***************************************************************** 12/23/05 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 13.298 ***************************************************************** 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 BBC: India and US hold nuclear talks 2 IRNA: Iranians to defend nuclear rights to last blood drop - Khatami 3 MNA: German leader wants China, Russia to join Iran-EU nuclear talks 4 Japan Times: Pyongyang talks to push three topics 5 US: [NYTr] FBI Defends Hunting for Muslim Radiation 6 AFP: India reports progress on nuclear issues with US 7 RIA Novosti: Russia supplies 14kg of low-enriched uranium to Libya 8 Mos News: NATO Says Russia Reluctant to Safeguard Weapons of Mass De NUCLEAR REACTORS 9 US: Formal Allegation 10 US: NRC: NRC Renews Point Beach Nuclear Plant Operating Licenses for 11 US: JS Online: U.S. cites nuclear plant 12 US: JS Online: Point Beach gets 20-year license renewal 13 BBC: Inquiry into nuclear debris alert 14 US: Hampton Union Local News: Nuclear plant touts its safety 15 US: Green Bay Press-Gazette: Nuclear plant will continue to power st 16 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Subcommittee Meet 17 US: Sheboygan Press: NRC renews Point Beach nuclear plant licenses 18 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point 2 taken off line 19 US: NRC: System Energy Resources, Inc.; Notice of Reconstitution 20 US: NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Find 21 Scotsman.com News: Nuclear power station scare - probe 22 Scotsman.com News: Nuclear alert 'triggered by debris' 23 US: Record Online: Indian Point reactor shut for valve repair NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 24 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Joint Meeting of t 25 Korea Times: USFK Lost Depleted Uranium - Activist 26 US: Guardian Unlimited: FBI Official Defends Radiation Monitoring NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 27 US: (POGO) Blog: Bad News in MOXville 28 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Senate sends Bush bill on Utah wilderness are 29 US: Norton Mirror: Delay possible Shpack landfill cleanup 30 US: Colorado Daily: Radioactive waste permit issued 31 US: Bradenton Herald: Online ads, site spark debate 32 US: Bradenton Herald: Residents angry over new digging 33 US: Deseret News: Editorial misses mark on nuclear storage PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 34 NewMexican: Nuclear agency head happy with process to award Los Alam 35 Hanford News: Hanford official taking new job 36 SF Chron: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / Los Alamos lab chief leaves no 37 San Francisco Chronicle: Los Alamos in the right hands 38 SF Chronicle: Anastasio to oversee safety, security at Los Alamos la 39 Tri-Valley Herald: New lab chief takes the helm 40 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern 41 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah 42 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Oak Ridg 43 lamonitor.com: Key officials start lab transition 44 Colorado Daily: CU loses lab bid 45 Albuquerque Tribune: New lab boss vows accountability 46 ContraCostaTimes.com: Partnership won't affect lab's research ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 BBC: India and US hold nuclear talks Last Updated: Friday, 23 December 2005 [Bhabha atomic plant outside Mumbai, India] India says it wants nuclear power to meet its energy needs India's Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran, has met US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a visit to Washington dominated by nuclear talks. Mr Saran said he was "very encouraged" by discussions on implementing an agreement to give India access to US civilian nuclear technology. The agreement still has to be approved by the US Congress. Critics of the deal say that it could harm efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons. Under the agreement, India would place nuclear facilities associated with its civilian energy programme under international inspection. Mr Saran did not give details about how the nuclear deal would be implement, but he did say that a second round of talks would be held in India next month. "We came to the conclusion that we should be in the position to make a significant advance on this initiative before the visit of President [George W] Bush," he said. He also said both sides prepared the ground for Mr Bush's visit to India which is expected to take place in early 2006. Landmark deal The nuclear agreement between India and the United States was signed in July during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington. It came as a boost for India which has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and therefore needs a change in US law. But some members of Congress have opposed the deal. Under the agreement, US companies will be allowed to build nuclear power plants in India, and also supply fuel for nuclear reactors. The US imposed curbs on nuclear technology transfers to India in the wake of India's nuclear tests in 1998. Delhi is keen on a deal on ways to share nuclear technology to help meet its growing energy needs. ***************************************************************** 2 IRNA: Iranians to defend nuclear rights to last blood drop - Khatami - Tehran, Dec 23, IRNA Iran-Khatami-Nuclear Tehran's substitute Friday Prayers Leader Ahmad Khatami said here Friday the Iranian nation will defend its inalienable nuclear rights to last drop of its blood. Addressing thousands of worshipers at Tehran University Campus, Khatami said that westerners should know that in the case of Iran's nuclear energy, they are not facing a party and wing, rather they are encountered by a nation which has risen up to defend its inalienable rights to the last drop of its blood. "The Islamic Republic of Iran's logic on all subjects is based on "do not make any injustice and do not be oppressed"; we neither make an injustice nor seek any special concession; we will not surrender to oppression," said Khatami in his second sermon to multitudes of Friday prayers congregation as he was referring to resumption of the Iran-EU3 nuclear talks in Vienna on Wednesday. "Iran has commitments and rights based on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT); The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledges that Iran has been acting on its commitments... Iran has rights in the NPT which will not compromise them even slightly," said Khatami, who has newly been appointed by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei as substitute Friday prayers leader of Tehran. Referring to Article four of the NPT, he said, "Based on this article, the signatories can acquire peaceful nuclear technology including power plants. "Westerners should be concerned over Israel which according to a former Israeli technician has 200 nuclear warheads." Khatami added that the west should fear the Zionist regime which occupied Muslims' land unjustly and does not intend to withdraw from there at all. "On Palestine, Iran's words are accepted by the world. Iran believes each Palestinian has the right to vote. The nation should decide its fate by voting. Why an occupier group should rule the Muslims' land?" The substitute leader pointed to accusations leveled by the West against Iran on human rights violation in the country, saying, "The westerners once again raised the old human rights charges against Islamic Iran on threshold of new nuclear talks. "Such allegations are levelled by those in whose country injustice prompted people to stage riots," said Khatami. "You are on frontline of human rights violation and accuse Iran," added Khatami in an address to western states. He added that conditions in the Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib prisons mark a dark stain for the United States, saying, "This country can never remove such a stain from its government. "They claim human rights are violated in Iran while in the US avesdropping is ordered; the west and US are trying to abuse human rights; observation of human rights is in the context of Islam and we consider ourselves as pioneers of human rights," said the top cleric. He said Iran's constitution stresses observation of human rights and the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been considering flagrancy as human rights. "Spread of flagrancy is an instance of human rights violation," he added. The member of the Presiding Board of the Assembly of Experts described Friday prayers as "the tableau of the Islamic government." He assessed as "positive" the efforts of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying his government has five valuable approaches. He referred to Islam-seeking and meritocracy as two sublime features of the first approach, with the second approach having such distinctions as justice-seeking, efforts for administration of justice, support for the poor, as especially indicated by his excellency's tours to the deprived regions, and the "active and dynamic" policy of the president and his cabinet. "The president's brave stances against the world of arrogance is among other positive approaches of him." Khatami expressed hope that the government would be stable and strong and the nation would witness positive achievements of President Ahmadinejad's government. He pointed to recent parliamentary elections in Iraq and said, "Today, the Iraqi nation witnesses a landslide victory. This brave nation is deserved to taste such a big victory." The leader added that Islamists gained 140 seats in recent parliamentary elections in Iraq, saying, "This is while the US did its utmost to prevent such an event." He said insult to Grand Ayatollah Sistani and visits by the US and British officials to Iraq were among measures that occupiers adopted to reverse Iraq's election results. Khatami stressed the importance of the occupiers' withdrawal from Iraq and said the elections had no message but people favoring Islam and virtues. ***************************************************************** 3 MNA: German leader wants China, Russia to join Iran-EU nuclear talks Tehran: 20:59 2005/12/23 TEHRAN, Dec. 23 (MNA) -- German chancellor Angela Merkel has called on China and Russia to join nuclear talks between Iran and the European Union, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine reported on Friday. Iran and the EU represented by Germany, France and Britain, resumed talks in Vienna on Wednesday after a break-off since August. Merkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine that indications suggest that Tehran wants nuclear talks to bear results. She said the realization of such a goal would entail sustainable talks and more seriousness. AV/MS End MNA © 2003-2005 Mehr News Agency ***************************************************************** 4 Japan Times: Pyongyang talks to push three topics Friday, December 23, 2005 By KANAKO TAKAHARA Staff writer Tokyo will try to get Pyongyang to commit to "three-track talks" on the abductions, security and settlement of Japan's past harsh rule during their weekend bilateral meeting, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Thursday. Aso said it was "natural" to believe North Korea has already agreed to the three-track talks as Japan told North Korea it would only attend the next bilateral meeting if Pyongyang did so. At the last bilateral talks held in Beijing in November, Japan proposed the two sides hold separate talks on the abductions, security and Japan's past rule. "It will be a progress if we can set up the three panels and name the members," Aso said, adding he would appoint officials versed in each of the fields to head the three panels. Akitaka Saiki, deputy director of the Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Bureau, will head Japan's delegation over the weekend and Song Il Ho, vice director of the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Asian Affairs Department, will lead Pyongyang's side. Aso met later Thursday with kin of South Korean, Thai, Lebanese and Japanese abductees to North Korea. Nuke envoy named The Foreign Ministry on Thursday gave Tadamichi Yamamoto, who currently serves as government envoy on antiterrorism and Iraq issues, the additional job of special envoy on the North Korean nuclear threat. The Japan Times: Dec. 23, 2005 (C) All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 5 [NYTr] FBI Defends Hunting for Muslim Radiation Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 21:00:32 -0600 (CST) X-Fingerprint: owner-imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu-127.127 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [Nothin' wrong with checking our environment for excess radiation, guys... but only MUSLIM radiation? C'mon.... ] AP via Yahoo - Dec 23, 2005 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051224/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/domestic_surveillance FBI Official Defends Radiation Monitoring By LARRY MARGASAK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - A classified radiation monitoring program, conducted without warrants, has targeted private U.S. property in an effort to prevent an al-Qaida attack, federal law enforcement officials confirmed Friday. While declining to provide details including the number of cities and sites monitored, the officials said the air monitoring took place since the Sept. 11 attacks and from publicly accessible areas -- which they said made warrants and court orders unnecessary. U.S. News and World Report first reported the program on Friday. The magazine said the monitoring was conducted at more than 100 Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C., area -- including Maryland and Virginia suburbs -- and at least five other cities when threat levels had risen: Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, New York and Seattle. The magazine said that at its peak, three vehicles in Washington monitored 120 sites a day, nearly all of them Muslim targets identified by the FBI. Targets included mosques, homes and businesses, the magazine said. The revelation of the surveillance program came just days after The New York Times disclosed that the Bush administration spied on suspected terrorist targets in the United States without court orders. President Bush has said he approved the program to protect Americans from attack. Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights group, said Friday the program "comes as a complete shock to us and everyone in the Muslim community." "This creates the appearance that Muslims are targeted simply for being Muslims. I don't think this is the message the government wants to send at this time," he said. Hooper said his organization has serious concerns about the constitutionality of monitoring on private property without a court order. Brian Roehrkasse, a Justice Department spokesman, said Friday that the administration "is very concerned with a growing body of sensitive reporting that continues to show al-Qaida has a clear intention to obtain and ultimately use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear" weapons or high energy explosives. To meet that threat, the government "monitors the air for imminent threats to health and safety," but acts only on specific information about a potential attack without targeting any individual or group, he said. "FBI agents do not intrude across any constitutionally protected areas without the proper legal authority," the spokesman said. In a 2001 decision, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that police must get warrants before using devices that search through walls for criminal activity. That decision struck down the use without a warrant of a heat-sensing device that led to marijuana charges against an Oregon man. Roehrkasse said the Justice Department believes that case does not apply to air monitoring in publicly accessible areas. Two federal law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the program is classified, said the monitoring did not occur only at Muslim-related sites. Douglas Kmiec, a professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University, said the location of the surveillance matters when determining if a court order is needed. "The greatest expectation of privacy is in the home," said Kmiec, a Justice Department official under former presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. "As you move away from the home to a parking lot or a place of public accommodation or an office, there are a set of factors that are a balancing test for the court," he said. Despite federal promises to inform state and local officials of security concerns, that never formally happened with the radiation monitoring program, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. The official said that after discussions with attorneys, some state and local authorities decided the surveillance was legal, equating it to air quality monitors set up around Washington that regularly sniff for suspicious materials. "They weren't targeting specific people, they were just doing it by random, driving around (commercial) storage sheds and parking lots," the official said. Asked about the program's status, the official said, "I'd understood it had been stopped or significantly rolled back" as early as eight months ago. Such information-sharing with state and local officials is the responsibility of the Homeland Security Department, which spokesman Brian Doyle said was not involved in the program. [Associated Press Writer Lara Jakes Jordan contributed to this story.] * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 6 AFP: India reports progress on nuclear issues with US Fri Dec 23, 1:32 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - India reported considerable progress on implementing a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with the United States. "I go back very satisfied with the progress that has been achieved in the relationship between our two countries," Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told reporters in Washington on Thursday. "We have achieved considerable advance in terms of the implementation of the various understandings which were reached on July 18," he said at a press conference. "I believe we have a very good foundation for taking our relations to a much higher level." During the two-day visit, the ministry's top bureaucrat met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley" /> Stephen Hadleyand Senate Foreign Relations Committee" /> Senate Foreign Relations CommitteeChairman Richard Lugar. But the focus of the visit was Saran's meeting with Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns for the third talks of a working group that is trying to push forward a landmark agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation. The agreement signed by US President George W. Bush" /> President George W. Bushand Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July is the linchpin of the new ties between India and the United States. "India-US relations are poised for a very significant advance in the coming months," said Saran. However, the pact has raised concern within the US Congress, which must approve it. Some lawmakers questioned the wisdom of providing atomic fuel and technology to a nuclear weapons power that has refused to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Hindu newspaper in New Delhi reported Tuesday that India was seeking to reassure Washington during this visit that any civilian nuclear help it received from the United States would not benefit its weapons program. Indian security analysts meanwhile have balked at US demands that India separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities and place its civilian facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic Energy Agencyinspections. But Saran said that both sides were in agreement that the nuclear deal would move forward in the run-up to a visit to India by the US president. "As far as the civilian nuclear energy cooperation is concerned ... we had a very, very positive exchange of views and also we came to the conclusion that we should be in a position to make a significant advance on this initiative before President Bush" /> President Bush's visit to India," said Saran. No specific date has been set yet for Bush's visit. The working group is expected to hold its next meeting in January 2006 in New Delhi, according to a statement from the US State Department. Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 7 RIA Novosti: Russia supplies 14kg of low-enriched uranium to Libya 23/ 12/ 2005 MOSCOW, December 23 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency has delivered 14kg of low-enriched uranium to Libya, the agency said Friday. The fuel is meant as a substitute for the highly enriched uranium fuel brought from Libya on March 8, 2004. The low-enriched uranium was produced by the Novosibirsk chemical concentrate plant in Siberia, currently being integrated into the TVEL Corporation, a leading world manufacturer of nuclear fuel, the agency said. The uranium will be used at the Tajura research reactor, the agency said. The nuclear fuel was delivered under a Russian-U.S. intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the repatriation of spent nuclear fuel of research reactors. The program for transferring research reactors to low-enriched fuel is designed to reduce the potential threat of the use of radioactive materials for terrorist goals, the agency said. © 2005 "RIA Novosti" ***************************************************************** 8 Mos News: NATO Says Russia Reluctant to Safeguard Weapons of Mass Destruction - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM Photo from www.nato.int Created: 23.12.2005 16:18 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 16:18 MSK MosNews Despite agreements and investments the Russian government continues to deny U.S. officials access to many nuclear warhead stockpiles, weapons-grade nuclear material storage sites and biological facilities, preventing the U.S. from devising security upgrades, a NATO report said. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the U.S. and Russia have been working together to safeguard Russia’s stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Nevertheless, more than 6,500 Russian strategic nuclear warheads have been secured from visiting foreign experts, the country’s first chemical-weapons disposal site is working, and three others are under construction. Of the estimated 185 tons of plutonium and 1,100 tons of weapons-grade uranium stored in Russia, only half have received security upgrades, the report estimates. Aware of how lax security is at many former biological weapons sites, Russian authorities worry that U.S. inspections of those sites could produce information leaks that ultimately could help terrorists target those locations, Vladimir Orlov, a nuclear security expert with the PIR Center, a Moscow think tank was quoted by the Chicago Tribune as saying. “The Russian government feels uncertain and vulnerable about its biological complex facilities,” Orlov said. “But the (NATO) report is right in saying that Russian authorities haven’t put a high enough priority on securing biological sites.” The U.S., Russia and other members of the Group of 8 leading industrialized countries have fared better when it comes to destruction of Russia’s stockpile of 40,000 metric tons of chemical weapons — the world’s largest. Work has started at a disposal plant in the south-central city of Gorny to destroy mustard gas and lewisite, both blistering agents. Construction at three other disposal plants has begun, including a facility at Shchuchye that will destroy Russia’s vast nerve-gas stockpile. Russia has 32,500 metric tons of sarin, VX and soman nerve gas stored in shells, rockets and bombs at five sites across the country. This disposal plant is expected to go into operation in 2008. However, Russia the U.S. and other Western governments have not tackled the question of tactical nuclear weapons, which are worrisome because of their small size and portability, according to the report. “Tactical nuclear weapons could cause destruction far more severe than the Sept. 11, 2001, assault,” the report warns. Russian authorities said they had destroyed more than half their tactical nuclear weapons but they have not provided any concrete data on the reductions or on numbers of existing tactical nuclear arms. Likewise, the U.S. has not formally declared the number and location of its tactical nuclear weapons. Copyright © 2004 MOSNEWS.COM [Ðåéòèíã@Mail.ru] ***************************************************************** 9 Formal Allegation Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 19:43:31 -0800 ---------- From: Larry Christian Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:28:19 -0500 To: Cc: Eric Epstein Subject: Formal Allegation ALLEGATION: We here by inform The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the Licensees operating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are in violation of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.47; 10 CFR 50.54; 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix E; 44 CFR 350) because Pennsylvania has improperly planned for and/or left out special populations (day care centers and nursery schools) from their Radiological Emergency Response Planning (RERP) Requirements. Date: 12/21/2004 Leanne Harrison Allegations Department U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region 1 Dear Mrs. Harrison: We are writing the U.S. Nuclear Regulator Commission (NRC) Allegations Department to file this Formal Allegation, and seek immediate action from the Commission for serious violations to the following Federal Regulations by all of the Licensees operating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: 10 CFR 50.47; and 10 CFR 50.54; and 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix E; and 44 CFR 350. ALLEGATION We specifically allege the protective actions outlined in Guidance Memorandum EV-2 ³Protective Actions for School Children² which are required by the above sited Code of Federal Regulations (CFR¹s) are not in place in Pennsylvania at this time; nor have they ever been at anytime over the past 19 years as required by NRC licensing codes. Guidance Memorandum EV-2 requires that state and local governments provide offsite emergency plans for all day care and nursery schools (with more than 10 children); and shall include at a minimum: - Identifying the populations of all school facilities; and - Determining and providing or protective actions for these populations; and - Establishing and maintaining notification methods for these facilities; and - Determining and providing for transportation and relocation. We now submit the attached evidence to support our allegations. EVIDENCE Exhibit #1 - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Senior Nuclear Engineer Michael Jamgochian¹s September 2005 Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) which verifies violations of the above sited requirements and requests that the 120 day clock contained in 10 CFR 50.54(s)(2) be implemented. Exhibit #2 - Petition for Rulemaking PRM 50-79 Rulemaking Submitted to the NRC on September 4, 2004 to Include All Nursery Schools and Daycare Centers in Federally Required Radiological Emergency Readiness Plans. PRM 50-79 included 3,000 co-signers. Exhibit #3 - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Federal Register Vol. 70, No. 242 Monday, December 19, 2005 Denial of petition for rulemaking (PRM 50-79) which verifies the above sited requirements exist and explains in detail how they are to be implemented. Exhibit #4 - Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Commissioner Gregory B. Jaczko¹s Voting Response Sheet for NRC Petition for Rule Making (PRM 50-79) which verifies his concerns of problems with emergency planning. Exhibit #5 - January 10, 2003 letter to the NRC from Acting Director of PEMA Carl C. Kuehn, II which states: ³As the rules exist now, any nursery or day care center may opt to participate in Radiological Emergency Preparedness program on a voluntary basis. This is sufficient.² Exhibit #6 - July 30, 2004 letter to Lawrence T. Christian from Director of PEMA David M. Sanko. which states ³Child care facilities are, for the most part, private business entities who, in conjunction with the parents, should assume responsibility for the safety of their charges. Local government will not treat these businesses any differently than it does any other citizen. Especially in rural areas, municipal government simply may not have the resources to provide shelter.² Exhibit #7 - August 7, 2003 letter from Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed to Governor Rendell which states: ³Surprisingly, nursery schools and daycare centers are not currently required to be part of any radiological incident or evacuation plan. There is absolutely no doubt, in the event of a radiological incident, there would be confusion and significant uncertainty regarding the handling of youngsters and staff assigned to these facilities. To put it mildly, their parents would be frantic.² Exhibit #8 - May 22, 2003 letter from Attorney General Mike Fisher to Governor Rendell which states: ³The lack of pre-planning and inclusion of daycare centers and nursery schools in the evacuation efforts, in the event of an emergency incident at a nuclear power facility, would result in on-site confusion regarding the safety of the children entrusted to these facilities.² Exhibit #9 - July 12, 2004 letter from Governor Rendell to The Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which states: ³Nine months after I took office, I learned the state did not require emergency planning as a routine aspect of childcare licensure.² Exhibit #10 - Emergency Preparedness Survey of Childcare Facilities located near TMI who¹s results showed that 87% didn¹t know who would provide transportation during a radiological emergency. Exhibit #11 - FEMA August 4, 2005 Three Mile Island Radiological Emergency Preparedness Drill Report which shows no day care center were required to participate and/or demonstrate compliance with the above sited regulations. Exhibit #12 ­ Further evidence can be provided by Joe Thomas (202) 225-5836 at Congressman Todd Platt¹s Office who has received many ³Request for assistance with Radiological Emergency Planning² sheets from numerous childcare facilities representing thousands of Pennsylvania preschool children. These request for assistance sheets show that most child care facilities in Pennsylvania are currently without radiological emergency planning. SUMMARY It¹s important to note Pennsylvania has had no radiological emergency planning requirements for nursery schools and day care centers even though these Federal Laws have required them under GM EV-2 to do so since 1986. It¹s also important to note July 2004 Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 2004-73 which codified Pennsylvania some regulatory requirements for ³certain² state licensed day care centers and nursery schools. However PA¹s new law requires the day care centers and nursery schools, not the State and local government agencies, to be responsible for all preschoolers¹ radiological emergency response planning needs. The GM EV-2 requires State and local governments, not the populations residing inside 10-mile Emergency Planning Zones, to provide emergency off site planning to insure the public is adequately protected in the event of a radiological emergency. The Commonwealth cannot meet it¹s GM EV-2 requirements simply by requiring the childcare facilities to obtain their own transportation and relocation in case of a radiological emergency. Our research shows that these facilities do not have the capacity to do their own radiological emergency planning and 83% do not have or have been provided transportation and relocation in the event of a radiological event. This in no way satisfies GM EV-2 requirements. Further PA¹s new law excluded all non-profit and religious based childcare facilities leaving over 183,000 Pennsylvania preschoolers exempt from it¹s protective measures. GM EV­2 has been implemented to include all daycare centers and nursery schools with more than 10 children.² The NRC¹s main purpose is to regulate the nuclear industry and protect the public. Preschool children cannot protect themselves and need NRC to fix this problem to insure their safety. We therefore submit this as a formal allegation of violation and ask that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission intervene and immediately bring the Licensees operating in Pennsylvania into compliance with these NRC Federal Regulations so that ³reasonable assurance² that adequate protective measures for all special populations located in Pennsylvania can and will be taken to protect the public in the event of a radiological emergency. Sincerely, Lawrence T. Christian Author of Petition PRM-50-79 133 Pleasant View Terrace New Cumberland, PA 17070 717-770-0852 or 717-245-2662 Eric J. Epstein TMI-Alert Chairman 4100 Hillsdale Road Harrisburg, PA 17112 717-541-1101 ***************************************************************** 10 NRC: NRC Renews Point Beach Nuclear Plant Operating Licenses for an Additional 20 Years News Release - 2005-16 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 05-167 December 22, 2005 licenses of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2, for an additional 20 years. The Point Beach plant is located in Two Rivers, Wis. The licensee, Nuclear Management Co. LLC, submitted its license renewal application Feb. 25, 2004. With the renewal, the license for Unit 1 is extended to Oct. 5, 2030, and the license for Unit 2 is extended to March 8, 2033. The NRCs environmental review for this license renewal is described in a site-specific supplement to the NRCs Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants (NUREG-1437, Supplement 23), issued in August. The review concluded there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the licenses for environmental reasons. Public meetings to discuss the environmental review were held near the plant on June 15, 2004, and March 3, 2005. After carefully reviewing the plants safety systems and specifications, the staff concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude license renewal, because the licensee had demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging. The Safety Evaluation Report Related to the License Renewal of the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 (NUREG-1839) was published in December. In addition, NRC conducted inspections of the plants to verify information submitted by the licensee. The reports relating to the Point Beach renewal are available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons/point-beach.html. On Nov. 18, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards an independent body of technical experts which advises the Commission issued its recommendation that the operating licenses for Point Beach be renewed. That recommendation is contained in Report on the Safety Aspects of the License Renewal Application for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. This document is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acrs/letters/2005/. The Point Beach renewals bring the total number of renewals to 39 reactor units. A complete listing of renewal applications can be found on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons.html. Last revised Friday, December 23, 2005 ***************************************************************** 11 JS Online: U.S. cites nuclear plant Journal Sentinel Kewaunee flood peril was of 'substantial importance to safety' By THOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com Posted: Dec. 22, 2005 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a notice of violation against the operator of the Kewaunee nuclear power plant and determined that a potential flooding problem there was of "substantial importance to safety." The matter was determined to be a "yellow" finding in an NRC classification that uses "red" for the most severe problems. Yellow is the second-worst category, one that results in stepped-up regulatory inspections and meetings with plant management. A September 2004 inspection found that parts of the turbine building could become flooded as a result of seismic conditions - primarily earthquakes - or equipment failures, the NRC said. The flooding could lead to a malfunction of equipment needed for safe shutdown of the plant. Kewaunee was shut down in February for extensive system and structural modifications to address the potential flooding problem. Dominion Resources Inc. of Richmond, Va., owns and operates the plant. Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green Bay and Wisconsin Power &Light Co. of Madison owned the plant at the time of the September 2004 inspection, which resulted in the identification of problems cited in the announcement Thursday. The $191.3 million sale of the plant was completed in July, after the reactor was shut down more than four months for repairs of those problems and related ones. "The Kewaunee plant took extensive corrective measures, including work performed in a four-month outage earlier this year," James Caldwell, NRC regional administrator, said in a statement. "However, the plant missed an opportunity to discover and correct this issue in 2003, when minor flooding in the turbine building showed the potential to challenge the function of certain safety equipment." Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens' Utility Board, said the NRC ruling is more evidence that customers shouldn't have had to pay for the Kewaunee shutdown this summer. The state Public Service Commission ruled last week that WPS customers would have to pay $47 million in fuel costs linked to the shutdown. Although they found some fault with WPS' management of the plant, commissioners Dan Ebert and Mark Meyer said there wasn't enough evidence to show what Higley's group asserted - that WPS was negligent or careless in its oversight of Kewaunee. NRC spokesman Jan Strasma said the agency considers that most of the problems identified in this case were fixed during the long shutdown this year. But he also said the plant will be inspected in depth in 2006, as a result of the violation announced Thursday. From the Dec. 23, 2005, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. | Produced by Journal Interactive | Privacy Policy Journal Sentinel Inc. is a subsidiary of Journal Communications. ***************************************************************** 12 JS Online: Point Beach gets 20-year license renewal Journal Sentinel Newspaper By THOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com Posted: Dec. 22, 2005 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thursday signed off on a proposal to extend the license of the Point Beach nuclear power plant for an additional 20 years. The NRC granted an application to renew the license of the two Point Beach reactors, which opened in the early 1970s. The license would be extended until 2030 in the case of Unit 1 and 2033 in the case of Unit 2. The Point Beach plant in Two Creeks in Manitowoc County supplies about one-fourth of the electricity generated by the state's largest utility, We Energies. Hudson-based Nuclear Management Co. operates the plant for plant owner We Energies. "It's a good day for Point Beach, for We Energies and for NMC," Dave Weaver, the utility's nuclear asset manager, said from Washington, D.C., after the license renewal decision was signed. The decision is significant, he said, because "it means we don't have to incur the expense of either building a new plant or trying to import energy from out of state, which is difficult now with constrained transmission resources." The commission issued a statement saying it approved the license extension, and noted that it has authorized such extensions for 39 reactors across the country. The agency said Nuclear Management Co. "had demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging." The agency spent nearly two years reviewing an application from the plant operator that was more than 1,600 pages. Nuclear power opponents have said the NRC's review process was inadequate because it doesn't take into account the environmental impacts of storing more spent nuclear fuel at Point Beach, potentially until the early 2030s. Spent fuel is being stored safely at Point Beach and other nuclear power plants, and safe storage is expected to continue, whether at the plant or at a national repository planned for Yucca Mountain in Nevada, the NRC says. The license renewal did not address a series of problems that led to harsh safety findings from the agency in recent years. "It's a separate issue," NRC spokesman Jan Strasma said. The license review was focused more on the ability of the plant itself to age rather than current management of Point Beach, he said. In 2003, Point Beach became the only plant in the nation to be hit with two "red" findings from the NRC. Red findings are the most severe assessed by the agency on a four-color grading scale. As a result, the plant is one of only two nuclear plants nationwide that are subject to an extremely high level of NRC inspections and scrutiny. At a meeting Wednesday with NRC near Chicago, NMC managers at Point Beach told regulators they have done everything that's been asked of them to improve plant performance, including steps to improve both plant engineering and their effectiveness at correcting problems, Strasma said. The NRC hasn't yet signed off on "whether or not what they've done is sufficient," Strasma said. Weaver said he expects that to occur in early 2006. "We're making good progress there, too," he said. Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens' Utility Board, a ratepayer advocacy group, said he wasn't surprised that the license was renewed. The group was disappointed that storage of spent nuclear fuel and the subpar performance of Point Beach in recent years weren't part of the review process for the Point Beach license. Point Beach employs about 700 workers. The two-reactor plant can generate 1,035 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 518,000 homes. From the Dec. 23, 2005, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. | Produced by Journal Interactive | Privacy Policy Journal Sentinel Inc. is a subsidiary of Journal Communications. ***************************************************************** 13 BBC: Inquiry into nuclear debris alert Last Updated: Friday, 23 December 2005 [Torness] Torness said the public had not been at risk An investigation has been launched after an alert at the Torness nuclear power station on Thursday night. Willie Waddle, director of the East Lothian plant, said debris prevented a spent fuel element being properly located in position. He said no-one was injured or at risk from radiation during the incident and that the plant was continuing to generate power as normal. Nationalists, the Greens and Friends of the Earth have all voiced concerns. Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue were alerted at about 2050 GMT on Thursday. There is no risk to anybody or off the power station Willie Waddle Torness director The service said that it sent its standard response of six normal pump fire engines and four specialist units to the site. British Energy, which operates the plant, said that the emergency services were called in as a precaution, but there was no major panic. Mr Waddle said that the incident had been confined to the fuel pond. He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We stood down the emergency at half-past-four this morning, we have been taking measurements and there have been no radiation leaks at all." Debris problem He said debris which had made its way into the fuel handling area had prevented the element from fitting properly into its container. "It shouldn't be there, we are surmising the debris will be graphite sleeves from elements, it will be slightly radioactive as it surrounds the fuel element, but there is no risk to anybody on or off the power station." Mr Waddle said the investigation to find out how the debris appeared in the container could take a number of days. British Energy said the alert had no effect on electricity generation at Torness and that the 38 staff on the late shift were checked, accounted for and continued with their normal work. Nuclear power is unsaf uneconomic and unnecessary. There are safer, cleaner and cheaper ways to tackle climate change Duncan McLaren Friends of the Earth Scotland Environmentalists and politicians opposed to nuclear power expressed concerns. Duncan McLaren, of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "This latest incident highlights just another reason why nuclear should be given no second chances in Tony Blair's forthcoming energy review. "Nuclear power is unsafe, uneconomic and unnecessary. There are safer, cleaner and cheaper ways to tackle climate change." SNP energy spokesman Richard Lochhead said: "It is extremely worrying when incidents like this occur. "I would hope that the investigation will be thorough and the results made available to the public as they are put at risk when accidents like this occur. "There is no need to gamble with the safety of thousands by creating new nuclear power stations when Scotland has a wealth of renewable and clean fossil fuel resources available." Chris Ballance, Green MSP for the South of Scotland, also called for an open investigation into the incident. The precautions taken la night ably demonstrate the very high safety standards which the UK nuclear industry conforms to John Home Robertson Labour MSP He said: "I am very much relieved that the incident is not a threat to people or the environment. "But I will be pressing for the results of an investigation to be made fully open to the public, and not having to be extracted through freedom of information requests as we had to do recently over another incident at the plant." Mr Ballance said the alert was a reminder of the risks associated with nuclear technology. "The last time they talked about a very minor incident at Torness it turned out to be a very large bang which shut the plant down for six to nine months," he said. However, local Labour MSP John Home Robertson attacked the Green MSP for "opportunistic criticism". Carbon-free electricity "Far from this incident being a sign of the dangers of nuclear power, the precautions taken last night ably demonstrate the very high safety standards which the UK nuclear industry conforms to," said Mr Home Robertson. "I'm delighted that the power station has been able to continue generating carbon-free electricity despite this incident and I commend the management and staff at Torness for the responsible way in which they've acted." The power station is located on the East Lothian coast, five miles south east of Dunbar, close to the main A1 road between Edinburgh and Newcastle. [Torness] The emergency has fuelled opposition among nuclear critics It emerged earlier this month that its lifespan was to be extended by decades. It had been expected to close in 2023, but British Energy said that updating vital equipment could extend its operating life. Torness opened in 1988 and employs nearly 500 people. Safety incidents recorded at the site, and at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, have allegedly included unauthorised waste discharges and problems with reactor fuel and fires. The environment and equipment at the sites have also been contaminated with radioactivity, according to a newspaper report earlier this month. British Energy in 2003 was fined £15,000 for dumping radioactive waste from Torness into the North Sea. Reactor 1 was closed down in August 2002 because of vibrations in the gas circulation system, which cooled the reactors ***************************************************************** 14 Hampton Union Local News: Nuclear plant touts its safety Fri. December 23, 2005 By Beth LaMontagne blamontagne@seacoastonline.com SEABROOK - Seabrook Station nuclear power plant is running safely, has improved security and continually updates its emergency plan, according to plant officials. The station held its annual media briefing Tuesday at its Science and Nature Center, answering questions on what to do when the emergency alarms sound to whether a plane could breach the outer walls of the reactor dome. The event is a requirement of the Nuclear Regulation Commission to keep local news outlets updated on what to do in the event of an emergency. Jim Van Dongen of the New Hampshire Emergency Management Agency said the current emergency plan contains 50 volumes on CD-ROM, outlining the safety and evacuation plans for 23 surrounding towns and cities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Each year, the plan is updated to take into account population change, new housing developments and changes to major roadways, Van Dongen said. Seabrook Station also issues a calendar to residents in each of the 23 communities with information about the plant and where to direct questions, said Alan Griffith, the plant’s spokesman. People concerned about what to do if they hear an emergency alarm should remember to listen to local television and radio stations, which will be immediately briefed on any incident that warrants public action, said education coordinator David Barr. Incidents at the nuclear station are broken down into four categories. "Unusual event" is the least threatening and is often weather related. "General emergency" is the most serious and requires media and state agency notification and possible evacuation. Since the plant opened, there have been nine unusual events. The last was in November 2003 when the non-nuclear generator had a small hydrogen leak, said Griffith. He added the plant has never has an incident more serious than an unusual event. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the plant has been "enhancing and modifying" plant security, said Griffith. This summer, there were media reports of inadequate security fences and overworked security officers, but Griffith said these issues have been addressed. Concerning the safety of the dome which houses the nuclear reactor, Griffith said that because of the plant’s proximity to the former Pease Air Force Base, the dome was built to withstand the impact of an airplane. the Hampton Union Hampton Union Home Delivery Best Offer Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast Media Group. Copyright © 2005 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please read our Copyright Notice and Terms of Use. Seacoast Media Group is a subsidiary of Ottaway Newspapers, Inc., a Dow Jones Company. ***************************************************************** 15 Green Bay Press-Gazette: Nuclear plant will continue to power state Posted December 23, 2005 Commission renews licenses for Point Beach's two reactors By Richard Ryman rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com TWO CREEKS — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed operating licenses for Point Beach Nuclear Plant's two reactors. The licenses were renewed for 20 years each. "Point Beach continues to strengthen our diverse fuel mix and provide safe, efficient and affordable energy to meet the growing needs of our customers and Wisconsin's economy," said Rick Kuester, president and chief executive officer of We Generation, Wisconsin Energy's generation unit. Point Beach's two units can generate 1,036 megawatts of electricity. Unit 1 began operation in 1970. Its current license will expire in 2010. The extension will allow it to operate until 2030. Unit 2 began operation in 1973. Its current license will expire in 2013. The extension will allow it to operate until 2033. David Weaver, nuclear asset manager for We Energies, said Point Beach provides one-sixth of the electricity in Wisconsin and 24 percent of We Energy's electricity. Weaver said the re-licensing saves We Energy having to build new power plants or purchase electricity from other sources, which would be difficult given the state's transmission system constraints. Point Beach, which has 700 employees, is operated by Nuclear Management Co. of Hudson. "We are extremely excited. This is a tremendous milestone for both Point Beach and Nuclear Management Co.," said Sara Cassidy, Nuclear Management Co. spokesman at Point Beach. Cassidy said Point Beach is the first plant among those managed by Nuclear Management Co. to achieve license renewal. She said the application was submitted in February 2004. Dominion Resources Inc., which owns the nearby Kewaunee Power Station, applied in July 2005 to renew that nuclear plant's operating license. Kewaunee's license expires in 2013. greenbaypressgazette.com is a Gannett Companywebsite. ***************************************************************** 16 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Subcommittee Meeting FR Doc 05-24429 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76332] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-108] on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena; Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittee on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena will hold a meeting on January 19, 2006, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance, with the exception of portions that may be closed to discuss General Electric (GE) proprietary information pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4). The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Thursday, January 19, 2006--8:30 a.m. Until the Conclusion of Business The Subcommittee will review the analytical methods to be used to evaluate stability scenarios for the ESBWR and will hear the NRC staff's plan to revise Regulatory Guide 1.82, ``Water Sources for Long- Term Recirculation Cooling Following a Loss-of-Coolant Accident.'' The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff, their contractors, GE and other interested persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Ralph Caruso (Telephone: 301-415-8065) 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 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 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 to the agenda. Dated: December 15, 2005. Michael L. Scott, Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. 05-24429 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 17 Sheboygan Press: NRC renews Point Beach nuclear plant licenses Posted December 23, 2005 Decision follows two-year review process at nuclear plant; extensions are for 20 years By Tara Meissner Herald Times Reporter TWO RIVERS — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the long-term operating licenses for We Energies' Point Beach nuclear plant, the utility said Thursday. The NRC's decision followed nearly two years of review by regulators, said We Energies' nuclear assets manager David A. Weaver. The review process included plant inspections, technical and environmental reviews and public input. The regulatory approval extends the license for Unit 1 until 2030 and Unit 2 until 2033, Weaver said. The reactors, which date back to the early 1970s, are operated by Nuclear Management Co. of Hudson. "It's a tremendous milestone for Point Beach and Nuclear Management Company," Point Beach spokeswoman Sara Cassidy said. Nuclear Management Co. submitted its license renewal application Feb. 25, 2004, on behalf of Point Beach owner WE Energies. "It gives us the opportunity to continue generating electricity. It allows us to be a good neighbor … providing good-paying jobs to the local people," Cassidy said. The renewal will secure about 700 local jobs for the next 20 years, according to Cassidy. The NRC's review concluded there were no factors that would preclude renewal of the licenses for environmental reasons, according to NRC spokesman Jan Strasma. After carefully reviewing the plant's safety systems and specifications, the NRC concluded that there were no safety concerns that would preclude license renewal, because Nuclear Management Co. had demonstrated the capability to manage the effects of plant aging, he said. An applicant must provide the NRC with an evaluation that addresses the technical accepts of plant aging and describe the programs used to manage those effects, Cassidy said. "It is just making sure we can safely operate with the health and safety of the public in mind," she said. Weaver said they are the 39th and 40th units to be relicensed, among the approximate 100 units across the country. Point Beach, located near Two Rivers, can generate 1,035 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 518,000 homes. The Associated Press contributed to this report. sheboygan-press.com is a Gannett Companywebsite. ***************************************************************** 18 JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point 2 taken off line By GREG CLARY (Original publication: December 23, 2005) BUCHANAN  Indian Point 2 shut down yesterday morning so repairs could be made to a packing seal on a valve that regulates the flow of nonradioactive water to one of the plant's four steam generators. A spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns Indian Point, said the plant had to be shut down  the first time in 383 days of continuous operation  in order to make the repair. "I expect we'll be back up by the weekend," Entergy spokesman Jim Steets said. One of two working nuclear reactors at the site, Indian Point 2 produces about 1,000 megawatts of power, an estimated 5 percent of the electrical power grid that serves New York. Steets said the reactor's power would be reduced to about 2 percent of its normal operation and would remain there until the valve is repaired. The plant's power production was reduced without incident, Steets said. Company officials' only real concern about the repair was breaking their continuous operation streak. "This is one of the longest continuous runs in the plant's history," said Paul Rubin, Indian Point's operations general manager, "and it's a credit to the Indian Point workers for demonstrating their attention to safety and operations and maintenance skills." Indian Point 3, which was taken down for repairs during the first week in October, continues to operate at full power, company officials said. Copyright 2005 The Journal News,. Inc. newspaper serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties in New York. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the and , updated June 7, 2005. ***************************************************************** 19 NRC: System Energy Resources, Inc.; Notice of Reconstitution FR Doc E5-7782 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76331] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-106] Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.321, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board in the above captioned proceeding regarding the October 2003 application of System Energy Resources, Inc., (SERI) for a 10 CFR part 52 early site permit (ESP), which would allow SERI to ``bank'' a possible site for the future construction of a new nuclear power generation facility on its Grand Gulf Nuclear Station property, is hereby reconstituted by appointing Administrative Judges Lawrence G. McDade, Chair, Nicholas G. Trikouros, and Richard E. Wardwell in place of Administrative Judges G. Paul Bollwerk, III, Chair, Paul B. Abramson, and Anthony J. Baratta. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.302, henceforth all correspondence, documents, and other material relating to any matter in this proceeding over which this Licensing Board has jurisdiction should be served on these administrative judges as follows: Lawrence G. McDade, Chair, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Dr. Nicholas G. Trikouros, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Dr. Richard E. Wardwell, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,Washington, DC 20555-0001. Issued at Rockville, Maryland this 15th day of December 2005. G. Paul Bollwerk, III, Chief Administrative Judge, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel. [FR Doc. E5-7782 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 20 NRC: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment and Finding FR Doc E5-7792 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76331-76332] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-107] of No Significant Impact for License Amendment for Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (FDA/CDRH) in Rockville, MD AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of availability. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Betsy Ullrich, Commercial and R Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, Region I, 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, 19406, telephone (610) 337-5040, fax (610) 337-5269; or by e-mail: exu@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering the issuance of a license amendment to the Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (FDA/CDRH) for Materials License No. 19-07538-01, to authorize release of its facility at 12709 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland for unrestricted use. NRC has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) in support of this proposed 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. [[Page 76332]] II. EA Summary The purpose of the proposed action is to authorize the release of the licensee's 12709 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland facility for unrestricted use. FDA/CDRH was authorized by NRC from 1965 to use radioactive materials for research and development purposes at the site. On August 23, 2005, FDA/CDRH requested that NRC release the facility for unrestricted use. FDA/CDRH has conducted surveys of the facility and provided information to the NRC to demonstrate that the site meets the license termination criteria in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20 for unrestricted use. The NRC staff has prepared an EA in support of the license amendment. The facility was remediated and surveyed prior to the licensee requesting the license amendment. The NRC staff has reviewed the information and final status survey submitted by FDA/CDRH. Based on its review, the staff has determined that there are no additional remediation activities necessary to complete the proposed action. Therefore, the staff considered the impact of the residual radioactivity at the facility and concluded that since the residual radioactivity meets the requirements in Subpart E of 10 CFR part 20, a Finding of No Significant Impact is appropriate. III. Finding of No Significant Impact The staff has prepared the EA (summarized above) in support of the license amendment to terminate the license and release the facility for unrestricted use. The NRC staff has evaluated FDA/CDRH's request and the results of the surveys and has concluded that the completed action complies with the criteria in Subpart E of 10 CFR Part 20. The staff has found that the radiological environmental impacts from the action are bounded by the impacts evaluated by NUREG-1496, Volumes 1-3, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement in Support of Rulemaking on Radiological Criteria for License Termination of NRC-Licensed Facilities'' (ML042310492, ML042320379, and ML042330385). Additionally, no non-radiological or cumulative impacts were identified. On the basis of the EA, the NRC has concluded that there are no significant environmental impacts from the proposed action, and has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. IV. Further Information Documents related to this action, including the application for the license amendment and supporting documentation, are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, you can access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for the documents related to this Notice are: Environmental Assessment [ML053480176] and Final Status Survey Report, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, 12709 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, Maryland, August 22, 2005, Final Report [ML052380179]. 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 (800) 397- 4209 or (301) 415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Documents related to operations conducted under this license not specifically referenced in this Notice may not be electronically available and/or may not be publicly available. Persons who have an interest in reviewing these documents should submit a request to NRC under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Instructions for submitting a FOIA request can be found on the NRC's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/foia/foia-privacy.html . Dated at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania this 14th day of December, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission John D. Kinneman, Chief Materials Security & Industrial Branch, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety. Region I. [FR Doc. E5-7792 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 21 Scotsman.com News: Nuclear power station scare - probe Fri 23 Dec 2005 An investigation is under way after emergency services were called to an incident at a Scottish nuclear power station. The alarm was raised at the Torness plant just before 9pm on Thursday night when staff disposing of spent fuel in the ponds at the plant became aware of "anomalous behaviour" of the irradiated substances. It remains unclear as to the nature of the reaction that caused concern, but there was no radioactivity released during the incident. The plant, near Dunbar, continued to operate during the incident. There were 38 staff on site when it happened, but all of them were accounted for and continued to work. British Energy, which operates the plant said the emergency services were called in as a precaution, but there was no major panic. A spokesman said on Thursday night: "Nobody has been evacuated and the plant is continuing to generate electricity. The emergency services were called as is normal in this situation, but we will continue to monitor the fuel pond." He said he could not elaborate on the behaviour of the fuel that was causing them concern. Chris Ballance, Green MSP for South Scotland, called for the probe into the scare to be done openly, saying: "I am very much relieved that the incident is not a threat to people or the environment. "But I will be pressing for the results of an investigation to be made fully open to the public, and not having to be extracted through Freedom of Information requests as we had to do recently over another incident at the plant." The power station is located on the East Lothian coast, five miles south east of Dunbar, close to the main A1 road between Edinburgh and Newcastle. It emerged earlier this month that its lifespan was to be extended by decades. It had been expected to close in 2023, but British Energy said that updating vital equipment could extend its operating life. The firm, which has a £2 billion annual turnover, generates approximately 55% of Scotland's electricity from the Hunterston 'B' nuclear power station in North Ayrshire and Torness itself. Torness was opened in 1988 and employs about 475 people, pumping about £25 million into the local economy. © Copyright Press Association Ltd 2005, All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 Scotsman.com News: Nuclear alert 'triggered by debris' The Press Association Fri 23 Dec 2005 An alert which resulted in an emergency call-out to a nuclear power station was triggered by debris. The debris prevented a spent fuel element being properly located in position, said Torness power station director Willie Waddell. He insisted there had been no danger to the public and no release of radioactivity during Thursday night's scare at the East Lothian nuclear plant. But Greens demanded that any investigation into the scare be carried out openly. The alarm was raised when staff disposing of spent fuel in ponds at the plant noticed what was described at the time as "anomalous behaviour". Mr Waddell told BBC Radio Scotland: "During routine fuel-handling operations, we had difficulty seating a fuel element in our pond." A site emergency was declared as a precaution and police and the fire brigade were called in. "They were stood down very soon after when it became apparent there was no danger at all to the public," said Mr Waddell. "We have since discovered the problem why we could not seat the element was that there was some debris in the skip." He insisted: "We have been taking measurements and there have been no radiation leaks at all, so there has been no risk to the public." Mr Waddell said the debris may have been "slightly radioactive" graphite sleeve which should not have been there. But he said: "There is no risk to anybody concerned, either on or off the power station - it's all contained within the pond." The plant worked normally throughout, and there would now be a full investigation into how the debris came to be in the skip, he said. Environmentalists have voiced concern. Green MSP Chris Ballance said the scare was a reminder of the risks associated with nuclear technology, adding: "I will be pressing for the results of an investigation to be made fully open to the public, and not having to be extracted through Freedom of Information requests as we had to do recently over another incident at the plant." © Copyright Press Association Ltd 2005, All Rights Reserved. ©2005 Scotsman.com| contact ***************************************************************** 23 Record Online: Indian Point reactor shut for valve repair www.recordonline.com December 23, 2005 The Associated Press Buchanan - The Indian Point 2 nuclear reactor was shut down yesterday so workers could repair the seal on a valve, the plant's owner said. Jim Steets, spokesman for Entergy Nuclear Northeast, said the valve regulates the flow of nonradioactive water to a steam generator and the seal problem posed no danger to workers or nearby residents. "It's a case where you have to shut down the plant to make the repair," he said. "It should be back up for the weekend." The reactor, one of two on the site in Buchanan, had operated continuously for 383 days until yesterday, Steets said. The Indian Point 3 reactor was operating normally, he said. THR Managing Editor Meg McGuire at mmcguire@th-record.comor call 346-3041 Record Online is brought to you by the Times Herald-Record, serving New York's Hudson Valley and the Catskills. 40 Mulberry Street * PO Box 2046 * Middletown, NY 10940 Telephone 845-341-1100 or 800-295-2181 outside the Middletown, N.Y., area. CopyrightOrange County Publications. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Joint Meeting of the FR Doc E5-7781 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76332-76333] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-109] Subcommittees on Human Factors and on Reliability and Probability Risk Assessment; Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittees on Human Factors and on Reliability and Probability Risk Assessment will hold a joint meeting on January 25, 2006, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: [[Page 76333]] Wednesday, January 25, 2006--8:30 a.m. Until 12:30 p.m. The Subcommittees will examine current status of NRC's safety management/culture initiatives, and associated approaches to address safety culture in the regulatory oversight process. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff, and other interested persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittees will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Dr. John H. Flack (telephone 301/415-0426), five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 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 to the agenda. Dated: December 15, 2005. Michael L. Scott, Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. E5-7781 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 25 Korea Times: USFK Lost Depleted Uranium - Activist Hankooki.com > The Korea Times By Jung Sung-ki Staff Reporter The United States Forces Korea (USFK) has about 2.7 million depleted uranium (DU) bombs, some 24,000 of them missing, raising concerns about its potential damage to human health and the environment, a civic activist claimed. In a contribution article to Tongilnews.com, a progressive online news service, on Dec. 19, anti-war activist Lee Si-woo said the USFK keeps more than 2.7 million DU weapons in its Air Force bases here, citing a declassified dossier from the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii. The document dated in August 2003 says that the U.S. base in Suwon of Kyonggi Province has some 1.3 million DU bombs; 930,000 in Chongju, North Chungchong Province; 470,000 in Osan, Kyonggi Province. The total figure is eight times as many as the 300,000 that Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan, reportedly has. Lee said he obtained the document from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a U.S. religious group for peace movements, noting Kyle Kajihiro, a chief secretary of the AFSC in Hawaii, had asked the U.S. Pacific Command to make public data related DU weapons under the Freedom of Information Act in February 2001. Citing other documents from the air bases concerned, the activist also said the U.S. military has appeared to have lost about 28,000 of its depleted uranium weapons. Depleted uranium is a by-product of the nuclear fuel and weapons industries, that can cause radioactive damage to people and the environment. The progressive Democratic Labor Party (DLP) called on the government to conduct a thorough inspection of the storage of DU bombs here and ask the U.S. to withdraw the weapons. A spokesman for the USFK dismissed Lee¡¯s claim on the alleged missing DU weapons, declining to comment how many DU bombs the USFK currently has on the grounds of military secrecy. ``It¡¯s true and not a new thing that the USFK has kept the weapons in case of an emergency. But they have never been used, even in exercise training, so there is no reason to believe, I think, that the materials were missing,¡¯¡¯ Kim Young-kyu at the public affairs office of the USFK told The Korea Times. Kim added that the South Korean government has already been informed of the matter by the USFK. DU is used in many forms of ammunition as an armor penetrator because of its extreme weight and density. DU weapons were first used during the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1991. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, U.S. and British troops used more than five times as many DU bombs and shells as the total number used during the Gulf War, reports said. gallantjung@hotmail.com 12-23-2005 17:39 ***************************************************************** 26 Guardian Unlimited: FBI Official Defends Radiation Monitoring From the Associated Press [UP] December 23, 2005 9:46 PM By LARRY MARGASAK Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - A classified radiation monitoring program, conducted without warrants, has targeted private U.S. property in an effort to prevent an al-Qaida attack, federal law enforcement officials confirmed Friday. While declining to provide details including the number of cities and sites monitored, the officials said the air monitoring took place since the Sept. 11 attacks and from publicly accessible areas - which they said made warrants and court orders unnecessary. U.S. News and World Report first reported the program on Friday. The magazine said the monitoring was conducted at more than 100 Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C. area - including Maryland and Virginia suburbs - and at least five other cities when threat levels had risen: Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, New York and Seattle. The magazine said that at its peak, three vehicles in Washington monitored 120 sites a day, nearly all of them Muslim targets identified by the FBI. Targets included mosques, homes and businesses, the magazine said. The revelation of the surveillance program came just days after The New York Times disclosed that the Bush administration spied on suspected terrorist targets in the United States without court orders. President Bush has said he approved the program to protect Americans from attack. Reagan and George H.W. Bush.'' Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights group, said Friday the program ``comes as a complete shock to us and everyone in the Muslim community.'' ``This creates the appearance that Muslims are targeted simply for being Muslims. I don't think this is the message the government wants to send at this time,'' he said. Hooper said his organization has serious concerns about the constitutionality of monitoring on private property without a court order. Brian Roehrkasse, a Justice Department spokesman, said Friday that the administration ``is very concerned with a growing body of sensitive reporting that continues to show al-Qaida has a clear intention to obtain and ultimately use chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear'' weapons or high energy explosives. To meet that threat, the government ``monitors the air for imminent threats to health and safety,'' but acts only on specific information about a potential attack without targeting any individual or group, he said. ``FBI agents do not intrude across any constitutionally protected areas without the proper legal authority,'' the spokesman said. In a 2001 decision, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that police must get warrants before using devices that search through walls for criminal activity. That decision struck down the use without a warrant of a heat-sensing device that led to marijuana charges against an Oregon man. Roehrkasse said the Justice Department believes that case does not apply to air monitoring in publicly accessible areas. Two federal law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the program is classified, said the monitoring did not occur only at Muslim-related sites. Douglas Kmiec, a professor of constitutional law at Pepperdine University, said the location of the surveillance matters when determining if a court order is needed. ``The greatest expectation of privacy is in the home,'' said Kmiec, a Justice Department official under former presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. ``As you move away from the home to a parking lot or a place of public accommodation or an office, there are a set of factors that are a balancing test for the court,'' he said. Despite federal promises to inform state and local officials of security concerns, that never formally happened with the radiation monitoring program, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. The official said that after discussions with attorneys, some state and local authorities decided the surveillance was legal, equating it to air quality monitors set up around Washington that regularly sniff for suspicious materials. ``They weren't targeting specific people, they were just doing it by random, driving around (commercial) storage sheds and parking lots,'' the official said. Asked about the program's status, the official said, ``I'd understood it had been stopped or significantly rolled back'' as early as eight months ago. Such information-sharing with state and local officials is the responsibility of the Homeland Security Department, which spokesman Brian Doyle said was not involved in the program. --- Associated Press Writer Lara Jakes Jordan contributed to this story On the Net: Justice Department: http://www.usdoj.gov Homeland Security Department: http://www.dhs.gov Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 27 (POGO) Blog: Bad News in MOXville The Project On Government Oversight POGO blog - blogging on corruption, blogging for solutions. Bad News in MOXville On Christmas eve's eve there's bad news from the on its Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility (or "MOX Facility") at the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Savannah River Site in Georgia. The key finding: The cost of the MOX Facility will significantly exceed the amounts reported to Congress in 2002. As of July 2005, NNSA's unvalidated estimate for the design and construction of the MOX Facility was about $3.5 billion, which is $2.5 billion more than it had previously estimated. Further, as of July 2005, NNSA had spent $453 million – nearly half of the $1 billion design and construction budget – on just design activities and had only completed 70 percent of the design work. The MOX Facility is intended to help the U.S. and Russia meet an agreement to dispose of 68 metric tons of surplus plutonium by turning it into a fuel for nuclear reactors. December 23, 2005 ***************************************************************** 28 Salt Lake Tribune: Senate sends Bush bill on Utah wilderness area Last Updated: 12/23/2005 01:51:26 AM WASHINGTON - A bill that creates a wilderness area in Utah's west desert, part of a bid to block a private nuclear waste storage site in the state, is on its way to President Bush to be signed into law. The 100,000-acre Cedar Mountain wilderness area was included in a broader defense bill after months of lobbying by the Utah congressional delegation and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. The Senate passed the bill on a voice vote late Wednesday night, part of a year-end legislative blitz. The wilderness area would hinder the plan by Private Fuel Storage, a group of electric utilities, to build a rail line to deliver the nuclear waste to the Skull Valley Goshute Indian reservation, although PFS has said it could truck the waste to the planned facility if it has to. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission authorized the license for PFS in September to store 44,000 tons of nuclear fuel on the Skull Valley reservation, although the license has not been issued. Rep. Rob Bishop, who picked up the idea originally pushed by his predecessor, Rep. Jim Hansen, and introduced it in the House, said he was relieved to have it through Congress. "It is something we've championed since my first day here," Bishop said. "This represents the single best legislative impediment to date to the ill-advised plan to bring nuclear waste to Skull Valley. This provision protects the test and training range and creates wilderness the right way." -Robert Gehrke © Copyright 2005, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 29 Norton Mirror: Delay possible Shpack landfill cleanup TownOnline.com - By Gabriel Leiner/ Staff Writer Friday, December 23, 2005 Excavation of radioactive materials at the Shpack Landfill Superfund site on Union Road will take longer than anticipated after engineers and officials reported an increased volume of radiological materials. "The bad news is, there is a lot more (waste) at the site than we thought, the good news is that we are continuing to get it cleaned up to the level that we originally wanted it," said Congressman Barney Frank at public forum on the cleanup held Tuesday in Norton. Shpack project manager Tim Nichols of Conti Engineering, the firm responsible for remedial operations at the site, said excavation crews found radioactive materials deeper into soil than expected and across a wider area within the sites 81 acre grounds. "From our original information from geologists and hydro-geologists we thought we would be digging two to three feet below grade," said Nichols. "To date weve had more like 8 to 12 feet below grade. The footprint of the site is also about 30 percent larger than we thought. The 13,000 cubic yard grid we started with is looking more like triple that. If things continue as they are it will probably approach 40,000 cubic yards." Nichols said above average rainfall in October and November delayed excavation as well. After a part of the landfill is excavated, radiological materials are sent to Utah to be processed by the chemical company Envirocare, and the area is backfilled with clean, off-site soil. After an area is backfilled, it is considered completely clean. Nichols said rainfall has slowed the process of pre-excavation, excavation, sampling and screening of removed materials, before cleaned sites are backfilled. "The biggest challenge so far has been with surface and groundwater management," said Nichols. "There have been numerous flooding events. We have been de-watering before excavating, which slows down the whole chain of taking out materials and then backfilling. And we still have to continue environmental monitoring for air and dust control. We expected to deal with water but not the 20 inches that came in October." [continue] Funding for the Shpack site cleanup is set at $5 million in 2005 and $7 million in 2006. According to United States Army Corps of Engineers Shpack project manager Tim Beauchemin, if the radiological material at the site is embedded as deeply and widely as believed, funds for excavation will run out in May 2006 at an estimated $20 million short of completion. "We may have to shut down (excavation)in June 2006 and come back in the following May of 2007 if funding comes back for the year of 2008," said Beauchemin. "If this happens then we will leave an extra $2 million to keep the site protected and monitored during its shutdown and if possible to be able to begin work again if funds come sooner." Beauchemin said if excavation stopped in May 2006, about 13,000 cubic yards of excavation, the original estimated radioactive area, would be clean. "There are cuts everywhere in (Washington), D.C. of 1 percent across the board for budgets. The (Environmental Protection Agency) has a 1 percent cut too and funding for 2007 is not great," said Frank. "But as long as I'm in good health I'm confident that we'll maintain this project," Frank said. "A great deal has already been done so I think the odds are that it will be finished." "The process is now at a point where nothing can be gained by suspending or holding up the Corps' portion of the cleanup once it has been initiated," said Frank in a joint letter with Massachusetts Senators John F. Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Norton resident Dave Merris, an abutter to the Shpack site, said he was concerned about possible runoff from the site onto his and other neighbors' property and streets. "Recently there was drainage coming off right onto my roads, and we don't hear anything about what is going on (at the Shpack site)," said Merris. "It's up in my yard almost." Beauchemin said that there was a brief drainage problem at the site, but any run water allowed to run off from the site is clean water, and that there have been no exceedances of radiation or pubic safety incidences to date. Frank also said there have been several public meetings in Norton in which information about the cleanup was available to the public, and urged anyone with questions to contact his Taunton office. Equipment currently on site for the project includes trailer units, storage containers, sample management sheds, groundwater management and recharge basins, screening bins, an on-site radiological laboratory, and a vibro-hammer to drive through hard surfaces when digging. Staff Writer Gabriel Leiner can be reached at 508 623-7563 or gleiner@cnc.com. © Copyright of CNC and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems, Inc. No portion of townonline.com or its content may be reproduced ***************************************************************** 30 Colorado Daily: Radioactive waste permit issued TownNews.com(C) Friday, December 23, 2005 12:17 PM MST DENVER (AP) -State regulators issued a permit Wednesday for a radioactive waste dump in eastern Adams County about 70 miles east of Denver. The permit allows the Clean Harbors Deer Trail Facility to accept limited types of naturally occurring radioactive waste or such waste that has been modified in industrial processes, the state health department said. Among the most common type of this material is from municipal drinking water treatment plants, according to the health department. The permit from the Department of Public Health and Environment prohibits Clean Harbors from accepting artificial or artificially altered radioactive material from research, medicine, weapons, nuclear power plants or other operations. The permit goes into effect after a 30 day period to allow for appeals. The department also renewed Clean Harbors' hazardous waste permit for the site. Phillip Retallick, a vice president with the Braintree, Mass.-based Clean Harbors, said the site would be one of only four in the country accepting this type of waste and would save millions of dollars in waste shipment costs. Other such landfills are in Idaho, Washington, and Texas. Besides radioactiv e waste from municipal water suppliers, the site could accept pipe scale from oil and gas wells, and well as some waste from Denver's radium pavement removal project, Retallick said. The radioactive waste permit had long been opposed by a group of eastern Colorado residents who have watched operations at the landfill with suspicion since they began more than a decade ago. Pam Whelden of Concerned Citizens of Eastern Colorado said her grou p fears that Clean Harbors will use the permit as a fo othold to gain the ability to store higher-level radioactive waste from around the country. Clean Harbors, the sixth company to operate the landfill, has been looking to enhance its revenues as non-radioactive hazardous waste have been declining, Whelden said. She said when the landfill was first approved, residents were told it would never be used to store radioactive waste. "It's upsetting, of course," she said. "They promise you so many things at these sites and then you end up with what you never thought would be there." She didn't know if her group would appeal the permit. The landfill is the only licensed hazardous waste disposal site in Colorado and has been accepting hazardous waste since 1991. Health department director Doug Benevento said the permits were approved after extensive reviews to ensure the safety of people and the environment. "With these approvals, Colorado water uti lities and taxpayer s will gain a safe and cost-effective option for disposal of very low levels of naturally occurring radioactive waste," he said. The department said workers at the site are expected to be exposed to less than 100 millirems of radiation per year, and Clean Harbors is required to ensure the same level of exposure to the public. Colorado residents are exposed to about 350 millirems per year of naturally occurring background radiation, the department said. ***************************************************************** 31 Bradenton Herald: Online ads, site spark debate | 12/23/2005 | The Herald allows Lockheed to buy space on home page DONNA WRIGHT Herald Staff Writer BRADENTON - Lockheed Martin Corp. has paid for an advertisement on The Herald's online home page that links to a Web site the defense giant says will give the public "complete information about contamination and clean-up in Tallevast." As former owner of the old beryllium plant known to be the source of a 131-acre plume of underground pollution, Lockheed has responsibility for assessing the extent of the contamination and cleaning it up to meet state standards. Lockheed's director of communication, Gail Rymer, said the Lockheed Martin Web site will be updated regularly. Both the ad and the company's Web site are part of a recently launched public relations campaign to gain the public's trust, Rymer said. Negotiations are under way with other area media outlets, but as of last night, The Herald was the only publication with the Internet ad and link to Tallevast.info, Rymer said. Henry Haitz, publisher of The Herald, said he accepted the ad because Lockheed, just as anyone else, should have an opportunity to express its views. He said he believes readers will know the difference between Lockheed's ad and Web site, and The Herald's coverage. "I would think that it wouldn't reflect any differently than if they had bought a full-page ad in the newspaper that was clearly labeled as advertisement put forth by Lockheed Martin," said Haitz. "Our readers are smart and they will recognize the difference between paid advertisements and journalistic coverage that the newsroom has been pursuing." Tallevast leaders said Lockheed's media campaign is nothing more than an attempt to manipulate coverage. "If there is information out there that is inadequate or inaccurate, it was information that came from them," said Laura Ward, president of the advocacy group, Family Oriented Community United Strong. "I guess this is what they meant when they said they had to hire a new engineering firm because of mistakes made in the past." Rymer defended both the Web site and the new engineering team as taking a fresh and critical eye to the Tallevast situation. Lockheed has also contracted for the consulting services of Bradenton resident Clovia Russell, a community activist who works with area churches on social and justice issues. "We are going to make sure," said Rymer, "that the Web site incorporates all of the state reports and fact sheets." Ward is not convinced. "It seems to me like they are running scared," Ward said. "They know something is up. They can buy as many ads and put up as many Web sites as they want, but we haven't begun to fight yet." FOCUS leaders are among 154 Tallevast residents who have filed suit against Lockheed for property damage and emotional distress caused by the plume. A second lawsuit filed by a smaller group of Tallevast residents against Lockheed makes the same claims. Wanda Washington, vice president of FOCUS, said the advocacy group might consider its own media campaign. "If they can buy an ad, does that mean we can buy one, too?" asked Washington. Ward said she thinks that Lockheed is trying to influence The Herald. "I think they are trying to buy The Herald just as they would try to buy anyone else to get only the information they want out there," said Ward. But Haitz stressed that The Herald encourages dissenting views. "Our news coverage is unbiased as we try to present both sides," Haitz said. "But we should allow dissenting views and allow readers to decide what they think." Allan Wolper, a columnist who writes on journalism ethics for the trade publication Editor &Publisher, said he admired Haitz's stand, but cautioned that his idealism would be tested by the new, emerging world of online journalism. "I think he is trying to be fair, but I am afraid people will get a distorted picture," said Wolper. "Knight Ridder has a well-deserved reputation for good investigative reporting," he added. "But if Lockheed can change their content on a dime, they can change the dialogue and mislead readers. They can take a document out of context and you could end up defending yourself against their challenges." The advertisement will not influence The Herald's investigation into the pollution in Tallevast, Executive Editor Joan Krauter said. "We have committed whatever resources we need toward covering this story of potentially deadly pollution, coverup and lack of oversight in the heart of our community," she said. "And we will continue that 'watchdog' journalism, putting a human value to what residents and former workers are going through - and what should be done to help them." Krauter noted that Herald reporters always call Lockheed Martin representatives for their input and information in every related story, striving for balanced coverage. "Our coverage has, and will continue to seek all sides to ferret out the truth," Krauter said. "That's public journalism - not advertising." Donna Wright, health and social services reporter, can be reached at 745-7049 or at dwright@HeraldToday.com. email this ***************************************************************** 32 Bradenton Herald: Residents angry over new digging 12/23/2005 | [Jim Carr of Professional Service Industries of Tampa digs a hole searching for a water tie-in for a new home in the Tallevast neighborhood.] TIFFANY TOMPKINS-CONDIE/The Herald Jim Carr of Professional Service Industries of Tampa digs a hole searching for a water tie-in for a new home in the Tallevast neighborhood. DONNA WRIGHT Herald Staff Writer TALLEVAST - Despite a formal complaint filed by Tallevast leaders worried about further contamination of their neighborhood, county crews installed a permanent water line Thursday to a new home at 7831 17th St. E. Leaders of the advocacy group FOCUS - Family Oriented Community United Strong - objected to the water line installation because they feared the required digging could release toxic vapors and dust from underground pollution that has leaked over the years from Loral American Beryllium Co. plant at 1600 Tallevast Road. Laura Ward and Wanda Washington, president and vice president of FOCUS, voiced their objections in a lengthy letter sent Dec. 20 to county administrator Ernie Padgett. Despite pleas to halt the installation, crews arrived 9 a.m. Thursday to start digging. Padgett said he stood behind precautions approved by the Department of Environmental Protection to safeguard the workers and the community. Crews working on the project said they had no hesitation about digging in Tallevast. "If someone can show me proof that there is beryllium in the soil, then I would be concerned," said Joel Lavender, a county worker. During the digging, Eddie Rainey of Professional Service Industries Inc., an engineering firm that helps with county projects, monitored the digging sites for escaping vapors with a hand-held device. Crews first dug a hole approximately 4 feet square by 3 feet deep to locate a water main on the same side of the street as the new home. When none was found, they looked on the west side of the street and dug another hole about 3 1/2 feet deep by about 3 feet square. Air tests performed before and during the digging detected no harmful vapors. The crew encountered no groundwater while The Herald was at the site. The owner of the new home, Gordon Richard Muskowitz, did not return The Herald's phone calls for comment on the work being done on his property. Objections raised by FOCUS go beyond the installation of the water line at the new home. While the DEP did not need to approve the county's method for installing the water line, Padgett submitted the proposed procedure for review by Bill Kutash, the DEP official in charge of overseeing the Tallevast cleanup. FOCUS leaders had agreed with Padgett's plan to request DEP review of any county infrastructure improvement or construction. But they are now angered that Kutash approved the county's plan based in part on a state health report that even state health officials admit is outdated and incomplete. The draft report was issued March 18 by the public health assessment team analyzing the Tallevast pollution to answer residents' questions about risks to their health. The team had done limited soil sampling throughout the Tallevast community. At the time, the plume was thought to measure less than 50 acres, or one-third the size it is now believed to be. Kutash quoted a statement from the draft report to back up his opinion that it was OK for the county to dig in Tallevast as long as precautions were taken to wet down the soil in case of wind and monitor the site for vapors while work was in progress: "For current and future exposures, the Florida Department of Health categories the surface soil in Tallevast yards as no apparent public health hazard," the draft report said. "Concentrations of chemicals measured in the surface soil are unlikely to cause illness." But in its letter, FOCUS took issie with DEP's reliance on the draft report: "First the report is far from final . . . and Department of Health officials themselves have indicated that reliance on the report in its current form would be ill-advised as the report is continuing to be developed. Second the report does not include data about this particular site. Third, the portion of the report excerpted in the letter does not address risks associated with soil disturbing activities in the contaminated area and it is inappropriate to represent it as such. Fourth, the statement analyzes risks associated with the type of chemicals found in the surrounding soils, somewhat in a vacuum, and does not evaluate risks associated with a community that has already had significant exposure risks . . .' " Because the plume assessment is still ongoing, Randy Merchant, leader of the state's public health assessment team, is waiting to see more data from additional soil tests before issuing his final report. FOCUS leaders said they cannot understand why the county and DEP continue to use the outdated draft report to justify more construction and digging in Tallevast. Furthermore, the FOCUS letter asks the county to halt all construction in Tallevast until the true extent of the contamination and associated risks are known. But Padgett said he stands by the approval he received from Kutash. DEP also stands by its statement that the county's plan to install the water line included the necessary precautions to protect the workers and the community, according to spokeswoman Pamala Vazquez. "If FOCUS has additional concerns," Vazquez said, "we will, as always, be willing to listen and address those concerns." Ward and Washington met with Padgett on Thursday afternoon. They requested the meeting to learn the status of all construction projects within the Tallevast area. Donna Wright, health and social services reporter, can be reached at 745-7049 or at dwright@HeraldToday.com. HeraldToday.com ***************************************************************** 33 Deseret News: Editorial misses mark on nuclear storage [deseretnews.com] Friday, December 23, 2005 By Scott Peterson Your editorial "On-site nuke storage only logical" (Dec. 16) so badly misses the mark on technological realities of used nuclear fuel management that it does a disservice to your readers. An underground repository like the one envisioned at Yucca Mountain, Nev., will be needed for disposal of some of the byproduct material of nuclear power generation under any fuel management scenario, even one that includes advanced reprocessing techniques that are decades away. A bill introduced last week by Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign and supported by Sens. Bob Bennett and Orrin Hatch ignores progress toward development of a national repository to satisfy Nevada's not-in-my-back-yard stance on this issue. It is the wrong policy for the nation, which receives one-fifth of its electricity from nuclear energy. The Reid-Ensign bill simply leaves fuel at nuclear power plants and ignores the government obligation under law to move it to one location where it is better secured 1,000 feet underground. In short, it defers the issue to future generations. Despite his endorsement of the bill, Hatch understands this reality, since he continues to voice support for the planned Yucca Mountain repository. Research and development into advanced reprocessing technologies should not delay progress on Yucca Mountain — a site endorsed overwhelmingly by Congress in 2002 after some 20 years of scientific study. The growing need for secure, emission-free sources of electricity at stable prices is leading to an era of new nuclear power plant construction. It is important that the nation's used-fuel management policies match this reality rather than the head in the sand approach advocated by your newspaper. Scott Peterson is vice president of the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington, D.C. © 2005 Deseret News Publishing Company [ /] ***************************************************************** 34 NewMexican: Nuclear agency head happy with process to award Los Alamos contract Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:01 pm By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration said Thursday that he was proud of Los Alamos National Laboratory employees and confident of the process used to pick a new manager for the lab. Linton Brooks also discussed why a team including the University of California and Bechtel National got the job Wednesday to manage the lab. Brooks said his agency had "an extremely detailed evaluation process" for the contract competition, and the person who made the decision was objective. The UC-Bechtel team was picked by Tom D'Agostino, NNSA administrator. "And he determined that both on technical merit, which was our primary interest, and on finances, they were the stronger proposal," Brooks said. The winning contractor -- a private company called Los Alamos National Security LLC -- takes over June 1. Brooks also said politics stayed out of the decision, from the Department of Energy to Congress. "I want to say this in the strongest possible terms," Brooks said. "I am immensely proud of the (DOE) secretary and the deputy secretary and the various elected representatives because there was no hint of political pressure put on my selection team or my selection official." The losing team included the University of Texas and Lockheed Martin Corp. They have 10 days from Wednesday's decision to file an appeal, an NNSA official has said. "I am absolutely, utterly convinced that the process we used will withstand the scrutiny by the (Government Accountability Office), which is where a protest would go," Brooks said, "and that what we did was sound and that the decision was based on the best value to the taxpayer." Some lab critics have expressed dismay that the University of California could be involved in managing the lab again. U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, has demanded more information about the selection process from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. The seven-year contract could pay the new manager up to $79 million a year. It's the first time in the lab's history that a management contract has been competitive. "On one level, this a hugely important, unique event," Brooks said. "At another level, it's just another government procurement." Brooks also stressed that science will remain important at the lab and predicted employees would be pleased. "As they understand what's going on, they're going to fight not to retire," Brooks said, "because they're going to find that everything that they love about the lab on the science side is going to continue. But the things that make them the press and public whipping boy are going to get fixed once and for all." Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827 or alenderman@sfnewmexican.com. Privacy Policy | ©2005, Santa Fe New Mexican, all rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 35 Hanford News: Hanford official taking new job This story was published Thursday, December 22nd, 2005 By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer Ed Aromi, the president of the Hanford contractor in charge of the nuclear reservation's tank farms, has taken another job within the CH2M Hill corporation. Mark Spears will replace him as president of CH2M Hill Hanford Group. Aromi will take a new job as senior vice president for strategic business development, serving as CH2M Hill's corporate representative and working to expand the corporation's nuclear activities related to the Hanford nuclear reservation. Aromi will continue to be based in the Tri-Cities, where he holds several community leadership positions, including immediate past chairman of the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau and vice chairman of commerce and industry for the Tri-City Industrial Development Council. Spears joined CH2M Hill in May after working for Kaiser Hill as chief operating officer at the Rocky Flats, Colo., nuclear site and leaving there as cleanup was being completed. He came to Hanford as senior vice president of nuclear operations technical services. When Dale Allen, deputy general manager of CH2M Hill Hanford Group, retired this fall, Spears was promoted to chief operating officer with responsibility for nuclear operations and supporting organizations. Aromi joined CH2M Hill Hanford Group in 2001 as chief operating officer and was named president in 2002. He saw work at the tank farms through a difficult period as workers questioned the safety of breathing vapors released in the air from huge underground tanks holding radioactive and hazardous chemical waste. State and national studies confirmed that worker safety could not be assured. CH2M Hill responded by requiring supplied-air respirators be worn around tanks that vented into the air, making engineering changes and launching studies to find out more about the vapors and their effects on worker health. Aromi also led CH2M Hill during a time of some unprecedented accomplishments at the tank farms. The last of 149 leak-prone single shell tanks were emptied of liquids, and work began to empty the remaining sludge and salt in those tanks. The first three of the tanks have been emptied and work is under way on four more. Spears will face significant challenges on the technically complex project. DOE is concerned about missing a legal deadline to have all 16 underground tanks in an area called C Farm emptied by a legal deadline of Sept. 2006. Construction also has been temporarily stopped on a pilot plant meant to test bulk vitrification as a way to treat some of the low-activity waste in the tanks, which will likely lead to a missed legal deadline. © 2005 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 36 SF Chron: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA / Los Alamos lab chief leaves no doubt who's in charge / 5 workers exposed to deadly plutonium in accident this week [San Francisco Chronicle] Friday, December 23, 2005 The new director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory cleared up one question Thursday about who will be in charge of ensuring the troubled weapons lab is run efficiently and problem-free under a new management team led by the University of California and Bechtel. "I'll be responsible ... absolutely," said Michael Anastasio, brushing aside concerns about the lines of authority under management that will take effect June 1. The challenge that he faces in reforming the weapons lab was dramatized by revelations that surfaced Thursday of another lab accident in which five lab workers were exposed to deadly plutonium used in nuclear bombs. They have been under medical observation since Monday's accident, which is under investigation, said lab official Kevin Roark. Anastasio, who is departing as chief of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to take over Los Alamos in mid-2006, said he had been unaware of the accident and declined further comment. Since management of the lab by the new UC-Bechtel Corp. consortium will not begin until June, it cannot be held responsible for what happened, he said. Anastasio spoke a day after the U.S. Department of Energy announced that UC would be allowed to retain control of the New Mexico lab it has managed for 62 years, beating out a strong challenge from a consortium led by Lockheed Martin Corp. and the University of Texas. Under a seven-year contract that can be extended to 20 years for good performance, the university system will share management responsibilities with its consortium partners, including corporate giant Bechtel of San Francisco. Anastasio said he expects to be held accountable for the lab's performance. "The board of directors will oversee me and ensure that I'm doing the right thing of fulfilling our responsibilities under this contract," he said. "But they look to me to run the laboratory ... and they will hold me accountable for my success or lack of success." He will be in charge of a lab that has been beset with long-standing problems involving safety and security at Los Alamos, one of the nation's two nuclear weapons design labs. Additionally, the Los Alamos lab also has had repeated incidents in which whistle-blowers said they suffered retributions for revealing problems involving lab safety, security and other violations. Anastasio said he will try to make life easier for whistle-blowers who come forward to report problems. He said he hopes to make lab officials highly responsive to problems so that "employees who have an issue or concern within the laboratory don't need to be a whistle blower." On the other hand, "there needs to be a mechanism for them to anonymously bring forward those issues ... in a way that protects their confidence ... and (spares them) any concerns about retribution." Details of Monday's accident inside building TA-55 were sketchy, but Roark verified that plutonium had been found inside the noses of five workers after automated sensors picked up the plutonium release. Four other workers inside the room at the time apparently weren't contaminated and no contaminants escaped into the environment, he said. None of the workers has been hospitalized or shown symptoms that required any medical treatment, Roark said, but "as a standard precaution, (they) are being monitored by the laboratory's Occupational Medicine group." Plutonium-239 is a key ingredient in nuclear bombs and is highly carcinogenic, especially if it is inhaled into the lungs. It had not been determined Thursday whether any plutonium had moved from the workers' noses into their lungs. Roark was responding to inquiries from The Chronicle, which was tipped to the incident by the Washington-based Project on Government Oversight, which has a long history of unveiling confidential official memos about accidents at the lab. Project on Government Oversight activist Pete Stockton told The Chronicle that two federal investigators, whom he declined to identify, said the accident occurred about 11 a.m. Monday. In a related development at Los Alamos' sister lab, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy slapped a contractor with a $192,500 fine for inadvertently exposing workers there to plutonium last year. An unspecified number of workers at Livermore were exposed to "a series of low-level plutonium uptakes" into their bodies between April and August 2004, the Energy Department said in a statement. The contractor is Washington TRU Solutions LLC of Carlsbad, N.M., which operates what the Energy Department called a "portable waste processing facility" at the lab. "Although no regulatory exposure limits were exceeded, the consequences had the potential to be more significant," John Shaw, the Energy Department's assistant secretary for environment, safety and health, said in a press statement. "It's important that these problems be corrected before a more serious event occurs." Jack Herrmann, vice president of communications for Washington Group, said "two or three" employees somehow ended up with plutonium in their bodies after they packaged Livermore plutonium waste for shipment to a salt mine cave in New Mexico. He said the amount they absorbed is "not at the level that is life threatening," but that he expects the workers will be medically monitored for the rest of their lives or at least "as long as they work" for the firm. The firm will not contest the Energy Department fine, he said. E-mail Keay Davidson at . Page B - 1 San Francisco Chronicle] ***************************************************************** 37 San Francisco Chronicle: Los Alamos in the right hands EDITORIAL Friday, December 23, 2005 AWARDING A NEW contract to the University of California for management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory is good for the nation -- as much as it upholds California's long-standing scientific renown. Keeping UC in charge of the nuclear weapons program it helped inaugurate more than six decades ago serves to recognize the university's unique credentials in a field vital to national security. The decision by the U.S. Department of Energy capped a competitive-bidding process in which UC was teamed with the Bechtel Corp. and a pair of other partners to win out over a bid submitted by Lockheed Martin Corp., the biggest arms-maker, and the University of Texas. UC's history-making management of the New Mexico nuclear complex goes back to World War II and Berkeley scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer's "Manhattan Project" to build the first atomic bombs. But the university's role has been shadowed in recent years by a series of problems involving financial improprieties, feared security breaches, violations of safety standards and generally lax management. This led the federal government to invite competitors to bid for the work of running Los Alamos, which is separate from the UC-managed Lawrence Livermore nuclear lab. The new seven-year contract is worth up to $512 million, but its greater importance to UC is the scientific prestige. Bechtel provides more industrial-management know-how for the task, augmenting UC's academic strength. The Lockheed Martin-Texas university collaboration was heavily weighted in favor of the arms industry against a relatively weak academic partner. UC's Los Alamos managers now must use their partners' expertise to assure that embarrassing mistakes of the past cannot be repeated, and that U.S. taxpayers get maximum value for their investment in the costly effort to update -- and trim where possible -- the nation's aging Cold War arsenal. Page B - 6 The San Francisco Chronicle] ***************************************************************** 38 SF Chronicle: Anastasio to oversee safety, security at Los Alamos lab By HEATHER CLARK, Associated Press Writer Thursday, December 22, 2005 (12-22) 17:29 PST Albuquerque (AP) -- The incoming director of Los Alamos National Laboratory said Thursday he will take full responsibility for safety and security at the nuclear weapons lab. Michael Anastasio, who heads a team led by the University of California and Bechtel Corp. that won a seven-year federal contract to manage the lab, stressed in a conference call that he will be the man in charge. "I'll be responsible as the laboratory director," he said. In recent years, the northern New Mexico lab has been dogged by a series of security and safety lapses and allegations of fraud and financial mismanagement. Anastasio will become the lab's director when the team  called Los Alamos National Security LLC  officially takes over June 1. Anastasio has been director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California for the last three years. Anastasio, who held his first meeting with lab employees in Los Alamos on Thursday, said he will be overseen by a board of directors made up of representatives from each of the limited-liability corporation's four entities: UC, Bechtel, Washington Group International and BWX Technologies Inc. "The board of directors will oversee me and ensure that I'm doing the right thing for fulfilling our responsibilities under this contract," he said. "They will hold me accountable for my success or lack of success." Anastasio and John Mitchell, a 12-year veteran of Bechtel who will become the lab's deputy director, shed light on LANS' integrated structure. Rather than each company or UC taking on a different role in managing the lab, they said individuals with the best experience from each entity would be chosen to manage safety, security, business and science. Anastasio reiterated his position that Los Alamos lab and Lawrence Livermore would not be consolidated and maintaining the two labs' technical independence is important. However, he has said he supports more collaboration between the two labs. Anastasio described his first meeting with the entire lab as a "stimulating experience." Some lab employees have complained about distrust at the lab between upper management and scientists that has intensified after last summer's shutdown over the loss of classified disks, which were later found never to have existed. Anastasio would not say whether he believes such distrust exists. But he said he hopes to develop a trusting relationship with employees by meeting them in a variety of forums, including in small groups at the working level. He also said he would have a mechanism for employees to bring complaints forward anonymously. With that outlet, whistleblowing will be a "rare event," he said. The San Francisco Chronicle] ***************************************************************** 39 Tri-Valley Herald: New lab chief takes the helm Article Last Updated: 12/23/2005 03:05:28 AM Former Livermore facility director Anastasio ready for new duties at Los Alamos By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER Even with an apparently unwieldy academic-corporate team taking control of Los Alamos National Laboratory, the labs new incoming chief says the buck absolutely stops with him. A day after his team won a half-billion dollar contract to run the birthplace of the bomb, former Livermore lab di- rector and weapons designer Mike Anastasio waved off questions over who would do what at Los Alamos by saying he will shoulder everything from safety to security and science to overall management. Ill be responsible, as the laboratory director, he said Thursday. Anastasio hopped a plane for New Mexico almost immediately after Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman named his team, Los Alamos National Security, as winner of the Los Alamos contract. The team is headed by the University of California and engineering giant Bechtel National, along with nuclear-operations experts BWXT and Washington Group International and New Mexicos three largest universities. Yet it took months for UC and the corporations to hammer out a teaming agreement, and there were indications that questions of each team members power remained unsettled even as Los Alamos National Security put up its proposal to run the troubled weapons lab. On Wednesday, however, federal officials said they were satisfied that the LANS teams performance would be integrated. We think weve demonstrated that we are in fact an integrated team that well lead and run the laboratory in that way, Anastasio told reporters Thursday. LANS is one team that is working together and has one leader — me, he said. He and deputy John Mitchell, a former Bechtel executive with 12 years experience at the governments Y-12 Site, the Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain, said they will pull in executives and management ideas from across the weapons complex to resolve persistent problems at Los Alamos with safety, security and financial management. Anastasio and Mitchell in turn will answer to a board of mostly UC and Bechtel officials, and expect to turn to the board when they need help. They look to me to run the laboratory, Anastasio said. They will hold me accountable for my success or lack of success at doing that. Colleagues at Livermore say Anastasios laid-back demeanor masks an insistence on accountability from subordinates. They found that he often knew their budgets and performance as well or better than they did. Attention to the bottom line at Los Alamos is expected to be more acute than in the past. Congress has provided relatively stable federal budgets for Los Alamos and the other two U.S. nuclear weapons labs in recent years and going into 2006. But lawmakers are offering no new money to cover the significant new costs of management competition at Los Alamos. The labs $1.8 billion budget soon must carry eight times as much in contract fees, up to an average of $74 million a year, plus new pension contributions and — with the greater role of private corporations — the possibility of tens of millions in state taxes that the nonprofit University of California never has had to pay in 62 years of running the lab. Anastasio said his team is ready to generate efficiencies with better operations at Los Alamos but expects also to look for new revenue outside of the U.S. Department of Energy. In saying farewell to Livermore, Anastasio cautioned employees there that they will face a similar contract competition perhaps starting early in the new year. Id like to say Im glad I wont have another bid proposal again, because it is a lot of work, he said. As congratulation and parting jibe, Livermore colleagues fitted Anastasios beloved black Audi with a sunburst orange New Mexico license plate. Contact Ian Hoffman at ihoffman@angnews- papers.com. © 2005 ANG Newspapers ***************************************************************** 40 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern FR Doc E5-7788 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76270-76271] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-44] New Mexico AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EMSSAB), Northern New Mexico. 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: Wednesday, January 25, 2006, 1 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ADDRESSES: Jemez Complex, Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Menice Santistevan, Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board, 1660 Old Pecos Trail, Suite B, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Phone (505) 995-0393; Fax (505) 989-1752 or e-mail: msantistevan@doeal.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is [[Page 76271]] to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related activities. Tentative Agenda 1 p.m. Call to Order by Deputy Designated Federal Officer (DDFO), Christina Houston. Establishment of a Quorum. Welcome and Introductions by Chair, J. D. Campbell. Approval of Agenda. Approval of Minutes of November 30, 2005 Board Meeting. 1:15 p.m. Board Business. A. Report from Chair, J. D. Campbell. B. Report from Department of Energy, DDFO, Christina Houston. C. Report from Executive Director, Menice B. Santistevan D. Consideration and Action on Fiscal Year 2006 Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board Budget. E. New Business. 2:45 p.m. Break. 3 p.m. Reports. A. Community Involvement Committee, Grace Perez. B. Waste Management Committee, Matthew Deller. C. Environmental Monitoring, Surveillance and Remediation Committee, Chris Timm. D. Reports from Ex-Officio Members. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency--Rich Mayer. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)--John Ordaz. University of California/Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)--Ken Hargis. New Mexico Environment Department (NMED)--James Bearzi. 4 p.m. Discussion with Los Alamos Site Office (LASO) Manager, Ed Wilmot. 5 p.m. Dinner Break. 6 p.m. Public Comment. 6:15 p.m. Consideration of Recommendations. 6:30 p.m. Presentation on Environmental Remediation at Los Alamos National Laboratory. 7:30 p.m. Comments from Ex-Officio Members--DOE/LASO, LANL, NMED. 8 p.m. Comments from Board Members. 8:20 p.m. Recap of Meeting: Issuance of Press Releases, Editorials, etc. 8:30 p.m. Adjourn. This agenda is subject to change at least one day in advance of the meeting. 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 Menice Santistevan at the address or telephone number 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 of business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. Minutes: Minutes of this meeting will be available for public review and copying at the U.S. 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-Friday, except Federal holidays. Minutes will also be available at the Public Reading Room located at the Board's office at 1660 Old Pecos Trail, Suite B, Santa Fe, NM. Hours of operation for the Public Reading Room are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Minutes will also be made available by writing or calling Menice Santistevan at the Board's office address or telephone number listed above. Minutes and other Board documents are on the Internet at: http://www.nnmcab.org . Issued at Washington, DC, on December 19, 2005. Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E5-7788 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 41 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Savannah FR Doc E5-7789 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76271-76272] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-45] River AGENCY: Department of Energy. 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, January 23, 2006, 1 p.m.-5:15 p.m., Tuesday, January 24, 2006, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ADDRESSES: Crowne Plaza, 130 Shipyard Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. 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, January 23, 2006. 1 p.m. Combined Committee Session. 5:15 p.m. Adjourn. Tuesday, January 24, 2006. 8:30 a.m. Approval of Minutes, Agency Updates. 8:45 a.m. Public Comment Session. 9 a.m. Chair and Facilitator Update. 9:30 a.m. Waste Management Committee Report. 11 p.m. Facility Disposition and Site Remediation Committee Report. 11:45 a.m. Public Comment Session. 12 p.m. Lunch Break. 1 p.m. Nuclear Materials Committee Report. 1:30 p.m. Strategic and Legacy Management Committee Report. 2:15 p.m. Administrative Committee Report. Bylaws Amendment Proposal. Membership Elections. 3:15 p.m. Public Comment Session. 3:30 p.m. Environmental Justice Initiatives. 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, January 23, 2006. 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 of 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 U.S. 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 [[Page 76272]] 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 December 19, 2005. Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E5-7789 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 42 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Oak Ridge FR Doc E5-7790 [Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)] [Notices] [Page 76272] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr23de05-46] Reservation AGENCY: Department of Energy. ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EMSSAB), Oak Ridge Reservation. 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: Wednesday, January 11, 2006, 6 p.m. ADDRESSES: DOE Information Center, 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pat Halsey, Federal Coordinator, Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations Office, P.O. Box 2001, EM-90, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Phone (865) 576-4025; Fax (865) 576-5333 or e- mail: halseypj@oro.doe.gov or check the Web site at http://www.oakridge.doe.gov/em/ssab . 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: Overview of the 2004 Oak Ridge Reservation Annual Site Environmental Report. 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 the agenda item should contact Pat Halsey at the address or telephone number 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 of business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. Minutes: Minutes of this meeting will be available for public review and copying at the Department of Energy's Information Center at 475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, or by writing to Pat Halsey, Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations Office, P.O. Box 2001, EM-90, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, or by calling her at (865) 576-4025. Issued at Washington, DC, on December 19, 2005. Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E5-7790 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 43 lamonitor.com: Key officials start lab transition The Online News Source for Los Alamos ROGER SNODGRASS, roger@lamonitor.com, Monitor Assistant Editor Ambassador Linton Brooks, head of nation's nuclear complex, visited Los Alamos on Thursday to talk to laboratory employees. The subject of the day was how the federal overseers, working with the old and new management of the laboratory, are planning to make the transition to the new contract as smooth as possible. Representing Los Alamos National Security, the new managers of Los Alamos National Laboratory, director-designate Michael Anastasio and John Mitchell, designated deputy director, also spoke to LANL staff at a separate all-hands meeting. "They had lots of questions," said Brooks, administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration, about his meetings, "because it's a big deal." He said this kind of transition had not happened at Los Alamos before, or anywhere else for that matter. Brooks firmly endorsed the contract selection process, saying in effect that it defied challenge. He congratulated all the officials involved in the decision, from Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to the members of the selection evaluation board, for the integrity of the process. He said the selection board and selection team had been insulated from political pressure and praised elected officials from California, New Mexico and Texas, for their conduct during the long evaluation period. As confident as he was that the right decision had been made, he said, he was even more confident that the decision had been made in the right way. Anastasio, director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a University of California employee, talked to the press Thursday afternoon in tandem with Mitchell, representing Bechtel's choice to serve in the upper tier of lab management. Anastasio said he is committed to meeting with laboratory employees in a variety of different forums over the next few months. "I like meeting with small groups directly at the working level," he said. He planned to meet with scientists, procurement groups, and advocacy groups, he said, "So I can develop a rapport and a relationship. The focus right now is to listen and understand." The new managers-in-waiting said it was not the time to talk about the details of their plan or how it will achieve the cost-savings expected by NNSA to pay for the greatly expanded award fees and the newly applicable state Gross Receipt Taxes. "We have specific ways to generate efficiencies at the laboratory," Anastasio said, by tapping into the proven expertise available in the four parent organizations. BWX Technologies and The Washington Group, International are the two other major companies in the industrial partnership that will run the lab starting June 1, 2006. Aside from the efficiencies, Anastasio said he would be looking for other sources for the laboratory to generate funding for complementary science and technology. Mitchell noted that his management experience included 12 years, almost exclusively on DOE jobs. He said that he had managed at almost half of the nuclear weapons facilities, at both production and testing sites, at one time or another. Anastasio made it clear that he would be "absolutely" in charge of the new organization. "The board of directors will oversee me and ensure I'm doing the right thing in fulfilling our responsibilities under the contract," he said. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 44 Colorado Daily: CU loses lab bid TownNews.com By MATT WILLIAMS Colorado Daily Staff Writer Wednesday, December 21, 2005 In the end, UC beat out CU. After seven months of deliberation, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday it is keeping the University of California as the manager of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the famed government complex best known for its role in the development of the atomic bomb. The University of California and its corporate partner, industrial giant Bechtel Corp., face d stiff competition in a bid from the University of Texas an d Lockheed Martin. The University of Colorado agreed last summer to join 19 major universities in a proposed academic research network as part of the Texas proposal. "Today's decision by the DOE is disappointing, in that the University viewed being a part of the consortium, led by the University of Texas, as an opportunity to have our faculty and students involved in unprecedented research and educational projects," CU spokesper son Michele McKinney told the Colorado Daily on Wednesday. The management contract is for up to $512 million over seven years, with a provision to extend it up to 20 years. It begins on June 1. "This is a new contract with a new team, marking a new approach to the management of Los Alamos. It is not a continuation of the previous contract," Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. Though CU pledged it would not engage in wea pons-related research at the laboratory , the prospect of the University's involvement ignited debate, and even opposition, on the Boulder campus during the fall semester. Most faculty and students in CU's physics department, and other "hard" sciences, supported the bid. Supporters said it would have given CU better access to LANL's one-of-a-kind scientific equipment, as well as bring more internships and jobs to undergraduates and graduate students. Opponents, though, bel ieved CU's proximity t o LANL's history of weapons production was immoral, and could even be a security risk in the age of terrorism. Last month, the University of Colorado Student Union passed a resolution asking CU to back out of its commitment to the academic network. The DOE's decision surprised some faculty members as well as local activists. "I would have put money 55-45 the other way, because when there are troubles, you should change something, and no other reason than that ," sai d CU-Boulder physics professor Jerry Peterson. The University of California has run the lab since it was created in the New Mexico desert in 1943 for the top-secret Manhattan Project that built the A-bomb. But because of bitter complaints in Congress about security lapses and poor management, the contract was put up for competitive bidding for the first time ever. LANL, with about 8,000 University of California employees and 3,000 contract workers, is one of the nation' s three chief installations responsible for maintaining the U.S. nuclear arsenal and manufacturing weapons components. The lab also conducts research on a host of topics of national interest, including miniaturized technology, genetics, computing, the environment and health - endeavors CU planned to take advantage of. CU faculty members and University-affiliated scientists have fostered research projects with LANL scientists for d ecades, without an official affiliation. Peterson said though CU has lost, he sees no reason why that would change. CU alum Erin Hamby of the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center hailed the DOE's decision as a victory for those who oppose nuclear weapons. "One of the points we've had all along is that students and professors who choose that path as a career or choose to work in research in Los Alamos, do have that opportunity," she said, "Which is why we didn't want official connections to the University." CU administrators haven't discussed approaching LANL's new management for a role at the lab, McKinney said. But Peterson said it's possible that the University of California would have an interest in CU's expertise. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranked CU's atomic and molecular physics program in the top five programs of its kind the past six years. The University is relatively close to the lab complex in New Me xico. Los Alamos is 450 miles southwest of Boulder. "I would not be surprised. Geography speaks," Peterson said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Matt Williams about this story at 303-443-6272 ext. 111 or *****************************************************************