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Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject
line and first line of body
NUCLEAR POLICY
1 GM: The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition tries to buy some green cred
2 OCHA IRIN: IRAQ: Radioactivity poses risk to population, warns UN
3 Alarab Online: IAEA to help Iraq in radiation safety areas
4 [NYTr] Iran threatens to hide nuclear program
5 IRNA: Iran ready to help US change its attitude in region - Larijani
6 AFP: China insists diplomacy can still resolve Iran nuclear issue -
7 IRNA: Int'l Conference on Iran's Nuclear Energy Program opens
8 IRNA: India for dialogue to resolve Iran nuclear issue
9 IRNA: Iran ready to schedule its nuclear research program - Larijani
10 IRNA: Rafsanjani deplores performance of UN nuclear agency on Iran
11 IRNA: Iran not insisting on completely home-made N-fuel - Larijani -
12 IRNA: Iran nuclear case complicated but negotiable: official
13 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Gets No Backing From Greece on Iran
14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Dismisses New Threats From Iran
15 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Threatens to Hide Nuclear Program
16 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Ready to Transfer Nuclear Know-How
17 Guardian Unlimited: Blair warns over Iran threat
18 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Threatens to Hide Its Nuclear Program
19 BBC: Iran threatens to end UN contacts
20 Platts: Iran says going nuclear will free up crude for export
21 IRNA: Iran to suspend cooperation with IAEA if sanctions are imposed
22 AFP: India urges against confrontation with Iran
23 AFP: US 'concerned' over Iran sharing nuclear technology
24 AFP: US envoy says Iran nuclear comments 'irresponsible'
25 AFP: Iran threatens to hide nuclear programme
26 AFP: Iran threatens to halt relations with IAEA, hide programme if a
27 Guardian Unlimited: N. Korea Won't Return to Six-Nation Talks
28 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] Ex-leader's N.K. visit
29 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] Hollow agreements again
30 Korea Times: Expectations Run High on DJ's NK Visit
31 Telegraph - Calcutta: US tries to clear N-deal cloud
32 AFP: US plays down India's refusal to reaffirm nuclear test commitme
33 US: Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: 2005 energy bill is obsolete
34 [NukeNet] Former Environmental Ministers Call on UN to Reform
35 AFP: Pakistan, India to hold nuclear talks
36 IRNA: IAEA, ElBaradei should be accountable to history: Rafsanjani -
37 UPI: India, Pakistan talk nuclear safety, war
NUCLEAR REACTORS
38 [NYTr] Vigils mark 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
39 US: NRC can't investigate day-care concerns
40 [NukeNet] CNIC Chernobyl 20th Anniversary Appeal
41 US: Cooling solution? Nuclear power industry sells itself. Critics
42 ITAR-TASS: CIS to exert every effort to minimise Chernobyl disaster
43 ITAR-TASS: Russia part in Chernobyl efforts to continue
44 ITAR-TASS: Relatives allowed to visit Chernobyl self-settlers
45 csmonitor.com: Still under Chernobyl's shadow
46 Public Citizen: Chernobyl Anniversary Serves as Reminder of
47 AU ABC: Chernobyl cited in no nuclear power call.
48 The Australian: Plea to remember Chernobyl victims | |
49 FOXNews.com - Chernobyl: A Living Disaster -
50 Guardian Unlimited: A Worker Recalls the Chernobyl Disaster
51 Guardian Unlimited: 20 Years Later, Chernobyl's Scars Remain
52 Guardian Unlimited: Chernobyl Widows Still Cope With Loss
53 London Times: Lessons from Chernobyl -
54 ForUm: President Yushchenko presided over the meeting on Chernobyl
55 Bellona: Member of the European Parliament wants IAEA off Chernobyl
56 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Comanche Peak Nuclear Pl
57 RIA Novosti: CIS calls for global effort to ensure safety at Chernob
58 RIA Novosti: Chernobyl exploded USSR
59 BBC: Chernobyl's legacy still undecided
60 BBC: Chernobyl's continuing hazards
61 BBC: Ukraine remembers Chernobyl blast
62 US: Platts: Davis-Besse expected to return from refueling soon
63 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance Assessment for Davis-Besse
64 US: Platts: Westinghouse CEO: Changes will mark how new plants const
65 Platts: Investment in nuclear in the UK could be a serious considera
66 CBC News: Reports from Abroad: Chernobyl: 20 years later
67 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meetings May 10-11 in Georgia to Discuss
68 US: DesMoinesRegister.com: Nuclear energy not a clean, cheap answer
69 US: APP.COM: Weeklong inspection at Lacey reactor |
70 AFP: In Chernobyl's shadow, newcomers put down roots
71 AFP: Vigils mark 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
72 CFR: Chernobyl Revisited -
73 Xinhua: Canada announces support for Chernobyl shelter
74 TheStar.com: Nuclear power is safe
75 Wiener Zeitung: Austria fights nuclear energy
76 Alarab Online: Iran to stop atomic transparency if attacked
77 US: Rutland Herald: Watchdogs cry foul in Yankee power increase
78 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meetings
79 People's Daily: Official: Chernobyl pollution still affects 1.5 mill
80 NRCU: Chernobyl budget on medical treatment
81 Interfax: EU to continue to offer Chornobyl aid to Ukraine
82 Kyiv Post: Chernobyl 'liquidators' on hunger strike to protest
83 Reuters: CHRONOLOGY-Nuclear accidents worldwide
84 ITAR-TASS: Soviet government concealed Chernobyl disaster truth for
85 ITAR-TASS: Int’l efforts required for building new Chernobyl confine
NUCLEAR SECURITY
NUCLEAR SAFETY
86 US: [NukeNet] NRC says it can't investigate day-care concerns
87 US: [NukeNet] The truth about evacuation plans
88 US: komo news: Study: Cancer Deaths Not Higher In Tri-Cities Area
89 US: TIME.com: The Fallout Before a Bomb Test
90 Sydney Morning Herald: Fast-bake fix straight from nuclear kitchen -
91 US: Eureka Reporter: Bill on depleted uranium in Senate
92 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Explosion test has Hatch upset
93 US: delawareonline: Nuclear plant replacing critical pump
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
94 Ensign: ENSIGN OFFERS TESTIMONY ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN HEARING
95 KLASTV.com: Yucca Mt. Project to Move Forward With Latest Decision
96 US: TimesUnion.com: More uranium-tainted soil found
97 icNorthWales: Terrorist threat to nuclear waste train
98 Los Angeles Chronicle: PORTER EXAMINES GAO REPORT AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN
99 Las Vegas SUN: No criminal charges in Yucca Mountain e-mail controve
100 US: Deseret News: MAX Resource drills in Utah for uranium
101 US: THERECORD.COM: Proposed nuclear waste storage site to be tested
PEACE
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
102 Knox News: 450 new Boeing jobs possible
103 Knox News: Solve the mystery, save its history
104 Hanford News: Hanford tests leak-detection upgrade
105 Tri-Valley Herald: Lab teams deliver new H-bomb designs
106 DOE: Wackenhut Facing Investigation Concerning Falsification of
107 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Idaho
108 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 GM: The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition tries to buy some green cred
Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist Magazine
Posted by David Roberts at 10:29 PM on 24 Apr 2006
I didn't really notice this when the big hubbub was going on
last week, but did you know that ex-EPA administrator Christie
Whitman and long-time anti-environmental zealot (and oh yeah,
"Greenpeace co-founder") Patrick Moore are paid shills for the
nuclear industry? Organizers released a list of 58 companies and
institutions and 10 people who they said were members of a new
Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, which Mr. Moore said would
engage in "grass-roots advocacy." A spokesman for the Nuclear
Energy Institute, the trade association of reactor operators,
acknowledged that it was providing all of the financing, but
would not say what the budget was.
That sound like "grass-roots" to you?
(More at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and a lot more on
Moore on DailyKos. Also, check out the letters to the editorthe
WaPo received in response to Moore's op-ed, which are utterly
devastating to it.)
For story: The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition tries to buy some
green cred
2 Comments | Post a Comment
It may be necessary to fight fire with fire
Government's fossil fuel interestmakes promotion of nuclear
energy a fighting-City-Hall exercise (and makes those who say
government loves it very unpleasantly foolish).
Presumably everyone here is vaguely aware that a dollar's worth
of uranium replaces crude oil that costs $70 or natural gas that
costs $40. As all three prices rise and fall, this relation
stays about the same. City Hall can't make up lost fossil fuel
tax revenue on the uranium that replaces it; that's why nuclear
energy is a left-versus-right issue where the left is on the
take and the right, to a significant extent, isn't.
As another nuclear promotersaid,
... [Moore's] article has caused 179 responses in the
blogsphere. That is a pretty big splash. Moore has to be
making a difference. I don't know what the magic is - when I
say the same things no one listens. When Moore says it lots
listen. Weird, eh? ;^)
And another:
... Nowhere in Moore's article does he renounce or expose the
massive distortions of fact that the antinuclear movement has
broadcast for the past two decades. Moore has simply recognized
that if the biggest environmental threat is global climate
change, nuclear power, in spite of its risks, is preferable to
coal-fired electric generation. He generously concedes that in
fact nuclear reactors do not emit carbon dioxide -- something
that is so obvious he should have known it all along. He is
indeed to be commended for recognizing the dichotomy faced by
the environmental movement: that one can't rationally be both
anti-nuke and anti-global climate change at the same time...
... I am one who actually was forced out of the environmental
movement, in an unpleasant, extended process that began in 1985
and continued through 2003. Unlike Moore, I was merely a foot
soldier in the wars to preserve the environment. Also unlike
Moore, I didn't get space for my nuclear views on any Op-ed
pages. Instead I was thoroughly trashed by the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer for being a turncoat. Nor am I alone.
Moore and the NEI group aren't grass-roots; people like Randal
Leavitt and Ruth Greiner and me are, but are paid little
attention.
--- G.R.L. Cowan, former hydrogen fan
B: internal combustion, nuclear cachet
by GRLCowan at 10:11 AM on 25 Apr 2006
a bunch of hooey
GRL, coal-fired electricity is not the only alternative to
nuclear. There's also energy efficiency + clean energy.
And the "emits no CO2" thing is a red herring. Lots of CO2 is
emitted during the full nuclear life-cycle.
Grassroots nuclear advocates are ignored because their
arguments are awful. Moore is not ignored because he's got lots
and lots of money behind him and the Washington Post is
determined to burn what little is left of its credibility.
www.grist.org
by David Roberts at 10:23 AM on 25 Apr 2006
You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you
have an account, log in. If you don't have an account, well, by
all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.
*****************************************************************
2 OCHA IRIN: IRAQ: Radioactivity poses risk to population, warns UN
nuclear agency -
Wednesday 26 April 2006
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the
United Nations]
BAGHDAD, 25 Apr 2006 (IRIN) - The Vienna-based International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Monday that some 1,000
people living near the former Tuwaitha nuclear site faced
serious health risks from lingering radiation.
Tuwaitha, situated some 20 km south of the capital, Baghdad, “is
one of a number of sites in the country identified as needing
decommissioning or remediation, where radioactive material was
used or waste buried,” according to an IAEA statement.
Residents of the nearby Ishtar village, for example, are exposed
to levels of radiation higher than normal, the agency noted,
which – in the case of prolonged exposure – could pose serious
health risks. According to Bushra Ali Ahmed, director of the
Radiation Protection Centre in Baghdad, blood tests carried out
on residents revealed a degree of radioactivity in almost half
of them.
Devoted to nuclear research under the former regime of Saddam
Hussein, Tuwaitha has the highest levels of ambient radiation in
the country, according to experts. “Research was done under the
Hussein regime using the most dangerous kinds of nuclear
material,” said Ammar Kheiry, a senior official at the Ministry
of Science and Technology. “This resulted in a concentration of
radioactive material and exposure of innocent civilians to the
dangerous material.”
Kheiry went on to draw attention to the government’s concern
over radioactive material and equipment that vanished from
Iraq's nuclear sites in the wake of the 2003 US-led invasion of
the country. There have been scattered reports, for instance, of
equipment being used by poor families to store water and petrol
domestically.
Officials at the health ministry, meanwhile, point out that the
number of patients diagnosed with cancer countrywide has
increased noticeably in the past two years. Experts suspect the
main cause for rising cancer rates could be radioactive
contamination resulting from the widespread use of radioactive
munitions and equipment.
"Before 2003, there was one new cancer case a day in the
capital, at most. This number has now risen to five per day,”
said Dr Ahmed Abdul Jabbar, an oncologist at the Baghdad
Radiation Hospital. “An urgent study should be undertaken,
because, according to our statistics, most of the cancer cases
have come from areas affected by war and fighting.”
The government, therefore, has asked the IAEA for assistance
compiling a study on radiation levels throughout the country.
“We’ve called for help from international organisations with
expertise in these issues to protect Iraqis from becoming
victims of these dangerous materials,” Kheiry explained.
The first steps to be undertaken by the IAEA will be to
identify, cordon off and prioritise the areas posing the
greatest risk to the population. According to agency officials,
the main challenge will be to “determine unknown locations where
contaminated equipment and materials might be buried and recover
lost records about…radioactive materials stored in waste
containers”.
But cleaning up radioactive materials is a relatively long and
complicated process, say officials. "This is a huge task,”
Dennis Reisenweaver, the IAEA expert heading the effort, noted
recently. “And one that could take many years.”
[ENDS]
Copyright © IRIN 2006
The material contained on www.IRINnews.org comes to you via
*****************************************************************
3 Alarab Online: IAEA to help Iraq in radiation safety areas
The International Atomic Energy Agency has begun a drive to help
clean up Iraq's contaminated nuclear sites in a project that
could take years, according to a senior United Nations official
invited by the Iraqi government to help it with the task.
The project's groundwork was set at a meeting of UN atomic
watchdog in Vienna in February attended by the Iraqi minister
for science and technology, representatives from 16 countries,
including the United States, and the European Commission.
"This is a huge task, one that could take many years," said
Dennis Reisenweaver, the IAEA safety expert in charge of the
effort, noting that among the first steps is the need to
identify, cordon off and prioritize contaminated areas that pose
the most risk to the public.
Some of the challenges include determining now unknown locations
where contaminated equipment and materials might be buried, and
recovering lost records about the contents of radioactive
materials stored in waste containers.
"Given the magnitude of the task ahead, the project needs to be
carried out through a combined effort between Iraq organizations
and the IAEA's member states," Reisenweaver said.
One of the major known sites is the Tuwaitha complex that was
inspected and largely dismantled during IAEA-led weapons
inspections in the 1990s and subsequently bombed in the 2003
United States'invasion, after which it was looted, making media
headlines when barrels containing low-level uranium ore
concentrate known as 'yellowcake' were stolen.
The barrels were emptied and sold to local people who used them
for storing water or food, or to wash clothes. Under its nuclear
safeguards agreement with Iraq, the IAEA inspected the site,
noting that the missing material posed no proliferation concern
and that efforts were required to recover the dispersed material.
At present 1,000 Iraqi men, women and children in the village of
Ishtar near the site, 20 kilometres south of Baghdad, are living
in an area contaminated by radioactive residues and ruins, where
levels of radiation are known to be higher than normal and
prolonged exposure could prove risky over time.
During the project's first phase, it is expected the IAEA will
assist with training, equipment and analysis of data to
prioritize sites and facilities that need to be decommissioned
first on radiation safety grounds.
The agency is also aiding Iraq in several areas related to
radiation safety and waste management. They include regional
technical cooperation projects to upgrade capabilities for
controlling radiation sources and responding to radiation
emergencies.
Alarab Online. © 2005 All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
4 [NYTr] Iran threatens to hide nuclear program
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:32:30 -0500 (CDT)
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
AP - Apr 25, 2006
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAN_NUCLEAR?SITE=MAHYC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Iran threatens to hide nuclear program
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran threatened Tuesday to begin hiding its nuclear
program if the West takes any "harsh measures" against it - Tehran's
sharpest rebuttal yet to a U.N. Security Council deadline to suspend uranium
enrichment or face possible sanctions.
Iran's supreme leader, meanwhile, said in a meeting with the president of
wartorn Sudan that Tehran was ready to transfer its nuclear technology to
other countries.
Iran's warning to the U.N. watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy
Agency, came from Tehran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. They were
the strongest words of defiance yet ahead of a Friday deadline, set by the
Security Council, for Iran to suspend enrichment of uranium, a process that
can produce fuel for nuclear reactors or material for warheads.
"Military action against Iran will not end our program," Larijani said at a
conference on the energy program. "If you take harsh measures, we will hide
this program. If you use the language of force, you should not expect us to
act transparently."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice immediately shot back, saying Iran's
statements were further isolating it from the international community.
"Iranians can threaten, but they are deepening their own isolation," she
said in Athens.
The United States has not threatened military action and has said it is
pursuing diplomatic option. But President Bush has said all options,
including military force, remain on the table.
Larijani's comments came a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
boldly predicted the Security Council would not impose sanctions and warned
he was thinking about dropping out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
On Tuesday, Larijani said flatly that Iran would not abide by Friday's
deadline to suspend enrichment, and would halt all cooperation with the IAEA
and pull out of the treaty if sanctions were imposed.
"If you take the first step wrong, the wrong trend will continue. We welcome
any logical proposal to resolve the issue. They just need to say why should
we suspend," Larijani said.
IAEA spokesman Marc Vidricaire said Tuesday it would not comment. He said no
public statements were planned ahead of director Mohamed ElBaradei's report
to the Security Council and the agency's board, expected by week's end.
The remarks on sharing nuclear technology by Iran's top leader, Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei, came as he met with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
"Iran's nuclear capability is one example of various scientific capabilities
in the country. ... The Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to transfer the
experience, knowledge and technology of its scientists," Khamenei told
al-Bashir.
Al-Bashir said last month that his impoverished country was considering
trying to create a nuclear program to generate electrical power.
Such a transfer of technology would be legal as long as it is between
signatory-states to the nonproliferation treaty, and as long as the IAEA was
informed.
The United States and European allies are expected to press for binding
measures against Iran when the Security Council begins the next round of
review of the Iranian case as soon as next week.
Although Rice has recently raised the likelihood of pressing for sanctions,
she did not go that far Tuesday when taking questions after a meeting with
her Greek counterpart, saying only that the Security Council must now issue
something more concrete than last month's "presidential statement," which
gave Iran 30 days to comply.
China and Russia, which are permanent, veto-wielding members of the council,
oppose sanctions and both called Tuesday for more negotiations.
"We see no alternative to the negotiations process," Russian Defense
Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency
while in Beijing for a regional anti-terrorism meeting.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang urged all parties "to show
flexibility," saying the international community should not abandon efforts
for a peaceful settlement.
Tuesday's comments were not the first time Iran has threatened to curb
cooperation. Several months ago, Tehran announced it would not honor the
IAEA's so-called "additional protocol," which gave the agency increased
inspection powers.
But Larijani said this time Iran would suspend its cooperation altogether if
sanctions were imposed.
"How are you going to prevent our nuclear activities by imposing sanctions?
If U.N. Security Council sanctions are to be imposed on Iran, we will
definitely suspend our cooperation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency," Larijani said. He added that Western countries on the IAEA board
"have to understand they cannot resolve this issue through force."
He also hinted that sanctions or even what he called coercive language from
the Security Council would cause Iran to speed up its nuclear activities.
"You can't set a framework through coercion. If you try to do it by force,
our response will be to break such a framework," he said.
The United States, Britain and France say they have suspicions that Iran is
seeking to make nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge and says its nuclear
program is for peaceful electricity generation only.
Ahmadinejad appears to be banking on support from China and Russia to
dissuade Washington from pressing a sanctions vote.
Suspicions about Iran's intentions have grown since it was discovered in
2002 that the country had for two decades secretly operated large-scale
nuclear activities that could be used in weapons making.
The IAEA says it has since found no direct evidence of an arms program, but
it also says the Iranians have not been fully forthcoming.
After repeated attempts at negotiations, the IAEA reported Iran to the
Security Council for noncompliance. The council then gave Iran until Friday
to suspend enrichment.
) 2006 The Associated Press.
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5 IRNA: Iran ready to help US change its attitude in region - Larijani -
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Larijani-Nuclear issue
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Larijani said here Tuesday that the time was ripe for the United
States to change its attitude in the region, and offered Iran's
help in this regard.
Larijani was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an
ongoing international conference dubbed `Iran's Nuclear Energy
Program:
Policies and Prospects' which kicked off here Tuesday morning.
"The US attitude has led to mistrust at the highest level in
the region. If Al-Qaeda was in the minority before, the fact is
it has now established a base in the region as a result of the
US' behavior," he said.
Larijani stressed that the US' attitude toward issues has
promoted terrorism in the region.
"The Taliban was set up with US assistance but today US
officials can no longer deny their mistake."
Pointing to US moves in Iraq, he said: "We supported the
political process leading to the formation of the government in
Iraq but surprisingly US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and
British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Baghdad at night to
establish a government."
"Their (US and allies) Zionist advisors have led to their
making such mistakes in the Middle East region," Larijani said.
In response to a question on US efforts to draw Europeans to
their side in the nuclear standoff with Iran, the SNSC secretary
said: "The US has no need to encourage the Europeans. This will
have no advantage for Europe."
He said "Europe is wise to the extent that it is currently
following up settlement of Iran's nuclear case although it is
under US pressure."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not want to humiliate any
country. The US should know it will lose its prestige in the
world if it attacks Iran," he said.
"We are ready for a reasoned approach and for peaceful means to
settle the issue but will give an appropriate response if the US
uses tough language."
He warned the US against using threats "to deter Iran from its
path," saying it should ponder its moves and weight their
consequences.
"If the US decides to impose sanctions on Iran, we will halt
our cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA)," he declared.
He stressed that Iran would stop using kind language if it were
subjected to bullying and violence.
The SNSC secretary rejected allegations of any covert nuclear
activity in Iran, saying "all nuclear activities of the country,
including those carried out in Isfahan's Uranium Conversion
Facility, (UCF) have been under IAEA surveillance."
"With regard to Natanz, based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT), there was no need to announce activities since we did not
carry out injection. Injection of gas into centrifuges has not
been conducted since a few days ago," Larijani added.
Asked when Majlis would approve the Additional Protocol to the
NPT, he said that the "government had previously ratified the
protocol. Processes are also currently underway in Majlis in
this regard."
"This shows Iran's determination to ratify the protocol which
it regards as an important step. But certain countries,
including Israel, have not ratified it even in their
parliaments."
*****************************************************************
6 AFP: China insists diplomacy can still resolve Iran nuclear issue -
Tuesday April 25, 06:09 PM
BEIJING (AFP) - China has insisted the Iran nuclear issue could
still be resolved through negotiations as it called on all sides
to show flexibility in ending the escalating stand-off.
"We believe, in the current stage, there is still room to
resolve this issue through negotiations," foreign ministry
spokesman Qin Gang told reporters at a regular briefing.
"We call on all parties to show flexibility and allow a proper
resolution of this issue through dialogue and negotiations. The
international community should not abandon its efforts for
peaceful negotiations. And all moves should be helpful to
achieving this objective."
Qin's comments came after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
said on Monday his nation would not comply with a UN Security
Council demand that it freeze its uranium enrichment program by
Friday.
The United States is pushing for the Council to consider a draft
resolution that would oblige Iran to comply or face sanctions or
possible military action.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Tuesday that
his nation would suspend its relations with the UN's atomic
watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, if sanctions
were imposed.
He also said Iran was expanding its uranium enrichment work and
that the country would hide its nuclear program if it was
attacked.
Qin's initial comments were made before Larijani spoke.
But Qin said afterwards that the Iranian negotiator's latest
comments did not change China's position.
"We hope all sides will exercise restraint and flexibility and
continue to hold dialogue and negotiations so as to create
favorable conditions to properly resolve the Iranian nuclear
issue," Qin said.
Iran says it only wants to enrich uranium to make reactor fuel
to generate electricity, but the United States and other Western
powers say the energy program is a cover for building nuclear
weapons.
China has strong trade ties with Iran, particularly in the
energy sector, and has steadfastly refused to take as hardline a
stance on the nuclear issue as the United States would like.
Copyright © 2006 AFP. All rights reserved. All information
*****************************************************************
7 IRNA: Int'l Conference on Iran's Nuclear Energy Program opens
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Nuclear-Conference
An international conference dubbed `Iran's Nuclear Energy
Program: Policies and Prospects' kicked off here Tuesday morning.
The Iranian delegation attending the conference is headed by
the the deputy head of the Strategic Research Center for
International Research at the Expediency Council (EC), Hossein
Moussavian.
The EC Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Supreme National
Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani are scheduled to
deliver speeches at the conference.
*****************************************************************
8 IRNA: India for dialogue to resolve Iran nuclear issue
, April 25, IRNA
--
India Tuesday said that issues relating to Iran's nuclear
program should be resolved through dialogue.
"Confrontation or threats or use of force can only exacerbate
tensions in a region which is of vital importance to India, and
must therefore be avoided at all costs," said the spokesperson
of the Ministry of External Affairs here today when asked about
India's position on reports that force or sanctions could be
used against Iran.
"Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes but this must be consistent with its international
commitments and obligations," he said.
"India values its civilizational ties and traditionally close
and friendly relations with Iran," he added.
India, along with other friendly countries, is continuing its
efforts to reach an amicable resolution of outstanding issues
through patient dialogue.
*****************************************************************
9 IRNA: Iran ready to schedule its nuclear research program - Larijani -
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Larijani-Nuclear
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Larijani here Tuesday urged that in the upcoming talks the
perspective of nuclear program should be clarified as Iran is
prepared to schedule its nuclear research program.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the international
conference dubbed `Iran's Nuclear Energy Program: Policies and
Prospects', he announced that Iran expects a positive outcome
from its talks with the Western countries.
He added that it is possible to develop a formula through talks
that will prevent any deviation from peaceful path by Iran,
which will also enable it to obtain its right.
Turning to the fact that `the new situation requires a new
solution', Larijani said that they still talk about
`suspension', which does not make sense.
"No man of wits will ever say that if the 164 centrifuges are
not suspended, there is the risk of development of bomb," he
added.
The chief negotiator pointed to the current conditions as
sensitive and said that in principle, there are two options:
"If the issue is to be examined by the UN Security Council
(UNSC), Iran will also proceed in the same path. However, in
case reasonable steps are taken, Iran will cooperate," he added.
Stressing that the nuclear dossier should be pursued by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said that if the
case remains on the agenda of the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran is
prepared to consider the Additional Protocol.
"A country determined to access nuclear weapons, will neither
sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), nor cooperate
with the IAEA," he added.
Larijani referred to the cancelled Iran-Europe agreements on
the nuclear issue and said, "The West left no option for Iran
but enrichment while we were prepared to proceed step by step."
2326/1412
*****************************************************************
10 IRNA: Rafsanjani deplores performance of UN nuclear agency on Iran
(Recasting to correct verb concerning technical aspects)
April 25, IRNA
--
Chairman of Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on
Tuesday that International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have
failed to focus on technical aspects of Iranian nuclear program
and such an approach, if continued, would harm the other member
states of the agency.
"The agency failed to keep the matter on the right track."
Rafsanjani dismissed US allegation that Iran has covert nuclear
program and said that Iranian nuclear program is transparent and
in conformity with Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
"Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Iran has adopted
transparency on nuclear program and met all requirements of NPT.
"We decided not to hide anything and proved our goodwill to UN
nuclear agency," Rafsanjani said.
He said that Russia could not fulfill its promise and now
Bushehr power plant is going to be completed with a five year
delay and at the same time, Russia says that it would not supply
fuel for the time being.
He complained that IAEA sometimes provided enemies of Iran with
pretext to orchestrate scenarios against Iranian nuclear program.
Rafsanjani said that the UN nuclear agency dealt with
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) which admitted
trying to produce bomb, with leniency, but, issues anti-Iran
resolution while Iranian nuclear program is only civilian.
He criticized the halt to nuclear activities for the past two
years for confidence building and said that Iran should have
continued with research studies in the past two years too.
*****************************************************************
11 IRNA: Iran not insisting on completely home-made N-fuel - Larijani -
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Nuclear-Larijani
Iran's senior national security official here Tuesday said
Tehran is not insisting on producing all its required nuclear
fuel by itself.
Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security
Council (SNSC), however, added the country never allows its
production independence to be endangered.
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, who addressed an international
conference dubbed "Iran's Nuclear Energy Program: Policies and
Prospects", noted there is no international rule on supply of
fuel required by nuclear power plants.
US President George Bush has vowed to establish a "fuel bank",
recalled the official, adding the proposal lacks international
support and that Iran will have no alternative but to demand for
fuel if it accepts such a proposal.
Wondering about recent remarks of US and European officials
that Iran enjoys rich oil and gas reserves and does not require
nuclear energy, Larijani pointed to two documents signed in the
pre-Revolution era that contradict the West's claim.
Tehran and Washington inked a document during the Shah's rule
on establishment of power plants for generation of 20,000
megawatts of electricity in Iran, the ranking official said.
Larijani also referred to a 1974 Iran-France agreement on
construction of power plants and generation of 6,000 megawatts
of electricity in Iran.
Article 4 of the Tehran-Paris pact says the (uranium)
enrichment work, a part of nuclear fuel production process, is
done on Iranian soil, he added.
Iran's oil and gas reserves at the time the contracts were
signed -- more than 30 years ago -- exceeded today's reserves,
noted Larijani, raising the question "Why do Americans and
Europeans now claim that Iran requires no nuclear energy?"
"Before the victory of the (Islamic) Revolution, Europe stored
1,600 tons of yellow cake and 60 tons of UF6 that belonged to
Iran," said the SNSC secretary, adding, "Europeans refused to
deliver the mentioned yellow cake and UF6 after the Revolution.
"So the Westerners' disloyalty forced Iran to think of fuel
production. Now they may give guarantees that Iran's fuel need
will be met, but we cannot trust them because their behavior
changed in the post-Revolution era."
*****************************************************************
12 IRNA: Iran nuclear case complicated but negotiable: official
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Moussavian-Nuclear
An Iranian official said here Tuesday that although the
situation of Iran nuclear case has become even more complicated
during the past few months and given that the case has been
reported to the UN Security Council, a negotiated solution is
still possible.
Deputy head of the Strategic Research Center affiliated to the
Expediency Council (EC), Hossein Moussavian made the remark
while addressing an international conference dubbed `Iran's
Nuclear Energy Program: Policies and Prospects'.
Moussavian, who was a member of Iran's former negotiating team,
presented his proposal consisting of ten key factors and said,
"In light of the existing experience in this issue, I believe
that if a fair, rational, legal and peaceful solution is to be
found, these factors should be taken into account.
"The nuclear issue has turned into a national issue and all
political factions, groups, parties and individual figures with
entirely different political views are unanimous in asserting
the Iran's right to fuel cycle.
"The nuclear issue has become a matter of national pride in
Iran. Therefore, no solution can ignore this fact and disregard
the right to indigenous peaceful nuclear technology."
He added, "The West's handling of Iran's nuclear issue should
not leave the Iranian people with an overwhelming feeling of
being discriminated against and a feeling that the West seeks to
deprive Iran of its inalienable right to development and advanced
technology.
"Lack of confidence between Iran and the West is not limited to
the nuclear issue. Resolving this issue is also not tantamount
to resolving all differences between Iran and the West.
"However, reaching a negotiated solution on the nuclear issue
is bound to facilitate and expedite efforts to find solutions to
other disagreements between Iran and the West."
Moussavian added, "Iran's nuclear issue has been blown out of
proportion and politicized internationally, making it all the
more complicated and difficult to find a negotiated solution.
"It is necessary to reconsider this over-exaggeration to
facilitate finding a solution to the issue."
He said that Iran's right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT) should not be denied, adding, "Iran should be assured of
the non-discriminatory exercise of its legal and inalienable
right to the fuel cycle under the NPT. Nothing beyond the NPT
should be imposed on Iran.
He said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can help
resolve Iran's issue by developing an Iran-specific formula to
provide assurance to others concerned about non-diversion of
Iranian nuclear program.
The official stressed the importance of other countries
participating in the enrichment activities in Iran in order to
promote regional confidence in all spheres.
Based on an agreement reached between former secretary of
Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Hassan Rowhani, and
South African President Thabo Mbeki in August 2005, it was
agreed that Iran would export its products at Isfahan's Uranium
Conversion Facility to and import yellowcake from South Africa,
he noted.
"In this context, the UCF project could be part of Iran's
proposal concerning international consortium for enrichment and
fuel production," he said.
Moussavian added, "Measures such as the IAEA's provision of
assurance about Iran's compliance with the NPT, and full and
transparent cooperation of Iran with the agency are the real and
objective measures to promote international confidence in Iran's
nuclear program."
He pointed to future talks between Iran and the United States
on Iraq, saying, "This opportunity should be utilized in good
faith and a timely manner in order to de-escalate tension in
Tehran-Washington relations and thereby allow for a calmer
atmosphere in which a politically negotiated solution to Iran's
nuclear issue would become accessible."
The official further stated, "Given these key factors, the
three working groups of political-security, technological, and
nuclear cooperation, envisioned in Paris Agreement, could resume
their work and improve upon and finalize all areas of
cooperation previously discussed within a three-month period at
most."
He expressed hope under such circumstances, the November 2004
resolution of the IAEA Board of Governors should stand again and
Iran's nuclear file be removed from the agenda of the Security
Council.
*****************************************************************
13 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Gets No Backing From Greece on Iran
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 3:16 PM
AP Photo XTS105
By ANNE GEARAN
AP Diplomatic Writer
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
dismissed new threats from Iran over the future of its disputed
nuclear program on Tuesday, but won no public pledge of support
from ally Greece for punitive sanctions against Tehran.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said Tuesday that
Iran will withdraw its cooperation from the United Nations
nuclear watchdog agency if faced with U.N. sanctions and will be
forced to hide its nuclear program if the West takes ``harsh
measures'' against it.
The statements were Iran's strongest statement of defiance yet
before a Friday deadline the Security Council has given the
country to stop all uranium enrichment.
``What Iran's statements do is further Iran's isolation from the
international community,'' Rice said, adding that the Iranian
people ``deserve better then they are currently seeing from
their government.''
Rice, who spoke in Athens before traveling to Turkey, said the
next step in the international effort to counter Iranian nuclear
ambitions is not certain.
The United States and European allies are expected to press for
binding measures when the U.N. Security Council begins the next
round of its review of the Iranian case as soon as next week.
Although Rice has recently raised the likelihood of pressing for
sanctions, she did not go that far Tuesday when taking questions
following a meeting with her Greek counterpart.
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said Greece opposes any
nuclear weapons development by Iran, but she was guarded when
she was asked whether Greece would support sanctions. Greece is
a temporary member of the Security Council but cannot cast a
veto.
``The position of Greece is that the international community
should achieve a peaceful settlement of this matter,''
Bakoyannis said. She said ``there must be coordination within
the European Union, and decisions will be taken within the
framework of the Security Council. We are in the middle of a
diplomatic effort, which still has tools at its disposal that
allow it to be effective.''
As anti-American riots raged near her ministry, Bakoyannis said
Iran had to provide ``sufficient assurances'' that it would not
pursue a military nuclear program.
Asked about any possibility of U.S. military action to deter
Iran, Rice repeated the standard White House reply. ``The United
States president doesn't take any options off the table, but we
are on a diplomatic agenda here,'' she said.
Bakoyannis and Rice also denied they had discussed the possible
use by the United States of a large military base on the Greek
island of Crete. ``The agenda is to reinforce our diplomatic
efforts,'' Rice said. ``I most certainly did not raise
facilities for anything, because that is not on the agenda.''
Rice also met briefly with Greek Prime Minister Costas
Caramanlis.
Riot squads fired tear gas Tuesday at masked youths hurling
gasoline bombs and rocks after they tried to break through a
police cordon to reach the building where Rice was meeting with
Bakoyannis.
The youths set fire to at least one delivery van and smashed
many store fronts in one of Athens' premier shopping areas as
they were chased by police away from central Syntagma Square.
The violence and more than a dozen tear gas canisters fired by
police led to the breakup of a demonstration by about 3,000
people who had gathered in two separate rallies. One had been
organized by the Communist Party and another by
anti-globalization activists.
Police had warned protesters not to try to march into the
square.
``Condoleezza killer go home, hands off Iran,'' read one banner
at the Communist gathering, attended by more than 2,000 people.
Speakers condemned the United States on issues ranging from the
embargo on Cuba to NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia.
It was the first official trip by a U.S. secretary of state to
Greece in 20 years. In March 1986, Secretary of State George
Schultz's visit coincided with a terrorist bombing.
Greece is considered a hotbed of anti-Americanism in Europe and
protests caused former Secretary of State Colin Powell to cancel
two planned visits - one in late 2003 and another during the
Athens Olympics in 2004.
Threatened protests also forced former President Clinton to
shorten a 1999 visit, which was marred by clashes between police
and anti-globalization activists.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice Dismisses New Threats From Iran
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 12:31 PM
AP Photo XTS105
By ANNE GEARAN
AP Diplomatic Writer
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
dismissed new threats from Iran over the future of its disputed
nuclear program on Tuesday, but won no public pledge of support
from ally Greece for punitive sanctions against Tehran.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that Iran will
withdraw its cooperation from the United Nations nuclear
watchdog agency if faced with U.N. sanctions and will be forced
to hide its nuclear program if the West takes ``harsh measures''
against it.
Ali Larijani also said Tehran may go further and hide its
nuclear program if the West takes any other ``harsh measures.''
The statements were Iran's strongest statement of defiance yet
before a Friday deadline the Security Council has given the
country to stop all uranium enrichment.
``What Iran's statements do is further Iran's isolation from the
international community,'' Rice said, adding that the Iranian
people ``deserve better then they are currently seeing from
their government.''
Rice said the next step in the international effort to counter
Iranian nuclear ambitions is not certain.
The United States and European allies are expected to press for
binding measures when the U.N. Security Council begins the next
round of its review of the Iranian case as soon as next week.
Although Rice has recently raised the likelihood of pressing for
sanctions, she did not go that far Tuesday when taking questions
following a meeting with her Greek counterpart.
Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said Greece opposes any
nuclear weapons development by Iran, but she was guarded when
she was asked whether Greece would support sanctions.
``The position of Greece is that the international community
should achieve a peaceful settlement of this matter,''
Bakoyannis said.
Asked about any possibility of U.S. military action to deter
Iran, Rice repeated the standard White House reply. ``The United
States president doesn't take any options off the table, but we
are on a diplomatic agenda here,'' she said.
Rice also met briefly with Greek Prime Minister Costas
Caramanlis.
Riot squads fired tear gas Tuesday at masked youths hurling
gasoline bombs and rocks after they tried to break through a
police cordon to reach the building where Rice was meeting with
Bakoyannis.
The youths set fire to at least one delivery van and smashed
many store fronts in one of Athens' premier shopping areas as
they were chased by police away from central Syntagma Square.
The violence and more than a dozen tear gas canisters fired by
police led to the breakup of a demonstration by about 3,000
people who had gathered in two separate rallies. One had been
organized by the Communist Party and another by
anti-globalization activists.
Police had warned protesters not to try to march into the
square.
``Condoleezza killer go home, hands off Iran,'' read one banner
at the Communist gathering, attended by more than 2,000 people.
Speakers condemned the United States on issues ranging from the
embargo on Cuba to NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia.
At the anti-globalization rally, a few hundred protesters
demonstrated against U.S. policy against Iran.
``I am here to say no to the war against Iraq, against Iran and
all the countries which disagree with American policies. Maybe
there are many terrorists, but the people are innocent,'' said
protester Chris Vagenis.
It was the first official trip by a U.S. secretary of state to
Greece in 20 years. In March 1986, Secretary of State George
Schultz's visit coincided with a terrorist bombing.
Greece is considered a hotbed of anti-Americanism in Europe and
protests caused former Secretary of State Colin Powell to cancel
two planned visits - one in late 2003 and another during the
Athens Olympics in 2004.
Threatened protests also forced former President Clinton to
shorten a 1999 visit, which was marred by clashes between police
and anti-globalization activists.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
15 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Threatens to Hide Nuclear Program
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 10:31 PM
AP Photo VAH107
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran ratcheted up its defiance ahead of a
U.N. Security Council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment,
threatening Tuesday to hide its program if the West takes
``harsh measures'' and to transfer nuclear technology to
chaos-ridden Sudan.
Ali Larijani, the top Iranian nuclear negotiator, also renewed a
vow to end cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and
said increasing pressure on Iran would only stiffen its resolve.
``If you take harsh measures, we will hide this program. If you
use the language of force, you should not expect us to act
transparently,'' Larijani said, adding that Western nations
``have to understand they cannot resolve this issue through
force.''
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice fired back almost
immediately, saying, ``Iranians can threaten, but they are
deepening their own isolation.''
Top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the offer to transfer
nuclear technology at a meeting Tuesday with Sudanese President
Omar al-Bashir.
``Iran's nuclear capability is one example of various scientific
capabilities in the country. ... The Islamic Republic of Iran is
prepared to transfer the experience, knowledge and technology of
its scientists,'' Khamenei told al-Bashir.
Al-Bashir said last month that his impoverished, violence-ridden
country was considering a nuclear program to generate
electricity.
Such a technology transfer would be legal as long as it is
between signatory states to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty,
and the International Atomic Energy Agency is informed.
We ``have to be concerned when there are statements from Iran
that Iran would not only have this technology, but would share
it, share technology and expertise,'' Rice told reporters during
a visit to Ankara, Turkey.
Russia, meanwhile, launched a satellite Tuesday for Israel that
the Israelis say will be used to spy on Iran's nuclear program.
The satellite is designed to spot small images on the ground and
would allow Israel to monitor Iran's nuclear program and
long-range missiles, an Israel defense official said.
With the U.N. deadline approaching Friday, Iran has become more
defiant almost daily.
``If U.N. Security Council sanctions are to be imposed on Iran,
we will definitely suspend our cooperation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency,'' Larijani said, echoing the
words of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a day earlier.
Iran's stance appeared to stem in part from opposition to
sanctions by Russia and China, both veto-holding members of the
Security Council.
``We see no alternative to the negotiations process,'' Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said. And Chinese Foreign
Ministry spokesman Qin Gang urged all parties ``to show
flexibility.''
The United States has not openly threatened military action and
says it wants a diplomatic solution. But President Bush has said
all options, including military force, remain on the table.
Britain also warned Iran against miscalculating.
``The Iranians, in my judgment, would miscalculate if they
believed Russia or China would block appropriate and effective
sanctions, which targeted the regime, not the ordinary
population,'' Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said.
Iran's tough talk appeared to be the strongest public show so
far ahead of the Security Council deadline to suspend uranium
enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for nuclear reactors
or for warheads.
On Monday, Ahmadinejad boldly predicted the council would not
impose sanctions and warned Iran was considering dropping out of
the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
Larijani emphasized that stance Tuesday, saying Iran would
ignore the demand.
``If you take the first step wrong, the wrong trend will
continue. We welcome any logical proposal to resolve the issue.
They just need to say why should we suspend,'' he said.
The IAEA said it would not issue any public statements ahead of
director Mohamed ElBaradei's report to the Security Council and
the agency's board, expected by week's end.
The United States and European allies are expected to press for
binding measures against Iran when the Security Council begins
the next round of review of the Iranian case.
Although Rice has raised the likelihood of pressing for
sanctions, she did not go that far Tuesday, saying only that the
Security Council must issue something more concrete than last
month's ``presidential statement,'' which gave Iran 30 days to
comply.
Larijani said sanctions might force Iran to speed up its nuclear
programs. ``You can't set a framework through coercion. If you
try to do it by force, our response will be to break such a
framework,'' he said.
The United States, Britain and France suspect Iran is seeking to
make nuclear weapons. Iran denies that, saying its nuclear
program is intended to generate electricity.
Western concerns have built since 2002 when Iran was found to
have secretly operated large-scale nuclear activities for two
decades.
The IAEA says it has since found no direct evidence of an arms
program, but the Iranians have not been fully forthcoming.
After repeated attempts at negotiations, the IAEA reported Iran
to the Security Council for noncompliance. The council then gave
Iran until Friday to suspend enrichment.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
16 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Ready to Transfer Nuclear Know-How
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 1:01 PM
AP Photo VAH112
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's top leader said Tuesday that Tehran
is ready to transfer its nuclear technology to other countries.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the comments in a meeting with
visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who said last month
that his impoverished, wartorn country was considering trying to
create a nuclear program to generate electrical power.
``Iran's nuclear capability is one example of various scientific
capabilities in the country. ... The Islamic Republic of Iran is
prepared to transfer the experience, knowledge and technology of
its scientists,'' Khamenei told al-Bashir at their meeting.
Al-Bashir congratulated Iran for its success in producing
enriched uranium for the first time, saying the achievement was
a ``great success for the world of Islam.''
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
17 Guardian Unlimited: Blair warns over Iran threat
From Press Association
[UP]
Press Association
Tuesday April 25, 2006 12:48 PM
Downing Street has urged the world to take the threat posed by
Iran "very seriously", as the United Nations deadline for it to
cease uranium enrichment looms.
The comments by Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman
came after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad again appeared
to threaten Israel, calling it a "fake regime" which should not
exist.
Mr Blair's spokesman said: "I think everybody should read the
Iranian President's comments, because once again it underlines
that we have to take the situation very seriously."
The spokesman continued: "These are not actually remarks made by
somebody without power, these are remarks repeatedly made now by
the Iranian President.
"We all have to take very seriously the issues which are now
before the UN and therefore take forward this issue with due
seriousness."
Iran has until Friday to comply with the UN demand to stop
uranium enrichment.
© Copyright Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
18 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Threatens to Hide Its Nuclear Program
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 12:01 PM
AP Photo VAH102
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI
Associated Press Writer
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday
that Tehran would halt all cooperation with the U.N. nuclear
watchdog if the Security Council imposes sanctions against it,
and warned it might go further and hide its nuclear program if
the West takes any other ``harsh measures.''
The statements by Ali Larijani were Iran's strongest statement
of defiance yet before a Friday deadline the Security Council
has given the country to stop all uranium enrichment. They came
a day after Iran's president boldly predicted thend our
program,'' Larijani said Tuesday, speaking at a conference on
the energy program. ``If you take harsh measures, we will hide
this program. If you use the language of force, you should not
expect us to act transparently.''
He also said flatly that Iran would not abide by the Friday
deadline to suspend uranium enrichment.
``If you take the first step wrong, the wrong trend will
continue. We welcome any logical proposal to resolve the issue.
They just need to say why should we suspend,'' Larijani said.
Iran's former President, Hashemi Rafsanjani, speaking at the
same conference, claimed that Iran openly launched its nuclear
program - which it insists is for peaceful energy purposes only
- ``but the behavior of Western countries forced it to carry out
its nuclear program independently, based on local expertise and
knowledge without relying on Western countries.''
The International Atomic Energy Agency's chief spokesman, Marc
Vidricaire, said Tuesday it would not comment on Iran's threat
to scuttle all cooperation if sanctions are imposed. He said the
IAEA planned no public statements ahead of agency head Mohamed
ElBaradei's report to the Security Council and the agency's
35-nation board of governors, expected by the end of this week.
The United States, Britain and France maintain that Iran
actually wants enriched uranium for atomic bombs, which would
violate its commitments under the treaty. Iran denies the
charge, but Washington is pressing fellow members of the
Security Council to impose economic sanctions.
Meanwhile, an Israeli defense official said Israel was launching
a satellite to spy on Iran's program, as Iran's leader persisted
with his calls for the Jewish state's destruction.
Israel planned to launch from Siberia later Tuesday its Eros B
satellite, designed to spot images on the ground as small as 27
inches, the defense official said. That level of resolution
would allow Israel to gather information on Iran's nuclear
program and its long-range missiles, which are capable of
striking Israel, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity
because of the sensitive subject matter.
On Monday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Israel a ``fake
regime'' that ``cannot logically continue to live.'' Last year,
he called the Nazi Holocaust a ``myth'' and declared that Israel
should be ``wiped off the map.''
Ahmadinejad's government insists the nonproliferation treaty
gives Iran the right to enrich uranium for fueling civilian
nuclear power plants, and he has given no ground in the
international faceoff. The fiery hardline president said Monday
he was reconsidering Iran's adherence to the treaty, which is
aimed at stopping the spread of atomic weapons while allowing
peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
``What has more than 30 years of membership in the agency given
us?'' he asked at a news conference, only the second since he
took office last year at which foreign journalists have been
allowed to ask questions.
As a member of the IAEA, Iran is obliged to honor the agency's
basic nuclear safeguards agreement. However, that agreement is
limited to select declared atomic facilities and programs.
It is not the first time Iran has threatened to curb
cooperation: Several months ago, Tehran announced it would not
honor the U.N. nuclear watchdog's so-called ``additional
protocol,'' which gave the IAEA increased and more thorough
inspection powers.
Suspicions about Iran's intentions have grown since it was
discovered in 2002 that Tehran had for two decades secretly
operated large-scale nuclear activities that could be used in
weapons making.
The IAEA says it has since found no direct evidence of an arms
program, but it also says the Iranians have not been fully
forthcoming in answering questions about their nuclear
activities. After repeated attempts to resolve the issue through
negotiations, the IAEA reported Iran to the Security Council for
noncompliance.
Iran deepened international concerns by announcing April 11 that
it had for the first time enriched uranium with 164 centrifuges
- a step toward large-scale production of nuclear fuel.
The United States and others are urging the Security Council to
take a tougher stance by imposing a mandatory order for Iran to
halt enrichment, a move that would raise the threat of
sanctions.
Russian and China, which are among the five permanent members
that can veto council actions, have opposed that approach,
saying diplomacy has not run its course. Ahmadinejad appears to
be banking on their support to dissuade Washington from pressing
a sanctions vote.
---
Associated Press Writer George Jahn contributed to this report
from Vienna, Austria.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
19 BBC: Iran threatens to end UN contacts
Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
[Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani]
Larijani's comments come ahead of a UN deadline on Iran's
activities
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has said his
country will suspend contacts with the UN's nuclear watchdog if
sanctions are imposed.
He also said Iran would "hide" its nuclear programme if it was
attacked.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Iran's threats
further isolated it from the international community.
The Security Council has set a deadline of 28 April for a freeze
in uranium enrichment, the focus of concerns that Iran could
acquire nuclear weapons.
Iranians can threaten but th are deepening their own isolation
Condoleezza Rice
The US is trying to rally support from the Security Council for
tougher action against Iran, including sanctions - a move
currently being resisted by Russia and China.
Speaking after a meeting with the Greek foreign minister during
an official one-day visit, Ms Rice said Iran's threats were
"emblematic of the kind of Iranian behaviour seen over the past
couple of years".
Ms Rice said the international community was not prepared to
allow Iran "under cover of a civil nuclear programme to acquire
the technologies that could lead to a nuclear weapon".
Ms Rice said the Security Council must now issue something more
concrete than last month's "presidential statement", which gave
Iran 30 days to comply with International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) directives.
'Force not solution'
"Military action against Iran will not lead to the closure of the
programme. If you take harsh measures, we will hide this
programme. Then you cannot solve the nuclear issue," Mr Larijani
warned.
"They [the Western countries on the IAEA board] have to
understand they cannot resolve this issue through force," Mr
Larijani told a conference on Iran's controversial nuclear energy
programme in Tehran.
At the same conference, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani said
Tehran had no intention of diverting nuclear material for a
military programme at the moment.
The BBC's Frances Harrison in Tehran says the implication of his
comments is that this might be possible in the future. Our
correspondent adds that Mr Rafsanjani is still a key power broker
in the Iranian administration.
Both men said they were keen on negotiations to reassure the West
that Iran's programme is peaceful, but not negotiations to stop
Iran having a nuclear programme altogether.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian energy
purposes only. The US and several other nations say they do not
believe this.
The IAEA says there is so far no proof that Iran is seeking
nuclear weapons - but it talks of an "absence of confidence that
Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful", and of a
"policy of concealment" pursued by Tehran.
*****************************************************************
20 Platts: Iran says going nuclear will free up crude for export
Doha (Platts)--24Apr2006
Iranian oil minister Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh said Monday that
advancing Iran's nuclear program would eventually help oil
markets because it would free up crude oil for export after US
Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman's advised against doing business
with Iran to force it to end its nuclear ambitions.
Asked by reporters if developing nuclear power would help
the market, Vaziri Hamaneh replied: "Definitely that is the case
because this will save oil and gas that we are consuming and that
would be available for the international markets and that's one
of the ideas for going for the nuclear energy."
"I think this is his [Bodman's] views but the truth is that
the investment in Iran is doing very well and it is for the oil
and gas and we have no concerns," Vaziri Hamaneh said on the
sidelines of the 10th International Energy Forum, a biannual
talking shop for oil producers and consumers.
The US and its allies are accusing Tehran of pursuing a
clandestine nuclear enrichment program to develop a nuclear
arsenal, a charge the Islamic Republic denies.
OPEC number two Iran, which is desperately trying to raise
its crude oil production capacity and develop its massive gas
reserves, second only to Russia, has argued that it needs nuclear
power to boost crude exports and meet rising world demand,
thereby easing consumer fears over energy security, a key theme
at the Doha conference.
But the US, which imposed sanctions in 1996 against Iran and
Libya -- sanctions against Tripoli were dropped in 2004 -- has
made public its displeasure at energy deals involving Iran, in
particular a gas pipeline deal to India through Pakistan, a
Japanese agreement to develop the 26 billion barrel Azadegan oil
field and an LNG and oilfield development project with China.
Iran, which puts current production at its OPEC quota of
4.11-million b/d -- which is close to its maximum capacity -- has
been somewhat shackled in its efforts to raise production
capacity to over 5 million b/d by 2010 and to 8 million b/d by
2015 partly by the US sanctions, which has kept out US majors and
the likes of BP.
Another deterrent has been the buyback formula used by Iran
to bypass a constitutional ban on production-sharing, the terms
of which are currently being amended to help along stalled
projects like the Yadavaran and Azadegan oilfield development
projects with Japan and China.
Iran's Vaziri Hamaneh denied in Doha that foreign investment
flows into the energy sector were slowing down because of US
pressure on potential investors and he blamed US foreign policy
for high oil prices as well as on speculators he said were
"inflaming" oil markets.
Vaziri Hamaneh, who met with the Japanese, Indian and
Pakistani ministers on the sidelines of the Doha conference, said
Tehran was pressing ahead with its energy development projects.
"I think next week, we're going to send a delegation to
China to discuss the Yadavaran field and also the LNG project. We
are preparing the initial stage of preparing the contract but the
contract is not yet signed. But we are preparing the stages for
the signing," he said.
The agreement, worth $100-billion includes a 25-year LNG
export agreement. The agreement would also grant a 51% share in
the development of Iran's onshore Yadavaran oilfield to China
Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec), which would receive
150,000 b/d of the field's crude oil for the same period.
Chinese energy demand growth as well as its position as a
permanent member of the UN Security Council has made the success
of the mega oil and gas deal increasingly important for Tehran,
which faces the prospect of possible UN punitive action over its
nuclear program.
Vaziri Hamaneh also said that he met Japanese energy
minister Toshihiri Nikai in Doha to try to push forward the
Azadegan oil field development Tehran has been negotiating with a
Japanese consortium.
"I just talked to the minister of energy and he emphasized
that it is one of the most important energy projects they have,"
Vaziri Hamaneh said, adding that a Japanese delegation was in
Tehran on Monday "negotiating, finalizing some of the points."
He added: "We have the written commitment and their
willingness from their side they would like to pursue this
project." A Japanese government official March 23 denied a report
that the US had informally asked Japan to delay the development
of Azadegan by Japan's Inpex.
Japan has stressed the importance of the $2 billion project
to Japan, which is wholly dependent on imported crude to meet its
oil needs.
Another project that appears to have been propelled forward
by the presence of key ministers at the Doha talks was the
proposed gas pipeline from Iran to India through Pakistan.
"We had a meeting with our counterparts from Iran and
Pakistan the day before yesterday. We are willing to have this
project and we are also willing to do this project together and
we are hopeful this will be done. We are not concerned," Vaziri
Hamaneh said. "They (India and Pakistan) are interested and we
are willing so all parties are willing to do it so we have no
concerns," he said. Pakistani oil minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon
said Sunday that he hoped to sign an agreement with Iran and
India in Jund for a $7-billion gas pipeline to carry Iranian gas
to both countries.
For more information, take a trial to Platts Oilgram News at
http://oilgramnews.platts.com.
Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill
Companies]
*****************************************************************
21 IRNA: Iran to suspend cooperation with IAEA if sanctions are imposed - Larijani -
April 25, IRNA
--
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Larijani said here Tuesday that Iran could suspend its
cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
if the UN Security Council imposes sanctions on the country.
Larijani's remarks were part of an address he delivered before
the international conference dubbed `Iran's Nuclear Energy
Program:
Policies and Prospects' which kicked off here Tuesday morning.
"Iran will start covert (nuclear) activities if a military
attack is launched on its nuclear facilities while these are
currently under IAEA supervision.
"Iran cannot be prevented from conducting nuclear activities
through violent measures," he said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to conduct its nuclear
activities transparently and is willing to hold talks in this
field," the SNSC secretary added.
*****************************************************************
22 AFP: India urges against confrontation with Iran
Tue Apr 25, 6:08 AM ET
NEW DELHI (AFP) - India cautioned against confronting Iran" />
or using force to halt its disputed nuclear programme as that
would heighten tension in the oil-rich region.
"Confrontation or the threat or use of force can only
exacerbate tensions in a region which is of vital importance to
India, and must therefore be avoided at all costs," the foreign
ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Indian statement came ahead of Friday's deadline set by the
UN Security Council for Iran to freeze sensitive uranium
enrichment work.
"We have repeatedly declared that issues relating to Irans
nuclear programme should be resolved through dialogue.
"Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful
purpose, but this must be consistent with its international
commitments and obligations," to the nuclear non-proliferation
treaty (NPT), the Indian statement said.
Iran insists its programme, particularly uranium enrichment
which can be used to fuel reactors or make weapons, is peaceful
while countries led by the United States say it is a cover for a
weapons programme.
While UN Security Council permanent members the United States,
Britain and France have urged tough measures to force Iran to
halt its nuclear programme, the other two members, Russia and
China, favour a softer approach.
Tehran on Tuesday said it would halt relations with the UN
atomic watchdog if sanctions were imposed because of its suspect
nuclear drive and vowed a military attack would merely send its
activities underground.
The Islamic regime's national security chief Ali Larijani also
refused to rule out using oil as a weapon in the worsening
international stand off, warning of "important consequences" for
energy supplies if Iran was subjected to "radical measures".
India, which voted twice in favour of referring Iran to the UN
Security Council over its nuclear program, has repeatedly urged
the international community to avoid a confrontation.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
23 AFP: US 'concerned' over Iran sharing nuclear technology
Tue Apr 25, 3:03 PM ET
ANKARA (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" />
Condoleezza Ricesaid she was "concerned" at Iran" /> Iran's
readiness to share its nuclear technology with other countries
and urged the Islamic Republic to abide by international demands
for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
"We ... have to be concerned when there are statements from
Iran, as there were apparently today, that Iran would not only
have this technology but also would share its technology and
expertise," Rice told reporters here after talks with her
Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul.
She was referring to comments by Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei that Tehran was ready to transfer its nuclear
technology.
Rice renewed calls on Iran to abide by its international
obligations and said both Russia and European Union" /> European
Unioncountries had made proposals to Iran that would provide it
with civilian nuclear power.
"This is about not allowing Iran to get the expertise and the
technology to build a nuclear weapon, which Iranian leaders from
time to time say they would gladly transfer to others," Rice
said.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is strictly peaceful but the
United States and the EU suspect it is using the development of
nuclear power as a cover for developing nuclear weapons.
The United Nations" /> United NationsSecurity Council has given
Tehran until Friday to freeze uranium enrichment work as a
"confidence-building measure" but the country's hardline leaders
have refused to comply.
Rice, who was greeted by anti-US demonstrations on her arrival
here from Athens, said she had also discussed with Gul the
problem of separatist Kurdish rebels using bases in northern
Iraq" /> Iraqto launch attacks on Turkey.
She urged Ankara to refrain from unilateral action against the
rebels and called for renewed cooperation between Washington,
Baghdad and Ankara to implement measures against the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), once the new Iraqi government
takes office.
"We agreed that we all have interests in making certain that the
borders of Iraq are as secure as possible ... to make sure that
Iraqi soil cannot be used as a base for terrorism," Rice said.
"We share information and we will continue to be active in the
future in helping with the PKK. But of course we want that
anything we do contributes to the stability in Iraq and not
threaten the stability or make a difficult situation worse,"
Rice said. "That is why a cooperative approach is very
important."
Gul said Ankara expected the US-led coalition forces in Iraq and
the Baghdad administration to do more to eliminate the PKK,
considered a terrorist organisation by both Ankara and
Washington.
"Because of the power vacuum in Iraq, the members of the
terrorist organisation have virtually turned the north of the
country into a training camp and thousands of militants are able
to move around freely," Gul said.
The Turkish army has recently increased troop numbers in areas
bordering Iraq and Iran to intensify operations against rebels.
Ankara says the rebels have been infiltrating southeast Turkey
in growing numbers since the start of spring to engage in
violent action on Turkish territory.
The government says an estimated 5,000 PKK rebels have found
refuge in northern Iraq since 1999, when the group proclaimed a
unilateral ceasefire and withdrew from Turkish soil following
the arrest of its leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
Ankara has repeatedly urged the United States to crack down on
PKK bases in northern Iraq but Washington says its troops are
swamped by violence in other parts of the country.
The issue has become increasingly important for Turkey because
of escalating clashes between the PKK and the army in the
southeast and a series of bomb attacks around the country that
have been blamed on the group.
Gul and Rice agreed to draw up a document setting the basis for
stronger cooperation between the two NATO" /> NATOallies. Ties
between them were seriously damaged by the Turkish parliament's
refusal in 2003 to allow US troops to use Turkish territory to
invade Iraq from the north.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
24 AFP: US envoy says Iran nuclear comments 'irresponsible'
Tue Apr 25, 5:55 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - US Ambassador John Bolton slammed as
"irresponsible" Iran" /> Iran's assertion that it was ready to
share nuclear technology with other countries.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while meeting
Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, said Tuesday that the Islamic
republic was ready to share nuclear technology with other
countries, Sudanese state media reported.
"It shows how irresponsible Iran is and why it represents, in
our view, a grave threat of proliferation," Bolton told
reporters.
"This is exactly the kind of conduct we have feared, exactly the
kind of conduct that risks the spread of nuclear technology and
ultimately the spread of nuclear weapons."
The US envoy to the United Nations" /> United Nationssaid this
was "precisely the reason why the government of Iran constitutes
a threat to international peace and security and should be here
for action by the Security Council."
Iran insists its nuclear program is strictly peaceful, but is
widely suspected of using an atomic energy drive as a cover for
weapons development.
The UN Security Council has given Tehran until Friday to freeze
uranium enrichment work as a "confidence building measure"
demanded by the International Atomic Energy Agency" />
International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA), but the country's
hardline leaders have refused to comply.
Bolton said he expected the Security Council's five
veto-wielding permanent members -- Britain, China, France,
Russia and the United States -- to meet this week "to see what
the next step is."
"We believe the next step is a Chapter 7 resolution making
mandatory the existing IAEA resolutions (demanding an uranium
enrichment freeze)," the US envoy said, making it clear that
this would not be a sanctions resolution.
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which is invoked in case of threats
to international peace and security, can open the door to
sanctions or even military action.
Speaking in Ankara, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" />
Condoleezza Ricealso expressed concern at Iran's readiness share
nuclear technology and urged the Islamic Republic to abide by
international demands for a diplomatic resolution of the
conflict.
"We ... have to be concerned when there are statements from
Iran, as there were apparently today, that Iran would not only
have this technology but also would share its technology and
expertise," Rice said.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
25 AFP: Iran threatens to hide nuclear programme
Tue Apr 25, 5:49 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran" /> Iransaid it will halt relations with the
UN atomic watchdog if sanctions are imposed because of its
suspect nuclear drive and vowed a military attack would merely
send its activities underground.
The Islamic regime's national security chief Ali Larijani also
refused to rule out using oil as a weapon in the worsening
international standoff, warning of "important consequences" for
energy supplies if Iran was subjected to "radical measures".
"If you decide to use sanctions against us, our relations with
the agency will be suspended," Larijani said of the
International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic
Energy Agencyon Tuesday.
The IAEA has been investigating Iran for more than three years,
and any cut in ties would spell an end to international
inspections and monitoring of nuclear facilities inside the
Islamic republic.
The warning, made at a conference on nuclear energy in Tehran,
came ahead of Friday's deadline set by the UN Security Council
for Iran to freeze ultra-sensitive uranium enrichment work.
Iran says it only wants to enrich to make reactor fuel for power
plants, but the process can be extended to make weapons.
The country's refusal to comply with the Security Council demand
-- as well as its promise to expand enrichment work to reach an
industrial-scale capacity -- leaves it exposed to the danger of
UN sanctions.
The United States has also not ruled out military action.
"Military action against Iran will not lead to the closure of
the programme," Larijani said. "If you take harsh measures, we
will hide this programme. Then you cannot solve the nuclear
issue.
"You may inflict a loss on us but you will lose also," he
warned.
Iran is the world's fourth largest crude producer and the
second-biggest in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries ( OPEC" /> OPEC). Tensions over the country's nuclear
drive have already helped push crude prices to record highs.
"Iran will not start a crisis," Larijani told reporters when
asked if the country would use its vast oil reserves as a weapon
in the dispute.
"But if we are subjected to radical measures, that will
automatically have important consequences for oil," he added.
Larijani's barrage of threats came the day after hardline
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also warned that Iran could quit
the Non-Proliferation Treaty, but nonetheless confidently
dismissed any threat of sanctions or even a US attack.
At the United Nations" /> United Nationsin New York, US
ambassador John Bolton said the Security Council was to consider
a draft resolution that would legally require Iran to comply
with demands that it freeze all uranium enrichment activities.
"Our expectation would be that assuming no change of direction
by Iran and there's no reason to think there will be a change of
direction, we'll look at a 'Chapter 7' resolution to make
mandatory all the existing IAEA resolutions," he said.
Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which is invoked in case of threats
to international peace and security, can open the door to
sanctions or even military action.
Iran's war of words with Israel" /> Israelalso worsened, with
the Jewish state's former premier Shimon Peres comparing
Ahmadinejad to Adolf Hitler.
"This is the first man since Hitler to stand up and say that the
Jewish people must be exterminated," the Nobel peace prize
winner said as the Jewish state observed a day of remembrance
for victims of the Nazi genocide.
Ahmadinejad, who has dismissed the Holocaust as a "myth", had on
Monday asserted that the "fake" Jewish state "cannot survive"
and called on immigrants to the country to go back to where they
came from.
China meanwhile insisted the nuclear issue could still be
resolved through negotiations, and called on all sides to show
flexibility.
"We believe, in the current stage, there is still room to
resolve this issue through negotiations," foreign ministry
spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing.
"We call on all parties to show flexibility and allow a proper
resolution of this issue through dialogue and negotiations. The
international community should not abandon its efforts for
peaceful negotiations. And all moves should be helpful to
achieving this objective."
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
26 AFP: Iran threatens to halt relations with IAEA, hide programme if attacked -
Tue Apr 25, 4:40 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said that
Iran" /> Iranwill suspend its relations with the UN's atomic
watchdog if sanctions are imposed and "hide" its nuclear
programme if attacked.
"If you decide to use sanctions against us, our relations with
the agency will be suspended," Larijani said of the
International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic
Energy Agency(IAEA).
"Military action against Iran will not lead to the closure of
the programme. If you take harsh measures, we will hide this
programme. Then you cannot solve the nuclear issue," Larijani
warned.
"You may inflict a loss on us but you will lose also," he said.
The warning, made at a conference on nuclear energy in Tehran,
came ahead of Friday's deadline set by the UN Security Council
for Iran to freeze ultra-sensitive uranium enrichment work.
Iran has refused to do so, leaving it exposed to UN sanctions.
Larijani also said Iran was expanding its uranium enrichment
work.
"The first phase was the (uranium) mines and the plant to make
yellowcake. The second phase was uranium conversion at Isfahan,
and the third phase was research and development at Natanz,"
Larijani said.
"This work has been completed. A cascade has been put into use,
and other cascades will be put into use," he added.
Iran says it only wants to enrich to make reactor fuel for power
plants, but the process can be extended to make weapons.
The IAEA is the agency investigating Iran's programme, and any
halt in relations with Iran would spell an end to international
inspections and monitoring of Iran's nuclear facilities.
After more than three years of investigations, the IAEA still
says it is not in a position to confirm the true nature of the
Islamic republic's nuclear programme.
On Monday, hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned that
Iran could quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if it
felt it was being denied access to nuclear technology.
In a related development China insisted Tuesday that the Iran
nuclear issue could still be resolved through negotiations as it
called on all sides to show flexibility in ending the escalating
stand-off.
"We believe, in the current stage, there is still room to
resolve this issue through negotiations," foreign ministry
spokesman Qin Gang told reporters at a regular briefing.
"We call on all parties to show flexibility and allow a proper
resolution of this issue through dialogue and negotiations. The
international community should not abandon its efforts for
peaceful negotiations. And all moves should be helpful to
achieving this objective."
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
27 Guardian Unlimited: N. Korea Won't Return to Six-Nation Talks
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 3:46 AM
AP Photo SEL807
By KWANG-TAE KIM
Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - South Korea failed to persuade the
North to return to stalled international disarmament talks, but
both sides agreed Monday to move ahead on an agreement for the
North to abandon its nuclear weapons programs.
During the Cabinet-level meetings that began Friday in
Pyongyang, Seoul had tried to coax the communist country back to
the six-nation talks on its nuclear program.
Those talks produced an agreement in September where the North
said it would give up its nuclear program in exchange for
security guarantees and aid.
In their two-way talks Monday, the Koreas agreed only to
``continue to make efforts for the denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula.''
The two Koreas also agreed to cooperate in taking practical
steps to guarantee peace and ease tension on the peninsula,
according to a joint statement issued at end of the four-day
talks. No details were given.
Both sides made similar statements at their last round of
inter-Korean talks in December. The forum is the highest-level
regular dialogue between the North and South, who remain
technically at war but have made strides toward reconciliation
since their leaders' first and only summit, held in 2000.
On Monday, South Korea also agreed to provide the North with
200,000 tons of fertilizer and said it would review giving
another 100,000 tons.
However, Seoul rejected the North's demand for 500,000 tons of
rice aid.
South Korea periodically sends rice and fertilizer to the North,
which has relied on foreign handouts to feed its 23 million
people since the 1990s.
This year the South has already shipped 150,000 tons of
fertilizer aid over the border. In 2005, it sent 350,000 tons of
fertilizer and 500,000 tons of rice.
The six-nation nuclear talks - which include China, Japan,
Russia, the United States and the two Koreas - have been
deadlocked since November over the North's refusal to attend,
due to its anger over U.S. financial restrictions imposed over
its alleged currency counterfeiting and other illicit financial
activity.
On Monday, North Korea renewed demands that the U.S. lift the
sanctions.
Washington says the sanctions are unrelated to the nuclear
talks, and will stay in place.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
28 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] Ex-leader's N.K. visit
It looks like former President Kim Dae-jung will revisit
Pyongyang in June, six years after his momentous summit with
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. Unification Minister Lee
Jong-seok said after a ministerial meeting in Pyongyang that the
North "agreed in principle" on the former president's travel
plans.
When "DJ" arrives in Pyongyang, the North Koreans will first see
the effect time has had on his health. DJ is visibly weaker
these days after suffering lung inflammation. Then they will
realize how slow the progress has been to realize the
commitments the two Koreas made in the Joint Declaration Kim
Dae-jung and Kim Jong-il signed on June 15.
Since early last year, DJ has expressed a desire to visit
Pyongyang again to give a boost to the improvement of
inter-Korean relations for which the summit in 2000 had provided
a turning point. With Kim Jong-il's verbal invitation through
then Unification Minister Chung Dong-young last June and
President Roh Moo-hyun's positive support, DJ scheduled his
Pyongyang trip for April but domestic politics stepped in. The
opposition Grand National Party raised objections over fears of
its possible impact on the forthcoming May 31 local elections
and Kim postponed his travel plans.
Critics now even point to the unification minister's "premature"
revelation of DJ's impending Pyongyang trip as again a part of a
political ploy to help the ruling party prior to the local
elections. It is just amazing that politicians so meticulously
calculate the effect of an event like the former president's
North Korea visit, which is politically neutral in our view.
On the other hand, a heavy burden is being placed on the
shoulders of DJ, namely to get Kim Jong-il's decision to reenter
the six-party negotiations on the North's nuclear problem, the
northern leader's promise to visit Seoul, and even an assurance
of the return of Korean War POWs and hundreds of abductees from
the South. Whatever DJ thinks he may be able to offer for the
advancement of inter-Korean relations, these requests and
expectations are making excessive demands on the 82-year-old
former president.
DJ cannot be a proxy of the incumbent president. If a
breakthrough is wanted in North-South relations, the
administration and political parties need to concentrate efforts
on realizing a summit between the incumbent leaders and forget
about any implications on domestic politics.
2006.04.26
*****************************************************************
29 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] Hollow agreements again
The familiar pattern of inter-Korean talks was repeated in
Pyongyang - a reception for the visiting delegation, a plenary
meeting the following morning and a sightseeing tour. That was
followed by a second plenary session to work out a joint
statement for the press. Thus the 18th ministerial meeting, the
highest channel of dialogue between North and South Korea,
produced an eight-point press release Monday. The document of
accord, however, contained little beyond "sharing awareness" on
matters of common concern.
The biggest concern for the South and other powers around the
peninsula is how soon the North will end its boycott of the
six-party talks on 0its nuclear ambitions. But the two Koreas
said they would, "continue their efforts to achieve the
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and cooperate
positively for an early implementation of the Sept. 19, 2005
Joint Statement"
In the Joint Statement issued in Beijing, North Korea pledged
to abandon its nuclear programs in exchange for economic aid and
security guarantees. But it has since insisted it would not do
anything until and unless the United States lifts its sanctions
against the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia which is accused of
laundering money for North Korea.
Now we wonder if Seoul's Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok and
the North's cabinet secretary Kwon Ho-ung had any serious
discussion on the nuclear issue. Their announcement emphasizing
a "peaceful solution of the nuclear problem consistent with the
common interest and security of the Korean nation" did not
convey any sense of urgency, or even conflicting views between
the two.
What drew some attention was the clause on resolving the problem
of people who have been missing since the Korean War and
afterwards. This, the Seoul delegation may assert, was the most
significant outcome of the 18th ministerial talks because it
means the North Koreans have finally accepted discussions about
the question of South Korean POWs in the North and abductions of
South Koreans in the post-war years.
No substantial result is expected because we know how Pyongyang
officials reacted when reporters covering an inter-Korean family
reunion at Mt. Geumgang last month mentioned "abductees" from
the South. They banned the reporting activities of the
"slanderous" journalists and forced their early departure. Seoul
believes there are at least 486 abductees and 542 Korean War
POWs being held, but Pyongyang has so far denied their existence.
If the inclusion of the "missing people" question in the latest
accord was an important advance in inter-Korean negotiations, it
could be Kim Jong-il's gift to the South for its generous
commitment of fertilizer aid this spring. And there was also
Seoul's offer to repatriate some 60 North Korean spies caught
and convicted in the South in exchange for the POWs and
abductees.
In all, we have just seen yet another round of unproductive
inter-Korean dialogue held in the northern capital. But it was
not totally useless. Looking back on past years, we can still
recognize advancement, represented by the growing volume of
inter-Korean trade and the expanding scope of private and
official-level exchanges. Hope and patience are two things that
are most required for our negotiators as well as the citizens
watching the frustrating developments in inter-Korean relations.
2006.04.26
*****************************************************************
30 Korea Times: Expectations Run High on DJ's NK Visit
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter
Hopes are running high in Seoul that former President Kim
Dae-jung's visit to North Korea will bring about a number of
significant developments for the stalled six-party talks on the
North's nuclear programs as well as inter-Korean affairs.
After returning from the inter-Korean Cabinet talks that ended
in Pyongyang Monday, Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok met the
former president over dinner Tuesday to explain the background
and discuss a possible agenda for Kim to carry to the North.
``We expect Kim's visit to North Korea will have positive
effects on South-North relations,'' Yang Chang-seok, the
ministry's spokesman said, adding ``The government will continue
to actively support his visit.''
Details of the schedule, scale and protocol of Kim's visit will
be discussed in working-level meetings expected to be held next
month between South and North Korean officials.
But one day after Minister Lee confirmed that Pyongyang accepted
Kim's plan to visit the North in June, political parties in the
South showed mixed reactions.
The largest opposition Grand National Party (GNP) was quick to
express concern on what it viewed as the highly political nature
of the visit.
``Former President Kim's visit to the North should be pursued
with transparency and quietness,'' Rep. Lee Kye-jin, spokesman
of the GNP, told a press briefing.
``The government should not try to take advantage of the visit
politically because Kim is a civilian, not a government official
in charge of state affairs.''
The conservative GNP was especially alert over the possibility
of the visit being used for the benefit of the governing Uri
Party ahead of the May 31 local elections and raised suspicions
over possible backroom deals.
``To date, North Korea has not responded to meeting proposals
without economic benefits,'' Rep. Lee Bang-ho, chief policymaker
of the GNP, said. ``From past experiences, we're concerned over
the possibility of backdoor negotiations for the visit.''
But other opposition parties as well as the governing Uri Party
welcomed the North's acceptance of Kim's visit, while
criticizing the GNP.
Spokespersons of minor opposition parties such as the
progressive Democratic Labor Party and the Democratic Party
expressed hopes that the former president's visit to the North
will contribute to upgrading inter-Korean relations and
providing momentum for the resumption of the six-party talks on
the North's nuclear issue.
It is wrong for the GNP to respond to Kim's visit to Pyongyang
in the context of domestic politics, they said.
``It just shows how narrow-minded a political faction the GNP is
when they find fault with the former president's going to North
Korea,'' Rep. Woo Sang-ho, spokesman of the governing party,
said.
The public would not accept the GNP criticizing the visit again
as Kim had already once delayed his proposed visit to Pyongyang
from April to June after conservatives expressed concerns that
it might be used to influence the results of the May 31 local
elections, he said.
Kim Dae-jung, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his
sunshine policy toward the North during his tenure, met with
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in 2000.
The two signed the June 15 Joint Statement at the summit, which
the North as well as the South values as a milestone in
developing inter-Korean relations. But Kim Jong-il's promise to
return the visit by coming to Seoul for the second round of the
inter-Korean summit has yet to be realized.
At the possible reunion of the two in June, Kim Dae-jung will
likely ask the North Korean leader about the prospects of
keeping his promise, while emphasizing the necessity of the
North's returning to the six-party talks.
saltwall@koreatimes.co.kr 04-25-2006 17:48
Former President Kim Dae-jung
*****************************************************************
31 Telegraph - Calcutta: US tries to clear N-deal cloud
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, April 24: Amid growing concerns about snags hitting
the Indo-US nuclear deal, Washington today clarified that it
recognises Delhi’s stand against joining the non-proliferation
treaty (NPT) and to maintain a strategic programme.
In a statement released by the US embassy in Delhi, Washington
said it believes India will maintain a strategic nuclear
programme but most of its future growth would be “on the
civilian side”.
Officials said the US reiterated its position to allay
apprehensions about the deal hitting a roadblock. The
clarification was prompted by reports about serious differences
between the two sides on the introduction of additional clauses
in the pact, including one that barred India from testing a
nuclear weapon. India has rejected the clause.
The statement said Washington does not recognise India as a
nuclear weapon state and does not seek to amend or renegotiate
the NPT. “We understand, however, that India will not join the
NPT as a non-nuclear weapon state.”
The US said it had sought an exemption for India from the
full-scope safeguards requirement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group
guidelines, and would amend its own law to allow Delhi access to
the international civil nuclear market.
“The separation of India’s nuclear programme, the declaration of
its civilian facilities, and the placement of those facilities
under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards will help
ensure that nuclear material, equipment and technologies
supplied by NSG members are exclusively applied to the civil
sector,” the statement said.
This assurance is in line with the obligations of the countries
that are party to the NPT, which includes all members of the
NSG.
The US said it was firm on the joint statements of July 18, 2005
and March 2, 2006, which recognised India’s strong record on
nuclear technology exports and its commitment to work within a
global non-proliferation regime to prevent the spread of nuclear
weapons.
It reiterated that it recognises India’s increasing energy needs
to sustain a growth rate of over 8 per cent that will be
fulfilled through nuclear power. However, such technologies
cannot be shared without India accepting the agreement, the
statement said.
Copyright © 2006 The Telegraph. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
32 AFP: US plays down India's refusal to reaffirm nuclear test commitment -
Tue Apr 25, 1:55 AM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - India's refusal to accept a provision barring
it from conducting atomic tests in a civilian nuclear agreement
with the United States is unlikely to scuttle the landmark deal,
a US official said.
"It shouldn't be an issue because the goalposts haven't been
moved. That is the reality," David Mulford, the US ambassador to
India, told a forum in Washington on Monday.
He said that a bilateral agreement detailing the deal clinched
on March 2 between US President George W. Bush" /> President
George W. Bushand Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was still
being worked out and that "there will have to be some sort of
wording arrangements which have not been agreed."
The United States had suggested a provision in the draft
bilateral agreement that nuclear cooperation would be
discontinued if New Delhi were to conduct a nuclear test.
But the Indian foreign ministry said last week that New Delhi
"has already conveyed to the United States that such a provision
has no place in the proposed bilateral agreement."
New Delhi has refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT) which bans nuclear explosions but has announced a
unilateral moratorium on atomic explosions after carrying out
such tests in 1998.
An outline of the bilateral nuclear deal was adopted by Singh
and Bush in July last year, in which the Indian prime minister
pledged to maintain India's moratorium on nuclear weapons
testing.
The deal would allow energy-starved India, which is not a
signatory of the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to gain
access to long-denied civilian nuclear technology in return for
placing a majority of its nuclear reactors under international
inspection.
For the deal to be workable, the US Congress has to amend the US
Atomic Energy Act, which currently prohibits nuclear sales to
countries that are not NPT signatories.
The bilateral agreement also has to go through Congress, which
is reportedly skeptical of the deal because New Delhi has
refused to sign the NPT and has developed nuclear weapons.
"India made its own unilateral declaration confirming its policy
there wasn't going to be any more testing," Mulford said Monday,
as he fielded questions on the deal at a forum organized by the
American Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based think tank.
"That was what was agreed. There is no change in the goalposts,
which unfortunately has somehow gotten into the media and become
an issue," Mulford said, apparently referring to a leak of the
draft agreement in New Delhi.
He said the bilateral agreement was "a matter to be discussed,"
adding that "it is question of time and dedicated effort by the
skilled people who are involved on both sides."
"As Congress comes to judge this situation, I think they will
see that this is not an issue," he said.
Several non-proliferation experts have criticized the deal with
non-NPT member India, saying it will make it harder to enforce a
tight set of rules against nuclear renegades Iran" /> Iranand
North Korea" /> North Korea.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
33 Las Vegas SUN: Editorial: 2005 energy bill is obsolete
Today: April 25, 2006 at 7:35:39 PDT
Oil profits are way up, largely because energy bill does nothing
to reduce consumption
A windfall profits tax on American oil companies is an answer to
the rising gasoline prices, says Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.,
chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also supports
measures to break up giant companies such as Exxon-Mobil and
Chevron, similar to federal action against Standard Oil Co. 95
years ago to create more competition in the market.
With gasoline prices in much of the country now soaring above $3
a gallon, those are proposals worth considering.
We, too, have a proposal. We believe the energy bill, passed by
Congress last year, is obsolete and should be superseded by a
new one that reflects reality.
The bill now in place was crafted by Vice President Dick Cheney.
It reflects his loyalty to oil and gas corporations that are
receiving generous federal subsidies while racking up staggering
profits.
A new energy bill should be passed that fully recognizes the
potential of alternative energy sources to replace oil-based
gasoline. President Bush is right in pushing hydrogen as a
long-term solution.
But help is needed immediately, and a bill reflecting greater
support for emerging hybrid, ethanol, biodiesel and other
alternative fuels is desperately needed.
We support an energy bill that would reduce subsidies to oil
companies and put the savings toward a new subsidy, one that
would reward people for giving up their gas-guzzling SUVs and
pickups in exchange for vehicles that get better mileage or use
alternative fuels.
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
34 [NukeNet] Former Environmental Ministers Call on UN to Reform
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:04:01 -0700
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
>Coincidentally, Greenpeace released a report
on Monday about 200 failures at American nuclear
>power plants, which it described as "near
misses," since 1986. http://www.greenpeace.org
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/former-environmental-ministers
Former Environmental Ministers call on UN to
reform IAEA mandate and End the Nuclear Age
11 April 2006
a.. Print
b.. Send
Construction of the sarcophagus (cover) over the
destroyed Chernobyl reactor.
Enlarge Image
Vienna, Austria - In the run up to the 20th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, former
European Environmental Ministers (1) and
Greenpeace are calling on Secretary-General Kofi
Annan and International Atomic Energy Agency
Director Mohamed ElBaradei to reform the Agency's
mandate and withdraw its promotion of nuclear
technology, thereby eliminating the risk of
another nuclear disaster of Chernobyl's magnitude.
This demand highlights the contradictory roles the
IAEA plays in the international arena. On one
hand, the IAEA is tasked with stopping the spread
of nuclear weapons and providing technical
assistance to support the nuclear disarmament
process. On the other, the IAEA's mandate promotes
the dangerous myth of peaceful nuclear power. The
former environmental ministers call on the UN to
propose amendments to the IAEA statute at the
forthcoming IAEA Board of Governors and General
Conference in mid September.
"The risk of nuclear arms proliferation seems to
be growing rapidly. To be able to function
effectively, the IAEA should end its schizophrenic
role. It cannot effectively prevent nuclear arms
proliferation when it, at the same time, promotes
nuclear energy technology, which produces material
for bombs. Therefore the time has come to make end
of this double role of IAEA," said Mrs. Satu
Hassi, Member of European Parliament and former
Finish Environmental Minister.
"The United Nations should dedicate this reform to
the thousands of people in Russia, Ukraine and
Belarus whose lives were scarred forever on the
morning of the 26th of April 1986. The 20th
anniversary of the biggest nuclear disaster in
history is an opportunity to remove the threat of
nuclear disasters from the planet, starting with
reforming the IAEA, said Felicity Hill, Nuclear
Political Advisor for Greenpeace. "Atoms for
Peace sounds like a nice ideal, but we all know
that the reality of atomic energy is anything but
peaceful."
"The IAEA acts as a true promoter for the nuclear
industry worldwide. By deliberately ignoring the
interlink between civil and military nukes, it
contributes to the proliferation of fissile
materials. Nations are also responsible in this
dangerous interaction. France particularly, must
end its sales policy of nuclear materials and
technologies to whomever is willing to pay. This
trade jeopardizes world peace." concluded Mrs.
Dominique Voynet, Senator and former French
Minister for the Environment.
Notes to Editor
(1) Signatories of the Ministers' letter are the
following former Environmental Ministers:
1. Former Ukrainian Minister of Environment and
Natural Resources, Mr. Sergiy Kurykin
2. Former Russian Minister of Environment, Mr.
Victor Danilov-Danilian
3. Former Belarusian Minister of Environment, Mr.
Anatolii Dorofeev
4. Former Italian Minister of Environment, Mr. Edo
Ronchi
5. Former Danish Environment and Energy Minister,
Mr. Svend Auken
6. Former Belgian Minister of Environment, Ms.
Magda Alvoet
7. Former Czech Minister of Environment, Mr. Ivan
Dejmal
8. Former Finish Minister of Environment and
Development Cooperation, Ms. Satu Hassi
9. Former French Minister of Environment and
Regional Planning, Ms. Dominique Voynet
10. Former British Minister of Environment, Mr.
Michael Meacher MP
(2) A copy of the letter from the Ministers can be
found at
http://www.greenpeace.org/ministersletter
(3) A copy of the letter from Greenpeace can be
found at
http://www.greenpeace.org/reformletter
Further contact information for reporters to get
video, photos or report details
Satu Hassi, MED and former Minister for
Environment of Finland, + 32 2 284 54 37 Dominique
Voynet, Senator and former Minister for
Environment of France, +33 622 86 72 61 Felicity
Hill, Greenpeace International Nuclear Political
Advisor, + 31 6 4616 2018 Omer Elnaiem, Greenpeace
International Communications + 31 6 4616 2020
Contact information
a.. Omer Elnaiem
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*****************************************************************
35 AFP: Pakistan, India to hold nuclear talks
Tue Apr 25, 1:51 AM ET
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan and India are due to hold talks on
nuclear and conventional confidence building measures this week
in Islamabad as part of an ongoing peace process between the
South Asian rivals, the foreign ministry said.
Talks between the foreign ministry officials of India and
Pakistan on nuclear CBMs would be held on April 25-26 and on
conventional CBMs on April 27, ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam
told a weekly briefing on Monday.
"We approach these talks in a very constructive manner, with a
positive frame of mind," Aslam said.
"We have put a number of proposals on the table and we intend to
give some more proposals and have good discussions."
The Pakistan side at these talks would hand over the draft
agreement on prevention of incidents at sea in order to ensure
safety of navigation by naval vessels, she said.
Pakistan would also elaborate on proposals to reduce threats on
the line of control, the de facto border in Kashmir" /> Kashmir,
divided between Pakistan and India and claimed in full by both.
The simmering dispute over Kashmir has led to two of the three
wars between Pakistan and India and both countries returned from
the verge of a nuclear war in 2002.
Aslam said that avoidance of accidental use of nuclear weapons
was also being discussed with India.
"We feel that it is in the interest of both countries that we do
not have a situation where there is any possibility of such an
accident. We already have a number of CBMs in place and
discussions are continuing."
India and Pakistan, who carried out tit-for-tat nuclear weapons
tests in May 1998, exchange lists of their nuclear installations
every year on January 1.
Pakistan and India have been engaged in a slow-moving peace
process since January 2004. Although contacts between
politicians, people and traders have picked up, the Kashmir
dispute has yet to be addressed.
A bus service connecting the two regions of scenic Kashmir was
the first major fruit of the peace process between the two
nations.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
36 IRNA: IAEA, ElBaradei should be accountable to history: Rafsanjani -
Tehran, April 25, IRNA
Iran-Rafsanjani-Nuclear
The UN nuclear watchdog and its chief Mohamed ElBaradei should
be accountable to history in the future for their approach
towards Iran's nuclear case, the Expediency Council Chairman
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here Tuesday.
Rafsanjani's remark came in an international conference dubbed
'Iran' Nuclear Energy Program: Policies and Prospects' which
kicked off here Tuesday.
In a clear reference to the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) chief, Rafsanjani said that he should not conceal the
truth about Iran's nuclear program.
ElBaradei is to provide a report on Friday on whether Iran has
complied with the United Nations Security Council's demand to
halt uranium enrichment.
"US feels concerned as it fears Iran has become a model for
other countries. They want to eliminate this model," Rafsanjani
said.
He noted that any possible negative moves against Iran (by US)
in the future would be more harmful to themselves
(Americans) and "they will be the real loser."
The history of Iran's defensive acts proved that "Tehran is not
seeking to use weapons of mass destruction," said the EC
chairman adding "If that was the case, we would announce it
clearly and would accept its consequences.
"Why do you compel countries to go towards concealing their
activities," Rafsanjani said.
He stressed that Iran would not accept bullying of the big
powers and that they should change their language and try to
pave the way for negotiation.
"Instead of using threats and intimidation, they should create
a proper atmosphere for talks," Rafsanjani stated.
*****************************************************************
37 UPI: India, Pakistan talk nuclear safety, war
United Press International - Intl. Intelligence -
4/25/2006 6:04:00 AM -0400
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 25 (UPI) -- Pakistan has said it will
propose a draft pact on the prevention of incidents at sea
during three-day talks with India.
The Hindu newspaper said Tuesday India and Pakistan have begun
talks on nuclear and conventional confidence-building measures,
including safe navigation.
The first two days of talks, held under the ongoing composite
dialogue process between the two countries, will focus on
nuclear confidence-building measures. These will then be
followed by a day of talks on conventional confidence-building
measures, to be held Thursday.
"Pakistan has already tabled several proposals and intends to
have more proposals during the discussion," said Tasneem Aslam,
Pakistani foreign office spokeswoman. "We will approach the
talks in a very constructive manner and a positive frame of
mind."
The two South Asian neighbors signed an agreement for the
pre-notification of flight-testing of ballistic missiles and
implemented the nuclear-related emergency contact hotline
between the countries' foreign secretaries following the third
round of talks in August last year.
In August, India gave to Pakistan a draft agreement covering
measures designed to reduce the risk of the accidental or
unauthorized use of nuclear weapons under each country's
respective control.
Aslam said that there had been discussions on the avoidance of
accidental nuclear war in August, and that the topic would
reemerge in the current round of talks.
© Copyright 2006 United Press
International, Inc. All Rights Reserved
*****************************************************************
38 [NYTr] Vigils mark 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:37:41 -0500 (CDT)
Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit
AFP via yahoo - Apr 25, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060425/ts_afp/chernobylanniversary_060425204543
Vigils mark 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AFP) - Haunting vigils marked the 20th anniversary
of the Chernobyl disaster, the world's worst nuclear accident that
sent shockwaves around the globe, ravaged this corner of eastern
Europe and continues to affect millions of people to this day.
In an eerie performance in the shadow of the defunct power plant in
northern Ukraine, a French theater troupe recounted stories of a
handful of ordinary people who found their lives torn apart by the
disaster.
"I see him in every corner," one actress said, playing a young woman
who lost her husband within weeks of the disaster, as well as her
six-month-old unborn child.
The melancholy ceremony was the first event to mark the moment when at
1:23 am on April 26, 1986 (2223 GMT the previous day), two explosions
ripped through one of the reactors at the Soviet Union's Chernobyl
nuclear power plant, releasing a huge radioactive cloud into the air.
"We are playing for the dead," Bruno Boussagol, the producer and
artistic director of the Brut de Beton troupe, told AFP.
The cloud released by the Chernobyl explosion settled mostly in
Ukraine and neighboring Belarus to the north, but parts of it drifted
across Russia and a large swathe of Europe, and its effects were felt
from Scandinavia to Greece.
"The explosion affected half of the planet, but Belarus and Ukraine
suffered worst of all," Terry Davis, secretary general of the Council
of Europe, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"For these countries, Chernobyl is not an historic event, it is a
problem of today and of tomorrow," Davis said.
Candlelight vigils were to take place early Wednesday in the town of
Slavutich, home to most of the 3,700 workers who still service the
plant, and in Kiev, where many of the "liquidators," as the clean-up
workers became known, live today.
In Belarus, where much of the radioactive cloud settled after the
accident, contaminating a quarter of its land, opposition groups were
expected to hold Wednesday what has become a traditional protest
against government efforts to repopulate the affected areas of the
country.
Critics say that Belarus's authoritarian leadership is ignoring
serious health risks in trying to return the contaminated land back to
general use.
Some five million people are believed to have been affected by the
disaster in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, all of which still have
regions where the levels of dangerous cesium-137 and strontium-90
radioisotopes are much higher than accepted norms.
Nearly 800,000 hectares (nearly two million acres) of prime
agricultural land and 700,000 hectares (1.7 million acres) of forest
remain derelict in the three countries.
Two decades on, the death toll from the tragedy is hotly debated.
Agencies of the United Nations, backed by the governments of Belarus, Russia
and Ukraine, estimate that between 4,000 and 9,000 people could be expected
to die overall as a direct consequence of the accident.
Environmental groups put the figure at 100,000 and higher.
Estimates on the eventual cost of the disaster vary as well.
Ukraine expects to spend up to 170 billion dollars (137 billion euros)
by 2015; Belarus counts its losses over the past two decades at 235
billion dollars; the United Nations says the accident will end up
costing hundreds of billions of dollars overall.
The Chernobyl plant was eventually closed for good in December 2000
but will continue to be a concern for years to come.
The concrete sarcophagus that was hastily constructed over its
destroyed reactor immediately following the accident is showing signs
of wear and more than 20 countries have chipped in nearly a billion
dollars for the construction of a 20,000-ton steel case to take its
place.
Construction of the new containment unit is expected to begin later
this year and Ukraine hopes to complete it by 2010.
***
Reuters via Yahoo - Apr 25, 2006
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060425/wl_nm/chernobyl_director_dc_1
Chernobyl boss: "True cause of disaster was hidden"
By Christian Lowe
KIEV (Reuters) - The world has failed to learn the lessons of the
Chernobyl nuclear disaster, according to the man who was in charge of
the reactor that blew up 20 years ago this week.
Former Chernobyl director Viktor Bryukhanov told Russia's Profil
magazine in a rare interview that scientists had covered up the full
truth about the design faults that helped cause the world's worst
nuclear accident.
Bryukhanov, who was jailed for negligence over the accident, was
speaking at a time when nuclear power is returning to favor in
countries like China and the United States as a way of producing
electricity with no carbon emissions, unlike fossil fuels.
"You need to understand the real causes of the disaster in order to
know in what direction you should develop alternative sources of
energy," Profil quoted Bryukhanov as saying in its latest issue,
published on Monday. "In this sense, Chernobyl has not taught anything
to anyone."
The Chernobyl plant's No. 4 reactor blew up as staff were running a
test early on April 26, 1986. The reactor, in what was then the Soviet
republic of Ukraine, spewed a huge cloud of radioactive dust over much
of Europe.
Most scientists now agree the accident was caused by a fatal
combination of flaws in the reactor's design and a failure by the
staff on duty to follow safety procedures.
Bryukhanov acknowledged his staff had made mistakes. But he said
official investigations into the cause of the disaster had been a
whitewash designed to exonerate the nuclear industry.
"The scientists, the construction engineers, the prosecution experts,
they all defended their professional interests and that was all. It
was a tissue of lies that distracted us from the search for the real
causes of the accident," he said.
Reactors of the same design as the one at Chernobyl are still in
operation in eastern Europe, though they were modified after the
accident to eliminate the safety flaws uncovered by the Chernobyl
investigation.
The official probe into the accident was part of a broader,
international cover-up about the risks of nuclear power, Bryukhanov
said, though he offered no evidence to back this up.
"(It's) not just us: the Americans, the French, the English, the
Japanese, are all hiding the real causes of accidents at their own
nuclear power stations," he said.
Bryukhanov was at his home near the plant when the reactor blew up. He
served half his 10-year jail sentence and now lives in the Ukrainian
capital, Kiev, the magazine said.
*
================================================================
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. Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us .
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39 NRC can't investigate day-care concerns
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:05:02 -0700
This story is now online at:
http://www.pennlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/114588481928210.xml?pennnews&coll=1
NRC says it canąt investigate day-care
concernsť
BY GARRY LENTONť
Of The Patriot-Newsť
The federal agency that licenses commercial
nuclear reactors canąt say for sure if preschool
children in day-care centers and nursery schools
will be evacuated if another nuclear emergency
occurs in Pennsylvania. ¶
And though questions have been raised about
potential weaknesses in the stateąs emergency
planning, a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
official said the agency canąt investigate the
claims because its authority does not extend be
yond the borders of the plants. ¶
The Department of Home
land Security and the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency determine if local
emergency plans around nu
clear plants comply with NRC
licensing regulations, said
Gregory C. Cwalina, an NRC
senior allegation coordinator.
He made the statement in an
April 3 letter to Larry Chris
tian and Eric Epstein, chair
man of the watchdog group
Three Mile Island Alert. ¶
Christian and Epstein main
tain the plans fail to protect
preschool children in private
day-care centers and nursery
schools. In an allegation filed
with the agency this year, the
two claim that NRC licensing
requirements are not being
enforced. ¶
łWe are unable to substan
tiate your concern that nucle
ar power reactor licensees op
erating in ... Pennsylvania are
in violation of federal regula
tions,˛ Cwalina wrote. ¶
Before the federal govern
ment grants a license for a nu
clear plant, state and local of
ficials have to develop
evacuation plans for people
within 10 miles of a plant, in
cluding those in hospitals,
nursing homes and schools. ¶
If the allegations of Chris
tian and Epstein are correct,
the NRC could order the
stateąs five nuclear plants to
shut down until the evacua
tion plans are revised. ¶
FEMA and the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management
Agency, two agencies that re
view emergency planning, say
the plan meets NRC require
ments. ¶
FEMA tested the TMI
emergency plan last May and
found no problems. No day-
care centers or nursery
schools were contacted in the
drill, however. Instead, FEMA
verified that municipal offi
cials had names and telephone
numbers for day-care centers. ¶
łAll they did was look at
what they had on paper and
say itąs adequate,˛ Epstein
said. łInk on paper doesnąt
evacuate children.˛ ¶
A survey of day-care center
operators conducted last year
by Epsteinąs EFMR Monitor
ing Group, found that 87 per
cent did not know how they
would move their children to
safety if an evacuation was
declared. More than half did
not know where they would
take their children. EFMR is a
nonprofit group established
by Epstein to measure radia
tion around TMI. The survey
represented nearly 40 day-
care centers. ¶
Christian, a father of two,
raised the issue with the NRC
three years ago. He called the
agencyąs refusal to act on the
allegation łcompletely ab
surd.˛ ¶
Epstein accused the agency
of criminal negligence and
said TMI Alert planned to
pursue the issue in court. ¶
łAt some point, somebody
has to produce evidence that
special needs populations can
be evacuated,˛ he said. ¶
NRC spokeswoman Diane
Screnci said the letter was a
response to a specific allega
tion and did not mean the
agency was finished examin
ing the issue. She said the
NRC is working with FEMA
to ensure emergency planning
meets the requirements. ¶
When asked if the NRC had
the authority to second-guess
FEMAąs evaluations, Screnci
said, łwe rely on FEMA to
give us an evaluation.˛ ¶
The assertion that the NRC
canąt tell FEMA to correct a
problem seems to contradict
statements made last month
by NRC Commissioner Gre
gory B. Jaczko. ¶
In a speech at the National
Radiological Emergency Pre
paredness Conference, Jaczko
said, łthe NRC has the ulti
mate authority and responsi
bility˛ to ensure public health
and safety around nuclear
power plants. ¶
The co-author of the licens
ing requirements also ques
tioned the letterąs interpreta
tion of NRC policy. Licensing
decisions are based on the
NRCąs review of FEMA find
ings, said Michael Jamgochi
an, a senior NRC engineer. ¶
Harrisburg Mayor Stephen
R. Reed described the NRC
position as łcurious and con
flicting.˛ ¶
łThe public safety is a ma
jor component of licensing,˛
he said. łSo itąs a little disin
genuous to say that [NRC]
have no off-site jurisdiction
when indeed they do.˛ ¶
David Lochbaum, a nuclear
safety expert with the Union
of Concerned Scientists, said
NRCąs decision to hand all au
thority over off-site emergen
cy planning to FEMA raised
questions about the agencyąs
ability to evaluate public safe
ty at all nuclear plants. ¶
łThe only difference be
tween New Orleans and the
communities around Three
Mile Island is that FEMAąs
bluff hasnąt been called,˛ he
said, referring to FEMAąs
much-criticized response to
Hurricane Katrina last fall.
GARRY LENTON: 255-8264
or glenton@patriot-news.com
*****************************************************************
40 [NukeNet] CNIC Chernobyl 20th Anniversary Appeal
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:06:23 -0700
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
Building a 21st Century which is not dependent on nuclear energy
(Embargoed until 26 April 2006)
Appeal
On the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, we remember the
tragedy of this, the worst industrial accident in human history. We
recognize the dangers of using nuclear energy. We also recognize that
using nuclear energy encourages nuclear proliferation. We therefore
make the following appeal:
1. that nuclear energy be phased out as soon as possible;
2. that governments industry and the general public work together to
dramatically reduce total energy consumption in the 21st Century; and
3. that the use of renewable forms of energy be expanded as rapidly as
possible.
Overall Assessment
On the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, we call to
mind once again the dangers of nuclear energy. Twenty years ago today,
in what is now Ukraine, a run-away nuclear reaction caused an explosion
and fire at the Chernobyl number 4 reactor. With this accident, the
true nature of nuclear energy was revealed.
As a result of the accident, it is estimated that about 400 million
Curies of radioactivity were released into the environment. The land
within a 30-kilometer radius of the accident was declared permanently
out-of-bounds for human habitation. The inhabitants abandoned the
highly contaminated areas and 500 villages disappeared off the face of
the map.
It is well known that the death rate from cancer and other diseases
increased amongst the liquidators and those living in the most
contaminated areas. It is also predicted that many people in less
contaminated areas will die as a result of radiation-induced diseases.
However, the effects of the disaster go beyond simple body counts. The
general health of a much larger number of people has been adversely
affected and the social disruption has been enormous. Those who left
the highly contaminated areas have had great difficulty adapting and
have faced discrimination in their new surroundings. The 600,000
liquidators, feted as heroes at the time, feel that they have been
abandoned. It is said that a mere 10 percent of these people are in
good health.
Due to the delayed onset of many radiation-induced diseases, the cloud
of Chernobyl will hang over the Chernobyl generation, as the mushroom
cloud has hung over the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for the
duration of their lives. And while shorter-lived radioactive isotopes
will eventually decay, others will remain in the environment
effectively forever.
Effect on Japan
Radioactivity from the accident spread over the whole Northern
Hemisphere. Elevated levels of radioactivity were also recorded in
Japan. The food on our tables was contaminated. Even now, twenty years
after the accident, there is still imported food reaching Japan which
exceeds the regulatory limits for radioactivity.
Safety Myth Exploded
Nuclear fission was discovered during the 20th Century and used to
develop nuclear weapons during World War 2. The atomic bombs which
exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed a couple of hundred
thousand people in an instant. The enormous nuclear energy demonstrated
by these bombs was used to produce electrical power, but the difficulty
of controlling this energy was proved by the Chernobyl accident. The
myth that catastrophic accidents could not occur at nuclear reactors
was exploded at Chernobyl.
Phase Out Nuclear Energy in Asia Too
Moves for a nuclear phase-out in European countries were boosted by the
Chernobyl disaster. Germany passed a nuclear phase-out law. In Asia
too, Taiwan is aiming to make its number 4 nuclear power plant, which
is now under construction, its last plant and to phase out nuclear
energy in the future.
It appeared that nuclear energy would die out with the ending of the
20th Century, but now there are signs that it is being resurrected
under the guise of a solution to global warming. Programs to build
nuclear reactors are particularly vigorous in Asia. There are plans for
an extensive program of nuclear construction in China, plans have been
announced to build more than 10 new reactors in South Korea, and Japan
plans to build 13 new reactors. In Japan, there is also a program to
use large quantities of plutonium. The Rokkasho reprocessing plant will
separate plutonium for this program. The plant is causing concerns
because of the potential for the plutonium to be diverted to military
use. This is one factor contributing to tensions in north-east Asia.
Despite the claims made by its proponents, nuclear energy is not a
solution to global warming. Rather, it perpetuates the trend to ever
higher consumption of energy. The result is a net increase in CO2
emissions. This point is well illustrated by the fact that although two
new reactors commenced operations in Japan in 2005, CO2 emissions set a
new record.
The Chernobyl disaster clearly demonstrated the dangers of nuclear
energy and, as long as nuclear energy is used, the problems of nuclear
proliferation and global warming will not be solved. The only solution
is to phase out nuclear energy. This applies to Asia as much as to any
other region. It is perfectly possible. The only thing that is now
needed is the will.
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
Contacts:
Hideyuki Ban (Co-Director)
Philip White (International Liaison Officer)
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bdg, 1-58-15, Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003
Phone: 81-3-5330-9520
Fax: 81-3-5330-9530
http://cnic.jp/english/
cnic@nifty.com
_______________________________________________________________________
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/
Change your settings or access the archives at:
http://energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net
*****************************************************************
41 Cooling solution? Nuclear power industry sells itself. Critics
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:06:32 -0700
****************************************************
Cooling solution?
With memories of TMI and Chernobyl fading, nuclear power industry sells
itself as a clean fuel in a greenhouse gas world. Critics tell another story.
Jon Rutter
Shining pennants of steam fly from the Unit 1 cooling towers at Three Mile
Island.
Water vapor.
Pretty as a cumulous cloud, it symbolizes one of nuclear power's strongest
selling points.
Reactors churn out substantial amounts of electricity but virtually no
greenhouse gas emissions.
It's a pristine image the industry is fond of promoting, especially in a
warming world pressed to phase out fossil fuels.
But some scientists say the picture is not crystal clear.
While the plants themselves do not belch smoke and soot, nuclear critics
argue, the process of digging up uranium and turning it into fuel produces
vast quantities of greenhouse gas.
Still more polluting energy will be needed one day to decommission the
nation's 64 nuclear power plants and cart radioactive waste to a central
disposal facility.
Two nuclear scientists from the Netherlands, Jan Willem Storm van Leeuwen
and Philip Smith, have stirred the pot in recent years by asserting that,
overall, nuclear generation produces a third as much carbon dioxide as
conventional, mid-size gas-fired electricity generation.
The Nuclear Energy Institute disputes their calculations.
"Not true," says Melanie W. Lyons, a spokeswoman for the trade group in
Washington, D.C. "They'll come up with anything" to discredit the industry,
which she says provides 70 percent of the nonpolluting energy in the United
States.
Nuclear proponents note that the conversion of Soviet warheads to civilian
reactor fuel now provides the United States with half of its uranium; the
trend, presumably, will save on mining and cut the industry's carbon output.
But Smith and van Leeuwen have predicted just the opposite.
As the world exhausts supplies of high-quality ore, they contend, continued
reliance on nuclear reactors to generate electricity will release more CO2
than burning fossil fuels directly.
The nuclear fuel cycle is "a huge issue that has just gone unreported,"
says Eric Epstein, long-time TMI watchdog in Middletown.
"From the moment uranium is extracted from the earth, mined, milled,
fabricated and transported, it emits damaging greenhouse gases."
Shedding carbon
The issue, which includes a debate over whether nuclear power is
economically viable without large government subsidies, is not new.
In 1998, the Council of Better Business Bureaus in New York blasted the
American nuclear industry for making "problematic" claims that it could
produce energy "without polluting the air and water."
Nuclear reactors generate 20 percent of the nation's electricity, according
to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Now, though, spurred by government financial incentives and the promise of
a streamlined approval process, the industry is verging on a wave of new
plant construction in the Southeast.
Memories of decades-old accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island have
faded.
Fuel cycle questions have garnered considerably less attention in this
country than in Europe, where the work of van Leeuwen and Smith at the
University of Groningen was bolstered by a 1998 Oko Institute study.
The Oko Institute is a research group that advises the German environmental
ministry.
Meanwhile, concern about global climate change has intensified the quest
for clean energy and even made nuclear power converts out of some
environmentalists, such as Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, and
Stewart Brand, the former editor of the Whole Earth Catalog.
The nuclear fuel cycle is environmentally benign compared to fossil fuel
sources, contends April Schilpp, Exelon Nuclear spokeswoman at Peach Bottom.
"I think the effects of coal burning are more severe because you need way
more of it."
According to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2000, coal-fired
plants produced 51 percent of the country's electricity and nearly 80
percent of the CO2 emitted by U.S. electric utilities.
Carbon dioxide is considered the primary climate-change culprit.
The Bush administration aims to increase both coal and nuclear power
generating capacity.
In 2003, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted Peach Bottom
Atomic Power Station a 20-year license extension.
AmerGen Energy is expected to ask the commission to renew TMI's license,
which runs out in 2014, for 20 more years.
The two plants together consume about 47 tons of uranium fuel a year,
Schilpp says.
Because of design differences, she explains, the plants receive their fuel
from different manufacturers.
Schilpp says Peach Bottom, with two boiling water reactors that generate
about 1,175 megawatts of electricity per year, gets its fuel through
General Electric.
A public relations representative for GE, Tom Murnane, says that company's
affiliate, Global Nuclear Fuel, fabricates fuel assemblies for Peach Bottom
in Wilmington, N.C.
TMI operates a single pressurized water reactor that annually produces 900
megawatts of electricity. It obtains fuel through AREVA Inc., a
multinational nuclear vendor headed by Spencer Abraham, former U.S. energy
secretary.
Clean start?
The nuclear fuel cycle spans the globe, encompassing everything from
uranium mines in Canada and Kazakhstan to enrichment facilities in Kentucky
and Ohio.
According to Nuclear Energy Institute, U.S. plants annually consume about
53 million pounds of uranium oxide, a product created by milling raw
uranium ore.
Uranium oxide is converted to hexafluoride gas at the ConverDyn Inc. plant
in Metropolis, Ill., the only facility of its kind in the United States,
according to the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Enrichment, the next step, increases the fissionable U-235 isotope of the
fuel, which is converted into uranium dioxide powder and pressed into small
pellets.
Finally, the pellets are loaded into thin, alloy tubes, or rods, that are
assembled in clusters for use in reactor cores.
Most, if not all, of the ore used in U.S. nuclear plants is imported. But
the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, a watchdog group in Maryland,
says a burgeoning uranium boom promises to reactivate mines in Wyoming,
Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
About half of uranium enrichment operations and 40 percent of fuel
conversion take place domestically.
Other conversion and enrichment facilities are in France, Germany, Great
Britain, Russia, Canada and the Netherlands.
Environmentalists say the cycle impacts the environment, and society, in
various ways.
Uranium groundwater contamination in Namibia and bird kills from
copper/uranium mining in Australia are among the ongoing problems the
Nuclear Information and Resource Service cites.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal and other sources, leakage of
ozone-eating Freon from the United States Enrichment Corp. plant in
Kentucky exceeded 800,000 pounds and accounted for the bulk of such
domestic emissions in 1999, the most recent year records were available.
TMI Alert's Epstein says transporting radioactive material that could
possibly be used to make dirty bombs "raises the issue of fuel security."
The scope of concern has expanded to U.S. ports, he adds, referring to the
20-year "Megatons to Megawatts" program to turn Russian weapons into
commercial reactor fuel.
Nuclear opponents concede that conventional energy is needed even to
produce a solar panel or erect a wind turbine.
Still, they charge, mining and milling uranium is a particularly
inefficient way to produce fuel. Overall, according to Oko Institute
findings, the nuclear fuel cycle emits up to four or five as much CO2 as
renewables, such as wind or solar.
Ultimately, says Paul Gunter of the Nuclear Information and Resource
Service, the environmental cost of nuclear power will be determined by how
long high-quality ore reserves last.
"It depends upon the grade of fuel. That's the unknown," Gunter says.
Studies by the nuclear industry suggest that there are no significant
differences in emissions among nuclear and renewable sources.
"You've got to compare apples to apples," cautions Ralph DeSantis, the
spokesman for Three Mile Island.
"There's no question that the actual operation of a nuclear power plant is
much cleaner than the operation of a fossil fuel plant, much better for the
environment."
20 YEARS AGO: THE NUCLEAR ACCIDENT AT CHERNOBYL. A8
-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Epstein [mailto:ericepstein@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 8:53 AM
To: Rutter, Jon
Subject: Web copy?
Jon:
O could not find a copy of your article on the web. Can you send me a
copy?
Shalom,
Eric
*****************************************************************
42 ITAR-TASS: CIS to exert every effort to minimise Chernobyl disaster effects
25.04.2006, 15.06
MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) - The Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) confirms “the resolve to exert every effort with a
view to minimising the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear plant
disaster,” it is said in an appeal of the CIS heads of state on
the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster
that is marked on April 26. The situation requires “new
approaches, scientifically substantiated decisions, considerable
spending and as a result the financial, technical and scientific
assistance on the part of the international community,” it is
said in the appeal.
“It is the worst technogenic radiation catastrophe of the 20th
century in scale and consequences,” it is stressed in the
document. “In connection with the tragic date the CIS heads of
state appeal to the peoples of the Commonwealth countries, to
the United Nations member states, to the whole international
community with a reminder of the aftermath of the disaster.” As
a result of this emergency “millions of people were shocked by
the adversity that they could hardly apprehend and could not
protect themselves from.” “Many families lost their homes and
source of subsistence, they had to change their habitual
environment and way of life,” it is said in the appeal.
“The catastrophe could have been immeasurably larger in scale if
it were not for the courage and self sacrifice of hundreds of
thousands of participants in the efforts to liquidate the
Chernobyl disaster aftermath – our compatriots,” the CIS leaders
point out in their message. “Risking their health, lives, they
fulfilled their duty and protected the people from hazardous
effects and further spread of radiation.”
Despite the extremely costly measures taken in the wake of the
catastrophe and in following years the Chernobyl NPP “is
remaining a potential source of danger in the centre of Europe.”
“Minimisation of this threat in the short run and on the basis
of advanced technologies meets common interests,” it is
indicated in the document. “In this connection a centralised
attraction of the scientific-research and financial potential of
the whole international community to the solution of the problem
of increasing safety of the object Ukrytiye (Shelter).”
“A complex radiation and socio-economic rehabilitation of the
affected territories” remains a major problem of the catastrophe
consequences overcoming. At present these regions “are in
specially difficult conditions caused by the destruction of the
ecological infrastructure, outflow of labour force, demographic
problems,” it is said in the document. “The state of the
environment after the NPP disaster limits the conditions of the
population’s life activity,” the CIS heads of state note. “The
state of health of the people living in the affected territories
and liquidators of the disaster is causing particular concern.”
“The attainment of the main goal of rehabilitation – sustained
development of the affected regions and their real economic
revival – requires new approaches, scientifically substantiated
decisions, considerable expenditures and, as a result,
financial, technical and scientific assistance of the
international community,” it is stated in the appeal.
“Understanding the unequalled consequences of the Chernobyl NPP
disaster, its effects on many generations, paying tribute to the
memory of the people who lost their lives and health as a result
of the catastrophe we state our determination to exert every
effort in order to minimise its aftermath,” the CIS heads of
state emphasised in their appeal.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
43 ITAR-TASS: Russia part in Chernobyl efforts to continue
25.04.2006, 12.26
MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) - Russia is ready to continue its
active participation in international cooperation, including
with Ukraine, aimed at liquidating the consequences of the
Chernobyl nuclear accident.
April 26 is the 20th anniversary of the explosion at Ukraine’s
Chernobyl nuclear power plant that was the greatest nuclear
disaster in the 21st century.
Moscow’s Kurchatov nuclear research centre has developed at the
request of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences a plan of measures
that are to convert the Chernobyl facilities into an
ecologically safe condition.
Even though a tender for the construction of a new safe
sarcophagus, or shelter, over the destroyed reactor of the
Chernobyl plant remained an unsolved matter, Russia’s company
Atomstroieksport takes part in work to stabilise the shelter and
improve its nuclear safety.
In May 2005, the Russian government made the decisions on the
participation of the Rosatom agency in the activity of the
Chernobyl fund Shelter and bankrolling 10 million dollars to it.
Another decision was to form a Russian-Ukrainian working group
for arranging the long-term dry storage of non-hermetic and
damaged spent nuclear fuel.
Russia is ready to take part in the modernisation of the storage
facility that was built in 1986 for fuel unloaded from reactor
no.3, in the search for a technology of handling non-hermetic
and damaged nuclear fuel, the development of an alternative
variant of storing spent fuel from the Chernobyl plant, and
manufacture and use of TUK-85 containers for “dry” storage of
spent fuel.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
44 ITAR-TASS: Relatives allowed to visit Chernobyl self-settlers
25.04.2006, 14.13
KIEV, April 25 (Itar-Tass) -- Relatives of the so-called
Chernobyl self- settlers, who live in the Chernobyl exclusion
zone, have been allowed to visit the self-settlers for the first
time over the past twenty years.
Official statistics put the number of the self-settlers at 350,
but unofficially, 1,000 people actually live in abandoned
settlements within the 30-kilometer exclusion zone.
After the Chernobyl nuclear explosion in April, 1986 more than
52,000 families (around 150,000 people from 178 settlements)
were resettled from the radiation contaminated territories
declared an exclusion zone.
By January 1, 2006 more than 7.350 families affected by the
Chernobyl disaster had moved to new houses. According to the
data released by the Ukrainian government, a total of 44,191
families who suffered from the Chernobyl blast had been on a
waiting list for housing by January 1, 2006. More than one
billion dollars is needed yet to solve the housing problem, the
Ukrainian government admitted. Ukraine continues paying
compensations to Chernobyl survivors for lost property.
Housing shortages confronted by the resettled people caused some
of them to return to their homes in the Chernobyl area. Thus,
the settlement of Apachichi 20 kilometers off the damaged
nuclear reactor is the most "densely" populated area in the
exclusion zone, numbering fifteen old women and three old men.
They raise vegetables and cattle, have bread and old age pension
allowances regularly brought to the settlement. Sometimes, a
doctor visits the brave people who live in the hazardous zone
without fearing for their life.
Recently, the Ukrainian president has visited the Chernobyl
patriots, bringing them a cargo of flour and cereals. All the
self-resettles have one common wish - to live the rest of the
life in the home place.
After April 26 the exclusion zone will be banned for visitors,
and the relatives separated by the Chernobyl disaster will not
see each other for a long time.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
45 csmonitor.com: Still under Chernobyl's shadow
April 26, 2006 edition
ROUNDUP: A scientist checks radiation levels in Vorotets,
Belarus, one of many villages still contaminated by fallout from
the 1986 nuclear accident.
VIKTOR DRACHEV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Twenty years after the disaster, hard-hit Belarus has yet to get
substantial aid.
By Fred Weir | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
SVETILOVICHI, BELARUS When the Chernobyl nuclear reactor
exploded 20 years ago, pouring radiation equivalent to more than
100 Hiroshima bombs into the air, the people of this small
agricultural village a few miles downwind didn't flee.
"No one warned us about the danger. We were left in the dark,"
says Alexander Malinovsky, a boy at the time. No effort was ever
made to evacuate people from Svetilovichi, says Mr. Malinovsky,
who still farms his father's small plot here, deep inside
Belarus's highly contaminated "exclusion zone." And little has
been done since to help them adjust, he adds.
In the two decades since one of the world's worst environmental
disasters, gobal attention - and aid - has largely focused on
Ukraine, where the Chernobyl plant is located. But the plight of
Belarus, where 70 percent of Chernobyl's nuclear fallout
descended, is less well known. Over a fifth of the country is
still considered heavily contaminated, with 1.5 million people
living in those areas. Some, like the Malinovskys, inhabit
dangerous hot spots that authorities have sealed off with
barbed-wire - which are reachable only by negotiating special
police checkpoints.
Dozens of shuttered and crumbling houses along Svetilovichi's
main street suggest that many people have left town. But others,
like Mr. Malinovsky and his family, say they have nowhere else
to go.
"This is the land of my ancestors and I'll stay, whether it's
good or bad," insists Malinovsky, who ekes out a living by
hiring out his horse to plow fields and haul goods. His wife,
Gertruda, earns about $100 per month as a milkmaid at a local
collective farm.
Little foreign aid: whose fault?
Many people here fault President Alexander Lukashenko for the
lack of international attention to Belarus's crushing nuclear
legacy. Unlike democratic and relatively open Ukraine, Belarus
has had trouble securing international aid.
"Lukashenko has effectively put an end to foreign aid by putting
too many bureaucratic controls on it," says Vassily Yakovenko,
chairman of the Chernobyl Social-Ecological Union, a grass-roots
group based in the capital, Minsk. "He doesn't want foreigners
here, so he keeps them out."
The authoritarian leader, who has ruled the country since 1994,
has deflected the blame onto Western countries.
"Belarus didn't build Chernobyl, didn't exploit it, and didn't
explode it," Mr. Lukashenko told journalists following his March
reelection, in polls that international observers deemed
fraudulent. "But we were the hardest hit.... Could Belarus have
coped with this on its own? Instead of spending $100 billion on
war, the United States might have helped us. But they don't want
to."
In late March, the US and the European Union slapped sanctions
on Belarus, citing Lukashenko's crackdown on the political
opposition. Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich, who has
visited several Western countries since his defeat last month,
said Tuesday that officials he's met on trips abroad have
expressed concern about Chernobyl's consequences.
"Democratic countries have a sufficient ability to help - they
are interested in helping us," Mr. Milinkevich said at an
opposition-organized conference in Gomel, the Belarussian city
nearest to Chernobyl. "But it is difficult to work with us.
Going through all the departments is torture."
Observers say that bureaucratic hassle may explain delays in
projects such as a $50 million World Bank initiative to bring
natural-gas supplies to people in isolated villages in the
exclusion zone. But deputy chair of the official State Chernobyl
Committee, Valery Sevchuk, blames such delays on political
maneuvering. "The attitude of Western organizations toward
Belarus creates obstacles to cooperation. After all, Chernobyl
is one thing; politics ought to be something different."
According to Mr. Sevchuk's committee, known as KomChernobyl,
Belarus spends up to $1 billion annually dealing with the
consequences of Chernobyl. "Foreign investment is very low, and
we have to carry most of the burden ourselves," says Mr.
Sevchuk.
Numerous nongovernmental organizations within Belarus working on
Chernobyl-related issues have run into trouble. Mr. Yakovenko,
of the Chernobyl Social-Ecological Union, says that growing
state controls over independent activity make it difficult for
his group to accomplish anything.
"We are allowed to exist formally, but it's like being in a
vacuum," he says. "It's impossible to obtain any information
from official sources, and there are almost no other
civil-society groups that we might work with. Whatever we try to
do, the government either takes [it] over or shuts [it] down."
[(Map)]
SOURCE: SWISS AGENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION; AP
One problem is determining the extent of the public health threat
posed by radiation. A report issued by the UN's International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last year calculated that only 50
deaths can be attributed to the accident, with perhaps 4,000 more
in years to come.
The governments of both Belarus and Ukraine dispute that finding
and say the death rate has been much higher among the 2 million
then-Soviet citizens who were officially classed as "victims of
Chernobyl."
Reporters on
the Job
The Monitor gives the story behind the story.
In the Monitor
Wednesday, 04/26/06
Still under Chernobyl's shadow
A US bid to ease gas prices
In Egypt, resurgence of militant Islamists
In Nepal's democratic revival, Maoist rebels dubious
Editorial: Creeping toward oil as a social good
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"Our studies indicate that 34,499 people who took part in the
cleanup of Chernobyl have died in the years since the
catastrophe," Nikolai Omelyanets, deputy head of Ukraine's
National Commission for Radiation Protection, told journalists
last month. "All the information we sent to the IAEA has been
ignored for some reason."
Other groups, including Greenpeace, have put the number closer to
100,000.
Oleg Gromyko, head of Belarus's tiny Green Party, says no serious
public health studies have been done on people living in the
exclusion zone around his home city of Gomel, which includes
Svetilovichi. "The damage to this region has hardly been counted
yet," he says. "We do not have scientific data, but all anecdotal
evidence suggests it's very bad." In his own family, four of his
six siblings died young - three of cancer, he says.
"We were all exposed to Chernobyl, but here I am, hale and
hearty. That shows you how hard it is to get a handle on this,"
Mr. Gromyko explains. "Since there is no solid information,
people don't know what to believe."
One group of Belarussian scientists who did try to accurately
measure the effects of long-term radiation exposure in the
population was broken up four years ago by the authorities and
its leaders imprisoned. According to a report issued by
Yakovenko's group, the group - experts with the nongovernmental
Institute of Radiation Security in Minsk - had angered the
government by publishing radiation figures for many Belarussian
areas that were far above official estimates.
Radioactive food
Mr. Gromyko, whose now-abandoned ancestral village of Gromyki is
deep inside the exclusion zone, says much of the land that was
declared too radioactive for use is being steadily turned back
into farmland under orders from Lukashenko. He points out two
large dairy farms inside the zone near Svetilovichy which appear
to be operative.
Mr. Sevchuk, of the official KomChernobyl, insists that all
foodstuffs are carefully controlled, and that little contaminated
produce makes it to market.
"What we can control, we do control," he says. "We have 2,000
laboratories all over Belarus that are constantly checking for
violations. We still have problems, but we are managing."
But Yakovenko says that radiation in foodstuffs is growing as
farmland is brought back into production. The authorities have
gotten around this, he says, by raising the maximum level of
radiation allowed in food four- or five-fold. "Statistics from
this government can't be trusted," he concludes.
None of this makes much difference to Malinovsky, who grows most
of the food his family consumes, and never bothers to have it
checked for radiation.
"A few years ago, officials came around and told us to get rid of
our cows, that drinking the milk was very dangerous," he says.
"But what are we supposed to do? There's no work around here, so
we have to live on our means. Maybe the food is radioactive, but
we still need to eat."
Olga Podolskaya contributed reporting from Minsk. Material from
the wires was also used.
www.csmonitor.com | Copyright © 2006 The Christian Science
Monitor. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
46 Public Citizen: Chernobyl Anniversary Serves as Reminder of
Dangers of Nuclear Power
April 24, 2006
No New Nuclear Power Plants Should Be Built; Renewable
Technologies Are Capable of Meeting Our Energy Needs and
Addressing Climate Change
Statement of Michele Boyd, Legislative Director of Public
Citizens Energy Program
Twenty years ago, the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear station
in the Ukraine served as a catastrophic reminder of the dangers
of nuclear power. More than 400,000 people in the Ukraine,
Russia and Belarus were evacuated, according to government
estimates, and several million people were exposed to
significant levels of radioactive fallout. About 25,000 of the
600,000 emergency responders have since died as a result of
radiation exposure. The contamination has rendered 4,440 square
kilometers of agricultural land and 6,820 square kilometers of
forests in Belarus and the Ukraine unusable. People, especially
children, throughout the Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, as well
as Western Europe, are still suffering from the health effects
of this disaster.
Despite its dangers, nuclear power has received renewed
attention recently and is now being touted as a way to reduce
emissions that contribute to global warming. With the support of
the Bush administration and $13 billion in taxpayer subsidies in
the Energy Policy Act of 2005, nuclear utilities are proposing
to build new nuclear reactors at more than a dozen sites across
the United States. This is a bad idea for several reasons.
First, it would create large quantities of nuclear waste, which
the nuclear industry still has not figured out how to dispose
of. Second, it would make communities throughout the country
newly vulnerable to nuclear accidents. Third, it would encourage
nuclear weapons proliferation by generating large amounts of
plutonium, which would be vulnerable to theft or diversion.
Moreover, because of high capital costs, a lengthy construction
process and polluting waste, new nuclear reactors are one of the
least effective options for reducing carbon emissions.
Renewable energy which includes solar, wind, advanced hydro,
certain types of biomass and geothermal energy can be
harnessed more quickly and cheaply, and without significant
carbon emissions, destructive mining or radioactive waste.
According to based on the work of governments, universities and
other organizations in the United States, Europe and Japan, a
diverse mix of existing renewable technologies can meet U.S.
energy needs over the coming decades.
Twenty years after the Chernobyl disaster, the risks of nuclear
power are all the more evident. The United States should leave
nuclear technology behind and immediately and comprehensively
embrace renewable energy.
###
Public Citizen
*****************************************************************
47 AU ABC: Chernobyl cited in no nuclear power call.
26/04/2006. ABC News Online
First Posted: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 . 6:00am --> Last
Deadly legacy: The Greens say there is no reason to think
Chernobyl could not happen again. [File photo] (Reuters) [
Chernobyl cited in no nuclear power call
On the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the
Federal Government has been urged to rethink its push for
nuclear power.
The Australian Greens say millions of people are living with
the legacy of Chernobyl and it is foolish to think it cannot
happen again.
The Greens' energy spokeswoman, Tasmanian Senator Christine
Milne, says instead of exporting uranium to China, Australia
should leave it in the ground.
"It is not safe to be exporting uranium for nuclear power,
first of all because of the dangers associated with nuclear
power and also because we cannot deal with nuclear waste and we
cannot guarantee that that uranium won't find its way into
weapons programs," she said.
In 1986, two explosions ripped through one of Chernobyl's
reactors, spewing a huge radioactive cloud into the air.
The United Nations says between 4,000 and 9,000 people can be
expected to die as a direct result of the accident.
Environmental groups put the figure at 100,000 and higher.
The victims of the disaster are being remembered through vigils
and protests around the world.
Exhibition
In Australia, a special exhibition is on view on Canberra,
Melbourne and Perth.
Stefan Romaniw, from the Australian Federation of Ukrainian
Organisations, says the exhibition is called '20 years, 20
lives' and has come to Australia specially for today.
Mr Romaniw says it is hoped all Australians will be reminded of
the dangers involved when there are no checks and balances on
nuclear power.
He says many Chernobyl survivors and their children in
Australia and are still feeling the impact.
"That sort of trauma that people go through is something
shocking," he said.
"To sort of have to think about falling pregnant and for that
period of time, 'How's my child going to be born and is it going
to be deformed' is a shocking thing."
In other developments:
+ The 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster will
be marked with vigils and protests throughout the former Soviet
Union. (Full Story)
*****************************************************************
48 The Australian: Plea to remember Chernobyl victims | |
+ NEWS.com.au
This story is from our news.com.au network Source: AAP
By Denis Peters and Brad Watt April 25, 2006
AUSTRALIANS have been urged to remember the devastation and
suffering caused by the Chernobyl catastrophe that claimed many
lives in eastern Europe.
On the 20th anniversary of the nuclear disaster, Australia's
Ukrainian community says the tragedy continues to silently claim
victims.
A UN report last year stated that only 56 died in the disaster
but thousands of Europeans continue to suffer debilitating
health effects of the nuclear meltdown that occurred in the
northern Ukraine on April 26, 1986.
"As time goes on, people's lives continue to be severely
affected," Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations
(AFUO) chairman Stefan Romaniw said.
"The lesson and impact of this tragedy and its real outcomes
tend to be forgotten by governments and non-government agencies."
Mr Romaniw said because Soviet officials refused to release
details of the victims, the official death toll from the nuclear
reactor explosion remained a mystery.
"(It) creates a total false sense of security on what happened,
its total impact, the real consequences," Mr Romaniw said.
"They instil a false sense of security and are seen by some as
being somewhat irresponsible.
"We need to stop the rot of complacency and devaluing the
effects on human life and the environment 20 years after
Chernobyl."
Governor-General Major General Michael Jeffery said that while
much had been achieved in the two decades since the disaster,
health and welfare concerns remained for tens of thousands of
children and adults who were present at the time of the disaster.
"In some cases, their lives have not changed for the better and
the aftermath of Chernobyl may well continue to cloud their
future," Maj-Gen Jeffery said.
Greens senator Christine Milne said the anniversary was a stark
reminder of how dangerous nuclear power is and why Australia
needed to take a cautious approach.
"Millions of people are living with the legacy, while the
ageing sarcophagus encasing the reactor threatens to collapse
and send another plume of radioactive dust across Europe," she
said.
"The 20th anniversary of the disaster should prompt
reconsideration by all those in the Howard government and Labor
opposition advocating the export of Australian uranium for
nuclear power as a solution to climate change.
"It is foolish to think that accidents such as Chernobyl cannot
happen again."
*****************************************************************
49 FOXNews.com - Chernobyl: A Living Disaster -
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Dana Lewis
Twenty miles out and 20 years later, you pass the first thinly
staffed police checkpoint. Not everyone can get into Chernobyl.
You have to register with government authorities and written
permission to enter the dead zone.
For miles, it's the same foreboding empty streets and boarded up
homes of an all but deserted Chernobyl, Ukraine.
And as you get closer and closer to the infamous nuclear Reactor
No. 4, radiation detectors, (an essential tool in your journey)
begin to beep incessantly.
Is Chernobyl still dangerous today? You bet. Radiation levels
around the 25-story high concrete 'sarcophagus' that contain it
are 80 to 1,000 times the norm. Imagine what it was like on
April 26, 1986.
The low power test of the reactor was supposed to be routine.
But the old Soviet reactor, notoriously unstable at low power
settings, went out of control. A violent explosion blew off the
roof of the 2,000-ton reactor. And for 10 days emergency crews
used shovels and water, and then lead and sand and finally
nitrogen to kill the fire.
For days the Soviet government in Moscow lied to the world and
to their own people.
In his Kiev apartment, 53-year-old Anatoly Zakharov displays his
medals and his scars from Chernobyl. He was a firefighter 20
years ago, unfortunate enough to be based on the Chernobyl
grounds. He heard the blast as the reactor was torn apart. As
radiation spewed from the building he fought the fire and knew
he was where no one should be.
"There was graphite lying all over," Zakharov said. "Several
tons of uranium lying around. There was fear inside us all as we
knew we were dying there. A metal taste in my mouth and it felt
like someone was touching my body all over from inside, muscles,
bones, everything."
As the Soviets delayed in telling the real story, and as a
radioactive cloud spread across Europe and as far away as Japan,
Zakharov left his hospital bed where he was being treated for
radiation and burns. He went to Pripyat, a town of 50,000 people
ten minutes away, to tell his family the truth and get them out.
"They didn't want to panic us by telling us what really
happened. But they should have," he said. "Because then people
would have gotten out in hours instead of in days."
Pripyat is still abandoned today. A children's amusement park
that was due to open a few days after the explosion still
stands. The bumper cars, the swing ride, creek in the wind that
potentially blows radioactive dust before it.
The kindergarten is like it was 20 years ago. Children's toys
intermingled with gas masks littering the ground. Apparently the
gas masks were in emergency storage and removed after the
children had long since been moved away. Kids and parents in the
town were all told it was just a fire, and they would be back in
days. They would never be back and their pets, cats and dogs
they were ordered to leave behind, were later shot in a cleanup
operation.
As many as 600,000 so called "liquidators" were moved in to the
area to cleanse what radioactive material they could. Most of
them were young Soviet soldiers, some of them ordered to what
was left of the reactor roof to work in shifts of 25 seconds to
a minute to shovel radioactive waste.
"Look at the soldier's faces, young, 18 to 20, every minute they
spent there was fatal and it took their health and their life
away," a tour guide at the Chernobyl museum in Kiev tells a
group of high school students.
No one can agree on how many people will die from Chernobyl.
Some experts say no more than 4,000. Others say tens of
thousands because cancer creeps slowly and only in the next 20
years will we see the real consequences from the reactor
meltdown.
But what's incredible is that Chernobyl is still a living
disaster.
Yulia Marusich calls herself the voice of Chernobyl. She works
just a thousand feet away from reactor number four in an office
with a high-tech model of what it now looks like inside. It
shows twisted, tangled metal. Most of the reactor rooms are
still inaccessible.
She says the sarcophagus was only supposed to be temporary.
Today it has more than 15,000 square feet of holes in it. More
than four tons of radioactive dust inside is now exposed to rain
water and wind.
The U.S. was the largest donor pledging $200 million to build a
new shelter that was supposed to be in place by 2008. But
construction hasn't even started. And the existing sarcophagus
could collapse at any time.
"There is the threat of collapse," said a concerned Marusich,
who takes some solace in the fact that, "if it were to collapse
you wouldn't have a radiation release as big as 1986."
Francis O'Sullivan is the main United Nations representative in
Kiev. "It boggles the mind that in 20 years this has not been
satisfactorily addressed. How do you explain to a generation
that is growing up in this country today, let alone across
Europe that a nuclear catastrophe happened and we haven't
finished the cleanup operation?" he said.
And there's more. Originally there were four reactors at
Chernobyl. After Reactor No. 4 blew up, the other three were
eventually shut down. Today they are still full of nuclear fuel.
And no one has a plan yet to decommission them.
Environmental groups use Chernobyl as an argument against
nuclear power. But even those in favor of nuclear power
generation admit that not one nuclear power station around the
world has been decommissioned successfully. It's costly and
technically challenging because experts say there is no way to
fully decontaminate the site from nuclear waste.
Nearby there is a graveyard of vehicles used in the Chernobyl
catastrophe: 2,000 helicopters and fire trucks and even the
buses that evacuated and relocated some 200 thousand people.
The first thing you notice in that graveyard is all the hoods
are open. Look closer and the engines are gone. The security
guard says there have been a lot of looters, but the local
administration has also been selling off the contaminated
engines. Where are they now? No one knows.
Firefighter Anatoly Zakharov's truck is likely there in that
field. Of the 28 firefighters first on the scene with him that
morning in 1986, 12 of them are dead.
Today Zakharov shows us scars on his leg from radiation burns,
his knee where a cancerous tumor was recently removed and says
he spends up to a month in hospital every year getting blood
transfusions and bone marrow transplants.
"Just before my friends died, they all said the same thing:
their bones hurt and it hurt just to move." Zakharov said.
"That's how I feel now."
Twenty years after Chernobyl. For the land and the lives it's
touched, Chernobyl is a living disaster.
FOXNEWS.COM HOME > WORLD
*****************************************************************
50 Guardian Unlimited: A Worker Recalls the Chernobyl Disaster
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 5:01 PM
AP Photo XEL104
By ANNA MELNICHUK
Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - As the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl
disaster approached, Yuri Andreyev remembered his exams for a
job at the nuclear power plant. Asked to propose a scenario of a
reactor explosion, he says he offered three - and was rebuked.
``Keep it in your mind, man - Soviet reactors cannot explode,''
the examiners told him.
On April 26, 1986, they were proved dreadfully wrong. One of
Chernobyl's four reactors blew up in the world's worst nuclear
disaster.
When Andreyev awoke that Saturday, a few hours after the blast,
word was already on the street. His agitated wife, Alla, told
him traders were being advised not to sell vegetables because of
radiation. But his examiners had told him it couldn't happen,
and he brushed off the news as rumors.
He took his 2-year-old daughter, Elina, out to play on her
tricycle and saw a typical spring day in Pripyat, the city built
for Chernobyl's workers. People were sunbathing and sipping
beers. Grandmothers watched little kids playing in sandboxes.
Then he saw policemen with radiation detectors and grew uneasy.
When the police refused to show him their readings, his
suspicions grew and he headed to the town outskirts.
In the distance was shattered Reactor No. 4, smoke spewing above
it, ambulances and buses rushing from the plant.
``I got scared - first of all because of my daughter, grasped
her and ran home. I told my wife not to go outside and to close
all the windows,'' Andreyev said.
Then he took the bus to work at Reactor No. 2. From the bus
window, as they passed stricken No. 4, ``I felt its deadly
breath.''
He saw firefighters spraying water that simply evaporated. The
reactor building's roof was so hot it glowed red. Firemen were
sinking to their ankles in melted asphalt, he said.
At his own job site, chaos prevailed. Five hundred yards away,
water poured from pipes, causing a short circuit in the No. 2
reactor that could have triggered another explosion. Much of the
water apparently was radioactive, Andreyev said. ``Those who
walked in this water had the skin peeled from their legs in a
week.''
``The water was coming and coming, and nobody knew how to switch
the reactor off,'' Andreyev said.
As a senior engineer in the plant, he had to figure out what to
do. He submitted a plan over the telephone to top plant
officials holed up in the plant's bomb shelter. it worked: his
studies had paid off.
Coming back to Pripyat, he saw huge crowds at the pier on the
Pripyat River, shoving to board boats. Some of the boats grew so
crowded that windows shattered.
Andreyev's wife and daughter were evacuated to Russia the next
day.
Chernobyl's staff was down from 6,000 to about 800. Andreyev was
among them, living with other workers in a commandeered
children's summer camp near Kiev and being driven 75 miles to
the plant every day.
It was grueling work, cooling switched-off reactors No. 1 and 2.
He repeatedly fainted, and doctors repeatedly declared him
healthy.
His vocal cords were burned by radiation and he is still
slightly hoarse. He also has a blood disorder, but at age 56 his
spirit is strong. Retired in 1989, he now heads an advocacy
group for some 400,000 people who were displaced or made ill by
the disaster.
``I'm still alive, regardless of everything,'' Andreyev said
with a smile.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
51 Guardian Unlimited: 20 Years Later, Chernobyl's Scars Remain
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 7:31 PM
AP Photo XOB201
By ANNA MELNICHUK
Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Ukrainians tried to make sense Tuesday of
the Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion through scientific
conferences, humanitarian missions and in quiet recollection of
an event that still scars this ex-Soviet republic 20 years
later.
The April 26, 1986, explosion and fire, to be commemorated in
the capital with pealing bells and a minute's silence, became
the world's worst nuclear accident as it spewed radioactive
fallout for 10 days over 77,220 square miles of the then-Soviet
Union and Europe.
``The whole country grieves, and the whole world joins us in
this grief,'' said Lena Makarova, 27, one of many Ukrainians to
visit the Chernobyl museum in Kiev on the eve of the
anniversary.
President Viktor Yushchenko planned to attend a solemn,
candlelit memorial service near a small church built to
commemorate Chernobyl victims in Kiev, where bells were to toll
20 times starting at 1:23 a.m. Wednesday, marking the exact time
when plant workers set off the alarm at Reactor No. 4 at the
Chernobyl nuclear power station two decades ago.
The explosion tore off the plant's roof, releasing about 400
times more radiation than the U.S. atomic bomb dropped over
Hiroshima.
Death tolls connected to the blast remain hotly debated, as do
the long-term health effects.
At least 31 people died as a direct result of trying to keep the
fire from spreading to the plant's three other operating
reactors. One plant worker was killed instantly and his body has
never been recovered, 29 rescuers, firefighters and plant
workers died later from radiation poisoning and burns and
another person died of an apparent heart attack.
Some 350,000 people were evacuated forever from their homes,
leaving a whole city, Pripyat, and dozens of villages to decay
and rot away.
About 5 million people live in areas covered by the radioactive
fallout, in Ukraine, neighboring Belarus and Russia.
Thousands have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, one of the
only internationally accepted illnesses linked to Chernobyl, and
the U.N. health agency said about 9,300 people were likely to
die of cancers caused by radiation.
Some groups, however, including Greenpeace, have warned that
death tolls could be 10 times higher than the U.N. agency
predicted, accusing it of whitewashing the impact of the most
serious nuclear accident in human history as a bid to restore
trust in the safety of atomic power.
Radiation and health experts from international bodies including
the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Health
Organization, the European Commission and the United Nations,
gathered for the second day Tuesday in central Kiev to discuss
what the world has learned from Chernobyl - and what it can do
to prevent a similar tragedy.
The head of the IAEA, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, stressed the
importance of international cooperation on nuclear safety
matters.
``In remembering the Chernobyl accident, we should renew our
determination to ensure that such a tragedy will not happen
again,'' IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said in a statement,
adding the explosions ``made painfully clear that the safety
risks associated with nuclear and radiological activities extend
beyond national borders.''
Another conference, hosted by Yushchenko's American-born wife,
Kateryna, discussed the humanitarian challenges of the
catastrophe. Senior officials from the International Red Cross,
which provides free testing for thyroid cancer visited one of
their mobile testing units outside of Kiev.
``Chernobyl is not just a Ukrainian problem, it's a disaster of
international magnitude,'' said Markiyan Lubkivskiy, a
presidential adviser on humanitarian issues.
European Green parties and environmentalists held their own
conference in Kiev, raising concerns about the safety of nuclear
energy and warning that the world should heed the lessons of
Chernobyl and not build more nuclear power plants.
``There is no technology with such a high risk,'' said Ralf
Fuchs of the Berlin-based Heinrich Boll Foundation, which helped
sponsored the conference. ``Instead of dreaming up new nuclear
power plants, it would be much more profitable to invest money
in energy saving and new energy efficiency.''
The United Nations has said the aim now should be to reduce the
feeling of malaise and doom that grips many in the affected
region
``I don't want it to happen again,'' said Yevheniy Tyutyunnyk, a
19-year-old student as he looked through the often grim exhibits
in the Kiev Chernobyl museum, whose hallways are lined with sign
posts representing the radiation-dead villages around the
region.
---
Associated Press writers Natasha Lisova and Mara D. Bellaby
contributed to this report from Kiev.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
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52 Guardian Unlimited: Chernobyl Widows Still Cope With Loss
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Tuesday April 25, 2006 9:31 AM
AP Photo XAZ508
By NATASHA LISOVA
Associated Press Writer
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - Once a year, Ukrainian widows board a train
for the more than 500-mile train journey to the Mitinskoye
cemetery in Moscow to visit their loved ones in their
lead-encased coffins.
Twenty-nine firefighters, rescuers and nuclear plant workers
died in the two months following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster,
which happened 20 years ago Wednesday. Although the Ukrainians
could now be reburied in their native soil, the widows are
resolved to leave them lying together alongside their dead
co-workers from other parts of the former Soviet Union.
Those whose husbands were plant workers have had to cope not
just with bereavement, but with the memory of a Soviet
government that blamed them for the accident. Their families
received smaller death benefits than those of the firefighters,
who were officially praised for their heroism.
The Soviet Union is long gone and the widows hope their husbands
will be vindicated in time. In the meantime, they stick together
for moral support, especially this week as they make their
annual journey of mourning - alone, or with families.
``It is an opportunity to share our memories,'' said Nataliya
Lopatyuk, 41, whose husband, a plant electrician, died from
radiation poisoning. ``All of us came through this grief.''
Minutes after the April 26, 1986, explosion at the Chernobyl
nuclear plant, Viktor Lopatyuk and a co-worker turned off a
hydrogen generator, localizing the explosion at the fourth
reactor. They wore no protective suits or masks. Lopatyuk was
one of the victims rushed to Moscow for treatment and because
his body was considered highly radioactive and a potential risk.
His wife, Nataliya, was 21 years old and eight months pregnant
when her husband left for his overnight shift and didn't come
back. After hearing rumors of the disaster, she made frantic
calls and was finally told Viktor was safe and in the hospital.
They had 15 minutes together before he was taken to the Russian
capital.
The next time she saw him was 15 days later in the Moscow
hospital, where the doctors and nurses wore special suits to
protect themselves from their highly radioactive patients.
Viktor looked better, and he tried to reassure his wife, noting
that unlike some of his co-workers, he still had his hair.
The hope was short-lived. Within two days, Viktor had gone
completely bald, with terrible burns bubbling up on his arms.
``I could see his bones,'' his widow recalled. He died on May
16, less than three weeks before the birth of his daughter,
Yulia.
Nataliya has since remarried and has raised Yulia to be proud of
her father and his colleagues. Had they not turned off that
generator, Yulia says, ``Me, you and millions of other people
would not exist.''
At least 19 other Chernobyl plant workers and liquidators
diagnosed with radiation poisoning have died since 1987, and
others have reportedly died from leukemia and other illnesses.
They have been buried separately, rather than in the Moscow
cemetery where the initial victims were laid to rest amid heavy
precautions - such as the lead coffins - for fear of radiation
contamination.
Lyudmila Shashenok still struggles with her loss.
Twenty years ago, she was awakened by a phone call and told to
run to the hospital emergency room. Her husband had been injured
in an accident at the plant.
At first, Shashenok thought that it was nothing serious - her
husband, Volodymyr, had told her many times that his engineering
job wasn't dangerous. But when Shashenok saw him at the
hospital, she was horrified.
``It was not my husband at all, it was a swollen blister,'' she
said. He was connected to a breathing apparatus, but Shashenok,
a nurse, knew the situation was hopeless.
``I told him, 'This is the end, Volodya.'''
He was buried two days later in a village cemetery near
Chernobyl, but Shashenok wasn't there. She had been evacuated
from her home, and officials didn't notify her of the burial.
More than a year later, Shashenok was reburied in Moscow, in a
lead-encased coffin under concrete slabs.
Shashenok, who has not remarried, recalls that on the apartment
building where she lived in Pripyat, a town built specially for
the station's workers, was an inscription: ``Let the atom be a
worker, not a soldier.''
``I never thought the atom would kill my husband,'' she said.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
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53 London Times: Lessons from Chernobyl -
Comment - Times Online
Sir, April 26 marks the 20th anniversary of the world's biggest
nuclear accident. There are many current reports of the effects
of Chernobyl, but what has been most striking is the lack of
agreement.
For example, the International Atomic Energy Authority and World
Health Organisation predict 4,000 deaths because of exposure to
radiation, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer
cite 16,000 and Greenpeace predict 90,000. Newspaper reports
suggest that there have been 500,000 Chernobyl deaths in Ukraine.
Much attention has been given to the dramatic increase in thyroid
cancer and all reports agree that the main cause of death is
likely to be cancers of other tissues, yet there have been no
comprehensive, co-ordinated studies looking at all the possible
health consequences of the accident.
This is in contrast to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, where the
Radiation Effects Research Foundation showed that the main
increase in most types of cancer and non-cancer diseases only
became apparent many years after exposure to radiation from the
atomic bombs.
It is essential that a similar institute is created to follow the
long-term effects of Chernobyl. There is a loss of public
confidence in the ability of the IAEA and the WHO to deal fairly
with Chernobyl-related matters. A "Chernobyl effects research
foundation" could be directly created by the UN, supported by a
UN fund derived from a levy on the nuclear industry and with
contributions from "nuclear" governments. The foundation, which
could be based in the UN university, would have an independent
scientific governing body. Until this is done, speculation based
on unsubstantiated figures will continue.
We hope that the Chernobyl tragedy will never be repeated. But
the suffering of those already affected by the accident should
not be compounded by a failure to provide future generations with
an accurate account of its effects.
SIR DILLWYN WILLIAMS
Emeritus Professor of Histopathology
University of Cambridge
DR JUNE CROWN
Chair, Medact
Copyright 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd.
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54 ForUm: President Yushchenko presided over the meeting on Chernobyl
News / 25 April 2006 | 10:40
Victor Yushchenko and his wife took part in a ceremony to open
an international conference “Twenty Years After Chornobyl
Accident. Future Outlook.”
In his speech, the Head of State said “the Chornobyl accident
has affected many countries and the international community must
thereby unite tocope with its devastating aftereffects.”
“The global scale of the Chornobyl tragedy neglects national
borders and political arguments and forces us to address many
problems we face now and will definitely face in the future,” he
said, adding that Ukraine appreciated the support of its
international partners. (He particularly thanked the UNESCO
Chornobyl Program, which helped open three rehabilitation
centers for children.)
Yushchenko said he was convinced that participants of today’s
conference “will frankly and substantially exchange opinions and
thoughts in order to outline priorities of the post-Chornobyl
rehabilitation and development.” He reiterated that Ukraine had
lost USD 15 bln over the past twenty years to cope with the
aftermath of the disaster, the president press office informed.
“Obviously, we cannot resolve these problems alone. Experts
claim Ukraine’s damage would be estimated at USD 170 bln by
2015,” he said. The Head of State said Ukraine was observing
nuclear safety rules and so urged all members of the Ottawa
Memorandum to help our country stop the Chornobyl Nuclear Power
Plant. He also insisted that they should spare no effort to
build a new shelter: “We must spare no effort to make the CNPP
an environmentally safe place. We must realize that delays can
cost us too much.”
The President also said we should forget the Chornobyl
stereotypes and look at the zone anew. He suggested that we
carry out scientific research in this area: “It is time to
create a multifunctional scientific institute to study all the
problems of Chornobyl. It is also vital to renew the polluted
territories.”
Victor Yushchenko then said it was necessaryto conduct an
international donor conference in Ukraine to outline new modes
of cooperation. He urged the EU, UNO, and UNESCO to support this
initiative and become co-founders of the forum.
“It is now important to develop Chornobylrather than protect
it,” he opined.
The Chief of State said the world must learn its lesson from the
Chornobyl tragedy to prevent such disasters: “Today, we put
human and environmental safety first. These principles are
really important to me.” He also urged all to light candles on
April 26, 9 AM, to honor the Chornobyl victims. Yuriy
Yekhanurov, Ukraine’s Premier, Victor Baloha, Emergency
Minister, Kemal Dervis, Head of the UN Development Program and
Chair of the UN Development Group, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU
Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Koďchiro Matsuura, UNESCO
Director General, Tomihiro Taniguchi, IAEA Deputy Director
General, Suzanne Weber-Mosdorf, WHO Assistant Director General,
and Eladio Fernandez-Galiano, Secretary of the EUR-OPA Major
Hazards Agreement of the Council of Europe, attended the
conference.
Victor Yushchenko hopes Ukraine will successfully build a safe
shelter and a nuclear waste depository in Chornobyl.
Following today’s meeting with G8 ambassadors, the Head of State
said it was time to carry out development, rehabilitation and
health programs in the disaster zone. He added that Ukraine and
its international partners should jointly create natural
preserves, re-cultivate soils, and produce biological fuel in
Chornobyl.
“We want to initiate a new international conference to start new
Chornobyl policies,” he said.
The President said they might begin building the shelter this
summer, adding that Ukraine had enough money to implement this
project. Mr. Yushchenko insisted that a company that would be
chosen to build it must observe the terms of the contract so
that the facilityshould protect the area for at least one
hundred years.
He also said Ukraine was going to create an international
scientific institute to study the problems of the Chornobyl
zone. The conference, which is being held in Kyiv on April
24-26, was organized by Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, European
Commission, IAEA, WHO, UNDP, Council of Europe, European Center
of Technological Safety, Ukraine 3000, Institute for Radiation
Protection and Nuclear Safety (France), and GRS (Germany). It is
intentto strengthen and improve the world’s nuclear and
radioactive safety.
All rights are reserved by © LTD. Inter-Media,
ForUm 2001-2006
*****************************************************************
55 Bellona: Member of the European Parliament wants IAEA off Chernobyl subject
KYIV - Rebecca Harms, MEP, Group of the Greens/European Free
Alliance, says IAEA is biased and wants the international
nuclear watchdog off the Chernobyl subject.
Rebecca Harms has slammed down on the International Atomic
Energy Agency, IAEA, recent statements which considerably
diminish the effects of the Chernobyl consequences.
Rashid Alimov
Rashid Alimov, Igor Kudrik, 2006-04-24 15:10
Rebecca Harms, who is taking part in Chernobyl+20 NGO conference
in Kyiv, the Ukraine, has slammed down on the International
Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, recent statements which considerably
diminish the effects of the Chernobyl consequences.
“I really hope that in my job, as a member of the European
Parliament, is to develop enough pressure on the European
Commission, so that they are forced to make sure that IAEA does
not continue as a responsible board for science on Chernobyl
consequences", says Rebecca Harms to Bellona web.
"They are not independent, they are working in favour or close
to nuclear industry, their job is from the very beginning to
spread nuclear power all around the world. So they are in favour
[of nuclear power], and that has strange results, they made a
falsification of the WHO [World Health Organisation] studies
concerning the Chernobyl consequences.”
The Ukrainian and international environmental groups outraged
by the IAEA treatment of the Chernobyl disaster staged a
protest.
Igor Kudrik
"Shame on UN, IAEA!"
Parallel to the NGO conference, the Ukrainian authorities are
holding their own conference on the Chernobyl consequences. The
Ukrainian and international environmental groups outraged by the
IAEA treatment of the Chernobyl disaster staged a protest
Monday, carrying banners “Shame on UN, IAEA” and “Send IAEA to
Chernobyl.”
Alexander Nikitin, head of Bellona in Russia, who was taking
part in the protest, also says that the role of the IAEA should
be revised.
Alexander Nikitin: A lot of people in the IAEA are inventing
norms, which in fact lead to development of nuclear industry and
to further nuclear problems.
Igor Kudrik
“A lot of people in the IAEA are inventing norms, which in fact
lead to development of nuclear industry and to further nuclear
problems. I have a feeling that they are authorized to many
things, but have a way too little output. For that what happened
in the North Korea and Iran, IAEA should be dismissed as an
institute,” says Alexander Nikitin to Bellona web.
Rebecca Harms says the European Commission should be responsible
to draw consequences towards IAEA.
“I hope that during these days in Kyiv we can make enough
pressure on decision makers in Europe, so that we’re able during
the next month to set up independent science to work on
Chernobyl effects,” says Rebecca Harms.
“I really hope that Ukrainian citizens will not follow the ideas
of nuclear industry and their actual government to go in future
for nuclear power, there is a lot of alternatives. It’s
difficult process, but it’s a better and a safer future without
nuclear power,” adds Rebecca Harms who also attended the protest
staged in Kiyv.
Publisher: , President:
Information: , Technical contact:
Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box
2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway
*****************************************************************
56 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Comanche Peak Nuclear Plant
News Release - Region IV - 2006-00
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs, Region IV
No. IV-06-004 April 25, 2006
CONTACT: Victor Dricks
Phone: 817-860-8128
E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov
safety performance at the Comanche Peak nuclear plant during
2005.
The 6 p.m. meeting at the Somervell County Expo Center, 202 Bo
Gibbs Blvd., Glen Rose, Texas, is open to public observation.
Before the session ends, NRC staff will be available to answer
questions on the plants safety performance, as well as the
agencys role in ensuring safe plant operation.
Each year, the NRC assesses the performance of all of the
nations commercial nuclear power plants, said Region IV
Administrator Bruce S. Mallett. The meeting gives us an
opportunity to discuss our findings with the company, local
officials and members of the public. We look forward to meeting
with members of the community and answering any questions they
may have about our oversight.
A letter sent from the NRC Region IV Office to plant officials
addresses the performance of the plant during 2005 and will
serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available
on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cp_2005q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] .
Overall, Comanche Peak operated safely during the period. The
NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance
indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors
start with green and then increase to white, yellow or red,
commensurate with the safety significance of the issues
involved. Because all of the inspection findings and performance
indicators for the plant during the last quarter of 2005 were
determined to be green, Comanche Peak will receive a baseline
(or routine) level of inspections during the upcoming assessment
period. In addition, the NRC staff will perform steam generator
and reactor vessel head replacement inspections.
Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors
assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the
Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. Among the areas of plant
operations to be inspected during the next year by NRC
specialists are emergency preparedness and radiological safety.
Current performance information for Comanche Peak Unit 1 is
available on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CP1/cp1_chart.html.
Current performance information for Comanche Peak Unit 2 is
available at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CP2/cp2_chart.html.
Last revised Tuesday, April 25, 2006
*****************************************************************
57 RIA Novosti: CIS calls for global effort to ensure safety at Chernobyl site
25/ 04/ 2006
MOSCOW, April 25 (RIA Novosti) - The Commonwealth of Independent
States issued an appeal Tuesday for the world to join efforts to
build a new confinement shelter at the site of the Chernobyl
nuclear disaster.
The heads of CIS states adopted the decision to publish the text
of the appeal on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the world's
worst civilian nuclear accident during a summit in the Russian
city of Kazan in August 2005.
The document said that although enormous efforts had been taken
to deal with the disaster, "the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
remains a source of potential danger in the center of Europe."
A sarcophagus was built over the destroyed reactor after the
accident, but needs to be replaced because cracks have been
discovered.
"Reducing this threat to the minimum in the near future and
through the use of new technologies is in our common interests,"
the document said. "That is why it is necessary to combine the
scientific and financial potential of the international
community to increasing the safety of the shelter."
Vast areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, as well as northern
Europe, were contaminated by the fallout of a reactor explosion
in the fourth unit of the Chernobyl NPP in Ukraine on April 26,
1986.
About 135,000 people were evacuated from within an 18-mile zone,
which has left the surrounding area looking like a ghost town to
this day. Many people, however, stayed or have returned to live
there, even though radiation is still leaking from the site.
"The situation in affected regions is very complicated following
the destruction of environmental infrastructure, the outflow of
the workforce and demographic problems," the document says.
The statement, signed by the leaders of 12 CIS member states
also said that the main efforts in dealing with the continuing
aftermath of Chernobyl should be focused on the socio-economic
rehabilitation of the affected areas.
According to the officials from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an institution that has
been entrusted with the management of the Chernobyl Shelter
Fund, the construction of the new, environmentally safe shelter
will cost $768 million and it will contain what is left of the
reactor for at least 100 years.
The EBRD has announced a tender for the construction of the
sarcophagus, but it is yet to be completed because the bidding
offers estimate the costs of the project to be around $1
billion. The Fund so far has $900 mln.
The Russian government contributed $10 mln to the Chernobyl
Shelter Fund in 2005 and instructed the Federal Agency for
Nuclear Power to participate in the activities of the
international fund.
Russia's state-run nuclear technology exporter, Atomstroiexport,
is participating in work to improve the nuclear safety of the
confinement shelter at Chernobyl.
In addition, Russia and Ukraine have decided to form a bilateral
working group for coordinating activities on long-term dry
storage of nuclear fuel after the complete closure of the NPP.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart
Viktor Yushchenko have discussed the condition of the nuclear
power plant and care for disaster survivors.
Yushchenko said the construction of a new sarcophagus above the
Chernobyl reactor could be completed in 2010.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
*****************************************************************
58 RIA Novosti: Chernobyl exploded USSR
Opinion &analysis -
25/ 04/ 2006
( Pyotr Romanov, RIA Novosti political commentator)
The world media will mark with many publications the 20th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster (April 26, 1986). This is
only natural since this is a truly tragic date, and the
aftermath of this drama is still affecting the lives of many
people. Radioactive dust settled down not only on the territory
of the former U.S.S.R., but also in Poland, Bulgaria, Germany,
Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Britain and some
other countries. Only France, Spain and southern Italy were
fortunate thanks to the prevailing winds.
Many publications on Chernobyl justifiably focus on the safety
of atomic power engineering. Nobody wants its repetition. In
many countries Chernobyl slowed down the advance of atomic power
engineering, deteriorated the world energy crisis, and caused a
boost of prices on energy carriers.
It is alarming, though, that quite a few publications on
Chernobyl are undisguised stove piping reflecting the struggle
for the market of nuclear technologies. For some rivals, the
Chernobyl tragedy is just an excuse to tell the potential buyers
that Russian nuclear technologies are unreliable.
The timing and purpose are awkward, and, besides, this is simply
untrue.
As we know, failure teaches success. As distinct from most of
its rivals, the Russians have thoroughly studied the bitter
experience and greatly contributed to the safety of nuclear
reactors. They have focused on making nuclear plants foolproof,
since it was the human factor which triggered off the Chernobyl
tragedy. Today, the most regrettable aspect of Chernobyl is that
the West shows practically no interest in this unique Russian
experience - either in enhancing the safety of nuclear plants,
or in dealing with emergencies.
Associates of the Kurchatov Institute, Russia's center of
nuclear science, have complained many times that their foreign
colleagues are ignoring what they have done in the twenty years
of incessant research on the Chernobyl reactor. This is, of
course, regrettable. Academician Yevgeny Velikhov, the head of
the Kurchatov Institute Research Center, had every reason to
say:" The Russian nuclear physicists have learnt by heart the
lessons of Chernobyl once and for all."
To sum up, the only positive aspect of the tragedy is the
practical experience and ensuing precious recommendations, but
foreign experts took no interest in them. Meanwhile, they know
only too well that many Western countries have been through most
dangerous accidents, which could trigger off even worse
tragedies. The list is so long that I won't quote it here, but
the U.S., U.K. and Switzerland are all there. Those who are well
versed in the subject know perfectly well that Russian nuclear
technologies are the safest of all. Everything else is just
commercial tat. The only difference is that it's not about
Pepsi.
There is one more consequence of the Chernobyl disaster, which
is rarely mentioned. I think it was Chernobyl that exploded the
U.S.S.R. Needless to say, the reasons for the disintegration of
such a colossus were bound to be multiple. Some people say with
good reason that the founders of Marxism programmed the elements
of self-destruction into the Soviet Union's policy and economy.
Others justifiably quote the arms race or Afghanistan, which
also undermined the Soviet might. Still others blame the then
leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus for signing a document in
secret from President Gorbachev in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. They
believe, not without a reason, that this document finished the
U.S.S.R off.
However, I still think that Chernobyl was one of the major
factors behind the Soviet collapse. The tragedy was not just
about radioactive
contamination. It produced a huge pack of lies, which shocked
the Soviet people. The authorities concealed from them the truth
for several days. In blissful ignorance, children and adults
were walking under the genial spring rain in Kiev and Minsk,
eating fruit, fishing, going to Ukrainian and Byelorussian
resorts. If they had known the truth, they would have been
running away. When rumors finally got through, people panicked.
They rushed to railroad stations and drug stores. Only the first
semi-truthful official reports outlined the enormous scale of
the catastrophe.
Importantly, the liars were the Party reformers whom many people
had trusted when they said that the Soviet system could be
reformed. After this lie there was nobody to believe. So, when a
report on the Soviet Union's demise came from Belovezhskaya
Pushcha, nobody tried to resuscitate it. The lie proved to be as
deadly as radiation.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
*****************************************************************
59 BBC: Chernobyl's legacy still undecided
Last Updated: Monday, 24 April 2006
By Mark Kinver BBC News science and nature reporter
[Radiation warning sign at Chernobyl (Image: AFP)]
Experts say it is still too early to know the full extent of the
disaster
In April 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear
Power Plant exploded, spewing radioactive material across many
parts of Europe.
Yet two decades after the world's worst nuclear accident, there
is still no consensus on the full impact of the disaster.
Last week, a report by Greenpeace concluded that the impact on
human health had been grossly underestimated.
It challenged UN figures that said up to 9,000 people would die
from Chernobyl-related cancers. The environmental group's own
research concluded that the death toll would be nearer 100,000.
It questioned the methodology used by the Chernobyl Forum, which
published its final assessment of the 1986 explosion last
September.
Headed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the
UN's nuclear watchdog, the Forum was made up of eight UN
agencies and a number of official bodies from the worst affected
countries - Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.
In its initial press release, the Forum said that up to 4,000
people would die as a result of being exposed to radiation, but
this was later revised to 9,000 to reflect findings within the
600-page report.
CHERNOBYL - WHAT HAPPENED?
[Graphic of nuclea reactor ] Click here to find out what
caused the reactor to explode
Even the revised figure of 9,000 was still significantly lower
than previous official estimates. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), earlier numbers were the result of confusion
surrounding the full impact of the disaster.
"The Greenpeace report is looking at all of Europe, whereas our
report looks at only the most affected areas - approximately 6.5
million people in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia," says WHO
spokesman Gregory Hartl.
Greenpeace campaigns director Blake Lee Harwood concedes there
is a wide range of cancer death estimates, but says the
environmental group's report is based on credible scientific
observations.
"It is likely that the true human cost of the Chernobyl disaster
will be many times greater than that estimated by the IAEA," he
says.
GreenFacts, a Brussels-based organisation that produces short
summaries of technical scientific reports for lay readers, has
recently published a digest of the UN Chernobyl Forum's report.
The reason for doing this was because conflicting views among
scientists were generating a level of uncertainty, says
Stephanie Mantell, publications manager of GreenFacts.
"Because there are so many contradictory figures, a lot of
people have unanswered questions, and they are still looking for
answers," she says.
Different views
One answer could lie in the different ways in which raw data is
being interpreted.
"What seems to be happening is that different agencies are
taking a different view on these figures," observes Professor
Tim Mousseau from the University of South Carolina, who has been
researching the ecological impact of Chernobyl since 1999.
"The Greenpeace report appears to be taking the least optimistic
view and focusing on the upper level of cancer figures, whereas
the UN report is taking a much more optimistic view," he says.
Much of the reports' findings, he says, probably come from the
same data. "Most of the past estimates have been based on
research out of Japan on the effects of the atomic bombs - which
is based on fairly high doses of radiation."
What has not been clear in the past, Professor Mousseau adds, is
whether this research could be used in low dose exposure
scenarios, such as the aftermath of Chernobyl.
"But new data shows that even exposure to low level radiation
does have an impact on the cancer figures."
He says that applying improved modelling using this new data to
Chernobyl reveals that the estimated cancer mortality goes up by
50% - from 9,000 to about 16,000.
Another analysis, which was recently published by two UK nuclear
scientists for a group of Green MEPs, has gone widely
unreported.
Torch (The Other Report on Chernobyl) predicts an extra 30,000 -
60,000 cancer deaths across Europe as a result of the 1986
accident.
It criticises the UN for focusing only on Belarus, Russia and
Ukraine. Torch says this distorts the true picture because
although the three nations were heavily contaminated, more that
half of the radioactive fallout was carried to other European
countries, including Sweden and the UK.
[Przewalski's horse (Image: Sergey Gaschak)
How wildlife is coping inside the exclusion zone
Mutation fears
It is not only human health where there is a lack of consensus -
the environmental consequences of Chernobyl are still open to
debate.
"There has been such little investment in even basic research
that we have no real idea of the full impact," Professor
Mousseau said.
He and colleague Anders Moller recently published the results of
a survey they carried out on other research into the ecological
impact of Chernobyl.
They found that more than 20 species showed evidence of genetic
damage as a result of being exposed to contaminants from the
1986 explosion.
Their findings, published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution,
are described as the first systematic review of data sets from
Chernobyl, and suggest genetic damage could be extensive.
Results from Professor Mousseau's own research on barn swallow
populations support the idea that the radioactive legacy of
Chernobyl is affecting ecology in the region, and possibly
further afield.
"Barn swallows - a long distance migratory bird - appear to be
particularly sensitive," he comments. "We know that they consume
much of their antioxidant reserve during the period of
migration, so when they arrive back in Chernobyl they seem to be
particularly sensitive to contaminants.
"This is because of their lack of antioxidants which serve to
protect them from the low level radiation."
Photos showing normal (left) a
partial albino barn swallow
He says the depressed antioxidants can be linked to mutations
(partial albino) and defects in sperm within the birds, and that
this may not be limited to birds within the immediate area.
"One 'take home' message from this can be that mutations are not
fixed to one place and time, they are transmitted to future
generations and to adjacent populations that have not been
directly affected by the contaminants," Professor Mousseau
observes.
Yet he also acknowledges that these findings cannot be applied
to all species.
A fellow US-based scientist found that a number of rodents were
contaminated to an unprecedented level, yet they were surviving
in their surroundings with no apparent side effects.
And the fact there is very little human activity within the 30km
"exclusion zone" surrounding the site of the nuclear disaster
has led to a number of rare species setting up home there,
including white-tailed eagles, black storks, lynxes and otters.
"Animals don't seem to sense radiation and will occupy an area
regardless of the radiation condition," says Sergey Gaschak, a
radioecologist based in the affected area.
Waiting game
As for the long term impact on wildlife, Professor Mousseau
says: "We have no idea but we have to be sensitive to the
possibility that there will be long-term biological effects.
"But at this point, we have such little information regarding
the ecological and evolutionary impact of the contaminants that
we cannot make predictions."
A paper recently published in the journal Nature also reaches
the same conclusion regarding human health.
It said lessons learned from studies examining the aftermath of
the US atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 showed that 20
years was not long enough to gather a complete picture.
Professor Mousseau warns it may be several more decades before
any authoritative assertions can be made.
"We really won't have a good idea of the death toll from
Chernobyl for at least another 20, 30, or even 40 years."
*****************************************************************
60 BBC: Chernobyl's continuing hazards
Last Updated: Tuesday, 25 April 2006
By Stephen Mulvey BBC News website
The Chernobyl disaster was not over when the sarcophagus took
shape above the ruins of reactor number four in the summer and
autumn of 1986.
Nor will it be over when a new giant arch - as tall as St Paul's
cathedral or the Statue of Liberty - slides over the top of the
sarcophagus three or four years from now.
The Chernobyl ghost will not be laid to rest until the plant has
been transformed into an "ecologically safe system", as
Ukrainian officials put it, and that will not be for a very long
time.
There are currently three main obstacles on the path towards
this goal:
+ the lava-like remains of the melted-down reactor
+ the spent fuel from the other three reactors
+ hundreds of leaking nuclear waste dumps
For the last decade, the main concern has been that the hastily
built sarcophagus might collapse, blowing tonnes of highly
radioactive dust into the surrounding forests and waterways.
[Men at work on the sarcophagus, 2006]
The sarcophagus is being shored up - before being dismantled
But work is now under way to shore up badly leaning walls, secure
unsteady beams, and strengthen tilting supports under the plant's
giant red and white chimney.
By the end of 2006 it will be much stronger, though fingers may
still need crossing in case of tornadoes or earthquakes.
It's a measure of the urgency of these stabilisation tasks, that
they are being carried out despite plans to un-do them again -
and dismantle most of the sarcophagus - once the new arch is in
place, some time after 2008.
THE MELTED CORE
The arch is a vast project - "the largest movable structure to
be built in the history of mankind", as one of those involved
has called it.
But critics argue it is a little more than a carpet to sweep the
main problem under, because the fuel within the wrecked reactor
will simply be left as it is.
In 100 years the problem wi not get simpler Mykhailo Khodorivsky
"The new, stable and environmentally safe structure will contain
the remains of the reactor for at least 100 years," says a press
release from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development,
which will disburse the 840 million euros ($1bn) the arch is
expected to cost.
"During (this) time an even longer-lasting solution to the
Chernobyl problem must be found."
To Mykhailo Khodorivsky, a member of a consortium which in the
1990s investigated ways of removing the fuel, this seems like
storing up problems for the future.
The arch will last for 100 to 300 years, while the fuel will
remain deadly for thousands.
"A new confinement is necessary, but it does not tackle the root
of the problem," Mr Khodorivsky says. "Our conclusion was that
in 100 years the problem will not get simpler."
For one thing, some of the plutonium will be decaying into
americium, which is even more hazardous for health.
"If nothing is done with the fuel, and the arch is contaminated
from the inside, what do you do when it gets old?" he asks.
"Build an even bigger one on top?"
FUEL STORAGE
If this is a problem for future generations to grapple with, the
decommissioning of the other three reactors at Chernobyl is one
for today.
The job was put on hold after the last Chernobyl reactor stopped
generating in December 2000, because there was nowhere to take
the spent fuel.
[Chernobyl dry waste storage facility]
Work on the dry waste facility was suspended in 2003
Work began on a dry fuel storage facility in 1999 but it was
later found to be unsuitable for some of the Chernobyl fuel
assemblies, which have cracked, soaked up water and changed
shape.
Construction has been at a standstill for three years, while
arguments rage over who is to blame, and what to do next.
To get the spent fuel out of the reactors, a decision was
finally taken to make space in a Soviet-era wet fuel storage
facility, by packing its contents more tightly.
But this alarms some observers, such as Mykola Karpan, a former
safety official at the plant.
He points out that the Soviet-era facility comes to the end of
its life in 2016 - and that the question of what to do then with
the wet and cracked fuel assemblies has not yet been answered.
He also argues that it could be risky to pack the damaged fuel
assemblies more tightly, and claims an identical facility in St
Petersburg has sprung alarming leaks.
WASTE GRAVEYARDS
The graveyards are described as a "radiation emergency" by one
of the men responsible for them, Valery Antropov, because no-one
knows where they all are, or what is in them.
[Map of Chernobyl waste 'graveyards']
The unlined, leaky trenches were quickly dug and filled with low
and medium-level radioactive waste in 1986.
They were intended to be temporary, but 20 years on, only half
of them have even been mapped and inventorised.
An estimated 500 trenches in seven areas around the plant have
yet to be studied at all.
"We know the graveyards are in these areas, but exactly where -
so as not to step on them - we cannot be sure," says Mr
Antropov, a senior member of a waste and decontamination unit
known as "Complex".
Some of the trenches closest to the Pripyat river have been
partly washed away by spring floods, others are slowly seeping
radionuclides into ground water.
[Valery Antropov]
Valery Antropov: No-one wants to see this problem
Mr Antropov is also worried by two repositories built hastily in
1986 for severely contaminated waste, for example graphite blocks
thrown out of the reactor in the explosion.
Neither was properly built, he says, one is too close the river,
and the contents of both should really be somewhere deep
underground.
"Where to store highly radioactive and long-lived waste is a huge
problem," he says.
"We have containers queuing up. We need to build a deep
geological deposit, but Greens object. It's a problem that people
don't want to see."
*****************************************************************
61 BBC: Ukraine remembers Chernobyl blast
Last Updated: Wednesday, 26 April 2006
Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko lays flowers at a memorial to
the victims of Chernobyl]
President Yushchenko joined mourners at the night-time vigil
Ukraine is holding a series of events to commemorate the 20th
anniversary of the world's worst nuclear disaster at the
Chernobyl power plant.
The blast was marked by tolling bells and a minute's silence at
0123 local time (2223 GMT on Tuesday) - when the alarm was set
off on 26 April 1986.
The explosion tore off the plant's roof, spewing radioactive
fallout over swathes of the then-USSR and Europe.
President Viktor Yushchenko will visit the site later in the day.
He will meet some of the people who worked at the plant and those
who risked their lives to deal with the accident.
A monument to victims is due to be unveiled, and parliament is
holding a special hearing into the disaster.
In neighbouring Belarus, also badly affected by fallout,
opposition groups are expected to hold a rally in the capital
Minsk to protest against government attempts to rehabilitate
contaminated areas.
'Ask for forgiveness'
At evening ceremonies in Kiev, hundreds of mourners, each
carrying a single red carnation and flickering candles, gathered
for an outdoor Orthodox Christian service.
President Yushchenko laid a wreath to remember those who were
sent to deal with the accident and to the many who have since
been affected.
[View of reactors three and four]
A sarcophagus was erected over the ruins of Chernobyl's fourth
reactor
At precisely 0123, the church bells tolled 20 times.
A similar ceremony got under way an hour earlier, to coincide
with 0123 Moscow time, in Slavutych, the town built to house the
Chernobyl plant workers displaced by the accident.
To the sound of bells tolling and alarm sirens blaring, mourners
laid flowers and candles at a monument dedicated to those who
died in the immediate aftermath of the accident.
"I knew all of these people," a tearful Mykola Ryabushkin told
AFP news agency, pointing to the portraits hanging on the
monument.
The 59-year-old had been working as an operator at the plant when
the explosion happened.
"I look at them and I want to ask them for forgiveness," he said.
"Maybe we're all to blame for letting this accident happen."
Disputed death toll
The accident happened at one of four reactors at the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant, 110km (70 miles) north of the capital, Kiev.
[Map of the area around Chernobyl]
Throughout most of the following day the Soviet authorities
refused to admit anything out of the ordinary had occurred.
It was only two weeks after the explosion, when radiation
releases had tailed off, that the first Soviet official gave a
frank account, speaking of the "possibility of a catastrophe".
Official UN figures predicted up to 9,000 Chernobyl-related
cancer deaths. But a Greenpeace report released last week
estimated a figure of 93,000. Greenpeace said other illnesses
could bring the toll up to 200,000.
A restricted area with a radius of 30km (19 miles) remains in
force around the destroyed nuclear reactor which is encased in
concrete.
*****************************************************************
62 Platts: Davis-Besse expected to return from refueling soon
Davis-Besse expected to return from refueling soon
Washington (Platts)--24Apr2006
Davis-Besse is expected back on line in the "next few days,"
FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating President and Chief Nuclear Officer
Gary Leidich said today in a telephone interview.
Leidich said the current refueling and maintenance outage, which
began March 6, is taking "several days" longer than projected
because the outage team is "focused on safety" and has paused
some activities to resolve potential safety issues.
The slight delay, Leidich said, is the "reality" of the first
refueling outage since the 925-MW PWR was shut down for two years
after the discovery in March 2002 of severe vessel head
degradation.
Terms & Conditions
Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved
[The McGraw-Hill Companies]
*****************************************************************
63 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance Assessment for Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant
News Release - Region III - 2006-01
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs, Region III
No. III-06-019 April 25, 2006
CONTACT: Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663
Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov
May 2, to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance
for last year at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant. The plant
is located near Oak Harbor, Ohio.
The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin
at 7 p.m. at the Energy Education Center, Davis-Besse
Administration Building, 5502 North State Route 2, in Oak
Harbor. The NRC will respond to questions or comments from the
public before the close of the meeting.
The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Davis-Besse
plant and the nations other commercial nuclear power facilities,
NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. This meeting
will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual
assessment of safety performance with the company and with local
officials and residents who live near the plant. Our goal is to
explain the NRC oversight process and make as much information
as possible available to the public regarding our regulation of
these facilities.
A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials
addresses the performance of the plant during the period and
will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is
available on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/davi_2005q4.pdf
[PDF Icon] .
The NRCs assessment concluded that the Davis-Besse plant
operated safely during the period. The NRC uses color-coded
inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear
plant performance. The colors start with green and then increase
to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the safety
significance of the issues involved.
The plant returned from increased oversight to regular NRC
oversight in July 2005 and remained under regular oversight for
final two quarters of the year. During that time all performance
indicators and inspections findings were green, with the
exception of one white finding associated with emergency siren
testing in 2004 and reporting of the siren testing data.
Prior to returning to regular oversight, the plant was shut down
from March 2002 until March 2004 due to the discovery of severe
corrosion by boric acid on the reactor vessel head. As a result
of this discovery, the plant was placed under increased
oversight. The plant resumed operation in March 2004 but
remained under increased NRC oversight until the agency
determined that the plants performance warranted the return to
regular oversight.
Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident
Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists
from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill. Among the areas of
plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists
are access control to radiologically significant areas, problem
identification and resolution, fire protection, and maintenance
effectiveness.
In addition, the NRC will conduct inspections to provide
enhanced oversight of the results of independent assessments in
the areas of operations, corrective actions, engineering, and
safety culture and safety conscious work environment. The
independent assessment of these areas for five years following
Davis-Besse's restart was a condition of the plant's return to
service.
Current performance information for Davis-Besse is available on
the NRCs web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DAVI/davi_chart.html.
Last revised Tuesday, April 25, 2006
*****************************************************************
64 Platts: Westinghouse CEO: Changes will mark how new plants constructed
London (Platts)--24Apr2006
Future nuclear plant construction will be done differently than
in the past and will vary by country, Westinghouse President/CEO
Steve Tritch told Platts during a recent interview.
For example, most US nuclear operators don't plan to do as much
construction work for future plants as they did during the first
wave of building, he said.
"The US will be looking for more of an overall buying of plants
along turnkey lines," he said.
This turnkey approach will be "a little different than the way it
evolved in the US last time where many of the utilities were
involved in constructing their own plants," he said.
Because of industry consolidation, there are fewer nuclear plant
operators, but with more nuclear assets, he said. They "focus
more on their own core competence, which is operating nuclear
plants," he said.
They have formed partnerships or long-term supply agreements with
vendors to provide services and fuel in longer-term increments,
he said.
"And we've seen more of that happening in the US than used to
happen because the utilities which own many nuclear plants have
decided they want to link up with a few key suppliers" to ensure
maintenance and operation and fuel supply over the long term, he
said.
However, the US approach will differ from that of other
countries, he said.
For example, the Chinese concentrate on creating their own
indigenous capability. Therefore, the scope of any contract with
Chinese companies will be different than "how it gets done in the
US market," Tritch said.
Also, the updated AP1000 design will mean Westinghouse plants
will be constructed differently than in the past.
The modular construction concept of the AP1000 opens up the
possibility of factories around the globe each producing several
of the 300 modules that make up the reactor, Tritch said. "These
would be done on more of a production-line basis with quality
assurance at the site where the modules are being built," he
said.
The end-of-March UK Nuclear Industry Association's report on UK
nuclear construction capability noted that construction of
Westinghouse AP1000 reactors "involves the remote production of
structural modules in a factory/ship yard environment, shipping
to site and then assembly."
It said that the size and weight of the modules would require
delivery to the site by sea. Moving them around "would require
the use of self propelled modular transporters and a suitable
jacking system to place the modules."
Heavy lifting equipment might also be required, not just for the
large nuclear items as in past reactor construction, but for the
modular items. For more information, take a trial to Platts
Nucleonics Week at http://nucweek.platts.com.
Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved
[The McGraw-Hill Companies]
*****************************************************************
65 Platts: Investment in nuclear in the UK could be a serious consideration
London (Platts)--25Apr2006
Investment in nuclear, without subsidies, would be seriously
considered in the UK if the government established a long-term
framework to support low- carbon energy sources, the
Confederation of British Industry said April 24.
CBI pointed to a "unique window of opportunity" for the UK to
move to a more low-carbon generation mix, given the country's
need to add 50 gigawatts of new capacity by 2020, equivalent to
approximately two-thirds of existing capacity.
Such a framework would also ensure other low-carbon energy
sources could compete, it said. CBI quoted figures from the
consulting firm Deloitte that suggest that total investment costs
for 50 GW of additional capacity could be between GBP 22 billion
(US$39 billion) for a fuel mix weighted toward combined cycle gas
turbines, and GBP 51 billion ($91 billion) for a fuel mix
including significant proportions of renewables, plus some
nuclear and clean coal.
Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill
Companies]
*****************************************************************
66 CBC News: Reports from Abroad: Chernobyl: 20 years later
Derek Stoffel
April 25, 2006 | More from Derek Stoffel
[Derek Stoffel] Derek Stoffel covers southern Ontario for CBC
National Radio News. Based out of Toronto, Stoffel reports on
news stories that affect Canadians and Ontarians, ranging from
health, education to political issues. Stoffel spent much time
in 2000 and 2001 in Walkerton, Ontario, following the e-coli
outbreak in the town, and the public inquiry called to examine
it. Stoffel also reported on the SARS outbreak - how it affected
the Toronto region, and from Geneva, what the World Health
Organization did to try to stop the disease.
Petro Chaliy and his wife Nina, planting potatoes near the town
of Novo Ladyzhychi.
The lake was shimmering in the spring sunshine perfect fishing
weather for Petro Chaliy, who was enjoying his Saturday off
work. It was the morning of April 27, 1986. A plume of brown
smoke rose into the sky, to the north of the lake, in the
direction of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Chaliy thought
nothing of it.
At home, a relative was waiting with some news: There had been
an accident at the plant. "I wasn't scared of it," Chaliy says.
"We just didn't know what had happened. How serious it was."
It was the most serious accident in the short history of the
nuclear industry. At 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, two explosions
ripped through the No. 4 reactor at Chernobyl, in the then
Soviet Republic of Ukraine. The plant lies 20 kilometres north
of where Chaliy lived with his wife and two sons.
» Indepth: Biological weapons
The rumours about what happened at the plant spread as quickly
as the radiation that contaminated parts of Ukraine, Belarus and
Russia. Chaliy says people in his town were given no official
word about the scope of the nuclear explosion. It wasn't until
four days after the meltdown that they were told to leave the
area.
"I was worried about moving. I didn't want to go," Chaliy says
as he leans on a spade, taking a break from planting potatoes.
"My home was back there. We hoped that we only had to go away
for a few days, while they cleaned. Well, now it's been 20
years."
Chaliy and his family are among the 115,000 people who lived in
a 30-kilometre radius of the nuclear plant. Forced evacuations
spread the residents across many parts of Ukraine and Belarus.
As thousands of buses arrived to move people, local officials
told them to pack only enough belongings to last three days.
No word from Moscow
The explosion inside the reactor vaporized 50 tonnes of uranium
fuel instantly, blasting it high into the atmosphere. Another 70
tonnes of uranium, along with 900 tonnes of radioactive
graphite, were scattered throughout the area surrounding the
plant, causing some 30 fires. The graphite that remained in the
reactor core immediately caught fire and would burn for 10 days,
creating a situation where radiation escaped into the air as
long as the fire burned.
In Moscow, there was silence. It took the Soviet government
three full days to admit there was a problem at Chernobyl. The
news was broken only after a cloud of radiation set of alarms at
a nuclear plant in Sweden. The contamination travelled around
the world, reaching countries as far away as Canada and Japan.
Sergey Volodin in Kiev.
Sergei Volodin's telephone rang, early on that Saturday morning,
just hours after the explosion. A captain in the Red Army, he
piloted a helicopter that mainly ferried army generals and
politicians around. His mission that morning was to take a
high-ranking army official from Kiev to the Chernobyl plant. He
was not told about the accident.
But as he approached the site, he knew something was wrong. The
fire was out by this point, but smoke was still rising from the
reactor. "The western part of the plant was completely
destroyed," he remembers. "It looked to me like the concrete was
burning."
Volodin's mission soon changed. He and his crew were ordered to
fly around the plant, and using the helicopter's built-in
Dosimeter, measure the level of radiation. In some places, the
meters hardly registered anything. But within minutes, he saw
droplets forming on the windshield of the helicopter. "I looked
up and the sky was blue, so it wasn't rain."
The radiation meter, Volodin recalls, started beeping rapidly.
The first officer adjusted the device through the various
readings 10, 100, 250, to 500 roentgen an hour. Humans are not
supposed be exposed to levels above 500. Yet the Dosimeter's
needle ran off the end of the dial. A senior army officer on
board the helicopter burst into the cockpit, yelling: "You are a
murderer! You're going to kill all of us!" Volodin landed the
craft, but says he'll never forget that moment.
The exposure to high levels of radiation left Volodin
hospitalized for nearly a month. Many of the doctors weren't
sure how to treat the illnesses, so they turned to what Volodin
calls folk medicine. "Red wine! We were drinking vodka heavily
to try to deal with the radiation," he says. After his
release, he spent five weeks flying missions to the Chernobyl
plant. The 58-year-old has been awarded several honours,
including, just last week, the Ukrainian award for courage and
bravery.
The debate over the consequences
The numbers tell of Chernobyl's chilling consequences. It's
estimated that about five million people were affected by the
nuclear disaster in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Almost 5,000 square kilometres of farmland and 4,300 square
kilometres of forest were left unusable in the three countries.
More than half a million people, called "liquidators," were
brought into the region north of Kiev after the disaster to
clean up the aftermath.
There is no agreement, however, on the number of people who were
killed and made ill by the meltdown. It remains a source of
bitter debate.
Several United Nations' agencies, including the World Health
Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency,
produced a scientific study of Chernobyl last year. The report
put the number of deaths from the accident at 4,000. WHO has now
increased that figure to 9,000. Protesters demonstrate at an
international conference on the effects of Chernobyl, held this
week in Kiev.
That number drew the scorn of protesters from around the world,
who gathered in Kiev this week, to highlight the effects of
Chernobyl. "Tens of thousand have gotten cancer because of
Chernobyl and the IAEA is covering that up," says Scott Denman,
an anti-nuclear activist from the United States.
Greenpeace puts the death toll at 93,000 and says 270,000 people
in the three affected countries could get Chernobyl-related
cancers.
The environmental group accuses the United Nations of
downplaying the affects of Chernobyl, to appease the nuclear
industry.
"WHO has got no axe to grind. We're not promoting nuclear
power," says Dr. Michael Repacholi, the co-ordinator of the
WHO's radiation and environmental health department. "But we are
promoting quality science. And our results are based on the best
science that's available."
' I was drawn back home'
There is no debate that living close to Chernobyl has affected
the health of Yevdokiya Symoneko. She has been hospitalized
three times in 20 years, suffering from bad headaches. The
81-year-old recalls boarding a bus two days after the accident.
She looked over her shoulder at the house she and her husband
built and she vowed to return. Yevdokiya Symoneko sitting on the
bench in front of her house in Ilintsy.
That's exactly what Symoneko did. A few months after the
meltdown, her husband borrowed a friend's truck, and the couple
loaded up their belongings and made the journey home to the
village of Ilintsy, eight kilometres from the nuclear plant.
The Ukrainian government banned residents from returning to
their homes in the exclusion zone, but has turned a blind eye to
the 186 who have done so.
"I was drawn back home very strongly," Symoneko says as she sits
on the bench in front of her house. "This is our motherland."
Copyright© CBC 2006
*****************************************************************
67 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meetings May 10-11 in Georgia to Discuss Review of Possible Early Site Permit
Application
News Release - 2006-05
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200
Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov
No. 06-058 April 25, 2006
Waynesboro, Ga., on Wednesday, May 10, and Thursday, May 11, to
discuss how the agency would review an expected application for
an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Vogtle site, about 23 miles
southeast of Augusta, Ga. The site, owned by Southern Nuclear
Operating Co., currently contains two commercial nuclear power
plants.
On May 10, the staff will hold an open house from noon until 2
p.m. in the Auditorium of the Burke County Library, 130 Highway
24 South in Waynesboro. There will be no formal presentations,
but the staff will have information available about the ESP
process and will informally discuss the process with interested
members of the public.
On May 11, the meeting will be held in the Auditorium of the
Augusta Technical Colleges Waynesboro campus, 216 Highway 24
South, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Before the meeting NRC staff
will be available for informal discussions during an open house
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The NRC will then make a formal
presentation at the meeting which will include information on
the NRCs overall licensing process for nuclear power plants, as
well as an overview of how the ESP process works and how the
public can participate. Members of the public are invited to ask
questions regarding the agencys ESP review.
The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related
issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible future
construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at the site.
The NRCs review process requires both a technical review of
safety issues and an environmental review for each application.
If approved, an ESP gives the applicant up to 20 years to decide
whether to build one or more nuclear plants on the site and to
file an application with the NRC for approval to begin
construction.
If Southern submits an ESP application as expected, the NRC
staff will review it to determine whether Southern has provided
enough information for the agency to begin a formal review. If
the application has sufficient information, the NRC will
formally docket, or file, the application and will announce an
opportunity to request a hearing.
Last revised Tuesday, April 25, 2006
*****************************************************************
68 DesMoinesRegister.com: Nuclear energy not a clean, cheap answer
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOIn this 1996 photo, Ivan Kalenda turns
away to wipe his tears as he visits his 3-year-old grandson
Vitya, right, in the children’s cancer ward at a hospital in
Gomel, southwest of Minsk.
ZOOM ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOResidents of villages contaminated
with radiation have returned to the areas, disregarding warnings.
ZOOM ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOA sign in a forest in the Gomel
region, Belarus, reads, “Radiation contamination! Mushroom and
berries gathered must be subjected to radiation checks.”
IOWA VIEW
HOPE BURWELL
SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER
April 25, 2006
Walking down the Cedar Valley Nature Trail this balmy April
morning, I see as I have a thousand times before a sign telling
me what to do in an emergency. I look up over the tree tops,
toward the Duane Arnold Energy Center, 9 miles west. White
against a cerulean sky, the steam of the nuclear reactor's
cooling towers stretches toward Dubuque and Madison, directly
over people strolling this same trail in Urbana and Brandon.
Twenty years ago this week, an explosion at a nuclear reactor in
Ukraine sent half a reactor core and 50 tons of radioactive
materials streaking into the jet stream. One hundred and fifty
miles away in Cherikov, Belarus, no one knew that the gentle
rain, so good for newly planted crops and gardens, was tainted
with Chernobyl's radioactive debris.
It took years to measure and map the contamination of Cherikov,
just one of the thousands of small Belarusan towns, villages and
cities soaked with "hot" rain in the weeks after the explosion
and the resulting 10-day fire. Strontium-90 levels 29 times the
International Atomic Energy Association's "safe for residency"
limit; cesium-137 levels 37 times that limit. With half-lives of
29 and 30 years respectively, it will be the years 2154 and 2256
before the people of Cherikov are free of just two of the dozens
of radionuclides spewed during a nuclear accident.
Anticipating the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe,
the International Atomic Energy Association and the World Health
Organization have released reports claiming that the health
consequences of the disaster were far less serious than
predicted. But the two agencies base their considerations on
cancer deaths, the most extreme of Chernobyl's health effects.
They fail to consider the birth defects, teen-age cataracts,
pituitary and thyroid disorders, bone deformities,
gastro-intestinal malfunctions, heart conditions, sterility,
immune disorders, soaring mortality and social disintegration
that are part of every life in contaminated Belarus two decades
after an accident that "could never happen here."
The sign on my local nature trail, the steam cloud, the scent of
fields newly turned for seeding take me back to Cherikov, where
chickens scratch in the green spaces and my friends are seeding
radioactive gardens so they'll be able to can and dry enough
produce to last them through the long, hard Belarusan winter.
But in my ear a newscaster reiterates the Bush administration's
promotion of nuclear power as one of the remedies for high
energy prices.
Often, when I am speaking about conditions in post-Chernobyl
Belarus, people ask: What are the solutions? I have a list as
long as my arm, among them: Seize the opportunity to study the
real long-term consequences of and solutions to exposure to
radiation by building state-of-the-art hospital and
environmental research facilities; aid those who want to
emigrate; provide jobs in research facilities to those who
don't; clothe and feed and care for the ill victims of an
accident they had nothing to do with. The response I receive
from many is, "Who's going to pay for that?"
No one, is the realistic answer. If we were ethical, the answer
would be: every company profiting from nuclear power, every
government encouraging it, every citizen benefiting from what is
so often these days touted as a cheap, clean source of energy
freedom from the Middle East.
Of course, the response of those companies, and governments, and
people walking this nature trail would be, "We can't afford it."
That predictable response puts an end to the argument that
nuclear energy is either cheap or clean.
HOPE BURWELL is the director of Strong Like a Willow: A Belarus
Relief Project. She lives and teaches at Kirkwood Community
College in Cedar Rapids. Her article "Jeremiad for Belarus" was
published in Orion magazine and honored by the Society for
Environmental Journalists as one of the best feature articles of
2004.
Copyright © 2006, The Des Moines Register.
*****************************************************************
69 APP.COM: Weeklong inspection at Lacey reactor |
Asbury Park Press Online
Back Issues:Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Safety regulators cite 2 violations
Posted by the Asbury Park Presson 04/25/06
BY NICHOLAS CLUNN MANAHAWKIN BUREAU
Safety regulators will conduct a weeklong special inspection of
the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey next month to
determine whether its operators implemented new safety measures
as promised.
Officials with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined
that Oyster Creek needed additional oversight in emergency
preparedness after the agency cited the plant for two violations
in that area within a 12-month span.
Those violations meant that Oyster Creek's safety performance
ranked among the worst in the nation during the third quarter of
2005.
Agency officials attempted to explain the inspection to the
public Monday night at Oyster Creek's emergency response center
in Dover Township. The meeting between the agency and top
officials from Oyster Creek was held to talk about plant safety
in 2005. This kind of meeting takes place each year for all of
the 103 reactors nationwide.
Although regulators were critical at times and asked plant
officials to reassure them of their commitment to safety, Brick
resident Jeff Brown, 63, said he was not impressed. He pointed
out that some of the dialogue was scripted.
"It's the annual show," said Brown, a member of Grandmothers,
Mothers and More for Energy Safety, a citizens group opposed to
a renewed license for the plant. "It's the annual dog-and-pony
show."
Although the meeting was not related to a request by plant
operator AmerGen Energy Co. to have Oyster Creek's license
renewed by the agency, several renewal opponents attended; plant
safety has been a major reason they want Oyster Creek closed.
A 20-year renewal would allow Oyster Creek, the nation's oldest
commercial nuclear power plant, to run beyond 2009, when its
existing license will expire.
Mostly favorable findings
Overall, regulators approved of Oyster Creek's performance.
"AmerGen operated Oyster Creek in a manner that preserved public
health and safety in 2005," said Ronald Bellamy, branch chief of
the agency's regional office that oversees reactors in the
Northeast.
But that assessment was tempered by a recounting of the two
violations that triggered the agency to assign three specialists
in emergency planning to visit the plant and conduct interviews
there in mid-May.
In the latest violation, which happened in August and was cited
in September, AmerGen failed to issue a mandatory advisory in
time. The advisory, meant to inform state and local officials
about an emergency, should have been issued after sea grass from
Barnegat Bay clogged an intake used to pump cooling water into
the plant.
Regulators issued the first violation in November 2004 after
plant workers that July failed to adjust a threshold used to
classify the most serious kinds of emergencies.
The incorrect threshold would have allowed water used to cool
the reactor to drop farther than necessary for a "general
emergency" declaration to occur. A general emergency would occur
if a reactor has been seriously damaged and risked releasing
radiation beyond plant boundaries.
Following each violation, AmerGen officials said, they improved
worker training and took other measures to prevent that same
kinds of mishaps from happening again. The inspections will
verify those measures. Samuel J. Collins, the highest official
in the agency's regional office, said the two violations were
particularly serious because they collectively could be
considered as a "public confidence issue."
ON THE WEB: Visit our Web site, www.app.com, and look under
Special Reports for a link to: Relicensing Oyster Creek: Is It
Worth It? for our series of stories, multimedia, links and more
on the nuclear plant.
Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
70 AFP: In Chernobyl's shadow, newcomers put down roots
Tue Apr 25, 1:28 AM ET
STRELICHAVA, Belarus (AFP) - With endless bills and medical
costs to pay, life has not been easy for Vladimir and Tatyana
since they, like other immigrants to Belarus, settled near the
site of the world's worst nuclear accident.
"I realised it might be dangerous to move here ... But at that
time you could only get homes near the zone," said Vladimir of
the couple's decision to leave Kazakhstan in 1995 and move to a
land from which the authorities had evacuated tens of thousands
of people.
They are among many immigrants from Central Asia and the
Caucasus who are in the vanguard of an effort by President
Alexander Lukashenko to rehabilitate territory evacuated after
the explosion on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power
station, 40 kilometres (25 miles) away in neighbouring Ukraine.
It is an effort that has been criticised by opposition groups
and some Belarussian scientists, but in many ways is in line
with recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In recent years the WHO has argued that the effects of the
radiation cloud that spewed across southern Belarus are less
than was thought -- a view that has proved controversial ahead
of the accident's 20th anniversary this week.
For Vladimir and Tatyana the attraction was mainly the housing
left by those who were resettled in other parts of Belarus, as
well as the stability that Lukashenko has boasted as one of the
main achievements of his 14-year rule.
But the couple struggle to cope, raising pigs and cows as a
supplement to Vladimir's salary from a state farm, which in
summer equals 100 dollars (80 euros) a month and in winter 50
dollars, and is rarely paid on time.
Tatyana suspects that fall-out from Chernobyl may have something
to do with the sicknesses suffered by her two youngest children.
Their eight-year-old daughter, who suffers from kidney and other
problems, "has been sick for three or four years but no one says
why," said Tatyana.
"We're spending 150,000 rubles (75 dollars) a month just on
medicines and I can't work because I have to look after the
children," she said.
Other incomers play down such health concerns, among them Radzy
Khisamov, who came from Tajikistan via Moscow in 1997 and is now
a physics teacher in nearby Bragin, with a salary equal to 300
dollars a month.
He is quietly confident about his family's future, saying that
by avoiding local produce it is possible to avoid contamination
by radiation.
The regular testing to which all schoolchildren are subject has
shown some with radiation levels more than 10 times the safe
limit, he says.
But, he adds, "they're mainly kids from families that grow their
own produce, or whose parents hunt in the forests.... You just
avoid that."
Following a devastating civil war, "conditions in Tajikistan
were terrible," he recalled. "The average salary there now is
just 20 dollars a month -- even now they have gas and water only
irregularly, whereas here it's round the clock."
His upbeat, healthy-eating message broadly reflects the advice
of the WHO, which has pointed out that background radiation in
such areas is not much higher than in other parts of the world
-- but agrees that children should avoid certain foods.
But for anyone tempted to praise Belarus for taking a pro-active
stance on Chernobyl, or being unusually lenient with incoming
foreigners, the country's opposition takes a different view,
questioning Belarus' openness to some countries and not others.
In recent years the authorities have established new security
zones along the Ukrainian border, a policy Khisamov interprets
as aimed at preventing "destabilisation" by the "orange"
democracy movement that came to power in Ukraine in 2005.
Nor does the opposition think much of the World Health
Organisation's views.
Activists argue that Chernobyl's effects have received
insufficient study and accuse Lukashenko of trying to rein in
aid organisations that organise recuperation trips to western
Europe for Belarussian children -- trips the opposition hopes
will open their eyes to a more democratic way of life.
Vintsuk Vyachorka, leader of the opposition Belarussian Popular
Front, takes a dim view of the newcomers' arrival across the
nearby Russian border, which is virtually unpoliced.
"They come there, sometimes, illegally. They create new
communities, they live there, produce food, eat those foods,
their children are born there," Vyachorka said. "What kind of
new society is created there, nobody knows."
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
71 AFP: Vigils mark 20th anniversary of Chernobyl disaster
Tue Apr 25, 4:50 PM ET
CHERNOBYL, Ukraine (AFP) - Haunting vigils marked the 20th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the world's worst nuclear
accident that sent shockwaves around the globe, ravaged this
corner of eastern Europe and continues to affect millions of
people to this day.
In an eerie performance in the shadow of the defunct power plant
in northern Ukraine, a French theater troupe recounted stories
of a handful of ordinary people who found their lives torn apart
by the disaster.
"I see him in every corner," one actress said, playing a young
woman who lost her husband within weeks of the disaster, as well
as her six-month-old unborn child.
The melancholy ceremony was the first event to mark the moment
when at 1:23 am on April 26, 1986 (2223 GMT the previous day),
two explosions ripped through one of the reactors at the Soviet
Union's Chernobyl nuclear power plant, releasing a huge
radioactive cloud into the air.
"We are playing for the dead," Bruno Boussagol, the producer and
artistic director of the Brut de Beton troupe, told AFP.
The cloud released by the Chernobyl explosion settled mostly in
Ukraine and neighboring Belarus to the north, but parts of it
drifted across Russia and a large swathe of Europe, and its
effects were felt from Scandinavia to Greece.
"The explosion affected half of the planet, but Belarus and
Ukraine suffered worst of all," Terry Davis, secretary general
of the Council of Europe, said in a statement on Tuesday.
"For these countries, Chernobyl is not an historic event, it is
a problem of today and of tomorrow," Davis said.
Candlelight vigils were to take place early Wednesday in the
town of Slavutich, home to most of the 3,700 workers who still
service the plant, and in Kiev, where many of the "liquidators,"
as the clean-up workers became known, live today.
In Belarus, where much of the radioactive cloud settled after
the accident, contaminating a quarter of its land, opposition
groups were expected to hold Wednesday what has become a
traditional protest against government efforts to repopulate the
affected areas of the country.
Critics say that Belarus's authoritarian leadership is ignoring
serious health risks in trying to return the contaminated land
back to general use.
Some five million people are believed to have been affected by
the disaster in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, all of which still
have regions where the levels of dangerous cesium-137 and
strontium-90 radioisotopes are much higher than accepted norms.
Nearly 800,000 hectares (nearly two million acres) of prime
agricultural land and 700,000 hectares (1.7 million acres) of
forest remain derelict in the three countries.
Two decades on, the death toll from the tragedy is hotly
debated.
Agencies of the United Nations" /> , backed by the governments
of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, estimate that between 4,000 and
9,000 people could be expected to die overall as a direct
consequence of the accident.
Environmental groups put the figure at 100,000 and higher.
Estimates on the eventual cost of the disaster vary as well.
Ukraine expects to spend up to 170 billion dollars (137 billion
euros) by 2015; Belarus counts its losses over the past two
decades at 235 billion dollars; the United Nations says the
accident will end up costing hundreds of billions of dollars
overall.
The Chernobyl plant was eventually closed for good in December
2000 but will continue to be a concern for years to come.
The concrete sarcophagus that was hastily constructed over its
destroyed reactor immediately following the accident is showing
signs of wear and more than 20 countries have chipped in nearly
a billion dollars for the construction of a 20,000-ton steel
case to take its place.
Construction of the new containment unit is expected to begin
later this year and Ukraine hopes to complete it by 2010.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
72 CFR: Chernobyl Revisited -
Council on Foreign Relations
Why does this page look this way?
Not just memories, but practical ramifications of Chernobyl
persist (Photo: AP) April 25, 2006
Prepared by: Lionel Beehner
Chernobyl is associated in most minds with the devastating
health effects caused by nuclear fallout. Experts may disagree
over casualtiesestimates of how many will die from
radiation-related cancers range from 4,000to more than
90,000but few deny the Chernobyl accident irreparably damaged
many lives in Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, as this multimedia
report by MediaStorm demonstrates.
Yet twenty years after the Chernobyl meltdown, nuclear power is
enjoying somewhat of a rebirth in popularity, particularly in
Europe and Asia, as this CFR Background Q&A explains. Experts,
including Patrick Moore of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd, say
nuclear technology has become more advanced and thus safer than
it was in 1986 (WashPost). Oil and gas prices are
reaching historical highs, creating demands to find
alternativeand cheapersources of energy. And a strange
alliance of sorts has emerged between some powerful members of
the green and nuclear advocacy groups. Some environmentalists
say nuclear power, which does not give off carbon emissions, is
a welcome alternative to coal-fired plants, and less damaging to
the earth's atmosphere (CommonsBlog). Sixty new nuclear plants
are scheduled to go online by 2020, a significant number of
which are in Asia, according to the International Atomic Energy
Agency. Plans to phase out a number of plants across Europe are
also being rethought (CSMonitor).
But dangers and uncertainties remain. To date, no fool-proof
plan exists to properly secure or store nuclear waste and spent
fuel. Also, nuclear plants like Indian Point, north of New York
City, will always remain targets for terrorists, some experts
say. Economically speaking, nuclear power is very capital
intensive, and investing in it makes sense only so long as
prices for fossil fuels remain comparatively high
(Economist). Government subsidies, as included in the
White House's Advanced Energy Initiative, may help nudge along
plans in the United States to commission new nuclear plants. A
2003 MIT reportexamines the future of the nuclear industry and
finds that, despite its high up-front costs, switching over to
nuclear energy over the long run will be more cost effective and
will reduce CO2 emissions. RFE/RL looks beyond the humanitarian
and health challenges that Chernobyl poses and points out the
political issuesthat, twenty years on, the nuclear meltdown has
raised in the region.
Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights
Reserved. [ /]
*****************************************************************
73 Xinhua: Canada announces support for Chernobyl shelter
www.xinhuanet.com
www.chinaview.cn 2006-04-26 04:54:23
OTTAWA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Canada announced on Tuesday it
will provide 8 million Canadian dollars (7 million U.S. dollars)
in financial aid to the shelter at the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant in Ukraine.
This contribution is part of Canada's commitment to the
Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials
of Mass Destruction, launched by the G8 in 2002.
The new funding brings Canada's total contribution to
Chernobyl-related projects to 66.2 million Canadian dollars
(56.2 million U.S. dollars).
In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay
reiterated commitment to Ukraine and neighboring countries,
pledging "Canada will continue to support Ukraine as it copes
with the effects of the world's worst nuclear accident."
The explosion and fire at the Chernobyl power station on
April 26, 1986 left at least 4,000 people dead, sending
radiation across Europe and contaminated large swathes of
territory in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko urged donors on Monday
to help tackle the enduring aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear
disaster, especially the completion of a new cover for the
plant's devastated reactor. Enditem
Editor: Luan Shanglin
Copyright ©2003 Xinhua News Agency. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
74 TheStar.com: Nuclear power is safe
Tue. Apr. 25, 2006. | Updated at 04:41 AM
Worst of all possible worlds
Letter, April 21.
In his letter, Mark Winfield of the Pembina Institute attempts
to mislead readers about the safety of nuclear reactors in
Canada. In commenting on the supposed similarity between nuclear
reactors in Canada and those of the former Soviet Union he
neglects to mention all the differences that contribute to
safety in Canada.
It is a fact that reactors in Canada all have comprehensive
safety systems, including a complete containment system,
designed to contain radiation in the event of an accident and
prevent the release of dangerous radiation to the environment.
It is a fact that the configuration of a CANDU reactor is very
different from that of a Soviet-designed RBMK reactor such as
the one that suffered an accident in April 1986. These
differences make it impossible for an accident such as that
which happened at Chernobyl to occur in any reactor in Canada.
The Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and
Natural Resources understood very well those differences when it
wrote its report on nuclear reactor safety. The Senate committee
concluded, "After several years of study, the committee feels
secure in the knowledge that Canada's domestic nuclear reactors
are among the safest in operation anywhere in the world. With
continued vigilant oversight, we feel that nuclear generated
electricity can continue to play a vital role in providing
Canadians with electricity."
Colin Hunt, Director of Research and Publications, Canadian
Nuclear Association, Ottawa
Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All
*****************************************************************
75 Wiener Zeitung: Austria fights nuclear energy
[Wahlen-Portal der Wiener Zeitung]
20th anniversary of Chernobyl fall-out.
Vienna. Most Austrians are opposed to nuclear power stations.
Still, power from such sources comes to the country from abroad.
Vienna. Most Austrians are opposed to nuclear power stations.
Still, power from such sources comes to the country from abroad.
Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the nuclear catastrophe at
Chernobyl, several politicians have affirmed their commitment to
a nuclear free Austria. Among them were not only Greens and
Social Democrats but also the leader of the Freedom Party,
HeinzChristian Strache. He demanded that Austria back out of the
Euratom treaty which is part of the EU constitution. He also
joined the Greens in criticising the government for allegedly
doing too little to prevent the EU spending money on nuclear
energy rather than alternatives like water, wind or solar power.
On April 26, 1986, several explosions destroyed reactor No. 4 at
the Chernobyl power plant, turning it into a radioactive
inferno. The Soviet government acknowledged the accident two
days later -- after the fallout had set off radiation alarms in
Sweden. The blaze raged for 10 days. Radioactive material was
deposited worldwide.
26.04.2006
Wiener Zeitung - 1040 Wien · Wiedner Gürtel 10 · Tel. 01/206 99
0 · Impressum
*****************************************************************
76 Alarab Online: Iran to stop atomic transparency if attacked
Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Tuesday his country
would suspend its relations with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) if sanctions were imposed, as advocated by the
United States.
Ali Larijani also said Iran would stop acting transparently over
its nuclear programme if was attacked militarily.
The United States accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear bombs
and has been seeking support for international sanctions if
Tehran does not halt uranium enrichment, as demanded by the
U.N.Security Council. But Russia and China oppose such measures.
"How are you going to prevent our activities by imposing
sanctions? If you impose sanctions, Iran will suspend its
relations with the agency) IAEA)," Larijani told a conference on
nuclear issues in Tehran.
"In case of military action against our country, Iran cannot be
expected to act transparently (in its atomic work)," he said.
The Security Council has asked the IAEA to report on Friday on
Iran's compliance with its demands that Tehran halt uranium
enrichment and answer the agency's queries on its nuclear work.
The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said it cannot yet confirm Iran's
assertion that its atomic activities are purely civilian.
But it has found no hard proof of a military programme.
Asked about France's attitude towards any U.S. military action
against Iran, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told
France 2 television: "For us, obviously, that is absolutely not
on the agenda.
France, more than ever, is attached to the Charter of the
United Nations.We think that decisions like that should be taken
together, multilaterally.
"It's the U.N.Security Council that should give its agreement
and must politically support the IAEA."
China urges negotiations
China called on the international community on Tuesday not to
give up on negotiations to resolve a crisis over Iran's nuclear
ambitions.
"We advocate appropriately resolving this issue through
negotiation and peaceful means," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin
Gang told a regular news briefing.
"The international community should not forsake peaceful
negotiation and any measures should be conducive to that goal."
His comments came a day after Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad said he did not expect U.N.sanctions to be imposed
on Iran over its nuclear programme and vowed to press ahead with
uranium enrichment.
Spokesman Qin also reiterated China's call on all sides to
maintain restraint and exercise flexibility .
"ElBaradei's report on Iran will be negative"
A key report by U.N. nuclear Chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Iran's
cooperation with U.N.Security Council demands that it suspend
uranium enrichment will be negative, the U.S.ambassador to the
IAEA said on Tuesday.
"This report that is due on Friday is meant to cover Iran's
compliance with the demands of the (IAEA) board of governors and
the Security Council," U.S.
ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
Gregory Schulte said.
"Given the announcement they made two weeks ago (about enriching
uranium) and given the apparent failure to cooperate further
with the IAEA, we can only expect a negative report."
Alarab Online. © 2005 All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
77 Rutland Herald: Watchdogs cry foul in Yankee power increase
Rutland Vermont News & Information
April 25, 2006
By DAVID GRAM The Associated Press
MONTPELIER — The Vermont Public Service Board committed "extreme
procedural violations" when it gave final approval for the
Vermont Yankee nuclear plant to increase its power output by 20
percent, a nuclear watchdog group has charged.
The board's decision, on the heels of final approval for the
power increase by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
said Vermont Yankee and the NRC had made a satisfactory effort
to meet a key condition the board had set when it gave the power
boost its tentative approval in March of 2004.
The NRC has exclusive jurisdiction over several issues
surrounding nuclear plants, including their safety. But the
state Public Service Board has the authority to weigh the
economic impacts of power plants and other utility projects.
During board hearings on the power increase, the New England
Coalition argued for an "independent safety assessment" of
Vermont Yankee before it was allowed to increase power.
The board instead called for a special NRC review of the likely
effect the power increase might have on the plant's reliability.
It reasoned that it had the power to call for such a review as a
condition for approving the power increase because the plant's
reliability would affect electric rates by increasing the
likelihood of outages at Vermont Yankee.
The NRC did a special review. In its March 3 order, the board
said in effect that although the federal agency's review was not
exactly what it had called for, it was good enough.
The NRC review "did not employ precisely the same methodology we
had requested," the board said. But it said it "appears to have
nonetheless achieved the same purpose."
In its appeal, the coalition said the board reached that
conclusion without any of the usual court-like hearings in which
witnesses can be cross-examined. The board hosted a conference
with the NRC to hear about its inspection, but the information
gathered there was not under oath, the group said.
"The NRC specifically acknowledged that its inspection did not
even address the reliability of the plant, but was rather
limited to an examination of whether certain safety mechanisms
would operate in the event of an accident," the coalition's
appeal said.
Robert Williams, spokesman for Vermont Yankee owner Entergy
Nuclear, said the "the NRC conducted the most comprehensive
review of any plant uprate they've ever done."
He added that "the PSB relied on those comprehensive reviews and
they rightly decided not to modify their approval. We're very
confident the Vermont Supreme Court will affirm the board's
decisions."
Vermont Yankee has been increasing power in stages. It raised
the level to 115 percent of its original power output on
Saturday; data the plant collected after reaching that level is
now being reviewed by the NRC, Williams said.
*****************************************************************
78 NRC: Sunshine Act Meetings
FR Doc 06-3945
[Federal Register: April 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 79)]
[Notices] [Page 23952] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr25ap06-124]
Date: Weeks of April 24, May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2006.
Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland.
Status: Public and Closed.
Matters To Be Considered: Week of April 24, 2006 Monday, April
24, 2006 2 p.m.: Meeting with Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC), FERC Headquarters, 888 First St., NE.,
Washington, DC 20426, Room 2C (Public Meeting), (Contact: Mike
Mayfield, 301-415-3298).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.ferc.gov .
Wednesday, April 26, 2006 1 p.m.: Discussion of Management Issues
(Closed--Ex. 2). Thursday, April 27, 2006 1:30 p.m.: Meeting with
Department of Energy (DOE) on New Reactor Issues (Public
Meeting).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of May 1, 2006--Tentative Tuesday, May 2, 2006 9:30 a.m.:
Briefing on Status of Emergency Planning Activities-- Morning
Session (Public Meeting) (Contact: Eric Leeds, 301-415-2334).
1 p.m.: Briefing on Status of Emergency Planning Activities--
Afternoon Session (Public Meeting).
These meetings will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov .
Wednesday, May 3, 2006 8:55 a.m.: Affirmation Session (Public
Meeting) (Tentative). a. ANDREW SIEMASZKO, Docket No. IA-05-021,
unpublished Licensing Board Order (Dec. 22, 2005) (Tentative). b.
ANDREW SIEMASZKO, Docket No. IA- 05-021, unpublished Licensing
Board Order (March 2, 2006) (Tentative).
9 a.m.: Briefing on Status of Risk-Informed, Performance-Based
Regulation (Public Meeting) (Contact: Eileen McKenna,
301-415-2189).
This meeting will be webcast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of May 8, 2006--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled
for the Week of May 8, 2006.
Week of May 15, 2006--Tentative Monday, May 15, 2006 1 p.m.:
Briefing on Status of Implementation of Energy Policy Act of 2005
(Public Meeting) (Contact: Scott Moore, 301-415-7278).
This meeting will be Web cast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov .
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 9:30 a.m.: Briefing on Results of the
Agency Action Review Meeting--Reactors/Materials (Public Meeting)
(Contact: Mark Tonacci, 301-415-4045).
This meeting will be Web cast live at the Web
address--http://www.nrc.gov .
Week of May 22, 2006--Tentative Wednesday, May 24, 2006 9:30
a.m.: Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1). 1:30 p.m.:
All Employees Meeting (Public Meetings), Marriott Bethesda North
Hotel, Salons, D-H, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, MD 20852.
Week of May 29, 2006-Tentative Wednesday, May 31, 2006 1 p.m.:
Discussion of Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1). Additional
Information The Briefing on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Programs (Public Meeting) previously scheduled on May 22, 2006,
has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
*The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on
short notice. To verify the status of meetings call (recording)--
(301) 415-1292. Contact person for more information: Michelle
Schroll, (301) 415-1662.
The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the Internet
at: http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/policy-making/schedule.html.
The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with
disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable
accommodation to participate in these public meetings, or need
this meeting notice or the transcript or other information from
the public meetings in another format (e.g., braille, large
print), TDD: 301-415-2100, or by e-mail at DLC@nrc.gov.
Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be
made on a case-by-case basis.
This notice is distributed by mail to several hundred
subscribers; if you no longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301-415-1969). In addition,
distribution of this meeting notice over the Internet system is
available. If you are interested in receiving this Commission
meeting schedule electronically, please send an electronic
message to dkw@nrc.gov. Dated: April 20, 2006.
R. Michelle Schroll, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 06-3945 Filed 4-21-06; 2:01 pm] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
*****************************************************************
79 People's Daily: Official: Chernobyl pollution still affects 1.5 million Russians
UPDATED: 09:05, April 25, 2006
More than 1.5 million Russians live in areas contaminated by
radiation from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster 20 years ago,
health officials said yesterday, and some regularly consume
irradiated foods.
Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's chief public health official, said
in a statement that about 4,300 towns and villages in 14 Russian
provinces are located in areas irradiated from the nuclear
accident on April 26, 1986.
While food products are safe in most of those provinces, tests
indicated exceptional radiation levels in about 13 per cent of
the livestock and vegetables from private farms in the western
Bryansk and Kaluga regions, he said.
The explosion at Chernobyl's reactor No 4 spewed radiation
across northern Ukraine, western Russia, Belarusand much of
northern Europe over a 10-day period. Death tolls connected to
the explosion, which released about 400 times more radiation
than the US atom bomb dropped over Hiroshima, remain hotly
debated, though at least 31 people died as a direct result of
trying to contain the fire.
Thousands have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and the UN
health agency said that about 9,300 people are likely to die of
cancers caused by radiation. Some groups, however, including
Greenpeace, have put the numbers 10 times higher.
Meanwhile, activists of a Chernobyl victims group called on the
government to pay off millions of dollars in compensation to
cleanup workers and restore long-time benefits, such as free
health care.
Vladimir Demidov, a Health Ministry official charged with
Chernobyl matters, said between 7,000 and 8,000 Russians died as
a result of the accident, and some 60,000 have been declared
disabled because of the sustained damage to their health.
Vyacheslav Grishin, head of Russia's Chernobyl Union, disputed
the figures. He said the estimated 30,000 Russian cleanup
workers who have died since the accident perished as a result of
physical and psychological ailments. He urged government
officials to pay Chernobyl cleanup workers 2 billion rubles
(US$73 million) in compensation, to which he said courts have
ruled they are entitled.
Source: China Daily
Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved
*****************************************************************
80 NRCU: Chernobyl budget on medical treatment
[Govt decides on how to spend budgetary means on
Chornobyl-affected citizens' medical treatment and
rehabilitation]
25-04-2006 17:41
Govt decides on how to spend budgetary means on
Chornobyl-affected citizens' medical treatment and rehabilitation
The document specifies, in particular, that these funds are
primarily meant for treating grave oncological cases, who need
expensive medicines and medical equipment.
[SPF chairwoman Valentyna Semeniuk refuses to comply with
Government's errand to sell UkrTelecom] 25-04-2006 17:37 SPF
chairwoman Valentyna Semeniuk refuses to comply with
Government's errand to sell UkrTelecom
In early January 2006 Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov entrusted
the SPF and the Transportation &Communication Ministry to start
preparations for the UkrTelecom company's privatization,
tentatively slated for 2006.
[Luhansk Regional Rada decides on giving Russian regional
language status] 25-04-2006 17:31 Luhansk Regional Rada decides
on giving Russian regional language status
The Regional Rada's deputies basically members of the Regions
Party) proceeded from the European Charter on regional languages
and languages of national minorities in adopting the resolution.
25-04-2006 17:26 President intends to come to VR if judges of
Constitutional Court are to take oath there
As deputy Presidential press secretary Larysa Mudrak disclosed,
Viktor Yushchenko is scheduled to be in Chornobyl tomorrow to
attend the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Chornobyl
accident.
[BYUT questions the legitimacy of Leonid Chernovetskiy's
election Kyiv mayor.] 25-04-2006 16:56 BYUT questions the
legitimacy of Leonid Chernovetskiy's election Kyiv mayor.
This was aired by BYUT deputy chief of staff Mikhailo Brodskiy.
According to him, the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc does not rule out
an all-city referendum on whether Kyiv residents really wish to
see Leonid Chernovetskiy their mayor.
[Kyiv hosts presentation of documentary film "Usual
Chornobyl"] 25-04-2006 16:48 Kyiv hosts presentation of
documentary film "Usual Chornobyl"
It is dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl
accident. The film included cuts-in from the "Chornobyl: Two
Colors of Time" series, some shoots of 1986 to 1999 as well as
interviews by USSR high-ranking officials.
[Number of death cases of cancer caused by Chornobyl accident
possibly to reach 9 thousand people] 25-04-2006 16:46 Number of
death cases of cancer caused by Chornobyl accident possibly to
reach 9 thousand people
Such estimations of the World Health Organization were
disclosed by deputy Director General of the World Health
Organization Susanna Veber-Mosdorf.
25-04-2006 16:01 Chornobyl catastrophe served bitter but
important lesson for world community
This was disclosed today at the conference, dubbed "Twenty
Years Of Chornobyl Accident. Future Outlook".
25-04-2006 15:56 Speaker sends messages of condolences to
Egyptian parliament leaders on terrorist attacks in Dahab
The messages of Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn
resolutely condemn the attacks as attempts to sow fear and
despondency within the society and state wholehearted support
for Egypt in countering terrorism.
25-04-2006 15:51 Director General of the UNESCO views
readiness to accidents and their prevention as hugest
humanitarian protection of humanity
This was noted by Koichiro Matssura while speaking at the
humanitarian forum, dubbed "Revival, Reconstruction And Human
Development"
http://www.nrcu.gov.ua
© The National Radio Company of Ukraine. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
81 Interfax: EU to continue to offer Chornobyl aid to Ukraine
Interfax-Ukraine News Agency
Kyiv, April 25 (Interfax) - The European Commission is to
continue with its projects to combat the consequences of the
Chornobyl disaster.
The European Commission will continue to implement its projects
aimed at increasing nuclear security and at promoting the
development of the effected Ukrainian regions. The European
Commission will remain an active partner on Chornobyl issues. We
will continue to work together to prevent similar disasters in
the future, head of the Delegation of the European Commission to
Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus Ian Boag said at an international
conference entitled '20 years after the Chornobyl disaster.
Looking to the future'.
10:46:59 EET-2 << Back -->
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82 Kyiv Post: Chernobyl 'liquidators' on hunger strike to protest
paltry disability payments
Apr 25 2006, 20:44
SESTRORETSK, Russia (AP) - As the world marks the 20th
anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy Wednesday, seven
men in northwestern Russia will end a hunger strike launched to
focus attention on the workers drafted to clean up the site -
and now scraping by on disability payments they receive for
their exposure to radiation.
"It is as if the state ... wants us to die sooner," said Igor
Stolbikov, 48, who stopped eating and drinking on April 20. He
receives 3,000 rubles ($110) a month from the state, he said.
"It is impossible even to survive on that money."
Some 600,000 so-called "liquidators" like Stolbikov were sent
from all over the Soviet Union to the Chernobyl plant in the
then-republic of Ukraine after April 26, 1986, explosion and
fire. Many were soldiers, workers or coal miners drafted to
clean up the site and to cover the destroyed reactor in a coffin
of steel and concrete intended to contain the radiation.
In 1991, Soviet authorities offered a generous package of
benefits to Chernobyl cleanup workers. But over time it has been
cut back, and in 2004 authorities eliminated 10 of the 25
original benefits, including free health treatment and public
transportation.
Requirements to prove a connection between Chernobyl liquidation
service and any given illness have also become tougher, making
it more difficult to collect benefits. At least 31 people died
as a direct result of trying to contain the fire, but experts
are divided over the disaster's long-term impact on mortality.
The U.N. World Health Organization says about 9,300 people are
likely to die of cancers caused by Chernobyl radiation - which
was about 400 times higher than that released by the U.S. atomic
bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Greenpeace puts Chernobyl's
potential toll 10 times higher.
Stolbikov spent 10 months at Chernobyl beginning in November
1986. Years later, he developed respiratory problems and chronic
headaches, which were diagnosed as symptoms of brain damage.
Nine years ago, he was forced to stop working and live on his
monthly disability payment.
"When they sent me to Chernobyl, I did not yet have children.
When I came back, the doctors said it was already too late for
me to have them," he said.
He and five fellow liquidators have spent the week in an
apartment in Sestroretsk, a town 30 kilometers (20 miles) west
of St. Petersburg. The men lie gaunt and weak on a floor covered
with mattresses.
Another former liquidator has been on hunger strike in his own
apartment since April 5 - though he sometimes has had water.
Sergei Kulish, 44, said he wanted to draw attention to
Chernobyl's forgotten heroes. "Chernobyl liquidators keep dying
one by one. They lose their teeth. They mostly cannot work
because of their disability. And they get ridiculously low
support from the state," he said.
Despite their hopes, the hunger strike has gotten minimal media
coverage. But state-controlled channels gave broad play to
Russian President Vladimir Putin's awarding of medals Tuesday to
people who helped clean up after the disaster.
"You not only saw the extent of the catastrophe, not only shared
in the suffering, but also fought in difficult circumstances.
Many were killed," Putin said.
"The full extent of personal risk and possible consequences was
not known," Putin said. "And your self-assertion and ability to
collect yourselves in an extreme situation saved a huge number
of human lives."
Kulish went to the Chernobyl zone in 1986. He was 24, had
finished his army service and had two children.
"They called me up because, when in the army, I served in the
radiation reconnaissance unit," he said. "I was involved in
measuring the level of radiation at the station itself and in
the surrounding areas."
He said that at some point cleanup commanders thought the town
of Pripyat, the closest to the station, could be saved, so they
sent people there to wash asphalt and dig the soil. The weather
was hot, and some of the workers took off their respirators,
increasing the health risks. Later, it was understood no one
could live in Pripyat anymore.
When Kulish came home from Chernobyl, he said, his body began to
waste away. The degeneration stopped after a while - but the
headaches, heart and other health problems continue.
Experts acknowledge that rates of thyroid cancer - particularly
among people who were children at the time of the disaster -
have skyrocketed since then, and that cancer is internationally
recognized as caused by radiation contamination. Ukrainian
studies also have recorded increases in leukemia and other
cancers.
Kyiv Post
*****************************************************************
83 Reuters: CHRONOLOGY-Nuclear accidents worldwide
25 Apr 2006 16:54:39 GMT
Source: Reuters
April 25 (Reuters) - Chernobyl No. 4 nuclear reactor blew up 20
years ago. The reactor, in what was then the Soviet republic of
Ukraine, spewed a huge cloud of radioactive dust over much of
Europe in what was the worst nuclear accident the world has ever
seen.
The following is a chronology of some major accidents at
nuclear plants in the last 50 years.
Oct. 7, 1957 - Fire destroys the core of a plutonium-producing
reactor at Britain's Windscale nuclear complex -- since renamed
Sellafield.
1957/8 - A serious accident occurs near the town of Kyshtym in
the Urals. A Russian scientist who first reported the disaster
estimated that hundreds died from radiation sickness.
Jan. 1961 - Three technicians die at a U.S. plant in Idaho
Falls in an accident at an experimental reactor.
1965 - The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission deliberately produces
a low-intensity radioactive cloud from a nuclear reactor over
Los Angeles.
Oct. 1966 - The core of an experimental reactor near Detroit
partly melts when a sodium cooling system fails.
Oct. 1969 - In Saint-Laurent, France, a fuel-loading error
sparks a partial meltdown at a gas-cooled power reactor.
Dec. 1975 - Fire breaks out at the Lubmin nuclear power complex
in former East Germany after an electrician's mistake. Some
reports say there was a near-meltdown of the reactor core.
March 1979 - America's worst nuclear accident occurs at the
Three Mile Island plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A partial
meltdown of one of the reactors leaks radioactive gas.
Aug. 1979 - Uranium spews out of a top-secret nuclear fuel
plant in Tennessee. About 1,000 people are contaminated with up
to five times normal annual radiation levels.
Nov. 1983 - Britain's Sellafield plant accidentally discharges
radioactive waste into the Irish Sea, prompting
environmentalists to demand its closure.
Aug. 1985 - A blast devastates the Shkotovo-22 repair facility
which services Soviet navy nuclear-powered vessels. Ten are
killed and many die later of radiation exposure.
April 1986 - In the world's worst nuclear accident, an
explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine
spews radiation over much of Europe. Thirty-one people die in
the immediate aftermath. Hundreds of thousands are evacuated and
a similar number suffer the effects of radiation.
Nov. 1992 - In France's most serious nuclear accident, three
workers are contaminated after entering a nuclear particle
accelerator in Forbach without protective clothing.
Nov. 1995 - At Chernobyl, serious contamination occurs when
fuel is being removed from one of the reactors.
Sept. 1999 - Two workers die at a uranium processing plant at
Tokaimura, 140 km (90 miles) northeast of Tokyo, and hundreds
are exposed to radiation after workers trigger an uncontrolled
chain reaction by using buckets to mix nuclear fuel in a tub.
Aug. 2004 - Hot water and steam leaking from a broken pipe at
Kansai Electric Power Co.'s Mihama No. 3 nuclear power generator
kills five workers in Japan's worst-ever nuclear power plant
accident.
Source: Reuters
Last updated:Tue Apr 25 17:01:29 2006
*****************************************************************
84 ITAR-TASS: Soviet government concealed Chernobyl disaster truth for long
25.04.2006, 15.38
MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) - Two blasts ripped the air at the
fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine
on April 26, 1986 at 01.24 hours. The unprecedented nuclear
disaster according to scientific estimates equaled at least four
Hiroshimas by the level of radioactive emission.
However, the Soviet government kept mum three days about the
tragedy, threatening the life of many hundreds of thousands of
people, although its real scale was known six minutes after the
blasts fully destroyed the fourth reactor.
Fire engines, commanded by Lieutenants Viktor Kibenok and
Vladimir Pravik, arrived to the place of the disaster at 01.30
hours. They absorbed the entire power of radioactive radiation,
staying on the roof of the reactor house. The fire was localized
by five o’clock in the morning. Kibenok and Pravik as well as
their subordinates sustained heavy dozes of radiation and died.
The two were awarded the top title of the Hero of the Soviet
Union posthumously.
However, Soviet television initially refuted Western reports
about the disaster in Chernobyl and screened photographs of yet
undamaged plant. Only three days later, a brief statement by the
Soviet government, which took only eight newspaper lines,
appeared in the bottom right corner on the front page of the
Izvestia daily on April 29.
It only reported an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant and said one of the reactors was damaged and medical aid
is being rendered to the injured. The same front page carried an
article in the top left corner entitled “Festive mood” in
connection with the upcoming May Day holidays.
Although rumors about the real enormity of the disaster were
quickly spreading all over Ukraine and neighboring Belarus and
Russia, thousands of unaware people turned out for the May Day
demonstration in Kiev, situated mere 140 kilometers away from
Chernobyl.
On May 2, Soviet Prime Minister Nikolai Ryzhkov visited
Chernobyl. It was reported that he “discussed measures on wiping
out the seat of the breakdown and on rendering aid to
population”. Not a word was said about the true scope of the
catastrophe.
On May 4, the Pravda newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Soviet
Communist Party, accused the West of “spreading concoctions and
fabrications” about the scale of the breakdown so as “to detract
attention of the world public” from the militarist policy of
imperialism. “Sponsors of propaganda shows care precisely for
this rather than for the health of people,” Pravda wrote.
On May 6, the Soviet government reported that “the radioactive
situation in the Ukrainian and Belarussian territories is
stabilizing and tends to improve”. It for the first time
admitted that people were evacuated from a 30-kilometer zone
around Chernobyl. Later in the day, the press center of the
Soviet Foreign Ministry reported that two people had died while
eliminating the aftermath of the accident, and “only 204 people
were hospitalized with various degrees of radioactive dose”.
On May 9, an international cycling race was held in Kiev.
In the meantime, thousands of people from all over the former
Soviet Union, the so-called “liquidators”, were summoned to
eliminate the aftermath of the unprecedented disaster. Work was
done mostly manually. People with spades removed the top layer
of soil on the grounds of the station, dumped reinforcement
chunks with hands, graphite from the roof of the reactor house,
and washed down radioactive dirt with mops inside the plant.
Chernobyl liquidators prevented another major disaster, which
could have occurred as the destroyed reactor was heaped with
sand sacks to shut it down and to stop radiation discharges. The
multi-ton sand could break the load-carrying structures, and the
reactor could have fallen into the cooling pool with a multi-ton
mass of water, located underneath.
This could have provoked a hydrogen explosion, which would have
ruined the three remaining reactors of the plant. Liquidators
dug a tunnel under the reactor, holed the pool’s wall and pumped
the water out. A new disaster was warded off. Later a
sarcophagus or shelter was built over the destroyed reactor.
Chernobyl has been a common name for 20 years, symbolizing
nuclear hazard.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
85 ITAR-TASS: Int’l efforts required for building new Chernobyl confinement
25.04.2006, 13.53
MOSCOW, April 25 (Itar-Tass) - A safe protective confinement
over the reactor that exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power
plant 20 years ago, on April 26, 1986, has not been built so
far.
Russia confirms its readiness to participate in cooperation with
other countries in the efforts aimed at final liquidation of
consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
The problem of the reconstruction of the sarcophagus, or the
confinement, over the reactor emerged back in 1989, when its
declared service time of 30 years was admitted mistaken.
Facility Confinement has been a main area of international
cooperation in the liquidation of the consequences of the
accident since then.
In 1996-97, G7countries and Ukraine developed a plan of measures
and founded the Chernobyl Confinement Fund managed by the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) that
became the first consultant of the project.
Initial costs of work to build a new safe confinement (NSC) were
put at 300 million dollars and total costs of the plan at 758
million dollars.
However, a tender for the NSC has not been finished so far, as
analysis of bids has shown that its costs could approach one
billion dollars, with a significant deficit of the fund’s
budget.
At present, the summary donor payments to the Chernobyl
Confinement Fund are 900 million dollars.
Ukraine has informed the EBRD about losing its trust in key
workers of the Project Management Group and in fact demanded
organising a new tender.
Citing charter rules of the Chernobyl Confinement Fund, the EBRD
disagreed to a repeat tender. The US backed its stance.
Even though the issue of the tender for NSC has stalled, the
Russian company Atomstroieksport takes part in work to stabilise
the old confinement and improve its nuclear safety.
In May 2005, the Russian government made the decisions on the
Rosatom nuclear energy agency’s participation in the Chernobyl
Confinement Fund and on payment of 10 million dollars to it.
Besides, the government decided to set up a Russian-Ukrainian
working group on comprehensive organisation of long-term dry
storage of non-hermetic and damaged spent nuclear fuel after
putting the Chernobyl nuclear power plant out of operation.
© ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy,
*****************************************************************
86 [NukeNet] NRC says it can't investigate day-care concerns
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:03:56 -0700
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
http://www.pennlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/114588481928210.xml?pennnews&coll=1
NRC says it can't investigate day-care concerns
Sunday, April 23, 2006
BY GARRY LENTON
Of The Patriot-News
The federal agency that licenses commercial nuclear reactors can't
say for sure if preschool children in day-care centers and nursery
schools will be evacuated if another nuclear emergency occurs in Pennsylvania.
And though questions have been raised about potential weaknesses in
the state's emergency planning, a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
official said the agency can't investigate the claims because its
authority does not extend beyond the borders of the plants.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency determine if local emergency plans around nuclear
plants comply with NRC licensing regulations, said Gregory C.
Cwalina, an NRC senior allegation coordinator. He made the statement
in an April 3 letter to Larry Christian and Eric Epstein, chairman of
the watchdog group Three Mile Island Alert.
Christian and Epstein maintain the plans fail to protect preschool
children in private day-care centers and nursery schools. In an
allegation filed with the agency this year, the two claim that NRC
licensing requirements are not being enforced.
"We are unable to substantiate your concern that nuclear power
reactor licensees operating in ... Pennsylvania are in violation of
federal regulations," Cwalina wrote.
Before the federal government grants a license for a nuclear plant,
state and local officials have to develop evacuation plans for people
within 10 miles of a plant, including those in hospitals, nursing
homes and schools.
If the allegations of Christian and Epstein are correct, the NRC
could order the state's five nuclear plants to shut down until the
evacuation plans are revised.
FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, two agencies
that review emergency planning, say the plan meets NRC requirements.
FEMA tested the TMI emergency plan last May and found no problems. No
day-care centers or nursery schools were contacted in the drill,
however. Instead, FEMA verified that municipal officials had names
and telephone numbers for day-care centers.
"All they did was look at what they had on paper and say it's
adequate," Epstein said. "Ink on paper doesn't evacuate children."
A survey of day-care center operators conducted last year by
Epstein's EFMR Monitoring Group, found that 87 percent did not know
how they would move their children to safety if an evacuation was
declared. More than half did not know where they would take their
children. EFMR is a nonprofit group established by Epstein to measure
radiation around TMI. The survey represented nearly 40 day-care centers.
Christian, a father of two, raised the issue with the NRC three years
ago. He called the agency's refusal to act on the allegation
"completely absurd."
Epstein accused the agency of criminal negligence and said TMI Alert
planned to pursue the issue in court.
"At some point, somebody has to produce evidence that special needs
populations can be evacuated," he said.
NRC spokeswoman Diane Screnci said the letter was a response to a
specific allegation and did not mean the agency was finished
examining the issue. She said the NRC is working with FEMA to ensure
emergency planning meets the requirements.
When asked if the NRC had the authority to second-guess FEMA's
evaluations, Screnci said, "we rely on FEMA to give us an evaluation."
The assertion that the NRC can't tell FEMA to correct a problem seems
to contradict statements made last month by NRC Commissioner Gregory
B. Jaczko.
In a speech at the National Radiological Emergency Preparedness
Conference, Jaczko said, "the NRC has the ultimate authority and
responsibility" to ensure public health and safety around nuclear
power plants.
The co-author of the licensing requirements also questioned the
letter's interpretation of NRC policy. Licensing decisions are based
on the NRC's review of FEMA findings, said Michael Jamgochian, a
senior NRC engineer.
Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed described the NRC position as
"curious and conflicting."
"The public safety is a major component of licensing," he said. "So
it's a little disingenuous to say that [NRC] have no off-site
jurisdiction when indeed they do."
David Lochbaum, a nuclear safety expert with the Union of Concerned
Scientists, said NRC's decision to hand all authority over off-site
emergency planning to FEMA raised questions about the agency's
ability to evaluate public safety at all nuclear plants.
"The only difference between New Orleans and the communities around
Three Mile Island is that FEMA's bluff hasn't been called," he said,
referring to FEMA's much-criticized response to Hurricane Katrina last fall.
GARRY LENTON: 255-8264 or glenton@patriot-news.com
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87 [NukeNet] The truth about evacuation plans
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:03:59 -0700
NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
Published in 2000
Give Delawareans some say before emergency
Delaware News Journal
08/28/2000
http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/opinion/devoice/08282000.html
I recently spoke before the New Jersey Emergency Management Agency
concerning an evacuation plan in case of a nuclear power plant accident at
Salem. I had that privilege because the New Jersey legislature has made
provisions for an annual hearing to allow the public to voice concerns and
make suggestions.
Even though more people live in the shadow of these plants on the Delaware
side of the river, no such opportunity is granted by this state.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency is responsible for a 10-mile
radius, called the Emergency Planning Zone.
DEMA has plans for three options, depending on the severity of the
accident: access control, sheltering, evacuation.
- All access to the emergency zone would be closed. With enough police,
that could be accomplished.
- People would be ordered to stay in their homes with doors and windows
closed. How that is to be accomplished is not clear, particularly since
most people I have talked to are not familiar with the possibility of such
an order and its grave importance. Whether this order even could be
enforced and how many police it would take are open questions.
- Evacuation. Here is where the plan seems to fall apart. A recent study
reveals serious flaws.
Mass exodus
Spontaneous evacuation is not taken into account. Should DEMA order the
evacuation of the emergency zone, mass exodus also will have taken place
outside the zone by the time emergency personnel arrives. That will prevent
those who have been exposed to nuclear effects from getting to designated
shelters.
That occurred during the Three Mile Island accident in 1979 in
Pennsylvania. A recent study shows that the evacuation of pregnant women
and preschool children in a five-mile zone would have involved 3,400
evacuees. But 200,000 people evacuated, about 39 percent of the population
within 15 miles of the reactor.
Also not taken into consideration is role conflict. For example, emergency
personnel assigned to evacuate students, the elderly, hospitals and prisons
might give priority to their families.
Researchers studying the now closed Shoreham nuclear power station
questioned bus drivers and volunteer firefighters as to what they would do
if evacuation of a 10-mile zone was ordered; 68 percent of 291 firefighters
and 73 percent of 264 bus drivers indicated family obligations would take
precedence over emergency duties.
During the Three Mile Island accident, conflict extended to nurses,
physicians and technicians. At one local hospital, only six of the 70
doctors scheduled for weekend emergency duty reported for work.
A nuclear power plant accident is considerably different from a natural
disaster, such as a hurricane. People often have to be prodded to leave
scenes of natural disasters. The stakes are much higher after a nuclear
accident, and the passage of time does not make the estimates of danger
more palatable.
A study recently completed by the Sandia National Laboratory concluded that
a worst-case accident at Salem I and II in New Jersey might kill more than
100,000 people.
The officials for the New Jersey Radiological Response Plan were courteous,
attentive and met with us privately before the official hearing. There is
no provision in Delaware for public participation when those in charge have
their meetings. I would hope that someone in the legislature would come
forward to introduce a bill that would give
us the same opportunity.
Frieda Berryhill, of Heritage Park, was chairwoman of the Coalition for
Nuclear Power Postponement .
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88 komo news: Study: Cancer Deaths Not Higher In Tri-Cities Area
KENNEWICK - Living near the Hanford nuclear reservation does not
appear to increase cancer deaths. That's according to a new study
published in the journal Health Physics.
The study looked at the number of cancer deaths in Benton,
Franklin, Adams and Walla Walla counties from 1950 through 2000.
The study compared cancer rates in the four counties near
Hanford, where radiation exposure is believed to have been the
greatest, to five other counties not downwind of Hanford. The
counties of Douglas, Skagit, Chelan, Kittitas and Whatcom were
selected as a control group because they had similar economic and
social characteristics.
The only statistically significant difference in cancer rates
between the Hanford counties and the control counties was a lower
rate of lung cancer deaths for those near Hanford.
The study said that may be because people near Hanford were less
likely to smoke cigarettes.
The study found 33 thyroid cancer deaths in the Hanford counties
compared with 76 deaths in the control counties, which had a
larger population.
KOMO RADIO-TV
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89 TIME.com: The Fallout Before a Bomb Test
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
GETTY IMAGES
Early Testing: A mushroom cloud rises
over a 1951 atomic bomb detonation in Nevada. Web Exclusive|
Nation
A blast being planned for the Nevada desert revives some old
atomic-age concerns By MARGOT ROOSEVELT
Posted Tuesday, Apr. 25, 2006
Will a 10,000-foot cloud of dust from a massive bomb spread
radioactive particles across the West? It sounds like a nightmare
scenario from the 1950s. But that’s the question a U.S. district
court in Las Vegas will seek to resolve next month.
A Western Shoshone Indian tribe and representatives of two Salt
Lake citizens groups have filed suit against the U.S. Defense
Department to stop the June 2 detonation of a 700-ton ammonium
nitrate and fuel oil bomb 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The
test, announced by the Pentagon on April 4, and dubbed "Divine
Strake," is designed to determine how a bomb might penetrate
fortified underground bunkers. It will be the biggest open-air
chemical blast ever conducted at the Nevada Test site — 280
times more powerful than the explosion that destroyed the
Oklahoma City federal building in 1995. "The concern of downwind
communities is ‘Here we go again,’" said plaintiff Stephen
Erickson of the Salt Lake City-based Citizens Education Project.
Though not a nuclear test, Erickson is afraid the huge blast
"could kick up radioactive dust from previous nuclear testing,"
and claims "the Pentagon has sprung it on everybody with no
examination of its effects."
Nuclear weapons testing at the Nevada site from 1951 to 1992 is
alleged to have caused tens of thousands of cancers in residents
of Arizona, Utah, Nevada and Idaho. Although the findings are
disputed, the 1990 federal Radiation Exposure Compensation Act
provided compassionate payments to some victims. In announcing
the test, James Tegnelia, director of the Defense Threat
Reduction Agency, told reporters the blast "is the first time in
Nevada that you’ll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we
stopped testing nuclear weapons." Later, after a rebuke from
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Tegnelia retracted the
description. A Pentagon spokesman said the test would occur at
least three miles from areas of known radioactive contamination
and that the cloud would not be visible from Las Vegas. But Reid
and other Congressional critics expressed dismay about the
possible fallout. "I’m concerned that tests of this magnitude
have been planned without providing Nevadans with any
information about the possible impact on their health or
safety," Reid said last month.
The lawsuit, filed last week, demands that the Defense
Department publish its plans in the Federal Register, provide
the opportunity for public comment and conduct a full
environmental impact statement on the effect of the explosion.
"The Department of Defense appears to have learned nothing from
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Chernobyl and the devastating deaths caused
to nuclear veterans and downwinders by atmospheric nuclear
testing," the suit contends. The June 2 explosion, it added,
would contaminate Native American land, "making it unfit for
millions of years for an use by the Western Shoshone people or
any other human beings." A Defense Department statement,
however, declared, "No adverse impact on the environment or
health of exercise participants or local residents is
anticipated."
EDITIONS: TIME Europe | TIME Asia | TIME Pacific | |
*****************************************************************
90 Sydney Morning Herald: Fast-bake fix straight from nuclear kitchen - National -
smh.com.au
Binding ties … Erden Sizgek and his wife, Devlet Sizgek, with a
mock-up of the synroc plant.
Photo: Bob Pearce
By Richard Macey
April 26, 2006
ALMOST three decades after it was proclaimed the solution to the
world's nuclear waste problem, construction of the first synroc
plant is about to begin.
Unveiled in 1978 by Ted Ringwood, a geochemist from the
Australian National University, synroc, or synthetic rock, was
said to copy the way nature locked up radioactivity in the
earth. But when Professor Ringwood died in 1993 there was little
to show for his revolutionary idea.
"Synroc had a marketing problem," said George Collins, chief of
research at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation (ANSTO) at Lucas Heights. "It was designed for
high-level waste, concentrated waste from the reprocessing of
fuel from nuclear power stations. But not many countries have
high-level waste."
But Dr Collins said synroc was "still a good idea". Instead of
high-level nuclear waste, the synroc plant, to be operational in
about two years, will store 5700 litres of intermediate-level
waste produced at Lucas Heights during 30 years of making
radioactive pharmaceuticals.
The waste, from an isotope called molybdenum-99, will be bound
into artificial rock made from titanium oxide, using a process
Dr Collins described as similar to baking a cake.
It re-created conditions near the planet's centre that naturally
trapped radioactive elements such as uranium and thorium inside
the crystal structures of rocks for millions of years.
The technique has been refined at ANSTO by a team led by a
Turkish-born couple, Dr Erden Sizgek and his wife, Dr Devlet
Sizgek, who have completed a scale mock-up of the synroc plant,
often hammering out technical details over the dinner table.
The synroc and its waste would be put into cans and stored for
ever at the proposed Northern Territory nuclear waste depot.
Copyright © 2006. The Sydney Morning Herald.
*****************************************************************
91 Eureka Reporter: Bill on depleted uranium in Senate
Tue. Apr. 25, 2006
by Rebecca S. Bender, 4/25/2006
A bill now working its way through the state Senate would set up
a health screening system for U.S. veterans who may have been
exposed to depleted uranium.
SB 1720, the Veterans Health and Safety Act, was introduced by
State Sen. Wes Chesbro (D-Arcata) in February.
Recognizing the extensive use of depleted uranium by U.S. Armed
Forces since the 1991 Gulf War and the health risks associated
with the radioactive heavy metal — including kidney and lung
damage, cancer and genetic mutations — the bill designates
health screenings for veterans who may have been exposed.
The purpose of this act is to safeguard the health of
Californias veterans by assisting them in obtaining federal
treatment services, including best practice health screening
tests capable of detecting low levels of depleted uranium, it
stated.
It requires the adjutant general and the secretary of the
California Department of Veterans Affairs to provide outreach
and assistance to eligible veterans, defined as those who return
to California following service in an area where depleted
uranium was known to be used, or in an area that was designated
as a combat zone by the U.S. president after 1990.
The health screenings would include a bioassay procedure capable
of detecting depleted uranium at low levels and discriminating
between different uranium isotopes.
An annual report on the efficacy of pre- and post-deployment
training related to detecting exposure would also be submitted
to the state legislative policy committees dealing with
veterans affairs.
Last week, the bill was re-referred to the Committee on
Veterans Affairs.
Another bill introduced by Chesbro and co-authored by
Assemblymember Patty Berg (D-Eureka) expresses support for the
federal Veterans Right to Know Act.
That bill, HR 4259, was introduced in Congress by U.S. Rep. Mike
Thompson (D-Napa). It signed into law, it would create a
commission to investigate chemical and biological tests
involving members of the armed services, particularly Project
112 and the Shipboard Hazard and Defense Project. It has been in
the Subcommittee on Military Personnel since the end of
November.
The California lawmakers bill of support was also re-referred
to the Committee on Veterans Affairs last week.
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All
*****************************************************************
92 Salt Lake Tribune: Explosion test has Hatch upset
Article Last Updated: 04/25/2006 02:28:36 AM MDT
Concerns grow over possible dispersal of old radioactive material
in Nevada
By Robert Gehrke The Salt Lake Tribune
WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch has joined a group of Congress
members voicing concerns about "Divine Strake," a massive
explosion planned this summer at the Nevada Test Site that
critics say could have nuclear implications.
Hatch sent a letter Friday to the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency, seeking assurances that the test would not disperse any
radioactive material left over from past nuclear weapons tests
at the Nevada site.
"The more I look into this, the more upset I become," Hatch
said in a statement. "The good people who live downwind from
this test site have already been through enough, and I've given
them my word that I'll never allow any nuclear testing that
could harm them again. I have directed my staff to check into
this very closely, and if I'm not satisfied that this will be
safe, I'm going to do everything I can to put a stop to it."
The agency has said that its environmental assessment
determined there was no radioactive material at the site.
But Hatch's interest was piqued when the environmental
assessment first listed the blast site as being 2.5 miles from
any prior radioactive testing, but in another location listed it
as being 1.5 miles. Then in response to an inquiry, the actual
location was determined to be 1.1 miles from prior testing.
That prompted Hatch to ask the defense agency to review its
data and provide assurances the test could be safe.
Michelle Thomas, who is a Downwinder - a group of people
suffering illnesses as a result of their exposure to radioactive
fallout from Cold War nuclear tests - said Hatch did not express
his concern during a sometimes heated public meeting with other
downwinders last week. Thomas said she confronted the senator
about the test safety and he defended the need for it.
"I can't even believe they're doing it," said Thomas, who has
suffered a number of ailments, primarily an immune deficiency,
as a result of her radiation exposure. "I vacillate between rage
and tears. I really did not dream they'd try one of these
above-ground [tests]."
At that Downwinders' event, according to The Spectrum in St.
George, Hatch reportedly said he saw no reason to stop the test,
but would put the brakes on if he thought it was unsafe.
In his letter, Hatch said there are over 1,400 hardened
bunkers and underground targets in such places as North Korea,
China, Iran and Libya, and he understands the need to be able to
penetrate them.
The test itself, known as Divine Strake, involves detonating
700 tons of explosives on the Nevada Test Site. Pentagon budget
documents say the test is intended to help war planners pick the
smallest nuclear device needed to destroy hardened targets, like
underground bunkers.
That prompted concern from anti-proliferation groups and
Downwinders that the test would lead to development of new,
low-yield tactical nuclear weapons.
The Defense Department has since said that the inclusion of
"nuclear" in the budget document was an oversight, and the test
is meant to gather data on ground-shaking for computer modeling.
The explosives in the test are like those used in the
Oklahoma City bombing, only 280 times stronger. The blast will
be 50 times larger than that from the largest U.S.. conventional
weapon.
The Western Shoshone Indian tribe and two Utah Downwinders
have filed a lawsuit in federal court to stop the test, arguing
that the blast would stir up radioactive remnants from past
tests.
The plume from the explosion is expected to reach several
thousand feet above the ground. Air monitors would be set up to
track the debris.
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, has also sent a letter to the
agency, seeking assurances that there will not be any
radioactive material dispersed, and inquiring if the test is
truly designed to help develop new, low-yield nuclear weapons.
Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley were briefed
on the planned test and said it could be conducted safely.
However, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection has
demanded additional air quality data and computer models for the
test. Until they get those, the division said it will not grant
a permit for the test to proceed.
A Pentagon spokeswoman said it would provide the requested
data and plans to stick to the June 2 test date.
Hatch and Matheson will be sending staff to a special
congressional briefing at the Nevada Test Site on Wednesday.
© Copyright 2006, The Salt Lake Tribune.
*****************************************************************
93 delawareonline: Nuclear plant replacing critical pump
The News Journal ¦
Environmentalists had warned of possible radiation release
The News Journal
04/25/2006
A troubled, vibration-prone water pump near the core of the Hope
Creek nuclear reactor has been removed and will be replaced,
easing citizen groups’ concerns about a crippling breakdown or
catastrophic leak.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials ordered safety controls
and special monitoring for the 20-foot-high pump in January 2005
after investigating complaints about risks posed by microscopic
wobbles in a shaft that powers the system. The pump, critical to
reactor operations, can move 100 million gallons of mildly
radioactive cooling water each hour.
Hope Creek’s principal owner, PSEG Nuclear, shut the plant for
three months beginning in late 2004 while federal regulators
investigated the vibrations and other safety concerns in the
reactor, which stands along the Delaware River in New Jersey,
opposite Augustine Beach.
Environmental groups warned that a pump failure could disrupt
reactor cooling systems and strain backup equipment, potentially
crippling the 20-year-old plant and increasing risks of a
radiation release.
“Probably the best news that’s come in a long time is that
[pump] shaft – bent or not – is no longer in that plant,” said
David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer and safety expert with the
Union of Concerned Scientists. “Had that been my plant I’d have
replaced that shaft a year ago” during an extended shutdown
after an unrelated breakdown.
Federal regulators reviewed the concerns but ruled that PSEG
could operate safely under tight restrictions.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said the
metal pump shaft would be examined closely for damage.
Regulators early last year declared the system safe to operate
until Hope Creek’s next refueling shutdown, which began April 6.
“The good news is the pump made it through this operating cycle
without encountering any difficulties," Sheehan
said.
Skip Sindoni, a spokesman for PSEG Nuclear, said the pump
"performed as we expected" before its removal.
Hope Creek and the nearby twin Salem Units I and II reactors
rank as the nation's second-largest nuclear generating complex,
capable of reliably producing more than 3,300 megawatts of
electricity, or enough energy to meet the needs of nearly 3
million homes.
One citizen group said Monday that the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission failed to go far enough in making PSEG Nuclear fix
its aging Hope Creek system.
Norm Cohen of UNPLUG Salem said the company should have replaced
both reactor cooling water pumps at Hope Creek. The two pump
systems play an important role in fine tuning temperatures
inside the radioactive core.
"The other pump has just as many hours as the one they're
replacing," Cohen said.
The commission began investigating safety problems at PSEG's
nuclear plants in 2003, after former PSEG senior manager Kymn
Harvin raised concerns about management practices that tended to
discourage workers from reporting unsafe conditions. The
investigation eventually led to an agency order for reforms in
PSEG's maintenance practices and work environment.
Harvin, who was fired by PSEG in 2003, was scheduled to receive
an award for "Outstanding Service in the Public Interest" from
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on
Wednesday.
Commission officials plan to review PSEG Nuclear's performance
at Hope Creek and Salem Units I and II at a public meeting next
month. A commission report issued in March said regulators plan
to end special supervision of some maintenance management at the
plants, but will continue to seek reforms in plant work
practices that affect employee reporting of safety issues.
Contact Jeff Montgomery at 678-4277 or . [ border=] Top
Copyright © , The News Journal
*****************************************************************
94 Ensign: ENSIGN OFFERS TESTIMONY ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN HEARING
United States Senator John Ensign
04/25/2006
Ensign offered written testimony for today’s House
Subcommittee hearing on Yucca Mountain, criticizing the
Department of Energy for haphazard and irresponsible work on the
project. Today’s hearing was chaired by Representative Jon
Porter.
“Mr. Chairman, I remain dismayed, but frankly not surprised,
that DOE has again cut corners on the very program which has
been set up to verify that all scientific data and engineering
designs submitted to support a license for Yucca Mountain are
accurate and reliable,” Ensign’s statement reads in part.
“Despite its promises DOE has been unable or unwilling to
correct quality problems with data, models, software, and
management since 1998 and continues to rely on costly and
cumbersome reviews that, to date, have proven ineffective. For
over 20 years, DOE has had problems developing and implementing
the plans and procedures related to quality assurance.”
Ensign’s statement also renewed his call for alternatives to
Yucca Mountain.
“We need to find another solution to our nuclear waste
problem. I think that we need to amend the Nuclear Waste Policy
Act of 1982 to require the title to all spent nuclear fuel,
stored in dry casks, to be passed on to the DOE upon on-site
transfer from storage pools to casks. Senator Reid and I
introduced legislation to allow the DOE to assume liability of
the waste onsite before it is transferred to Yucca Mountain.
Conveying the title means the DOE will have full responsibility
for the possession, stewardship, maintenance, and monitoring of
all spent nuclear fuel.”
“So far, the Department of Energy has done nothing to instill
confidence that the science underpinning the Yucca Mountain
program is truly sound.”
###
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95 KLASTV.com: Yucca Mt. Project to Move Forward With Latest Decision
Edward Lawrence, Reporter
The U.S. Attorney's Office will not prosecute scientists who
falsified reports concerning safely storing nuclear waste inside
Yucca Mountain.
In an ongoing debate over The Department of Energy and its plans
to store high level nuclear waste 90 miles northwest of Las
Vegas, these new developments have brought some relief to the
agency.
The DOE can continue to move forward without the black cloud of
criminal charges against scientists working on the project.
The U.S. Attorney's Office gave no reason as to why they
declined to prosecute. The energy department's inspector general
found quality assurance reports were falsified. The falsified
reports were used to verify the science behind how water falls
through the rocks at the repository -- water that could erode
canisters allowing nuclear waste to spill out.
The Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects calls the decision not to
prosecute a "whitewash."
U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden apparently felt it did not rise to
the level of criminal charges. However, Yucca Mountain Project
Spokesman Allen Benson says the DOE will make sure errors don't
happen again.
"We have spent a considerable amount of money running into the
millions of dollars to investigate this matter and ensure that
the science we are moving forward with is sound and it is,"
Bogden explained.
It took six years for the Department of Energy to admit there
were falsified reports. It took another six months for this
decision not to prosecute.
In the meantime, the project moves forward and the DOE will
submit a license application next year. It appears the
repository could open in 2020.
Nevada delegates are reacting to the latest developments on
Yucca Mountain. "A lack of charges in a criminal court does
little to ease my concern for the safety of every man, woman and
child in Nevada," said Rep. John Porter, (R) Nevada.
Congresswoman Shelley Berkley echoed his statement, by saying,
massive problems with quality assurance efforts at the site
still remain, as do questions about seismic and volcanic
activity, water flow, and the dangers of transporting waste to
Nevada.
Email reporter Edward Lawrence at elawrence@klastv.com
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2006 WorldNow and KLAS. All
*****************************************************************
96 TimesUnion.com: More uranium-tainted soil found
Cleanup of former National Lead plant in Colonie may be delayed
by discovery
By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006
COLONIE -- Workers have uncovered more radioactively contaminated
soil beneath a defunct Central Avenue munitions plant than
expected, a discovery that could end hopes of completing the main
cleanup at the old National Lead site by September, officials
said.
The find, made during excavation about 30 days ago, does not show
increased levels of radioactivity or pose a direct threat to
public health, said James Moore, project manager for the New York
District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but it does
indicate that more soil is polluted, and at greater depth, than
officials anticipated.
The contaminant, Moore said, is uranium-238, also known as
depleted uranium, a radioactive isotope used at the site in
producing armor and weapons.
On Monday, Moore said it was too early to tell how much more
contamination might be present or exactly how it may affect the
project's timetable and budget. He characterized the find as "a
little bit more radiological contamination, deeper than we
expected."
But the delay raises questions about whether the work on the
11.2-acre main site will be finished as planned by the end of
the federal fiscal year, Moore said.
"There's a certain amount of uncertainty in all the work that we
do, and until we go there and physically excavate the area, we
can only make estimates," Moore said.
A similar discovery in 2004 extended work on the site for more
than a year when workers found nearly double the amount of
contamination they expected under the plant's foundation. More
sampling was done that year to further survey the site just over
the city-town line across from Osborne Road. The buildings were
demolished more than a decade ago when the property was
controlled by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The site has been 80 percent cleaned, with only six half-acre
units remaining, Moore said. Two of those parcels are nearly
complete, he said.
The Corps regularly updates the state Department of
Environmental Conservation about progress on the site, said DEC
spokeswoman Kimberly Chupa.
News of the latest discovery emerged last week at a semi-annual
public meeting held by the Corps to update residents on the
project.
The expansive cleanup, which has continued in some form since
the federal government took control of the site in 1984, has
already removed more than 175,500 tons of contaminated dirt,
according to a fact sheet published by the Corps.
That soil, contaminated with the byproducts of nearly five
decades of work with toxic and radioactive materials, including
lead, was loaded into rail cars and transported to disposal
sites out west.
Last year, the Corps told neighbors the work on the main site
would likely be finished by the end of September, which is the
end of the federal fiscal year. Once the main site, which housed
the plant's buildings, has been cleaned, the Corps is scheduled
to start a smaller cleanup on an adjacent piece of property now
owned by freight rail company CSX Transportation.
That cleanup, expected to take two to three months, won't start
until work at the main site is complete.
Thomas Ellis, an Albany resident who has been active in issues
surrounding the National Lead cleanup for more than two decades,
said he doesn't mind if the job takes longer.
"Having it done right is more important than having it done
now," Ellis said, adding that he hoped the extra time might
allow the Corps to rethink its plans to clean the CSX site to a
lesser degree than the main site.
Plans for that location would remove soil contaminated at more
than 96 picocuries per gram, rather than the more stringent
standard of 35 picocuries per gram that the federal government
set for the main site.
"Since it's going to be delayed anyway, take another look at it,"
said Ellis, a member of Community Concerned About National Lead.
"Take a real hard look at it."
Despite the setback, Moore said he still expects the cleanup to
be completed below the $200 million projection. The site is being
cleaned up under the federal Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial
Action Program, or FUSRAP, created to clean sites associated with
the nation's early atomic energy work.
All Times Union materials copyright 1996-2006, Capital
Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, N.Y.
*****************************************************************
97 icNorthWales: Terrorist threat to nuclear waste train
Apr 25 2006
By Mark Hookham, Daily Post
TRAINS carrying nuclear waste through North Wales are at risk
from a devastating terrorist strike, environmental campaigners
warned last night.
Greenpeace launched a high-profile campaign to highlight the
dangers transporting spent nuclear fuel from Anglesey's Wylfa
power station to the Sellafield reprocessing plant in Cumbria.
The waste is carried by road to a rail spur at Valley before
being transferred to 'N Trains', which travel through Bangor and
Rhyl towards the junction with the West Coast mainline at Crewe.
Greenpeace claim the trains travel every week and at peak times
alongside high-speed passenger trains.
These trains appear to be unescorted, apart from a driver and
railway guardsman, Greenpeace claimed.
In a full page advertisement in a national newspaper, the group
said: "Terrorists will be thanking Mr Blair for trying to give
them so much opportunity.
"An attack on a routine transport of nuclear waste in the UK
could spread radiation over 100km and cause over 8,000 deaths."
The advertisement adds: "Tony Blair is planning to tie the UK to
a nuclear powered future. That means more nuclear plants."
Rail transfers are carried out by private firm Direct Rail
Services.
Spent nuclear fuel has been transported by rail for a total of
nine million miles since the practice started in 1962.
A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry said: "The
transport of used nuclear fuel strictly adheres to the stringent
national and international regulations that govern both the rail
and nuclear industries.
"The UK's Office for Civil Nuclear Security is kept fully briefed
about terrorist threat intelligence and in turn keeps security
arrangements under review at all times.
"OCNS has been reviewing all relevant precautions in light of the
terrorist attacks in the USA in September 2001 and is satisfied
with the thorough precautions that are in place to prevent the
theft or sabotage of nuclear material in transit."
Wylfa stops production in 2010.
Copyright and Trade Mark Notice
© owned by or licensed to Trinity Mirror Plc 2006
icNorthWalesTM is a trade mark of Trinity Mirror Plc.
*****************************************************************
98 Los Angeles Chronicle: PORTER EXAMINES GAO REPORT AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN HEARING
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Congressional Desk
The Congressional Desk provides information, news releases, and
announcements obtained from communication and public relations
offices.
Highlights mismanagement and quality assurance failures,
questions DOE response.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, at a Federal Workforce and Agency
Organization Subcommittee hearing entitled "Yucca Mountain:
Broken Management, Broken Quality Assurance, Broken Project,"
Third District Congressman Jon Porter asked what was being done
to address increased concerns surrounding the proposed nuclear
waste repository at Yucca Mountain. These concerns were
highlighted in a General Accounting Office (GAO) report, which
was the focal point of today's hearing. Porter, who chairs the
Subcommittee and asked GAO to update the report in April of
2005, has been an outspoken critic of the Yucca Mountain Project
as more and more evidence points to extensive mismanagement and
quality assurance failures.
In his opening remarks, Porter stated that the Project is
"consistently failing under the weight of its own mismanagement
and ineptitude at correcting recurring quality assurance
deficiencies."
Porter was joined on the dais by Nevada Representative Jim
Gibbons, who said "I applaud Congressman Porter's leadership
today on bringing to light the Government Accountability
Office's report which outlines serious quality control problems
with the Yucca Mountain Project. I am disappointed that the
Department of Energy failed today to properly address these
problems. Instead, they continue to be blinded by their
obsession to rubber stamp this project in order to rush it to
completion."
Nevada Senator John Ensign and Representative Shelley Berkley
submitted statements for the record.
The GAO report, which was released on March 23, states that "DOE
(Department of Energy) cannot be certain that its efforts to
improve the implementation of its quality assurance requirements
have been effective because it adopted management tools that did
not target existing management concerns and did not track
progress with significant and recurring problems. Although DOE
announced, in 2004, that it was making a commitment to
continuous quality assurance improvement...its adopted
management tools have not been effective for this purpose." The
report concludes that "Before DOE submits a license application,
its aggressive 'new path forward' effort faces substantial
quality assurance and other challenges."
At the conclusion of the hearing, Porter asked Paul Golan,
Acting Director, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste
Management, what he can say today that will ensure the American
people that the Yucca Mountain Project will be based on sound
science.
While Golan stated that improvements were being made, Porter was
unconvinced.
"With the way this Project has been managed, we can never be
confident that we're dealing with 'sound' science," Porter
stated after the hearing. "I'd like to say Project officials
addressed my concerns about quality assurance failures and
examples of mismanagement raised in the updated GAO report, but
unfortunately, I'm left even more concerned for the safety of
Nevadans."
Los Angeles Chronicle is a trademark of .
*****************************************************************
99 Las Vegas SUN: No criminal charges in Yucca Mountain e-mail controversy
Today: April 25, 2006 at 13:27:7 PDT
By ERICA WERNER ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. attorney's office will not pursue
criminal charges over alleged paperwork fraud by government
scientists on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, the Energy
Department's inspector general announced.
In a report made public Tuesday, the inspector general said it
concluded its criminal investigation in December and turned the
results over to the U.S. attorney's office for the District of
Nevada.
"The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to pursue criminal
prosecution in this matter," said the report, which does not
indicate why the U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute. Natalie
Collins, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas,
declined immediate comment Tuesday.
According to the inspector general's report, the decision not to
prosecute was made on Monday.
"Nonetheless, the actions of those involved - which have been
described by observers as irresponsible and reckless - have had
the effect of undermining public confidence in the quality of
the science associated with the Yucca Mountain Project," the
report said.
At issue were e-mails exchanged between employees of the U.S.
Geological Survey between 1998 and 2000 that suggested
government hydrologists on the nuclear waste dump project
falsified documentation of their work to satisfy quality
assurance standards.
The Energy Department revealed the existence of the e-mails a
year ago. Portions of the e-mails that were made public
indicated scientists made up dates, deleted inconvenient data
and kept one set of documents for themselves and another for
quality assurance officials.
A scientific review by the department concluded that the work
done by the scientists was sound, but it is being redone anyway.
Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is planned as
the first national repository for nuclear waste and is meant to
hold at least 77,000 tons of the material.
Political opposition, money shortages and other problems -
including the e-mail controversy - have delayed the project and
Energy Department managers now can't say when it will open.
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
100 Deseret News: MAX Resource drills in Utah for uranium
[deseretnews.com]
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Associated Press
MAX Resource Corp. said Monday it was drilling for uranium at a
mountain 150 miles southwest of Salt Lake City in Juab County.
The company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, planned
to drill a 1,200-foot hole to follow up on the discovery of a
rich uranium vein made in the 1980s by Phillips Uranium.
It's the second of six holes MAX Resource plans to drill
at Thomas Mountain. The company was interrupted last month by
heavy snowfall.
MAX Resource holds 195 uranium claims over 3,900 acres of
land about 20 miles west of Delta and near the defunct Yellow
Chief Mine, which produced more than 500,000 pounds of uranium
in its heyday.
With prices for nuclear fuel soaring, another company has
applied for a state license to open a uranium mill in southern
Utah.
U.S. Energy Corp. wants to restart a mill it hasn't
operated since 1982, and then only for 2 1/2 months. The
Shootaring Canyon mill is near Ticaboo, Garfield County, a
company-owned town north of Lake Powell's Bullfrog Marina and
about 230 miles south of Salt Lake City.
The Riverton, Wyo., company hopes to receive a license by
year's end.
U.S. Energy chief executive Keith Larsen said last week
that many U.S. nuclear power plants are operating on dwindling
supplies of uranium converted from Russian bombs, while
energy-hungry China and India are rushing to build nuclear power
plants and driving global demand for more fuel.
Larsen said U.S. utilities are expected to build more
nuclear power plants after a 30-year lull caused by fear of
radiation-spewing accidents. Fear of global-climate change also
could give nuclear power a resurgence, and Larsen said he
expected uranium prices to climb to more than $50 a pound and
hold there.
"We think our nation needs more nuclear power. It's the
cleanest, the cheapest and it's advanced so much we're not going
to have another Chernobyl," said Larsen, who was born and raised
in Utah, the son of an underground uranium miner.
"Three Mile Island is still in operation, and it's one of
the most efficient plants in the U.S," he said. "The plants have
vastly improved since the 1970s."
International Uranium Corp. operates Utah's only other
uranium mill, 66 miles east of Ticaboo near Blanding, or 254
miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
© 2006 Deseret News Publishing Company
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101 THERECORD.COM: Proposed nuclear waste storage site to be tested
INSIDER |
BOB BURTT
KINCARDINE (Apr 25, 2006)
Work will begin this summer near the Bruce Nuclear station to
prove that a proposed site for storing nuclear waste is as good
as Ontario Power Generation officials think it is.
Ontario Power Generation wants to store low and intermediate
waste from Ontario's 20 nuclear reactors in vaults that would be
carved out of limestone, 660 metres below ground. That waste is
currently stored on the site in facilities intended as temporary
storage.
Terry Squire, director of public affairs for the nuclear waste
division of Ontario Power Generation, said seismic testing will
be done this summer to ensure that the rock formation at the
site is as stable as geologists say it is.
Squire was speaking at a media day organized by Ontario Power
Generation in Kincardine recently.
Seismic studies and drilling are required under the federal
government's environmental assessment process. That assessment
is expected to take up to three years. Plans call for
construction to start in 2012, with the facility to open in 2017
or 2018.
The underground facility would cover a 30-hectare area. All that
would be visible above ground is a 300-by-700-metre building.
Geologists argue the conditions there make it the best place to
store the waste. Deep layers of an impermeable type of limestone
is expected to prevent radioactive material from escaping. It is
deeper than existing wells in the area, far below the bottom of
Lake Huron, and not expected to be a threat to either.
Squire said everything Ontario Power Generation knows and is
being told about the site supports going ahead.
The agency expects to spend tens of millions of dollars proving
those assumptions and getting the necessary licences and
approvals.
"We've had independent geologists explain what the rock is like,
and now we are going to go in to drill and do seismic work to
ensure it meets the standards people tell us are there," Squires
said.
Mark Jensen, a geologist hired to study the site, said he
expects to find huge, stable rock formations more than 450
million years old.
He said testing this summer will determine if there are any
fractures or faults that could influence the facility.
Squire said a number of open houses will be held in the coming
years to assist the agency in its effort to communicate with the
public.
bburtt@therecord.com
160 King St. East, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, N2G 4E5
519-894-2231
[Torstar Digital] [City Media Group]
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102 Knox News: 450 new Boeing jobs possible
If contract to build additional centrifuge parts is extended,
staff would nearly double
By BOB FOWLER, fowlerb@knews.com
April 25, 2006
OAK RIDGE - An expected contract extension with Boeing-Oak Ridge
to build thousands of centrifuge parts would create up to 450 new
jobs in Oak Ridge, officials said Monday.
Under the pact with USEC Inc., Boeing machinists would make
precision centrifuge components for a $1.5 billion uranium
enrichment facility that USEC is building in Piketon, Ohio.
The deal would nearly double Boeing's Oak Ridge employment, now
at around 500 workers.
USEC is the world's leading supplier of uranium fuel for
commercial nuclear power plants.
Enriched uranium spun off by the centrifuges would be sold to
utilities that operate more than 100 commercial nuclear reactors
in America.
USEC Inc. spokeswoman Elizabeth Stuckle balked from confirming
that a deal has been struck. "We are looking seriously at the Oak
Ridge area,'' she said Monday.
One other location for making centrifuge parts has been under
consideration, she said, but she wouldn't identify that site.
Stuckle also said the new contract between Boeing-Oak Ridge and
USEC "would overlap'' the existing pact between the two
companies.
Officials with Boeing had no comment late Monday.
Oak Ridge City Manager James R. O'Connor said the city has been
in general talks with officials of the two companies on possible
tax incentives.
The city's Industrial Development Board last April granted USEC,
or the former U.S. Enrichment Corp., a six-year, 100 percent tax
break on nearly $15 million of equipment at its two sites in Oak
Ridge.
"We certainly wanted to look at where we could most economically
do the manufacturing,'' Stuckle said.
USEC in October 2004 announced the partnership with Boeing-Oak
Ridge and Honeywell International to build and test centrifuge
parts in Oak Ridge for a demonstration uranium enrichment
facility in Piketon.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory workers also have been involved in
the effort, Stuckle said.
"We did research and development to determine if we could take
the old Department of Energy technology and enhance it with
modern materials to make it a highly efficient technology for
today,'' she said.
"We're now in testing. We've been in testing for some time, and
we're almost through testing,'' Stuckle said. "Obviously, it
worked or we would have stopped.''
That testing has been under way at the former K-25 uranium
enrichment site in Oak Ridge.
"The partnership has been successful,'' Stuckle said of the
local venture.
Centrifuges tested in Oak Ridge will be installed at the
demonstration plant in Piketon.
"Once we get them installed in Piketon, we can test multiple
machines together and look at the actual enrichment process,''
Stuckle said. "That's what we'll be doing beginning mid-year.
"Assuming it goes satisfactorily, we'll start making components
for the actual plant.''
Stuckle said USEC wants to be in full-scale operation at its
American Centrifuge plant in Piketon by 2011. That plant would
replace the company's facility in Paducah, Ky.
She said the manufacture of the commercial centrifuge parts
would begin in late 2007 and peak around "2009 or 2011.''
That work would then "pare down,'' she said, "but (centrifuge)
machines have to be available to replace others if there's a
problem.''
Bob Fowler, News Sentinel Anderson County editor, may be reached
at 865-481-3625.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
*****************************************************************
103 Knox News: Solve the mystery, save its history
20 area scientists called on to study Confederate sub's
unexplained sinking
By FRED BROWN, brownf@knews.com
April 25, 2006
Scientists from the University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex have been
enlisted to help uncover one of the nation's most alluring naval
mysteries: What caused the CSS Hunley to sink 142 years ago?
About 20 scientists traveled to Charleston, S.C., on Sunday and
began their intensive look into the mystery of the historic
vessel. The experts in various scientific fields took a daylong
tour Monday, examining close-up the famed submarine, the first
involved in combat in the nation's history. It was lost during a
naval battle in 1864 in Charleston harbor.
At Monday's meeting with the Hunley team in Charleston, headed by
Texas A University archaeologist Maria Jacobsen, it was decided
the East Tennessee scientists will work to enter into a long-term
agreement to help investigate the Hunley's demise and to help
preserve its history, according to Mike Sullivan, director of
UT's Law Enforcement Innovation Center, which helped bring the
scientists and the Hunley together.
Constructed by the Confederacy, the Hunley engaged the USS
Housatonic in underwater combat Feb. 17, 1864. Shortly after
blowing a hole in the bottom of the federal warship, the Hunley
disappeared.
The crude submarine, powered by hand cranks, sank with an
eight-man crew and was lost for more than a century. It was
found in 1995 by Clive Cussler's National Underwater and Marine
Agency. The sub was raised in 2000 and brought to the Warren
Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, where it has rested in
a protective tank of saltwater solution.
Sullivan was instrumental in getting crime novelist Patricia
Cornwell, UT, ORNL and Y-12 together about a month ago in Oak
Ridge after she became interested in the Hunley.
Recently, she donated $500,000 to help the scientists solve the
Hunley mystery.
Cornwell, a New York Times best-selling author with 20 books to
her credit who frequently visits UT's forensics laboratory and
the so-called Body Farm, notes on the Hunley Web site,
www.hunley.org, that she views the submarine as a "19th-century
crime scene.
"We will need to push modern technology to the limit to extract
the information that is needed to discover what happened to the
Hunley," she said on the site.
The archaeological team was to discuss with the scientists "the
next steps and priorities as far as metallurgy, imaging,
forensic anthropology and infrared imaging," Sullivan said.
"The East Tennessee scientists can provide a staggering array of
expertise, including chemists who will look at the chemistry of
the boat's hull, metal experts who can study the boat's metal
layers and even look through the layers to see components,
strengths and weaknesses in the metal."
The scientists will return to Knoxville today, he said. They
will write short papers about the Hunley team's needs and how
they can help. Then Jacobsen will choose scientists from various
fields to work on the Hunley.
"I see this relationship in terms of years instead of weeks or
months," Sullivan said.
On Monday, the scientists were given a rare experience. Sullivan
said project manager Jacobsen "drained the tank," allowing the
investigators to walk around the famous submarine and even peer
inside.
"We got up close and looked inside the Hunley," he said. "There
are very, very few people to be this close to the Hunley," he
said. "It's been an awesome experience because this is a
national relic, this was the first. It is our nation's history."
Sullivan said the Hunley team can see the vessel's damage but
doesn't know what caused it. Human remains are still inside it,
he said.
"There are a lot of questions they hope our scientists can
answer. Between UT, ORNL and Y-12, we have some of the world's
most prestigious scientists."
Senior writer Fred Brown may be reached at 865-342-6427.
MIC SMITH AND MATTHEW FORTNER
CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER
The CSS Hunley rests underwater at the Warren Lasch
Conservation Center in Charleston, S.C. Scientists from the East
Tennessee area will study the submarine, determine what caused
it to sink, and work to preserve its history.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
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104 Hanford News: Hanford tests leak-detection upgrade
This story was published Monday, April 24th, 2006
By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer
New technology being tested at Hanford could more quickly and
reliably detect leaks of radioactive waste from its underground
tanks.
In addition, a new system is being used to help map
contamination from the 67 tanks at Hanford suspected of having
leaked about 1 million gallons of waste in the past. Unlike
previous systems, it can collect samples from soil beneath the
huge tanks.
Hanford officials are hoping that leaking tanks remain a problem
of the past.
All 149 of Hanford's oldest, leak-prone tanks have been emptied
of most of their liquid waste. But as work continues to remove
the salt cake and sludge from the tanks, liquid added to some
tanks to break up and remove solids could result in a new leak.
Now, 1960s technology is depended upon to catch any new leaks as
waste from single-shell tanks is emptied into newer double-shell
tanks until it can be processed for disposal. The waste is left
from the past production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear
weapons program.
Six to eight dry wells around individual tanks are used to lower
gamma monitors to detect radiation and lower neutron monitors to
detect moisture through the walls of the dry well.
"It's not very accurate. It's not very timely," said Rick
Raymond, CH2M Hill senior director for the S-Tank Farm closure.
The leak has to be large - many thousands of gallons - and
within a few feet of the dry well to be detected. The
contamination can take weeks to months to travel that close to
the drywell.
In some past cases, Hanford workers knew a leak had occurred
because the volume of liquid in the tanks dropped, but monitors
never detected the leaks.
The new technology, called high resolution resistivity, shows
promise for real-time leak detection.
It worked well enough at a test site that CH2M Hill and
subcontractor Columbia Engineering and Environmental Services of
Richland are testing it at Tank S-102 in central Hanford. There
the system will have to cope with interference from many tanks,
pipes and old leaks.
Because electricity moves more easily through wet soil than dry,
the new technology measures resistance as electricity travels
between 12 probes installed in dry wells around the tank and
between the probes and the tank. Computers can use the
measurements collected every second to create a 3-D model of the
leak.
"It's working very well," Raymond said.
The first test, using liquid deliberately injected into the
ground, detected the moisture within three days when 300 gallons
had been injected.
The traditional system, at best, might have detected the liquid
after two to three weeks and when 8,000 gallons had been
injected, Raymond estimated.
About 10 test injections are planned with results expected in
September.
The new system will help map historic leaks from tanks already
in use.
CH2M Hill has replaced the bucket on a small backhoe with a
hydraulic hammer that can drive a hollow rod 120 feet beneath
the soil. The rod is grooved, so it can turn to push rocks out
of the way, and can be equipped with a tip to collect a sample
or used for radiation or moisture detection monitors.
Traditionally, vertical holes have been drilled near tanks to
check for contamination. But as holes are drilled, contaminated
soil is brought to the surface, posing a risk to workers and
requiring a plan to dispose of it. Because of all the pipes and
wires around the tanks, just finding a place to drill a hole was
sometimes difficult.
Past attempts to push a rod into the ground, rather than drill a
hole, have lacked the power to push the rod as far into the
soil.
The backhoe makes the system portable and the hydraulic hammer
mounting has had an added bonus: The rod can be pushed into the
ground at an angle, allowing checks to be made beneath tanks,
instead of just beside them.
It's been used now in five of Hanford's tank farms, or fields of
underground tanks, said Frank Anderson, CH2M Hill task lead for
the vadose zone project.
"It gives a lot of flexibility in collecting data," he said.
That data will be needed to determine the extent and location of
contamination in the tank farms and verify computer models to
develop a plan to clean up the tank farms as tanks are emptied
and closed for good.
© 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.
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105 Tri-Valley Herald: Lab teams deliver new H-bomb designs
Article Last Updated: 04/25/2006 02:59:37 AM PDT
Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos in competition
By Ian Hoffman, STAFF WRITER
Bomb physicists at the nations two nuclear-explosives labs
have delivered preliminary new designs to the Bush
administration as potential replacements for the most numerous
warheads in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Two teams of designers at Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos
labs, both run by the University of California, have swapped
their proposed replacements for the 100-kiloton thermonuclear
warheads riding on U.S. submarine-launched missiles and,
according to a new administration report, possibly for warheads
on silo-based missiles as well.
The teams are poring over details of each others designs as a
matter of scientific peer review and a step in the head-to-head
competition to see which labs bomb, if any, will be built.
In a recent report to Congress, Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman say the
administration is on track to finish a feasibility study of the
new reliable replacement warhead program by November and choose
a design.
Production of the first new warheads is set for 2012, and the
study suggests that as much as the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal
could be replaced by new bombs by 2035.
The notion of building a new U.S. arsenal is controversial.
Designing and making new H-bombs while maintaining thousands of
existing weapons is expected to be costly. The Rumsfeld-Bodman
report says cost estimates for the RRW program have not yet been
developed but that the program has the potential to reduce
comparative life cycle costs by designing weapons that are
cheaper and easier to manufacture.
The existing arsenal of seven basic types of missile warheads
and air-dropped bombs were fielded after a combined total of 150
nuclear explosive tests. They are H-bombs that evolved over the
decades into highly sophisticated devices with nearly as many
parts as a commercial jetliner, yet are shoehorned into small
packages to squeeze the most destructive power out of the least
size and weight.
In doing so, scientists and engineers used toxic metals,
adhesives and plastics from the 1960s and70s that administration
weapons officials say are increasingly difficult and costly to
use today as U.S. weapons workers replace aging parts.
The Rumsfeld-Bodman report says that chiefs of the nations
weapons labs, as well as officers and com-manders in the
Pentagon and Strategic Command, worry that the weapons are
becoming less safe and reliable over time.
"Evolution away from tested designs, resulting from the
inevitable accumulations of small changes over the extended
lifetimes of these highly optimized systems, is what gives rise
to this concern," the two secretaries said in a report dated
March 1.
As insurance, the report says, the United States is storing
thousands of nuclear explosives in reserve, ready in case of a
breakdown in any of the fielded bombs or warheads.
Critics say the existing arsenal is healthy and extremely
capable, and the chiefs of the weapons labs have certified the
health of every bomb and warhead type to the two secretaries and
the president every year for a decade. Designing new warheads
without testing them, critics say, is both risky and
counterproductive to U.S. efforts at discouraging other nations
from building nuclear arms.
"There is a motive behind this that has nothing to do with the
health of the stockpile. I suggest that the motive is budget,"
said Bob Peurifoy, a former Sandia National Laboratories weapons
executive.
He said weapons workers know the existing arsenal well and can
remanufacture its parts precisely.
"But that's no fun. The fun for some of these folks is to go out
and try to design new things," he said. "I believe it's more
important to put attention to the national security needs of the
country than to allow them to have their fun. It comes down to a
question: Do the (weapons design) labs work for the country or
does the country work for the labs?"
In recent years, federal officials have stopped releasing
unclassified data on the aging effects and operation of weapons
components, Peurifoy said.
"I suggest the reason is because, if all of the facts were on
the table, all of this nonsense would go away," he said. "Until
I get facts, I'm going to be a skeptic."
Contact Ian Hoffman at ihoffman@angnewspapers.com.
© 2000-2006 ANG Newspapers | Privacy Policy
*****************************************************************
106 DOE: Wackenhut Facing Investigation Concerning Falsification of
Training Records, According to SEIU: Financial News -
Tuesday April 25, 10:44 am ET
May Be Grounds for Suspension or Debarment from Gov't Work
New Investigation Comes as DOD, DHS Cut Ties With Wackenhut
WASHINGTON, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Wackenhut, the largest
provider of private security to the federal government, is the
subject of an investigation concerning falsification of training
records at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge
Reservation, according to the DOE Assistant Inspector General. A
conviction or civil judgment for falsification of records may be
grounds for suspension or debarment of contractors under the
U.S. Government's Federal Acquisition Regulations.
Wackenhut's contracts at Oak Ridge, including the Y-12 nuclear
weapons plant and the Oak Ridge laboratory, are currently out to
bid. A decision on the anticipated $100 million contract is
expected in mid-May.
Wackenhut Services, Inc., the security contractor at Oak Ridge
Reservation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wackenhut
Corporation, which is owned by the London-based Group 4
Securicor.
News of Wackenhut's suspected falsification of training records
comes quickly after the Department of Homeland Security dropped
Wackenhut's $9.6 million/yr. contract to protect its
headquarters and the Department of Defense cut short contracts
to protect U.S. Army bases -- including those where Wackenhut is
eligible to receive an estimated $47 million/yr as a
subcontractor -- to put them out for competitive bidding.
Wackenhut was a loser in 2003 when a portion of the Army base
security work had been put out to competitive bidding.
"If Wackenhut falsified these training records, it would appear
to have knowingly tricked the DOE into thinking these guards
were more prepared than they apparently were and that's a
problem not only for Oak Ridge but for all Wackenhut-guarded
sites," said Stephen Lerner, SEIU Director of Property Services.
"How can Americans be assured that our nation's sensitive sites
are competently protected and that security forces are
adequately trained unless the DOE holds their largest security
contractor to account?"
A DOE IG investigation of protective force overtime and training
at Oak Ridge conducted between November 2004 and March 2005
revealed several instances of falsification of signatures on
Wackenhut training rosters at Oak Ridge. Wackenhut allowed
officers to sign the training attendance form -- and be given
credit for training -- without receiving any training or
demonstrating their proficiency in the training topic if
officers indicated that they did not need training, according to
the IG. The matter was referred to the OIG's Office of
Investigations which launched the law enforcement investigation.
The IG also found that:
* Wackenhut reported planned rather than actual training
time for some
personnel in its reports to DOE.
* Wackenhut spent about 40% less time on combat readiness
refresher
training than was specified in the approved annual
training plan.
* Wackenhut routinely worked officers in excess of the 60
hr/week maximum
at the Y-12 National Security Complex and some worked more
than 72 hours
per week in some cases. Working excessive overtime affects
the ability
or willingness of some officers to complete required
physical fitness
training.
The DOE IG investigation is concurrent with three separate
ongoing or recently concluded Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) investigations into security at Wackenhut-guarded nuclear
sites.
Source: Service Employees International Union
Copyright © 2006 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. Republication
*****************************************************************
107 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Idaho
FR Doc E6-6150
[Federal Register: April 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 79)]
[Notices] [Page 23905] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr25ap06-45] [[Page 23905]]
National Laboratory AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting.
SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental
Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Idaho National
Laboratory. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463,
86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be
announced in the Federal Register.
DATES: Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday, May 17,
2006, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Opportunities for public participation will
be held Tuesday, May 16, from 1 to 1:15 p.m. and 3:45 to 4 p.m.;
and Wednesday, May 17, from 1 to 1:15 p.m. and 2:45 to 3 p.m.
Additional time may be made available for public comment during
the presentations.
These times are subject to change as the meeting progresses,
depending on the extent of comment offered.
ADDRESSES: Ameritel Inn, 645 Lindsay Boulevard, Idaho Falls, ID
83402.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon A. Brennan, Federal
Coordinator, Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 1955
Fremont Avenue, MS-1216, Idaho Falls, ID 83415. Phone (208)
526-3993; Fax (208) 526-1926 or e-mail:
Shannon.Brennan@nuclear.energy.gov or visit the Board's Internet
home page at: http://www.inelemcab.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of
the Board is to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of
environmental restoration, waste management, and related
activities.
Tentative Topics (agenda topics may change up to the day of the
meeting; please contact Shannon A. Brennan for the most current
agenda): Idaho Cleanup Project Environmental Management Cleanup
Status Report.
Tank Farm Soils Cleanup Feasibility Study (Operable Unit 3-14).
DOE Low-Level Waste Disposition Strategy Update.
Status of Steam Reforming Treatment Technology Design.
Public Participation: The meeting is open to the public.
Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or
after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral
presentations pertaining to agenda items should contact Shannon
A. Brennan at the address or telephone number listed above. The
request must be received five days prior to the meeting and
reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in
the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to
conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly
conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comment
will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their
comments.
Minutes: The minutes of this meeting will be available for public
review and copying at the U.S. Department of Energy's Freedom of
Information Public Reading Room, 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585 between 9 a.m. and
4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Minutes
will also be available by writing to Shannon A. Brennan, Federal
Coordinator, at the address and phone number listed above.
Issued at Washington, DC on April 20, 2006.
Rachel Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. E6-6150 Filed 4-24-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
*****************************************************************
108 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Northern
FR Doc E6-6187
[Federal Register: April 25, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 79)]
[Notices] [Page 23905-23906] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr25ap06-46]
New Mexico AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of open meeting and retreat.
SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental
Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Northern New
Mexico. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86
Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be
announced in the Federal Register.
DATES: Friday, May 19, 2006, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 20,
2006, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Sagebrush Inn and Conference Center, 1508 Paseo Del
Pueblo Sur, Taos, New Mexico.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Menice Santistevan, Northern New
Mexico Citizens' Advisory Board, 1660 Old Pecos Trail, Suite B,
Santa Fe, NM 87505. Phone (505) 995-0393; Fax (505) 989-1752 or
E-mail: msantistevan@doeal.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of
the Board is to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of
environmental restoration, waste management, and related
activities.
Tentative Agenda for Retreat Friday, May 19, 2006 8 a.m. Welcome
and Introductions by Chair, J.D. Campbell 8:10 a.m. Board
Discussion--How does the Northern New Mexico Citizens' Advisory
Board (NNMCAB) engage all members in Committee and Board
discussions and tasks? 9 a.m. Break 9:15 a.m. Board
Discussion--How does the NNMCAB determine Board member
satisfaction, Department of Energy (DOE) satisfaction and
community satisfaction? 10 a.m. Break 10:15 a.m. Ad Hoc Committee
on Bylaws and Administrative Procedures, Donald Jordan A. Is the
Board Meeting Agenda too long? Should the NNMCAB modify any part
of it? B. Are Committee Meetings long enough to complete the work
of each committee it is charged with? C. Discussion regarding
proposed Amendments to the NNMCAB Bylaws.
D. Discussion regarding proposed Amendments to existing
Administrative Procedures.
E. Introduction of new Administrative Procedures 12 p.m. Lunch
Break 1 p.m. NNMCAB Performance Measures--One to Five-Year (FY)
Plan by Deputy Designated Federal Officer (DDFO), Christina
Houston 1:30 p.m. Interaction with Ex-Officio Members--Issues for
Consideration in Fiscal Year 2007 A. New Mexico Environment
Department--James Bearzi B. DOE Los Alamos Site Office--Gene
Rodriguez C. Los Alamos National Laboratory--Ken Hargis D. U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency--Rich Mayer 2:30 p.m. Brief
Overview of Los Alamos National Security, LLC.--Andy Phelps 2:45
p.m. Break 3 p.m. Break-out Session by Committee A. Review FY
2006 Work Plan Accomplishments B. Begin FY 2007 Work Plans 4:30
p.m. Executive Committee Meeting--Retreat Overview
[[Page 23906]] 5 p.m. Adjourn Tentative Agenda for Open Meeting
Saturday, May 20, 2006 9 a.m. Call to Order by DDFO, Christina
Houston Establishment of a Quorum A. Roll Call B. Excused
Absences Welcome and Introductions by Chair, J.D. Campbell
Approval of Agenda Approval of Minutes of March 29, 2006 Board
Meeting 9:15 a.m. Board Business/Reports A. Old Business, Chair,
J.D. Campbell B. Report from Chair, J.D. Campbell C. Report from
DOE, Christina Houston D. Report from Executive Director, Menice
B. Santistevan E. Other Issues, Board Members New Business, Board
Members 10 a.m. Public Comment 10:10 a.m. Consideration and
Action on Proposed Recommendations to DOE 10:15 a.m. Break 10:30
a.m. Committee Business--Present Draft FY 2007 Work Plans A.
Community Involvement Committee, Grace Perez B. Environmental
Monitoring, Surveillance and Remediation Committee, Chris Timm C.
Waste Management Committee, Donald Jordan D. Proposed Bylaws
Amendments (1st Reading), Donald Jordan 11:45 a.m. Comments from
Board Members 11:55 a.m. Recap of Meeting: Issuance of Press
Releases, Editorials, etc., J.D. Campbell 12 p.m. Adjourn,
Christina Houston This agenda is subject to change at least one
day in advance of the meeting.
Public Participation: The meeting is open to the public.
Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or
after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements
pertaining to agenda items should contact Menice Santistevan at
the address or telephone number listed above. Requests must be
received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision
will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The
Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the
meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of
business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be
provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments.
Minutes: Minutes of this meeting will be available for public
review and copying at the U.S. Department of Energy's Freedom of
Information Public Reading Room, 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585 between 9 a.m. and
4 p.m., Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays. Minutes will also
be available at the Public Reading Room located at the Board's
office at 1660 Old Pecos Trail, Suite B, Santa Fe, NM. Hours of
operation for the Public Reading Room are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Monday
through Friday. Minutes will also be made available by writing or
calling Menice Santistevan at the Board's office address or
telephone number listed above. Minutes and other Board documents
are on the Internet at: http://www.nnmcab.org .
Issued at Washington, DC on April 19, 2006.
Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer.
[FR Doc. E6-6187 Filed 4-24-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6405-01-P
*****************************************************************
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