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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 US: Las Vegas SUN: Carter: White House Manipulated Iraq Intel
2 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Sending Mixed Signals About Nukes
3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Grants U.N. Access to Military Site
4 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: U.S. Mulls Team to Discuss Korea Peace Tr
5 MSN-Mainichi Daily News: Korea says North stands to gain from implem
6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Chung lauds Seoul's role in warm cross-DMZ ti
7 MSN-Mainichi Daily News: Yokosuka says it doesn't want to host U.S.
8 Bellona: Adamov appeals extradition to US, Russian foreign ministry
NUCLEAR REACTORS
9 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
10 US: APP.com: Views on reactor laid out for NRC |
11 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point inspections to increase
12 US: NRC: In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc., Grand Gulf Nucle
13 US: NRC: In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc., Grand Gulf Nucle
14 US: NRC: Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Solicitation of Scopin
15 US: Hudson Valley News: NRC plans enhanced oversight of Indian Point
16 US: technicianonline.com: Reactor mystifies campus
17 Business Gazette: NUCLEAR SELL-OFF: EFFECTS ON SUPPLY CHAIN
18 Guardian Unlimited Bush: Venezuela Nuke Reactor Might Be OK
NUCLEAR SECURITY
19 US: NRC: NRC Proposes $3,250 Civil Penalty for N.J. Firm over Loss o
NUCLEAR SAFETY
20 [DU Information List] MoD concedes that gulf war syndrome does
21 [du-list] MoD concedes that gulf war syndrome does exist
22 [DU-WATCH] Beyond Treason: Veterans exposure-
23 Xinhua: S.Korean truck loaded with missile parts blasts near Daegu
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
24 US: Sydney Morning Herald: BHP plans uranium mine upgrade -
25 Sydney Morning Herald: NT nuclear waste dump jumps first hurdle -
26 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: Locals Vote on Nuclear Waste Dump in Thei
27 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [EDITORIALS] After the nuclear site vote
28 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Nuclear waste ballot draws 60% turnout
29 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [VIEWPOINT] Citizens asked to make a choice
30 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Dumping can be avoided
31 Xinhua: Ukraine denies burying nuclear waste near Russian border
32 Globe and Mail: Chiefs warn of nuclear waste plans for native territ
33 US: Review: Individuals respond to perchlorate differently
34 Nevada: Changes Being Planned For Yucca Mountain,
35 UK: News & Star: Irish demand action at Sellafield
36 US: Las Vegas SUN: BLM blocking Skull Valley nuclear waste project
PEACE
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
37 CH2M HILL Mound, Inc.: Announces Building Demolition Complete at
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 Las Vegas SUN: Carter: White House Manipulated Iraq Intel
Today: November 02, 2005 at 9:42:45 PST
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK (AP) - The Bush Administration's prewar claims that
Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction were
"manipulated, at least" to mislead the American people, former
President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday.
The decision to go to war was the culmination of a long-term
plan to attack Iraq that resulted from the first President Bush
not taking out Saddam, Carter said on NBC's "Today" show.
Carter also said he supports the move by Senate Democrats to
force an update on the investigation into prewar intelligence on
Iraq, and says Republicans have been dragging their feet on the
investigation.
Democrats Tuesday used a rarely invoked Senate rule to force a
secret session as a way to dramatize their assertions that the
Bush administration misused intelligence in the run-up to the
war in Iraq.
A bipartisan committee has been appointed to review the
investigation.
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
2 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Sending Mixed Signals About Nukes
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Wednesday November 2, 2005 4:46 PM
AP Photo VAH102
By GEORGE JAHN
Associated Press Writer
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Iran is sending conflicting signals to an
international community concerned about its nuclear agenda,
granting U.N. inspectors access to a secret military site but
also saying it would process a new batch of uranium that could
be used to make atomic weapons, diplomats said Wednesday.
The two developments showed that Iran was unwilling to meet
international calls to give up enrichment and all linked
activities even while casting itself as conciliatory and ready
to cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors
probing its past nuclear activities.
The last meeting of the 35-nation IAEA board told Iran in
September to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities,
including conversion, and to give agency experts access to
research, experts, locations and documents or face referral to
the U.N. Security Council.
Iran has stopped at conversion but insists it has the right to
the next stage - enrichment. Uranium enrichment can produce
either nuclear energy or the fissile core of weapons.
The diplomats said IAEA experts were allowed to revisit the
high-security military site in Parchin as they try to establish
whether Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program.
Parchin has been linked by the United States and other nations
to alleged experiments linked to nuclear arms. The IAEA had for
months been trying to follow up on a visit in January for
further checks of buildings and areas within the sprawling
military complex as it looks for traces of radioactivity.
That visit - which was closely controlled by authorities -
revealed no such traces.
But one of the diplomats - who like the others requested
anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media
about the sensitive investigation - said that over the past few
days IAEA inspectors ``gained access to buildings'' previously
out of bounds to them.
The diplomat, who is close to the agency, said environmental
swipes were taken from objects in the buildings and would be
analyzed at IAEA laboratories.
If those swipes reveal minute amounts of radioactivity, they
would strengthen suspicions of nuclear-related work at Parchin.
Because Parchin is run by the country's armed forces, such a
discovery would weaken Iranian arguments that its nuclear
programs are strictly nonmilitary.
That, in turn, would strengthen sentiment that Tehran be
referred to the Security Council for breaching the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty as early as Nov. 24, when the IAEA board
of governors has scheduled its next meeting. The swipe results
are expected before then.
U.S. intelligence officials said last year that a specially
secured site on the Parchin complex, about 20 miles southeast of
Tehran, may be used in research on nuclear arms, specifically in
making high-explosive components for use in such weapons.
On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said military
action against Iran was not being considered, but he said Tehran
must change course.
``Nobody is talking about military threats or invasion of Iran
or any of the rest of it,'' Blair told the House of Commons. He
added that Iran's government ``has got to understand that the
international community simply will not put up with their
continued breach of the proper and normal standards of behavior
that we expected from a member of the United Nations.''
The IAEA has not found any firm evidence to challenge Iranian
assertions that its military is not involved in nuclear
activities, but in a document last year expressed concern about
reports ``relating to dual use equipment and materials which
have applications ... in the nuclear military area.'' Diplomats
said that phrasing alluded to Parchin.
Before the next board meeting, IAEA inspectors also hope to be
allowed to visit Lavizan-Shian, suspected of being the
repository of equipment bought by its military that could be
used in a nuclear weapons program
The State Department last year said Lavizan-Shian's buildings
had been dismantled and topsoil had been removed from the site
in attempts to hide nuclear-weapons related experiments.
Agency officials subsequently confirmed that the site had been
razed, but Iran said work at the site, on the outskirts of
Tehran, was part of construction unrelated to military or
nuclear matters.
Iran is under increasing pressure before the next IAEA board
meeting to show it is cooperating with an agency probe of nearly
18 years of suspected clandestine nuclear activities as Tehran
tries to derail a U.S.-backed European push to report it to the
Security Council.
Russia and China - council members who also sit on the IAEA
board - oppose such a move. But Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad's calls last week for Israel to be ``wiped off the
map'' have strengthened the U.S.-European hand.
Russia was among the dozens of nations protesting his
statements.
^---
On the Net:
International Atomic Energy Agency: http://www.iaea.org
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Grants U.N. Access to Military Site
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Wednesday November 2, 2005 12:31 PM
By GEORGE JAHN
Associated Press Writer
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Iran has granted U.N. nuclear inspectors
new access to a high-security military site as part of efforts
to avoid referral to the Security Council, diplomats said
Wednesday.
The diplomats said experts of the International Atomic Energy
Agency were allowed to revisit Parchin as they try to establish
whether Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program.
Parchin has been linked by the United States and other nations
to alleged experiments linked to nuclear arms. The IAEA had for
months been trying to follow up on a visit in January for
further checks of buildings and areas within the sprawling
military complex as it looks for traces of radioactivity.
That visit - which was closely controlled by authorities -
revealed no such traces.
But one of the diplomats - who like the others requested
anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media
about the sensitive investigation - said that over the past few
days IAEA inspectors ``gained access to buildings'' previously
out of bounds to them.
The diplomat, who is close to the agency, said environmental
swipes were taken from objects in the buildings and would be
analyzed at IAEA laboratories.
If those swipes reveal minute amounts of radioactivity, they
would strengthen suspicions of nuclear-related work at Parchin.
Because Parchin is run by the country's armed forces, such a
discovery would weaken Iranian arguments that its nuclear
programs are strictly nonmilitary. That, in turn, would
strengthen sentiment that Tehran be referred to the U.N.
Security Council for breaching the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty as early as Nov. 24, when the IAEA's 35-nation board of
governors has scheduled its next meeting. The swipe results are
expected before then.
U.S. intelligence officials said last year that a specially
secured site on the Parchin complex, about 20 miles southeast of
Tehran, may be used in research on nuclear arms, specifically in
making high-explosive components for use in such weapons.
On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said military
action against Iran was not being considered, but he said Tehran
must change course.
``Nobody is talking about military threats or invasion of Iran
or any of the rest of it,'' Blair told the House of Commons. He
added that Iran's government ``has got to understand that the
international community simply will not put up with their
continued breach of the proper and normal standards of behavior
that we expected from a member of the United Nations.''
The IAEA has not found any firm evidence to challenge Iranian
assertions that its military is not involved nuclear activities,
but in a document last year has expressed concern about reports
``relating to dual use equipment and materials which have
applications ... in the nuclear military area.'' Diplomats said
that phrasing alluded to Parchin.
Before the next board meeting, IAEA inspectors also hope to be
allowed to visit Lavizan-Shian, suspected of being the
repository of equipment bought by its military that could be
used in a nuclear weapons program
The State Department last year said Lavizan-Shian's buildings
had been dismantled and topsoil had been removed from the site
in attempts to hide nuclear-weapons related experiments. Agency
officials subsequently confirmed that the site had been razed,
but Iran said work at the site, on the outskirts of Tehran, was
part of construction unrelated to military or nuclear matters.
Iran is under increasing pressure before the next IAEA board
meeting to show it is cooperating with a more than three-year
IAEA probe of nearly 18 years of suspected clandestine nuclear
activities as it tries to derail a U.S.-backed European push to
report it to the Security Council.
Russia and China - council members who also sit on the IAEA
board - are opposed to such a move. But calls last week by
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for Israel to be
``wiped off the map,'' have strengthened the U.S.-European hand
by focusing on concerns over Iran's nuclear ambitions. Russia
was among the dozens of nations protesting his statements.
---
On the Net:
www.iaea.org
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
4 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: U.S. Mulls Team to Discuss Korea Peace Treaty
Home> National/Politics Updated Nov.2,2005 21:46 KST
The U.S. government could form a working-level team that would
discuss a permanent peace treaty with North Korea to replace the
armistice that halted the Korean War, Japan¡¯s Yomiuri Shimbun
reported.
The paper quoted a high-ranking U.S. official as saying
Washington had drawn up a blueprint for the next round of
six-party talks on North Korea¡¯s nuclear program that
identifies three areas of discussion: the nuclear program, a
peace mechanism, and economic support. The paper said the peace
treaty would be dealt with at the working level.
¡°Despite adopting a joint statement in the last round of
six-party talks where North Korea pledged to dismantle its
nuclear program, no concrete steps have been taken to implement
that agreement,¡± the paper said. The working-level talks were
therefore aimed at clearing up the ambiguously worded parts. The
Yomiuri said Washington wanted Tokyo, which was not a party to
the Korean War, to become more actively involved in discussions
on the peace framework, but Seoul strongly opposed this.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
*****************************************************************
5 MSN-Mainichi Daily News: Korea says North stands to gain from implementing nuclear
agreement
SEOUL -- North Korea's path to prosperity lies in implementing
the promise it made at international disarmament talks to
abandon its nuclear programs, South Korean Finance Minister Han
Duck-soo said Wednesday.
"We believe, and we presume, that there is a very high
possibility for success because there is so much at stake on the
part of North Korea to realize the contents of the six-party
talks," Han told a gathering of foreign business associations
and diplomats.
Separately, South Korea's point man on North Korea said
Wednesday the next round of talks should resume in about a week.
"The six-way talks are supposed to be held around Nov. 9,"
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said in a speech, adding
that consultations are under way among the participants on how
to advance the talks.
His remarks came a day after Japanese media reported that China
had proposed starting the next round on Nov. 9 in Beijing.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said host China would
announce specific dates after consulting its dialogue partners,
which along with the two Koreas include Japan, Russia and the
United States.
Ban expects a short session before a recess because the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is scheduled for Nov.
18-19 in Busan, South Korea.
China said Tuesday it was trying to get agreement for a start
date within the next 10 days following President Hu Jintao's
visit to North Korea, and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's
promise to return to the talks.
The six nations have been negotiating with North Korea to give
up its nuclear ambitions since 2003.
Those efforts achieved their first success in September when the
North promised to abandon its nuclear programs in return for
economic aid, security assurances and diplomatic recognition.
But the communist country quickly imposed conditions, demanding
a civilian nuclear reactor for power generation. Washington has
rejected the demand.
South Korea is drafting a roadmap on how to implement the
agreement reached at the latest round of talks and conveyed its
proposal to the United States, according to Chung. He didn't
elaborate.
Seoul has said it is ready to provide massive amounts of aid,
including electricity, to the North if there is an agreement on
its nuclear program.
"Certainly we should incorporate North Korea into the
international community" if it abides by the agreement, said
Finance Minister Han. "That means some kind of market opening
for North Korea is the only crucial way for us to ensure that
North Korea will not be left behind and North Korea can make
prosperity possible."
Also Wednesday, the North denounced the United States for
freezing U.S.-based assets of eight North Korean entities,
describing the move as "pouring cold water" on its "sincere"
efforts toward the next round of talks, the official Rodong
Sinmun daily said in a Korean-language commentary carried by the
Korean Central News Agency. The North also threatened
unspecified countermeasures.
Last month, Washington prohibited transactions between the
companies and U.S. citizens and froze any assets they may have
under U.S. jurisdiction. (AP)
November 2, 2005
Copyright 2004-2005 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All
*****************************************************************
6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Chung lauds Seoul's role in warm cross-DMZ ties
November 3, 2005 KST
November 03, 2005 ¤Ñ Unification Minister Chung Dong-young
asserted yesterday that improved communications between North
and South Korea was the basis of a recent international accord
under which Pyongyang agreed to get rid of its nuclear weapons
and programs, and reiterated the need for North-South
reconciliation and cooperation.
He was speaking at a forum organized by the JoongAng Ilbo and
the Hyundai Research Institute.
"I think the six-party talks in Beijing were the first
opportunity to raise our voices on an issue concerning us, and
it was the first time that the South and North communicated
well," he said in his initial remarks. He repeated his desire
for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to "reconfirm"
the agreement reached by the six nations' negotiators in Beijing
in September.
The minister defended Seoul's generosity to North Korea, for
example by food and fertilizer shipments and investments in the
Kaesong Industrial Complex, against critics who contend that the
generosity has not been reciprocated. He said that Seoul's
support has led to increases in the number and the quality of
cross-border exchanges. He said Seoul would continue providing
such support.
In another appearance yesterday, at the National Assembly's
unification committee, Mr. Chung was a bit cryptic in discussing
the spat between the Hyundai Group and North Korea over tours to
the North. He said Hyundai still has an exclusive contract to
conduct such tours, but said the Hyundai-North Korea business
relations will not influence Seoul's decisions on doing business
with North Korea.
Pyongyang and Hyundai have been publicly fighting over the tour
business in a spat triggered by the group's dismissal of its
senior executive involved in that business.
Mr. Chung is widely believed to be preparing to resign his
portfolio in the next few months to return to a leadership role
in the administration's Uri Party.
by Ko Soo-suk, Jeong Yong-su africanu@joongang.co.kr>
Copyright by Joins.com, Inc.
*****************************************************************
7 MSN-Mainichi Daily News: Yokosuka says it doesn't want to host U.S. nuclear-powered
aircraft carrier
Yokosuka Municipal Assembly voted unanimously Wednesday against
plans to deploy a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the city,
citing the feelings of people in a country where the U.S.
dropped two atomic bombs.
The 45-member assembly unanimously adopted a statement urging
the central government to nullify the agreement with Washington
to base a Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier in the city
starting in 2008, replacing an older conventional carrier, city
spokesman Takahide Kurabayashi said.
Yokosuka hosts the U.S. Seventh Fleet, the only U.S. fleet based
overseas.
American troops have been stationed in Japan since the end of
World War II in 1945, but the Japanese public has long been wary
of any U.S. nuclear presence because of opposition to nuclear
weapons and a fear of radiation leaks.
The decision to deploy the nuclear-powered carrier comes 60
years after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the closing days of the war.
"Fully taking into account the feelings toward nuclear (issues)
of local citizens and the Japanese people in the only country
that suffered atomic bombings ... we request that the government
nullify the deployment agreement, and that the U.S. government
continue deploying a conventional aircraft carrier," the city
assembly said.
Kurabayashi said the statement would be sent to Japanese
government officials, including Prime Minister Junichiro
Koizumi. He said the city had no power to block the decision.
Last week, the U.S. and Japanese governments announced plans for
the U.S. Navy to station a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in
Japan for the first time. The U.S. Navy said it would have
greater capabilities than the diesel-powered USS Kitty Hawk
currently based at Yokosuka.
On Saturday, about 80 people -- many of them victims of the U.S.
atomic bombings -- rallied in Hiroshima against the plans to
deploy the nuclear-powered carrier.
"It makes me angry that America can even consider basing a
nuclear carrier in Japan, the only country in the world to have
suffered a nuclear attack," said Kazutoshi Kajikawa, who heads
the Hiroshima Peace Movement Center. (AP)
November 2, 2005
Copyright 2004-2005 THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. All
*****************************************************************
8 Bellona: Adamov appeals extradition to US, Russian foreign ministry to intervene
Russia says a Swiss court's ruling that allowed ex-Atomic Energy
Minister Yevgeny Adamov's extradition to the United States
affects Russia's rights and interests and intends to intervene
in the proceedings as one of the interested legal parties, the
Ministry of Foreign affairs said in a statement Tuesday,
Interfax news agency reported.
2005-11-02 13:28
Lawyers for Adamovwho is charged with embezzling some $9m
allocated by US government bodies to improve Russia’s nuclear
securitymeanwhile filed an appeal with Switzerland’s highest
court in Lausanne against the extradition. The Swiss Federal
Justice Department announced its decision to extradite the
former Russian minister on October 3.
"Russia has repeatedly expressed its disagreement with the Swiss
authorities' decision on Adamov's extradition to the [United
States], which, in its opinion, is not based on an objective
assessment of all circumstances of the case and does not comply
with the provisions of international law that were applied," the
Russia foreign ministry said.
"Taking into account that the decision of the Swiss authorities
directly affects the Russian Federation's rights and legitimate
interests, it intends to take part in the proceedings, as well."
Until the Lausanne court hands down a decision on the appeal,
Adamov will remain in custody in Bern, where he was arrested May
3rd on a US Warrant. The Lausanne court is not bound by a
deadline, and its verdicts are not subject to appeal.
If convicted by an American court, Adamov may face a prison
sentence of up to 60 years and a $1.75 million fine.
The Russian Prosecutor General's Office also launched
proceedings against Adamov, charging him with embezzlement and
abuse of office.
Both countries petitioned the Swiss judiciary for Adamov's
extradition. The official extradition request from the U.S. was
received June 24 and the request from Russia, May 17th.
Publisher: , President:
Information: , Technical contact:
Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box
2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway
*****************************************************************
9 NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting
FR Doc 05-21915
[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices] [Page 66473-66474] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02no05-139]
Date: Weeks of October 31, November 7, 14, 21, 28, December 5,
2005.
Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland.
Status: Public and Closed.
Matters to be Considered Week of October 31, 2005 Tuesday,
November 1, 2005.
9:30 a.m.--Briefing on Implementation of Davis-Besse Lessons
Learned Task Force (DBLLTF) Recommendations (Public Meeting)
(Contact: Brendan Moroney, 301-415-3974).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of November 7, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings
scheduled for the Week of November 7, 2005.
Week of November 14, 2005--Tentative There are no meetings
scheduled for the Week of November 14, 2005.
Week of November 21, 2005--Tentative Monday, November 21, 2005.
9:30 a.m.--Briefing on Status of New Reactor Issues, Part 1
(Public Meeting) (Contact: Laura Dudes, 301-415-0146).
1:30 p.m.--Briefing on Status of New Reactor Issues, Part 2
(Public Meeting) (Contact Laura Dudes, 301-415-0146).
These meetings will be webcast live at the Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of November 28, 2005--Tentative Tuesday, November 29, 2005.
9:30 a.m.--Discussion of Management Issues (Closed-Ex. 2).
Wednesday, November 30, 2005.
9:30 a.m.--Briefing on EEO Program (Public Meeting) (Contact:
Corenthis Kelley, 301-415-7380.
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of December 5, 2005--Tentative Thursday, December 8, 2005.
1 p.m.--Meeting with the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
(ACRS) (Contact: John Larkins, 301-415-7360).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov .
*The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on
short notice. To verify the status of meetings call
(recording)--(301) 415- 1292. Contact person for more information
Michelle Schroll, (301) 415- 1662.
* * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the
Internet at:
http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-making/schedule.html. * * *
* * The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable
accommodation to participaate in these public meetings, or need
this meeting notice or the transcript or other information from
the public meetings in another format (e.g. braille, large
print), please notify the NRC's Disability Program Coordinator,
August Spector, at 301-415-7080, TDD: 301-4152100, or by e-mail
at aks@nrc.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable
accommodation will be made on case-by-case basis.
* * * * * This notice is distributed by mail to several hundred
subscribers; if you no longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301-415-1969). In addition,
distribution of this meeting notice nover the Internet system is
available. If you are interested in receiving this Commission
meeting schedule electronically, please send an electronic
message to dkw@nrc.gov.
[[Page 66474]] Dated: October 27, 2005.
R. Michelle Schroll, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-21915 Filed 10-31-05; 9:59 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
*****************************************************************
10 APP.com: Views on reactor laid out for NRC |
Asbury Park Press Online
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Oyster Creek's impact is topic
BY TODD B. BATES AND BRIAN PRINCE STAFF WRITERS
TOMS RIVER — Oyster Creek has minimal impact on the environment.
Or it has an enormous impact.
Speakers voiced those views, and many in between, on the nuclear
power plant's environmental record at two U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission public meetings Tuesday.
The meetings, which attracted dozens of citizens, activists,
officials and others, centered on the NRC environmental review
linked to the Lacey plant's request for a 20-year operating
license extension beyond April 2009.
"There's a tremendous environmental impact" when Oyster Creek
continues to operate daily, said Donald Warren, a registered
nurse who lives in Ship Bottom and is affiliated with Jersey
Shore Nuclear Watch.
Bud Swenson, site vice president at the AmerGen Energy Co.
nuclear plant in Lacey, said that "today, Oyster Creek has the
longest track record of safe operations" in the U.S. nuclear
industry. The plant generates virtually no greenhouse gas
emissions and "we go to great lengths to minimize our impact to
the environment," Swenson said.
The meetings were aimed at getting public comment on potential
environmental impacts linked to Oyster Creek license renewal and
what the NRC should address in its environmental review,
according to NRC officials.
A variety of concerns
Speakers expressed concerns about the impact of plant cooling
water intakes and discharges on aquatic life, spent fuel
storage, the threat of an airplane attack, the evacuation plan
and potential radioactive releases, among other issues.
Some called for the plant's shutdown. Others said the
environmental impact of a non-nuclear replacement power plant
would exceed that of Oyster Creek, which should operate until
2029. The plant is the oldest operating commercial nuclear plant
in the nation; it began running in 1969.
The license renewal process focuses on plant safety and
environmental impact during a 20-year extension. Other issues,
such as the evacuation plan and security, are addressed on an
ongoing basis, NRC officials have said.
"This needs to be broader than just something about whether the
fish die," said Kelly McNicholas, conservation coordinator for
the Sierra Club's New Jersey chapter. "It needs to look at the
environmental health of the people in the community."
According to an NRC document, the environmental review will
determine "whether or not the adverse environmental impacts of
license renewal . . . are so great that preserving the option of
license renewal for energy planning decision makers would be
unreasonable," according to an NRC document.
"Simply put, is a license renewal acceptable from an
environmental standpoint," said Michael T. Masnik, senior
project manager with the NRC who is coordinating the
environmental review.
Frederick W. Polaski, license renewal manager for Exelon
Nuclear, said, "Oyster Creek can operate safely for 60 years,"
and its impacts on the environment are small.
A 600-megawatt non-nuclear power plant at the site or elsewhere
would have a greater environmental impact than the continued
operation of Oyster Creek, he said.
But Thomas J. Cervasio, chairman of EnviroWatch, said the plant
should be shut down, partly because there is no safe storage of
nuclear waste.
John Generalli, a Berkeley resident who has lymphoma, asked if
spent fuel rods in the spent fuel pool are a danger and "when
are they going to get (them) out?"
Tom Jackson of Manchester said "a cooling tower should be built."
Cooling tower debate
State environmental officials would like the Oyster Creek plant
to build a closed-cycle cooling water system with cooling towers
to reduce water intake by more than 95 percent. The current
once-through kills millions of fish, shrimp and other aquatic
life each year, according to estimates cited by the DEP.
But Wayne Romberg, a project manager at the plant, said "as a
resident, I don't want a cooling tower" and the salt spray from
it.
The evening session featured more of the same, with some calling
for the plant's renewal and others voicing opposition.
David Most, a candidate for Township Committee in Lacey, said
the power plant has no negative environmental impact. He noted
that the population of striped bass in Barnegat Bay, which had
declined in years past due to overfishing, would not have
regrouped if the plant were a threat to the bay.
Brick resident Jeff Brown questioned whether there were firm
standards in place that determine the success of relicensing
application, or if problems are simply addressed as they are
identified so that the renewal application can be granted.
Lacey resident Terry Matthews countered that the NRC has
benchmarks in place that set forth what the appropriate response
to any problems are. He said the people calling for the plant to
be shut down are "in the wrong ballpark here."
"We need to just let the NRC and the plant people do their job,"
he said.
Some people expressed concern about whether plans for evacuating
municipalities within 10 miles of the plant are adequate to
address the needs of the area's current and future population.
"The safe operation of Oyster Creek is our top priority,"
Swenson said.
This story includes material from previous Press stories. Todd
B. Bates: (732) 643-4237 or tbates@app.com [E-mail]
Copyright © 2005 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
11 JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point inspections to increase
By GREG CLARY
gclary@thejournalnews.com
(Original publication: November 2, 2005)
BUCHANAN — Federal nuclear regulators have followed through on a
promise made last week to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to
increase scrutiny at Indian Point, an extra effort to address a
radioactive water leak at the site and the reliability of the
nuclear plants' emergency siren notification system.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Monday it will carry
out additional inspections and wrote a "deviation memo" that
notes that the extra oversight will be undertaken because of the
two problems and despite the plants' overall high marks in 2003
and 2004 for safe operation.
"In the case of Indian Point, the staff considers it prudent to
apply additional inspection focus to specific areas," said NRC
Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins, "even though licensee
performance in these areas has not crossed any specific
thresholds mandating additional regulatory oversight."
The change grew out of a meeting last week between NRC Chairman
Nils Diaz and Clinton, D-N.Y., in which the senator outlined her
concerns that a two-month-old leak could reach nearby drinking
water sources, and the ongoing problem of a 156-siren emergency
notification system that malfunctioned six times in the last
three months.
"Now, the test will be in whether deeds meet words, and I hope
that the NRC will keep its commitment to the communities around
Indian Point," Clinton said yesterday. "This is an important
step forward, but I will continue to monitor the situation to
ensure that the NRC and Entergy address both the spent fuel pool
leaks and the deficiencies of the emergency notification system."
In late September, the NRC began a special inspection at Indian
Point into leaking from the spent fuel pool area at the Indian
Point 2 nuclear power plant. The leak is about 2 liters of
radioactive water per day and does not pose any immediate health
or safety concerns for the public or plant workers, agency
officials said.
Last month, tritium was detected in six of nine on-site
locations. No tritium has been detected off-site. NRC officials
dispatched to monitor the leak and repair efforts are expected
to remain on-site for several more weeks.
Copyright 2005 The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper
*****************************************************************
12 NRC: In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc., Grand Gulf Nuclear
FR Doc 05-21940
[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices] [Page 66474-66475] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02no05-140]
Station, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Order
Modifying License (Effective Immediately) AGENCY: Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Order for Implementation of Interim
Safeguards and Security Compensatory Measures.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul W. Harris, Senior Project
Manager, Licensing and Inspection Directorate, Spent Fuel Project
Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone:
(301) 415-1169; fax number: (301) 415-8555; e-mail PWH1@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Pursuant to 10 CFR
2.106, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing
notice in the matter of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Independent
Spent Fuel Storage Installation Order Modifying License
(Effective Immediately).
II. Further Information I Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) has
been issued a general license by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC or the Commission) authorizing storage of spent
fuel in an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in
accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, 10 CFR Part 50,
and 10 CFR Part 72. This Order is being issued to Entergy who has
identified near-term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under
the general license provisions of 10 CFR Part 72. The Commission
regulations at 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5) and 10 CFR 73.55(h)(1) require
Entergy to maintain safeguards contingency plan procedures in
accordance with 10 CFR Part 73, Appendix C.
Specific safeguards requirements are contained in 10 CFR 73.55.
II On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked
targets in New York, NY, and Washington, DC, utilizing large
commercial aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and
intelligence information subsequently obtained, the Commission
issued a number of Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its
licensees in order to strengthen licensees' capabilities and
readiness to respond to a potential attack on a nuclear facility.
The Commission has also communicated with other Federal, State,
and local government agencies and industry representatives to
discuss and evaluate the current threat environment in order to
assess the adequacy of security measures at licensed facilities.
In addition, the Commission has been conducting a comprehensive
review of its safeguards and security programs and requirements.
As a result of its consideration of current safeguards and
security plan requirements, as well as a review of information
provided by the intelligence community and other governmental
agencies, the Commission has determined that certain compensatory
measures are required to be implemented by licensees as prudent,
interim measures, to address the current threat environment in a
consistent manner throughout the nuclear ISFSI community.
Therefore, the Commission is imposing requirements, as set forth
in Attachment 1 \1\ of this Order, on Entergy who has indicated
near-term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general
license provisions of 10 CFR Part 72.
These interim requirements, which supplement existing regulatory
requirements, will provide the Commission with reasonable
assurance that the public health and safety and common defense
and security continue to be adequately protected in the current
threat environment. These requirements will remain in effect
until the Commission determines otherwise.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \1\ Attachment 1 contains safeguards information and
will not be released to the public.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- The Commission recognizes that some measures may not
be possible or necessary, or may need to be tailored to
accommodate the specific circumstances existing at Entergy's
facility to achieve the intended objectives and avoid any
unforeseen effect on the safe storage of spent fuel.
In order to provide assurance that licensees are implementing
prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of protection to
address the current threat environment, the Commission concludes
that security measures must be embodied in an Order consistent
with the established regulatory framework. Entergy's general
license issued pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210 shall be modified to
include the requirements identified in Attachment 1 to this
Order. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, the Commission
finds that in the circumstances described above, the public
health, safety, and interest require that this Order be effective
immediately.
III Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 103, 104, 161b, 161i, 161o,
182, and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and
the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR parts 50,
72, and 73, it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that
your general license is modified as follows: A. Entergy shall,
notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission regulation or
license to the contrary, comply with the requirements described
in Attachment 1 to this Order except to the extent that a more
stringent requirement is set forth in their security plan.
Entergy shall immediately start implementation of the
requirements in Attachment 1 to the Order and shall complete
implementation before April 26, 2006, or the first day that spent
fuel is initially placed in the ISFSI, whichever is earlier.
B. 1. Entergy shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this
Order, notify the Commission: (1) If they are unable to comply
with any of the requirements described in Attachment 1, (2) if
compliance with any of the requirements is unnecessary in their
specific circumstances, or (3) if implementation of any of the
requirements would cause the licensee to be in violation of the
provisions of any Commission regulation or the facility license.
The notification shall provide the licensee's justification for
seeking relief from or variation of any specific requirement.
2. If Entergy considers that implementation of any of the
requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order would
adversely impact the safe storage of spent fuel, Entergy must
notify the Commission, within twenty (20) days of this Order, of
the adverse safety impact, the basis for its determination that
the requirement has an adverse safety impact, and either a
proposal for achieving the same objectives specified in the
Attachment 1 requirement(s) in question, or a schedule for
modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition.
If neither approach is appropriate, Entergy must supplement its
response to
[[Page 66475]] Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the
condition as a requirement with which it cannot comply, with
attendant justifications as required in Condition B.1. C.1.
Entergy shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order,
submit to the Commission, a schedule for achieving compliance
with each requirement described in Attachment 1.
2. Entergy shall report to the Commission when they have achieved
full compliance with the requirements described in Attachment 1.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5), all
measures implemented or actions taken in response to this Order
shall be maintained until the Commission determines otherwise.
Entergy's responses to Conditions B.1, B.2, C.1, and C.2, shall
be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 72.4. In addition,
submittals that contain Safeguards Information shall be properly
marked and handled in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21. The Director,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards may, in writing,
relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon demonstration
by Entergy of good cause.
IV In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, Entergy must, and any other
person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to
this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order, within
twenty (20) days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is
shown, consideration will be given to extending the time to
request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to
submit an answer or request a hearing must be made in writing to
the Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards,
and the Director, Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good
cause for the extension. The answer may consent to this Order.
Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in
writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the
matters of fact and law on which the licensee or other person
adversely affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order
should not have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing
shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of
the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN:
Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies
also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear Material
Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555; to the Director, Office of Enforcement at
the same address; to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials
Litigation and Enforcement at the same address, to the Regional
Administrator for NRC Region IV at 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite
400, Arlington, TX 76011-4005; and to the licensee if the answer
or hearing request is by a person other than the licensee.
Because of potential disruptions in delivery of mail to United
States Government offices, it is requested that answers and
requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the
Commission, either by means of facsimile transmission to
301-415-1101, or by e-mail to
hearingdocket@nrc.gov and also to the Office of the General
Counsel, either by means of facsimile transmission to
301-415-3725, or by e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. If a person
other than Entergy requests a hearing, that person shall set
forth with particularity the manner in which his interest is
adversely affected by this Order and shall address the criteria
set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d). If a hearing is requested by
Entergy or a person whose interest is adversely affected, the
Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of
any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at
such a hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), Entergy may, in addition to
demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner,
move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate
effectiveness of the Order on the grounds that the Order,
including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on
adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations,
or error.
In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the
provisions specified in Section III above shall be final twenty
(20) days from the date of this Order without further order or
proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has
been approved, the provisions specified in Section III shall be
final when the extension expires if a hearing request has not
been received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay
the immediate effectiveness of this order.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dated this 26th day of October 2005.
Jack R. Strosnider, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 05-21940 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
13 NRC: In the Matter of Entergy Operations, Inc., Grand Gulf Nuclear
FR Doc E5-6055
[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices] [Page 66475-66477] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02no05-141]
Station Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, Order
Modifying License (Effective Immediately) AGENCY: Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Issuance of Order for Implementation of Additional
Security Measures Associated with Access Authorization.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul W. Harris, Senior Project
Manager, Licensing and Inspection Directorate, Spent Fuel Project
Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone:
(301) 415-1169; fax number: (301) 415-8555; e-mail .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Pursuant to 10 CFR
2.106, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing
notice in the matter of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Independent
Spent Fuel Storage Installation Order Modifying License
(Effective Immediately).
II. Further Information I Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy)
holds a license issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC or the Commission) authorizing the operation of an
Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) in accordance
with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and Title 10 of the Code of
Federal Regulations (10 CFR) part 50 and 10 CFR part 72.
Commission regulations at 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5) and 10 CFR
73.55(h)(1) require Entergy to have a safeguards contingency plan
to respond to threats of radiological sabotage and to protect the
spent fuel against the threat of radiological sabotage.
Inasmuch as an insider has an opportunity equal to or greater
than any other person to commit radiological sabotage, the
Commission has
[[Page 66476]] determined these measures to be prudent. This
Order has been issued to all licensees who currently store spent
fuel or have identified near- term plans to store spent fuel in
an ISFSI.
II On September 11, 2001, terrorists simultaneously attacked
targets in New York, NY, and Washington, DC, utilizing large
commercial aircraft as weapons. In response to the attacks and
intelligence information subsequently obtained, the Commission
issued a number of Safeguards and Threat Advisories to its
licensees in order to strengthen licensees' capabilities and
readiness to respond to a potential attack on a nuclear facility.
On October 16, 2002, the Commission issued Orders to the
licensees of operating ISFSIs to put the actions taken in
response to the Advisories in the established regulatory
framework and to implement additional security enhancements which
emerged from the NRC's ongoing comprehensive review. The
Commission has also communicated with other Federal, State, and
local government agencies and industry representatives to discuss
and evaluate the current threat environment in order to assess
the adequacy of security measures at licensed facilities. In
addition, the Commission has been conducting a comprehensive
review of its safeguards and security programs and requirements.
As a result of its consideration of current safeguards and
security requirements, as well as a review of information
provided by the intelligence community, the Commission has
determined that certain additional security measures are required
to address the current threat environment in a consistent manner
throughout the nuclear ISFSI community. Therefore, the Commission
is imposing requirements, as set forth in Attachment 1\1\ of this
Order, on all licensees of these facilities. These requirements,
which supplement existing regulatory requirements, will provide
the Commission with reasonable assurance that the public health
and safety and common defense and security continue to be
adequately protected in the current threat environment. These
requirements will remain in effect until the Commission
determines otherwise.
\1\ Attachment 1 contains SAFEGUARDS INFORMATION and
will not be released to the public.
The Commission recognizes that licensees may have already
initiated many of the measures set forth in Attachment 1 to this
Order in response to previously issued advisories, the October
2002 Order, or on their own. It also recognizes that some
measures may not be possible or necessary at some sites, or may
need to be tailored to accommodate the specific circumstances
existing at the licensee's facility to achieve the intended
objectives and avoid any unforeseen effect on the safe storage of
spent fuel.
Although the additional security measures implemented by
licensees in response to the Safeguards and Threat Advisories
have been adequate to provide reasonable assurance of adequate
protection of public health and safety, the Commission concludes
that these actions must be supplemented further because the
current threat environment continues to persist. Therefore, it is
appropriate to require certain additional security measures and
these measures must be embodied in an Order, consistent with the
established regulatory framework.
In order to provide assurance that Entergy is implementing
prudent measures to achieve a consistent level of protection to
address the current threat environment, Entergy's general license
issued pursuant to 10 CFR 72.210 shall be modified to include the
requirements identified in Attachment 1 to this Order. In
addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, the Commission finds that in
the circumstances described above, the public health, safety, and
interest require that this Order be immediately effective.
III Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 53, 103, 104, 161b, 161i,
161o, 182, and 186 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended,
and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR parts
50, 72, and 73, It Is Hereby Ordered, Effective Immediately, That
Your General License Is Modified as Follows: A. Entergy shall,
notwithstanding the provisions of any Commission regulation or
license to the contrary, comply with the requirements described
in Attachment 1 to this Order except to the extent that a more
stringent requirement is set forth in the Entergy's security
plan. Entergy shall immediately start implementation of the
requirements in Attachment 1 to the Order and shall complete
implementation no later than April 26, 2006, with the exception
of the additional security measures B.4, which shall be
implemented no later than October 26, 2006, or the first day that
spent fuel is initially placed in the ISFSI, whichever is
earlier.
B. 1. Entergy shall, within twenty (20) days of the date of this
Order, notify the Commission: (1) If it is unable to comply with
any of the requirements described in Attachment 1, (2) if
compliance with any of the requirements is unnecessary in their
specific circumstances, or (3) if implementation of any of the
requirements would cause Entergy to be in violation of the
provisions of any Commission regulation or the facility license.
The notification shall provide Entergy's justification for
seeking relief from or variation of any specific requirement.
2. If Entergy considers that implementation of any of the
requirements described in Attachment 1 to this Order would
adversely impact the safe storage of spent fuel, Entergy must
notify the Commission, within twenty (20) days of this Order, of
the adverse safety impact, the basis for its determination that
the requirement has an adverse safety impact, and either a
proposal for achieving the same objectives specified in the
Attachment 1 requirements in question, or a schedule for
modifying the facility to address the adverse safety condition.
If neither approach is appropriate, Entergy must supplement its
response to Condition B.1 of this Order to identify the condition
as a requirement with which it cannot comply, with attendant
justifications as required under Condition B.1. C. 1. Entergy
shall, within twenty (20) days of this Order, submit to the
Commission a schedule for achieving compliance with each
requirement described in Attachment 1.
2. Entergy shall report to the Commission when they have achieved
full compliance with the requirements described in Attachment 1.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of 10 CFR 72.212(b)(5), all
measures implemented or actions taken in response to this Order
shall be maintained until the Commission determines otherwise.
Entergy's response to Conditions B.1, B.2, C.1, and C.2, above
shall be submitted in accordance with 10 CFR 72.4. In addition,
submittals that contain Safeguards Information shall be properly
marked and handled in accordance with 10 CFR 73.21. The Director,
Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, may, in
writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon
demonstration by Entergy of good cause.
IV In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, Entergy must, and any other
person
[[Page 66477]] adversely affected by this Order may, submit an
answer to this Order, and may request a hearing on this Order,
within twenty (20) days of the date of this Order. Where good
cause is shown, consideration will be given to extending the time
to request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to
submit an answer must be made in writing to the Director, Office
of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, and the Director,
Office of Enforcement, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for
the extension. The answer may consent to this Order. Unless the
answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in writing and
under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the matters of
fact and law on which the licensee or other person adversely
affected relies and the reasons as to why the Order should not
have been issued. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be
submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary of the
Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attn: Rulemakings
and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555.
Copies also shall be sent to the Director, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555; to the Director, Office of
Enforcement at the same address; to the Assistant General Counsel
for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address, to
the Regional Administrator for NRC Region IV at 611 Ryan Plaza
Drive, Suite 400, Arlington, TX 76011-4005; and to the licensee
if the answer or hearing request is by a person other than the
licensee. Because of possible disruptions in delivery of mail to
United States Government offices, it is requested that requests
for a hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission
either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by
e-mail to and also to the Office of General Counsel either by
means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to .
If a person other than Entergy requests a hearing, that person
shall set forth with particularity the manner in which his/her
interest is adversely affected by this Order and shall address
the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.714(d). If a hearing is
requested by Entergy or a person whose interest is adversely
affected, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time
and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be
considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order should be
sustained.
Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(I), Entergy may, in addition to
demanding a hearing at the time the answer is filed or sooner,
move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate
effectiveness of the Order on the grounds that the Order,
including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on
adequate evidence but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations or
error.
In the absence of any request for hearing or written approval of
an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the
provisions specified in Section III above shall be final twenty
(20) days from the date of this Order without further order or
proceedings. If an extension of time for requesting a hearing has
been approved, the provisions specified in Section III shall be
final when the extension expires, if a hearing request has not
been received. An Answer or a Request for Hearing Shall Not Stay
the Immediate Effectiveness of This Order.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Dated this 26th day of October 2005.
Jack R. Strosnider, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E5-6055 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
14 NRC: Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Solicitation of Scoping
FR Doc E5-6056
[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices] [Page 66472-66473] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr02no05-138]
Comments Related to the Standard Review Plan for Waste
Determination Reviews AGENCY: United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC).
ACTION: Notice; Scoping meeting and opportunity to comment.
SUMMARY: The NRC announces its intent to conduct a public scoping
meeting to present an overview of the proposed outline for the
Standard Review Plan (SRP) for Waste Determination Reviews and to
accept oral and written public comments. The meeting date, time
and location are listed below: Meeting Date: Thursday, November
10, 2005.
Meeting Location: Hilton Gaithersburg, 620 Perry Parkway,
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877, 301-977-8900,
http://www.hilton.com/ en/ hi/hotels/index.jhtml; jsessionid=
LMCCLDIIWRZ1KCSG BIX2VCQKIYFCXUUC? ctyhocn=GAIGHHF.
SRP Meeting Agenda: 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. Meeting Registration 1:00
p.m.-1:15 p.m. Welcome & Introductory Remarks 1:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m.
NRC Roles & Responsibilities 1:45 p.m.-2:15 p.m. SRP Overview
2:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Questions 2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Break 2:45
p.m.-4:45 p.m. Comments on the Scope of the SRP 4:45 p.m.-5 p.m.
Closing Remarks Background On October 9, 2004, the Ronald W.
Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005
(NDAA) was passed by Congress and was signed by the President on
October 28, 2004. Section 3116 of the NDAA allows the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) to determine that certain waste
stemming from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is not
high-level-waste (HLW). However, the NDAA is applicable only in
the States of South Carolina and Idaho and does not apply to
waste transported out of these States. The NDAA requires that:
(1) DOE consult with NRC on all of its waste determinations in
South Carolina and Idaho, and (2) NRC, in coordination with the
State, monitor disposal actions taken by DOE for the purpose of
assessing compliance with NRC regulations in 10 CFR part 61,
subpart C. If the NRC determines that any disposal actions taken
by DOE are not in compliance, the NDAA requires NRC to inform
DOE, the affected State, and congressional subcommittees. In
addition to NDAA activities conducted at the Savannah River Site
(SRS) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL), DOE may make similar
waste determinations at its Hanford site and at the West Valley
Demonstration Project (WVDP) and may request NRC to provide
technical reviews of those determinations. The staff has
described its plans for implementing its activities under the
NDAA in SECY-05-0073 and the Commission approved the plans in the
corresponding Staff Requirements Memorandum dated June 30, 2005.
The NRC staff is developing a waste determination Standard Review
Plan (SRP) to provide guidance to staff on reviewing waste
determination information and analyses. This meeting is an
opportunity for interested parties to submit comments on the
scope of the SRP. The draft SRP will also be published for public
comment and the comments received will be considered by the staff
during development of the final SRP.
Draft SRP Outline Introduction Background for SRP How To Use the
SRP Updating the SRP Structure of the SRP Introduction to WIR and
NDAA Role of NRC in NDAA Site-Specific and General Information
Site-Specific System Description Information Applicable Waste
Criteria Prior Waste Determinations Site-Specific Criteria for
West Valley (West Valley Final Policy Statement), Hanford (DOE
Order 435.1), Savannah River and Idaho National Laboratory
(National Defense Authorization Act, Section 3116) Removal of
Radionuclides Concentration Limits Compliance With Performance
Objectives of 10 CFR Part 61, Subpart C
[[Page 66473]] Disposal Modeling Approach Source-Term Development
Climate and Infiltration Engineered Barriers and Near-Field
Radionuclide Transport Far-Field Radionuclide Transport Modifying
Scenarios, Pathways, and Receptor Groups Conceptual Models
Computer Codes/Models Input Parameter Values Evaluating Model
Results ALARA Analyses References Protection of Individuals
During Operations Inadvertent Intrusion Scenarios for Modeling
Site Stability Quality Assurance Program Monitoring Monitoring
Methods Demonstrating Compliance With 10 CFR 61, Subpart C
Noncompliance Reports Appendices The SRP scoping meeting
officially begins at 1 p.m. and will include: (1) A presentation
summarizing NRC roles and responsibilities, (2) an overview of
the proposed draft SRP, and (3) an opportunity for interested
government agencies, organizations, and individuals to provide
comments on the scope of the SRP. This meeting will be
transcribed by a court reporter. Persons wishing to provide oral
comments will be asked to register at the meeting entrance.
Individual oral comments may have to be limited to 5 minutes
each, depending upon the number of persons who register. Please
note that comments do not have to be provided at the public
meeting and may be submitted at any time before November 25,
2005, as described in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections of this
notice.
DATES: The public comment period on the SRP begins with
publication of this notice and continues until November 25, 2005.
Written comments should be submitted as described in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. Comments submitted by mail
should be postmarked by that date to ensure consideration.
Comments received or postmarked after that date will be
considered to the extent practical. A public meeting to discuss
the proposed draft SRP will be held on November 10, 2005 as
described in the SUMMARY section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Members of the public are invited and encouraged to
submit comments to the Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Low-Level Waste Section Chief, Mail
Stop T7-J08, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC
20555-0001. Please note Docket No. POOM-32, PROJ0734, PROJ0735,
PROJ0736 when submitting comments. Comments will also be accepted
by e-mail at AHB1@nrc.gov or by facsimile to (301) 415-5397,
Attention: Anna Bradford with a subject line containing the
document identifier: SRP.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions related to the
Standard Review Plan, please contact Anna Bradford at (301)
415-5228. For public scoping meeting questions, please contact
Michele O'Shaughnessy at (301) 415-6659.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of October 2005.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Ryan Whited, Chief, Low-Level Waste Section, Environmental and
Performance Assessment Directorate, Division of Waste Management
and Environmental Protection, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E5-6056 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
15 Hudson Valley News: NRC plans enhanced oversight of Indian Point
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Senator Hillary Clinton yesterday welcomed the formal
announcement by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it would
be conducting enhanced oversight of Indian Point, but said she
would continue to monitor the progress being made in
investigating recent leaks found near the spent fuel pools at
the Indian Point power plant, as well as continued problems
associated with the plants emergency notification system. The
senator also joined calls yesterday for the U.S. Coast Guard to
complete a comprehensive assessment of the vulnerability of
Indian Point and all nuclear plants around the country.
Senator Clinton was notified of the commitment to enhanced
oversight from the NRC last week by Chairman Nils Diaz. The
chairman committed that the NRC would be implementing a
provision Clinton inserted in the energy bill by issuing
detailed orders to Entergy, Indian Points owner, in January to
require them to back up their emergency notification system.
Clinton yesterday also joined calls by Congressman Eliot Engel
for the U.S. Coast Guard to complete a comprehensive assessment
of the vulnerability of Indian Point and all nuclear plants
around the country.
Last year, Congress passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act
which included a provision supported by Clinton that requires
the Coast Guard to conduct vulnerability assessments of all U.S.
nuclear power plants. The assessment was designed to focus on
the vulnerability of the plants to attack from the water. The
bill required the Coast Guard to assess the vulnerability of the
Fitzpatrick and Nine Mile Point plants in Oswego, the Ginna
plant in Rochester and the Indian Point plants in Buchanan, as
well as plants across the nation.
HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's
only Internet radio news report.
*****************************************************************
16 technicianonline.com: Reactor mystifies campus
11.02.2005
Tyler Dukes
People often fear the mysterious.
And to the casual student, the PULSTAR nuclear reactor located in
Burlington Complex is definitely mysterious.
Housed in a 15,000 gallon tank constructed with six-foot thick,
high-density concrete, the reactor emits a bright blue glow as
it generates one megawatt of thermal energy.
For many students, like freshman in electrical engineering Josh
Brown, knowledge of the reactor is “very limited.”
And he's not alone.
"Honestly, I don't know anything about it," Brandon Crawford,
senior in wood products, said. "All I've heard was that it's
there."
"I really don't know a whole lot about it," Matthew Holmes,
junior in English, said gazing up at the reactor's chimney. "I
know if it blows up, it wouldn't take out too much."
But despite its mystery, a stringent set of security measures,
heavily regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have
allowed the facility to operate “without incident for 35 years,”
according to Engineering and Operations Manager Andrew Cook.
Regulated Research
Although the power generated by the reactor is around 3,000
times less than the Shearon-Harris nuclear plant in Wake County,
the operation of a facility that uses radioactive material is no
haphazard business.
In an industry heavily regulated by the NRC, nuclear engineers
on campus must conduct their research with special emphasis not
just on safety, but on security.
Every reactor, for example, has a physical security plan,
approved by the NRC.
"It's what the facility will do to protect the material inside,"
Cook said.
Facilities also have an NRC-approved emergency plan, which
spells out procedures for "every credible scenario," according
to Cook.
According to Gerald Wicks, reactor health physicist, the nuclear
program re-examines these plans every year to evaluate the
effectiveness of the security measures in place.
"You evaluate what is credible,” Wicks said. “You can't evaluate
what's incredible, like getting hit by a meteor."
The threat of terrorism has had its effect on the reactor
program, most notably with the change in tour policy.
According to Cook, prior to 9/11, the program allowed open tours
of the reactor. Afterward, the NRC issued "compensatory action
letters," requiring a reassessment of the reactor's safety plan
and an increase in security measures.
"We implemented these and went above and beyond," Cook said.
He said the current tour policy requires a two-week advance
notice for visits to the reactor.
"It has to be for a legitimate reason...to promote and enhance
science,” Cook said. “We review and approve the tour itself."
Controversial Criticism
Despite the regulations, ABC News recently targeted campus
research reactors in an investigation, sending out a crew of
undercover reporters to test the security measures in the 25
different nuclear research reactors in the country, including
the reactor at N.C. State.
"Among our findings, unmanned guard booths, unlocked doors and
again and again easy access with no background checks, no metal
detectors, to reactors using the most dangerous materials in the
world," ABC News' chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross
said of the reactors during the program.
Although the report, aired on Oct. 13, did not reference the
University reactor specifically, the program's “Loose Nukes” Web
site did report on its findings in Burlington, pointing to an
unlocked door to the Nuclear Materials Laboratory as well as a
picture of the reactor schematic on the wall.
But according to Cook, the report's findings on NCSU were
inconclusive. He said the schematic on the wall was from an old,
decommissioned reactor and that the laboratory does not actually
contain any radioactive material.
The report was also heavily criticized by the Nuclear Energy
Institute in an Oct. 14 press release.
“ABC sensationalized the findings of its investigation by
failing to assess the difficulty that even suicidal terrorists
would face in trying to remove heavy, highly radioactive
material from the small research reactors,” the release stated.
Wicks said although other schools may have “used some bad
judgment” and failed to follow some procedures, one of the big
issues with the report was that they did not clearly define the
rules and regulations outlined by the NRC.
“The risk issue was not communicated – they overplayed it,”
Wicks said. “Just because they park their van near a barricade,
it doesn't mean that's a failure of security.”
The NEI specifically focused on one incident where Ross
referenced the reactor at Texas A, stating that “an explosive
thrown in [the reactor] could be the beginning of a dirty bomb.”
“The bottom line is that throwing a small bomb into a reactor
pool is likely to damage the reactor core, and likely to cause
some radioactivity to be released. However, I would not expect
this contamination to pose a health risk to people nearby,”
Andrew Karam, director of radiation safety at the Rochester
Institute of Technology, said in the release.
Cook said the effect of an accident or explosion on the outside
environment at NCSU would also be minimal.
“The dose to the public is negligible,” Cook said.
'Piece of mind'
Even in normal operation, which Wicks said is “all the time,”
employees and staff are required to strictly adhere to safety
and security requirements.
All employees are required to carry thermo-luminescent devices
that detect both gamma and neutron radiation.
These badges, issued by NCSU's own Radiation Safety Division,
keep track of the amount of radiation employees are exposed to
and ensure their safety. The badges are sent off to a laboratory
quarterly for examination.
Similar devices can be found in dentist and doctors offices with
those who operate X-rays.
Visitors to the reactor also receive pocket ion chambers. These
pen-sized tubes contain visual scale that can instantaneously
measure the amount of radiation visitors to the reactor are
exposed to.
Cook said this level is always zero.
"From a tour perspective, it's a piece of mind for the visitor,
but it's also to make sure it's safe," Cook said.
Safe for the 'foot soldier'
Even on the back-end, University officials are serious about
dealing with radioactive materials.
Bruce Stewart is the campus hazardous waste specialist and has
been trained to be responsible for hazardous and low-level waste
disposal from labs all over campus.
“There's a certain amount of waste the reactor generates and I'm
responsible for the disposal of that waste,” Stewart said.
He said the campus reactor generates a small amount of waste,
compared to the other labs around campus.
Because it is not cost effective to ship out the material,
stored in large drums, as soon as it is received, Stewart said
the waste is stored in the environmental heath and safety
building, a concrete block building surrounded by a locked
fence.
He said the material could be dangerous, under certain
conditions of course.
“It's dangerous to the public if you're stupid,” Stewart said.
“They'd have to physically stick their hands in radioactive
waste.”
He said the environment's not dangerous to the workers either.
“If you walked around with a [radioactivity] meter, you would
get almost background on the meter,” Stewart said.
Stewart said employees who work with the material go through
extensive training for their positions and periodically
participate in training simulations with Raleigh Hazardous
materials.
In the event of a large-scale emergency, he said, there is an
emergency-response network in Wake County “equivalent to FEMA.”
“Because of this, I can be used as a foot soldier,” Stewart
said. “I stand around and wait until someone tells me where to
go.”
Staying Power
As its fourth reactor, the PULSTAR marks more than 50 years of
history with NCSU's nuclear program, which Cook said, was the
first in the nation.
The department boasts projects with funding from the U.S.
Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, among
others, with research affecting fields from food sterilization
to medical imaging and textiles.
And although many students may not be familiar with the
bright-blue spectrum of on-campus uranium, Cook said the
30-year-old glow won't be fading any time soon.
“There's no reason to suspect why [the reactor] wouldn't be here
for another 30 years.”
North Carolina State University's Student Newspaper Since 1920
CONTACT US | JOIN THE STAFF | ADVERTISE
PAGE ONE | SEARCH © 2000-2004 NCSU SMA. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
17 Business Gazette: NUCLEAR SELL-OFF: EFFECTS ON SUPPLY CHAIN
Published in Business Gazette on Wednesday, November 2nd 2005
Dog Holden, chief executive of West Cumbria Development Agency,
looks at the effects on the West Cumbria supply chain of a
possible sale of British Nuclear Group
BRITISH Nuclear Group Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) which itself is, in effect,
publicly owned. The BNFL Board has recently announced its
preference to pursue the sale of British Nuclear Group which
they believe would be in the best interest of the company and
its employees.
This has raised many questions in West Cumbria and beyond as to
what effect such a sell-off might have on the local supply
chain, the long line of companies that supply British Nuclear
Group either directly or via its sub-contractors.
Before looking directly at that issue it is worth considering
that such a sales process will take time to work through in any
event. Also, the ultimate decision on any sale will be made by
the BNFL Board after full consultation with stakeholders and, of
course, the UK government through the Secretary of State for
Trade and Industry.
However, if we assume that British Nuclear Group is sold and/or
another company takes over the decommissioning of Sellafield,
what of the effects on the local supply chain? Well, regardless
of the site operator, the work of decommissioning must and will
go on, the NDA will see to that. Critically it will be managed
in an open and competitive manner with all that means in
exposing our local companies to the full effects of global
competition. Many local companies will ruefully recognise the
situation when I say that few favours are being offered them
under the current structure as British Nuclear Group have been
introducing procurement policies in line with European public
sector guidelines. From this point of view, a change of
corporate ownership may have little effect.
Undoubtedly, however, a change would bring uncertainties and
re-adjustment and it is likely that new players would enter the
game.
This is currently happening anyway as the huge opportunities
offered by decommissioning are sought. What is important is that
our local companies demonstrate their capability and competence
to carry out the work effectively and efficiently. Local
identity will not guarantee work irrespective of these issues
but importantly, it will weigh favourably as a tie breaker . In
other words, if all else is more or less equal in comparing bids
for work, local identity will play an important part in the
decision making.
At this point it is worth mentioning that my own organisation,
West Cumbria Development Agency, together with West Lakes
Renaissance, is embarking on a 15-month project to assist our
local companies to maximise the opportunities presented by
nuclear decommissioning. This is the West Cumbria Supply Chain
Project and it kicks off with a Meet the Buyer event at
Sellafield on November 1 2005. Full details via Tracey Hyslop on
01900 65656 or tracey@wcda.co.uk
*****************************************************************
18 Guardian Unlimited Bush: Venezuela Nuke Reactor Might Be OK
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Wednesday November 2, 2005 8:16 AM
AP Photo MDEV104
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Despite tense relations with Venezuela,
President Bush says it might be OK for the South American nation
to have a nuclear reactor for peaceful energy uses.
Bush acknowledged he had not heard about Venezuela's request for
a reactor when asked about it Tuesday in an interview with Latin
American reporters in advance of his five-day trip to the
region. But he didn't reject the idea, even though he has had
numerous disputes with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
As Chavez, Bush and leaders from 32 other nations in the Western
Hemisphere prepare to gather Friday at the Summit of the
Americans in Argentina, the Venezuelan leader is trying to boost
his profile by putting his disputes with the United States at
center stage.
On Tuesday, Chavez said he would bring to the summit a message
that the United States' ``capitalist, imperialist model'' was
responsible for exploiting developing economies and ruining the
global environment. He also warned he might share Venezuela's
U.S.-made F-16 fighters with Cuba and China, accusing the United
States of making it difficult for his country to obtain spare
parts for the planes, which Venezuela originally purchased in
1983.
Chavez has said his government was preparing for a possible U.S.
invasion aimed at taking over Venezuela's oil fields, an
allegation that U.S. officials have denied. He also has
denounced the U.S.-led war in Iraq and said world leaders should
consider moving the United Nations headquarters out of the
United States.
Chavez recently said he is interested in working with Iran to
explore peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Chavez has insisted
Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy despite opposition
from the U.S. government, which fears Tehran may be developing a
nuclear weapons program.
Venezuela has asked for technical help from Argentina to develop
nuclear energy. Bush said he would be curious to know what
Argentine President Nestor Kirchner has to say about the idea.
Kirchner and Chavez share left-leaning politics and have built
close ties. Bush said he hopes Kirchner will agree with his
position that international oversight of any nuclear development
is important and noted that Venezuela already is an energy rich
nation as one of the world's top oil producers.
``I guess if I were a taxpayer in Venezuela, I would wonder
about the energy supply that Venezuela has,'' Bush said. ``But
maybe it makes sense. I haven't really studied the proposal.''
Fred Jones, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the
White House, later said that any nuclear cooperation with
Venezuela would have to be in accordance with international
obligations and safeguards set by the U.N. International Atomic
Energy Agency. ``We have worked closely with Argentina to fight
nonproliferation and look forward to continuing to do so in the
future,'' Jones said.
Bush's trip to Argentina, Brazil and Panama follows what has
been one of the worst week's of his presidency. One of his top
advisers was indicted, he had to replace his widely criticized
Supreme Court nominee, and U.S. military deaths in Iraq passed
the 2,000 mark.
Bush even made light of the issue of reporter-source
relationships that has been at the center of the investigation
into who in his administration was responsible for leaking the
name of a covert CIA operative to the media. The investigation
led to Friday's perjury and obstruction of charges against I.
Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of
staff.
When an Argentine reporter said sources told him that Kirchner
planned to ask Bush for help reaching a new financial agreement
on its debts with the International Monetary Fund, Bush
expressed mock surprise that government officials can act as
secret-leaking sources.
``I'm not going to ask you who they are, of course,'' Bush said,
drawing laughter from the U.S. contingent in the room. ``Inside
joke here, for my team.''
He went on to say that he would listen to any request that
Kirchner makes in their private meeting, but the populist leader
elected after Argentina's 2002 economic collapse appears
``plenty capable of dealing with the IMF directly'' without the
United States as a ``middleman.''
The agenda at the Summit of the Americas centers on poverty
reduction, with Bush promoting increased trade and the creation
of other economic opportunities as the best solutions.
But Bush acknowledged that he has been unable to accomplish what
was once one of his highest trade priorities - the creation of a
Free Trade Area of the Americas that remove tariffs and or
barriers on all goods among every country in the Western
Hemisphere except Cuba.
The talks have been at an impasse for months, with co-chairs
Brazil and the United States remaining far apart on a number of
issues, including U.S. protections for American farmers and
Brazil's laws covering the protection of intellectual property
rights.
---
On the Net:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
CIA World Factbook on Venezuela:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ve.html#Intro
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005
*****************************************************************
19 NRC: NRC Proposes $3,250 Civil Penalty for N.J. Firm over Loss of Small Amount of
Radioactive Material
News Release - Region I - 2005-05 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs, Region I No. I-05-057
November 2, 2005 CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil
A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail:
opa1@nrc.gov
fine for a New Jersey analytical laboratory for the loss of a
small sample of radioactive material earlier this year from its
facility in Teaneck, N.J. The apparent violations for which the
civil penalty has been proposed against Ledoux & Co. involve
failures to adequately survey, secure and dispose of
NRC-licensed material in accordance with the agencys
requirements.
Last March 30, the Ledoux laboratory in Teaneck received a
shipment containing seven small analytical samples of
uranium-235. A staff member opened the package on April 1,
identified six of the seven samples, and performed an
unsuccessful cursory search for the seventh sample. A more
thorough search was conducted on April 12, resulting in the
discovery that the shipping container had been removed as normal
trash and a determination that the missing sample had been
disposed of with the package.
The NRC was notified of the apparent loss on April 13. In
response, the agency began an inspection at the facility the
next day. On May 11, Ledoux provided the NRC with a written
report that concluded the package had been sent to a landfill
and the sample was therefore unrecoverable. NRC concurred with
the companys conclusion that it was not practical to try and
retrieve the sample because (1) the material could have gone to
a number of different landfills and (2) the material posed no
threat to members of the public. Specifically, the sample
involved emits less than one-tenth of a millirem per hour while
the average member of the public receives about 360 millirems
from manmade and natural sources each year. (A millirem is a
measure of exposure to radioactivity.)
After reviewing the event, the NRC has proposed the fine based
on the following apparent violations: (1) staff at the Teaneck
lab failed to adequately survey the package holding the samples
and, because of this, one sample remained with the package; (2)
even though a lab staff member could not account for all seven
samples, no action was taken to retain the container, and when
the package was removed from the facilitys restricted area and
placed in a dumpster, the sample was no longer secured from
unauthorized removal or access; and (3) the package was disposed
of in a landfill.
NRC considers the failure to secure and/or maintain control of
radioactive material a serious matter. In this case, the failure
. . . led to an improper transfer to an unauthorized recipient,
NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins wrote in a letter
to the company regarding the enforcement action.
The company has 30 days to provide a written response to the
enforcement action.
Last revised Wednesday, November 02, 2005
*****************************************************************
20 [DU Information List] MoD concedes that gulf war syndrome does
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 18:40:29 -0800
X-Spamprobe: ham-extreme * 0.0002134 OK
9999b.jpg My
Groups | pandora-project
Main Page
MoD concedes that Gulf War syndrome does exist
By Michael Evans, Defence Editor
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1852147,00.html
999a5.jpg
BRITISH soldiers who suffered debilitating illnesses after serving in the
1991 Gulf War were victims of a conflict-related syndrome, an appeals
tribunal ruled yesterday.
The landmark case involving the former Trooper Daniel Martin, 35, of the
Life Guards, who is suffering from asthma, anxiety and memory loss, forced
the Ministry of Defence to admit for the first time that the label of "Gulf
War syndrome" was justified.
The department's change of mind, contained in a judgment by the war
pensions appeal tribunal in London yesterday, will have far-reaching
implications. At least 1,500 other Gulf War veterans will now be able to
claim a war pension.
The veterans have blamed the illnesses on the cocktail of vaccines that
they were given for protection against chemical and biological warfare.
They also suspected that the organophosphate pesticides used to spray their
tents to kill desert bugs may have contributed.
The tribunal, in a reserved judgment, was critical of the MoD's previous
refusal to accept the existence of Gulf War syndrome. The panel, which
included a consultant psychiatrist and physician, said: "Fourteen years
after the end of the Gulf War, the Veterans Agency (part of the MoD) has
conceded the validity of the label GWS (Gulf War syndrome).
"In that time many applications for such a condition were rejected, there
have been numerous and expensive court cases and there are at present a
number of ex-servicemen awaiting the result of this hearing.
"It is not for this tribunal to ascertain why such a late concession was
made, but the kindest comment that can be made is that the lateness of this
concession was unfortunate."
Former Trooper Martin, from Luton, said that he had fought for five years
for a war pension on the basis that he was suffering from Gulf War
syndrome. The MoD rejected his application because he "was determined to
stick with that label". "I am delighted with the result. It will benefit
all the other veterans suffering worse illnesses than me," he said.
Mark McGhee, a lawyer with Linder Myers solicitors, in Manchester, who
acted for Mr Martin, said that it was an "historic test case". Mr Martin
served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
Although the tribunal accepted that Gulf War syndrome was "the appropriate
medical label", it said that Mr Martin had failed to produce reliable
evidence to satisfy the burden of proof that Gulf War syndrome was "a
discrete pathological entity". Last night the MoD welcomed this finding.
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21 [du-list] MoD concedes that gulf war syndrome does exist
Date: Wed, 02 Nov 2005 18:40:31 -0800
X-Temp-Whitesubject: YES du-list
X-Spamprobe: ham-super * 0.0000157 OK
MoD concedes that Gulf War syndrome does exist
By Michael Evans, Defence Editor
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1852147,00.htmlBRITISH soldiers
who suffered debilitating illnesses after serving in the 1991 Gulf War were
victims of a conflict-related syndrome, an appeals tribunal ruled yesterday.
The landmark case involving the former Trooper Daniel Martin, 35, of the
Life Guards, who is suffering from asthma, anxiety and memory loss, forced
the Ministry of Defence to admit for the first time that the label of "Gulf
War syndrome" was justified.
NI_MPU('middle');The department's change of mind, contained in a judgment
by the war pensions appeal tribunal in London yesterday, will have
far-reaching implications. At least 1,500 other Gulf War veterans will now
be able to claim a war pension.
The veterans have blamed the illnesses on the cocktail of vaccines that
they were given for protection against chemical and biological warfare.
They also suspected that the organophosphate pesticides used to spray their
tents to kill desert bugs may have contributed.
The tribunal, in a reserved judgment, was critical of the MoD's previous
refusal to accept the existence of Gulf War syndrome. The panel, which
included a consultant psychiatrist and physician, said: "Fourteen years
after the end of the Gulf War, the Veterans Agency (part of the MoD) has
conceded the validity of the label GWS (Gulf War syndrome).
"In that time many applications for such a condition were rejected, there
have been numerous and expensive court cases and there are at present a
number of ex-servicemen awaiting the result of this hearing.
"It is not for this tribunal to ascertain why such a late concession was
made, but the kindest comment that can be made is that the lateness of this
concession was unfortunate."
Former Trooper Martin, from Luton, said that he had fought for five years
for a war pension on the basis that he was suffering from Gulf War
syndrome. The MoD rejected his application because he "was determined to
stick with that label". "I am delighted with the result. It will benefit
all the other veterans suffering worse illnesses than me," he said.
Mark McGhee, a lawyer with Linder Myers solicitors, in Manchester, who
acted for Mr Martin, said that it was an "historic test case". Mr Martin
served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
Although the tribunal accepted that Gulf War syndrome was "the appropriate
medical label", it said that Mr Martin had failed to produce reliable
evidence to satisfy the burden of proof that Gulf War syndrome was "a
discrete pathological entity". Last night the MoD welcomed this finding.
---------------------------------
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22 [DU-WATCH] Beyond Treason: Veterans exposure-
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2005 00:09:26 -0600 (CST)
X-Fingerprint: owner-imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu-127.127
Thanks for that info, Mark. Cheers, Elaine
Thought for the day:
If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
Mark Gailey wrote:
http://www.beyondtreason.com/
Veterans (and Gulf region) exposure-
Depleted Uranium
Biological and Chemical warfare
Experimental Vaccinations
110 minute DVD - free to military personnel and veterans
2 1/2 minute movie trailer - free .wmv download
documented research on accompanying CD
Mark Gailey
http://www.libertyfelix.net/
SPONSORED LINKS
U s government grant Berea kentucky hotel Berea kentucky Kentucky Berea kentucky real estate U s government student loan
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23 Xinhua: S.Korean truck loaded with missile parts blasts near Daegu
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2005-11-01 21:09:55
[A 15-ton truck reportedly loaded with parts of missiles blasted
in a tunnel on an expressway near the South Korean city of Daegu
on Tuesday.] SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- A 15-ton truck
reportedly loaded with parts of missiles blasted in a tunnel on
an expressway near the South Korean city of Daegu on Tuesday.
The blast occurred at around 2:18 p.m. (0518 GMT) in a
tunnel on Guma Highway, which links Daegu city and Masan city,
reported South Korean Yonhap News Agency. Daegu is some 300
kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Fire fighters are trying to control the fire, said Yonhap.
Witness was quoted by Yonhap as saying six or seven
detonation were heard when the accidents occurred in the tunnel.
At the time of the explosion, scores of vehicles were inside
the tunnel.
But there was not immediately report on casualties. Enditem
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
24 Sydney Morning Herald: BHP plans uranium mine upgrade -
www.smh.com.au
+ Large font November 2, 2005
BHP Billiton expects growing global demand for nuclear power to
ensure viability for a proposed $5 billion upgrade at its
Olympic Dam copper-uranium mine.
The project would see uranium production ramped up four-fold at
the world's biggest uranium deposit, in South Australia, from
2013.
Much of its success would depend on Australia's current
negotiations on selling uranium to China - which is expected to
quadruple China's nuclear energy production by 2020.
But the project still faces massive hurdles with water, energy
and transport demands expected to grow roughly in line with
output at the remote desert site.
The company is yet to make a final decision as it awaits the
results of a $300 million pre-feasibility study due by the end
of 2007.
BHP Billiton base metals customer sector group vice-president
Roger Higgins told a federal parliamentary inquiry he was
confident of finding buyers for the projected output of 15,000
tonnes a year.
The current figure is 4,000 tonnes a year.
"Clearly energy demand is going to increase worldwide and I
think everybody accepts that it will be substantial," Mr Higgins
said.
"All of the current energy sources are likely to increase along
with that ... but what we anticipate is that uranium as a
proportion is likely to increase.
"We see a 60 per increase in all sorts of use over the next
decade or so."
However, spot prices for uranium of between $20 and $30 a pound
exceeded the long-term contract price of $15 and were not
expected to remain that high, he said.
Nuclear power now generates 16 per cent of the world's
electricity from 439 stations in 31 countries, with Australia
accounting for 19 per cent of global uranium production -
earning $475 million a year.
But the industry has a poor public perception in Australia,
despite recent urgings from Prime Minister John Howard for an
informed debate on the merits of nuclear power.
The federal government's renewed interest in the sector has
sparked interest from 25 mining companies who have purchased
exploration licenses in the Northern Territory.
Dr Higgins said that with regards to nuclear power production,
the 40 per cent market share now taken up by the
de-commissioning of uranium from weapons was expected to slip to
17 per cent by 2020.
Australia was in a good position to negotiate contracts for
future uranium production due to its greater political stability
than competitors in places such as Kazakhstan and parts of
Africa, he said.
Dr Higgins said while the company was interested in offshore
exploration for uranium, it held no mining interests in other
countries at this stage.
At Olympic Dam, he said the company may look to build a 90km
rail line from Woomera with the aid of federal government
funding, and was also considering the merits of a gas line from
Moomba for liquid fuel replacement.
Environmental groups have been up in arms over a proposal to
take five times as much water from the threatened Great Artesian
Basin (GAB) to expand Olympic Dam.
BHP Billiton spokesman Richard Yeeles told the inquiry the
company was still considering its options, including a $300
million sea water desalination plant on Spencer Gulf.
© 2005 AAP
Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald. ![]()
National/Politics Updated Nov.2,2005 20:39 KST
Local referendums at the potential locations for a radioactive
waste dump wrapped up without a hitch in Pohang, Gyeongju and
Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang Province and Gunsan in North
Jeolla Province on Wednesday evening, raising hopes that a
project 20 years in the planning will finally get under way. The
dump will be built in the location where it gets the most
support. This is the first time a government project has been
decided by plebiscite.
The prime minister and the commerce, government administration
and science ministers will meet to review the results of the
referendum and discuss ways of supporting the winning site and
pacify public sentiment in the other locations. The Ministry of
Commerce, Industry and Energy said construction will start in
the second half of 2007, to be completed by the end of 2008.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
*****************************************************************
27 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [EDITORIALS] After the nuclear site vote
November 3, 2005 KST 14:54 (GMT+9)
The location of the nation's first permanent nuclear waste
dump was decided in a vote yesterday by the residents of the
candidate areas, although the winner was not yet known at press
time late yesterday evening. This national project, which had
been drifting for a long time, has finally been settled by
directly asking the opinion of the site candidates' residents.
Now there is one winner among the local governments of the four
candidate sites ¡ª Gyeongju, Pohang and Yeongdeok in North
Gyeongsang province and Gunsan in North Jeolla province ¡ª which
had competed fiercely. All of them now should yield to the
majority view.
The campaigns against the nuclear dump have not been viciously
waged this time, unlike past efforts of opponents of a dump. But
there have been many allegations of illegal campaigning, and
environmental groups have argued that the vote should be
nullified. Some local governments have also incited their
residents' antagonism against other regions. Now we have to
minimize the problems in the aftermath of the vote.
Environmental groups should stop stimulating conflicts between
regions and residents. If the construction of a nuclear waste
facility is stalled again, it would be a tremendous waste of
national energy.
The nation's 20 nuclear plants' temporary storage space for
medium- and low-level nuclear waste will be filled in 2008. Over
the last 19 years, the government has attempted to find a
permanent nuclear waste dump site seven times, but failed each
time. That was because the designated sites were based on
unilateral decisions by the central and local governments,
stimulating serious opposition from residents. That was clearly
seen in Buan two years ago, where some residents resorted to
violence to stop the waste site from opening there. But this
time, residents of four candidate areas welcomed the vote and
the regional development funds that the government offered. The
incentives, including a 300-billion-won ($288-million)
government subsidy, led the local governments of the candidate
sites to campaign too energetically, giving room for complaints
from the losers. Even the local government of the selected site
will not be entirely happy because there will be conflicts with
neighboring jurisdictions.
There were a few problems in the voting, a rare procedure for
this kind of decision. There was pressure by governments on
voters, and there was a very large number of absentee ballots.
Some changes are needed to curb intervention by government.
2005.11.02
Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use |
*****************************************************************
28 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: Nuclear waste ballot draws 60% turnout
November 3, 2005 KST 14:54 (GMT+9)
November 03, 2005 ¤Ñ Residents in four areas of Korea voted
yesterday on how happy they would be with a nuclear waste dump
in their backyards. Sixty percent of eligible voters in the four
areas cast ballots, the National Election Commission said,
although ballots were still being counted at press time last
night.
The local governments of the four areas ¡ª Gyeongju, Pohang and
Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang province and Gunsan in North
Jeolla province ¡ª campaigned hard to increase support among
residents, because the candidate site with the greatest majority
of "yes" votes will get the nod and the largess that Seoul has
promised to go along with the waste.
Temporary storage sites at Korea's 20 nuclear reactor sites
will be filled by 2008, so the site search is a pressing issue.
Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use |
*****************************************************************
29 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [VIEWPOINT] Citizens asked to make a choice
November 3, 2005 KST 14:54 (GMT+9)
Yesterday was a day when residents voted on whether to invite
the construction of a nuclear waste disposal facility in their
administrative districts. One of our country's long-term tasks,
which has been embroiled in conflict for the past 19 years, may
find a solution through the first experiment, a residents'
referenda.
Although Aomori prefecture in Japan decided to host a nuclear
waste interim storage facility, there was no referendum, or
citizens' vote, in Mutsu city in the prefecture, where the
facility will be constructed. The decision on the construction
of a nuclear dump, not a mere disposal facility for medium to
low-level nuclear waste, was made through the approval of the
local parliament alone, without a vote by the residents.
Compared to Japan, we are following a high-level democratic
procedure that respects the opinions of local residents.
Thanks to their expectations of regional development
accompanying the construction of the nuclear waste facility, the
public's understanding of the facility has increased and a
consensus has been reached between the concerned local
autonomous governments and residents. Unlike the past, however,
it is worrisome that overheated competition between the local
governments to host the facility and residents who oppose the
facility will bring adverse effects.
The essence of the problem lies in the absentee vote. Requests
for applications for absentee ballots from the four local
governments that wish to host the facility, including Gyeongju
and Pohang in North Gyeongsang province, Gunsan in North Jeolla
province and Yeongdeok county in North Gyeongsang province, have
turned out to be unprecedentedly high. Compared to the 2 to 3
percent rate in the past, the current application rates for
absentee ballots were surprisingly high, with 38.1 percent in
Gyeongju city, 39.4 percent in Gunsan, 27.5 percent in Yeongdeok
county and 22.0 percent in Pohang city.
The application rate for absentee ballots has increased because
the requirements for absentee voting were greatly eased to
promote residents' participation in the vote and special support
was promised. Because of legislation to guarantee regional
development with economic support, including a special grant of
300 billion won ($287 million), an annual fee of 8.5 billion won
for hosting the facility, pursuit of combining a proton
accelerator with the facility and the transfer of the main
office of the Korea Hydro &Nuclear Co. to the locale, residents
in the areas that applied for construction of the nuclear waste
disposal facility have a greater expectation of local
development than ever.
Therefore, unlike in other elections held this year as well as
in the past, the local residents who hope to host the facility
were actively participating in the vote, taking relatively more
interest in the issue. Seeing this move, some environmental
groups and others that oppose the construction of the facility
did not hesitate to call for nullifying the referendums,
claiming that the votes are the result of corruption in which
the central government and the local autonomous governments
capitalized on the power of money and government power.
Even in the legislative elections, not a few problems have
occurred in the process of campaigns and elections. But the
problems were solved through improvement of institutions and
punishment of criminals, and elections themselves were never
denied.
As the referendum is not an established system yet, there could
be many things that need to be improved, but the significance of
the vote should not be undermined by putting the cart before the
horse, as if the referendum itself had a problem.
For a successful referendum, not only should the National
Election Commission conduct a strict and thorough supervision of
the voting process but also the local governments and residents
should show a high level of political awareness so that the
voting is fair and just. By instigating regional sentiment
surrounding the construction of the nuclear waste disposal
facility, they should not abuse the good intentions of the
referendum that respects democratic procedure. Because the area
with the highest approval rate will be selected as the
construction site, the concerned local residents and autonomous
governments should show a high level of grassroots democracy
that readily yields to the results of the referendum with a
spirit of fair play.
If we fail to select the construction site for the nuclear waste
disposal facility again this time as we are entangled in the
controversy over the vote, not only will the local governments
suffer damage but the country will also lose its honor and all
the people will end up carrying the burden. Therefore, the
National Election Commission, the government and each local
government should supervise the referendums more thoroughly to
prevent the occurrence of controversy over the results of the
votes. Also, the local residents of the areas concerned should
use greater prudence in the matter, so that the problem of
constructing the nuclear waste disposal facility that has been
adrift for 19 years is resolved this time.
I sincerely expect that the referendum will remain an exemplary
precedent in which a conflicting policy issue is resolved
democratically.
* The writer is a professor of international politics at Hanyang
University. Translation by the JoongAng Daily staff.
by Kim Kyung-min
2005.11.02
Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use |
*****************************************************************
30 Salt Lake Tribune: Dumping can be avoided
Opinion
Article Last Updated: 11/01/2005 10:58:39 PM
I believe that the dumping of radioactive soil near the San
Juan River can be avoided by creating facilities that can
recycle nuclear waste. They may not exist yet but it would be a
good idea. But what's worse is that the government is putting
Japanese radioactive waste in a beautiful desert that is near
people.
The radioactive soil could harm the humans in and near
Blanding. One of the hardest parts to accept about the dumping is
that there are a lot of wonderful animals in the area. The soil
could harm the human and animal populations of Utah, Colorado and
New Mexico.
Aren't there risks to depositing the soils? Please don't turn
our beautiful state into a nuclear dump zone.
Sophie Bona-Layton
Salt Lake City
© Copyright 2005, The Salt Lake Tribune.
*****************************************************************
31 Xinhua: Ukraine denies burying nuclear waste near Russian border
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2005-11-02 13:03:08
KIEV, Nov. 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris
Tarasyuk on Tuesday refuted a media report that Ukraine had
allegedly buried chemical and nuclear waste near its border with
Russia.
Evidence from defense, emergencies and nuclear authorities
showed that the report by the Komsomolskaya Pravda, an
electronic periodical, regarding the chemical and nuclear waste
burial had been untrue and irresponsible, Tarasyuk said at a
press conference.
Komsomolskaya Pravda recently published an article saying
that Ukraine had allegedly buried chemical and nuclear waste
near the Ukrainian-Russian border.
Tarasyuk said Ukraine, as a signatory country of the
Convention on the Banning of Chemical Weapons and a member of
the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW), had passed five checks by the OPCW without any
violation.
The minister also denied the allegation that Ukraine had
buried nuclear waste, noting that the country's nuclear
facilities and treatment of nuclear waste had been closely
monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Enditem
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
32 Globe and Mail: Chiefs warn of nuclear waste plans for native territory
Some are worried at possible moves to bury spent fuel in the
Canadian Shield
By BILL CURRY
Wednesday, November 2, 2005 Posted at 5:39 AM EST
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Regina — Aboriginal chiefs gathered from across the country are
being put on notice that plans are afoot to bury nuclear waste
in their traditional territory.
Outside the Regina convention room where more than 600 chiefs of
the Assembly of First Nations are gathered this week, the AFN
has set up a large display, complete with pictures, of how
nuclear waste could be buried inside the Canadian Shield in the
coming decades.
"Yikes," said one woman at the convention as she scanned the
display outlining the AFN's "Nuclear Waste Dialogue."
David Gorman, one of the AFN's four co-ordinators for the
dialogue, has been visiting reserves to let chiefs and tribal
council members know that key decisions are being made about
storing nuclear waste that could affect native reserves in the
coming decades.
"I'll talk about radiation and a little bit of the science. I'll
talk about the proposed options for economic opportunities for
regions," Mr. Gorman said, in describing his presentations.
"I would just say, 'Be aware that industry might approach [your
community] to build a facility on your territory and they might
sweeten the deal with economic opportunities and money.' "
The issue is being driven by the impact of the federal Nuclear
Fuel Waste Act, passed by Parliament in 2002. The law created a
new Nuclear Waste Management Organization, led by
representatives of Canada's nuclear industry. The organization
is scheduled to report in two weeks on its long-term plan for
storing nuclear waste.
Mr. Gorman said earlier reports from the organization suggest it
will likely propose that the current system of storing waste at
the site of nuclear reactors should be continued for the next 60
years, after which deep storage facilities in the Canadian
Shield should be ready for use.
The Canadian Shield is the deep rock bed that lies underneath
most of Quebec and Northern Ontario. Parts of Saskatchewan are
also being considered as potential locations for nuclear deep
storage.
The AFN's nuclear dialogue is being paid for with money from the
nuclear organization and Natural Resources Canada.
Mr. Gorman would not say how much money the AFN received from
the nuclear organization, but the AFN's own summary report of
its dialogue reveals the funding arrangement doesn't sit well
with some.
"Some participants expressed discomfort at the idea that the AFN
was there to promote the [nuclear organization's] objectives and
obtain 'buy in' to the current process," says the summary report
from the AFN to Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the nuclear organization's
president.
John Beaucage, the grand council chief for the Union of Ontario
Indians, which represents several native reserves on the
Canadian Shield, said he would advise any community not to store
nuclear waste on its territory.
Mr. Beaucage said promises of large amounts of money may be
enticing for poorer communities, but the long-term impact should
be considered.
"It might look good in the short term but when you're talking
about nuclear waste, there's no such thing as short-term," he
said. "It's just a very, very scary thought."
While reserves are relatively small and it would be highly
unlikely that such facilities would be built on reserve land,
each aboriginal community considers the broader surrounding area
to be part of its "traditional territory," which may also be
specifically defined by treaties.
Such land is also owned by the Crown, creating the possibility
that such facilities could be built against the wishes of the
closest reserve.
Mr. Gorman said that, so far, no community has volunteered to
work with the nuclear industry.
He said his presentation is normally met with "a sense of shock"
given there is little knowledge of nuclear-waste issues or that
a plan is in the works that could involve traditional lands.
The debate comes as the Ontario government has signalled it will
become more dependent on nuclear energy as it phases out coal
power.
As chiefs wandered by the AFN display, Mr. Gorman said he has
been told of many negative experiences that reserves have had
with the uranium-mining industry.
One aboriginal community in the Northwest Territories, for
example, used to be referred to as the Village of Widows after
most of the men in the area died because they were hired to
carry uranium from a local mine without any protection.
Latest Comments in the Conversation
Editor's Note: Globeandmail.com editors read and approve each
comment. Comments are checked for content only, spelling and
grammar errors are not corrected and comments that include
vulgar language or libelous content are rejected.
1.brian smythe from moose jaw, Canada writes:
It seems that the Indian Reserves are about to become a very big
issue in the coming future. We are seeing the present problems
that are on the reserves with the water problems that have come
to light. The goverment and the companies involved in the setup
of these nuclear storage plants will buy out the natives ,to put
the plantswhere they want, but at the same time they will forget
to properly educate and inform the natives of what the future
problems will be till it is to late. I find a large number of
people who feel that the natives along with the immigrants to
Canada are being given a free ride. They see nothing but money
given from the taxes they pay given away . Our goverment has
missed the boat again , handouts do not help anyone better
themselves.The native groups are in trouble and a very large
part is their own doing , not to say that they are the only ones
to blame .
+ Posted Nov. 2, 2005 at 12:04 PM EST
+
2.Denise Billy from West Vancouver, Canada writes: This
is ridiculous. What an outrage! How irresponsible!. Now if this
were to happen in B.C. I am quite sure thatthis nuclear waste
could very well be put on Capilano Reserve or Mission Reserve.
Capilano reserve has the dump AND railroad trucks running
through it. I am so fed up with our government dumping waste,
building railroad tracks, and locating reserves right beside the
highways here in B.C. Now my first nations people are having
nuclear waste being dumped on traditional territory?It is high
time for AFN to stop thinking money and taking"handouts" the
government keeps stuffing down our throats and MAN UP! Say No!
We as a Fist Nations community must learn to be self efficient
without the government handouts where we as native people are
getting the low end of the deal!!! Do you really think the
nuclear waste dump would be located in the posh side of Regina?
No........go dump it on native traditional territory!! Or if it
were to happen here do you think it would be convenientlydumped
in the British Properties? I highly doubt that!
postamble();
+ Posted Nov. 2, 2005 at 12:18 PM EST
+
3.Stu S from Ottawa, Canada writes:
I must say that I am tired of people over reacting to things
they don't understand. Nuclear material comes from the earth in
the first place. Putting it back where we found it when we are
done with it just makes sense. And as Canadian we actually have
a lot of expertise in regards to nuclear fuel.
Nearly a third of the world's supply of uranium comes from
northern Saskatchewan!
Deep burial is quite safe especially in this country where we
have strict government regulations on the nuclear industry.
+ Posted Nov. 2, 2005 at 12:28 PM EST
+
4.Mark Outhwaite from Toronto, Canada writes:
Europeans appropriated this land using violence,then some time
later,successive generations propose inserting highly
radioactive substances into vast repositories underground.
First Nations lived in harmony with nature for tens of thousands
of years,a duration of time that coincides with the half-life of
certain forms of radioactive nuclear waste. A way of living that
places the human being in harmony with their environment is
subverted by sweeping the radioactive embers of industrial
civilization under their rug,not ours.
An subscriber
+ Posted Nov. 2, 2005 at 1:00 PM EST
+
5.Douglas Cochrane from Dartmouth, Canada writes:
It is shameful that in the 21st. Century we still feel that we
can by off the natives with a few trinkets and empty
promises.Yes we do need to find a place to store nuclear waste
but why does it have to be on native soil.Our aboriginal people
have given up a lot since we arrived in the new world, we have
reduced their numbers through our diseases, killed thousands
outright, and sent the rest into exile on reserves.We have
polluted, stripped, and permanently altered the pristine land
that was once theirs and now we want to use whats left as a
dump.I hope those that are paid to make the "big" decisions look
a little harder at finding a better place to store nuclear
waste.A closed military base perhaps?
Douglas Cochrane
Dartmouth, NS.
+ Posted Nov. 2, 2005 at 2:36 PM EST
Globeandmail.com:
*****************************************************************
33 Review: Individuals respond to perchlorate differently
Foodconsumer.org
Last Updated: Nov 2nd, 2005 - 08:23:35
Genetic Factors That Might Lead to Different Responses in
Individuals Exposed to Perchlorate
Franco Scinicariello, H. Edward Murray, Lester Smith, Sharon
Wilbur, and Bruce A. Fowler
Division of Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta,
Georgia, USA
* Introduction
* Public Health and Perchlorate
* Mode of Action of Perchlorate in Humans
* Thyroid Hormone Synthesis
* Relevant Studies of Perchlorate in Humans
* Conclusions
Abstract
Perchlorate has been detected in groundwater in many parts of
the United States, and recent detection in vegetable and dairy
food products indicates that contamination by perchlorate is
more widespread than previously thought. Perchlorate is a
competitive inhibitor of the sodium iodide symporter, the
thyroid cell-surface protein responsible for transporting iodide
from the plasma into the thyroid. An estimated 4.3% of the U.S.
population is subclinically hypothyroid, and 6.9% of pregnant
women may have low iodine intake. Congenital hypothyroidism
affects 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 4,000 infants, and 15% of these cases
have been attributed to genetic defects. Our objective in this
review is to identify genetic biomarkers that would help define
subpopulations sensitive to environmental perchlorate exposure.
We review the literature to identify genetic defects involved in
the iodination process of the thyroid hormone synthesis,
particularly defects in iodide transport from circulation into
the thyroid cell, defects in iodide transport from the thyroid
cell to the follicular lumen (Pendred syndrome), and defects of
iodide organification. Furthermore, we summarize relevant
studies of perchlorate in humans. Because of perchlorate
inhibition of iodide uptake, it is biologically plausible that
chronic ingestion of perchlorate through contaminated sources
may cause some degree of iodine discharge in populations that
are genetically susceptible to defects in the iodination process
of the thyroid hormone synthesis, thus deteriorating their
conditions. We conclude that future studies linking human
disease and environmental perchlorate exposure should consider
the genetic makeup of the participants, actual perchlorate
exposure levels, and individual iodine intake/excretion levels.
Key words: genetic susceptibility, hypothyroidism, mutations,
NIS, Pendred syndrome, pendrin, perchlorate, thyroid gland, TPO.
Environ Health Perspect 113:1479-1484 (2005).
doi:10.1289/ehp.8076 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 29
June 200]
Introduction
Sequencing of the human genome has brought new emphasis and
increased interest in gene-environment interactions and is
becoming relevant in defining public health policies. For many
years, people's susceptibility to xenobiotics have been known to
differ significantly. Now, several techniques are available to
identify and characterize the genetic correlates of
interindividual variability. The goal of environmental genomics
is to help investigators understand how genetic variability
influences individual responses to environmental factors on the
basis of the assumption that high-risk genotypes accumulate more
damage and therefore are at greater risk of developing
exposure-related diseases. Thus, genomics information may lead
to development of predictive biomarkers that identify
potentially sensitive populations and earlier prediction of
adverse outcomes, ultimately resulting in better intervention
strategies (Kelada et al. 2003).
Public Health and Perchlorate
The advent and use of new, highly sensitive detection techniques
have identified contamination of groundwater by perchlorate in
many parts of the United States, primarily in association with
industries involved in rocket, explosives, and fireworks
manufacturing and propellant handling. Concentrations measured
in most public water supplies are 90%), virtually unchanged
(Anbar et al. 1959; Eichler and Hackenthal 1962).
Several other inorganic anions such as thiocyanate and nitrate
that are present in dietary and environmental sources have
goitrogenic effects (Greer et al. 1966). Similar to perchlorate,
they both competitively inhibit iodide uptake at NIS. Several
studies have been conducted to determine the relative effects of
perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate on radioactive iodine
uptake (RAIU) inhibition. Studies in rats showed that
perchlorate was approximately 10 times more potent than
thiocyanate and about 300 times more potent than nitrate in
inhibiting RAIU in the thyroid. Furthermore, thiocyanate was
slightly more potent than iodide (Wyngaarden et al. 1953).
Tonacchera et al. (2004) demonstrated, in Chinese hamster ovary
(CHO) cell lines stably transfected with the human NIS gene,
that the relative potency of perchlorate on RAIU inhibition was
15, 30, and 240 times that of thiocyanate, iodide, and nitrate,
respectively. The inhibiting effects when the cell lines where
exposed to a mixture of perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate
were simply additive.
Thyroid Hormone Synthesis
Thyroid hormone plays a key role in the growth and
differentiation of many organs. It is especially important for
development of the central nervous system during the prenatal
and postnatal periods (reviewed by Zoeller et al. 2002). A
severe shortage of TH for several weeks after birth results in
serious mental and motor handicaps. During pregnancy the mother
provides substantial amounts of TH to the fetus (Vulsma et al.
1989), so the delay in cerebral development caused by congenital
hypothyroidism (CH) results mainly from postnatal TH deficiency.
The risk for mental retardation and the difficulty in
recognizing the disease were reasons for introducing neonatal
mass screening programs. Therefore, the most serious effects of
perchlorate might occur during the first trimester when the
brain is forming and developing and TH supply is totally
dependent on maternal supply of iodine and of thyroxine (T4) and
triiodothyronine (T3)
To understand the potential impact of perchlorate on a
gene-environment interaction model, we need to consider T3 and
T4 in a proper biosynthesis context. TH synthesis and secretion
are exquisitely regulated negative-feedback systems that involve
the hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid glands. The
hypothalamus secretes thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), a
tripeptide (pyroGlu-His-Pro) synthesized in the paraventricular
nucleus of the hypothalamus. The TRH, transported by axons,
binds to TRH receptors in the pituitary thyrotropes, a
subpopulation of pituitary cells that secrete
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TRH stimulation leads to
release and synthesis of new TSH in thyrotropes. The TSH binds
to the TSH receptor in the thyroid gland cells. TSH is the
primary regulator of TH release and secretion. Both TRH and TSH
secretion are negatively regulated by THs: when T4 reaches an
adequate circulating level, the hypothalamus and pituitary
reduce their output of TRH and TSH; they increase their output
of TRH and TSH when the circulating blood level of T4 is low. A
number of thyroid genes, including NIS, thyroglobulin (Tg), and
thyroid peroxidase (TPO), are stimulated by TSH and promote the
synthesis of TH (Zoeller 2003).
Iodine is critical to thyroid gland function and TH synthesis
and secretion. The first step in thyroidal iodine metabolism is
the cellular uptake of iodide from the extracellular fluid. The
thyroidal iodine uptake is tightly regulated by the NIS, an
intrinsic plasma membrane protein in the thyroid follicular
cells (Dohán et al. 2003). From the follicular cell, the iodide
moves across the apical membrane, transported by pendrin protein
(Yoshida et al. 2002). The iodide is then delivered to the
cell-colloid interface, where it is oxidized by TPO and bound to
tyrosyl residues in the Tg. This iodination of specific
tyrosines on Tg yields monoiodinated and diiodinated residues
[monoiodotyrosines (MITs) and diiodotyrosines (DITs)] that are
enzymatically coupled to form T4 and T3. The iodinated Tg
containing MIT, DIT, T4, and T3 then is stored as an
extracellular storage polypeptide in the colloid within the
lumen of thyroid follicular cells.
Perchlorate does not undergo metabolism, but genetic defects of
its target, that is, the NIS, may lead to low iodine uptake in
the thyroid gland, thus depressing production of THs. In this
scenario, exposure to perchlorate may further reduce the already
low iodide uptake and decrease production of THs. The combined
effects of perchlorate with a genetic decrease in THs would
hence delineate a population at risk for decreased thyroid
function.
We reviewed published data to identify genetic factors that
might lead to different responses in people exposed to
perchlorate in the environment. Because perchlorate inhibits
iodide uptake, we focused on the genetic defects causing CH
involving the iodination process of the THs, particularly a)
defects in iodide transport from circulation into the thyroid
cell; b) defects in iodide transport from the thyroid cell to
the follicular lumen, often combined with inner ear deafness
[Pendred syndrome (PDS)]; and c) defects of iodide
organification.
A positive perchlorate discharge test is used as a diagnostic
tool in most of these medical conditions. A positive diagnosis
can be obtained by administering 1 g potassium perchlorate 2 hr
after a tracer dose of 131I. In normal individuals, radioiodide
accumulation in the thyroid gland ends after the administration
of potassium perchlorate, but there is little loss of the
thyroidal radioactivity previously accumulated in the gland.
Instead, potassium perchlorate causes almost complete discharge
of the unbound fraction of thyroid iodide in individuals with
defects of iodide organification and with PDS. Therefore, these
people could have different responses to environmental
perchlorate exposure than normal individuals.
Defects in iodide transport from circulation into the thyroid
cell. The NIS is the plasma membrane glycoprotein that mediates
active iodide uptake into the thyroid follicular cells. This
process is the crucial first step in TH biosynthesis. NIS
couples the inward transport of sodium, which occurs in favor of
its electrochemical gradient, to the simultaneous inward
translocation of iodide against its electrochemical gradient.
Two sodium ions per iodide ion are translocated into the cells
(Dai et al. 1996; Eskandari et al. 1997). The sodium gradient
that drives iodide uptake is maintained by the Na+/K+ ATPase.
Congenital iodide transport deficit (ITD) is an infrequent
autosomic recessive condition characterized by inability of the
thyroid gland to maintain a concentration gradient of iodide
between the plasma and the thyroid follicular cell, resulting in
hypothyroidism, diffuse or nodular goiter, and little or no
uptake of radioiodine. The disorder has been linked to a defect
of the NIS. In the absence of a functional NIS molecule, iodide
has no access to the thyroid follicular cells, resulting in
decreased TH biosynthesis and higher circulating levels of TSH,
which in turn stimulates the morphologic and biochemical changes
in the thyroid that result in development of goiter (De La Vieja
et al. 2000).
The gene coding for human NIS has been mapped to chromosome
9p12-13.2. It has 15 exons and coding for a glycoprotein of 643
amino acids. NIS is a protein with 13 putative transmembrane
domains, an extracellular amino terminus, and an intracellular
carboxyl terminus (De La Vieja et al. 2000). About 58 cases of
ITD from 33 families have been reported worldwide. Thirty of 31
cases from 21 families were studied at the molecular level and
had several homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations of the
perchlorate-sensitive NIS gene. Eleven mutations have been
identified: V59E, G93R, Q267E, C272X, T354P, G395R, frameshift
515X, Y531X, G543E, uc DeltaM142-Q323, and uc DeltaA439-P443
(Fujiwara et al. 1997, 1998, 2000; Kosugi et al. 1998a, 1998b,
1999, 2002; Matsuda and Kosugi 1997; Pohlenz et al. 1997, 1998;
Tonacchera et al. 2003). The single substitution in codon 354
converting from ACA (Thr) to CCA (Pro) was the most common
mutation detected in 10 patients with homozygous mutations, and
in four patients with compound heterozygous mutation (Fujiwara
et al. 1997, 1998; Kosugi et al. 1998a, 1998b; Matsuda and
Kosugi 1997). All were Japanese, suggesting that the mutant NIS
T354P is more common in Japan. However, the frequency of this
gene in the Japanese population is unknown because only 185
healthy people, representing only 370 alleles, have been
genotyped.
The frequency of mutations in the NIS gene in the population is
not known. Heterozygous persons do not express the phenotype;
therefore, NIS gene defects can be detected only when both
alleles are affected. People with homozygous mutations that
cause partial loss of function may not be detected when, under
conditions of high iodide intake, full preservation of iodide
concentrating function is not required to achieve normal hormone
synthesis. Therefore, impairment of thyroidal iodide
concentration requires not only mutations in both NIS alleles
but also defects that cause virtually complete loss of function.
The therapeutic treatment of ITD patients consists of l-T4
administration. Some patients also are supplemented with
potassium iodide, thus underscoring the degree of functional
loss of the mutated NIS. In these persons, perchlorate intake
from contaminated sources could further reduce the functional
activity of the mutated NIS in concentrating iodide in the
thyroid.
Defects in iodide transport from the thyroid cell to the
follicular lumen, often combined with inner ear deafness (PDS).
PDS, an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deafness
and goiter, is the most common cause of syndromic deafness,
accounting for up to 10% of all hereditary hearing loss (Fraser
1965; Nilsson et al. 1964). A phenotypic heterogeneity exists
among affected persons, and thyroid dysfunction is particularly
variable. At least 50% of affected persons have normal
circulating levels of TH, whereas others develop clinical
hypothyroidism (Reardon et al. 1999). Most affected persons
demonstrate impaired iodide organification, as determined by a
positive perchlorate discharge test. Hearing loss in PDS is
prelingual and, in at least 80% of patients, is associated with
structural defects of the inner ear, including a dilatation of
the vestibular aqueduct and the Mondini defect of the cochlea
(Johnsen et al. 1989). The PDS gene (SLC26A4) has been linked to
chromosomal region 7q31 and contains an open reading frame of
2,343 bp encompassing 21 exons (Coyle et al. 1996; Sheffield et
al. 1996). The predicted gene product pendrin is a highly
hydrophobic 780 amino acid protein that transports chloride and
iodide and mediates the exchange of chloride and formate. In the
thyroid gland, a disorder in the function of pendrin may cause
diminished iodide transport over the apical membrane that
results in iodide remaining in the thyrocyte and a consequent
decrease of organification of iodide. As a result, iodide
accumulates in the cytoplasm and is discharged if thiocyanate or
perchlorate is given (perchlorate discharge test). A decrease in
the amount of radiolabeled iodide over the thyroid of > 10% is
considered positive. At least 85 independent SLC26A4 gene
mutations have been characterized as causing PDS and
nonsyndromic deafness, in some cases confirmed by a normal
perchlorate discharge test (Adato et al. 2000; Blons et al.
2004; Bogazzi et al. 2000, 2004; Campbell et al. 2001; Coucke et
al. 1999; Coyle et al. 1998; Everett et al. 1997; Fugazzola et
al. 2000; Kopp et al. 1999; Li et al. 1998; Lopez-Bigas et al.
2002; Namba et al. 2001; Park et al. 2003; Prasad et al. 2004;
Reardon et al. 2000; Scott et al. 2000; Tekin et al. 2003;
Tsukamoto et al. 2003; Usami et al. 1999; Van Hauwe et al. 1998;
Yong et al. 2001). Although these mutations are distributed
throughout the coding sequence, having been identified in 19 of
the 21 exons, the spectrum of mutations appears to show
geographic differences. In Caucasian patients, the L236P, T416P,
and IVS8+1G > A mutations account for nearly half of all SLC26A4
mutant alleles, whereas in Japanese patients, these mutations
are rare (Campbell et al. 2001; Tsukamoto et al. 2003). By
contrast, H723R and ISV7-2A > G are the prevalent alleles
accounting for most observed SLC26A4 mutations in Korean and
Japanese studies (Park et al. 2003; Tsukamoto et al. 2003). Some
researchers have suggested that the frequency of these mutations
could represent a founder effect rather than mutational hot
spots.
A disorder in the function of pendrin will cause a diminished
iodide transport over the apical membrane, which causes iodide
to remain in the thyrocyte. Intake of perchlorate from a
contaminated source may cause discharge of iodide from the
thyrocyte, further exacerbating the organification defect, with
resulting decrease of TH synthesis.
Moreover, at present, it is not known whether perchlorate will
affect the function of the normal pendrin protein to transport
iodide. Molecular studies addressing whether perchlorate may act
on iodide transport through inhibition of the pendrin protein in
a fashion similar to the NIS are needed and welcomed.
Defects in iodide organification. Iodide organification is the
process by which iodine is oxidized and bound to thyrosine
residue in Tg. Thyroid iodide organification disorder represents
a group of defects characterized by discharge of substantial
percentage of labeled iodide from the thyroid after
administration of perchlorate (perchlorate discharge test) or
thiocyanate. This discharge indicates a defect in converting
accumulated iodide to organically bound iodine. The discharge
may be partial or complete, thus defining partial or total
defects. Partial iodide organification defects (PIODs) are
characterized by release of 90% of the accumulated radioiodine.
Iodination of the tyrosine residue is catalyzed by the
membrane-bound thyroperoxidase (TPO). However, the oxidation of
iodine requires hydrogen peroxide synthesized outside the
thyroid follicular cell at the apical border catalyzed by the
thyroid complex. Recently, two proteins of this complex, DUOX1
(also known as THOX1) and DUOX2 (also known as THOX2), have been
identified (De Deken et al. 2000; Dupuy et al. 1999). The DUOX1
and DUOX2 genes are co-localized on the 15q15.3 chromosome and
code for proteins of 1,551 and 1,548 amino acids, respectively.
The DUOX1 and DUOX2 structure includes seven
transmembrane-spanning domains, three NADPH- and one FAD-binding
site, and 2EF-hand motifs. During the past three decades, few
cases of thyroidal hydrogen peroxide have been described, but
the molecular bases of these defects have just recently been
investigated. Moreno et al. (2002) reported mutations in the
DUOX2 gene, resulting in premature stop codon, in four CH
patients with unexplained iodide organification defects. One
patient with permanent CH and TIOD carried a homozygous
substitution, whereas three patients with temporary CH and PIOD
carried heterozygous mutations that cause premature termination
signal.
Lack of or insufficient activity of the DUOX2 protein diminishes
hydrogen peroxide production, resulting in decreased activity of
TPO and accumulation of iodide in the thyrocyte. Intake of
environmental perchlorate, which inhibits iodine inflow, also
may cause discharge of unbound iodine, further deteriorating the
iodine organification process.
Under oxidative conditions, TPO catalyzes the coupling of
iodotyrosines to iodothyronine residue in Tg. Thyroperoxidase is
a glycosylated hemoprotein encoded by the TPO gene located on
chromosome 2p25. The gene contains 17 exons coding for a protein
of 933 amino acids. The protein has a transmembrane helix with a
large extracellular N-terminal part containing a heme group. TPO
defects are believed to be among the most frequent causes of
abnormalities in thyroid iodide organification defect causing
goitrous CH. TPO activity is not detectable in thyroid tissue of
patients with TIOD. Absence of TPO activity implicates the
inability to iodinate tyrosine residue in Tg and to couple these
residues to form THs, mainly T4 and some T3 and rT3 (reverse T3)
Inactivating mutations in both TPO alleles have been found in
patients with CH caused by TIOD. With use of a variety of
molecular techniques for mutation deletion, 36 mutations have
now been defined for TPO. These include frameshift mutations
caused by nucleotide insertion or deletion, as well as missense,
nonsense, and splice site mutations (Abramowicz et al. 1992;
Ambrugger et al. 2001; Bakker et al. 2000; Bikker et al. 1994,
1995, 1997; Kotani et al. 2001; Nascimento et al. 2003; Niu et
al. 2002; Pannain et al. 1999; Rivolta et al. 2003; Santos et
al. 1999; Umeki et al. 2002, 2004; Wu et al. 2002). The first
reported mutation was a homozygous GGCC insertion in exon 8 of
the TPO gene. The resulting frameshift generates a stop codon in
exon 9, which results in a grossly truncated protein with no
expected activity (Abramowicz et al. 1992). In a Dutch study of
45 patients from 40 families with CH caused by TIOD, the GGCC
insertion in exon 8 at nucleotide position 1287 was the most
common mutation found (Bakker et al. 2000). It was detected in
36% of the investigated TPO alleles and in 51% of the families
investigated either in a homozygous or a compound heterozygous
fashion. In this study, mutations in both TPO alleles were found
in 29 families: for 13 families in a homozygous fashion and for
16 families in a compound heterozygous fashion. A total of 16
different mutations were found, including 8 novel mutations: 6
frameshift mutations, 6 missense mutations, 3 splice site
mutations, and 1 nonsense mutation. Most of these mutations
occurred in exon 8, 9, or 10, which encode for the active part
of the enzyme involved in the heme binding. In one patient with
classic TIOD, a homozygous deletion in exon 14 appeared to have
resulted from partial maternal isodisomy of the short arm of
chromosome 2 carrying the defective TPO gene (Bakker et al.
2001). In some patients alternative splicing would generate a
partially active form of the enzyme. In others an early
termination signal would prevent translation of the fully active
protein (Abramowicz et al. 1992; Bikker et al. 1994, 1995;
Mangklabruks et al. 1991; Santos et al. 1999). Umeki et al.
(2002) described 2 novel mutations in the TPO gene, R665W and
G771R, in exons 11 and 13, respectively. The former was found in
the patient's father (heterozygous) and the latter in her
mother, also heterozygous. No TPO activity was detectable with
cells transfected with mutated mRNAs. Moreover, the mutated TPO
proteins showed abnormal cellular localization, exhibiting
immunofluorescence only in the intracellular structure.
Therefore, the loss of apical membrane localization of the
mutated TPO was the main cause for the iodide organification
defect.
PIODs also can be caused by disorders in TPO. In an
investigation of TPO mutations in five families with PIOD,
Nascimento et al. (2003) found a compound heterozygous mutation
in three patients from one family inherited from both
heterozygous parents. In the other four families, they found
only heterozygous TPO mutations or polymorphisms, suggesting the
translated protein could be partially inactive. Recently, PIOD
caused by TPO gene was diagnosed in three siblings (Kotani et
al. 2003). The three siblings with goiter and latent-to-mild
hypothyroidism had a compound heterozygous mutation for a
missense mutation (G1687T) and a deletion in exon 10
(1808-13del), resulting in a produced protein with two deleted
amino acids uc DeltaD574-L4575. From the expression studies, the
mutated uc DeltaD574-L4575-TPO synthesized THs to some extent
(Kotani et al. 2003).
A common feature of patients with thyroid organification
disorders syndrome is the discharge of iodine from the thyroid
after administration of perchlorate. The level of perchlorate
administrated in the diagnostic test is higher than the reported
level of contaminated sources. However, it is biologically
plausible that cumulative ingestion of perchlorate through a
contaminated source may cause some degree of iodine discharge
from thyrocytes. In populations with partial activity of the TPO
enzyme, exposure to high enough levels of environmental
perchlorate could cause unbound iodide discharge; therefore,
less iodine will be available for biosynthesis of THs, thus
further deteriorating their conditions.
Relevant Studies of Perchlorate in Humans
Many studies have attempted to provide useful information on the
dose-response relation of perchlorate-related health effects.
Several ecologic studies have compared thyroid function in
newborns using T4 and TSH screening data in infants born to
mothers in areas with different perchlorate exposure. However,
these studies yielded contradictory results. Brechner et al.
(2000) found higher TSH in newborns in Yuma, Arizona, which has
high perchlorate exposure, than in Flagstaff, Arizona, which has
lower exposure. However, whether perchlorate exposure caused the
observed TSH effect cannot be addressed because of the lack of
direct perchlorate measurement in the study. By contrast, F.X.
Li et al. (2000) and Z. Li et al. (2000) found no association in
Nevada newborns between low T4 and TSH levels and perchlorate
exposure. A limitation of these studies is that the
investigators did not collect data on individual exposure to
perchlorate and on iodine intake levels. In a population-based
ecologic study using California Newborn Screening Program data,
Schwartz (2001) claimed to identify a significant dose-response
association between perchlorate exposure and T4, and an
association of perchlorate exposure and being a presumptive
positive for CH. These data contrast with a previous ecologic
analysis (Lamm and Doemland 1999) that found no increase of CH
incidence in California and Nevada counties with perchlorate
levels of 4-16 µg/L in drinking water supplies.
Crump et al. (2000) conducted a study in three proximate cities
in northern Chile that had different concentrations of
perchlorate in tap water, involving 162 school-age children and
9,784 newborns. These authors found no alteration of thyroid
function or incidence of CH in Taltal, Chile, where the tap
water contained 100-120 µg/L perchlorate, compared with two
other regions of Chile with low or no perchlorate in the water.
However, the data also showed high levels of urine iodine,
indicating that iodine intake in the population was very high,
possibly overcoming the inhibitory effect of perchlorate on
thyroid function.
To establish the dose response in humans for the perchlorate
inhibition of thyroidal iodide uptake and the short-term effects
on circulating TH, Greer et al. (2002) gave perchlorate in
drinking water at 0.007, 0.02, 0.1, or 0.5 mg/kg per day to 37
male and female volunteers for 14 days. In 24 participants 8-and
24-hr measurements of thyroidal 123I uptake (RAIU) were
performed before exposure, on exposure days 2 and 14, and 15
days postexposure. Results from the study indicated a true
no-effect level of perchlorate of 5.2 or 6.4 µg/kg/day for RAIU.
Considering that a 70 kg adult drinks 2 L of water per day, this
dose would be ingested if the drinking water contained 182-224
µg/L. In addition, the dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day taken for 14 days
did not produce changes in circulating levels of T4 or TSH,
suggesting that short-term consumption of perchlorate levels of
17.5 mg/L in drinking water would not affect circulating levels
of THs. The authors suggested that this failure of perchlorate
to influence circulating levels of TH resulted from the storage
capacity of the normal adult thyroid gland, which contains
unreleased stored hormones lasting for several months. However,
as pointed out by Zoeller (2003), the case may be different for
a late gestation fetus or neonate, where the estimated
intrathyroidal amount of hormone stored is less than that
required for 1 day (Van den Hove et al. 1999; Vulsma et al.
1989). Thus, the concentration of perchlorate sufficient to
reduce thyroidal iodine uptake in a fetus or neonate may be
sufficient to produce a significant decrement in circulating
levels of TH. The fetal thyroid gland obtains iodide for its own
TH synthesis from the maternal circulation through the placenta.
Placental transfer of perchlorate has been reported in guinea
pig (Postel 1957). In human, whether perchlorate crosses from
the mother to the fetus during pregnancy is not known. However,
this placental transfer could be biologically plausible because
expression of the NIS has been reported in human placenta
(Bidart et al. 2000). Moreover, perchlorate may concentrate in
milk because the NIS protein is induced in lactating breast
tissue by prolactin (Tazebay et al. 2000). Perchlorate might
decrease iodide uptake into milk, thus reducing the sole source
of iodine to the infant. Differently from adults, who most
likely can recover from transient hypothyroidism without
permanent health consequences, a short period of TH
insufficiency may produce permanent neurologic deficits in
children (Van Vliet 1999). The study of no-effect level (Greer
et al. 2002) was conducted in healthy adults with normal iodine
intake, and it is debatable whether 14 days is sufficient time
to illustrate perchlorate effect on humans. This no-effect level
most likely would be lower in populations with genetic defects
causing CH and in populations with lower iodine uptake. The
Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES
III), conducted during 1988-1994, found that the percentages of
males and females with urinary iodine concentrations < 5 µg/dL
were substantially higher in every age category than in the
1971-1974 survey (Hollowell et al. 1998). In pregnant women,
these percentages were 6.9% in NHANES III and 1.0% in NHANES I
(Hollowell et al. 1998). The overall decline in the last few
decades raises concern that a fairly large number of people in
the United States may lack adequate iodine intake.
Conclusions
Exposure to perchlorate, which inhibits iodine uptake, has the
biologic potential to cause hypothyroidism and, in pregnant
women, severely damage the fetus and the newborn. NHANES III
data suggest that 4.3% of the U.S. population may be
subclinically hypothyroid (Hollowell et al. 2002). CH affects
about 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 4,000 infants and in about 15% of cases
may result from a defect of thyroid hormonogenesis, mostly
inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion (Vulsma and de
Vijlder 2000). Such defects may result from abnormalities in
several steps involved in TH synthesis. Our literature review
identified possible homozygous or compound heterozygous
mutations of genes involved in thyroid iodine synthesis that
cause hypothyroidism that could be used to define a potential
susceptible population to perchlorate exposure. In a Mendelian
fashion, the number of carriers of heterozygous mutated gene
causing CH would be higher than the number of the reported CH
cases. Given the logical connection between perchlorate,
diminished iodine uptake, hypothyroidism, and thyroid-related
health effects, people exhibiting heterozygous or homozygous
genetic mutations in genes involved in the TH synthesis,
especially in a milieu of low iodine uptake, can reasonably be
expected to be more susceptible than people who show no genetic
variability to the effects of perchlorate. Several studies based
on T4 and TSH screening data in infants born to mothers in areas
with different perchlorate exposure mostly have found no
increase in hypothyroidism incidence. However, these studies
lacked estimates of individual perchlorate exposure, as well as
estimates of individual iodine uptake. The only study that
included iodine values showed no significant association between
perchlorate and hypothyroidism. However, it showed high urinary
iodide, suggesting the high iodine uptake could easily have
upset the inhibition factor of the perchlorate. We conclude that
future epidemiologic and population-based studies as well as
no-effect studies concerning the link between human disease and
environmental perchlorate exposure should consider among their
variables the genetic makeup of the participants, actual
perchlorate exposure levels, and individual iodine uptake and
excretion levels.
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Republished from Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 113,
Number 11, November 2005
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34 Nevada: Changes Being Planned For Yucca Mountain,
Vol. 3, No. 1 October 31, 2005
Nevada's Online State News Journal
Designed To Increase Safety At The Site Spent Nuclear Fuel
Casks Shipped And Stored; Must Be Approved By NRC And Others
Changes in the handling of high level nuclear waste were
announced by the Department of Energy (DOE) recently. The changes
must still be approved by various agencies such as the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. Interestingly, the new plan is one of the
reasons that so many feel the Yucca Mountain Repository is
already out of date. The new plan, touted as an "improvement in
safety and reliability of operations at Yucca" calls for the
spent fuel to be stored in the same casks that will be used for
transportation from nuclear energy production plants across the
country.
In previous plans the waste would have been transferred from the
transportation cask to a storage cask. According to a DOE fact
sheet "This design will be simpler and more straightforward,
reduce programmatic risk, and take complexity out of the NRC
licensing process."
In a speech to Congress recently Utah Senator Bennett, (D) said
that if the casks that have been designed are safe enough for
shipment and storage, why bother moving them? In the same
discussion Bennett pointed out that there is already more high
level nuclear waste available for storage than the Yucca
Mountain Repository has space for.
The new plan was offered by DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive
Waste Management (OCRWM) and is called a "Clean" program for
waste storage. According to Paul Golan, OCRWM's Acting Director,
"Our new path forward will provide clear direction to improve
safety and reliability as well as reduce programmatic risk."
Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D) scoffs at the image of
"clean." "Calling plans to dump radioactive garbage in Nevada
'clean' is an insult to the intelligence of families in the
Silver State." Berkley goes on to say, the plan "ignores the
fact that nuclear waste is one of the deadliest substances on
earth."
The change in design letter was sent to Bechtel SAIC, the Yucca
Mountain Prime Contractor. According to a DOE press release the
new plan will be submitted to the Secretary of Energy's
Acquisition Advisory Board for review.
Nuclear energy plants are located throughout the country and the
high level nuclear waste that comes from the generation of energy
at the plants is scheduled to be sent to Yucca Mountain north
of Las Vegas. Berkley says that right now, "The DOE is desperate
to show that Yucca Mountain is moving ahead, despite the fact
that it's already years behind schedule and poses an enormous
threat to public safety and the environment."
All types of plans for the transportation of the waste have been
discussed over the years. One plan includes building a new
railroad from Battle Mountain south to Yucca. That plan
according to the latest information available seems to have been
abandoned. However, a railroad is planned to run from Caliente
along the southern Nevada border with Utah, around the
Southern Nevada Test Site to Yucca. That rail line would be
slightly more than 300 miles in length. Other transportation
methods include regular rail and truck routes.
Since the nuclear energy plants are located where the most energy
is needed, the transportation routes look like they will travel
through very high-density population centers. Congresswoman
Berkley says, "Regardless of how they repackage this waste, at
the end of the day, it's still going to be dumped in Nevada, and
it's still going to threaten the lives of million of Americans
living along the transportation routes."
Many are confused by this change in plans, including Berkley.
"The fact they are still changing the design and have abandoned
any timetable for submitting a license for the dump only proves
how desperate they've become and how many obstacles remain."
Berkley echoes the words of Senator Bennett by declaring, "The
only safe solution is to keep nuclear waste at the plants
where it was produced and where it can be safely stored." •••
*****************************************************************
35 UK: News & Star: Irish demand action at Sellafield
Published on 02/11/2005
By Andrea Thompson
A GROUP of Irish councillors are calling for an end to nuclear
waste dumping at Drigg – and for rapid action to clean up
contamination at both the repository and nearby Sellafield.
Members of the newly-formed All Ireland Nuclear Free Local
Authorities Forum met to discuss nuclear activity across the
Irish Sea. They are concerned about the safety of radioactive
waste at Drigg because, they say, the site is vulnerable to
coastal erosion and rising sea levels caused by global climate
change.
Coastal erosion may reach the low level waste repository within
500 years, but Irish authorities fear increasing rates of
thawing in Polar regions mean Drigg could be flooded far faster
– with the Sellafield nuclear plant also at risk.
The forum has written to the Environment Agency of England and
Wales to voice its concerns, saying that, in future, Drigg
should only be a temporary storage facility, and that waste
should be moved to a safer site further inland.
The forum also believes that the Nuclear Decommissioning
Authority should speed up cleaning at Sellafield.
Chairman of the forum, Michael O’Dowd, said: “Both Drigg and
Sellafield could literally fall into the Irish Sea, and the
British government must act now to prevent an environmental
disaster in the future. Drigg contains radioactive waste, some
of which has a half-life of 245,000 years.â€
South Dublin councillor Tony McDermott added: “We must assume
that the worst will happen and take a precautionary approach to
minimise the risks from erosion at these sites.
“This means an end to radioactive waste dumping at Drigg and
rapid action to clean up contamination at both Drigg and
Sellafield.â€
*****************************************************************
36 Las Vegas SUN: BLM blocking Skull Valley nuclear waste project
November 01, 2005
By PAUL FOY ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A federal Bureau of Land Management
official said Tuesday he was refusing to give the agency's
approval for a rail spur for a nuclear waste stockyard in Utah's
west desert.
The utilities backing the project say they might resort to
trucking the waste on a state highway, but the BLM official in
charge said his agency had the power to veto that, too.
"We're not able to bring anything to conclusion on their
behalf," Glenn A. Carpenter, field manager for the bureau's Salt
Lake district, told The Associated Press.
The BLM's refusal is one of a series of bureaucratic obstacles
erected by the state's congressional delegation to stop Private
Fuel Storage, a consortium of out-of-state utilities that won
approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in September to
build the way-station for nuclear waste.
The Skull Valley band of Goshute Indians signed a lucrative
contract to take the radioactive waste from other states'
nuclear-powered utilities.
The utilities call it a temporary solution pending a resolution
of the troubled federal project at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, but
Utah politicians fear it will become a permanent repository.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said the Bureau of Land Management's
refusal to cooperate is a sign that the Bush administration is
"on our side." In a statement issued Tuesday, Hatch said the
agency has "jammed" the license authorized but not yet issued by
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The stockpiling of 44,000
tons of spent nuclear fuel would take place about 45 miles
southwest of Salt Lake City.
"This is one of many administrative and legal hurdles we are
raising that PFS has to clear for Skull Valley to ever become a
reality," Hatch said.
In an interview, Carpenter said the BLM cannot make a decision
to authorize the construction of a Skull Valley rail line over
government land because of restrictions Rep. Jim Hansen, R-Utah,
wrote into a 2000 defense appropriations bill.
Hansen's provision blocked the bureau from changing a land-use
plan to grant a right of way across government land for the rail
line. The Bureau of Land Management can't act until the Pentagon
studies how proposed wilderness areas for Utah's west desert
might affect operations at the Utah Test and Training Range. The
Pentagon is nowhere near starting the study.
Private Fuel Storage Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John
Parkyn has said he might be able to get around the problem by
shipping the waste by truck, but Carpenter said that was no
certain bet.
Two-lane State Route 196 is not wide enough to accommodate
trucks hauling the steel casks holding the nuclear waste, he
said, and the Bureau of Land Management would have to grant a
new right of way for any widening project. The state isn't
likely to back road reconstruction for a project it's vigorously
opposing.
In the end, the Hasting's Cutoff, a route used by the ill-fated
Donner Party in 1846, could defeat Private Fuel Storage's
proposal.
Carpenter said the reworked tracks of Hasting's Cutoff and
subsequent Lincoln Highway are historic Skull Valley assets that
could be damaged by a rail spur crossing them to Indian
reservation.
Even if the bureau had authority to change its land-use plan for
Skull Valley, Carpenter hinted it would be hesitant to endanger
"an old route that remains traveled to this day, worn in the
landscape by subsequent travel."
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
37 CH2M HILL Mound, Inc.: Announces Building Demolition Complete at
Miamisburg Mound Project Site
MIAMISBURG, Ohio, Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) and cleanup contractor CH2M HILL Mound, Inc.
announced today that demolition of more than 566,000 square-feet
of nuclear, radiological and commercial facilities at the
Miamisburg Mound Project site is complete.
In December 2002, DOE awarded CH2M HILL a $314-million,
performance-based contract to accelerate the safe closure of the
nuclear facilities at the former Mound Plant in Miamisburg,
Ohio. DOE established the 306-acre site in 1946 to conduct
nuclear research, design development, manufacturing, and testing
of nuclear weapons and spacecraft components.
CH2M HILL's accelerated baseline targets completion of the
project less than two years from previous contractors'
estimates. To achieve cleanup and closure of the site, CH2M HILL
Mound, Inc. is providing facility demolition, environmental
restoration and waste management services, including:
* Demolition of 64 facilities and transfer of nine facilities
to the
Miamisburg Mound Community Improvement Corporation (MMCIC)
for
industrial reuse
* Removal of all above ground utility structures and
components
* Investigation, clean up, closure and documentation of 73
soil
contaminated sites
* Storage, characterization, processing, packaging and
shipment of
materials from the cleanup process
Since the contract's inception nearly three years ago, CH2M HILL
Mound, Inc. has focused on safe, accelerated delivery of the
project. During demolition of 64 buildings, the project did not
experience a lost work day case or recordable case by the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"I am very pleased that through this closure contract, we have
been able to safely meet our commitments to our regulators and
stakeholders," said Jim Rispoli, Assistant Secretary of Energy
for Environmental Management.
"The safe completion of the demolition work is attributable to
the workforce at Mound," said John Lehew, president and site
manager.
Also completed earlier this year were the final shipments of
transuranic (TRU) waste and excess nuclear materials from the
site.
Headquartered in Denver, employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global
firm providing engineering, construction, operations, and
related technical services to public and private clients. With
more than $3 billion in revenue, CH2M HILL is an industry
leading program management, construction management for fee, and
design firm, as ranked by Engineering-News Record (2005). The
firm's work is concentrated in the areas of transportation,
water, energy, environment, communications, construction, and
industrial facilities. CH2M HILL has more than 15,000 employees
in 450 offices worldwide.
CONTACT:
Lynette Bennett
CH2M HILL Mound, Inc.
(937) 673-4574
Lynette.Bennett@ch2m.com
Copyright © 1996-2003 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights
*****************************************************************
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this
material is distributed without profit or payment to those who
have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for
non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more
information go to:
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