***************************************************************** 10/16/05 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 13.240 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Plamegate: WHO FORGED THE NIGER DOCUMENTS? 2 Bush Feared 'Looking Weak' on Iraq 3 AFP: New account suggests dissident faction inside CIA 4 AFP: Russia, US clash over Iran's nuclear 'rights' 5 London Times - We'll bring Iran into line, insist Blair and Rice 6 IRNA: Rafsanjani says Iran ready to resume nuclear talks - 7 AFP: Iran refuses to return to full nuclear suspension 8 AFP: Rice gives London total support over Iran 9 Xinhua: Russia insists on Iran's right to nuclear energy 10 Scotsman.com News: Iran 'plotting nuclear arms for 18 years' 11 AFP: Iran points finger at Britain over bombing 12 IRNA: Iran's nuclear programme misrepresented, says Adeli 13 AFP: Iran envoy denies links with Iraq attacks, warns Britain over n 14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Fails to Win Russian Support on Iran 15 Guardian Unlimited: Richardson to Play Role in N. Korea Talks 16 WorldNetDaily: Nobel's peaceful kick to the groin 17 Guardian Unlimited: Richardson Dismisses Partisanship in Talks NUCLEAR REACTORS 18 The Observer: Nuclear agency sale plan 19 Taipei Times: Nuclear plant to start three years late 20 Interfax: BN-600 reactor brought to nominal capacity at Beloyarskaya 21 BBC: Campaigners pushing for 22 US: FT.com: US - Nuclear plant to be nature sanctuary 23 US: Journal and Courier: ABC's nuclear over-reaction 24 US: The Ledger: UF Reactor Generates Concern After Report 25 US: El Paso Times: Palo Verde nuclear power plant still idle 26 FT.com: German election - German poll result hinders nuclear revival 27 US: Corvallis Gazette-Times: OSU defends nuclear reactor 28 Globe and Mail: Ontario to refurbish two Lake Huron reactors NUCLEAR SECURITY 29 US: Gainesville Sun: UF official defends nuclear security NUCLEAR SAFETY NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 30 US: Sydney Morning Herald: China wants to mine uranium - 31 US: Bradenton Herald: Herald wins journalism award for Tallevast cov 32 US: AU ABC: Martin wants nuclear waste plans stopped 33 AU ABC: No alternative to NT nuclear dump site - PM 34 AU ABC: MP seeks oncology unit trade-off for nuclear waste dump 35 AU ABC: Nuclear dump-health link 'a lie' 36 US: North Augusta Star: SRS might get MOX facility 37 Las Vegas SUN: D.C. paparazzi hungry at the Harry and Harriet show 38 Independent: Thorp to stay shut till March at earliest 39 US: LA Daily News: Well cleanup under way in Valencia 40 US: DailyBulletin.com: Micro bugs may fight water contamination 41 US: PE.com: State official tours area by Wyle Labs 42 US: AU ABC: China asks for uranium access. 43 News & Star: Terrorist had Sellafield dossier 44 US: Signal: Water Co. Starts Cleaning Up Contaminants PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 45 Rocky Mountain News: First a clean-up, then a court case 46 North Augusta Star: Leak found in SRS storage tank 47 Rocky Mountain News: Benefits go bust for Flats workers 48 PISJ: Activists critical of reactor at nuke lab: Bolt issue prompts ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Plamegate: WHO FORGED THE NIGER DOCUMENTS? Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 11:56:02 -0500 (CDT) As quoted in the Wikipedia entry for Yellowcake forgery: In an interview on July 26, 2005, Cannistraro's business partner and columnist for the "American Conservative" magazine, former CIA counter terrorism officer Philip Giraldi, confirmed to Scott Horton that the forgeries were produced by "a couple of former CIA officers who are familiar with that part of the world who are associated with a certain well-known neoconservative who has close connections with Italy." When Horton said that must be Ledeen, he confirmed it, and added that the ex-CIA officers, "also had some equity interests, shall we say, with the operation. A lot of these people are in consulting positions, and they get various, shall we say, emoluments in overseas accounts, and that kind of thing." [9] In a second interview with Horton, Giraldi elaborated to say that Ledeen and his former CIA friends worked with Ahmad Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress. "These people did it probably for a couple of reasons, but one of the reasons was that these people were involved, through the neoconservatives, with the Iraqi National Congress and Chalabi and had a financial interest in cranking up the pressure against Saddam Hussein and potentially going to war with him." [10] Or is it a crime to lie a country into war? Short mp3 of the relevant Giraldi quotes here. http://www.antiwar.com/blog/index.php?id=P2419 ***************************************************************** 2 Bush Feared 'Looking Weak' on Iraq Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 11:56:29 -0500 (CDT) A newly disclosed British document shows George W. Bush fretting less than two months before the invasion of Iraq that the U.N. weapons inspectors might get full cooperation from Saddam Hussein. According to notes on a phone call between Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the U.S. president was most concerned that he might end up "looking weak." For the full story about how Bush made himself look tough, go to Consortiumnews.com at http://www.consortiumnews.com . For 10 years, Consortiumnews.com has produced hard-hitting investigative journalism on important topics that the mainstream press has avoided. For us to keep going, we need your help. Please make a tax-deductible contribution either by credit card at the Web site or by sending a check to Consortium for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Suite 102-231, 2200 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201. For donations of $100 or more, we'll send you a signed, gift copy of Robert Parry's "Secrecy & Privilege." Or if you'd prefer, we can substitute another of Parry's groundbreaking books, "Lost History" or "Trick or Treason." If you would like one of those books, please follow up your donation with an e-mail to consortnew@aol.com . (Please forward this e-mail to friends who might be interested. Thanks.) ***************************************************************** 3 AFP: New account suggests dissident faction inside CIA Sun Oct 16, 5:07 AM ET WASHINGTON, (AFP) - A new account of the CIA leak scandal rocking the White House suggests top presidential aides were seriously concerned about what could be seen as a dissident faction inside the US spy agency that appeared to work even behind the back of the CIA director to debunk the notion Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Charges that the regime of Saddam Hussein had chemical and biological weapons and was angling to revive its nuclear program served as the prime rationale for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. None of these arms have been found in the country in the wake of the Iraq war. The first-hand account, delivered Sunday by Judith Miller, a New York Times reporter at the center of the leak story, cast a new light on the byzantine world of Washington politics rife with political intrigue, backstabbing and career-ruining retribution for expressing an opposing view. Miller spent 58 days in jail earlier this year for refusing to talk to a special prosecutor about her three 2003 interviews with Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the chief of staff for Vice President Richard Cheney, whose name is often mentioned in connection with the illegal leaking to the media of the name of Central Intelligence Agency operative Valerie Plame. Her name was first disclosed in July 2003 by conservative columnist Robert Novak following her husband Joseph Wilson's mission to Niger the previous year, during which the former US ambassador to that Central African nation tried to verify reports that Iraq was secretly trying to purchase uranium ore there. After failing to find any evidence of that, Wilson wrote a newspaper article, in which he accused the Bush administration of "exaggerating the Iraqi threat" in order to justify the war and in essence undercut an assertion made by President George W. Bush in his 2003 State of the Union address that "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." Miller said the article "appeared to have agitated Mr. Libby," who referred to Wilson as a "clandestine guy." He added that the CIA "took it upon itself to try and figure out more" about the uranium allegations without informing either the White House or its own director, the journalist recalled. "He asserted that George J. Tenet, then the director of central intelligence, had never even heard of Mr. Wilson," Miller wrote. "Veep didn't know of Joe Wilson," she quoted Libby as saying. Veep is White House jargon for the vice president. All in all, Libby was concerned the CIA was engaged in "perverted war" over the war in Iraq and resorted to "selective leaking" of information in order to drive its point home, according to the report. "He told me that the agency was engaged in a "hedging strategy" to protect itself in case no weapons were found in Iraq," Miller pointed out. Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 AFP: Russia, US clash over Iran's nuclear 'rights' 15/10/2005 18h51 Condoleezza Rice(R) looks at Sergei Lavrov during their news conference ©AFP - Yuri Kadobnov MOSCOW (AFP) - The United States and Russia feuded openly over Iran's nuclear program when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice passed briefly through the Russian capital before flying to London. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov defended Tehran's right to enrich uranium for atomic energy while Rice, who met later with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Iran could not be trusted with the process. In a packed schedule, the top US diplomat was due to have dinner with her British counterpart, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, later on Saturday before meeting Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday. Washington and Moscow's diverging opinions over whether Iran should be allowed to enrich uranium for any purpose were painfully apparent when Rice and Lavrov spoke to reporters after a lengthy discussion. "All members of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have this right," said Lavrov, adding that Russia had seen no evidence to support US claims that the Islamic republic sought to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear energy program. Rice retorted: "It is not a question of rights... the NPT doesn't come only with rights but also with obligations. This is not an issue of rights but of whether or not the fuel cycle can be trusted in Iran." Vladimir Putin(R) welcomes Condoleezza Rice ©AFP/ITAR-TASS While their comments only reiterated the well-known and differing positions of Russia and the United States on the Iran nuclear question, the spectacle of Lavrov and Rice arguing over the specific point of the enrichment process was an unusual occurrence and underscored their split. Russia and the United States also disagree on whether Iran should be brought before the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions. Washington is for the move and Moscow against. Lavrov said Russia saw no reason at present to transfer the Iran dossier from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to another organisation. For her part, Rice -- speaking to reporters travelling with her by plane to London -- said: "We are prepared to let that course proceed." But she added: "At the same time, I think we have to prepare for the possibility that that course might not lead to fruitful negotiations. "At which point, as the (French) Foreign Minister (Philippe Douste-Blazy) and I said yesterday in France, we have the option of referral to the Security Council. Let's go step by step." Rice made a short stop in Paris on Friday where she also met French President Jacques Chirac. Russia says it shares US opposition to Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, but insists there is no evidence that Tehran is trying to do so. Condoleezza Rice ©AFP - Yuri Kadobnov Earlier this year, Iran agreed to tighter controls on fuel rods used to generate nuclear energy, signing an agreement with Russia under which Moscow would deliver the fuel and then recover the spent fuel rods under international supervision. Rice reiterated the US view that oil-rich Iran "needs no civilian nuclear program", but acknowledged that the nuclear fuel agreement with Russia "is a reliable way to make certain that there are no problems with the fuel cycle." Tehran froze atomic fuel cycle work two years ago as a confidence-building measure amid talks with the European Union on guaranteeing that it was not secretly developing nuclear weapons. It resumed conversion work in August but held off from actual enrichment. At a meeting last month, the IAEA, the UN's nuclear watchdog, passed a resolution that said Iran was in "non-compliance" with the NPT, laying the groundwork for the case to be sent to the UN Security Council. The IAEA is set to meet again in Vienna on November 24 but Rice, who appeared to have failed to secure Russia's support on the matter, was careful not to present this date as a deadline. She said the Security Council would be addressed "at the time of our choosing." Copyright Disclaimer ©AFP 2005 ***************************************************************** 5 London Times - We'll bring Iran into line, insist Blair and Rice - Helen Rumbelow The trip was planned during a weekend of worsening relations between Iran and the British and American allies. A senior official in Iran claimed that the US was behind the bombing of a shopping centre in Ahwaz on Saturday that killed four people, and that Britain might have been involved too — a charge Britain denied. Mr Straw, who had dinner with Dr Rice in London on Saturday, yesterday underlined suspicions raised by Mr Blair that Iran had a hand in bomb attacks on British troops in Iraq. Mr Straw said that he had presented forensic evidence to Iran that showed a link between the Hezbollah terrorist group, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and sophisticated bombs that killed eight British soldiers. “We look to the Iranians to desist from anything they have been involved in in the past and to use their very considerable influence with Hezbollah to ensure that this continued use of Hezbollah technology stops in Iraq,” he said. Iran’s Ambassador to Britain, Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli, denied the charge. “We have already rejected categorically any link between Iran and the incidents that have taken place in Iraq for the British troops,” he said on The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4. But Dr Rice said: “I trust the British on this. The British know the situation there.” It is against this backdrop that Britain and the US have strengthened their resolve to deal with Iran’s nuclear programme. Downing Street said yesterday that Mr Blair and Dr Rice talked about Iran, affirming “their shared concern about the need for Iran to meet its international obligations”. Mr Straw sought yesterday to reassure the public that the tactics agreed with the US would be diplomatic rather than military. “Military action in respect of the nuclear dossier is inconceivable,” he said. Almost two years of talks between Iran and the European Union broke down in August when Tehran broke UN seals at the Isfahan plant, where uranium is converted into a gas that can be used to make nuclear reactor fuel or bomb warheads. Iran said yesterday that it wanted to return to negotiations but gave no ground on the EU’s demand that it halt all nuclear fuel processing before talks can resume. Washington and the EU are trying to persuade the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the UN Security Council next month for violating international nuclear obligations, a move that could trigger sanctions against the country. But Dr Rice’s campaign for a hardline approach to Iran suffered a setback on Saturday, when a trip to Moscow failed to win Russia’s support for referring Iran to the Security Council. Yesterday Russia denied a report that alleged it had helped to supply Iran with ballistic missile technology that would bring much of Europe within its target range. + Condoleezza Rice ruled herself out of contention for the Republican nomination yesterday (David Charter writes). She told NBC that she would not run for office either as President or Vice-President. The Times and The Sunday Times. Copyright 2005 Times Newspapers Ltd. ***************************************************************** 6 IRNA: Rafsanjani says Iran ready to resume nuclear talks - Tehran, Oct 15, IRNA Chairman of Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on Saturday, "Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to begin talks on country's nuclear dossier without any pre-condition". Speaking to reporters after the inauguration ceremony of National Museum of holy Qoran, Rafsanjani said, "Tehran is ready to begin dialogues for transparency on nuclear dossier". EC chairman's statement comes after EU and some other countries called for resumption of talks on Iran's nuclear dossier. The EU3 have declared closure of Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) as a pre-condition for resuming talks with Iran. Go Top [Go Top] ***************************************************************** 7 AFP: Iran refuses to return to full nuclear suspension 16/10/2005 12h08 General view of the uranium conversion facility near the Iranian city of Isfahan ©AFP/HO/File - Amir Kholoosi TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran said it would not return to a full freeze of its disputed nuclear activities, but nevertheless voiced confidence it would not face referral to the UN Security Council. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has called on Iran to halt uranium conversion work at its Isfahan facility, and the European Union has set this as a condition for a resuming negotiations. But when asked if Iran would again halt uranium conversion work, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi simply replied: "No." "The suspension was voluntary and we are not ready to go back on our decision," he told reporters, sticking by Iran's position that it only wants to make reactor fuel and that it has a right to do so as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The refusal to suspend work at Isfahan means Iran is unlikely to resume negotiations with Britain, France and Germany ahead of the next meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board in November. The so-called EU-3, backed by the United States, would therefore be expected to push for the case to be referred to the Security Council. Talks between Iran and the EU-3 broke down in August, when Iran rejected a deal that offered trade and other incentives for a full cessation of fuel cycle work, the focus of fears that Iran could acquire nuclear weapons. Iran also ended a freeze on fuel cycle work by resuming uranium conversion -- a precursor to potentially dual-use civilian and military enrichment work -- in defiance of an accord struck with the EU-3 in Paris last November. "There is no judicial or legal reason to send the Iranian dossier to the Security Council," Asefi asserted. "Many countries have this view," he said, mentioning China and Russia as examples and then drifting into Greek mythology: "You cannot use the threat of the Security Council like the sword of Damocles over the head of Iran." Last month Beijing abstained from voting on an IAEA resolution that found Iran to be in non-compliance with the NPT, and is eager not to see the tensions with Iran escalate. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said Saturday that Moscow saw no reason to put the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council as sought by Washington. "We are concentrating on negotiations and dialogue," Asefi said, but acknowledged that full-scale talks with the Europeans remained frozen. "Our ambassadors are in contact in European capital and elsewhere. But these contacts are not like before." Former president and top regime official Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani also asserted that "Iran is ready to negotiate but not when preconditions are attached." The United States maintains that Iran simply cannot be trusted with the fuel cycle. "They need to come to a conclusion that will allow them, if they wish, civil nuclear energy, (and) to do that without raising concerns in the international community," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told the BBC. "The Security Council option is there, at a time of our choosing," she said ahead of talks in London with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. + Ŕđŕáńęčé Copyright Disclaimer ©AFP 2005 ***************************************************************** 8 AFP: Rice gives London total support over Iran Sun Oct 16, 5:17 PM ET LONDON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gave full backing to Washington's key ally London over its handling of Iran, accused of developing nuclear weapons and involvement in insurgent attacks on British troops in Iraq. "The British are doing everything that they can," regarding Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions, Rice told reporters before heading to a private lunch with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at his country residence Chequers, north of London. Talks between Iran and Britain, France and Germany (the EU-3) broke down in August, when Iran rejected a deal that offered trade and other incentives for a full cessation of fuel cycle work, the focus of fears that Iran could acquire nuclear weapons. "The British, the French -- you heard: the French -- the EU-3 absolutely are clear" in their refusal to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons, Rice said Sunday. Rice arrived in London on Saturday from Russia, where Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov clashed with Rice by defending Tehran's right to enrich uranium for atomic energy. Iran meanwhile on Sunday said that it would not return to a full freeze of its disputed nuclear activities, but nevertheless voiced confidence it would not face referral to the UN Security Council. On September 24 the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution on Iran's nuclear programme which -- while falling short of an immediate call for the issue to be taken to the UN Security Council -- set out the steps that could lead there. Since then Tehran has indicated it is willing to resume talks, but reiterated its right to process uranium. After Blair and Rice met a Downing Street spokesman said "they discussed their shared concern about the need for Iran to meet its international obligations." September's vote "was an opportunity for the Iranians to get back into negotiations to find an acceptable solution that allows them to have a civil nuclear power that does not raise questions", Rice said Sunday. "I am not (going) to set deadlines... At the time of our choosing, we will push for a referral" to the Security Council, she added. Rice was meanwhile equally supportive over Britain's accusations that a series of deadly attacks on troops in southern Iraq provided evidence leading back to Iran and the militant group Hezbollah. "I have every reason to believe that the British are right about this," the secretary of state told BBC radio. "I trust the British on this issue because the British are operating in the south (of Iraq). They know the situation there. The British are our allies, I have every confidence in what the British are saying." British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw later said that London has offered Tehran evidence supporting British government claims that Iran is linked to attacks on British troops in Iraq. "What we have presented to the Iranians is evidence which, in our judgment, clearly links the improvised explosive devices which have been used against British and other troops, mainly in the south of Iraq, to (militant group) Hezbollah and to Iran," Straw told reporters in London. Iran swiftly denied the charge. Rice meanwhile told reporters that Washington has "tried" to get over a message to Iran regarding the Iraq issue. The United States does not have an ambassador in Iran, where its interests are represented by Switzerland, while Tehran has a permanent representative at the UN in New York. "We have channels. We use them rarely, specifically, to deliver messages," Rice added. The secretary of state returned to Washington later Sunday after a week-long official tour that began with a four-nation tour of Central Asia, before moving on to Paris, Moscow and finally London, where she held a working dinner Saturday with her counterpart Straw. AFP Iran's envoy to Britain denied his country was involved in bomb attacks on British troops in Iraq" /> Iraqand warned London against using the issue to pressure Tehran over its nuclear program. Ambassador Seyed Mohammed Hossein Adeli also rejected accusations made on Friday by a top US official that Tehran had been trying to develop nuclear weapons for 18 years and might be intending to supply them to terrorists. British Prime Minister Tony Blair" /> Tony Blairand other senior officials say there is evidence that a series of deadly attacks on troops in southern Iraq lead back to Iran and the militant group Hezbollah. But Adeli insisted: "There is no connection either direct or indirect to terrorist attacks on British soldiers in Iraq." Speaking at an anti-nuclear weapons conference in London, he said the only possible link between Iran and the bombings was that insurgents had used explosives left behind from the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. The Islamic republic has consistently denied interfering in Iraq, and blames the presence of foreign troops for the ongoing violence. In a warning to Britain, the Iranian envoy told the annual Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament meeting that he did not want this diplomatic dispute to affect negotiations over his country's development of nuclear technology. "We do not expect the British to use Iraq to put pressure on Iran during nuclear negotiations," he said. Blair -- when raising suspicions about Iran's possible links to the insurgency in Iraq last week -- told Tehran that London would not be subjected to intimidation when querying the country's alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. Turning to the allegations made by John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations" /> United Nations, about Iran's nuclear activities, Adeli said they were false. "We have had a nuclear power program for 18 years but have never made any kind of nuclear weapon," he said. In a strong defence of Iran's nuclear program, the ambassador said it was subjected to "controversy full of mis-statements and false allegations". He said the country needed nuclear power because its oil supplies were being depleted and future growth depended on having a sustainable energy supply. One of Washington's arguments against Tehran using nuclear technology is that the oil-rich state has no need for a civilian nuclear program. Adeli said Iran had never broken any international law in its nuclear activities and was being prevented its right to develop a nuclear power supply. He added that the government was willing to re-enter negotiations about the matter with the European Union" /> European Unionwithout any pre-conditions. Tehran froze atomic fuel cycle work two years ago as a confidence-building measure amid talks with the European Union on guaranteeing that it was not secretly developing nuclear weapons. It resumed conversion work in August but held off from actual enrichment. In a minor disruption, several people were told to leave the conference room while Adeli was speaking following protests at Iran's human rights record. A handful of demonstrators shouted: "Fascists", at the ambassador and the organizers of the two-day event, which was attended by about 200 delegates and is due to end on Sunday. Copyright © 2005 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Fails to Win Russian Support on Iran From the Associated Press [UP] Saturday October 15, 2005 12:01 PM AP Photo PAR107 By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice failed Saturday to persuade Russia to offer new support for a hard line on Iran's disputed nuclear program, despite making a hastily arranged trip to the Russian capital. Rice wanted Russian cooperation as the United States and its European allies try either to draw Iran back to diplomatic talks or invoke the threat of punishment from the powerful U.N. Security Council. Despite lengthy meetings with Russian officials, including a long session alone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, it was clear Russia had not changed its opposition to using the Security Council. The Iranian nuclear question can be handled through the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, which is already monitoring nuclear activities in Iran, Lavrov told reporters afterward. ``We think that the current situation permits us to develop this issue and do everything possible within the means of this organization, without referring this issue to other organizations now,'' Lavrov said. Rice said the Security Council ``remains an option'' if Iran does not cooperate. ``We've said all along there remains time for negotiations if Iran is prepared to negotiate in good faith,'' Rice told reporters. The International Atomic Energy Agency last month passed a resolution warning Tehran it would be referred to the Security Council unless it allayed international fears about its nuclear program. Russia handed the United States a subtle diplomatic victory last month when it abstained, rather than vote against that measure. Lavrov appeared to dash U.S. hopes for a Russian ``yes'' vote when the IAEA next meets on Nov. 24, but it is not clear whether Russia would actively block the move. Iran says its nuclear activities, some of which are carried out with Russian cooperation, are intended to produce electricity, not weapons. The United States claims Iran is hiding a bomb making project behind the shield of a legitimate energy program. Rice also could not sway Russia on the related question of whether Iran has a right, as it insists, to enrich uranium. Enrichment is a possible step toward weapons development and the United States and European allies are determined to keep Iran from having full nuclear know-how. Under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which Iran signed, ``nations have that right,'' Lavrov said. He added that Iran must not violate the arms pact, which is intended to allow peaceful use of nuclear energy under strict controls but to stop international spread of nuclear weapons and technology. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who later hosted Rice at his country residence just west of Moscow, said her trip earlier this week across formerly Soviet Central Asia was ``very successful.'' Putin added that Russia, the United States and the nations in the region have common interests in fighting terrorism and stabilizing Afghanistan. ``We have a firm foundation and a firm basis for a strong partnership that we have together with Russia, and that's why it's a good thing that we get together so frequently and talk on a whole range of issues before us,'' Rice told Putin. Rice was to fly to Britain Saturday for further talks on Iran and other Middle East issues. She was in Paris on Friday for similar consultations. France, Britain and Germany have led an effort to offer economic incentives for Iran to drop the disputed portions of its nuclear program. Iran's new hard-line government walked away from talks and has resumed nuclear activities it suspended during negotiations. The United States is expected to make a strong push to bring Iran before the U.N. Security Council. Russia and China, both allies of Iran and permanent members of the Security Council, could block economic sanctions or other tough punishment, if the case gets that far. Iran has said it has nothing to fear from the Security Council, presumably out of confidence that Russia and China would veto a tough proposal for punishment from the United States or the Europeans. Rice's discussions on Iran come at a sensitive time. Iran has indicated a willingness to return to negotiations, but not to drop what it calls its right to full nuclear know-how. Iran's supreme leader also may be trying to undercut the authority of Iran's new hard-line government. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently strengthened the powers of Expediency Council chief Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president who lost to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June's elections. He recently criticized the handling of Iran's nuclear issue by Ahmadinejad's government. --- On the Net: State Department: http://www.state.gov Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 15 Guardian Unlimited: Richardson to Play Role in N. Korea Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Saturday October 15, 2005 8:31 PM By BARRY MASSEY Associated Press Writer SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Within days of taking office in 2003, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson juggled his duties as the state's new chief executive with another role he has long savored: diplomatic troubleshooter. Richardson, a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration, hosted three days of talks with visiting North Korean envoys that January. On Saturday, he was scheduled to leave on another diplomatic foray, traveling to North Korea at the invitation of the regime in Pyongyang. The unofficial talks come at a critical juncture before formal six-country negotiations resume next month on efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons. For Richardson, who's considered a likely presidential contender in 2008, the trip offers a potential headline-grabbing opportunity to display his credentials to would-be voters across the country. ``It's a good thing for Richardson. What other presidential candidate in the Democratic Party would be called upon by an administration in a nonpartisan way to represent American interests in a dangerous place?'' said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Richardson dismisses the talk of political advantage. ``When it's national security issues, politics stops at the water's edge,'' he told reporters. ``I want to be helpful as an American citizen. I have a long track record with the North Koreans, and I believe I can be helpful.'' A longtime foreign policy observer of North Korea agrees that Richardson can help advance U.S. interests. ``I think he'll be smoking out what the first steps of a denuclearization process could be,'' said Selig Harrison, director of the Asia program at the Washington-based Center for International Policy. ``It's a significant visit. The North Koreans trust Richardson, as someone who has shown them in the past, as part of a Democratic administration which was dealing with North Korea ... that he hears them and understands what they're trying to get across.'' Harrison, who returned in April from a visit to North Korea, stressed that Richardson is no diplomatic freelancer. Richardson has consulted with the State Department, including Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who is the chief negotiator in the disarmament talks with North Korea. The Bush administration is providing a plane for Richardson. ``It's very valuable to the State Department to have what are called second track contacts with North Korea because they are more frank, and they're not burdened by the official process,'' Harrison said. ``Richardson is a very shrewd guy. He may come back with some insights that will be helpful in shaping the U.S. negotiating posture,'' he said. Richardson developed a reputation as a roving international Mr. Fix-it when he served in Congress. He traveled to Iraq, North Korea, Cuba and Sudan to gain the release of captive Americans. Richardson resigned from Congress to join the Clinton administration as ambassador to the United Nations. Just days before President Clinton announced his appointment in December 1996, Richardson had been in a hut in Sudan, eating goat meat with Marxist rebels as he negotiated the release of three Red Cross workers. Asked once to describe the strategy for successful negotiations, Richardson answered, ``Understanding your adversary.'' Since his election as governor, Richardson has remained active in foreign affairs, appearing frequently on national TV shows to offer his opinions and entertaining a steady stream of diplomats visiting him in Santa Fe, including ambassadors from China, South Korea and Japan. Richardson is seeking re-election next year, but so far no experienced GOP officeholder has come forward as a challenger. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 16 WorldNetDaily: Nobel's peaceful kick to the groin SATURDAY OCTOBER 15 2005 Posted: October 15, 2005 © 2005 WorldNetDaily.com The Norwegian Nobel Committeehas just awarded the nemesis of Bush, Bolton, Sharon and the neo-crazies – Mohamed ElBaradei and his staff at the International Atomic Energy Agency – the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way." The IAEA was established in 1957 with the dual objectives of a) facilitating "the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world," and b) ensuring "so far as it is able" that atomic energy is not "used in such a way as to further any military purpose." To accomplish the latter, the IAEA concludes Safeguards Agreements with IAEA member states. Under Safeguards, IAEA inspectors "shall have access at all times to all places and data and to any person who by reason of his occupation deals with [Safeguarded] materials, equipment, or facilities" as necessary "to determine whether there is compliance with the undertaking against use in furtherance of any military purpose." In the event IAEA inspectors detect non-compliance with a Safeguards agreement – including its health and safety provisions – they "shall" make a report to the director general, who "shall" then report to the IAEA Board of Governors, who "shall" then make a report to all IAEA members, the U.N. General Assembly and the U.N. Security Council. The Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,which came into force in 1970, requires each NPT signatory not already having nuclear weapons to conclude and adhere to an IAEA Safeguards Agreement covering certain specified nuclear materials, facilities and activities "for the exclusive purpose of verification of the fulfillment of its obligations assumed under this Treaty, with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices." Hence, the NPT takes advantage of the already existing IAEA Safeguards regime – including the non-compliance reporting mechanism provided for by the IAEA Statute– to prevent the diversion of significant quantities of "special nuclear materials" to a military purpose. But, in so doing, the NPT does not somehow transform the IAEA into a nuke proliferation-prevention agency. The IAEA is not responsible for preventing – or even detecting – nuke proliferation. It is merely responsible for verifying compliance with all aspects of its Safeguards agreements, including the health and safety provisions, thereof. Bush and the neo-crazies came to power, determined to effect – by force, if necessary – "regime change" on Iraq, Iran and North Korea. But all the polls said you soccer moms would not countenace the pre-emptive use of force against those regimes unless they had – or soon would have – nukes to give to terrorists. But, Iraq and Iran were then deemed by the IAEA to be in compliance with their IAEA Safeguards Agreements and North Korea in compliance with its IAEA-verified Agreed Framework with the United States. Bummer! So, upon coming to power, Bush launched a concerted effort to a) replace ElBaradei, b) discredit the IAEA Safeguards regime and c) provoke Iraq, Iran and North Korea into withdrawing from the NPT. In late 2002, Bush did provoke North Korea into withdrawing from the NPT. In early 2003, Bush pre-emptively invaded Iraq, totally disregarding ElBaradei's authoritative report to the Security Council that there had been no resumption of nuclear activities in Iraq – peaceful or otherwise. But, Bush's invasion of Iraq and provocation of North Korea did not provoke Iran into withdrawing from the NPT. Rather, in early 2003 Iran signed an Additional Protocol to its Safeguards Agreement and immediately began to adhere to it. Last November, ElBaradei reported to the IAEA Board that – although Iran had previously not reported materials and activities it should have – Iran was now in substantive compliance with its Safeguards Agreement, including its Additional Protocol. Furthermore, ElBaradei reported that he had found no indication that Iran had ever diverted any quantity of "special nuclear materials" to a military purpose. In other words, Iran has never been in "non-compliance" with the NPT. So, Bush demanded the Board ignore ElBaradei's recent reports of substantial compliance and make the pre-2003 failures to comply the basis for a "referral" of Iran's Safeguarded programs to the U.N. Security Council as a "threat to peace and security." Now comes the Peace Prize for ElBaradei and his staff, which a Committee spokesman claims was not intended to be "a kick to the legs" of Bush. How about the groin? Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. -- ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. [WorldNetDaily.com] webmaster@worldnetdaily.com --> news@worldnetdaily.com--> Contact WND ***************************************************************** 17 Guardian Unlimited: Richardson Dismisses Partisanship in Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Sunday October 16, 2005 3:01 AM By BARRY MASSEY Associated Press Writer SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - Within days of taking office in 2003, Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson juggled his duties as the state's new chief executive with another role he long has savored: diplomatic troubleshooter. Richardson, a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary during the Clinton administration, hosted three days of talks with visiting North Korean envoys that January. On Saturday, he left on another diplomatic foray, traveling to North Korea at the invitation of the regime in Pyongyang. Richardson, accompanied by several other New Mexicans, left the Santa Fe airport for Anchorage, Alaska, in a twin-engine Gulfstream jet supplied by the Air Force. The group planned to arrive in North Korea on Monday evening. The group is scheduled to be back in New Mexico on Oct. 22. The unofficial talks come at a critical juncture before formal six-country negotiations resume next month on efforts to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons. For Richardson, who's considered a likely presidential contender in 2008, the trip offers a potential headline-grabbing opportunity to display his credentials to would-be voters across the country. ``It's a good thing for Richardson. What other presidential candidate in the Democratic Party would be called upon by an administration in a nonpartisan way to represent American interests in a dangerous place?'' said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Richardson dismisses the talk of political advantage. ``I am traveling as an American, a New Mexican, not as a Democrat or Republican, in the cause of peace for my country to help push the diplomatic process forward,'' he said. ``Partisanship stops at the water's edge.'' Richardson said much is at stake in the six-party negotiations. ``The stability of Asia, the future of Japan and the security of America will be determined by our ability to convince the North Koreans once and for all to dismantle their nuclear program,'' Richardson said. ``That is the goal of the six-party talks which I support and that is the message I will be carrying.'' A longtime foreign policy observer of North Korea agrees that Richardson can help advance U.S. interests. ``I think he'll be smoking out what the first steps of a denuclearization process could be,'' said Selig Harrison, director of the Asia program at the Washington-based Center for International Policy. ``It's a significant visit. The North Koreans trust Richardson, as someone who has shown them in the past, as part of a Democratic administration which was dealing with North Korea ... that he hears them and understands what they're trying to get across.'' Harrison, who returned in April from a visit to North Korea, stressed that Richardson is no diplomatic freelancer. Richardson has consulted with the State Department, including Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, who is the chief negotiator in the disarmament talks with North Korea. The Bush administration also is providing a plane for Richardson. ``It's very valuable to the State Department to have what are called second track contacts with North Korea because they are more frank, and they're not burdened by the official process,'' said Harrison. ``Richardson is a very shrewd guy. He may come back with some insights that will be helpful in shaping the U.S. negotiating posture,'' he said. Richardson said the objective of the trip was to ``reinforce and emphasize the diplomatic process,'' in the six-nation talks. ``North Korea is truly at a crossroads today and it should take advantage of the goal of the six-party talks - a nuclear free Korean Peninsula - to advance its own interests in reviving its economy and building a better life for its citizens,'' Richardson said. Richardson developed a reputation as a roving international Mr. Fix-it when he served in Congress. He traveled to Iraq, North Korea, Cuba and Sudan to gain the release of captive Americans. Richardson resigned from Congress to join the Clinton administration as ambassador to the United Nations. Just days before President Clinton announced his appointment in December 1996, Richardson had been in a hut in Sudan, eating goat meat with Marxist rebels as he negotiated the release of three Red Cross workers. Asked once to describe the strategy for successful negotiations, Richardson answered, ``Understanding your adversary.'' Since his election as governor, Richardson has remained active in foreign affairs, appearing frequently on national TV shows to offer his opinions and entertaining a steady stream of diplomats visiting him in Santa Fe, including ambassadors from China, South Korea and Japan. In New Mexico, Richardson's activities on the national and international scene has stirred only a few ripples of political discontent. During a contentious legislative session that just ended last week, Democratic state Sen. John Grubesic complained, ``The true problem we have here is that we have a presidential candidate pretending he is interested in running our state.'' Richardson is seeking re-election next year, but so far no experienced GOP officeholder has come forward as a challenger. The governor's trip to North Korea, according to Sabato, is a golden opportunity for Richardson to set himself apart from other possible candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination. ``Rarely do you have a governor who's already been U.N. ambassador and energy secretary as well as congressman. I mean he really does have a very rich resume. This just underlines it for Democratic primary and caucus voters,'' said Sabato. ``Democrats understand that if they are going to win in 2008, they have got to select reasonable candidates who can match the Republicans in experience on foreign policy and the war on terror. They have no choice. And that's Richardson's big ace not possessed by most of the other candidates.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 18 The Observer: Nuclear agency sale plan [Guardian Unlimited] [UP] Oliver Morgan, industrial editor Sunday October 16, 2005 The government is set to announce the first moves towards the sell-off of the UK Atomic Energy Agency, which oversees six UK nuclear sites including Dounreay on the north coast of Scotland. Plans to introduce private contractors in a partnership deal to increase technical expertise and operational strength are said to be imminent. The move is intended as the first step towards a public-private partnership, and possible privatisation of the state-owned group. Companies including Amec and CHM2-Hill, a US engineer, Bechtel and Jacobs, also American, have expressed interest. Ministers and senior figures in Whitehall have been keen to hasten private sector involvement in the UK's nuclear management and clean up the industry - which includes UKAEA and British Nuclear Group, owned by BNFL - since the formation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in March, which has separated operations from the Ł60 billion liability for cleaning up existing facilities. A source close to negotiations said: 'We are anticipating an imminent announcement. This will be a strategic partnership, with private companies bringing expertise. There is a view that this will lead to a PFI or PPP-style arrangement, with a potential equity investment, and ultimately a privatisation.' In addition to Dounreay, UKAEA operates sites at Windscale, Risley, Hartwell, Culham and Winfrith. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005 ***************************************************************** 19 Taipei Times: Nuclear plant to start three years late www.taipeitimes.com POWER DELAY: A spokesman from the state power company said the delay would mean higher costs and was a result of the temporary halt in construction in 2000 BLOOMBERG Saturday, Oct 15, 2005,Page 2 Taiwan Power Co, which generates about 75 percent of the island's electricity, said today it will complete a nuclear plant three years later than planned because of construction halt that occurred in 2000. State-run Taiwan Power had planned to bring the first unit of its fourth nuclear power plant on line in July next year and the second one a year later. The facility is designed to have a capacity of 2,700 megawatts, according to company and Bureau of Energy Web sites. "We'll probably delay the startup to 2009," Clint Chou (©P¸q©¨), a public relations officer at the Taipei-based company, said in a phone interview. "The suspension and resumption of construction is a reason." A delay in the nuclear power plant's operation may boost the island's demand for coal. Plants that burn coal are the most effective way of making up the shortfall in generation because they can operate 24 hours a day, unlike alternatives such as wind or solar power. President Chen Shui-bian's (łŻ¤ô«ó) government on Oct. 27, 2000 ordered Taiwan Power to suspend construction of the Fourth nuclear Power Project amid opposition from residents near the site. The country already has three operating nuclear power plants that have a total installed capacity of 5,144 megawatts. The government reinstated the project in February 2001, after the constitutional court ruled that the decision to halt the project had procedural flaws, because lawmakers weren't consulted. Taiwan Power, or Taipower as the utility is known, had "problems" securing subcontractors and workers after the halt, which pushed up construction costs, Chou said, without giving an estimate. The plant was 62 percent complete by the end of last month, with the first reactor installed, according to Chou. General Electric Co is the supplier for the project's two reactors, according to the Bureau of Energy's Web site. The project was first approved by the government in 1981, when the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) were in power. The US$5.6 billion project has been mired in controversy since the 2000 presidential election, which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won. The DPP government scrapped the partly built nuclear plant without consulting parliament in October 2000, but reinstated the project in February 2001 as a result of public pressure. The suspension was likely to add an additional US$1.3 billion to the construction costs, officials have said. This story has been viewed 638 times. Copyright © 1999-2005 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 20 Interfax: BN-600 reactor brought to nominal capacity at Beloyarskaya NPP Interfax.com Text version Site map Oct 15 2005 10:23AM YEKATERINBURG. Oct 15 (Interfax) - The Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant (the Urals) has brought the BN-600 power generating unit to nominal capacity after the scheduled reloading of the fuel and routine checks, the nuclear power plant's information center told Interfax. The reactor is operating in compliance with the set parameters. Radiation levels are normal in the town of Zarechny and in the 30- kilometer zone. The Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant is Russia's only nuclear power plant to use a BN-600 fast breeder reactor. This reactor is shut down twice a year for scheduled repair. In 2005, the reactor was first repaired in spring. A second fast breeder reactor, the BN-800, estimated at over $1 billion, is being built at the Beloyarskaya nuclear power plant. © 1991-2005 Interfax All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 21 BBC: Campaigners pushing for Last Updated: Saturday, 15 October 2005 [Green peace banner] Some argued the nuclear station provided much-needed employment Green energy campaigners say they will not give up in their battle to have a huge wind farm built near Hinkley Point nuclear power station in Somerset. Planning officials are recommending refusal of the application to build 12 turbines after concerns of what would happen if a giant blade broke off. The company behind the project now says it is now prepared to drop three of the turbines closest to the station. Councillors meet to make the final decision towards the end of this month. On Saturday Greenpeace members took to the streets of Minehead, to gather more support to keep the plan alive. They were persuading every supporter of the wind farm to have their picture taken and pinned on the campaign board. But some people they approached disagreed, arguing the nuclear power station provided much-needed local employment. ***************************************************************** 22 FT.com: US - Nuclear plant to be nature sanctuary By Fiona Harvey, Environment Correspondent Published: October 15 2005 03:00 | Last updated: October 15 2005 The site where many of the cold war's deadliest weapons were manufactured is about to become a wildlife sanctuary, as the biggest environmental clean-up in the US was declared complete this week. Rocky Flats, near Denver, Colorado, produced plutonium and enriched uranium for nuclear weapons from 1952 until 1989, when it was closed down by the FBI because of safety and environmental concerns. After the shut-down, the government estimated that the clean-up operation would take 70 years or more, at a cost close to $40bn. To the surprise of many in the nuclear industry, the clean-up, which began in 1995, took 10 years and cost $7bn (€5.8bn, ÂŁ3.9bn). The operation is likely to be studied closely by governments around the world which are considering reinvestment in nuclear energy in response to rising oil prices, fears over climate change and the security of energy supplies. One of the biggest costs in any civilian nuclear project is the disposal of nuclear waste and the decommissioning of sites at the end of their life. More than 21 tonnes of weapons-grade nuclear materials were removed from the site, along with 30,000 litres of solutions of plutonium. The site covered more than 3m square feet, with 800 structures that were decontaminated and demolished, as well as 700 tanks for storing waste. The 600,000 cubic metres of radioactive waste produced are now being permanently stored underground at other locations. Although the site is now clear of radioactive material, public access will be delayed until the Department of Energy has certified the area clean. Within 90 days, it is expected to deliver a report, detailing any further measures Kaiser-Hill, which was responsible for restoring the Rocky Flats site, must undertake. Within a few years, however, most of the site will be reopened as a wildlife refuge and park. Wildlife is plentiful in the area because many animals were able to live undisturbed in the 6,000-acre buffer zone around the 400-acre plant. CH2M-Hill, parent company of Kaiser-Hill, plans to bid for contracts for more nuclear clean-up operations involving civilian nuclear power facilities. © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. ***************************************************************** 23 Journal and Courier: ABC's nuclear over-reaction Guest Column PUBLISHED: 10-16-05 6:00 AM EST By Lefteri Tsoukalas For the Journal and Courier As a nuclear engineer, I believe deeply that nuclear energy has vast potential to make our lives better: through generation of electrical power, through creation of new and better procedures to diagnose and treat disease, through development of enhanced scientific processes, through industrial applications. I also understand and respect the enormous destructive power of this form of energy. I appreciate the fact that many people have a deep-seated fear of the dangers nuclear power presents when it is used for hostile purposes or mishandled. However, I know that when properly managed, nuclear power is safe and efficient, and I believe the American public will benefit from acquiring a better understanding of the science to which I have devoted my life. That is why I am deeply disturbed by an ABC news report aired by the network on Oct. 13. The report cynically exploited people's instinctive fear of nuclear energy by misrepresenting both the threat from, and the nature of, research reactors, such as the one for which I am responsible at Purdue University. ABC sent college students who were working as journalism interns to a number of university reactor facilities, including the one at Purdue. The idea was to see whether they could get into the facilities and to assess security measures. The interns had no trouble gaining access because we welcome visitors to the reactor. In fact, our Web site and printed literature invite the public to schedule tours, which are conducted by staff trained in the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's security measures. The ABC interns saw what any visitor would see. If they had identified themselves as investigative journalists, they would have been given the same tour and the same information -- no more, no less. By the time they had been to two universities, the interns' behavior had given them away, and all the subsequent sites they visited knew who they were and their purpose. They still were given escorted tours. Yet ABC's report maintained the fiction that the interns had duped those responsible for security at each of the reactors. It also accepted at face value the interns' evaluations of security measures -- evaluations they were not qualified to make. The network's premise was that the American public is threatened by the ease with which research reactors can be accessed. This is patently false. In Purdue's case, the reactor utilizes a tiny amount of fuel. At full power, it can produce roughly the energy needed to illuminate 10 100-watt light bulbs. While there is no such thing as complete safety in any endeavor, Purdue's reactor is as safe and secure as any laboratory can be. Located three stories underground, it is entered through an academic building, which is easily accessible to the public. However, the reactor itself is behind two locked doors and can be accessed only in the company of authorized staff fully trained in NRC security procedures. While nuclear fuels are by nature hazardous, the possibility of an accidental or deliberate threat to public safety from this facility is close to zero. In fact, a corner gas station or the fuel tank for a backyard barbecue grill presents a greater danger than this reactor. When research reactors operate, they do so well below boiling conditions, instead of the very high pressures and temperatures found at nuclear power plants. Research reactors operate safely with simple, easily supplemented cooling systems. Possible incidents involving research reactors have been analyzed many times, and the consequences would be confined to very small areas, usually within the research reactor facility itself. If a terrorist set off an explosion in the reactor, it would be unlikely to endanger anyone who was not inside the facility. An Oklahoma City-style truck bombing -- graphically suggested by ABC as a threat -- would cause a great deal of damage and human suffering, but would release no radiation from the underground reactor. Theft of the nuclear material from a research reactor would be virtually impossible. The extremely heavy construction of the facility and nature of the installation make removing the fuel a major construction project requiring heavy equipment and the supervision of engineers. It could not be done covertly. There are much easier ways to get nuclear materials, including from medical facilities, delivery trucks and the smoke detectors sold at any discount store. ABC -- a network with enormous power and responsibility -- chose to ignore an enormous amount of factual information in the interest of sensationalism. In the process, they have misled the American people and many public officials. Only time will tell whether this irresponsible report has done permanent damage to an academic discipline that America needs to nurture and further develop. I have the benefit of the knowledge gained from a lifetime of study, so ABC has not shaken my faith in the value of continued study of nuclear energy. My confidence in ABC's national news is another matter. Tsoukalas is head of Purdue's School of Nuclear Engineering. Copyright © 2005, Federated Publications, Inc. A Gannett Site. ***************************************************************** 24 The Ledger: UF Reactor Generates Concern After Report Lakeland, Polk County, Florida Lakeland, Florida | October 16, 2005 ABC News' "Loose Nukes" focuses on safety of school nuclear facilities. By DIANE CHUN NYT Regional Newspapers GAINESVILLE -- Peter LeShane saw only the advance promotion for the ABC News special "Loose Nukes," which aired Thursday night. But the prospect of terrorists infiltrating the University of Florida's nuclear research reactor and using its radioactive fuel as part of a dirty bomb made LeShane fear for his family's safety. In an e-mail to city commissioners, LeShane, who lives in Gainesville, demanded that UF "assure security of this facility . . . which could subject our community to a catastrophe." In advance of the full ABC News report, a UF spokesman said Thursday its research facility is safe and secure. ABC News reported that two undercover visitors with student IDs were taken through three locked doors and given a full tour of the UF reactor and control room. Their bags were left behind in an office connected to the reactor room, and were not searched. The program "Primetime" sent 10 undercover journalists to test the security at 25 university research reactors last summer. The reporters, who were Carnegie Fellows at five universities and carried identification indicating they were graduate students, recorded their findings with tourist cameras. UF reactor director William Vernetson gave the tour of the UF facility. Vernetson referred all inquiries to UF spokesman Steve Orlando on Thursday. Research reactors like UF's sprang up in the wake of President Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" program in 1953 at dozens of American colleges. The UF reactor was installed in 1959. Located inside the Nuclear Science Building, the reactor is fueled by slightly less than 5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and has a power level of 100 kilowatts. That puts it in the low- to mid-size range among some 40 active university research reactors. ABC describes UF's nuclear fuel as "weapons grade," although UF officials disagree with the use of the term. Highly enriched uranium is a key component in the construction of nuclear weapons. Energy experts say it takes as little as 25 kilograms to produce a bomb. UF has plans to replace its 5-kilogram fuel supply with a safer alternative, but officials say it will be one or two years before that process is complete. Professor Graham T. Allison of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University advised ABC on the project. "Highly enriched uranium that's vulnerable is an unacceptable threat to me and to American citizens everywhere," he told ABC News. "We're as vulnerable as the weakest link in the chain." ABC News reports that, as a result of its story, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has launched investigations at UF and four other schools -- Ohio State University, Purdue University, Texas A and the University of Wisconsin. Spokesmen for UF and the NRC would not confirm that Thursday. "We are examining the information that ABC presented to us to see if there is any cause for ongoing action," NRC spokesman Eliot Brenner said. "We are looking at every one of the instances, slightly more than a dozen. I would not single anybody out." Brenner emphasized that the educational reactors are very small, ranging in size from ones that do not generate enough power to light a flashlight, to ones that can produce about 1,000th of the heat that a commercial reactor would produce. UF's reactor is toward the low end of the spectrum, according to Brenner, who added, "These reactors have multiple layers of security and safety systems around them." Security at facilities housing each of the research training reactors was increased to meet NRC standards after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is headed by Nils Diaz, who was named chairman of the agency in 2003. Before joining the NRC in 1996, Diaz was a professor of nuclear engineering sciences at UF. Roy Zimmerman, director of the NRC's office of nuclear security and incident response, sent a letter to ABC's investigative unit and corporate lawyers Wednesday. In it, Zimmerman promised the NRC would review security measures at all research training reactor sites. He also said, "We continue to believe that the nation's research training reactors remain safe and secure." Orlando explained that UF's reactor is housed inside about 50 tons of concrete, 15 to 18 feet tall and very thick. Asked what might happen if a truck bomb were exploded outside the building, Orlando said any damage would come from the explosion itself, not from radioactive materials within the reactor. Because the reactor has an educational purpose, Orlando said the university will continue to offer tours by appointment, following an ID check. Visitors are not allowed to take bags, parcels or cameras into the training reactor area or control room, he said. "There are people who are associated with the facility who say that the report is overblown," Orlando concluded. "I would agree with that. But I'm sure it will get everybody good and worked up." Diane Chun writes for The Gainesville Sun. Copyright 2005 The Ledger ***************************************************************** 25 El Paso Times: Palo Verde nuclear power plant still idle Sunday, October 16, 2005 Times staff reports It is still unknown when the Palo Verde nuclear power plant, which usually supplies half El Paso's power, may begin operating again. The plant near Phoenix was shut down last week after Arizona Public Service Co., the plant operator, couldn't prove to regulators that the plant's emergency cooling system could operate as expected. The company is doing further calculations to determine if the system is operating correctly, and is looking at other solutions, Arizona Public Service spokesman Jim McDonald said Friday. El Paso Electric, which owns part of the plant, is meeting power demands through other sources. + Management office: El Paso Community College's Small Business Management Institute, in partnership with the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce, will open a new Downtown office beginning Monday. The new office will be in the chamber's Business Information Center at 10 Civic Center Plaza. Its hours will be 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office provides advisory, outreach and management training services to small businesses. Information: 831-7743 or 534-0511. Copyright © 2005 El Paso Times, a ***************************************************************** 26 FT.com: German election - German poll result hinders nuclear revival By Hugh Williamson in Berlin Published: October 16 2005 19:25 | Last updated: October 16 2005 19:25 [Germany] This was meant to be party time for Germany's nuclear power industry. After seven years of a centre-left government that was proud to be anti-nuclear, industry executives had hoped last month's election would provide a new lease of life for atomic power. The reality is turning out otherwise. Angela Merkel, the conservative leader, failed to win the decisive victory that had been predicted, and that would have been necessary for her to implement her manifesto pledge to lengthen the operational life of the country's 18 nuclear power plants beyond 2020, when they are due to be shut down under a law adopted by the government of the outgoing chancellor, Gerhard Schröder. Ms Merkel is due on Monday to open coalition policy negotiations with Mr Schröder's Social Democrats, with the latter under pressure to give ground on nuclear power. Yet Sigmar Gabriel, who is expected to become the next environment minister stressed last week, that the SPD “would not accept” the need for a review of nuclear policy. Yet while executives at utility giants such as Eon and RWE have packed away the champagne glasses, there remains a sense of change in the air in the German energy sector. “The high oil price has had many knock-on effects, such as pushing up the price of gas, increasing demand for coal, and encouraging many people to re-examine the wisdom of phasing out nuclear power,” says Claudia Kemfert, energy specialist at Berlin's DIW economic research institute. Nuclear power generates about 30 per cent of Germany electricity. Renewable energy sources (10 per cent of electricity generation), natural gas (8.5 per cent) and new, environment-friendly coal-fired power stations are expected to gain in importance, according to government plans. Coal and lignite currently account for about 50 per cent of electricity needs. Germany's business associations have this year been at the vanguard of efforts to rethink this energy mix, citing the severe impact of high oil prices on transport and industry costs. BDI, the leading industrial association, wants the nuclear plants to be allowed to run for at least an extra decade. The DIHK association of chambers of commerce has called for Germany to pull back from its leading role in implementing the Kyoto climate change protocol, by scaling down emission reduction targets for 2020, in order to avoid a competitive disadvantage against businesses operating in less Kyoto-friendly countries. The new government is unlikely to be very receptive to these demands, although experts argue that some action is needed, if only to damp electricity price rises. The price of electricity supplied to industry has risen 38 per cent since early 2002, and further increases are likely next year. It was the Greens, the SPD's junior partner since 1998, who really pushed the anti-nuclear issue. Yet the Social Democrats are determined to stand by the Kyoto accord and by the nuclear exit plan, says Rolf Hempelmann, parliamentary energy spokesman. “We will have to negotiate [with the CDU], but the exit from nuclear power is a key part of our political platform.” Ms Merkel environment minister from 1994 to 1998 and the CDU have called for greater flexibility. Peter Paziorek, parliamentary energy spokesman, said Germany needed a broad-based approach to energy provision and “a limited extension to the operation lives of nuclear plants could play an important role in this”. The nuclear industry hopes to influence the new government's policy agenda while it is still in flux. Walther Hohlefelder, a senior Eon executive and president of a pro-nuclear business alliance, told Financial Times Deutschland this month: “If the nuclear option is to be re-opened, it should happen now. It is clear that an energy mix with nuclear power is more economical than one without.” Ms Kemfert sees advantages in allowing nuclear plants to operate longer, assuming security concerns are addressed. “We are not talking about new power stations. Longer operating times would fill the time gap before other energy sources, such as clean coal, come fully on stream.” Christian Hey of SRU, the government's independent advisory commission on the environment, disagrees. “A new focus on nuclear power would mean a distraction from investing in more important energy sources.” He argues that the new government should build on achievements since 1998 in promoting renewable energy sources, and notes the leading position in international markets of many German wind and solar technology companies. Despite a CDU manifesto pledge to rein in government subsidies offered to renewable energy producers, experts say big cuts are unlikely, not least because the renewable energy industry now employs more than 130,000 people. The high oil price, and the resulting emphasis on more energy efficiency, mean it makes economic sense to continue to invest in such energy sources. “The days when there was contradiction between environmental and business priorities are behind us,” Mr Hey concludes. © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. ***************************************************************** 27 Corvallis Gazette-Times: OSU defends nuclear reactor [gazettetimes.com] Last modified Saturday, October 15, 2005 9:03 PM PDT [community] PORTLAND (AP) — Stung by a national television report on lax security at campuses with research nuclear reactors, officials at Oregon State University and Reed College are defending the safety measures in place at their respective schools, the only two in Oregon with research reactors. ABCs Primetime sent 10 journalism students to the 25 U.S. colleges and universities that have research reactors to determine how vulnerable they might be to terrorists. In their report, Primetime showcased unlocked building doors, unstaffed guard booths, and guided tours that provided access to control rooms and reactor pools. Neither of the Oregon schools were a focus of the ABC report. The interns reports indicated they did not enter the buildings at Reed or OSU where the small reactors are housed, but there were no guards at either facility and that both schools give tours. Still, Reed College officials said the findings were flawed. The interns who came here never saw the reactor, Beth Sorensen, a college spokeswoman, told The Oregonian. They did not correctly identify the building the reactor is in; they never went on a tour; they were never in or near the reactor. Sorensen said the college follows tough security measures required by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which oversees the reactors. Todd Simmons, an Oregon State spokesman, said the university has detailed security plans to safeguard both the people and the material in the Radiation Center. Reeds reactor produces about 250 kilowatts of heat, about 10 times as much as a home-heating furnace. The larger Oregon State reactor can generate 1,000 kilowatts. Both reactors are used for teaching and research involving medicine, chemistry, geology, physics and other fields. Roy P. Zimmerman, director of the NRCs Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, said in a letter to ABC that the reactors have only small quantities of radioactive material. Any attempt to sabotage a facility or steal the nuclear material would trigger an armed response, he said. Copyright © 2005 • Lee Enterprises ***************************************************************** 28 Globe and Mail: Ontario to refurbish two Lake Huron reactors theglobeandmail.com Project likely to cost at least $3-billion, but no word yet on how financing shared By KAREN HOWLETT Saturday, October 15, 2005 Page A17 TORONTO -- The Ontario government plans to refurbish idle nuclear reactors on Lake Huron at a cost of at least $3-billion, marking its most ambitious project yet to address the province's electricity problems. The government plans to announce on Monday that it has struck a deal with Bruce Power, the private consortium that operates the nuclear station, according to sources familiar with the talks. The go-ahead will mark Premier Dalton McGuinty's government's second commitment to nuclear power. Work began last year on refurbishing Pickering A's Unit 1, east of Toronto, at a cost of about $1-billion. That unit returned to service this month. But because the Bruce project eclipses the scale of Pickering, it is likely to add fuel to the debate over what role nuclear power should play in helping the province address its looming electricity crisis. "This will not simply be a quick, fixer-upper," New Democrat Leader Howard Hampton said yesterday. The government initially struck a tentative deal last March to restart two reactors at the Bruce Nuclear Station. The reactors have been shut down since the mid-1990s. The sources said it has taken nearly seven months to finalize a deal because Bruce Power subsequently submitted a more ambitious proposal than the government was expecting. Talks were also delayed by negotiations over who would bear the risk of any cost overruns, the sources said. The Bruce station near Tiverton, Ont., has eight reactors, including six that are up and running. It is owned by Ontario Power Generation, the government's electricity utility, and operated by Bruce Power under a long-term lease. One of the sources said Bruce Power was looking at refurbishing more than just the two units, known as Bruce A 1 and 2. "They went to cabinet and cabinet said, 'that's not what we were expecting. Go back and renegotiate something else,' " he said. Industry observers have pegged the cost of refurbishing the two units at roughly $2-billion. However, one source said speculation that the tab will now come in at about $3-billion is on the conservative side. He said the project could also include work on other reactors at Bruce to extend their lifetime. One analyst estimates that Units 3 and 4 at Bruce can operate for only another five to seven years without further repairs. There were huge cost overruns with getting Units 3 and 4 at Bruce back up and running in 2003, and the shareholders of Bruce Power picked up the tab, one of the sources said. "[Bruce Power shareholders] don't want the risk of huge cost overruns," he said. Bruce Power's major shareholders are Cameco Corp., TransCanada Corp. and a unit of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Board. A spokesman at Bruce Power declined to comment last night on how the financing commitments would be shared between the government and the consortium. "We don't have a signed agreement," said Steve Cannon. "Until we do, we can't make any comments on that kind of a front." The reactors, which will take years to spruce up, are capable of producing 1,500 megawatts of electricity, enough for a million homes. Mr. McGuinty has said the province needs to refurbish, rebuild or replace 25,000 megawatts of supply over the next 15 years. While the province's entire capacity is 30,000 megawatts, only about 22,000 megawatts are available on any given day. On a high-demand day, Ontario consumes 25,000 megawatts of electricity, while on moderate days it uses between 16,000 and 18,000 megawatts. The last time a new nuclear plant went on line in the province was 1992. In 1997, Ontario Power Generation took seven of its 19 reactors off line because they weren't up to standard. In late 2003, the government fired the top three executives of OPG for botching the restoration of the Unit 4 nuclear reactor at the Pickering A station, which was years late and millions of dollars over budget when it came back on line in September, 2003. Then this August, OPG scrapped plans to restart two other mothballed reactors at the Pickering A station, saying it wasn't economically viable to spend $2-billion refurbishing Units 2 and 3. Search globeandmail.com Search Site More + © Copyright 2005 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 29 Gainesville Sun: UF official defends nuclear security | Gainesville, Fla. Gainesville.com | By BOB ARNDORFER Sun staff writer October 15. 2005 6:01AM Could the University of Florida be harboring deadly germs, toxic chemicals, threatening insects or other hazards that make the campus or community vulnerable to terrorist attack or accidents? Such a scenario involving UF's nuclear research reactor was raised Thursday night on ABC TV's "Primetime." The UF facility was featured in "Loose Nukes," a report on an investigation of several university nuclear reactors that spotlighted possible security breaches during undercover tours of the facilities. A UF spokesman said Friday that the program misrepresented some facts and might have caused "undue alarm" that the campus reactor is unsafe. "It made it seem like it would be very simple to set off an explosion and breach the reactor, when in fact 50 tons of concrete surround it," said spokesman Steve Orlando. "It's our understanding that not only would it survive a truck bomb but also a plane crash (into the reactor). "The facility is safe and solid," he said. "It has a 46-year history of safety." Beyond the reactor, UF has more than 2,000 other research laboratories spread across campus and the community. Some contain chemical or biological agents, even insects and plants, that if mishandled could pose health or environmental problems. But UF officials and researchers say security measures are in place that are designed to minimize any potential risk. "We give a lot of thought to those concerns," said William Properzio, director of UF's Environmental Health and Safety Division. "We have procedures in place that have been and continue to be reviewed." His division oversees handling of hazardous materials on campus, from their procurement and use to storage and disposal. It also regulates radioactive materials and radiation-producing devices in UF's College of Medicine and elsewhere on campus. "We have inspection programs where we go into all our labs and facilities to make sure chemical and biological agents, and radioactive materials, are properly handled and stored," Properzio said. "There has been an increase in security in certain areas, for example, with 'select' agents, which is a class of biological agents and toxins that could impact animal and human organisms." He said the rules governing hazardous materials became much more stringent after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Similarly strict precautions exist for insects and other biological controls used by UF's entomology department. Jim Cuda, an associate professor of entomology, said his research in controlling invasive weeds includes the importation of non-native insects. "As part of my program, we import arthropods from abroad," he said. "We have to be permitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under very rigorous procedures to import, and then they are kept not just in any lab, but in a quarantine lab." The insects are imported and studied for their potential in controlling specific types of invasive weeds. Access to the quarantine lab where they're kept is tightly controlled, Cuda said. "Access is by keypad, so there are no keys that can be stolen and copies made," he said. UF's College of Veterinary Medicine's research includes the study of animals with infectious diseases such as the West Nile virus. Security measures are in place to control such hazards from affecting researchers and the general public, said Charles Courtney, associate dean for research and graduate studies at the vet school. "We have to register any select agents with the federal government, and then they have to be kept under increased security," he said. "But we don't have any of the really nasty stuff." Most of the infectious agents vet school researchers work with are locked within an ultra-cold freezer that is locked inside a lab, Courtney said. The freezer, he said, is large enough "that no one is going to walk off with it." He said that if a dead bird is brought in, the post-mortem to check for West Nile or other disease is done in a "bio-safety cabinet" designed to protect the person doing the necropsy. Access to it and the entire vet school is restricted even during normal working hours, he said. Courtney said that since 9/11, the rules governing infectious agents have become "so draconian" that some researchers have elected not to use them to avoid the paperwork required for their use. Bob Arndorfer can be reached at 352-374-5042 or arndorb@ gvillesun.com © Copyright 2004, The Gainesville Sun ***************************************************************** 30 Sydney Morning Herald: China wants to mine uranium - smh.com.au By Richard Baker October 17, 2005 China has asked the Federal Government if it can conduct uranium exploration and mining operations in Australia, confidential documents reveal. Diplomatic cables obtained by The Age show the Chinese told Australian officials of their interest in uranium at a meeting in Beijing in February. At the meeting, Wang Jun, deputy director-general of China's National Development and Reform Commission, requested permission from Australian officials. The director-general of the Australian Nuclear Safeguards Office, John Carlson, told Mr Wang there would be no restrictions by the Federal Government. But Mr Carlson warned that state governments and territories - responsible for licensing mining and exploration - opposed further uranium mining and exploration. Mr Carlson said it was hoped political attitudes would change, but this was likely to take some time. In August the Federal Government assumed control of mining rights in the Northern Territory, declaring it open for further uranium mining subject to environmental and Aboriginal approvals. The territory's Chief Minister, Clare Martin, had made an election promise of no new uranium mines. More than 12 companies have licences to explore the territory, which is estimated to have $12 billion in uranium deposits. Another cable released by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under freedom of information laws shows that Chinese officials asked that the agreement include uranium exploration and co-operation with Australia on nuclear science and technology. Australia, which has about 40 per cent of the world 's uranium reserves, has three mines in operation in South Australia and the Northern Territory. The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, announced in August that Australia had begun negotiating an agreement with China on safeguards for the export of uranium. The prospect of Chinese mining and exploration has not been raised publicly. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement: "Owning or part owning an Australian uranium mining company - or making a new Chinese-controlled investment in uranium in Australia - is not a shortcut to buying uranium and does not circumvent in any way our export controls or safeguards." The department said Australia had sent agreement documentation to China. A nuclear proliferation expert, Richard Broinowski, said allowing China to conduct its own uranium operations in Australia would make it more difficult to ensure the material was used only for civil power generation. "I'm very worried about this. I think the Australians are seeing dollar signs all over the place," Professor Broinowski said. China may use Australian uranium for power generation, but could then be free to use its own natural uranium resources for military purposes, he said. The documents reveal China first asked about buying uranium when Mr Downer met Zhang Guobao, of China's National Development and Reform Commission, on August 16 last year. Mr Zhang explained China's increasing energy demands and asked if Australia would sell uranium to China. Mr Downer replied that Australia did not oppose nuclear power stations but opposed the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Political interest in Australia about any deal would be strong given China's nuclear weapons arsenal, he said. Any agreement with China would need to be scrutinised by Federal Parliament's joint standing committee on treaties. Copyright © 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald. ***************************************************************** 31 Bradenton Herald: Herald wins journalism award for Tallevast coverage 10/16/2005 | HERALD STAFF REPORT The Herald has won the Frances DeVore Award for Public Service in The Florida Press Club's 2005 Excellence in Journalism Competition for its coverage of the ongoing investigation of underground pollution threatening the Tallevast community. The award and $1,000 prize were presented to The Herald's newsroom staff Saturday night at the Florida Press Club banquet in Orlando. For years, residents in the impoverished minority neighborhood of Tallevast shared water, air and soil with the Loral American Beryllium Co. plant that used highly toxic beryllium and allowed the carcinogen degreaser, trichlorethylene, to escape. Many of the residents worked at the plant in the 1960s and '70s. The Herald's coverage of the potentially deadly pollution, cover-up, deceit and lack of oversight began more than 18 months ago and continues as new data sheds light on a toxic plume, the boundaries of which have yet to be defined. "The Herald's ongoing coverage seeks to put a human value to the risk by exploring what residents and workers are going through, their fears and what is finally being done to help them," said Joan Krauter, executive editor of The Herald. ***************************************************************** 32 AU ABC: Martin wants nuclear waste plans stopped Saturday, 15 October 2005. 14:35 (AEST)Saturday, 15 October Clare Martin wants to stop the nuclear waste facility planned for the Northern Territory (file photo).ABC TV The Northern Territory Chief Minister, Clare Martin, is planning to call on the help of Queensland Senator Barnaby Joyce to stop the nuclear waste facility planned for the Territory. In a full page advertisement in newspapers today, the Territory Government has published an open letter to the Prime Minister accusing him of stripping the rights of Territorians. The Territory's Country Liberal Party Senator, Nigel Scullion, has declared that he will back nuclear waste dump legislation tabled in the federal Parliament this week. Ms Martin says Senator Scullion's decision to back the legislation this week is an affront to Territory rights. "Well I'm not gonna give up on Nigel Scullion," she said. "He represents the Territory and should be voting this legislation down." ***************************************************************** 33 AU ABC: No alternative to NT nuclear dump site - PM Sunday, 16 October 2005. 08:23 (AEST)Sunday, 16 October 2005. Prime Minister John Howard says he has been given no choice but to push ahead and build a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory. Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin has written to Mr Howard, saying the Territory will continue to fight the move, despite legislation being tabled in Federal Parliament last week aimed at overriding the Territory's ability to oppose the dump. Ms Martin accused the Prime Minister of failing to meet his assurance that Territory rights would be treated equally to the rights of the states. Mr Howard says a site simply has to be found. "In the end we can't have the waste float out into the stratosphere, it's not as simple as that and there has to be a solution," he said. "Now if the Chief Minister can pursue all of her Labor colleagues to put the repository somewhere else then I'd be prepared to listen." Mr Howard says he has been given no choice. "We started as a country 13 years ago to try and solve the issue of a nuclear waste dump, we had an agreement and then when it came for that to be located in a particular part of Australia, all of the states and territories just ran away from it and this issue has got to be brought to a head and it will be," he said. ***************************************************************** 34 AU ABC: MP seeks oncology unit trade-off for nuclear waste dump Sunday, 16 October 2005. 11:33 (AEST)Sunday, 16 October 2005. The Member for Solomon, David Tollner, says he has approached the Prime Minister about funding an oncology unit at Royal Darwin Hospital as compensation for housing a nuclear waste facility. Mr Tollner says he has raised the issue with John Howard a number of times. He says the Prime Minister has indicated he will consider the request. "Most of Australia's waste will be coming to the Northern Territory with a repository and a lot of that waste will be generated in oncology units," he said. "It seems ridiculous we don't have one in the Northern Territory and it's an area I think he's looking into." Chief Minister Clare Martin says she will not accept any trade-offs in return for the nuclear dump. "I find that offensive and I think Territorians will find that offensive," she said. "I'm happy to talk to the Federal Government about support for an oncology unit as a separate issue. "Overriding Territory laws on the other hand is very different and we won't put up with it." ***************************************************************** 35 AU ABC: Nuclear dump-health link 'a lie' Monday, 17 October 2005. 07:41 (AEST)Monday, 17 October 2005. The Medical Association for Prevention of War says it is outraged at comments linking a nuclear waste dump to the health of Australians. The association says federal MP Dave Tollner and Senator Nigel Scullion have been quoted as saying the health of Australians would suffer unless a nuclear waste dump was imposed on the Territory. The association's vice-president, Dr Bill Williams. says the two issues are worlds apart and the statements should be retracted. "They're peddling a lie basically," Dr Williams said. "They're pushing a facility on to them that they simply don't need and they're appealing to the emotions of the electorate and saying that people's health is going to suffer if they don't take this radioactive waste dump." Dr Williams says the comments need to be corrected. "It's a falsehood and it needs to be retracted by those two gentlemen very quickly," he said. ***************************************************************** 36 North Augusta Star: SRS might get MOX facility Sun, Oct 16, 2005 By MICHAEL W. GIBBONS A light may finally be shining at the end of the MOX tunnel, as officials confirmed Friday that a groundbreaking to begin preparing for the proposed site will be held at SRS next week. Jim Giusti, spokesman for the Department of Energy, said a site preparation ceremony will be held next Friday. "It's basically preparing the site for the start of construction when construction is authorized," he said. The proposed MOX (mixed-oxide) plant, which would convert weapons grade plutonium into fuel for use in commercial reactors, could bring 600 jobs to the Savannah River Site. Giusti said that the preparation ceremony did not mean that SRS had officially secured the MOX project. However, community leaders expressed optimism that the groundbreaking signified the beginning stages of acquisition of the facility. "We won," said Mal McKibben, executive director for the Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, which has pushed for the MOX facility since 1999. "We won the technical battle early on, because it was obvious we could do it cheaper and safer. But that wasn't the battle that had to be waged. The battle that had to be waged was a political battle," On Thursday, several members of the nonprofit Savannah River Regional Diversification Initiative, met in Washington, D.C., with elected leaders and DOE officials, including Reps. Gresham Barrett, Charlie Norwood, Joe Wilson, and energy deputy secretary Clay Sell. SRRDI representative and County Council member Chuck Smith called the meeting "productive," and said they presented many of the local concerns to Sell, including local input regarding missions and community involvement at the Site. "He assured us that they were trying to work very quickly to resolve some of the issues," Smith said. Last week, Aiken County Council filed a lawsuit against the Department of Energy over delays in the beginning of construction of the facility. Despite the announced groundbreaking, Smith said the lawsuit was still on the table. "It's in the courts right now, and there's going to have to be efforts made on both ends to resolve it. We've got a huge stake in what's taking place, and we're doing the best we can for the community." Smith said that while there was still a substantial road ahead, the pending groundbreaking is a step in the right direction. "It's positive. It certainly is positive. I believe what President Reagan said to the Russians: 'Trust, but verify.' It certainly was a positive meeting, but we've got a lot of ground still to cover," he said. ***************************************************************** 37 Las Vegas SUN: D.C. paparazzi hungry at the Harry and Harriet show October 15, 2005 By Benjamin Grove and Suzanne Struglinski LAS VEGAS SUN It was classic Washington-style pack journalism in pursuit of Harry and Harriet. An anxious phalanx of dozens of photographers, reporters and videographers waited in a second-floor hallway in the Capitol on Oct. 3 for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers to emerge from their private meeting in Reid's office. Twenty minutes slipped past their scheduled appearance, and the pack shifted restlessly. Then the official heads-up from Reid spokesman Jim Manley silenced the group and all cameras pointed at a door to Reid's office. A few seconds later there was movement. Several over-eager cameras clicked, raising chuckles all around. A Capitol police officer had sauntered by. "If it moves, shoot it," one photographer said, laughing. The pack still had the story of the day, though, after Reid and Miers strode to the microphones. A giant photo of Reid and Miers appeared on the front page of the next day's Washington Post. MORE MIERS Much discussion about Miers has been on how little is known about her and her beliefs. That will soon change as her nomination is taken up by the Senate -- and senators want to know as much as possible. The Senate Judiciary Committee's 12-page questionnaire asks about her employment history, organization membership (including whether any discriminate or formerly discriminated on the basis of race, sex or religion), income and her views on the issue of "judicial activism." Also requested: whether she has ever been fired or arrested or had tax problems or alcohol problems, and the date of her last health exam. SUBTLETY, ANYONE? There is no middle ground in the debate over the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Last week the Environmental Protection Agency wrapped up its public hearings on its proposed radiation standard for Yucca with a final session in Washington. Yucca critics, such as the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, and supporters, such as the Nuclear Energy Institute, made their official statements. Among the adjectives used to describe the standard: Immoral, unethical, dangerous. Commendable, responsible, implementable. You can guess who said what. EXHIBITING SUPPORT Polls continue to show a large majority of Nevadans oppose Yucca Mountain. But the 900 journalists coming to town for the Society of Professional Journalists' convention starting Sunday may not get that message. Among the exhibitors: The Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's lobbying arm and a leading supporter of the project. WE MEAN CLOSED In the real world, Monday's federal holiday -- Columbus Day -- meant closed banks and post offices. But in Washington, a company town where the workforce is dominated by federal employees and the people who cater to them, much of the city closes for federal holidays. Many restaurants and businesses shutter. Traffic is light and those who do trudge to work can easily get a seat on the Metro train even at rush hour. But they can't get a deli sandwich. All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 38 Independent: Thorp to stay shut till March at earliest Radioactive leak will cost over Ł500m as secret memo reveals staff 'must learn from experience' By Tim Webb Published: 16 October 2005 Thorp, the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant which has been shut for six months since the discovery of a highly radioactive leak, will not re-open until March at the earliest. This timetable, revealed in internal documents drawn up by site operator British Nuclear Group (BNG), is months later than initially expected. It is likely to slip further as the date is subject to approval from the regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII), and the site owner, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). Being out of action for a year will deny at least Ł500m in revenue to the NDA. The repair bill is also likely to run into hundreds of millions of pounds; it is not clear who will foot the bill. Thorp was closed in April over the leak of 20 tons of uranium and plutonium fuel from one of two reprocessing tanks. It later emerged that staff ignored more than 100 warnings over a period of six months. A company inquiry found that a culture of over-confidence among staff was a factor, and recommended retraining. The BNG document is titled "Thorp Clarification Cell Integrated Recovery Plan" and dated 15 June. It also outlines the "Leadership and cultural issues" to be tackled as part of the retraining programme. For example, the phase "Acting on Learning from Experience", which runs from 31 August until the end of the year, is to "Train Managers and Operators Using key learning from recent event". Initial plans for restarting production at Thorp were for the faulty tank to be closed off and sealed, with reprocessing switching to another identical tank. But the NII, which is due to complete a report into the accident later this month, is unlikely to approve this as a similar fault could develop with the remaining tank. The other option for BNG is to fully repair the fault, but this would take longer. Martin Forwood from lobby group Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment (Core) said on the planned 7 March reopening: "Even these plans should be viewed with some scepticism as there are still many hurdles - identified as 'critical milestones' in the BNG document - to clear before Thorp can re-open. The plant has, in effect, lost a whole year's business and, with it, the revenues expected by the NDA." A spokesman from BNG said: "We are continuing to make good progress towards restarting Thorp. Our current planning assumption is that all areas of the plant will be operational from March 2006. But even this date remains under review and may be subject to change. Clearly we will need to receive the necessary regulatory approvals and the OK from our customer, the NDA." © 2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd. ***************************************************************** 39 LA Daily News: Well cleanup under way in Valencia Santa Clarita Launched: 10/15/2005 12:00:00 AM VALENCIA - A system to remove rocket fuel residue from a municipal well in Valencia started operating Friday, utilizing ion-exchange technology that is in use around the state, officials with the Valencia Water Co. said Friday. The well, which taps the shallower of two local groundwater systems, is near the confluence of the Santa Clara River and Bouquet Creek and is eyed as a source of water for development planned by The Newhall Land and Farming Company. Valencia Water is wholly owned by Newhall Land and regulated by Public Utilities Commission. It is one of four wells contaminated with perchlorate, a fuel residue linked to operations at the defunct Whittaker-Bermite munitions plant nearby. Valencia Water has been testing its wells since 1997 when perchlorate first was detected in four wells penetrating the much deeper Saugus Formation. In March, the chemical was found in Valencia's Q2 well at 11 parts per billion, nearly twice the level that requires Department of Health Services notification. The water company capped the well. With state approval, the company installed the ion-exchange filter treatment system. The system consists of two pressure vessels, 12 feet in diameter, that contain a resin material that attracts and absorbs perchlorate and other contaminants. The system is used statewide and has proven effective in cleaning water, according to the water company. The resin, in the form of small plastic beads, is replaced as needed. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Regional Water Quality Control Board are overseeing the cleanup. The Castaic Lake Water Agency, which sells state water to retailers including Valencia Water, is monitoring the cleanup of the overall groundwater contamination. Los Angeles Newspaper Group ***************************************************************** 40 DailyBulletin.com: Micro bugs may fight water contamination By Nikki Cobb, Staff Writer Mention bacteria, and most people think of disease and decay. But the single-celled, microscopic "bugs" might be the key to providing affordable, safe water to thousands of Inland Empire residents. Bioremediation - using bacteria to clean groundwater - has been used for years in Europe to treat nitrate-tainted water. But it's gaining ground in California to remove perchlorate from water supplies. "Perchlorate is showing up everywhere," said Peter Hall, a consultant to Riverside-based Center for Environmental Microbiology. "The problem with perchlorate is pretty much universal, and we're in a hot spot." Perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, fireworks and munitions, has been seeping toward area underground water supplies since World War II. It is thought to cause thyroid malfunction, particularly in infants. The center is testing the technology at one of West Valley Water District's Rialto wells. If it's successful and cost-effective, other water providers say they'll consider it, too. Wells in Rialto, Fontana, Colton and some county areas are treated for perchlorate using a traditional ion exchange system. Perchlorate is collected on resin filters, which have to be changed once filled to capacity. Bioremediation uses bacteria - but not a disease-causing kind - to consume the oxygen component of perchlorate molecules. That turns the molecules into harmless chloride - like in table salt. Then ozone kills the bacteria, and a charcoal filter removes the dead bacteria. "Because this is so simple it can be a very cost-effective way to remove nitrate and perchlorate," Hall said. Hall also said a bioremediation system costs about 25 percent more to install on a well than does ion exchange. That's about $1.25 million, compared with about $1 million for traditional methods. But bioremediation has much lower operating and maintenance costs, Hall said. It costs anywhere from one-half to one-tenth as much as does ion exchange, where resin replacement costs between $350,000 and $500,000 per year. Hall said another advantage of bioremediation is that there's no toxic by-product. Because the perchlorate is actually broken down into its harmless components, there's no harmful residue. That's unlike ion exchange procedures, where the perchlorate-filled resin has to be disposed of when it's used up. "That's the beauty of the biosystem. We really take and destroy the contaminant," Hall said. "You're not displacing the problem. You're treating it, correcting it and there's no waste." Hall said the biggest obstacle bioremediation faces is public reluctance to drink water treated by bacteria - even though the bacteria are harmless, and the dead ones are removed by the charcoal. "The big problem with California Department of Health Services is they believe people are going to be concerned about using bacteria to clean their water," he said. "It's not a technical concern, it's a perception." Anthony Araiza is general manager of West Valley Water District, serving about 60,000 people in Rialto, Fontana, Colton and the county. Araiza said he's interested in using water cleaned by bioremediation for industrial purposes - for making concrete, or at the nearby tile plant. The other alternative is to pipe the processed water to West Valley's treatment plant, about a mile away. Once treated there, the water could be put directly into the drinking water supply, Araiza said. "We're taking a hard look at it, as something that will clean water with high (perchlorate) levels," Araiza said. "Resin-based is very expensive, driving up the cost to the point of being prohibitive." Of Fontana Water Company's 37 wells, two are being treated with ion exchange and five are out of service because of perchlorate contamination. Chris Biggs, assistant general manager for Fontana Water Co., said he couldn't confirm that bioremediation is among the several methods the company is testing, because the contractor insists on confidentiality. But it is an option, he said. "We are open to anything and everything to come up with the most efficient, cost-effective way of providing safe water to our customers," Biggs said. Copyright © 2005 Los Angeles Daily Bulletin ***************************************************************** 41 PE.com: State official tours area by Wyle Labs | Inland Southern California | Corona-Norco 02:16 AM PDT on Saturday, October 15, 2005 By PAIGE AUSTIN / The Press-Enterprise NORCO - T.J. Kawana gazed out her daughter's second-story bedroom window. The quiet brown valley that once belonged to a hazardous testing facility spread out before her. The head of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, Leonard Robinson, stood beside her. As they peered out at the landscape, there was no sign of the toxic stew polluting the 429-acres that used to be Wyle Labs, one of the nation's top military and commercial testing facilities. There were none of the testing explosions that had rocked the neighborhood and cracked foundations for decades. But the emotional scars were apparent. "I don't know whether to keep my kids inside and use an air purifier or open all the windows and have them hold their breath. I've been through the whole gamut and it's emotionally draining," said Kawana, who had her children's blood tested for contaminants after learning about contamination at Wyle two years ago. She tried moving away but could find no buyers for her home, which sits adjacent to the superfund-ranked Wyle property. Ringing her hands, Kawana vacillated between gratitude that Robinson flew down from Sacramento to spend the day in Norco and frustration with the state for not doing more to regulate Wyle and test more homes for pollution, including industrial solvents such as TCE, PCE, and vinyl chloride and perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel. "I hear you loud and clear," Robinson said. "A lot of times we're a reactive agency. We're trying to be more responsive. If (officials) can get to the point where they see people in the community as allies rather than the enemy, they'll see that people will do amazing things for them." Robinson's visit this week is the first time a ranking state regulator toured the neighborhood around Wyle with residents. For the residents, it was a chance to vent their frustrations. It was also an opportunity to impress upon the state's top environmental official the close link between their lives and the Wyle property. Wyle tested products for the defense industry as well as electronics and components for space shuttles and rocket engines for a half-century in Norco until last year after the land was sold to a housing developer. Soil and groundwater pollution at Wyle Laboratories in Norco is serious enough to be ranked on the federal Superfund list of the nation's worst toxic sites, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in 2004. Tests continue to find air and ground pollution at several homes around Wyle including findings this week confirming trace levels of indoor air contamination at four homes on the corner of Third Street and Hillside Avenue. As state officials move forward with efforts to trace the toxic plume and begin cleanup measurements, hundreds of residents are involved in numerous lawsuits against Wyle and local homebuilders. They allege that the pollution caused some residents to develop cancer, thyroid disease, genetic damage, kidney damage, neurological disorders, learning disabilities and respiratory illnesses. However, Wyle officials and state health regulators say there is no identifiable link between the community's health problems and the pollution. As others in the community praise the state's progress over the last year, the group that organized this week's tour, the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, continues to demand more. Among its goals is to get the state to be more aggressive in testing for contamination miles around Wyle. Wyle officials declined to comment for this story. Robinson assured the residents that he would look into their concerns. "I'm not afraid to question what we told you before," he said. "My job is to protect the environment." Reach Paige Austin at (951) 893-2106 or paustin@pe.comMore 2005, The Press-Enterprise Company ***************************************************************** 42 AU ABC: China asks for uranium access. 17/10/2005. ABC News Online China wants to explore for uranium in Australia. (ABC TV) China asks for uranium access Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has confirmed that China has asked the Federal Government for permission to conduct uranium exploration activities in Australia. But Mr Downer says China would have to sign a nuclear safeguard agreement with Australia before it could conduct uranium mining or exploration activities. "We wouldn't be exporting any uranium to China for military purposes of any kind," Mr Downer said. "By that I don't only mean for use in nuclear weapons but also we wouldn't be exporting any uranium to China for use in military vessels or vehicles of one kind or another." Chinese officials asked for access during meetings in February with the Australian Nuclear Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office. Mr Downer says China cannot export uranium from Australia until it signs an agreement specifying the material will not be used for military purposes. In August the Federal Government assumed control of mining rights in the Northern Territory, which allows the Commonwealth to grant approvals for exploration and mining activity. But Mr Downer says China would have to wait until the state Labor governments reversed their 'three mines' uranium policy. "They have a three-mines policy so they wouldn't approve any new uranium mines, so it's all a bit academic unless they change their policy," Mr Downer said. "But if they change their policy, there's no reason why Chinese companies can't invest in Australian resources industries but that would all be subject to the foreign investment review board." No problems Prime Minister John Howard is supportive of China's request, provided it satisfies the Foreign Investment Review Board. "If China or anybody else wants to mine uranium in Australia they'll be subject to the same laws as anybody else," Mr Howard said. Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says he has "no problems" with exporting uranium to China, provided the problems of security and waste disposal are addressed. But Mr Beazley does not believe another mine is needed in Australia. He says the industry is already big enough, though he does not object to exporting more uranium. "I'm happy to export uranium to China provided the Government has satisfied all the tests that we apply to every uranium market on the security of the materials we send there and the ultimate end use of them," he said. Chief Minister Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin says several international companies are already involved in exploration activities. She says she does not have a problem with China's interest. "We don't actually give exploration applications or licences for exploration based on any particular mineral," Ms Martin said. "You just get a licence to explore. "We have international companies doing that all the time and those will be assessed appropriately." The Northern Territory Minerals Council says Chinese miners will have to obey the same exploration regulations as other explorers. The council's chief executive officer, Kezia Purick, says it is up to the Federal Government to negotiate with the Chinese Government to ensure the conditions of the non-proliferation treaty are met. "There will be no shortcuts," she said. "If a company comes in to explore and mine for uranium they will still have to go through all the approval processes and they will still have to sell it to a country that has been locked in to all these agreements with Australia." ***************************************************************** 43 News & Star: Terrorist had Sellafield dossier Published on 15/10/2005 DETAILED plans of the Sellafield nuclear power plant have been found in a car linked to one of the London bombing fanatics. It has emerged that police discovered photographs, slides and detailed information about the type of radioactive material stored at the West Cumbrian station and other sites. Details about sensitive areas of the plants, including fuel store locations, emergency generators and buildings with high radiation levels inside was among the material seized by anti-terror officers. They were discovered during raid in the wake of the July 7 bombings in the capital, the Sunday Mirror claimed today. It was alleged that details of the seizure were disclosed when police interviewed a nuclear expert, who did not want to be named, telling him he was the author of most the material – which he drew-up after America’s 9/11 attacks. The expert told the newspaper: “The material for my lectures can be gained from legal sources, such as planning offices, libraries and the internet. “You can quite easily find out about the types of material stored and even its precise location on the nuclear sites.” The Metropolitan Police have refused to comment on the matter. whitehaven news ***************************************************************** 44 Signal: Water Co. Starts Cleaning Up Contaminants Ion-exchange treatment system aims to remove perchlorate from well. 10/15/2005 Signal Staff Valencia Water Co. has begun the process to clean up a well in the Santa Clara River that was found in April to be contaminated with perchlorate. On Friday, the water company began using an ion-exchange treatment system to remove perchlorate from water in the well, located beneath the river near Bouquet Canyon Road and Newhall Ranch Road. It is the first well in the Santa Clarita Valley to be treated. “It is an important first for protecting our local ground water supply,” said Robert DiPrimio, president of Valencia Water Co. Whittaker-Bermite and its insurers are paying more than $500,000 to clean up the well. Financing for the operation of a treatment system for the Valencia Water Co. well will be supplied by Whittaker-Bermite until perchlorate contamination is neutralized on the nearby property that once served as a munitions manufacturing site. “Treatment will be required as long as there is perchlorate in the water,” DiPrimio said, adding that there was no set time for how long the cleanup could take. “It depends upon source control measures that Whittaker is implementing in the alluvial aquifer upstream from the well,” he said. The ion-exchange treatment system has been approved by the state Department of Health Services. The method is successfully in use at locations in the San Gabriel Valley, San Bernardino and Riverside. Water from the well was found to be tainted with perchlorate in early April. The active shallow-water well was turned off as soon as the results came in, DiPrimio said earlier. Perchlorate contamination has forced the closure of five other wells near the Whittaker-Bermite site. The chemical, a component of rocket fuel, has been linked with thyroid problems in humans. Perchlorate was discovered in 1997 in four deep-water wells near the Whittaker-Bermite site, made up of nearly 1,000 acres of empty land south of Saugus Speedway and east of San Fernando Road. Another shallow well was shut down in 2000 when perchlorate was discovered there. Santa Clarita water purveyors filed a lawsuit against Whittaker in 2001, and settlement talks are under way. The move to clean up the single Valencia Water Co. well forms a separate agreement. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control is overseeing the ongoing cleanup of the Whittaker site. ©2005 The-Signal.com - Site powered with DynamicBase by ActiveQuest, Inc. ***************************************************************** 45 Rocky Mountain News: First a clean-up, then a court case An unnecessary trial October 15, 2005 Two Rocky Flats milestones in the same week: At the site of the former nuclear-weapons plant, contractors declared the clean-up over and done with, clearing the way for most of the site to become a wildlife refuge. In a federal courtroom, residents of the area east of the plant who believe their property values were reduced because of plutonium contamination finally began presenting their class-action suit to a jury. The suit, against Rocky Flats operators Rockwell International Corp. and its predecessor, Dow Chemical Co., was first filed in 1990. The odd juxtaposition - both chains of events were set in motion by a 1989 FBI raid - highlights how unnecessary this case is. Little remains of the original complaints. Allegations about danger to human health, always overblown, have been ruled out. Studies by the state health department found no evidence of health effects in the area. In clearing the case for trial, in 2003, Judge John Kane said the plaintiffs were entitled to trial only on the relatively narrow grounds of whether "actions at the facility result in a substantial and unreasonable interference with the use and enjoyment of neighboring properties." That their properties may have lost value is not, in and of itself, sufficient to prove that the plant was a nuisance, which is what they legally need to prove in order to recover damages. Even though there's no evidence that plutonium - in the amounts present in the environment - presents any danger, plaintiff's attorney Merrill Davidoff keeps hammering away at it. "The two contractors, Dow and Rockwell, have badly supervised and very badly contaminated the plant area, and after the plant area, the surrounding neighborhood area, with plutonium that's going to unfortunately endure in the environment for thousands of years," Davidoff said. While it's true that plutonium has a very long half life, what difference does it make how long it's there if it causes no harm? Davidoff also hints of conspiracies. "The Department of Energy has launched a propaganda campaign falsely claiming that the plant has been cleaned up," he said. David Bernick, a lawyer for the defendants, doesn't put much stock in talk about propaganda and cover-ups. You wouldn't expect him to, of course, but he makes an intuitively convincing point. "Rocky Flats has been in the public eye now for, jeez, I want to say 25 years, on exactly the same kinds of issues that we're talking about here," he said. "They've been gone over extensively by a wide variety of scientific and technical investigators, in investigations that have been transparent to the community at large," and the risks to health are inconsequential. Davidoff says that some of his clients "have been haunted by concerns about Rocky Flats." If they are haunted, we'd like to know just who has been telling them ghost stories? 2005 © Rocky Mountain News ***************************************************************** 46 North Augusta Star: Leak found in SRS storage tank Sun, Oct 16, 2005 By PHILIP LORD Engineers at the Savannah River Site have discovered a leak in one of the underground high-level waste storage tanks at the nuclear plant. The leak was identified in Tank 12, which was put into service in 1956, on Monday, said Westinghouse Savannah River Company spokesman Dean Campbell. Since Tank 12 is an older, single-lined tank, SRS placed a 5-foot containment annulus outside the tank years ago, Campbell said. "There is no visible indication of continuing leakage and no liquid accumulation in the annulus containment pan," Campbell said. "Any leakage never traveled beyond a few inches from the leak site before it dried on the outside of the tank wall. This leak site is still dry." Campbell said the leak found Monday joins three previously identified leak sites on the tank, which holds some 750,000 gallons. Tank 12 recently had water added to it in preparation for transporting waste to the Defense Waste Processing Facility for vitrification. Water is added to the tanks well in advance of this operation because radioactive sludge on the bottom of the tank is thick and the water needs time to sink in, Campbell said. Site officials often compare the sludge material to peanut butter, because the two have similar consistencies. Campbell said the waste tanks at the site are monitored on a regular basis to detect any such leaks. The new leak in Tank 12 is located near the current waste level in the tank, Campbell said. "There is no danger to workers, the public or the environment," Campbell said. "Since the tank is already scheduled for waste removal activities, those activities will continue. The waste in Tank 12 is scheduled to be removed next year." Campbell said waste removal must be completed before Tank 12 is closed, which is not expected for several years. SRS officials notified the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the SRS Citizens Advisory Board and elected officials about the leak. A federal report issued last year showed 15 of the 51 waste tanks at SRS are cracked, rusty or have leaked. ***************************************************************** 47 Rocky Mountain News: Benefits go bust for Flats workers About 70 lose with cleanup's early end By Kevin Vaughan And Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News October 15, 2005 Dozens of Rocky Flats workers who helped to clean up the nuclear weapons plant much sooner than originally anticipated now face an unintended consequence of their fast work: By finishing ahead of schedule, they missed out on pensions and lifetime medical benefits. About 70 former plant employees saw their hopes for retirement benefits vanish when Kaiser-Hill Co. completed the decadelong decontamination and demolition of Rocky Flats more than a year early. That group, who were among the thousands of employees who made the transition from bomb builders to cleanup workers, would have been eligible for benefits if Kaiser-Hill had taken all the time the government gave it - until Dec. 15, 2006 - to complete the job. At issue is what is known as the "rule of 70" - a calculation that takes into account a worker's age and years of employment at the nuclear weapons plant. If the two numbers add up to 70, then the worker is eligible for a pension and benefits, like medical insurance, for life. Kaiser-Hill declared the job complete this week, 14 months before the deadline. Company officials said only the federal government can extend benefits to workers just shy of satisfying the rule of 70. And company spokesman John Corsi said even if the work took another year or more, some Kaiser-Hill employees would have missed out anyway. "Wherever we drew that line, there was going to be someone on the other side of it," Corsi said. One of those on the other side is Doug Woodard, a 45-year-old who worked at Rocky Flats for more than 23 years before being laid off Sept. 29. "My complaint is I put in a lot of time - I was there until the absolute end, two weeks shy of the end anyway, and for them to say, 'See you,' it's wrong," Woodard said. He said he would have qualified for the benefits on Nov. 15. "It's a wonderful thing that it's done," Woodard said, "but to just abandon their long-term employees . . . Had I been a little bit older or started a couple months earlier, I would have gotten my pension and my medical insurance." Colo. Sens. Wayne Allard, a Republican, and Ken Salazar, a Democrat, have sponsored an amendment to the defense authorization bill that would set aside $15 million to provide retirement benefits for workers nearing the rule of 70 who fell short because the cleanup got done early. "We're trying to do what we can to provide benefits for those workers," Allard said. "The real unsung heroes in this are the workers, who have done just a splendid job out there." The legislation is stalled in the Senate. Allard and Salazar are hopeful that the bill can be passed this year. "The fact is these workers shouldn't be punished for saving money and getting the job done more quickly," said Cody Wertz, a spokesman for Salazar. For Woodard, the medical benefits mean much more than a pension. Given the unknowns of working in a contaminated environment, Woodard fears a future without a lifetime of medical coverage. "Everyone knows that we didn't just make luggage," Woodard said. "The medical is the most important part for every one of us." Steven Weber, 47, worked at Rocky Flats for 21 years as an electrician and maintenance worker. He said he spent much of his time in the bowels of the facility, close to plutonium storage and production areas. That included Building 771, once called American's "most dangerous" building by the Department of Energy. He needed to work until Nov. 5 to qualify for lifetime medical benefits and a pension, but was laid off in March, as the shutdown continued to run far ahead of the Dec. 15, 2006, deadline. "I was in a lot of exposed situations where the job had to get done, but I was a team player," Weber said. "I figured they'd take care of people like myself." Weber said he endured repeated indications he received doses of radioactive contamination while working at the plant, only to be told after further testing that he was safe - an ordeal that leaves him uneasy about his future health. Despite some pressure from other workers to slow down his pace and decline overtime, Weber said he took pride in his work and wanted to do what was asked of him by cleanup supervisors. "Pretty soon it was getting to the point where we were working ourselves out of a job," Weber said, "but I kept figuring they'd take care of people like us." DeeAnna Sandoval went to work at Rocky Flats in 1980, when she was 18 years old. After the plant was decommissioned, she was one of the thousands of workers who went from making nuclear weapons to working on the cleanup. She was laid off in June, at age 43, with 25 years on the job. According to calculations provided to her, she would have qualified for a pension and medical benefits in mid-December. In the early years of the cleanup, she didn't worry. It was initially estimated to be a 70-year job. Then the completion date was moved closer - first to 2010, then to 2007. In 2000, Kaiser-Hill signed a contract calling for the cleanup to be completed by Dec. 15, 2006. Under that timetable, Sandoval would still qualify. In the spring of 2004, as the cleanup moved ahead of schedule, she began to worry. "This time last year I knew I wasn't going to make it," she said. "It was hard. You were just hoping that you were going to make it." She didn't. Sandoval said she's not bitter, and she has no regrets about her time at Rocky Flats - a job she said she loved. "I enjoyed the people, had great bosses," she said. "I feel - me personally - I was pretty fortunate." But she also doesn't know what the future holds for her health. She was one of 11 workers who was exposed to plutonium in 2000 in Building 771. "Even though it was low-level, we're still at a young stage of learning about radiation," she said. "I'm not too sure what's going to happen down the road." Kaiser-Hill spokesman Corsi said workers benefited from the rapid closure, as the company decided to share 20 percent of its fee with employees - and the fee would be larger the sooner the work was done. "That was a big contributing factor to our success, was the incentive program," Corsi said. At this point, it appears the amount of fee to be divvied up among workers - both salaried and union - is about $100 million. But Corsi couldn't explain Friday how it would be divided between top managers and rank-and-file union workers. He said company officials who could explain the division of money couldn't be reached Friday afternoon. He did suggest that higher-ranking company officials would share more of the wealth: "This isn't a socialistic payment system," he said. vaughank@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5019 hartmant@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-892-5048 2005 © Rocky Mountain News ***************************************************************** 48 PISJ: Activists critical of reactor at nuke lab: Bolt issue prompts call for new study Pocatello Idaho State Journal: By dboyd@journalnet.com Dan Boyd Journal Writer ARCO Three dislodged bolts found in the Idaho National Laboratory's prized reactor have prompted criticisms of the facility's earthquake readiness. But INL officials say the problem at the Advanced Test Reactor has been rectified and never posed a serious safety risk. During a scheduled shutdown June 7, INL workers found three bolts on the floor and concluded they had fallen out of seismic su pport anchor plates in the test reactor's heat exc hange room sometime during the previous two months. INL spokesman John Walsh said the bolts were slightly shorter than required and were apparently installed by a subcontractor in 1980. "The bolts came from three different units of support beams, but each beam still had three other bolts in it," Walsh said. "There was nothing that was loose and nothing that was threatening to fall over." But activists such as Peter Rickards of Twin Falls, who oppose the Department of Energy's proposal to consolidate plutonium manufacturing at INL, are using the evidence to call for a new environmental impact statement or perhaps a new reactor. "They've been telling us it's in great shape," Rickards said of the reactor. "It's nice they have safety inspectors, but they approved this." "We've been riding on luck since 1980." Walsh denied the claim, saying all 180 bolts in the room in question have been replaced and pointing to new earthquake safety measures that have been recently implemented. If a quake were to strike, Walsh said the reactor would automatically shut down, much as it did when the Borah Quake rattled Idaho in 1983. "At no time did we have a concern that the safety or security of those seismic supports were compromised," he said. "We think ATR is a premiere test facility and is certainly up to the challenge of plutonium production." The Department of Energy released a detailed draft environmental impact statement this summer calling for renewing domestic production of plutonium-238 an extremely hazardous isotope at the INL in part because of the reactor's capabilities. Plutonium-238, which is principally used for powering space batteries, hasn't been produced in the United States for more than 20 years, but dwindl ing foreign supplies apparently convinced natio nal leaders to resume the activity. Hundreds gathered to testify at five different Idaho hearings on the matter this summer and DOE workers are currently working to address concerns and compose a final environmental impact statement. Idaho DOE Communications Director Brad Bugger said that document is expected to be released in the early spring of 2006 with a final policy decision coming no fewer than 30 days after that. Several weeks ago, the INL's deputy associate lab director Harold McFarlane told a gathering of Pocatello Rotarians a nuclear facility would be a great place to be in the case of an earthquake. Even with a few missing bolts, INL workers insist that's been the case all along. dboyd@journalnet.com Dan Boyd covers politics, higher education and natural resource issues for the Journal. He can be reached at 239-3168 Writer'> Copyright © 2005 Pocatello Idaho State Journal
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