***************************************************************** 01/06/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.5 ***************************************************************** 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 [NYTr] Iran's abrupt no-show stuns atomic negotiators 2 [NYTr] Rice claims Iran rejects nuke deal 3 AFP: UN inspectors to reopen Iran nuclear centres 4 BenRamberg OpEd Intl Herald Trib: N Korea & Nukes 5 AFP: Rice calls North Korea 'dangerous regime' 6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: U.S. pushes nuclear talks, refuses to end san 7 Guardian Unlimited: Norway sold 'nuclear' BAE stake 8 Forex News: Ukraine looks to develop more nuclear capacity to cut NUCLEAR REACTORS 9 US: American Statesman: Nuclear plant sale worries some in Austin 10 US: Exeter News-Letter: Nuke plant extended 11 US: Exeter News-Letter: Should town buy nuclear plant? 12 US: NEI Nuclear Notes: Coalition to Senator Inhofe: Just Say No to " 13 US: Copley Press: Feds slow Clinton nuke reactor process 14 US: NRC: In the Matter of PacifiCorp (Trojan Nuclear Plant Independe 15 Prague Daily Monitor: Opponents say Temelin emits radioactive vapour 16 US: Vermont Guardian: Watchdogs: VY glitch highlights troubling tren 17 Guardian Unlimited: Energy inefficient 18 Deutsche Welle: German Minister Dismisses Nuclear Energy Option | Ge NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 19 FW: A Global Pact Against Depleted Uranium 20 US: Honolulu Advertiser: Schofield uranium find prompts call for pro 21 US: KGMB9: Depleted Uranium Found at Schofield 22 US: KHNL: Depleted Uranium Found In Military Base On Oahu 23 US: StarBulletin.com: Uranium revelation upsets isle activists NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 24 Las Vegas SUN: Energy Department suspends work on some Yucca Mountai 25 reviewjournal.com: Energy officials halt some work at Yucca Mountain 26 US: ABQJOURNAL: Study Nearly Doubles N.M. Uranium Estimate 27 Pahrump Valley Times: LETTER: No faith in Yucca 28 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Dietary product firm big Huntsman contributor 29 US: Deseret News: Utah to test for perchlorate levels in groundwater PEACE 30 US: New Haven Advocate: The Nuclear Option US DEPT. OF ENERGY 31 DOE: U.S. Energy Secretary Bodman Highlights the Economic 32 DOE: Department of Energy Assistant Secretary and Rep. Blackburn 33 DOE: Deputy Energy Secretary Touts Americas Strong Economy 34 Hanford News: Nuclear safety investigators to check Shearon Harris a 35 Hanford News: State hires audit firm to review how DOE handles Hanfo 36 Hanford News: Haler seeks nuclear facility 37 Hanford News: Audit firm to review Hanford health claims 38 Daily Southtown: Federal shift means U of C can't take Argonne for g 39 DOE: Extension of Scoping Period for the Notice of Intent To Prepare 40 Sacramento Union: State Supreme Court Takes Livermore Lab Safety Sui 41 lamonitor.com: Series to focus on morality of nuclear development 42 Belleville News-Democrat: University to compete for Argonne 43 AP Wire: Texas coalition to get debriefing on Los Alamos bid ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [NYTr] Iran's abrupt no-show stuns atomic negotiators Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 16:10:11 -0600 (CST) Iran's abrupt no-show stuns atomic negotiators By Elaine Sciolino The New York Times PARIS--Iran threw negotiations on its nuclear program into disarray Thursday, abruptly canceling a high-level meeting with the United Nations' nuclear monitoring agency in Vienna as the head of Iran's negotiating team was said to have returned home to Tehran. The unexpected turn of events stunned and frustrated both International Atomic Energy Agency officials and foreign diplomats. They scrambled to make sense of the Iranian no-show at the meeting, which was scheduled so that Iran could explain in detail its formal decision to restart sensitive nuclear research and development activities Monday. "There was no explanation," said Melissa Fleming, an IAEA spokesman, in a telephone interview from Vienna. "We're still seeking clarification." One explanation is that Iran has decided to defy the rest of the world and plunge ahead with nuclear activities that risk international censure or sanctions and could shatter a 14-month agreement with France, Britain and Germany under which Iran agreed to suspend most of its nuclear work in return for promised rewards. Another explanation is that in the face of strong international criticism of its decision, Iran's negotiating strategy is in disarray. Since the accession to power last year of President Mehdi Ahmedinejad, Iran's national security apparatus, including its nuclear negotiating team and dozens of its ambassadors, has been largely replaced with people who are driven by rigid, hard line views and lack extensive diplomatic experience. The Iranian delegation, which is headed by Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's of Iran's atomic energy agency and the head of Iran's negotiating team, was expected for a meeting with IAEA director, Mohamed ElBaradei, and his Iran experts Thursday morning. At first, the Iranians informed the IAEA by phone that they would be late. Then, in a subsequent phone conversation, the Iranians announced that the meeting was canceled and gave no indication of when or whether another meeting would take place. Saeedi returned home, the Iranian side told the IAEA. That move suggested either that there would be no explanation of Iran's intentions before it resumes its research Monday or that Iran was rethinking either the decision itself or its timing. American and European officials and some experts at the IAEA said they are concerned that the research and development could focus on small-scale enrichment experiments, which could help advance Iran's knowledge about how to produce nuclear fuel - either for civilian plants or, at higher enrichment levels, for weapons. In Washington on Thursday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran not to resume nuclear research, telling reporters, "They shouldn't do it because it would really be a sign that they are not prepared to actually make diplomacy work." She expressed confidence that the United States would succeed in taking Iran to the Security Council for an unspecified punishment should negotiations fail. However, the United States has thus far failed to persuade both Russia and China to take punitive measures against Iran, a difficult step since there is no clear-cut violation of Iran's international obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Certainly Iran's failure to explain its intentions further erodes trust in the country as a reliable negotiating partner. In its letter to the IAEA two days ago announcing its research plans, Iran gave assurances that it intended to carry out the renewed activities under the supervision of IAEA inspectors and asked the agency to take the necessary steps for the research to start again. That position raised speculation that Iran was trying to test whether it could proceed with its nuclear program and stay within the boundaries of its international legal obligations - even if that violated its agreement with the Europeans. Iran's decision last August to restart uranium conversation activities at its facility in Isfahan violated the European agreement. However, IAEA inspectors were there to break the seals on the equipment and have been monitoring the activities, which do not violate Iran's obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. "To put inspectors in place they have to know where they will be and what they will be observing," Fleming said. One official close to the talks said that the Iranians withdrew because they had been caught off-guard by the uncompromising stance of ElBaradei and his team in a series of messages and in a meeting with Iran's ambassador, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondzadeh, on Wednesday. The official, who described the IAEA view, declined to be identified by name or even national origin because of the extreme sensitivity of the issue. IHT Copyright ) 2006 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 2 [NYTr] Rice claims Iran rejects nuke deal Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 16:10:15 -0600 (CST) Iran rejection of nuclear deal becoming clear: Rice By Carol Giacomo Diplomatic Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday Iran's resumption of atomic fuel research would signal its rejection of a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis, but stopped short of saying this would finally trigger a U.S. push for U.N. Security Council action. Rice said she hoped "diplomacy has not been exhausted," but added that it was "becoming clearer" Iranians are not accepting a diplomatic compromise that constrains their nuclear ambitions. Rice addressed State Department reporters after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday Iran would resume atomic fuel research next week despite warnings from the West that this would endanger efforts to find a diplomatic compromise. She said if Iran proceeded with sensitive nuclear research "it really will be a sign that they are not prepared ... to actually make diplomacy work." Rice refused to be pinned down on a timeline for tougher diplomatic action, but said Washington will take the case to the Security Council at "a time of our choosing." Another U.S. official, who is involved in nonproliferation issues but spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy, told Reuters if Iran went ahead with the research on Monday as announced, the United States and its European allies likely would call an early meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors and push to have Iran's case referred to the Security Council, which could impose broad international sanctions. The IAEA board is due to meet in early March, but that meeting could be moved forward, maybe to February, the official said. MORE FLUID SITUATION A European diplomat described the situation as much more fluid. "The only thing I can say is we are intensifying our discussions but when and what kind of initiative will come out of it, it's still too early to say," said the diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. The diplomat and two U.S. officials said it remains unclear whether key nuclear states Russia, China and India would side with any U.S.-EU initiative. Russia and China have veto power in the Security Council. For two years, Washington has threatened elevating Iran's case to the Security Council but delayed forcing a showdown as other strategies were tried, or support from countries like Russia was lacking. "We've always said that when it's clear that negotiations have been exhausted that we have the votes -- there is a resolution sitting there (in the IAEA board) about the Security Council -- and we'll vote it," Rice said. A second European Union diplomat said resuming research would make it more likely Iran's case would go to the Security Council. But he stressed it would still be irresponsible to walk away from negotiations, especially if Iran did not actually begin enriching uranium for nuclear fuel. Iran says it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity and denies seeking nuclear weapons. Years of IAEA inquiries have unearthed no clear proof of weapons activity. However, Iran has acknowledged pursuing covert energy-related nuclear programs for 18 years and in September, the IAEA board found the state in noncompliance with its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The EU 3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- have been trying with U.S. backing to resolve the conflict diplomatically. Moscow tried to sweeten the deal by proposing a joint venture with Iran to enrich uranium in Russia but Iranian officials described the proposal as unacceptable. ) Reuters 2006. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 3 AFP: UN inspectors to reopen Iran nuclear centres TEHRAN (AFP) - UN atomic watchdog inspectors are due in Iran soon to remove the seals on nuclear research centres, the Iranian student news agency ISNA quoted an official as saying. "The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors will go to Iran at the start of the week (beginning Saturday) to take the seals off nuclear research centres," the unnamed official was quoted as saying. "Research into nuclear fuel is different to the enrichment of uranium," the official added on Friday. Tehran [ src=] revealed on Tuesday plans to resume atomic fuel research which was suspended two years ago. It has described the plan as a "program for peaceful nuclear energy" which will re-start on Monday. But the move has prompted a warning by the United States, which fears Iran's civil nuclear program could provide cover for developing a nuclear bomb. Tehran denies the accusation, insisting the program is designed solely to meet its electricity needs. "Iran's new activities in research will be carried out under the supervision of the IAEA inspectors," ISNA quoted Hossein Entezami, spokesman for the Supreme Council of National Security in charge of nuclear issues, as saying. "Insofar as the suspension of Iranian nuclear activities was voluntary and had no juridical obligation... Iran has decided to resume its research activities," Entezami said. He added that all the country's nuclear installations were being monitored by IAEA cameras. Talks at the Vienna-based UN atomic agency on Iran's nuclear program failed to get off the ground on Thursday when Tehran's delegation abruptly returned home. IAEA director-general Mohamed ElBaradei said on Tuesday that the IAEA board wanted Iran to refrain from all activities linked to uranium enrichment "as a key confidence-building measure." Berlin and Paris have also issued warnings, ahead of "exploratory" talks between Iran and the EU-3 negotiating team which also includes Britain, to be held in Vienna on January 18. Copyright 2006 Yahoo! UK Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 BenRamberg OpEd Intl Herald Trib: N Korea & Nukes Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 04:33:55 EST X-Fingerprint: Bennettramberg@aol.com-127.127 International Herald Tribune Why North Korea will not give up the bomb Bennett Ramberg International Herald Tribune FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 2006 LOS ANGELES As 2005 came to an end, vitriol had replaced negotiation in efforts to hold the North Korean government to its September nuclear disarmament agreement. Recent name-calling reflects historic jockeying by both sides. But beyond the rhetoric there remains a deeper reality. For Kim Jong Il, nuclear weapons and regime survival are synonymous. So what are the chances that Washington and its allies will overcome this mindset in 2006? Two precedents provide answers. In 1991, South Africa abandoned its nuclear undertaking and in 2003, Libya followed suit. The atomic histories of each have much to tell about the prospects for North Korea. Unfortunately, both suggest that Pyongyang will continue to pose a nuclear headache throughout the year and beyond. Under the veneer of a peaceful nuclear explosives program to dig harbors and oil storage cavities, South Africa manufactured six atomic bombs. The motivations included international isolation fed by apartheid and the belief that such weapons would deter a growing Soviet and Cuban threat along South Africa's borders. The effort benefited from the country's indigenous uranium resources, a talented scientific establishment and the dedication of President P.W. Botha. Libya never acquired nuclear weapons but spent decades trying. Its leader, Muammar el-Qaddafi, sought to buy a weapon from China, enrichment equipment from France, reactors from the United States, a nuclear-armed submarine from the Soviet Union, and to annex uranium-laden land from Chad. Tripoli had some success in the 1990s when the smuggling network of the Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan provided the rudiments of a nuclear centrifuge program and weapons designs, which added to Libya's other black-market catches. What moved South Africa and Libya to reverse course? In South Africa, the withdrawal of Soviet and Cuban forces lifted the bomb's raison d'tre. Botha's successor, F.W. de Klerk, viewed its elimination as one of the acts required to end South Africa's international isolation. For Libya, international isolation after the 1988 Lockerbie bombing posed an increasing economic and strategic burden. Oil revenue plummeted, leaving the economy in disarray. Libya, which had been a promoter of terrorism, now found itself a target of the new breed of Islamic terrorist, which international assistance could help suppress. Then there was the threat of a pre-emptive American strike, coupled with events in Iraq. Nuclear termination provided the lure to get the West to deal. The roots of North Korea's nuclear program go deeper. Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions were stirred during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. After North Korea received a Soviet research reactor in 1960, indigenous talent generated additional plants. With the fall of the Soviet Union, nuclear ardor grew as the North found itself adrift. For Kim Jong Il, nuclear weapons provide a way to preserve his fiefdom. They generate international tension that justifies the garrison state. They compensate for conventional military weaknesses, providing a hedge against perceived U.S. military designs. They furnish leverage to extract international humanitarian assistance and economic investment from a nervous Seoul. So it should come as no surprise that Pyongyang followed September's agreement with a demand for an American nuclear power plant that could take a decade to build. Such expressions are designed to drag out diplomacy into the indefinite future. Unlike Libya and South Africa, North Korea has not arrived at the condition necessary for abandoning its nuclear ways: a willingness to reduce its self-imposed political isolation. Rather, it continues to view isolation as the key to regime preservation. As a result, a nuclear-armed North Korea will remain part of the international landscape for the foreseeable future. Two grave challenges follow: preventing North Korea from initiating nuclear war because of fears of pre-emption; and stemming nuclear exports to terrorists or rogue states. With nuclear disarmament a chimera, the six-party talks would do well to focus on reducing these risks instead. (Bennett Ramberg served in the State Department in the administration of President George H.W. Bush. ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 2006 The International Herald Tribune | www.iht.com ***************************************************************** 5 AFP: Rice calls North Korea 'dangerous regime' Fri Jan 6, 12:17 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> called North Korea" /> a "dangerous regime" and defended financial sanctions imposed on Pyongyang for alleged counterfeiting and money laundering activities. "In terms of danger, of course you know they are a dangerous regime, but we should also not misinterpret the security sitution on the Korean peninsula ... there is a significant deterrent towards North Korean activity there," she told reporters. "Their illegal activities have drawn sanctions from us because the president (George W. Bush) is not going to let North Korea counterfeit American money without action," she said. Rice's remarks further cloud the prospect of any resumption of six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons drive. The talks are in a limbo following the imposition of US sanctions on Pyongyang for alleged counterfeiting and money laundering. In September the US Treasury Department" /> told US financial institutions to cut all ties with a Macau bank, Banco Delta Asia, which it accused of being a willing front for North Korean counterfeiting. A month later the US blacklisted eight North Korean companies allegedly involved in the spread of weapons of mass destruction. North Korea said Washington must lift the sanctions for the nuclear talks to resume among the United States, the two Koreas, Russia, China and Japan. Pyongyang also said the sanctions breached the spirit of a September pact secured at the Beijing-hosted talks, in which North Korea agreed in principle to disband its nuclear weapons program in return for economic and diplomatic benefits. But Rice said that the US sanctions were justified, noting the absence of protests from the international community. "There hasn't been much uproar from anybody else about the fact that we are engaged in trying to constrain these illicit activities," she said. The standoff between Pyongyang and Washington ignited in 2002 when the United States accused North Korea of running a secret uranium-enrichment program. North Korea responded by throwing out UN International Atomic Energy Agency" /> weapons inspectors and abandoning the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Rice said that if the North Korean regime would be prepared for greater openness and engagement and to denuclearize, there would be a "totally different situation." On the prospect that the Bush administration's policy could drive the reclusive state further into isolation, making it more dangerous, Rice said "it's a North Korean choice to be isolated, not American policy to isolate them." She cited the September 2005 decision at the six-party talks in which the international community pledged to help North Korea if it abandoned its nuclear weapons drive. "So if they choose isolation, I don't think it is a result of American policy; it's a result of choices that the North Koreans made." Copyright 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 6 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: U.S. pushes nuclear talks, refuses to end sanctions January 7, 2006 KST 16:14 (GMT+9) January 07, 2006 Washington repeated on Thursday that it would not lift sanctions imposed on North Korean companies, while also making clear that it would continue to press Pyongyang over its nuclear ambitions. Asked whether the U.S. policy on the North Korean nuclear issue adequately reflects the risk of forcing the North into a corner and making the situation more dangerous, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "In terms of danger, of course, you know, they're a dangerous regime. But we should also not misinterpret the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. There is a significant deterrent to North Korean activity there." Although Pyongyang has repeatedly demanded that sanctions imposed by Washington against North Korean entities and financial institutions suspected of illicit activities must be lifted for the nuclear talks to be resumed, Ms. Rice was unwilling to yield on the issue either. "Their illegal activities have drawn sanctions from us because the president's not going to let North Korea counterfeit American money without action," said the secretary. "And I would just note to you that there hasn't been much uproar from anybody else about the fact that we are engaged in trying to constrain those illicit activities." While Washington was less critical of the North, at least vocally, in the prelude up to an interim international accord in September last year, there was no diplomatic finesse on Thursday. "We have no illusions about the nature of the North Korean regime. We have no illusions about what is happening to the North Korean people and about the need to speak out on those issues," said Ms. Rice, who suggested that Pyongyang needed to follow up on the September agreement so that other nations would engage the communist country. Meanwhile, the North's Pyongyang Broadcasting said in an editorial yesterday that North Korea would not return to the six-party talks as long as Washington avoided bilateral talks on removing the sanctions. by Brian Lee africanu@joongang.co.kr> Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use | ***************************************************************** 7 Guardian Unlimited: Norway sold 'nuclear' BAE stake David Gow in Brussels Friday January 6, 2006 The Guardian The Norwegian government has sold its stake in BAE Systems, Britain's biggest military contractor, and six other global arms manufacturers because of their alleged involvement in producing nuclear weapons, it emerged yesterday. The Norwegian government pension fund, at 110bn one of the world's largest, said yesterday it had sold its stocks in BAE and the six others late last year on the recommendation of its ethics council. The fund, formerly known as the petroleum fund and used to invest Norway's oil and gas wealth in overseas equities and government bonds, said it had disposed of investments worth 3.3bn crowns (290m) in BAE, Italy's Finmeccanica, France's Safran and US groups Boeing, Honeywell, Northrop Grumman and United Technologies. A BAE spokesman declined to comment on the decision, which the fund's ethics council said stemmed from the British group's 37.5% stake in the European missile-maker MBDA. The Norwegian fund's advisers cited Jane's Air Launched Weapons magazine, saying MBDA was producing the ASMP-A "nuclear warhead air-to-surface missile" for the French armed forces, with deliveries to be completed in 2008. The ethics council admitted: "It is not clear whether BAE and Finmeccanica (a 25% stakeholder) play an active role in the development and production specifically of ASMP-A other than being partners in MBDA." But, according to documents posted on the finance ministry's website, this is "not decisive" as both companies are active owners of MBDA and "thus directly contribute to the production of key components to nuclear weapons". BAE also declined to comment on the size of the fund's holding in the company, which ranks 30th in the FTSE 100 and has a 43% overseas ownership. It is understood to be tiny. Industry sources disputed BAE's involvement in nuclear arms production through MBDA or any other activity. But the finance ministry said the UK firm declined to say in a letter to Norges Bank, the country's central bank and fund administrator, whether it was involved or not. MBDA's other big stakeholder, EADS, which owns 37.5%, has already been excluded from the fund because it "probably" produces cluster weapons. Useful links Control Arms campaign site Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Federation of American Scientists Carnegie Endowment for International Peace saferworld.org.uk Wisconsin Project Foreign Policy magazine [UP] Guardian Unlimited Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 8 Forex News: Ukraine looks to develop more nuclear capacity to cut reliance on Russian gas ForexTV.com Commentary, News, &Analysis. 01/06/06 12:56 pm (GMT) BERLIN (AFX) - Ukraine is looking to develop more nuclear power capabilities to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov said in an interview with the Berliner Zeitung newspaper. "We are already meeting more than half our energy needs via nuclear power (and) must increase the capacity of our nuclear power stations," he said in response to a question on how the country would address its dependence on Russian energy. He said the country must also look at alternative energy sources such as wind and solar power. Ukraine must diversify its energy sources while reducing consumption through modernisation, Yekhanurov continued. He said the government is set to invest in new pipelines across Ukraine, a key route between Russia and the EU. "The most important lesson we learned on January 1 is that we must be a country of secure transit," he said. On January 1, the Russian gas giant Gazprom shut off gas supplies to Ukraine after a dispute over pricing. The two countries reached an agreement on Tuesday night on the price of gas delivered to Ukraine by Russia, putting an end to a dispute that had led to a temporary fall in supplies of gas to the EU. Ukraine has around fifteen nuclear reactors housed within four power stations. Please write your own byline and save in your preferences afp/har/jsa COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved. For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com ***************************************************************** 9 American Statesman: Nuclear plant sale worries some in Austin By AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Friday, January 06, 2006 There is something nostalgic about the South Texas Project. One can almost hear ghosts arguing about the nuclear plant from the Armadillo World Headquarters. The Nuke, as it's known in the city that owns a 16 percent share of it, has been quietly producing relatively cheap electricity for years. It's become such a bargain, in fact, that a Princeton, N.J., company has spent $5.8 billion on an energy portfolio that includes another 44 percent of the plant. The sale, which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved Dec. 27, has nothing to do with Austin, according to Austin Energy, the city-owned electric utility. But people who have been around town awhile worry about the move. With the South Texas Project, some say, it pays to bet pessimistic. "There are always catastrophic possibilities that nuclear plants can inherently be responsible for," Jackie Goodman, who spent 12 years on the City Council and more time as an activist, wrote in an e-mailed warning to City Council members in November. Having rejected the plant in 1972, Austin voters approved the city's $161 million investment in it the next year and then voted to spend another $215 million on it in 1979. Then in 1981, Austinites voted to try to sell the city's share of the plant, to no avail. The reactors were beset by setbacks and shutdowns, triggering five major lawsuits over an 18-year period. The Nuke still takes about a third of every Austin Energy bill and now provides about as much of the city's power. Utility officials are quick to point out, however, that power from the plant is considerably cheaper than from other sources of energy. The plant has been operating with relatively few problems for years, and its ownership has changed a number of times. The latest transaction is just part of a mammoth deal worth billions of dollars. In 2004, a group of private equity firms Texas Pacific Group, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts &Co., Blackstone Group and Hellman &Friedman bought Texas Genco Holdings Inc. for $3.7 billion from the Houston utility CenterPoint Energy Inc. Texas Genco includes the 44 percent stake in the South Texas Project, as well as other power generation assets. CenterPoint successfully argued to state utility regulators that it took a $2.3 billion loss on the sale. Its Houston-area customers must pay in the neighborhood of $7 or $8 on every utility bill for 15 years to cover the so-called stranded costs between what CenterPoint thought Texas Genco was worth and what the utility received from the sale, said Clarence Johnson, director of regulatory analysis for the state Office of Public Utility Counsel. About a year later, the equity firms have flipped their part of the South Texas Project and the rest of Texas Genco for $5.8 billion: $4 billion in cash plus $1.8 billion in stock. The buyer, NRG Energy Inc., will also assume most of the debt that the firms took on to buy Texas Genco. The firms, which put up just $900 million to buy Texas Genco in the first place and borrowed the rest, would come away with nearly $5 billion in profit. The catch, for some in Austin, is that NRG just emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy about two years ago. Goodman and others fear the company may not be able to weather losses if the South Texas plant breaks down again. Goodman wanted the council to intervene with federal regulators to make sure NRG has sufficient financial resources. But the city demurred. Austin Energy officials say the sale should have no effect on Austin's rates. Deputy General Manager Bob Kahn said the utility considered intervening in the sale but eventually decided not to. Kahn refused to discuss specific issues that officials were looking at when they made their decision, citing a City Council resolution that allows Austin Energy to conduct much of its business in secret. "That's a business decision we make," he said, "and we're not going to talk about competitive matters with you." sscheibal@statesman.com; 445-3819 Copyright 2001-2006 Cox Texas Newspapers, L.P. All rights ***************************************************************** 10 Exeter News-Letter: Nuke plant extended Fri. January 6, 2006 By Susan Morse smorse@seacoastonline.com SEABROOK - Seabrook Stations operating license has been extended by more than three years, expiring in March 2030, according to a Dec. 28 decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The nuclear power plant applied for the change last year. The plant had sought an extension that would permit it to operate for the full, 40-year lifetime from the date when its full-power operating license was issued. The commission approved the extension to recover close to four years of operating time lost while Massachusetts contested Seabrook Stations evacuation plan. "Seabrook Station was ready to go in 1986," said plant spokesman Al Griffith. "But for four years they were prevented from doing so because of politics surrounding Massachusetts signing off on the evacuation plan." Seabrook Station began operating in 1990. The original expiration date of Oct. 17, 2026, now extends to March 15, 2030. "There is precedence in the industry for doing this," Griffith said. The NRC 41-month extension is unrelated to the power plants intention to file for a 20-year extension of its license, said Griffith. It is too early for the plant to file for the additional 20 years of operating time, he said. Information from The Associated Press was used in this story. the Exeter News-Letter Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast Media Group. Copyright 2005 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please ***************************************************************** 11 Exeter News-Letter: Should town buy nuclear plant? Fri. January 6, 2006 By Susan Morse smorse@seacoastonline.com SEABROOK - The Board of Selectmen will be asking voters this March to fund a study on the feasibility of the town buying the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant. "Were trying to get an answer to a question that keeps popping up all the time," said Town Manager Fred Welch. "The answer may be no (but) the question keeps coming up; should the town have done this?" "FPL (Energy) bought it for $844 million. It makes $150 to $250 million profit, money that would do just as well for the town," Welch said after Wednesdays meeting. The town could take the plant by eminent domain, said Welch. The warrant article asks for $50,000 to study whether the town should buy either the electric distribution system, which is the wires and transmission lines owned by power company Unitil, and/or Seabrook Station and form a municipal lighting plant for the town. Welch said the town could both own and distribute electricity, at considerable cost savings to its residents. Taxpayers would also benefit from having the revenue generated from the nuclear power plant offset their taxes. Private entities are forbidden from both manufacturing and distributing electrical power. As a municipal entity, Seabrook would be able to do this, he said. Purchasing the nuclear power plant has long been the stuff of banter between Welch and the board in their weekly meetings. On Wednesday, Welch made it clear he was serious. Selectmen Karen Knight and Richard McCann approved the article. Selectwoman Cora Stockbridge was the dissenting vote. "I feel $50,000 is better spent on vehicles," she said, referring to needed Department of Public Works equipment. "This is such a big undertaking. This is a mega-mega business." If approved, the $50,000 study would not affect taxes. The money is proposed to come from the towns surplus account. "This article will authorize the town to study if it is in the best interests of the town to manufacture and distribute electric power, set its own electric rates and provide for payments in lieu of taxes to the community while maintaining and operating an electric distribution system," according to the warrant. Governmental properties are exempt from paying taxes, but generally make a payment to cities and towns where they operate, said Welch. This is called PILT, he said, or payment in lieu of taxes. the Exeter News-Letter Copyright 2005 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please ***************************************************************** 12 NEI Nuclear Notes: Coalition to Senator Inhofe: Just Say No to "Take Title" Thursday, January 05, 2006 Earlier today, my colleague, Lisa Stiles-Shell, who also serves as the Director of the Alliance for Sound Nuclear Policy, sent a letter to U.S. Senator James Inhofe urging him to oppose the Spent Nuclear Fuel On-Site Storage Security Act of 2005: This bill purports to “solve” the used nuclear fuel storage and management problem but it fails on all points. In effect, passage of this bill would reverse national policy, enacted by a bipartisan Congress in 2002, which mandates that DOE move fuel off site at the earliest opportunity to a deep geologic repository. While there is consensus that our nation must develop advanced nuclear fuel recycling technologies to reduce the volume of high level waste and optimize the nuclear fuel cycle, such technologies do not obviate the need for a repository. Therefore, such a research and development program must not delay progress on the Yucca Mountain. If enacted, this bill would ensure that used fuel remains on plant sites in 31 states indefinitely and leave resolution of the issue to future generations. Furthermore, this bill: Would not demonstrate progress in used fuel management that responsible environmental stewardship necessitates. As such, it would jeopardize nuclear industry plans to build new power plants that would maintain or increase nuclear energy’s contribution to carbon emission reduction. Would allow money from the Nuclear Waste Fund to be used for continued storage on site, thereby ensuring that ratepayers will go on paying twice for the storage of used nuclear fuel. Ignores the need to dispose of defense used nuclear fuel and other defense waste Would add hundreds of millions of dollars to the cost of nuclear energy by mandating the premature movement of used fuel from fuel pools to dry cask storage. The sponsors of S. 2099 claim their bill would make existing fuel storage pools safer, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission describes used fuel pools as "robust structures constructed of very thick reinforced concrete walls with stainless steel liners." Fuel storage safety is thoroughly regulated at the Nation's nuclear plants. Clearly, the bill's objective is not to ensure fuel storage safety, which is not in doubt, but to make certain that the electricity ratepayer-financed long term fuel storage solution, the Yucca Mountain central repository, will never open. Passage of this bill would represent an unacceptable abdication of responsibility by the federal government and we urge you to oppose this legislation.For Lisa's previous posts on the proposal, click and . ***************************************************************** 13 Copley Press: Feds slow Clinton nuke reactor process BY TIM LANDIS COPLEY NEWS SERVICE CLINTON - The wait-and-see for a second nuclear reactor at the Clinton power station could stretch into 2007. It has been more than eight months since the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a public hearing in Clinton, about 45 miles northeast of Springfield, on preliminary findings the power station would be an environmentally acceptable site for a second reactor. Initially, a decision on an early site permit was expected later this summer. Federal regulators now say it could be the summer of 2007 before a decision is made on an "early site permit" that would give plant owner Exelon Corp. up to 20 years to apply for operation and construction permits. "It has been stretched out somewhat," said Jan Strasma with the NRC Midwest office in Chicago. A separate review and public hearing process also would be required if Exelon decided to seek operation and construction permits. April's public hearing at Clinton Junior High School drew dozens of proponents and opponents. Most of the backers were local, while members of anti-nuclear groups came from as far away as Virginia. A written public comment period ended in May. While the regulatory process has slowed, Sandra Lindberg with the central Illinois chapter of No New Nukes, based in Bloomington-Normal, said the group continues its organizing efforts, including taking the no-nukes message to churches in the region. "We're going to houses of worship to talk about the personal conservation choices we can make that literally would make it less necessary to build the reactor (at Clinton)," said Lindberg. The group's first presentation is at a Unitarian church in Normal this weekend. Lindberg also said she does not believe Exelon has lost interest in the Clinton project, even though the Chicago-based utility is a partner in consortiums that propose to build reactors in other regions of the country. "We haven't heard anything to the contrary. The Clinton reactor seems to be separate from the consortiums. It's something they are pursuing strictly on their own," said Lindberg. Exelon, parent company of Commonwealth Edison, purchased the Clinton reactor in 2003. Company spokesman Craig Nesbit said the utility remains committed to an early site permit for a second reactor but has made no decisions on construction. "We applied a little bit more than a year ago (for the early site permit). It was expected to be a 30-month process, and it looks like they're going to use very bit of that," he said. A second reactor was part of the original design when Illinois Power Co. of Decatur started construction of the Clinton station in the early 1970s. Cost overruns forced cancellation of the second tower by the time the plant began operations in 1987. The Clinton power station also is one of the area's largest employers with a work force of more than 500. Copyright 2001, The Lincoln Courier ***************************************************************** 14 NRC: In the Matter of PacifiCorp (Trojan Nuclear Plant Independent FR Doc E6-9 [Federal Register: January 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 4)] [Notices] [Page 954-955] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06ja06-69] Spent Fuel Storage Installation); Order Approving Application Regarding Proposed Acquisition Indirect Transfer of Materials License SNM-2509 I By application dated June 30, 2005, and supplemented on August 12, 2005, PacifiCorp, together with PacifCorp Holdings, Inc., and MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company (MEHC), requested approval of the indirect transfer of control of Materials License No. SNM-2509 for the Trojan Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), with regard to PacifiCorp's 2.5 percent interest in the Trojan ISFSI, to MEHC. PacifiCorp is a non-operating licensee of the Trojan ISFSI, and will continue to hold the license. The request was in connection with the sale of PacifiCorp, which will become an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of MEHC. The supplemental letter cited above did not expand the scope of the application beyond that noticed in the Federal Register on July 27, 2005 (70 FR 43461). The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 10 CFR Part 50 license for the Trojan Nuclear Plant (License No. NPF-1) was terminated on May 23, 2005, after completion of the radiological decommissioning of the nuclear plant. The Trojan ISFSI holds spent fuel from the former Trojan Nuclear Plant. PacifiCorp is a wholly owned subsidiary of PacifiCorp Holdings, Inc. (PHI), which in turn is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Scottish Power, plc. PacifiCorp will be sold to PPW, LLC, a Delaware limited liability corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of MEHC. The name of the MEHC subsidiary that will acquire PacifiCorp was changed from NWQ Holdings, LLC to PPW Holdings, LLC. PacifiCorp operates an electric utility in six western states of the United States, serving approximately 1.6 million retail customers with annual revenues of approximately $3 billion per year. PacifiCorp will remain an electric utility after the sale to MEHC. MEHC, a global electric and natural gas utility operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines, serves approximately 4.4 million electric customers and 680,000 natural gas customers. Its annual operating revenue is approximately $6.5 billion. MEHC will purchase all the outstanding shares of PacifiCorp from PHI for a value of approximately $9.4 billion, consisting of approximately $5.1 billion in cash and approximately $4.3 billion in net debt and preferred stock which will remain outstanding at PacifiCorp. The Trojan ISFSI is jointly owned by three licensees: Portland General Electric Company (PGE) (67.5%); Eugene Water & Electric Board (30%); and PacifiCorp (2.5%). PGE has always been the sole operator of the Trojan ISFSI and will remain the sole operator. The Eugene Water & Electric Board and PacifiCorp are non-operating licensees. PacifiCorp has no right of access to the [[Page 955]] ISFSI. No physical changes will occur to the Trojan ISFSI as a result of the change in ownership of PacifiCorp. Thus, both the management and operation of the ISFSI will remain unchanged. II The applicant requested approval of the indirect transfer of the Trojan ISFSI license, to the extent held by PacifiCorp, to MEHC, pursuant to 10 CFR 72.50(a) which states: No license or any part included in a license issued under this part for an ISFSI [Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation] or MRS [Monitored Retrievable Storage Installation] shall be transferred, assigned, or in any manner disposed of, either voluntarily or involuntarily, directly or indirectly, through transfer of control of the license to any person, unless the Commission gives its consent in writing. The Commission will approve an application for the indirect transfer of a license, if, after appropriate notice and observance of required procedures, the Commission determines that: (1) The underlying transaction effecting the indirect transfer will not affect the qualifications of the holder of the license; and (2) the indirect transfer of the license is consistent with applicable provisions of the law, and the regulations and orders issued by the Commission. Upon review of the information in the application, and other information before the Commission, the NRC staff has determined that MEHC's proposed purchase of all the outstanding shares of PacifiCorp from PHI will not affect the qualifications of PacifiCorp as holder of Materials License No. SNM-2509, and that the indirect transfer of the license, to the extent effected by the proposed acquisition, is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders issued by the Commission, subject to the conditions set forth herein. These findings are supported by ``Safety Evaluation by the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards, PacifiCorp, Trojan Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, Docket No. 72-17,'' dated October 27, 2005. III In view of the foregoing, the Commission finds that the acquisition of PacifiCorp by MEHC will not affect the qualifications of PacifiCorp to hold the Trojan ISFSI Materials License to the extent now held by PacifiCorp, and the indirect transfer of control of the license to MEHC is otherwise consistent with the applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders issued by the Commission pursuant thereto. Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 161b, 161i, 161o, and 184 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), 42 U.S.C. 2201(b), 2201(i), 2201(o), and 2234; and 10 CFR 72.50, it is hereby ordered that the application regarding the indirect license transfer related to the proposed acquisition is approved, subject to the following conditions: (1) PacifiCorp shall provide the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards a copy of any application, at the time it is filed, to transfer (excluding grants of security interests or liens) from PacifiCorp to its direct or indirect parent, or to any affiliated company, facilities for the production, transmission, or distribution of electric energy having a depreciated book value exceeding 10 percent (10%) of PacifiCorp's net utility plant, as recorded on its books of account. (2) Should the proposed indirect license transfer not be completed by December 31, 2006, this Order shall become null and void, provided, however, upon application and for good cause shown, such a date may be extended. This Order is effective upon issuance. For further details with respect to this Order, see the application dated June 30, 2005, and supplement dated August 12, 2005, and the safety evaluation report dated October 27, 2005, which are available for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415- 4737 or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 29th day of December, 2005. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Robert C. Pierson, Acting Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. E6-9 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 15 Prague Daily Monitor: Opponents say Temelin emits radioactive vapour; SUJB rejects it SATURDAY 7 JANUARY CESKE BUDEJOVICE, South Bohemia, Jan 5 (CTK) - Czech nuclear power station Temelin emits radioactive vapour in the air even though it does not have to, say members of the civic association V havarijni zone JETE, but the State Authority for Nuclear Safety (SUJB) rejects the statement. Vapour with radioactive substances is allegedly released into the air for instance during shutdowns when technicians cool down the reactor. Temelin thus poses a threat to citizens and nature in the region. "It is a technical nonsense and needless threats," SUJB chairwoman Dana Drabova told CTK today. The association called on power company CEZ, which runs Temelin, to secure vapour recycling in line with procedures common in western power stations. Drabova said that the vapour released into the air contains so small amounts of radionuclides that it is difficult to measure it even when using very modern methods. "Compared with the amount of radionuclides in things used in our everyday life, I dare to say that this vapour is not radioactive," she added. cjl/er This story copyright 2005 CTK Czech News Agency. ***************************************************************** 16 Vermont Guardian: Watchdogs: VY glitch highlights troubling trend By Kathryn Casa | Vermont Guardian posted January 5, 2005 BRATTLEBORO One of Vermont Yankees main reactor cooling systems was declared inoperable late last month for about seven hours, and was fixed the same day; however, nuclear watchdogs say the glitch points to a larger problem. VY engineers informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Dec. 22 that a high-pressure control isolation (HPCI) valve was degraded in such a manner that it would not perform its intended function. HPCI is one of the primary systems that would be used to cool the reactor core in the event of an emergency. It injects water into the reactor during a small loss-of-coolant leak, when pressure in the reactor can build quickly. The plant declared a 14-day limiting condition of operation (LCO) period, which technically gave operators two weeks to continue to run the reactor with an impaired valve. The malfunction was fixed the same afternoon, and the LCO was lifted, according to VY spokesman Rob Williams. Williams later said the problem was not with the valve, but with the electronic circuitry that controls the flow system. There was not a problem with the HPCI flow control valves themselves, or with the manual method of flow control, Williams said in an e-mail to the Vermont Guardian. NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said that although HPCI is one of the plants emergency core cooling systems, other systems are available to safely shut down the plant during an emergency. HPCI is backed up by an automatic depressurization system and a low-pressure coolant injection systems, Williams said. But industry watchdogs were not as quick to dismiss the issue. David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, said he was not comfortable with an industry trend toward longer LCOs. It highlights a general concern weve had regarding lengthening the LCO times and decreasing the surveillance test frequencies, Lochbaum said in an e-mail to the Vermont Guardian. Over the past decade, the NRC has allowed nuclear power plants to declare longer LCOs and to perform less frequent testing. LCOs that were originally three days are now frequently 14 days, he said. Likewise, tests that used to be conducted monthly are now conducted quarterly. The combination of longer LCO periods and longer testing intervals increases the likelihood that an accident will occur with a vital piece of safety equipment known to be broken and its backup equipment providing a very nasty surprise, Lochbaum said, Williams said VYs HPCI system is tested quarterly. VY engineers were alerted to last months problem not by routine testing, but by a gauge in the control room that inaccurately showed a small intermittent flow with the pump shut down and no actual flow through the system, he said. HPCI was declared inoperable because of unreliable indication of the flow controller status, he said. The LCO was declared to alert plant management, staff, and regulators that the reactor is in an alternate mode, he added. While VYs malfunction was not problematic, per se, Lochbaum said it is illustrative of a potential problem. If the only problem at VY was HPCI, then the 14-day LCO means that VY can continue to operate for up to 14 days with a vital safety system known to be broken. In the unlikely case of an accident happening during those 14 days, the argument is that the other non-impaired systems will protect the public, Lochbaum said. The problem is that by reducing the testing frequency on those other systems, one also reduces the confidence that they are non-impaired. They could be impaired but not yet detected, as HPCI was prior to the test that finally revealed its failure. The last major nuclear accident in the United States, at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania, was largely the result of operators not believing their instrumentation, according to Ray Shadis, technical advisor to the New England Coalition, which opposes a proposed VY power increase. The fact that the instrumentation may be unreliable has real safety significance, Shadis said. Operators really have to be able to depend, in a matter of seconds, on their instruments telling them what the situation is. If the operators are about to turn on the high pressure coolant injection system and they look over and the indication is that it wont work, they may want to try something else before trying it. So it is essential to safety; this is not a minor matter. Shadis was also dismissive of the NRCs reassurance of backup safety systems. HPCI is one of the major systems used to overcome pressure in the reactor, he noted. Inoperable means inoperable, it means it wouldnt work For some period of time the plant was running with one of its major accident mitigation systems inoperable. Vermont Guardian PO Box 335 Winooski, VT 05404 Southern Vermont: 139 Main Street, Suite 702, Brattleboro, VT 05301 Contact: 802.861.4880 (ph) | 802.861.6388 (fax) | 877.231.5382 (toll-free) 2005 Vermont Guardian | Visit us: www.vermontguardian.com ***************************************************************** 17 Guardian Unlimited: Energy inefficient [David Gow] The recent gas price dispute has highlighted an alarming EU over-dependence on Russia, says David Gow Friday January 6, 2006 For Europeans facing the prospect of double-digit price increases for their heating bills yet again, the row between Russia and Ukraine over the cost of natural gas is a salutary wake-up call. The halting of gas supplies to Ukraine and the concomitant cuts in output in mainland Europe - as much as 50% in one day - exposed the EU's over-dependence on Russia and the Kremlin-controlled company Gazprom. Energy has been the Cinderella of EU policies in the digital era, but there are signs that the three-pronged threat posed by the latest oil shock, climate change and, of course, security of supply has put it centre stage. The immediate reaction to the resolution of the Moscow-Kiev dispute is to make this threat - and particularly security of supply - the key item on the agenda of the EU's spring summit, which takes place in March. Almost overlooked at the time because of the fratricidal battle over the EU budget, Tony Blair made a spectacular somersault at an informal summit in Hampton Court last October. The prime minister called for a common energy policy, anathema to the UK in the years when North Sea oil and gas supplies were plentiful. He proposed a pan-EU electricity grid, shared reserves of stored gas and co-ordinated investment in alternative energy sources as critical elements of such a policy. Andris Piebalgs, the EU energy commissioner, and Martin Bartenstein, the Austrian economy minister, both affirmed the central importance of Mr Blair's proposal. Mr Piebalgs is to draw up a preliminary paper for the March summit, and the aim is to have, at the very least, the outlines of a common policy in place by the end of 2006. The question now is whether this is too little, too late. EU over-dependence on Russian natural gas - which already accounts for a quarter of Europe's supplies - was sealed when the government of Gerhard Schrder overturned the German cartel office and waved through the takeover by the utility group Eon of Ruhrgas, the country's main pipeline operator and chosen partner of Gazprom. Mr Schrder, now a Gazprom adviser, gave quasi-monopoly powers to Ruhrgas/Gazprom over gas supplies to western Europe at a stroke. Warnings by Callum McCarthy, the then chairman of the UK energy regulator Ofgem, and Roy Gardner, the chief executive of Centrica, the British Gas group, that this would be the case went unheeded. Former state incumbents, including part-privatised Gaz de France, are now locked into long-term supply contracts with Gazprom while the price of gas, index-linked to oil prices, will soar for consumers. At the same time, these dominant energy groups are buying up smaller competitors - with even Centrica and Scottish Power seen as vulnerable to takeover - to the point where analysts expect only a handful of major players to be active in the market by the end of this decade. The EU response to this growing dominance, or stranglehold, has been pitifully slow, even though it has been known for some time that imports will account for 70% of energy supplies by 2030. Renewables such as wind power, meant to provide 20% of supplies by 2020, have developed far short of their targets - partly because of cost. Old fossil-fuel power plants have been run, with minimal new investment, to squeeze the last life out of them. The switch to liquefied natural gas, brought from North Africa and the Middle East, has been intermittent. The EU's energy market is fragmented and divided on national lines, with even the inter-connectors between the UK and France, Belgium and Holland under-performing. This nationalistic response has been underlined by the debate over nuclear power. France, 80% dependent on atomic energy, yesterday gave the go-ahead to a new generation of plants (as well as renewables) while Germany, under Angela Merkel, reaffirmed its decision to phase out its nuclear plants. Britain is likely to follow the French lead in the teeth of fierce opposition. Mr Blair, his advisers such as the Oxford academic Dieter Helm, of the Oxera consultancy, Piebalgs et al can clearly see the need for a co-ordinated response - urgently. The sheer scale of the technologies and costs thereof is such that a joint approach to investment is desirable. But this will, more than likely, prove to be pie in the sky politics. A solemn declaration at the end of the spring summit will be followed by inaction and a reversion to the national policies that lie at the heart of the problem. The Russians will retain their leverage but, at least, they will have engendered a more profound public debate. Small consolation when the lights go out. David Gow is the Guardian's European business editor, based in Brussels [UP] Guardian Unlimited Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 18 Deutsche Welle: German Minister Dismisses Nuclear Energy Option | Germany | | 06.01.2006 [Germany will focus on developing renewable energy rather than nuclear power plants] Groansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Germany will focus on developing renewable energy rather than nuclear power plants Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel came out in favor of renewable energy sources and called for an end of the current debate on whether or not to prolong the lifespan of the country's nuclear power stations. Earlier this week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had appeared resolved to put the lid on a simmering public debate on whether or not to keep the country's nuclear power plants in operation for a much longer period than envisaged by the former government under Gerhard Schröder. Merkel said plans to completely phase out nuclear energy in Germany over the next two decades would not be revised despite the country's heavy dependence on Russian gas supplies. [Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel] Bildunterschrift: Groansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Germany's Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel But this hasn't stopped high-ranking representatives from her own government from insisting that relying on nuclear energy in Germany would reduce the risk of one day becoming the target of political blackmail. Talking to the media on Thursday, Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel was dismissive of suggestions that nuclear power was a viable and secure source of energy in the long term. "In no other energy sector is our dependence on imports as big as in the nuclear field. We're actually talking about a 100 percent dependence, as far as uranium imports are concerned," Gabriel said. Watch that basket "In addition, world-wide uranium deposits will last only for another 20 years in the worst case, according to OECD estimates. There's a maximum reserve of no more than 4 million tonnes of uranium available at present, so it makes no sense to put too many eggs in this particular basket," he said. [Carbon dioxide remains a major environmental hazard] Bildunterschrift: Groansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Carbon dioxide remains a major environmental hazard "No one wanting to draw up sensible energy policy could imagine investing billions of euros in an energy source that will be exhausted within a generation," Gabriel said. Utz Claassen, managing director of a major German energy supplier from Baden-Würtemberg, fears that the closing down of nuclear power plants will shift the focus too much on to more coal-driven plants, which, he argues, would be detrimental to the environment. "If we are serious about reducing carbon dioxide emissions for a healthier planet and keep energy prices under control, we can't really do without nuclear energy in the decades ahead," Claasen said. Nuclear energy as a safety measure? Several European nations are considering the merits of nuclear power at the moment. Finland has begun work on a new nuclear plant, the first to be built on the continent in a decade, and France's parliament also recently gave its approval for a new nuclear plant. "A modification of the (German) government's current phase-out plan with a view to prolonging the lifespan of some of our nuclear power plants would certainly make sense in the face of the recent turbulence on the energy market," Claasen said. [The German government is resolute on closing down the country's nuclear power plants ] Bildunterschrift: Groansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The German government is resolute on closing down the country's nuclear power plants Environment minister Gabriel points out, though, that playing off nuclear against coal energy doesn't make sense at all. Nuclear power plants, he argues, do not produce any heating energy for households and industry, whereas gas and coal-powered stations do. According to the environment minister, it's vital for Germany to ensure a sensible mix of energy resources to be used with a greater percentage of renewable sources in future. "What's clear to me is that a total independence from energy imports will remain an illusion," Gabriel said. "But we can certainly reduce our dependence by investing more in renewable energy. It'll also important to sign long-term supply contracts with a number of our partners abroad," he said. Renewable energy is the answer Gabriel sees no danger in continuing the country's large-scale cooperation with Russia, as far as gas and oil supplies are concerned. [Solar energy is the energy of the future ] Bildunterschrift: Groansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Solar energy is the energy of the future He speaks of the need to ensure long-term delivery contracts and mentions that a greater shift towards suppliers from the Arab world wouldn't mean more planning security either. The scarcity of resources world-wide, he argues, should prompt Germans to be more aware of the need to save more energy. According to McIlvaine Co. -- a US based energy consulting company -- the world renewable energy market will nearly double in sales from 2005 to 2008. Germany has the world's largest installed base for generating energy from wind and, after Japan, the largest solar energy grid. Gabriel confirmed that Chancellor Angela Merkel will shortly be holding a summit of industry leaders and government representatives to discuss the country's energy-political strategy in the decades ahead. DW staff (tt) DW-WORLD: Dossier: Fueling Europe with Russian Gas The "gas war" between Russia and Ukraine has fueled a heated debate in Germany about the country's energy policy, but Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her government's commitment to the nuclear phase-out. (Jan. 5, 2006) + DW-WORLD: Gas Dispute Reignites Atomic Energy Debate Economics Minister Michael Glos suggested Germany could backtrack on its decision to stop using nuclear power as natural gas companies reported disruptions in supplies from Russia due to the Moscow-Kiev gas dispute. (Jan. 2, 2006) + DW-WORLD: Gas Delivery Dispute Hits EU Because of a dispute between Russian gas supplier Gazprom and Ukraine, gas deliveries to some eastern European Union countries fell over the new year's weekend. (Jan. 2, 2006) Your Comments + ***************************************************************** 19 FW: A Global Pact Against Depleted Uranium Date: Fri, 6 Jan 2006 12:02:14 -0600 (CST) X-Fingerprint: owner-imap@chumbly.math.missouri.edu-127.127 Global Pact Against Depleted Uranium -----Original Message----- From: Boyle, Francis [mailto:FBOYLE@LAW.UIUC.EDU] Sent: 06 January 2006 17:03 To: 'Tim Murphy' Subject: FW: A Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (voice) 217-244-1478 (fax) fboyle@law.uiuc.edu (personal comments only) -----Original Message----- From: Max Obuszewski [mailto:MObuszewski@afsc.org] Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2005 7:36 PM Subject: A Global Pact Against Depleted Uranium During September of 2004 I launched an international campaign to conclude a global pact against depleted uranium (DU) munitions by having every state in the world officially and publicly take the position that the Geneva Protocol of 1925 already includes within itself a flat-out prohibition on the use of DU in wartime, which they have no yet done. So far the United States is the only government in the world that uses DU munitions during wartime. In addition to prohibiting "the use of bacteriological methods of warfare," the 1925 Geneva Protocol also prohibits "the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials, or devices." Clearly DU is "analogous" to poison gas.[i] But we need every government in the world to legally and openly take that position. Then the entire world can pressure the United States to remove DU munitions from its arsenal. Politically, the easiest way to accomplish that objective is not the conclusion of a new international treaty prohibiting the use of DU, but rather simply having every state in the world submit an interpretative Letter to that effect to the Government of France, which is the official depositary for the 1925 Geneva Protocol. This latter approach would also avoid the need to have the respective national legislatures of every state in the world to approve a new anti-DU treaty and thus complicate and prolong the process. All that needs to be done is for anti-DU citizens, activists and NGOs in each country of the world to pressure and convince their respective Foreign Ministers to sign, date, and then file this model Letter with the French Foreign Minister as indicated below. That task is eminently feasible. As the Land Mines Treaty has already demonstrated, it is possible for a coalition of determined activists and NGOs, acting in concert with at least one sympathetic state, such as Canada, to actually bring into being an international treaty to address humanitarian concerns. This template Letter is for the use of concerned citizens, activists and NGOs worldwide, to pursue through universal governmental participation the complete and final elimination of DU munitions from the face of the earth: Francis A. Boyle Law Building 504 E. Pennsylvania Ave. Champaign, IL 61820 USA 217-333-7954 (voice) 217-244-1478 (fax) fboyle@law.uiuc.edu (personal comments only) ---------- His Excellency Michel Barnier Foreign Minister French Republic 37, Quai d'Orsay 75351 Paris FRANCE FAX: 33-1-43-17-4275 Dear Excellency: The Republic of X presents its compliments to the French Republic. I have the honor to draw to your attention the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare of 17 June 1925, for which the Government of the French Republic serves as the depositary. The Geneva Protocol of 1925 prohibits the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices, as well as the use of bacteriological methods of warfare. The government of X believes that the Geneva Protocol of 1925 already prohibits the use in war of depleted uranium, uranium ammunition, uranium armor-plate and all other uranium weapons. We respectfully request your Excellency to circulate this communication to the other High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Protocol of 1925. Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of our highest consideration. Foreign Minister Republic of X Day, Month, Year =========== ***************************************************************** 20 Honolulu Advertiser: Schofield uranium find prompts call for probe Friday, January 6, 2006 By Rod Ohira Advertiser Staff Writer The Army confirmed yesterday that this tail remnant and 14 like it from training munitions made of depleted uranium were found at Schofield. A coalition of environmental and Native Hawaiian rights groups are calling for an independent investigation and disclosure by the Army of depleted uranium munitions use in Hawai'i based on recently obtained information confirming its presence at Schofield. The Army said yesterday that the depleted uranium in question poses no threat. The coalition DMZ Hawai'i/ Aloha 'Aina cited a Sept. 19 e-mail message from Samuel P. McManus of the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Ala., to Ronald Borne, an Army employee involved with preparations for the Stryker brigade at Schofield Barracks. The e-mail involved the high cost of unexploded ordnance removal in preparation for the construction of a new Stryker brigade battle area complex at Schofield. In the e-mail, McManus noted, "We have found much that we did not expect, including the recent find of depleted uranium." DMZ Hawai'i/Aloha 'Aina believes the e-mail obtained with a Freedom of Information Act request is reason for concern since "it means either the records are inaccurate or the U.S. Army's representatives misled the public" in repeatedly denying depleted uranium use here, most recently in the March 2005 draft environmental impact statement for Makua and at a public hearing for the Stryker brigade EIS in 2004. The Army confirmed yesterday that in August, 15 tail assemblies from spotting rounds made of D-38 uranium alloy, also called depleted uranium, were found by Zapata Engineering while the contractor was clearing a range area of unexploded ordnance and scrap metal. The tail assemblies are remnants from training rounds associated with an obsolete weapon system that was on O'ahu in the 1960s, and their low-level radioactivity represents no danger, the Army said. The Army also stated that other than the armor-piercing rounds for the Abrams tank and Bradley fighting vehicle, there are no other weapons in its current stockpile that use depleted uranium. "There is no record of the Abrams and Bradley DU rounds ever being stockpiled in Hawai'i or being fired on Army ranges in Hawai'i," the statement said. The 15 tail assemblies recovered have been triple-bagged, stored in metal containers and secured pending disposition instructions, the Army said. The Army statement was issued several hours after a DMZ Hawai'i/Aloha 'Aina news conference announcing the e-mail findings, which was attended by representatives of six groups and concerned residents. Depleted uranium munitions have raised concerns because they generate aerosolized particles on impact that can lead to lung cancer, kidney damage and other health problems. Ann Wright, a retired diplomat and retired Army colonel, said she supports passage of a bill before the Legislature that calls for helping Hawai'i National Guard troops returning from Iraq and the Persian Gulf in obtaining federal treatment services that include health screenings capable of detecting low levels of depleted uranium. Gail Hunter, a registered nurse, cancer survivor and Makaha resident for more than 20 years, wants more proof that there's no depleted uranium at training sites in Makua, Kahuku, Schofield and Pohakuloa that could be threatening drinking water, land and air. "We're downwind of the (brush) fires in Wai'anae so I want to know if we're breathing it in," Hunter said. Kyle Kajihiro, program director for American Friends Service Committee, called on the state Health Department to begin investigating and testing for military toxins. He said the revelation about depleted uranium being found in Hawai'i "is very disturbing because it may just be the tip of the iceberg. This is a smoking gun in a sense that there has been depleted uranium expended in our environment. We don't know how much, we don't know where and we don't know what its effects are." Of the Health Department, he said: "We are asking them to be more aggressive in protecting public health. There are methods of testing but they require resources and some commitment. There should be testing of the environment and health screenings in the community (for military toxins) to determine if people have been exposed." Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com. COPYRIGHT 2006 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of ***************************************************************** 21 KGMB9: Depleted Uranium Found at Schofield Hawaii's Severe Weather Station | KGMB9 Top Stories [PHOTO: Depleted Uranium Found at Schofield] The "tail assembly" from training rounds used during Army target practice in the 1960s Colette P. Fox - cfox@kgmb9.com The U.S. Army in Hawaii is admitting to a controversial find. After being confronted by activists, Army officials confirm they discovered depleted uranium in a training area at Schofield Barracks last summerThe Army released a photo showing the "tail assembly" from training rounds used during target practice in the 1960s. It's one of 15 remnants found. They were part of an obsolete weapons system and have been on base for decades. Hawaii activists found out about the radioactive material when they obtained an internal Army e-mail concerning the cost and extent of munitions cleanup. The e-mail contained this line: "We have found much that we did not expect, including recent find of depleted uranium." Members of "DMZ Hawaii" called a press conference to call attention to the presence of radioactive material on base. The Army has repeatedly denied the use of depleted uranium. "The secrecy and this type of abuse of our environment and our community must end," said Kyle Kajihiro of American Friends Service Committee, one of about a dozen groups in the "DMZ Hawaii" coalition. "We want a moratorium on military expansion. We want cleanup and restoration of these lands that have been damaged so it cannot threaten the health of our communities into the future." The Army released a statement detailing the material found and plans to dispose of it. Col. Howard Killian, Commander of the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii said, "The Army has never intentionally misled the public concerning the presence of DU on Army installations in Hawaii. This is an isolated incident and should not be considered as an attempt to misinform the public." There is also controversy over the dangers of depleted uranium. The Army says it is safe, but veterans and community groups believe it causes cancer and other serious health problems. Copyright KGMB9 - . All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 KHNL: Depleted Uranium Found In Military Base On Oahu January 6, 2006 Dr. Fred Dodge Vicky Holt Takamine Ann Wright HONOLULU (KHNL) A group of activists want answers from the military about it's use of depleted uranium here in Hawaii. The army discovered the material at Schofield Barracks. The activists out today say depleted uranium is radioactive and harmful to the community's health. and to the environment. Activists staged outside of Iolani Palace demanded the military to fess up. "This is something that can't be swept under the rug, it needs to be exposed" said Dr. Fred Dodge. They say the military has been hiding its use of depleted uranium. And late thursday afternoon the army admitted ammunition containing depleted uranium was found during excavations at Schofield Barracks. From Chopper 8 you can see the area where the discovery was made. "These kinds of activities are a death sentence to our land and resources" said Vicky Holt Takamine of the Ilio'ulaokalani Coalition. The army released a written statement today saying: The army has never intentionally misled the public concerning the presence of depleted uranium on army installations in Hawaii. This is an isolated incident. Depleted uranium can be found in bullets and other weapons used to pierce armor. It's been used in both gulf wars and has been linked to gulf war syndrome. "This stuff is radioactive stuff, depleted by 60% it still is a killer" said Ann Wright. The army says they are secured and will be disposed of in the proper manner. Now they are secured and will be disposed of in the proper manner. Although they did not pose any environmental threat, it is better that we have removed them. The activists say they want more answers. They filed a request today under the Freedom of Information Act to get details on the depleted uranium found. .gif"> All content Copyright 2000 - 2006 WorldNow and KHNL, a Raycom Media station. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 23 StarBulletin.com: Uranium revelation upsets isle activists | News | /2006/01/06/ Vol. 11, Issue 6 - Friday, January 6, 2006 CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Kyle Kajihiro, program director of the American Friends Service Committee, spoke yesterday at a press conference at Iolani Palace regarding depleted uranium recovered at the Schofield Barracks range complex. The heavy metal was discovered by contractors clearing land for the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade. Army e-mails detailing the presence of spent metal at Schofield are troubling, critics say By Rosemarie Bernardo rbernardo@starbulletin.com SEVERAL environmental and native Hawaiian groups are accusing the Army of misleading the public after the groups discovered that a heavy metal known as depleted uranium was recovered at Schofield Barracks' range complex. During a news conference yesterday, the groups said the Army has repeatedly assured the public that the heavy metal was never used in Hawaii. "These recent revelations, then, indicate that the Army is either unaware of its DU (depleted uranium) and chemical weapons use or has intentionally misled the public. Both possibilities are deeply troubling," said Kyle Kajihiro, program director of the American Friends Service Committee and member of DMZ-Hawaii/Aloha Aina. Some members of the various groups read about the depleted uranium in e-mails detailing documents submitted in federal court in December, showing that heavy metals were found at Schofield Barracks' range complex area during clearing efforts. The e-mail was submitted as part of an ongoing discovery process. At the end of November, attorneys representing the 25th Infantry Division filed a motion in federal court to amend a 2001 settlement so soldiers can resume live-fire training at Makua Valley. The motion is scheduled to be heard Monday. URANIUM AT SCHOFIELD [art] U.S. ARMY PHOTO VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS Depleted uranium tail assemblies have been found in a Schofield Barracks range impact area, prompting some to question the Army's forthrightness. See story, Page A3. The clearing was being done to prepare for the expansion of additional training space and the construction of a rifle and pistol range for a new Stryker brigade combat team. Depleted uranium is a byproduct of radioactive enriched uranium and has been used by the U.S. military in bullets and other weapons designed to pierce armor. Some researchers suspect exposure to depleted uranium might have caused chronic fatigue and other symptoms in veterans of the first Gulf War, but there is no conclusive evidence it has. In a letter sent yesterday to Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, Kajihiro wrote that several groups were outraged by the use of the uranium, which they say poses a public health hazard even in small amounts. During community discussion on the Stryker Brigade environmental impact statement in 2004, Army officials assured the public that depleted uranium was never used in Hawaii, Kajihiro said. Fifteen tail assemblies from spotting rounds made of D-38 uranium alloy, also called depleted uranium, were recovered in August by Zapata Engineering, a contractor hired by the military to clear the Schofield Barracks' range impact area of unexploded ordnance and scrap metal, according to a news release from the 25th Infantry Division. In an e-mail dated Sept. 19, a contractor told an Army official at Schofield: "We have found much that we did not expect, including recent find of depleted uranium. We are pulling tons of frag and scrap out of the craters in the western area to the point where it has basically turned into a manual sifting operation. Had this not been a CWM site, we would have moved mechanical sifters in about 5 weeks ago but the danger is just too high." Dr. Fred Dodge, Waianae resident and member of Malama Makua, said, "DU is a heavy metal similar to lead. It can be toxic particularly to the kidneys," and could cause lung cancer if the metal in dust form is inhaled. But U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii officials said the recovered depleted uranium has low-level radioactivity and does not pose a threat to the public. The tail assemblies are about 4 inches in length and an inch in diameter. Army officials said they are from subcomponent remnants from training rounds associated with an obsolete weapon system that was on Oahu in the 1960s. "The Army has never intentionally misled the public concerning the presence of DU on Army installations in Hawaii. This is an isolated incident and should not be considered as an attempt to misinform the public," Col. Howard Killian, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii, said in a written statement. The Associated Press contributed to this report. --> Honolulu Star-Bulletin -- http://starbulletin.com ***************************************************************** 24 Las Vegas SUN: Energy Department suspends work on some Yucca Mountain programs Today: January 06, 2006 at 16:23:27 PST By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - Design work has been suspended on a national nuclear waste repository in Nevada after internal whistle-blowers reported more problems at the Yucca Mountain site, officials said. But officials with the Energy Department and project contractor Bechtel SAIC Co. LLC said work is continuing at the site that Congress and President Bush picked in 2002 to bury the nation's most radioactive waste. "It's not a work stoppage," Energy Department and Yucca Mountain project spokesman Allen Benson said Friday. "They're working, we're working, and we're moving ahead." Steve Frishman, a technical consultant for the state of Nevada, which opposes the repository plan, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that a Dec. 19 letter from the Energy Department to the contractor was "a stop work order, plain and simple." Frishman could not immediately be reached Friday for comment. However, Bob Loux, state Nuclear Projects director and Frishman's boss, recalled "dozens" of similar orders in the two decades the government spent studying, designing and picking the site. "They apparently just can't seem to follow their own written policies and procedures," Loux said. He predicted the project would continue as "a cash cow for the contractor." Bechtel SAIC spokesman Jason Bohne said the company and the government are partners on Yucca Mountain, where the Energy Department plans to entomb 77,000 tons of nuclear waste now stored at more than 100 commercial, industrial and military sites in 39 states. "They said, 'Let's take a step back, put our corrective actions in place, improve the system, make sure we've got the deficiencies out and then resume the activities,'" Bohne said. "We're not doing any construction, but there's still a lot going on." The two-page Dec. 19 letter from Birdie Hamilton-Ray, Energy Department contracting officer, to Ted Feigenbaum, Bechtel SAIC Co. general manager, said no engineering and safety analysis work would be approved until the Energy Department revalidated requirements and Bechtel shows that technical and performance processes were being followed. The letter cited unspecified "inadequacies in the design control process." Benson said the order showed the Energy Department was carefully correcting shortcomings identified by whistle-blowers while it prepares to apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a license to open the repository 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. "We encourage people to identify issues of concern so the issues can be dealt with and fixed," he said. The project has been beset by recent setbacks including missing its license application deadline, congressional funding cuts and revelations that geologists may have falsified data. The government also is rewriting radiation safety rules after a federal court threw out the first ones. Cost estimates have more doubled for a railroad the government wants to build to the site, and project officials have pushed back the date for opening the repository from 2010 to 2012 or later. An overall cost estimate of $58 billion has not been updated since 2002. Meanwhile, the Energy Department and Bechtel SAIC are in negotiations about extending the company's five-year contract, which expires in March. --- On the Net: Yucca Mountain project: http://www.ymp.gov All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 25 reviewjournal.com: Energy officials halt some work at Yucca Mountain Jan. 06, 2006 By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Department of Energy has suspended work on key segments of Yucca Mountain after whistle-blowers reported more problems with nuclear waste repository design and engineering, officials confirmed. Critics of the project say the work stoppage is the latest illustration of persistent weaknesses in how blueprints and complex analyses are compiled and documented, potentially affecting licensing and safety at the Nevada nuclear waste site. But DOE officials said the work stoppage suggests new lengths that the department is undertaking in trying to correct shortcomings. DOE issued an order on Dec. 19 telling management contractor Bechtel SAIC, or BSC, not to move forward on engineering and pre-closure safety aspects of repository designs until a newly formed review team could assess whether the work meets current requirements. Department spokesman Allen Benson said Thursday the order covers several key facets, including technical work on new designs for an above-ground industrial complex where nuclear waste-bearing canisters would be handled at the site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Benson said the work suspension could take weeks or longer. The Yucca project has missed self-set deadlines in recent years, and DOE officials have not said when a repository might be opened. Outside experts have said a repository may not be completed until 2015 to 2020. In a Dec. 14 e-mail to employees, Yucca Mountain deputy director John Arthur said DOE was "suspending BSC's authority to approve design and engineering-related technical products subject to our QARD (Quality Assurance Requirements and Description) document." Critics noted DOE has been criticized repeatedly for shortcomings in work documentation and quality controls that are important elements of nuclear projects. They maintained the latest development is more of the same. "This is a stop work order, plain and simple," said Steve Frishman, a full-time technical consultant for the state of Nevada. "It's back to a problem they have had for years and years, which is design control. This is a chronic screwup in this program." DOE officials defended their action, saying the work suspension was a tougher response than in the past. They said it reflected a drive by new managers installed by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to fix problems once and for all on the project. "This is a tough response, when you tell a contractor they no longer have the authority to submit work they are contractually required to submit because they are not following procedure," Benson said. Bechtel SAIC spokesman Jason Bohne said there was shared responsibility between the government and the contractor. "The feds direct us through the contract as to what the requirements are," Bohne said. "This is more of a, 'Let's hold on and collect where we are, complete our review and move forward on the right path.' " According to federal documents and government and nuclear industry officials, the problem was that Yucca management guidelines and databases were allowed to become outdated. The guidelines, a staple in nuclear projects, are the rules that lay out in detail how scientists, engineers and analysts need to document their activities so they can be traced back for safety, effectiveness and consistency with federal regulations and industry practices. Several repository workers who have not been identified filed complaints with the Yucca Mountain employee concerns program starting in August 2004. Complaints also were filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A followup DOE investigation substantiated the claims, according to Arthur. The investigation "revealed that our project has not maintained and properly implemented its requirements management system, resulting in inadequacies in the design control process," Arthur told workers by e-mail. DOE officials issued 14 corrective actions in November on the topic, Benson said. Arthur reported on the matter at a Dec. 7 meeting in Las Vegas attended by DOE managers and staffers from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NRC officials expressed concern. "It appears to be a significant issue," said Elmo Collins, an NRC licensing and inspection official. The NRC is poised to evaluate a repository application whenever the Energy Department finalizes one. "We believe strong actions are required to address the current situation," Arthur said. "It just didn't get the proper management attention." On another front, the Energy Department and Bechtel SAIC are talking about extending the company's Yucca Mountain contract, which expires in March. Representatives of both parties would not discuss the negotiations. Copyright Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2006 Stephens Media ***************************************************************** 26 ABQJOURNAL: Study Nearly Doubles N.M. Uranium Estimate Albuquerque Journal newspaper. Thursday, January 05, 2006 Albuquerque Journal--> Associated Press KELOWNA, British Columbia Strathmore Minerals Corp. says a new study has almost doubled the resource estimate at a New Mexico uranium deposit. An independent technical report increased the estimate to 11.8 million pounds of U3O8, from 6 million pounds, for Strathmore's Church Rock uranium property in the Grants mineral belt of McKinley County, the Kelowna-based firm said Wednesday. The mineral belt was the largest producing uranium district in the world during the last uranium cycle, Strathmore said. The Church Rock property consists of 36 unpatented mining claims on land owned by the U.S. government and administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This Copyright Albuquerque Journal ***************************************************************** 27 Pahrump Valley Times: LETTER: No faith in Yucca January 6, 2006 Mr. Marsh should attend the Nuclear Advisory Board meetings that are held to let the people know that what they are doing is no threat to them whatsoever. The transportation of nuclear waste on (Highway) 160 through Pahrump is closely monitored by the Department of Energy and should there be a spill, they will immediately come out with their pickup truck and two shovels to contain it. Should any of our 40,000 residents become exposed to radiation, they will be transported to a hospital in Las Vegas, one at a time on the helicopter. RICH BROWN For comment or questions, please e-mail webmaster@pahrumpvalleytimes.com Copyright Pahrump Valley Times, 1997 - 2006 ***************************************************************** 28 Salt Lake Tribune: Dietary product firm big Huntsman contributor Article Last Updated: 01/06/2006 07:46:59 AM Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s biggest contributions continue to come from Utah's dietary supplement industry, according to the financial disclosure from his political action committee released Thursday. USANA Health Sciences, based in West Valley City, donated $20,000 to Huntsman's Special Initiatives Office on Dec. 16. That was the largest single donation since the last filing in September. The governor uses the political action committee to pay for gifts, cards and parties that fall outside of his taxpayer-funded role. Since September, the governor raised about $43,000 and spent $84,000. Much of that went toward holiday gatherings, though a little more than $30,000 went to his former fundraisers, Farbman, Hopkins and Associates. Farbman and Hopkins resigned in November after agreeing to lobby on behalf of Envirocare, a low-level radioactive waste landfill. For one year, Huntsman paid them $120,000 out of the donated funds for their political and fundraising help. Huntsman also received donations from American Express, author Richard Paul Evans and Kennecott. - Matt Canham © Copyright 2005, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 29 Deseret News: Utah to test for perchlorate levels in groundwater [deseretnews.com] Sunday, January 15, 2006 Officials found the rocket-fuel chemical in milk from the state Associated Press The state Department of Agriculture and Food will begin testing groundwater for perchlorate this spring after the rocket-fuel chemical was found in milk samples in Utah. Larry Lewis, spokesman for the department, said perchlorate testing will be done in more than 400 water sources in Utah, Summit, Wasatch, Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan counties as part of the state's annual May through October groundwater sampling. Half the samples will be taken from drinking water wells, one quarter from irrigation wells, 15 percent from springs and 10 percent from wells used for livestock. "This is a result of ongoing public concern and interest in perchlorate in the environment," Lewis said. "We want to see if it's in the groundwater, find out what's there and act accordingly." The presence of the chemical in drinking water supplies nationwide has been a growing concern. In December 2004, perchlorate was detected in Utah's tests of milk. The tests contracted to a private lab, DataChem Inc. of Salt Lake City, showed results ranging from 2.95 parts per billion to 6.22 parts per billion in six samples. Five of the six samples tested closer to the higher end. Lewis said his agency is trying to abide by U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. "Their basic recommendation is that those low, low trace amounts appear not to be a problem for consumers, and that people should not alter their diets, avoid foods that contain those extremely low levels of perchlorate." The Environmental Protection Agency has not established a standard for perchlorate but has set a "reference dose" for the substance at 24.5 ppb for drinking water. Meanwhile, some states have opted for tougher controls. Massachusetts, for example, has a standard of 1 ppb. California is considering a 6 ppb standard. Perchlorate is the explosive component of solid rocket fuel. It is used in munitions, including gunpowder, fireworks and highway flares, as well as air bags, leather finishing, rubber, paint and enamel production. Concern over the chemical grew after a 1988 explosion at a perchlorate manufacturing plant in Henderson, Nev., which left two employees dead and allowed the chemical to begin leaching into Lake Mead. That plant was relocated the following year to a site 15 miles west of Cedar City. The state's testing list does not include water supplies near Western Electro-Chemical Corp., or Wecco as it's known. Bill Walker, a vice president of the Environmental Working Group, said omitting testing at the Iron County plant seems to be "a major oversight." Although the chemical has been in use for decades, its impact on human health is unclear. Some studies suggest that perchlorate even above 100 ppb poses no danger; others indicate that even tiny concentrations interfere with thyroid function in fetuses and young children. California first found perchlorate in water sources near military contractors and air fields, then launched a statewide program that revealed many water supplies tested positive. In Utah, the EPA has identified perchlorate in water supplies at Hill Air Force Base; Thiokol, the rocket manufacturer west of Brigham City; and Alliant Techsystems, whose rocket facilities stretch across both West Valley City and Magna. The discovery of perchlorate in one of the Magna Water Co.'s wells prompted it to stop production in the well and get rid of the chemical. "Fortunately, it's been in the 8 to 10 ppb range," said Magna Water manager Ed Hansen. "But until there is a definite (standard established by EPA), our board felt we needed to isolate it and not allow any of it to go into our system." 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company [ /] ***************************************************************** 30 New Haven Advocate: The Nuclear Option The city owns stock in companies with ties to nukes. Should we care? Plus: Changes underway at Public Works and in public art. by Ryan Kearney, Ryan Kearney, Christopher Arnott, Christopher Arnott, Mark Oppenheimer and Mark Oppenheimer - January 5, 2006 KATHLEEN CEI PHOTO Recently, New Haven's Peace Commission proposed that the city divest from 12 companies tied to the manufacture of nuclear weapons--even though the commission didn't know whether the city held any such stock. Turns out the city does. More than $4.7 million of the city's two pensions funds--which total $450 million in value--is invested in eight of the so-called "Dirty Dozen" cited by the commission, says Controller Mark Pietrosimone, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request by the Advocate . The eight companies in which the city holds stock are Alliant, Boeing, General Dynamics, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Mitsubishi Electric, Raytheon, British Aerospace Electronics and Siemens, and the amount invested ranges from $14,175 to more than $1 million. Pietrosimone told the Advocate two weeks ago that divesting from these companies may limit the pensions' performance potential. Al Marder, chairman of the Peace Commission, says that's just not true. "Socially responsible mutual funds do as well, or better, as other funds," he says. "That's a fact. Those figures are available." Some studies found via Google support Marder's claim; some don't. Nonetheless, he says he'll be bring "concrete" proof to the board, who were scheduled to vote on the proposal on Jan. 3. Alderman Ed Mattison says many board members oppose the resolution. Alderwoman Dolores Colon, who supports it, concedes that "people will have to be talked to about it, because I think people will say, Leave the money alone.'" But she believes it can work. "I'm sure we can find equally lucrative investments to make," she says. "We're sort of setting the example, pointing out that there is a higher ground--why don't we go there?" Some aldermen think divestment is a slippery slope. What about polluters, or companies that profit from sweatshop labor? Marder doesn't want the city investing in them, either. "In the best of all possible worlds," he says, "you would eliminate companies that pollute, companies that pay slave labor, violate clean air and water [laws]. I think that's wonderful. What a wonderful world we'd be living in. What is criminal about that?" Nothing. But some say there's nothing practical about his resolution, either. --Ryan Kearney FROM THE TOP DOWN A shake-up is underway atop the Department of Public Works. After holding six long, charged meetings over a 60-day period, the aldermanic committee investigating the Department of Public Works wrapped up its work several weeks ago and submitted 15 recommendations that were approved by the entire board. One of those recommendations, calling for a full-time department head, is soon to become a reality. In its Dec. 19 meeting, the board passed the nonbinding recommendations while also approving the allotment of funds for the hire of a new director, which is expected to happen in March, according to Alderwoman Andrea Jackson-Brooks. DPW director Richard Miller also heads the Engineering Department--his sole position before also taking over the DPW a few years ago. He'll remain the city's engineer. (He was on vacation last week and unavailable for comment.) "Let me state, this is not a reflection" on Miller, said Jackson-Brooks at the meeting. The joint position, she said, "didn't work." Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards, who pushed to form the ad hoc committee, says she thinks "Miller was overwhelmed being the engineer and also the public works person." She says "he's been excellent" in communicating with the board. Surely, though, Miller bears some responsibility for problems in the DPW. The department has been hammered with allegations of racism, sexual harassment, discrimination, intoxication and favoritism; some have been proven unfounded, but others were substantiated. Plus, dozens of disgruntled workers sat through the hours-long hearings, making their discontent apparent with exasperated sighs and muttered curses. The committee also recommended implementing a fair overtime system, having zero tolerance for disrespect of staff, providing a quarterly report on issues in the department, training employees in how to file complaints and grievances, establishing a training program for managers and supervisors, and turning over tapes of the hearings to the police for possible criminal investigations. DPW officials may choose to ignore these resolutions, but unless they want a bona fide rebellion on their hands, they'd better roll up their sleeves and get to work. --Ryan Kearney BANNER DEADLINE If you expect an aesthetic surge, and not just an electrical charge, from city streetlamps, you have rePublicArt to thank. The local arts collective has been decorating downtown lampposts annually for three years now. The 2004 display, with a democracy theme, toured to Kentucky, Michigan and New Hampshire. The group's latest bit of flag-waving is called the Color Project, which rePublicArt founder JoAnn Moran says is "based on diversity. I'm trying to emphasize biodiversity, but heywhatever it means to people. " The banners will be hung around the Green and elsewhere, color-coordinated in the order of rainbow hues. "There's a lot of urban art, a lot of spray," Moran remarks; the skateboard and street art emporium Channel One is one of the project's many sponsors in the New Haven business community, and it will host a Color Project reception with live music at Cafe Nine in February. Moran is humble about her leadership role: "What I do is get people together for public art projects. Anything to plaster the town in a really gray season." For months now, Moran has been helping local artists develop banners and has been holding workshops at schools and senior centers. The city traffic department will start hanging the Color Project banners in a couple of weeks. But Moran is still seeking volunteers through the end of January, either to create more banners or help adapt existing artwork to the banner format. "There are 200 poles around town with brackets on them, at least 120 poles downtown, if you include State Street," Moran says. "There are 26 poles down at the wharf that we didn't even get to last year." To get involved, see or call 641-7045. Christopher Arnott Copyright 1995-2006 New Mass Media. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 31 DOE: U.S. Energy Secretary Bodman Highlights the Economic Incentives of Energy Efficiency at the Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 January 6, 2006 PITTSBURGH, PA  U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman joined Reps. Melissa Hart and Tim Murphy today for the Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 to discuss how communities and companies fuel Pittsburghs economy and how the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will impact jobs and the economy of Pennsylvania. In particular, he highlighted the energy efficiency tax credits made available January 1, 2006. The Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 brought business and community leaders together to discuss Americas energy challenges, the need for economic and energy policies that will promote the nations strong record of economic growth and job creation, and to maintain open lines of communication among Pittsburghs local industry energy leaders. Over the past year, Americas economy has seen steady growth, even in the wake of hurricanes and higher gas prices. said Secretary Bodman. One of the best ways to maintain this prosperity is by using our resources more efficiently and limiting Americas energy demand. Thanks to the new energy legislation signed by President Bush in August, Pennsylvanians can now save money while saving energy. Energy independence is not only an economic issue, it is a national security issue. Promoting energy efficiency and independence are an integral part of overcoming the challenges we face. I am grateful that Secretary Bodman was able to participate in todays discussion on how we help achieve independence and how our region can work together to strengthen our economy, said Congresswoman Hart. The Energy Policy Act passed this year by Congress can have a positive impact for Pittsburgh and allow it to produce the next generation of energy technology and scientists and engineers to develop it, Congressman Murphy said. It constitutes the greatest opportunity for Pittsburgh in decades. Other panelists at the Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 included: Brett Harvey, President/CEO of Consol Energy; Jeffrey Lipton, President/CEO, Nova Chemicals; Dion McMullen, President, Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh; Steve Tritch, President/CEO, Westinghouse Electric Company; and Jim Rohr, Chairman, PNC Bank and incoming Chairman, Allegheny Conference on Community Development. As part of a broader effort to highlight the Bush Administrations economic and energy initiatives, today Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell spoke before the Chamber of Commerce in Tampa, Florida regarding the positive short- and long-term impacts of the Energy Bill on Tampas local economy. Also today, Assistant Secretary Karen Harbert held an event at Lowes Home Improvement Store in Nashville, Tennessee to promote easy ways consumers can save energy and how Americans can take advantage of the tax credits made available by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Media contact(s): Craig Stevens, 202-586-4940 [ ] Department of Energy Assistant Secretary and Rep. Blackburn in Nashville, Tenn. Highlight the Economic Incentives of Energy Efficiency Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 Energy Education Forum U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 | ***************************************************************** 32 DOE: Department of Energy Assistant Secretary and Rep. Blackburn in Nashville, Tenn. Highlight the Economic Incentives of Energy Efficiency January 6, 2006 Department of Energy Assistant Secretary and Rep. Blackburn in Nashville, Tenn. Highlight the Economic Incentives of Energy Efficiency NASHVILLE, TN  Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary Karen Harbert joined Rep. Marsha Blackburn at Lowes Home Improvement store in Nashville, Tennessee today to discuss easy ways consumers can save energy and to highlight new energy efficiency tax credits made available to consumers on January 1, 2006 as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. These tax credits demonstrate how Americans can save both money and energy this year while contributing to nations economy. There are many simple and inexpensive ways we can all help contribute to the nations strong economy while also curbing our energy demand, said Asst. Secretary Harbert. My hope is that the new tax credits will encourage Americans to become more energy efficient in the new year. Together our individual efforts toward energy efficiency can have a tremendous collective impact. We spent a great deal of time at the Energy and Commerce Committee working to find ways to address energy costs, and now we're seeing that effort pay off, said Rep. Blackburn. Its clear that meeting our energy needs and keeping costs low will take creative solutions. This is a great part of our energy affordability plan. Asst. Secretary Harbert offered consumers tips for lowering home energy costs and provided information on the tax benefits now available to consumers who purchase energy-efficient appliances and make energy-efficient upgrades. On October 3, 2005, Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman launched the Department of Energys national Easy Ways to Save Energy campaign, a comprehensive approach to improving energy efficiency for consumers, businesses and the government. As part of a broader effort to highlight the Bush Administrations economic and energy initiatives, today Secretary Bodman joined Pennsylvania Representatives Melissa Hart and Tim Murphy at the Pittsburgh Energy Summit 2006 to discuss how communities and companies fuel Pittsburghs economy and how the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will impact jobs and the economy of Pennsylvania. He also highlighted the energy efficiency tax credits made available January 1, 2006. Also today, Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell spoke before the Chamber of Commerce in Tampa, Florida regarding the positive short- and long-term impacts of the Energy Bill on Tampas local economy. Media contact(s): Julie Ruggiero, 202-586-4940 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 | ***************************************************************** 33 DOE: Deputy Energy Secretary Touts Americas Strong Economy January 6, 2006 - Says innovation is key in meeting future energy challenges - TAMPA, FLA.  In a speech today before the Tampa, Fla. Chamber of Commerce, Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell highlighted the need for national economic and energy policies that will continue Americas strong track record of economic growth and job creation. Our economy is the strongest in the world; more Americans are working today than ever before; and our economy continues on a path of strong, sustained growth, Deputy Secretary Sell said. One of the biggest stories of 2005 was the cost of energy following the hurricanes, and its impact on businesses and consumers. We witnessed firsthand the relationship between energy prices and the economy, and it became clearer than ever that reliable energy supplies are directly connected to our economic health and security. To meet the challenges of the future, and keep our economy growing, America must continue to have an affordable, reliable energy supply. We must, just as we have in the past, continue to innovate and develop advanced energy technologies, said Sell. Deputy Secretary Sell highlighted several innovative, technology based initiatives currently being undertaken by the Department of Energy including: + The development of clean, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that hold the promise of reducing Americas dependence on foreign sources of energy; + The development of a FutureGen power plant which will be able to burn coal  Americas most abundant energy resource - with zero emissions; and, + The need to expand the use of clean, safe nuclear power. The American economy grew 4.1 percent in the third quarter of 2005 -- above the average in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Over the past two years, almost four-and-a-half million jobs have been added to the economy, bringing employment near an all-time high. Earlier in the day, Deputy Secretary Sell toured the Polk Power Station in Polk County, Fla. Part of the U.S. Department of Energys Clean Coal Technology Program, the Polk Power Station was awarded approximately $150 million in funding to demonstrate advanced power generation technologies that provide clean, coal-fueled power, with significantly fewer emissions than traditional coal-fired plants. More information regarding the Department of Energys various technology programs is available at http://www.energy.gov/. Media contact(s): Mike Waldron, 202/586-4940 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 | ***************************************************************** 34 Hanford News: Nuclear safety investigators to check Shearon Harris allegations This story was published Thursday, January 5th, 2006 By Wade Rawlins, Raleigh News &Observer RALEIGH, N.C. - A three-member team from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct interviews next week at Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant to see whether they can verify allegations of lax security at the plant. "This is a special inspection related to concerns that have been raised about inadequate security measures at the plant," said Ken Clark, a spokesman for the NRC in Atlanta. "The NRC staff has not reached any conclusions as to the validity of the concerns. But we are still looking into it, and we are seeking information." A complaint filed in December by N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, a nuclear watchdog group, and the Washington-based Union for Concerned Scientists, alleged lapses in security at the nuclear plant. Owned by Progress Energy, the plant is in southwestern Wake County. Company officials reject the charges and have said that the plant is safe and secure. The complaint alleged that guards, employed by an outside security firm, have been forced to cheat on guard re-licensing tests, made to work while injured, retaliated against for reporting injuries and allowed to sleep on their shifts. N.C. WARN's source of information was an unidentified guard at the Shearon Harris plant. The complaint also contends that the plant has some inoperable intruder detection equipment and doors with worn-out hardware that keeps them from locking properly. "What they really need to do is get in there and talk confidentially and give people some comfort that they are not going to give Progress their names," said Jim Warren, executive director of N.C. WARN, referring to the NRC team. Rick Kimble, a spokesman for Progress Energy, said the company has completed a review of the allegations. Kimble said several of the incidents raised by N.C. WARN were dealt with by the company at the time they happened. He said they could not substantiate other allegations. Kimble said some doors at the plant had inoperable mechanisms, but other precautions were taken until they were fixed. He also said a guard had reported a gunshot in August and the incident was investigated immediately. Kimble said the report was taken seriously, the plant went to a heightened level of security and the Wake County Sheriff's Department was called. But he said no source was found for the gunshot. Kimble said the company could not find evidence that vehicles had passed through security checkpoints without inspection or that guards had been encouraged to cheat on exams, as alleged. "We can't find anybody who will come forward with any sort of evidence," he said. "We believe very strongly that it never happened." 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 35 Hanford News: State hires audit firm to review how DOE handles Hanford workers' comp claims This story was published Thursday, January 5th, 2006 By Shannon Dininny, Associated Press Writer YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - The state Department of Labor and Industries has hired a Seattle audit and consulting firm to review how workers' compensation claims are handled at the Hanford nuclear reservation. The review follows complaints by workers last year that their claims were being mishandled by the Texas-based company hired to oversee the workers' compensation program for the U.S. Department of Energy, which manages cleanup at the highly contaminated Hanford site. The auditing firm Miller &Miller will begin a three-month review of the program beginning this month, with a final report due March 31. The results of the audit and any recommendations will be presented at a public meeting in early April, L said in a statement Wednesday. In June, Hanford workers and several advocacy groups urged the Energy Department to investigate complaints that workers' compensation claims were being mishandled by Contract Claims Services Inc., the Irving, Texas-based company hired to manage the program. Some workers had complained about long delays in getting payments or having to hire lawyers to ensure their claims were processed. The Energy Department agreed to investigate the claims with the state Labor and Industries department assuming the lead role in the review. The state agency awarded Miller &Miller a $100,000 contract to conduct the audit after a competitive bid process, L spokesman Robert Nelson said. The money came from an Energy Department grant. The audit will include interviews with Hanford workers, a review of claim files, as well as an assessment of whether the Energy Department is complying with state statutes and regulations governing workers' compensation, the statement said. A spokeswoman for Contract Claims Services could not be reached for comment late Wednesday. These latest claims are separate from compensation claims that workers may have filed as a result of exposure to radioactive or toxic substances while working at nuclear weapons plants in the Cold War era. Those claims are managed by the Labor Department under a separate program that has also come under scrutiny in recent months. The dispute there centers on the availability of data to prove exposure. A recent audit at the Hanford site found insufficient data about workers' radiation exposure between 1944 and 1968. Critics argue the lack of data could lead federal officials to underestimate workers' exposure, thereby making them ineligible for workers' compensation benefits. Late last year, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health said its advisory board would discuss the audit's findings and evaluate benefits available to former Hanford workers at its next meeting. The 586-square-mile Hanford site was created in the 1940s as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. Today, it is the nation's most contaminated nuclear site, with cleanup costs expected to total $50 billion to $60 billion. 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 36 Hanford News: Haler seeks nuclear facility This story was published Sunday, January 1st, 2006 By Chris Mulick, Herald Olympia bureau OLYMPIA - State Rep. Larry Haler has introduced a resolution asking Congress to consider Hanford for construction of a nuclear power plant that would test the next generation of nuclear technology. It's a shot that's longer than long, and for an array of reasons, including the likelihood that any such demonstration project would be built near the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. The Idaho lab is spearheading development efforts for new technology that would make nuclear reactors safer, more efficient and more reliable. Supporters also envision the reactor producing hydrogen for hydrogen fuel cells that could replace fossil fuels. If nothing else, Haler wants to at least put Hanford on the radar screens of decision makers for future federal endeavors to advance nuclear technology. With the brain power and know-how of having operated federal reactors, the Fast Flux Test Facility experimental reactor and the operating commercial nuclear power plant owned by Energy Northwest, Hanford is an ideal home for a prototype for the nation's nuclear future, Haler said. "I think this is the most rational place to have a demonstration facility," the Richland Republican said. So he figures it couldn't hurt to ask. Often called letters to Santa Claus, resolutions carry no force of law. House Joint Memorial 4025 is merely a request to Congress, the Department of Energy and President Bush. That said, "I don't think it's an empty gesture," Haler said. Before it can be sent, the resolution must be approved by the Legislature, which convenes for a 60-day session Monday, and some state lawmakers likely will frown on a plan that asks for more nuclear power in Washington. Though nuclear plants don't generate the carbon dioxide emissions conventional fossil fuel plants do, the uncertainty over what to do with nuclear waste complicates the issue, said Rep. Jeff Morris, an Anacortes Democrat and chairman of the House Technology, Energy and Communications Committee. "From our caucus' perspective, the back end of the life cycle cost is something that has to be fully accounted for," he said. "Nuclear has been a dirty word in Washington state for a long, long time, but it's not off the table right now," said Sen. Erik Poulsen, a Seattle Democrat and chairman of the Senate Water, Energy and Environment Committee. "I think there will come a day when Washington looks at nuclear as a viable alternative, but I don't think you'll see it in the next 60 days." 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 37 Hanford News: Audit firm to review Hanford health claims This story was published Thursday, January 5th, 2006 By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer Hanford workers could have some answers in April about whether the Department of Energy is correctly handling their health claims. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has hired Miller &Miller, P.S., a Seattle audit and consulting firm, to review DOE's administration of workers' compensation claims. The $100,000 cost is being paid with a DOE grant. A report is due March 31, and will be followed by a public presentation of findings and recommendations in the Tri-Cities in early April. No date has been set. At Hanford's State of the Site meeting held in June in the Tri-Cities, several employees complained that claims for serious health-related illnesses, including berylliosis, an incurable lung disease, were being denied. Workers too often are left with no resort but to hire attorneys to fight claim denials, they said. Within two days DOE managers called for an independent review of the program that handles workers' compensation claims for the nuclear reservation, which once made plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program. In August, DOE announced that L would lead the review. L selected Miller &Miller to perform the review through a competitive bidding process. The review will include interviews with Hanford workers, an audit of claim files, an assessment of whether DOE is complying with state laws and regulations covering self-insurance and an analysis of the organizational structure DOE uses to manage claims at Hanford. The state has asked for an explanation of the complicated system used in handling workers' compensation claims at Hanford, which includes overlapping and complementary responsibilities of DOE, its contractor Contract Claims Services Inc. of Texas, and the U.S. Labor Department. The report also could include recommendations for better communications, quicker decisions and better service for injured workers, according to L. However, the recommendations will not cover the Labor Department's Energy Employees Occupational Illness and Compensation Program, which is providing $150,000 payments to workers with job-related cancer, among other benefits. Miller &Miller has more than 25 years of experience in fiscal and policy analysis, organizational reviews and assessing benefit payment systems, according to the state. The experience includes, through subcontractor Pamela Tellevik, self-insured Washington companies that manage their own workers' compensation claims. DOE contracts with Contract Claims Services Inc. to process worker compensation claims. 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 38 Daily Southtown: Federal shift means U of C can't take Argonne for granted Friday, January 6, 2006 By The Associated Press The University of Chicago will have to compete for the contract to run Argonne National Laboratory for the first time since the research facility was formed 60 years ago. The federal Department of Energy funds and oversees Argonne and this week put the contract out for bid. University officials have recruited industrial partners and other Illinois universities to join in a proposal to govern the lab. They've also argued their case to the state's congressional delegation and hired Washington lobbyists. "We've had to engage some kinds of help in pursuing this just to know what potential competitors are up to," U of C president Don Randel said. The university last year lost its bid to govern Argonne West, a nuclear energy lab in Idaho that had been operated by the school. The winner of that competition, the Ohio-based Battelle Memorial Institute, is considered a contender for Argonne's main campus near Lemont. Argonne was established, along with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, after World War II to reward academics who developed the atomic weapons that ended the war. The universities of Chicago and California were awarded management of the labs by the federal government. Argonne research has centered around harnessing nuclear energy as a civilian power source while also pursuing other basic and applied science goals. Formal bids for the Argonne contract are to be submitted after a comment period ends next month, and a final decision is expected before Sept. 30, when the U of C's contract expires. 2006 Associated Press All rights reserved. This material may ***************************************************************** 39 DOE: Extension of Scoping Period for the Notice of Intent To Prepare FR Doc E6-32 [Federal Register: January 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 4)] [Notices] [Page 927] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06ja06-42] a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration, DOE. SUMMARY: The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is extending the scoping period for the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12), located at the junction of Bear Creek Road and Scarboro Road in Anderson County, Tennessee, near the City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. DATES: The scoping period for the SWEIS is extended from January 9, 2006 to January 31, 2006. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable. ADDRESSES: For information concerning the SWEIS, please contact Ms. Pam Gorman, Y-12 SWEIS Document Manager at (865) 576-9903 or e-mail at: gormanpl@yso.doe.gov. Written comments on the scope of SWEIS can be sent to: Y-12 SWEIS Document Manager, 800 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite A- 500, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830; by facsimile to: (865) 482-6052 or by e-mail to: comments@y-12sweis.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600, or leave a message at 1-800-472-2756. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 28, 2005 (70 FR 71270), NNSA issued an Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an SWEIS for the Y-12 National Security Complex. As originally announced in the NOI, DOE has conducted public scoping meetings on the SWEIS in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on December 15, 2005. The original public scoping period was to continue until January 9, 2006. However, in response to public comments, DOE is extending the public scoping period until January 31, 2006. Issued in Washington, DC on January 3, 2006. Alice C. Williams, NNSA NEPA Compliance Officer. [FR Doc. E6-32 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 40 Sacramento Union: State Supreme Court Takes Livermore Lab Safety Suit SacUnion.com Associated Press Published: January 6, 2006 SAN FRANCISCOThe state Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal of two former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists who claim they were fired for complaining about safety problems. The court said Wednesday it will decide whether to revive a damage suit filed by Les Miklosy and Luciana Messina, who said they were retaliated against for raising safety concerns about a project called the National Ignition Facility _ a superlaser used for investigating nuclear fusion. Miklosy said he was fired two weeks after raising his concerns to managers in 2003, and Messina said she quit about a week later after she learned she was going to be fired. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the case could determine the scope of whistle-blower protections at the University of California, which manages the lab under a federal contract. Lower courts that heard their case ruled that state law does not allow such suits if an employees grievance has been considered and rejected by the university. The university denied the employees were punished for speaking out. Officials said Miklosy was fired for poor performance and Messina was not about to be fired when she left, . ___ Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle > Copyright 2005 - The Sacramento Union, Inc., All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 41 lamonitor.com: Series to focus on morality of nuclear development The Online News Source for Los Alamos KELLY LeVAN, lacommunity@lamonitor.com, Monitor Community Editor Throughout history, science and war have intertwined, perhaps most transparently in work carried out in the "secret city" of the 1940s. Today, many working at Los Alamos National Laboratory continue to face ethical questions about doing so. With this in mind, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church will offer a series of classes titled, "Thinking About Nuclear Weapons: Past, Present and Future." The five presentations, taught by three LANL employees and the Rev. Colin Kelly, pastor of TOTH, will disclose personal memories, analysis, predictions and a more general discussion of ethics. "We're looking at it from the perspective of people involved in the work in the '40s and '50s," Kelly said. "The role they played in the development of nuclear weapons, the thinking that went into continued development and their role in bringing peace and ending the Cold War." He added, "We want to open discussion for people to express insights, wrestling, questioning." Kelly, who will sum up the presentations on the fifth and final date of the program, will concentrate his talk on moral decision-making. "We're focused on the nuclear area but we want to bring to bear on it Christian ethics, shaped by a relationship with Christ," he said. "Nuclear weaponry will serve more as an illustration." However, "our town has been so shaped by the development, storage and safeguarding of nuclear weapons for more than 60 years," he said. "It's important for us to revisit these questions because we have new people coming in all the time." Both Kelly and presenter John Taylor said the series would echo a well-attended set of classes TOTH offered a decade ago. Taylor, who has worked in Los Alamos since the 1950s, said he primarily discuss "why the bomb and how did the people working on it feel. I'm going to tell the story as it appeared to me as a 10-year-old boy during the Japanese invasion." The entire schedule is as follows: + Sunday - Ed Kemp, "The Jewish Element in the Creation of the Bomb." + Jan. 15 - Ed Kemp, "Atmospheric Testing of Nuclear Devices." + Jan. 22 - John Taylor, "Nuclear Thinking During the Cold War." + Jan. 29 - Steve Younger, "The Future of Nuclear Weapons." + Feb. 5 - The Rev. Colin Kelly, "Summary, Analysis, Opinions and a Christian Perspective." Kemp was a member of the team that put the first thermonuclear weapons into the stockpile, and will talk about the environments at the Nevada Test Site, the Pacific Proving Ground, Eniwetok and Bikini Atoll during the 1950s. Younger, currently at work on a book about the future of nuclear weapons, will lecture based on his research. The classes will take place from 9:15-10:15 a.m. Sundays Jan. 8-Feb. 5 at TOTH, before worship services. Don't worry, Kelly said: "No one's required to stay for church." TOTH is located at the corner of Diamond Drive and Canyon Road. Call 662-5107 for more information. 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 42 Belleville News-Democrat: University to compete for Argonne 01/06/2006 | Associated Press CHICAGO - The University of Chicago will have to compete for the contract to run the Argonne National Laboratory for the first time since the research facility was formed 60 years ago. The federal Energy Department funds and oversees Argonne and this week put the contract out for bid. University officials have recruited industrial partners and other Illinois universities to join in a proposal to govern the lab. They've also argued their case to the state's congressional delegation and hired Washington lobbyists. "We've had to engage some kinds of help in pursuing this just to know what potential competitors are up to," U of C President Don Randel said. The university last year lost its bid to govern Argonne West, a nuclear energy lab in Idaho that had been operated by the school. The winner of that competition, the Ohio-based Battelle Memorial Institute, is considered a contender for Argonne's main campus near Lemont. Argonne was established, along with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, after World War II to reward academics who developed the atomic weapons that ended the war. The universities of Chicago and California were awarded management of the labs by the federal government. Argonne research has centered on harnessing nuclear energy as a civilian power source while also pursuing other basic and applied science goals. Formal bids for the Argonne contract are to submitted after a comment period ends next month and a final decision is expected before Sept. 30, when the U of C's contract expires. ***************************************************************** 43 AP Wire: Texas coalition to get debriefing on Los Alamos bid 01/06/2006 Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE - U.S. Department of Energy officials were debriefing Lockheed Martin Corp. and the University of Texas on Friday about why they did not get the contract to run Los Alamos National Laboratory. However, Lockheed spokeswoman Wendy Owen said officials do not expect to be able to discuss the contract award right away. "We're still in a wait-and-see mode," she said. Owen said she expects it to be the middle of next week before Lockheed officials work through the material on the decision. The DOE awarded the contract for the lab Dec. 21 to a team headed by the University of California and the engineering giant Bechtel Corp. UC has operated the lab since its inception in World War II as a top-secret project to build the world's first atomic bomb. But a string of security lapses and allegations of mismanagement led the DOE to put the contract out to bid for the first time in the lab's 60-year-plus history. UC teamed up with Bechtel and UT joined with Lockheed Martin, giving both bidders a university and a corporate presence. The Lockheed-UT team still could appeal the decision, made by Tom D'Agostino, a deputy administrator with the DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration. A board evaluated the two proposals and reported to D'Agostino. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, in announcing the contract, stressed it was a new team that would manage the lab. "This is a new contract with a new team, marking a new approach to the management of Los Alamos. It is not a continuation of the previous contract," Bodman said at a news conference in Washington. ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************