***************************************************************** 03/08/05 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 13.53 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Herald Sun: Uranium threat to Iraq unit 2 AU ABC: Federal row over role of Australian troops in Muthanna, Iraq 3 Xinhua: Iran reaffirms nuclear stance 4 AFP: Iran and EU resume crucial nuclear talks - 5 Asia Times: Iran and the US trap 6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: North tipped Russia over nuclear arms 7 YWS: S. Korean, U.S. Nuclear Negotiators to Leave for Talks on N. Ko 8 Korea Times: US Rebuffs Direct Talks With N. Korea 9 US: [WW4 Report] Nuclear Agenda 2005 10 US: Western lawmakers oppose cuts in PILT NUCLEAR REACTORS 11 CHERNOBYL FALLOUT:TRANSGENERATIONAL GENOMIC INSTABILITY INDUCED BY C 12 [NukeNet] Goldman Prize Winner Gets Death Threat For Oppossing 13 US: Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Reports 2 Incidents 14 US: Brattleboro Reformer: Entergy mum on dry cask storage plans 15 US: NRC: Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company; Perry Nuclear Power 16 US: NRC: Agency Holding the Meetings: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 17 Indiatimes: Atomic energy plan on course 18 FT.com: Royal Society chief backs nuclear power 19 ITAR-TASS: 2nd unit of Kalinin NPP connected to power network 20 US: NRC: NRC Seeks Public Input on Clinton Early Site Permit Applica 21 US: NRC: NRC Extends Review Schedule for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Pow 22 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting March 14 on Possible Combined Li 23 US: NRC: Meeting on Planning and Procedures; Notice of Meeting NUCLEAR SAFETY 24 US: [shundahaialerts] Salt Lake City- Rally Against Nuclear & 25 [southnews] Aussie troops risk DU exposure 26 [du-list] Declassified DU files 27 US: [toeslist] Who do you believe on DU toxicity? 28 US: Deseret News: Nation called lax on threat of terror 29 Xinhua: Sweden grants Russia 6 million dollars for nuclear safety co 30 Japan Times: Weak link in nuclear safety 31 US: AP: Appeals court upholds decision to dismiss lawsuit filed by 32 canada.com: Beryllium disease re-emerging worldwide, expert tells Mo 33 US: AZ Republic: Traces of toxic dust found at high school NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 34 US: [shundahaialerts] Chemical Railroad Spill in Salt Lake, 35 US: What If This Was Nuke Waste?:Chemical Railroad Spill in Salt Lak 36 US: NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Find 37 US: Deseret News: Consider our true risks 38 US: Daily Sentinel: Firm applies to mine for uranium 39 Las Vegas SUN: Reid, Ensign mobilize opposition to land sale proposa 40 Las Vegas SUN: Judges reject Nevada's bid to get more anti-Yucca fun 41 US: Guardian Unlimited: BHP makes move on uranium mine group NUCLEAR WEAPONS US DEPT. OF ENERGY 42 DOE: AGENCY: Department of Energy. Meeting SRS 43 AP Wire: 650 SRS workers volunteer for layoffs 44 Albuquerque Tribune: Commentary: Weapons budget boost 45 WBIR-TV: ORNL to clean nuclear waste from local pond OTHER NUCLEAR 46 BBC: Clock ticking on fusion decision 47 BBC: Prometheus looks to nuke future 48 New Scientist: Japan rejects Europe's nuclear fusion deadline 49 MSNBC: GM, federal lab show off hydrogen storage research ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Herald Sun: Uranium threat to Iraq unit [09mar05] Luke McIlveen THE army is investigating the possibility that 450 Australian troops bound for Iraq could be exposed to toxic materials, including uranium. The troops will be deployed to Al Muthanna province in southern Iraq, an area suspected of being a dumping ground for depleted uranium left by US forces in the Gulf War. An Australian Army reconnaissance team has been in Iraq to investigate the presence of uranium and other safety threats, and is due to report back this week. Defence authorities confirmed they were investigating the uranium threat to the Diggers, who will be sent to Iraq in May to protect Japanese military engineers. "The health and safety of our personnel is the ADF's highest priority," the Department of Defence said in response to written questions from the Herald Sun this week. "The ADF is aware of the issues surrounding the presence of depleted uranium in Iraq. "The ADF currently has a reconnaissance team in Iraq that is examining in detail a range of issues related to the forthcoming deployment. "Following their assessment, the ADF will take the necessary steps to ensure that the deployment will be as safe as possible." Defence Minister Robert Hill told the Senate the army was conducting "surveys" on contaminated areas to reduce the risk to Diggers. Senator Hill said he would take advice on whether Australian troops should be tested for radioactive contamination when they return. Several of the 1400 Dutch troops the Australian contingent is replacing have complained to their union after expended uranium shells were found near their camp. The long-term effects of the shells have been linked to various cancers and the mysterious Gulf War syndrome, which plagued thousands of US marines in the Gulf War when repelling Iraqui troops from Kuwait. © Herald and Weekly Times ***************************************************************** 2 AU ABC: Federal row over role of Australian troops in Muthanna, Iraq [http://www.abc.net.au/] [contact and search links] The World Today - Tuesday, 8 March , 2005 12:10:00 Reporter: Catherine McGrath ELEANOR HALL: But first today to the national capital where the Federal Government has come under question over the role of the new contingent of Australian troops being sent to southern Iraq. The questions from the Labor Party and the Greens have been prompted by comments from a Japanese Commander that contrary to official statements, the Australian troops would not be needed for direct protection of the Japanese in Iraq. The Opposition says this raises questions about exactly what the 450 Australians will be doing and whether they'll have the resources to cope if violence in the region escalates. But the Chief of Australia's Defence Force, General Peter Cosgrove, says there's no confusion about the role of the Australians. He says they won't be the 'bodyguards' for the Japanese, but will be providing a secure environment for them. From Canberra Chief Political Correspondent Catherine McGrath reports. CATHERINE MCGRATH: With Australia's 450 troops preparing for departure for the southern Iraqi province of Methanna, the Japanese commander Kiyohiko Ota has indicated they are not needed for direct protection of the Japanese forces. KIYOHIKO OTA: is not necessary to protect directly our troops by Australian army forces. CATHERINE MCGRATH: And he's expecting a more regional role for them. KIYOHIKO OTA: To keep the good security environment, not direct protection for us. CATHERINE MCGRATH: So what exactly is going on? Australia has said the role of the troops is to protect the Japanese because due to restrictions placed after World War II, they can't protect themselves. And the Prime Minister has ruled out Australian soldiers taking over the entire role played by the Dutch forces in securing that region. But this morning, after the comments form the Japanese commander, Labor's Defence spokesman Robert McClelland said that whatever the full story the Australian soldiers aren't adequately equipped for the role they're about to undertake. ROBERT MCCLELLAND: We think we're guarding the Japanese, the Japanese think they're guarding themselves, but I think the truth is that we're both being guarded by the British, but our concern is that have they got the resources to protect us if things deteriorate? I mean, their helicopters are two hours flight away from where our troops are, so it's all a bit of a mess from our point of view. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Australia has said, the Prime Minister said at the beginning that we wouldn't be guarding the whole region, it doesn't seem to be suggested even from what the Japanese have said that we would be guarding the whole region? ROBERT MCCLELLAND: Yeah, what we're seeing is the start of mission creep, and that happens when the Government hasn't stated what our mission is. And our concern is if this mission creep gets a roll on, that we could be sucked into ever more dangerous duties and the reality is our troops just aren't being equipped for that hot and heavy situation. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Now, if the Australian soldiers are protecting the direct security environment around the Japanese – there's 450 of them – they probably have the resources for that, don't you think? ROBERT MCCLELLAND: Well I'm not sure that that's the case, I mean they haven't… the Dutch had six Apachi helicopters and indeed those helicopters were responsible for repelling at least two attacks from insurgents. We've got helicopters about two hours flight away, our aslavs aren't going to be online, all of them aren't. About 15 are, I understand, remote firing stations – those sort of issues. CATHERINE MCGRATH: And Greens Senator Bob Brown said the Australian public needs more details. BOB BROWN: Well, the Japanese commander says that he doesn't need… they don't need direct protection of their troops, they can protect themselves at close up quarters and it appears that really the Australian troops are going to be part of the security for the province, doing what the Americans do to the north and the British do further south. This isn't a remote area, this is on the main road from Baghdad to Basra, a major crossing of the Euphrates, it saw a major battle during the war where depleted uranium was left there after the Americans went through and the Dutch are withdrawing because of casualties. Two soldiers were killed due to grenade and other attacks on them. I don't think the Prime Minister's being clear with the Australian people here, and it's not up to the Australian people to fill in the dots. The Prime Minister has given the impression that the Australians were going directly to protect the Japanese troops because they weren't able to fight back. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Defence Minister Robert Hill wasn't available for interview on The World Today, but through a spokesman he said he didn't believe there was any issue over the role of the Australian forces. Chief of the Defence forces General Peter Cosgrove has been sent into bat on the Government's behalf. PETER COSGROVE: Our role will be to offer a secure environment for the Japanese engineers. Now, the Japanese Colonel who spoke I think was spot on in terms of direct protection. He's talking about the bloke on duty at the gate of the Japanese camp and people standing right alongside their bulldozers and what have you when they're out working, they'll be Japanese soldiers. That's what our own people do, but in that environment, close by, wherever you see Japanese engineers, not too far away providing that environment will be Australian service men and women providing that support. CATHERINE MCGRATH: It's an issue the Opposition says they will pursue. ELEANOR HALL: Catherine McGrath in Canberra. [http://www.abc.net.au] [http://www.abc.net.au/privacy.htm] ***************************************************************** 3 Xinhua: Iran reaffirms nuclear stance www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2005-03-08 09:46:44 BEIJING, Mar. 8 -- The Iranian Government says it will never give up its right to peaceful nuclear technology, even if the case is referred to the UN Security Council. In addition, a spokesman said resuming uranium enrichment would definitely be on Iran's agenda in the future. Iran has been accused of secretly developing nuclear weapons by the United States, which has threatened to refer the issue to the UN Security Council. (Source: CCTV.com) Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 AFP: Iran and EU resume crucial nuclear talks - Tuesday March 8, 11:20 AM GENEVA (AFP) - Negotiators from Iran and the European Union resumed key technical talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on Iran's controversial nuclear policy, a source close to the talks said. The confidential talks, involving diplomats and experts from Britain, France and Germany, as well as Iran, are due to last three days, the diplomat added. The new round of meetings is taking place amid Iran's continued rejection of a demand to permanently abandon uranium enrichment, a fuel process which can assist in the functioning of nuclear power stations but also produces material for nuclear weapons. The United States maintains that Iran is trying to covertly develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its programme is purely meant to fill civilian energy needs. The diplomat said the first day of talks would focus on political cooperation, with the key nuclear issue only due to be broached on Wednesday and Thursday. The Europeans have held several meetings with Tehran since December to try to persuade Iran to guarantee that it will dismantle nuclear fuel work in return for technical assistance and economic and political rewards. The four-party technical talks this week in Geneva are scheduled to be the last round of technical talks before a meeting of a higher level steering committee at the end of March. Iran's top nuclear official Hassan Rowhani warned Saturday that his country would never agree to a permanent halt on enriching uranium. "We cannot have and we will not have negotiations with the Europeans if what they want is an end" to uranium enrichment, Rowhani told reporters in Tehran. Iran agreed in November to suspend enrichment as a "confidence building measure" to show its intentions are peaceful, but has stressed the halt would be temporary. Copyright © 2005 AFP AFP. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 Asia Times: Iran and the US trap [http://www.atimes.com/atimes By Safa Haeri PARIS - With the fifth round of nuclear talks between Iran on the one side, and the European Union Big Three (EU-3) - Britain, France and Germany - on the other due to open in Geneva on Tuesday, senior Iranian officials have hardened their attitude toward both the European negotiators and the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warning that Tehran's patience is not limitless. Addressing an international conference on nuclear technologies in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani, chairman of the powerful Expediency Council and considered the regime's virtual No 2 in command, expressed displeasure with the manner in which talks with the EU-3 are advancing. "We are not satisfied [with the European troika] because they have failed to address our expectations," Rafsanjani told reporters on the side of the three-day conference, without spelling out precisely what Iran's expectations actually are. "Let's not speculate, but if our demands are not satisfied, the past situation would not be repeated," he said in answer to a question concerning what Iran would do if the Europeans did not present positive plans by March 21, the end of the present Iranian year. "We were of the thinking that suspension of our uranium-enriching activities would last for six months only. But three months have passed and we have seen nothing yet. If we feel that no progress is being made, there is no point losing time and we shall resume enriching operations," Rafsanjani said. According to Iranian officials, not only is the EU-3 dragging its feet, but it is deceiving Iran by bowing to US demands that it change an earlier request for Iran to suspend uranium-enriching activities into a definitive halt of atomic operations instead. "There can be no confidence-building in a poisonous atmosphere and it is in such a climate that the Europeans want us to build confidence," Rafsanjani was quoted in the major Iranian news media as saying. Earlier in the week, Hojjatoleslam Hasan Rohani, the influential secretary of Iran's Supreme Council on National Security (SCNS) in charge of the nuclear issue, hinted that if international pressures on Iran aimed at stopping its nuclear activities and dismantling its atomic installations increased, Tehran could retaliate by creating havoc in the sensitive global oil market, thus jeopardizing Western economies. According to oil experts, if Iran, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' second-largest exporter of crude oil, halted its export of some 3 millions barrels per day, oil prices could shoot up over US$70 per barrel, something major industrialized nations, and also China and India, could hardly afford. "We cannot have and we will not have negotiations with the Europeans if what they want is an end to uranium enrichment," Rohani stressed. Meanwhile, at the same conference attended by more than 50 Iranian and international nuclear experts and scientists, Hoseyn Mousavian, a senior nuclear negotiator, warned that in the event the Europeans issued a demand for a permanent halt to uranium enriching in Iran, the whole process of negotiations "would be killed". "Such a demand would bring back the negotiations to the situation of before October 2003, which means the death of the talks," he said, referring to the agreement signed in Tehran in October 2003 between the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France and Germany and Iran. According to this agreement, Iran agreed to sign the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and suspend uranium enrichment, an essential step in the nuclear cycle leading to the production of nuclear fuel - and at higher levels of enrichment as material for nuclear bombs - with the condition the three countries would facilitate Iran's access to nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes. However, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the majlis' (Iranian parliament's) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, warned that the conservative-controlled majlis would not approve the protocol "if the Europeans insist Iran turn its temporary suspension of uranium-enrichment-related activities into a permanent freeze". The Additional Protocol allows international nuclear inspectors to visit at will any Iranian nuclear facilities without any restrictions. "If today the government presented the protocol to the majlis for approval, it would immediately be rejected," Boroujerdi said, quoted by the Mehr news agency close to the SCNS. Noting that the troika's request for a full freeze of uranium enrichment was due to US pressure, Mousavian added that after four rounds of intensive talks, "Europe has not put any concrete plan or proposition concerning objective guarantees on the table". Last November 15, Iran agreed in Paris with the EU-3 to suspend uranium enrichment as a "confidence-building measure" to show its nuclear projects were peaceful, but stressed the halt would be temporary. As a result of the agreement, three joint committees on nuclear, trade, technology and security were formed, with the Europeans pledging "objective guarantees" if Iran abandoned uranium enrichment and assured that it was not seeking to develop nuclear weapons. "We have said clearly to the Europeans that a halt of uranium enrichment is not acceptable," said Cyrus Nasseri, who is heading the Iranian delegation at the IAEA meeting. "What we aim at is building 10 other Natanzes," Naseri told the conference, a reference to the enrichment facility in the central city of Natanz. Iran says that to satisfy its nuclear power needs, estimated at 7,000 megawatts, it intends to build at least six other nuclear reactors. besides the 1,000MW it has under construction in the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr with the help of Russia, by 2021. But the US and Israel accuse the ruling Iranian ayatollahs of wanting the reactors to produce atomic weapons by diverting the nuclear technology to military use. Asked about the possibility of opening direct negotiations with Washington, Rafsanjani said this could be possible if the US showed some goodwill, but added immediately that "so far, we have seen but violence" from Washington. Boroujerdi was more specific, ruling out any direct dialogue with Washington. "Until now, the rules are that we shall not have any talks with the United States and since there are no new decisions on this matter, there will be no dialogue," he pointed out, referring to Ali Khamenei, who, as the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has the final word on every major domestic and foreign affairs issue, had banned any dialogue with Washington. In a parallel development, several Iranian officials acknowledged for the first time recently that not only had Iran acquired most of the spare parts needed for its nuclear projects on the black market, but it also had built some sensitive nuclear plants underground. "True, there was secrecy, but it was necessary to buy equipment for a peaceful nuclear program," Rafsanjani confirmed to the Iranian media. "If sanctions had not been imposed on us, we would have declared everything publicly, but we had no other choice because of American sanctions," he explained. Last month, Rohani, in an interview with the influential French daily Le Monde, confirmed that Iran was building secret tunnels for some of its nuclear installations, including a big one at Esfahan's uranium-conversion facility. "What shall we do in the face of American threats? We have to protect our nuclear sites and installations one way or another," he said, confirming earlier reports by the American Institute for Science and International Security run by Dr David Albright, a respected nuclear expert and inspector. Moreover, Iran also confirmed that it had hidden deep underground other sensitive nuclear facilities to protect them from possible US or Israeli strikes. Ali Akbar Salehi, a former Iranian envoy at the IAEA, said US and Israeli threats forced Iran to take precautions to protect its technology, including its string of centrifuges used to enrich uranium. "To protect the safety of equipment against possible danger of aerial attack, a major part of the plant has been constructed underground, especially where thousands of centrifuges need to be located," Salehi told the Associated Press. His admission came as Iran was reportedly pouring the concrete foundation for a 40MW heavy-water nuclear reactor in Arak, where construction began last September. The UN atomic agency had asked Iran not to build the reactor, which would be able to make weapons-grade plutonium, diplomats said. Iran also recently said it wanted to break UN seals and test "essential" parts for machines for nuclear work, and this showed that Iran's freeze on activity that could produce atomic weapons would be short-lived, diplomats said. The revelation, supported by satellite pictures, resulted in an immediate sharp reaction from Jackie Sanders, the US envoy at the IAEA, who last week accused Iran of "cynically deceiving the international community". Meanwhile, IAEA deputy director Pierre Goldschmidt told the previous meeting of the watchdog's board of directors in Vienna last Thursday that Iran was pressing ahead with work on the Arak reactor, adding however that IAEA inspectors had not visited the site. At its stormy meeting on September 18, the 35-member board called on Iran to voluntarily reconsider its decision to start the construction the plant. Made at an IAEA meeting where Iran's nuclear issue was not on the agenda, Goldschmidt's statement angered the Iranians, to the point that they accused the IAEA's top officials of disclosing to the press secret talks held between Iran and the agency. "We have the impression that we talk to loudspeakers tuned to satellites," said Rohani, while both Mousavian and Naseri bluntly accused the IAEA and its boss, Egyptian Mohamed elBaradei, of deliberately informing international media of Iranian nuclear projects. "It is surprising that every time our nuclear issue is to be debated at the IAEA, some major international media [outlet] reveals some of our so-called secret projects, quoted by the same unnamed diplomats," Naseri told Iran Press Service. To another question concerning the United States' threats to take the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council, Naseri said Tehran "was not afraid". "What [would] they [Americans] achieve, if not encouraging us to leave all the negotiation tables and get out of the NPT?" he responded. As the verbal tension between Tehran and the EU-3 reaches new heights, Iranian political analysts are warning of an "American trap" aimed at repeating the Iraqi scenario in Iran. "Slowly but surely Iranian ruling clerics lost in their self-made dreams are falling into a new American trap, that is to encourage officials into raising the stakes, becoming more aggressive and less conciliatory in their talks with Britain, France and Germany. Once in a dead end, there would be no other issue than repeating the Iraqi scenario and serving the ayatollahs the same dish the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was served," speculated Masoud Behnoud, a veteran Iranian journalist and political commentator. Safa Haeri is a Paris-based Iranian journalist covering the Middle East and Central Asia. (Copyright 2005 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Head Office: Rm 202, Hau Fook Mansion, No. 8 Hau Fook St., Kowloon, Hong Road, Hua Hin, Prachuab Kirikhan, Thailand 77110 ***************************************************************** 6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: North tipped Russia over nuclear arms http://joongangdaily.joins.com March 9, 2005 KST 12:34 (GMT+9) March 09, 2005 €Ń North Korea told the Russian government in advance of its intention to make the Feb. 10 announcement in which it declared it possessed nuclear weapons, a reliable source in Beijing said yesterday. The step by Pyeongyang to inform Moscow angered Chinese officials. Analysts here said North Korea may have informed Russia in order to express irritation with China's posture on the stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. The Chinese official, thought to be well-informed about North Korea affairs, told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday that Pyeongyang had informed Moscow privately through diplomatic channels that it was going to claim it had nuclear arms before making the statement publicly. The Foreign Ministry in Pyeongyang said Feb. 10 that North Korea had manufactured nuclear arms and that it was not going to attend the six-nation talks indefinitely. After learning that the Russians had been tipped off, the Chinese leadership reacted with fury, the source said. North Korea and China have been allies for more than a half-century, and the two countries normally carefully coordinated sensitive diplomatic affairs. Experts here said North Korea is walking on tightrope between China and Russia before returning to the six-party talks. "While China, along with the United States, has been very stern about North Korea's nuclear arms development, Russia has been the most favorable and tolerant among the six governments participating in the talks," said Jun Bong-geun, head of the Institute for Peace and Cooperation, a Seoul-based think tank. "North Korea, aware of the stances, is making a reciprocal diplomatic gesture." The source also added North Korea's cabinet chief, Pak Pong-ju, will visit China around March 21 to discuss nuclear issues and economic assistance. by Choi Won-ki myoja@joongang.co.kr> [http://joongangdaily.joins.com/faq.html] Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use | ***************************************************************** 7 YWS: S. Korean, U.S. Nuclear Negotiators to Leave for Talks on N. Korea YONHAPNEWS WORLD SERVICE::ENGLISH [http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/] .. 2005/03/09 08:43 KST By Chang Jae-soon SEOUL, March 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator with North Korea was to leave for Russia Wednesday while his U.S. counterpart heads for Japan as they increase efforts to bring the North back to the negotiating table. Seoul's Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon is to be in Moscow until Sunday for talks with his Russian counterpart Alexander Alekseyev and other officials. He is expected to seek Russia's help in persuading North Korea to return to six-nation talks on its nuclear weapons program. ***************************************************************** 8 Korea Times: US Rebuffs Direct Talks With N. Korea Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Nation By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter The United States said Monday that it would not hold direct talks with North Korea as the nuclear tug-of-war has intensified before negotiations. Despite the diplomatic efforts by relevant parties in the six-party talks to restart the stalled disarmament process, the nuclear standoff now seems to be heading for another critical juncture - this time with a more stark contrast. After Chinese officials used media outlets to urge the bilateral contacts, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Pyongyang could speak directly to Washington within the context of those multilateral talks. ``WeĄŻve made it very clear that if there is a need for North Korea to talk with us, they have the opportunity to do that in the context of the six-party talks,ĄŻĄŻ he said in a media briefing. ``We hope North Korea will return to the six-party talks at an early date so that we can talk about how to move forward,ĄŻĄŻ he added. ``We donĄŻt believe there should be any preconditions for returning to those six-party talks.ĄŻĄŻ Chosun Shinbo, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper in Japan, said in on its Internet edition Monday that the U.S. should directly express its will to co-exist with North Korea in order for the stalled negotiations to be resumed. ``The gap between the two sides seems quite wide,ĄŻĄŻ a Seoul diplomat involved in the negotiations said on condition of anonymity. ``But we still believe they would meet halfway if they sought an indirect way instead of the explicit demands.ĄŻĄŻ Experts say, while the recent diplomatic drive has helped the participants in the talks move toward a way out of months-long gridlock, it has also made the discrepancy between the main antagonists clearer. Although it took part in the three rounds of the six-party talks, North Korea still prefers direct bargaining with the U.S. But the U.S. _ feeling dumped with the resolution of the first nuclear crisis _ favors a multilateral format that includes China, Russia as well as South Korea and Japan, who all want a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. North Korea watchers say Pyongyang, while testing U.S. flexibility with such demands, such as an apology for the ``outposts of tyrannyĄŻĄŻ remark, seems ready to come back to the table when it is given a face-saving exit by the U.S. ``If the U.S. wants to resume the talks, either its president or secretary of state should express a turn-around of its policy publicly,ĄŻĄŻ the Chosun Shinbo said, adding the U.S. otherwise should use the ``New York channelĄŻĄŻ to convey a willingness to co-exist. The diplomacy will go on despite the seemingly uncompromising stances of the U.S. and North Korea. China will send its envoy, deputy chief negotiator Ning Fukui, to Washington later this week. U.S. point man Christopher Hill will drop by Tokyo today on his way to Washington and South KoreaĄŻs top negotiator will also depart for Moscow today for consultations with his Russian counterpart. Schedules for the fourth round of six-party talks might come late this month as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to visit several Asian countries, including South Korea on March 19-20, sources said. jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr 03-08-2005 20:22 ***************************************************************** 9 [WW4 Report] Nuclear Agenda 2005 Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 02:57:44 -0600 (CST) NUCLEAR AGENDA 2005 Bush Charts New Generation of Warheads by Chesley Hicks Despite the Cold War's conclusion 15 years ago, the United States' being party to several anti-nuclear proliferation treaties, and President Bush's strident commands for the cessation of all nuclear weapons programs in the Middle East and Asia, the current administration is promoting domestic nuclear programs that could initiate another arms race. In November 2004, anti-proliferation advocates felt a jolt of optimism when the Republican-majority congress hamstrung the Bush administration's proposals for the institution and expansion of four controversial nuclear programs. However, during its recent February 2005 federal budget request, the administration revived efforts to fund the programs. During the 2004 session, Congress eliminated funding for two programs: research into the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP), or "bunker buster," a nuclear bomb that can tunnel deep beneath the earth's surface, and "advance concepts" research that would seek to design a new generation of nuclear weapons. Similarly, funding was severely curtailed for the development of a new "Modern Pit Facility." A pit facility is a factory that produces the fissile cores-the plutonium detonators-for nuclear weapons. Presently, the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico produces small numbers of these plutonium pits, but the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) seeks to a build a larger, advanced factory (at a still undisclosed location) that will produce them in greater numbers and with new designs. With bipartisan support, Representative David L. Hobson (R-Ohio), Chairman of the House Energy Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, spearheaded the 2004 opposition, emphasizing that the country's current security issues do not call for more nuclear warheads, and that the government's mandate should be to reduce the absurdly redundant nuclear stockpile rather than add to it. Congress also requested a revision of the nuclear "Stockpile Plan," which describes the size and structure of the country's nuclear arsenal. Congress' message was that new money will not be allocated to nuclear programs that do not articulate definitive goals-which is how many of the Bush Administration's nuclear pursuits have been characterized. Hobson redirected $9 million the administration had requested for the advanced concepts research toward studies to instead improve the reliability and lifespan of existing warheads. Calling it research for a "reliable replacement warhead," the initiative acknowledges nuclear advocates' contention that the country's aging arsenal needs fixing, but underscores Hobson's hope to ultimately reduce the arsenal, albeit with fewer but better weapons. Which is where matters get murky. In the president's budget released the first week in February 2005, the Energy Department sought-reportedly at Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's behest-$4 million to continue the "bunker-buster" study. If the DOE request passes, presumably Pentagon appropriations will follow for the second phase of the project. Ostensibly, the project meets Hobson's "reliable replacement" plan, as the new study seeks to put an already existing warhead, now in the B-83 nuclear gravity bomb, into a new delivery system-one that is capable of deeply penetrating the earth's surface. Critics are now asking how this plan differs in any meaningful way from either the bunker buster or the advanced concepts programs shot down by congress last November. All of which further begs the question: If a new bomb is developed, won't it need to be tested? Though the U.S. signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1996, replacing field explosions with computer-simulated tests based on data collected from decades of nuclear detonations, in the ensuing years Congress has refused to ratify the treaty, effectively preventing it from going into force. While the U.S. hasn't conducted a full nuclear explosion since 1992, in recent years the NNSA has conducted a series of "subcritical" tests at the Nevada Test Site, which stop short of a full detonation-but which use real plutonium pits, and which critics call a threat to the languishing Test-Ban Treaty. The White House has recently sought approval from Congress to shorten the amount of preparation time legally required between completion of a new nuclear weapon and the field-testing of that weapon in an underground explosion-which, despite official denials, seems to indicate an intention to resume full testing. So far Congress has contained the most aggressive of these ambitions. But while Hobson has been quoted as praising the cooperative institution of the reliable replacement warhead plan, Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department seems to have found a way to twist that plan into serving its own nuclear goals. The often inscrutable bureaucracy that surrounds the Defense Department and federal budget allocation in general could very well allow it to succeed. "The reality is that the federal budget is a huge morass," says Stephen Young, senior analyst for the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The Congressional budget requests we're discussing are in the millions, the overall nuclear Stockpile Stewardship program's budget is 6.3 billion." He added that the outcome of this year's budget request "depends on how closely the issues are tracked." Young and countless others contend that the administration would most benefit the country's security by heeding its own message to de-escalate nuclear proliferation. The number of deployed and imminently deployable nuclear weapons in the US arsenal could destroy the entire planet. Experts maintain that any further refurbishing is unnecessary and critically misguided. Young describes the warhead number as "preposterous," and says, compounding the problem, "Russia currently maintains a large arsenal because of the US's recent unwillingness to decrease its own arsenal." Already, Russia, China, North Korea, and India have shown that they are closely following US nuclear developments and adjusting their postures accordingly. Which means proliferation continues, as it seems wherever one looks, the US still has both hands in the nuclear cookie jar. The Natural Resources Defense Council revealed in February that the U.S. currently has hundreds of warheads deployed across Europe. The NRDC's report states: "U.S. nuclear arsenal in Europe is larger than the entire nuclear weapons stockpile of any nation except Russia. The United States is the only country that deploys such weapons outside its own boundaries [even though] weapons based in the United States can cover all of the potential targets covered by the bombs in Europe." The report, which describes the deployment as "clinging to the Cold War," notes ironically: "Nearly all of the countries that once were potential targets for the weapons are now members of NATO." Also according to the report: "All the weapons are gravity bombs of the B61-3, -4, and -10 types. Germany remains the most heavily nuclearized country with three nuclear bases (two of which are fully operational), and may store as many as 150 bombs Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath [in the UK] stores 110 weapons, a considerable number in this region given the demise of the Soviet Union. Italy and Turkey each host 90 bombs, while 20 bombs are stored in Belgium and in the Netherlands The current force level is two-three times greater than the estimates made by non-governmental analysts during the second half of the 1990s. Those estimates were based on private and public statements by a number of government sources and assumptions about the weapon storage capacity at each base... The 480 bombs deployed in Europe represent more than 80 percent of all the active B61 tactical bombs in the U.S. stockpile. No other U.S. nuclear weapons are forward deployed (other than warheads on ballistic missile submarines)... Approximately 300 of the 480 bombs are assigned for delivery by U.S. F-15E and F-16C/D aircraft...deployed in Europe or rotating through the U.S. bases. The remaining 180 bombs are earmarked for delivery by the air forces of five NATO countries, including Belgian, Dutch, and Turkish F-16s and German and Italian PA-200 Tornado aircraft." The Bush administration has also expressed a disturbing interest in weaponizing space. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, signed by more than 90 countries including the US, bans weapons of mass destruction (WMD) from being put into orbit and stipulates that: "The exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind [and] shall be guided by the principle of co-operation and mutual assistance " The UN General Assembly has passed resolutions each year for the past 22 years establishing the continued peaceful use of space and the prevention of an arms race in space. Though most of the UN resolutions have passed unanimously, the US and Isreal have recently abstained from the vote, and the Bush administration has revealed intentions to exploit areas not explicitly covered in the various international space-protection agreements. For instance, though the 1967 treaty bans putting WMD into orbit, it does not specifically proscribe the transit of a WMD through space. Currently, the US is developing reentry vehicles designed to deliver a variety of weapons, including nuclear warheads, via an interceptor in space that would in turn redirect the vehicle toward an earthbound target, with greater precision than traditional launch and delivery systems. Lockheed-Martin is leading this development effort. Alongside plans to put non-nuclear defense mechanisms into orbit (despite treaty language discouraging it), including anti-satellite weapons and the scientifically dubious anti-ballistic missile interceptors, the Bush administration is sending the message that it intends to dominate and control space. Proposals are surfacing for new commercial uranium enrichment plants, including a $1.3 billion facility in Eunice, New Mexico, be built by Louisiana Energy Services, a partnership of several U.S. utilities and Urenco, the UK-based global nuclear fuels corporation. Though allegedly intended for the generation of power, the development of such facilities could undercut an agreement made with Russia to turn tons of stockpiled weapons-grade uranium and plutonium into power-plant fuel. As Bush discourages the development of similar facilities in the Middle East, it's difficult to explain why the excess tonnage of unused plutonium and uranium stored in thousands of US and Russian warheads would not be exhausted before creating new reserves. While the nuclear debate in Congress rages anew, the next review conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), meets in New York in May. The events of spring 2005 could presage whether the climate for the next few years will more resemble the promise of a nuclear-free future or a return to Cold War paranoia. --- RESOURCES: NRDC report on U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe: http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/contents.asp SpaceRef.com on new space-based nuclear targeting systems: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=11693] ------------------- Special to WORLD WAR 4 REPORT, March. 7, 2005 Reprinting permissible with attribution http://ww4report.com -- _______________________________________________ Ww3report mailing list http://lists.interactivist.net/mailman/listinfo/ww3report ***************************************************************** 10 Western lawmakers oppose cuts in PILT [http://www.elkodaily.com By ADELLA HARDING - Staff Writer Monday, March 7, 2005 2:29 PM PST ELKO - U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and other members of the Congressional Western Caucus testified before the House Budget Committee urging full funding for the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes program. Gibbons also spoke last week against a plan in President Bush's proposed budget to redirect 70 percent of the revenue raised under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act to federal coffers rather than the money staying in Nevada. The Nevada lawmaker urged the Budget Committee to press for full funding of PILT to assist rural counties. Elko County is among the rural counties that receive PILT money. Elko County Commissioners learned last month the county would lose more than $200,000 if Bush wins the 12 percent cutback in his proposed budget, with payments dropping from about $1.8 million to roughly $1.58 million. PILT payments from the federal government help to make up for property taxes local, county and state governments would otherwise receive if public land was private. Bush's proposed budget for the 2006 fiscal year earmarks $200 million for PILT, down $26.8 million from last year and roughly $150 million short of the fully authorized level, according to Cody Stewart, executive director of the Congressional Western Caucus. "I am deeply concerned about inadequate funding levels for the PILT program and how Western communities with the majority of the public land pay the price," Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, the caucus chairman, testified. He also questioned how the Bush budget can call for spending more than $150 million for new federal land acquisition and cut PILT payments. "If we can't make payments on the land we already own, why are we proposing to acquire more land? It seems to me that the budget proposal got this one wrong," Cannon said. Gibbons also opposed any additional land acquisition, as well as protesting the proposal to route revenue from public land sales in southern Nevada to the federal government. "First and foremost, revenues from land sales in Nevada should stay in Nevada, just as SNPLMA mandates and as Congress intended," Gibbons testified, according to a statement from his office in Washington. "The funding Nevada receives under SNPLMA is critically needed to support Nevada's general education fund, conservation efforts, habitat protection and Lake Tahoe restoration," he said. The land sales in Clark County have raised $1.9 billion in 19 auctions under SNPLMA since November 1999, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Las Vegas office recently reported. Gibbons also protested a budget proposal to provide $651 million for Yucca Mountain for the planned nuclear waste depository, according to a report from his office. "For the good of our entire nation, the Budget Committee must reject the unnecessary and wasteful $651 million budgeted for Yucca Mountain," Gibbons testified. Copyright © 2005 Elko Daily Free Press ***************************************************************** 11 CHERNOBYL FALLOUT:TRANSGENERATIONAL GENOMIC INSTABILITY INDUCED BY CHERNOBYL FALLOUT Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 04:47:22 -0500 -----Original Message----- From: michel et solange fernex [mailto:s.m.fernex@wanadoo.fr] Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 11:47 AM To: rosalie bertell; yablokov@ecopolicy.ru; ross wilcock; Bill Smirnow; maryvonne david-jougneau; jonathan upjohn Cc: philipe brousse; jean yvon landrac; wladimir tschertkoff emanuela andreoli; Alain VЋrignon; maryse arditi; claudia et manfred Subject: Tr : CHERNOBYL FALLOUT, R. I. Goncharova, N. I. Ryabokon European Radiation Research 2004, August 25-28, Budapest, Hungary http://www.osski.hu/err2004 MUTATION PROCESS IN CHRONICALLY IRRADIATED BANK VOLE POPULATIONS INDICATES THE TRANSGENERATIONAL GENOMIC INSTABILITY INDUCED BY CHERNOBYL FALLOUT R. I. Goncharova, N. I. Ryabokon Institute of Genetics and Cytology, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Akademichnaya st, 27. Minsk 220072, Republic of Belarus; e-mail: R.Goncharova@igc.bas-net.by The objective of this investigation is analysis of mutagenesis dynamics in bank vole populations chronically exposed to low doses of ionizing radiation in connection with the absorbed dose dynamics and the number of affected generations over 1986Đż1996. Frequencies of different end-points (chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells and embryonic mortality) as well as the dose rate and absorbed doses of external and internal irradiation from caesium isotopes were determined for four populations inhabiting the sites with different ground deposition of 137Cs (8п═1526 kBq/m2). It has been first revealed that the main feature of mutagenesis dynamics in populations of mammals chronically exposed to very low doses of ionizing radiation is a gradual increase in the rate of somatic mutagenesis and embryonic lethality over 1Đż22 generations. At the same time, the dose rate and whole body absorbed dose decreased in every consecutive generation after the primary radiation insult in 1986. The data on chromosome aberrations and embryonic lethality were fitted by the exponential and linear functions respectively. It means that genomes of animals from distant generations are more sensitive to the impact of very low radiation doses in comparison with those of animals of prior generations. The fact that dynamics of somatic mutagenesis (by the chromosome aberration frequency in bone marrow) and embryonic lethality during the period of the study closely resemble each other is an additional proof for the persistence of the delayed response. Thus, enhanced response of distant generations of mammals to low doses of ionizing radiation is likely to be due to transgenerational genomic instability. Abstract 66 ***************************************************************** 12 [NukeNet] Goldman Prize Winner Gets Death Threat For Oppossing Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:35:24 -0800 NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) Bulgarian Green Leader Threatened With Death VIENNA, Austria, March 8, 2005 (ENS) http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2005/2005-03-08-03.asp Award-winning Bulgarian anti-nuclear activist Albena Simeonova has received threats on her life due to her public opposition to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belene, in the northern part of the country, Greenpeace said today. Simeonova, a Greenpeace activist, was honored with the 1996 Goldman Prize for Europe. Greenpeace, together with Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe, is calling on the Bulgarian government to secure her safety and prevent these threats from happening again. Simeonova, 40, who is portrayed as an obstacle by the nuclear industry, started to receive anonymous calls at the end of 2004. On February 23, two men showed up at her house door threatening to kill her if she did not stop her resistance against plans to build the nuclear power plant in Belene. The men also warned her to leave the region of Nikopol, her homeland. Simeonova is one of the leaders of a Bulgarian movement that stopped plans for the construction of a nuclear power station near Belene in the early 1990s. Plans for the power station were revived in 2003, and she was one of the first people to ask attention for the problems the project would create. She alerted national and international organizations about the revived plans and since has been one of the motors behind resistance against Belene. "This is not only a serious threat against my life," said Simeonova, "it represents a threat to all who campaign against nuclear plants trying to protect their lives and the local environment." "We are shocked to hear that her life is threatened due to her opposition to this nuclear project," says Jan Haverkamp from Greenpeace International. "She is a pioneer for a clean environment in Bulgaria." "Belene is the real threat, not Albena Simeonova," he said. "This plant is completely unnecessary for Bulgaria and for the region." Greenpeace argues that Bulgaria does not need the Belene nuclear power plant because the country has one of the largest renewable energy resources in the European Union, with potential for wind energy, as well as geothermal and hydropower. With its large agricultural sector, Bulgaria could cover a significant part of its energy needs with renewable energy, Greenpeace says. "These clean energy sources are economic, abundant, create thousands of jobs and pose no threat to human life and the environment," the organization said in a statement. Greenpeace opposes the construction of the Belene reactors because of the high level nuclear waste the reactors will generate. In February, Greenpeace joined Bulgarian court proceedings against the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. Haverkamp says Greenpeace objects that the procedure has been manipulated, that vital data are missing and important analyses not have been carried out. In reaction to the Greenpeace appeal, the Bulgarian authorities have tried to expel Greenpeace from court by manipulating formal arguments. "Obviously, the Bulgarian authorities are afraid for objective challenges of the decision procedure around the Belene nuclear power plant. They now try to silence opposition with far fetched formalities," said Haverkamp, consultant for nuclear energy issues in Central Europe for Greenpeace. "It is clear that Greenpeace is seen as a threat to the project, and I would say, rightly so," said Haverkamp. "Belene is economically and environmentally a bad project that needs to be halted." Educated as a chemist, Simeonova worked as a senior ecologist for the city of Botevgrad on environmental issues early in her career. She then became the executive director of the Foundation for Ecological Education and Training, founded by the Bulgarian Green Party in 1991. Campaigning against the construction of nuclear power plants, in 1994 Simeonova organized the first public debate between the proponents and opponents of nuclear power. She originated Ecological Inspectorates where citizens can call to report local environmental problems and get a swift, independent response from professionals. Sometimes Simeonova alone responds. Bulgarian municipalities have now organized their own Eco-Inspectorates, or have provided funding to NGOs to start them. The original four inspectorate programs have grown to 25 and more are being planned. To work towards nationwide coordination of environmental groups, in 1993 Simeonova persuaded Bulgarian organizations to come together in an association called the Green Parliament. She also has involved citizens of Bulgaria and Romania to address the problems of trans-boundary pollution. As vice president of the Bulgarian Green Party, in 1995 Simeonova organized a dialogue involving members of the Green Parties of Western and Eastern Europe. In 1996 Simeonova co-founded the Bulgarian Green Federation. Though not a lawyer herself, she has written municipal environmental regulations. In 1997 Simeonova helped establish the Green Justice Association, which works together with local authorities and NGOs to create new environmental legislation. Simeonova has worked with the international E-LAW network of environmental lawyers since 1995. _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 13 Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Reports 2 Incidents Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:34:45 -0800 Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Reports Inoperable Equipment; Low-Level Emergency ˆ March 6, 2005: Event Text POST-ACCIDENT MONITORING INSTRUMENTATION INOPERABLE NRC The following information was provided by the licensee via facsimile (licensee text in quotes): "At 1500, on March 6, 2005, the Control Room declared both required divisions for three functions (Primary Containment Pressure, Primary Containment Hydrogen and Oxygen Analyzer, and Drywell Atmosphere Temperature) of Post Accident Monitoring Instrumentation (a Safety System) inoperable. The control room was notified of 'Non Quality' (non-Q) parts installed in both required divisions of a Post Accident Monitoring Instrumentation Recorder. The appropriate LCO Conditions were entered for one or more functions with two required channels inoperable. This equipment has passed all surveillance requirements and has been functional since installation. "Plans are being developed to replace the non-qualified parts. "This is being reported as an event or condition that could have prevented fulfillment of a safety function required to mitigate the consequences of an accident in accordance with 10CFR50.72(b)(3)(v)(D)." The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. ˆ March 4, 2005: 'Unusual event' declared. No fire found and no one is hurt. Sam Kennedy, "The Morning Call" Smoke at PPL Corp.'s Susquehanna nuclear power plant led to a low-level emergency declaration on Friday afternoon. Crews detected smoke in a construction area at one of the Luzerne County facility's two nuclear units. The unit was out of service for refueling. As a result, an ''unusual event'' was declared for about 55 minutes. An unusual event is the lowest of the four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants. ''Our plant fire brigade responded and no fire was found. The smoke has stopped,'' said Joe Scopelliti, spokesman for the Susquehanna plant. ''There were no injuries. We are investigating the cause. No action by the general public was required.'' Unit 2 had been shut down since Feb. 26 for a refueling and inspection outage. The smoke was detected at 2:57 p.m. in a construction area near a moisture separator, which is used to ''dry'' the steam heading for the turbines. For more information: www.tmia.com Contact: Eric Epstein (717)-541-1101 ericepstein@comcast.net ***************************************************************** 14 Brattleboro Reformer: Entergy mum on dry cask storage plans [http://www.reformer.com/] March 08, 2005 Brattleboro, VT By CAROLYN LORIé Reformer Staff BRATTLEBORO -- Officials from Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee were again pressed about whether they will file a petition with the Vermont Legislature for approval of dry cask storage. And again, the answer was murky. "We're going to do everything we need to satisfy the Legislature," said David McElwee, an engineer from the plant. When asked whether that would include filing a petition, there was no answer from McElwee or Laurence Smith, spokesman for the plant. The two were on hand for a panel discussion on dry cask storage sponsored by the Windham County Democrats on Monday evening. Lynn Bedell facilitated the discussion. McElwee and Brian Cosgrove, spokesman for Vermont Yankee, were on the panel representing the company. Also on the panel were Rep. Steve Darrow, D-Putney, Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, and Peter Alexander, executive director of the New England Coalition. Approximately 30 people attended the discussion, which lasted about 90 minutes. While the general tone of the evening remained relatively calm in comparison to other Vermont Yankee-related meetings, panel members continued to debate one another after the meeting was ended by Bedell. White focused on the legislative procedure and pointed out that plant officials have yet to come forward with a petition. This has been a contentious issue as plant officials have argued that the exemption given to the previous owners should be extended to Entergy. Attempts by Entergy lobbyists to push through an amendment of the current law failed at the end of the last legislative session. Earlier this month, Vermont Yankee site vice president Jay Thayer told legislators in the joint committee on Energy and Natural Resources that there simply was no time to go through the legislative process and the mandated approval process before the Public Service Board. According to plant officials, the spent fuel pool will be filled to capacity by 2008, or one year earlier if their bid to increase power by 20 percent is approved. Cosgrove stressed the importance of Vermont Yankee's role in the state in terms of predictable below-market rates for electricity, as well as its economic impact. He pointed out that if the plant were to shut down early because of lack of storage space, Vermont would lose one-third of its energy. The decision regarding dry cask storage, added Cosgrove, would affect more than the company. "It's not just about Vermont Yankee -- it's about our energy future," he said. "To not have a decision this year means Vermont Yankee's closing." Alexander and the coalition have consistently challenged Entergy's claim that there's an urgent need to decide the issue quickly. The group has advocated strongly for delaying a decision. "The Legislature has the chance to slow things down and allow stake holders to educate themselves," said Alexander. As the panel discussion closed, Darrow asked the plant representatives to convey a message to their corporate bosses: "It's getting late in the legislative session ... give Entergy the message that we await their request." Copyright ©1999-2005 New England Newspapers, Inc., a ***************************************************************** 15 NRC: Firstenergy Nuclear Operating Company; Perry Nuclear Power Plant, FR Doc 05-4400 [Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)] [Notices] [Page 11277] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08mr05-137] Unit 1; Notice of Withdrawal of Application for Amendment to Facility Operating License The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has granted the request of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (the licensee), to withdraw its April 26, 2004, application for a proposed amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-58 for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1, located in Lake County, Ohio. The proposed amendment would have revised the frequency of the Mode 5 Intermediate Range Monitoring Instrumentation CHANNEL FUNCTIONAL TEST contained in Technical Specification 3.3.1.1 from 7 days to 31 days. The Commission had previously issued a Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 53109). However, by letter dated February 17, 2005, the licensee withdrew the proposed change. For further details with respect to this action, see the application for amendment dated April 26, 2004, and the licensee's letter dated February 17, 2005, which withdrew the application for license amendment. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/html] . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1- 800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 25th day of February 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. William A. Macon, Jr., Project Manager, Section 2, Project Directorate III, Division of Licensing Project Management Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 05-4400 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 16 NRC: Agency Holding the Meetings: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. FR Doc 05-4545 [Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)] [Notices] [Page 11278-11279] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08mr05-140] Date: Weeks of March 7, 13, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 2005. Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Status: Public and closed. Matters To Be Considered: Week of March 7, 2005 Monday, March 7, 2005 9:55 a.m. Affirmation Session (Public Meeting). a. Final Rule: Medical Use of Byproduct Material--Recognition of Specialty Boards. 10 a.m. Briefing on Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Programs, Performance, and Plans--Materials Safety (Public Meeting) (Contact: Shamica Walker, (301) 415-5142). 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] . Week of March 14, 2005--Tentative Wednesday, March 16, 2005 9:30 a.m. Meeting with Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) (Public Meeting) (Contact: John Larkins, (301) 415-7360). 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] . Week of March 21, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the Week of March 21, 2005. Week of March 28, 2005--Tentative Tuesday, March 29, 2005 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Programs, Performance, and Plans (Public Meeting) (Contact: Robert Caldwell, (301) 415-1243). 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 p.m. Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1). Week of April 4, 2005--Tentative Tuesday, April 5, 2005 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Office of Research (RES) Programs, Performance, and Plans (Public Meeting) (Contact: Alix Dvorak, (301) 415-6601). 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] . Wednesday, April 6, 2005 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Status of New Site and Reactor Licensing (Public Meeting) (Contact: Steven Bloom, (301) 415-1313). 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] . Thursday, April 7, 2005 1.30 p.m. Meeting with Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) (Public Meeting) (Contact: John Larksins, (301) 415-7360). 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] . Week of April 11, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the Week of April 11, 2005. *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. * * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the Internet [[Page 11279]] 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 accommodations 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, Agusut 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: March 3, 2005. Dave Gamberoni, Office of the Secretary. [FR Doc. 05-4545 Filed 3-4-05; 9:27 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M ***************************************************************** 17 Indiatimes: Atomic energy plan on course [http://www.indiatimes.com] Monday, March 7, 2005| Updated at 14:15hrs IST GIRISH KUBER MUMBAI: With the first indigenously designed 540 MW pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) built at Tarapur near Mumbai attaining critical status, the countrys ambitious atomic energy programme is inching towards its aim to generate 20,000 MW by 20. The Rs 4,500-crore Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), the nodal agency for harnessing nuclear power in the country, had commissioned the reactor on Sunday, taking its total generation capacity to about 3,310 MW. NPCIL now produces 2,770 MW from stations in Maharashtra (TAPS-1&2), Rajasthan (RAPS-2,3&4), Tamil Nadu (MAPS-1&2), UP (NAPS-1&2), Gujarat (KAPS-1&2) and Karnataka. The reactors at Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), Narora (UP), Kakrapar (Gujarat), Kaiga and Kota are of 220 MW capacity. This is a big step in reaching our goal to produce 20,000 MW by the year 20, a government official said. The NPCIL now has eight units under construction and will add another 4,000 MW by 07, taking its total capacity to 6,720 MW. By 11 it plans to raise the capacity to 10,700 MW. Officials believe that the target is `achievable' since the NPCIL completed its Tarapur plant in record time, almost seven months ahead of the original schedule. It helped the corporation cut costs by Rs 1,500 crore The initial project cost of both TAPP units 3 & 4 (both 540 MW) was Rs 8,000 crore, while the actual cost, with its gestation period advanced by 10 months, was worked out to approximately Rs 6,555 crore. The second 540 MW reactor is slated to be commissioned by the year-end or the beginning of next year. The commissioning of this plant may bring some relief to power-starved Maharashtra as a major portion of the power produced would be wheeled to the state. Besides Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP too would receive power from Tarapur. ***************************************************************** 18 FT.com: Royal Society chief backs nuclear power By Fiona Harvey Published: March 8 2005 02:00 | Last updated: March 8 2005 02:00 Nuclear power will be needed to help wean economies away from fossil fuels, in order to avert disastrous global climate change, the president of the Royal Society said yesterday. Speaking at the British embassy in Berlin, Lord May called for international action on alternatives to fossil fuels, as he criticised the US government for "fiddling while the world burns" by refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change, which would require curbs on carbon dioxide output. Fiona Harvey, London [ height=] © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. ***************************************************************** 19 ITAR-TASS: 2nd unit of Kalinin NPP connected to power network 08.03.2005, 17.00 UDOMLYA (Tver region), March 8 (Itar-Tass) -- The second unit of the Kalinin nuclear power plant was connected to the power network after repairs at 3:05 p.m. Moscow time on Tuesday, a power plant source told Itar-Tass. The unit was automatically halted on March 2. It took extra time to repair defects add provide for the unit’s sustainable functioning until the planned repairs, which are due to begin on April 23. The Kalinin nuclear power plant is located on the southern bank of the Udomlya Lake, 125 kilometers north of Tver. It is supplying energy to central Russia. The second unit reached the rated capacity in April 1987. It has a water-cooled water-moderated reactor of the VVER-1,000, which fully meets the safety requirements. The first unit is running at full capacity, 1,000 megawatt. The third unit, which was connected to the power network last December, is running at 50% of its rated capacity, 440 megawatt. “The power plant is safe, and radiation is natural,” the source said. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, ***************************************************************** 20 NRC: NRC Seeks Public Input on Clinton Early Site Permit Application; Meeting to Be Held April 19 News Release - 2005-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 05-044 March 8, 2005 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on its preliminary conclusion that environmental impacts would not prevent issuing an Early Site Permit (ESP) for the Clinton site, about six miles east of Clinton, Ill. The preliminary conclusion is contained in NUREG-1815, Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for an Early Site Permit at the Exelon ESP Site. The draft EIS is open for public comment until May 25, and will also be the subject of a public meeting April 19 in Clinton. 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 Clinton application was filed Sept. 25, 2003, by Exelon Generation Company, LLC. If approved, the permit would give Exelon up to 20 years to decide whether to build a new nuclear unit 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 Exelon, taking into account consultations with federal, state, tribal and local agencies and consideration of comments received during the public scoping process. 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 Clinton could be redressed. On Tuesday, April 19, the NRC staff will hold a meeting to obtain comments on the draft EIS at the Vespasian Warner Public Library, located at 310 North Quincy Street in Clinton. The meeting, which will be transcribed, begins at 7:00 p.m. and will conclude by 10:00 p.m. In addition, the NRC staff 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 official comments on the EIS must be made during the meeting. For planning purposes, anyone interested in attending or presenting oral comments at the April 19 meeting is encouraged to pre-register no later than April 13, by contacting Jennifer Davis of the NRC by telephone at (800) 368-5642, extension 3835, or by e-mail at ClintonEIS@nrc.gov [ClintonEIS@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. People requesting special accommodations to attend or present information at the meeting should contact the NRC by April 13 so the requests can be properly reviewed. Written comments on the draft EIS will also be considered by NRC staff. Comments should be submitted either by mail (postmarked by May 25, 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 May 25, 2005) at ClintonEIS@nrc.gov [ClintonEIS@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. They are also available on the NRCs Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp/clinton.html. In addition, the Vespasian Warner Public Library has agreed to make the draft EIS available for public inspection. At the conclusion of the public comment period on May 25, 2005, the NRC staff will consider and address the comments provided, then issue a final EIS on the environmental acceptability of an ESP at Clinton later in 2005. Last revised Tuesday, March 08, 2005 ***************************************************************** 21 NRC: NRC Extends Review Schedule for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal Request News Release - 2005-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 05-045 March 8, 2005 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is extending its review of Constellation Energys application to renew the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plants operating license for an additional 20 years. The agencys action will allow a thorough review of information submitted to the NRC. Constellation submitted the license renewal application May 26, 2004, and NRC staff have been reviewing the application since that time. The staff concluded the review schedule must be extended due to issues with the applications information. Following extended discussions with NRC staff, Constellation, on March 3, requested a grace period of up to 90 days in order to address the issues. Nine Mile Point continues to operate safely; the issues raised by NRC staff relate to how Constellation would maintain the plant if the license is renewed. Since the NRC is committed to public health and safety, we must have complete and up-to-date information on Nine Mile Point before we can reach a decision on whether the operating license can be renewed, said David Matthews, Director of the Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs in the NRCs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. In a March 7 letter responding to the companys request (attached), the NRC has made it clear Constellation must thoroughly re-review the applications supplements and other supporting documents. Any additions or revisions highlighted by that review must be submitted for further NRC review. As long as the total revised application passes the staffs review and audit activities, the NRC will extend the review schedule, taking into account staff resources and other license renewal reviews. Mr. James A. Spina Vice President Nine Mile Point Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC P.O. Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093 SUBJECT: EXTENSION OF STAFF REVIEW SCHEDULE FOR NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2, LICENSE RENEWAL APPLICATION Dear Mr. Spina: We are in receipt of the Nine Mile Point (NMP) letter dated March 3, 2005, wherein NMP addressed the staffs concerns previously communicated to you on various occasions. In addition, the NMP letter requested a grace period not to exceed 90 days to recover the quality of your license renewal project. We acknowledge your commitment to address quality issues, including those we have discussed on the telephone. We have stopped our review in response to your request. However, as a result of this delay, we will not meet the standard 22 month review schedule. As part of your recovery efforts, we request that you perform a thorough review of your license renewal supplements, responses to staffs audit questions, and responses to staffs requests for additional information. Upon receipt of your submittal confirming the completion of your recovery efforts, the staff will resume our review and audits. Assuming a satisfactory submittal and adequate support from your staff for these review and audit activities, we will extend the review schedule, as appropriate, to accommodate the additional time needed to complete the NMP review and in consideration of competing priorities posed by other concurrent license renewal reviews. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact the NRC Project Manager, Tommy Le, at 301-415-1458; or by e-mail at NBL@nrc.gov [NBL@nrc.gov] . Sincerely, Pao-Tsin Kuo, Program Director License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Docket Nos.: 50-220 and 50-410 Last revised Tuesday, March 08, 2005 ***************************************************************** 22 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting March 14 on Possible Combined License Application News Release - 2005-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: [opa@nrc.gov] No. 05-046 March 8, 2005 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with Duke Power and interested stakeholders on March 14 in Rockville, Md., to discuss Dukes possible application for a Combined License (COL) to build a nuclear power plant. The NRC amended its licensing regulations in 1989, creating the COL to provide an alternative to the existing process. When the nations current 104 licensed reactors were built, an applicant had to first obtain a construction permit. Following completion of construction and testing, the applicant then had to obtain an operating license before a plant could start up. A Combined License authorizes both construction and conditional operation of a nuclear power plant. The COL process incorporates inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria into the construction phase to provide information necessary to demonstrate that the reactor could operate safely once construction is complete. The meeting will be held in the Commission Conference Room (O-1F16) of the NRCs One White Flint North Building, 11555 Rockville Pike, from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. The meeting will include discussion of possible COL application strategies and review schedules, as well as how the agency and Duke would interact during the pre-application stage. The meeting agenda is available on the NRCs web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/agenda/2005-012 0.pdf. Members of the public are invited to observe the meeting and discuss the possible COL application with NRC staff after the business portion of the meeting, but before the meeting adjourns. For more information on the meeting, contact Amy Cubbage at 301-415-2875 or via email at [aec@nrc.gov] . Parties interested in participating in the meeting via teleconference must contact Ms. Cubbage by the close of business on March 11. Last revised Tuesday, March 08, 2005 ***************************************************************** 23 NRC: Meeting on Planning and Procedures; Notice of Meeting FR Doc 05-4399 [Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)] [Notices] [Page 11278] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08mr05-139] The Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) will hold a Planning and Procedures meeting on March 15, 2005, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance, with the exception of a portion that may be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(2) and (6) to discuss organizational and personnel matters that relate solely to internal personnel rules and practices of ACNW, and information the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Tuesday, March 15, 2005--8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. The Committee will discuss proposed ACNW activities and related matters. The purpose of this meeting is to gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Richard K. Major (Telephone: (301) 415-7366) between 8 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. (ET) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. (ET). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes in the agenda. Dated: March 2, 2005. Michael R. Snodderly, Acting Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. 05-4399 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 24 [shundahaialerts] Salt Lake City- Rally Against Nuclear & Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:35:26 -0800 Please Join us for a Rally Against Nuclear & Toxic Waste Shipments through the heart of the Wasatch Front. The recent spill of toxic chemicals on our rail lines in Salt Lake City underscores the problems that can occur with transporting nuclear and toxic wastes. We were lucky no one was hurt, but this event should concern us all, especially given the proximity of people who live next to these rail lines. In a way, it's a preview of the nuclear horror film we really don't want to see. What: Rally Against Nuclear & Toxic Waste Shipments When: Wednesday, March 9th from 5:00-5:30 p.m. (please gather at 4:45 so we have a collective mass beginning at 5:00) Where: Jordan Park, NE Corner (900 West and 930 South). Who: HEAL Utah (Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah), Shundahai Network, and residents of the neighborhoods through which these rail lines pass. Please come and bring friends, family and neighbors with you. Why: To draw attention to the real risks and consequences we face as a community if a serious nuclear or toxic waste transportation accident takes place. Over 80% of Utahns live within 5 miles of a major transportation route that will be used to haul high-level nuclear waste to Skull Valley or Yucca Mountain, NV. While the industries that produce these wastes constantly down-play the risks, the consequences are real and directly impact the communities where accidents take place. For more information, please contact John Urgo at john@healutah.org or (801) 355-5055 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHUNDAHAI NETWORK--Dedicated to Breaking the Nuclear Chain Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with all Creation" Shundahai Network PO Box 1115 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 Office: 801.533.0128 Fax: 801.533.0129 mailto:Shundahai@shundahai.org http://www.Shundahai.org ======================================================== It's in our back yard... it's in our front yard. This nuclear contamination is shortening all life. We are going to have to unite as a people and say no more! We, the people, are going to have to put our thoughts together to save our planet here. We only have One Water...One Air...One Mother Earth." Corbin Harney -Newe (Western Shoshone) Spiritual leader, Founder & Chairman of the Board of The Shundahai Network |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< Shundahai Network Action Alerts You have received this e-mail because you either signed up on the Shundahai Network list, or are considered someone who is interested in these types of issues. If you would like to be removed from this list, please send an e-mail to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with the word "Remove" in the subject line. IF you were forwarded this email by a friend and would like to sign up to this list to receive monthly updates please reply to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with "Subscribe Action Alerts" in the subject heading. |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< ***************************************************************** 25 [southnews] Aussie troops risk DU exposure Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 19:34:53 -0600 (CST) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Help save the life of a child. Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's 'Thanks & Giving.' http://us.click.yahoo.com/mGEjbB/5WnJAA/E2hLAA/7gSolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Aussie troops sent to Iraq may come into contact with leftover uranium-based munitions. Australian troops may be exposed to uranium By Luke McIlveen 09-03-2005 Herald Sun THE army is investigating the possibility that 450 Australian troops bound for Iraq could be exposed to toxic materials, including uranium. The troops will be deployed to Al Muthanna province in southern Iraq, an area suspected of being a dumping ground for depleted uranium left by US forces in the Gulf War. An Australian Army reconnaissance team has been in Iraq to investigate the presence of uranium and other safety threats, and is due to report back this week. Defence authorities confirmed they were investigating the uranium threat to the Diggers, who will be sent to Iraq in May to protect Japanese military engineers. "The health and safety of our personnel is the ADF's highest priority," the Department of Defence said in response to written questions from the Herald Sun this week. "The ADF is aware of the issues surrounding the presence of depleted uranium in Iraq. "The ADF currently has a reconnaissance team in Iraq that is examining in detail a range of issues related to the forthcoming deployment. "Following their assessment, the ADF will take the necessary steps to ensure that the deployment will be as safe as possible." Defence Minister Robert Hill told the Senate the army was conducting "surveys" on contaminated areas to reduce the risk to Diggers. Senator Hill said he would take advice on whether Australian troops should be tested for radioactive contamination when they return. Several of the 1400 Dutch troops the Australian contingent is replacing have complained to their union after expended uranium shells were found near their camp. The long-term effects of the shells have been linked to various cancers and the mysterious Gulf War syndrome, which plagued thousands of US marines in the Gulf War when repelling Iraqi troops from Kuwait. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,12489770-2,00.html _____________________________________ Federal row over role of Australian troops in Muthanna, Iraq The World Today - Tuesday, 8 March , 2005 12:10:00 Reporter: Catherine McGrath ELEANOR HALL: But first today to the national capital where the Federal Government has come under question over the role of the new contingent of Australian troops being sent to southern Iraq. The questions from the Labor Party and the Greens have been prompted by comments from a Japanese Commander that contrary to official statements, the Australian troops would not be needed for direct protection of the Japanese in Iraq. The Opposition says this raises questions about exactly what the 450 Australians will be doing and whether they'll have the resources to cope if violence in the region escalates. But the Chief of Australia's Defence Force, General Peter Cosgrove, says there's no confusion about the role of the Australians. He says they won't be the 'bodyguards' for the Japanese, but will be providing a secure environment for them. From Canberra Chief Political Correspondent Catherine McGrath reports. CATHERINE MCGRATH: With Australia's 450 troops preparing for departure for the southern Iraqi province of Methanna, the Japanese commander Kiyohiko Ota has indicated they are not needed for direct protection of the Japanese forces. KIYOHIKO OTA: is not necessary to protect directly our troops by Australian army forces. CATHERINE MCGRATH: And he's expecting a more regional role for them. KIYOHIKO OTA: To keep the good security environment, not direct protection for us. CATHERINE MCGRATH: So what exactly is going on? Australia has said the role of the troops is to protect the Japanese because due to restrictions placed after World War II, they can't protect themselves. And the Prime Minister has ruled out Australian soldiers taking over the entire role played by the Dutch forces in securing that region. But this morning, after the comments form the Japanese commander, Labor's Defence spokesman Robert McClelland said that whatever the full story the Australian soldiers aren't adequately equipped for the role they're about to undertake. ROBERT MCCLELLAND: We think we're guarding the Japanese, the Japanese think they're guarding themselves, but I think the truth is that we're both being guarded by the British, but our concern is that have they got the resources to protect us if things deteriorate? I mean, their helicopters are two hours flight away from where our troops are, so it's all a bit of a mess from our point of view. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Australia has said, the Prime Minister said at the beginning that we wouldn't be guarding the whole region, it doesn't seem to be suggested even from what the Japanese have said that we would be guarding the whole region? ROBERT MCCLELLAND: Yeah, what we're seeing is the start of mission creep, and that happens when the Government hasn't stated what our mission is. And our concern is if this mission creep gets a roll on, that we could be sucked into ever more dangerous duties and the reality is our troops just aren't being equipped for that hot and heavy situation. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Now, if the Australian soldiers are protecting the direct security environment around the Japanese there's 450 of them they probably have the resources for that, don't you think? ROBERT MCCLELLAND: Well I'm not sure that that's the case, I mean they haven't the Dutch had six Apachi helicopters and indeed those helicopters were responsible for repelling at least two attacks from insurgents. We've got helicopters about two hours flight away, our aslavs aren't going to be online, all of them aren't. About 15 are, I understand, remote firing stations those sort of issues. CATHERINE MCGRATH: And Greens Senator Bob Brown said the Australian public needs more details. BOB BROWN: Well, the Japanese commander says that he doesn't need they don't need direct protection of their troops, they can protect themselves at close up quarters and it appears that really the Australian troops are going to be part of the security for the province, doing what the Americans do to the north and the British do further south. This isn't a remote area, this is on the main road from Baghdad to Basra, a major crossing of the Euphrates, it saw a major battle during the war where depleted uranium was left there after the Americans went through and the Dutch are withdrawing because of casualties. Two soldiers were killed due to grenade and other attacks on them. I don't think the Prime Minister's being clear with the Australian people here, and it's not up to the Australian people to fill in the dots. The Prime Minister has given the impression that the Australians were going directly to protect the Japanese troops because they weren't able to fight back. CATHERINE MCGRATH: Defence Minister Robert Hill wasn't available for interview on The World Today, but through a spokesman he said he didn't believe there was any issue over the role of the Australian forces. Chief of the Defence forces General Peter Cosgrove has been sent into bat on the Government's behalf. PETER COSGROVE: Our role will be to offer a secure environment for the Japanese engineers. Now, the Japanese Colonel who spoke I think was spot on in terms of direct protection. He's talking about the bloke on duty at the gate of the Japanese camp and people standing right alongside their bulldozers and what have you when they're out working, they'll be Japanese soldiers. That's what our own people do, but in that environment, close by, wherever you see Japanese engineers, not too far away providing that environment will be Australian service men and women providing that support. CATHERINE MCGRATH: It's an issue the Opposition says they will pursue. ELEANOR HALL: Catherine McGrath in Canberra. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1318405.htm ) 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation The archives of South News can be found at http://southmovement.alphalink.com.au/southnews/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southnews/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: southnews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 26 [du-list] Declassified DU files Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:35:28 -0800 No doubt some folk may already have these, but worth asking for a copy if you haven't, new declassified documents. from AEA Technologies to Royal Ordinance 30 april 1991 (3 pages) The letter is basic, but page 1 & 2 of the enclosed report/recomendations of Atomic Energy Authority who give a "realistic appraisal of the effects of DU on the Kuwaiti population" this is worth reading. I quote from report: This paper is presented by AEA Technology which is the trading name of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. AEA Technology is the UK Governments official adviser on nuclear saftey. The paper gives a realistic appraisal of the effects of Depleted uranium Threat: 4. An accurate figure for the quantity of DU fired is difficult to acquire. A best estimate is that US tanks fired more than 5000 DU round. US aircraft many 10'000s and UK tanks a small number of DU rounds. The tank ammunition alone will amount to greater than 50,000lbs of DU, wich is equivalent to approximately 360 GBsv (typing bad) of radioactivity. This equates to a total dose of 10(7) sv. If the tank inventory of DU was inhaled, the latest international committee of radiological protection risk factor of 5 x 10(2) per Sv calculates 500,000 potential deaths. Obviously this theorectical figure is not realistic, however it does indicate a significant problem. 5. The DU will be spread around the battlefield and target vehicles in varying sizes and quantities from dust particles to full size pentrators and shot. It would be unwise for people to stay close to large quantities of DU for long periods and htis would obviously be of concern to the local population if they colect this heavy metal and keep it. There will be specific areas in which many rounds would of been fired where localised contamination of vehicles and the soil may exceed permissiable limits and these could be hazardous to both clean up teams adn the local population. 6) Inhalation of air borne DU dust particles can lead to unacceptable body burdens adn manufacturers of DU munitions take precautions to ensure that their staff are not exposed to undue risk fo rthis reason. The limit of intake for members of hte publid is less than 2.2 x 10(3) sv in one year and htis could esily be exceeded if speical arrangements are not made. This would equate to a radioactive dose of 1msv per year, the limit that has been proposed by the ICRP. Exceeding the dose puts the public at risk. DU can also be a danger if taken into the body by ingestion or through a cut. Furthermore if DU gets into the food chain or water then will will create potential health problems. 7. A further concern is a political one of leaving significant quantities of uranium around Kuwait. The problem will not go away and should be tackled before it becomes a political problem created by the environmental lobby. it is in both Kuwait and the UK interest that this is not to rea its head in the years to come. Proposal: 8. There is initially a need to identify the size of the problem. It will never be possible to remove all the DU from Kuwait left as a result of the allied forces action, but it should be possible to remove the worst concentrations and minimise the potential health hazard. DU requires sensitive equipment and well trained operators as it is difficult to locals. 9. Therefore we propose that an exercise should be carried out by the AEA technology to ascertain which areas are most contaminated. This would concentrate on the knocked out vehicles and other known hard targets taht are likely to have been engaged with DU ammunition. A radiological survey would ascertain the quantity of DU in such a target. 10. A clean up paln would be produced as a products of the survey to work in conjunction with the other clean up operations. This survey adn the clean up can be carried out by a small and dedicated team from AEA Technology in total confidentiality. Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> In low income neighborhoods, 84% do not own computers. At Network for Good, help bridge the Digital Divide! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EA3HyD/3MnJAA/79vVAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/du-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 27 [toeslist] Who do you believe on DU toxicity? Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 23:23:23 -0600 (CST) Letter from Leuren Moret to Congressman McDermott with Declassified memo to Gen. L.R. Groves 1943 - a blueprint for DU 21feb03 "If you can't clean it up, don't use it." Doug Rokke The Invisible War: Depleted Uranium and the Politics of Radiation 2000 February 21, 2003 The Honorable Jim McDermott, Congressman Washington State 7th Congressional District 1809 7th Avenue Suite 1212 Seattle, WA 98101-1399 (206) 553-7170 (206) 553-7175 FAX RE: Declassified 1943 memo to General L.R. Groves - a blueprint for depleted uranium Dear Congressman McDermott, Mr. Joe Pemberton, a lawyer in Bellingham, Washington, has asked me to provide you with scientific information on the critical and overlooked issues of particle size, penetration of gas masks, and mobility of depleted uranium formed under battleground conditions. It is also powerful scientific information to counter false statements recently made by the White House1 and the DOD2. I am writing this letter out of concern for the military personnel who may now be serving on or near the Gulf War battlefields in Iraq and may be quartered in areas already contaminated by depleted uranium munitions. But they are not my only concern. The Gulf War Veterans who are now suffering severe health consequences have also been exposed to depleted uranium, chemicals and biological materials including vaccines while serving in Iraq and Kuwait. The children and people of Iraq have been the greatest victims from exposure to depleted uranium15 used in the Gulf War and will continue to be. Over time, they cannot escape the chronic, low level exposure to internal radiation from depleted uranium and its decay products (see Attach. 7) as it cycles and recycles through their environment3 in water, air and food products. Depleted uranium dust will continue to be an extreme hazard to soldiers, civilians, populations in countries downwind6,8, and the environment as a radiological contaminant to all living systems for ten half-lives or 45 BILLION years. I am a former Lawrence Berkeley Lab and Lawrence Livermore Lab scientist, and now work with a group of independent scientists called the Radiation and Public Health Project4. Together this group has written ten books on the health effects of low level radiation. Presently I am writing a science report on depleted uranium for the United Nations Human Rights Subcommission, now investigating the illegality and use of depleted uranium munitions. I have written the Foreword (Attach.1) to Discounted Casualties: The Human Cost of Depleted Uranium by Akira Tashiro5. Attached (Attach. 2) is a declassified memo to General L. R. Groves, director of the Manhattan Project, dated October 30, 1943. Major Doug Rokke provided me with this memo. It summarizes a report written by Manhattan Project physicists Drs. James B. Conant, A. H. Compton and H.C. Urey on the dissemination of very fine radioactive material as a method of warfare. It is a "blueprint" for depleted uranium as it has been used in Iraq, Kuwait, Kosovo, Bosnia and Afghanistan during the past decade. The memo details the use of very fine and superfine particles of radioactive materials as a military weapon. Depleted uranium, produces very fine and superfine particles in large amounts as it burns. The 1943 memo outlines what was known in 1943 and below are my comments: - A gas warfare instrument: the memo indirectly referred to fission products from Fermi's nuclear pile or radioactive waste like depleted uranium. The pyrophoric effect of depleted uranium, which spontaneously burns when heated to 170 C (once it is fired) and on impact, effectively forms very large numbers of extremely fine (0.1 micron) and submicroscopic particles as small as 0.001 micron or 10 Engstroms (see Attach. 3 - Chart "Characteristics of Particles and Particle Dispersoids") as described in the memo. Particles in this size range behave like a gas when inhaled, disperse in the lungs to the blood lung barrier where the white blood cells (greater than 7microns in diameter) engulf the tiny particles of depleted uranium and carry them throughout the body. Once these particles have been engulfed by blood cells or lodged in tissues, they may not be detectable in the urine. Contaminated personnel will take the depleted uranium home, deposited in tissues throughout their bodies. There is no known treatment for exposure. - It will permeate a gas mask filter: particles in the 0.1 micron range will penetrate even a HEPA filter (High Efficiency Particulate Airfilter - see Attach. 4 - HEPA chart) in large numbers. The filters in gas masks issued to military personnel are much less efficient than HEPA filters. There are 1 billion particles of 0.1 micron diameter in a cubic meter of normal air. It is clear that a man (without a gas mask) breathing at a normal rate (about 28 cubic meters per day6) and retaining 75% of the very fine particulate matter in the respiratory system6 will inhale very large numbers of very fine particles in a short time period. In a day an average man would normally inhale 28 million particles in the 0.1 micron range through a gas mask with HEPA filters. It would take one billion fine particles to fill the period at the end of this sentence. On the battlefield during live fire, the high concentrations of fine and very fine depleted uranium particles could increase the numbers inhaled in the small particle range by magnitudes. The gas masks issued to military personnel now deployed to the Gulf Region are defective and do not provide even a minimum of protection to personnel. Recently I went on a speaking tour in 3 northeastern states with Major Doug Rokke, January 25-February 1, 2003. In nearly every talk we gave, a National Guardsman or other military person would tell us that their masks fell off when they tilted their heads. Air filters in gas masks also fail as they are wetted by moisture from breathing or are used in the rain. There is no possible protection from exposure to very fine particles of depleted uranium through filtering of air. - As a terrain contaminant: the dispersal of very fine particles of depleted uranium will contaminate the terrain and deny access to either side except at the risk of exposure. That includes civilians and animals who may live there after the battle. The half-life of depleted uranium - 4.5 billion years - leaves the contaminated terrain radioactive forever. Small particles less than 1 micron in diameter do not settle from the air (see Attach. 3 - Chart "Characteristics of Particles and Particle Dispersoids") but become incorporated into atmospheric dust (see Attach. 5 - Chart "Natural Aerosols") and are transported around the earth until they are removed ("rainout") by rain, pollution or snow3. Seasonal climate change, agricultural activities, fires and other natural and man-made disturbances will continue to remobilize particles in the upper dust level contaminating terrains off the battlefield. Weathering of larger particles of depleted uranium deposited on the battlefield7 will contribute to concentrations of depleted uranium fine and superfine particles in the air and upper dust level. Air monitors in Hungary8 and Greece during bombing in Kosovo and Bosnia measured Uranium 238 carried by the wind from the battlefields. Seasonal fluctuations of depleted uranium particles in the air have been reported in Kuwait6. - Water and food contamination: the depleted uranium dust will cycle through the environment both on and off the battlefield contaminating water supplies and food. Food grown in contaminated areas will be transported to markets and contaminate populations and areas far from the battlefields. Wind, water, birds9 and animals who transport the depleted uranium in their droppings, slowly contaminate wider and wider areas. - Internal contamination: inhalation of very fine depleted uranium dust particles is extremely damaging to the respiratory tract and will get into the blood stream where it is carried by blood cells and contaminates tissues throughout the body. These "hot particles"10 will continue to emit alpha and gamma radiation (see Attach. 6 - photo "Hot particle in lung tissue") as they travel throughout the body or where they rest in tissue. After the Uranium 238 nucleus decays, the radioactive daughter product which forms (see Attach. 7) will continue to decay to other isotopes as many as four times. This will increase the level of radioactive exposure by magnitudes. Depleted uranium particles lodged in tissue will decay and continue emitting higher levels of radioactivity from daughter isotopes into the surrounding tissues. SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS: The health effects from exposure to a combination of radiation, chemicals, and biological agents was not addressed in this WW II memo. This is a critical issue on the battlefield and should be considered in studies of Gulf War Illness. The combination of radiation with heavy metals, chemicals and biological toxins accelerate and increase the adverse health effects of exposure. The effects are unknown since very little research exists in this field11. THIS IS AN ISSUE WHICH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN FUTURE CONFLICTS SUCH AS THE PLANNED BOMBING OF IRAQ. MEASUREMENTS OF DU IN TISSUES FROM 71 DEAD RESIDENTS OF BASRA: Dr. Hari Sharma, a radiochemist living in Canada and member of the Radiation and Public Health Project, has measured depleted uranium levels in the tissues of 71 residents of Basra who died after the Gulf War from cancers12. They were in the age range of 35-50 years. He found high concentrations of depleted uranium in tissue samples from these individuals. The levels were about the same throughout the tissues, suggesting that very fine particles were transported in the blood and deposited or lodged throughout the body. WORLD TRADE CENTER AIR STUDIES: Dr. Thomas Cahill, Emeritus Professor of Physics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of California at Davis, conducted an independent study of the air around Ground Zero at the World Trade Center after the 9/11 disaster13. Using very sophisticated monitoring instruments14 which detect very fine and ultra fine particles, Cahill and his group monitored the smoldering pile at the WTC for 5 months following the disaster from one mile north of the center. They measured concentrations of particles in six size ranges from 2.5 microns to 0.09 microns13. They reported the highest concentrations of very fine particles of metals ever reported in the US13, and unprecedented numbers of very fine and super fine particles13. This air monitoring study of the WTC provided new information about very fine and superfine particles which have rarely been studied. Burning metals and other materials at high temperatures generate very large amounts of very small particles. For this reason depleted uranium which has burned is particularly hazardous. The EPA has verified that depleted uranium was in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11 18,19 and that the crash site was contaminated. Residents of New York City detected radiation on hand held geiger counters at the WTC site. The EPA not only failed to protect emergency response personnel at both sites, but did not report or measure13 concentrations of very fine particles at any of the 9/11 plane crash locations. These are the most hazardous to health, and many personnel who worked at the crash sites are now very ill. Dr. Cahill also studied the Kuwaiti oil field fires following the Gulf War. ECRR: RELEASED JANUARY 30, 2003 A new report from the European Parliament has been released "2003 Recommendations of the European Committee on Radiation Risk: Health Effects of Ionising Radiation Exposure at Low Doses for Radiation Protection Purposes" Regulators' Edition: Brussels, 2003 10. The report was written by 46 international scientists and has over 550 references to epidemiological studies which include nuclear site leukemias, Chernobyl infants, minisatellite mutations, weapons fallout cancers, DU Gulf Veterans, and Iraqi children. The report concludes that the International Committee on Radiation Protection (ICRP) determined international standards for risk and dose effects from studies on A-bomb survivors which were based on high dose, external, acute exposures. The ICRP model only considered cancer as a health risk associated with radiation exposure. The ICRP model, using "bathtub" chemistry, "steam engine" physics, and deceptive reporting, produced faulty and fraudulent estimates of risk and dose effects. Additionally, because the ICRP model is based on acute, high dose, external exposure it cannot accurately determine risks or dose response for internal, chronic, isotopic exposures. For this reason, the ICRP and ECRR models are mutually exclusive. This new ECRR report based on epidemiological studies, concludes that the health effects of low level radiation exposure have been underestimated by the ICRP model by 100-1000 times. It also includes other health effects due to radiation exposure from global weapons fallout. In addition to cancer it estimates the number of foetal deaths, infant mortality, and predicts "a 10% loss of life quality integrated over all diseases and conditions in those who were exposed over the period of global weapons fallout". The committee concluded that underestimates of risk and dose effects for depleted uranium exposure could be very great since the effect at the cell level may be very different than other types of radiation exposures. For this reason the health effects of depleted uranium exposure in Gulf Veterans will be investigated in depth by this committee and will be presented in a new report. Internal exposure to depleted uranium is a "novel" exposure to an altered form of natural isotopes. The size, shape, surface texture, density, chemical composition and other physical and chemical factors of the particles greatly affect the health impact and damage to the cells of any biological system from depleted uranium exposure. Particle size may be the most overlooked and one of the most important characteristics of depleted uranium dust formed on the battlefield. After burning, depleted uranium is altered both physically and chemically and estimates of risk to health and dose effects cannot be based on previous studies of naturally occurring uranium. In the Research Report Summaries7 of depleted uranium studies done for the military between 1974 and 1999, they clearly provide information and concerns in these studies about the hazards of depleted uranium both to health, exposure on the battlefield and damage to the environment. This summary is well worth reading as it provides a timeline of the military politicizing decisions on the use of depleted uranium over 25 years. For example, in a 1980 Army report17: This report provides an excellent history of the logic behind the Army's decision to use DU as a kinetic energy, armored-piercing munition. DU's final selection over tungsten was based on several reasons, including the lower initial cost of the penetrator itself and its better overall performance. DU and tungsten were rated even for "producibility". Tungsten had the advantage for safety, environmental concerns, and deployment. RADIATION RESPECTS NO BORDERS Depleted uranium is being used as an effective munition on the battlefield and as a radiological weapon to destroy the genetic future of the Iraqi people15. Before the Gulf War, Iraq was the most developed and advanced country in the Middle East16. Writing, religion, poetry, music and science began in the region which includes Iraq, the Cradle of Civilization. The ability of the Iraqi people has been recognized for millenia. The Iraqi people are more feared than Saddam Hussein by the US. Their talent for creativity, ability to be self-determined, and their natural resources have made them the target of the US Government, US oil companies and the Department of Defense. In November of 1991, Richard Berta, the Western Regional Inspector for the Department of Energy who was based at the Lawrence Livermore Lab where I worked, told me: "The Pentagon exists for the oil companies." The use of depleted uranium by the Department of Defense has created a slow Chernobyl in the Middle East. With my best wishes and hopes that this radiation nightmare will finally come to an end, and with thanks for your efforts to move the issue into the light, Leuren Moret President, Scientists for Indigenous People City of Berkeley Environmental Commissioner Past President, Association for Women Geoscientists 2233 Grant Street Apt. 1 Berkeley, CA 94703 Phone/FAX (510) 845-3139 > REFERENCES: 1.. White House statement on "depleted uranium scare". http://www.whitehouse.gov/ogc/apparatus/index.html 2.. DOD Colonel Bob Cherry - Letter to Editor, February 2003, Olean Times Herald. 3.. Letter from Dr. Ernest Sternglass August 23, 2001, RE: "Radiation and Dust Particles" 4.. Radiation and Public Health Project http://www.radiation.org 5.. Discounted Casualties: The Human Cost of Depleted Uranium by Akira Tashiro, Chugoku Shimbun 2001. http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/abom/uran/index_e.html 6.. "Estimating the Concentration of Uranium in Some Environmental Samples in Kuwait After the 1991 Gulf War" by F. Bou-Rabee, Appl. Radiat. Isol., Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 217-220, 1995. 7.. Research Report Summaries on Depleted Uranium from 1974-1999, conducted at National Laboratories and military labs. http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabl1.htm#TAB%20L_Research%20Report %20Summaries 8.. "Did NATO Attacks in Yugoslavia Cause a Detectable Environmental Effect in Hungary?" by A. Kerekes et. al, Health Physics, Vol. 80 (2), February 2001, pp.177-178. 9.. "Birds Bring Radioactivity Ashore" by Andy Coghlan, New Scientist, January 4, 2003, p.5. 10.. 2003 Recommendations of the European Committee on Radiation Risk: Health Effects of Ionising Radiation Exposure at Low Doses for Radiation Protection Purposes Regulators' Edition: Brussels, 2003. http://www.euradcom.org 11.. The Petkau Effect - The Devastating Effect of Nuclear Radiation on Human Health and the Environment by R. Graeub, 2nd Edition, Four Walls Eight Windows, New York (1994). 12.. Personal communication: email March 28, 2002. 13.. "N.Y. air hazards found: EPA assurances contradicted by UCD scientists" by E. Lau and C. Bowman, Sacramento Bee February 12, 2002. SacramentoBee-2-12-02-NYairHazardsFound-EPAassurancesContradictedByUCdavisS cientists.pdf [PDF file] 14.. Detection and Evaluation of Long-Range Transport of Aerosols (DELTA) Group http://delta.ucdavis.edu/ 15.. A Different Nuclear War: Children of the Gulf War by Takashi Morizumi http://www.savewarchildren.org 16.. Children of Iraq: The Dream of the Future UNICEF, printed by Express International - Lebanon (1988). 17.. Richard P. Davitt "A Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Depleted Uranium and Tungsten Alloy as Penetrator Materials", Tank Ammo Section Report No. 107, Dover, NJ: US Army Armament Research and Development Command, June 1980. http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/du_ii/du_ii_tabl1.htm#TAB%20L_Research%20Report %20Summaries 18.. "Depleted uranium: devastation at home and abroad" by Leuren Moret, San Francisco Bay View, November 7, 2001. http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/02.01/020117moret.htm 19.. "Tvdliches Uran-Recycling" by Geseko von L|pke, NATUR January 2002. http://warp6.dva.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=112520 ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: "Forword" by Leuren Moret to Discounted Casualties: The Human Cost of Depleted Uranium by Akira Tashiro, Chugoku Shimbun (2001). Attachment 2: Declassified memo to General L.R. Groves, Director of the Manhattan Project, October 30, 1943. Source - US Army Major Doug Rokke Attachment 3: TABLE: "Characteristics of Particles and Particle Dispersoids" from the HANDBOOK OF CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 53rd Edition. This chart provides the particle range which is very wide for metallurgical dusts and fumes, a range from 100 microns to 0.001 microns (10 Angstroms). Particles smaller than 0.1 microns will coagulate and form larger particles, but the greatest number or population of particles will be in the 0.1 micron range (see Chart "Natural Aerosols"). This particle range is smaller than blood cells, bacteria, pollens, spores and other typical air contaminants. Very fine particles are extremely hazardous to health because they are carried by the blood throughout the body. The rate of radiation exposure from one very small particle can be more than is allowed for a whole body exposure in one year (see photo "Hot particle in lung tissue"). Attachment 4: CHART: "Penetration of a HEPA filter as a function of particle size" from 18TH DOE NUCLEAR AIRBORNE WASTE MANAGEMENT AND AIR CLEANING CONFERENCE, Baltimore 1984. Experimental penetration of particles through a HEPA filter - determination that approximately 0.1% in the 0.1 micron particle range will pass through the filter. If there are 100,000 particles 0.1 micron in diameter per cubic centimeter of air, then 120 per cubic centimeter of air will pass through a HEPA filter. In one day an average man will inhale 28 million particles in the 0.1 micron range through a HEPA filter. Attachment 5: CHART: "Natural Aerosols" from ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 7th Edition (1992), McGraw Hill. This chart provides the average size distribution for natural aerosols in atmospheric dusts. The largest population or number of particles in an aerosol dust is in the 0.1-0.01 micron range. Depleted uranium particles in this size range will be incorporated in atmospheric dusts and will travel indefinitely, transported by winds. Attachment 6: PHOTO: "Hot" or radioactive particle in lung tissue" photo by Del Tredici, Burdens of Proof by Tim Connor, Energy Research Foundation (1997). This is a photo of a "hot particle", in this case a 1 micron particle of plutonium, and shows the alpha tracks emitted from that particle in one year. Attachment 7: Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia 5th Edition (1976) Decay paths for natural uranium - Table 1 The Uranium Series, and Table 3 The Actinium Series. The decay paths for uranium are very complex but decay through a number of steps before they become stable and are no longer radioactive. Each of these steps produces a radioactive daughter product which will be more radioactive than the original uranium atom. To send us your comments, questions, and suggestions click here The home page of this website is www.mindfully.org Please see our Fair Use Notice ***************************************************************** 28 Deseret News: Nation called lax on threat of terror [deseretnews.com] Tuesday, March 8, 2005 By Jesse Hyde Deseret Morning News PROVO — Before the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Stephen Flynn often felt like a teetotaler at a New Year's Eve party. Stephen Flynn, author of "America the Vulnerable," tells crowd at BYU that the nation is not doing enough to protect critical infrastructure. Stuart Johnson, Deseret Morning News When he warned lawmakers that America was vulnerable to a terrorist attack, no one wanted to listen. Now Flynn's perspective on making America safer is in demand. The former chairman of the National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations shared his message at Brigham Young University recently. He has previously appeared on "60 Minutes," "Today" and National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." Flynn, the author of "America the Vulnerable" and a retired commander in the U.S. Coast Guard, says the United States is not taking the appropriate steps to stamp out the terror threat. "Our enemies have adapted. They realize they can't take us on head on. So they've figured out ways they can attack us," he said. Flynn contends that the U.S. military is designed to take and occupy territories, not fight a faceless enemy. And while Flynn acknowledges that promoting democracy in the Middle East is a piece of the puzzle, he says too much money is being spent on the war in Iraq and not enough is going toward protecting the homeland from terrorist attacks. Most vulnerable, Flynn says, are the computer networks that control electrical-power grids, train networks and the banking and financial markets. If a computer virus or worm were to corrupt these systems, our economy would come to a grinding halt, he said. "They have found weaknesses where they can attack," Flynn said. "That weakness is that we are dependent on global networks for our economy to thrive, and our military might is dependent on that." A host of countries, including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, are developing information-warfare capabilities, and the United States is doing little to protect its cyberspace, according to recent Pentagon and U.S. Department of Defense reports. In a recent article in Atlantic Monthly, former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke painted a scenario in which terrorists infiltrated U.S. computer networks, infecting them with viruses that caused networks to crash. He said freight trains would stop, nuclear-power plants would shut down, the stock market and commodities markets could close. Even hospitals would experience impacts. To prevent such an attack, Flynn says private companies and the U.S. government should work together to secure computer networks. Because such a task would be complicated and require great effort, Flynn says many of his critics brush it off as too difficult and expensive. His response? "Democratizing the Middle East, that's an easy one, and cheap, too," he said. He said the U.S. budget to protect critical infrastructure from terrorism is $600 million. "We spend that every three days in Iraq," he said. Flynn criticized what he called Bush's "bumper-sticker mentality" that we "take the fight to the terrorists" because the "best defense is a good offense." The problem with this philosophy, Flynn said, is that the United States lacks credible intelligence to tell the military where terrorists are and what they are planning. For example, the terrorists responsible for the March 11 Madrid train bombing were unknown until they attacked. He said there are now 18 imitator organizations of al-Qaida in 30 countries. The United States has 1,500 spies in the world, he said, and few that are trained for work in terrorism. Training such a spy takes six years, he said, and he estimates it will be another 10 to 15 years before we have good intelligence on terror cells. In the meantime, we should foster relationships with other countries so we can use their spies for information. Flynn said we haven't suffered a terrorist attack since Sept. 11, 2001, not because we are winning the war on terror, but because each attack exposes terror cells, and terrorists are selective about when and how they will attack. "They want the most bang for their buck," he said. E-mail: jhdye@desnews.com [jhdye@desnews.com] © 2005 Deseret News Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 29 Xinhua: Sweden grants Russia 6 million dollars for nuclear safety cooperation www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2005-03-09 01:58:55 ĄĄSTOCKHOLM, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The Swedish government has decided to grant nearly six million US dollars during 2005 for nuclear safety cooperation with Russia, Radio Sweden reported on Tuesday. The money will be transferred to Russia through the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate and the Swedish Radiation Protection Institute. The cooperation covers four main areas: reactor safety, waste management, radiation protection and preparedness. Among the projects that will receive financing are a number of security enhancement initiatives at two Russian nuclear power plants. The support also includes a preliminary study for managingradioactive waste, initiatives to facilitate monitoring and control of radioactive discharges and Nordic coordination with Russian authorities in issues of preparedness. Much of the work will take place in consultation with the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Enditem Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 30 Japan Times: Weak link in nuclear safety Wednesday, March 9, 2005 EDITORIAL The government's nuclear energy report for 2004 is a dismal reminder that public confidence in nuclear safety remains low. The report, prepared by the Atomic Energy Commission, follows the accident last August in which five workers died because of exposure to bursts of superheated steam from a ruptured tube at Kansai Electric Power Co.'s nuclear plant in Mihama, Fukui Prefecture. The white paper, titled "Toward Securing Understanding and Trust at Home and Abroad," stresses the obvious: Accurate analyses of the causes of accidents, explanations of safety measures and risks, and repeated dialogues with residents are essential to the resumption or promotion of nuclear-energy activities. The title is a veiled admission that confidence-building efforts have not made much progress. Public trust in the nation's nuclear power program has been badly shaken not only by the Mihama accident but also by a number of earlier accidents, including a coolant leakage at the "Monju" prototype fast-breeder reactor in 1995 and an accidental critical-mass reaction at a uranium processing plant in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture, in 1999. Unless the cycle of mistrust surrounding the nation's nuclear energy program is broken once and for all, it will be impossible to secure the public's understanding and trust. Yet the government and the nuclear power industry appear determined to continue a controversial nuclear-fuel recycling program that is designed to reprocess spent fuel from nuclear plants and use plutonium extracted from it as fuel. As things now stand, prospects for the program are uncertain at best. The Japanese public is growing skeptical about the necessity of recycling spent fuel -- a trend that was already evident when the previous report was published 14 months ago. Perhaps it is time to start reviewing the merits and disadvantages of the program on a long-term basis. The reprocessing of waste fuel, a highly expensive operation, is bound to increase the overall cost of nuclear power generation. With threats of large-scale terrorism spreading around the globe, there is also an urgent need to safeguard nuclear materials at reprocessing and other facilities. What's more, the operation of Monju -- the model for plutonium-burning reactors that would form the core of the fuel cycle -- has been suspended since the 1995 accident. The next step toward commercial operation -- the startup of a demonstration reactor -- appears to be a long way off. The alternative "pluthermal" program, designed to burn plutonium in existing light-water reactors, is also far behind schedule, due largely to the fabrication of test data on MOX (mixed oxides) -- uranium-plutonium fuel for pluthermal use -- and the concealment of technical defects by Tokyo Electric Power Co. The 2004 report says the nuclear power program is showing "new signs of movement," and refers to the scheduled startup of the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho-mura, Aomori Prefecture, in July 2006 and the decision by Kyushu and Shikoku Electric Power companies to introduce the pluthermal program. Optimism, however, is not warranted. It seems that the nuclear power industry has yet to fully learn the lessons from past accidents. Consider the Mihama accident, the worst nuclear tragedy in terms of fatalities that the nation has experienced. Basically it was caused by human errors -- particularly a failure by inspectors to detect corrosion in a pipe that conveyed extremely hot water. The corroded part ruptured under pressure, spewing tons of deadly steam. According to the latest investigation, the corrosion occurred in a protruding part of the inside surface that was designed to adjust the flow of water. This particular part had been known to be more vulnerable to corrosion than other parts, yet it had been left unchecked for years. It also has been revealed that the maintenance contractor that discovered the omission proposed that Kansai Electric inspect the spot regularly, but that the power company postponed action because it did not immediately recognize the urgency. The investigation has revealed other disturbing episodes. For example, inspectors were aware of similar corrosion in other reactor systems years before the Mihama accident occurred, and some of those responsible were not adequately informed about uninspected spots. All this and more suggests that something is fundamentally wrong with the maintenance and inspection system. A closer investigation focusing on the human factor is in order. The Japan Times: March 9, 2005 ***************************************************************** 31 AP: Appeals court upholds decision to dismiss lawsuit filed by uranium plant workers Associated Press Tuesday, March 08, 2005 PADUCAH, Ky. -- An appeals court on Tuesday upheld a federal judge's decision to dismiss a lawsuit seeking more than $10 billion for Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant workers who say they suffered emotional distress and potential medical expenses because of exposure to radioactive materials and chemical contamination. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati was asked to review the ruling of U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley in Paducah. McKinley concluded that plant operators were covered under the Price-Anderson Act, approved by Congress in 1957, that limits the liability of private operators of nuclear facilities "in the event of a nuclear incident." The suit, filed in U.S. District Court on Sept. 3, 1999, sought damages for as many as 10,000 people who have worked at the plant since it opened 50 years ago. Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 32 canada.com: Beryllium disease re-emerging worldwide, expert tells Montreal conference Peter Rakobowchuk Canadian Press Tuesday, March 08, 2005 MONTREAL (CP) - A top American health expert says more workers are becoming sick from exposure to dust from beryllium, an element contained in several metals. "We are at the tip of an iceberg of an epidemic of beryllium disease," Dr. Lee Newman said in an interview at a conference Tuesday. The lung specialist at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colo., said recognition of the disease has come fairly late to the medical community and to industry. "Many of my medical colleagues believed the disease was a dinosaur . . and the potential warning signs were not recognized back in the 1950s, '60s and '70s." But Newman said cases are emerging in countries like Britain, Sweden, France and Israel. "We are just learning the number of different types of industries, the numbers of types of workers as well as the number of countries in which beryllium disease is occurring." Newman made his comments at an international conference being held to discuss the latest research on beryllium. The conference has brought together more than 250 researchers, public health specialists and industry representatives from 12 countries. Newman said workers in the computer, telecommunications and aerospace industries who grind alloys like copper and aluminum are being exposed to the disease. "If there's dust created in the process of polishing or grinding those alloys, that dust contains beryllium which has been proven to create disease," he added. But Newman stressed that only a minority of the workers who get the incurable lung disease will die from it. "Most of our patients can be diagnosed and treated with medicines that slow down the illness and allow them to lead a fairly normal life." Outside the downtown hotel where the conference was taking place, about a dozen Quebec workers who suffer from beryllium disease staged a small demonstration. They were upset because they were not granted free access to learn about the latest research and any new treatments that may be available. Spokesman Ghislain Marin complained that as victims of the disease they were not even consulted. Some of the workers were employed by Noranda Inc. at its operations in Rouyn-Noranda and at the Gaspe Smelter in Murdochville which was closed in 2002. But Newman said he was impressed with what's been done in Quebec since the first case was diagnosed. "Quebec has moved faster in six years than the United States has moved in 30," he added. © The Canadian Press 2005 ***************************************************************** 33 AZ Republic: Traces of toxic dust found at high school [azcentral.com] Associated Press Mar. 8, 2005 06:35 AM TUCSON - Officials are retesting surface dust at Sunnyside High School's auditorium after traces of the toxic metal beryllium were found at a level higher than in other schools. Sunnyside Unified School District officials said they know of no immediate health hazard posed by the minute amount of dust. Officials at Brush Ceramic Products have insisted for years that although some workers in its beryllium plant developed lung disease, people who live, work or attend school near the plant are not at risk. The district has been monitoring for airborne beryllium at least once every five days outside some schools since November 2002 with no violations detected. In December and January, the district began sampling inside buildings by wiping surfaces. Copyright © 2005, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 34 [shundahaialerts] Chemical Railroad Spill in Salt Lake, Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:34:52 -0800 Dear friends, Last night, thousands of gallons of toxic acids spilled from a railroad car in Salt Lake City, UT. This incident resulted in approximately 8,000 evacuations, emergency response snafus, and other community disruptions, Unfortunately, it also gives us another grim reminder of what could happen in the event of an even more catastrophic accident involving the release of other hazardous material- for example, high-level nuclear waste… The following report of this incident, published today in the Salt Lake Tribune, raises questions of community preparedness, emergency response capacity, and other critical issues related to hazardous materials transportation. Specifically, this incident, and the events surrounding it, gives particular urgency to the Private Fuel Storage, high-level nuclear waste project proposed for the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation, in Utah. If this project goes through, it could bring thousands of potentially deadly shipments of radioactive waste through 43 states, 109 cities with populations of over 100,000, thousands of small rural communities, over the land’s rivers and other water-ways, and through America’s agricultural bread basket as they make their way across the country to Skull Valley. Over one-third of the U.S. population lives near these highway routes. For cities like Salt Lake City the danger is even greater, as all of these shipments would pass close to schools, businesses and homes- with hundreds of thousands of residents exposed to a potential radioactive disaster. Our communities are already sensitized to the risks posed by this proposed shipping campaign. Last night's chemical spill serves as another urgent reminder of our need to continue working together to protect our communities and serve environmental justice. We must continue resisting this dump in favor of more progressive energy, waste management, and economic development solutions. For information on solution ideas which inspire hope, please check out the following web pages- www.honorearth.org- Honor the Earth works with Native American communities engaged in progressive, sustainable, economic and energy development projects. www.ieer.org- Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, provides accessible information on radiation exposure. It also offers ideas for on-site containment of high-level radioactive waste, and for preventing the need to ship America’s High-level nuclear waste to the Great Basin. www.citizen.org Public Citizen’s critical mass energy program, also offers progressive analysis and alternatives to these high-level radioactive waste shipping campaigns. www.nirs.org Nuclear Information Resource Service provides fact sheets and analysis on domestic and international efforts to develop progressive, environmentally just alternatives to nuclear power and short-sighted waste management options. Please read the following report and feel free to contact our office for any reason. In peace, Pete Litster Executive Director Shundahai Network ----------------------------------------------------------------- Toxic spill fuels scare I-15 shut down: Traffic on the Wasatch Front's main artery remained closed late Sunday night By Jason Bergreen, Justin Hill, Michael Westley and Matthew D. LaPlante The Salt Lake Tribune A railroad tanker car leaking a cocktail of chemicals sent a plume of orange fumes above South Salt Lake City Sunday morning, causing the evacuation as many as 6,000 residents and closing major highways and side roads. Workers found acid bubbling from three holes in the tanker around 5:30 a.m. in the Roper Train Yard at 2274 S. 600 West, setting off the all-day drama that at times had emergency officials helplessly watching as thousands of gallons of acid seeped into the ground. By late Sunday night - after hours of confusion, miscommunication and finger-pointing - residents were allowed to return home around 10 p.m. At the same time officials said they hoped the closed roads and Interstate 15 would be reopened within hours. Special equipment was brought in from Las Vegas around 10 p.m. to pierce the tanker and drain the liquid into other containers - a race as the chemicals ate away at the railroad car and threatened to turn the leak into a flood. More than 100 emergency crews from as far away as Tooele responded to the chemical spill, which they were initially told was composed of sulfuric, nitric, hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. The chemicals are dangerous on a number of levels - any one of them could burn the skin on contact, and if inhaled could damage the lungs, esophagus, cause difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting. Late in the operation authorities were surprised to learn the mixture may have been different than originally reported and may have included phosphoric, vinegar, ammonia. "We're still concerned that is not what is on board," South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote said. Fire officials said the rail car's manifest indicated it was carrying sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids to Ohio. But nothing other than sulfuric acid should have been in the tanker, according to the car's owner, Kennecott Utah Copper. "Our contract is specific: That it is to be for sulfuric acid transport - that's what the car is designed for," said Kennecott spokesman Louie Cononelos. "Undeniably, there is something in there that is not compatible with the design and specifications of how that car is supposed to be used," Kennecott has a rail fleet of about 800 cars - about 100 of which are normally leased or subleased to other companies at any given time, Cononelos said. Cononelos said a Fernley, Nev.-based agent from Philip Services Corp. subleased three cars owned by Kennecott in mid-February. The two other tanker cars leased by Philip Services Corp. were stopped in Ohio after the leak in South Salt Lake. Kay Phillips, night duty officer for the Ohio Management Agency, said that as of late Sunday, there had been no reports of a chemical spill in the Buckeye State. Among other services, the Houston-based Philip moves industrial waste and toxic chemicals throughout the United States. In doing so, the company's Web site pledges to protect "public health, safety, and the environment in the communities in which we operate." In 2000 the company - which also specializes in cleaning chemical spills - was fined by the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to report an accidental discharge of approximately 641 pounds of nitrogen dioxide gas, which injured Advertisement several workers in Tacoma, Wash. In 2002, the EPA and Washington Department of Ecology levied more than $1 million in fines against the company "for repeatedly mismanaging dangerous wastes." Philip subsequently agreed to close a hazardous waste facility in Georgetown, Wash., that had spilled thousands of pounds of chemicals into a local watershed and was blamed for making residents sick. Among the EPA's findings in the 2002 case: Incompatible wastes were stored too close together, increasing the possibility of a chemical reaction and waste materials were improperly stored in areas not allowed under the company's permit. Philip officials could not be reached for comment Sunday night. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. visited the spill sight around 8 p.m. Sunday to thank the crews and check on cooperation. He said he was troubled by the confusion. "We're going to follow up and make sure we don't have that miscommunication again," he said. Early on, authorities closed 600 West from 2100 South to 2700 South; northbound Interstate 15 from 4500 South to 2100 South, the westbound Interstate 80 off ramp to southbound I-15, and the southbound collector on I-15 up to westbound I-80 also were closed. By late afternoon, residents and business people between 600 West and West Temple and 2300 and 2700 South were told to leave the area, said South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote. Residents and businesses between 2700 and 3300 South to West Temple could stay, but were told to stay inside and turn off their ventilation units to help avoid contamination. The evacuation was ordered after authorities called off a plan to send a hazardous material specialist to siphon off the chemicals using a hose. That plan was scrapped when heat inside the car caused by the chemicals mixing with the carbon steel car began formed white, softball-size bubbles around the cars seam. Authorities worried the chemicals were corroding the car to quickly and could dump the 10,000 gallons of acid into the yard. A spill that large could cause potential contamination to ground water, authorities said. At that point, the plan was to wait for the tanker to spill its contents and mop up the site. With the new equipment from Nevada diffusing the situation, officials expected to work through the night excavating the contaminated dirt, about 60 feet by 100 yards. The FBI investigated the scene and determined the leak wasn't linked to any type of terrorist or criminal activity. Authorities ruled out the possibility that the three holes were bullet holes. Foote later said the leak appeared to be a failure of the tank caused by acid that got between the inner tanks rubber lining and the tank itself, which is seven-sixteenths of an inch thick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHUNDAHAI NETWORK--Dedicated to Breaking the Nuclear Chain Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with all Creation" Shundahai Network PO Box 1115 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 Office: 801.533.0128 Fax: 801.533.0129 mailto:Shundahai@shundahai.org http://www.Shundahai.org ======================================================== It's in our back yard... it's in our front yard. This nuclear contamination is shortening all life. We are going to have to unite as a people and say no more! We, the people, are going to have to put our thoughts together to save our planet here. We only have One Water...One Air...One Mother Earth." Corbin Harney -Newe (Western Shoshone) Spiritual leader, Founder & Chairman of the Board of The Shundahai Network |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< Shundahai Network Action Alerts You have received this e-mail because you either signed up on the Shundahai Network list, or are considered someone who is interested in these types of issues. If you would like to be removed from this list, please send an e-mail to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with the word "Remove" in the subject line. IF you were forwarded this email by a friend and would like to sign up to this list to receive monthly updates please reply to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with "Subscribe Action Alerts" in the subject heading. |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< ***************************************************************** 35 What If This Was Nuke Waste?:Chemical Railroad Spill in Salt Lake, Thousands evacuated Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 04:12:22 -0500 ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Tuesday, March 08, 2005 12:06 AM Subject: [shundahaialerts] Chemical Railroad Spill in Salt Lake, Thousands evacuated Dear friends, Last night, thousands of gallons of toxic acids spilled from a railroad car in Salt Lake City, UT. This incident resulted in approximately 8,000 evacuations, emergency response snafus, and other community disruptions, Unfortunately, it also gives us another grim reminder of what could happen in the event of an even more catastrophic accident involving the release of other hazardous material- for example, high-level nuclear waste. The following report of this incident, published today in the Salt Lake Tribune, raises questions of community preparedness, emergency response capacity, and other critical issues related to hazardous materials transportation. Specifically, this incident, and the events surrounding it, gives particular urgency to the Private Fuel Storage, high-level nuclear waste project proposed for the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation, in Utah. If this project goes through, it could bring thousands of potentially deadly shipments of radioactive waste through 43 states, 109 cities with populations of over 100,000, thousands of small rural communities, over the land's rivers and other water-ways, and through America's agricultural bread basket as they make their way across the country to Skull Valley. Over one-third of the U.S. population lives near these highway routes. For cities like Salt Lake City the danger is even greater, as all of these shipments would pass close to schools, businesses and homes- with hundreds of thousands of residents exposed to a potential radioactive disaster. Our communities are already sensitized to the risks posed by this proposed shipping campaign. Last night's chemical spill serves as another urgent reminder of our need to continue working together to protect our communities and serve environmental justice. We must continue resisting this dump in favor of more progressive energy, waste management, and economic development solutions. For information on solution ideas which inspire hope, please check out the following web pages- www.honorearth.org- Honor the Earth works with Native American communities engaged in progressive, sustainable, economic and energy development projects. www.ieer.org- Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, provides accessible information on radiation exposure. It also offers ideas for on-site containment of high-level radioactive waste, and for preventing the need to ship America's High-level nuclear waste to the Great Basin. www.citizen.org Public Citizen's critical mass energy program, also offers progressive analysis and alternatives to these high-level radioactive waste shipping campaigns. www.nirs.org Nuclear Information Resource Service provides fact sheets and analysis on domestic and international efforts to develop progressive, environmentally just alternatives to nuclear power and short-sighted waste management options. Please read the following report and feel free to contact our office for any reason. In peace, Pete Litster Executive Director Shundahai Network -------------------------------------------------- --------------- Toxic spill fuels scare I-15 shut down: Traffic on the Wasatch Front's main artery remained closed late Sunday night By Jason Bergreen, Justin Hill, Michael Westley and Matthew D. LaPlante The Salt Lake Tribune A railroad tanker car leaking a cocktail of chemicals sent a plume of orange fumes above South Salt Lake City Sunday morning, causing the evacuation as many as 6,000 residents and closing major highways and side roads. Workers found acid bubbling from three holes in the tanker around 5:30 a.m. in the Roper Train Yard at 2274 S. 600 West, setting off the all-day drama that at times had emergency officials helplessly watching as thousands of gallons of acid seeped into the ground. By late Sunday night - after hours of confusion, miscommunication and finger-pointing - residents were allowed to return home around 10 p.m. At the same time officials said they hoped the closed roads and Interstate 15 would be reopened within hours. Special equipment was brought in from Las Vegas around 10 p.m. to pierce the tanker and drain the liquid into other containers - a race as the chemicals ate away at the railroad car and threatened to turn the leak into a flood. More than 100 emergency crews from as far away as Tooele responded to the chemical spill, which they were initially told was composed of sulfuric, nitric, hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. The chemicals are dangerous on a number of levels - any one of them could burn the skin on contact, and if inhaled could damage the lungs, esophagus, cause difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting. Late in the operation authorities were surprised to learn the mixture may have been different than originally reported and may have included phosphoric, vinegar, ammonia. "We're still concerned that is not what is on board," South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote said. Fire officials said the rail car's manifest indicated it was carrying sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids to Ohio. But nothing other than sulfuric acid should have been in the tanker, according to the car's owner, Kennecott Utah Copper. "Our contract is specific: That it is to be for sulfuric acid transport - that's what the car is designed for," said Kennecott spokesman Louie Cononelos. "Undeniably, there is something in there that is not compatible with the design and specifications of how that car is supposed to be used," Kennecott has a rail fleet of about 800 cars - about 100 of which are normally leased or subleased to other companies at any given time, Cononelos said. Cononelos said a Fernley, Nev.-based agent from Philip Services Corp. subleased three cars owned by Kennecott in mid-February. The two other tanker cars leased by Philip Services Corp. were stopped in Ohio after the leak in South Salt Lake. Kay Phillips, night duty officer for the Ohio Management Agency, said that as of late Sunday, there had been no reports of a chemical spill in the Buckeye State. Among other services, the Houston-based Philip moves industrial waste and toxic chemicals throughout the United States. In doing so, the company's Web site pledges to protect "public health, safety, and the environment in the communities in which we operate." In 2000 the company - which also specializes in cleaning chemical spills - was fined by the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to report an accidental discharge of approximately 641 pounds of nitrogen dioxide gas, which injured Advertisement several workers in Tacoma, Wash. In 2002, the EPA and Washington Department of Ecology levied more than $1 million in fines against the company "for repeatedly mismanaging dangerous wastes." Philip subsequently agreed to close a hazardous waste facility in Georgetown, Wash., that had spilled thousands of pounds of chemicals into a local watershed and was blamed for making residents sick. Among the EPA's findings in the 2002 case: Incompatible wastes were stored too close together, increasing the possibility of a chemical reaction and waste materials were improperly stored in areas not allowed under the company's permit. Philip officials could not be reached for comment Sunday night. Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. visited the spill sight around 8 p.m. Sunday to thank the crews and check on cooperation. He said he was troubled by the confusion. "We're going to follow up and make sure we don't have that miscommunication again," he said. Early on, authorities closed 600 West from 2100 South to 2700 South; northbound Interstate 15 from 4500 South to 2100 South, the westbound Interstate 80 off ramp to southbound I-15, and the southbound collector on I-15 up to westbound I-80 also were closed. By late afternoon, residents and business people between 600 West and West Temple and 2300 and 2700 South were told to leave the area, said South Salt Lake Fire Chief Steve Foote. Residents and businesses between 2700 and 3300 South to West Temple could stay, but were told to stay inside and turn off their ventilation units to help avoid contamination. The evacuation was ordered after authorities called off a plan to send a hazardous material specialist to siphon off the chemicals using a hose. That plan was scrapped when heat inside the car caused by the chemicals mixing with the carbon steel car began formed white, softball-size bubbles around the cars seam. Authorities worried the chemicals were corroding the car to quickly and could dump the 10,000 gallons of acid into the yard. A spill that large could cause potential contamination to ground water, authorities said. At that point, the plan was to wait for the tanker to spill its contents and mop up the site. With the new equipment from Nevada diffusing the situation, officials expected to work through the night excavating the contaminated dirt, about 60 feet by 100 yards. The FBI investigated the scene and determined the leak wasn't linked to any type of terrorist or criminal activity. Authorities ruled out the possibility that the three holes were bullet holes. Foote later said the leak appeared to be a failure of the tank caused by acid that got between the inner tanks rubber lining and the tank itself, which is seven-sixteenths of an inch thick. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SHUNDAHAI NETWORK--Dedicated to Breaking the Nuclear Chain Shundahai is a Newe (Western Shoshone) word meaning "Peace and Harmony with all Creation" Shundahai Network PO Box 1115 Salt Lake City, UT 84110 Office: 801.533.0128 Fax: 801.533.0129 mailto:Shundahai@shundahai.org http://www.Shundahai.org ================================================== ====== It's in our back yard... it's in our front yard. This nuclear contamination is shortening all life. We are going to have to unite as a people and say no more! We, the people, are going to have to put our thoughts together to save our planet here. We only have One Water...One Air...One Mother Earth." Corbin Harney -Newe (Western Shoshone) Spiritual leader, Founder & Chairman of the Board of The Shundahai Network |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< Shundahai Network Action Alerts You have received this e-mail because you either signed up on the Shundahai Network list, or are considered someone who is interested in these types of issues. If you would like to be removed from this list, please send an e-mail to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with the word "Remove" in the subject line. IF you were forwarded this email by a friend and would like to sign up to this list to receive monthly updates please reply to nationaloutreach@shundahai.org with "Subscribe Action Alerts" in the subject heading. |<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|<>|< ***************************************************************** 36 NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding of FR Doc 05-4401 [Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)] [Notices] [Page 11277-11278] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08mr05-138] No Significant Impact for License Amendment for Molycorp, Inc.'s Facility in Washington, PA AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of availability. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom McLaughlin, Project Manager, Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001; Telephone: (301) 415-5869; fax number: (301) 415-5398; e-mail: tgm@nrc.gov [tgm@nrc.gov] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The NRC is considering issuance of a license amendment to Molycorp, Inc. (Molycorp or licensee) for Materials License No. SMB-1393, to authorize an alternate decommissioning schedule for its facility in Washington, Pennsylvania. NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this action in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51. Based on the EA, the NRC has concluded that a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is appropriate. The amendment will be issued following the publication of this Notice. II. EA Summary The purpose of this proposed action is to allow the licensee to decommission its facility in a phased approach which will take longer than the two year period identified in the approved decommissioning plan (DP). 97Following an extensive supplemental characterization study, Molycorp found that there is a large volume of contaminated material in the subsurface. Molycorp will excavate the contaminated soils and transport them off-site to an NRC approved facility. Molycorp's proposed alternate decommissioning schedule shows that all decommissioning activities will be completed by the end of 2007. Molycorp's request is contained in a letter to NRC dated October 22, 2004. An earlier, and more extensive, Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared for License Amendment No. 5, in support of the NRC staff evaluation of Molycorp's final DP. The NRC staff determined that all steps in the proposed decommissioning could be accomplished in compliance with the NRC public and occupational dose limits, effluent release limits, and residual radioactive material limits. In addition, the staff concluded that approval of the decommissioning of the Molycorp Washington, PA, facility in accordance with the commitments in NRC license SMB-1393 and the final DP would not result in a significant adverse impact on the environment. The proposed action does not change the impacts analyzed in detail in the EA prepared for License Amendment No. 5. If the NRC approves the license amendment, the authorization will be documented in an amendment to NRC License No. SMB-1393. However, before approving the proposed amendment, the NRC will need to make the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and NRC's regulations. These findings will be documented in a Safety Evaluation Report in addition to the EA. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has prepared the EA (summarized above) in support of Molycorp's proposed alternate decommissioning schedule. The NRC staff has concluded that there will be no adverse environmental impacts associated with granting Molycorp an alternate decommissioning schedule. The impacts associated with this proposed action do not differ significantly from the impacts evaluated in the EA for approval of the DP in License Amendment No. 5. On the basis of the EA, the NRC has concluded that the environmental impacts from the action are expected to be insignificant and has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the action. [[Page 11278]] IV. Further Information Documents related to this action, including the application for amendment and supporting documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html [http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leaving FR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html] . From this site, you can access the NRC's Agency-wide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession number for the documents related to this notice are: Molycorp's letter to NRC dated October 22, 2004, ML043090063; EA prepared for License Amendment No. 5, ML003735909; EA prepared for this action, ML050330004; Molycorp's final DP, ML010540178; Federal Register Notice for Amendment No. 7, ML050030165. If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415- 4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . Any questions should be referred to Thomas McLaughlin, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555, Mailstop T-7E18, telephone (301) 415- 5869, fax (301) 415-5397. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 18th day of February, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Daniel M. Gillen, Deputy Director, Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. 05-4401 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 37 Deseret News: Consider our true risks [deseretnews.com] Tuesday, March 8, 2005 Twice in the past 12 months, train wrecks and subsequent chlorine spills have killed people with a toxic gas cloud. Salt Lake City is lucky this time. It could have been one of the regular shipments of chlorine or ammonia. Conversely, if a rail car of spent nuclear fuel broke open, guys with radiation suits would have to pick up the pellets of spent fuel with tongs, put them into a new container and haul them out to their destination. No plume of toxic vapors. No deaths. Consider the true risks we face, not what the fearmongers are pushing. Chuck McCown Lake Point © 2005 Deseret News Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 38 Daily Sentinel: Firm applies to mine for uranium Tuesday, March 08, 2005 By SALLY SPAULDING Uranium mining may soon return to Mesa County, with one company requesting to mine approximately 500 tons of uranium per month from a site near Gateway. The Little Maverick Mining Company recently submitted a plan to the Bureau of Land Management for a new operation that would employ less than a dozen workers and use an existing mine shaft. The Whirlwind Claim near Lumsden Canyon was last mined approximately 20 years ago. Steven Hall, spokesman for the BLM, said the mine site was currently in a reclaimed state, meaning the previous operator of the mine has completed environmental clean-up obligations. Hall said the BLM planned to undertake an environmental review and analysis that will look at the requirements for the Little Maverick Mining Companys operations. Its a fairly modest proposal to rework an existing mine, Hall said. Its not on a large scale. Officials with the Little Maverick Mining Company could not be reached for comment Monday. The states Division of Minerals and Geology has yet to receive any formal permitting papers from the Little Maverick Mining Company for the Whirlwind Claim, but division officials will meet with the company today to discuss the mining plan. Russ Means, environmental protection specialist with the divisions office in Grand Junction, said the divisions questions will focus largely on environmental impacts, geochemistry and other site-specific issues. The Little Maverick Mining Company must have approval from both the Bureau of Land Management and the Division of Minerals and Geology before mining operations can begin. Local environmental groups are wary of the new mining proposal, saying Mesa County may not be prepared to deal with uranium mining activity in the 21st century. Hopefully there will be a good public process people can be involved in, said Pete Kolbenschlag, Western Slope Field Director with the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Uranium mining is an activity that hasnt been considered in this area in a long time, and an updated look at public land use and mining activity must be taken in the context of current circumstances. Sally Spaulding can be reached via e-mail at sspaulding@gjds.com [sspaulding@gjds.com] . © 2005 Cox Newspapers, Inc. - The Daily Sentinel ***************************************************************** 39 Las Vegas SUN: Reid, Ensign mobilize opposition to land sale proposal Today: March 08, 2005 at 10:58:27 PST Nevada would lose funds under president's plan By Benjamin Grove SUN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF WASHINGTON -- The Senate may be poised to reject President Bush's proposal to siphon federal land sale profit away from Nevada. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is confident he will have 45 votes -- the Senate Democrats, plus Independent James Jeffords of Vermont -- lined up to oppose the proposal, Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said. And Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., is likewise seeking pledges from at least six Republicans, which would total a 51-vote majority of the Senate, enough to snuff out the proposal. Ensign also has had "several conversations" with a key lawmaker on the issue, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Ensign spokesman Jack Finn said. Ensign is one of 12 Republicans on the committee. "He's working every angle," Finn said. The budget panel is key to the proposal's future, as it is scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday to set a federal budget resolution for the fiscal year -- and the Bush proposal is not likely to be included in it, congressional sources said. The resolution does not bind Congress to spending limits or curb their ability to pursue a specific White House budget proposal. But it serves as an important guideline for lawmakers as they craft appropriations bills. A spokeswoman for Gregg declined to say whether Gregg supports Bush's proposal, which could ultimately siphon hundreds of millions of dollars from Nevada coffers. But Gregg "understands that this is a sensitive issue, particularly to Sen. Ensign," Gregg spokeswoman Cara Duckworth said. Gregg intends to craft a budget resolution that has the support of all Republican members of the panel -- including Ensign, Duckworth said. At issue are proceeds from the auction of federal land in Clark County. Under the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act crafted by Nevada lawmakers, public land is being sold at auction and the profit is used for education, water and land programs in Nevada. But Bush budget officials are pushing legislation to funnel 70 percent of the profit to the federal treasury for deficit reduction. Nevada lawmakers are lobbying against it. White House Office of Management and Budget officials say the profit is far higher than expected and that U.S. taxpayers should see a return on federal land sales. There's big money at stake. The budget Bush sent to Congress last month noted that land sales were expected to net roughly $70 million a year for Nevada, but are expected to garner roughly $1.2 billion this year alone. If the state keeps 30 percent of the profit, Nevada still would net far more than expected, OMB officials have said. Republican lawmakers have been reluctant to voice strong support for the Bush proposal but several have said they intend to give the issue careful consideration as a deficit-reduction measure. Several Democrats last week blasted Bush for reaching into Nevada's cookie jar. Bush is looking for money in the wrong places to offset a deficit created by his tax cuts, said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the land sales issue. The Bush proposal's future in the House is unclear. Nevada lawmakers last week urged the House Budget Committee to reject the proposal. The House panel, too, is scheduled to consider a House budget resolution on Wednesday. The House panel typically does not take action on specific budget proposals, opting to set bottom line guidelines for lawmakers to follow. Therefore the Bush proposal on Nevada land sales is not likely to be a part of the House budget resolution, committee spokesman Sean Spicer said. That issue would be left to the House Resources Committee, he said. ***************************************************************** 40 Las Vegas SUN: Judges reject Nevada's bid to get more anti-Yucca funds Today: March 08, 2005 at 11:07:34 PST ASSOCIATED PRESS Nevada lost a bid today to get more money from the federal government to fight the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia rejected the state's argument that the Energy Department effectively shortchanged it by $4 million last year. In a 14-page ruling the judges said that the $1 million Nevada got from Congress in 2004 was exactly what Congress intended, and the Energy Department had no authority to provide more. "The court clearly ruled that when Congress makes a specific appropriation, that's all the state should get," said Joe Egan, a Vienna, Va.-based lawyer representing Nevada. Egan said he had not yet spoken to Attorney General Brian Sandoval about whether to appeal. "We knew it was going to be a close call," Egan said. Energy Department spokesman Joe Davis said he wouldn't comment until after department lawyers reviewed the ruling. The state had contended the federal Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1983 allowed it to get money from a national nuclear waste fund paid into by nuclear-generated electricity ratepayers. The fund was created to pay for Yucca. The state told the court the funding would pay for its scientific studies and help it oversee the Energy Department's application for a repository construction license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. State officials had told the department Nevada needed $5 million for Yucca oversight for 2004. After receiving $1 million from Congress, they argued the department had a legal duty to make up the difference from the waste fund. But the court today ruled that Nevada is not entitled to money beyond what Congress gives the state each year. "We're disappointed. We felt like it was something we needed," said Bob Loux, Nevada nuclear projects director, the state official leading opposition to Yucca. He said the state would continue oversight on a limited budget while challenging transportation routes and federal water use at the Yucca site. Congress gave Nevada less money than usual in 2004. Congress gave the state $2 million last year and a $3.5 million request is pending in Congress for the 2006 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. The lawsuit, filed a year ago, is one of a series of state challenges to elements of the federal plan to bury 77,000 tons of the nation's most radioactive waste beneath Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Congress and President Bush approved the project in 2002, despite opposition from Nevada's governor and its congressional delegation. The Energy Department wanted to submit a license application by December 2004 and open the dump in 2010. But the schedule was pushed back following a ruling from the federal appeals court in a separate case last July. The court said a 10,000-year Environmental Protection Agency radiation protection standard for the Yucca site did not extend far enough into the future to meet a National Academy of Sciences recommendation. The EPA is rewriting the standard and is expected to release a draft in late spring or early summer. Energy Department officials now say they hope to submit a license application by the end of this year, but the repository might not open until 2012 or later. ***************************************************************** 41 Guardian Unlimited: BHP makes move on uranium mine group http://www.guardian.co.uk Terry Macalister Tuesday March 8, 2005 The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk] A fight over the world's most valuable uranium mine seemed likely last night after BHP Billiton said it plans to hold talks with Australian miner WMC Resources on a takeover bid that could rival a hostile A$8.2bn (Ł3.4bn) offer by Swiss-based Xstrata. BHP, which had earlier appointed Deutsche Bank to look into acquiring a stake in WMC, owner of the Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia, said it had not bought any shares but held options over 4.3% of WMC. "BHP Billiton will today seek discussions with the board of WMC Resources regarding the possibility of making an all cash offer for the entire issued share capital of WMC Resources," the company said in a brief statement to the Australian stock exchange. Xstrata last week dropped all conditions on its bid, including a requirement to win 90% of WMC shares, putting pressure on other potential bidders to show their hand. Sources in London had said BHP was seeking to build a stake overnight in Australia of 10.1% at a price of about A$7.85 a share, compared with Xstrata's A$7.00 bid. A full takeover bid at A$7.85 a share would value WMC, which is a large producer of nickel and copper, at A$9.2 bn, about 12% above the Xstrata offer. Analysts said the move could be the start of a wider bidding war for the group. "People are probably saying, 'Why should I sell at A$7.85. Things could be hotting up'," said Allianz Dresdner Asset Management analyst Gavin van der Wath. London-listed Xstrata's bid closes on March 24. It has said its bid is final unless trumped by a higher offer. Before last night's announcement BHP shares fell nearly 2% in Johannesburg as investors raised concerns that the company would be forced to pay a high premium if it entered the race to buy WMC. Analysts in London believed the move by BHP might flush out other potential buyers, such as Rio Tinto. Xstrata shares were down 3% to Ł10.44 yesterday. Interest in uranium has soared on the back of talk in Britain about prospects for a new generation of nuclear power stations in a world worried about global warming. Nuclear power stations are seen by many as more friendly to the environment because they do not emit greenhouse gases. BHP's chief executive, Chip Goodyear, was non-committal about the firm's interest in WMC at a recent annual results conference. He said there were big regulatory issues for further consolidation in mining, though there has been some political encouragement in Australia for BHP. Born of a mega-merger between BHP of Australia and Billiton of South Africa, the group is seen in Canberra as a more suitable partner for WMC than Xstrata. Special report The nuclear industry Graphics The Mox ships' journey around the world (pdf) [http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2002/09 /17/nuclear_ship.pdf] Nuclear map of Britain US nuclear map Useful links British Energy [http://www.british-energy.com/] Department of Trade and Industry [http://www.dti.gov.uk/] British Nuclear Fuels Ltd [http://www.bnfl.co.uk/website.nsf/default.htm] Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [http://www.cnduk.org/] Greenpeace [http://www.greenpeace.org/homepage/] HSE nuclear glossary [http://www.hse.gov.uk/nsd/ilrwglos.htm] UK atomic energy authority [http://www.ukaea.org.uk/] National Radiological Protection Board [http://www.nrpb.org.uk/] Friends of the Earth [http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/press_for_change/dump_nuc lear/index.html] World Nuclear Association [http://www.uilondon.org/] World Nuclear Transport Institute [http://www.wnti.co.uk] [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 42 DOE: AGENCY: Department of Energy. Meeting SRS FR Doc 05-4458 [Federal Register: March 8, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 44)] [Notices] [Page 11218-11219] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr08mr05-50] ACTION: Notice of open meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EMSSAB), Savannah River. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. DATES: Monday, March 28, 2005 1 p.m.-5:15 p.m.; Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ADDRESSES: North Augusta Community Center, 101 Brookside Avenue, North Augusta, SC 29801. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gerri Flemming, Closure Project Office, Department of Energy Savannah River Operations Office, P.O. Box A, Aiken, SC, 29802; Phone: (803) 952-7886. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda Monday, March 28, 2005 1 p.m. Combined Committee Session 5:15 p.m. Adjourn Tuesday, March 29, 2005 8:30 a.m. Approval of Minutes, Agency Updates 9 a.m. Public Comment Session 9:10 a.m. Chair and Facilitator Update 9:40 a.m. Nuclear Materials Committee Report 11:50 a.m. Public Comments 12 p.m. Lunch Break 1 p.m. Strategic & Legacy Management Committee Report 2:30 p.m. Facilities Disposition & Site Remediation Committee Report 3 p.m. Waste Management Committee Report 3:40 p.m. Administrative Committee Report [[Page 11219]] 3:50 p.m. Public Comments 4 p.m. Adjourn If needed, time will be allotted after public comments for items added to the agenda and administrative details. A final agenda will be available at the meeting Monday, March 28, 2005. Public Participation: The meeting is open to the public. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact Gerri Flemming's office at the address or telephone listed above. Requests must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. Minutes: The minutes of this meeting will be available for public review and copying at the Department of Energy's Freedom of Information Public Reading Room, 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20585 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Minutes will also be available by writing to Gerri Flemming, Department of Energy Savannah River Operations Office, P.O. Box A, Aiken, SC, 29802, or by calling her at (803) 952-7886. Issued at Washington, DC on March 2, 2005. Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 05-4458 Filed 3-7-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6560-01-P ***************************************************************** 43 AP Wire: 650 SRS workers volunteer for layoffs | 03/08/2005 | thestate.com Associated Press AIKEN, S.C. - Some 650 workers have volunteered for layoffs at the former nuclear weapons complex Savannah River Site. Those workers requested to "self select" themselves after Westinghouse Savannah River Company announced that up to 2,000 people will be laid off at the site near Aiken by Oct. 1, 2006, spokesman Will Callicott said. Plans call for the company, which operates the site that covers several counties in South Carolina and is owned by the Department of Energy, to lay off about 800 workers during the next 60 days and an additional 300 employees by the end of September. During the 2006 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, Westinghouse plans to lay off up to 800 more employees, according to a restructuring plan approved by DOE. The company announced the plans in December saying after years of creating waste from nuclear weapons production during the Cold War, the site's mission has gradually changed. Now, most projects involve environmental cleanup, waste solidification and demolition. Now that the self select phase is over, Callicott said the company would begin notifying workers that did not volunteer. Those workers will remain on the payroll for 60 days, which is required by DOE rules. SRS currently employs 12,500 workers, company president Bob Peede said last week. Workers leaving the site, either on a voluntary or involuntary basis, will receive one weeks pay for each year of service, up to 26 weeks. They also will be able to keep their health insurance for one year. Information from: Aiken Standard, http://www.aikenstandard.com [http://www.aikenstandard.com] ***************************************************************** 44 Albuquerque Tribune: Commentary: Weapons budget boost DOE continues funding nuclear weapons programs while cutting environmental cleanup funds By Jay Coghlan March 8, 2005 The Department of Energy showed its true color - they are not green - in the release of its budget request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. Nationally, environmental cleanup of the widely contaminated nuclear weapons complex will be cut by 12.5 percent. Meanwhile, core nuclear weapons research, testing and production programs for the DOE's semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration will rise to $6.63 billion, with $34.67 billion projected in budgets over the next five years. These annual levels are 50 percent higher than the Cold War average. Requested funding for "Directed Stockpile Work," the refurbishing, modernizing and preserving nuclear weapons, will increase by 11.3 percent. Requested funding for nonproliferation efforts to globally control weapons-usable materials is still only a quarter of core nuclear weapons programs. Further, the security administration is asking for funding for four controversial nuclear weapons programs that Congress either cut, substantially reduced or redirected in FY 2005: The Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator is a nuclear "bunker-buster" being designed to destroy hardened, deeply buried targets. Citing the disconnect between developing a militarily new nuclear weapon and asking other countries to forswear their own banned weapons, Congress rejected any funding whatsoever for the earth penetrator in FY 2005. Now the security administration is requesting $4 million for design and feasibility studies. In an obviously coordinated effort to help possibly mute congressional objections, the U.S. Air Force is simultaneously requesting $4.5 million for air-drop tests. The Reliable Replacement Warhead is an effort to eventually produce simpler nuclear weapons designs to replace today's overly sophisticated models. Last year, Congress rejected the security administration's $9 million funding request for an "Advanced Concepts Initiative" for mini-nukes and possible exotic designs. Congress reallocated the request to the warhead initiative, for which the security administration plans to spend $97 million over the next 5 years. The Modern Pit Facility is a proposed industrial-scale bomb plant that would produce plutonium pits of existing and future designs. Congress rejected the security administration's FY 2005 request of $29.8 million, appropriating only $7 million. Two of the five candidate pit facility sites are located in Los Alamos and Carlsbad. Now the security administration is requesting $7.69 million for FY 2006 and projects spending $125.76 million over the next five years. Enhanced Test Readiness is an effort by the security administration to reduce the lead time necessary to return to full-scale nuclear weapons testing from 24 months to 18 months. The administration is requesting $25 million for FY 2006 with $121.64 million projected over the next five years. Congress provided only half of the administration's $30 million FY 2005 request. What's wrong with these weapons initiatives? With respect to the nuclear "bunker-buster," the original claims were the earth penetrator would somehow be a clean, surgical-strike nuclear weapon. This has been debunked by the limits imposed by physics on penetrating hard rock or concrete, meaning massive collateral damage would still occur, and tons of ejected soil and debris would become radioactive fallout. Again, it would be a terrible international example if the United States produced a nuclear weapon while pressuring other nations to forswear their banned weapons. Concerning the effort toward simpler nuclear weapons designs with more "robust" shelf lives, thi sends the obvious message that while preaching to others, the United States never intends to eradicate its banned weapons. As to the last two initiatives, what can be said that is not obvious? Clearly, plans to return to massive nuclear weapons production and accelerated full-scale testing send the entirely wrong message to a world awash with banned weapons threats. New Mexicans should take special note that while the DOE proposes to spend $4.1 billion in our state in FY 2006, a full 67 percent will be for core nuclear weapons programs. In contrast, only 9 percent will be for cleanup and 1 percent for renewable energy technologies. More than 40 percent of the entire national nuclear weapons programs budget will be spent in New Mexico alone. Therefore, New Mexicans have a responsibility to pressure for rational national and international nuclear weapons policies and should be strongly active toward that end. Let's get off our butts and do just that by encouraging Congress to again cut controversial and contradictory nuclear weapons programs. Coghlan is director of Nuclear Watch of New Mexico (www.nukewatch.org), a nonprofit organization that watchdogs DOE facilities in New Mexico on nuclear weapons policies and environmental issues. ***************************************************************** 45 WBIR-TV: ORNL to clean nuclear waste from local pond Knoxville, TN A major cleanup project is about to get started at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Contractors cleaning up radioactive waste at the lab will soon begin removing a 300,000 gallon underground pond of frozen pollutants. Officials say they will complete the task in May even though they haven't been able to melt the pond completely. Nuclear wastes from an old test reactor at the federal research and weapons reservation were put into the pond in the 1950s. It was backfilled with clay and other materials and capped with asphalt about 20 years later. Contamination from the pond threatened to leach into nearby streams. Officials decided in the 1990s to fix the problem by freezing the soil and groundwater in a plot 30 feet deep. Associated Press [bbarger@wbir.gannett.com] , Producer Last updated: 3/8/2005 11:36:41 AM [http://www.wbir.com/TermsofService.asp] | WBIR.com RSS feeds Copyright ©2005 WBIR-TV Knoxville ***************************************************************** 46 BBC: Clock ticking on fusion decision Last Updated: Tuesday, 8 March, 2005 [Impression of Iter at Cadarache (Europa)] Europe believes Iter should be built at Cadarache Europe has made it clear it will not wait beyond June to reach international agreement on where to site Iter, the experimental nuclear fusion reactor. EU ministers said on Monday they wanted the matter resolved before the current Luxembourg presidency ends. Europe believes Iter should be built at Cadarache in France, but other project members are backing Rokkasho in Japan. The multi-billion-euro reactor will produce energy from nuclear reactions like the ones that power the Sun. After the International Space Station, it would be the largest global research and development collaboration. 'Clear timetable' But the six international partners - the EU, Russia, China, the US, Japan and South Korea - are deadlocked on a location decision. Definitive decisions will ha to be taken under the Luxembourg presidency Francois Biltgen, Luxembourg research minister Now, Luxembourg research minister Francois Biltgen has warned the impasse must end by July. "In November 2004, [Europe's Competitiveness Council] took a fundamental decision and set out a timetable and according to this timetable, work on Iter should begin before the end of the year. "If we want this to happen, definitive decisions will have to be taken under the Luxembourg presidency." On 1 July, the presidency is handed to the UK. The EU has been doing i utmost to find a consensus among the six parties. We have been explaining our offer to the Japanese Janez Potocnik, EU research commissioner And the EU's research commissioner Janez Potocnik added: "We have to remember that we would like to start building the project at the site of Cadarache in the course of this year. If we take into account the fact that we would need half of the year to prepare for it, we need to find a solution very soon." The EU and Japan have put proposals forward that they hoped would encourage the other stand down. But neither is prepared to do so at the moment. Six still best Japan is adamant that its Iter plans are superior - and has the backing of the US and South Korea; the EU has Russia and China in its corner. Any solution that does emerge would see the "loser" take up a dominant support role, researching and supplying many of the key technologies that will be required in the reactor. "The EU has been doing its utmost to find a consensus among the six international parties," explained Mr Potocnik. "We have been explaining our offer to the Japanese partners. I have expressed my readiness to meet with my Japanese counterpart to achieve a compromise. I still believe that the best possible solution is to build this project with six parties, not least as a model for future international joint ventures." [Coronal loops on the Sun (Nasa/Trace)] It is fusion which powers the Sun He has made it clear he would like to see high-level political discussions between the EU and Japan - but this approach appeared to be rebuffed at the weekend by the Japanese. They dislike Europe's aggressive stance, which sees Cadarache construction as the only outcome in any negotiations. "High-level political talks would be fruitless. If we were to hold such talks forcibly, we would only reach a deadlock," Satoru Ohtake, director of fusion energy at the Science and Technology Ministry, told the Reuters news agency. The next European Competitiveness Council meeting on 18 April looks now to be a critical point in this drawn out process. If no resolution is found by this date, it is possible Europe may begin to ask a smaller number of partners to join it in a Cadarache venture - even if that means leaving some of the six parties behind. Final approval for this strategy would likely fall to Europe's senior research ministers meeting under the British presidency of the EU. On to Demo Unlike in fission reactions, in which atomic nuclei are split to release energy, fusion reactions release energy when nuclei are forced together. The process is the same as the one that powers the Sun. Achieving stable and sustained reactions on Earth, however, present an immense challenge. The Iter design is for the reactions to take place inside a 100-million-degree gas (plasma) suspended in an intense doughnut-shaped magnetic field. ITER - NUCLEAR FUSION PROJECT [Iter, BBC] Project estimated to cost 10bn euros and will run for 35 years It will produce the first sustained fusion reactions Final stage before full prototype of commercial reactor is built Iter will consolidate all that has been learnt over many decades of study. It is expected to produce 500MW of fusion power during pulses of at least 400 seconds. If it achieves this and its technologies are proven to be practical, the international community would then build a prototype commercial reactor, dubbed Demo. Fusion could help fill the void as the world moves away from oil, coal and natural gas. The fusion fuels are plentiful and produce no greenhouse emissions when "burnt". The systems are said to be inherently safe because they shutdown in a malfunction; and although radioactive materials are produced, they are not of the high-level long-lived variety that has so burdened nuclear fission ***************************************************************** 47 BBC: Prometheus looks to nuke future Last Updated: Tuesday, 8 March, 2005 By Martin Redfern BBC radio science unit [Jimo: Artist's impression (Nasa)] Nuclear power would allow missions to orbit - not merely fly by The US space agency (Nasa) is progressing with ambitious plans to explore the Solar System using nuclear power. Their hope, eventually, is to use electricity generated by nuclear power to propel a space probe and power its instruments on a voyage to the icy moons of Jupiter, satellites that just possibly might harbour life beneath their ice. Before then, nuclear technology could be proved with a less ambitious mission, perhaps a nuclear-powered probe to the Moon. As long ago as 1907, just two years after Einstein discovered his famous equation E=mc2 which hinted at the vast power locked within the atom, Robert Goddard, who was himself to go on to pioneer chemical rockets, wrote: "The navigation of interplanetary space depends for its solution on the problem of atomic disintegration." Jimo is the crown jewel of t suite of missions we've been looking at John Casani, Project Prometheus Once the power of the atom bomb had been demonstrated and the Cold War set in in the 1950s, all sorts of amazing proposals were developed for nuclear power in space. Among them was project Orion, a plan to launch and propel spacecraft weighing thousands of tonnes and carrying dozens of passengers by detonating nuclear bombs behind a pusher plate. Weak solar Orion was cancelled when a nuclear test ban treaty came into force but another project, Nerva, to use a nuclear reactor to produce a rocket jet was the front runner for a possible human mission to Mars after the Apollo moon landings. That, too, was scrapped and it was left to the Russians to launch several nuclear reactors into space to power spy satellites during the 1970s. [Project Orion: Artist's impression of spacecraft (Nasa)] Project Orion envisaged "pulsed" nuclear propulsion Dreams of nuclear power in space did not die with the collapse of the Soviet Union and restrictions on the Nasa budget. Many space scientists agree that nuclear power is the only viable way of exploring the outer Solar System. Using chemical rockets to move between planets and their moons is not really practical because of the fuel mass a spacecraft would have to carry with it, and relying on solar power to drive instruments is problematic because of the distance from the Sun. Travel out to Mars and there's only a 10th as much solar energy as reaches the Earth. At Saturn, it is a hundredth of the power we are familiar with. Arrays of solar cells to produce really useful power there would be impossibly big. So far, probes to the outer planets, such as the Cassini craft now orbiting the ringed planet, have used Radioisotope Thermal Generators (RTGs) - solid state electrical generators powered by the heat of radioactive decay. But that power is limited. The RTGs on Cassini would not produce enough to run a hair dryer (three units produce about 700 watts). Scientists would love more electrical power for their instruments - but there is another use for which nuclear electric power could make all the difference: the ion engine. 'Dustbin' size By using electrical energy to ionise atoms and accelerate them in a jet, it is possible to propel them at more than 10 times the speed a chemical rocket jet can manage. That means that you need less than a tenth of the propellant to travel a certain distance. CURRENT ION PROPULSION [Smart 1's ion driv (AOES Medialab/Esa)] Uses electrical power provided by solar panels to accelerate a propellant to high velocity Smart 1 uses the propellant xenon, a colourless gas Electrons trapped inside a chamber by a magnetic field collide with xenon gas, creating xenon ions and more electrons The resulting ion beam pushes the space craft forward The thrust produced is the same as the pressure exerted by a sheet of paper held in the palm of a hand Over long periods, it can make a spacecraft travel faster In a Prometheus model, the electricity would be generated from a nuclear power pack Already the European Space Agency has used an ion engine to take its Smart 1 craft to the Moon and an ion engine for a planned mission to Mercury is now under test at the UK's QinetiQ's labs in Hampshire. Both use solar power, but for deep space that is not enough. Project Prometheus proposes using a nuclear reactor not much bigger than a dustbin, linked to a turbine or other generator to provide perhaps 250 kW of power. Mention that to space scientists and their eyes glaze over with dreams of the instruments they could run and the multiple destinations they could visit. An ion drive might be slow - it produces a thrust little more than a human breath - but it can keep it up for years on end and have enough puff left over to flit between multiple destinations. Spare power, for example, could run radar to look for oceans beneath the ice of Jupiter's moon Europa. It could also power a communications system that would replace a trickle of data with a broadband flood of pictures. Critics such as Bruce Gagnon of the Global Network Against Nuclear Power In Space talk of the risks of making, launching and using nuclear reactors. First steps The first project manager of Prometheus, Alan Newhouse, counters: "A reactor would be launched shut down and never having operated, so there would be only a very small amount of radioactivity involved. So, as a potential danger to Earth, it's not there." But the engineering challenges are immense. No one has ever made a nuclear reactor that could run for many years without human intervention. Reactors on Earth are all near convenient cooling systems. In space, they would need large areas of radiator, perhaps not as large as solar arrays but still substantial. Reactors for Prometheus are being developed by a US naval laboratory that makes reactors for submarines. It is possible they may also learn from Russian reactors designed for space which were sold to the US after the break-up of the Soviet Union and of which little has been heard since. The US National Academy of Sciences has declared a mission to Europa to be the highest priority for space science in the next decade and the first Prometheus mission was due to be Jimo, the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter. But, explains Prometheus project manager John Casani, "people are saying that the Jimo mission is so important, so high profile, maybe we should take a baby step before we take that giant step. "So, we are looking at a mission that would be less technically challenging. But Jimo is the crown jewel of the suite of missions we've been looking at." The Nasa budget for 2006 includes funding to develop a test mission for Prometheus, possibly to the Moon. That might be ready in 10 years' time and, says John Casani, the hope would be to launch a new mission every two years thereafter. They might include Jimo and then a mission to Saturn's moon Titan, glimpsed by the Huygens probe earlier this year. Military mode There might be a mission to Neptune's moon Triton, even further from the Sun, and the power of Prometheus might be used to support unmanned rovers and possibly manned missions to the Moon and Mars. John Casani says: "My own favourite mission would be a kind of nuclear tug boat to an asteroid." [Asteroid (Nasa)] One day, another big one will hit the Earth Sooner or later, many astronomers believe that an asteroid will be spotted on a collision course with the Earth. Given several years' notice, a nuclear-powered ion-drive rocket could use its gentle thrust to push the whole asteroid into a safe orbit without the need or risk posed by blowing the giant rock apart. There will doubtless be protests and opposition to the use of nuclear power in space. Its value for deep space probes is undeniable, but critics fear that that could open a back door to nuclear power in space for the military as well. Leo Enright investigates Project Prometheus at 21PM GMT on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 9 March. The Radio 4 website will retain a recording of the programme after transmission. ***************************************************************** 48 New Scientist: Japan rejects Europe's nuclear fusion deadline 09 March 2005 The European Union and Japan are still deadlocked over where to build the world's largest nuclear fusion facility, after Japan brushed off a new EU "deadline" to reach a decision by the end of June. Both are vying to host ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), a $5 billion to $10 billion project that aims to lay the groundwork for using nuclear fusion as an inexhaustible and clean source of energy. The project has been stalled since December 2003 because its six member parties cannot agree on where to locate the premier facility. The EU, China and Russia have lobbied for Cadarache in France, while the US, South Korea and Japan have supported the Japanese town of Rokkashomura. On Monday, EU research minister Francois Biltgen of Luxembourg said that current plans call for construction to begin on ITER by the end of 2005. To meet that target, he suggested the EU would go forward with the project - alone if necessary - if no agreement is reached by the end of June 2005. That is when Luxembourg hands over the rotating EU presidency. But that date is "very artificial", says Dale Meade, a physicist at Princeton University in New Jersey, US. "Every year there's a new deadline, every year there's a missed deadline." He believes the only "agreement" the EU hopes to reach by June is one to build the project in France. But Japan continues to oppose this. "There is no change in our position," said Takahiro Hayashi, deputy director of Japan's Office of Fusion Energy. He told the AFP news agency: "We believe the Japanese proposal is superior to the EU proposal." Trade-offs "Something has got to change," Meade told New Scientist. Neither country has shown interest in trade-offs such as hosting a smaller, related facility or another large project. Meade advocates breaking ITER into smaller, $1 billion projects that each explore an aspect of ITER's main scientific and technological goals. "We may have to split this mega-project into more pieces," he says. The US continues to support the Japanese site and a six-party coalition but is basically staying out of the fray, says Jeff Sherwood, a spokesman at the US Department of Energy. "It is now between the Europeans and the Japanese," he told New Scientist. The DoE has requested $55.5 million for ITER in the 2006 federal budget and estimates it will spend $1.12 billion on the project between now and 2013 to fulfill its promise to pay for 10% of construction costs. Meade cautions that if Japan and the EU "are unable to make a decision, the US has to decide what we're going to do". Alternate projects in the US are currently "on hold". ITER would work by heating isotopes of hydrogen to hundreds of millions of degrees, creating a plasma of charged particles. Confined by magnetic fields in a doughnut-shaped machine called a tokamak, the particles would collide and fuse, producing high-energy helium nuclei and neutrons. The uncharged neutrons would escape the tokamak, generating heat that could be siphoned off for generating electricity. But the positively charged helium nuclei would be trapped by the magnetic fields and would help sustain fusion reactions. ***************************************************************** 49 MSNBC: GM, federal lab show off hydrogen storage research [HYDROGEN STORAGE CONTAINER] Noah Berger / AP Progress but also 'great challenges' cited for gasoline alternative Terry Johnson, a mechanical engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, shows a hydrogen storage container during a tour at the lab's Livermore, Calif., headquarters. The Associated PressUpdated: 9:00 a.m. ET March 8, 2005 LIVERMORE, Calif. - General Motors officials gave a progress report Monday on the company's efforts to create the automobiles of tomorrow by developing hydrogen fuel cell technology. The Detroit automaker is working with government scientists at Sandia National Laboratory in Livermore to design new methods for storing hydrogen fuel — one of the biggest challenges to bringing hydrogen-powered vehicles to market. "We're looking to literally reinvent the automobile," said Larry Burns, GM's vice president for research, development and planning. Burns spoke with journalists during a tour of Sandia's research facility in Livermore, about 50 miles east of San Francisco. The national lab, which develops nuclear weapons and military technology for the federal government, has several decades of experience working on hydrogen storage. By sharing its latest research efforts, GM officials hope to demonstrate that the company is making progress on the key technological challenge of storing hydrogen, a low-density gas that must be converted into a denser form to be stored on-board a vehicle. "Hydrogen storage is one of the key hurdles in creating hydrogen-based transportation system," said James Spearot, director of GM's chemical and environmental sciences laboratory. GM and Sandia scientists are developing a method to store hydrogen in a fuel tank by using compounds known as complex metal hydrides that can absorb and release hydrogen. "We really think we've made great progress," Burns said. "But there are still a lot of great challenges, technological and engineering wise, ahead of us." Widespread use of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and cut greenhouse gas emissions, backers say. But the technology faces many challenges, including high costs and the lack of infrastructure such as a network of hydrogen fueling stations. In recent years, GM has been one of the auto industry's most vocal champions of hydrogen fuel cells, which generate electricity from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen and release only water as waste. But environmentalists have criticized the automaker for putting so much emphasis on fuel cell vehicles, which are still years away from the marketplace. They say GM should instead focus more on increasing the fuel efficiency of their cars and trucks to cut petroleum consumption and reduce air pollution. Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************