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Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject
line and first line of body
NUCLEAR POLICY
1 Xinhua: Iran taking part in nuclear expert meeting in Vienna - offic
2 The Advocate: Businessman charged by feds with aiding Iran nuclear p
3 [du-list] 1/11 Korea Watch: U.S. congressman Discussses N.
4 Guardian Unlimited: Congressman: N. Korea Nukes Discussed
5 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: North Says Threat of Nuclear War Growing
6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Congressman: North Korea addressed nuclear is
7 US: [NukeNet] Watchdogs Slay Plutonium AVLIS Program, Again!
8 Guardian Unlimited: Official: U.S., Russia Close to Arms Deal
9 US: AP Wire: NRC drops fine against TVA in whistleblower settlement
10 [NukeNet] IAEA Head Has Repeatedly Called For Nuclear Fuel
11 Taipei Times: Lee Yuan-tseh turns to environmental sustainability
12 Daily Yomiuri: Huge CO2 emission cuts proposed
NUCLEAR REACTORS
13 US: [NukeNet] 3 articles on Hope Creek re-start
14 US: NRC: Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Rancho Seco Independ
15 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
16 US: AP Wire: Officials study how contamination left Oconee Nuclear S
17 US: AP Wire: Group wants Duke's plan to use fuel at nuclear plant ma
18 US: News Journal: Nuke plant to restart without overhaul
19 Taipei Times: Government still committed to end of nuclear power
20 YWS: Gov't Approves New Nuclear Power Generators in Gori
21 Economic Times: 'Our nuclear facilities can brave any natural disast
22 US: Times Argus: Vt. Yankee must be a cornerstone of state's electri
23 Indian Express: Tsunami hits N-programme: fast breeder project delay
24 US: Brattleboro Reformer: NRC to review coalition's petition
25 US: NRC: New NRC Senior Resident Inspector Assigned to Peach Bottom
26 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting Jan. 19 on Environmental Impacts
27 EUbusiness: Lithuania to seek international help to build new nuclea
NUCLEAR SAFETY
28 US: NRC: KTL Roudebush Testing, Kansas City, MO; Order Revoking Lice
29 US: NRC: Christopher V. Roudebush; Order Prohibiting Involvement in
30 US: Guardian Unlimited: Kin of Sick Nuke Workers to Get Checks
31 Bellona: Russia scrapped 17 nuclear powered submarines in 2004
32 US: Las Vegas SUN: No terrorism threat found in LV rail probe
33 US: DenverPost.com: Whistle-blowers reap, but process takes time
34 US: NRC: NRC Increases Security Requirements for Portable Gauges Con
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
35 US: Bradenton Herald: More toxic Tallevast tests emerge
36 Las Vegas RJ: Nevada entitled to more funds to fight Yucca, lawyers
37 US: Las Vegas RJ: Experts: Perchlorate lessharmful than thought
38 US: mineweb: Uranium to be supply driven rather than inventory drive
39 US: Las Vegas SUN: Terrorism threat prompted LV rail probe in '03
40 US: Las Vegas SUN: Letter: Leaving nuclear waste in place is best so
41 US: Las Vegas SUN: Administration asked opinion on nuke waste case
42 Las Vegas SUN: Appeals court to decide on money to fight Yucca dump
43 US: Water and Waste Water: Statement from AWWA on NAS Report on Perc
44 US: PE.com: Perchlorate danger less than feared, panel says
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
45 US: KR: Chemical found in drinking water safer than EPA feared, pane
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
46 chillicothe gazette: Businesses to take over environmental cleanup i
47 chillicothe gazette: Public input sought on new USEC facility -
OTHER NUCLEAR
48 [du-list] DU in the news -10th Jan 05
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 Xinhua: Iran taking part in nuclear expert meeting in Vienna - official
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2005-01-11 23:08:42
TEHRAN, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- A top Iranian diplomat said
on Tuesday in Vienna that Iran was taking part for the first
time in an expert meeting on nuclear fuel cycle in the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, the
official IRNA news agency reported.
Pirouz Hosseini, Iran's permanent representative to the
IAEA, was quoted as saying that Sirous Nasseri, Iranian diplomat
at the IAEA board of governors and member of the Iranian
negotiating delegation with the European Union (EU), was
attending the meeting. "The meeting kicked off Monday and would
continue for five days," Hosseini said.
"The participants will discuss ways to guarantee production
of fuel to be used in nuclear power generation facilities and
establish depots for stockpiling fuel waste," he said. Hosseini
pointed out that the participants were attending the meeting
with their personal and expert identity and not as
representatives of their countries.
Iran has been accused by the United States of developing
nuclear weapons under the disguise of research for civil
purpose. Tehran rejected the accusation and termed it as
politically motivated.
However, under the international pressure and a package of
incentives offered by the European Union (EU), Iran downright
suspended its sensitive nuclear activity, uranium enrichment, in
Nov. 2004 and vowed to admit inspectors to some sensitive sites.
In return, the EU promised to recognize Iran's right to get
access to peaceful nuclear technology and provide necessary aid
to Iran. Enditem
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
2 The Advocate: Businessman charged by feds with aiding Iran nuclear program
Associated Press
January 11, 2005
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. --
An Iranian-born businessman illegally smuggled equipment to
support the Iranian nuclear missile program, federal prosecutors
said Tuesday.
Mohammad Farahbakhsh, 43, an Iranian-born U.S. citizen living in
Los Angeles, was arraigned in U.S. District Court Tuesday on
charges that he sent pressure sensors and other equipment from
Stamford to the United Arab Emirates, where they were to be
shipped to Iran.
His four-page indictment does not mention the nuclear program,
but federal agents recently raided Farahbakhshs homes in Los
Angeles and in Cambridge, Iowa, where they discovered computer
files showing deliveries to a company involved in Iran's nuclear
missile program, prosecutors said.
The company, the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, has twice been
hit with U.S. sanctions for its role in developing missile
technology.
"That was the first time we ever heard about this nuclear
program," defense attorney Kristan Peters said after court
Tuesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Appleton said prosecutors planned
to file a new indictment that includes information from the
searches.
The sensors Farahbakhsh is accused of shipping through the UAE
can be used for both civilian and military projects, but Appleton
said investigators are still trying to determine the uses for the
material allegedly shipped to Shahid Hemmat.
Peters said Farahbakhsh, who goes by the name Hadi Farah, has no
dealings with the Iranian military or the nuclear program.
Prosecutors disagreed.
"There's a picture of the defendant standing on an Iranian oil
tanker after providing them with a radar system," Appleton said.
Farahbakhsh was charged in Connecticut because he allegedly
ordered pressure sensors from Stamford-based Omega Engineering in
2003. Just 20 months ago, Omega was fined $313,000 for illegally
shipping equipment to Pakistan. When the company learned the
sensors were destined to Iran, officials notified the FBI.
"Omega deserves credit for coming around and being on the right
team," U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor said Tuesday.
Federal agents worked with the company to catch Farahbakhsh when
he reordered equipment in 2004. He was arrested in October in Los
Angeles, where he has been held while a plea deal was discussed.
Those talks fell apart, attorneys said, and he was transferred to
Connecticut.
Farahbakhsh, a dual citizen of Iran and the United States, is
charged with two counts of violating federal export laws. He
faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on both counts.
The indictment does not say whether the equipment made it to
Iran, but that is not required to charge someone. In the next
indictment, Farahbakhsh could face new charges or additional
counts of the same charges, Appleton said. He expects it will be
filed next month.
Peters said Farahbakhsh was allowed to ship the sensors to the
UAE for construction of automobile testing components. He knew
those components were ultimately bound for Iran, but she said he
cannot be charged because the sensors are such a small piece of
the component. She said she will try to have the case dismissed.
Investigators are also looking for a second person who allegedly
conspired to ship the sensors. The person, whose name is redacted
from the indictment, allegedly does business at the Akeed Trading
Company in the UAE. A person answering the company cell phone
Tuesday night hung up on a reporter. Nobody at Omega was
available to take a call Tuesday night.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly Fitzsimmons did not make a decision
on bail Tuesday. Prosecutors want him held, saying he will flee
to Iran because bail would be a "negligible cost of doing
business." Farahbakhsh's wife is in California and his ex-wife,
Debbie, and four children are in Iowa, his lawyer said. Her
client can be placed on house arrest and a Federal Aviation
Administration flight list to ensure he will not flee, Peters
said.
Copyright © 2005, The Associated Press [Aparrtments.com]
© 2005, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc. All rights
*****************************************************************
3 [du-list] 1/11 Korea Watch: U.S. congressman Discussses N.
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:58:45 -0800
Rep. Discussses N. Korea Nuclear Program
By AUDRA ANG
.c The Associated Press
BEIJING (AP) - A U.S. congressman who visited North Korea said Tuesday that
Pyongyang is waiting to see how the second Bush administration takes shape
before deciding whether to return to talks on its nuclear program.
Rep. Tom Lantos, the top Democrat on the House International Relations
Committee, said the officials he met expressed ``their desire for a
significantly
improved set of relations with the United States,'' but they argued
repeatedly that Washington still harbored ``hostile intent.''
``They indicated their support for continuing the six-party talks but they
said they are waiting to see the shape of the second Bush administration
before committing to returning to the table,'' Lantos said at a news
conference in
Beijing after the three-day visit.
They did not specify what exactly would convince them to continue
negotiations, he said.
The United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia have been
struggling to arrange a new round of talks on the North's nuclear
weapons programs.
Three rounds, hosted by China, have been held since 2003, but there have been
no breakthroughs.
Lantos, D-Calif., said he told them that since President Bush was still in
office and Donald Rumsfeld was still secretary of defense, ``there is no
conceivable reason for anyone to expect a significant change of U.S. policy
towards the Korean Peninsula.''
He met with Yang Hyong Sop, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme
People's Assembly, Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun and Vice Foreign Minister
Kim
Kye Gwan, who is also North Korea's chief representative in the six-party
talks.
Lantos said the meetings did not specifically address the type of nuclear
programs the North had. Pyongyang says it has several plutonium-based nuclear
weapons and denies U.S. allegations it has a secret uranium-based nuclear
weapons program.
``They indicated that they view their nuclear program as important, but I
had the very strong impression that they are ready to discuss the
matter,'' he
said without elaborating.
Lantos was a sponsor of the North Korean Human Rights Act, which took effect
in October and allows Washington to spend up to $24 million a year in
humanitarian aid for North Koreans - much of it for refugees who have fled
their
country.
North Korea reacted angrily to the law, saying it caused ``slander and
insult'' to Pyongyang.
Despite the bill, Lantos said the officials he met ``expressed a very strong
sense of goodwill.''
He said he also presented Libya as a possible model for North Korea - a
notion that Pyongyang seemed to be willing to consider. Last year, Bush
removed a
ban on commercial air service to Libya and released $1.3 billion in frozen
Libyan assets in recognition of steps to eliminate its deadliest weapons
programs.
While he didn't think the North Korean meetings solved any immediate
problems, Lantos said they were was ``one small step in the right direction.''
01/11/05 07:40 EST
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4 Guardian Unlimited: Congressman: N. Korea Nukes Discussed
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Congressman: N. Korea Nukes Discussed
Tuesday January 11, 2005 4:31 AM
BEIJING (AP) - A U.S. congressman who met high-ranking North
Korean officials said Tuesday he discussed the North's nuclear
program and human rights issues at great length.
Rep. Tom Lantos, the ranking Democrat on the House International
Relations Committee, stopped in Beijing after a three-day visit
to Pyongyang.
``I had very substantive, serious discussions on a range of
issues including nuclear matters, human rights matters and the
economy,'' Lantos told reporters when he arrived in Beijing on
Tuesday.
He did not give any details but said he would report to
President Bush about the meeting when he returned to the United
States.
The North's official News Agency KCNA said Lantos held talks
with Yang Hyong Sop, vice president of the Presidium of the
North's Supreme People's Assembly, at the Mansudae Assembly
Hall.
Lantos also met North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun on
Monday, KCNA said.
The United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia have
been struggling to hold a new round of talks on the North's
nuclear weapons programs. Three rounds, hosted by China, have
been held since 2003, but there have been no breakthroughs.
Pyongyang said last week that it was willing to abandon its
nuclear programs if Washington gives up ``a hostile policy aimed
at toppling our system,'' a spokesman of North Korea's Foreign
Ministry said in a statement carried by KCNA.
Lantos, 76, was a sponsor of the North Korean Human Rights Act
passed in October that allows Washington to spend up to $24
million a year in humanitarian aid for North Koreans - much of
it for refugees who have fled their country. North Korea reacted
angrily to the law, saying it caused ``slander and insult'' to
Pyongyang.
Separately a bipartisan congressional delegation organized by
Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., also visits Pyongyang this week.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
5 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: North Says Threat of Nuclear War Growing
Updated Jan.11,2005 17:30 KST
reported a growing threat of nuclear war because of the presence
of U.S. troops in South Korea and the U.S.'s aggressive policy
toward Pyongyang.
In a statement, the North Korean Embassy in Moscow said that
U.S. policy seeking to "strangle" North Korea had exacerbated
the threat of a nuclear war. "Should a war break out, only our
Northern and Southern brothers and our country will feel the
pain of the huge disaster," the statement said.
"The Korean people must drive the U.S. military out of South
Korea and eliminate an environment where a nuclear war could
erupt, while securing the peace and security of the Korean
Peninsula," it added.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
*****************************************************************
6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Congressman: North Korea addressed nuclear issue
[http://joongangdaily.joins.com]
January 12, 2005 KST 11:54 (GMT+9)
January 12, 2005 ¤Ñ A ranking U.S. congressman has concluded
his meetings with North Korean leaders in Pyeongyang, saying
talks dealt with the North's nuclear aspirations, international
media reported yesterday.
"I had very substantive, serious discussions on a range of
issues, including nuclear matters, human rights matters and the
economy," Tom Lantos, Democrat of California, was quoted as
saying by Reuters after his four-day trip to the North.
Mr. Lantos said yesterday he will brief President George W. Bush
and Condoleezza Rice, nominee for the secretary of state, about
his visit.
The North's state-run Korea Central News Agency also reported
yesterday that Mr. Lantos had met with Foreign Minister Paek
Nam-sun and Yang Hyong-sop, vice president of the Supreme
People's Assembly, North Korea's legislature. The report,
however, gave no further details about the talks.
Mr. Lantos is a member of the International Relations Committee
of the House of Representatives and a sponsor of a recently
enacted U.S. law designed to improve human rights in North Korea.
Mr. Lantos' trip, the first U.S. congressional visit to the
North since 2003, came just before a six-member bipartisan U.S.
congressional delegation starts talks in Pyeongyang. The North
Korean news outlet also reported the delegation arrived in
Pyeongyang yesterday.
by Ser Myo-ja iamfine@joongang.co.kr>
[http://joongangdaily.joins.com/faq.html]
*****************************************************************
7 [NukeNet] Watchdogs Slay Plutonium AVLIS Program, Again!
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:58:52 -0800
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
Hi, friends and colleagues -- this is a huge victory for nonproliferation
as well as for our health and environment. Read on... Peace, Marylia Kelley
Watchdog "Davids" Slay Plutonium - AVLIS Program, Again!
By Loulena Miles
>From Tri-Valley CAREs' January 2005 newsletter, Citizen's Watch
Tri-Valley CAREs has recently obtained a memo from U.S. Dept. of Energy
(DOE) Headquarters containing a formal determination that Livermore Lab
will not be permitted to revive its controversial Plutonium-Atomic Vapor
Laser Isotope Separation (Pu-AVLIS) program. According to the memo,
Pu-AVLIS has been defunded and will be withdrawn from consideration when
the final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) on Livermore Lab
operations is released, later in 2005.
Kudos to all of our readers who attended public hearings and submitted
written comments on the draft SWEIS to oppose this dangerous project. Your
voices made a difference.
The cancellation of Pu-AVLIS is our first victory in the struggle to stop
numerous polluting and proliferation-provocative nuclear weapons programs
outlined in the SWEIS. It also represents the culmination of a lot of good
work by Tri-Valley CAREs and colleague organizations.
In Feb. 2003, the draft SWEIS was circulated to the public. Included in its
2,500 pages was the plan to raise the previously-dead Pu-AVLIS project from
its ashes.
The proposal involved Livermore Lab first converting plutonium oxides to
metal using a furnace. Then, the plutonium metal (containing a mixture of
isotopes) was to be heated in a crucible until it formed a hot vapor cloud.
Specially tuned laser beams were to be shot through the vapor to
selectively ionize out, or separate, the desired plutonium isotope(s) from
the mix.
The Pu-AVLIS process could have been employed to separate out Plutonium-242
for use in certain above-ground weapon design tests for the "stockpile
stewardship" program. Or, Pu-AVLIS could have been used to produce
weapons-grade concentrations of Plutonium-239, the isotope needed for
nuclear bomb cores.
In addition to the obvious health and environmental risks, the plan to
revive, and ultimately perfect, Pu-AVLIS technology posed a huge nuclear
proliferation problem.
For, if it had gone forward, this Livermore Lab project could have given
international would-be bomb builders a wholly new method for obtaining
weapons grade material from the mixed plutonium isotopes that can be found
in an irradiated fuel rod from a civilian nuclear power plant or research
reactor. And, Pu-AVLIS would have been more compact and less detectable to
outside observers than existing technologies for separating nuclear bomb
materials.
Livermore Lab first planned to perfect Pu-AVLIS technology in the 1980s.
Due to opposition by non-governmental organizations, including Tri-Valley
CAREs, and allies in Congress, the project was halted by the early 90s.
Probably due to an anticipated renewal of massive public opposition,
Livermore Lab first tried to revive Pu-AVLIS under cover of deepest
secrecy.
When the Notice of Intent to prepare the draft SWEIS was published in the
Federal Register there was not any mention of Pu-AVLIS, only a
vaguely-worded reference to an unnamed "Defense Nuclear Technology
Classified Project." Moreover, the Notice said the project would be
described in a classified appendix, unavailable to the public. One of
Tri-Valley CAREs' early successes was to initiate opposition to this
excessive secrecy. Ultimately, word leaked out that the secret project was
Pu-AVLIS. And, the project was described in the draft SWEIS for all to see.
Tri-Valley CAREs then filed several Freedom of Information Act requests and
found that the Lab was positioning itself to conduct plutonium vaporization
as early as 2005. A handwritten note on one DOE document revealed that the
agency had consciously decided to avoid conducting a legal review of the
project. This became clear because DOE had tried to classify it with the
words, "contravention of statute" written on the cover.
>From other DOE documents, we learned that Pu-AVLIS would have been used to
vaporize 220 lbs. of plutonium every year. The process could have resulted
in significant worker exposure, routine airborne releases of plutonium into
surrounding communities, more plutonium moving around on our nation's
highways to and from the Lab, and increased dangers associated with a
natural disaster (e.g., earthquake), or a terrorist attack.
During the past year, Tri-Valley CAREs has spoken at dozens of meetings,
rallies and hearings against this project, while also enlisting a
formidable cast of experts in the fight. They include Paul Leventhal of the
Nuclear Control Institute, Arjun Makhijani from the Institute for Energy
and Environmental Research, and Chris Paine and Geoff Fettus of the Natural
Resources Defense Council. Each of these groups opposed the resurrection of
Pu-AVLIS at a public hearing held at DOE Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Additionally, Tri-Valley CAREs took the issue to the global community,
discussing it at the United Nations and thus educating diplomats, NGOs and
the media. Further, Tri-Valley CAREs was poised to sue in Federal Court if
DOE chose to give final approval for this project.
We are now archiving the documents we obtained during our efforts to stop
Pu-AVLIS. This will serve as a safeguard against any future proposals to
revive it yet again. We are celebrating this victory, but we plan to remain
vigilant!
###
Marylia Kelley
Executive Director
Tri-Valley CAREs
(Communities Against a Radioactive Environment)
2582 Old First Street
Livermore, CA USA 94551
- is our web site address. Please visit us
there!
(925) 443-7148 - is our phone
(925) 443-0177 - is our fax
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8 Guardian Unlimited: Official: U.S., Russia Close to Arms Deal
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday January 11, 2005 10:31 PM
AP Photo XPNT103
By ROBERT BURNS
AP Military Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States and Russia are close to
completing an agreement designed to limit trafficking in
portable air-defense missiles, which some security experts fear
terrorists could use against commercial airliners, Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.
At a joint news conference with Defense Secretary Donald H.
Rumsfeld, Ivanov provided few details but said the proposed
accord reflected a common interest between the United States and
Russia in constraining the unauthorized movement of these
weapons around the world.
``You know full well that terrorists of all hues and stripes''
have sought to obtain them, he said.
Ivanov, speaking through an interpreter, said ``an agreement on
the exchange of information'' on portable air-defense weapons
would be signed by the two countries ``pretty soon.''
He said the agreement was put together quickly ``because it was
in the best interests of both states to maximally constrain''
the movement of such weapons, such as the American-made Stinger
shoulder-fired missiles the CIA supplied to Afghan rebels
fighting Soviet forces in the 1980s.
Ivanov said ``negligible amounts'' of Russian-made air defense
weapons also were in Afghanistan, and they are included in the
inventories of many central and eastern European countries.
Rumsfeld did not comment on the deal and other U.S. officials
did not immediately have any information.
Later, after a meeting with President Bush at the White House,
Ivanov told reporters he and Rumsfeld had briefly filled the
president in on the ``understanding between the governments of
the two countries to control the movements'' of such weapons.
Typically, these relatively cheap weapons are small,
rocket-propelled warheads with heat-seeking sensors. They are
designed to be triggered from a tube-like, disposable launcher
and to follow the heat of a jet engine's exhaust to its source.
The CIA-backed rebels in Afghanistan used Stingers to great
effect against Russian helicopters and other low-flying aircraft
during the 1980s.
Ivanov also said he had accepted a U.S. invitation for Russian
forces to participate in a U.S.-based military exercise to
``handle nuclear safety issues while transporting nuclear
munitions.'' He did not elaborate.
Later, the Pentagon issued a brief statement saying the United
States will host six Russian observers at a nuclear weapons
convoy security exercise this spring. It gave no details.
Ivanov said his session with Bush laid the groundwork for a
meeting between the U.S. president and Russian President
Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Feb. 24 in the Slovak Republic
while Bush is traveling through Europe. Ivanov and Bush talked
about hotspots such as Iran and Afghanistan; the joint
commitment to fight terrorism; their desire to reduce the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and bilateral
military exercises, he said.
The two did not discuss the political situation in Russia's
neighbor, Ukraine, but Ivanov did not rule it out as a topic of
discussion when he returns to the White House on Wednesday to
meet with national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. Rice has
been nominated to be the next secretary of state.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
9 AP Wire: NRC drops fine against TVA in whistleblower settlement
| 01/11/2005 |
DUNCAN MANSFIELD
Associated Press
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has reached
a settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority that drops what
was once a maximum $110,000 fine for discriminating against a
nuclear plant worker who raised safety concerns.
The regulatory agency announced Tuesday that TVA, the country's
largest public utility, has improved its work environment to the
point that a fine was no longer necessary in a case dating back
to 1996 at the TVA's Sequoyah Nuclear Plant near Chattanooga.
Worker advocates aren't so sure.
"The only thing that changes is nothing changes," said Ann
Harris, a former TVA whistleblower and founder of the worker
support group, We The People. "The abuse still continues and the
NRC continues to give them permission, and TVA continues to do
it."
TVA, a federal corporation with more than 12,000 employees,
operates three nuclear stations, 11 coal-fired power plants and
29 hydroelectric dams. It provides electricity to about 8.5
million people in Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi,
Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.
The case involved TVA's treatment of Gary L. Fiser, a chemistry
and environmental protection program manager who worked for TVA
from 1987 to 1996. Fiser raised safety concerns about the
Sequoyah station from 1991 to 1993, and filed a U.S. Department
of Labor complaint in 1993 in part because of those concerns.
Three years later, Fiser was laid off with hundreds of others.
TVA said the layoffs were for "legitimate business reasons." But
Fiser said his bid for another job within TVA was undermined by
his whistleblower activities.
Finding credibility in Fiser's claim, the NRC originally
proposed a maximum fine of $110,000 against TVA in 2001. That
was reduced to $44,000 on appeal in 2003.
The settlement, reached on Nov. 10, ends the case without
penalty and drops individual citations against two managers, one
of whom has left TVA and another who transferred.
However, the original determination that TVA discriminated
against Fiser, whom TVA privately settled with last October,
"remains in effect," said Carolyn Evans, counsel for the NRC's
regional office in Atlanta. "It didn't take that away. It
doesn't erase it," she said.
"But what has happened is that the parties have agreed to settle
this dispute based on the finding that TVA has adopted and has
taken actions to ensure that it has a safety conscious work
environment," she said.
The NRC cited an employee survey by TVA's inspector general in
2004 that "found that TVA employees ... generally felt free to
raise nuclear safety and quality issues." The regulators also
noted there have been no worker discrimination complaints
against TVA in the past two years.
"We are pleased that the matter has been resolved," TVA
spokesman Gil Francis said, noting the settlement "acknowledges
TVA's actions to foster and maintain" a good working environment
in which employees are encouraged to "raise nuclear concerns and
quality issues."
But Harris contends TVA employees are still reluctant to raise
safety problems with their bosses. She said she knows because
they come to her for advice.
"They fear for their jobs. And the NRC is toothless; they don't
do anything" Harris said.
---
TVA: http://www.tva.gov [http://www.tva.gov]
*****************************************************************
10 [NukeNet] IAEA Head Has Repeatedly Called For Nuclear Fuel
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:58:44 -0800
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei, for example,
has repeatedly called to have the nuclear fuel
cycle placed under international control to
prevent further proliferation.
UN nuclear watchdog seen aggressively pursuing
violations
http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2005/01/09/un_nuclear_watchdog_seen_aggressively_pursuing_violations?pg=2
New powers give agency an edge in investigations
By Brian Whitmore, Globe Correspondent | January
9, 2005
PRAGUE -- As the United Nations nuclear watchdog
agency gains more authority and develops greater
capabilities to investigate suspected
proliferation activities, more countries will be
found to have violated the rules, according to
diplomats and analysts.
Egypt joined that expanding list of nations this
month as reports emerged that the Vienna-based
International Atomic Energy Agency was
investigating Cairo for conducting a series of
small, but undeclared, atomic experiments decades
ago.
Over the past two years, IAEA probes have also
helped uncover varying degrees of unauthorized
nuclear activity by Iran and South Korea, as well
as overseeing Libya's disarmament. Additionally,
Abdul Qadeer Khan, the founder of Pakistan's
nuclear program, admitted early last year to
providing atomic secrets to Tehran and Tripoli, as
well as to North Korea, since the late 1980s. The
flood of disclosures and confessions that have
shed light on previously clandestine nuclear
activities is partially the result of expanded
inspection powers the IAEA has acquired over the
past decade as well as a new investigative culture
that has emerged at the agency, diplomats and
weapons specialists said.
"The IAEA is changing the way it does business
and it is creating shock waves," said David
Albright, a former UN weapons inspector who heads
the Institute for Science and International
Security, a think tank in Washington. "It is
making it harder for countries to hide even small
efforts."
Egypt's alleged nuclear experiments -- which
diplomats say mostly took place before 1982,
although some may have been conducted later --
involved making uranium metal and carrying out the
first steps of uranium enrichment by making
uranium tetrafluoride, or UF4. Although these
activities could be pointers to a nuclear program,
nonproliferation officials say they see no
evidence of this.
"Our people have concluded that this is more
likely the result of sloppiness in reporting" the
enrichment activities than deliberate
"concealment" of nuclear activities, a senior
Western diplomat in Vienna close to the IAEA said.
Enriching uranium is allowed under the 1970
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as long as it is
reported to the IAEA and open to inspections to
assure it is for peaceful purposes. Egypt ratified
the treaty in 1981, pledging to forgo nuclear
weapons and provide the IAEA with a declaration of
past nuclear work.
Diplomats say the undeclared experiments were
minor compared with those of Iran, which concealed
a massive uranium enrichment program from the IAEA
for nearly two decades and which Washington
believes is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Egypt has denied developing nuclear weapons and
is cooperating with the agency, but IAEA officials
say they are nevertheless determined to look
thoroughly into the matter, as well as any others
that emerge as new information comes to light.
"The strengthened safeguards regime we now have
in place has allowed us to pick up evidence of
past technical failures," the senior Western
diplomat close to the IAEA said. "These skeletons
in the closet are from a time and place when the
safeguards culture was different."
The changes at the agency can be traced back to
the aftermath of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, when
weapons inspectors learned that Iraq had managed
to develop a fairly advanced covert nuclear
weapons program despite being subject to IAEA
monitoring and inspections. That alarming
discovery led nonproliferation officials to
conclude that the provisions of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty were insufficient.
The treaty allows only the five declared nuclear
powers -- the United States, Russia, China,
France, and Great Britain -- to possess atomic
weapons. All other signatories must submit their
nuclear programs to IAEA inspections to assure
they are exclusively for peaceful purposes.
The inspections, however, could take place only
at declared nuclear sites, meaning that countries
could potentially conduct secret and illegal
atomic weapons research elsewhere with minimal
fear of detection.
Following the discoveries in Iraq, IAEA
officials pushed for a treaty amendment,
"Additional Protocol," that provides for tougher
snap inspections not limited to declared nuclear
facilities.
Additionally, the agency's safeguards
department, which runs inspections, began to
employ more sophisticated inspection measures and
more active investigative and detection techniques
to try to uncover undeclared nuclear activities.
"Our inspectors were bean counters before with
no obligation or authority to look beyond the
beans," the senior Western diplomat in Vienna
said. "Now countries need to account for every
gram of nuclear material and for their plans into
the future. The information is voluminous."
The most extensive, and alarming, unauthorized
nuclear activity the IAEA has uncovered involves
Iran, which admitted in October 2003 to conducting
18 years of covert atomic experiments.
To avoid being reported to the UN Security
Council, Iran pledged in November to suspend
uranium enrichment activities and to open up its
nuclear facilities to stringent inspections.
In December 2003, Libya admitted to harboring a
secret nuclear weapons program, and agreed to
dismantle it under supervision of the UN nuclear
agency.
Brazil says it is producing enriched uranium for
peaceful purposes, but secrecy regarding its
nuclear capabilities has alarmed nuclear-control
advocates.
Following an IAEA investigation, South Korea
admitted in September that its scientists
conducted unauthorized tests to extract plutonium
in 1982 and experimented with enriching uranium in
2000 -- two potential pointers to a nuclear
weapons program.
Seoul, which says it has no intention of
building nuclear weapons, said researchers carried
out the experiments without the government's
consent and it vowed full cooperation with the
agency. In November, the IAEA's board of governors
rebuked South Korea, although it stopped short of
reporting them to the UN Security Council for
possible sanctions.
North Korea, meanwhile, has refused to return to
six-country talks on dismantling its nuclear
program unless Washington drops what Pyongyang
calls a "hostile policy."
"The rules of discovery have changed and more
things are coming out," said Stephen P. Cohen, a
senior fellow at the Brookings Institution
specializing in foreign policy and proliferation
issues. "Are there things that even this better
investigative process have not revealed? We don't
know," Cohen added. "In cases where there is a
clear motive and suspicious activities we should
be concerned."
Despite the recent successes, many officials say
they would still like to see the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty strengthened. IAEA chief
Mohammed ElBaradei, for example, has repeatedly
called to have the nuclear fuel cycle placed under
international control to prevent further
proliferation.
On Friday, ElBaradei called on countries to
freeze building facilities for uranium enrichment
for five years. "We have enough capacity in the
world for enrichment or reprocessing," he said in
remarks published by the Japanese daily newspaper
Asahi Shimbun.
Monika Szymurska
Abolition 2000
Outreach and Development Coordinator
215 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1001
New York, NY 10016
e-mail: mszymurska@gracelinks.org
tel: (212) 726-9161
fax: (212) 726-9160
www.gracelinks.org
www.abolition2000.org
www.abolitionnow.org
_______________________________________________________________________
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Change your settings or access the archives at:
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11 Taipei Times: Lee Yuan-tseh turns to environmental sustainability
[http://www.taipeitimes.com]
Tue, Jan 11, 2005
Lee Yuan-tseh turns to environmental sustainability EFFICIENCY:
He may be best known for hobnobbing with world leaders, but the
Academia Sinica president is just as concerned about energy and
the environment
By Chiu Yu-Tzu STAFF REPORTER Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005,Page 3
Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh's (§õ»·õ) latest mission
representing the government at US President George W. Bush's
inauguration on Jan. 20 is proof again that key roles promoting
Taiwan on the international stage can best be played by him.
Lee, who received the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1986, has
served as Taiwan's representative at the APEC summit three times
due to his prestige and ability to win trust and respect from
other countries' leaders.
But the 68-year-old leader of Taiwan's scientific community is
having more to say about what society must do next to ensure a
sustainable future.
"Taiwanese people have to be thoroughly aware of the importance
of energy efficiency. If not, we will see an energy crisis here
within two decades," Lee said. "In the past five years, the level
of Taiwan's carbon-dioxide emissions has increased."
Lee said energy policies relating to state corporations such as
Chinese Petroleum Corp and Taipower should be revised so that an
up-to-date perspective can be adopted.
"For example, halting new power-plant projects for the sake of
energy conservation ... might be criticized as having a negative
economic impact on state corporations," Lee said.
Lee believes that promotion of energy conservation should be a
top national priority because it might take a long time before a
breakthrough is made in research on renewable energy.
He said that the emphasis placed on sustainable development by
the rest of the world has promoted energy-conservation measures,
such as efficient heating, cooling and lighting, which saves not
only natural resources but also money.
"Industry should be acutely responsive to such global trends,
too," he said.
Citing the Chinese Petroleum Corp, whose annual budget is about
NT$50 billion, as an example, Lee said if one-tenth of that
budget could be used for education, then sustainability could be
significantly advanced.
Lee said Taiwan needs to adopt better policies to deal with
issues of climate change, such as global warming, which carbon
dioxide emissions mainly exacerbate.
"In terms of global warming, the adoption of nuclear-power
generation should be the way to go for Taiwan. We have to make
the best use of existing nuclear-power plants rather than advance
their scheduled dates for decommission," Lee said.
Lee's position is obviously not consistent with the Cabinet's
"nuclear-free homeland" policy, which seeks to decommission each
of the three nuclear power plants now operating seven years early
-- in 2011, 2014 and 2017, respectively. The expected 40-year
life of each plant will be shortened to 33 years.
"This is not energy-efficient at all. In addition, the
completion of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant now under
construction should be guaranteed. It must also be fully
utilized," he said.
Lee said that in the next 30 years, energy consumption must be
cut by at least one-fourth to ease the pressure on the planet. To
curb carbon-dioxide emissions, he predicted nuclear power plants
would become more prevalent in China and Korea.
"Abnormal weather patterns have been observed in many places. In
Taiwan, we've experienced heavy rainfalls, typhoons and
unexpected droughts in the last few years. It's wrong if we keep
ruling out nuclear power plants and rely on electricity converted
from fossil fuels," he said.
People must change their ways, too, Lee said. Introducing
energy-efficient hybrid vehicles powered by a combination of gas
and electricity may become an issue of some urgency.
Lee said that regulations for hybrid vehicles, which have much
higher energy efficiency and have significantly lower emissions
than traditional cars, should be introduced as soon as possible.
Since the industrial revolution in the 19th century, humans have
taken advantage of fossil fuels to replace labor, thus increasing
productivity.
"Such practices degrade the planet's biosphere. In the past,
humans took what they needed without compromising the planet's
capacity to sustain it. But since then, the planet's resources
have become limited," he said.
Lee said one phenomenon worrying him was how many developing
countries were blindly following the development models used by
advanced countries.
"Looking at the recent rapid developments in India, China and
other developing countries, we do have to worry about the limit
on resources. This is not the way for the planet to go," Lee
said. "We are in transition. If we don't come up with wise
strategies for using energy, future generations will write our
stupidity into their history books," Lee said.
This story has been viewed 466 times.
Copyright © 1999-2005 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
12 Daily Yomiuri: Huge CO2 emission cuts proposed
Yomiuri Shimbun
The government is to propose a massive reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions in advanced nations to levels one-fourth of
those in 2002 by 2050, government sources said Tuesday.
The proposal will be made in the government's long-term energy
policy outlines to be compiled later this year. The government
has set 2050 and 2100 as target years for reductions in
emissions, to arrest global warming and deal with the depletion
of oil and other fossil fuels .
In order to control global warming, the government will propose
a reduction by 2050 of CO2 emissions in advanced nations to 3.1
billion tons, one-fourth of 2002 levels, and by 2100 to 600
million tons, one-twentieth of 2002 levels.
According to the sources, the government is to announce interim
policy outlines soon and to finalize them in August. The
outlines split energy consumption into four areas: industry,
household and other civil use, transportation, and electrical
power. According to the yet-to-be-published outlines, within the
categories, oil consumption in all areas except for
transportation will be almost zero by 2050. By 2100, although
natural gas will remain as an energy source for industry and
transport, most energy consumption will be met by renewable
energy sources such as nuclear power, hydrogen energy and solar
energy.
To achieve these goals, the government proposes that the nation
engage in research and development of new technologies in three
areas--nuclear power, including establishing reprocessing of
nuclear fuel and total control over the nuclear fuel cycle;
carbon sequestration technology to place CO2 underground, and
developing renewable energy sources such as hydrogen or solar
power as well as energy-saving technology.
The nuclear fuel cycle refers to reprocessing of spent nuclear
fuel so it can be reused and made less hazardous. Spent nuclear
fuel has been shipped to Europe for reprocessing or stored
around the country. The government hopes that current
technological developments can be extended in the future and
these will have the potential to provide energy that can
overcome environmental problems and depleting energy resources.
However, the outlines point out that developing other new
technologies, such as hydrogen power, should be promoted
simultaneously, since public acceptance of full-scale nuclear
power operations is uncertain due to safety concerns, such as
the handling of radioactive waste.
Copyright 2005 The Yomiuri Shimbun
*****************************************************************
13 [NukeNet] 3 articles on Hope Creek re-start
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:58:47 -0800
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
January 11, 2005
Hope Creek reactor gets NRC restart approval
By JEROME MONTES Staff Writer, (856) 794-5115
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Monday said the idle Hope Creek
nuclear reactor can be safely operated without the repairs sought by the
facility's many critics, including state Department of Environmental
Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell.
Hope Creek is one of three reactors on Salem County's Artificial Island in
Lower Alloways Creek Township owned by Newark-based Public Service
Enterprise Group.
A bowed shaft in one of the facility's water recirculation pumps became
the subject of public controversy shortly after a steam leak forced Hope
Creek's shutdown Oct. 10.
Critics of the facility have said the shaft's vibrations could produce a
break in the pump that provides coolant to the reactor's core. In a
worst-case scenario that could lead to a melt-
down, they said.
For nearly two months, nuclear watchdog groups called for the pump's
replacement.
In late December, Campbell issued a statement urging federal officials to
order PSEG to make the repairs before a Hope Creek restart.
PSEG contended Hope Creek could operate safely without replacing the pump
until the facility's next refueling and maintenance outage sometime in
2006.
The NRC said Monday it agreed with PSEG's assessment but ordered the
company to meet certain operating conditions.
NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said PSEG would be required to continuously
monitor the pump and take corrective action if the pump's condition
degraded past specific safety thresholds.
"If there was an abnormal incident they would have to shut down the
reactor and troubleshoot the problem," Sheehan said.
Campbell said he would have preferred the pump be replaced, but added the
NRC's measures will protect the public if the pump begins to fail.
"If those measures are faithfully implemented they should be adequate to
protect public safety," Campbell said. "We'll be very closely monitoring
the situation to make sure the measures are implemented faithfully."
Other critics weren't happy with the decision. They said PSEG's past
safety record does not inspire confidence.
"NRC should be ashamed, but they're not," said Norm Cohen, coordinator for
the nuclear watchdog coalition Unplug Salem. Cohen urged other opponents
to protest the decision at a public meeting scheduled on Hope Creek for
Wednesday in Swedesboro.
Nuclear safety engineer David Lochbaum, of the Washington-based Union of
Concerned Scientists, said he agreed the pump could be operated safely if
monitored properly.
"But the key word is 'properly,'" Lochbaum said. "Monitoring can be
difficult and it's a question of whether PSEG is up to the task."
PSEG has agreed to wait until after the public meeting to restart the
reactor, although regulators admit the company does not need official
approval for the restart. Company officials said they were pleased with
the NRC's decision and looked forward to a restart in the near future.
The Newark company is in the midst of a merger with the Chicago-based
Exelon Corp. that would create the nation's largest operator of nuclear
power plants. Company officials have said the merger will make the Salem
plants safer and more profitable.
Lochbaum, a onetime Hope Creek consultant, said Exelon has had its own
safety problems. But he also said that other nuclear power companies have
used the Chicago entity as a benchmark for performance.
"They've had some good success and people do try to capture that,"
Lochbaum said. "Very few people use PSEG as a benchmark."
The public meeting is scheduled to begin 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Holiday
Inn Select Bridgeport located off Interstate 295 in Swedesboro.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
To e-mail Jerome Montes at The Press:
JMontes@pressofac.com
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2005/01/11nukeplanttorest.html
Nuke plant to restart without overhaul
Broken pipe released radioactive steam in October; monitors increased
By JEFF MONTGOMERY / The News Journal
01/11/2005
Federal regulators gave PSEG Nuclear the OK on Monday to restart the Hope
Creek nuclear plant over the objections of critics who wanted equipment
and management overhauls before the plant returns to service.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval requires PSEG to install and
maintain extra monitors on a reactor cooling-water pump prone to vibrate.
PSEG also must shut the plant down promptly if signs of trouble develop.
Utility managers agreed to replace key parts of the more than 100
million-pound-per-hour pump system during Hope Creek's next shutdown for
refueling in 18 to 24 months, or "sooner if an outage of a sufficient
duration occurs before the next scheduled refueling."
"I'm not comfortable with the decision," said David Lochbaum, a nuclear
engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit environmental
and scientific organization. "We're disappointed. We think the right thing
to do would have been to replace the pump shaft."
Commission investigators said system checks proposed by PSEG provide
"reasonable assurance" that plant operators can detect signs of an
imminent pump failure in time to shut the operation down safely.
"They're going to have to do continuous monitoring and more sophisticated
monitoring," said commission spokesman Neil Sheehan. "If they see any
abnormal indications involving the pump, they'll have to shut down."
PSEG said in a prepared statement that the company was pleased with the
commission's ruling and plans to restart Hope Creek shortly after a public
meeting in Swedesboro, N.J., on Wednesday.
Company Chief Nuclear Officer A. Christopher Bakken late last year said
PSEG considered the restart a "business risk" rather than a safety
concern. He estimated the cost of the pump overhaul at $7 million to $8
million, a fraction of the $60 million to $70 million spent on refueling
and maintenance late last year.
'Safety walks'
"NRC should be ashamed, but they're not," said Neil Cohen, who directs the
group UNPLUG Salem. "PSEG is putting us at risk for $7 million. I don't
see the logic. I think it comes down to money talks and safety walks."
Hope Creek stopped making electricity Oct. 10 after a broken steam pipe
released slightly radioactive steam into the environment. Maintenance
problems and operator errors complicated efforts to remove the reactor
core from service, investigators concluded.
After the accident, utility critics stepped up pressure on regulators to
investigate problems in a 20-foot-tall pump that circulates cooling water
inside Hope Creek's reactor core. Bearings in the pump fail more often
than those on a companion unit, and vibrations have caused minor damage to
other equipment in the reactor building.
Commission officials plan to hold public talks with PSEG on Wednesday to
review the agency's decision about the pump and findings from an
investigation into the accident. Some environmental groups reported plans
Monday to protest the restart approval during the meeting, scheduled for 7
p.m. at the Holiday Inn Select, off Exit 10 of I-295 in Swedesboro.
Sens. Joe Biden and Tom Carper, both Democrats, and Republican Rep. Mike
Castle said they are reviewing the regulatory commission findings.
"Based on the limited information provided to us in the letters today, we
still have a number of questions and concerns that we will raise with the
NRC," the three lawmakers said in a joint statement. Concerns cited by the
delegation include the safety of the pump, the Oct. 10 accident and
federal oversight.
New Jersey's top environmental regulator and other community groups also
had urged the NRC to bar PSEG from restarting the 1,100-megawatt plant
until it overhauls the system.
NRC officials have authority to block the restart, but until Monday had
not placed new formal restrictions on the Hope Creek operation. In
mid-December, an agency official said that regulators expect that "the
right actions will be taken to ensure the plant can operate safely over
the next cycle."
Lochbaum said he was concerned about reports of problems in other
safety-related equipment, detected by PSEG and the NRC only after workers
had problems shutting down the plant Oct. 10.
What went wrong?
A commission investigation of the Oct. 10 accident found that plant
employees failed to recognize problems likely to result from a
deteriorating valve in a part of the plant that returns steam and water to
the reactor core. A broken pipe support had knocked open a line that left
the valve stuck open, allowing see-saw pressure swings that eventually
sheared an 8-inch steam line.
"Although the plant is designed to protect the public in event of a pipe
break, that intended protection was degraded by a long list of PSEG
errors," Lochbaum said.
Maintenance and operator errors hampered use of two cooling-water control
systems after the pipe break, prolonging shutdown efforts and leading to
wide swings in cooling water levels above the reactor core. Commission
officials said water levels in the core never fell below minimum safety
requirements.
Exelon Nuclear spokesman Pete Resler said the he was unable to comment.
Chicago-based Exelon is due to begin operating Hope Creek and the Salem
units under contract next week in advance of a $12 billion merger with
PSEG.
Contact Jeff Montgomery at (302) 678-4277 or
jmontgomery@delawareonline.com.
NRC: Safe to restart Hope Creek
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By BILL GALLO JR.
Staff Writer
LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP. -- Operators of the Hope Creek nuclear reactor
can restart the plant without repairing a key pump at the facility, the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Monday. The NRC, after an extensive
review, concurred with PSEG Nuclear's conclusion that the "B"
recirculation pump at the plant would be safe to keep in service despite
vibrations it produces when operating. The pump is one of two key pumps
that recirculate cooling water in the nuclear reactor.
The NRC cautioned, however, that the utility must keep a close eye on the
pump once the plant is brought back on line. The federal agency said it
was allowing the plant to operate "provided that PSEG implements
commitments to closely monitor the pump for vibrations throughout the
cycle and to respond promptly to any evidence that its performance may be
degrading."
The plant at the Artificial Island generating complex has been shut down
since Oct. 10 when a pipe ruptured. After the pipe broke, PSEG Nuclear
officials began an investigation and also decided to begin a refueling
outage at the reactor earlier than previously scheduled.
During this time concern about the recirculation pump's vibrations came
into the spotlight and calls for its repairs grew.
On Monday the NRC gave its blessing for the plant to be restarted with
work being done on the pump.
"After a careful and thorough review, including analysis by the NRC's
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the NRC concludes that the Hope
Creek nuclear plant can operate safely without replacing the pump until
its next refueling and maintenance outage," NRC Region I Administrator
Samuel J. Collins said.
"That conclusion, however, is contingent on requirements agreed to by the
company that rigorous and continuous monitoring be maintained of pump
parameters, including vibration levels, so that prompt actions can be
taken should there be abnormal indications."
The vibrations in the pump are believed to be caused by a bent or damaged
shaft.
A study commissioned by PSEG Nuclear had concluded that the plant would be
safe to operate until it is shut down for its next refueling outage. That
outage will come in about a year and a half from now.
"We are pleased the NRC concurs with our assessment that Hope Creek is
safe to operate without replacing the "B" recirculation pump shaft until
the next refueling outage."
Bakken, in a statement released Monday, said the utility had made several
commitments in writing to the NRC regarding the pump. "Those commitments
include setting up a vibration-monitoring program to continuously monitor
the recirculation pump, taking specific actions to be based on the
vibration data, and making a commitment to change out the pump shaft
during the next refueling outage or sooner if an outage of a sufficient
duration occurs before the next scheduled refueling."
When the reactor would be restarted was unclear. However, the utility and
the NRC had agreed to meet and discuss issues about Hope Creek before the
plant went back online. That meeting is scheduled for Wednesday night.
Officials had earlier estimated that replacing the huge pump would cost
about $7 million. They said, however, that money was not the issue and
they believed the plant could be operated safely with the same pump in
place.
While the utility was happy with the NRC's conclusion, nuclear watchdog
groups and others were not.
New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell last
month wrote to the NRC asking the federal agency to force the owner of the
plant to replace the part.
On Monday Campbell said the monitoring requirement ensures the plant would
have to stop running before the pump could cause a major problem, though
he would have preferred seeing PSEG replace the pump now.
"We think we succeeded in getting them to take our concerns seriously and
put in place measures that will reduce risks and enhance safety," Campbell
said.
By not requiring PSEG to repair or replace the pump, "the NRC is 'giving
the shaft' to the residents of South Jersey and Delaware," said Norm
Cohen, coordinator of the Unplug Salem Campaign, an anti-nuclear group.
"Had PSEG started the work right after the steam leak and shutdown in
October, they'd be done by now. We feel it is more important that South
Jersey be safe, as opposed to allowing PSEG to put off spending $7 million
for 18 months. The NRC should be ashamed."
The NRC Monday also addressed the pipe that ruptured and initially caused
PSEG Nuclear to shut down Hope Creek.
The agency had sent in a special inspection team to investigate the pipe's
breaking and had concluded that a degraded level control valve for the
moisture separator drain tank had not been repaired. Problems with the
valve had caused steam to enter into a pipe that was supposed to carry
only water.
The NRC concluded that the mixture of steam and water had caused such
turbulence that the pipe ruptured. When it did it released the mildly
radioactive steam and water.
PSEG, in a preliminary investigation, had also determined that a support
arm that was supposed to be attached to the ceiling and the pipe was
missing.
The discussion of the equipment issues comes as PSEG Nuclear's parent
company, Newark-based Public Service Enterprise Group, is being merged
with Chicago-based Exelon Corporation.
It was announced in December that Exelon was buying PSEG for $12 billion.
One of the major changes already announced that Exelon was ending a team
of its nuclear specialists to the Island Jan. 17 to oversee operations.
One of the major staff changes is Bakken's replacement as chief nuclear
officer by Bill Levis.
Once the deal is OK'd by regulators, Exelon will acquire Hope Creek along
with its two sister plants at the Island -- Salem 1 and Salem 2. That will
give Exelon 20 plants in its nuclear fleet, making it the largest nuclear
plant operator in the U.S.
The pump and other issues relating to Hope Creek will be the subject of a
public hearing Wednesday night in Logan Township between the NRC and the
utility. The meeting, beginning at 7 p.m., will be held at the Holiday Inn
Select, just off Exit 10 of Interstate 295. The public will be allowed to
observe the meeting and offer their comments after the session between the
utility and the NRC has concluded.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Copyright 2005 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.
--
Coalition for Peace and Justice
UNPLUG Salem Campaign; 321 Barr Ave, Linwood
NJ 08221; 609-601-8583; cell 609-742-0982
ncohen12@comcast.net; http://www.unplugsalem.org
http://www.coalitionforpeaceandjustice.org
"Life is a jelly donut. You don't really know what
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14 NRC: Sacramento Municipal Utility District; Rancho Seco Independent
FR Doc 05-479
[Federal Register: January 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 7)]
[Notices] [Page 1911-1912] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11ja05-80]
Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Issuance of Environmental
Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Regarding a
Proposed Exemption and Conforming Amendment AGENCY: Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Environmental assessment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy M. Snyder, Project Manager,
Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555. Telephone: (301) 415-8580; fax number: (301) 425-8555;
e-mail: ams3@nrc.gov [ams3@nrc.gov] .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption, pursuant to 10 CFR
72.7, from the provisions of 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3), to the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD or the licensee). The
requested exemption (in conjunction with a conforming license
amendment) would relieve SMUD from the requirement to submit an
annual radioactive effluent report for the Rancho Seco
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). SMUD
submitted the exemption request by letter dated July 19, 2004, in
which it also requested an amendment to the Rancho Seco ISFSI
license; specifically, the deletion of Technical Specification
5.5.2., Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program, item (d).
The licensee is currently storing spent nuclear fuel at the
Rancho Seco ISFSI on the site of the decommissioned Rancho Seco
Nuclear Generating Station in Sacramento County, California.
Environmental Assessment (EA) Identification of Proposed Action:
SMUD has requested both an exemption and a conforming license
amendment to obtain relief from the requirement to submit an
annual radioactive effluent report for the Rancho Seco ISFSI.
According to 10 CFR 72.44(d), each 10 CFR part 72 license must
include technical specifications regarding radioactive effluents.
Specifically, 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) requires that an annual report
be submitted to the NRC, specifying the quantity of each of the
principal radionuclides released to the environment in liquid and
in gaseous effluents during the previous 12 months of ISFSI
operation. In addition to the regulation itself, the Rancho Seco
ISFSI Technical Specifications (Appendix to License No.
SNM-2510), section 5.5.2, Radiological Environmental Monitoring
Program, item d., requires an annual report to be submitted
pursuant to 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3). The proposed action before the
NRC is whether to grant the exemption and conforming amendment.
Need for the Proposed Action: The requirements of 10 CFR
72.44(d)(3) and Rancho Seco ISFSI Technical Specification
5.5.2.d. impose certain regulatory obligations, with associated
costs, on the licensee. In its Safety Evaluation Report related
to the ISFSI license, the staff found that there are no credible
scenarios by which liquid or gaseous effluents could be released
from the dry shielded canister. The licensee further stated that
any concerns over small quantities of gaseous or liquid effluent
that may be produced during cask loading and transfer
decontamination activities are no longer relevant, since all the
spent fuel has been transferred to the ISFSI, and that the
NUHOMS- 24P dry cask storage system used at the Rancho Seco ISFSI
is a passive system which, by design, produces no gaseous or
liquid effluent.
Granting the requested exemption and approving the conforming
amendment will relieve the licensee from the requirement to
submit an annual radioactive effluent report pursuant to 10 CFR
72.44(d)(3). The requirement to submit an annual radioactive
effluent monitoring report is not needed for this facility in its
current configuration and is an unnecessary administrative
burden. Thus, the licensee would not have to incur the costs
associated with preparing and submitting an annual ISFSI
radioactive effluent report.
[[Page 1912]] Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: The
NRC has reviewed the exemption request submitted by the licensee
and determined that not requiring the licensee to submit an
annual report pursuant to 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) is an administrative
change and would have no significant impacts to the environment.
Further, NRC has evaluated the impact to public safety that would
result in granting the requested exemption. NRC determined that
not requiring the licensee to submit an annual report specifying
principal radionuclides released to the environment in liquid and
in gaseous effluents does not impact pubic safety because the
design basis for the Rancho Seco ISFSI is such that it is a
passive system that generates no effluents during fuel storage.
Thus, there should be no releases to the environment of either
liquid or gaseous effluents from normal operations of the Rancho
Seco ISFSI.
The proposed actions would not increase the probability or
consequences of accidents, no changes would be made to the types
of effluents that may be released offsite, and there would be no
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore,
there are no significant radiological environmental impacts
associated with the proposed action. Additionally, the proposed
action would have no significant non-radiological impacts.
Alternative to the Proposed Action: As an alternative to the
proposed action, the staff considered denial of the exemption and
conforming amendment requests (i.e., the ``no-action''
alternative). Approval or denial of the exemption and conforming
amendment requests would result in no change in the environmental
impacts.
Therefore, the environmental impacts of the proposed action and
the alternative action are similar.
Agencies and Persons Consulted: The NRC staff prepared this
environmental assessment (EA); no other sources were used. On
September 28, 2004, the staff contacted Mr. Steven Hsu of the
California Department of Health Services, Radiologic Health
Branch, and subsequently provided him a draft copy of this EA for
review.
The State of California responded to the NRC by e-mail on October
1, 2004, and stated it had no comments at this time on the EA or
the Finding of No Significant Impact. The NRC staff has
determined that consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered
Species Act is not required for this specific exemption, which
involves an administrative change and will not affect listed
species or critical habitat. The NRC staff has also determined
that the proposed action is not a type of activity having the
potential to cause effects on historic properties.
Therefore, no consultation is required under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act.
Conclusions: The staff has reviewed the exemption and conforming
amendment requests submitted by SMUD and has determined that
relieving the licensee from the requirement to submit an annual
radioactive effluent report pursuant to 10 CFR 72.44(d)(3) and
the Rancho Seco ISFSI Technical Specifications is an
administrative change, and would have no significant impact on
the environment.
Finding of No Significant Impact The environmental impacts of the
proposed action have been reviewed in accordance with the
requirements set forth in 10 CFR Part 51.
Based upon the foregoing EA, the NRC finds that the proposed
action of granting the exemption and approving the conforming
amendment to the license will not significantly impact the
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has
determined that an environmental impact statement for the
proposed exemption and conforming amendment is not warranted.
The request for the exemption and amendment was docketed under 10
CFR Part 72, Docket 72-11. For further details with respect to
this action, see the request for the exemption and proposed
license amendment dated July 19, 2004. The NRC maintains an
Agencywide Documents Access Management System (ADAMS), which
provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. However,
as of October 25, 2004, the NRC initiated an additional security
review of publicly available documents to ensure that potentially
sensitive information is removed from the ADAMS database
accessible through the NRC's Web site. Interested members of the
public should check the NRC's Web pages for updates on the
availability of documents through the ADAMS system. When public
availability is restored, these documents may be accessed through
the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html]
. After resumption of public access to ADAMS, copies of the
referenced documents will also be available for review at the NRC
Public Document Room (PDR), located at 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD 20852. PDR reference staff can be contacted at
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov
[pdr@nrc.gov] . The PDR reproduction contractor will copy
documents for a fee.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of January, 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Amy M. Snyder, Project Manager, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 05-479 Filed 1-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
15 NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
FR Doc 05-588
[Federal Register: January 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 7)]
[Notices] [Page 1912-1913] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11ja05-81]
Agency Holding the Meetings: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Date: Weeks of January 10, 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14, 2005.
Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland.
Status: Public and closed.
Matters To Be Considered: Week of January 10, 2005 Tuesday,
January 11, 2005 9:30 a.m. Discussion of Security Issues
(Closed--Ex. 1 & 9). Wednesday, January 12, 2005 9:30 a.m.
Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1 & 9). Week of
January 17, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for
the Week of January 17, 2005.
Week of January 24, 2005--Tentative Monday, January 24, 2005 9:30
a.m. Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1). 1:30 p.m.
Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1, 2, 3, & 4).
Tuesday, January 25, 2005 9:30 a.m. Discussion of Security Issues
(Closed--Ex. 1). Week of January 31, 2005--Tentative Thursday,
February 3, 2005 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Human Capital Initiatives
(Closed--Ex. 2) (Tentative).
Week of February 7, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings
scheduled for the Week of February 7, 2005.
Week of February 14, 2005--Tentative Tuesday, February 15, 2005
9:30 a.m. Briefing on Office of Nuclear Material Safety and
Safeguards Programs, Performance, and Plans--Waste Safety (Public
Meeting)
[[Page 1913]] (Contact: Jessica Shin, (301) 415-8117).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address
http://www.nrc.gov
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov] .
1:30 p.m. Briefing on Emergency Preparedness Program Initiatives
(Closed--Ex. 1). *The schedule for Commission meetings is subject
to change on short notice. To verify the status of meetings call
(recording)-- (301) 415-1292. Contact person for more
information: Dave Gamberoni, (301) 415-1651.
* * * * * Additional Information: By a vote of 3-0 on December
30, 2004, the Commission determined pursuant to U.S.C. 552b(e)
and Sec. 9.107(a) of the Commission's rules that ``Affirmation of
Motion by Rene Chun for `Clarification and Amendment' of
CLI-04-34'' be held January 5, 2005, and on less than one week's
notice to the public.
* * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the
Internet at:
http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-making/schedule.html
[http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving
FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-makin
g/schedule.html] . * * * * * The NRC provides reasonable
accommodation to individuals with disabilities where appropriate.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in these
public meetings, or need this meeting notice or the transcript or
other information from the public meetings in another format
(e.g., braille, large print), please notify the NRC's Disability
Program Coordinator, August Spector, at (301) 415-7080, TDD:
(301) 415- 2100, or by e-mail at aks@nrc.gov [aks@nrc.gov] .
Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be
made on a case-by-case basis.
* * * * * This notice is distributed by mail to several hundred
subscribers; if you no longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 ((301) 415-1969). In addition,
distribution of this meeting notice over the Internet system is
available. If you are interested in receiving this Commission
meeting schedule electronically, please send an electronic
message to dkw@nrc.gov [dkw@nrc.gov] . Dated: January 6, 2005.
Dave Gamberoni, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-588 Filed 1-7-05; 9:21 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
*****************************************************************
16 AP Wire: Officials study how contamination left Oconee Nuclear Station
| 01/10/2005 |
www.thestate.com
Associated Press
SENECA, S.C. - Nuclear officials say the discovery of low-level
contamination on metal heavy-lifting equipment that had left
Oconee Nuclear Station is an anomaly and does not pose a major
safety concern, but environmentalists still are worried.
Workers at a nuclear plant in Arkansas and a contractor in Texas
found the contamination on the equipment used to replace the
steam generator in the plant's Unit 3 during a maintenance and
refueling outage.
The work marked the end of a process to replace 30-year-old
steam generators and reactor heads on all three units at the
plant near Seneca.
The contamination that left the nuclear plant on the equipment
was "substantially less than what is found in a home smoke
detector," and "posed no danger to workers or the public," said
Dayle Stewart, spokeswoman for Oconee Nuclear Station.
Ken Clark, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
said this kind of thing "happens from time to time" and "is not
a major health or safety concern."
The commission is "doing whatever is possible to keep this type
of thing from happening," Clark said. "We try to keep exposure
from all nuclear facilities as low as is reasonably achievable."
Oconee has specific procedures to check that items leaving the
plant are clean.
"We take it very seriously and are doing a detailed
investigation of our processes to insure that this does not
occur again in the future," Stewart said.
The incident at the Oconee plant has happened at other reactors
doing these kinds of major repairs, said Michael Mariotte,
executive director of the Washington D.C.-based Nuclear
Information Resource Service.
Mariotte is concerned that similar kinds of major repairs are
taking place on the nation's aging fleet of reactors.
"Radioactive materials need extra protection and extra care in
handling. They need to be moved as little as possible because
when you move things the risks increase," Mariotte said.
The three reactors at Oconee first went online in the early and
mid-1970s. The old steam generators at Oconee remain onsite in a
specially designed building, along with other large components
recently replaced. Oconee has elaborate controls in place to
prevent release of any radioactive material, Stewart said. There
is no fuel in reactors during outages, she said.
Before workers go into the containment building, the air inside
is purged through a filtration system. Throughout the outage all
outgoing air runs through the filters. Any radioactive materials
in the air are removed by the filtration system, Stewart said.
Air is sampled inside and outside of the containment building
throughout the outage, she said.
At the beginning of the outage, a crew goes into the building to
remove loose contamination. The water used to clean the building
is collected by sumps and processed to remove the contamination,
which is handled as low-level radioactive waste. The waste is
secured in the protected area until it is taken to Barnwell,
South Carolina's low-level radioactive waste site.
Once the reactor head is removed, fuel is transferred to the
spent fuel pool, Stewart said. The fuel is transferred through
water-filled canals that serve as a radiation barrier.
There's still fixed contamination in the building and the
possibility of loose contamination. Workers who leave a
radiation-controlled area must remove their protective clothing
and go through radiation monitoring equipment.
Equipment also is surveyed by radiation technicians before
leaving the area.
"We've got these elaborate radiological controls in place. The
event where the equipment left the site with extremely low-level
contamination is an anomaly," Stewart said.
---
Information from: The Greenville News,
http://www.greenvillenews.com [http://www.greenvillenews.com]
*****************************************************************
17 AP Wire: Group wants Duke's plan to use fuel at nuclear plant made public
| 01/11/2005 |
www.thestate.com
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A group challenging Duke Energy's plan to test
fuel containing a small amount of weapons-grade plutonium has
focused attention on the public's ability to assess the security
of nuclear power plants.
Charlotte-based Duke plans to begin tests this spring of
mixed-oxide, which contains weapons-grade plutonium, at its
Catawba nuclear plant on Lake Wylie in York County, S.C. In
theory, terrorists could sabotage or steal plutonium once meant
to detonate nuclear weapons.
The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League believes MOX fuel is
dangerous and wants to stop the tests. But the group has been
denied access to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents
that Blue Ridge claims could prove that Duke's security measures
aren't adequate.
Blue Ridge argues that Duke should not be granted the exemptions
it has requested from some security measures for protecting the
MOX test fuel.
Those measures, such as maintaining a tactical response team and
erecting additional physical barriers, are tailored for
facilities that handle plutonium. Duke says the safeguards it
already has in place perform the same functions.
A hearing on Blue Ridge's security claims was to begin Tuesday
at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Md. It's closed to the public.
In May, the NRC staff found that Duke has toughened its security
to protect the MOX fuel. The exemptions Duke seeks are legal and
won't pose undue risks to public safety, the staff said.
The commission has allowed Blue Ridge's attorney and technical
expert, who have low-level security clearances, access to some
material on condition they don't divulge the information.
But the NRC ruled that the group can't see the details - such as
the size, training and weaponry of an attacking force - of the
terrorism that plutonium-handling facilities are expected to
thwart.
Without that information, the group says, it doesn't know what
security standard the NRC expects Duke to attain.
"In effect, the commission has tied one hand behind our backs,"
said Diane Curran, Blue Ridge's Washington attorney.
Duke says Blue Ridge has been granted extraordinary access to
sensitive information, and is grasping at straws to derail the
project.
"It fundamentally gets back to the point that they have no
case," said Steve Nesbit, Duke's MOX project manager, "and when
they have no case they're going to complain about the process."
So far, the NRC and its staff have seemed to agree.
MOX fuel is a joint U.S.-Russia effort to reduce the amount of
weapons-grade plutonium stored globally. The fuel blends
plutonium with enriched uranium, the usual fuel for nuclear
power plants.
Duke expects to save money on government-subsidized fuel and is
the only U.S. utility thus far to agree to use MOX.
---
Information from: The Charlotte Observer,
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/
[http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/]
*****************************************************************
18 News Journal: Nuke plant to restart without overhaul
www.delawareonline.com
Broken pipe released radioactive steam in October; monitors
increased
By JEFF MONTGOMERY / The News Journal 01/11/2005
Federal regulators gave PSEG Nuclear the OK on Monday to restart
the Hope Creek nuclear plant over the objections of critics who
wanted equipment and management overhauls before the plant
returns to service.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's approval requires PSEG to
install and maintain extra monitors on a reactor cooling-water
pump prone to vibrate. PSEG also must shut the plant down
promptly if signs of trouble develop.
Utility managers agreed to replace key parts of the more than
100 million-pound-per-hour pump system during Hope Creek's next
shutdown for refueling in 18 to 24 months, or "sooner if an
outage of a sufficient duration occurs before the next scheduled
refueling."
"I'm not comfortable with the decision," said David Lochbaum, a
nuclear engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a
nonprofit environmental and scientific organization. "We're
disappointed. We think the right thing to do would have been to
replace the pump shaft."
Commission investigators said system checks proposed by PSEG
provide "reasonable assurance" that plant operators can detect
signs of an imminent pump failure in time to shut the operation
down safely.
"They're going to have to do continuous monitoring and more
sophisticated monitoring," said commission spokesman Neil
Sheehan. "If they see any abnormal indications involving the
pump, they'll have to shut down."
PSEG said in a prepared statement that the company was pleased
with the commission's ruling and plans to restart Hope Creek
shortly after a public meeting in Swedesboro, N.J., on
Wednesday.
Company Chief Nuclear Officer A. Christopher Bakken late last
year said PSEG considered the restart a "business risk" rather
than a safety concern. He estimated the cost of the pump
overhaul at $7 million to $8 million, a fraction of the $60
million to $70 million spent on refueling and maintenance late
last year.
'Safety walks'
"NRC should be ashamed, but they're not," said Neil Cohen, who
directs the group UNPLUG Salem. "PSEG is putting us at risk for
$7 million. I don't see the logic. I think it comes down to
money talks and safety walks."
Hope Creek stopped making electricity Oct. 10 after a broken
steam pipe released slightly radioactive steam into the
environment. Maintenance problems and operator errors
complicated efforts to remove the reactor core from service,
investigators concluded.
After the accident, utility critics stepped up pressure on
regulators to investigate problems in a 20-foot-tall pump that
circulates cooling water inside Hope Creek's reactor core.
Bearings in the pump fail more often than those on a companion
unit, and vibrations have caused minor damage to other equipment
in the reactor building.
Commission officials plan to hold public talks with PSEG on
Wednesday to review the agency's decision about the pump and
findings from an investigation into the accident. Some
environmental groups reported plans Monday to protest the
restart approval during the meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. at the
Holiday Inn Select, off Exit 10 of I-295 in Swedesboro.
Sens. Joe Biden and Tom Carper, both Democrats, and Republican
Rep. Mike Castle said they are reviewing the regulatory
commission findings.
"Based on the limited information provided to us in the letters
today, we still have a number of questions and concerns that we
will raise with the NRC," the three lawmakers said in a joint
statement. Concerns cited by the delegation include the safety
of the pump, the Oct. 10 accident and federal oversight.
New Jersey's top environmental regulator and other community
groups also had urged the NRC to bar PSEG from restarting the
1,100-megawatt plant until it overhauls the system.
NRC officials have authority to block the restart, but until
Monday had not placed new formal restrictions on the Hope Creek
operation. In mid-December, an agency official said that
regulators expect that "the right actions will be taken to
ensure the plant can operate safely over the next cycle."
Lochbaum said he was concerned about reports of problems in
other safety-related equipment, detected by PSEG and the NRC
only after workers had problems shutting down the plant Oct. 10.
What went wrong?
A commission investigation of the Oct. 10 accident found that
plant employees failed to recognize problems likely to result
from a deteriorating valve in a part of the plant that returns
steam and water to the reactor core. A broken pipe support had
knocked open a line that left the valve stuck open, allowing
see-saw pressure swings that eventually sheared an 8-inch steam
line.
"Although the plant is designed to protect the public in event
of a pipe break, that intended protection was degraded by a long
list of PSEG errors," Lochbaum said.
Maintenance and operator errors hampered use of two
cooling-water control systems after the pipe break, prolonging
shutdown efforts and leading to wide swings in cooling water
levels above the reactor core. Commission officials said water
levels in the core never fell below minimum safety requirements.
Exelon Nuclear spokesman Pete Resler said the he was unable to
comment. Chicago-based Exelon is due to begin operating Hope
Creek and the Salem units under contract next week in advance of
a $12 billion merger with PSEG.
Contact Jeff Montgomery at (302) 678-4277 or
jmontgomery@delawareonline.com. [jmontgomery@delawareonline.com]
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Meeting to review Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision
to restart Hope Creek nuclear power plan
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday
WHERE: Holiday Inn Select, off I-295, exit 10, Swedesboro, N.J.
*****************************************************************
19 Taipei Times: Government still committed to end of nuclear power
[http://www.taipeitimes.com]
Tue, Jan 11, 2005
Government still committed to end of nuclear power UNWAVERING: A
Cabinet spokesman denied a report that it was backing away from
a pledge to phase out the nation's nuclear energy in 40 years
By Ko Shu-ling and Jewel Huang STAFF REPORTERS Tuesday, Jan 11,
2005,Page 3
The Executive Yuan yesterday repeated its resolve to pursue a
nuclear-free homeland and said that its plan to phase out the
nation's three nuclear power plants in 40 years remains
unchanged.
Cabinet Spokesman Chen Chi-mai (³¯¨äÁÚ) denied a report that
the government planned to extend the service of the nation's
three operational nuclear power plants from 40 to 60 years, and
repeated the government's support for legislation that would
formalize the goal of attaining a nuclear-free homeland.
"While our determination to achieve the ultimate goal of a
nuclear-free homeland remains unchanged, we hope the legislature
passes the draft bill promoting a nuclear-free home as soon as
possible, Chen said.
The Executive Yuan approved the draft bill of the promotion of
a nuclear-free home in May 2003. The bill would ban the
development of nuclear weapons, gradually phase out the use of
nuclear power and boost the use of renewable energy to meet
future needs.
Under an action plan mapped out by the Cabinet's Council for
the Promotion of a Nuclear-free Home, the Executive Yuan would
inject NT$3 billion a year to reach the goals set down in the
bill.
The Cabinet hopes to see 10 percent of the nation's power
generated by renewable-energy sources by 2010 and 12 percent by
2020.
The Cabinet also hopes to see the annual production value of
the clean-energy industry increase from NT$1.5 billion to NT$10
billion.
The action plan seeks to ease regulations on land acquisition
for wind-power plants to boost the development of renewable
energy.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary-General Chang
Chun-hsiung (±i«T¶¯) yesterday said that the DPP's central
standing committee passed a resolution opposing the building of
new nuclear power plants on April 22, 2003, and that the party
will never betray its core principles.
"Pursing a non-nuclear homeland and ensuring Taiwan's
sustainable development is a consistent and long-term goal for
the DPP, which is also a consensus agreed on by both the ruling
and opposition parties in 2002," Chang said.
"[A non-nuclear homeland] has already become an ideal
recognized by all parts of society, and we are resolute that any
policy pertaining to nuclear power has to be based on this
public consensus," Chang said.
"The DPP will not accept any suggestion that goes against the
principle of a `non-nuclear homeland' since it violates our
long-term core value and strays from mainstream public opinion,"
he said.
This story has been viewed 474 times.
Copyright © 1999-2005 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
20 YWS: Gov't Approves New Nuclear Power Generators in Gori
YONHAPNEWS WORLD SERVICE::ENGLISH NEWS
[http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/] ..
2005/01/11 17:05 KST
SEOUL, Jan. 11 (Yonhap) -- The Ministry of Commerce, Industry
and Energy on Tuesday approved the construction of two new
nuclear power generators in Gori, north of Busan on South Korea's
east coast.
The construction, which has dragged on because of local
opposition, was approved because further delays would result in
extra costs and complication in the reimbursement of residents,
the ministry said.
*****************************************************************
21 Economic Times: 'Our nuclear facilities can brave any natural disaster'
[http://www.indiatimes.com]
Wednesday, January 12, 2005| Updated at
01:17hrs IST
MUMBAI: All of Indias nuclear establishments can withstand
any form of natural disaster, including tsunamis, the Nuclear
Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) said on Tuesday.
Nuclear power plants in the country are well adapted to deal
with natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis
and cyclones, NPCIL added.
A conservative approach is adopted during site selection,
design, construction, commissioning and operation of nuclear
power plants and natural calamities like earthquake, flood,
tsunami and cyclone are considered during site selection , NPCIL
said in a release.
The grade level of the plant is kept well above the maximum
expected flood level, it said. NPCILs statement comes in the
wake of the havoc the tsunamis wreaked along the countrys
southern coasts.
Initial reports said that the Kalpakkam nuclear reactor outside
Chennai was affected, but the plant management later clarified
that its operations were not hit.
The plants are designed to be safe under high seismic intensity
corresponding to the maximum earthquake potential of the site,
says NPCIL.
The integrity and safety of the nuclear plants had amply been
demonstrated during the Bhuj earthquake in 01 which had a
magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale, and had severely affected
a large part of Gujarat, it further noted. The Kakrapar atomic
power station near Surat kept operating safely during and after
the quake and continued supply of much needed power to Gujarat,
the release said.
Similarly, when the tsunami struck the east coast of India on
December 26, Unit I of Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam
in Tamil Nadu was already shut down for major refurbishment and
modernisation. Unit 2, which was operational at that time was
also brought to the safe shutdown state, it said.
The shutdown core cooling systems remained operational and the
core was maintained in safe shutdown state. While the water
level remained below the grade level of the plant, water
ingressed through the sea water intake tunnel, causing
submergence of some of the sea water pumps, it added.
After a detailed inspection by NPCIL and the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board, the plant restarted operations on January 2.
Similarly, at Kudankulam near Kanyakumari, the two nuclear power
plants of 1000 MW each for which construction is going on and
temporary structures have been erected at the shore were not
damaged or breached by the tsunami, it added.
Copyright © 2005 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
22 Times Argus: Vt. Yankee must be a cornerstone of state's electrical
power needs
January 11, 2005
Commentary
By William R. Sayre
t only takes a short blackout to remind us how essential
electricity is to our lives, and only a few minutes spent going
through the bills to understand the financial impact of electric
rates. Electricity is not just important for individuals and
families, it is part of the lifeblood of our economy. A thriving
economy is the single most important factor in our quality of
life, providing the jobs and thereby the wages and benefits that
allow working Vermonters and their families to improve and
fulfill their lives and realize their potential.
Having a strong economy and quality electrical infrastructure is
a pre-requisite for having the resources to provide quality
education to our children, government services that help our
elderly and low-income citizens, and jobs that enable
hard-working Vermont families to continue to raise their children
here.
We therefore all should have an abiding interest in the timely
issue of our energy future, particularly regarding electricity.
The Department of Public Service is concluding its development of
the 2004 Vermont Electric Plan, and energy is likely to be among
the top issues in the new Legislature. Not only is the issue of
electric rates at stake, but the very question of just where we
will get our electricity itself will be debated.
Front and center of both of these questions is the Vermont Yankee
nuclear power plant. This plant is the flagship of Vermont energy
production, providing more than 34 percent of the state's
electricity – second only to the more than 36 percent imported
from Hydro-Quebec.
This electricity has not only been reliable, it has been clean
and affordable.
Since the plant began operating in 1972, the state has avoided
100 million metric tons of fossil fuel pollution from sources
like coal and oil. This would have come via the emission of
nitrogen oxide, which is a main component of harmful ground-level
ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and other particulate
matter.
Vermont's savings have been noteworthy as well. Although the cost
of electricity in Vermont as a whole has been well above national
averages for years, Vermont Yankee has delivered electricity to
Vermonters at a savings, the below-market averages totaling
nearly one billion dollars over its lifetime. The terms of the
plant's sale in 2002 have saved Vermonters more than $20 million
below market prices already, and favorable terms run through the
currently scheduled life of the plant until 2012.
This performance should be kept in mind as Vermont looks not only
to the next few years but beyond 2012, when the current Yankee
license expires and our current contract with Hydro-Quebec begins
to phase down. Together, these two sources represent some 70
percent of Vermont's base-load electric power that must be
renewed or replaced. Base-load power is the steady, consistent,
reliable power that is the backbone of our electrical system.
As Vermont's utilities and regulatory authorities move toward
this future, the most important principle for the state's
portfolio, or mix, of energy sources is low rates – part of the
so-called least-cost principle. But reliability and diversity are
also important values. With the context of affordability, Vermont
should continue to rely upon diverse sources of energy, including
natural gas as well as hydro, wood, wind, and other renewable
sources.
But not just those sources alone. Vermont Yankee has proven that
it should continue to play a central role in our energy portfolio
as well. It has demonstrated the affordability, reliability, and
cleanliness to not only continue but increase its contribution to
our personal and economic wellbeing through 2012 and well beyond.
William Sayre is an economist, formerly with the Federal Reserve,
and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Associated
Industries of Vermont, www.aivt.org [http://www.aivt.org] .
© 2004 Times Argus [http://www.timesargus.com/]
*****************************************************************
23 Indian Express: Tsunami hits N-programme: fast breeder project delayed
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
[http://www.indianexpress.com/
18-m-deep raft submerged, pipelines, pumps mixers destroyed
KALPAKKAM, JANUARY 11: Construction work in the Fast Breeder
Reactor Project (PFBR), dubbed as the cornerstone of the second
stage of India’s nuclear programme, has been set back by at least
a month, after the tsunami submerged an 18-metre-deep raft meant
to be the foundation for eight buildings that were to comprise
the nuclear island.
‘‘Only the raft suffered damage...because it is 18 metres below
the ground level,’’ said Prabhat Kumar, PFBR project director.
The financial loss is yet to be ascertained. ‘‘We are analysing
the loss. We have to investigate and arrive at the final figure
on our side and also that of the constructor’s,’’ said Kumar.
More than ruing the financial loss, the authorities are busy
thanking their stars as over 150 persons, who were working
inside the site when the waves swallowed the excavated site,
escaped unhurt.
‘‘The construction in-charge, who was on ground level, had a
walkie-talkie. On seeing the water rushing in, he contacted
three junior officers inside the site. Everybody inside rushed
to safety and a major calamity was averted. One worker who was
working at another site was killed and her body was recovered
from the raft site three days later,’’ said Kumar.
[http://www.expressindia.com/about/privacy.html] |
© 2005: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
*****************************************************************
24 Brattleboro Reformer: NRC to review coalition's petition
January 11, 2005 Brattleboro, VT
By CAROLYN LORIÉ
Reformer Staff
BRATTLEBORO -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has accepted for
review a petition filed by the New England Coalition to shut down
Vermont Yankee until plant officials can assure the public that
the emergency notification system is operable.
The NRC now has 120 days to make a final decision on whether the
petition has merit and what, if any, enforcement action will be
taken.
The emergency notification system is designed to alert residents
within a 10-mile radius of the plant -- known as the emergency
planning zone -- in the event of an accident at the reactor.
People within the EPZ are given tone alert radios that sound a
warning, signaling residents to tune to the local radio station
for information. Brattleboro and Vernon also use sirens, although
in some areas of Brattleboro the sirens cannot be heard.
According to the coalition's petition, many local residents
allege that the radios are not dependable. They often malfunction
or fail to pick up any signal. The radios also do not alert the
owners that the batteries are running low, the way smoke
detectors do. There is also concern that because the radios go
off for weather alerts as well, people shut them off to avoid the
constant interruption.
The NRC recently cited Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee for not
keeping adequate records on the distribution of the radios.
Officials at the nuclear reactor have since made an effort to
contact all residents within the EPZ, which includes 18 towns in
three states, to let them know about the availability of the
radios. They are distributed at no costs to residents.
Vermont Yankee officials said they had not received official
word from the NRC that the petition is being considered.
In addition to the emergency alert system, the evacuation plan
has recently come under increased scrutiny.
On Dec. 16, a test evacuation was conducted at all schools
located in Vermont's EPZ and was dubbed a disaster by many.
Although students were not driven off school grounds, they did
vacate their buildings and board the buses that had to come over
from New Hampshire. The snags, however, were many. Communication
between the two state emergency management teams was poor. School
officials tried to give exact counts of how many students would
be evacuating, which was time consuming. One bus arrived at
Brattleboro school only to turn around and return to New
Hampshire before the children had a chance to board due to prior
commitments made by the bus company.
Nuclear-Free Vermont, a local anti-nuclear group, has been the
most vocal critic of the notification and evacuation plan. Two of
its most active members, Ed Anthes and Judy Davidson, joined the
coalition in its conference call with the NRC last Thursday. The
call was to give the coalition a chance to present the merits of
its petition, a routine part of the citizen petition process at
the NRC.
In order for a petition to be considered for formal review,
several criteria must be met. There must be no other way for the
petitioner to have his concerns addressed. The petition must be
based on specific regulations, in other words a general
opposition to nuclear power would not be acceptable. Finally, the
petition must seek a particular action, such as an NRC citation
or the revoking of a plant license.
This is the second petition filed by the coalition in 2004.
In April, the New England Coalition filed a petition having to
do with the fuel thought to be missing from the plant. The group
asked that Entergy take a complete inventory of all its spent
fuel and that the NRC certifies it. It was accepted for review
and according to Raymond Shadis of the coalition, the federal
regulator recently issued a director's decision on the petition,
which has not yet been made public.
Copyright ©1999-2005 New England Newspapers, Inc., a
*****************************************************************
25 NRC: New NRC Senior Resident Inspector Assigned to Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant
News Release - Region I - 2005-00
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs, Region I
No. I-05-003 January 11, 2005
CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330
Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: [opa1@nrc.gov]
Fred Bower has been assigned as the new Nuclear Regulatory
Commission Senior Inspector at the Peach Bottom nuclear power
plant. He joins NRC Resident Inspector Dan Schroeder at the
two-unit site, in Delta, Pa. Bower replaces Craig Smith who has
left the agency.
Bower first joined the NRC in 1990 as a reactor engineer in the
Region I office in King of Prussia, Pa. Most recently, Bower
worked as a senior reactor inspector in the Region I Division of
Reactor Safety. In addition to his work as a region-based
inspector, he has also been assigned as a resident inspector at
the Salem nuclear plant in Lower Alloways Creek, N.J., and at
the Calvert Cliffs plant in Lusby, Md.
Prior to joining the NRC, Bower worked as in progressively more
responsible positions associated with the repair, modification
and overhaul of naval ships and submarines at the Norfolk Naval
Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va.
Bower is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where he earned a bachelor
of science degree in mechanical engineering. He also earned a
masters in engineering management from Old Dominion University.
Fred Bowers extensive experience and commitment to safety will
help the NRC ensure that Peach Bottom conducts operations with
the highest safety standards to protect the public health and
safety, said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins.
Each U.S. commercial nuclear plant has at least two NRC resident
inspectors. They serve as the agency's eyes and ears at the
facility, conducting inspections, monitoring major work projects
and interacting with plant workers and the public.
The Peach Bottom resident inspectors can be reached at
717/456-7614.
Last revised Tuesday, January 11, 2005
*****************************************************************
26 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting Jan. 19 on Environmental Impacts of Proposed North Anna Early Site
Permit
News Release - 2005-00
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
No. 05-008 January 11, 2005
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting
Jan. 19 in Mineral, Va., to receive public comment on the draft
environmental impact statement for a proposed Early Site Permit
(ESP) at the North Anna site in Louisa County, about 40 miles
northwest of Richmond.
The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Louisa
County Middle School, 1009 David Highway, in Mineral. The
meeting will be transcribed. In addition, NRC staff members will
host an informal discussion one hour prior to the meeting. NRC
staff members will answer questions and explain the ESP process
during this informal session, but no official comments on the
EIS will be accepted then.
The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related
issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible future
construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at the site.
The North Anna application was filed Sept. 25, 2003, by Dominion
Nuclear North Anna, LLC. If approved, the permit would give
Dominion up to 20 years to decide whether to build one or more
nuclear plants on the site and to file an application with the
NRC for approval to begin construction.
The NRC staffs preliminary recommendation is that a permit
should be issued. The staffs conclusion is based on its
independent review of a report submitted by Dominion, taking
into account consultations with federal, state, tribal and local
agencies and comments from the public. The staffs preliminary
conclusions include a finding that there are no environmentally
preferable or obviously superior sites, and that any adverse
environmental impacts from possible site preparation and
preliminary construction activities at North Anna could be
redressed.
For planning purposes, anyone interested in attending or
presenting oral comments at the Jan. 19 meeting is encouraged to
pre-register no later than Jan. 14, by contacting Alicia
Williamson of the NRC by telephone at (800) 368-5642, extension
1878, or by e-mail at NorthAnna_ESP@nrc.gov
[NorthAnna_ESP@nrc.gov] . Interested persons may also register
to speak within 15 minutes of the start of the meeting. Time for
individual comments at the meetings may be limited to
accommodate all speakers.
Written comments on the draft EIS will also be considered by NRC
staff. Comments should be submitted either by mail (postmarked
by March 1, 2005) to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch,
Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration,
Mailstop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555-0001, or by e-mail (sent no later than March 1, 2005)
to NorthAnna_ESP@nrc.gov [NorthAnna_ESP@nrc.gov] .
The draft EIS and related documents are available electronically
for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md. It is available on the NRCs Web
site at two locations:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/docs4comment
.html and
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp/north-anna.html .
In addition, the Louisa County Library, 881 Davis Highway in
Mineral, has agreed to make the draft EIS available for public
inspection.
At the conclusion of the public comment period on March 1, 2005,
the NRC staff will consider and address the comments provided,
then issue a final EIS on the environmental acceptability of an
ESP at North Anna later in 2005.
Last revised Tuesday, January 11, 2005
*****************************************************************
27 EUbusiness: Lithuania to seek international help to build new nuclear reactor
[http://www.eubusiness.com/] » afp
+ [Print this page] 11/01/2005
Lithuania, which has pledged to close its Chernobyl-type
Ignalina nuclear power plant by 2010, will seek international
help to build and finance a new nuclear reactor, Prime Minister
Algirdas Brazauskas said Tuesday.
"The government wants Lithuania to remain a country with nuclear
energy, but we do not have the financial means to build the new
reactor," Brazauskas told journalists.
"It would cost some 2 billion euros, a fantastic price for us,
so we should work on this issue and seek advice," Brazauskas
said after a government meeting on nuclear energy issues.
The prime minister said Lithuania would seek advice from
European Union (EU) energy companies and international experts
further afield.
"If they show some interest, then we could consider building a
new reactor," Brazauskas said.
Lithuania halted the first of two reactors at Ignalina on
December 31 in line with a pledge to the EU made during
membership talks. The Baltic state acceded to the EU in May last
year.
The deal provides for the complete closure of the facility in
2009.
The Ignalina plant, which supplied more than 70 percent of all
energy consumed in the Baltic state, operated two RBMK reactors
- the same type as those used at Ukraine's Chernobyl nuclear
plant, which exploded in 1986 in the world's worst civil nuclear
disaster.
The EU has promised to finance the closure of the Ignalina
plant, estimated at between two and three billion euros
(2.5-3.75 billion dollars) over 30 years. More than 200 million
euros have already been allocated to prepare decomissioning the
first unit.
Text and Picture Copyright © 2004 AFP. All other copyright ©
2004 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is
*****************************************************************
28 NRC: KTL Roudebush Testing, Kansas City, MO; Order Revoking License
FR Doc 05-477
[Federal Register: January 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 7)]
[Notices] [Page 1905-1908] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11ja05-78]
I KTL Roudebush Testing (Licensee) is the holder of Byproduct
Material License No. 24-26628-01 issued by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC or Commission) pursuant to 10 CFR parts 30 and
34. The license authorizes the possession and use of iridium-192
in sealed sources for industrial radiography. The license also
authorizes the possession and use of cesium-137 and americium-241
in sealed sources to be used in portable gauges for measuring
physical properties of materials. In addition, the license
authorizes the possession of depleted uranium, as solid metal,
for shielding in radiography equipment.
Christopher V. Roudebush is the President and owner of KTL
Roudebush Testing. The license identifies Mr. Roudebush as the
Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). Mr. Roudebush also serves as a
radiographer for the Licensee. The license was originally issued
on November 20, 1995. License Amendment No. 4 was issued on
January 16, 2004, to change the name of the Licensee from PSI
Inspection, Inc. to KTL Roudebush Testing. The license was
amended in its entirety on February 5, 2004 (Amendment No. 5),
and is due to expire on March 31, 2011. The license was suspended
by NRC Order on March 11, 2004 (EA-03- 0177) (69 FR 13336). That
Order was made immediately effective. II On March 11, 2004, the
NRC issued an Order Suspending License (Effective Immediately)
and Demand for Information to KTL Roudebush Testing after a
routine inspection by the NRC staff and an investigation by the
NRC Office of Investigations (OI) identified numerous apparent
deliberate violations of the NRC's radiation safety requirements
by Christopher V. Roudebush, the President, owner, and
[[Page 1906]] Radiation Safety Officer of, and a radiographer
for, KTL Roudebush Testing. The apparent violations were
described in Inspection Report No. 030-33765/2003-001 (DNMS), OI
Report No. 3-2003-009, and the Order Suspending License
(Effective Immediately) issued on March 11, 2004. The Suspension
Order required KTL Roudebush Testing to suspend its use of
NRC-licensed material and to place the material in safe storage
pending further deliberation by the NRC regarding the apparent
violations. The apparent deliberate violations giving rise to the
Order Suspending License were described therein and, in summary,
included the following: 1. On April 10, 2003, October 28 and 29,
2002, and on several occasions between October 2001 and January
2002, Mr. Roudebush deliberately conducted industrial radiography
at locations other than a permanent radiographic installation
(field locations or temporary job sites) without having an
additional qualified individual present who could observe
radiographic operations and was capable of providing immediate
assistance to prevent unauthorized entry, as required by 10 CFR
34.41. 2. On April 10, 2003, and on October 28 and 29, 2002, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately permitted individuals to act as a
radiographer's assistant before these individuals had
successfully completed the Licensee's training program for
radiographer's assistants, as required by 10 CFR 34.43(c) and
Condition No. 26 of NRC License No. 24-26628-01. 3. On October
28, 2002, Mr. Roudebush deliberately permitted an individual who
was not wearing a direct-reading pocket dosimeter, an alarming
ratemeter, and either a film badge or a thermoluminescent
dosimeter, as required by 10 CFR 34.47(a), to act as a
radiographer's assistant.
4. As of April 12, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately failed to
conduct inspections and routine maintenance of Licensee
radiographic exposure devices and associated equipment during the
first quarter of Calendar Year 2003, an interval exceeding three
months, as required by 10 CFR 34.31(b). 5. On April 8, 2003, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately provided inaccurate and incomplete
information to an NRC inspector about maintaining records of
quarterly inspections of radiographic exposure devices, as
required to be maintained in accordance with 10 CFR 34.73. 6. On
August 5, 2003, in response to a subpoena from the NRC, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately provided inaccurate and incomplete
information to a Special Agent of the NRC Office of
Investigations when he stated that he had destroyed a computer
described in a subpoena from the NRC. Mr. Roudebush deliberately
failed to afford the Commission an opportunity to inspect records
of quarterly maintenance and inspections of radiographic exposure
devices that were required to be maintained in accordance with 10
CFR 34.73. 7. On April 10, 2003, and between October 2001 and
January 2002, Mr. Roudebush transported on public highways a SPEC
Model 150 radiographic exposure device (package), containing a
nominal 142 curie iridium-192 sealed source, and he deliberately
did not block and brace the package such that it could not change
position during conditions normally incident to transportation,
as required by 10 CFR 71.5(a) and 49 CFR 177.842(d).
Specifically, two radiographic exposure devices were transported
in the back of a company truck and one of the exposure devices
was not properly blocked or braced.
8. On April 10, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately transported a
SPEC Model 150 radiographic exposure device, containing a nominal
142 curie iridium-192 sealed source, by highway without a
shipping paper and the material was not excepted from shipping
paper requirements, as required by 10 C.F.R. Sec. 71.5(a) and 49
CFR 177.817(a). 9. On April 10, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately
transported a radiographic exposure device, containing a nominal
142 curie iridium- 192-sealed source, without its safety cover
installed to protect the source assembly from water, mud, sand or
other foreign matter, as required by 10 CFR 34.20(c)(3). III The
March 11, 2004, Order Suspending License also contained a Demand
for Information issued pursuant to 10 CFR 2.204. The Demand for
Information required the Licensee to provide in writing, under
oath or affirmation, an explanation as to why, in light of the
inspection and investigation findings, that License No.
24-26628-01 should not be revoked. The Demand for Information
also provided that should the Licensee believe that the license
should not be revoked, the Licensee must provide in a written
response, under oath or affirmation, reasonable assurance that in
the future all licensed activities will be conducted with
appropriate management oversight to ensure all licensed
activities will be performed in accordance with regulatory
requirements. By letter dated March 17, 2004, the Licensee
requested additional time to respond to the Demand for
Information. The NRC granted the request for additional time on
April 2, 2004. On June 3, 2004, the Licensee provided the written
response required by the Demand for Information and also
requested a hearing on the Order Suspending License.
On June 14, 2004, the Licensee withdrew the request for hearing
upon the NRC granting the Licensee's request to meet with the NRC
staff, and consequently the NRC staff extended the time for the
Licensee to request a hearing on the Order Suspending License.
Representatives of the Licensee met with the NRC staff on July
21, 2004, in the NRC Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois.
In the Licensee's undated \1\ written response to the Demand for
Information and at the meeting with the NRC staff, Christopher V.
Roudebush, the President, owner, and Radiation Safety Officer of
KTL Roudebush Testing, stated that he made mistakes and he had
lapses in judgment as a businessman; however, none of the
violations were deliberate in nature. Mr. Roudebush stated that
he planned to hire only experienced individuals in the future and
he would no longer hire individuals from a temporary labor
agency. According to Mr. Roudebush, he hired a second
radiographer to be an additional Radiation Safety Officer in
order to help with completion of NRC-required inspections and
audits and maintain related records. (Note: On December 20, 2003,
the Licensee submitted a license amendment request to the NRC,
requesting an individual be added to the license as the Assistant
Radiation Safety Officer. License Amendment No. 4 was issued on
January 16, 2004, and listed that individual as the Assistant
Radiation Safety Officer.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \1\ Received by NRC on June 3, 2004.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- The NRC staff carefully considered the Licensee's
response to the Demand for Information and the additional
information provided during the meeting held on July 21, 2004.
Notwithstanding the Licensee's arguments, the NRC concludes that
the apparent deliberate violations specified in the Suspension
Order occurred as stated. For example, Mr. Roudebush admitted in
the response to the Demand for Information and at the July 21,
2004, meeting that he violated the NRC requirement to have two
qualified individuals present during radiographic operations;
however, he denied that the violation was deliberate. He
explained
[[Page 1907]] that he received his training and certification as
a radiographer in the State of Texas and the regulations in the
State of Texas required only one certified radiographer. He also
denied during the meeting on July 21, 2004, that he had received
a prior Notice of Violation associated with the ``two-man rule,''
10 CFR 34.41(a). However, the NRC issued a Notice of Violation to
the Licensee on January 18, 2000, associated with the ``two man
rule,'' 10 CFR 34.41(a). The inspection report containing the
violation (No. 030-33765/99-001(DNMS)) documents that Mr.
Roudebush told an NRC inspector during the December 10, 1999,
inspection that he was familiar with the NRC's ``two man rule,''
10 CFR 34.41(a). Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the
statements by Mr. Roudebush that he was not aware of the
requirement to have two qualified individuals present at a
temporary job site and he did not deliberately violate the
provisions of 10 CFR 34.41(a), were not credible.
Additionally, Mr. Roudebush provided a lengthy explanation
regarding the apparent deliberate failure to provide the
information requested by the NRC subpoena, the opportunity to
inspect the records contained in the computer, and the
destruction of that computer.
Mr. Roudebush stated that an employee threw computer parts from a
truck operated by Mr. Roudebush after Mr. Roudebush had received
the subpoena from the Office of Investigations. Mr. Roudebush
admitted that he was present when his employee threw away the
computer parts and stated that he made no attempt to stop the
employee from destroying the computer. Regardless of who may have
actually destroyed the computer, Mr. Roudebush, as the Licensee's
President, owner, and Radiation Safety Officer, was complicit in,
and responsible for, deliberate violations of 10 CFR 30.9 and 10
CFR 30.52(b). The NRC staff carefully considered the Licensee's
explanations provided in its response to the Demand for
Information and at the July 21, 2004, meeting regarding the other
violations alleged in the Suspension Order. While Mr. Roudebush
contends that his conduct reflected mistakes and lapses of
judgment, the NRC concludes that the violations were deliberate
and occurred as stated in the Order Suspending License.
IV In addition to the deliberate violations described in Section
III which occurred within the NRC's jurisdiction, and upon which
this Order is based, the investigation conducted by the NRC
Office of Investigations determined that the following activities
occurred in the State of Kansas, an NRC Agreement State. On
February 17, and March 6, 2003, and on several occasions between
May and October 2002, the Licensee deliberately conducted
radiography at temporary job sites and the radiographer was not
accompanied by an additional qualified individual. On February
17, and March 6, 2003, the Licensee deliberately permitted
individuals to act as a radiographer's assistants before they had
successfully completed the Licensee's training program for a
radiographer's assistant, and these individuals did not wear a
direct-reading pocket dosimeter, an alarming ratemeter, and
either a film badge or a thermoluminescent dosimeter while
conducting radiography. Based on these findings, on March 12,
2004, the State of Kansas issued an Emergency Order of Suspension
of License (Case No. 04-E-0071) to KTL Inspection (as named on
the Order and License). The license in the State of Kansas
expired on June 30, 2004, and summary judgment was entered
without further action by the State of Kansas based on the
expiration of the license.
V As described in Section III, the deliberate acts and omissions
of Christopher V. Roudebush violated NRC requirements over an
extended period of time. These violations jeopardized the public
health and safety, and on that basis, represent a significant
regulatory concern. The deliberate violations also demonstrate
that Christopher V. Roudebush, as the President, owner, and
Radiation Safety Officer of KTL Roudebush Testing, and a
radiographer for the Licensee, is unable to comply with the
Commission's requirements to protect the public health and
safety. The corrective actions described by Mr. Roudebush (hiring
an Assistant Radiation Safety Officer/radiographer, and stating
he would not hire temporary workers in the future) are not
sufficient to demonstrate otherwise. The deliberate violations
demonstrate that the Commission is not able to rely upon the
integrity of Mr.
Roudebush. Such reliance is essential to assuring adequate
protection of the public health and safety. Given the above
matters and the actions of Mr. Roudebush as the President, owner,
and Radiation Safety Officer for the Licensee, the Commission
lacks the requisite reasonable assurance that the public health
and safety is adequately protected by continuing activities under
the existing license. If, at the time the license was issued, the
NRC had known of the Licensees inability to control licensed
activities in accordance with the Commission's requirements, or
the questionable integrity of the Licensee's President and
Radiation Safety Officer, the license would not have been issued.
Therefore, I have determined that permitting this Licensee to
conduct or resume activities under License No. 24-26628-01 would
be contrary to the public health and safety and that this license
should be revoked. I have also determined, pursuant to 10 CFR
2.202(a)(5), that the public health and safety requires the
continued suspension of this license until the material in the
Licensee's possession has been returned to the manufacturer or
transferred to another person authorized to possess the material,
and that this continued suspension must remain in effect pending
license revocation.
VI Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 81, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182
and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR 30 and 34: A.
It is hereby ordered, that: 1. The Licensee shall transfer all
NRC-licensed material acquired or possessed under the authority
of License No. 24-26628-01 within 20 days of the date of this
Order, either by returning the material to the manufacturer or
transferring it to another person authorized to possess that
material; 2. Any sources that have not been leak tested within
six months prior to the transfer shall be leak tested by a person
authorized to do so, prior to transfer of the source; 3. The
Licensee shall notify Mr. Marc L. Dapas, Director, Division of
Nuclear Materials Safety, NRC Region III, Lisle, Illinois, by
telephone (630-829-9800) at least five working days prior to the
date the radioactive materials are to be transferred so that the
NRC may, if it elects, observe the transfer of the material; 4.
The Licensee shall, within 5 days after transfer of the material,
certify in writing, under oath or affirmation, to the Regional
Administrator, NRC Region III, 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210,
Lisle, Illinois 60532-4532, that all material has been properly
transferred and provide the Regional Administrator copies of
transfer records required by 10 CFR 30.51; and 5. The issuance of
this Order does not otherwise alter the continued effectiveness
of the Suspension Order.
B. It is further ordered that: Following confirmation of the
transfer of all NRC-licensed material currently
[[Page 1908]] possessed, as discussed above, License No.
24-26628-01 is revoked.
The Director of the Office of Enforcement or the Regional
Administrator, Region III, may, in writing, at any time prior to
final agency action sustaining the revocation of License No.
24-26628-01, relax or rescind any of the above provisions on
demonstration by the Licensee, in writing and under oath or
affirmation, of good cause.
VII In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202(b), the Licensee must, and
any other person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an
answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order,
within 20 days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is
shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to
request a hearing. A request for extension of time must be made
in writing to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a
statement of good cause for the extension. The answer may consent
to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the
answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation,
specifically admit or deny each allegation or charge made in this
Order and set forth the matters of fact and law on which the
Licensee or other person adversely affected relies, and the
reasons as to why the Order should not have been issued. Any
answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the
Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings
and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555.
Copies of the hearing request also should be sent to the
Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001, to the Assistant General
Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement, Office of the
General Counsel, at the same address, to the Regional
Administrator, NRC Region III, 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210,
Lisle, IL 60532-4352, and to the Licensee if the hearing request
is by a person other than the Licensee. Because of continuing
disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government
offices, it is requested that answers and requests for hearing be
transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by means of
facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to
[hearingdocket@nrc.gov] and also to the Assistant General
Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725
or by e-mail to [OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov] . If a person other than
the Licensee requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with
particularity the manner in which the interest of the person is
adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria
set forth in 10 CFR 2.309. If a hearing is requested by the
Licensee or a person whose interest is adversely affected, the
Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of
any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at
such hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained.
In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the
provisions specified in Section VI above shall be final 20 days
from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings.
If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been
approved, the provisions specified in Section VI shall be final
when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been
received.
Dated this 30th day of December, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Martin J. Virgilio, Deputy Executive Director for Materials,
Research and State Programs, Office of Executive Director for
Operations.
[FR Doc. 05-477 Filed 1-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
29 NRC: Christopher V. Roudebush; Order Prohibiting Involvement in NRC-
FR Doc 05-478
[Federal Register: January 11, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 7)]
[Notices] [Page 1908-1911] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11ja05-79]
Licensed Activities (Effective Immediately) I KTL Roudebush
Testing (Licensee) is the holder of Byproduct Material License
No. 24-26628-01 issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC or Commission) pursuant to 10 CFR 30 and 34. The license
authorizes the possession and use of iridium-192 in sealed
sources for industrial radiography. The license also authorizes
the possession and use of cesium-137 and americium-241 in sealed
sources to be used in portable gauges for measuring physical
properties of materials. In addition, the license authorizes the
possession of depleted uranium, as solid metal, for shielding in
radiography equipment. The license was originally issued on
November 20, 1995. License Amendment No. 4 was issued on January
16, 2004, to change the name of the Licensee from PSI Inspection,
Inc. to KTL Roudebush Testing. The license was amended in its
entirety on February 5, 2004 (Amendment No. 5) and is due to
expire on March 31, 2011. The license was suspended by NRC Order
on March 11, 2004 (EA-03-0177) (69 FR 13336), which was effective
immediately. Additionally, the NRC staff informed the Licensee,
on September 15, 2004, that an extension of time for requesting a
hearing on the March 11, 2004, Order Suspending License was
granted until 20 days following the final disposition of the
issues described in the Suspension Order. Christopher V.
Roudebush is the President and owner of KTL Roudebush Testing.
The license identifies Mr. Roudebush as the Radiation Safety
Officer (RSO). Mr. Roudebush also serves as a radiographer for
the Licensee.
II Based on the results of a routine inspection by the NRC staff
and an investigation by the NRC Office of Investigations (OI),
the NRC determined that Christopher V. Roudebush, the President,
owner, Radiation Safety Officer of, and a radiographer for, KTL
Roudebush Testing, engaged in deliberate misconduct that caused
the Licensee to be in violation of numerous NRC radiation safety
requirements, including the requirements to: have a sufficient
number of qualified personnel present at temporary job sites;
provide radiation safety training and dosimetry to employees;
conduct inspections and maintenance of industrial radiography
equipment at specified intervals; and maintain records of NRC
required inspection and maintenance activities. The NRC also
determined that Mr. Roudebush deliberately provided incomplete
and inaccurate information to NRC inspectors and investigators,
and Mr. Roudebush deliberately prevented NRC inspectors and
investigators from having access to NRC-required records.
As a result of the activities of Mr. Roudebush, the NRC issued an
Order Suspending License (Effective Immediately) and Demand for
Information to KTL Roudebush Testing on March 11, 2004. The
apparent violations were described in Inspection Report No.
030-33765/2003-001 (DNMS), OI Report No. 3-2003-009, and the
Order Suspending License (Effective Immediately) issued on March
11, 2004. The Suspension Order required KTL Roudebush Testing to
suspend its use of NRC-licensed material and to place the
material in safe storage pending further deliberation by the NRC
regarding the apparent deliberate violations. The apparent
deliberate violations giving rise to the Order Suspending License
were
[[Page 1909]] described therein and, in summary, included the
following: 1. On April 10, 2003, October 28 and 29, 2002, and on
several occasions between October 2001 and January 2002, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately conducted industrial radiography at
locations other than a permanent radiographic installation (field
locations or temporary job sites) without having an additional
qualified individual present who could observe the radiographic
operations and was capable of providing immediate assistance to
prevent unauthorized entry, as required by 10 CFR 34.41. 2. On
April 10, 2003, and on October 28 and 29, 2002, Mr. Roudebush
deliberately permitted individuals to act as a radiographer's
assistant before these individuals had successfully completed the
Licensee's training program for radiographer's assistants, as
required by 10 CFR 34.43(c) and Condition No. 26 of NRC License
No. 24-26628-01. 3. On October 28, 2002, Mr. Roudebush
deliberately permitted an individual who was not wearing a
direct-reading pocket dosimeter, an alarming ratemeter, and
either a film badge or a thermoluminescent dosimeter, as required
by 10 CFR 34.47(a), to act as a radiographer's assistant.
4. As of April 12, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately failed to
conduct inspections and routine maintenance of Licensee
radiographic exposure devices and associated equipment during the
first quarter of Calendar Year 2003, an interval exceeding three
months, as required by 10 CFR 34.31(b). 5. On April 8, 2003, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately provided inaccurate and incomplete
information to an NRC inspector about maintaining records of
quarterly inspections of radiographic exposure devices, as
required to be maintained in accordance with 10 CFR 34.73. 6. On
August 5, 2003, in response to a subpoena from the NRC, Mr.
Roudebush deliberately provided inaccurate and incomplete
information to a Special Agent of the NRC Office of
Investigations when he stated that he had destroyed a computer
described in a subpoena from the NRC. Mr. Roudebush deliberately
failed to afford the Commission an opportunity to inspect records
of quarterly maintenance and inspections of radiographic exposure
devices that were required to be maintained in accordance with 10
CFR 34.73. 7. On April 10, 2003, and between October 2001 and
January 2002, Mr. Roudebush transported on public highways a SPEC
Model 150 radiographic exposure device (package), containing a
nominal 142 curie iridium-192 sealed source, and he deliberately
did not block and brace the package such that it could not change
position during conditions normally incident to transportation,
as required by 10 CFR 71.5(a) and 49 CFR 177.842(d).
Specifically, two radiographic exposure devices were transported
in the back of a company truck and one of the exposure devices
was not properly blocked or braced.
8. On April 10, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately transported a
SPEC Model 150 radiographic exposure device, containing a nominal
142 curie iridium[dash]192 sealed source, by highway without a
shipping paper and the material was not excepted from shipping
paper requirements, as required by 10 CFR 71.5(a) and 49 CFR
177.817(a). 9. On April 10, 2003, Mr. Roudebush deliberately
transported a radiographic exposure device, containing a nominal
142 curie iridium- 192-sealed source, without its safety cover
installed to protect the source assembly from water, mud, sand or
other foreign matter, as required by 10 CFR 34.20(3). III The
March 11, 2004, Order Suspending License also contained a Demand
for Information issued pursuant to 10 CFR 2.204. The Demand for
Information required the Licensee to provide in writing, under
oath or affirmation, an explanation as to why, in light of the
inspection and investigation findings, License No. 24-26628-01
should not be revoked. The Demand for Information also provided
that should the Licensee believe that the license should not be
revoked, the Licensee must provide in a written response, under
oath or affirmation, reasonable assurance that in the future all
licensed activities will be conducted with appropriate management
oversight to ensure all licensed activities will be performed in
accordance with regulatory requirements. By letter dated March
17, 2004, the Licensee requested additional time to respond to
the Demand for Information. The NRC granted the request for
additional time on April 2, 2004. On June 3, 2004, the Licensee
provided the written response required by the Demand for
Information and also requested a hearing on the Order Suspending
License.
On June 14, 2004, the Licensee withdrew the request for hearing
upon the NRC granting the Licensee's request to meet with the NRC
staff, and consequently the NRC staff extended the time for the
Licensee to request a hearing on the Order Suspending License.
Representatives of the Licensee met with the NRC staff on July
21, 2004, in the NRC Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois.
In the Licensee's written response to the Demand for Information
and at the July 21, 2004, meeting with the NRC staff, Christopher
V. Roudebush, the President, owner, and Radiation Safety Officer
of KTL Roudebush Testing, stated that he made mistakes and he had
lapses in judgment as a businessman; however, none of the
violations were deliberate in nature. Mr. Roudebush stated that
he planned to hire only experienced individuals in the future and
he would no longer hire individuals from a temporary labor
agency. According to Mr. Roudebush, he hired a second
radiographer to be an additional Radiation Safety Officer in
order to help with the completion of NRC-required inspections and
audits and the maintenance of related records.
(Note: On December 20, 2003, the Licensee submitted a license
amendment request to the NRC, requesting an individual be added
to the license as the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer. License
Amendment No. 4 was issued on January 16, 2004, and listed that
individual as the Assistant Radiation Safety Officer.) The NRC
staff carefully considered the Licensee's response to the Demand
for Information and the additional information provided during
the meeting held on July 21, 2004. Notwithstanding the Licensee's
arguments, the NRC concludes that the apparent deliberate
violations specified in the Suspension Order occurred as stated.
For example, Mr. Roudebush admitted in the response to the Demand
for Information and at the July 21, 2004, meeting, that he
violated the NRC requirement to have two qualified individuals
present during radiographic operations; however, he denied that
the violation was deliberate. He explained that he received his
training and certification as a radiographer in the State of
Texas and the regulations in the State of Texas required only one
certified radiographer. He also denied during the meeting on July
21, 2004, that he had received a prior Notice of Violation
associated with the ``two-man rule,'' 10 CFR 34.41(a). However,
the NRC issued a Notice of Violation to the Licensee on January
18, 2000, associated with the ``two man rule,'' 10 CFR 34.41(a).
The inspection report containing the violation (No.
030-33765/99-001(DNMS)) documents that Mr. Roudebush told an NRC
inspector during the December 10, 1999, inspection that he was
familiar with the
[[Page 1910]] NRC's ``two man rule,'' 10 CFR 34.41(a). Therefore,
the NRC staff concludes that the statements by Mr. Roudebush that
he was not aware of the NRC requirement to have two qualified
individuals present at a temporary job site and he did not
deliberately violate the provisions of 10 CFR 34.41(a) were not
credible. Additionally, Mr. Roudebush provided a lengthy
explanation regarding the apparent deliberate failure to provide
the information requested by the NRC subpoena, the opportunity to
inspect the records contained in the computer, and the
destruction of that computer.
Mr. Roudebush stated that an employee threw computer parts from a
truck operated by Mr. Roudebush after Mr. Roudebush had received
the subpoena from the Office of Investigations. Mr. Roudebush
admitted that he was present when his employee threw away the
computer parts and he stated that he made no attempt to stop the
employee from destroying the computer. Regardless of who may have
actually destroyed the computer, Mr. Roudebush, as the Licensee's
President, owner, and Radiation Safety Officer, was complicit in,
and responsible for, deliberate violations of 10 CFR 30.9 and 10
CFR 30.52(b). The NRC staff carefully considered the Licensee's
explanations provided in its response to the Demand for
Information and at the meeting on July 21, 2004, regarding the
other violations alleged in the Suspension Order. While Mr.
Roudebush contends that he merely made mistakes and had lapses of
judgment, the NRC concludes that the violations were deliberate
and occurred as stated in the Order Suspending License.
Therefore, an Order Revoking License was issued to KTL Roudebush
Testing on December 30, 2004.
IV In addition to the deliberate violations described in Section
III which occurred within the NRC's jurisdiction, and upon which
this Order is based, the investigation conducted by the NRC
Office of Investigations determined that the following activities
occurred in the State of Kansas, an NRC Agreement State. On
February 17, and March 6, 2003, and on several occasions between
May and October 2002, the Licensee deliberately conducted
radiography at temporary job sites and the radiographer was not
accompanied by an additional qualified individual. On February
17, and March 6, 2003, the Licensee deliberately permitted
individuals to act as a radiographer's assistants before they had
successfully completed the Licensee's training program for a
radiographer's assistant, and these individuals did not wear a
direct-reading pocket dosimeter, an alarming ratemeter, and
either a film badge or a thermoluminescent dosimeter while
conducting radiography. Based on these findings, on March 12,
2004, the State of Kansas issued an Emergency Order of Suspension
of License (Case No. 04-E-0071) to KTL Inspection (as named on
the Order and License). The license in the State of Kansas
expired on June 30, 2004. Based on expiration of the license,
summary judgment was entered without further action by the State
of Kansas.
V As described in Section II and Section III, the deliberate acts
and omissions of Christopher V. Roudebush violated NRC
requirements over an extended period of time. These violations
jeopardized the public health and safety, and on that basis,
represent a significant regulatory concern. The deliberate
violations also demonstrate that Mr. Roudebush is unable to
comply with the Commission's requirements to protect the public
health and safety, and the Commission is not able to rely upon
the integrity of Mr. Roudebush. Such reliance is essential to
assuring adequate protection of the public health and safety.
Consequently, I lack the requisite reasonable assurance that
licensed activities can be conducted in compliance with the
Commission's requirements and that the health and safety of the
public will be protected if Mr.
Roudebush is permitted to be involved in NRC-licensed activities.
Therefore, the public health, safety and interest require that
Christopher V. Roudebush be prohibited from any involvement in
NRC-licensed activities for a period of five years from the date
of this Order.
Additionally, Mr. Roudebush is required to notify the NRC of his
first employment in NRC-licensed activities for a period of five
years following the prohibition period. Furthermore, pursuant to
10 CFR 2.202(a)(5), I find that the significance of Mr.
Roudebush's conduct described above is such that the public
health, safety and interest require that this Order be
immediately effective.
VI Accordingly, pursuant to sections 81, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182
and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the
Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202, 10 CFR 30.10, and 10
CFR 150.20, it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that: A.
1. Christopher V. Roudebush is prohibited for five years from the
date of this Order from engaging in NRC-licensed activities.
NRC- licensed activities are those activities that are conducted
pursuant to a specific or general license issued by the NRC,
including, but not limited to, those activities of Agreement
State Licensees conducted pursuant to the authority granted by 10
CFR 150.20. 2. Mr. Roudebush is permitted to conduct licensed
activities as necessary to maintain licensed material in the
possession of KTL Roudebush Testing in safe storage, as required
by the March 11, 2004, Order Suspending License (Effective
Immediately), and to transfer the material to an authorized
recipient, as required by the December 30, 2004, Order Revoking
License.
B. If Mr. Roudebush is currently involved with another licensee
in NRC-licensed activities, he must immediately cease those
activities, and inform the NRC of the name, address and telephone
number of the employer, and provide a copy of this Order to the
employer.
C. For a period of five years after the five year period of
prohibition has expired, Mr. Roudebush shall, within 20 days of
acceptance of his first employment offer involving NRC-licensed
activities or his becoming involved in NRC-licensed activities,
as defined in Paragraph VI.A. above, provide notice to the
Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, of the name, address, and
telephone number of the employer or the entity where he is, or
will be, involved in the NRC-licensed activities. In the
notification, Mr. Roudebush shall include a statement of his
commitment to compliance with regulatory requirements and the
basis why the Commission should have confidence that he will now
comply with applicable NRC requirements.
The Director of the Office of Enforcement or the Regional
Administrator, Region III, may, in writing, relax or rescind any
of the above conditions upon demonstration by Mr. Roudebush of
good cause.
VII In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202(b), Christopher V. Roudebush
must, and any other person adversely affected by this Order may,
submit an answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this
Order, within 20 days of the date of this Order. Where good cause
is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to
request a hearing. A request for extension of time must be made
in writing to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a
statement of good cause
[[Page 1911]] for the extension. The answer may consent to this
Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer
shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically
admit or deny each allegation or charge made in this Order and
shall set forth the matters of fact and law on which Mr.
Roudebush or other person adversely affected relies, and the
reasons as to why the Order should not have been issued.
Any answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the
Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attn: Rulemakings
and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies also shall
be sent to the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant
General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement, Office
of the General Counsel, at the same address, to the Regional
Administrator, NRC Region III, 2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210,
Lisle, IL 60532-4352, and to Mr. Roudebush if the answer or
hearing request is by a person other than Mr. Roudebush. Because
of continuing disruptions in delivery of mail to United States
Government offices, it is requested that answers and requests for
hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either
by means of facsimile transmission to (301) 415-3725 or by e-mail
to [ OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov] . If a person other than Mr.
Roudebush requests a hearing, that person shall set forth with
particularity the manner in which his interest is adversely
affected by this Order and shall address the criteria set forth
in 10 CFR 2.309. If a hearing is requested by Mr. Roudebush or a
person whose interest is adversely affected, the Commission will
issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If
a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such hearing
shall be whether this Order should be sustained.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(I), Mr. Roudebush, may, in
addition to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed
or sooner, move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate
effectiveness of the Order on the ground that the Order,
including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on
adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations,
or error.
In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the
provisions specified in Section IV above shall be final 20 days
from the date of this Order without further order or proceedings.
If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has been
approved, the provisions specified in Section IV shall be final
when the extension expires if a hearing request has not been
received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the
immediate effectiveness of this Order.
Dated this 30th day of December, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Martin J. Virgilio, Deputy Executive Director for Materials,
Research and State Programs, Office of Executive Director for
Operations.
[FR Doc. 05-478 Filed 1-10-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
30 Guardian Unlimited: Kin of Sick Nuke Workers to Get Checks
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday January 11, 2005 10:46 PM
By NANCY ZUCKERBROD
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Hundreds of survivors of nuclear weapons
workers will soon receive checks from the government under a
newly revamped program to compensate those exposed to radiation
and other industrial toxins, Labor Department officials said
Tuesday.
Workers who are still living will have to wait to receive checks
until the agency publishes regulations, probably in May,
detailing how it will compensate them, according to Shelby
Hallmark, who heads the Labor Department's worker compensation
programs.
Hallmark said compensating the workers for their disabilities
and lost wages will rely on a more complicated formula than the
lump-sum payments for at least $125,000 made to spouses or
dependent children of workers who died from job-related
illnesses.
Congress gave the Labor Department authority over the
compensation program in October after lawmakers complained the
Energy Department was running it too inefficiently.
``Their sacrifice helped keep America free, and they, or their
surviving loved ones, deserve quick and compassionate
compensation,'' Labor Secretary Elaine Chao said of the Cold
War-era workers who are seeking compensation for disabling
illnesses and time off the job.
Hallmark said the agency will review all the claims that the
Energy Department previously examined, including those deemed
ineligible for compensation. However, he cautioned that could
take time. ``We want to work on the ones that we can actually
pay quickly first,'' he said.
House and Senate lawmakers criticized the Energy Department for
squandering nearly $100 million it received since Congress
created the program a little more than four years ago.
The Energy Department said it paid out benefits to just over 100
claimants out of about 25,000 who filed for help before the
agency ceded control of the program to the Labor Department.
Chao said the Labor Department has paid three claims to
survivors - in Tennessee and Kentucky - since becoming involved
in the program, but she said payments for about 100 more have
been approved and will be paid in the next month.
Additional claims from survivors will be settled before May,
Hallmark said.
The Labor Department faces serious challenges in assuming
control over the program.
One government official said the Energy Department had left
behind boxes of unopened mail, which must be sorted and placed
in the appropriate case files.
Richard Miller, a policy analyst with the nonprofit Government
Accountability Project, said that's all the more reason to
re-evaluate cases turned down by DOE.
``You need to take the mail that wasn't opened and make sure
that new information might not have had an impact on the final
decision,'' Miller said.
In addition to moving the program to the Labor Department,
Congress required the federal government - not contractors who
ran the nuclear sites - to pay the bills.
Worker advocates favored the move because some people deemed
eligible for compensation were not getting paid. Contractors
were gone, they contended, and in some cases the government
could not compel contractors to pay because they were privately
insured.
Most of those who filed claims worked for contractors at Energy
Department facilities in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky,
Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and
Washington.
Hallmark estimated the program would cost more than $2 billion
over 10 years, but other estimates by congressional budgeters
have been significantly lower.
^---
On the Net:
Labor Department: http://www.dol.gov/
Energy Department: http://www.energy.gov/
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
31 Bellona: Russia scrapped 17 nuclear powered submarines in 2004
The head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency Alexander
Rumyantsev stated this at his press conference in the end of
December 2004.
2005-01-11 18:13
The empty reactor units of the dismantled submarines were placed
afloat for temporary storage, the minister said. Besides, ”The
special trains carried out 12 shipments of the spent nuclear fuel
unloaded from the submarines to the Mayak plant in 2004” he
added. ”Two nuclear service ships were prepared for temporary
storage afloat” Rumyantsev said. In 2004, Zvezda and Zvezdochka
shipyards reprocessed 874 cubic meters of the liquid radioactive
waste and 1,588 tonnes of solid radioactive waste, which was
placed in the temporary packages, ITAR-TASS quoted the Russian
nuclear power minister.
Publisher: [bellona@bellona.no] , President:
[frederic@bellona.no] Information: [info@bellona.no] , Technical
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32 Las Vegas SUN: No terrorism threat found in LV rail probe
Ex-official says tank cars still needed security
By Steve Kanigher and Ed Koch LAS
VEGAS SUN
The "credible terrorism threat" that prompted the Federal
Railroad Administration to send a train inspector to Las Vegas
on Dec. 31, 2003, turned out to be radioactive medical waste
with no terrorist connection.
But George Gavalla, a former associate administrator for safety
at that agency, said Monday that chemical tank cars that were
discovered unattended at area rail yards still should have had
human security because Las Vegas was under heightened terrorism
alert leading up to that New Year's Eve.
Railroad officials argue that heightened alert does not include
constantly watching every one of the more than 1.7 million
hazardous materials tank cars that traverse the United States
and Canada each year. They maintain that their security is
heightened and that incidents are on the decline because of it.
The New York Times initially quoted Gavalla in its Sunday
editions about the unattended cars. The inspector found six
unattended tank cars intended for chlorine gas at the Union
Pacific rail yard at Arden, 13 miles southwest of McCarran
International Airport, and four unattended tank cars possibly
containing poisonous gas at Union Pacific's Henderson rail yard
north of Interstate 215 and west of Stephanie Street.
When the inspector also visited the Union Pacific rail yard
downtown, he was not challenged by any train crew members, the
Times reported.
In a follow-up telephone interview with the Sun, Gavalla said
the inspector was never able to confirm whether or not the
unattended tank cars actually contained chemicals.
But Gavalla said that following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the
Association of American Railroads, a Washington trade group,
told the Federal Railroad Administration that railroads would
provide their highest levels of security to tank cars that were
located in highly populated urban areas during times of
heightened terrorism alert.
"They should impose their highest and most stringent
resources," Gavalla said. "There is supposed to be close
surveillance. Even empty tank cars contain residue."
Las Vegas was one of several large cities nationwide that was
under heightened alert the day of the train inspection.
The train inspector was sent to Las Vegas following reports
that Energy Department scientists had picked up suspicious
radioactivity during surveillance in Las Vegas.
"We were alerted about the possibility of a dirty bomb,"
Gavalla said. "We had been warned about potential terrorist
threats because of the New Year's celebration."
The radioactivity that was detected in the Las Vegas Valley
turned out to be a radioactive isotope used to treat cancer. The
radium pellet, deemed to be medical waste, was initially found
by a homeless man who kept it in a storage unit. There were no
arrests.
Because the railroad industry promised to beef up security in
response to possible terrorism, the federal government never
mandated a particular level of security, Gavalla said. It was
simply left up to the railroads' discretion, he said.
"The key question is, how much of their plans have they
implemented?" Gavalla said. "If you find situations where
security plans aren't being implemented, maybe you need to look
at federal mandates."
But officials with the Association of American Railroads and
Union Pacific Railroad counter that the train industry has
officials who sit on the highest level of federal anti-terrorism
boards and that the plan currently in force is working to keep
the railway system safe from potential attacks.
"With 1.7 million hazardous material tank cars moving annually
in the United States and Canada, there is no way to physically
have someone watch every tank car," said Tom White, spokesman
for the Association of American Railroads.
"Railroads have provided additional security and continue to
provide it. there are more patrols, more police surveillance and
more video surveillance."
Since the terrorism attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there have been
no "specific" terrorism acts related to American railroads,
officials said.
"We've seen generalized things like photos of rail equipment
found on al-Qaida in Afghanistan, but no specific threat
information," White said.
He noted, however, that stepped-up security to address general
incidences has resulted in complaints from American train buffs
angered over being chased off railroad property while trying to
photograph passing trains for their hobby.
Also, the railroads are even more vigilant about trying to keep
people from hopping freight cars, he said. But White said that
is more for safety reasons than for potential terrorism
activities.
"I feel comfortable with the security plans that have been
adopted to make our system more secure," White said of overall
rail security. "We have made it a much more difficult target for
terrorists.
"Terrorists don't want to deal with targets that are more
difficult. Potential terrorists have to wait a long time to find
a car that contains chlorine. Many trains go by with no
hazardous materials. If they have to sit and wait a long time
that makes them conspicuous. That's something terrorists do not
like."
John Bromley, spokesman for Union Pacific, said heightened
security measures for the railroad have included restricting
access to facilities, cutting off public tours and adding guards
to some installations where officials believe it is necessary.
"We've educated our employees of the need to look for
trespassers and be suspicious," Bromley said. "They are our eyes
and ears. They do thorough jobs and notify dispatchers who work
with railroad police and local authorities."
White said the reason Las Vegas railroad employees might not
have challenged the inspector on New Year's Eve 2003 is they
probably recognized him as a regulator of their industry.
Bromley agreed that safety and security measures that the
railroad industry has taken have made rail shipments much safer.
"Since 1980 there has been an 87 percent decline in hazardous
material accident rates," Bromley said.
Bromley declined to comment on Gavalla's statements, saying,
"Rail is the safest way to move this type of material. We have
an outstanding record in safely delivering hazardous materials.
And we have been concerned about chemical shipments since way
before 9/11."
*****************************************************************
33 DenverPost.com: Whistle-blowers reap, but process takes time
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By Alicia Caldwell Denver Post Staff Writer
Post file / Glenn Asakawa
Oilman Jack Grynberg in a 2000 photo.
Oilman Jack Grynberg was doing some calculations in the
mid-1990s when he noticed something quite peculiar.
It seemed to him that an energy company extracting carbon
dioxide from federal lands in Montezuma County was substantially
underpaying royalties to the government.
Grynberg, whose offices are in the Denver Tech Center, was
outraged. And he did something about it.
He filed a "qui tam" lawsuit under a little-known segment of
federal law that gives whistle-blowers the right to pursue those
they think are stealing from the government.
Justice isn't the only potential reward, either. Those who are
successful get a hefty chunk of any money recovered.
Grynberg, who has been pushing the case for seven years, said he
is close to reaching an agreement that would give him a
significant piece of a $6 million settlement that the energy
company reached with the federal government.
He plans to donate much of his share - which he thinks will
range from 15 percent to 25 percent - to a scholarship fund. But
he's distressed it took so long.
"This is the problem with justice," Grynberg said. "It's slow."
False Claims Act cases are ponderous, often grinding along for
years. And it's not unusual for whistle-blowers to lose their
jobs and even their careers.
Even so, monetary recovery in false-claims cases has been
increasing nationwide during the past decade, according to the
U.S. Department of Justice.
In 1994, the total was $382 million. In 2003, that number
increased to $1.56 billion.
The False Claims Act was enacted during the Civil War to
"deputize" private citizens to take action against those
defrauding the government.
The laws had fallen out of use in modern times, said James
Moorman, president and chief executive of the False Claims Act
Legal Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. But
defense-contracting scandals led lawmakers to revise the laws in
1986.
"You remember the $500 hammer and the $800 toilet seat?" Moorman
said. "This was one of the reforms passed to deal with this."
In Colorado, cases have ranged from quirky to high profile,
including a recent $2.4 million settlement with an insurance
company accused of cheating the U.S. Postal Service on bulk-mail
rates and $300,000 to dismiss claims of botched runway
construction at Denver International Airport.
While the rewards can be great, the process often is taxing.
Take it from Doug Ruder, who was trucking supplies to a concrete
contractor at DIA in the early 1990s when he realized that
something wasn't right with the runways.
By calculating the amount of aggregate the contractor was using,
Ruder realized the concrete was far too watery and would make
for weak runways.
He worried about them cracking under the pressure of fully
loaded jets touching down and thought that a serious accident
could happen.
"The potential is just something I couldn't live with," Ruder
said.
He said helping the government investigate became a part-time
job. But he said he was convinced it was the right thing to do.
Ruder attributes his divorce to the stress of the case. And for
a decade, he found it difficult to find work that was befitting
his experience in the concrete business.
In 2000, the case was settled. Ruder said he and another
whistle-blower shared $60,000.
"It worked out to about 3 cents an hour," he said, adding that
he'd do it again.
Typical are cases against health-care companies and defense
contractors.
In 1999, a Colorado jury found Rockwell International liable for
violating the False Claims Act. The company had been accused of
falsifying reports about its work at Rocky Flats and received
bonuses as a result of those reports.
The jury awarded $1.4 million to the federal government and a
former Rockwell engineer - an amount that was tripled, which is
provided for in federal law.
James Stone, who was a lead engineer for the operation near
Golden, filed the False Claims Act lawsuit in 1989.
Stone said Rockwell violated numerous environmental and safety
regulations, including mishandling dangerous substances such as
plutonium and beryllium. He says he was fired in retaliation for
his vociferous objections to the company's practices.
The 80-year-old Lakewood resident said he has seen several
appeals of the judgment, and so far, he has prevailed. What
Stone hasn't seen is any money.
"They not only didn't pay anything, but they blackballed me,"
Stone said. "The industry is spooky about whistle- blowers. But
I don't see myself as a whistle-blower. I see myself as a good
engineer."
Christopher Koenigs, a lawyer representing Boeing North American
in the case, declined to comment because an appeal is pending.
Boeing has acquired Rockwell since the litigation began.
According to the law, the government gets a chance to intervene
in any false-claims action brought.
"Qui tam" is an abbreviated Latin phrase meaning "he who sues on
behalf of the king as well as for himself."
In the Grynberg case, which centered on a dispute over whether
the BOC Group was paying enough in royalties, the federal
government chose to intervene.
BOC had a contract to extract natural carbon dioxide from
properties owned by the federal government in the Four Corners
area. BOC was obligated to pay royalties of 12.5 percent of the
value of the gas it extracted, with certain adjustments for
costs.
The government and Grynberg alleged that BOC vastly
underreported the actual value of the gas extracted.
There have been many turns in the case since it was filed in
1997, including a jury trial on one issue - in which Grynberg
lost. Two appeals filed by Grynberg are pending.
Meanwhile, the government settled with BOC for $6 million, an
amount that was set aside pending appeals. Grynberg said he is
negotiating with the government for a part of that settlement.
John Moorhead, a lawyer for BOC, which is based in New Jersey
and has an office in Arvada, called the False Claims Act an
"egregiously punitive statute."
By allowing for triple damages and civil penalties of $11,000
for each false statement, BOC could have faced a judgment of
hundreds of millions of dollars, Moorhead said. He called the
resolution a "pragmatic settlement" to an exaggerated claim.
Also settled recently was a case that came out of a tiny post
office in Howard, Colo., near Salida.
Consumer Insurance Group employees were accused of falsifying
documentation and driving out of their way to get a
substantially reduced rate on its bulk mailings at the Howard
post office.
Mary Holmes, a postmaster from nearby Poncha Springs, found out
about it, contacted postal inspectors and filed a false-claims
action in 1999.
The government intervened and contended CIG was submitting false
invoices about the weight of each of its mailings to get a lower
rate - one that equated to 8 cents per piece instead of nearly
19 cents a piece, according to the lawsuit.
CIG was accused of sending about 8.4 million pieces of mail at
the lower rate between October 1994 and 1997.
CIG's lawyer, Leonard MacPhee, declined to comment.
In pleadings, CIG contended that if there was an error in
payment, it wasn't intentional.
As the case approached trial, the government said it would ask a
jury for as much as $9.4 million in damages and penalties.
The $2.4 million settlement was approved, and Holmes' share was
negotiated to be 17 percent, or $408,000.
Staff writer Alicia Caldwell can be reached at 303-820-1930 or
acaldwell@denverpost.com [acaldwell@denverpost.com] .
All contents Copyright 2005 The Denver Post or other copyright
*****************************************************************
34 NRC: NRC Increases Security Requirements for Portable Gauges Containing Radioactive Materials
News Release - 2005-00
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
No. 05-007 January 11, 2005
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations to
require licensees for portable gauges containing radioactive
material to use two independent physical controls to secure the
gauges against theft.
In a final rule to be published shortly in the Federal Register,
the NRC will require two independent physical controls for these
gauges when they are not under the control and constant
surveillance of the licensee. Examples of two controls include
securing the device in a locked storage facility within a
separate secured area in a warehouse, or inside a locked van and
secured to the vehicle with a steel cable. Examples of
acceptable storage in a pickup truck would include placing the
gauge inside a locked, non-removable box and further securing
the box with a steel cable or chain; and keeping it inside the
locked cab of the pickup, secured independently to the vehicle.
The NRC believes that increasing physical controls will deter
thieves by making it more difficult to steal portable gauges. At
a minimum, two controls would delay a thief and draw attention
from bystanders that may prevent the theft.
There are an estimated 22,000 to 25,000 portable gauges in use
in the United States to determine physical properties such as
density and moisture content of soil, concrete and other
materials. The gauges typically contain two encapsulated sources
of radioactive material, which vary in the radioisotope used and
its quantity.
Current NRC regulations require licensees to secure portable
gauges in storage or maintain control and constant surveillance
of the gauges when not in storage. Generally, the gauges are
stored in a permanent storage location within a licensed
facility. Sometimes, portable gauges are stored at a job site, a
temporary storage location or on a vehicle. When being
transported in a vehicle, a gauge is often placed in a
transportation case and then secured in or onto the vehicle.
Despite these precautions, about 50 such gauges are reported
stolen each year, with the recovery rate less than 50 percent.
More than two-thirds of the stolen gauges were taken from
vehicles parked in the open; most of these were stored in a
portable transportation case and secured with a metal chain to
the open bed of a pickup truck.
The amount of radioactive material used in a portable gauge is
small, and the material is encapsulated in stainless steel;
nonetheless, the theft of portable gauges poses a concern to
public health and safety. A stolen gauge poses a potential
radiation hazard to individuals who may come into close contact
with the source. It also poses an environmental concern if it is
abandoned, inadvertently recycled or used inappropriately.
Due to the quantity and characteristics of the radioactive
material used, the NRC does not believe portable gauges pose a
substantial national security risk for malevolent use such as in
a dirty bomb. There is no discernible pattern to suggest that
gauges are being stolen for terrorist purposes. However, loss of
control of radioactive material still poses a potential health
and safety risk to the public. The NRC is increasing this
security requirement based on health and safety considerations
rather than common defense and security concerns.
The final rule contains the exact requirements of a proposed
rule published in the Federal Register on August 1, 2003. The
NRC received 11 comment letters on the proposed rule; comments
and NRC responses are summarized in the forthcoming Federal
Register notice. The final rule becomes effective 180 days after
publication.
Last revised Tuesday, January 11, 2005
*****************************************************************
35 Bradenton Herald: More toxic Tallevast tests emerge
| 01/11/2005 |
DONNA WRIGHT
Herald Staff Writer
Six of the 120 beryllium sensitivity tests submitted so far by
former workers and Tallevast residents to National Jewish
Medical and Research Center are positive, the Denver-based lung
center reported Monday.
Ray Stephens, former union negotiator at the now-defunct Loral
American Beryllium Co., knows of three other workers who tested
positive in tests analyzed by speciality labs elsewhere in the
country.
That brings the total of known positives to nine, Stephens said.
The 120 tests performed at National Jewish Center include 94
blood samples taken through the county's free beryllium test
program in December. Three of the six positives recorded by
National Jewish Center were from those 94 tests.
Heather Davis, coordinator of the beryllium program at the
National Jewish Center, urged caution in interpreting test
results without knowing how many of the people tested were
workers and how many are residents.
Dr. Gladys Branic, health department director, last week refused
to share the breakdown of those tested through the county
program because of privacy laws.
"It's hard to tell what this all means because all we have are
numbers," Davis said. "But we do know that 5 percent of those
tested at National Jewish Center are positive."
The percentage of positives falls within the normal range for an
exposed population, Davis said.
"Interpreting beyond that is very hard because we don't know the
extent of exposure or where and how they were exposed," Davis
said.
American Beryllium employees and residents who lived nearby the
plant from 1961 to the mid-1990s may have been exposed to
beryllium dust created when the exotic metal was machined to
produce parts for nuclear weapons and missile guidance systems.
An abnormal or positive result to the beryllium sensitivity test
means that a person has developed an allergic reaction to the
beryllium dust. That allergic reaction may lead to a serious
lung condition called chronic beryllium disease, say experts at
National Jewish Center.
Wanda Washington, vice president of FOCUS, a Tallevast advocacy
group, declined to comment on the most recent test results from
National Jewish Center.
Stephens believes there will be more positives, given the
numbers of claims filed by former Loral American Beryllium Co.
employees for a federal medical benefits/compensation program
offered to beryllium workers who worked on government projects.
As of Dec. 15, 159 claims representing 144 workers have been
filed by former American Beryllium employees or their relatives
with the U.S. Department of Labor.
A positive beryllium sensitivity test is one of the tests
necessary for claim approval.
So far, two claims have been paid and 18 have been denied.
Stephens and other former union officials, including Terry Owen
and James R. Huff Jr., are trying to create a database of former
workers and their test results. They also want to make sure
former workers know about the compensation program and about the
free tests available through grants from Manatee County and the
federal government.
The second cycle of free beryllium tests available through the
Manatee County Health Department will be offered by appointment
only on Jan. 19 and 26.
The Florida Department of Health recently received $50,000 in
federal funding to provide beryllium blood tests for workers
regardless of where they live. Details have yet to be announced.
Because beryllium sensitivity can take up to 30 years to
develop, Davis recommends those with a negative test result and
history of beryllium dust exposure be retested in three to five
years.
Former Beryllium workers sought
Former union officials are seeking contact information and test
result data for former Loral American Beryllium workers. If you
have information, contact:
• Terry Owen, 371-5207
• Ray Stephens,
953-9628 or e-mail [Rstephe726@aol.com]
• James R. Huff Jr.,
371-5101 or e-mail [jrhj@comcast.net]
*****************************************************************
36 Las Vegas RJ: Nevada entitled to more funds to fight Yucca, lawyers say
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Court to decide whether energy secretary can increase state's $1
million allocation By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for the state of Nevada returned to
federal court Monday over Yucca Mountain, arguing the state is
entitled to millions more dollars to contest the proposed
nuclear waste repository.
Nevada was short-funded when it was given only $1 million to
monitor the Energy Department project last year, a three-judge
panel was told. The sum was $4 million less than state officials
believed necessary to pay scientists and hire experts for
upcoming repository license hearings.
Robert Cynkar, one of the state's nuclear waste lawyers, said
the government is obliged by law to make sure Nevada has a
meaningful voice in Yucca Mountain, where DOE plans to bury
77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel.
"The question of how Nevada spends its money is fundamental,"
Cynkar said, saying funding limits "would prevent Nevada from
participating."
The question before judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit was whether Energy Secretary
Spencer Abraham could increase the $1 million allocation, which
was in an appropriations bill passed by Congress.
Justice Department attorney Ronald Spritzer, representing DOE,
said Abraham's hands were tied.
"Clearly, when Congress makes an appropriation, it is a ceiling
unless Congress expresses otherwise," Spritzer said. "The agency
can't supplement the money that Congress has provided."
The case could hold implications for Nevada's fight against
Yucca Mountain at a time when it could get expensive. State
officials have said they would need to spend up to $10 million
annually during repository licensing that could take four or
five years.
A loss in court could require the state to come up with millions
of dollars out of its own pocket to continue challenging the
repository, further testing the state's resolve against the
project.
"The citizens of Nevada would have to pay the costs rather than
the guys who made the garbage," Cynkar said.
In November, the Nevada Legislature's Interim Finance Committee
approved $1.1 million from a contingency fund to allow the state
Agency for Nuclear Projects to continue operations while its
seeks more money from the government.
In court, judges focused on the $1 million appropriation.
"Doesn't that suggest that's what Congress intended Nevada to
get for these activities?" Judge David S. Tatel asked Cynkar.
"Your theory is that Nevada is entitled to whatever it needs."
Cynkar responded Nevada doesn't believe it is entitled to a
"blank check."
The judges also expressed interest in whether Nevada should be
allowed to use nuclear waste funds in the first place to take
part in Yucca licensing, a quasi-judicial proceeding that will
be run by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The Nuclear Energy Institute argued in a court brief that there
is nothing in law that says the nuclear waste fund should pay
for Nevada to fight Yucca Mountain at the NRC.
A ruling is expected in the next several months, attorneys said.
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
37 Las Vegas RJ: Experts: Perchlorate lessharmful than thought
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By SAMANTHA YOUNG
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- A panel of scientists Monday concluded that
perchlorate, a toxic rocket fuel chemical that has leaked into
Lake Mead, is safe to be consumed at levels 20 times greater
than a standard being considered by the government.
A 192-page report issued by the National Academy of Sciences
concludes that perchlorate, once manufactured in Henderson by
Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp., is not harmful to children and adults
at low levels.
Environmental groups were critical of the report, which they
said relied on narrow studies.
The groups said the 15-member science panel was pressured by
the Bush administration, the Pentagon and defense contractors,
who would stand to save billions of dollars in perchlorate
cleanup if weaker standards are put in place.
Academy officials said the panel consisted of academics who
were checked for conflicts of interest and had no vested
interest in the outcome.
The Environmental Protection Agency in 2002 recommended a
preliminary standard of 1 part per billion, about a half
teaspoon of salt dissolved in an Olympic-size swimming pool. The
agency has not finalized a standard to regulate the chemical,
which has been found in drinking water in at least 35 states.
The new report is expected to influence the agency as it moves
to form national health standards for the toxic chemical, which
can harm thyroid functions. EPA officials did not comment Monday.
A White House official said the report, which was commissioned
by the Pentagon, the Department of Energy, NASA and the EPA,
would be reviewed by all agencies before any national drinking
water standards are proposed.
"It's clear that EPA will reconsider their guidance and draft a
new reference dose with other agencies," said Bob Hopkins,
spokesman with the White House Office of Science and Technology.
Southern Nevada officials said the report is a step toward more
certainty in determining what are safe levels of perchlorate in
drinking water.
"This moves us closer to having a tangible, enforceable health
standard that we can meet," said J.C. Davis, spokesman for the
Southern Nevada Water Authority, which supplies Las Vegas with
90 percent of its water from Lake Mead. "Whatever the standard
is, we're going to meet that standard," Davis said.
The study will have little effect on projects to clean up
perchlorate that has leached into the Las Vegas Wash and Lake
Mead, Davis and others said.
Cleanup continues in Southern Nevada, where Kerr-McGee has a
system that filters perchlorate groundwater before it flows into
the lake.
Todd Croft, who is supervising the perchlorate cleanup for the
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, said the academy
report was useful, but the state would continue its oversight of
Kerr-McGee and American Pacific, a second polluter, until all
parties were satisfied.
Croft said the effort could take at least 20 years using
current technology.
"Regardless of a federal standard, we've been moving forward
with our cleanup efforts here since perchlorate was first found
since '97," Croft said. "The state has to agree the cleanup is
done before Kerr-McGee can stop."
The Kerr-McGee effort has reduced by more than half the
perchlorate levels that were detected in Lake Mead, Croft said.
Last year, the average perchlorate level at lake registered at 5
parts per billion, the Southern Nevada Water Authority said.
"Our cleanup is in place, and we're operating under an
agreement with the state, and that won't change with the
National Academies report," said Patrick Corbett, who oversees
the cleanup program at Kerr-McGee.
The academy board concluded that the daily amount of
perchlorate that a person could consume safely was about 0.0007
milligrams per kilogram of body weight, 20 times more than the
dosage that EPA had assumed in proposing its 1 part per billion
drinking water standard.
Several environmental groups said the new information could
lead the EPA to adjust its proposed standard to 2.5 parts per
billion, not as tough but more stringent than the 200 parts per
billion sought by the Department of Defense.
Gina Solomon, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense
Council, a liberal group that has been critical of the Bush
administration, said the academy panel was selective in relying
on one study that surveyed seven healthy adults.
Solomon said the panel recommended pregnant women who drink
perchlorate-contaminated water take iodine supplements.
"They should be recommending that pregnant women not be exposed
to perchlorate," Solomon said. "It's like putting a pregnant
woman in a room full of smokers and giving her a gas mask."
Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal
*****************************************************************
38 mineweb: Uranium to be supply driven rather than inventory driven
[http://www.mineweb.com]
By: Rhona O'Connell
Posted: '11-JAN-05 07:00' GMT © Mineweb 1997-2004
LONDON (Mineweb.com) -- At the inaugural Uranium Mining
Conference held in London on January 10th by stockbrokers
Hargreave Hale in conjunction with LM Associates and at which
six uranium producers or explorers / developers presented (of
which more later this week), the Keynote address concerned the
changes in and outlook for the uranium market itself.
The paper was delivered by Dustin J. Garrow, President of
International Nuclear Inc., and a seasoned member of the market,
with over thirty years’ experience in the uranium and nuclear
power industries. His primary conclusions were that the
international uranium market is in transition from being
inventory-driven to production-driven.
Demand is set to outstrip supply by a considerable margin, the
inventories built up during the period of excess (effectively
from 1945 to 1986) will not be sufficient to supply the
developing shortfall and the uncertainty over potential uranium
supply through to 2010 suggests the development of shortages. He
contends that the future price trend will accordingly be
determined by the price necessary to support new production
centres and that a term uranium price at or above US$30 per
pound (of U3O8) is not unreasonable.
He also stressed that it is important, when looking at the
market, to consider the long-term contract prices that are being
struck rather than the spot price, as not much more than 10% of
uranium transactions are concluded at spot with the rest in term
contracts.
Secondary uranium sources are rapidly declining, notably the
US-Russian highly-enriched uranium programme, which has been
delivering uranium to the market at the rate of 24m lb per annum
and this level is not thought to be viable for the future. In
addition China is in transition from being a uranium exporter to
importer. And critically, of course, the collapse in market
prices through the 1980s and 1990s following record levels at
the end of the 1970s (reminiscent of another highly-priced
metal) has meant that there was a dearth of exploration during
the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s. This was a key
feature of some of the producers’ presentations as a number of
them have picked up cheap properties and are now looking to
develop or joint venture (see separate piece later this week).
As a consequence of market developments, uranium mine
production dropped significantly in the first half of the 1980s
from approximately 150M lb at the start of the 1980s, when it
just exceeded demand, to below 100m lb per annum during the
1990s, while consumption was rising from roughly 150M lb towards
175M lb per annum.
Nuclear power generation has been on the increase over the past
decade although during the 1990s there was little freshly
commissioned greenfield capacity. This has been due to improved
reactor performance, increased fuel burn-up (i.e. the amount of
energy recovered from the fuel bundles), extended fuel cycles,
and capacity increases of between 5 and 15% at existing plants.
The average load factor in the United States has risen from
approximately 65% in 1990 to roughly 90% by 2000, while the
extension of the fuel cycle now means that the period between
refuelling the core in the reactors has extended significantly
and now runs at between 18 and 24 months, whereas in the 1970s
it could be as short as twelve months. In addition, the average
capacity factor for nuclear plants stood in 2003 at 89.6%,
compared with 70.6% for coal, while the natural gas-fired plants
were operating at only approximately 40% of the time – and
renewable, wind-powered plants only operated for one-third of
the time.
These increases in efficiency have resulted in considerable cost
reduction and in the US nuclear power is now competitive with
coal and natural gas ($31-46/MWh post absorption of early plant
costs, against $33-41/MWh for coal and $35-45/MWh for batural
gas). This is one of the factors that have led to a renaissance
of the industry. The present picture shows increases in capacity
underway internationally.
China has plans to increase its nuclear capacity and India has
several reactors either planned or under construction. Russia is
now completing plants whose construction was halted when the old
Soviet regime was disbanded. Finland has just ordered its fifth
nuclear reactor while France, which uses nuclear sources for 78%
of its energy supplies, has agreed to build the prototype for
the European Pressurised Water Reactor. Meanwhile in the United
States, 27 reactors are under construction, with 37 planned,
thus adding to the 143 reactors already in place. Over and above
this, a number of plants are receiving 20-year extensions to
their licences. Between March 2000 and October 2004, 30 reactors
were granted 20 year extensions to their original licences of 40
years; a further 16 renewal applications have been filed with
another 22 expected, meaning that just under half of the
installed reactors are expected to receive licence extensions.
All of this points to a sustained shortfall in supply and clear
scope for fresh mine production. Given that, as one of the
presenting companies pointed out, uranium comprises only 1% of
nuclear reactors’ costs, the fundamentals of the market point to
sustainable higher prices and a recent academic study suggested
that $30-40/lb is not unrealistic for the medium term. Clearly
there are other issues at stake given that the market remembers
Mount St Helen’s and Chernobyl, but the political will appears
to be strong enough for the market to support fresh mine
production.
© Mineweb, a division of Moneyweb Holdings Limited, 1997-2004.
website. http://www.mineweb.net]
*****************************************************************
39 Las Vegas SUN: Terrorism threat prompted LV rail probe in '03
Experts study transportation safety issues
By Mary Manning and Jace Radke LAS VEGAS SUN
Nevada transportation experts are concerned about a report of
unguarded trains possibly carrying hazardous materials near Las
Vegas despite a heightened terror alert level on New Year's Eve
2003.
A Federal Railroad Administration inspector was sent to Las
Vegas after a "credible terrorist threat" arose on Dec. 31, 2003,
and visited a railyard 13 miles from McCarran International
Airport, the New York Times reported in Sunday's edition.
The inspector had been sent to the Las Vegas Valley by George
Gavalla, a former associate administrator at the railroad
administration, and the inspector found six unguarded tank cars
with markings indicating they might contain chlorine gas,
according to the New York Times report.
Two hours after his initial discovery, the inspector visited
another railyard in the valley and found four tank cars and they,
too, were unguarded, the New York Times story notes.
The inspector visited three railyards around the valley on the
night of Dec. 31, 2003, and was never challenged or talked to,
the story said.
A Federal Railway Administration spokesman today referred calls
to the Transportation Security Administration, but a TSA
spokesman was not available. The FRA handles rail safety and
dispatches inspectors, but TSA is ultimately responsible for rail
security.
Sheriff Bill Young said he remembers talking about security for
railroad tank cars during meetings leading up to New Year's Eve
2003 when Las Vegas was under an elevated code orange threat
level.
"I recall that we had very little information on the railways at
the time," Young said. "I think we ended up having all the tank
cars moved outside of town so that we didn't have to station
officers at all the railyards."
It was unclear in the New York Times report if the tank cars
contained a dangerous substance, a nondangerous substance or were
empty.
"He could have very well seen cars at a yard 13 miles south of
town," Young said of the rail inspector. "We didn't want any
trains in town that night."
The issue of rail security is of particular importance to Las
Vegas because of the federal plan to open a high-level nuclear
waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las
Vegas.
State and local experts have been studying potential effects
from truck or train accidents and the potential for subsequent
releases of radioactivity.
Each year, the rail industry ships roughly 1.7 million rail car
shipments of hazardous materials, said Tom White, a spokesman
with the Association of American Railroads.
"To individually guard every one of them would be an
impossibility," he said.
The industry works closely with intelligence agencies and the
Department of Homeland Security on security issues, White said.
The industry underwent a lengthy security review after Sept. 11,
2001, and permanently implemented 52 new security measures, White
said. The industry employs another 78 specific security measures
in certain situations, depending on the threat credibility and
type, he said.
"The railroad industry takes security and safety with these
shipments very seriously," White said.
The New York Times report followed a train crash Thursday in
South Carolina that illustrated the potentially fatal nature of
chlorine. Nine people were killed, 58 were hospitalized and
hundreds more sought treatment. The ninth body was discovered
Saturday and thousands of people have been kept from their homes.
In Las Vegas railroad tracks run roughly parallel to the Las
Vegas Strip at a distance of about a half mile, Union Pacific
spokesman John Bromley said.
Union Pacific, the nation's largest railroad and largest hauler
of chemicals by rail, estimates that roughly 5 percent of its
shipments nationwide involve hazardous materials.
There are hazardous materials traveling along Las Vegas tracks
every day, Bromley said.
Reached Sunday, Young said he wasn't sure exactly what kinds of
precautions were taken at railyards in Las Vegas during this
year's New Year's celebration, and would have to check with his
homeland security unit. He did note that there was no information
of a possible attack this year, unlike last year.
While the extreme security precautions used in 2003 -- such as
helicopters with armed federal agents flying the Strip and agents
on the ground searching for chemical and biological weapons --
were available, this year they were not needed.
Young said that railways and railyards are on Metro Police's
radar when it comes to homeland security.
Las Vegas FBI spokesman, Special Agent Dave Schrom, wouldn't
provide specifics as to what security measures have been employed
at Las Vegas-area railyards during New Year's and other special
events.
"Highways and railways are taken into consideration, and we work
with our federal partners to ensure that the infrastructure is
protected," Schrom said of security precautions taken for special
events.
The FBI is not the primary agency charged with protecting
railways and trains, but the agency does work closely with
federal and local law enforcement agencies and investigates
terrorist threats, Schrom said.
The Federal Railway Administration is responsible for security
at railyards and along railroad routes.
Schrom said that he couldn't give specific details on exactly
what has been done to safeguard railways in Las Vegas during New
Year's for several reasons, including concerns that terrorists
could find out what security measures are used.
He did add that, "Just because someone doesn't see a protective
measure doesn't mean it's not there."
Other experts said they are concerned about such hazardous
shipments.
"I definitely have some big concerns about rail safety,"
Nevada's top transportation consultant Bob Halstead said Sunday.
"Everywhere we're seeing this trend in railroad hazardous
accidents," said Halstead, who studies potential impacts of
nuclear shipments from reactors to a possible high-level nuclear
waste repository at Yucca Mountain.
"The injuries from these accidents in urban or populated areas
are occurring because the suburbs are moving toward the rail
routes," Halstead said.
However, security has improved in some major railyards across
the country, Halstead said.
"It is a really big issue," Halstead said.
The state has been concerned since the 1990s that nuclear waste
transportation casks are much more vulnerable to terrorism or
sabotage, Halstead said.
The Energy Department would prefer to use railroads instead of
trucks to ship most of the nation's spent nuclear fuel and
high-level nuclear waste to the proposed repository.
The Energy Department estimated there would be eight accidents
involving nuclear waste trains between 2010, the projected start
date of shipments to Yucca, and 2034. The state Nuclear Projects
Agency predicted 160 to 390 rail accidents based on possible
shipments over a 38-year period.
Nevada's 1,200 miles of rail are all owned by Union Pacific
Railroad Co.
Union Pacific is not concerned about shipping nuclear waste to
Yucca Mountain, Bromley said.
"Union Pacific routinely handles chlorine shipments through Las
Vegas," Bromley said. "With any transportation activity you're
going to have accidents. That's a given."
The Energy Department has not made final decisions about which
routes would be used to haul nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain.
State studies show that if nuclear waste shipments were to
travel along the 35.7- mile rail route through Las Vegas, the
trains would pass within a half a mile of an average of 85,100
people a day.
The Energy Department is considering an alternate rail route
northeast of Las Vegas.
However, that route might not relieve train traffic through the
Las Vegas area, Halstead said.
It's possible that 85 percent to 90 percent of nuclear waste
shipped from Caliente in Lincoln County to Yucca Mountain, a
proposed route of 319 miles, could be sent through Las Vegas.
"Railroads often don't ship the most direct route," Halstead
said.
"This is a horrific thing," said Fred Dilger, a transportation
consultant to the state, reacting to the New York Times story.
"Frankly, this is not uncharacteristic of railroads."
*****************************************************************
40 Las Vegas SUN: Letter: Leaving nuclear waste in place is best solution
Today: January 11, 2005 at 9:23:13 PST
Letter: Leaving nuclear waste in place is best solution
This is in reference to Sun reporter Suzanne Struglinski's Jan. 5
article headlined, "U.S. Chamber maintains support for nuclear
dump." The article was obviously of interest to your readers, as
the nuclear dump is planned for Yucca Mountain, 90 miles
northwest of Las Vegas. In the article, Struglinski quotes Thomas
Donohue, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's chief executive, as
saying about high-level nuclear waste: "If we ever put a map on
the wall of everywhere nuclear waste is stored, there would be a
sense of panic."
No there wouldn't.
I've been writing about the high-level nuclear waste issue for
years and I find that almost nobody cares. The only ones who have
a lukewarm concern are those living near sites where some
radioactive contamination has been found.
Bruce Josten, Donohue's executive vice president for government
affairs, is quoted in the same article as saying that nuclear
wastes can't be stored "above ground all across the country."
Well, why not?
Only last month a national study group said storage casks could
withstand aircraft crashes. And equally recently came a
recommendation that two huge surface storage facilities be built
on both sides of the Mississippi. Actually, two facilities the
size of Rhode Island invites trouble, so it's actually quite
preferable to leave the wastes spread out over the 100-plus
storage areas nationwide.
RON BOURGOIN Rocky Mount, N.C.
Editor's note: Ron Bourgoin was a consultant to the North
Carolina town of Rolesville in 1984 when a site there was being
considered by the Energy Department as the location for a
high-level nuclear waste repository.
*****************************************************************
41 Las Vegas SUN: Administration asked opinion on nuke waste case
By Benjamin Grove LAS VEGAS SUN
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday asked the Bush
administration for its views on a Utah nuclear waste case that
ultimately could have implications for Yucca Mountain.
The case involves Private Fuel Storage L.L.C., a company that
aims to construct a temporary storage area for high-level
nuclear waste on Goshute Indian land 45 miles southwest of Salt
Lake City.
The site could eventually act as a layover storage area for
waste ultimately bound for the federal government's planned
permanent waste repository at Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las
Vegas. Yucca would not open until 2010 at the earliest.
Utah officials have battled to block the temporary dump. The
Nuclear Regulatory Commission is still considering whether to
license it.
Meanwhile Utah has said that barring nuclear waste storage
should be a state's rights issue -- and used that argument when
it tried to kill the project in court. But Utah lost its latest
case in August when the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
effectively overruled Utah state laws that were designed to stop
the the dump.
So Utah on Oct. 28 appealed to the Supreme Court to hear its
case. Utah officials generally are arguing that barring nuclear
waste storage should be a state's rights issue -- an argument
Nevada officials have lost in recent years, including last year
in a federal court.
But more specifically, Utah is asking the court to rule that,
as a matter of law, the lower courts had no right to throw out
state laws blocking the dump.
The high court is deciding whether to take the case, and on
Monday the court asked the U.S. solicitor general's office for
its stance on whether Utah can ban waste storage in the state
and also asked whether the federal government has exclusive
rights over nuclear waste shipping and storage.
The solicitor general handles Supreme Court cases for the White
House and federal government.
If the court takes the case, Utah could prod the court to
consider waste transportation issues that it has not previously
dealt with, said Joe Egan, a lawyer hired by Nevada to fight
Yucca legal battles.
But the Utah and Nevada cases are different in a number of ways
so it's not clear yet how the Bush administration's opinion --
or the Supreme Court's -- would relate to Yucca, Utah assistant
attorney general Denise Chancellor said.
In its case Utah is specifically asking for the Supreme Court
to examine whether the lower court had the right to overrule its
state laws banning the Goshute dump, and it is unclear whether
those laws could be compared to Nevada state laws aimed at
blocking Yucca.
Also, while the Utah site would be developed as a private
venture, federal law specifically says that Yucca is to be the
nation's waste repository, if it is scientifically suitable. The
Energy Department has concluded that it is, and President Bush
formally approved making it so.
*****************************************************************
42 Las Vegas SUN: Appeals court to decide on money to fight Yucca dump
Today: January 11, 2005 at 9:44:24 PST
By Suzanne Struglinski SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- It's up to a federal appeals court now to decide
if Nevada will get any more federal money for its fight against
the Yucca Mountain project.
A ruling in the state's favor could mean more federal dollars
to Agency for Nuclear Projects while a ruling against the state
might force it to spend more of its own tax money to fight the
repository, just as the next, and expensive, phase of the
process begins to take shape. A decision is expected in the next
three months, according to the state's lawyers.
The state sued the Energy Department last year when it received
only $1 million for its work related to the department's plan to
store nuclear waste at Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
The state wanted at least $5 million a year to do additional
research, pay lawyers and generally prepare to object to the
license application the department plans to file with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The state has received that much
in the past, but the department did not request any money for
state or local governments in 2004. Congress approved the $1
million after the prompting by Nevada's Congressional delegation
and the department said it could get nothing more without
congressional approval.
Attorneys argued that without additional money the state cannot
do its work on the project as allowed in federal nuclear waste
law. On top of the $1 million allocated by Congress, the state
Assembly approved $1.1 million last year to help make up the
difference, but because of the expected license application
hearings the state will have to allocate more in coming years if
the state does not get more federal money.
The state still needs to additional money, but because the
department did not reach its goal of turning in the application
by the end of last year, the lower funding does not leave the
state in as much of a crisis as it once thought.
"A lot will depend on what DOE (the Energy Department) does,"
said Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Nuclear Projects
Agency.
Loux said the state can do its work with $5 million a year
until the application is filed. After that, the state will need
at least $13 million a year as the license application hearings
take place. The state plans to raise several objections to the
repository at the time, which will require more legal fees,
document preparation and research.
Based on arguments made by Nevada attorneys Monday, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia will determine
whether the Energy Department can give the state more money on
top of money set aside for it by Congress in the annual energy
spending bill.
Attorney Robert Cynkar, part of the firm Egan, Fitzpatrick,
Malsch and Cynkar hired by the state to handle Yucca legal
matters, that under federal nuclear waste law, the state should
get additional money from the Nuclear Waste Fund, an account
paid into by companies that use nuclear power. Cynkar argued the
spending bill contained nothing that said the department could
not make grants under the fund.
But Justice Department attorney Ronald M. Spritzer told the
three-judge panel that once Congress finalizes a spending bill
the amounts in it are a "ceiling," meaning the department could
not increase the $1 million allocation.
Judges Raymond Randolph, Stephen Williams and David Tatel heard
the case. Tatel was on the court's panel that rejected the
Environmental Protection Agency's radiation protection standard
last July that lead to a delay in the project.
In the courtroom, Spritzer said no new date for submitting the
application has been set. Cynkar said Nevada officials expect
the application in late spring or early summer.
*****************************************************************
43 Water and Waste Water: Statement from AWWA on NAS Report on Perchlorate
www.waterandwastewater.com
By AWWA
Jan 11, 2005
DENVER, CO -- On Monday Jan. 10, the National Research Council of
the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released "Health
Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion," a report assessing the
health effects of perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel,
munitions, and fireworks.
Perchlorate has been detected in drinking water supplies across
the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
currently assessing the need for a standard for allowable amounts
of this contaminant in drinking water. Jack Hoffbuhr, executive
director of the American Water Works Association (AWWA), issued
the following statement concerning this report.
"The drinking water community takes nothing more seriously than
its responsibility to safeguard the public health. Drinking water
professionals have been researching the occurrence of perchlorate
in water supplies and continue to pay close attention to relevant
health effects research.
"Drinking water professionals have taken many proactive steps to
protect against any possible health effects associated with
perchlorate. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) is
currently sponsoring a national perchlorate occurrence study that
should yield useful information for the development of protective
federal drinking water regulations. In addition, the independent
American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF) has
conducted several scientific studies on the presence and
treatment of perchlorate that will assist utilities in reducing
the public’s exposure to the substance."
For an issue backgrounder on perchlorate visit the On Point
section at http://www.awwa.org/advocacy/yourwater/.
AWWA is the authoritative resource for knowledge, information,
and advocacy to improve the quality and supply of drinking water
in North America and beyond. AWWA is the largest organization of
water professionals in the world. AWWA advances public health,
safety and welfare by uniting the efforts of the full spectrum of
the drinking water community. Through our collective strength we
become better stewards of water for the greatest good of the
people and the environment.
© Copyright 1998 - 2004 [http://www.waterandwastewater.com/]
*****************************************************************
44 PE.com: Perchlorate danger less than feared, panel says
| Inland Southern California | Inland News
Home [http://www.pe.com] Local
08:12 AM PST on Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By DOUGLAS E. BEEMAN and DAVID DANELSKI / The Press-Enterprise
WHAT'S SAFE?
Suggested safe levels of perchlorate in drinking water
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 1 part per billion
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: 1 part per
billion
California EPA: 6 parts per billion
National Academy of Sciences*: 2.5 to 25 parts per billion
* As interpreted by outside parties
An independent panel of scientists has concluded that the
rocket-fuel chemical perchlorate is not as hazardous as federal
regulators have feared.
But the scientists, in a report released Monday, recommended a
health limit that is far below the level proposed by the
perchlorate industry and its best customer, the Department of
Defense.
The recommendation by the National Academy of Sciences panel is
expected to guide efforts to set health standards for
perchlorate in water and food as well as environmental clean-up
requirements. Perchlorate has contaminated the Colorado River
and several Inland groundwater basins.
California science officials and some environmentalists were
generally content with the report's conclusions, saying the
scientific panel's recommendation is still close to health
limits proposed by state and federal scientists.
"I think it should be more health protective," said Renee Sharp,
an Oakland-based analyst for Environmental Working Group and the
author of several reports on perchlorate.
Still, she said, if regulators account for the perchlorate that
is now being discovered in milk and lettuce and the amount of
perchlorate a baby could ingest, they will arrive at a health
limit of 6 parts per billion or less. "It is really similar to
what California did," she said.
Perchlorate is a type of salt used in fireworks, munitions and
solid-fuel rocket engines. Manufacturers and the major users of
perchlorate, including the nation's defense and space agencies,
fear they could be on the hook for billions of dollars in
cleanup costs if environmental limits are set low.
Long-Term Worries
Perchlorate inhibits the thyroid's ability to absorb iodide,
which fuels the production of hormones that control fetal
development, metabolism and mental alertness. Health and
environmental officials are especially worried that long-term
exposure to low levels of perchlorate could impair the mental
and physical development of fetuses and newborns.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2002 proposed a
health-safety level of 1 part of perchlorate per billion parts
of water.
The perchlorate industry and the Defense Department have said
that as much as 200 parts per billion is safe.
Under pressure from the military and industry, the Bush
administration in 2003 asked the National Academy to review the
EPA's scientific assessment of perchlorate.
The panel concluded that public health still could be protected
when perchlorate doses are 23 times higher than what the EPA
proposed.
The National Academy panel determined only a safe dose of the
chemical. The scientists didn't consider how much perchlorate
people actually could consume in contaminated water and food.
The panelists said it's up to regulators to weigh those factors
when setting standards for drinking water, food and cleanups.
The EPA and environmental groups say there is a special concern
for babies because they don't have a reserve of iodide, and
their potential exposure is greater because they consume more
fluid per pound of body weight than adults do.
The science panel was not asked to propose a standard for
drinking water or environmental cleanup, said Dr. Richard B.
Johnson, associate dean of the University of Colorado's School
of Medicine and chairman of the National Academy panel.
Those policy questions are an important next step but beyond the
committee's charge, he said.
The man who formally requested the review said the National
Academy's conclusions generally support the EPA's assessment of
perchlorate's health risks.
Industry and the Department of Defense clearly didn't win their
case, said Paul Gilman, who recently resigned as the EPA's chief
science adviser.
The National Academy recommendation "is in the same ballpark as
the state of California and the EPA," Gilman said in a telephone
interview.
A Bush administration source, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity, said the debate is far from over.
Found in 35 States
Perchlorate has turned up in lettuce and milk from New Jersey to
California, and in water supplies in 35 states. About 11 million
people drink water at or above 4 parts per billion, according to
the EPA.
Depending on how the EPA accounts for food contamination and
babies' exposure to the chemical, a safe drinking water level
could be as low as 4 parts per billion, the administration
source said. Some Inland drinking water sources contain more
perchlorate. The Colorado River, used for drinking and
irrigation, had ranged from 4 to 8 parts per billion.
Yet one aerospace industry spokeswoman, Gail Rymer of Lockheed
Martin Corp., said the National Academy report suggests the safe
level for water could be set at 25 parts per billion. That would
still protect babies and other sensitive people, she said.
Lockheed Martin is among a group of perchlorate users and
manufacturers who supported an outside review of the EPA's work.
A Lockheed rocket plant is believed to have contaminated
underground water supplies in Redlands; the company is paying
for a cleanup.
'Responsible Standards'
"We want the same thing that everyone else wants - responsible
standards, based on the best available science, that protects
public health and the environment," Lockheed said in a statement
issued Monday.
Bob Hopkins of the White House's Office of Science and
Technology Policy said the National Academy report will guide
federal agencies as they develop limits for drinking water and
food and policies to guide environmental cleanups.
EPA spokesman Mark Merchant said his agency is evaluating the
report and will comment on it today.California science officials
were generally pleased with the National Academy's conclusions.
California's Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment
concluded last March that 6 parts per billion or less of
perchlorate was safe for infants, fetuses and pregnant women.
California health officials are using that health goal to
develop an enforceable drinking water standard for the state.
But they've also been waiting to see what the National Academy
panel recommended.
Allan Hirsch, a spokesman for the health hazards office, said
the academy's conclusions generally appeared to support the
state's findings.
If the National Academy report prompts any changes to
California's health goal, they are likely to be minor, he said.
"We're not looking at a radical overhaul at this point." More
headlines...
Belo Interactive Inc.
*****************************************************************
45 KR: Chemical found in drinking water safer than EPA feared, panel says
KR Washington Bureau
| 01/10/2005 |
By Seth Borenstein
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - A chemical used in rocket fuel that's been
found in the drinking water of more than 11 million Americans
nationwide likely doesn't need to be removed because it is 20
times safer than environmental regulators for the Bush
administration fear, a federal panel of scientists recommended
late Monday.
But the scientists said that perchlorate - which is also
found in fireworks and road flares - is nowhere near as safe as
the Pentagon and the defense and aerospace industries have been
telling Americans for years.
The National Academy of Sciences was called in to referee
the dispute over the safety of the chemical. On one side were the
strict standards proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency
and several states; on the other were the Defense Department, the
Department of Energy, NASA and industry, which called for
standards considerably more lenient. The academy settled on a
middle range of what levels of contamination are acceptable, and
that appears to be a big win for industry.
The White House was evaluating the report on Monday but
had no initial problems with it. "The national academy is the
gold standard of independent scientific review," White House
science spokesman Bob Hopkins said. "We respect the findings of
this report."
The academy's proposed safe level for perchlorate is high
enough that the vast majority of the 250 areas with tainted water
won't have to do anything. This would save the Pentagon and
defense and aerospace industry billions of dollars in potential
clean-up costs.
Perchlorate, a compound that keeps iodide from being
absorbed by the body, has been found to damage fetuses and
infants and could lessen brain development and lead to attention
deficit disorder. The Food and Drug Administration has found it
in grocery stores' milk, according to a study last year.
R. Thomas Zoeller, a key scientist who advised the EPA,
and an environmental group said the academy's study set the level
too high to protect public health. And the environmental group,
Natural Resources Defense Council, charged the Pentagon and White
House tried to influence the academy study to keep the cost of
clean-ups to a minimum - a complaint the White House and the
academy denied.
The proposed safe dose level proposed by the academy
"lets industry off the hook for clean-up and a lot of liability,"
said Jennifer Sass, senior scientist for the council.
The head of the defense industry's perchlorate study
group didn't return several calls for comment. Rick Pleus, a
scientist funded by the industry group, said he was assessing the
report but was pleased by an early reading of the findings.
The academy said the safe dose level for perchlorate is
about 20 times higher than the EPA proposed in a 2002 rule.
Still, that level is up to 14 times lower than defense
industry-sponsored studies say is safe.
The academy's level "should protect the health of even
the most sensitive population," said Dr. Richard Johnston Jr.,
chairman of the panel and a pediatrics professor at the
University of Colorado School of Medicine.
In 2002, the EPA proposed a safe drinking water standard
of no more than 1 part of perchlorate per 1 billion parts of
drinking water. The academy's recommendation would translate to
about 20 parts per billion. The defense industry has argued for a
level of 200 to 350 parts per billion.
California, which has a pervasive perchlorate pollution
problem, has set a drinking-water standard of 6 parts per
billion, but it's considering increasing that to one nearer to
academy levels. Massachusetts, Maryland and New Mexico have
proposed levels of 1 part per billion levels. New York permits a
range of 5 to 18 parts per billion. Nevada has the highest state
level, with 18.
The median level of perchlorate pollution in the United
States is 6.4 parts per billion, with Jacksonville, Fla.,
reaching 200 parts per billion, according to the academy study.
According to Johnston, it isn't possible to measure
perchlorate contamination at less than 4 parts per billion. And
96 percent of America's water systems have levels below that.
Before the national academy released its report Monday,
the Natural Resources Defense Council accused the Pentagon and
White House of trying to lobby the academy and change its study.
The council relied on more than 30 boxes of documents it received
through the Freedom of Information Act, but much of the documents
were redacted, so the group based most of its charges on e-mail
subject lines between Bush administration officials.
Council attorney Erik Olson called it "a full-scale
assault by the Pentagon and its contractors."
"There's absolutely no basis for those claims," White
House science spokesman Hopkins said. "This is an attempt to
distort the science by attacking the process."
For more information, check out the following Web sites:
The National Academy of Sciences report:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11202.html
[http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11202.html]
EPA's perchlorate Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/perchlorate/perchlorate.html
[http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/perchlorate/perchlorate.html]
The Natural Resources Defense Council on perchlorate:
http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/050110.asp
[http://www.nrdc.org/media/pressreleases/050110.asp]
An EPA Power Point presentation that includes a map of
perchlorate problem areas can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/tio/tsp/download/2004-fall-meeting/mayer.pdf
[http://www.epa.gov/tio/tsp/download/2004-fall-meeting/mayer.pdf]
.
(c) 2005, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
*****************************************************************
46 chillicothe gazette: Businesses to take over environmental cleanup in Piketon -
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By Daniel Prazer, dprazer@nncogannett.com
Gazette Staff Writer
PIKETON -- A joint venture between two small businesses will be
taking over the environmental cleanup at the Piketon uranium
enrichment plant as early as March 31.
The Department of Energy announced Monday that LATA-Parallax
Portsmouth LLC was awarded a $141.3 million contract to handle
the environmental cleanup and waste management at the plant.
LATA-Parallax Portsmouth will replace Bechtel-Jacobs, which
wasn't eligible to bid on the contract. Only small businesses of
500 or fewer employees were eligible to bid, said DOE
spokeswoman Chris Kielich.
"This award is based on a competition focusing on small
businesses," Kielich said. "We have thoroughly evaluated all
bids."
The other portion of Bechtel-Jacobs' contract, maintenance of
the Piketon plant's infrastructure, is moving though the DOE
procurement system, Kielich said.
LATA-Parallax Portsmouth is made up of two small businesses that
specialize in engineering, environmental and nuclear operations:
New Mexico-based Los Alamos Technical Associates Inc. and
Parallax Inc., headquartered in Maryland.
Neither are newcomers to the world of nuclear cleanup, said Dan
Carlson, Senior Vice President of LATA. It has done work at
other nuclear sites, including Rocky Flats in Colorado and Mound
near Cincinnati.
"Although this is a very significant contract for us and we are
very excited about it, we have comparable project experience
from elsewhere," Carlson said.
Dan Minter, president of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical
and Energy Workers local 5-689 that represents workers at the
plant, said regardless of the company running the cleanup,
safety has to be the highest priority.
"We're looking forward to working with them and ensuring a
transition that's fair and equitable for the work force," he
said.
Bechtel-Jacobs spokesman Jack Williams said his company expects
to begin working on transition immediately, since its contract
expires March 31.
Originally published Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Copyright ©2004 Chillicothe Gazette. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
47 chillicothe gazette: Public input sought on new USEC facility -
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
By Daniel Prazer, dprazer@nncogannett.com
Gazette Staff Writer
If you go
+ What: A public meeting hosted by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. It's seeking public input on the scope of an
environmental impact study that must be done as it decides
whether to grant United States Enrichment Corporation a license
to build and run its centrifuge enrichment plant.
+ Where: Zahns Corner Middle School, 2379 Schuster Road, Piketon
+ When: 7 to 9:45 p.m., but an informal discussion with NRC
staff will begin at 6 p.m.
+ How to participate: If you wish to speak at the meeting, the
NRC is encouraging you to pre-register by contacting Ron Linton
at 1-800-368-5642, ext. 7777, or by e-mail at [rcl1@nrc.gov]
You may also register before the start of the meeting to speak.
On the Net
[http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/usecfacility.html]
PIKETON -- The latest meeting in the process of licensing United
States Enrichment Corporation to build a next-generation uranium
enrichment plant takes place a week from today.
And the Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants to know what you
have to say.
The NRC is conducting a meeting to gather public comment on the
scope of an environmental review portion of its licensing
process.
"What we are required to do is to produce an environmental
impact statement for a facility of this type, and this
particular meeting is designed to give people in the local
community an opportunity to provide their input," said NRC
spokesman Roger Hannah.
"The process is designed to give people an opportunity to say,
'Well, you know, you need to cover this particular issue.'"
This meeting originally was scheduled for last fall, Hannah
said, but was rescheduled when the commission's online reading
room was taken down.
Since the public records weren't available, the commission
pushed back the meeting to give people a chance to get up to
speed for the gathering.
"There were some documents with some information that wouldn't
have been available at the time, so in order to make it more
useful to people, the decision was made to postpone the
meeting," Hannah said.
Originally published Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Copyright ©2004 Chillicothe Gazette. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
48 [du-list] DU in the news -10th Jan 05
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:58:42 -0800
Monday, January 10, 2005 1:32 PM PST
Your Keyword News Alert for [depleted uranium]
matched the following stories:
U.S. Department of Energy, Mon, 10 Jan 2005 11:32 AM PST
U.S. Department of Energy Awards Paducah Remediation Contract To North Wind
Paducah Cleanup Company LLC
http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17141&BT_CODE=PR_HIGHLIGHTS&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC â?" The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that
North Wind Paducah Cleanup Company LLC has been awarded a $302,962,661
small business contract to perform environmental remediation and waste
management activities at the departmentâ?Ts Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
in Paducah, Ky. The contract will run through September 30, 2009 and
provides incentives to the contractor
U.S. Department of Energy, Mon, 10 Jan 2005 11:31 AM PST
U.S. Department of Energy Awards Portsmouth Remediation Contract To
LATA/Parallax
http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=17140&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC â?" The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that
LATA-Parallax Portsmouth LLC, a small business joint venture between Los
Alamos Technical Associates Inc. and Parallax Inc., was awarded a
$141,261,897 small business contract to perform environmental remediation
and waste management activities at the departmentâ?Ts Portsmouth Gaseous
Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio. The
Independent Media TV, Mon, 10 Jan 2005 6:42 AM PST
Welcome to www.independent-media.tv
http://www.independent-media.tv/category.cfm?fcategory_id=1&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported&fdate_posted=%7bts%20'2004-12-15%2000:00:00'%7d
The Pentagon is engaged in bitter, high-level debate over how far it can
and should go in managing or manipulating information to influence opinion
abroad, senior Defense Department civilians and military officers say.
Daily Times, Sun, 09 Jan 2005 4:16 PM PST
IAEA can take samples from Parchin: Iran
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-1-2005_pg4_21
TEHRAN: Iran said on Sunday it has given the UN s atomic watchdog
permission to take so-called environmental samples from a suspect military
site in order to disprove US allegations of secret weapons-related activities.
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