that there was a total 
public information deficit about ATK's DU operations. I joined monthly RAB 
meetings in 2002 only to comprehend that DU was never on the agenda. When I 
asked our RAB's EPA representative why, the first response I got was "it's 
just not part of Superfund". When I finally dared to ask why, he emailed 
that it was "not a contaminant of concern" and that there was no evidence 
of an environmental release.

Fact Finding

My investigation started as a fact-finding mission involving several 
federal agencies, as the state regulator had called me a troublemaker and 
accused me of defaming the RAB. From the beginning, I asked the Army 
commander for any surveys of DU in the environment. He referred me to NRC 
and did not send any, but thankfully a new and male RAB member received 
some. I eventually asked Army to start a publicly accessible administrative 
record on DU, but never received a response. Communication with NRC was 
extremely sluggish and basically not helpful, culminating in a Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA) request. In August 2003, I wrote an 11 page petition 
to ATSDR requesting an updated public health assessment, as the last one 
was 9 years outdated. My request was denied. In December 2003, I wrote to 
EPA Region 5 Chief of the Federal Facilities Response Section requesting 
action on the evidence of environmental release of DU. He merely reiterated 
that there was "no reason to suspect a release of DU". I was referred to 
the administrative record, which according to EPA included 6 documents held 
by the Army. Some of the documents were not even present in the public 
document repository.

The Facts

Evidence of DU releases was right in the first EPA-recommended document I 
studied, a 1978 report by the US Army Toxic and Hazardous Materials Agency. 
It said: "The possibility for exceeding the limitations set by the 
Metropolitan Sewer Board exists once each month when the detention tank and 
sump system are flushed out with high pressure water. At this time, 
contaminants concentrated in the sludge would be dumped as a slug into the 
Metropolitan Sewer System." A 1979 Army Environmental Hygiene Agency 
document similarly stated that TCAAP's radioactive wastes were collected 
with the domestic wastewater and disposed of in the Metropolitan Sewer 
System. And the 1991 Final Remedial Investigation Report for TCAAP, by the 
Argonne National Laboratory, referred to an average 141 g DU discharge 
daily from January 5-13, 1981. Nevertheless, none of the soil samples of 
the DU room site were tested for uranium in the investigation. Groundwater 
monitoring for the site included metals, but not uranium, even though sewer 
integrity testing in 1980, 1983, and 1984 found that areas of the sewer 
were cracked, broken, or had missing segments. The site report said 
"available soils data are insufficient to adequately characterize the 
extent of gross alpha and beta activity in site soils." And "Additional 
investigations are needed."

Environmental Releases of DU

The amount of DU that went down the drain into the sewer system is 
staggering. Up until 1981, Honeywell asserted that "according to 
engineering judgment we are well within the requirements", but in 1981 they 
found that 2 Kg of DU were discharged into the sewer over 26 days. This 
estimate was adjusted upward to 8 lbs /month in 1991, and in 2003 these 
"operational losses" were still estimated to be roughly 100 lbs /year. When 
I confronted NRC with this evidence of a DU release for at least 8 years, 
NRC claimed that after the early 80's this practice was stopped.

The amount of solid DU waste generated is equally staggering. DU waste for 
just 3 1/2 years (1978-1982) was 3,736 drums. Only certain drum lots over a 
16 month period were itemized, but extrapolating from these one can 
conservatively estimate that the total contained at least about 36,000 kg 
of DU waste.

Radionuclides were found outside of Building 502 in 1997. I found out that 
DU activities were not limited to one building, but that others were used 
for storage of the raw material, the finished weapons and the drums of 
waste. No assessment for radionuclides has been done at these buildings.

Public Interest in DU

I stated the legal definition of "environmental release" at a RAB meeting 
and went on record that I felt DU was an environmental problem and unduly 
kept off the agenda. Nothing happened. Meanwhile the City of Arden Hills, 
future buyer of TCAAP's western portion in an "early land transfer", became 
nervous about the unclear radionuclide situation.

An EPA headquarters person visited Arden Hills in January 2004 and told a 
stunned audience of about 100 citizens "how EPA defers to NRC in regard to 
radioactive contamination at Superfund sites". Letters from Arden Hills and 
a U.S. Representative to the NRC produced reassurances not action. Finally 
NRC staged a one-time public relations appearance at Arden Hills City Hall 
on March 31, 2004. Four senior camera-ready NRC employees from NRC Region 
III and headquarters framed and controlled the show in all aspects. It was 
embarrassingly obvious to RAB members and other citizens that NRC dodged 
around facts and basically said "Trust us".

Media coverage of these and other TCAAP events has been sparse. Only the 
small weekly newspapers have faithfully sent their reporters to the 
meetings and critically reported. At least "radionuclides" is now a word in 
a few people's consciousness. Did I mention that ATK relocated? Their 
headquarters are still here, but production moved where there are less 
questions asked by citizens and legislators. This sorry history may be over 
soon. Any DU cleanup at TCAAP is likely complete with the impending land 
transfer to Ramsey County.

Report of the Strategy Meeting on Indigenous Peoples & Militarization

By Kelly Dietz

An international strategy meeting for Indigenous communities confronting 
military bases, training exercises and other forms of militarization was 
held on July 20, 2004, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The 
meeting was hosted by the Association of Indigenous Peoples in the Ryukyus 
(Okinawa) and the Shimin Gaiko Centre as a side event during the 22nd UN 
Working Group on Indigenous Populations (WGIP).

With the main theme of this year's WGIP conflict resolution, it was a 
timely opportunity to focus on the often ignored day-to-day violence of 
sustained military presence and on how such violence disproportionately 
impacts Indigenous communities and violates Indigenous rights. Holding the 
strategy meeting during the WGIP, moreover, allowed for a focus on problems 
of militarization as they relate to the right of self-determination. While 
militarization takes many forms - the effects of which differ depending on 
particular circumstances and histories - the underlying issue connecting 
the Indigenous participants in this particular meeting is that the problems 
they face as a result of militarization of their territories are rooted in 
persistent, institutionalized discrimination and denial of their 
communities' fundamental right to self-determination as a people.

Participants in the strategy meeting included Indigenous representatives 
from communities confronting military forces of the colonizing state and/or 
the military forces of US or other foreign governments. Also participating 
were representatives from international NGOs supporting Indigenous rights, 
human rights and working on militarization issues.

The initial aims of the meeting were to (1) establish and strengthen ties 
among Indigenous communities facing similar circumstances and problems as a 
result of militarization of their territories; (2) begin exchanging 
information about particular struggles; and (3) discuss how individuals and 
organizations can join together to support one another's struggles and 
strengthen the existing global network of Indigenous peoples (and their 
supporters) fighting against the siting of military bases and other forms 
of militarization.

In light of the feedback from many participants, the meeting clearly 
generated a lot of enthusiasm about creating an active, transnational 
network that will focus on the particular problems of Indigenous peoples 
confronting militarization. The discussions demonstrated strong interest in 
the potential benefits of a transnational network that will build 
concretely on the efforts and successes of existing local movements. 
Participants also expressed interest in building something more than a 
network based on just an exchange of organization names and contact 
information. The ideas that emerged suggest a network based on an ongoing 
exchange of detailed information and concrete actions.

Many ideas emerged from the strategy meeting about how to build an 
effective transnational network (logistically and otherwise) and how to 
disseminate information to AND mobilize active support from the global 
public. Taking advantage of the wealth of experience that meeting 
participants have had at the international level, many ideas also emerged 
regarding how to effectively use international agencies and mechanisms, and 
how to advance the issue of militarization and Indigenous peoples within 
the UN and other international fora. These ideas are summarized below.

Outcomes of the meeting include general agreement to: (1) create an Action 
Alert; (2) work towards building a web site that would function as a sort 
of "clearinghouse" of information related to Indigenous communities facing 
militarization; (3) create a mailing list to exchange information and 
ideas; and (4) to take advantage of future regional and international 
meetings by holding side meetings on militarization, possibly working 
towards holding an international workshop or conference dedicated to 
Indigenous peoples and militarization. These initiatives are explained in 
more detail below.

It is also worth noting that, although there was not time to draft a joint 
statement or resolution in the strategy meeting, according to participants, 
this side event appeared to have positive reverberations on the WGIP 
itself. Militarization and specifically the problems related to sustained 
presence of military bases were increasingly highlighted in organizations' 
statements as well as some joint statements. Among the recommendations 
submitted to the WGIP were calls to designate militarization as a main 
theme of a future WGIP meeting and of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous 
Issues, and to have the Commission on Human Rights Special Rapporteur for 
Indigenous Issues take up the issue.

As the meeting organizers, we only regret the limited time we had together. 
In particular, we would have liked to spend more time sharing specific 
experiences of militarization in order to get a better sense of which 
communities have which problems in common. As this meeting was primarily a 
strategy meeting, however, we made the tough decision to use the bulk of 
the time to brainstorm about how to work collectively.

The meeting's organizers welcome any suggestions you may have about the 
ideas that came out of the meeting. For more information on the Strategy 
Meeting on Indigenous Peoples and Militarization, contact Kelly Dietz at 
<mailto:kld18@cornell.edu>kld18@cornell.edu or Nariko Omine of the 
Association of Indigenous Peoples in the Ryukyus, at 
<mailto:narikomine@yahoo.com>narikomine@yahoo.com. For more information on 
the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations, visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89477>http://www.unhchr.ch/indigenous/groups.htm 


Note: This article is exempted from a much longer report on the meeting. To 
obtain a copy of the full report, email Kelly Dietz at the address listed 
above. Touching Bases readers may also be interested in the international 
No U.S. Bases email discussion list. To learn more about the list, contact 
Herbert Docena at herbert@focusweb.org with a short description of your 
community/organization and/or of your work.

Act to Stop Uranium Weapons

The Military Toxics Project, a member of the International Coalition to Ban 
Uranium Weapons (ICBUW), supports the International Day of Action to ban 
uranium weapons on November 6, 2004. Communities around the globe will 
participate by having events and actions coincide with the United Nations 
International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War 
and Armed Conflict. As we go to print with this edition of MTP's 
newsletter, activities have already been planned in Belgium, England, 
Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the United States. Planned events include 
petition drives, lobbying visits, symposiums, photo exhibits and marches. 
MTP will serve as the ICBUW Day of Action coordinator in the US. If you 
would like to organize an event or participate in one already planned, or 
if you need more information, visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89478>www.bandepleteduranium.org 
or contact the MTP office.

What you can do:

Sign the International Petition to ban uranium weapons. The Online Petition 
Campaign has started on the ICBUW website!!! Just click the "petition" on 
the site and you will find it. Please sign it yourself right away and urge 
your friends to do so, too. This petition campaign will continue until the 
realization of an international treaty banning uranium weapons, but ICBUW's 
first deadline is February 15, 2005, so that they can appeal to the EU 
Parliament or to NGO's involved the UN Disarmament Committee to be held in 
Geneva next spring. (Visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89479>www.bandepleteduranium.org 
for a downloadable petition form.)

Urge your Congressperson to support Representative Jim McDermott's HR 1483, 
the Depleted Munitions Study Act. H.R. 1483 would require studies to 
determine the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium, and require 
cleanup at sites of DU munitions production and use in the US. Ask your 
Senator to offer a companion bill in the Senate. For more information on 
this or other legislative initiatives, visit the Library of Congress 
Website at 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89480>http://thomas.loc.gov 
and search by bill number or sponsor.

Call for an end to the DU transportation exemption. The Depleted Uranium 
Munitions Action Plan is a national and international effort to stop the 
renewal of a special U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) exemption, 
DOT-E 9649, which allows the shipment of depleted uranium munitions without 
a "Radioactive" placard displayed on the shipment. The Department of 
Defense (DOD) first applied for the exemption in 1986 when they became 
aware that the shipment and use of radioactive munitions would become a 
controversial issue. The exemption must be renewed every two years by the 
DOD and was scheduled to be renewed on June 30, 2004. As this newsletter 
went to press the exemption had not yet been renewed. The complete action 
plan is posted at
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89481>http://www.traprockpeace.org/du_mun_action_plan.pdf. 


Oppose New Uranium Conversion Facilities. In July, the U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE) issued two Records of Decision (RODs) for construction and 
operation of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Conversion Plants at 
DOE's Kentucky and Ohio gaseous diffusion plants.

Currently, DUF6 is stored on-site at Paducah, Ohio; Portsmouth, Ky.; and 
Oak Ridge, Tenn. These three sites were home to gaseous diffusion plants 
where uranuium was enriched for use in nuclear weapons and nuclear power 
plants. The Oak Ridge DUF6 inventory (by-product of enrichment) is being 
moved to the Portsmouth facility for conversion. All three sites are 
heavily contaminated and area residents living next to the proposed 
conversion facilities are concerned that they will now be home to another 
polluting industry. Copies of the ROD are available on the DUF6 Management 
Information Network Website: 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89482>http://web.ead.anl.gov/uranium/documents 


Support radiation-exposed workers. The Energy Employees Occupational 
Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP), a program to aid former nuclear 
workers, has been a disaster and must be fixed. The law promised each 
worker or their survivors $150,000 for illnesses caused by radiation 
exposure, calling on the Department of Labor to pay out benefits, with the 
Energy Department providing support for the process along with assistance 
to workers and families in pursuing claims. Applications for the two 
programs have topped 70,000 and fewer than half of the applications have 
been completed.For more information, please visit the National Nuclear 
Workers for Justice Website at 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89483>http://www.nnwj.com. 


Support the troops. Call for an immediate ban on the use of DU in Iraq. All 
veterans returning from Iraq that may have been exposed to DU must be 
tested for depleted uranium exposure by an independent lab. If found 
positive, veterans and their families should be compensated. Also support 
initiatives such as Congressman Lane Evans' H.R. 4172-introduced in April 
2004. HR 4172 would amend Title 38, US Code, to codify certain additional 
diseases as establishing a certain presumption of service-connection when 
occurring in veterans exposed to ionizing radiation.

Roxbury Says No Way

By Jack Tobin
Alternatives for Community and Environment

In the Spring of 2003, Boston residents were taken aback when they first 
learned that Boston University (BU) had submitted an application to the 
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for funds, 
provided through the National Institute of Health's defense budget, to 
construct a Level-4 Biocontainment Laboratory in the Roxbury / South End 
area of the city. Since there had been no community input and since BU was 
falsely claiming it had community support, concerned residents of the 
to-be-affected area began to form a coalition under the aegis of Safety 
Net, a sub-group of Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE).

Surprise turned to opposition after a public meeting on May 12, 2003, when 
BU presented its plans, rejected community concerns, and refused to respond 
in depth to questions. Opposition to the lab has grown into a wide-spread 
coalition of local residents, members of organizations devoted to peace and 
social justice, and scientists, many from Boston's suburbs. After all, the 
dangers presented by the lab certainly extend beyond the few miles to 
Boston's borders.

Over the next several months, the coalition tried, over and over again, 
without success, to engage BU in dialog and get BU to present hard facts. 
While BU claims it has participated in a large number of public forums, the 
standard approach in such meetings was for BU to present its sketchy 
arguments, laced with half-truths, disingenuous statements, and outright 
falsehoods (lies, that is), and then refuse to answer questions and 
objections - except with further half-truths, disingenuous statements, and 
outright falsehoods (lies, that is).

Despite the coalition's efforts, including letters to NIAID and various 
public officials, BU's proposal was accepted and, in September, 2003, BU 
was awarded $127 million to construct the lab. With the $127 million and 
expectations for an additional $2.9 billion to come to the facility over 
the next 20 years, BU continued refusing to deal truthfully with the 
community. Some examples of BU's dishonesty include:

- Dr. Mark Klempner's (BU's lead person for the project) telling Boston 
City Council members that the Freedom of Information Act had prevented BU 
from making public its grant application, a statement flatly contradicted 
NIAID:

- A statement on BU's web site which says "The facility will be owned, 
operated, and managed by Boston University Medical Center . . . ." BU's 
grant was to construct the facility; the lab's operator will be chosen 
after further proposals are submitted. NIAID will control the lab's 
research for the first 20 years.

Klempner has repeatedly denied that classified research will be conducted 
at the lab but, with NIAID in charge, there is no way he can know whether 
his statement is true. While NIAID does not ostensibly support classified 
research, the question as to whether it might ever do so was answered by 
one of its senior program officers: "If I could predict the future, I 
wouldn't be in this job." An official NIAID document states; ". . . it is 
anticipated that all research carried out in the facility will be published 
and communicated in the same manner as other research at the NIH."

One of BU's particularly disingenuous statements (from its web site) is, 
"In more than 77 combined years of operation, there has never been a 
community incident or environmental release at the five BSL-4 laboratories 
in North America." Were one to say there has never been a reported case, 
there could be little argument. But though there may not have been a 
documented release, there have been serious problems:

- the anthrax which killed several people in September of 2001 was 
assuredly taken from the Level-4 lab at Ft. Detrick;

- in 2003, a researcher "pricked herself with an Ebola-tainted needle . . . 
and spent most of February in quarantine . . . ."

- while technically only a Level-3 lab, Plum Island (which conducts animal 
experiments) was considered for classification as Level-4 as long ago as 
the Nixon presidency. The fact that the first recorded case of Lyme disease 
occurred within spitting distance of the dock which was the Long Island 
terminus for boats from Plum Island and that the first U.S. case of West 
Nile virus occurred in New York at least hints of release problems.

BU's arguments that the lab would provide 1,300 construction jobs and 600 
permanent jobs are equally disingenuous. BU has said it will "aim for" half 
of the construction jobs to go to Boston residents. Obviously, that is far 
from a guarantee. But BU carefully avoids noting that, were the lab not 
built, other construction has already been approved for the site. So it's 
not a case of 1,300 vs. nothing, but of 1,300 vs., an indeterminate figure. 
There, is furthermore, no breakdown as to the numbers of types of jobs. 
There may well be 600 permanent jobs (vs. how many if the lab is not 
built?), but these jobs will not go to the people of Roxbury or the South 
End. These will be high-tech and professional jobs which will go to people 
who are not now residents of Boston and whose employment will only lead to 
further gentrification of the area.

That concern for the people of Boston is furthest from the minds of those 
proposing the lab is most clearly stated by Jonathan King, Professor of 
biology at MIT: "the location of a high risk bioterrorism facility in a 
densely populated area violates all standards and experience for siting 
such facilities in a manner that protects the public health and welfare." 
NIAID is planning to construct a Level-4 lab in Hamilton, Montana because 
release of pathogens in that area would have less of an impact on people.

Former State Representative and South End resident Mel King stated that "It 
is obscene to spend hundreds of millions of our tax dollars on bioterror, 
when we have more than 50,000 children in Massachusetts without health 
insurance and state funding was eliminated for school nurses." And 
Congressman Dennis Kucinich said that "The construction of the bioterror 
lab, while providing little to no benefit to the residents of Roxbury and 
South End, threatens the health of residents by potentially poisoning the 
air they breathe and the water they drink. The money used to construct this 
facility could be better spent on funding public health for low income 
communities like this one. It has always been my priority to restrict 
wasteful spending on weapons and weapons research in favor of initiatives 
that improve the quality of life ordinary Americans . . . ." Why build a 
lab which ". . .will drain the parent NIH research budgets for decades to 
come, stealing money sorely needed elsewhere in biology research"?

Why, indeed. Because of what it will do for BU's prestige. BU's interim 
president, Aram V. Chobanian, says that the lab "will make us more 
competitive. In the areas we're talking about [infectious diseases] it will 
make us the leading institution."

Jack Murphy, who will be one of the chief researchers if the lab is built, 
and who cannot guarantee a pathogen couldn't escape from a facility 
operated by human beings, says it is a matter of "risk and benefit." Klare 
Allen, Community Organizer for ACE, says if construction begins on the lab 
next summer, "the only thing we can do is put our bodies in front of the 
bulldozer."

For more information on community resistance to the proposed Roxbury lab, 
visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89484>http://www.ace-ej.org/BiolabWeb/biolab.html 


Maryland Opposes Megadeath Labs

By Richard Ochs

Members of the Peace Resource Center (PRC) in Frederick, MD, are organizing 
against the construction of a Level 4 biosafety lab and two Level 3 labs at 
Fort Detrick. According to attorney Barry Kissin, Mayor Dougherty of 
Frederick reported that people picketed in Bethesda, Maryland against 
building the labs there. The protesters said that the "research facilities" 
should not be located in a metropolitan area like Bethesda, a suburb of 
Washington, D.C., but instead at Fort Detrick in Frederick.

Attorney Kissin, who has lived in Frederick for 30 years and lives one mile 
from the base, pointed out that the 200,000 people who live in the 
Frederick area are already dangerously impacted by existing facilities. He 
referred to the very high incidence of cancer among neighbors of Fort 
Detrick, as reported in the local press.

He also cited the sloppiness of Fort Detrick personnel in the handling of 
terribly deadly biological agents, as exposed in the best selling book, 
"The Hot Zone." In April 2002, anthrax spores were twice found outside 
secure areas at Fort Detrick. The Army has yet to disclose the cause of the 
accident. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are 
investigating how a Frederick research institute mistakenly shipped live 
anthrax bacteria to a California lab where at least five people were 
exposed to the potentially deadly germs in May. (Baltimore Sun, June 11, 
2004) The Level 4 facilities are designed to grow organisms which have no 
vaccine or cure, such as Ebola, 20 liters of which would be enough to 
infect every person on the planet.

Kissin joined dozens of other opponents of the lab expansion who picketed, 
leafleted and testified at an Environmental Impact hearing on June 23 of 
this year. Most of them opposed putting such labs anywhere. Kissin stated 
that the only real defense against biological warfare is the enforcement of 
the international treaty that bans such weapons and a real commitment to 
forge peace in the world instead of inciting a biological weapons arms race.

The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) bans the development, 
production, stockpiling, acquisition and retention of biological agents or 
toxins, in types and quantities that have no justification for peaceful 
purposes. In 2001, the Bush administration rejected an effort to establish 
a verification protocol, making the U.S. the only country to reject it at 
that time. There are strong indications that the variety of anthrax found 
in envelopes mailed to two U.S. Senators in October 2001 originated at Fort 
Detrick. This incident brought to light a secret U.S. program to produce 
weapons-grade anthrax. For more information on this, visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89485>www.freefromterror.net 


Small Victories: No Burns at INAAP in October

By John Blair and Christine Ziebold

The US Army burned numerous buildings at the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant 
(INAAP) last spring, despite concerns of negative health effects, and 
despite the general prohibition of open burns in Indiana. The Army 
contended that this was the only way to safely decommission the buildings, 
even though by law alternatives need to be considered and do exist.

We wrote to Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the 
Governor in March, but the burns proceeded despite documented repeated 
infractions. However, IDEM agreed to issue "news media advisories" after 
the 3rd burn, arguably an adequate precautionary measure, and monitored 
selected air pollutants at the last burn. This showed that lead emissions 
temporarily violated federal air quality standards.

Recently IDEM informed us that the Army had applied for another permit to 
burn in October. IDEM does not have an electronic docket or list of all the 
documents dealing with INAAP's burn requests. We got involved again and are 
happy to report that INAAP withdrew their request on 9-15-04 without 
explanation. True, the Office of Land Quality had also told them some time 
ago that they could wait to remove the metal and propellant grains until 
winter when the grass dies back. To us, it suggests to never underestimate 
the power of a few.

Further Background: The burns are referred to as "thermal decontamination". 
Mercury and dioxin emissions were not measured, even though old switches 
and cables were present, and pentachlorphenol-treated wood and PVC did not 
even enter the hazard analysis. Likewise, criteria pollutants such as 
particulate matter were not measured, but photos of the thick smoke plumes 
attest to the copious emissions. Army officials have said repeatedly that 
the burns are not hazardous to the public. Of particular concern is that 
there are six schools in a 2 mile radius. Clark County is rural, not 
densely populated, and has no local environmental or public health 
advocates. The IN Department of Health has not been involved. The 
environmental assessment of last year's burns give one the impression that 
Army feels the local population can be discounted.

Open burning has been banned around the nation because it puts the public 
and especially children in harm's way. Burns clearly have public health 
relevance, both immediate (exacerbation of asthma and COPD cardiovascular 
side effects) and long term in the prevention of neurodevelopmental 
impairment (lead, mercury, dioxin), birth defects (particulate matter) and 
through their contribution to green house gases.

MTP and SEAC Debut Online Interactive Military Toxics Map

New Resource to Help Community Organizations and Youth Network with Each Other

* 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89486>www.stopmilitarytoxics.org 
*

You heard it here first! MTP and the Student Environmental Action Coalition 
(SEAC) have just posted live on the internet a brand new resource to help 
community, student, and youth organizations confronting military toxics 
connect with and support each other. The interactive map at 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89487>www.stopmilitarytoxics.org 
allows local youth and community leaders to post information about their 
work. Military sites, defense contractors, university research centers, and 
community and youth organizations can all be easily entered into the 
database and displayed on the map.

The interactive web site and map was jointly developed by MTP and SEAC to 
encourage networking and collaboration between community organizations and 
student/youth groups working to stop military pollution. The site was built 
by OJC Technologies, an independent website design company.

All MTP member organizations have already been entered into the site's 
database and appear on the map.

To put your organization, toxic military site, youth group, or military 
research center on the map:

(1) Visit 
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=10319657&u=89488>www.stopmilitarytoxics.org 


(2) Click "Put your organization or a toxic site on the map!";

(3) Create a user name and password (MTP member organizations already have 
user accounts - contact the office to get yours!);

(4) Choose what you want to add to the map (a toxic site or an 
organization) and enter your information.

Once your entry has been approved your site or organization will appear on 
the map and in the database so potential supporters can find you and your work!


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