***************************************************************** 07/17/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.168 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 IRNA: Blair urged to resume unconditional nuclear negotiations with 2 RIA Novosti: Russia's Putin says too early to talk about Iran sancti 3 IRNA: Too early to speak about sanctions against Iran - Putin 4 Guardian Unlimited: Korea Resolution Will Help U.N. Face Iran 5 [NYTr] UN Sanctions Could Lead to New Korean War, Warns DPRK 6 RIA Novosti: Restarting talks key to N.Korea settlement - Putin 7 Guardian Unlimited: Leaders Press North Korea on Missile Tests 8 Guardian Unlimited: G8 Pushes N. Korea to Stop Missile Tests 9 AFP: Bush hopeful of US-India nuclear deal 10 AFP: US lawmakers to act on India nuclear deal - official 11 US: FCNL: Nuclear Calendar 12 BBC: G8 supports 'open' energy markets 13 UPI: Germany wants energy alliance with Russia 14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice insists nuclear talks should go through Sol 15 Sydney Morning Herald: Australia can be energy superpower - PM - NUCLEAR REACTORS 16 Sydney Morning Herald: The nuclear debate we have to have - 17 AFP: The G-8's Risky Nuclear Embrace 18 RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear industry preparing for breakthrough 19 The Herald: Minister against nuclear plants 20 www.CattleNetwork.com G8: Nuclear Revival Continues, Despite German 21 US: NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for th 22 US: Boston Globe: Federal proposal raises fear that more waste to go 23 US: Hudson Valley News: New Indian Point siren system under construc 24 US: Portsmouth Herald Maine News: Maine Yankee plan draws heat 25 Scotsman.com: Chisholm breaks ranks with cabinet against nuclear pla 26 US: Vermont Guardian: NRC, Entergy to discuss VY audit 27 AU ABC: Howard outlines energy superpower vision. 28 UPI: Energy security deal issued by G8 leaders 29 AFP: Howard eyes "energy superpower" status for Australia, backs nuc NUCLEAR SECURITY 30 RIA Novosti: G8 works out common approaches to energy security - Put NUCLEAR SAFETY 31 US: Downwinders and the Divine Strake 32 US: [NukeNet] Radiation Redux: Forest fires remobilize fallout 33 [du-list] Re: [DU-WATCH] Diabetes and Depleted Uranium 34 US: [du-list] DU mixed with weapons grade EU for nuclear energy use 35 [du-list] du in the news - 15th July 06 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 36 [NukeNet] Layoffs planned at Nevada's proposed nuclear waste 37 Las Vegas SUN: Post-modern Guinn 38 US: Hartford Courant: Enough Nuclear Waste Politics 39 US: NRL: The United States and Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Dispose 40 New York Observer Politicker: Yucca Money and the 11th PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 41 Knox News: Munger: Institute's chief likes to keep a low profile ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 IRNA: Blair urged to resume unconditional nuclear negotiations with Iran - London, July 17, IRNA UK-Blair-Iran nuclear Prime Minister Tony Blair was urged Monday in a declaration signed by 56 foreign ministers of Islamic states to resume negotiations with Iran on the current nuclear dispute without any preconditions. The declaration, signed by OIC members in Baku, said that the "only way to resolve Iran's nuclear issue is to resume negations without any preconditions and to enhance cooperation with the involvement of all relevant parties." It was being delivered by a delegation from the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) led by Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn later hosted a meeting in parliament Monday to coincide with the end of the G8 summit in Russia which discussed the latest threat of referring Iran's nuclear case back to the UN Security Council. Speakers at the meeting included Professor Abbas Edalat from London University's Imperial College, who has recently returned from Iran, Paul Ingram of the British American Security Information Council and Alys Elica Zaerin of Action Iran. After a meeting in Paris last week, foreign ministers of the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China declared they would seek a UN resolution that threatened to impose sanctions if Iran refused to suspend its enrichment of uranium. CASMII condemned the decision backed by the G8 leaders, warning that it was a dangerous route of confrontation. Professor Edalat said that the G8 powers had misleadingly painted a picture of Iran defying reasonable demands by the "rest of the world." "The demands of the leaders of the G8 nations represent neither the views of their populations nor the views of other world leaders. They certainly do not represent the 56 nations that signed the Baku Declaration which we presented to Tony Blair today," he said. The professor said that Iran was only exercising its "legal and inalienable right to pursue civilian nuclear technology." There was "no evidence whatsoever that Iran has any nuclear weapons program," he said. "The Americans are demanding that Iran concede the main point of the negotiations before they have even started. This was always going to be rejected by the Iranians and has provided a pretext for referral to the Security Council," he said. Edalat said that the US Administration must "reconsider its confrontational approach and enter into direct negotiations without any preconditions while recognizing Iran's right for civilian nuclear technology including uranium enrichment." CASMII, an independent campaign organization, was set up in London last December by a broad-based group of Iranian and non-Iranian academics, students and professionals of different political and ideological persuasions. It is supported by many peace organizations, including the Stop the War Coalition, the veteran Campaign and Nuclear Disarmament, Greenpeace and the British Pugwash Society. In its founding statement, CASMII said that the "ongoing demonization" of Iran as part of the `axis of evil' first initiated by US President George W Bush in his 2002 state of the nation address, together with recent threats, continue to seriously escalate international tension. "They are likely to lead to a catastrophe even more horrifying than the present disaster in Iraq, threatening international peace and security," it warned. ***************************************************************** 2 RIA Novosti: Russia's Putin says too early to talk about Iran sanctions 17/ 07/ 2006 STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), July 17 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin said Monday it was premature to speak about possible sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program. "It is too early to speak about sanctions against Iran," Putin said. "We have not reached that stage yet." Putin said Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had promised him in mid-June that he would respond to the proposals of Iran-6 mediators - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany - within a month. "A month has passed. The talks have not started," Putin said, though he added "now we hear another date, which is August." Nevertheless, the Russian leader sought to play down the threat of sanctions, which the United States and some other states have been pushing. "I would rather not speak about this [the sanctions] because raising this issue may create unfavorable conditions for the talks," he said. Iran's nuclear program has been a source of major controversy since the beginning of the year, as many countries suspect the Islamic Republic of pursuing a covert weapons program under the pretext of civilian research, despite its claims to the contrary. © 2005 RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 3 IRNA: Too early to speak about sanctions against Iran - Putin Moscow, July 17, IRNA G8 Summit-Iran President Vladimir Putin said in a press conference in St. Petersburg on Monday that it is too early to speak about the introduction of sanctions against Iran. He recalled his personal meeting with the Iranian president at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Shanghai during which Ahmadinejad promised to give an answer within a month to the proposals of the six mediators. "The month has passed but there is no answer still," said Putin. "Now we hear another date - the talks will be launched in early August," he added. Itar-Tass quoted the Russian president as saying that, in this situation it would be incorrect to impose sanctions. This attitude may create new problems, Putin said. ***************************************************************** 4 Guardian Unlimited: Korea Resolution Will Help U.N. Face Iran From the Associated Press [UP] Monday July 17, 2006 12:46 AM AP Photo XUN114 By NICK WADHAMS Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - A unanimous U.N. Security Council vote to condemn North Korea's missile launches has set an important precedent and strengthened the powerful U.N. body as it turns to its next challenge: confronting Iran's suspect nuclear program, diplomats said. Sometime this week, the council will take up Iran's continued refusal to respond formally to Western incentives to stop enriching uranium. The fact that the council was able to unite on the difficult North Korea resolution raised hopes among diplomats that a unanimous agreement could be reached on an Iran resolution. Diplomats said the success on delivering a tough message on North Korea will carry over when the Iran talks begin. Iran and North Korea are the first nonproliferation issues to come before the council since Iraq, which deeply divided the council. ``We need unity of the council on these nonproliferation issues,'' France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said after the North Korea vote on Saturday. ``So the fact that we have - my view - we have reached unity on the North Korean issue in the council I think will help us on Iran.'' Diplomats negotiated the North Korea resolution over 11 tension-filled days, avoiding a threatened veto from China, which opposed any mention of the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7. Chapter 7 makes such resolutions legally binding and enforceable with military action. Britain came up with compromise language that dropped the reference to Chapter 7 and allowed the 15 council members to vote for the resolution unanimously. A Chinese veto would have soured the tone of negotiations over Iran, and widened divisions among the five permanent members - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. That likely would have banished any desire to compromise by either side. The resolution on North Korea was weakened during the negotiations but still took crucial steps: It imposes limited sanctions, and diplomats believe it will strengthen nations' authority to interdict weapons shipments to and from North Korea. Saturday's resolution was the first that the council passed on North Korea since 1993, a fact that U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said Iran should remember. ``It's been 13 years since the Security Council got its act together sufficiently to act on North Korea and it's going to do so today in a unanimous fashion,'' he said before the vote on Saturday. ``That's a very, very important political signal for any would-be proliferators.'' Back in March, the U.N. Security Council demanded that Iran suspend uranium enrichment. That requirement was conveyed in a simple council statement that was not legally binding - the result of Chinese and Russian refusal to consider issuing a resolution, which would have been stronger. After Iran refused to obey, western powers presented the package of incentives in June meant to draw Iran back to negotiations and suspend enrichment. Yet Iran insisted it needed more time to respond, leading frustrated world powers to agree last Wednesday to send Iran to the Security Council for a firmer, perhaps legally binding, demand to suspend enrichment. In a sign that Iran may fear a newly unified council, Tehran said Sunday that the Western incentives to halt its nuclear program were an ``acceptable basis'' for talks, and it is ready for detailed negotiations. That could be an attempt to sow new divisions in the council. Diplomats have said recent meetings with Iran have gone nowhere, and Tehran may want to buy time or exploit potential rifts. There is also a danger of a different sort of precedent. The question of whether Pyongyang would obey any council demands hovered over the North Korea talks. The North's answer came minutes after the resolution passed. Ambassador Pak Gil Yon took told the council that North Korea rejected the resolution and would continue with missile tests. He accused the council of acting in an ``unjustifiable and gangster-like'' way, and abruptly left the council chamber before the meeting was over - a breach of diplomatic protocol. Iran, North Korea's cohort in President Bush's ``Axis of Evil,'' along with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, could be emboldened by the North's angry response. It already has warned that Security Council sanctions against Tehran would only exacerbate tensions in the Middle East. ``Now is an appropriate opportunity for Iran and Europe to enter detailed negotiations,'' Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. ``Sending the dossier to the U.N. Security Council means blocking and rejecting talks.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 5 [NYTr] UN Sanctions Could Lead to New Korean War, Warns DPRK Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 17:47:01 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [... or, more accurately, to a renewal of armed hostilities, since no peace treaty was ever actually signed ending the Korean War. -NY Transfer] The Independent via Truthout - Jul 17, 2006 http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071706G.shtml UN Nuclear Sanctions May Lead to a Second Korean War, Warns Defiant North By David Usborne The Independent UK North Korea has angrily rejected a UN Security Council resolution imposing trade sanctions and condemning it for its recent batch of ballistic missile tests, saying it constituted "a prelude to the provocation of the second Korean War". Concern over Pyongyang's continuing defiance of calls upon it to abandon its missile and nuclear weapons programmes spanned the world's diplomatic stage at the weekend, with the unanimous passing of the UN resolution on Saturday night, and additional debate among world leaders at the Group of Eight summit in Russia. The UN resolution condemned the regime for test-firing seven ballistic missiles on 5 July. One among them was a long-range weapon that theoretically could travel as far as the western United States. It crashed within seconds of its launch, however. The wording of the text was diluted somewhat at the eleventh hour to satisfy China and Russia. China, in particular, had threatened to veto an earlier version supported by Japan and the US that included language implying authorisation for the eventual use of military force against North Korea. The resolution demands that all UN member states refrain from supplying North Korea with any technology that could assist its weapons programmes, and also from purchasing weapons-related goods from the country. In a dramatic gesture, the North Korean ambassador broke UN protocol and walked out of the Security Council shortly after the vote was taken. North Korea continued to attack the resolution yesterday. Aside from its reference to a new war on the peninsula, it said it would "bolster its war deterrent for self-defence", a statement taken to be a reference to its nuclear weapons capacity. "Our republic vehemently denounces and roundly refutes the 'resolution', a product of the US hostile policy towards the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea], and will not be bound to it in the least," the Foreign Ministry said. "It is a brigandish logic to claim that missile launches conducted by the US and Japan are legal, while the training of missile launches conducted by the DPRK to defend itself is illegal." But the United States seemed to take encouragement from the UN resolution, even in its less stringent form. At the G8 summit in St Petersburg, President George Bush met the Chinese leader, President Hu Jintao, to discuss the situation, and thanked him for supporting the text. Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, reiterated the requirement on Pyongyang to re-enter the so-called six-party talks to resolve the issue. The talks stalled last September and were formally boycotted by North Korea in November in protest at new financial restrictions imposed upon it by Washington. "I think ultimately North Korea will have no choice but to return to the talks and pursue denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Ms Rice told reporters in St Petersburg. "If they do not want to face some of the additional pressures that can be brought to bear on them, then I think that they will eventually realise that they've got to come back to the six-party talks. That's really the only game in town." US officials also tried to play down the significance of Pyongyang's bellicose reaction. "It's probably not surprising that they have immediately rejected it," said Dan Bartlett, President Bush's senior counsellor. "Sometimes the first response is not the only response or the final response." Countries in the region showed a united face, with officials in South Korea and Japan issuing statements last night welcoming the UN resolution and urging Pyongyang to return to the six-party talks. The Japanese Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, said it sent a strong message. President Hu and Mr Bush met on the fringes of the G8 summit to discuss the crisis on the peninsula, as well as other bilateral issues. "Both parties expressed their commitment to maintain peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," Mr Hu said. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 6 RIA Novosti: Restarting talks key to N.Korea settlement - Putin 17/ 07/ 2006 STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), June 17 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin said Monday early resumption of negotiations was crucial for resolving the North Korean nuclear problem. North Korea officially announced on July 5 that it had conducted test launches of ballistic missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2, and claimed it was the country's sovereign right. "There is a pressing need to restart the negotiating process as soon as possible," he told a news conference. He said Chinese President Hu Jintao had briefed a meeting of G8 leaders on the results of negotiations with North Korea and expressed cautious optimism that the North Korean problem could be resolved through diplomacy: "by creating conditions for securing the peninsula's status as a nuclear-free zone and attaining agreement on the missile issue." Six-nation talks involving North and South Korea, Russia, China, Japan and the United States on resolving the problems around North Korea's controversial nuclear programs opened in 2003 but a round has not been held for over six months. © 2005 RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 7 Guardian Unlimited: Leaders Press North Korea on Missile Tests From the Associated Press [UP] Monday July 17, 2006 1:16 PM AP Photo SUM168 By JEANNINE AVERSA AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - World leaders on Monday called on North Korea to stop its missile tests and to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Although the Group of Eight summit of industrial powers was dominated by worries the escalating warfare between Israel and Lebanon, leaders managed to address sensitive situations posed by the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran. The leaders urged North Korea to reinstate a moratorium on missile launching and said the country's recent test firing of missiles ``intensify our deep concern over the DPRK's nuclear weapons program,'' the leaders said in the document. North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea test-fired seven missiles on July 4 - including a long-range Taepodong-2 - which was believed capable of reaching the United States. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution over the weekend demanding that North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program. The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles, banned weapons or technology from Pyongyang, the North Korean capital. In a document released Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leaders expressed support for the U.N. resolution. Besides Russia, the Group of Eight includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada. North Korea has rejected the council's unanimous vote Saturday adopting the resolution and warned that it was a prelude to a renewed Korean war. The leaders urged North Korea to return to disarmament talks with China, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States. The talks have been stalled since the fall, and North Korea has not agreed to return. ``We strongly support the six-party talks, and urge the DPRK to promptly return to them,'' the leaders said. ``We strongly urge the DPRK to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.'' Leaders also pledged to keep pressing for a resolution on Iran. World powers rebuked Iran last week by seeking possible punishment from the Security Council, saying Iran had not signaled an intent to negotiate seriously over its disputed nuclear program. Iran said Sunday that a pending package of incentives to halt its nuclear program was ``an acceptable basis'' for talks. ``Iran has a serious choice to make and we invited it to make the right decision - to react positively to the concrete proposals presented to it,'' the leaders said. ^--- On the Net: Russia's G-8 Web site: http://en.g8russia.ru Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 8 Guardian Unlimited: G8 Pushes N. Korea to Stop Missile Tests From the Associated Press [UP] Monday July 17, 2006 11:46 PM AP Photo SUM197 By JEANNINE AVERSA AP Economics Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) - World leaders on Monday called on North Korea to stop its missile tests and to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Although the Group of Eight summit of industrial powers was dominated by worries the escalating warfare between Israel and Lebanon, leaders managed to address sensitive situations posed by the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran. The leaders urged North Korea to reinstate a moratorium on missile launching and said the country's recent test firing of missiles ``intensify our deep concern over the DPRK's nuclear weapons program,'' the leaders said in the document. North Korea is officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea test-fired seven missiles on July 4 - including a long-range Taepodong-2 - which was believed capable of reaching the United States. The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution over the weekend demanding that North Korea suspend its ballistic missile program. The resolution bans all U.N. member states from selling material or technology for missiles or weapons of mass destruction to North Korea, and from receiving missiles, banned weapons or technology from North Korea. In a document released Monday by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the leaders expressed support for the U.N. resolution. Besides Russia, the Group of Eight includes the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada. North Korea has rejected the council's unanimous vote Saturday adopting the resolution and warned that it was a prelude to a renewed Korean war. The leaders urged North Korea to return to disarmament talks with China, North and South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States. The talks have been stalled since the fall, and North Korea has not agreed to return. ``We strongly support the six-party talks, and urge the DPRK to promptly return to them,'' the leaders said. ``We strongly urge the DPRK to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.'' Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters Monday that cooperation is possible with North Korea if it halts the missile tests and returns to the multination talks, which are aimed primarily at persuading North Korea to stop developing nuclear weapons. ``The door is not closed'' Koizumi said. ``North Korea must return to the talks as soon as possible.'' Koizumi said the G-8 and the U.N. Security Council had sent North Korea a ``clear message'' that it must stop its missile tests. ``The North must respect this message,'' he said. World leaders also pledged to keep pressing for a resolution on Iran. World powers rebuked Iran last week by seeking possible punishment from the Security Council, saying Iran had not signaled an intent to negotiate seriously over its disputed nuclear program. Iran said Sunday that a pending package of incentives to halt its nuclear program was ``an acceptable basis'' for talks. ``Iran has a serious choice to make and we invited it to make the right decision - to react positively to the concrete proposals presented to it,'' the leaders said. ^--- Associated Press writer Eric Talmadge contributed to this report. ^--- On the Net: Russia's G-8 Web site: http://en.g8russia.ru Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 9 AFP: Bush hopeful of US-India nuclear deal Mon Jul 17, 3:58 AM ET SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) - US President George W. Bush " /> has told Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here that he was "optimistic" US lawmakers would approve a controversial civilian nuclear agreement. "Our congress is working on that important piece of legislation that will encourage and allow India and US cooperation, and I'm optimistic that we will get that passed," said Bush, who called the accord "that wonderful deal." Singh thanked Bush for his efforts to get the necessary legislation "moving through the Congress" and explained there were concerns among Indian lawmakers too. "We have a parliament which is very jealous of what we do and what we don't do," he said, as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations. The nuclear pact won quick approval from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee " /> and the House International Relations Committee last month, boosting its chances of garnering floor votes in the full chambers. Officials have been tinkering with the final bill however, which opponents argue does not include sufficient safeguards to prevent India from applying nuclear technology and material to military use. Under the deal, the United States will aid the development of civil nuclear power in India in return for New Delhi placing some of its nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency " /> inspections. The US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 currently prevents the United States from trading nuclear technology with nations that have not signed up to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. The law has to be amended for the India deal to be effective. India tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 and, as a result, is currently banned by the United States and other major powers from buying fuel for atomic reactors and other related equipment. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 10 AFP: US lawmakers to act on India nuclear deal - official Mon Jul 17, 5:03 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US government said it expects lawmakers to take up a landmark nuclear power deal with India within weeks, allowing the pact to win full congressional approval in September. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said the House of Representatives could begin debating the controversial deal next week, with the Senate following the week after. Then, both chambers would return after the summer recess, which starts for the House later this month, and the Senate on August 4, to put finishing touches on composite legislation, he said. "Perhaps in September, they could put through the final legislation," Boucher said at a briefing for foreign reporters here. His comments came hours after the deal was addressed during a meeting between President George W. Bush " /> President George W. Bushand Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Russia. "Our congress is working on that important piece of legislation that will encourage and allow India and US cooperation, and I'm optimistic that we will get that passed," said Bush, who called the accord "that wonderful deal." Singh thanked Bush for his backing for the legislation and explained that there were concerns among Indian lawmakers too, saying: "We have a parliament which is very jealous of what we do and what we don't do." The nuclear pact won quick approval from the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee " /> Senate Foreign Relations Committeeand the House International Relations Committee last month, boosting its chances of garnering floor votes in the full chambers. zz Officials have been tinkering with the final bill, however, with opponents arguing that it does not include sufficient safeguards to prevent India from applying nuclear technology and material to military use. Under the deal, the United States will aid the development of civilian nuclear power in India in return for New Delhi placing some of its nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency " /> International Atomic Energy Agencyinspections. The US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 currently prevents the United States from trading nuclear technology with nations that have not signed up to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. The law has to be amended for the India deal to be effective. India tested nuclear weapons in 1974 and 1998 and, as a result, is currently banned by the United States and other major powers from buying fuel for atomic reactors and other related equipment. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 11 FCNL: Nuclear Calendar Nuclear Calendar July 17, 2006 Receive updates by email July 17 3:00 p.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee, hearing on the nomination of Christina Rocca to be U.S. Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website and CapitolHearings.org. July 18 8:00-9:00 a.m., Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Robert Joseph, "Nuclear Terrorism." Sponsored by NDU Foundation. Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., S.E., Washington. RSVP to Elma Rhue. July 18 9:30 a.m., Senate Armed Services Committee, hearing on the nomination of William Tobey to the Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation for the National Nuclear Security Administration (and other nominations). 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on CapitolHearings.org. July 18 10 a.m., Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, hearing on United States and India energy cooperation. 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website and CapitolHearings.org. July 18 10 a.m., House floor action under suspension of the rules of H Res. 905, congratulating Kazakhstan on the 15th anniversary of the closure of its nuclear test site. Broadcast and webcast on C-SPAN. July 18 2:00 p.m., Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, mark up of the defense appropriations bill, H.R. 5631. 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on CapitolHearings.org. July 19 8:00-9:00 a.m., Barry Blechman, DFI International, "Long Range Precision Strike." Sponsored by NDU Foundation. Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., S.E., Washington. RSVP to Elma Rhue. July 19 2:00 p.m., House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, hearing on DOE's Revised Schedule for Yucca Mountain. 2322 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website. July 19 6:30-8:00 p.m., Ali Ansari, author of Confronting Iran, and Najmeh Bozorgmehr, Brookings Institution, "A Conversation on Iran: U.S.-Iran Relations." Sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Washington. At the Middle East Institute, 1761 N St., N.W., Washington. RSVP by email. July 20 9:30 a.m., House International Relations Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing on U.S. Nonproliferation Strategy: Policies and Technical Capabilities, with Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Francis Record; John Kotek, Washington Policy and Analysis; and Mark Haynes, General Atomics. 2255 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. Not webcast. July 20 9:30 a.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee, hearing on North Korea: U.S. Policy Options, with Morton Abramowitz, Century Foundation; Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill; and Arnold Kanter, Scowcroft Group. 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website and CapitolHearings.org. July 20 1:30 p.m., House International Relations Committee, hearing on proposed sale of F-16 aircraft and weapons systems to Pakistan with Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs John Hillen. 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. Webcast on the committee website. July 20 1:30 p.m., Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security, hearing on Iran's nuclear impasse. 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on CapitolHearings.org. July 20 2:00 p.m., Senate Appropriations Committee, mark up of the defense appropriations bill, H.R. 5631. 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Webcast on CapitolHearings.org. July 24 Noon-1:30 p.m., Robert Gallucci, Georgetown University, "The North Koreans: They're Back!" Mortara Center Conference Room, Georgetown University, 3600 N St., N.W., Washington. RSVP online. Week of July 24 House floor action on the H.R. 5682, legislation to advance the U.S.-India nuclear agreement (tentative). Broadcast and webcast on C-SPAN. Week of July 24 Senate floor action on the defense appropriations bill, H.R. 5631. Broadcast and webcast on C-SPAN2. July 25 8:00-9:00 a.m., Lt. Gen. Larry Dodgen, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, "SMDC Perspectives: Deployment of Air and Missile Defenses." Sponsored by NDU Foundation. Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., S.E., Washington. RSVP to Elma Rhue. July 26 3:00 p.m., House Armed Services Committee, hearing on plutonium disposition. Location TBA, Washington. July 28 ASEAN Regional Forum. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Both North Korea and United States are members and may attend.) July 29-Sept. 4 House of Representatives summer recess July 31-Sept. 15 Conference on Disarmament, third and final session of 2006. Geneva July or Aug. Informal six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program (possible). Shenyang, China July or Sept. Senate floor action on legislation to advance the U.S.-India nuclear agreement (possible) An email version of the Nuclear Calendar is published every Monday morning when Congress is in session. Subscribe on FCNL's web site. Unsubscribe on FCNL's web site, or send a blank email to nuclearcalendar-unsubscribe@fcnl.org. c 2006 Friends Committee on National Legislation, 245 Second Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002 | 202-547-6000 | www.fcnl.org The editor is David Culp. The publication is made possible by generous contributions from the Colombe Foundation, the Compton Foundation, the Educational Foundation of America, the Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation, the Lippincott Foundation, the Ploughshares Fund, the Town Creek Foundation, and the individual contributors and supporters of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the FCNL Education Fund. FCNL Friends Committee on National Legislation ***************************************************************** 12 BBC: G8 supports 'open' energy markets Last Updated: Sunday, 16 July 2006 [Oil rig at sea] Many fear that the use of fossil fuels is harming the environment Russia has taken a step towards opening its energy sector to foreign investment at the G8 meeting in St Petersburg. The group agreed to "open, transparent" energy markets and to nuclear energy as a power source for those who want it. Russia had faced calls from the EU and US for increased international energy co-operation, amid fears Moscow may use energy as a tool of foreign policy. However Russia, a major oil and gas producer, did not ratify the Energy Charter, an international rulebook. 'Responsible supplies' But the G8 leaders did express, in principle, their support for the Energy Charter treaty, which calls for open access to energy resources and transport infrastructure. The European Union has been pressing Russia, which supplies a quarter of the continent's gas, to fully ratify the charter which it has signed. G8 SUMMIT: 15-17 JULY The world's seve richest nations - the US, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada have met annually since 1975 Russia joined in 1998, turning the G7 into the G8 2006 summit to be held in St Petersburg - the first time Russia has hosted the G8 Energy security, infectious diseases and education are on Russia's agenda Mid-East crisis, Iran, North Korea, and international terrorism are also likely to be discussed Summit diary Soulmates no more 'Global fear' on energy plans "Energy is essential to improving the quality of life and opportunities in developed and developing nations," the leaders' statement said. "Ensuring sufficient, reliable and environmentally responsible supplies of energy at prices reflecting market fundamentals is a challenge for our countries and for mankind as a whole," it added. The statement comes after months of rising oil prices - including a new spike following the Israeli action in Lebanon. Concerns were also raised earlier this year when a dispute between Russia's monopoly supplier, Gazprom and Ukraine over prices threatened gas supplies to Europe. A BBC World Service survey of 20,000 people in 19 nations in early July found that, on average, 45% trusted Russia as an energy supplier. Nuclear options It is against this background that the UK government recently announced the go-ahead for a new wave of UK nuclear power stations, as part of the mix of energy supply for the next 40 years. "Those of us who have or are considering plans relating to the use and/or development of safe and secure nuclear energy believe its development will contribute to global energy security, while simultaneously reducing harmful air pollution and addressing the climate change challenge," the G8 said. Most G8 countries have been looking again at the development of nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, but Germany is not supportive and plans to phase out nuclear energy by the early 2020s. And German officials have been keen to stress a phrase on the G8 statement that says: "We are committed to further reduce the risks associated with the safe use of nuclear energy." ***************************************************************** 13 UPI: Germany wants energy alliance with Russia United Press International - Energy - 7/17/2006 12:50:00 PM -0400 BERLIN, July 17 (UPI) -- The German government looks for an "energy alliance" with Russia, according to a government official in Berlin. Michael Mueller, of the governing Social Democrats, said the increasing dependency on energy imports from Russia should be reduced by saving resources. "That's why we think of an energy alliance: Russia gets energy efficient technology, and we in turn get energy on a long-term basis," Mueller told Monday's Berliner Zeitung newspaper. "We have to tackle that in the coming months." The bickering inside Germany's grand coalition government is whether or not to phase out nuclear energy. Mueller said nuclear energy was not a reliable source for the future, despite calls from the Group of Eight leaders in St. Petersburg to pursue nuclear energy because it does not give off greenhouse gas emissions. "If we would increase the use of atomic energy five times, uranium would be depleted within 30 years," he said. Karl-Georg Wellmann, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, however, said the phase out should be re-evaluated. Berlin has agreed to shut down all atomic power plants by 2021. "We are dependent on Russia by over 30 percent, so we should be asking the question if that makes sense," Wellmann told German news channel n-tv, adding that the German-Russian energy links are causing Poland and the Baltic states to build new nuclear power plants. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved advertisement ***************************************************************** 14 Guardian Unlimited: Rice insists nuclear talks should go through Solana Patrick Wintour in St Petersburg Monday July 17, 2006 The Guardian An Iranian initiative to end the crisis over its plans to build its own civil nuclear reactors must be handed to the six countries negotiating with Iran, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice insisted at the G8 summit yesterday. Tehran had earlier caught the G8 by surprise by trying to involve them in the talks, after announcing that a package drafted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany was an "acceptable basis" for discussion. Article continues Tehran's response came four days after a July 12 deadline to respond to the offer, and after the six countries had decided to refer Iran to the Security Council. In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said: "The G8 has two options ahead: one is the path of logic and the other the path of extremism. We hope the G8 group will place logical recommendations on its agenda." But Ms Rice said the Iranians should hold talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who offered Iran a package of economic incentives last month in return for Tehran's long-term suspension of uranium enrichment. Britain, France and the United States, as well as non-permanent Security Council member Germany, support economic sanctions if Iran fails to cooperate. But Russia said it would not support such measures. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 15 Sydney Morning Herald: Australia can be energy superpower - PM - www.smh.com.au July 17, 2006 - 2:14PM Prime Minister John Howard says Australia could become an energy "superpower", but he has angered green campaigners who accuse him of looking after industry rather than the environment. While protesters and political opponents claimed he had done nothing to curb climate change, Mr Howard said Australia could supply the world with low-cost energy. He told the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) that his government would encourage further exploration of oil and continue to develop renewable energy resources such as hydro, wind and solar. Mr Howard also said Australia could not afford to ignore developments in nuclear energy, especially as the country has close to 40 per cent of the world's known low-cost uranium deposits. "Australia's energy exports are forecast to grow to around $45 billion in 2006-07, more than three times what we earned last year from meat, grains and wool combined," he told a CEDA business lunch. "Australia can, and should, supply the domestic and world economies with low-cost energy. "With the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower." As he entered the CEDA lunch at the Sydney Convention Centre, Mr Howard was heckled by about 80 protesters who accused him of looking after the interests of the coal industry rather than finding energy alternatives for Australia. "Ten years of inaction and backward energy policies by Howard and his government has left Australia with virtually no meaningful energy alternative to help us beat our reliance on pollutant coals and oil," said Greenpeace spokeswoman Catherine Fitzpatrick. "The government's agenda appears to be to ensure the coal industry continues with business as usual, with the rest of us picking up the tab through increasingly serious climate impacts." Mr Howard further angered environmentalist groups by saying Australia should use more of its natural resources, particularly oil. "While known oil reserves are declining, Australia remains relatively unexplored, particularly for petroleum in frontier offshore areas," Mr Howard said in his speech, entitled Australia's National Challenges: Energy and Water. "Encouraging further exploration is a high priority for the government." Greens senator Bob Brown accused Mr Howard of focusing more on greed than green. "The prime minister wants Australia to become an energy superpower but he is risking making Australia an energy prostitute," Senator Brown said. Democrats leader Lyn Allison said the government failed the energy needs of the Australian people and the environment by planning further exploration of oil. "Oil is a finite resource and a major contributor to climate change," Senator Allison said. "Australia should be focusing on reducing its reliance on oil and looking at alternatives." Mr Howard reiterated his reasons for Australia's refusal to sign the Kyoto agreement on climate change. "If we signed Kyoto, we would see industries leaving Australia," he said. He also said it would be unworkable for states to engage in their own carbon trading. © 2006 AAP Copyright © 2006. The Sydney Morning Herald. ***************************************************************** 16 Sydney Morning Herald: The nuclear debate we have to have - Opinion - smh.com.au www.smh.com.au John Howard July 18, 2006 AUSTRALIA has a massive opportunity to increase its share of the global energy trade. With the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower. Australia is the world's largest coal exporter, accounting for 30 per cent of world trade. We have significant reserves of natural gas and could be the world's second largest liquefied natural gas exporter by 2015. We hold close to 40 per cent of the world's low-cost uranium reserves. We have extensive renewable energy resources. Hydro, wind and solar represent a small part of our energy mix and other potential sources such as hot dry rocks are yet to be tapped. Energy is the single largest contributor to global emissions of greenhouse gases. Meeting the challenge of climate change will require changes to the way the world produces and uses energy. To meet the goals of prosperity, security and sustainability, Australia needs an energy policy that is pragmatic, rational and flexible. This boils down to building Australia's energy advantage based on proven strengths; not putting all our eggs in one basket; and investing in leading-edge clean-energy technology while being pragmatic about what technologies help us reach our goals. The Government's energy policy emphasises the role of new low-emission technologies. Renewable energy will play an increasing role in the mix. But pragmatism, rationality and flexibility also call for realism about this role. The cost of delivering low-emission electricity from renewable sources remains very high. Coal, oil and gas will continue to meet the bulk of Australia's energy needs. Australia is determined to pursue an effective global response on climate change that encompasses the world's major emitters. Unfortunately, Kyoto did not meet this test. Global greenhouse emissions are projected to grow by 40 per cent by 2012 within the Kyoto framework. In the absence of Kyoto, they would have grown by 41 per cent. A central flaw of Kyoto is its reliance on a distinction between developed and developing countries which makes little sense when translated into global emissions. Australia contributes about 1.4 per cent of global CO 2 emissions. If we stopped emitting all carbon dioxide tomorrow it would take 10 months for the growth in China's emissions alone to eclipse our global reduction. The other fundamental flaw of Kyoto is that it can lead to distortions in economic activity without any environmental benefit. A good way to think about this is through the prism of the $25 billion liquefied natural gas deal between Australia and China. Resource development supporting this deal has the effect of increasing Australia's greenhouse emissions by about a million tonnes. A Kyoto constraint might have priced Australia out of a contract whose net effect is to lower China's prospective greenhouse emissions by 7 million tonnes. Australia would have lost out and, at best, the environment would be no better off. Where is the rationality in that? Global debate on greenhouse strategies has moved beyond Kyoto and Australia is at the centre of it with the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. Six countries that together account for 55 per cent of global output and 49 per cent of global emissions are forging a partnership, with action plans to be released later this year. Nuclear power has an important role to play in stabilising the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide. This, along with energy security concerns, has led to a revival of interest in nuclear power. Nuclear energy accounts for 16 per cent of global electricity generation. Nuclear power emits virtually no greenhouse gases. Commercial factors remain critical to the future of nuclear power. With close to 40 per cent of the world's known low-cost uranium deposits, for Australia to bury its head in the sand on nuclear energy is akin to Saudi Arabia turning its back on global oil developments. Uranium is our second largest energy export in terms of energy content. All sources of energy have advantages and disadvantages. The real question is whether Australia should fully consider its interests and responsibilities in the global nuclear energy debate or whether it succumbs to a dogma of denial. This is an edited version of a speech on energy and water the Prime Minister gave yesterday. Copyright © 2006. The Sydney Morning Herald. 's government nukes as a crucial weapon in the fight against climate change. The endorsement came as part of the government's new energy policy. While that policy includes increased reliance on wind and other forms of renewable energy, nuclear power is expected to make, in the words of Alistair Darling, the trade and industry secretary, a "significant contribution" to cutting carbon emissions. The Blair government's announcement triggered a political firestorm in Britain. The embrace of nuclear power, which had been rejected by a government White Paper on energy in 2003, was widely attacked both by environmentalists to Blair's left and the two opposition parties to his right. But there is a big catch in Blair's nuclear plan--one that could settle the question once and for all of whether nuclear power makes sense as a response to global warming. The catch is that Britain will not publicly subsidize nuclear power. According to Secretary Darling, private investors alone must pay to finance, construct, operate and eventually dismantle any new nuclear plants. They also must help pay to dispose of the plants' radioactive waste--an activity whose cost is unknown, since scientists remain uncertain about how to store the waste safely. This no-subsidy pledge amounts to a revolution in nuclear economics. There are 440 nuclear plants now operating around the world. Not one of them was built without sizable public subsidies. Governments have subsidized nukes both directly--through R&D funding, cheap loans and guaranteed insurance--and indirectly, by allowing electric companies to pass billion-dollar cost overruns onto consumers. The US government has historically spent ten times more on nuclear subsidies than it has for solar, wind and other renewable energy sources, according to studies by the Renewable Energy Policy Project and the energy policy analyst Charles Komanoff. Perhaps the most critical subsidy is the , which shifts most of the liability for a major accident at a US reactor to the federal government--in other words, the taxpayers. Without Price-Anderson's protections, no nuclear plant would remain in operation, as pro-nuclear legislators point out every time the act comes up for renewal by Congress. Despite these ongoing subsidies, nuclear power remains forbiddingly expensive. A recent MIT study calculated that in the United States, nuclear power costs 6.7 cents per kilowatt hour. That's nearly 50 percent higher than natural gas, coal or wind, and it is vastly higher than energy efficiency, the least polluting form of electricity. None of this stops nuclear industry flaks from regularly claiming, as one did not long ago on public radio, that nuclear power is the cheapest electricity around--a statement so deliberately misleading, it qualifies as a lie. It's true that nuclear's operating costs--for fuel, labor and personnel--are low. But its capital costs--for buying the reactor, concrete and other materials and, above all, for borrowing the money needed to finance years of construction and permitting--are astronomical. In short, saying nuclear power is cheap is like saying a Rolls-Royce is cheap. It's true, but only if you count just the money you spend on gas and repairs, not the price of buying the car in the first place. Investors know all this. That's why nuclear power survives today only in countries like Russia, China and France, where state-controlled electricity systems can ignore market forces. "The financial outlook of nuclear power has always been, and remains today, poor," says Brice Smith, an analyst at the and author of Insurmountable Risks: The Dangers of Using Nuclear Power to Combat Global Climate Change. "Nuclear is seen as such a risk that Standard & Poor's issued a report in January saying that despite all the new nuclear subsidies the Bush Administration inserted in the 2005 Energy Act, S&P still might downgrade the bond rating of any utility company that ordered a nuke." If G-8 leaders want to honor last year's pledge to fight climate change, they need to understand that going nuclear would actually represent a big step backward. Because nuclear power is so expensive, it delivers seven times fewer greenhouse reductions per dollar invested than boosting energy efficiency does. Tony Blair--like George W. Bush, for that matter--says it's not an either/or question; we need energy efficiency and nuclear power and lots of other energy sources in the future. But in the real world, capital is scarce. To divert capital to nuclear when efficiency can work so much faster would delay our transition to a low-carbon economy when in fact we need to accelerate it. It's hard to believe Blair doesn't know this. In any case, he's in for a big surprise if he truly expects any nuclear plants will be built anywhere, without continued subsidies from the public purse. Like this article? Try 4 issues of The Nation at home (and online) FREE. Copyright © 2006 The Nation Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 18 RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear industry preparing for breakthrough Opinion & analysis - 17/ 07/ 2006 MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsina) - The Russian nuclear power sector is gathering energy for a breakthrough. A critical draft law has been submitted to the State Duma. It is designed to create the necessary legal framework for the implementation of the federal target program for the development of the nuclear power industry, which is of topmost importance for the country. This draft is a backbone document, a launch pad for upgrading the system's operation. This certainly does not mean that the nuclear power sector, which has always been in the foreground of the country's economy, has been failing to carry out its tasks. However, the country is now in a new geopolitical and market environment, which calls for original decisions and prompt responses. The stream of changes has finally reached the sensitive and conservative nuclear power sector. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, hopes that the Duma will consider the draft law at the first meetings of its autumn session in September. He thinks that the document reflects the procedures and methods of funding the target program for efficient development of the sector. Using a range of state-of-the-art management tools, Kiriyenko would like to give a boost and add market savvy to the nuclear industry, thus making it competitive. Sharing these aspirations, Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed Kiriyenko to develop a target program. The industry's top experts were involved in the work. However, the president personally set the objectives of national importance and approved the prepared draft, which was assigned presidential status. What are the main priorities of this large-scale action plan? The military component is the number one priority. Clearly, the attitude to Russia in the world, its rights as a great power and its national security to a great extent depend on the efficiency of its nuclear complex. While the military component is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power plays a prominent role, too. "We can defend ourselves, and we can make others treat us with respect. There is no doubt about that, either in the near future or in the long-term," commented Kiriyenko on the current state of the nuclear industry. However, he was less optimistic when he talked about the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes. At present, the share of Russia's energy produced by nuclear power plants is quite small, only 16% (in France the share is 80%). The current minimum goal is to maintain this rate. That is not easy to accomplish, because Russia has recently been constructing, on average, only one nuclear unit every five years. The decline in public support for the nuclear power sector to a great extent results from the radiophobia caused by the Chernobyl disaster and, certainly, from the nationwide recession caused by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, sweeping changes in public and political life and financial difficulties. The existing nuclear power plants were built in the 1960s and 1970s, and their working life is coming to an end. Kiriyenko painted a bleak picture: "If we don't do anything, by the year 2025 there will be no nuclear power industry at all in Russia. It will disappear for technical reasons: old plants will be decommissioned and there will be no new plants." The only way out is for the government to roll up its sleeves and start building at least two nuclear power plants (and, in the future, three or four plants) a year. This is the priority task stipulated in the federal target program for the development of the nuclear power sector. The optimistic scenario aims even higher: the share of nuclear power in the national power grid should be 25%. The draft federal budget for the year 2007 already provides for the expenditure of 17 billion rubles on the first two nuclear units. Additional funds will come from the resources of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power. The number one priority is the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, one of the oldest in Russia, which serves the St. Petersburg Region and other territories in the northwest. Construction of a new plant, Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant-2, will start as soon as next year. Furthermore, the capacity of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant, whose main consumer is the Moscow Region, will be increased. Another priority is the Rostov plant in the town of Volgodonsk, a critical source of power in the Russian south. The federal target program gives an enormous boost to innovation projects, e.g., the fast neutron reactor BN-800. This reactor type solves the problem of fuel self-sufficiency, a paramount issue which will determine the future of the global nuclear power industry. Along the way, this technology solves the spent fuel problem because there will be practically no spent fuel. Under the program, a new-generation BN-800 reactor will be constructed beside the old BN-600 reactor at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant in the Sverdlovsk Region, Urals. "Russia has a unique position in the area of fast neutron reactors; we are the leaders in their development, and this means we are uniquely competitive," believes Kiriyenko. According to the ambitious plans for a nuclear breakthrough stipulated in the federal target program, Russia should carry out large-scale expansion in the global markets, both in the field of power plant construction (40 to 60 nuclear power plants are to be constructed abroad between now and 2030) and in the fuel sector. "Today, Russia's share in uranium enrichment is 47% in the European market and 50% in the U.S. market," said Kiriyenko. He also mentioned something Russia cannot agree to: the single-mediator approach supported by the United States. "We will do all we can against antidumping procedures, which, in the current situation, are unfair," he said. The huge Russian nuclear power system is still federal property, and it does not look like the government has plans to sell it to anyone. The country needs a qualitative breakthrough to strengthen its position. The industry employs 400,000 people, and this figure includes enough highly skilled experts to solve all the challenging tasks on the agenda. It is now Kiriyenko's job to create a first class management system to run the program and lead the way to its success. © 2005 RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 19 The Herald: Minister against nuclear plants Web Issue 2573 July 17 2006 TOM GORDON, Scottish Political Correspondent July 17 2006 Scotland's planning minister yesterday came out personally against new nuclear power stations north of the border. Malcolm Chisholm said he did not believe the case had been made for new nuclear plants, and it was possible to safeguard the country's energy needs without the technology. The comments are another incremental shift in Scottish Labour's stance on nuclear power. Tony Blair has said new stations are very much on the agenda south of the border, but in Scotland the party has tacked a different course. Mr Chisholm, who as communities minister is ultimately in charge of planning in Scotland, yesterday said he was unconvinced of the case for new plants in their own right, regardless of the waste issue. Speaking on BBC Scotland's Politics Show, he said he thought most Scots wanted to see a future "without nuclear, and I think it can be done". Pressed on whether he wanted new nuclear plants, he said: "I personally don't think the case has been made for new nuclear power stations in Scotland." Nuclear plants at Torness and Hunterson produce 40% of Scotland's energy, and many Labour MSPs and union leaders want a decision to replace them soon, before they reach the end of their working lives. Copyright © Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited. All Rights ***************************************************************** 20 www.CattleNetwork.com G8: Nuclear Revival Continues, Despite German Angst Connecting the Cattle Industry Worldwide Today    7/16/2006 7:10:00 PM St. PETERSBURG (Dow Jones)--World leaders Sunday took their clearest step yet toward endorsing nuclear power as an antidote to rampant oil prices and climate change, despite the enduring opposition of broad swathes of their electorates. A statement released by heads of state from the Group of Eight industrialized countries gave broad backing to the revival of a technology that is still reviled by green groups worldwide, but capable of meeting a large part of the expected increase in energy demand over the coming decades. "Those of us who have or are considering plans relating to the use and/or development of safe and secure nuclear energy believe that its development will contribute to global energy security, while simultaneously reducing harmful air pollution and addressing the climate change challenge," the G8 said. The careful wording of the statement highlighted the increasingly isolated position of Germany among the world's nuclear nations, a point seized upon by German supporters of the industry. Economy Minister Michael Glos told the mass-circulation newspaper "Bild am Sonntag" that Germany's partners "have understood that they need nuclear power," while Edmund Stoiber, head of the Christian Social Union, renewed his calls to postpone the phasing out of nuclear plants agreed by the previous government. The G8's declaration also came on the heels of the publication of a long-term energy strategy document by the U.K. government last week, which strongly advocated the construction of a new generation of nuclear plants. Environmental groups immediately criticized the G8 statement, and weren't impressed by its professed commitment to assuring non-proliferation and "a reliable safety and security system." "Spreading nuclear reactors around the planet will pave the way for new terrorist threats and new potential nuclear armed states," the environmentalist Grace Policy Institute said in a statement. Amid an escalation of violence in the Middle East and near-record oil prices, energy issues were atop the official, Russia-led agenda in St. Petersburg. Focused intensely on crafting a political response to the violent flareup in southern Lebanon, the leaders took a largely uncontroversial stance in a first-ever statement of principles of "energy security," agreeing that transparent markets and diversified fuel sources are necessary. The nuclear issue, however, is more contentious. To ease what he's called an "addiction" to oil, President George W. Bush is pushing for an aggressive rollout of new nuclear power plants in the U.S., where atomic energy accounts for just one-fifth of the nation's electricity source. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has laid out plans to build over 20 new nuclear plants to raise the share of nuclear power in its own fuel mix to 25% by 2020 from 16% at present. Part of the rationale of the Russian plan is to allow natural gas that is currently burned by inefficient power plants to be exported instead, at much higher prices. The U.S. and Russia used the weekend to push their own nuclear relationship into new territory, agreeing to look into ways to jointly develop nuclear technology, which had previously been taboo due to Russia's relationship with Iran. The new pact could be worth billions to Moscow by eventually allowing Russian firms to enrich U.S.-made uranium, without a now-necessary middleman. The U.S., in turn, may take a leading role in reprocessing spent fuel. The question of its final storage, however, remains unsettled. Earlier this week, U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said Washington was still far from decided on lifting a ban on foreign buyers of U.S. nuclear fuelfrom transferring waste to Russia. "It's something that we'll have to talk about, because in order to do that, there would have to be all kinds of technical details and safeguards worked out," Hadley said. The U.S. may have little option though, since a new storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada that is due to be commissioned will soon be completely filled, according to Congressional committee report. Russian officials denied reports that they will allow any large-scale storage of foreign nuclear waste, but greens fear such a deal is already as good as done. "I'm very, very skeptical, given the history of statements from RosAtom," said Greenpeace's Tobias Muenchmeyer. He said Russia stood to gain over $20 billion for offering such storage - income which would greatly offset the cost of the construction of new plants. Even though polls suggest that 90% of Russians don't want their country to become an importer of nuclear waste, Muenchmeyer and others predicted Moscow would eventually get into the business. Content Copyright ©2004 CattleNetwork.com ***************************************************************** 21 NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the FR Doc E6-11212 [Federal Register: July 17, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 136)] [Notices] [Page 40553] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr17jy06-108] [[Page 40553]] Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Review; Comment Request AGENCY: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of the OMB review of information collection and solicitation of public comment. SUMMARY: The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Revision. 2. The title of the information collection: ``Reports Concerning Possible Non-Routine Emergency Generic Problems''. 3. The form number if applicable: N/A. 4. How often the collection is required: On occasion. 5. Who will be required or asked to report: Nuclear power reactor licensees, research and test reactors, and materials applicants and licensees. 6. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 1,032 responses (832 nuclear power reactor licensees; 200 materials applicants and licensees). 7. The estimated number of annual respondents: 204 (104 nuclear power reactor licensees; 100 materials applicants and licensees). 8. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 369,440 (349,440 for nuclear power reactor licensees [8 responses x 420 hrs/response x 104 licensees] and 20,000 for materials applicants and licensees [2 responses x 100 hrs/ response x 100 licensees]). 9. An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Pub. L. 104-13 applies: N/A 10. Abstract: NRC is requesting approval authority to collect information concerning possible non-routine generic problems which would require prompt action from NRC to preclude potential threats to public health and safety. A copy of the final supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: . The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by August 16, 2006. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. John A. Asalone, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150- 0012), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be e-mailed to or submitted by telephone at (202) 395-4650. The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of June, 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brenda Jo. Shelton, NRC Clearance Officer, Office of Information Services. [FR Doc. E6-11212 Filed 7-14-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 22 Boston Globe: Federal proposal raises fear that more waste to go to Maine plant - Plan seeks to store less at Nev. dump By Associated Press | July 17, 2006 PORTLAND, Maine -- The site of the former Maine Yankee atomic power plant holds 600 metric tons of nuclear waste sealed in 64 concrete and steel casks that are designed to last for decades. But now there are concerns that more of the highly radioactive waste could be diverted to the site in Wiscasset if legislation in Washington passes. The Bush administration proposal seeks to reprocess waste so that less is stored permanently at a proposed dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, the designated federal storage site that was supposed to open in 1998. Legislation that awaits a Senate vote also envisions temporary storage at sites across the country because Yucca Mountain is years behind schedule to open. Some critics don't want a program they say would divert resources and support for Yucca Mountain, which is limited by law to accepting 70,000 metric tons of waste. Others -- including Maine lawmakers, municipal officials, and advocacy groups -- are concerned that the former Maine Yankee site could become a dumping site for New England's waste. ``I think it could lead to a situation where Maine might be stuck holding the bag here," said Edwin Lyman, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Lyman's group is part of an effort that includes Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Sierra Club that is urging Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine to oppose the program in a spending bill. While neither of the Republican senators has said how she will vote on the bill awaiting action in the Senate, each opposes storing nuclear waste at Maine Yankee for the 25 years that the legislation allows. ``Having led the charge to defeat the potential placement of a second national nuclear repository in Maine in the 1980s, I will unequivocally oppose any legislation that could open up the state of Maine to either a nuclear fuel reprocessing site or an interim storage facility," Snowe said. Collins said she would ``vigorously oppose any effort to store outside waste in Maine." ``I will also continue to push the federal government to ensure that the waste that we have currently is removed from Maine in a safe and secure manner," she added. With completion of the Yucca Mountain storage site delayed, a provision in the federal legislation allows the US energy secretary to take title to closed plants like Maine Yankee and take responsibility for the storage of high-level nuclear waste until it can be moved. Another provision calls on the energy secretary to designate a consolidation site for waste within any state with a reactor for 25 years. ``The state has no power to stop this," Lyman said. ``Maine, in particular, might be seen as a good candidate for this by proponents as a New England regional facility."[ /] © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company. More: ***************************************************************** 23 Hudson Valley News: New Indian Point siren system under construction Monday, July 17, 2006 New sirens (above), and old The poles are being installed for the new Indian Point warning siren system in the 10-mile zone around the nuclear power plant. Entergy, the plants owner, has committed to building the new $10 million system in the zone in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange counties. The new sirens have several advantages over the old ones, including being omni-directional and having redundant battery backups that will allow each siren to operate even in the event of a widespread power outage. Work is already under way on the new system, said Entergy spokesman James Steets. Weve begun to construct the poles in several of the counties, he said. Were on track for completing the construction work by the end of the summer and attaching the sirens and connecting the various components and getting the software, computer, and radio and communications systems in place over in the plant and into the county EOCs. Officials expect the new system to be online at the end of this year. ***************************************************************** 24 Portsmouth Herald Maine News: Maine Yankee plan draws heat July 17, 2006 By Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine -- The site of the former Maine Yankee atomic power plant holds 600 metric tons of nuclear waste sealed in 64 concrete and steel casks that are designed to last for decades. But now there are concerns that more of the highly radioactive waste could be diverted to the Wiscasset site if legislation in Washington passes. The Bush administration proposal seeks to reprocess waste so that less is stored permanently at a proposed dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, the designated federal storage site that was supposed to open in 1998. Legislation that awaits a Senate vote also envisions temporary storage at sites across the country because Yucca Mountain is years behind schedule to open. Some critics don't want a program they say would divert resources and support for Yucca Mountain, which is limited by law to accepting 70,000 metric tons of waste. Others, including Maine lawmakers, municipal officials and advocacy groups, are concerned that the former Maine Yankee site could become a dumping site for New England's waste. "I think it could lead to a situation where Maine might be stuck holding the bag here," said Edwin Lyman, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Lyman's group is part of a coalition effort urging Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to oppose the program in a spending bill. Seacoast Online is owned and operated by Seacoast Media Group. Copyright © 2006 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please ***************************************************************** 25 Scotsman.com: Chisholm breaks ranks with cabinet against nuclear plan Mon 17 Jul 2006 HAMISH MACDONELL SCOTTISH POLITICAL EDITOR MALCOLM Chisholm yesterday became the first senior Labour minister to declare his total opposition to new nuclear power stations in Scotland. Mr Chisholm, Jack McConnell's communities minister and a member of the Scottish Executive, also claimed that most Scots shared his view. Speaking on BBC Scotland's The Politics Show, Mr Chisholm said: "I think the majority of people in Scotland would like to see a mix of non carbon-based energy production, without nuclear, if it can be done." He added: "I personally don't think the case has been made for new nuclear power stations in Scotland." Mr Chisholm is the minister in charge of planning, and last week he launched a new initiative to make the process easier for renewable energy projects. Mr Chisholm has always been on the left of the Labour Party and his opposition to new nuclear power stations will not astound his colleagues. What is surprising, however, is his decision to go public with this opposition while a member of an Executive which has managed to project a unified public position on nuclear power for so long. The Executive's official position is that no new nuclear power stations will be contemplated until the issue of waste has been resolved. This has been stressed by ministers from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats over the past year, whatever their personal views, in an attempt to keep some sort of collective Cabinet unity on the issue. Mr Chisholm has now broken that consensus, exposing the strength of anti-nuclear feeling among some senior Scottish Labour figures. Mr McConnell has been treading a difficult path recently, trying to keep on the right side of Tony Blair, the Westminster government and indeed his own Scottish party, all of whom believe in the principle of new nuclear stations - and his Liberal Democrat partners, who do not. The First Minister has managed to do this through a combination of bland public statements and off-the-record hints but he has relied on his Cabinet members to toe the agreed line, at least in public. Mr McConnell's aides will dismiss Mr Chisholm's remarks in public as nothing more than the "personal views" of one minister, but they will be angered privately that the communities minister has exposed such a lack of unity on what is the most sensitive political issue in Scotland. ***************************************************************** 26 Vermont Guardian: NRC, Entergy to discuss VY audit July 17, 2006 BRATTLEBORO Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff members will meet with Entergy representatives on Thursday to discuss the findings of an NRC audit done in association with the license renewal application for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. Entergy is seeking to operate Vermont Yankee for an additional 20 years beyond the expiration of its current license on March 21, 2012. Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a duration of up to 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The NRC performs audits early in the license renewal review process to evaluate whether the application is consistent with established guidance and NRC staff positions, according to an agency press release. Additional technical reviews, including inspections, will take place over the next 12 months. The conclusions from the audits, technical reviews and inspections will be incorporated into a safety evaluation report, which is expected to be issued next July, according to an agency statement. The Thursday meeting will be from 3-5 p.m. at the Quality Inn, 1380 Putney Road in Brattleboro, and is open to public observation. Following the business portion of the meeting, NRC staff members will be available to answer questions from the public, the statement said. Information on the license renewal process is posted on the NRCs web page at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html. Information specific to Vermont Yankees application is posted at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons/vermont-yankee.html. Posted July 17, 2006 Northern Vermont: PO Box 335, Winooski, VT 05404 Southern Vermont: 139 Main Street, Suite 702, Brattleboro, VT 05301 Contact: 802.861.4880 (ph) | 802.861.6388 (fax) | 877.231.5382 (toll-free) ©2005 Vermont Guardian | Visit us: www.vermontguardian.com This document can be located online: www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/072006/071706.shtml ***************************************************************** 27 AU ABC: Howard outlines energy superpower vision. 17/07/2006. ABC News Online Vision: Mr Howard says Australia could lead the world on clean coal technology. The Prime Minister has outlined his vision for energy and water, saying the nation has the makings of an energy superpower. Mr Howard, in an address to the Committee for Economic Development in Sydney, says Australia's energy resources are a major asset, already generating $45 billion a year in export earnings. He says they will become increasingly important as global demand grows. "As an efficient, reliable supplier, Australia has a massive opportunity to increase its share of global energy trade - with the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower," he said. Mr Howard has again put forward a case for nuclear power as a way of controlling greenhouse gases, and says Australia needs to aspire to be a world leader in clean coal technology. Mr Howard has defended not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. He says Australia would have missed out on a $25 billion gas deal with China if it had signed up to the protocol because it would not have been able to meet the target it sets out. "A Kyoto constraint could well have priced Australia out of a contract whose net effect is to lower China's prospective greenhouse emissions by some 7 million tonnes," he said. "Australia would have lost out and at best the environment would have been no better off. "Where is the rationality in that?" Water On the issue of water, the Prime Minister says people in cities should not tolerate water restrictions. He says there are no reasons why cities should be gripped by water problems. "Our goal should be nothing less that to drought-proof our large coastal cities," he said. "Having a city on permanent water restrictions makes about as much sense as having a city on permanent power restrictions. "We would not tolerate it with electricity and we should not tolerate with water." Mr Howard is calling on the states to apply for more ambitious projects under the Federal Government's water fund, saying only $400 million of the $2 billion pool has been used. Mr Howard says he will be writing to the states and territories setting out what he believes to be minimum criteria for projects. 'No plan' Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says Mr Howard's speech is a diversion from the leadership feud with Peter Costello. "John Howard has no plan for the future," he said. "He has attitudes, and his attitude is underpinned by a desire to appear in his current leadership crisis as a man with a serious idea about the direction the country ought to be going. "But frankly there is nothing there." Greens leader Senator Bob Brown says Mr Howard's approach to nuclear energy and water conservation is outdated. "John Howard is so last century," he said. "This nation needs so much a vision for this coming century and it's not big dams, and it's not uranium enrichment plants and nuclear waste dumps." ***************************************************************** 28 UPI: Energy security deal issued by G8 leaders United Press International - Energy - 7/16/2006 2:01:00 PM -0400 By STEFAN NICOLA UPI Energy Correspondent ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, July 16 (UPI) -- The Group of Eight leaders agreed Sunday on a global energy security strategy calling for open markets and acknowledging differing splits on nuclear energy and climate change. After a morning session on the grounds of the Constantine Palace in St. Petersburg, site of this year's G8 summit hosted by Russia, leaders signed a joint statement, with a key pledge from Russia to ensure energy security by putting into place "open, transparent, efficient and competitive markets." Observers viewed the joint statement as a sign by the Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to rein in, or even reverse Western concerns of Russia as an unreliable energy supplier. Moscow so far has been reluctant to open up its domestic energy market for foreign investors; in turn, the expansion plans of state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom have been stalled by opposition in Europe. Leaders added they would commit to "transparent, equitable, stable and effective legal and regulatory frameworks, including the obligation to uphold contracts, to generate sufficient, sustainable international investments upstream and downstream," and a call on Europe as well as Russia to allow for more foreign investments. They also identified key challenges to energy security, such as: high and volatile oil prices; growing demand; increasing import dependence in many countries; enormous investment requirements; environmental protection and climate change; and the vulnerability of energy infrastructure through political instability, natural disasters and terrorism. The statement called on the International Energy Forum (IEF) to identify ways to "broaden the dialogue between energy producing and consuming countries" while aiding to foster information exchange between all countries - all initiatives backed by Moscow. "All countries should not only share, but also coordinate their energy strategies," Viktor Khristenko, Russia's industry and energy minister, said Sunday in St. Petersburg. A lack of coordination was the root for many problems, and "energy nationalism," as he called it, would only lead to further instability of the market, he added. However, Russia has been repeatedly accused by the West of flexing its energy muscles to achieve foreign policy goals. The country leads the world in natural gas reserves and has substantial oil resources. Despite the formation of an energy dialogue among members, G8 leaders were unable to find common ground on nuclear energy, with Germany refusing to sign any statement that would cause a rift at home. The former German government under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had agreed to phase out nuclear energy by 2021, and his successor, Angela Merkel, has failed to summon a majority to slash that plan. "The chancellor will sign nothing that could create instability in the grand coalition," a German government source said ahead of the summit. "We recognize that G8 members pursue different ways to achieve energy security and climate protection goals," the statement's part on nuclear energy said. In an obvious bid to soothe Berlin's concerns, Merkel has also reportedly pushed for including a line on promoting research to make nuclear power plants safer. For the other seven nations, nuclear power plays a key part of the energy mix. Russia is planning to build 40 new plants by 2030, and adopted Sunday a joint agreement with the United States to increase cooperation on developing nuclear technology. Similar to nuclear energy, climate change remained another contentious issue at this weekend's talks. The Kyoto Protocol -- an international agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gases emitted by developed countries -- is ratified by some 163 countries, not including the United States. "I regret that the United States is not part of this initiative," Jacques Chirac, the president of France, said in a statement released Sunday. "However, all the other countries must respect their commitments." The U.S. government does not intend to ratify the protocol, not because it does not support the general idea, but because of the strain it believes the treaty would put on the U.S. economy. Canada, who ratified the treaty, said earlier this year it is likely to miss its targets under Kyoto. Russia and all other European countries have ratified the treaty and will likely meet their targets. Chirac added climate protection after 2012, when the targets are up for re-evaluating, should be ensured by an "ambitious agreement that commits all of us." Khristenko, the Russian energy minister, however, said it would be much harder to round up support for 'Kyoto 2' in 2012. "The situation will be different then," he said. "The economies of developing countries (will) now affect the environment." On the heels of the agreement, as if nature had quickly decided to protest, a torrential downpour of rain accompanied by thunder and lightning, swept over the grounds of the Constantine Palace, the lavish 18th century estate housing this year's summit. Comments to energy@upi.com © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 29 AFP: Howard eyes "energy superpower" status for Australia, backs nuclear - Monday July 17, 06:05 PM SYDNEY (AFP) - Prime Minister John Howard has outlined plans to make Australia an "energy superpower" and said nuclear energy was a vital part of his vision. Howard told an economics forum that Australia's energy resources were a major asset, already generating 45 billion Australian dollars (34 billion US) a year in export earnings, and would become increasingly important as global demand grows. "As an efficient, reliable supplier, Australia has a massive opportunity to increase its share of global energy trade -- with the right policies, we have the makings of an energy superpower," he said. Howard said that by 2030 India and China were set to use the equivalent of three times the United States' current energy consumption, and that Australia's proximity to the Asian giants put it in prime position to supply them. He pointed out that Australia already had a 25 billion Australian dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) contract with China and could become the world's second largest LNG exporter by 2015. It was already the world's largest coal exporter, accounting for 30 percent of world trade, and had extensive potential in renewable energy resources such as hydro, wind and solar power, he added. Howard said much of Australia's potential oil reserves remained unexplored and therefore untapped. The premier also pointed out that Australia holds 40 percent of the world's uranium reserves, saying that made it a major player in the debate about nuclear energy. "Australia cannot absent itself from global developments surrounding nuclear energy," he said. "For Australia to bury its head in the sand on nuclear energy is akin to Saudi Arabia turning its back on global oil developments." Howard said even some environmentalists were now urging a reappraisal of nuclear power because they recognised it had a role to play in stabilising greenhouse gas emissions, which are blamed for global warming. The conservative leader, who last month set up a taskforce to examine long-term nuclear power options for Australia, said he wanted a mature debate on the emotive issue. "If Australia does not engage, if we sacrifice rational discussion on the altar of anti-nuclear theology and political opportunism, we will pay a price," he said. "Maybe not today or tomorrow. But in 10, 15, 20 years time, Australia will assuredly pay a price." Australia has only one nuclear reactor, which is used for medical purposes, and has no nuclear power plants. Its uranium exports are strictly controlled and come from a limited number of mines, with a ban on new mines. Howard has repeatedly called for the ban to be lifted and urged Australians not to reject nuclear energy. "It is hypocritical because it says that while Australia will not use uranium, we are very happy to sell it to other countries and let them deal with the consequences," he said. Copyright © 2006 AFP. All rights reserved. All information ***************************************************************** 30 RIA Novosti: G8 works out common approaches to energy security - Putin 17/ 07/ 2006 STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), July 17 (RIA Novosti) - G8 countries have elaborated common approaches to ensuring global energy security and developing nuclear energy, President Vladimir Putin said Monday. "Our joint strategy is based on a common understanding of a universal energy future for humanity, a future for which we are responsible together," Putin said adding that G8 decisions would help "improve the global energy security system." He said the decisions covered reliability of energy infrastructure, diversification of production and supplies of energy resources, development of energy-saving technologies and alternative energy sources, as well as increased transparency and predictability for energy markets. The president said he was convinced that these measures would help form a stable and favorable trade and investment energy climate. He said environmental protection and climate change were important aspects of energy security. "In this connection, I will highlight the G8's readiness to honor previously undertaken environmental obligations and work out new effective measures to protect nature," he said. Putin also said G8 leaders had held a detailed discussion on the energy problems of developing and poor countries. He said it would take a great deal of time and effort to achieve a fundamental solution. Russia's debut G8 summit in St. Petersburg adopted Sunday 12 documents, including on Global Energy Security. "Energy is essential to improving the quality of life and opportunities in developed and developing nations. Therefore, ensuring sufficient, reliable and environmentally responsible supplies of energy at prices reflecting market fundamentals is a challenge for our countries and for mankind as a whole," the statement said. The leaders of Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada wrap up the summit Monday. © 2005 RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 31 Downwinders and the Divine Strake Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:34:27 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Hello, All, Justice for Downwinders is a group of Idaho Downwinders striving to obtain justice for Downwinders everywhere. We are also interested in ensuring that the Divine Strake test is canceled, not postponed. Our document is attached. The name of your group was suggested as one that might be interested in our information. If you cannot share it with your group members, perhaps you have friends or relatives who would be interested in the information. If your group is not interested in this material, we apologize. Please reply with "remove" as the subject and we will remove your name from our e-mail list. Thank you for your time. Justice for Downwinders PO Box 912, Eagle, Idaho 83616 (208) 761-7916 justice4downwinders@yahoo.com Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. Attachment Converted: "c:\program files\eudora\attach\Downwinder 1.PDF" ***************************************************************** 32 [NukeNet] Radiation Redux: Forest fires remobilize fallout Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:37:14 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) Excerpt: "The concentrations of cesium measured by the Yellowknife sensor during a given month strongly correlate with the sizes of boreal forest fires then burning upwind, the team reports in the June 28 Geophysical Research Letters." _________________________________________ Science News Week of July 15, 2006; Vol. 170, No. 3 Radiation Redux: Forest fires remobilize fallout from bomb tests Sid Perkins A sensitive instrument installed in the Canadian Arctic to monitor fallout from modern nuclear tests has detected small amounts of radioactive cesium produced by bomb tests decades ago. The material, which during the Cold War was spread across northern latitudes by high-altitude winds, is still being redistributed far and wide by forest fires, researchers say. Scientists use a worldwide network of sensors to ensure compliance with the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. While some devices are on the lookout for the telltale seismic vibrations generated by nuclear tests, others sniff the air for radioactive fallout (SN: 7/14/01, p. 25: Available to subscribers at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010714/bob11.asp Beginning in May 2003, a sniffer in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories - a device that had been switched on for the first time in January of that year - collected radioactive particles that included cesium-137, says Gerhard Wotawa, a meteorologist with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization in Vienna. That particular isotope of cesium, which has a half-life of about 30 years, is generated when atoms of uranium-235 and plutonium-239 undergo fission within bombs or nuclear reactors. The Yellowknife sensor regularly detected cesium-137 until mid-September 2003. In 2004, the radioactive particles showed up sporadically between late June and mid-September. Detectors at two other high-latitude sites-one in Iceland, the other on the remote Norwegian island of Spitsbergen-have detected cesium far less often. Using computer models and weather reports, Wotawa and his colleagues pinned down the source of the cesium: the fires that typically rage unchecked through the boreal forests of Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada. The concentrations of cesium measured by the Yellowknife sensor during a given month strongly correlate with the sizes of boreal forest fires then burning upwind, the team reports in the June 28 Geophysical Research Letters. Air samples taken in previous studies near forest fires have contained cesium-137, says Wotawa, but this is the first time that scientists have detected long-range redistribution of the radioactive isotope. The researchers aren't sure how the radioactive element makes its way from fallout-tainted soil into the atmosphere. Cesium, a chemical relative of potassium, is readily taken up by plants, so ash derived from wood and leaves could contain traces of the element. Another possibility is that because cesium has a boiling point of 670�C, some of the radioactive atoms may be vaporized from the ground by fires and then condense on airborne ash and soot, says Wotawa. The cesium-137 lofted during a forest fire is diffusely distributed. "This isn't a health risk, but it's interesting," Wotawa notes. Scientists will have to account for the presence of wildfires when they're interpreting the readings from radiation sniffers, he says. "[This finding] isn't too surprising, but I hadn't thought of it before," says Mark Fuhrmann, a geochemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y. Scientists might use the cesium-137, strontium-90, and other radioactive isotopes in fallout to track nutrient cycles in forests, he notes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you have a comment on this article that you would like considered for publication in Science News, send it to editors@sciencenews.org Please include your name and location. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To subscribe to Science News (print), go to https://www.kable.com/pub/scnw/subServices.asp To sign up for the free weekly e-LETTER from Science News, go to http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/subscribe_form.asp References: Wotawa, G., et al. 2006. Inter- and intra-continental transport of radioactive cesium released by boreal forest fires. Geophysical Research Letters 33(June 28):L12806. Abstract available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006GL026206 Further Readings: Perkins, S. 2001. The silence of the bams. Science News 160(July 14):25-27. Available to subscribers at http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20010714/bob11.asp Sources: Mark Fuhrmann Building 830 Environmental Sciences Department Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton, NY 11973-5000 Gerhard Wotawa Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Provisional Technical Secretariat International Data Centre Vienna International Centre P.O. Box 1200 A-1400 Vienna Austria http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060715/fob7.asp >From Science News, Vol. 170, No. 3, July 15, 2006, p. 38. Copyright (c) 2006 Science Service. All rights reserved. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." Bush, June 18, 2002 "War is Peace" Big Brother in George Orwell's 1984 Molly Johnson 6290 Hawk Ridge Place San Miguel, CA 93451 Cell: 805 296-0524 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://mail.energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 33 [du-list] Re: [DU-WATCH] Diabetes and Depleted Uranium Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:46:05 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Cats out of bags and a kitty from the same litter If a person has access to publication in the mass media, or a structured scientific research organization, it is possible to control what get published and when. Voices crying out in the wilderness don’t have it so good. Journalists do what they can to get a story and then do what they want with it. On Mother’s Day, May 14, 2006, I gave a PowerPoint presentation in New York. My audience was an eclectic group of international healers working in a kaleidoscope of modalities. This was an opportunity to bring up concerns about harmful effects of concentrated “depleted” uranium once it is unleashed to the atmosphere by bombs or munitions in a context of not just preaching to the choir. Here is my hypothesis from that presentation: increase [in obscene amounts] of Uranium previously sequestered in the ground and now available in the environment has led to an increase in cases of diabetes. How? The decrease of Chromium in the diet of processed foods results in Uranium being synthesized into the Glucose Tolerance Factor [GTF] molecule in the place of Chromium. It’s important to note here that both the Chromium and the Uranium MUST be available in the trivalent form not the hexavalent form. GTF will then not perform it’s function of mediating sugar metabolism in conjuction with insulin. This was a lightning bolt/thunder first clue that came from looking at the Periodical Table of the Elements that got me started thinking this way. Uranium can mimic Chromium—it can participate in many of the same reactions. Where there is a paucity of Chromium, available Uranium can move in. I already knew there was an increase of epidemic proportions of diabetes, and an increase of epidemic proportions of Uranium spewed about in the atmosphere for over more than half a century. And there was another clue. Uranium is about 4 times more massive than Chromium and in a biological molecule this is of significant importance in terms of dynamics, interms of structure, and in terms of function. It will cause a corruption of structure in a system where function is completely dependent on structure. [A note here, this theory came to me in 2003, before I met either du-watch, du-list or anybody who gave a tiddly wink about DU]. It was a simple observation based upon some physics and cell/molecular biology. This is an abbreviated version of my PowerPoint presentation. The theory and presentation are longer and more complex. Before May 14, I shared that presentation with Bob Nichols so he’s had this cat in his bag for more than 2 months and he got pretty excited about it. But he’s not the only one I sent it to before and after. In addition in the week after I returned from NY, I tried to put it he whole presentation in Files section of du-list & watch, however did not succeed. I sent off-list to some, some chose not to open the attachment and it’s not in my lack-of-budget to make and send copies snail mail. Another note and part of presentation: Diabetes is well known to cause birth defects, so are radiation and toxic metals. What a horrifying, heartbreaking situation. I included a couple of Miraki's photos from Afghanistan with his permission, so he knows what I say here is true, too. "I am quaking in my genes knowing the mayhem men manufacture" Elaine Hunter Bob Nichols wrote: All, This is the latest communication from Dr. Mishra in India and Leuren Moret. Regards, Bob Nichols Correspondent, San Francisco Bay View newspaper http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/11/18287057.php NICHOLS: Diabetes and Depleted Uranium Italian Embassy Cover up Continues by Bob Nichols (San Francisco Bay View) Dr Mishra described June 29th to June 6 as "A week from Hell." International radiation expert Leuren Moret talked to Dr Mishra, a famous surgeon from India, the afternoon of July 7, 2006. Dr. Mishra's report was grim. I had tried to reach him by phone and email for a week. I was concerned about his safety. On July 10 Dr Mishra stated "I will not be cowed down." Mishra reported "Threats at the hospital, three weird phone calls claiming 'we have you under surveillance,' one each in American, Italian and Indian accents." Dr. Mishra said he was advised by someone in the [Indian] government to "leave town for three days because of the danger." Mishra said he did and "unidentified Government agents blocked my computer, blocked my phone and email and harassed my family." Dr. Mishra said it started on his visit to the Consul at the Italian Consulate on June 29th regarding his earlier request for an Italian Visa. A Visa is an entry and travel permit and can only be issued in Bombay by Italian Consul Baeceloni. Mishra was called back without an explanation. The Consul asked Dr. Mishra 1) Who is your sponsor in Italy, 2) What is your hotel in Italy and 3) what is your interest in Leuren Moret, in diabetes and depleted uranium? Dr. Mishra had said nothing about diabetes, depleted uranium or Leuren Moret. Depleted uranium is a genocidal radioactive metal used for bullets, bombs and missiles by the United States and Great Britain as munitions in Iraq, Afghanistan and the former Yugoslavia. Millions of pounds of weaponized radioactive uranium gas and dust have been dispersed by US/UK military forces in Iraq and Central Asia. The use of uranium weapons has caused a global diabetes epidemic since 1991, according to scientist Leuren Moret. It is enough uranium dust to cause an estimated twenty five million additional cancers in Iraq in the next decade. The US and UK military still use uranium munitions. There are only 24 million Iraqis. Many Iraqis now have multiple cancers. On his visit to to the Consul at the Italian Embassy Dr Mishra answered the three questions by stating he would bring the email invitation to the Consul, his reservation and stated "I am going to meet with a scientific colleague, Leuren Moret, an old family friend who works for the good of humanity, about matters of interest to international public health." Mishra continued his statement "I am a scientist and a medical doctor. I have an interest in diabetes and public health links to depleted uranium. There are big unexplained increases in diabetes in India, China and Jakarta since 1990. I am participating in a meeting about these issues." The US, Italian and Indian governments had no way of knowing about the planned international meeting about the diabetes and depleted uranium cause and effect link. The suspicion is that the University of California's Nuclear Weapons Labs and factories tapped Leuren Moret's calls; then, went through the US State Department or the Defense Department to the Italian government and the Indian government. That is the most probable way the words "diabetes and the link to depleted uranium and Leuren Moret" came out of the Italian Consul's mouth in Bombay, India. Scientist Leuren Moret formerly worked at two Nuclear Weapons Labs run by the University of California. Moret and Mishra concluded with this statement "Denial of Dr. Mishra's Visa is an academic, scientific, political and social issue. We are not against any government. We would like the Italian government to understand the importance of this issue of global public health as an indicator and result of depleted uranium pollution. This position is stifling scientific investigation and is censorship." Bob Nichols is a Project Censored Award Winner. He is a correspondent for the San Francisco Bay View newspaper and a frequent contributor to various on line publications. Nichols is completing a book based on 15 years of nuclear war in Central Asia. Nichols is a former employee of the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. Nichols can be reached by email. You are encouraged to write bob.bobnichols [at] gmail.com http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/11/18287057.php [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------- Want to be your own boss? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/2pRQfA/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 34 [du-list] DU mixed with weapons grade EU for nuclear energy use Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:47:02 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Comments on article below? I am not in favor of nuclear power, since we have not figured out what to do with its waste products, but I am guardedly optimistic that this could be a step in the right direction to depleting the DU stockpiles in a possibly less risky way. Whatcha think? The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments: Shortcut to: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-07-14-uranium_x.htm Note: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 35 [du-list] du in the news - 15th July 06 Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:47:04 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Companies complete converting weapons-grade uranium for power USA Today Fri, 14 Jul 2006 7:04 AM PDT Two private companies have finished converting 50 metric tons of weapons-suitable highly enriched uranium to uranium that can be used by commercial nuclear power plants but not in weapons. The conversion mixes the highly enriched uranium with depleted uranium. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-07-14-uranium_x.htm?csp=34 Uranium converted for power plant use Boston Globe Fri, 14 Jul 2006 1:18 AM PDT WASHINGTON, D.C. A milestone has been reached in the campaign to reduce the stockpile of weapons-grade uranium left over from the Cold War . Two private companies announced yesterday that they have finished converting 50 metric tons of weapons-suitable highly-enriched uranium to uranium that can be used by power plants, but not in weapons. The conversion, by mixing the highly-enriched ... [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To unsubscribe from this groups send a message to du-list-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com. In the body of the message type unsubscribe and send. ***************************************************************** 36 [NukeNet] Layoffs planned at Nevada's proposed nuclear waste Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 14:36:33 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) July 15, 2006 http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/15/071510922.html Layoffs planned at Nevada's proposed nuclear waste dump ASSOCIATED PRESS LAS VEGAS (AP) - As many as 500 workers at the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain will receive notices next week that they might be laid off at the end of September. Officials said Friday that the layoffs were part of an ongoing reorganization at the site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Notices are being prepared for about a fourth of the work force employed by managing contractor Bechtel SAIC and for its commercial and federal laboratory subcontractors, Bechtel spokesman Jason Bohne said. Many of the employees affected are scientists, engineers, computer modelers and technical workers. Some of the workers are expected to be retained by Bechtel as it repositions its work plans, Bohne said. Others are expected to be offered jobs by the Sandia National Laboratories, which is taking over portions of the Yucca project from Bechtel. Bohne and Sandia representative Kate Rivera said they did not know how many workers might be offered new jobs and how many might face layoffs in the fall. The Energy Department announced the reorganization in January, saying it expected the transition to be complete by October. Under the reorganization Sandia will assume control of science and technical components, including projections of how long the underground repository might prevent residue of highly radioactive and decaying nuclear waste from escaping into the environment. Sandia performed a similar role in coordinating the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in Carlsbad, N.M., a repository that began receiving transuranic nuclear waste for disposal in 1999. DOE managers said the reorganization was designed to improve the project's credibility with scientists and regulators. The department wanted to open the dump in 2010, but allegations that government scientists skirted quality control requirements and a federal court's invalidation of the government's proposed radiation safety standards have pushed back the opening date. --- Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." Bush, June 18, 2002 "War is Peace" Big Brother in George Orwell's 1984 Molly Johnson 6290 Hawk Ridge Place San Miguel, CA 93451 Cell: 805 296-0524 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://mail.energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 37 Las Vegas SUN: Post-modern Guinn July 16, 2006 By Kristen Peterson   Illustrations by Chris Morris   Las Vegas Sun Gov. Kenny Guinn and the first lady are to select an artist to paint the governor's portrait. The portrait will hang regally in the state Capitol among portraits of other Nevada governors. The artist must execute the portrait according to Nevada Revised Statute 223.121, which requires an oil painting, "appropriately framed" and executed in the "same manner, style and size as the portraits of former governors." To this we ask, why? Why not get crazy? Why not tap into the assorted art movements that led to modern-day dialogue? Why not Basquiat? It's true that Willem De Kooning's emotional intensity - launched from his canvases during the 1950s - might horrify schoolchildren visiting the capitol building. But Guinn's Millennium Scholarship Fund could later enable these students to better understand the depths of Abstract Expressionism. Francis Bacon's distorted realism might be too gloomy to immortalize Guinn's legacy on canvas. Andy Warhol's glamour could come across as insincere and a perpetual mockery of a governorship in the Wild West. But Roy Lichtenstein appeals to many generations and is likely to portray the two-term governor as a clean and determined man who led with wisdom and strength. Or, why not tap into the photorealism of Chuck Close, one of the most influential portrait artists of our time? Salvador Dali? Nothing is more surreal than a neon city in a desert. Or Guinn's attempt to broaden Nevada's tax revenue in a state that gloats over its low taxes. Edvard Munch's anxiety might best reflect the insanity of Southern Nevada's growth, its water shortage and fight over Yucca, while embracing the loss of Nevada's rural ranching communities. But alas, Susan Boskoff, executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, says, "The discipline of good portraiture can be looked at as historical as well as an art form," and says that the work should represent "gravitas." However, she adds, "There is still room for the artist to be expressive." On that note, Chris Morris, the Las Vegas Sun's art director, looks at what might have happened if Dema Guinn had said, "Hey “ why don't we get that Picasso fella?" All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 38 Hartford Courant: Enough Nuclear Waste Politics courant.com EDITORIALS July 17, 2006 Although nuclear power has certain advantages over fossil fuel, it has one huge disadvantage. Permanent storage of the radioactive waste generated by power plants has been all but impossible. America's 103 commercial reactor sites in 31 states, including Connecticut, have been forced to store their spent fuel on site temporarily until a permanent resting place opens up. The difficulty has less to do with technology than politics. In 1987, the federal government designated the deep recesses of Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the permanent tomb for all commercial radioactive waste. Resistance, especially in Nevada, has been fierce. "Not in my backyard" is a powerful force. In the meantime, some 50,000 tons of waste in the form of spent reactor fuel rods are scattered throughout the 31 states, many in densely populated areas. Also, in the meantime, the federal government has been collecting fees from nuclear plant operators to pay for the permanent disposal of their waste. But the Yucca site has yet to receive the necessary operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Even if a license were granted, the facility wouldn't begin to receive the waste until 2018. Is there any wonder that utilities are suing the government for the millions of dollars they are paying in mandatory fees for the supposed permanent disposal of nuclear waste? To spur movement, a Senate panel recently approved yet another "temporary" solution. Under a plan from Chairman Pete Domenici of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the government would assume responsibility for storing the nuclear waste in new regional "consolidation" centers for up to 25 years, or until Yucca Mountain is opened. Storage sites would be built on federal land or on private land purchased by the government. All sites would have to be approved by regulatory agencies. National parks, wilderness areas and wildlife refuges would be off limits, of course. The idea is controversial and perhaps unworkable, but it has one overriding appeal: It provides an alternative to the temporary storage of nuclear waste in Haddam, Waterford and a hundred other places. It's time to get off the dime. Until then, the nuclear industry's wishes, supported by the Bush administration, to build 50 new nuclear power plants by 2020 will remain a pipe dream. courant.com is Copyright © 2006 by The Hartford Courant ***************************************************************** 39 NRL: The United States and Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Dispose of Plutonium Source: Novastar Resources Ltd. The United States and Russia Reaffirm Commitment to Dispose of Plutonium WASHINGTON, July 17, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- After nearly six years of stalled US-Russian nuclear cooperation on plutonium, a nuclear material used for making bombs, the US President George Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their commitment this week to eliminating excess plutonium, a move welcomed by non-proliferation experts. "The joint announcement addresses one of the most serious threats to our national security today -- the large stockpile of excess weapons grade plutonium in Russia," said Seth Grae, President and CEO of Novastar Resources Ltd. (OTCBB:NVAS), which is in the process of merging with Thorium Power, Inc. "The joint announcement can and should reinvigorate the Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement of 2000. The two sides agreed that nuclear experts of both nations will work together on a solution," Grae noted. Thorium Power, an American company founded on American technology, has been working with nuclear institutes in Russia for over a decade and plans to develop near-term and future technologies to effectively dispose of plutonium. In keeping with President Bush and Secretary of Energy Bodman's vision of a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) in which Light Water Reactors will continue to be utilized for the near- and medium-terms, Thorium Power supports the disposal of plutonium in thorium fuel in existing Light Water Reactors such as the Russian VVER-1000 today and highly proliferation resistant thorium fuel in the advanced reactors of tomorrow. Grae added that he is confident that the Secretary's personal involvement in this crucial program bodes well for its success. "Secretary Bodman has a well deserved reputation for getting things done. Thorium Power offers the fastest, safest, most efficient and economical way to dispose of plutonium now and in the future and we look forward to continuing to work with our Russian partners and the Department of Energy to develop fuels to produce electricity in Russia and to keep Russian plutonium from ever being a target for terrorists to acquire." The joint announcement is available at http://www.energy.gov/media/US_RussiaJointStatementFINAL_071306.p df About Novastar Resources Novastar Resources is a publicly traded company within the commercial mining sector and is a commercial mining firm engaged in the exploration of thorium, a naturally occurring metal that can be used to provide nuclear energy, with non-proliferation, waste and economic advantages, in comparison to standard uranium fuels. Novastar Resources' stock is traded and quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol "NVAS.OB". Further information is available on Novastar Resources' website at http://www.novastarresources.com. About Thorium Power Thorium Power was founded in 1992 to develop technology invented by Dr. Alvin Radkowsky, the first chief scientist of the U.S. Naval Reactors program under Admiral H.G. Rickover from 1950-1972 and head of the design team of the first commercial nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Thorium Power was formed to develop and deploy nuclear fuel designs developed by Dr. Radkowsky to stop the production of weapons suitable plutonium and eliminate existing plutonium stockpiles. Thorium Power has been collaborating with nuclear scientists and engineers at Russia's prestigious Kurchatov Institute since 1994. For more information, please visit http://www.thoriumpower.com. CONTACT: Novastar Resources Ltd. Mr. Seth Shaw, Director of Strategic Planning (703) 918-4904 www.novastarresources.com ir@thoriumpower.com ***************************************************************** 40 New York Observer Politicker: Yucca Money and the 11th One small detail on Carl Andrews' fundraising: among his donors is Winston &Strawn PAC, the fundraising arm of a lobbying firm that earned millions from the Bush Administration Department of Energy pushing for a nuclear waste repository in Nevada. This is not to say that Andrews has done anything wrong. is a massive firm that, Yucca Mountain aside, represents a roster of blue-chip corporate clients that includes Cisco, Microsoft, McDonald's and Philip Morris. And the firm has donated money to a long list of Democrats that includes Hillary Clinton, whose Senate campaign Andrews worked for in 2000. It's just interesting that the Chicago-based firm, which seems to donate predominantly to Republicans, has chosen its candidate in the 11th. -- Josh Benson Posted by The Politicker on July 17, 2006 03:09 PM | Permalink from Las Vegas Sun, 7/27/01 Winston &Strawn Lobbyist to Power Companies Winston &Strawn has deep ties to the industry. The firm represents more than 20 electric utilities that own approximately 50 percent of all U.S. nuclear power plants, according to its website. The firm has developed a "nuclear energy practice" within its 850-lawyer firm. Posted by: Anon | July 17, 2006 08:48 PM (800) 542-0420 copyright © 2006 the new york observer, L.P. | all rights ***************************************************************** 41 Knox News: Munger: Institute's chief likes to keep a low profile By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com July 17, 2006 Ron Townsend, president of Oak Ridge Associated Universities and director of the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, isn't one to brag and shout and puff out his chest. That's not his style. "I make a distinction between visibility and exposure," Townsend said. "I find it to be really advantageous for ORAU and ORISE to just be quiet and subtly do some good things for the nation and pop up every once in a while." Townsend is content when U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., refers to the institute as the "fourth" Department of Energy facility in Oak Ridge - behind Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex and the East Tennessee Technology Park. "I really like that role," he said. However, if you catch him at the right time, he'll be happy to share with you a success story that's been building in the 21st century. "If you go back over the past five years, we've virtually doubled as a corporation," Townsend said. "We've gone from an annual expenditure of $100 million to now we're in excess of $200 million a year. When you include all categories of employees, we've gone from 600 employees to 850. That means temporary employees, post-docs, any category." Townsend will be the first to admit that ORAU and ORISE can be confusing organizations to the public. ORAU, a consortium of 96 doctoral-degree-granting universities, manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for DOE. ORAU signed a new contract with DOE in December. It's for five years with an option for another five on top of that. Townsend said recent growth has come from focusing on core areas, particularly science education. For the nation to be competitive in the future, science education has to be successful, and Townsend said ORAU's goal is to make the Department of Energy the leader in that regard - with a high profile in Oak Ridge. He cited the PACE (Protecting America's Competitive Edge) legislation pushed by U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander as a funding mechanism for some of these programs - K-12, undergraduate, post-doctoral, the entire spectrum. "It's kind of interesting; the most enduring and consistent program we've had in the history of ORAU has been science education," Townsend said. One of the strengths of ORAU and ORISE is bringing together people - students, faculty, researchers - with resources, such as those facilities at national laboratories. And that work is growing in a big way, particularly the relationship with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During the first 50 years, from 1947-97, ORAU (or its predecessor, the Oak Ridge Institute for Nuclear Studies) supported 14,000 participants in science education programs. In the next eight years, 1998-2005, the number was 16,000. In this year alone, ORAU programs will support 5,000 participants in science education. "One of the things that excites me is that based on the sheer breadth and depth of our science education programs, we're a national leader," Townsend said. "Our goal is to help establish the Department of Energy and the (DOE) Office of Science in particular as the premier national leaders in science education." As part of its commitment to DOE in acquiring the new 10-year contract, ORAU promised to build a new facility that will house the science education programs and showcase that national effort. Townsend said it will be situated between ORAU's other facilities on Badger Avenue - including a new office structure completed two years ago - and the K-25 Credit Union building. The new facility doesn't have a name yet, but it will have about 40,000 to 50,000 square feet of space and cost $12 million to $14 million, Townsend said. ETEBA considering name change to ... ETEBA ETEBA plans to stick around a while, but it may change its name - and those two things go together. The East Tennessee Environmental Business Association's board has recommended changing the name to Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association. The name change, if approved by the 130-plus member companies, would sort of change the geography of the association as well as broadening its focus. "One of our goals is diversification," said Alice Murphy, a Department of Energy veteran who became the group's executive director early this year. Over the past 18 years, ETEBA has emphasized support of the DOE programs in Oak Ridge, either waste management or environmental cleanup. Those federal programs won't last forever, however, and the companies are looking for other business. "We want to help our companies sustain their presence by helping them grow their base into other areas and also look outside East Tennessee (for work)," Murphy said. "We want them to stay in East Tennessee, but we want them to be stable." Many of the current cleanup activities are scheduled for completion in 2008, when Bechtel Jacobs' contract expires as environmental manager. But ETEBA is helping promote a plan, known as the "integrated facilities disposition plan," that would bring another $1.5 billion to Oak Ridge over about a five-year period to decommission (or, in some cases, demolish) old nuclear facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. "That is our top priority," Murphy said, noting that she and some ETEBA board members were in Washington recently to talk about the plan with DOE and members of Congress. Instead of seeing funding drop off in the next couple of years, ETEBA would like to see the cleanup money for Oak Ridge stay at about $550 million annually, she said. "Our message is, 'Don't let it dip,' " she said. Negotiations with steel workers set to begin The Oak Ridge labor contract between Bechtel Jacobs Co., DOE's environmental cleanup manager, and the United Steel Workers, Local 9-288, expires Aug. 31. Negotiations were expected to get under way in the second week of July in an attempt to secure a new contract. The Steel Workers merged last year with PACE (the Paper, Allied-Industrial Chemical and Energy Workers International Union). The full name of the union is now the United Steel, Paper, Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy and Allied Service Workers International Union. According to Bechtel Jacobs, the existing agreement covers 232 workers who are removing excess equipment at the East Tennessee Technology Park (the former K-25 uranium-enrichment site) and electrical work in support of the Knoxville Building &Construction Trades Council, which is handling most of the decommissioning and decontamination at the government complex. Bechtel Jacobs' contract with the Department of Energy is supposed to end in 2008 at the same time cleanup and closure activities at K-25 are expected to be finished. It's not clear if the steel workers contract will be negotiated to coincide with that. While it wouldn't appear that the union has a lot of leverage for work that's coming to a close, Bechtel Jacobs can't really afford any work stoppages that could jeopardize cleanup schedules and sabotage its incentive-laden contract. Dennis Pennington is president of the steel workers local. Mike Hughes is president of Bechtel Jacobs. Polishing shoes for the D.C. visitors Key staff members of the House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee visited the government's Oak Ridge facilities June 28-29. Majority clerk Kevin Cook and minority staff assistant Dixon Butler toured the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex, getting briefings on high-profile projects - including the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility at Y-12. Staff members - especially those associated with the appropriations process - get the royal treatment, sometimes even more than their elected bosses. That's because their influence can make funding a reality. GAO skewers waste in sick-worker program The Bush administration was soaked by a wave of criticism early this year after word leaked out that the White House wanted to scale back the compensation for sick nuclear workers, including those in Oak Ridge. A General Accounting Office now reports there have been millions of dollars in questionable payments to Energy Department contractors in the six-year-old compensation program. These activities included resource centers set up to assist workers in filing claims and the research of worker exposures at the federal nuke facilities. "GAO identified $26.4 million in improper and questionable payments for contractor costs. These improper and questionable payments represent nearly 30 percent of the $92 million in total program funds spent through Sept. 30, 2005, but could be even higher given the poor control environment and the fact that GAO only reviewed selected program payments." Oak Ridge contractors score at small-biz awards Oak Ridge had its share of winners in late June at the Department of Energy's Small Business Conference in Seattle. ORAU received the diversity achievement award and had the overall highest percentage of diversity in subcontract awards to all socioeconomic categories for small businesses. BWXT Y-12, which manages the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, shared the Mentor-Protege Team Award with G2 Engineering and Management Inc., an Oak Ridge firm co-founded and majority-owned by Michael Twine that does work for the plant. Feds bowing out on a successful note With the construction of the Spallation Neutron Source essentially complete after seven years of work, the project's federal overseers are taking it to the house. David Wilfert, the deputy federal director on the $1.4 billion project, retired in early June after 34 years with the Department of Energy, and more recently his boss, Les Price, announced he was retiring. Price provided federal oversight on the SNS since 1999, and all told, he had 42 years of government service. "The SNS was a tremendous way to end a career," DOE Manager Gerald Boyd said in a prepared statement, adding: "Les' contributions to this agency over the years are remarkable." Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. 0> © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************