***************************************************************** 02/19/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.42 ***************************************************************** 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 Londong Times: Bush and Blair have brilliantly done Bin Laden's work 2 [NYTr] US Accelerates Preparations for War on Iran 3 [NYTr] Bulgaria Will Help Attack Iran, "If Asked" 4 [NYTr] Int'l Campaign to Stop War on Iran Before It Starts 5 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Says May Allow Atomic Inspections 6 IRNA: Iran and Lebanon say Israel's nuclear arsenal threat for Midea 7 IRNA: FM says ElBaradei's enrichment proposal "a step forward" 8 Xinhua: Iran hails IAEA chief's suggestion on enrichment 9 AFP: Reported ElBaradei nuclear proposal a 'step forward' - Iran 10 AFP: Iran sticks by nuclear 'right' on eve of Russia talks - 11 AFP: Iran can solve nuclear crisis by following Libya's example - US 12 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Makes Overture Ahead of Russian Talks 13 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: U.S. Says No Link Between Financial Sanct 14 US: Independent: Udall seeks hearing on Bush cuts 15 US: Public Citizen: Lobbyist Fundraising Banned, Revolving Door Slow 16 AFP: Deal close on US-India nuclear cooperation - US diplomat - 17 The Observer: Will energy prices come off the boil? 18 The Observer: A metal plate that will cut domestic fuel bills 19 WorldNetDaily: March madness 20 Xinhua: Pakistan expects to broaden co-op with China 21 AFP: French president arrives in India for trade, nuclear talks - 22 Mumbai Mirror: Chirac arrives with nuke deal in hand NUCLEAR REACTORS 23 US: Charlotte Observer: Where will Duke build nuclear plant? 24 US: Fredericksburg.com: Nuclear plant sirens heard, residents say 25 HindustanTimes.com: Don't peg ties on N-deal, says Clinton 26 HindustanTimes.com: Bush pitch for reactor sale 27 Rediff: US for nuclear, economic ties with India 28 Daily Yomiuri: New tool to dismantle N-plants unveiled 29 US: JOURNAL NEWS: NRC official to visit Indian Point 30 US: Rutland Herald: Mass. wants separate nuclear reviews 31 US: APP.COM: Slight majority supports Oyster Creek relicensing 32 US: APP.COM: DEP raises questions about nuclear plant's backup power 33 Xinhua: This year to see end of power shortages 34 US: Daily Times: US seeks safe nuclear coalition 35 Interfax: U.S. to continue program of testing experimental nuclear f 36 US: Hudson Valley News: Reps urge thorough Indian Point review by NR 37 US: Newsday: State wants more info on Oyster Creek backup power -- 38 US: AFP: Bush calls for expanding 'clean' nuclear energy, research - 39 US: GEO World News: US to build more atomic energy plants by the end 40 AFP: India will be major polluter without nuclear power - Chirac - 41 US: Guardian Unlimited: Bush Presses for Nuclear Energy Expansion NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 42 Depleted uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets 43 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells - 44 US: Herald News: More tests in tritium case 45 US: CourierPost: Fallout signs are relics of tense era - 46 US: Cincinnati Post: Nuclear workers paid $1.5B 47 US: Rocky Mountain News: Program for sick nuclear workers targeted f NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 48 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada mine cleanup languished as regulators 49 US: Bradenton Herald: Lockheed Martin offers schools well compensati 50 Porter: PORTER RESPONDS TO DOE TECHNICAL IMPACT REPORT 51 Las Vegas SUN: Hafen set to launch campaign for Congress 52 reviewjournal.com: Yucca science data endorsed 53 US: Washington Post: No Nuclear Reprocessing 54 US: Washington Post: Groundwater Toxin Found at Additional D.C. Site 55 RGJ.com: Bush's nuclear energy plans don't sway Yucca foes 56 Gibbons: Gibbons Blasts Latest DOE Report on Yucca Mountain Science 57 US: Daily Herald: A nuclear traffic solution 58 UPI: Nuclear waste truck leaked lethal dosage PEACE 59 [NYTr] Cuba-Iran Declaration Calls for End to Nuke Weapons US DEPT. OF ENERGY 60 SF New Mexican: LANL Proposed pension fund raises ire of employees 61 Hanford News: Feds change rules for Hanford cancer cases 62 Hanford News: Famous mathematician to join PNNL 63 Hanford News: Battelle must compete to keep PNNL 64 DenverPost.com: Many motions stand between Flats award and final pay 65 lamonitor.com: LANL employees find holes in package 66 Rocky Mountain News: Flats neighbors face deadline on post-trial mot 67 Rocky Mountain News: Vindication at last for all who feared Rocky Fl ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Londong Times: Bush and Blair have brilliantly done Bin Laden's work for him - Sunday Times - Times Online 2-19-06 Simon Jenkins Is Osama Bin Laden winning after all? Until recently I would have derided such a thought. How could a tinpot fanatic who is either dead or shut in some mountain hideout hold the world to ransom for five years? It would stretch the imagination of an Ian Fleming. Now I am beginning to wonder. Not a day passes without some new sign of Bin Laden's mesmeric grip on the governments of Britain and America. His deeds lie behind half the world's headlines. British policy seems obsessed with one word: terrorism. The West is equivocating, writhing, slithering in precisely the direction most desired by its enemy. He must be roaring with delight. On any objective measure, terrorism in the West is a trivial crime. True, New York and London saw outrages in 2001 and 2005 respectively. Both were the outcome of sloppy intelligence. Neither has been repeated, though of course they may be. Policing has improved and probably averted other attacks. But incidents genuinely attributable to Al-Qaeda rather than domestic grievances are comparable to the IRA and pro-Palestinian campaigns. Vigilance is important but only those with money in security have an interest in presenting Bin Laden as a cosmic threat. Indeed if ever there were a case for collective restraint it is in response to terrorism. The word refers to a technique, usually a bomb, not an ideology. A bombing is an anarchic gesture calling for police and medical services. It becomes a political weapon only if publicised and answered with hysteria. A killing is so staged as to cause over-reaction, violent response, mass arrests and a decay of civilised values. Bin Laden's intention in 2001 was to portray the West as scared, emotionally vulnerable, over-reactive, decadent and careless of liberal values. The West has done its damnedest to prove him right. I distrust "basket" analysis but events do sometimes rush in a certain direction. Last week alone brought new revelations of torture by American troops in Iraq. British soldiers were filmed beating demonstrators in Basra. British ministers sought new powers of detention without trial, a national identity database and impediments on free speech. A sectarian leader became prime minister of Iraq and British marines were flown to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. The United Nations demanded the closure of Guantanamo as a torture camp. The European media indulged in an orgy of finger-pointing at Muslim religious sensitivity. Muslim extremists reacted on cue. Were I Bin Laden I could not have dreamt that the spirit of 9/11 would be so vigorous five years on. I have western leaders still parroting my motto that "9/11 alters everything" and "the rules of the game are changed". I have the Taliban resurgent, financed by Europe's voracious demand for oil and opium. I have the Pentagon and Scotland Yard paying me the compliment of a "long war" of indefinite duration. My potency is said to require more defence spending than was needed to contain the might of the Soviet Union. There is now a voluminous literature on the politics of fear and its distorting appeal for democratic leaders (this month alone, David Runciman's admirable The Politics of Good Intentions and Peter Oborne's The Use and Abuse of Terror). The 9/11 "changes everything" mantra began as an explanation of a national trauma and a plea for sympathy. It was hijacked to validate the latent authoritarianism of democratic leaders. America asks the world to believe itself so threatened as to require the kidnappings of foreign citizens in foreign parts, detention without legal process, the curbing of free speech and derogation from all international law. It asks the world to believe that it must disregard the Geneva conventions and employ foreign dictators to help it to torture at random. It uses the same justification for occupying Iraq and Afghanistan. The world simply refuses to agree. Only cringeing Britain appeases such actions and calls them merely "anomalous". There are madmen aplenty, but they do not constitute a war. Even America's most robust champions plead that this is all grotesquely counter-productive. What is frightening is not the evil of much American foreign policy at present but its stupidity; the damage it does to its own objectives. What was terrifying about Soviet power in the cold war was not its mega-tonnage but the incompetence of those controlling it. America and Britain claim the right to invade foreign countries in defiance of international law. This requires at the very least a defensible moral superiority. Americans take this supremacy as read. Moral high ground comes with apple pie and the flag. Yet this supremacy, already questioned by many Americans at home, is in chronic disrepair abroad. Young Europeans and Asians no longer remember the second world war and do not see the world Washington's way. Their belief in America' s wealth is secure. Their belief in its values and their relevance to foreign countries is evaporating, blown away by relentless American belligerence. Last year's BBC poll of 21 countries gave a majority that declared George Bush "a threat to world peace". The result is to cripple America's effectiveness as diplomat and power broker. Take Iran. The emergence of any new nuclear power is alarming. Yet it was tolerated in Israel, India, Pakistan and Korea. Partly because of its isolation, Iran now seems certain to develop a nuclear potential. To respond by increasing that isolation and thus the paranoia of Iran's turbulent and unstable rulers is daft. The sensible realpolitik must be to give Iran no reason to turn potential into actual power, let alone to want to use it. I doubt if there is a world leader who would nominate America as best qualified to handle Iran in its present sensitive state. The war-mongering of the neocon ascendancy - the calls for bombing and the constant listing of targets - seems to mirror the fundamentalist mullahs behind President Ahmadinejad. American policy in the Middle East is so counter-productive as to be the problem, not the solution. In desperation British and German leaders turned last week to the new "multi-polars", Russia and China, for help with Tehran. This suggests a world moving towards new axes, seeking new leadership and distancing itself from American myopia. The spectacle is similar to the free world's isolation of the Russian Comintern in the mid-20th century. Such a recourse is fool's gold. China and Russia are no more likely to exert sustained influence on the world stage than did Europe's fragmented diplomacy over the past quarter century. Both have trade interests in Iran and much to gain as brokers of power in the region. Neither is a substitute for America. Neither carries the moral suasion of open and competitive democracy. Both face rumbling insurgencies on their frontiers. Yet the West turns to them in its hour of need. That is the measure of America's collapse. There never was a "terrorist threat" to western civilisation or democracy, only to western lives and property. The threat becomes systemic only when democracy loses its confidence and when its leaders are weak, as now. Terror attacks are for the police. For George Bush and Blair to demand a "long war" against Bin Laden and, by implication, a long suppression of civil liberty is ludicrous. Western civilisation is not some simpering weakling that cowers before a fanatic 's might, pleading for leaders to protect it by all means, however illegal. It has been proof against Islamic expansionism since the 17th century. It is not at risk. The American president and the British prime minister have spent half a decade exploiting Bin Laden for political ends, in thrall to their security/industrial complex. They have relied on terrifying their electorates with new and bloodcurdling threats, with what Runciman calls "spook politics". But they will pass. The half-baked "message" laws passed by Britain's limp parliament last week will fall in disuse. The vitality of British and American democracy has always been its ability to produce antibodies when truly challenged by an internal or external menace. The West will rediscover its self-belief and restore the liberalism, properly defined as freedom, that it once exemplified to the world. Bin Laden is not going to win and never was. But Bush and Blair are giving him an astonishing run for his money. Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times. ***************************************************************** 2 [NYTr] US Accelerates Preparations for War on Iran Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 19:58:55 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by mart Zaman (Turkey) - February 18, 2006 http://www.zaman.com/?bl=columnists&alt=&trh 060218&hn=29836 They are Making Preparations By FIKRET ERTAN The Iran crisis, figuratively speaking, is spreading and turning into a Catch-22 situation with all the increasing complexities arising from the new developments. In one of these developments, Iran halted bilateral talks over the Russian formula for its uranium enrichment program, an idea Tehran had said it could accept as a way to seek a solution to the crisis. The talks were scheduled to take place in Moscow on Thursday (today), however, the recent remarks by Iranian spokesman Gholamhossein Elham about a "new situation" seemed to indicate a suspension of the talks indefinitely. In another development, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hinted at the possibility of pulling out the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), in a public address he delivered on the 27th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. Ahmadinejad's statements also implied another possibility of closing all the doors of negotiations. Along with all these ongoing developments, there are also certain countries perturbed by Iran's nuclear activities and want to thwart Tehran's efforts to acquire military nuclear technology. These countries are now planning possible military strikes against Iran. It is clearly understood that the United States leads the way. US officials have already emphasized that anything is possible, including a military operation against Iran. The US administration recently upgraded its Iran war plans, thus demonstrating a great sense of urgency and determination. The British Daily Telegraph newspaper published a detailed report in its Sunday edition, and summed it under the headline, "US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites." "The most likely strategy would involve an aerial bombardment carried out by long-distance B2 bombers, each loaded with up to 40,000lbs of precision weapons, including the latest bunker-busting devices. They would fly from bases in Missouri with the aid of midair refueling tankers," the report said. Missiles from submarines would also add to the overall effect of the bombardment. It is certain that the US administration nowadays is engaged in drawing up plans and making preparations; the administration is even in the process of taking further action that would be impossible to know or guess. It would be wrong to think that Iran would remain inactive while facing threats of a possible attack. This country undoubtedly is developing plans and preparing to defend itself against any attack, modifying its defense systems, and trying to acquire new defense systems to replace the old ones. There is no doubt about it. As a matter of fact, Iran recently signed an important contract with Russia, whose proposal for uranium enrichment has been turned down by Iranian officials. This contract covers an air defense missile system that Russia has agreed to sell to Iran. It was Mikhail Dimitriyev, Russia's Deputy Defense Minister for Defense Cooperation who announced the deal on February 9. Dimitriyev declined to specify the details of the contract, only saying that Russia has signed a contract with Iran on an air defense system that would be used for defense purposes. The contract signed in December stipulates that Russia will provide Iran with the 29 Tor-1 air defense missile system and the Pecora-2A type, worth $700 million, according to the Russian media. The portable Tor-1 system is designed to respond to threats at low or medium altitudes, and can respond simultaneously against two targets at a distance of 12 km apart, experts said. In addition to this system, Iran reportedly will purchase some S-300 type air defense systems which are far more successful. All I have mentioned here, all the media has recently covered and all that has happened, undoubtedly, do not come as a surprise. Needless to say, the two sides are pursuing different military plans and preparations. In short, both sides are actually making preparations for "that day" none of us would wish. Let's hope "that day" never comes, that day when the whole world will turn upside down and there will definitely be massive destruction followed by intense pain and suffering. * ================================================================ .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 [NYTr] Bulgaria Will Help Attack Iran, "If Asked" Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 19:58:55 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by mart Xinhua News Agency - February 14, 2006 NATO might attack Iran: Bulgarian minister SOFIA - Bulgaria as a NATO member will join a possible strike on Iran if the Alliance is accredited to launch the attack, Bulgarian Defense Minister Veselin Bliznakov said on Monday. Talking to a local TV channel, Bliznakov said that the U.S.-led NATO might attack Iran aiming at stopping it from developing nuclear weapons. "This might happen if the situation becomes really complicated," commented the minister. Bulgaria maintains really good relations with the countries from the Arab world, underlined Bliznakov, but Bulgaria also supports the European standpoint on the "Iran issue", which demands Iran's transparency in the domain of nuclear technology, self-control and guarantees of not developing a nuclear weapon. However, the minister said, there are still not enough guarantees made by the Iranian authorities. The U.S. military are drawing up a plan for attack on Iran with an aim to stop it from developing nuclear weapons, in case diplomatic efforts fail, unveiled the British "Sunday Telegraph" on Feb. 12. The Central Command and Strategic Command planners were "identifying targets, assessing weapon-loads and working on logistics for an operation," the newspaper reported. * ================================================================ .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 ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 4 [NYTr] Int'l Campaign to Stop War on Iran Before It Starts Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 13:20:16 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit sent by mart StopWarOnIran.org - Feb 15, 2006 http://stopwaroniran.org STOP THE WAR ON IRAN CAMPAIGN Join Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Howard Zinn, Harold Pinter, Bishop Filipe C. Teixeira, George Galloway, Ramsey Clark, Tony Benn, and others in an International Campaign to STOP the War on Iran before it starts! http://StopWarOnIran.org Send emails to Bush, Cheney, Congress, the UN, and the media saying No War On Iran! http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.shtml Stop the war on Iran before it starts! Sign the statement http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.shtml It is with grave concern that we observe the growing threat of a new U.S. war--this time against the people of Iran. The media is filled with reports of an alleged nuclear threat posed by Iran and the assumed need for the U.S. to take military action. These reports recall the "Weapons of Mass Destruction" stories issued in the months leading up to the war on Iraq. In the lead up to the illegal invasion of Iraq, the Bush Administration asserted that Iraq possessed massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction and that it was capable of launching an attack - nuclear, chemical and biological - on the U.S. within 45 minutes. President Bush said that the U.S. had to attack immediately, and could not "wait for the final proof -- the smoking gun-- that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." We all know now that this propaganda campaign was a complete fabrication created to justify a war of aggression. Now we see reports that are all too similar being made to justify military action against the people of Iran. Taking Iran to the UN Security Council is a prelude for unilateral action. Just as in the case of Iraq, none of the claims made by the U.S. government stand up to unbiased scrutiny. Iran has submitted to the most intrusive and humiliating inspections, above and beyond what is required by Nuclear Weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). None of the inspections have found any evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program. There is only one government that has used nuclear weapons against civilian populations, and that same nation has the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction on the planet. Most dangerous and incredible it is at this very moment developing a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons that it intends to use, not merely to threaten. That country is, of course, the United States. Shouldn't any real discussion of the dangers of nuclear weapons include the weapons stockpiled by the Pentagon and the history of U.S. aggression and interventions? Iran has suffered greatly at the hands of the U.S. We recall the U.S. overthrew the democratically elected government of Dr. M. Mossadegh and returned the Shah to the Peacock Throne "the proudest achievement of the CIA". For 25 years the Shah ruled Iran with an iron fist for the benefit of U.S. oil corporations before the people of Iran, in the millions, overthrew his tyranny at a terrible cost in lives. For the past 27 years U.S. sanctions have impeded Iran's right to development and brought great suffering to the people. It is essential that all voices opposed to the devastation of a new war in the Middle East speak out now. We urge an immediate end to Washington's campaign of sanctions, hostility, and falsehood against the people of Iran. We oppose any new U.S. aggression against Iran. We need funds for human needs, not endless war for empire. Initial Signers (add your name) http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.shtml Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Detroit Archdiocese, Founding President of Pax Christi* The Most Rev. Filipe C. Teixeira, OFSJC, Diocesan Bishop, Diocese of Saint Francis of Assisi, CCA Michael Parenti, author Ramsey Clark, former U.S. Attorney General Howard Zinn, author, historian George Galloway, MP, Britain Tony Benn, MP, Britain Harold Pinter, 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature Margarita Papandreou, former First Lady of Greece Ardeshir Ommani, co-founder of American-Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) David Sole, President UAW, Local 2334*, Detroit Steve Gillis, President, USWA Local 8751* Elena Everett, Chair, NC Green Party*, Co-Chair, GPAX (Green Party Peace Action Committee)* Dirk Adriaensens, coordinator SOS Iraq, exec. committee Brussells Tribunal) Hani Y. Awadallah, President, Arab American Civic Organization Axis of Logic Dr. Barbara Nimri Aziz, Executive producer of RadioTahrir-WBAI-NY Brian Barraza, AMAT, Association of Mexican American Workers Sharon Black, All Peoples Congress Jean Bricmont, Brussels Tribunal Brookline PeaceWorks John Catalinotto, Editor Metal of Dishonor Ed Childs, Chief Steward, Unite Here Local #26* Michel Collon, writer, publicist, Stop USA Heather Cottin, Freeport Community Worklink Center* Tiphaine Dickson, attorney LeiLani Dowell, Queers for Peace & Justice Gregory Elich, author, researcher Leslie Feinberg, Nat'l Lgbt Caucus Co-chair, National Writers' Union/UAW*, Jersey City, NJ Sara Flounders, International Action Center Lenora Foerstel, Vice Pres. Women for Mutual Security* Tiokasin Ghosthorse, First Voices Indigenous Radio Peter Gilbert, FIST - Fight Imperialism, Stand Together Farrukh Sohail Goindi, Foundation for Democracy-Pakistan Teresa Gutierrez, NY Committee to Free the Cuba 5 Samia Halaby, Defend Palestine, NYC Klaus Hartmann, Chairman, German Freethinkers Association Jesse Lokahi Heiwa, QueerJustice.org Imani Henry, Playwright/Performer Nellie Hester Bailey, Harlem Tenants Council Sherif Hetata, MD, novelist,International Coordinating Committee of the Mediterranean Social Forum* Larry Holmes, Troops Out Now Coalition Yoomi Jeong, Korea Truth Commission Berta Joubert-Ceci, Philadelphia International Action Center Charlotte Kates, NJ Solidarity Activists for the Liberation of Palestine Khadouri al-Kaysi, Committee to Support the Iraqi People Nada Khader, Director of WESPAC* Foundation Beth Lamont, NY Humanist Society* Dustin Langley, No We Wont Go counter-recruiting network Robert Merrill, Ph.D.,Professor, Maryland Institute College of Art*, Baltimore, MD MLK, Jr. Bolivarian Circle, Boston Monica Moorehead, Millions for Mumia New England Human Rights for Haiti Erik-Anders Nilsson, Jersey City Peace Movement Eleanor Ommani, American-Iranian Friendship Committee (AIFC) John Parker, LeftBooks.com Pam Parker, shop steward, Washington/Baltimore Newspaper Guild(WBNG) #32035 Rostam Pourzal, Iranian Cultural Association*, Washington DC Ralph Poynter, New Abolitionist Movement* Minnie Bruce Pratt, Lesbian Author/activist, National Writers Union*, Jersey City, NJ Anne Pruden, 1199 SEIU delegate* Milos Raickovich, composer, New York Gloria Rubac, Steward, Houston Federation of Teachers, Local 2415* Nawal El Saadawi, Writer and Psychiatrist, President, Arab Women's Solidarity Association*, Njeri Shakur, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement Nana Soul, Artists and Activists United for Peace Annie & Buddy Spell, Covington Peace Project, Covington LA Lynne Stewart, attorney Lynne Stewart Defense Committee Johnnie Stevens, Peoples Video Network Brenda Stokely, New York City Labor Against the War Mark Lewis Taylor, Professor of Religion & Culture, Princeton Theological Seminary* Nadja Tesich, Author, Playwright, Poet Usavior, Artists and Activists United for Peace Tony Van Der Meer, Prof. Univ. of Massachusetts, Boston* Klaus von Raussendorff, Association for International Solidarity*, Germany Michael Tarif Warren, attorney Dave Welsh, Delegate, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO* Walter Williams, People Judge Bush How Your Can Help: Sign your name http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.shtml Make a donation http://stopwaroniran.org/donate.shtml Download Lies, Lies, Lies - Bush, Iraq and Iran http://stopwaroniran.org/lieslieslies.pdf Download the Stop War on Iran petition http://stopwaroniran.org/petition.pdf StopWarOnIran.org StopWarOnIran@StopWarOnIran.org ============================================= Help place this ad in major newspapers across the U.S. http://stopwaroniran.org/iranada.pdf Donate to help get the word out StopWarOnIran.org, a grassroots effort, has launched a massive public education campaign to oppose the drive towards a new war against the people of Iran. As part of this effort, we need your help to place this full page ad in major newspapers across the U.S. http://stopwaroniran.org/donate.shtml * ================================================================ .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 ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 5 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Says May Allow Atomic Inspections From the Associated Press [UP] Friday February 17, 2006 7:31 PM PARIS (AP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator conditionally offered to reopen the country's suspected nuclear facilities to snap international inspections, the Iranian Embassy in Paris said Friday. Ali Larijani made the offer in a French radio interview Thursday - the same day that France's foreign minister accused Iran of having a secret military nuclear program, the embassy said in a statement. It paraphrased Larijani as saying that the best way to guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful would be inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the use of centrifuges that would limit the degree to which Iran could enrich uranium. When highly enriched, uranium can be used to make nuclear bombs. ``If such guarantees were accepted, Iran would accept to submit the additional protocol to parliament for ratification,'' said the embassy statement. The protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty gives U.N. nuclear inspectors the power to conduct inspections on short notice of suspect areas and programs. The Additional Protocol was signed by Iranian officials in 2003 as pressure intensified on Tehran to cooperate with IAEA inspectors probing more than 18 years of clandestine nuclear activities. Although the country has generally honored the pact, it was never formally ratified The protocol gives the agency special inspecting powers that allow inspections on short notice of areas and programs that could be used for weapons activity. Iran earlier this month served notice that it would stop abiding by the agreement in response to a decision by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to report it to the U.N. Security Council because of suspicions its nuclear activities might serve as a cover for an arms program. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 6 IRNA: Iran and Lebanon say Israel's nuclear arsenal threat for Mideast , Feb 17, IRNA Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki and his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh here on Friday called Israel's nuclear arsenal "A big threat for Middle East." During the meeting in which the two countries' top diplomats surveyed the ways to strengthen bilateral ties, regional and international developments, Mottaki and Salloukh asked for declaring the Middle East as a WMD-Free Region. The Lebanese Foreign Minister at a press conference after the meeting referred to the present threats against the Middle East and the Persian Gulf security, posed particularly by Israel. He also stressed that the Lebanese resistance movement had played a very positive role in liberation of the occupied parts of southern Lebanon. Salloukh also expressed hope that the historic ties between Iran and Lebanon would be resorted properly, considering the strengthening of the two countries' ties in line with the interests of the two nations. He added, "In my meeting with Mottaki we talked about ways to expand bilateral political and cultural relations, activate our bilateral economic committee, and encourage the Iranian private sector to make greater investments in Lebanon." The Lebanese Foreign Minister referring to the Lebanese nation's will to hold frank and tension-free dialogues, reiterated, "Iran has adopted a positive stand in dealing with all Lebanese political and religious tendencies." Focussing on Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Salloukh reiterated, "The best way to tackle the problem is to survey the matter free from double standards, particularly since Iran has repeatedly stressed that its nuclear program is entirely aimed at peaceful purposes." The Iranian FM, too, said, "The Iranian nation and government, based on their religious beliefs, consider manufacturing of any type of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as a move against the entire mankind." He labeled the US officials' accusations regarding Iran's nuclear dossier as "a big lie" aimed at deviation of the world public opinion from realities. He further reiterated, "Unfortunately, under the US pressure, the European countries, too, that consider being benefitted from nuclear energy Iran's right, are not willing to cooperate with Tehran now." Mottaki emphasized, "The Iranian nation and government are determined to finalize Iran's nuclear dossier neither in Europe, nor in the United States, but in Tehran." He considered the engagement of British armed forces with Iraqi civilian youth in Basra as "broad violation of human rights", adding, "The presence of those forces in Basra is not only a threat against that city's residents now, but also a security threat for Iran due to their probable interference in southern Iranian regions, and they must therefore immediately leave that region." Mottaki said, "Experience tells us that Israel is a usurper regime that has always sponsored terrorism and constantly pursues the policy of destablizing the region and fomenting tension in the Middle East." He added, "Victory of Hamas Islamic resistance movement in Palestinian parliamentary elections was in fact the victory of the resistance movement in entire region." Referring to the worries of the families of the four kidnapped Iranian diplomats in Lebanon in 1982, Mottaki asked for clearing their fate, stressing, "Those kidnapped diplomats' families are still waiting for their return." It is said that the pro-Israeli forces in Lebanon transferred the kidnapped Iranian diplomats to occupied Palestine through the sea shortly after detaining them in 1983. The Iranian Foreign Minister once again condemned the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and emphasized on importance of clarifying the details and punishing the criminals involved in that plot. Hariri, along with twenty one other Lebanese citizens, got killed in a horrendous explosion in west of Beirut in 2005. Mottaki considered the anti-Islamic caricatures published in Danish and certain other European press as "a move aimed at humiliating the Islamic World" and considered as "very natural" the emotional rallies launched throughout the Islamic world, and a move that could bring to an end repetition of such insulting moves in the future. The profane cartoons, published in not so famous dailies in such non-political states as Denmark and Japan over recent weeks, are a plot jointly hatched by the US and Britain to challenge the beliefs and sanctities of Muslims. The drawings, deemed as a psychological attempt, have sparked strong protests and demonstrations in the Muslim states. ***************************************************************** 7 IRNA: FM says ElBaradei's enrichment proposal "a step forward" Tehran, Feb 18, IRNA Iran-FM-Nuclear Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki here Saturday welcomed a proposal by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei for Iran to be able to conduct small-scale enrichment within its territory, terming it as "a step forward." Mottaki was talking to reporters on the fringes of the 8th Iran- Tunisia Joint Economic Commission session. "We welcome our friends' positive view toward the issue of enrichment inside Iran and regard it as a step forward. "We are still ready to continue negotiations," Mottaki said. "We have always held the view that with regard to the nuclear issue there are two sides to be considered: one is to remove concerns of certain countries on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities by providing necessary guarantees and the other is to defend the legitimate right of the Iranian nation to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful purposes," he added. He said Iran was determined to find a suitable formula for building confidence on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities that would at the same time preserve its nuclear right. Asked whether ElBaradei's remark was an offer or a confirmation given to the proposal by the IAEA Board of Governors, the minister responded: "Certain views have been expressed. We find the view that upholds enrichment in Iran as a step forward." Referring to Iran's recent resumption of small-scale uranium enrichment at its Natanz facility, Mottaki said, "We resumed this work within our territory based on our legal right and within the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. But we are not at the industrial level of fuel production yet." He said Iran is ready to continue talks with its friends to reach a comprehensive formula. In response to a question on US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent remarks of a 75-million-dollar fund provided by the US for Iran opposition groups under its Foundation for Democracy Program in the Middle East, Mottaki urged Rice to look into the cases of her predecessors. "Over the past 27 years, the US record has been one of interference while under the Algeria Declaration it has made the commitment of not interfering in Iran's internal affairs." The US has the notorious reputation of being a violator of laws and conventions, he noted. He further said that a review of US history would show that interference returns empty handed. He then urged US officials to appropriate the budget for a more important cause that would bring benefits to the US nation. "This project only goes to show that hatred against the United States has increased tremendously throughout the world in recent years," he said. "If US statesmen conduct a proper study and redefine this project we will even help," he added. ***************************************************************** 8 Xinhua: Iran hails IAEA chief's suggestion on enrichment www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-18 21:10:07 TEHRAN, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Saturday hailed as "a step forward" a recent suggestion to allow Iran to perform small-scale uranium enrichment by the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief to break the deadlock over the issue. "We welcome our friend's positive view toward the issue of enrichment inside Iran and regard it as a step forward," Mottaki said. Some western media recently quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), had recently expressed worry that it would be hard to reach a compromise on the Iranian nuclear issue unless the Islamic Republic is allowed to conduct small-scale enrichment work. According to ElBaradei, a deal could be made by permitting Iran to operate a pilot enrichment plant for small-scale work in exchange for Tehran's withdrawal from industrial-scale enrichment. Mottaki said Iran was ready to continue negotiations on the compromise plan and was determined to find "a suitable formula for building confidence on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities that would at the same time preserve its nuclear right." "We find the view that upholds enrichment in Iran as a step forward. Iran is ready to continue talks with its friends to reach a comprehensive formula," Mottaki stressed. On Friday, the Iranian Embassy in France said in a statement that Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani had made a new proposal on guaranteeing the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities. According to the statement, Larijani told French media that the guarantees could be provided by Iran's admittance of IAEA's inspections and the appliance of centrifuges which are restricted to produce low-enriched uranium. The statement also said in case the new proposal be accepted, Iran would submit the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to the Majlis (Parliament) for ratification, which the Iranian government signed in late 2003 but failed to be approved by the Majlis. Tensions over Iran's nuclear program reached a critical stage after Tehran took retaliative measures recently in reaction to the decision of the IAEA board of governors on Feb. 4 to report its nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council. Iran has suspended what it defined as "voluntary measures" to build confidence, ceasing the implementation of the additional protocol and resuming some small-scale uranium enrichment work for research purpose. Uranium enrichment is a key step for constructing nuclear fuel cycle, but highly enriched uranium can be used for building nuclear weapons. Iran and Russia will hold negotiations on Monday in Moscow to discuss a Russian proposal that the two countries establish a joint venture in Russia to enrich uranium for Iran. Iran has vowed that it must enrich uranium on its own soil but said Moscow's proposal is negotiable. The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, and the European Union holds that Iran's full mastery of nuclear fuel cycle technology will possibly lead to military usage. However, Iran rejects the allegation as politically motivated, insisting that its nuclear program is fully peaceful and aimed at meeting rising domestic demand for electricity. Enditem Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 AFP: Reported ElBaradei nuclear proposal a 'step forward' - Iran Sat Feb 18, 10:25 AM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran" /> said that a reported proposal by the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog for the Islamic republic to be allowed to conduct small-scale uranium enrichment work was a "step forward". Diplomats have said the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency" /> , Mohamed ElBaradei, has warned in quiet diplomacy that it will be hard to strike a compromise in the mounting crisis unless Iran can conduct limited fuel work. ElBaradei has reportedly said a deal could hinge on letting Iran operate a pilot enrichment plant while also giving guarantees not to conduct industrial-scale enrichment. "We regard this proposal as an indication of accepting enrichment in Iran and a step forward," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA on Saturday. "We have two main aims in nuclear negotiations: one is to clear some countries' concerns by giving the required guarantees about the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear activities, the second is to obtain Iran's legitimate rights which is having peaceful nuclear technology." Western powers have reportedly rejected the idea, sticking to their argument that Iran should not be allowed to possess reactor fuel-making technology that could be extended to make the fissile core of a nuclear bomb. On February 4, the IAEA's board reported Iran to the UN Security Council, a move that exposes the country to the risk of sanctions. But Iran has responded by continuing to back away from a freeze on fuel cycle work it agreed to more than two years ago. Iran insists its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes, and argues that enrichment is a right enshrined by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Moscow has proposed hosting Iranian enrichment in Russia so Iran would not acquire "breakout" technology, but Tehran says it must be allowed to enrich on its own soil. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 10 AFP: Iran sticks by nuclear 'right' on eve of Russia talks - Sun Feb 19, 8:16 AM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran" /> Iranhas said it was standing by its "right" to enrich uranium on its own soil, just a day before talks with Russia aimed at finding a compromise on the ultra-sensitive nuclear work. The negotiations on Moscow's offer to carry out ultra-sensitive uranium enrichment work on Russian soil are seen as a last chance for Tehran to avoid being hauled before the UN Security Council for punitive action. Having already been reported to the UN Security Council, Iran is also under pressure to provide greater access to International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic Energy Agencyinspectors and return to a full freeze of enrichment work -- which can be extended to weapons making. But the tone in Tehran was defiant. "The negotiations are not taking place with conditions and the Islamic republic's officials have said they will not back down in defending their rights," national security official Ali Hosseini-Tash, who will be leading the Iranian team to Moscow, told state television Sunday. Russia is hoping the idea will satisfy Western objections to Iran holding technology that can be extended to make weapons, while at the same time providing the Islamic republic with fuel for its nuclear energy drive. But Iran says it only wants to make electricity and that its right to enrich uranium for fuel is therefore enshrined under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who is expected to meet separately on Monday with European officials in Brussels, also said other countries must "accept fuel making in Iran in accordance with the NPT." "The Russian plan needs more discussions and clarifications, notably on who can participate in the plan, its calendar and on the places where enrichment can take place," Mottaki was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA. There have been growing doubts Iran would accept the Russian compromise following its decision to restart its own small-scale uranium enrichment while at the same time mobilising public opinion in a way that leaves little room for compromise. Opinion has also been hardening in the West, with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Ricethis week branding Iran's government "a strategic challenge to the United States, to the world, and a destabilising influence in the Middle East." France's Foreign Minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, has also accused Iran of harbouring "a clandestine, military" project. If Iran rejects the Russian plan, tension will rise rapidly ahead of the March 6 meeting of the UN Security Council, possibly opening the way to a debate on sanctions -- an escalation that analysts say could have unpredictable, dangerous consequences. Russia is doubly interested in resolving the row, analysts say. Moscow has no desire to see Iran become nuclear armed and is also Iran's closest nuclear partner, with Russian engineers in the latter stages of building the country's first atomic power station at Bushehr. Three days after the Iranian delegation visits Moscow, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom, is due to travel to Iran, partly to inspect the Bushehr construction site. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 11 AFP: Iran can solve nuclear crisis by following Libya's example - US - Sun Feb 19, 4:57 PM ET NEW YORK (AFP) - Iran" /> Irancould defuse international concerns over its nuclear program by following the example of Libya, the US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, said in an interview. Libya renounced weapons of mass destruction in 2004, leading to a rapprochement between Washington and Tripoli after 24 years of isolation and sanctions. Asked if the dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions could be resolved through diplomacy, Bolton told Time Magazine: "Sure. I never would have guessed that Libya was prepared to make the calculation that they were safer giving up the pursuit of nuclear weapons than continuing to go after them, and yet they did (give them up). "And that led to substantial progress in the relationship between Libya and the United States. If Libya can do it, Iran can do it too." Bolton added: "That's why I say the decision ultimately is largely in their hands." The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations" /> United Nations' nuclear watchdog, has referred Iran to the UN Security Council over its disputed nuclear program, a step that Washington had long called for. Tehran insists its nuclear research is solely designed to generate electricity but Western governments suspect Iran is secretly seeking to build atomic weapons. Iran has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment and refused international demands to suspend all enrichment activities. Bolton, known for his blunt manner of speaking, said Iran will face greater international pressure if it failed to change its stance. "The administration has believed for over three years that the Iranian nuclear weapons program should have been referred to the Security Council because the program constitutes a threat to international peace and security," Bolton said. "And now that it's (at the UN headquarters) in New York, we have the ability and we should -- if the Iranians don't change their policy -- increase the pressure on them to give up the pursuit of nuclear weapons." Bolton also was asked about the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region and expressed caution about possible US military action. While acknowledging the situation constituted "genocide," Bolton said: "It's easy to be casual about putting military people into play when their lives can be lost. "You could end up with a lot of dead military people and not save a single civilian. I don't think that's a sign of success." On Friday, President George W. Bush" /> President George W. Bushcalled for increasing the number of peacekeeping troops in Darfur with a greater role for NATO" /> NATO. The combined effect of the war in Sudan and one of the world's worst humanitarian crises has left up to 300,000 people dead and an estimated 2.4 million displaced. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 12 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Makes Overture Ahead of Russian Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Saturday February 18, 2006 6:31 AM By JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press Writer PARIS (AP) - Iran has floated the prospect of reopening its nuclear program to snap inspections and renewing contacts with European negotiators in a possible overture ahead of talks with Russia next week. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, made the offers in a French radio interview on Thursday, but they went largely unnoticed until Iran's embassy in Paris issued a statement Friday summarizing his comments. The best guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful would be inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog, and the use of centrifuges that would limit Iran's enrichment of uranium, Larijani said, according to the embassy. The embassy statement said American and British scientists have proposed the use of such centrifuges, but the U.S. and British have not publicly spoken about such an offer. Centrifuges are used to process uranium so that it can fuel nuclear reactors or, when highly enriched, make fissile material for nuclear bombs. The Iranian embassy said that a deal on centrifuges could prompt Iran to agree to an international pact, known as the Additional Protocol, that would allow snap inspections of areas and programs that could be used for weapons activity. ``If such guarantees were accepted, Iran would accept to submit the additional protocol to parliament for ratification,'' the statement said. Iranian officials signed the so-called Additional Protocol in 2003 as pressure intensified on Tehran to cooperate with inspectors probing more than 18 years of clandestine nuclear activities. Although the country has generally honored the pact, it was never formally ratified. Iran earlier this month served notice that it would stop abiding by the agreement in response to a decision by the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to report it to the U.N. Security Council because of suspicions Iran's nuclear activities were a cover for an arms program. The Security Council has the power to impose economic and political sanctions on Iran. The Iranian embassy's unusual effort to draw attention to Larijani's comments came a day after the French foreign minister accused Iran of having a secret military nuclear program, which Iran denies. It also came ahead of talks next week on a Russian proposal to move Iran's uranium enrichment program to Russia and abandon enrichment on Iranian soil for a significant period of time. The Russian offer has been backed by the United States and the European Union as a way to provide international oversight of Iran's nuclear activities and to ease international suspicions that Tehran aims to use its nuclear program to produce weapons. Iran's lukewarm attitude has drawn suspicions that it was merely using the proposal to stall for time. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Friday that the talks with an Iranian delegation will be difficult and their outcome impossible to predict, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. The Iranian embassy statement did not mention the talks. But it said that Iran is ``disposed'' to negotiate with all countries except for Israel. It also urged the European Union to propose new solutions to the crisis ``instead of repeating the positions of the United States,'' which has long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. France, Britain and Germany have led EU negotiations with Iran. ``If Europe changes its language with regard to Iran and recognizes our country's right to peaceful nuclear technology,'' the embassy statement said, ``the Iranian side will be fully disposed to cooperate.'' The U.S. representative to the IAEA pressed Turkey on Friday to convince Iran that is increasingly isolated and distrusted by the international community because of its nuclear ambitions. Gregory Schulte said the coming weeks would be crucial to the effort to find a diplomatic solution to the dispute before the Security Council takes up the matter next month. --- Associated Press Writer George Jahn contributed to this report from Vienna, Austria. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 13 Korea: Digital Chosunilbo: U.S. Says No Link Between Financial Sanction and 6-Party Nuke Home> National/Politics Updated Feb.19,2006 19:16 KST U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack says Washington's sanctions against a Macau-based bank accused of helping North Korea launder U.S. dollars have no connection with the six-party nuclear talks. During a regular press briefing on Friday the spokesman reiterated that the financial sanctions and the nuclear talks are "completely separate issues." He added any country around the world would take such steps in order to protect its currency and that's what the U.S. is doing. North Korea while denying any illicit activities by the state is trying to link the U.S. Treasury Department's action with the multilateral negotiations on its nuclear pursuit. Arirang News ***************************************************************** 14 Independent: Udall seeks hearing on Bush cuts February 18, 2006: By Kathy Helms Diné Bureau WINDOW ROCK — U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., asked Friday for an official hearing into President Bush's budget cuts which would chop around $686 million from the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. EEOICPA provides compensation and medical benefits to Cold War workers suffering from radiation-related cancer, beryllium-related disease or chronic silicosis as a result of their work in nuclear weapons production or testing. In October 2004, Congress amended EEOICPA to create Part E and mandated it's implementation by May 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Part E expanded the categories of workers eligible to receive federal compensation and medical benefits to Department of Energy contractors and subcontractors who sustained health impairment due to exposure to toxic substances. The amendment also authorizes payment from the EEOICP Fund for benefits awarded by the Department of Justice under Section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Udall's letter to Chairman John Hostettler and Ranking Member Sheila Jackson-Lee, who serve on the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims, includes his formal request to sit in on the proceedings and participate in the questioning. Udall is chairman and ranking member on the subcommittee that has jurisdiction over EEOICPA claims issues. In his letter to Hostettler and Jackson-Lee, Udall said he recently sent a letter to the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Director of the Office of Management & Budget expressing his concern over the proposed $686 million reduction for Fiscal Year 2007. "Concern about this reduction in benefits is compounded by recent reports of possible changes to the procedures for handling Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) petitions," Udall said. "The confluence of the budget expectations and possible procedural changes gives rise to the question of whether decisions about changes made to SEC petitions are going to be based on budgetary considerations rather than the scientific criteria and processes for evaluation rooted in the underlying compensation law. "If this in fact is the case, this would be a tragedy and further injustice to the men, women and families who have already suffered from radiation exposure," Udall said. The EEOICPA Part B and Part E funding falls under the budget authority of the Employment Standards Administration. EEOICPA received $1,559.7 million in FY 2006. It is budgeted to receive $873.9 million in FY 2007, a reduction of $685.8 million. "I cannot stand idly by and watch $600 million in funding being cut for people who worked on behalf of our nation during the Cold War," Udall said. "Many of my constituents have paid the ultimate price for being exposed to these materials and the U.S. government should owe them full compensation," he said. The Department of Labor said the Employment Standards Administration budget request also includes a legislative proposal to restructure the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund debt now more than $9 billion to ensure the trust fund's long-term solvency The Black Lung benefits program provides wage replacement and medical benefits to coal miners suffering from pneumoconiosis and cash benefits to eligible survivors. February 18, 2006 ***************************************************************** 15 Public Citizen: Lobbyist Fundraising Banned, Revolving Door Slowed, in Tennessee Press Room - Feb. 17, 2006 WASHINGTON, D.C.  While Congress ponders how to salvage its credibility in the wake of numerous ethics and lobbying scandals, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed into law sweeping reform legislation for the state that addresses head-on many of the problems plaguing Capitol Hill. The Tennessee legislation is far bolder than any of the proposals being debated by Congress. It tackles the corrupting nexus between lobbyists, campaign cash and lawmakers, and shows the states senior U.S. senator, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, what he needs to do to stop the corrupting ways of Washington. The new Tennessee law, signed on Feb. 15, fundamentally reforms lobbying by: + Prohibiting lobbyists from making direct campaign contributions to state candidates and banning lobbyists from soliciting campaign contributions from others, hosting fundraisers for candidates and party committees, and bundling campaign contributions. + Slowing the revolving door  the movement of government officials into lucrative lobbying jobs in the private sector  by prohibiting officials from conducting any lobbying activity or contacting public officials as a paid lobbyist for one year after leaving public service. + Banning privately sponsored travel for public officials outside the state and severely restricting how much private groups may pay for in-state travel for public officials to $50 per person per day, along with prohibiting lobbyists from going along on the trips. + Establishing an independent ethics agency to monitor compliance with the law and enforce it. These are the types of reforms that Sen. Frist must get Congress to adopt for the federal government, said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. To prevent the kind of corruption and scandals that have pervaded the Congress, lawmakers must do as Tennessee has done and break the nexus between lobbyists, money and lawmakers. Congress is currently debating proposals to reform ethics and lobbying on Capitol Hill. But none of these proposals have yet addressed the money problem, in which lobbyists buy access to legislators by soliciting campaign contributions from their clients, hosting fundraising events for those whom they lobby, and serving as campaign treasurers of officeholder PACs. Not only has Tennessee shown Congress how to deal with the money problem, but Tennessees new reform law also prohibits former lawmakers from becoming lobbyists  period  for one year after leaving public service, said Craig Holman, legislative representative for Public Citizen. The current congressional proposals on Capitol Hill would only restrict former lawmakers from making lobbying contacts. Unlike Tennessee, former officials on the Hill would still be permitted to cash in on their government networks by directing the lobbying work of their firm immediately after leaving public service. For more information about reforms needed to clean up the corruption in Washington, go to  ### Public Citizen ***************************************************************** 16 AFP: Deal close on US-India nuclear cooperation - US diplomat - Sun Feb 19, 6:08 PM ET NEW YORK (AFP) - The United States remains optimistic that it will clinch a landmark agreement with India on civilian nuclear cooperation, a top US diplomat said in a US magazine interview. "We're 90 percent of the way there," US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns, chief negotiator for the deal, told Newsweek. The magazine reported Burns was scheduled to visit India this week for crucial negotiations. "We've got just 10 percent to go," Burns said. The senior diplomat's comments come before a scheduled visit to India by President George W. Bush" /> President George W. Bushin March amid hopes for a final agreement on the civilian nuclear cooperation initiative. "This has been a uniquely complicated negotiation between two equal parties. But we are committed to it," Burns said. "And as long as both of us show flexibility in the details, I'm confident that we will come to an agreement." In a major shift in US policy, Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed on the basic outline of the nuclear cooperation initiative in July last year. The bilateral agreement requires India to separate civilian and military nuclear programs and allow international inspections of its civilian sites in return for access to civilian nuclear technology. The negotiations appeared endangered last month after the US ambassador in New Delhi insisted the deal could be cancelled unless India supported the Western push for Iran" /> Iranto be referred to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program. India's foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador, David Mulford, telling him his comments were "inappropriate and not conducive" to US-India relations. Earlier this month, India joined other member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations" /> United Nations' nuclear watchdog, in referring Iran's case to the Security Council. Burns said India's stance on Iran's program was not a sticking point for the talks. "We're well beyond all that," he said. "India joined with the majority of the board of the Atomic Energy Agency (to censure Iran), including a majority of nonaligned countries -- like Brazil, Egypt and Sri Lanka -- to vote as it did. And we are all now focused on a diplomatic path to address Iran's violations of its treaty obligations." Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 17 The Observer: Will energy prices come off the boil? [UP] After a week when British Gas tightened the screws by hiking its rates by almost a quarter, Oliver Morgan looks at prospects for a reprieve Sunday February 19, 2006 The Observer British Gas last Friday raised its prices by 22 per cent, the highest yet one-off increase. The move by BG - Britain's largest domestic supplier - was the third hike this month from major UK energy suppliers. EdF Energy raised its prices by 14.7 per cent for gas and 4.7 per cent for electricity last Wednesday, and the week before, Scottish Power raised its gas and electricity prices by 15 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. According to pricing analyst Uswitch, UK gas customers are now paying on average 47.98 per cent, or £166.12, more than in 2004. Here, The Observer looks at what lies behind the rises. Q: Why are bills rising? A: Domestic bills have risen because wholesale prices have shot up. In 2004, they were trading around 25-30p a therm, today they are between 50p and 70p. As British Gas managing director Mark Clare told The Observer in January, suppliers cannot absorb all of this increase, some must be passed on to consumers. He identified a 70 per cent year-on-year rise in wholesale prices which he said would translate into domestic rises of up to 25 per cent. Businesses are more directly exposed to the wholesale price: those looking to renegotiate supply contracts in the spring are looking at 90 per cent hikes, and some intensive users have had to shut down operations. Q: Why have wholesale prices risen? A: There are several key factors. First, the oil price, to which gas prices are linked, has risen dramatically, from around $30 a barrel in 2004 to around $60 today. Second, the UK is now a net importer of gas, having been a net exporter for more than two decades thanks to North Sea supply, which has now peaked. Third, lack of competition in European markets has meant that the gas interconnector between Norfolk and Holland has not been operating at full capacity, despite the fact that UK prices have been higher than continental ones, and this has acted to keep the UK price high. And fourth, as industry regulator Ofgem noted in the autumn, this winter was likely to see a 'bottleneck' effect as the UK moved to being an importer sooner than had been expected, and key import infrastructure projects, including pipelines to Norway and Holland, along with terminals to land liquified natural gas, are now not due for completion until later this year and next. In addition, energy companies used forecasts of a harsh winter to justify raising their prices. Q: Will prices stay high? A: Predicting energy prices is a mug's game. However, the consensus is that although wholesale prices may peak this winter, rising global demand may mean they do not fall back to pre 2004 levels. In retrospect, fears of blackouts and blizzards were overdone. According to Energywatch chairman Allan Asher, this undercuts much of the argument made by energy companies. 'It has not been an unusually cold winter, and so there is no justification for the shortage of gas.' According to Ben Hollins, consultant at industry analyst Wood MacKenzie, the factors pushing up prices may reverse. He will not forecast oil prices, although BP's Lord Browne last week reiterated his view that they would 'moderate' in the medium term. Increasing reliance on imports has been a factor because of infrastructure bottlenecks, said Hollins. 'We are going to see the BBL pipeline to the Netherlands and the pipeline to Norway along with completion of LNG facilities. That should ease this worry.' The announcement last week of a European Commission anti-trust inquiry into energy companies on the continent could lead to greater liberalisation, he added. Q: Is Britain's reliance on gas imports a problem? A: Ministers are considering this as part of the government's energy review. With coal and nuclear power stations coming off line between now and 2020, UK reliance on gas could increase to 60 per cent by 2020, with 90 per cent of this imported, mostly from Russia. Russian reliability has been called into question following the cut-off in supplies to Ukraine in January, although president Vladimir Putin has attempted to assuage concerns as current chairman of the G8. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 18 The Observer: A metal plate that will cut domestic fuel bills [UP] Frank Kane Sunday February 19, 2006 Peter Bance, chief executive of fuel cell manufacturer Ceres, believes he could halve the country's energy bills at a stroke, settle the debate on the nuclear issue, and help Britain meet its Kyoto obligations - all with the help of a thin plate of metal and carbon derivatives. Once the plates are stacked and connected to a power supply - typically a domestic gas boiler - it becomes what the energy boffins call a 'micro-CHP' - a small combined heat and power appliance. Bance prefers to call it a 'mini-power station'. Last week, Bance was a member of a top-level delegation of energy giants, including British Gas and BP, that visited Downing Street to advise the government on energy policy as part of its wide-ranging review of energy needs. 'It's a recognition that our product is commercially viable and that we have a contribution to make on this crucial issue,' said Bance. Ceres, which makes the plates for the micro-CHP, grew out of research initiated 15 years ago by Imperial College London. 'We have been in stealth mode for a decade,' says Canadian-born Bance, a physics PhD. 'We didn't want to let the Japanese and the Chinese know. If you have a technological breakthrough, you keep silent until you can shout about it.' Ceres listed on the Alternative Investment Market in 2004, and has raised more than £25m for development and marketing of the micro-CHP. It now has a broad list of blue-chip shareholders such as Fidelity International, while Imperial still holds 9 per cent of the shares. Bance's key markets are homeowners and industrial users. He has signed deals with British Gas, giving him access to its 15 million domestic customers, and with BOC, which has a host of big industry customers. 'We prefer to do single deals with significant industrial partners,' he says. The micro-CHP retails for about £3,000 but should pay for itself in a few years' time, says Bance. It attracts carbon credits under the Kyoto accords. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 19 WorldNetDaily: March madness [Supercritical Thoughts] [Gordon Prather] Posted: February 18, 2006 © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com Gholamali Haddadadel, "speaker" of Iran's Parliament – in Cuba last week –dismissed the possibility of a U.S. pre-emptive attack against Iran, finding it "impossible" to 'believe" that the U.S. would want "to repeat the experience of Iraq." "We hope the United States is not so stupid," he said. Presumably, Haddadadel meant to say, "We hope that President Bush, his vice president, his secretary of state and his ambassador to the United Nations are not so stupid." Now, some or all of the above may be stupid. But their stupidity is not what Haddadadel and the rest of the world need to concern themselves with. It's their sanity. As well as the sanity of a majority of members of Congress. Up until the eve of Bush's pre-emptive invasion of oil-rich Iran's Islamic neighbor – oil-rich Iraq – Bush et al. repeatedly stressed that "we" wanted to settle – through "diplomatic means, if at all possible" – the international "crisis" triggered by revelations by "Slam-Dunk" Tenet that Iraq had reconstructed its nuclear weapons program. But, by March 2003, on-the-ground inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency knew – and so reported to the U.N. Security Council – that there was no "indication" whatsoever of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq. Moreover, polls show that the majority of Americans now know what Tony Blair knew four years ago. Bush was determined to depose Saddam Hussein no matter what the IAEA inspectors found or didn't find. Why? Well, most Americans are still puzzled about "why." But, most Americans now realize that Bush lied to them – that he didn't pre-emptively attack Iraq because he believed Saddam had nukes he planned to give to terrorists. Of course, congressional leaders knew that all along. And most members of Congress should have at least suspected when they voted overwhelmingly for the Authorization to Use Military Force Against Iraq that the presumption was false that: Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations. So, how to explain the adoption this week – by a vote of 404-4 – of House Concurrent Resolution 341"condemning the government of Iran for violating its international nuclear nonproliferation obligations and expressing support for efforts to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council." In particular, what "violations" are they talking about? Whereas Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated, "It is obvious that if Iran cannot be brought to live up to its international obligations, in fact, the IAEA Statute would indicate that Iran would have to be referred to the U.N. Security Council." OK, what "international obligations" is Condi talking about? Well, it's not clear. But, Condi does refer to the IAEA Statute. So, the House assumes she must be referring to the safeguards agreement that Iran concluded with the IAEA way back in 1973. Whereas on Feb. 4, 2006, the IAEA Board of Governors reported Iran's noncompliance with its IAEA safeguards obligations to the Security Council … But, the House is mistaken. The IAEA Board didn't report any such thing. In fact, the Board didn't "report" anything. Rather, the IAEA Board "requested" that Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei "report" to the Security Council the absolutely outrageous and discriminatory demands that the Board had made on several occasions, calling on Iran to – among other things – implement "transparency measures" which "extend beyond the formal requirements of the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, and include such access to individuals, documentation relating to procurement, dual-use equipment, certain military-owned workshops, and research and development as the Agency may request in support of its ongoing investigations." As of this writing, ElBaradei has made no such report and is unlikely to do so before late March. By then, of course, Bush will probably have already launched a pre-emptive attack against Iran. What will be his authority? [Congress] calls on all members of the United Nations Security Council … to expeditiously consider and take action in response to any report of Iran's noncompliance in fulfillment of the mandate of the Security Council to respond to and deal with situations bearing on the maintenance of international peace and security. What Security Council mandate is Congress talking about? Apparently the same one Bush didn't have when he 'took action' against Iraq. March madness. Physicist James Gordon Prather has served as a policy implementing official for national security-related technical matters in the Federal Energy Agency, the Energy Research and Development Administration, the Department of Energy, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of the Army. Dr. Prather also served as legislative assistant for national security affairs to U.S. Sen. Henry Bellmon, R-Okla. -- ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee and member of the Senate Energy Committee and Appropriations Committee. Dr. Prather had earlier worked as a nuclear weapons physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico. All Rights Reserved. WorldNetDaily.com Inc. ***************************************************************** 20 Xinhua: Pakistan expects to broaden co-op with China www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-19 07:15:08 Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Feb. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has said that his upcoming visit to China would further broaden cooperation between the two friendly neighboring countries. "We hope that we further broaden our cooperation and reach agreement with strategic effect," Musharraf said in an interview with a group of Chinese journalists at the presidential palace on the eve of his five-day state visit to China. Since his last visit, he recalled, a lot of major achievements have arisen from the two countries' cooperation. The deepening of the Gwadar port in southern Pakistan with the Chinese assistance will be completed in June, 2006. The Chashma II nuclear power station with the whole equipment imported from China had the first concrete poured on the site in December 2005. "These achievements are major contributions to Pakistan-China friendship," he said. "The friendship is strong and is going stronger." He told Xinhua that Pakistan and China had good cooperation and consultations on international and regional issues. He said that he was looking forward to very broad-based discussions during his visit to China and reaching agreements "with strategic effect". On bilateral cooperation, Musharraf said, Pakistan and China could enhance cooperation in telecommunications, energy, health and higher education. He hoped that the Karakoram Highway linking Pakistan and China would be repaired from damages in the Oct. 10 earthquake and upgraded for heavy vehicles for the speedy development in the areas along the highway. In his opening speech, the Pakistani president said that Pakistan condemned the killing of three Chinese engineers in southwestern Pakistan. "We are annoyed at those who carried out this very evil act," he said. "We are determined to catch them and give them strongest and harshest punishment. Those elements do not want Pakistan to prosper and progress. They do not want development in Pakistan." "Since Chinese are our great friends and they are helping us in this development and progress in various projects, they (the gunmen) have targeted the Chinese to achieve two things: deny progress in Pakistan and create a misunderstanding between Pakistan and China," Musharraf said. "But we are determined that none of these two objectives will be achieved." "Our friendship with China is very strong and it will not be affected by the incident," he said. "We are determined to carry out all development activities as we were doing before. And we will be able to bring the elements to justice and suppress them." Enditem Pakistani president's China visit BEIJING, Feb. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's imminent visit to China will help push forward the Sino-Pakistan strategic partnership of cooperation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a routine press conference Thursday. At the invitation of President Hu Jintao, Pakistani President Musharraf will pay a state visit to China from Feb. 19 to 23. Qin said that during the president's stay in China, Musharraf and Chinese leaders will exchange in-depth views on promoting bilateral ties and on international and regional issues of common concern. The related departments from the two countries will sign some documents of cooperation. China and Pakistan are friendly neighbors which share all-weather friendship and all-scope cooperation, Qin said, noting the all-scope cooperation is also reflected in the cooperation between the two sides in combating the "three evil forces", namely terrorism, separatism and extremism. Qin said China and Pakistan in recent years have made sound cooperation and close coordination in cracking down on the "three evil forces". The two sides enjoy common interests in this field, and increasing cooperation between the two sides in this sphere is conducive to the peace and stability of the two nations and of the region, he noted. Pakistan is an observer country of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which was established to safeguard regional peace, security and stability. "We expect more and increased cooperation with Pakistan in this field," Qin said. Noting that Sino-Pakistan relations have witnessed stable and healthy development in recent years, Qin said this year is the 55th anniversary of the forging of China-Pakistan diplomatic ties, and Musharraf's visit will unveil a series of events marking the anniversary. "I am convinced that Musharraf's visit to China will come to a successful ending," the spokesman said. Enditem Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 21 AFP: French president arrives in India for trade, nuclear talks - Sun Feb 19, 6:51 AM ET NEW DELHI (AFP) - French President Jacques Chirac" /> President Jacques Chirachas arrived in India for a whistle-stop visit aimed at bolstering trade and civilian nuclear cooperation with the emerging economic powerhouse. Chirac arrived mid-afternoon on a special aircraft at a military base adjacent to New Delhi's main airport accompanied by his wife Bernadette. He was to meet members of the French business community here Sunday before beginning the brief formal leg of his trip on Monday, when he will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders. Chirac, whose visit will be followed by the arrival of US President George Bush" /> George Bushin early March, has said he will seek to boost slim trade levels with Asia's third-largest economy where growth is running at an eight percent clip. Accompanied by five cabinet ministers and a business delegation, the French president, who arrived in India after a visit to Thailand, said one of his aims was to "develop economic exchanges and boost them significantly". Fuel-hungry India and France, which relies on nuclear power for its energy needs, will also discuss future civilian nuclear technology cooperation. "If we don't help India produce electricity using nuclear power, we would let develop in India a chimney for greenhouse gases," Chirac said Saturday in Bangkok. "The minimum we must do is to let India respond to its energy needs without becoming a major polluting nation," he said. "I wish that we could, within the non-proliferation framework and existing agreements, help India respond to this need," he said. French nuclear companies could be big winners if a landmark Indo-US agreement to supply New Delhi with long-denied civilian nuclear technology is approved by the US Congress. Chirac, who last visited India eight years ago, and Singh are due to sign a declaration on the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes before the French president leaves early Tuesday. But nuclear cooperation between Paris and New Delhi hinges on a breakthrough in deadlocked talks between India and the United States on their bilateral deal struck last year. The two sides are at odds over Washington's demands for India to open up more of its nuclear facilities to international inspection, an issue that will be high on Bush's agenda when he visits. France will be unable to sell export-restricted technology to India, according to the rules of the Nuclear Suppliers Group -- of which Paris is a key member -- unless there is a breakthrough in the Indo-US talks. Bilateral trade is still rather paltry at 2.99 billion dollars in 2004-05, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry. France bought 2.05 percent of Indian exports, while France's share of India's imports was 1.3 percent. Chirac removed a major obstacle to a fruitful visit ahead of his arrival when he ordered home the asbestos-laden warship Clemenceau, which had been slated for dismantling in an Indian shipbreaking yard. India's Supreme Court had demanded to know exactly what was aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier, which activists said posed a threat to human health and the environment. But his salesmanship could yet be overshadowed by another thorny issue -- concern in India over the frosty reaction by France and other European nations to Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal's bid for European steel giant Arcelor. Last week, Indian Trade Minister Kamal Nath warned European nations opposing the bid not to consider the colour of a person's skin. France insists Mittal's nationality is not a factor, with Chirac saying the takeover would not be in Arcelor's "best interest," citing potential corporate cultural differences. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 22 Mumbai Mirror: Chirac arrives with nuke deal in hand MUMBAI, Monday, February 20, 2006 French President Jacques Chirac (R) and his wife Bernadette after their arrival at New Delhi's airport on Sunday The French president is here on a three-day visit PTI New Delhi: French President Jacques Chirac arrived here on Sunday on a three-day visit during which the two countries will sign a declaration on nuclear co-operation, a defence agreement and some other pacts. Undertaking his second visit as President here since 1998, Chirac and his wife were warmly received by Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal and Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma. Chirac, who arrived here from Thailand, is accompanied by a high-powered delegation, including five ministers, and CEOs of 30 top French companies. On Monday, he will hold extensive discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, covering co-operation in civil nuclear energy and defence besides other areas. Ahead of his visit, Chirac on Saturday said in Bangkok that India needed to be helped in producing electricity from nuclear power failing which it will become a "chimney for greenhouse gases". "If we don't help India produce electricity using nuclear power, we would let develop in India a chimney for greenhouse gases," Chirac said. "The minimum we must do is to let India respond to its energy needs without becoming a major polluting nation," he said. "I wish we could, within the non-proliferation framework and existing agreements, help India respond to this need," he said in Bangkok. President A P J Abdul Kalam will host a banquet for the French President who will also meet Chairperson of National Advisory Council Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition L K Advani. During the French President's visit, the two sides will ink a contract for jointly building a satellite for Eutelsat and MoUs on cooperation between IIM-Ahmedabad and ESSEC (Ecole Superieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales). An MoU will also be signed between BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) and Ministry of Power and AEDEME (Agence de l' Environnement et de la Maitrise de l'Energie) is also expected to be signed. A formal agreement to acquire 43 aircraft from Airbus Industrie for Indian Airlines is also likely to be signed. The two countries have a strategic partnership that was initiated in January 1998 during Chirac's visit here. ***************************************************************** 23 Charlotte Observer: Where will Duke build nuclear plant? | 02/19/2006 | Posted on Sun, Feb. 19, 2006 Communities watch as Duke considers site BRUCE HENDERSON bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com MOCKSVILLE - Duke Power has a $6 billion decision to make. So does the community that Duke will pick, any day now, for its first new nuclear plant in 30 years. Thanks to government incentives and growing instability in the Middle East, the nuclear industry is poised for rebirth. Duke, Raleigh's Progress Energy and South Carolina Electric &Gas are among U.S. utilities that could build up to 18 new reactors -- six of them in the Carolinas. The new plants will offer what many believe is an irresistible economic windfall. Duke's two-reactor plant would cost $4 billion to $6 billion and employ 800 to 1,000 people. But those living near the sites will have more to ponder. The bustle of construction. Hundreds of newcomers, from laborers to nuclear engineers. The strain on water supplies by the millions of gallons a nuclear plant needs each day. And the constant worry: What happens if something goes wrong? Rural Davie County, 50 miles northeast of Charlotte, has been there. Duke chose Davie for a plant in 1974, but scrapped it eight years later. The site, about 1,700 rolling acres on the Yadkin River, still belongs to the utility. Local leaders believe it's again a contender. "The chips are not all in, I guess," said Mary Apperson Davis, who lives five miles downriver and fought the plant decades ago. At 82, Davis hasn't changed her views. She is armed with a new argument: the potential for a nuclear plant to become a terrorist target. "We're pretty safe here," she said. "We don't bother anybody and nobody bothers us. We'd kind of like to keep it that way." But the plant would also double the $3.3 billion tax base in a county of only 35,000 people. "It was a popular proposal (in the 1970s) because of the tax revenue," said Dwight Sparks, publisher of the Davie County Enterprise-Record. Sparks believes most county residents would again welcome Duke. Tax incentive Cherokee County, S.C., site of another 1970s-era nuclear plant that Duke scrapped, has again thrown its arms wide for the utility. The County Council in December offered a reduced tax rate to lure the plant.Cherokee, about 50 miles southwest of Charlotte, appears to be Duke's top choice in South Carolina, said Jim Inman, who heads the county development board. Landing the plant would go a long way toward healing the old disappointment. "By the time this thing gets under way, four to five years from now, those (construction) numbers could be $6 (billion) to $10 billion," Inman said. Unlike the Davie property, Duke sold its Cherokee site after sinking about $600 million into the plant. The deep-sea movie "The Abyss" was filmed in its partially built reactor containment building. Duke lost a lawsuit in December to regain ownership of the 2,000 acres near the Broad River. The legal action has not been resolved, Duke says but won't comment further. Inman said Duke may be looking elsewhere in the county. Duke isn't tipping its hand. The utility says it is considering 14 sites within its Carolinas service territory. A decision, once expected by the end of 2005, will come early this year, Duke says. Even after naming a site choice, Duke says, it won't make a final decision on whether to build the plant for a couple more years. A new plant would open in about 2015. Growing support Industry polls say American support for nuclear power has steadily grown since the late 1980s, reaching 70 percent last year. People who live closest to the plants, the Nuclear Energy Institute said, feel safer than the public at large. Public opinion will be an important factor as utilities consider a wave of new plants, said the institute's Steve Kerekes. "You want community support," he said, "and we believe we have it." A Gallup poll last May found more tepid approval, with 54 percent of Americans in favor of nuclear energy and 43 percent opposed. But nearly two-thirds said they wouldn't want a plant near them. In Davie County, fields, young pines and older forests blanket the Duke property. A new weather-monitoring tower on its northern boundary is the only sign of activity. The tower doesn't signal renewed interest in the site, Duke spokesman Rita Sipe said. It replaced a damaged unit. Bill Livengood, who lives across Riverview Road from the property, is a nuclear veteran. Duke bought Livengood's house and 12 acres as it prepared to build the plant 30 years ago. He moved a quarter-mile down the road and built a brick ranch. Now Mocksville real estate agents are asking him to sell again. "It don't bother me one way or another," the retired maintenance worker said as he blew dead leaves from his front yard. "I'd probably be as safe here as I would 10 miles from here." A faltering economy, dropping power demand and the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, the most serious in U.S. history, helped kill the plant. Duke spent $8.9 million on site studies and licensing work, but never broke ground. Local opponents like to think they had something to do with the decision. One of their major arguments -- that cooling-water demand would overtax the Yadkin -- has only gotten stronger. A four-year drought reduced the river to a trickle in 2002, draining High Rock Lake downstream. Hammers ring out at the end of Riverview Road. Susan Shoaf's new house is under construction on a rise overlooking the Duke property. Shoaf and her husband, Ronnie, returned to her family homeplace two months ago, just in time to hear about the nuclear plant. Like most people in the community, Shoaf said, she tries not to worry about it. "It doesn't matter to us," she said, "as long as they let us stay in our house." Nuclear Power in the Carolinas A new Duke Power nuclear plant, if it's built, would add to Charlotte's energy nucleus.Duke's existing McGuire and Catawba plants are within 20 miles. The one-time and possibly once-again nuclear sites in Davie County and Cherokee County, S.C., are both about 50 miles from Charlotte. Duke's oldest plant, Oconee, is in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, about 130 miles from Charlotte. Progress Energy says it may add two reactors to its Harris plant, near Raleigh. Progress also operates the Brunswick plant in Southport and Robinson plant near Florence, S.C. South Carolina Electric &Gas plans to build two new reactors at its Summer plant near Columbia. Harris was the last U.S. reactor to be granted a construction license, in 1978. McGuire and Catawba opened between 1981 and 1986. Bruce Henderson: (704) 358-5051. ***************************************************************** 24 Fredericksburg.com: Nuclear plant sirens heard, residents say Free Lance-Star!] North Anna sirens' test heard by nearby residents By RUSTY DENNEN Date published: 2/18/2006 By RUSTY DENNEN Some Louisa County residents concerned about the volume of warning sirens around the North Anna nuclear power plant were more satisfied by the most recent test. Linda and Jim Salisbury had trouble hearing the sirens during a test last spring. So they notified Dominion Virginia Power, the plant owner, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They said at the time they could barely hear the sirens outside their home in Tall Pines subdivision, and not at all inside. The sirens are intended to warn nearby residents of an emergency or accident at the plant. Wednesday morning's test of the 67 sirens within the 10-mile emergency zone went better, Linda Salisbury said. "Jim was here, and amazingly, it was loud enough to be heard outside and even a little inside. Let's hope it stays that way. I don't know if they cranked up the volume, or the wind was right, but Jim was quite pleased," she said. For this test, the air was cooler, and there were no leaves on the trees, which may have allowed the sound to carry farther. Richard Zuercher, spokesman for Dominion's nuclear operations, said nothing was done to adjust the sirens, which all activated. "We're glad they heard it," he said. To reach RUSTY DENNEN: + 540/374-5431 Fredericksburg.com, 605 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 To contact other newspaper departments, please call 540-374-5000. Comments? Send us Feedback, Phone for fredericksburg.com: 540-368-5055 Copyright 2006, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Va. ***************************************************************** 25 HindustanTimes.com: Don't peg ties on N-deal, says Clinton HT Correspondent New Delhi, February 19, 2006 On a visit to India, former US President Bill Clinton warned against pegging the ties between the two countries on the nuclear deal alone. In an interview to the CNN-IBN channel, Clinton said, "It should not be the lynchpin of this relationship. It is too big, too important for the world. So, you know, if it (the deal) gets worked out fine before the President's visit, if it doesn't, it will work out sooner or later." The statement comes ahead of US President George W. Bush's India visit and amid doubts over the nuclear deal. Bush's visit, Clinton said, was important and should be seen "as a very positive thing" that will broaden Indo-US friendship. Clinton also called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Sunday. Singh hosted a lunch in honour of Clinton, who is here in connection with the wedding of Vikram Chatwal, son of New York-based hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal. Clinton drove down to 10, Janpath for the meeting with Sonia. No details were available on his discussion with the PM and the Congress chief. Clinton appreciated the Centre's "aggressive" approach to counter HIV/AIDS in the country though he rued that there was still stigma attached to the disease. © HT Media Ltd. 2006. ***************************************************************** 26 HindustanTimes.com: Bush pitch for reactor sale S. Rajagopalan Washington, February 19, 2006 It may just be a happy coincidence but nuclear power is the flavour of  the season for US President George W. Bush, who has declared the next seven days an "energy week" to aggressively promote the use of nuclear power  before he embarks on his India visit. A day after his defence of the nuke deal with India, Bush used his weekly radio address to outline his ideas on supplying small-scale nuclear reactors to developing countries to help them cut their dependence on oil and other fossil fuels. Bush made a strong pitch for his new initiative  the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership that is to be kicked off with a $250 million allocation this year. The US plans to work with France, Russia and Japan on this and has hinted at co-opting India in due course. "Together, we will develop and deploy innovative, advanced reactors and new methods to recycle spent nuclear fuel," he said.  "We will also ensure that these developing nations have a reliable nuclear fuel supply," he said and then came the caveat. "In exchange, these countries would agree to use nuclear power only for civilian purposes and forego uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities that can be used to develop nuclear weapons." © HT Media Ltd. 2006. ***************************************************************** 27 Rediff: US for nuclear, economic ties with India PTI Sridhar Krishnaswami in Washington Last Updated: February 18, 2006 13:08 IST Observing that US has embarked on a strategic partnership with "rising global power" India, Richard Boucher, the Assistant Secretary of State designate for South Asia on Friday said a civilian nuclear partnership and opening up of economic cooperation are among the most important areas in Indo-US ties. "We have embarked upon building a global strategic partnership with India. President (George W Bush) will be travelling to India in the coming weeks to continue a strong, forward looking relationship with this rising global power," Boucher said in prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his confirmation hearing as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. The India-US nuclear tango Boucher, the former state department spokesman and a career foreign service officer, stressed that upon confirmation he will work closely with other agencies and organisations "to bring to fruition" the initiatives Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have undertaken. "The wide ranging nature of these projects clearly illustrates the kind of encompassing relationship we hope to develop with India. Opening new areas to economic cooperation and concluding a civilian nuclear partnership are two of the most important areas at this moment," he said. "Beyond that we need to look at all the areas where our international interests intersect with those of India and where we can advance our interests by partnering with India in this region and beyond. Some areas that spring to mind are agriculture, democracy building, disaster relief, education and science and technology," he added. 7333: The Latest News on Your Mobile! © Copyright 2006 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or Copyright © 2006 Rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 28 Daily Yomiuri: New tool to dismantle N-plants unveiled The Yomiuri Shimbun The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed a new method for dismantling nuclear facilities that involves jets of ultrahigh-pressure water shot from a special device. JAEA plans to use the new method to cut pipes during the decommissioning of the Fugen advanced thermal converter reactor in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture, which was shut down in March 2003. One of the critical issues the nation's nuclear energy policy faces has been how to safely dismantle reactors. The ultrahigh-pressure water device can be operated by remote control. The dismantling work will be conducted underwater so there is no danger of radioactive particles being released into the air. Accordingly, JAEA is likely to introduce this method. In 2010, 20 of the nation's 54 working reactors will have been in operation for over 30 years, and will be nearing the end of their life span. Fugen is one of the first reactors to be decommissioned, and JAEA expects it to be a model of how the new technology can be used to dismantle other reactors. Among the 20 reactors are the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 reactors at the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant and the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Oi Nuclear Power Plant, both in Fukui Prefecture, owned by Kansai Electric Power Co. The government will start rebuilding the reactors some time around 2030. Aside from experimental reactors, there are only two reactors awaiting decommissioning or which have been decommissioned--Fugen and Japan Atomic Power Co.'s Tokai Power Station in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture. Under the JAEA plan, the agency will install a device that shoots 17.2 liters of water per minute at a pressure of 2,000 atmospheres. The device will be set up inside the Fugen reactor and rotated by remote control. It will cut the reactor's inner pressure tubes, which are 11.7 centimeters in diameter and four millimeters thick, and the outer calandria tubes, which are 15.6 centimeters in diameter and 1.9 millimeters thick, into pieces in water. (Feb. 20, 2006) © The Yomiuri Shimbun. ***************************************************************** 29 JOURNAL NEWS: NRC official to visit Indian Point By GREG CLARY gclary@lohud.com (Original publication: February 18, 2006) A Nuclear Regulatory Commission member plans to visit Indian Point next week, and federal elected officials are urging him to use the tour to conduct a thorough evaluation of the plants' emergency evacuation and response plans. In a letter sent yesterday to NRC Commissioner Gregory Jaczko, Reps. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, and Maurice Hinchey, D-Middletown, cited the flaws detailed in a 2003 report on Indian Point's emergency plans and said the NRC needed to increase its oversight of the nuclear power plants in Buchanan. The report was prepared by James Lee Witt, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "It is my sincere hope that Commissioner Jaczko uses his visit to Indian Point next week for more than a photo opportunity with the press," Hinchey said. "It would be a wasted visit if Commissioner Jaczko doesn't come away from his visit to Indian Point with a clear understanding that a lot of work has to be done to investigate the plant's operations and evacuation plans in order to safeguard the people of New York and the surrounding areas." Jaczko, one of five NRC commissioners, is scheduled to visit the area Wednesday and Thursday for stakeholder meetings, a visit to the state Department of Transportation's traffic management center and a tour of Indian Point. Westchester County officials also are reminding residents, businesses and nonprofit groups to enroll in a program that would alert them by e-mail or other electronic methods in the event of a significant emergency at the plant. The confidential service is available at www.westchestergov.com. The county has the ability to phone people during an emergency, but the number of calls would require days to reach everyone. With text-messaging and e-mails, the task could be done more quickly, officials said. Copyright 2006 The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties in New York. ***************************************************************** 30 Rutland Herald: Mass. wants separate nuclear reviews Rutland Vermont News & Information February 18, 2006 The Associated Press BRATTLEBORO — Massachusetts officials want federal regulators to hold separate proceedings on proposals to extend the operating licenses of Vermont Yankee and another nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Mass. Entergy Nuclear, the owner of the plants, has asked federal regulators to review the two license renewal applications together. But the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office and lawmakers have written to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, requesting that the two requests be considered individually. "Having separate proceedings will allow the NRC to fully assess the specific characteristics of each plant. These matters are far too important to be merged into one review process," wrote Alice Moore, head of the public protection division of the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. Entergy is seeking a 20-year extension of Vermont Yankee's license, which is set to expire in 2012. It's also requested an extension of the Pilgrim nuclear reactor's license. The Massachusetts plan is similar to Vernon plant and started operating around the same time. Three Massachusetts legislators and the Plymouth town manager also wrote to the NRC. "As the host community for Pilgrim, we believe that it is essential for the Plymouth-based NRC safety and environmental review teams to focus on those characteristics specific and unique to Pilgrim," Plymouth Town Manager Mark Sylvia wrote. The NRC hasn't responded to Entergy's request. © 2006 Rutland Herald ***************************************************************** 31 APP.COM: Slight majority supports Oyster Creek relicensing | Asbury Park Press Online Sunday, February 19, 2006 Slightly more than half of those participating in an online poll say the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey should be granted a license extension. "Operators of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant are seeking a 20-year license extension that would allow the plant to continue operating until 2029. Do you favor such an extension?" was the question posed last week on the Web site of the Asbury Park Press, . Of the 2,366 taking part, 51.2 percent said yes, 48.8 percent said no. This week's question is, "Are you watching the Olympics?" To voice your opinion, log on to and vote. The poll has no scientific validity and is representative only of those who participate. Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 32 APP.COM: DEP raises questions about nuclear plant's backup power | Asbury Park Press Online Sunday, February 19, 2006 BY TODD B. BATES ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER If the Oyster Creek nuclear reactor loses all power, it would rely on electricity from a nearby turbine plant owned by a competitor to safely shut down the Lacey plant. But the state Department of Environmental Protection contends that power from the FirstEnergy turbine plant is not assured during the additional 20 years Oyster Creek is seeking to operate. And the DEP wants a hearing before an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board on that and other "contentions." "Can the plant truly rely on that turbine, without influence over the turbine's availability, maintenance and aging management, to provide the power needed to shut down the reactor safely in case off-site power is lost?" acting DEP Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson wrote in a Feb. 1 letter to Nils J. Diaz, who chairs the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Both the NRC staff and AmerGen Energy Co., which runs Oyster Creek, have called the DEP's contentions inadmissible. The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, which conducts hearings for the NRC, has said it expects to decide on the hearing request by Feb. 28. AmerGen is seeking NRC approval to run Oyster Creek for 20 years beyond 2009, when the plant's 40-year license expires. A loss of off-site power is by far the most important potential "initiating event" that could lead to core damage at Oyster Creek, according to AmerGen's license renewal application. Core damage includes melting of the uranium fuel in the reactor vessel or fuel damage, according to the NRC Web site. In the remote chance of core damage occurring, radiation likely would be released to the environment, according to the application. If a plant loses off-site power, "highly reliable emergency diesel generators" provide electricity on-site, according to an NRC official's forward to a 2005 Idaho National Laboratory report. The report was written for the NRC and is on the agency's Web site. A "station blackout," which rarely happens, is a total loss of power both on- and off-site, the NRC official wrote in the report. Loss of all power can represent more than 70 percent of the overall risk of operating some plants, the official wrote. The Forked River Combustion Turbines power plant, which is owned, operated and maintained by FirstEnergy, is the source of power for Oyster Creek's "Station Blackout System," according to AmerGen's license renewal application. The turbines, which are next to the Oyster Creek switchyard, are available under two agreements with AmerGen, the application says. An electrical switchyard is where electricity from an electrical generator is transferred to the electric grid, according to the Southern California Edison Web site. If a station blackout occurs, one of the Forked River turbines would be disconnected from the regional transmission system and connected to an Oyster Creek transformer, according to the license renewal application. The atomic board has ordered New Jersey, AmerGen and the NRC staff to identify the "contractual agreement (or its equivalent)" that demonstrates AmerGen "can rely on First-Energy to maintain, inspect and test the combustion turbines in accordance with AmerGen's aging management plan." But the NRC staff and the DEP have not received copies of a contractual agreement, NRC and DEP representatives said Friday. The DEP contends that AmerGen's arrangement with First-Energy will not assure that: FirstEnergy will continue to operate the turbines during the proposed 20-year license extension for Oyster Creek. The turbines will be maintained, inspected and tested as per AmerGen's aging management plan. All turbine deficiencies found by FirstEnergy will be entered into a corrective action program that meets NRC rules. While the agreements with FirstEnergy "do not explicitly address AmerGen's aging management programs, AmerGen has committed to a robust aging management program" for the turbines, AmerGen says in a document filed with the atomic board. AmerGen's commitments are binding and "provide reasonable assurance that aging effects" will be managed, AmerGen says. If the turbines become unavailable, "AmerGen may be in violation" of an NRC rule, and failing to ensure that an aging management plan is implemented would "violate conditions in the renewed license," the NRC staff says. For such violations, the NRC staff would consider "taking appropriate enforcement or other regulatory action against the licensee," the staff says. Todd B. Bates: (732) 643-4237 or tbates@app.com Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 33 Xinhua: This year to see end of power shortages www.xinhuanet.com www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-20 08:29:00 BEIJING, Feb. 20 -- The year 2006 will see the end of electricity supply shortages, providing an opportunity to deepen reforms towards a more market-based power industry, top-level industry authorities said yesterday. The generating capacity of China's electricity-producing facilities is expected to reach at least 570 gigawatts by the end of the year, enough to meet the growing power demand driven by the world's fastest-growing major economy, said Zhang Guobao, vice-minister of the country's top economic policy planner, the National Development and Reform Commission. Zhang, speaking at a power conference hosted by the China Electricity Council (CEC) over the weekend, said that wide-spread brownouts will be unlikely this year. "This marks a turning point in the electricity supply shortfalls of a few years ago," Zhang said. Industry leaders said the improved power industry, which is expecting a supply surplus in certain areas within the next few years, provides a "hard-won" opportunity for the sector to deepen reforms in the move towards making the industry more market-based and set it on the track of sustainable development. Zhang said more facilities fuelled by hydro, nuclear and renewable sources are to be installed, and small, insufficient and air-polluting coal-fired units will be closed. The power industry's reliance on coal is expected to be reduced to 70.2 per cent in 2010, from last year's 75.6 per cent, said Wang Jianping, president of China Power Engineering Consulting (Group) Corp. Zhang said the government will improve the legal system for China's power industry by amending the existing electricity law and coming up with more effective regulations. Wang Yonggan, secretary-general of CEC, the industry consortium of China's electricity producers, said the government should streamline the electricity pricing mechanism, taking advantage of new opportunities. "The government should introduce a system that will pass the high fuel costs to end users, otherwise electricity producers will suffer severe losses as fuel prices fluctuate," the secretary-general told a press briefing on Saturday. Last year, the profit of China's coal produced electricity increased by only 2 per cent, even though it generated 12.8 per cent more electricity than in 2004. This is because coal prices are kept high while the cost of electricity is capped by the government. China has suffered from severe power shortages since 2002 as electricity demand has grown by an average 13 per cent annually over the past three and a half years. This is driven by the accelerating growth of many energy-guzzling sectors such as steel and aluminium. The situation will greatly improve within the next five years, as new power generating facilities are commissioned and government efforts to develop a more energy-efficient society begins to pay off. New power generation units with a total capacity of at least 70 gigawatts are expected to come on line within the next five years, leading to an assembled generating capacity of 750 gigawatts by 2010, said Wang Yonggan. On the demand side, power consumption is expected to rise to 3.45 trillion kilowatt-hours in the next five years, an annual growth of 6.75-7.0 per cent, much slower than the increase of at least 10 per cent during the past five years, said Wang Jianping. Wang Jianping said the slow-down in power demand originates from the government efforts to curb over-investment in energy-intensive sectors like steel and machinery and encourage the service and high-tech IT industries. (Source: China Daily) Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 34 Daily Times: US seeks safe nuclear coalition Sunday, February 19, 2006 * Bush calls for promoting use of nuclear power both at home and abroad WASHINGTON: The United States is seeking to build an international coalition of nuclear powers to provide safe fuel and stop sensitive technology reaching rogue states, officials said. Robert Joseph, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, said the programme aims to “prevent future Iran” - a reference to the increasingly tense standoff over suspicions that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. The United States wants to stop “countries which seek to acquire sensitive technology associated with enrichment and reprocessing with real purposes other than nuclear energy,” Joseph said late Thursday. The United States will “work with other advanced nuclear nations to develop a fuel services programmeme that would provide nuclear fuel and recycling services to nations in return for their commitment to refrain from developing enrichment and recycling technologies.” US officials have visited a number of world capitals and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna in recent weeks to press the case for action against Iran and for the safe energy coalition. They went to London, Paris, Moscow, Beijing and Tokyo. “We found agreement with potential partners,” said Clay Sell, the deputy energy secretary. “We want a large international partnership in terms of developing and sharing the fruit of this initiative, because in that way it will become truly a win-win for all of us in terms of energy security, environmental objectives, and of course in terms of non-proliferation,” said Joseph. President George W Bush said on Saturday he hoped to promote greater use of nuclear power both at home and abroad, and said he saw promise in new technology aimed at reducing nuclear waste. Bush has asked the US Congress for $250 million to fund research to restart a controversial programme that would reprocess spent nuclear fuel. The initiative would also involve working with other countries like Russia, France, Japan and Britain to establish an infrastructure to supply nuclear fuel to other nations. “Together, we will develop and deploy innovative, advanced reactors and new methods to recycle spent nuclear fuel,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. “This will allow us to produce more energy, while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes or terrorists could use to make weapons,” he added. Bush said the programme, known as the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, would eventually be expanded to help emerging economies develop nuclear fuel supplies. “In exchange, these countries would agree to use nuclear power only for civilian purposes and forego uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities that can be used to develop nuclear weapons,” he said. Daily Times - All Rights Reserved Site developed and hosted by WorldCALL Internet Solutions ***************************************************************** 35 Interfax: U.S. to continue program of testing experimental nuclear fuel in Ukraine - U.S. deputy secretary Ukraine News Agency Full version is available for subscribers only. Kyiv, February 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The United States will continue the program of testing experimental nuclear fuel in Ukraine, said U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary David Sampson. Sampson said this at a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov in Kyiv on Saturday. As reported, in 2002 the governments of Ukraine and the United States set up a joint project called Qualification of the Alternative Supplier of Ukraine's Nuclear Fuel to test the nuclear fuel, which is viewed as an alternative to Russian-made fuel rods. However, late in 2005, U.S. company Westinghouse announced it lacked assets in its budget for experimental nuclear fuel production, which it planned to supply to the Yuzhnoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant. However, Energoatom insisted that production of the fuel be done by the U.S. company. 15:20:56 EET-2 © 1992-2006, Interfax-Ukraine. All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 36 Hudson Valley News: Reps urge thorough Indian Point review by NRC commissioner Weekend, February 18-19, 2006 Three Hudson Valley Democratic members of Congress Friday urged a visit and tour of Indian Point when a commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory commission next week comes to the Buchanan facility. House Members Maurice Hinchey, Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel wrote to Commissioner Gregory Jaczko to urge him to use his visit and tour of the facility to conduct a thorough evaluation of flawed response and evacuation plans. "New York residents living and working near Indian Point need real action from the NRC on the safety of the plant and not just comforting rhetoric, said Hinchey. It would be a wasted visit if Commissioner Jaczko didn't come away from his visit to Indian Point with a clear understanding that a lot of work has to be done to investigate the plant's operations and evacuation plans in order to safeguard the people of New York and the surrounding areas." "For years, I have warned that we need more federal oversight of Indian Point, so I am pleased NRC Commissioner Jaczko is making this trip. NRC must take this opportunity to do more to make sure there is a feasible plan in place to protect our communities in the event of a disaster," said Lowey. "The emergency response plans still include longstanding deficiencies." "Even though I have repeatedly called for closing Indian Point, while it remains open we must do everything in our power to ensure that it is safe and that our citizens are prepared in the event of an emergency. I commend NRC Commissioner Jaczko for making this trip to Indian Point and look forward to hearing his observations," said Engel. Commissioner Jaczko, one of five NRC commissioners, will come to the area for stakeholder meetings, a visit to the Traffic Management Center, and a tour of Indian Point on February 22nd and 23rd. It was requested this week by Republican Congresswoman Sue Kelly during a Washington, DC hearing. HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's only Internet radio news report. ***************************************************************** 37 Newsday: State wants more info on Oyster Creek backup power -- Newsday.com February 19, 2006, 12:26 PM EST LACEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- State regulators are questioning whether the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant's operators have secured a reliable emergency power source for the additional 20 years that they want to operate the plant. AmerGen Energy Co., Oyster Creek's operator, says it would use a nearby turbine plant for backup energy if the nuclear reactor loses all power. But New Jersey's acting environmental protection commissioner says the turbine plant, operated and maintained by AmerGen competitor FirstEnergy, is not an assured source of power for the next 20 years. "Can the plant truly rely on that turbine, without influence over the turbine's availability, maintenance and aging management, to provide the power needed to shut the reactor down safely in case offsite power is lost?" acting DEP Commissioner Lisa Jackson wrote in a Feb. 1 letter to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The DEP wants hearings before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board on the backup power question, as well as other "contentions." Both the NRC and AmerGen say the contentions are inadmissible. The board, which conducts hearings for the NRC, is expected to decide on the state's hearing request by the end of the month. Loss of offsite power is the most important "initiating event" with the potential of causing reactor core damage at Oyster Creek, according to AmerGen's application for license renewal. The atomic board has ordered New Jersey, AmerGen and NRC staff to provide the contractual agreement that shows that AmerGen can rely on FirstEnergy to maintain, inspect and inspect its turbines. AmerGen is seeking permission to keep Oyster Creek open for another 20 years after the plant's present license expires in 2009. Oyster Creek is the oldest operating commercial nuclear plant in the United States, having opened in 1969. AmerGen is owned by Chicago-based Exelon. Information from: Asbury Park Press, http://www.app.com http://www.newsday.com. ***************************************************************** 38 AFP: Bush calls for expanding 'clean' nuclear energy, research - Sat Feb 18, 11:51 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - President George W. Bush" /> has called for expanding the development of nuclear energy in the United States while working with allies to keep nuclear material out of the hands of hostile regimes or terrorist networks. "Nuclear power generates large amounts of low-cost electricity without emitting air pollution or greenhouse gases," Bush said in his weekly radio address. "Yet nuclear power now produces only 20 percent of America's electricity. It has the potential to play an even greater role," Bush said Saturday. The president cited France as a model where nuclear plants provide more than 78 percent of the country's electricity. "Our goal is to start construction of new nuclear power plants by the end of this decade," Bush said, saying legislation adopted last year offered incentives for building new plants. Bush also called for renewed efforts to reduce the amount of nuclear waste produced by atomic power in partnership with countries that have advanced civilian programs such as France, Japan and Russia. "Together, we will develop and deploy innovative, advanced reactors and new methods to recycle spent nuclear fuel," he said. "This will allow us to produce more energy, while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes or terrorists could use to make weapons." Bush said the US would help developing countries pursue nuclear energy and in return those governments would agree to use atomic power only for civilian purposes. He said he proposed 250 million dollars to launch the initiative that would "provide the cheap, safe and clean energy that growing economies need, while reducing the risk of nuclear proliferation." Bush's speech came before a series of events scheduled next week in which he plans to promote his proposals for reducing the country's dependence on foreign oil imports through alternative energy sources and new technology. In his annual State of the Union address to Congress last month, Bush called for a 75 percent cut in US oil imports from the Middle East by 2025 to wean the United States off what he called America's "addiction" to energy from unstable regions. He has also announced federal spending to research new technologies for generating power and for switching vehicles to cleaner fuels. Critics have said the funding proposed falls far short of what is required. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 39 GEO World News: US to build more atomic energy plants by the end of this decade: Bush Geo.tv ``We will develop and deploy innovative, advanced reactors and new methods to recycle spent nuclear fuel,'' Bush said in his weekly radio broadcast. ``This will allow us to produce more energy, while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes or terrorists could use to make weapons.'' The radio address begins a series of public speeches Bush plans in the coming week to put energy market changes on his domestic agenda this year. Oil prices are up 26 percent from a year ago, crimping consumer budgets and threatening to slow an economy in its fifth year of expansion. Reversing a 29-year-old government policy, Bush proposes reprocessing the waste produced by nuclear reactors in the U.S. and other nations. The administration requested $250 million in the budget released earlier this month for development of a process to reduce and recycle radioactive waste. The process would foster expansion of nuclear power in the U.S. by reducing by 80 percent the amount of waste sent to the storage site in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel under today's reprocessing techniques can be used in weapons, and concern about the spread of such material caused President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to scuttle funding for nuclear reprocessing. ``We must dispose of nuclear waste safely and we must keep nuclear technology and material out of the hands of terrorist networks and terrorist states,'' Bush said. Bush's plans to expand nuclear power come at a time when his administration is pressuring Iran to halt its fledgling nuclear development program. Iranian officials say the country's nuclear program is to produce energy for civilian use, while the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany say they suspect Iran's program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. ***************************************************************** 40 AFP: India will be major polluter without nuclear power - Chirac - Sunday February 19, 12:21 AM BANGKOK (AFP) - India will become a major polluter unless it can generate electricity using nuclear power, French President Jacques Chirac said. "If we don't help India produce electricity using nuclear power, we would let develop in India a chimney for greenhouse gases," he said in Bangkok on Saturday, a day before leaving for a two-day visit to New Delhi. France and India are expected to sign a declaration of intent on the development of nuclear energy for civilian use during Chirac's visit. "The minimum we must do is to let India respond to its energy needs without becoming a major polluting nation," Chirac said. "I wish that we could, within the non-proliferation framework and existing agreements, help India respond this need," he said. Ahead of Chirac's visit, French Ambassador Dominique Girard said India would need to place more of its nuclear facilities under international supervision to win access to crucial civilian technology. India, which came out of the nuclear closet in 1998, is currently negotiating a landmark deal with Washington that would give New Delhi access to previously forbidden nuclear technology. Washington agreed last July to share the technology with New Delhi provided India separated its military and civilian nuclear facilities and allowed international inspections. US Pesident George W. Bush, who will be traveling to New Delhi in March, has defended the US-India agreement as "good policy". Chirac told reporters there was no rivalry with the United States when it came to helping India develop. Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Australia &NZ Pty Limited. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2006 AFP. All rights reserved. All information ***************************************************************** 41 Guardian Unlimited: Bush Presses for Nuclear Energy Expansion From the Associated Press [UP] Saturday February 18, 2006 3:16 PM AP Photo DCGH101 By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush on Saturday renewed his push for expansion of nuclear energy and sought support for plans to revive nuclear fuel reprocessing to deal with radioactive waste from commercial power plants. ``As America and other nations build more nuclear power plants we must work together to address two challenges,'' Bush said in his weekly radio address. ``We must dispose of nuclear waste safely, and we must keep nuclear technology and material out of the hands of terrorist networks and terrorist states.'' The administration has asked Congress for $250 million next fiscal year to accelerate a decade-long research program into reprocessing nuclear fuel, reducing the amount of reactor waste that eventually would have to be buried. The United States abandoned nuclear fuel reprocessing in the 1970s because of nuclear proliferation concerns. Conventional fuel reprocessing requires the separation of pure plutonium, which can be easily transported and could be used in a weapon if obtained by terrorists. Bush's plan envisions a new approach to reprocessing - one not yet fully demonstrated outside the laboratory - that would not result in the separation of pure plutonium and, therefore, its advocates maintain, poses less of a proliferation risk. Nuclear power must play a growing role in meeting future energy needs not only in the United States, but globally, the president said. He said he envisions a system where the United States and other countries such as Russia, Britain and France would provide reactors and lend nuclear fuel to developing nations. Used fuel would be returned and recycled. ``This will allow us to produce more energy while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes and terrorists could use to make weapon,'' Bush said. The reprocessing initiatives has been met with skepticism by some members of Congress and nuclear nonproliferation advocacy groups. ``We are taking enormous risks going down this path,'' Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., told Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman earlier this week at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee. While calling it ``a well-intentioned program,'' Clinton questioned its cost and said its potential proliferation risks ``seem to raise more dangers and questions than answers.'' The Energy Department acknowledges that the $250 million sought by the administration is only a small down payment for the program. The department envisions spending $1.8 billion over the following three years and about $13 billion over 10 years to develop a demonstration project for reprocessing, including a new-generation ``fast'' reactor needed to burn up more of the fuel. Clinton said some studies have put the cost of developing a nuclear reprocessing technology at $100 billion. The new nuclear strategy is but one energy initiative that Bush plans to highlight in the coming week as he visits Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado to talk up programs and technologies aimed at developing alternative motor fuels and other renewable energy programs. ``The best way to meet our energy needs is through advanced technology,'' he said as the administration searches for ways to defuse growing public concerns about high energy prices. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 42 Depleted uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 16:08:49 -0600 (CST) 15th February 2006 San Franciso Bay View www.sfbayview.com Depleted uranium: Dirty bombs, dirty missiles, dirty bullets A death sentence here and abroad by Leuren Moret Vietnam was a chemical war for oil, permanently contaminating large regions and countries downriver with Agent Orange, and environmentally the most devastating war in world history. But since 1991, the U.S. has staged four nuclear wars using depleted uranium weaponry, which, like Agent Orange, meets the U.S. government definition of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Vast regions in the Middle East and Central Asia have been permanently contaminated with radiation. And what about our soldiers? Terry Jemison of the Department of Veterans Affairs reported this week to the American Free Press that Gulf-era veterans now on medical disability since 1991 number 518,739, with only 7,035 reported wounded in Iraq in that same 14-year period. This week the American Free Press dropped a dirty bomb on the Pentagon by reporting that eight out of 20 men who served in one unit in the 2003 U.S. military offensive in Iraq now have malignancies. That means that 40 percent of the soldiers in that unit have developed malignancies in just 16 months. Since these soldiers were exposed to vaccines and depleted uranium (DU) only, this is strong evidence for researchers and scientists working on this issue, that DU is the definitive cause of Gulf War Syndrome. Vaccines are not known to cause cancer. One of the first published researchers on Gulf War Syndrome, who also served in 1991 in Iraq, Dr. Andras Korinyi-Both, is in agreement with Barbara Goodno from the Department of Defenses Deployment Health Support Directorate, that in this war soldiers were not exposed to chemicals, pesticides, bioagents or other suspect causes this time to confuse the issue. This powerful new evidence is blowing holes in the cover-up perpetrated by the Pentagon and three presidential administrations ever since DU was first used in 1991 in the Persian Gulf War. Fourteen years after the introduction of DU on the battlefield in 1991, the long-term effects have revealed that DU is a death sentence and very nasty stuff. Scientists studying the biological effects of uranium in the 1960s reported that it targets the DNA. Marion Fulk, a nuclear physical chemist retired from the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab and formerly involved with the Manhattan Project, interprets the new and rapid malignancies in soldiers from the 2003 war as spectacular and a matter of concern. This evidence shows that of the three effects which DU has on biological systems - radiation, chemical and particulate the particulate effect from nano-size particles is the most dominant one immediately after exposure and targets the Master Code in the DNA. This is bad news, but it explains why DU causes a myriad of diseases which are difficult to define. In simple words, DU trashes the body. When asked if the main purpose for using it was for destroying things and killing people, Fulk was more specific: I would say that it is the perfect weapon for killing lots of people. Soldiers developing malignancies so quickly since 2003 can be expected to develop multiple cancers from independent causes. This phenomenon has been reported by doctors in hospitals treating civilians following NATO bombing with DU in Yugoslavia in 1998-1999 and the U.S. military invasion of Iraq using DU for the first time in 1991. Medical experts report that this phenomenon of multiple malignancies from unrelated causes has been unknown until now and is a new syndrome associated with internal DU exposure. Just 467 U.S. personnel were wounded in the three-week Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. Out of 580,400 soldiers who served in Gulf War I, 11,000 are dead, and by 2000 there were 325,000 on permanent medical disability. This astounding number of disabled vets means that a decade later, 56 percent of those soldiers who served now have medical problems. The number of disabled vets reported up to 2000 has been increasing by 43,000 every year. Brad Flohr of the Department of Veterans Affairs told American Free Press that he believes there are more disabled vets now than even after World War II. They brought it home Not only were soldiers exposed to DU on and off the battlefields, but they brought it home. DU in the semen of soldiers internally contaminated their wives, partners and girlfriends. Tragically, some women in their 20s and 30s who were sexual partners of exposed soldiers developed endometriosis and were forced to have hysterectomies because of health problems. In a group of 251 soldiers from a study group in Mississippi who had all had normal babies before the Gulf War, 67 percent of their post-war babies were born with severe birth defects. They were born with missing legs, arms, organs or eyes or had immune system and blood diseases. In some veterans families now, the only normal or healthy members of the family are the children born before the war. The Department of Veterans Affairs has stated that they do not keep records of birth defects occurring in families of veterans. How did they hide it? Before a new weapons system can be used, it must be fully tested. The blueprint for depleted uranium weapons is a 1943 declassified document from the Manhattan Project. Harvard President and physicist James B. Conant, who developed poison gas in World War I, was brought into the Manhattan Project by the father of presidential candidate John Kerry. Kerrys father served at a high level in the Manhattan Project and was a CIA agent. Conant was chair of the S-1 Poison Gas Committee, which recommended developing poison gas weapons from the radioactive trash of the atomic bomb project in World War II. At that time, it was known that radioactive materials dispersed in bombs from the air, from land vehicles or on the battlefield produced very fine radioactive dust which would penetrate all protective clothing, any gas mask or filter or the skin. By contaminating the lungs and blood, it could kill or cause illness very quickly. They also recommended it as a permanent terrain contaminant, which could be used to destroy populations by contaminating water supplies and agricultural land with the radioactive dust. The first DU weapons system was developed for the Navy in 1968, and DU weapons were given to and used by Israel in 1973 under U.S. supervision in the Yom Kippur war against the Arabs. The Phalanx weapons system, using DU, was tested on the USS Bigelow out of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in 1977, and DU weapons have been sold by the U.S. to 29 countries. Military research report summaries detail the testing of DU from 1974-1999 at military testing grounds, bombing and gunnery ranges and at civilian labs under contract. Today 42 states are contaminated with DU from manufacture, testing and deployment. Women living around these facilities have reported increases in endometriosis, birth defects in babies, leukemia in children and cancers and other diseases in adults. Thousands of tons of DU weapons tested for decades by the Navy on four bombing and gunnery ranges around Fallon, Nevada, is no doubt the cause of the fastest growing leukemia cluster in the U.S. over the past decade. The military denies that DU is the cause. The medical profession has been active in the cover-up - just as they were in hiding the effects from the American public - of low level radiation from atmospheric testing and nuclear power plants. A medical doctor in Northern California reported being trained by the Pentagon with other doctors, months before the 2003 war started, to diagnose and treat soldiers returning from the 2003 war for mental problems only. Medical professionals in hospitals and facilities treating returning soldiers were threatened with $10,000 fines if they talked about the soldiers or their medical problems. They were also threatened with jail. Reporters have also been prevented access to more than 14,000 medically evacuated soldiers flown nightly since the 2003 war in C-150s from Germany who are brought to Walter Reed Hospital near Washington, D.C. Dr. Robert Gould, former president of the Bay Area chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), has contacted three medical doctors since February 2004, after I had been invited to speak about DU. Dr. Katharine Thomasson, president of the Oregon chapter of the PSR, informed me that Dr. Gould had contacted her and tried to convince her to cancel her invitation for me to speak about DU at Portland State University on April 12. Although I was able to do a presentation, Dr. Thomasson told me I could only talk about DU in Oregon and nothing overseas nothing political. Dr. Gould also contacted and discouraged Dr. Ross Wilcox in Toronto, Canada, from inviting me to speak to Physicians for Global Survival (PGS), the Canadian equivalent of PSR, several months later. When that didnt work, he contacted Dr. Allan Connoly, the Canadian national president of PGS, who was able to cancel my invitation and nearly succeeded in preventing Dr. Wilcox, his own member, from showing photos and presenting details on civilians suffering from DU exposure and cancer provided to him by doctors in southern Iraq. Dr. Janette Sherman, a former and long-standing member of PSR, reported that she finally quit some time after being invited to lunch by a new PSR executive administrator. After the woman had pumped Dr. Sherman for information all through lunch about her position on key issues, the woman informed Dr. Sherman that her last job had been with the CIA. How was the truth about DU hidden from military personnel serving in successive DU wars? Before his tragic death, Sen. Paul Wellstone informed Joyce Riley, R.N., B.S.N., executive director of the American Gulf War Veterans Association, that 95 percent of Gulf War veterans had been recycled out of the military by 1995. Any of those continuing in military service were isolated from each other, preventing critical information being transferred to new troops. The next DU war had already been planned, and those planning it wanted no skunk at the garden party. The US has a dirty (DU) little (CIA) secret A new book just published at the American Free Press by Michael Collins Piper, The High Priests of War: The Secret History of How Americas Neo-Conservative Trotskyites Came to Power and Orchestrated the War Against Iraq as the First Step in Their Drive for Global Empire, details the early plans for a war against the Arab world by Henry Kissinger and the neo-cons in the late 1960s and early 1970s. That just happens to coincide with getting the DU show on the road and the oil crisis in the Middle East, which caused concern not only to President Nixon. The British had been plotting and scheming for control of the oil in Iraq for decades since first using poison gas on the Iraqis and Kurds in 1912. The book details the creation of the neo-cons by their godfather and Trotsky lover Irving Kristol, who pushed for a war against terrorism long before 9/11 and was lavishly funded for years by the CIA. His son, William Kristol, is one of the most influential men in the United States. Both are public relations men for the Israeli lobbys neo-conservative network, with strong ties to Rupert Murdoch. Kissinger also has ties to this network and the Carlyle Group, who, one could say, have facilitated these omnicidal wars beginning from the time former President Bush took office. It would be easy to say that we are recycling World Wars I and II, with the same faces. When I asked Vietnam Special Ops Green Beret Capt. John McCarthy, who could have devised this omnicidal plan to use DU to destroy the genetic code and genetic future of large populations of Arabs and Moslems in the Middle East and Central Asia - just coincidentally the areas where most of the worlds oil deposits are located - he replied: It has all the handprints of Henry Kissinger. In Zbignew Brzezinskis book The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its Geostrategic Imperatives, the map of the Eurasian chessboard includes four regions strategic to U.S. foreign policy. The South region corresponds precisely to the regions now contaminated permanently with radiation from U.S. bombs, missiles and bullets made with thousands of tons of DU. A Japanese professor, Dr. K. Yagasaki, has calculated that 800 tons of DU is the atomicity equivalent of 83,000 Nagasaki bombs. The U.S. has used more DU since 1991 than the atomicity equivalent of 400,000 Nagasaki bombs. Four nuclear wars indeed, and 10 times the amount of radiation released into the atmosphere from atmospheric testing! No wonder our soldiers, their families and the people of the Middle East, Yugoslavia and Central Asia are sick. But as Henry Kissinger said after Vietnam when our soldiers came home ill from Agent Orange, Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used for foreign policy. Unfortunately, more and more of those soldiers are men and women with brown skin. And unfortunately, the DU radioactive dust will be carried around the world and deposited in our environments just as the smog of war from the 1991 Gulf War was found in deposits in South America, the Himalayas and Hawaii. In June 2003, the World Health Organization announced in a press release that global cancer rates will increase 50 percent by 2020. What else do they know that they arent telling us? I know that depleted uranium is a death sentence for all of us. We will all die in silent ways. == To learn more Sources used in this story that readers are encouraged to consult: American Free Press four-part series on DU by Christopher Bollyn. Part I: "Depleted Uranium: U.S. Commits War Crime Against Iraq, Humanity," http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/depleted_uranium.html Part II: "Cancer Epidemic Caused by U.S. WMD: MD Says Depleted Uranium Definitively http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/cancer_epidemic_.html Part III: "DU Syndrome Stricken Vets Denied Care: Pentagon Hides DU Dangers to Deny Medical Care to Vets", http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/du_syndrome.html Part IV: "Pentagon Brass Suppresses Truth About Toxic Weapons: Poisonous Uranium Munitions Threaten World", http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/pentagon_brass.html August 2004 World Affairs Journal. Leuren Moret: "Depleted Uranium: The Trojan Horse of Nuclear War," http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2004/DU-Trojan-Horse1jul04.htm August 2004 Coastal Post Online. Carol Sterrit: "Marin Depleted Uranium Resolution Heats Up - GI's Will Come Home To A Slow Death," http://www.coastalpost.com/04/08/01.htm World Depleted Uranium Weapons Conference, Hamburg, Germany, October 16-19, 2004: http://www.uraniumweaponsconference.de/speakers.htm International Criminal Tribunal for Afghanistan. Written opinion of Judge Niloufer Baghwat: http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Afghanistan-Criminal-Tribunal10mar04.ht m "Discounted Casualties: The Human Cost of Nuclear War" by Akira Tashiro, foreword by Leuren Moret, http://www.chugoku-np.co.jp/abom/uran/index_e.html Leuren Moret is a geoscientist who has worked around the world on radiation issues, educating citizens, the media, members of parliaments and Congress and other officials. She became a whistleblower in 1991 at the Livermore Nuclear Weapons Lab after experiencing major science fraud on the Yucca Mountain Project. An environmental commissioner in the City of Berkeley, she can be reached at leurenmoret@yahoo.com. ======== http://www.sfbayview.com/081804/Depleteduranium081804.shtml ======== ***************************************************************** 43 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells - Sunday Times - Times February 19, 2006 UK radiation jump blamed on Iraq shells Mark Gould and Jon Ungoed-Thomas RADIATION detectors in Britain recorded a fourfold increase in uranium levels in the atmosphere after the "shock and awe" bombing campaign against Iraq, according to a report. Environmental scientists who uncovered the figures through freedom of information laws say it is evidence that depleted uranium from the shells was carried by wind currents to Britain. Government officials, however, say the sharp rise in uranium detected by radiation monitors in Berkshire was a coincidence and probably came from local sources. The results from testing stations at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston and four other stations within a 10-mile radius were obtained by Chris Busby, of Liverpool University's department of human anatomy and cell biology. Each detector recorded a significant rise in uranium levels during the Gulf war bombing campaign in March 2003. The reading from a park in Reading was high enough for the Environment Agency to be alerted. Busby, who has advised the government on radiation and is a founder of Green Audit, the environmental consultancy, believes "uranium aerosols" from Iraq were widely dispersed in the atmosphere and blown across Europe. "This research shows that rather than remaining near the target as claimed by the military, depleted uranium weapons contaminate both locals and whole populations hundreds to thousands of miles away," he said. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) countered that it was "unfeasible" depleted uranium could have travelled so far. Radiation experts also said that other environmental sources were more likely to blame. The "shock and awe" campaign was one of the most devastating assaults in modern warfare. In the first 24-hour period more than 1,500 bombs and missiles were dropped on Baghdad. During the conflict A10 "tankbuster" planes - which use munitions containing depleted uranium - fired 300,000 rounds. The substance - dubbed a "silver bullet" because of its ability to pierce heavy tank armour - is controversial because of its potential effect on human health. Critics say it is chemically toxic and can cause cancer, and Iraqi doctors reported a marked rise in cancer cases after it was used in the first Gulf conflict. The American and British governments say depleted uranium is relatively harmless, however. The Royal Society, the UK's academy of science, has also said the risk from depleted uranium is "very low" for soldiers and people in a conflict zone. Busby's report shows that within nine days of the start of the Iraq war on March 19, 2003, higher levels of uranium were picked up on five sites in Berkshire. On two occasions, levels exceeded the threshold at which the Environment Agency must be informed, though within safety limits. The report says weather conditions over the war period showed a consistent flow of air from Iraq northwards. Brian Spratt, who chaired the Royal Society's report, cast doubt on depleted uranium as a source but said it could have come from natural uranium in the massive amounts of soil kicked up by shock and awe. Other experts said local environmental sources, such as a power station, were more likely at fault. The Environment Agency said detectors at other sites did not record a similar increase, which suggested a local source. A MoD spokesman said the uranium was of a "natural origin" and there was no evidence that depleted uranium had reached Britain from Iraq. Times and The Sunday Times. ***************************************************************** 44 Herald News: More tests in tritium case [SuburbanChicagoNews.com] Reed-Custer schools: To check for presence of radioactive isotope in ground water From Staff Reports BRAIDWOOD Ground water will be tested on Reed-Custer school property amid concerns about the radioactive isotope tritium being released from the nuclear power station. Higher-than-normal concentrations of tritium have been discovered close to an underground pipe at Exelon's power station in nearby Braceville, and in other places. Reed-Custer's decision was made Thursday at the school board meeting after a discussion with school attorney Stuart Witt, said John Asplund, the district's superintendent. The district should have a contract by March 10 with a Woodridge company to test soil, Asplund said. The district uses ground water on its playing fields, but the drinking water is city water, officials said. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen found naturally in small concentrations in most surface water. It is produced in higher concentrations in water used in nuclear reactors. Exposure to higher concentrations over a prolonged period has been linked to an increased risk of cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a safe drinking-water limit of 20,000 picocuries of tritium per liter of water. A level of 200 picocuries is normal in the environment, officials said. But anything above 20,000 picocuries is deemed unsafe for drinking water. Company officials revealed their discovery in December and said they would begin a cleanup program. Subsequent tests of the private residential wells closest to the site showed no tritium amounts above the naturally occurring amount. A sample of water from a pond 50 yards north of the plant property line had 2,400 picocuries of tritium per liter. The highest concentration of tritium discovered was 226,000 picocuries per liter, in a remote area far from private drinking wells, officials said. One monitoring well, at the Braidwood Dunes, revealed a tritium level of 25,000 picocuries per liter, Exelon officials said. A second well revealed a level of 2,700 picocuries. And at Exelon's Dresden station near Morris, tritium found last month measured 500,000 picocuries per liter in one test well near the center of the plant property. Surrounding test wells 10 feet to 20 feet away reportedly showed tritium concentrations of 20,000 picocuries per liter or less. The affected area is believed to be about 30 feet across near the center of the plant's 1,782 acres. In August 2004, Dresden operators learned well samples collected that July were flagged for an elevated level of tritium. Company officials discovered that a 24-inch pipe, which carries water between the station's reactors and large holding tanks, had a small leak. In Wilmington, Exelon will host a meeting regarding the leaks. The meeting will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at Exelon's Services and Training Center on Essex Road, three miles south of Illinois 113, the company said. The company has established a community relations hotline, (815) 458-7000. On Thursday, Will County Board officials said the health committee will meet again in Godley to give an update on tritium leaks from the Braidwood Generating Station. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Godley Park District building, 500 S. Kankakee St. - Herald News correspondent Dean Tambling contributed to this report. 02/18/06 SuburbanChicagoNews.com — © Digital Chicago & Sun-Times ***************************************************************** 45 CourierPost: Fallout signs are relics of tense era - South Jersey's Web Site Saturday, February 18, 2006 By LAVINIA DeCASTRO Courier-Post Staff Yes, that's a fallout shelter sign outside your neighborhood school. No, you haven't entered The Twilight Zone. The signs have likely been there since the episode in which a suburban doctor locks himself inside his backyard shelter while the angry mob outside desperately tries to get in before the missiles land. The year was 1961 -- an atomic reactor explosion kills three in Idaho, the British government uncovers a large Soviet spy ring in London, President John F. Kennedy promises to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade, the Vietnam War begins and an ill-fated invasion of Cuba ends at the Bay of Pigs. It was a year when backyard fallout shelters were becoming a desired household feature, like a swing set or tool shed. "They were everywhere," said Edward Reynolds, a retired Army nuclear weapons specialist and former Burlington County emergency management coordinator. "They were in the basements of buildings, churches, office buildings and people built their own, too, in those days." Camden County Civil Defense authorities received up to 100 letters and phone calls a day from residents seeking information on how to turn their basements into a fallout shelter, according to newspaper accounts that year. The Army Corps of Engineers designated 11,548 buildings throughout the state suitable shelter sites as part of a nationwide survey, according to articles published in the Courier-Post then. The City of Camden alone had at least 40 shelters capable of sustaining 50 people or more for up to two weeks and 30 percent of the state's 6 million residents lived close to one. "We were on the edge of our seats," said Reynolds, 76, who now lives in Delanco. "They knew it could happen, they wanted to do something to protect their family and there was money out there, federal grants, so people could build fallout shelters." "There were thousands and thousands of them across the country and by the 1970s, most of them were abandoned," said Eric Green, a Cold War memorabilia collector from Texas who runs an online Civil Defense museum. By 1962, New Jersey led the nation in fallout shelter construction, and 175,000 shelter spaces in Essex and Camden counties serving 1.5 million people were being stocked with food kits, water drums and sanitation, radiological and medical kits. "All the supplies all came from the federal government," Green said. In 1963, Gloucester City obtained 5 tons of supplies for the shelters at the Mary Ethel Costello School and the Walt Whitman Bridge abutment. "The food was hard rock candy, and they were in tin cans," Reynolds said. "Some of (the shelters) had complete hospital units in them, the MASH units they used in the Korean War. The better ones were elaborately set up, but most were basic." The shelter at the former Evesham Nike site was a 60-by-60-foot concrete bunker 30 feet underground. During a drill in 1964, 203 people volunteered to spent 24 hours locked inside. Camden High School's basement shelter had five cots, according to a newspaper account of a city Department of Civil Defense test in 1965, when 17 people spent the night. Today, there are no designated community shelters, emergency management officials in Camden and Burlington counties said. "We can't tell people, "In case of an emergency, go to this place' because what if that's where the danger is?" said Burlington County Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Tuno Counties and municipalities today keep a list of suitable sites and pick which one to use based on the nature of the emergency at hand, said Don Elmer, Camden County's emergency management coordinator. What happened to the packets of crackers and barrels of water stored in South Jersey basements? In 1974, millions of pounds of soon-to-be-spoiled fallout shelter food were shipped to famine-stricken nations like Bangladesh and Nicaragua. The city of Dallas auctioned off the stuff stored in the basement of municipal buildings as memorabilia in 1981. "That's how my collection started," Green said. "I think I have the largest collection of this stuff there is." Some places simply got rid of it. Bart Leff, a Camden School District administrator, recalled throwing away the rations, which were stored in a closet at Hatch Middle School, where he worked in 1969. "The stuff at Hatch was probably there since the '50s," Leff said. Today, the only indication of these havens of radiation protection are the three joined triangles on the bright yellow and black fallout shelter signs at schools, government offices and other prominent buildings. "People see those signs and they kind of wonder," Green said. Reach Lavinia DeCastro at (856) 486-2652 or ldecastro@courierpostonline.com ***************************************************************** 46 Cincinnati Post: Nuclear workers paid $1.5B Associated Press WASHINGTON - The government has paid about $1.5 billion in benefits to thousands of sick nuclear weapons workers under a five-year-old program, but more could be done for thousands of others, says a report by a federal official. The report, made public Friday, was the first written by Donald Shalhoub, ombudsman to the Labor Department program. He wrote that workers have reported frustration with a requirement that they obtain workplace records, some of which are more than 50 years old. In many cases, the report said, records "were not maintained at the time of exposure, or if made, were lost or destroyed." In addition, workers thought the government takes too long to estimate how much radiation workers were exposed to. "Otherwise eligible claimants may die while waiting for a result," the report said. Workers also complained that claims examiners failed to return calls and that their cases were reassigned to new examiners unfamiliar with their histories. The Labor Department is "working hard to avoid" such problems, Assistant Secretary Victoria Lipnic wrote in response. She said some cases were reassigned because the agency added staff to more quickly compensate workers. "We are committed to working as quickly as possible to resolve these cases, and we are keenly aware of the urgency of claimants who are ill, and in many cases very elderly," Lipnic wrote. Workers exposed to cancer-causing radiation or beryllium and silica - which cause lung diseases - get a lump sum payment of $150,000 plus medical benefits. Those exposed to other toxic hazards get compensated for disabilities and lost wages. The most they can receive is $250,000. Most of the workers were at Energy Department facilities in Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. A White House document outlined the administration's concerns about the growing costs of the compensation program. Publication date: 02-18-2006 [Cincinnati.Com] ***************************************************************** 47 Rocky Mountain News: Program for sick nuclear workers targeted for cut By Ann Imse, Rocky Mountain News February 18, 2006 The Bush administration has proposed cutting $686 million from the program to aid Rocky Flats and other nuclear weapons plant workers who were sickened on the job by radiation and toxic chemicals. That proposal has U.S. Rep. Mark Udall and Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado worried that thousands of people who put their lives on the line to build nuclear weapons will be left out in the cold for lack of funds. The proposal amounts to a 44 percent reduction in a program that had an estimated budget this year of $1.56 billion, according to Lawrence Pacheco, Udall's press secretary. No one could be reached late Friday at the Department of Labor to explain the proposed budget cut. The program pays for medical care and $150,000 or more in compensation for cancer and other often deadly illnesses tied to the job. In the part of the program dealing with toxic chemicals and less common ailments, 35,000 of 37,000 applications have yet to be processed, according to the Department of Labor Web site. In the part of the program for cancer and beryllium disease, 14,000 of 51,000 applications have yet to be finished. Tens of thousands more sick workers have sought compensation than originally expected. Many have been unable to find records of their employment or their exposures. Others could not prove their jobs caused their diseases. Nationally, 23,371 applications have been denied. But some 12,000 applications have been approved for a total of $1.7 billion so far. That includes more than 300 former workers at Rocky Flats, Denver's now-demolished nuclear weapons plant. The two Colorado members of Congress say they fear the administration intends to implement the proposed budget cut by denying a petition by Rocky Flats workers seeking to grandfather into the program everyone with certain cancers. The compensation law allows for such petitions to be approved when radiation records at a particular site are so sketchy that workers can't possibly prove a connection to their illnesses. 2006 © The E.W. Scripps Co. ***************************************************************** 48 Las Vegas SUN: Nevada mine cleanup languished as regulators bickered, documents show February 17, 2006 By SCOTT SONNER ASSOCIATED PRESS RENO, Nev. (AP) - Disagreements and distrust among regulators charged with directing the cleanup of a polluted Nevada copper mine hampered the government agencies' efforts and likely stalled removal of contamination now expected to take at least a decade, records obtained by The Associated Press show. Internal documents the Interior Department mistakenly turned over to a whistleblower suing one of its agencies reveal a turf battle spanning five years between federal and state environmental regulators at one of the most contaminated abandoned mines in the West. In one, an Interior Department lawyer said the cleanup order the state wanted Atlantic Richfield Co. to adopt in 2002 at the former Anaconda copper mine was so weak the Justice Department would forbid federal regulators from accepting it. In another, the head of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection complained that the cleanup approach his agency advocated was "a polar opposite" of one backed by Interior's Bureau of Land Management, which he accused of acting out of its own "self-serving interest" to absolve itself of liability. The mine about 65 miles southeast of Reno was the biggest producer of copper in the United States in the 1950s before it was abandoned in 2000. Although it was not known publicly until 2003, processing the copper apparently produced uranium, which contaminates the site along with arsenic and other heavy metals. Federal health officials say the radioactive and toxic materials are a threat to residents of the neighboring community of Yerington and to farmers and Indian tribes in the surrounding Mason Valley. Documents show federal regulators wanted to push Arco harder and have the six-square-mile mine declared a Superfund site, which would have put the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in charge of the project with the authority to order cleanup actions or do them itself and bill Atlantic Richfield for the costs. State regulators, who were leading the government agencies' efforts, favored a cooperative approach with the company and opposed Superfund status. The documents surfaced last week as part of a hearing on a whistleblower complaint against the BLM brought by its former mine site manager, Earle Dixon. He claims he was fired partly because he criticized state regulators. Among the most revealing of the documents are internal memos between Interior's lawyers in its regional solicitor's office in Denver and BLM officials in Nevada. They were stamped "Attorney/Client Privileged, FOIA Exempt - Do Not Release," meaning they were not subject to the Freedom of Information Act and were to be kept private. One shows the department was convinced as early as July 2002 that there was little hope of persuading Atlantic Richfield to voluntarily assume responsibility for cleaning up the mine. In it, Interior lawyer Casey Padgett took issue with a directive that BLM was trying to negotiate with the state to order Arco to investigate the mine site. "I am principally concerned about the overall weakness of the state's (administrative order of consent ), the likelihood that it is unenforceable and the probability that ARCO will attempt to use the AOC to shield itself from investigating and cleaning up the site in an acceptable fashion," Padgett wrote to BLM Deputy State Director Tom Leshendock on July 24, 2002. "The draft AOC is far weaker, in ways that are too numerous to itemize, than any AOC that the United States would typically sign," he said. "The interests of BLM and the department would be compromised by NDEP's AOC to such an extent that I doubt the Department of Justice would allow BLM to sign it." Similar infighting between EPA and the state was outlined in a more recent memo admitted as evidence at Dixon's whistleblower hearing. Jim Sickles, EPA's project manager, warned that Nevada's cleanup effort as of May 2004 was "completely lacking," with ineffective planning, inadequate technical expertise and inappropriate contact with Arco. The turf war extended beyond the agencies to the halls of Congress. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., chairman of the House Resources subcommittee on energy and minerals, trumpeted the state's cleanup efforts to Gov. Kenny Guinn and complaining about the BLM's lack of success, while Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada condemned the state's lack of progress and urged Guinn to turn over control to EPA for Superfund listing. Throughout, the agencies appeared unable to work together, the documents show. Padgett said in the July 2002 memo that the state had made "no meaningful concessions" to BLM - "in fact, in each new draft submitted by the state, the document has become weaker." "As we have moved closer to the state's position, the state has moved farther from ours," he said, concluding that BLM "should no longer attempt to negotiate an acceptable AOC with the state but instead should pursue a different approach to accomplish our objectives." A month earlier, the head of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection complained to EPA that the state's view was "a polar opposite of BLM's." "The NDEP believes strongly that significant progress has been made over the last six months," Allen Biaggi wrote June 10, 2002. He said sites of this magnitude and complexity demand careful planning to ultimately be successful. "BLM's apparent failure to recognize this demonstrates a level of inexperience that is of concern to NDEP," he wrote. "BLM's perception of good faith negotiations is distorted and is influenced by its own self-serving interests. While BLM purports to share the goal of site remediation as a priority, its negotiation strategy is dominated by its primary goal of escaping liability." Dixon, who managed the site for BLM for a year until he was fired in October 2004, said the disclosures validate his claim that the state was aligned mostly with Arco against more stringent cleanup demands sought by BLM and EPA. "The lack of progress at the site was an issue before I came on board," Dixon said. Dixon said if BLM had taken a harder stand with Arco or initiated cleanup efforts without Arco's support in 2002, the mine would have been well on its way to a safer condition. Worried neighbors of the mine agree. "The EPA has been asking for testing and surveys to be done since 2001," said Peggy Pauly, leader of the Yerington Community Action Group. "Here we are more than four years later and I still don't know if the water is safe or the air is safe for my daughters to breathe." The state resisted EPA's call for Superfund designation and refused to give up its regulatory role until December 2004, when it formally asked EPA to assume control under the same law that covers Superfund sites. Leo Drozdoff, administrator of Nevada's Environmental Protection Division, said that the state wanted to focus on areas of immediate concern, working in steps with Arco's cooperation to speed cleanup at the lowest cost to taxpayers. "The EPA and BLM put greater emphasis on the front end. They want all the planning for the project to be done first. That really became the philosophical divide," he said. Biaggi, now director of the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, declined to say whether he believed more progress was being made with EPA now the lead regulator. "It's now been 14 months since EPA took over the site. Some people would say it has been going fine and some would say not enough work has been done. I would leave that to the eye of the beholder," he said. But he took exception to criticism of the state's cleanup efforts that began about five years ago when mine owner, Arimetco Inc. of Tucson, Ariz., abandoned the mine, leaving Arco responsible. "The state of Nevada was the only one who took up the ball and in my opinion undisputedly averted disaster" by taking over management of toxic fluids at the mine, Biaggi said. Sickles wouldn't speculate how much work might have been done if EPA had assumed control sooner because progress would depend partly on whether Arco was "cooperative or adversarial." He said EPA has addressed several parts of the cleanup the state initiated and has collected about 1,200 soil samples and 40 groundwater samples that are improving understanding of the contamination and the possibility some of it has moved into neighboring wells. Biaggi and Sickles don't believe the disagreements caused any long-term harm to their agencies' relationship. "While there were some contentious issues on the site," Biaggi said, "the bottom line is we are all still working for the same goals and objectives." All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 49 Bradenton Herald: Lockheed Martin offers schools well compensation | 02/18/2006 | DONNA WRIGHT Herald Staff Writer TALLEVAST - Lockheed Martin Corp. is offering a charitable incentive to Tallevast residents for identifying and allowing Lockheed Martin to seal old, unusable drinking water and irrigation wells. "These are wells that are no longer in use," Lockheed spokeswoman Gail Rymer said in a news release Friday. "The corporation will contribute $500 per well to either of the two nearby elementary schools." But Tallevast leaders predict the incentive will fail because Lockheed is passing the money onto local schools and not to residents to spend as they wish. "There is no point in offering a $500 finder fee and then donate it in someone's name," said Laura Ward, president of the advocacy group FOCUS (Family Oriented Community United Strong). "Why should I find a well for them and then point it out to them if they are not giving me the $500?" Lockheed wants to find all of the old wells to cap them and thereby eliminate pathways of potential exposure to contaminants in groundwater, Rymer said. The company has offered to donate the money to either Kinnan Elementary, 3415 Tallevast Road, or Able Elementary, 7100 Madonna Place. To date, Lockheed has knowledge of 49 irrigation and drinking water wells, 17 of which were used for drinking water until the owners were switched to county water at Lockheed's expense in 2004. Well owners who were switched to county water will be compensated for replacement of these usable wells to cover costs associated with future water bills and permanent connections to the public water supply, Rymer said. If a property owner feels their well disclosed through the incentive offer meets the criteria of a usable well, Lockheed Martin will work this on a case-by-case basis, according to Rymer. Capping the wells is part of Lockheed's strategy to contain and clean-up a 131-acre toxic plume stemming from broken sump years ago at the old Loral American Beryllium Co. plant at 1600 Tallevast Road. As the owner of the plant when the contamination was found, Lockheed has the responsibility for cleaning the mess up. Tallevast residents have told Lockheed that in the past every property had a well. Many of those old wells are abandoned or caved in, residents said. Some are located under newer homes and buildings. Rymer hopes the incentive will prompt Tallevast residents to come forward. Wanda Washington, vice president of FOCUS, wants to see Lockheed's incentive offer in writing. She traces the community's mistrust to confusing terms in Lockheed's past compensation offers to residents. FOCUS agrees the wells must be capped, said Washington, but the community wants the compensation offers clarified. "Those offers must be consistent, so everyone is getting the same offer," Washington said. "We have advised residents not to sign any agreements until Lockheed revisits the whole issue." Donna Wright, health and social services reporter, can be reached at 745-7049 or at dwright@HeraldToday.com. ***************************************************************** 50 Porter: PORTER RESPONDS TO DOE TECHNICAL IMPACT REPORT Congressman Jon Porter (NV03) - Press Release - February 17, 2006 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Third District Congressman Jon Porter released the following statement in response to the Department of Energy’s technical impact report, which was made public earlier this afternoon: “Today’s report should come as a surprise to no one, as it’s been proven time and time again that the Department of Energy will do anything and everything to justify the Yucca Mountain Project. The unfortunate part is that DOE officials always seem to forget that their haphazard justifications and explanations could affect the safety of millions of Americans. “My investigation into the Yucca Mountain Project as Chairman of the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization Subcommittee has yielded significant evidence which points to a severely flawed quality assurance process. Based on these flaws, considering any part of the Project’s justification as ‘sound science’ is absurd and an affront to Nevadans. “If safety truly is DOE’s number one concern, their best course of action would be to scrap the entire Yucca Mountain Project.” ***************************************************************** 51 Las Vegas SUN: Hafen set to launch campaign for Congress Today: February 19, 2006 at 7:49:48 PST By Benjamin Grove Sun Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Tessa Hafen, former press secretary for Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Monday will formally launch her campaign to unseat Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev. She will make the announcement at Gordon McCaw Elementary School in Henderson, which she attended. Hafen, 29, is expected to be flanked by Reid, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and her father, long-time Henderson City Councilman Andy Hafen. The venue also was chosen to draw a distinction between Hafen and her opponent: Hafen is a third-generation Nevadan. Porter was born in Iowa. Voters in Congressional District 3, which is nearly evenly split between registered Democrats and Republicans, can expect Porter's campaign to stress the second-term congressman's political experience, which dates back 20 years to his days as a Boulder City Councilman. Hafen's political experience mostly has come as a Reid aide. Observers say Hafen will have difficulty separating herself from herself politically from Reid while relying on his well-oiled campaign money machine. She faces a proven winner in Porter, a careful politician with nearly $1 million cash on hand. Porter has a competing event at the same time as Hafen's campaign kickoff. Porter will be at Sunrise Hospital to unveil his "Federal Family Health Information Technology Act," a bill aimed at creating electronic health records for 8 million federal employees. The Porter event was planned months in advance so the timing was coincidental, Porter spokesman T.J. Crawford said. President Bush this week will play traveling salesman, pitching his ambitious proposal to make America a leader in a global resurgence in nuclear power. Bush's Saturday radio address focused on new energy technologies and he touted his Global Nuclear Energy Partnership plan. The plan includes a call for the nation to recycle the spent nuclear fuel waste from nuclear power reactors. Critics say that developing the reprocessing technology is unnecessary and far too costly. They also say it creates a nuclear weapons proliferation risk because the process separates plutonium out of the waste, which in the wrong hands could be used for a weapon. Reprocessing has implications for the proposed nuclear waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain because it could reduce the toxicity of waste bound for burial there, advocates say. Bush is likely to push for new energy technologies and a nuclear power resurgence at several other Bush events this week, including stops in Milwaukee; Auburn Hills, Mich.; and Golden, Colo. The trade group that acts as a top cheerleader for Yucca Mountain in the next month or so will launch its largest public relations campaign ever to tout nuclear power, and secondarily, the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute's outreach blitz coincides with the Bush administration's advocacy for nuclear power expansion worldwide. NEI envisions 15 to 20 new U.S. plants operating - with an equal number under construction - by 2030. The nation currently has 103 operating nuclear reactors. To build support nationwide for expanding nuclear power, NEI has embarked on its broadest campaign yet, designed to create a large pro-nuclear coalition. To that end it is seeking out organizations of all kinds, from seniors groups to health-related organizations and even environmental advocates - traditionally, the staunchest foes of nuclear power. NEI is also planning advertising to tout the benefits of nuclear power - principally, that it creates no greenhouse gas emissions like fossil fuel-burning electric plants. The campaign also will try to debunk what nuclear industry officials say are lingering myths - that nuclear power is unsafe, too expensive to develop and that there is no solution to the waste problem, NEI spokesman Scott Peterson said. NEI has long said the solution to that problem - highly radioactive spent fuel piling up at nuclear power plants nationwide - is to bury it at Yucca. Benjamin Grove can be reached at (202) 662-7436. All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 52 reviewjournal.com: Yucca science data endorsed Feb. 18, 2006 New Bush administration report describes project work as 'strong,' 'valid' By SAMANTHA YOUNG STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration issued a report Friday backing the scientific data behind Yucca Mountain, almost a year after the Energy Department disclosed that government scientists might have fabricated their work on the project. Paul Golan, acting director of the department's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, said an internal examination found the science at Yucca Mountain to be "strong" and "valid." But the computer work relating to water and climate studies failed to meet department standards and is being redone by the Sandia National Laboratories, he said. "Despite the fact that the science is consistent, our quality assurance requirements were not met, which is a requirement for submitting a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," Golan said. "We find it best to just replace this work." In March, the Energy and Interior departments revealed that several U.S. Geological Survey hydrologists had exchanged e-mails discussing possible falsification of quality assurance documents on water infiltration research. The e-mails -- written between May 18, 1998, and March 20, 2000 -- by two to three USGS scientists said that dates and names on the project had been made up and that "fudge factors" were used to meet quality assurance requirements. The disclosure led to the launching of several investigations by the Department of Energy and audits by the inspectors general of the Interior and Energy departments. It was a setback for an already delayed program undergoing a redesign for new canisters that government scientists said would better hold nuclear waste in the mountain 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. In their probe, Energy Department investigators sampled more than 10 million e-mails, expanding their search to messages through 2004, according to the 144-page report. The report concluded that the science used to determine the ranges of rainfall seepage into Yucca Mountain mirrored that of similar water studies by other scientists in the region. Water at the site eventually could corrode the waste canisters and potentially spread radiation to sources of drinking water, critics say. Ultimately, the 2002 decision by then-Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to recommend Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository for 77,000 tons of spent fuel rested on sound science, investigators found. Nevada Nuclear Projects Agency chief Bob Loux questioned the credibility of an internal report. "I don't think it's any secret that DOE has not been objective in their investigation of Yucca Mountain," Loux said. "The science itself has always been questioned." Nevada lawmakers said administration officials have failed to address the root problems of the project, which now lacks a timetable or cost estimate. "The DOE, which failed to prevent the falsification of scientific data on Yucca Mountain projects in the first place, now wants to us to believe that the falsifications made no difference in the quality of the work. That's absurd," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a prepared statement. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said the report was a "misguided attempt by the DOE to gloss over mismanagement and incompetence." At a nuclear power industry conference earlier this week, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman acknowledged problems with the work USGS scientists had done at Yucca. Golan said the violations rested in the Quality Assurance program, a protocol requiring scientists and engineers to record and document their research, computer modeling and field reports so that they can be verified and confirmed as part of repository safety licensing. Scientists at the Department of Energy's Sandia laboratories have been recoding the data since September, Golan said. The review is expected to take several more months, and independent experts also will check the work. "It's very important we go about this in a deliberate way," Golan said. Golan estimated that the recoding would cost taxpayers between several hundred thousand dollars to several million dollars. He declined to say how long the e-mail investigation has held up the project or when the government would submit its license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Agency. Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., chairman of the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization Subcommittee, said his panel's investigation has found evidence of a "severely flawed quality assurance process." And he has subpoenaed the Energy Department to hand over its 5,000-page draft license application for Yucca Mountain, which critics say would shed more light on the department's research. The department has not complied. Golan said the department is conducting a separate investigation into its quality assurance program, which critics for years have questioned. Investigators are reviewing thousands more e-mails and employee complaints in response to a November audit by the department's inspector general. The complaints claimed that the investigation into the USGS e-mails was too narrow. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the Department of Energy should redo its scientific work. "The e-mails sent between federal workers indicated disturbing flaws and pressure to make their science match a desired outcome, namely proving the safety of Yucca Mountain," he said. "Today's report in no way addresses this apparent breach of scientific integrity." Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said the report "does not close the book on the inexcusable behavior of USGS employees who admitted in their own e-mails that they cut corners, faked their work and broke the rules." The Interior Department is investigating the conduct of the employees. Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2006 Stephens Media GroupPrivacy Statement ***************************************************************** 53 Washington Post: No Nuclear Reprocessing Saturday, February 18, 2006; Page A32 `In their Jan. 30 op-ed, "A Plan for Nuclear Waste," John Deutch and Ernest J. Moniz made a strong case against a U.S. reprocessing program to extract plutonium from spent nuclear reactor fuel, noting that it would undercut efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons to more nations. It did not mention that reprocessing also would entail a risk of terrorists acquiring the material needed to make a nuclear weapon. Because U.S. nuclear power plants now pose no such risk, reprocessing would be a big step in the wrong direction -- especially for an administration that claims that preventing nuclear terrorism is a priority. LISBETH GRONLUND Co-Director, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists Cambridge, Mass. Copyright 1996- The Washington Post Company ***************************************************************** 54 Washington Post: Groundwater Toxin Found at Additional D.C. Sites Officials Want to Know if Contaminant, Detected at High Levels, Could Reach Reservoir By Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, February 18, 2006; Page B02 More testing for groundwater problems in Northwest Washington neighborhoods where the U.S. Army researched chemical weapons during World War I has found new locations of perchlorate contamination, at some of the highest levels detected to date, according to officials. Undetermined is whether the contamination could end up in the Dalecarlia Reservoir or the Washington Aqueduct, both of which supply drinking water to more than 1 million people in the metropolitan area. The three federal and city agencies involved in a multimillion-dollar cleanup of the Spring Valley community released data this week that showed elevated perchlorate concentrations in a monitoring well near the reservoir and in two other wells adjacent to where ordnance and laboratory glassware were dumped during the heyday of the Army's American University Experiment Station. The latest findings were from sampling in December. Perchlorate, a compound that was used nine decades ago in tests with mustard agent and screening smokes, can disrupt thyroid function and can contribute to developmental delays and infertility. Given that two of the wells are just west of major disposal pits, the December findings were not surprising. They showed levels of 60 and 70 parts per billion, which exceed the previous high of 58 parts per billion detected in 2003 on the grounds of Sibley Memorial Hospital and are more than double a federal recommendation for perchlorate cleanup. Much more unexpected, however, was the 48 parts per billion reading from the third well, about 1,000 feet south of Dalecarlia at Loughboro Road and MacArthur Boulevard. "It's not real apparent where that perchlorate is coming from," said Gary Schilling of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is leading the project. Twenty-nine wells have been installed throughout Spring Valley in the past nine months, aimed at answering that and other questions. Chief among the questions is whether the groundwater could breach the reservoir. Schilling considers that highly unlikely but acknowledged, "We're concerned with finding out where this stuff is flowing." No Spring Valley residents use groundwater for drinking, cooking or bathing. Officials continue to vouch for the safety of the drinking water processed from the reservoir by the Washington Aqueduct and supplied to the District, Arlington County and Falls Church. "It is not a drinking water concern," District Health Director Gregg A. Pane reiterated yesterday. Testing of water in the reservoir and of the aqueduct's finished product has only periodically shown the presence of perchlorate, at amounts about 2 parts per billion or less, officials said. But even those traces have raised questions given the ever-closer proximity of perchlorate in the groundwater, especially at the more elevated levels. While praising the investigation for taking "all the right actions," Pane said anything that could put the reservoir at risk is worrisome. Virginia Commonwealth University scientist Peter deFur, the consultant to a residents advisory board on the cleanup, agreed that the reservoir's potential vulnerability is "the controlling question in terms of an immediate threat to public health." How and where further sampling will be conducted and how the investigation will be broadened should be determined during the next month. The December results from the six newest wells also showed low levels of arsenic and an unconfirmed finding of HMX, or high melting explosive. But recently validated analyses from samplings of more than a dozen wells revealed no detectable traces of more than 160 chemicals and elements used at the experiment station during World War I, groundwater project manager Ed Hughes said. © 2006 The Washington Post Company ***************************************************************** 55 RGJ.com: Bush's nuclear energy plans don't sway Yucca foes Nevada, USA 775-788-6200 February 19, 2006 DAVID JACOBS RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL --> FAST FACTS + The Yucca site would entomb 77,000 tons of highly radioactive used reactor fuel from commercial nuclear power plants and military installations in 39 states. + The projected opening date has been pushed back from 2010 to 2012 or later. + The site is about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. SOURCE: AP research On the Web + Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects: + Yucca">www.state.nv.us Mountain project: www.ymp.gov + President Bush's Saturday address: www.whitehouse.gov Opponents of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository are encouraged by President Bush's call Saturday for a new approach to reprocessing nuclear waste, but some doubts remain. "The Bush administration is trying to take the magnifying glass off the current failures with the repository project," said Robert Halstead, a consultant for Nevada that is fighting the Yucca project. "I think, frankly, it's just an effort to take people's attention off the terrible shape that they're in with Yucca Mountain itself." In his weekly radio address Saturday, Bush said that as the U.S. and other nations build more nuclear power plants, "we must dispose of nuclear waste safely." This includes efforts toward developing and deploying "innovative, advanced reactors and new methods to recycle spent nuclear fuel," the president said. "This will allow us to produce more energy, while dramatically reducing the amount of nuclear waste and eliminating the nuclear byproducts that unstable regimes or terrorists could use to make weapons," Bush said. Jack Finn, spokesman for U.S. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said Saturday that Ensign "certainly supports the use of nuclear power. "We just need to find a way to dispose of the waste without taking it to Yucca Mountain," Finn added. Ensign and Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada have introduced legislation to force the U.S. Department of Energy to take possession of nuclear-waste material where it's produced, Finn said. "Hopefully, through emerging technology like reprocessing, we will be able to store it on-site as opposed to having to find a single repository," Finn added. Nevadans likely will hear more about Bush's plans in the coming days. The Bush administration is kicking off what is dubbed "energy week" with numerous visits planned by the president and his staff across the U.S. It's not known whether Bush eventually will stop in the Silver State in his effort to end what he calls America's addiction to oil. "I don't know what the president's plans are," Finn said. Halstead's initial reaction is that the administration is doing "anything they can do to make nuclear power look good and the nuclear-waste issue look like it is solved." Halstead, who describes himself as "a green, pro-nuclear person" said technology the administration proposes both for reactors and reprocessing is "way, way off." "Certainly, even with a Manhattan Project, it could not be commercialized in 10 years. It's more likely a 20-to-30-year horizon." Deploying the technologies -- that some consider "a totally pie-in-the sky approach to this" -- also will be expensive, with estimates of $50 billion to $250 billion, Halstead said. "What is more likely is that the additional reactors that would be built in the U.S. will simply be larger, more advanced versions of the pressurized-water reactor and boiling-water reactor technology that we have now that will in fact continue to produce the same kind of waste that we produce now," he predicts. Halstead notes the scrutiny will intensify as the U.S. nears a time when a second nuclear-waste repository -- in the East -- might be needed. "That is really, really going to complicate the debate at the national level about Yucca Mountain and about waste disposal," Halstead said. © Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett Co. Inc.Newspaper. ***************************************************************** 56 Gibbons: Gibbons Blasts Latest DOE Report on Yucca Mountain Science This report just shows DOE has no credibility when it comes to sound science” 2/17/2006 WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Congressman Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.) issued the following statement regarding the Department of Energy’s report, released today, entitled: “Evaluation of Technical Impact on the Yucca Mountain Project Technical Basis Resulting From Issues Raised by E-mails of Former Project Participants.” “This report is an insult to the people of Nevada. This report just shows that the DOE has no credibility when it comes to sound science. “The emails sent between federal workers indicated disturbing flaws and pressure to make their science match a desired outcome, namely proving the safety of Yucca Mountain. Today’s report in no way addresses this apparent breach of scientific integrity. “Additionally, the DOE is saying in this report that they validate their science based on the idea that it is ‘consistent with similar results for arid regions of the Western United States’ in general. So based on DOE logic, we could build the nuclear repository in any arid region in the West because the scientific models are similar? The truth is the DOE just doesn’t want to take the time to prove their science is sound or take the chance that their studies will prove what we have been saying all along…that Yucca Mountain is not a safe or suitable repository for nuclear waste.” Congressman Gibbons also applauded the ongoing efforts of Congressman Jon Porter (R-Nev.) in trying to investigate the alleged falsification of scientific data on the Yucca Mountain Project through the House Government Reform Committee. For more information, contact: Amy Maier Communications Director Congressman Jim Gibbons Phone: 202-225-6155 FAX: 202-225-5679 URL: http://wwwc.house.gov/gibbons/press_contact.asp Congressman Jim Gibbons · 100 Cannon House Office Building · Washington D.C. 20515 Voice: 202-225-6155 · Fax: 202-225-5679 ***************************************************************** 57 Daily Herald: A nuclear traffic solution Sunday, February 19, 2006 CALEB WARNOCK - Daily Herald Fed up with traffic, the mayor of Lehi -- the city which is the nexus of Utah County congestion -- would like to use nuclear waste storage to pay for new roads. While noting they are hobbled by federal red tape, Mayor Howard Johnson lashed out at state and regional transportation planners recently, saying they have failed his city and the rest of the Wasatch Front -- and must change direction now. Johnson asked the Daily Herald for a meeting to discuss traffic and spent two hours listing a litany of complaints against planners -- and ideas to correct the state's transportation woes. He also gave the Daily Herald copies of letters he had written to the Utah Department of Transportation, local mayors, and legislators demanding action. The mayor said he "did not want to come off as a big aggravation, that I'm fighting everyone," but then said "there is truth in this situation and sometimes it hurts for the truth to be said when you personally don't want to hear it -- and some things Mountainland and UDOT don't want to hear." Mountainland Association of Governments is Utah County's regional planning organization. His frustration is simple, he said. Interstate 15, already failing, can never be expanded enough to hold future traffic, and even if Utah County voters one day approve a tax increase for commuter rail, the rail service could only hold 10 percent of commuters. A new freeway west of Utah Lake is the only solution -- and planning and right-of-way acquisition must begin immediately, he said. How much would the proposed freeway cost? "How much will it cost not to do it?" he asked. When pressed to say how he proposes the state pay for such a road, there was a long pause. "It is nuclear deposits," he said. Storing nuclear materials is "absolutely, totally safe, and because of the paranoia of the good folks of the East, they will pay almost any money to get it out of their back yard," he said. If Utah would "swallow a little bit of pride and provide a little bit of nuclear storage" the state could earn up to three-quarters of a billion dollars a year. If nuclear storage is a no-go, the state could also earn $200 million a year in new tax money by requiring Internet vendors to collect tax payments on all Internet sales to residents, he said. Or Utahns might simply have to accept a tax increase "and get what we are demanding because of the way we live," or perhaps, he said -- though he noted it would not be fair to those using I-15 -- the new freeway could be a toll road. When speaking with the Daily Herald, Johnson initially said the 140-mile freeway he proposes should begin where Interstate 84 dead-ends into I-15 at Tremonton, cross the Great Salt Lake on a new causeway "creating a freshwater lake," go north of the Salt Lake International Airport, head south and cross I-80, go underneath Camp Williams in a tunnel, travel west of Utah Lake and eventually rejoin I-15 south of Nephi. He later said he recognizes environmental concerns would likely never permit a causeway across the Great Salt Lake and that only the portion of the freeway from I-80 southward might be feasible. I-15 is already a "parking lot" and work is now beginning on a $111 million state project which would help traffic get through Lehi to I-15 faster, as well as widen Redwood Road. The problem is that state projections show 130,000 people will live in Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs in 30 years, he said. "Can you imagine 130,000 people coming down Lehi Main Street or Redwood Road?" he said. "Both are overloaded now." Even if flow through Lehi improved, "this is all being dumped on I-15 on the north end of Utah County where I-15 is already a parking lot," he said. The state also has a billion-dollar plan to widen I-15 through Utah County and "when it gets done we will find it didn't really solve the problem," he said. State and regional planners are "already 30 years behind schedule," he said. "I've watched Eagle Mountain, and I knew that given water they would grow the way they have done, and they have grown without even a good cow trail for transportation, and I use that word specifically." Dan Nelson, director of regional transportation for Mountainland, said Mountainland officials have met with Johnson at least twice "and we have a dialogue with him," but declined to comment on Johnson's comments to the Daily Herald. "We recognize that I-15 is not the only solution," said Geoff Dupaix of UDOT. "It is an important piece to the entire transportation puzzle, but we agree that more needs to be done." Many solutions are being studied, he said. "We agree with Mayor Johnson that we face a tremendous challenge and it is going to take a collective effort from UDOT, MAG, and each city in the county as well as the public in order to meet those transportation needs today and in the future." There are no plans to build a freeway west of Utah Lake "but that does not mean that it could not happen in the future," he said. UDOT has met with Johnson and is also always happy to hear any suggestions from the public, Dupaix said. Johnson said that state studies show that about three-fourths of the traffic from the Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs commutes north to Salt Lake County for work. The proposed freeway is the only way to get that traffic -- now and in the future -- to Salt Lake without perpetually jamming I-15. In addition, the sweeping $300 million shopping center to be built in Lehi, called the Terrace at Traverse Mountain, is projected to attract 2 to 3 million visitors a year, supplementing the 4 to 5 million visitors that Cabela's is projected to bring in -- not to mention the 8,000 homes planned for the area and the expansion of Micron. Even an expanded I-15 will likely buckle under the traffic, he said. The proposed new freeway need not be built all at once, but planning must begin immediately and the state must buy the land for the road before there is more development in the area, he said. Johnson said he hopes residents will speak out in support of his idea -- or any idea to solve Utah County's traffic problems. "More people should be speaking out," he said. "Sometimes our vision is like the blinders on a horse...People can look at me and tell me I'm all wet, and I may be, but show me a solution. That solution is not I-15." This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A1. Copyright © 2006 Daily Herald and Lee Enterprises ***************************************************************** 58 UPI: Nuclear waste truck leaked lethal dosage United Press International - NewsTrack - 2/18/2006 5:47:00 PM -0500 LEEDS, England, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A container of radioactive waste emitted a beam of deadly radiation during a journey to a British disposal site, witnesses said in a court hearing. The company involved in the incident, AEA Technology, faces sentencing on Monday. The container traveled by truck in March 2002 from Cookridge Hospital in Leeds to the Windscale waste disposal site in Cumbria. A Windscale employee discovered a high level of background radiation and found that a plug had been left off the container. Luckily, the container was positioned so that the beam of radiation was pointing down towards the ground, the Times of London reported. The radiation was so intense that anyone with 330 yards of the container who was in the line of fire would have received a lethal dose of cobalt 60-gamma rays, high enough to kill within two hours. AEA Technology, a private company spun off from the public United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, has admitted six violations of regulations. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 59 [NYTr] Cuba-Iran Declaration Calls for End to Nuke Weapons Date: Sun, 19 Feb 2006 19:23:22 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Cuba-Iran Declaration Calls for End to Nuclear Weapons Havana, Feb 18 (Prensa Latina) A joint declaration between Cuban and Iranian parliaments, signed in Havana, pleaded for the total ban of weapons of mass destruction and demanded from the international community effective steps for that to take place. The document, inked by Cuban Parliament Speaker Ricardo Alarcon and his Iranian counterpart Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, considers as a threat to global peace and security, the production, proliferation and storage of those weapons, as well as reaffirms all peoples' right to tap nuclear technology with peaceful ends. Both parties expressed opposition to unilateral policies in the world, favored cooperation to fight terrorism and condemned economic pressures on independent nations. In addition, Cuba and Iran denounced human rights violations of the Palestinian people and slammed the insults of Prophet Muhammad in the European media. Haddad Adel was also received by Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque and Vice President Carlos Lage, who ratified the island's support of the Iranian right to use nuclear energy and expressed interest in strengthening mutual collaboration. The distinguished visitor, here on an invitation from the National Assembly, expressed thanks for Cuban support at the IAEA Board of Governors and championed for increasing commercial-economic exchange between both nations. He and his parliamentarian delegation, departing February 19, are slated to visit Varadero tourist resort in Matanzas, where they will meet with Ministry authorities from that sector. ln/ymr/abm/mf * ================================================================ .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 ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 60 SF New Mexican: LANL Proposed pension fund raises ire of employees www.freenewmexican.com By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican February 18, 2006 A proposal by the University of California to create a new pension fund just for workers and retirees from Los Alamos National Laboratory continues to draw criticism. "There's outrage over the whole situation of being taken out of the (University of California Retirement Plan) system and being placed on a clone pension plan, because there's no assurance that there will be contributions later that will make this plan serviceable," said Manuel Trujillo, president of an employee group, the University Professional and Technical Employees. "It looks like UC just wants to cut themselves away from any liability here in New Mexico." The university would continue to manage the proposed fund, and no benefits would be cut, university officials have said. The university continues to discuss a new pension plan with the National Nuclear Security Administration, a branch of the Department of Energy, a university spokesman said Friday. The lab portion of the university pension plan had assets of about $4.3 billion, according to a July report. The overall University of California Retirement Plan had assets of $41.8 billion. "No benefits will be reduced under the plan," the university said earlier this year. The university's Board of Regents in January proposed creating a new pension fund just for lab workers and retirees. It would be called the University of California Retirement Plan-Los Alamos National Laboratory. The university said at the time that the move was required by the federal government. The lab is in transition from being managed by the University of California, a public entity, to management by a private corporation called Los Alamos National Security LLC, an organization led by UC and Bechtel Corp. The idea must be approved by the NNSA. An agency spokesman said Friday that it has no deadline to act on the proposal. The head of NNSA, Linton Brooks, has requested more information about the proposal from the university. "Because we have not yet received a detailed description of what UC proposes with respect to a separate pension plan, DOE/NNSA cannot comment specifically on your approach at this time," Brooks wrote to university President Robert C. Dynes on Feb. 6. The proposal has met resistance from New Mexico's senators and many vocal lab retirees. U.S. Sens. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., sent a letter to Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on Jan. 27 urging him to reject the university's request. The Los Alamos National Laboratory portion of the pension plan was said to be underfunded by $54.3 million in a report last July, the senators wrote Bodman. "As such, the department may be required to contribute additional funding to the LANL plan, an action that has not been required for over a decade, and which may draw further on science investment we make at the lab," the senators wrote to Bodman. Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827 or alenderman@sfnewmexican.com. ©2006, Santa Fe New Mexican, all rights reserved. Opinions ***************************************************************** 61 Hanford News: Feds change rules for Hanford cancer cases This story was published Friday, February 17th, 2006 By the Herald staff The federal government has changed its rules for determining which former Hanford workers with lymphoma cancers may be eligible for compensation. The change could lead to the Department of Labor calculating higher probability of causation determinations for some lymphoma cases, including in some cases that already have been decided. The new rules were published Wednesday in the Federal Register after a public comment period ended. The federal program offers $150,000 to workers or their survivors if the federal government determines their cancer was caused by radiation at Hanford or other nuclear facilities. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 62 Hanford News: Famous mathematician to join PNNL This story was published Friday, February 17th, 2006 By Jeff St. John, Herald staff writer Benoit Mandelbrot, a world-renowned mathematician who has just been named as a Battelle Fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, may not be a household name. But the 81-year-old mathematician's work in fractal geometry - almost infinitely complex geometrical objects with mathematical foundations that have found real-world application in fields from computer science to music and art - remains one of the few examples of mathematics you can find printed on T-shirts at your local mall. Fractals' brightly colored swirls and whorls aren't just pretty pictures useful for T-shirt designs and screen savers, of course. They represent mathematical formulae that can be used to approximate all kinds of complex phenomenon, from the shaping of clouds to the patterns of financial markets. Now the "father of fractal geometry," as Mandelbrot is known, will be joining PNNL, a place where he can find plenty of complex data to challenge his mathematical knowledge and insight. "What interested him are the vast amounts of data we have available to put under the microscope of multi-fractal analysis," said Rogene Eighler-West, senior research scientists in PNNL's 500-member computational mathematics group. Mandelbrot recently retired from Yale University, where he was a mathematics professor, Eighler-West said. But the Polish-born, French-educated mathematician was intrigued enough by PNNL's job offer to take up the role of lecturer and consultant to scientists working on projects that deal with modeling complex phenomenon. For example, "Clouds have a very natural fractal shape to them," she said. "We're interested in how we can build better models of the weather and climate change" through the use of fractal geometry. PNNL researchers also are examining the plumes of smoke or steam that rise from industrial plants to determine what's going on inside the plant, she said. That line of study also could be applied to national security monitoring or enforcement of anti-pollution laws. "Also, in the area of bioremediation," or using microbes or bacteria to clean up pollutants, "there are entities called biofilms, microbes that tend to gather around particulates in the soil," she said. "The pattern of these has a fractal shape to it ... we'd like to characterize these biofilms mathematically, to put it into a simulation" that can help scientists model on a computer what might happen with these biofilms in the real world. Mandelbrot's interest in these kinds of problems hasn't flagged with age, Eighler-West said. In fact, he recently spent two days hearing 30-minute pitches fromscientists with ideas for him to check out, one after the other. Mandelbrot will be working with PNNL on a part-time basis, and will spend most of his time in Cambridge, Mass., where he can be near his family, she said. But he'll be entertaining many more research pitches during a weeklong seminar to be held in Bellingham this July, she said. "It's a hands-on workshop - people will show up with their data sets, and we'll spend the week talking about theory and running computer codes on the data, to understand what's going on," she said. Mandelbrot also will be writing two textbooks while working with PNNL, one aimed at undergraduate math students and the other at a more erudite audience, she said. He's also interested in making his research more accessible to the public, Eighler-West said. It's a quest Mandelbrot has pursued throughout his career, from his coining of the term "fractal," - from the Latin word fractus, meaning "broken" or "irregular," in 1975 - to writing 10 books applying fractal geometry to various disciplines. Having access to (Mandelbrot), at the same time we have access to these tools," she said, "maybe we can hit a home run, using math." © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 63 Hanford News: Battelle must compete to keep PNNL This story was published Friday, February 17th, 2006 By John Trumbo, Herald staff writer The Department of Energy announced Thursday that it will require a competitive bid next year from Battelle Memorial Institute if it wants to continue operating the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Battelle, which has operated the Richland lab on an exclusive renewable contract for 40 years, "will recompete vigorously," said Bill Madia, Battelle's executive vice president for operations. The current five-year contract expires Sept. 30, 2007. The announcement was not unexpected, but was unwelcome in the Tri-Cities, where it is the biggest employer with 4,100 employees. "We were in the process of getting the TRIDEC board to ask the Department of Energy to extend the contract to 2014," said Carl Adrian, president of the Tri-City Industrial Development Council. "This is somewhat disappointing. We believe we already have a very good contractor (Battelle) operating the lab." "This announcement of rebidding the contract may be enough to bring Sam Volpentest back to life," said Gary Petersen, vice president of Hanford programs. Volpentest, who died in September at 101, was the Tri-Cities' best-known champion of the lab and other federal facilities for the region. He was one of the founders of TRIDEC. PNNL works on a variety of complex problems involving energy, national security, life sciences and the environment. The Thursday announcement came from Raymond Orbach, director of the DOE Office of Science. "The competitive process is the best method to provide the American taxpayer an optimum management team for PNNL, one of our outstanding national laboratories," Orbach said in a prepared statement. He noted that the decision to take the contract to a competitive bid "in no way reflects on Battelle's performance, but is a prudent management decision." "It's mostly a timing issue," said Kris Johnson, executive director of the Tri-Cities Area Chamber of Commerce. He said Battelle is deeply involved in the planned move out of the 300 Area and the lab's role in the push for a four-year university in the Tri-Cities. The lab also is a partner in the bioproducts lab, which has a ground breaking in March. "Battelle has been scored as excellent or outstanding and it says volumes about Battelle's leadership in the community," Johnson said. The chamber board of directors has fired off a letter to the Secretary of Energy recommending keeping Battelle as contractor for the lab. Battelle's Madia said it makes sense from a taxpayer's perspective to have a competitive bid, but the timing is awkward because of the high priority to relocate facilities in the 300 Area to a new campus farther south of present Battelle buildings on Battelle Drive in north Richland. "We are right in the middle of the transition, so this procurement will complicate (the move) in a way we don't fully appreciate yet," Madia said. Lars Erickson, press secretary for Gov. Chris Gregoire, said Thursday, "The governor feels Battelle has been a good, responsible employer and had a successful relationship and hopes to continue it. We agree that this may not be the best timing, but we don't control the process." PNNL has an annual budget of about $726 million, 90 percent of which is for projects for the federal government. About $75 million is private work using Battelle-owned facilities and employees who are "entertwined with DOE," Madia said. Jack Bagley, Battelle's vice president of external relations based in Washington, D.C., said the decision to put the contract out for bid came as no surprise. "We expected it and we will compete," he said. Bagley said the decision was consistent with congressional and DOE policy, which calls for competing contracts that have never been competed before. "It's hard to argue with that type of business strategy," he said. Bagley said Battelle, which has received outstanding performance ratings from DOE in eight of the past 10 years, expected to win the competition. PNNL is the last of eight Office of Science labs to be required to do competitive bidding on contracts. Battelle, which is a nonprofit organization based in Columbus, Ohio, also participates in managing other government labs. They include the Idaho National Laboratory, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y., and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. A request for proposals should be released before summer, said James Decker, principal deputy director for the DOE's Office of Science. "We are trying to introduce some incentives and uniformity into our contracts," said Decker, who noted that all 10 labs that come under the Office of Science are involved. "The department has decided to compete more of the contracts, especially those which have had (the same contractors) for a very long time," he said. Battelle had the contract for PNNL for 40 years. Contracts for Los Alamos, Berkeley and Argonne were held by the same contractors for more than 50 years, Madia said. Madia said it is too early to say what strategy Battelle will use to submit a bid, or if it will have a partner. Battelle already is teamed with partners in managing the labs in Idaho, Oak Ridge, Brookhaven and Golden. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 64 DenverPost.com: Many motions stand between Flats award and final payouts Judge aims to verify verdict's validity Article Launched: 02/18/2006 1:00 AM MST By Howard Pankratz Denver Post Staff Writer Tuesday's $554 million jury award against the former operators of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant won't become final until lawyers for the operators and the attorneys for the owners of 12,000 affected properties have time to file motions with him, a federal judge said Friday. "There will be no final judgment entered until all the motions have been resolved," said U.S. District Judge John Kane. "I will give you notice of the date it will be entered." The award, the largest civil verdict in Colorado, probably will be reduced once Kane applies law and damage caps. One lawyer in the case calculated the resulting award would be $352 million. The verdict culminated a 16-year effort by the property owners and activists who believe the federal government hid behind a veil of national security to avoid taking responsibility for pollution from the Cold War-era plant. Kane also said that before it's decided how the money should be divided among the landowners, he would first like the Denver-based U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to decide whether the verdict is valid. "What I'm trying to avoid is further delay in this case," Kane said. "It makes no sense to make an allocation until a judgment by the Court of Appeals." To attempt to make the allocation now, which might necessitate Kane appointing a special master or trustee, "seems to be (a) frightful waste of time" given that the appeals process could last up to five years, Kane said. The jury's verdict against Dow Chemical and Rockwell International was intended to compensate the owners of 12,000 properties in the area of the plant for decreased property values due to plutonium contamination, and to punish the companies. Dow and Rockwell have contended that while their workers were involved in the inherently dangerous mission of manufacturing nuclear weapons, their precautions were effective and nearby residents didn't suffer because of their conduct. David Bernick, a Chicago-based defense attorney, who immediately after the verdict asked to question the jurors and see the notes they wrote during deliberations, again asked that everything pertaining to the jurors and their deliberations be kept and not destroyed. Bernick said that in particular, he wanted to contact one juror who had been dismissed from the jury. Kane assured him that he had already sealed documents pertaining to the jury, including their names. Kane berated Bernick for mentioning the juror by name, saying that the jurors' names had been sealed to protect their privacy. Kane said he also planned to issue within a relatively short time various opinions involving motions lawyers had raised about such things as jury instructions. Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com. All contents Copyright 2006 The Denver Post or other copyright ***************************************************************** 65 lamonitor.com: LANL employees find holes in package The Online News Source for Los Alamos ROGER SNODGRASS, roger@lamonitor.com, Monitor Assistant Editor Employees of Los Alamos National Laboratory learned Thursday that under the new management, compensation would be "substantially equivalent" in "the aggregate." But as described during an evening meeting at the high school auditorium, the plan will be substantially more equivalent for some than for others. Required by the terms of the new contract to come up with a compensation package that is more than just "comparable" - the original wording that was upgraded after protest - Los Alamos National Security (LANS) officials rolled out the rough draft of their "substantially equivalent" plan. Ben Glover made the presentation on behalf of the LANS transition team, Tyler Przybylek, the chairman of the Source Evaluation Board, facilitated the meeting. On the whole, the proposal left younger and mid-life employees with little reason not to roll their nest eggs into LANS and go forward. But older workers, especially those nearing retirement age, will have more difficult choices to make, for example, about whether to take their retirements and quit, take their retirements and start over with the new company, or trust their pensions to the unknown trust fund that LANS will establish. One impacted group includes 450 employees who opted not to pay social security under a special agreement with UC during a period in the '70s. Now they are close to retirement. Under the new plan they would have to pay a social security tax that would never be repaid. "If we go to the new company, we'll start paying 6 percent (social security tax) which we're not paying now," Brad Shurter said. "But we won't get enough credits to qualify for social security." He said he was trying to identify other employees in the same circumstances. The biggest losers under the proposal were not represented at the meeting. The laboratory's future employees, those hired after June 1, will be making about 25 percent less in total compensation than current employees under the "market-driven" provisions of the new contract. Employees transferring from the new company's industrial partners, unlike current laboratory workers, would also be placed in the "market-driven" plan, known as Total Compensation Package 2. Compensation includes everything from pay to working conditions, as well as dental, eye, legal, and death and dismemberment insurances. For almost all items on a long list of compensation proposals, LANS opted for either "no change," except for changing the responsible party from UC LANL to LANS, or "will replicate"- meaning that the benefit would not change, except to meet various requirements of the contract, tax laws and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). A handful of insurance carriers in various categories would not be available under the new arrangements, and current and future retirees' health insurance will be linked to LANS, even if their pension is administered by UC. Current laboratory employees will have until Feb. 24 - the end of next week - to interpret the plan, collect their thoughts and submit comments to the National Nuclear Security Administration. NNSA administers the nuclear weapons complex for the Department of Energy. Copies of the proposal were not provided at the meeting, although they have been posted on the Internet at http://www.doeal.gov/LASO/ContractTransition/default.html where they are available in a Powerpoint format. For current retirees and those nearing retirement, the absence and silence of the University of California continued to be an inexplicable problem. The UC Board of Regents last month voted to pursue a plan to spin off the UC LANL pension funds from the UC Retirement Plan as a whole. Przybylek said NNSA was as surprised as anyone by UC's move. He said NNSA Administrator Linton Brooks had written to UC President Robert Dynes expressing concerns about the decision. "Our assumption until January was that nothing would change. So until something happens you should assume that nothing will change. We don't have control over the board of regents," Przybylek said during the meeting. Charles Mansfield of the Laboratory Retiree Group, which has decided to retain legal counsel to represent retirees in the transition, said he didn't think reduced compensation for new-hires would be adequate to attract "the very best and very brightest." "I don't expect the policy to change very much," Przybylek said. "The market place has dramatically changed," Glover said. Unanswered questions that Przybylek asked to be submitted formally for responses included such matters as how Medicare reimbursements would cross over in the new system and whether Medicare D decisions could be made by May 15. It was also brought to the attention of the officials that uncleared employees are unable to attend closed meetings at the laboratory. Other concerns were expressed about people with disabilities, survivor continuance plans and changes in lump sum withdrawals. Glover said, "We're waiting for customer (NNSA) approval," to work out the final details. "Are you going to have enough information about the new retirement plan? How secure will it be? How well administered?" Chris Chandler asked. "What are we getting? Why should we be confident? What controls are there? Plans are failing. Employers are suspending retirement programs." "I hear more and more that is not falling into place," said another member of the audience, who wondered if a June 1 transition was feasible. Przybylek repeatedly advised questioners that the meeting was part of a process to address concerns and that the purpose was to be able to answer all questions during the 60-day period beginning mid-March. Employees will have until mid-May to decide whether to accept LANS offers of employment and which options they will choose. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 66 Rocky Mountain News: Flats neighbors face deadline on post-trial motion John Kane held a telephone conference with lawyers in the Flats case. By Karen Abbott, Rocky Mountain News February 18, 2006 Lawyers for thousands of Rocky Flats neighbors who won a $354 million jury award this week have until Friday to respond to challenges mounted by former Rocky Flats operators Dow Chemical Co. and Rockwell International Corp. Attorneys for Dow and Rockwell have filed a sealed motion seeking to interview a juror who was excused during deliberations after she left the jury room in tears and said she didn't want to go back. The Dow and Rockwell lawyers have alleged that other jurors may have bullied the woman, and perhaps others, into changing their votes. The Dow and Rockwell attorneys then will have until March 3 to reply to the plaintiffs' response. Colorado U.S. District Judge John Kane set the deadlines Friday during a conference call with a dozen lawyers in several states on both sides of the case. Much of the session was spent discussing legal technicalities surrounding an expected appeal of the award by Dow and Rockwell to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Kane said he still has to issue written rulings explaining his decisions on several matters that came up during the four-month trial. After that, he said, he will set more deadlines for further post-trial proceedings. A 10-member jury made the award in the landmark class-action lawsuit filed 16 years ago by seven named plaintiffs on behalf of the owners of about 12,000 parcels of property in a 25-square-mile area east of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant in north Jefferson County. The plaintiffs contended that sloppy handling of radioactive plutonium and other hazardous materials during the weapons factory's four decades of operation diminished the value of their properties and their use and enjoyment of what they owned. Rockwell and Dow, which operated the factory for the federal government, contended that operations at the plant were careful and safe and that only minuscule amounts of plutonium - too small to be harmful - ever escaped from the plant. 2006 © The E.W. Scripps Co. ***************************************************************** 67 Rocky Mountain News: Vindication at last for all who feared Rocky Flats - Columnists Rob Reuteman February 18, 2006 A slew of old memories were shaken loose this week as I read about the federal jury verdict awarding more than $350 million to property owners downwind of the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. For 37 years, thousands of Rocky Flats workers manufactured bomb "triggers" from highly radioactive plutonium. Though extraordinary safety measures attempted to prevent plutonium dust from escaping into the atmosphere, they sometimes failed. A class-action lawsuit filed 16 years ago finally will benefit thousands of -homeowners who claimed their health and property values were harmed from plutonium contamination. The government has long denied such a link. In 1978, I was a cub reporter for the now-defunct Golden Daily Transcript, a small daily that continues as a weekly newspaper. In November of that year I was assigned to cover the trial of 60 protesters charged with trespassing after they blocked a railroad track leading to the weapons plant. The trial had national implications because one of those arrested was Daniel Ellsberg, a former Defense Department analyst who had gained notoriety several years earlier for leaking the so-called Pentagon Papers on the Vietnam War to The New York Times. I also covered the trial for The Associated Press, which sent out my daily dispatches on its national wire. Only 10 protesters were in the courtroom; the rest had agreed to abide by the verdict. Their defense strategy involved a "choice of evils" law that allows certain illegal behavior if it is done to prevent a greater harm to the public. Their lawyers sought to present expert testimony on the health hazards presented by Rocky Flats - a move stoutly opposed by prosecutors who contended this was an open-and-shut trespassing case. Judge Kim Goldberger agreed to hear the testimony in open court with the jurors removed from the courtroom. Once he heard it, he would decide whether the jury should hear it. As it happened, he decided against having the jury hear from those experts, but not before I was able to write three days' worth of stories on the first such court testimony ever allowed on health hazards emanating from the weapons plant. For most folks back then, it was some startling stuff. First on the stand was Dr. John Cobb, a professor of preventive medicine at the CU Medical School. At the time, Cobb was under contract with the Environmental Protection Agency to do research on the effect of plutonium on human tissue. The most significant danger of radioactive contamination, he said, came from a 1969 incident in which oil barrels containing plutonium leaked 5,000 gallons of oil into the sand around the plant. Strong winds blew plutonium dust as far from the plant as Denver, Cobb testified. Plutonium, which stays intact in the atmosphere for some 20,000 years, is tracked in the soil by an arcane measurement known as "disintegrations per minute." The state soil standard for housing developments, for instance, is two disintegrations per minute, Cobb said. Under those barrels, the rate was measured at 30 million per minute. To rid the metro area of detectable amounts of plutonium in the soil, he testified, "it would mean taking up all the soil and buildings in Denver." Gasps were heard all over the courtroom. The danger of Rocky Flats "is certainly imminent in the plutonium blowing in the wind. It was and is," Cobb said. Bolstering that contention was Jack Dorr, a longtime assistant general manager at Rocky Flats, who testified that prevailing wind conditions could drift radioactivity toward the metro area in the event of a plutonium accident at the plant. Wind direction based on continuously collected data is from the northwest to the southeast, Dorr said, admitting that if plutonium was in the air, it would blow toward Denver. Next up was Dr. Edward Martell, a nuclear chemist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder. For 16 years prior, Martell testified, he had been collecting and analyzing off-site soil samples around Rocky Flats and was the first to do so. "I am strongly convinced the most potent carcinogen from the point of view of producing chromosome damage is the insoluble alpha-emitting particle" such as plutonium, he said. He sampled the first centimeter of surface soil, beginning one mile from the plant fence and moving farther away. Among other things, his study found that the soil along Indiana Street southeast of the plant measured radioactivity 250 times higher than the normal fallout level present in the soil from worldwide weapons testing. I probably should mention at this point that a 10-year study by the Colorado Department of Health did not find elevated levels of cancer in the neighborhoods surrounding Rocky Flats. That was confirmed for me Friday by Patrick Etchart, formerly a spokesman at Rocky Flats for 20 years for the Rockwell Corp. and eventually the Department of Energy. In the late 1970s, the Colorado Department of Health was singing a different tune. Court testimony in Golden was heard from Dr. Anthony Robbins, who had headed the state health department for then-Gov. Dick Lamm. By 1978, Robbins was director of the National Institute of Safety and Health in Washington, D.C. "The governor spoke to me on many occasions on his inability to do anything about the situation at Rocky Flats and that he considered it the most serious unnecessary health hazard to the state," Robbins told the court. Goldberger did not allow the jury to hear about the health hazards, and he did not allow the defense to present its "choice of evils" defense. He ruled that the Colorado choice of evils statute "was not designed to justify acts of civil disobedience." And he ruled that "the dangers that are present, according to the testimony - which for purposes of this ruling are taken to be true - are not imminent except if the court engages in speculation, possibilities or conjecture." The defendants were found guilty and got off with light fines. After the verdict, Ellsberg told me, "If the law protects the transmission of radioactive wastes in Jefferson County, the law is not protective of the people of Colorado. If, as they believe, we broke the law, then that law had to be nonviolently broken under those circumstances." The nuclear weapons plant at Rocky Flats has been closed for 16 years, roughly the same time frame it took for the property owners' class-action lawsuit to conclude in victory this week. And ceremonies were held last December to herald the conclusion of CH2M Hill's remarkable six-year cleanup. Homeowners downwind of Rocky Flats must feel tremendously vindicated. But they are not alone. Protesters maintained a continuous presence on the fringes of the plant for decades, and they should feel vindication, too. Back in 1978, after 60 Flats protesters were found guilty of trespassing, one of the jurors, Judy Henning, had the jury foreman present a handwritten note to the protesters: "I commend the defendants for their motivation and support their dedication and cause. It's most unfortunate that in order for attention to be brought to a harm as great as the one Rocky Flats presents, the law had to be broken. In this respect, I cannot condone the act. My support and prayers are with you all." Business editor Rob Reuteman can be reached at 303-892-5177 or reutemanr@RockyMountainNews.com. Rob Reuteman, business editor of the Rocky Mountain News, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado. He has been a News editor since 1983. 2006 © The E.W. 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