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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 Iran Uranium Reserves 30,000 Tons think Kleptocorp
2 AFP: Iran seeking to use Iraq for leverage on nuclear program - US e
3 AFP: Iran not intimidated by nuclear sanctions threat
4 AFP: Bush says Hezbollah lost, worries about Iran -
5 IRNA: Chinese diplomat due in Tehran to dicuss nuclear issue
6 IRNA: Peaceful use of n-energy among least demands of Iran - MP
7 IRNA: Egyptian FM stresses Iran's N-right
8 Guardian Unlimited: Bush Says Israel Defeated Hezbollah
9 Guardian Unlimited: Report: N. Korea Leader Finally Appears
NUCLEAR REACTORS
10 US: [NukeNet] Union of Concerned Scientists: Summer Heat vs. Nukes
11 US: [NukeNet] NET LOSS OF ENERGY BY NPP INDUSTRY OVER FIRST 40
12 US: NET LOSS OF ENERGY BY NPP INDUSTRY OVER FIRST 40 YEARS OF EXISTE
13 Moscow Times: Plutonium Reactors to Be Shut by 2010
14 Daily Yomiuri: Ex-TEPCO chairman questioned
15 US: NRC: Licensing Board to Hear Public Comments August 28 in Grand
16 US: NRC: Pressurized Thermal Shock; Reports on the Technical Basis a
17 US: NRC: New Resident Inspector Named at Arkansas Nuclear One
18 US: The Courier: Arkansas Nuclear One's Unit 2 sets record
NUCLEAR SECURITY
NUCLEAR SAFETY
19 Sickened Iraq vets cite depleted uranium
20 RIA Novosti: Novaya Zemlya: birds, animals adapt to nuclear test sit
21 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Many Utahns bear reminder of Cold War
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
22 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Permit allows transportation of all Moab nucl
PEACE
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
23 DOE: DOE Announces $1.4 Million for Industry-Laboratory Teams to
24 Tri-City Herald: Interns get inside look at Hanford
25 American Spectator: Public Works Blues
26 lamonitor.com: Beryllium source now thought natural
27 Knox News: Landfill will add 5th cell to contain nuke waste
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 Iran Uranium Reserves 30,000 Tons think Kleptocorp
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 11:21:35 -0500 (CDT)
X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu
X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY
Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
Worksheet bio
http://raenergy.igc.org/ArchitypeOfFairness.html
Blog
http://raenergy.blogspot.com/
Op Ed
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=raenergy&start=0&scoring=d&ie=UTF-8&
If what we are contemplating is not fair to our progeny we have a
failed event in retrospect
--Raleigh
Iran Uranium Reserves 30,000 Tons think Kleptocorp
The general war against the anti usury Islam toped with Uranium
interests with Oil booty ready for theft enter Kleptocorp's Enron
Organized Usury regime. Any excuse will do to get their hands on the
booty and squelch another Islamic anti usury government. After all
the US has overthrown almost every government on the planet.
The Iran's Uranium interests interfere with the Planned Uranium
Scarcity and plenty of coal? http://tinyurl.com/fufng
http://tinyurl.com/ln83c
The GOP ave attempted to rip off everything that wasn't bolted down
now they are scraping the bottom of the booty barrel. GOP in locked
step in defense of Klepto Corporatism att. journalists
http://raenergy.igc.org/goptheft.html
The saga of of Organized usury protecting the Oil Trade routes along
with their derivatives, junk bond hostile takeovers and the rise in
inflation lowering the value of your TIME caused by all this.
http://raenergy.igc.org/BushDynasty.html#protect
The government overthrows in our name are right up there with Hitler
and Attila the Hun. FDR in the thirties overthrow.
http://raenergy.igc.org/FDR.html
Then of course the covert overt overthrow of the Planet by global
cointelpro. This might sound familiar deja Mexico, Bush gore 2000,
Willie Horton, Clinton's blackmail setup, Iran 1953, Iraq 1958, North
Vietnam 1954 etc. "So, on behalf of American business, and often with
their help, the CIA mobilizes the opposition. First it identifies
right-wing groups within the country (usually the military), and
offers them a deal: "We'll put you in power if you maintain a
favorable business climate for us." The Agency then hires, trains and
works with them to overthrow the existing government (usually a
democracy). It uses every trick in the book: propaganda, stuffed
ballot boxes, purchased elections, extortion, blackmail, sexual
intrigue, false stories about opponents in the local media,
infiltration and disruption of opposing political parties,
kidnapping, beating, torture, intimidation, economic sabotage, death
squads and even assassination.
http://raenergy.igc.org/TruthReconciliation.html#Atrocities
Sadam Hussein in 58 http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2849.htm
The TERRORISM Wag is all About Islam's BAN on USURY http://tinyurl.com/qhcok
Al this is being done in our name and we can stop it if we band
together globally. Calling to Action People of Earth. The Salt of
the Earth _Journalists, Artists, Wizards, Students, Cosmic citizens,
Whistleblowers, Dormant 60's Activists, Ditto Heads and Lemming-Head
sellouts welcome back.
http://raenergy.igc.org/worldlight.html
VIDEO: What is a Progressive?
http://cdncon.vo.llnwd.net/o2/fotf/progressiveVideo/swf/index.html
Being an Activist is a high calling _ seeking the high moral ground
for fairness is prophetic.
http://raenergy.igc.org/bio.html#concerts
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead
The universe commonality is the force or put another way THE super
power _ the meek taking a belated inheritance out of probate by
simply singing the global village planetary anthem _ This Land Is
Made For You And Me........
http://raenergy.igc.org/singthevote.html
A Second Super Power WE are the Renaissance get used to it
http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/people/jmoore/secondsuperpower.pdf
Select and paste if the URLs are split Google it for more info also
click on groups example: Solar Hydrogen Economy
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Some other lectures leading to solutions
http://raenergy.igc.org/Googleclick.html
Corporatist - Fascistic factoids
http://raenergy.igc.org/sig.html
Ra Energy Fdn.
Raleigh Myers
Worksheet bio
http://raenergy.igc.org/bio.html
Blog
http://raenergy.blogspot.com/
Op Ed
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=raenergy&start=0&scoring=d&ie=UTF-8&
Call to Action blog a virtual seminar for change. I may be singing to
the choir, with these talking points, but there are over six billion
people who need attitude adjustment as you were in the same need just
a bit ago. They need this help because many of you did not share your
newly acquired awareness with them. If you have made your
contribution please use these points for more outreach_give them a
piece of your MIND. http://raenergy.igc.org/mindone.html
http://raenergy.igc.org/ArchitypeOfFairness.html#Think
Let us experiment with laws and customs, with money systems and
governments, until we chart the one true course - until we find the
majesty of our proper orbit as the planets above have found theirs&
And then at last we shall move all together in the harmony of our
sphere under the great impulse of a single creation - one unity, one
system, one design.
Roger
Bacon
FAIR USE NOTICE: This may contain copyrighted (C ) material the use of which
has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such
material is made available for educational purposes, to advance
understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and
social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair
use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C.
section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-ip.php
*****************************************************************
2 AFP: Iran seeking to use Iraq for leverage on nuclear program - US envoy -
[Zalmay Khalilzad]
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States expressed concern that Iran
is influencing unrest in Iraq to gain leverage in the mounting
international dispute over its nuclear program.
"I believe that Iran is seeking to increase its ability to
impact us here, and that the nuclear issue might be the issue
that will trigger increased Iranian pressure against the
coalition and against those who are working with the coalition
to build this new Iraq," US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad
told CNN television's "Late Edition" program.
"The concern that we have is not only with regard to the
activities so far, but also that as the situation with regard to
the Iranian nuclear issue gets focused on, that they might
escalate the pressure against the Iraqi government and against
the coalition," the US envoy said.
He renewed US charges that Iran is playing a key role in
ratcheting up sectarian violence in Iraq.
"We are concerned Iran is playing a role in the sectarian
violence that is taking place here," Khalilzad told CNN.
"It is providing arms, training and money and other support to
groups involved in sectarian violence, including militias that
have death squads associated with them," the US diplomat said.
The UN Security Council passed a resolution on July 31 which
gave Iran until August 31 to comply with demands to freeze its
uranium enrichment and other nuclear activities that have raised
western suspicions that it is seeking an atomic bomb.
If it fails to comply, the United States says it will press the
UN Security Council to pass a resolution ordering sanctions
against Iran.
Iran has denied that it wants nuclear weapons.
AFP
*****************************************************************
3 AFP: Iran not intimidated by nuclear sanctions threat
Mon Aug 14, 6:16 AM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran " /> Iranhas said it was not intimidated by
the threat of UN sanctions after the Security Council passed a
resolution urging it to suspend uranium enrichment, saying they
would have no effect.
"The threats of sanctions do not have any effect on us. The
double-standard approach employed by the Europeans has resulted
in the loss of their credibility," government spokesman
Gholam-Hossein Elham told reporters in his weekly press briefing.
European powers have offered Iran a package of incentives to
encourage it to nuclear activities that could lead to building an
atomic weapon even as the UN Security Council passed a resolution
calling for an end to uranium enrichment.
"We are prepared for all (possible) scenarios and it the West and
especially the United States which will lose more, because we
control the energy sources," Elham added.
On Sunday, Iran's conservative parliamentary speaker Gholam-Ali
Hadad-Adel was quoted as saying that "Iran doesn't accept
suspending its uranium enrichment."
"If the result of our being part of international organizations
and the International Atomic Energy Agency " /> International
Atomic Energy Agencyis to be deprived of our absolute right (in
nuclear matters), there is no reason for us to continue to be
part of such organizations," he threatened.
The United Nations " /> United NationsSecurity Council on July 31
adopted a resolution requiring Iran to suspend all activities
related to uranium enrichment before August 31.
The resolution states that the Security Council will meet again
to study sanctions against the Islamic Republic if it refuses to
suspend uranium enrichment.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
4 AFP: Bush says Hezbollah lost, worries about Iran -
Mon Aug 14, 5:51 PM ET
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush " /> said that the
month-long Lebanon crisis had ended with Hezbollah's defeat, but
worried the conflict could have gone differently if Iran " /> had
a nuclear weapon.
In remarks after day-long meetings with his top national security
and foreign policy aides, Bush praised the UN resolution aimed at
ending the fighting and declared: "We certainly hope the
ceasefire holds."
"America recognizes that civilians in Lebanon and Israel " />
have suffered from the current violence. And we recognize that
responsibility for this suffering lies with Hezbollah," said the
US president.
"Responsibility for the suffering of the Lebanese people also
lies with Hezbollah's state sponsors, Iran and Syria " /> . The
regime in Iran provides Hezbollah with financial support, weapons
and training," he said.
"Iran has made clear that it seeks the destruction of Israel. We
can only imagine how much more dangerous this conflict would be
if Iran had the nuclear weapon it seeks," Bush said at the US
State Department.
The UN Security Council has given Iran until August 31 to suspend
sensitive nuclear activities or face possible sanctions, while
major world powers expect Tehran's answer by August 22 to an
incentives package for freezing uranium enrichment.
Over the weekend, the council unanimously approved a compromise
resolution aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and
Hezbollah, which left hundreds dead, and deploying a
multinational force to help Lebanon's armed forces take control
of southern Lebanon and halt attacks on Israel.
Asked about the widespread view in the Arab world that Hezbollah
emerged the victor from its conflict with Israel, Bush replied:
"Hezbollah attacked Israel. Hezbollah started the crisis. And
Hezbollah suffered a defeat."
"If I were Hezbollah, I'd be claiming victory too," he said,
before pointing to the planned international deployment. "There's
going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon."
"How can you claim victory when, at one time, you were a state
within a state, safe within southern Lebanon, and now you're
going to be replaced by a Lebanese army and an international
force?" he asked.
"We're now working with our international partners to turn the
words of this resolution into action. We must help people in both
Lebanon and Israel return to their homes and begin rebuilding
their lives without fear of renewed violence and terror," said
the president.
US Vice President Dick Cheney " /> , US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice " /> , White House national security adviser
Stephen Hadley " /> and White House chief of staff Josh Bolten
were at his side while he spoke.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
5 IRNA: Chinese diplomat due in Tehran to dicuss nuclear issue
Beijing, Aug 14, IRNA
Iran-China-Nuclear issue
A top Chinese Foreign Ministry official is to travel to Tehran on
Monday to discuss the Iran nuclear issue as well as bilateral and
international issues with Iranian high-ranking officials, the
Chinese Foreign Ministry announced.
Assistant Chinese Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai is to resume
discussions to try to resolve the nuclear issue.
China has repeatedly urged a diplomatic solution to the nuclear
dispute, but has been under pressure from the US and Europe to
back tougher action on Tehran if it fails to suspend uranium
enrichment and other related activities by August 31, the
deadline set in a UN Security Council resolution passed on July
31.
Iran has rejected the resolution, and regretted that it was
passed while it was still considering a package of incentives for
it to suspend uranium enrichment activities.
Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel has said parliament will
not allow the government to stop uranium enrichment.
*****************************************************************
6 IRNA: Peaceful use of n-energy among least demands of Iran - MP
Ilam, Aug 14, IRNA
Iran-MP-Nuclear
A Majlis deputy on Monday said that the peaceful use of nuclear
energy was among the least demands of Iran.
"No power can deprive Islamic Iran of its right to use nuclear
technology for peaceful purposes," the MP from Iran's western
Kurdish cities, Fereydoun Hemmati, told IRNA while noting the
West's incessant pressures on Iran to give up it nuclear
programs.
"Enemies of the country are trying to remove the strength and
power of Iran by subjecting it to threats and political
pressures and raising hue and cry over its nuclear programs," he
said.
He said that the "package of incentives offered to the country
to give up its nuclear activities was a new effort to deprive
Islamic Iran of the advantages of peaceful nuclear technology."
The MP said with certainty that senior Iranian officials in
charge of the country's nuclear case would never yield to the
enemies' new proposal.
He said that the right to develop nuclear technology for
peaceful uses has become an unrelenting demand of the Iranian
nation.
*****************************************************************
7 IRNA: Egyptian FM stresses Iran's N-right
Algiers, Aug 14, IRNA
Egypt-Iran-Nuclear issue
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Sunday
acknowledged Iran's right to access nuclear energy for peaceful
purposes.
Aboul Gheit's comments were heard at a joint press conference
with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki yesterday
before winding up his visit to the Egyptian capital.
Mottaki, who is currently on a regional tour accompanied by a
high-ranking political delegation, flew to the Algerian capital,
Algiers, Sunday night from Egypt.
The Egyptian foreign minister further said his country has
always held a transparent stance on the Iran nuclear issue, and
stressed the importance of implementing the Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
Egypt insists on its objective stance on Iran's nuclear case
and does not play the role of a mediator for Iran and the United
States in this respect, he added.
Mottaki in Egypt held talks with Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak during which the two sides discussed bilateral relations
as well as the Zionist regime's aggression on Lebanon. He also
handed to the Egyptian president a message from President
Ahmadinejad.
Mottaki, who arrived in the Algierian capital, Algiers, Sunday
night from Egypt, is scheduled to begin talks with Algerian
Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem today. He is also expected to
hand over a message from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Mottaki's current regional tour began with a visit to Turkey on
Friday. In Turkey he held separate talks with Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.
From Turkey he proceeded to the Yemeni capital Sana'a, where he
held talks with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
*****************************************************************
8 Guardian Unlimited: Bush Says Israel Defeated Hezbollah
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Monday August 14, 2006 9:31 PM
AP Photo DCEV102
By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, just hours after a cease-fire
took hold Monday, said Hezbollah guerillas had suffered a sound
defeat at the hands of Israel in their monthlong Mideast war.
``There's going to be a new power in the south of Lebanon,''
Bush said, referring to plans for the Lebanese government,
backed by an international force, to reassert control in the
area that has been dominated by Hezbollah fighters.
The president also said the war was part of a broader struggle
between freedom and terror, and he blamed Iran and Syria for
fomenting the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
``We can only imagine how much more dangerous this conflict
would be if Iran had the nuclear weapon it seeks,'' the
president said.
Bush said Iran and Syria were the primary sponsors of Hezbollah
guerrillas who captured two Israeli soldiers, igniting the
battle with Israel. More than 900 people were killed in the
fighting, and there was massive destruction in southern Lebanon.
Bush said the ``responsibility for this suffering lies with
Hezbollah.''
The president spoke at the State Department after conferring
with his national security team, first at the Pentagon and then
at State. He was flanked by Vice President Dick Cheney and
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Bush said the U.N. cease-fire resolution was ``an important step
forward that will help bring an end to the violence.''
``We certainly hope the cease-fire holds,'' he said. ``Lebanon
can't be a strong democracy when there is a state within a state
and that's Hezbollah.''
``Hezbollah attacked Israel, Hezbollah started the crisis, and
Hezbollah suffered a defeat in this crisis,'' the president
said. ``The reason why is, this is because there's going to be a
new power in the south of Lebanon, and that's going to be a
Lebanese force with a robust international force to help them
seize control of the country.''
``It will take time for people to see the truth, that Hezbollah
hides behind innocent civilians,'' Bush said.
In the Mideast, there were competing claims about who came out
on top in the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the war had shifted the
strategic balance in the region and eliminated the ``state
within a state'' run by Hezbollah, restoring Lebanon's
sovereignty in the south.
But Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said his guerrillas
achieved a ``strategic, historic victory'' against Israel.
Bush, taking questions from reporters on a variety of topics,
said the United States still believes that al-Qaida was behind
last week's disrupted plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners from
Britain.
``It sure looks like it. ... It looks like the kind of thing
al-Qaida would do,'' he said. But he said the United States has
not made a definite conclusion about the sponsorship of the
plan.
Asked if there might be any U.S.-based participants, Bush said,
``Any time we get a hint that there might be a terror cell in
the United States, we move on it.''
While Bush praised the Mideast cease-fire, he said Israel would
have the right to defend itself if it were attacked by
Hezbollah.
``We don't advise Israel on its military options,'' the
president said. ``As far as I'm concerned, if somebody shoots at
an Israeli soldier ... Israel has a right to defend herself.
They have the right to suppress that kind of fire.''
Bush rejected criticism that the United States was slow to
support a cease-fire and allowed the violence to continue.
``You know it's going to be a painful process,'' the president
said. ``Diplomacy can be a painful process.''
He said that if a resolution had been reached quickly without
addressing the root causes, then ``everybody would have felt
better for a quick period of time. Then the violence would have
erupted again.''
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
9 Guardian Unlimited: Report: N. Korea Leader Finally Appears
From the Associated Press
[UP]
Monday August 14, 2006 2:31 AM
By BURT HERMAN Associated Press Writer
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has
made his first public appearance since his country test-launched
a barrage of missiles more than a month ago, official media
reported Sunday.
Kim visited a farm run by an army unit and was accompanied by
top generals, according to the state-run Korean Central News
Agency. As usual with such reports, the exact time or location
of the trip were not given.
Kim's last reported public appearance was July 4, a day before
Pyongyang launched seven missiles, including a new long-range
model believed capable of reaching the U.S. that failed shortly
after takeoff. The move violated the country's self-imposed
moratorium on long-range missile launches.
The launches prompted the U.N. Security Council to unanimously
pass a resolution sanctioning the North, which Pyongyang has
rejected as an infringement on its sovereign right to conduct
missile launches.
Since North Korea test-launched the shorter-range Taepodong-1
rocket over Japan in 1998, Pyonyang's missile program has been
regarded as a major security issue in Northeast Asia, adding to
concerns about the hardline regime's pursuit of nuclear bombs.
Kim's absence from public view had fueled speculation of a
possible crisis in the country in the wake of the missile tests
and international reaction.
However, Kim has dropped from sight before for longer periods of
time: In 2003, he was not reported to have ventured out for
seven weeks after the country quit the Nuclear Nonproliferation
Treaty and the United States moved toward invading Iraq.
In the latest visit, Kim toured a rabbit and goat farm producing
food for the military - the focus of his ``songun'', or
``military-first,'' policy that gives soldiers first priority
for the country's scarce resources.
``As our country has many mountains, it is possible to raise
goats and rabbits and other grass-eating animals in every part
of it,'' Kim said, according to KCNA.
As many as 2 million people are believed to have died in famine
caused by natural disasters and mismanagement in impoverished
country during the 1990s. Floods that struck the country in
mid-July have raised concerns about new threats to its food
supply, and left a reported 844 dead and missing.
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006
*****************************************************************
10 [NukeNet] Union of Concerned Scientists: Summer Heat vs. Nukes
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:05:32 -0700
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a new fact sheet on how summer
heat affects nuclear reactor operation and safety. See:
http://www.ncwarn.org/docs/briefs/UCS%20on%20Heat%20&%20Nukes%20Aug%2006.pdf
Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
215-743-4884
catalyst@actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net
_______________________________________________________________________
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Change your settings or access the archives at:
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11 [NukeNet] NET LOSS OF ENERGY BY NPP INDUSTRY OVER FIRST 40
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:05:34 -0700
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
>At the end of forty years of the US nuclear
power
programme by 1991, this >energy- 381302
W-yrs -delivered to society is still less than
the gross >cumulative energy invested in nuclear
plant construction and maintenance >of 489174
MW-yrs! This analysis assumes only a portion of
the energy >used for waste storage and
maintenance.
ashok kumar wrote:
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 01:48:31 -0800 (PST)
From: ashok kumar
Subject: Fwd: energy audit of nuclear fuel
cycles
To: smirnowb@ix.netcom.com
Dear Dr. Smirnow:
As desired I am sending the energy audit of
nuclear power again. However, the attachment that
is the spreadsheet I am sending by separate email.
There is a correction in the reference: Instead of
Nuclear Energy International it should read
Nuclear Engineering International, April 1991.
Also I have made some minor typographical
corrections.
With best regards,
yours sincerely,
R. Ashok Kumar
ashok kumar wrote:
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 04:33:44 -0800 (PST)
From: ashok kumar
Subject: energy audit of nuclear fuel cycles
To: smirnowb@ix.netcom.com
CC: rashoin@yahoo.com
Dear Dr Smirnow:
I am sending the energy audit article
herewith. However the spread sheet 12A which
tables the energy audit is being sent by separate
e mail.
With regards,
yours sincerely
R. Ashok Kumar
Energy audit of nuclear fuel cycles
By R. Ashok Kumar,
B.E,M.E(Power),Negentropist,Flat 1/13, Telec
Officers' CHS.,Ltd.,Plot 30, Sector 17, Vashi,
Navi Mumbai-400705. Tel:7896209.
Although the gross nuclear capacity of the USA
reached 104820 MW (greater than 150 MW capacity
only considered), less than 20000 MW energy
capacity was in fact delivered to society in
1991(Spread Sheet No.12A: See attachment). This is
derived as follows:Gross cumulative energy
delivered to society (1991)= Megawatt-years/years
= 798370/40=19959 MW or 20000 MW approximately.
The rest was all consumed by the nuclear industry
itself. The actual energy- capacity delivered at
the consumption point was much less. Using a
figure of 0.597 for the plant factor, and 20%
transmission,distribution and conversion loss, the
amount of energy delivered by the programme
amounts to only 9.09% of the energy generated. For
the annual energy invested in the nuclear
programme, the energy generated per year per unit
was divided by a factor of 1.5(R. Ashok
Kumar.1989.The Indian Nuclear Energy Programme:A
Net Energy Analysis. PPST Bull. No.18.March.pp17:
Energy Invested in Waste Storage. See also
Appendix 1,this article.). Thus as the US
programme of commissioning of the nuclear power
plants progressed from 1952 to 1991 (end of my
study period for the US programme), the average
nuclear capacity added per year was 2621 MW while
the average nuclear industry demand was 12229 MW!
The cost overrun was 4.25. It is estimated(based
on assumptions given in the appendix) that the
programme started delivering net energy to society
only thirty years after the commencement of the
programme. And while it generated 1283911 MW-yrs
in 30 years,it delivered to society only 30% or
less in a brief period from 1981 only. At the end
of forty years of the US nuclear power programme
by 1991, this energy- 381302 MW-yrs -delivered to
society is still less than the gross cumulative
energy invested in nuclear plant construction and
maintenance of 489174 MW-yrs! This analysis
assumes only a portion of the energy used for
waste storage and maintenance.This American
civilian nuclear programme cost a total of Rs 45
trillion. This means Rs 45 Crores per Megawatt!
But as we saw above, this programme delivered to
society an energy capacity of 9532 MW per year
over 40 years , with an installed capacity of
104820 MW achieved over 38 years. As shown above
the US programme needed an additional gargantuan
amount of thermal power to construct the nuclear
facilities.The data for the nuclear capacity
additions were taken from Nuclear Engineering
International, April 1991.
Appendix 1
Nuclear Wastes Unmanageable: An audit of the
Energy Required
As of year 2000, 7925 reactor years of
operation have been completed in sixteen countries
which have operating nuclear power plants (Data
till 1990 have been taken from Nuclear Engineering
International April 1991). Thus the 16 countries
of the world generated by end 1990 in their
nuclear power plants 15714.1 TWh or 1793847 MW-yr.
The corresponding capacity was 290898 MW(337
reactors). Average nuclear capacity was
290898/337= 863.2 MW. All over the world the
number of reactors retired to date is 90 with a
total capacity of 77688 MW. Net capacity on line=
209898-77688=213210 MW. Energy generated by these
reactors from 1991 to 2000 amounts to 213210
MWxlifetime plant load factor of 0.64 x 10y=
1364545 MW-yr. Therefore the total energy
generated till 2000 from begin of nuclear
programmes= 1793847+1364545= 3158392 MW-yr. The
number of reactor years of operation till end 1990
was 4500. Taking the number of reactor years of
opeartion to be proportional to the energy
generated yields a total of 7925 reactor years of
opeartion. For this the power required for waste
storage and maintenance is 4.75 MW(thermal). See
Lovins. Technical Bases for Ethical Concern. In AH
Lovins and JH Price. 1975. Non-Nuclear Futures.
Harper-Colophon. p 97. This is at the rate of
1.505 watts per megawatt-year (of gross energy
generated) for waste storage and maintenance.
Now the energy invested in the nuclear power
programmes of the 16 countries till end 1990 was
1793847 x 0.5= 896923.5 MW-yr(See below for
derivation). From 1991 to 2000 units were retired
rather than added. Let us assume that the energy
invested remained at this value (1990 end value).
Then, net energy available after accounting for
the energy invested which included energy for
waste storage and its maintenance for 31500
years(see below) was 3158932-896924= 2261478(The
energy invested 896924, if considered at the bus
bars would be higher). Thus the number of
additional years of waste storage and its
maintenance which is obtained by dividing the net
energy available 2261478 MW-yr by the power needed
for waste storage and its maintenance 4.75
MW(thermal) is a maximum of 476101 years because
there is a conversion efficiency for electrical to
heat production of 50% to 80%. This is far from
enough for storing wastes for a million years or
more. Thus the nuclear energy programmes are net
energy consumers. The latest evaluation of waste
storage research proclaims this loudly(Institute
for Energy and Environmental Research. May 2000.
Science for Democratic Action. See also R. Ashok
Kumar, op cit. ).
The gross energy output per year at 100
percent plant load factor(PLF) divided by 1.5 is
taken as the energy invested per year. For a 1000
MW nuclear power plant at 100 % PLF net of process
inputs and zero losses, the energy invested per
year is thus 1000 MW-yr/yr/1.5= 667 MW-yr/yr. Now
if excluding waste storage ,at 62% PLF and 20%
transmission, distribution and conversion losses,
the net energy delivered is 1000x0.62x0.8=496
Mw-yr/yr,the energy invested in the nuclear power
programme is , at 1.8 ratio of output per year to
input per year, 496/1.8=276 MW-yr/yr. Thus the
energy investment debited to waste storage is
667-276=391 MW-yr/yr. The gross energy generated
by the 1000 MW nuclear power plant is 12400
MW-yr(electrical) during the 25 year lifetime of
the plant(the lifetime on the average for the
plant has been found to be just 17y). The power
required for its waste storage and its maintenance
is computed as follows:
Let us assume 10000 reactor-years of
operation. At this level,following Lovins op cit)
we have a power requirement of 1 watt(thermal)
per MW-yr of operation. Thus for 12400 Mw-yr of
generation ,the power required is 12400 watts or
0.0124 MW(thermal). Thus the 391 MW-yr/yr of
generation will power the waste storage for
391/0.0124 or 31532 years.
An estimate of the fraction of energy
generated debited to investment in the nuclear
power programmes can be done as follows:
Let us take four countries namely,the
USA,France, Japan and Canada. The energy generated
back of the 20% losses is given by the (sum of the
total nuclear industry demand and the net energy
delivered to society )/0.8. This for these four
countries for which the energy audit has been
worked out by the author becomes 2354460 MW-yr.
Details in a separate article. The nuclear
industry demand works out to 1175742 MW-yr which
is 50% of the gross energy generated.
A number of surprises as the nuclear power
programmes progressed over the world.
It must be noted that a number of surprises
have caused retrofits and replacements like the
steam generator premature replacements and the
replaced radioactive steam generators enclosed in
costly sarcophages worldwide. These have
enormously increased the energy invested in these
white elephants.
_______________________________________________________________________
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12 NET LOSS OF ENERGY BY NPP INDUSTRY OVER FIRST 40 YEARS OF EXISTENCE
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 03:36:04 -0400
X-Sender-Host-Name: elasmtp-junco.atl.sa.earthlink.net
X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST
>At the end of forty years of the US nuclear
power
programme by 1991, this >energy- 381302
W-yrs -delivered to society is still less than
the gross >cumulative energy invested in nuclear
plant construction and maintenance >of 489174
MW-yrs! This analysis assumes only a portion of
the energy >used for waste storage and
maintenance.
ashok kumar wrote:
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 01:48:31 -0800 (PST)
From: ashok kumar
Subject: Fwd: energy audit of nuclear fuel
cycles
To: smirnowb@ix.netcom.com
Dear Dr. Smirnow:
As desired I am sending the energy audit of
nuclear power again. However, the attachment that
is the spreadsheet I am sending by separate email.
There is a correction in the reference: Instead of
Nuclear Energy International it should read
Nuclear Engineering International, April 1991.
Also I have made some minor typographical
corrections.
With best regards,
yours sincerely,
R. Ashok Kumar
ashok kumar wrote:
Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 04:33:44 -0800 (PST)
From: ashok kumar
Subject: energy audit of nuclear fuel cycles
To: smirnowb@ix.netcom.com
CC: rashoin@yahoo.com
Dear Dr Smirnow:
I am sending the energy audit article
herewith. However the spread sheet 12A which
tables the energy audit is being sent by separate
e mail.
With regards,
yours sincerely
R. Ashok Kumar
Energy audit of nuclear fuel cycles
By R. Ashok Kumar,
B.E,M.E(Power),Negentropist,Flat 1/13, Telec
Officers' CHS.,Ltd.,Plot 30, Sector 17, Vashi,
Navi Mumbai-400705. Tel:7896209.
Although the gross nuclear capacity of the USA
reached 104820 MW (greater than 150 MW capacity
only considered), less than 20000 MW energy
capacity was in fact delivered to society in
1991(Spread Sheet No.12A: See attachment). This is
derived as follows:Gross cumulative energy
delivered to society (1991)= Megawatt-years/years
= 798370/40=19959 MW or 20000 MW approximately.
The rest was all consumed by the nuclear industry
itself. The actual energy- capacity delivered at
the consumption point was much less. Using a
figure of 0.597 for the plant factor, and 20%
transmission,distribution and conversion loss, the
amount of energy delivered by the programme
amounts to only 9.09% of the energy generated. For
the annual energy invested in the nuclear
programme, the energy generated per year per unit
was divided by a factor of 1.5(R. Ashok
Kumar.1989.The Indian Nuclear Energy Programme:A
Net Energy Analysis. PPST Bull. No.18.March.pp17:
Energy Invested in Waste Storage. See also
Appendix 1,this article.). Thus as the US
programme of commissioning of the nuclear power
plants progressed from 1952 to 1991 (end of my
study period for the US programme), the average
nuclear capacity added per year was 2621 MW while
the average nuclear industry demand was 12229 MW!
The cost overrun was 4.25. It is estimated(based
on assumptions given in the appendix) that the
programme started delivering net energy to society
only thirty years after the commencement of the
programme. And while it generated 1283911 MW-yrs
in 30 years,it delivered to society only 30% or
less in a brief period from 1981 only. At the end
of forty years of the US nuclear power programme
by 1991, this energy- 381302 MW-yrs -delivered to
society is still less than the gross cumulative
energy invested in nuclear plant construction and
maintenance of 489174 MW-yrs! This analysis
assumes only a portion of the energy used for
waste storage and maintenance.This American
civilian nuclear programme cost a total of Rs 45
trillion. This means Rs 45 Crores per Megawatt!
But as we saw above, this programme delivered to
society an energy capacity of 9532 MW per year
over 40 years , with an installed capacity of
104820 MW achieved over 38 years. As shown above
the US programme needed an additional gargantuan
amount of thermal power to construct the nuclear
facilities.The data for the nuclear capacity
additions were taken from Nuclear Engineering
International, April 1991.
Appendix 1
Nuclear Wastes Unmanageable: An audit of the
Energy Required
As of year 2000, 7925 reactor years of
operation have been completed in sixteen countries
which have operating nuclear power plants (Data
till 1990 have been taken from Nuclear Engineering
International April 1991). Thus the 16 countries
of the world generated by end 1990 in their
nuclear power plants 15714.1 TWh or 1793847 MW-yr.
The corresponding capacity was 290898 MW(337
reactors). Average nuclear capacity was
290898/337= 863.2 MW. All over the world the
number of reactors retired to date is 90 with a
total capacity of 77688 MW. Net capacity on line=
209898-77688=213210 MW. Energy generated by these
reactors from 1991 to 2000 amounts to 213210
MWxlifetime plant load factor of 0.64 x 10y=
1364545 MW-yr. Therefore the total energy
generated till 2000 from begin of nuclear
programmes= 1793847+1364545= 3158392 MW-yr. The
number of reactor years of operation till end 1990
was 4500. Taking the number of reactor years of
opeartion to be proportional to the energy
generated yields a total of 7925 reactor years of
opeartion. For this the power required for waste
storage and maintenance is 4.75 MW(thermal). See
Lovins. Technical Bases for Ethical Concern. In AH
Lovins and JH Price. 1975. Non-Nuclear Futures.
Harper-Colophon. p 97. This is at the rate of
1.505 watts per megawatt-year (of gross energy
generated) for waste storage and maintenance.
Now the energy invested in the nuclear power
programmes of the 16 countries till end 1990 was
1793847 x 0.5= 896923.5 MW-yr(See below for
derivation). From 1991 to 2000 units were retired
rather than added. Let us assume that the energy
invested remained at this value (1990 end value).
Then, net energy available after accounting for
the energy invested which included energy for
waste storage and its maintenance for 31500
years(see below) was 3158932-896924= 2261478(The
energy invested 896924, if considered at the bus
bars would be higher). Thus the number of
additional years of waste storage and its
maintenance which is obtained by dividing the net
energy available 2261478 MW-yr by the power needed
for waste storage and its maintenance 4.75
MW(thermal) is a maximum of 476101 years because
there is a conversion efficiency for electrical to
heat production of 50% to 80%. This is far from
enough for storing wastes for a million years or
more. Thus the nuclear energy programmes are net
energy consumers. The latest evaluation of waste
storage research proclaims this loudly(Institute
for Energy and Environmental Research. May 2000.
Science for Democratic Action. See also R. Ashok
Kumar, op cit. ).
The gross energy output per year at 100
percent plant load factor(PLF) divided by 1.5 is
taken as the energy invested per year. For a 1000
MW nuclear power plant at 100 % PLF net of process
inputs and zero losses, the energy invested per
year is thus 1000 MW-yr/yr/1.5= 667 MW-yr/yr. Now
if excluding waste storage ,at 62% PLF and 20%
transmission, distribution and conversion losses,
the net energy delivered is 1000x0.62x0.8=496
Mw-yr/yr,the energy invested in the nuclear power
programme is , at 1.8 ratio of output per year to
input per year, 496/1.8=276 MW-yr/yr. Thus the
energy investment debited to waste storage is
667-276=391 MW-yr/yr. The gross energy generated
by the 1000 MW nuclear power plant is 12400
MW-yr(electrical) during the 25 year lifetime of
the plant(the lifetime on the average for the
plant has been found to be just 17y). The power
required for its waste storage and its maintenance
is computed as follows:
Let us assume 10000 reactor-years of
operation. At this level,following Lovins op cit)
we have a power requirement of 1 watt(thermal)
per MW-yr of operation. Thus for 12400 Mw-yr of
generation ,the power required is 12400 watts or
0.0124 MW(thermal). Thus the 391 MW-yr/yr of
generation will power the waste storage for
391/0.0124 or 31532 years.
An estimate of the fraction of energy
generated debited to investment in the nuclear
power programmes can be done as follows:
Let us take four countries namely,the
USA,France, Japan and Canada. The energy generated
back of the 20% losses is given by the (sum of the
total nuclear industry demand and the net energy
delivered to society )/0.8. This for these four
countries for which the energy audit has been
worked out by the author becomes 2354460 MW-yr.
Details in a separate article. The nuclear
industry demand works out to 1175742 MW-yr which
is 50% of the gross energy generated.
A number of surprises as the nuclear power
programmes progressed over the world.
It must be noted that a number of surprises
have caused retrofits and replacements like the
steam generator premature replacements and the
replaced radioactive steam generators enclosed in
costly sarcophages worldwide. These have
enormously increased the energy invested in these
white elephants.
*****************************************************************
13 Moscow Times: Plutonium Reactors to Be Shut by 2010
Tuesday, August 15, 2006. Issue 3475. Page 7.
By Yuriy Humber
Staff Writer
Russia's last three plutonium-producing atomic reactors will be
shut down by 2010 as part of a $728 million program funded mostly
by the United States, the Federal Atomic Energy Agency said
Monday.
The announcement came a day before Russia was due to start
building a coal-fired power station at Zheleznogorsk, in the
Krasnoyarsk region, that will replace the town's
plutonium-producing reactor, one of the three.
As part of a drive to stem the proliferation risk from plutonium,
a high-grade element easily adapted for military use, the U.S.
government has agreed to invest in facilities to replace the
energy lost from closing the reactors, the agency said in a
statement.
The announcement of the reactors' closure comes nearly nine years
after the two countries signed an agreement to halt the
production of weapons-grade plutonium worldwide.
"This is a step towards realizing the 1997 agreement," a
spokesman for the agency said Monday.
On Tuesday, officials from the Federal Atomic Energy Agency and
the U.S. Energy Department are expected to attend a ceremony to
mark the start of construction of the $443 million coal-powered
plant in Zheleznogorsk.
The rest of the U.S. money, $285 million, will be put toward the
expansion of an existing Severskaya coal power station in the
Tomsk region by 2008, where the other two plutonium-producing
reactors are to be closed down, the agency said.
"There have been a lot of problems and delays with the
Krasnoyarsk project because of funding issues, so this is a
great event that fits in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership,"
said nonproliferation expert Rose Gottenmoeller, who heads the
Carnegie Moscow Center. The partnership is a U.S. initiative to
bring nuclear countries together to cooperate on atomic reactor
construction and safety, and irradiated fuel disposal.
Though using uranium as fuel, plutonium reactors produce
weapons-grade plutonium that can be used for nuclear arms. One
reactor produces 1.2 tons of plutonium per year, Gottenmoeller
said.
"For the U.S., this is a good investment" from an energy and
safety standpoint, she said.
Under the 1997 agreement, Russia's last three
plutonium-producing reactors were supposed to be converted to
civilian use by 2000. Russia had already shut down 10
plutonium-producing reactors before 1997.
It was eventually decided that converting the reactors would
prove too costly, and that it was better to close them.
Since 1997, the two countries have worked on a number of
initiatives to safeguard nuclear fuel, including an agreement to
cut plutonium stockpiles by 30 tons each.
"Now it will be important for the Russians to demonstrate that
they will take responsibility for such projects, including
financial responsibility," Gottenmoeller said. Russia made a
step in this direction earlier this year by pledging to spend $2
billion on dismantling its nuclear submarines and destroying
chemical weapon stocks, she said.
© Copyright 2006. The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
14 Daily Yomiuri: Ex-TEPCO chairman questioned
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor Office's special
investigation squad has questioned the former chairman of Tokyo
Electric Power Co. concerning Mizutani Kensetsu Co.'s alleged
tax evasion, according to sources.
The 75-year-old former chairman of the company, based in Chiyoda
Ward, Tokyo, is believed to have been asked by prosecutors about
waste soil disposal work carried out at the Fukushima No. 2
nuclear power plant, which Mizutani Kensetsu subcontracted from
Maeda Corp., which originally had a contract with TEPCO.
Prosecutors are believed to have asked whether the contract
price was appropriate.
According to the sources, the project included dredging up about
810,000 cubic meters of mud around the nuclear plant's water
intake area and transporting it to a disposal site on forested
land in Odakamachi, Fukushima Prefecture, now part of
Minami-Soma.
The work took place from 2000 to 2004. Maeda received orders on
three occasions, which were subcontracted to Mizutani each time.
Maeda received an amount well in excess of 6 billion yen for its
contract with TEPCO, which it subcontracted to Mizutani for
about 6 billion yen.
Shortly after the work started, Mizutani started to build a
company lecture facility on the reclaimed land. According to
sources, Maeda and Mizutani suggested the building's
construction to TEPCO in or around 1997.
The Nagoya Regional Taxation Bureau has said Mizutani evaded
paying corporate tax by hiding 300 million yen allegedly paid in
kickbacks to a publishing company, and another construction firm
in Minato Ward, Tokyo, where an executive with influence in the
purchasing of land for nuclear power plants was employed.
The former TEPCO chairman was president of the firm until 1999,
shortly before the disposal work began, and became an adviser
after quitting as chairman in 2002.
"TEPCO's relationship with Maeda and Mizutani deepened after the
former chairman became president," a former TEPCO executive
said.
Prosecutors also questioned a former TEPCO executive in charge
of company business in Fukushima Prefecture.
"The price is rather high compared to general waste soil
disposal, but it was appropriate because it not only covered
disposal of the mud, but also the expansion of roads and other
additional expenses concerning measures to win local people's
understanding," a TEPCO representative told The Yomiuri Shimbun.
(Aug. 15, 2006)
© The Yomiuri Shimbun.
*****************************************************************
15 NRC: Licensing Board to Hear Public Comments August 28 in Grand Gulf Early Site
Permit Application Proceeding
News Release - Region IV - 2006-01 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza
Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 No. IV-06-018
August 14, 2006 CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128
E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov
The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, an independent judicial
arm of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will receive comments
from interested members of the public in connection with the
Early Site permit (ESP) application for the Grand Gulf nuclear
plant.
The Board will receive comments from interested members of the
public in a session on August 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the
Port Gibson City Hall, 1005 College St., Port Gibson, Miss. Each
speaker will be allowed approximately five minutes to make a
statement to the Board.
The Grand Gulf ESP application was filed on October 16, 2003, by
System Energy Resources, Inc. (SERI), a subsidiary of Entergy
Nuclear. If approved, the permit would give SERI between 10 and
20 years to decide whether to build one or more nuclear plants on
the site and to file an application with the NRC to begin
construction.
The NRC staffs preliminary recommendation is that a permit should
be issued. The staffs conclusion is based on its independent
review of the Site Safety Analysis Report and the Environmental
Report submitted by SERI, taking into account consultations with
federal, state, tribal and local agencies and consideration of
comments received during the public scoping process. The staffs
preliminary conclusions include a finding that there are no
environmentally preferable or obviously superior sites. The
staffs conclusions, however, are not binding on the Board, which
must make its own independent judgment on the ESP application.
Anyone wishing to submit a written statement or to submit a
written request to make an oral statement may do so by email to
hearingdocket@nrc.gov, by fax (301) 415-1101, or by mail to:
Office of the Secretary, Attn. Rulemaking and Adjudications
Staff, Mail Stop: O-16C1, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001. In addition, copies of written
statements or requests to make an oral statement should be sent
to the Chairman of the Licensing Board by e-mail to daw1@nrc.gov,
fax (301-415-5599), or by mail to: Administrative Judge Lawrence
G. McDade, c/o Debra Wolf, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
Panel, Mail Stop: T-3F23, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Documents related to the proceeding are available electronically
for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md., and on the NRC web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Documents also are
available for inspection at the Harriette Person Memorial
Library, located at 606 Main St., Port Gibson.
Last revised Monday, August 14, 2006
*****************************************************************
16 NRC: Pressurized Thermal Shock; Reports on the Technical Basis and
FR Doc E6-13236
[Federal Register: August 14, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 156)]
[Notices] [Page 46522-46525] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr14au06-111]
Public Workshop AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice of availability; notice of workshop.
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making
available reports documenting the technical basis for a proposed
revision of the NRC's pressurized thermal shock regulations. The
NRC will also be conducting a two-day public workshop on this
topic. The workshop is open to the public and all interested
parties may attend.
DATES: The NRC is not soliciting comments at this time; however,
NRC will request formal public comments when a notice of proposed
rulemaking is published in the Federal Register. The public
workshop will be: September 7, 2006, from 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Room
T10-A1, and from 1 p.m.-4:45 p.m., Room T9-A1; September 8, 2006,
from 9:30 a.m.- 3:45 p.m., Room T9-A1. If you plan to attend the
workshop you are encouraged to preregister in order to facilitate
security check-in on the day of the meeting.
ADDRESSES: Documents related to the proposed technical basis can
be accessed electronically at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html. From this
site, you can access ADAMS, which provides text and image files
of the NRC's publicly available documents. If you do not have
access to ADAMS or if you experience problems accessing documents
in ADAMS, contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference
staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by
e-mail to PDR@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed on
public computers located in the NRC's Public Document Room, Room
O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland, 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will provide
hard copies of the documents for a fee.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Mark T. Kirk, Office of
Nuclear Regulatory Research, Component Integrity Branch, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001,
telephone (301) 415- 6015, facsimile 301-415-5074; e-mail
MTK@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: During the operation of a nuclear
power plant, the walls of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) are
exposed to neutron radiation, resulting in localized
embrittlement of the vessel steel and weld materials in the core
area. If an embrittled RPV had an existing flaw of critical size
and certain postulated severe system transients were to occur,
the flaw could very rapidly propagate through the vessel,
resulting in a through-wall crack and challenging the integrity
of the RPV. The postulated severe transients of concern, known as
pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events, are characterized by a
rapid cooling (i.e., thermal shock) of the internal RPV surface
in combination with repressurization of the RPV. The coincident
occurrence of critical-size flaws, embrittled vessel steel and
weld material, and a severe PTS transient is a very
low-probability event.
Additionally, only a few currently operating pressurized-water
reactors are projected to closely approach the current statutory
limit on the level of embrittlement, as set forth in Title 10,
Section 50.61, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.61),
``Fracture Toughness Requirements for Protection Against
Pressurized Thermal Shock Events,'' during their planned
operational life.
Advancements in our understanding and knowledge of materials
behavior, our ability to realistically model plant systems and
operational characteristics, and our ability to better evaluate
PTS transients to estimate loads on vessel walls led NRC to
conclude that the earlier analysis, conducted in the course of
developing the PTS Rule in the 1980s, contained significant
conservatism.
Consistent with the NRC's Strategic Plan and the strategy to use
realistically conservative, safety-focused research programs to
resolve safety- related issues, the NRC's Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research (RES) undertook a project in 1999 to develop
a technical basis to support a risk-informed revision of 10 CFR
50.61. Two central features of the research approach include a
focus on the use of realistic input values and models and an
explicit treatment of uncertainties (using currently available
uncertainty analysis tools and techniques). This approach
improved significantly upon that employed to establish the
embrittlement limits in 10 CFR 50.61, which originally included
intentional and unquantified conservatism in many aspects of the
analysis and treated uncertainties implicitly by incorporating
them into the models.
In early 2005, RES completed a series of reports that describe in
detail the results of the project initiated in 1999. The
information in these reports demonstrates that even through the
[[Page 46523]] period of license extension, the likelihood of
vessel failure attributable to PTS is extremely low
([ap]10-8/year). These results provide evidence that the
statutory embrittlement limit established in 10 CFR 50.61 can be
modified significantly to reduce unnecessary conservatism without
affecting safety. This is possible because the operating reactor
fleet has little probability of exceeding the limits on the
frequency of reactor vessel failure, as they relate to NRC
guidelines on core damage frequency and large early release
frequency during either the currently licensed lifetime or the
period of license extension.
In early 2005, the RES reports were discussed with the NRC's
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) during a series
of public meetings. Following these meetings, the ACRS sent
letters to the NRC expressing the view that RES had developed a
sound technical basis for a risk-informed revision of 10 CFR
50.61. More recently (June-- October 2005) staff from the NRC's
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) reviewed this
technical basis and found it acceptable to begin the rulemaking
process contingent upon the following three prerequisites: (1)
Commission approval of the rulemaking plan, and dedication of
resources (2) Successful resolution of outstanding technical
issues identified in the existing technical basis (3) Making the
technical basis documents available to the public This notice
addresses prerequisite number 3.
Public Availability of Reports The following table provides the
document titles and Agencywide Documents Access and Management
System (ADAMS) accession numbers for all of the reports that,
collectively, comprise the proposed technical basis for
risk-informed revision of 10 CFR 50.61. The NRC staff recommends
that persons interested in obtaining an overview of the technical
basis and the recommended revisions to 10 CFR 50.61 focus their
attention first on ADAMS Accession ML061580318. Interested
persons can find more detailed information in the other
supporting documents.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------- Topical area
ADAMS ML Author & title
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------- Previous
Results............................. ML030090626 Kirk,
M.T., ``Technical Basis for Revision of
the Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Screening
Criteria in the PTS Rule (10 CFR 50.61),''
December 2002.
Current Results Summary...................... ML061580318
Kirk, M.T., et al., ``Technical Basis for
Revision of the Pressurized Thermal Shock
(PTS) Screening Limit in the PTS Rule (10 CFR
50.61): Summary Report,'' NUREG-1806, Vol. 1. Probabilistic Risk
Assessment & Human Factors ML992710066 Sui, N.,
``Uncertainty Analysis and Analysis. Pressurized Thermal Shock:
An Opinion,''
September 3, 1999.
ML061580379 Whitehead, D.W., and A.M. Kolaczkowski, ``PRA
Procedures and Uncertainty for PTS
Analysis,'' NUREG/CR-6859.
ML042880452 Kolaczkowski, A.M., et al., ``Oconee
Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Probabilistic
Risk Assessment (PRA),'' September 28, 2004.
ML042880454 Whitehead, D.W., et al., ``Beaver Valley
Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Probabilistic
Risk Assessment (PRA),'' September 28, 2004.
ML042880473 Whitehead, D.W., et al., ``Palisades
Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) Probabilistic
Risk Assessment (PRA),'' October 6, 2004.
ML042880482 Whitehead, D.W., et al., ``Generalization of
Plant-Specific Pressurized Thermal Shock
(PTS) Risk Results to Additional Plants,''
December 14, 2004.
ML042880476 Kolaczkowski, A.M. et al., ``Estimates of
External Events Contribution to Pressurized
Thermal Shock (PTS) Risk,'' October 1, 2004.
Thermal Hydraulics........................... ML050390012
Bessette, D.E., ``Thermal-Hydraulic Evaluation
of Pressurized Thermal Shock,'' NUREG-1809.
ML043570429 Reyes, J.N., et al., ``Scaling Analysis for
the OSU APEX-CE Integral System Test
Facility,'' NUREG/CR-6731.
ML043570405 Reyes, J.N., et al., ``Final Report for the
OSU APEX-CE Integral System Test Facility
Test Results,'' NUREG/CR-6856.
ML043570394 Fletcher, C.D., D.A. Prelewicz, and W.C.
Arcieri, ``RELAP5/MOD3.2.2 Gamma Assessment
for Pressurized Thermal Shock Applications,''
NUREG/CR-6857.
ML061100488 Chang, Y.H.J., A. Mosleh, and K. Almenas,
``Thermal-Hydraulic Uncertainty Analysis in
Pressurized Thermal Shock Risk Assessment:
Methodology and Implementation on Oconee-1,
Beaver Valley, and Palisades Nuclear Power
Plants,'' NUREG/CR-6899.
ML043570385 Arcieri, W.C., R.M. Beaton, C.D. Fletcher, and
D.E. Bessette, ``RELAP5 Thermal-Hydraulic
Analysis To Support PTS Evaluations for the
Oconee-1, Beaver Valley-1, and Palisades
Nuclear Power Plants,'' NUREG/CR-6858.
ML061170401 Arcieri, W.C., C.D. Fletcher, and D.E.
Bessette, ``RELAP5/MOD3.2.2 Gamma Results for
the Palisades 1D Downcomer Sensitivity
Study,'' August 31, 2004.
ML042880480 Junge, M., ``PTS Consistency Effort,'' October
6, 2004.
Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics............. ML061580343
Kirk, M.T., et al., ``Probabilistic Fracture
Mechanics: Models, Parameters, and
Uncertainty Treatment Used in FAVOR Version
04.1,'' NUREG-1807. ML051790410 Simonen, F.A., S.R. Doctor, G.J.
Schuster, and
P.G. Heasler, ``A Generalized Procedure for
Generating Flaw-Related Inputs for the FAVOR
Code,'' NUREG/CR-6817, Rev. 1.
[[Page 46524]] ML061580369 Williams, P.T., T.L. Dickson, and S.
Yin,
``Fracture Analysis of Vessels--Oak Ridge,
FAVOR v04.1: Computer Code: Theory and
Implementation of Algorithms, Methods, and
Correlations,'' NUREG/CR-6854.
ML061580375 Dickson, T.L., P.T. Williams, and S. Yin,
``Fracture Analysis of Vessels--Oak Ridge,
FAVOR v04.1, Computer Code: User's Guide,''
NUREG/CR-6855.
ML061580358 Malik, S.N.M., ``FAVOR Code Versions 2.4 and
3.1: Verification and Validation Summary
Report,'' NUREG-1795.
ML042960391 Dickson, T.L., and S. Yin, ``Electronic
Archival of the Results of Pressurized
Thermal Shock Analyses for Beaver Valley,
Oconee, and Palisades Reactor Pressure
Vessels Generated with the 04.1 Version of
FAVOR,'' October 15, 2004.
ML061580349 Kirk, M.T., et al., ``Sensitivity Studies of
the Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Model
Used in FAVOR,'' NUREG-1808.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------- Public Workshop
The NRC will conduct a public workshop on September 7-8, 2006, at
NRC Headquarters, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The
purpose of this workshop is to inform the public of the reports
detailed in the preceding section of this notice. A preliminary
agenda for the workshop follows. If you plan to attend this
meeting you are urged to contact Dr. Mark Kirk via e-mail to
MTK@nrc.gov at least 3 business days before the meeting date so
that your name can be included on the list of attendees and so
you can be advised of any revisions to the agenda. You are
strongly encouraged to communicate via e-mail, as this will
facilitate the most efficient response to your inquiry.
Preliminary Agenda
Thursday, September 7, 2006 [8:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Room T10-A1; 1
p.m.-4:45 p.m., Room T9-A1]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------- Start time Stop time
Duration [min] Topic Presenter/moderator
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------- 8:30...............................
9..................... 30.................... Background of PTS
Project Kirk
(Overview, Objectives,
Reviews Performed to
Date).
9.................................. 9:30..................
30.................... Status and Plan for Mencinsky
Rulemaking.
9:30............................... 9:45..................
15.................... Overview of Reports....... Kirk
9:45............................... 10:15.................
30.................... Questions from Public Hardies
Regarding Reports and
Regulatory Process.
10:15.............................. 10:30.................
30.................... Break.....................
.......................................
10:30.............................. 11....................
30.................... Modeling Approach: Kirk
Overview.
11................................. 11:30.................
30.................... Modeling Approach: Risk Kolaczkowski
Assessment and Human
Factors.
11:30.............................. 12....................
30.................... Modeling Approach: Thermal- Bessette
Hydraulics.
12................................. 1.....................
60.................... Lunch.....................
.......................................
1.................................. 1:30..................
30.................... Modeling Approach: Kirk
Fracture Mechanics and
Material Embrittlement.
1:30............................... 2.....................
30.................... Questions from the Public Hardies
Regarding Modeling
Approach.
2.................................. 3:30..................
90.................... Summary of Results from Kirk
Baseline Analysis of
Three Plants.
3:30............................... 3:45..................
15.................... Break.....................
.......................................
3:45............................... 4:45..................
60.................... Questions from Public Hardies
Regarding Baseline
Analysis.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
Friday, September 8, 2006
[9:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., Room T9-A1]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------- Start time Stop time
Duration [min] Topic Presenter/Moderator
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------- 9:30...............................
10:30................. 60.................... Summary of Study
Kirk
Generalizing the Results
to All Domestic PWRs.
10:30.............................. 11....................
30.................... Questions from the Public Hardies
Regarding Generalization.
11................................. 11:30.................
30.................... Proposed Allowable Through- Siu
Wall Cracking Frequency
Limit.
11:30.............................. 11:45.................
15.................... Questions from the Public Hardies
Regarding Through-Wall
Cracking Frequency Limit.
11:45.............................. 1.....................
75.................... Lunch.....................
.......................................
1.................................. 1:30..................
30.................... Proposed Material Kirk
Embrittlement-Based
Reference Temperature
Limits for Use in a
Revised Version of 10 CFR
50.61. 1:30...............................
2..................... 30.................... Questions from
Public Hardies
Regarding Reference
Temperature Limits.
2.................................. 3.....................
60.................... General Questions from Hardies
Public.
3.................................. 3:15..................
15.................... Break.....................
.......................................
3:15............................... 3:45..................
30.................... Summary................... Hardies
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
[[Page 46525]] Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of
August, 2006.
For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, James T. Wiggins,
Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. E6-13236 Filed 8-11-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
17 NRC: New Resident Inspector Named at Arkansas Nuclear One
News Release - Region IV - 2006-01 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza
Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 No. IV-06-019
August 14, 2006 CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128
E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov
Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials in Arlington, Texas,
have selected Cale Young as the new resident inspector at the
Arkansas Nuclear One nuclear plant.
Entergy Nuclear operates the plant near Russellville, Ark. The
NRC has three inspectors assigned to the plant, which has two
reactors. Young joins Senior Resident Rick Deese and Resident
Inspector Ed Crowe. He replaces John Dixon, who has been
selected as a Senior Resident Inspector at the South Texas
Project nuclear plant near Bay City, Texas.
Cale Youngs experience and commitment to safety will help the
NRC ensure that Arkansas Nuclear One conducts operations with
the highest safety standards to protect the public health and
safety, said NRC Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett.
Young joined the NRC in January 2005 as a reactor engineer and
project engineer in the Division of Reactor Projects. He has a
Bachelors degree in marine engineering from the U.S. Naval
Academy, and a Masters degree in nuclear engineering from Texas
A&M.. He served in the Navys nuclear submarine service for two
years and as a senior instructor in mechanical engineering at
the Naval Academy.
Each U.S. commercial nuclear power plant has at least two NRC
resident inspectors. They serve as the agencys eyes and ears at
the facility, conducting regular inspections and monitoring
significant work projects.
The Arkansas Nuclear One resident inspectors can be reached at:
479-968-3290.
Last revised Monday, August 14, 2006
*****************************************************************
18 The Courier: Arkansas Nuclear One's Unit 2 sets record
Russellville, Ark.
The Courier 201 East Second St P.O. Box 887 Russellville, AR
72811-0887
Monday, August 14, 2006
For The Courier
Arkansas Nuclear One's Unit 2 is operating in record-setting
territory after surpassing the previous best performance for
continuous operation by a nuclear unit in Entergy's traditional
service territory. The prior record of 472 days held by ANO's
Unit 1 since last fall was eclipsed by Unit 2 on July 27.
Unit 2 continues to operate since returning to service April 11,
2005, following its 17th outage for refueling. As of Friday, the
unit's record run was up to 488 days. Unit 2 is scheduled to
operate until fall, when it will be refueled for the 18th time
since beginning commercial operation in 1980. The nuclear
industry's continuous-run record for Combustion
Engineering-designed units like Unit 2 is 502 days, set in 1992
by a nuclear unit in Florida.
Five of Entergy's 10 nuclear units are located within the
company's traditional service territory known as the south
region. In addition to the two ANO units, there is one unit each
at three other Entergy-owned nuclear sites in the south including
Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Mississippi and Waterford 3 Nuclear
Power Station and River Bend Station located in Louisiana.
ANO, owned by Entergy Arkansas, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary
of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., and operated by Entergy
Nuclear, each year supplies 50 percent or more of the electricity
used by Entergy's 677,000 Arkansas customers.
Generation at ANO also helps keep the air clean by avoiding
emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and greenhouse gases
like carbon dioxide. For perspective, the 17,400 tons of nitrogen
oxides avoided by ANO's nuclear energy generation of electricity
last year would equal the amount released by 909,000 passenger
cars. Arkansas has about 960,000 cars registered.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged
primarily in electric power production and retail distribution
operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with
approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity,
and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United
States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility
customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy
has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately
14,000 employees.
Copyright 2006 Russellville Newspapers, Inc.
*****************************************************************
19 Sickened Iraq vets cite depleted uranium
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:18:39 -0500 (CDT)
X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu
X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY
August 12, 2006
AP
Sickened Iraq vets cite depleted uranium
By
Deborah Hastings,
AP National Writer
NEW YORK --It takes at least 10 minutes and a large glass of orange juice to
wash down all the pills -- morphine, methadone, a muscle relaxant, an
antidepressant, a stool softener. Viagra for sexual dysfunction. Valium for
his nerves.
Four hours later, Herbert Reed will swallow another 15 mg of morphine to cut
the pain clenching every part of his body. He will do it twice more before
the day is done.
Since he left a bombed-out train depot in Iraq, his gums bleed. There is
more blood in his urine, and still more in his stool. Bright light hurts his
eyes. A tumor has been removed from his thyroid. Rashes erupt everywhere,
itching so badly they seem to live inside his skin. Migraines cleave his
skull. His joints ache, grating like door hinges in need of oil.
There is something massively wrong with Herbert Reed, though no one is sure
what it is. He believes he knows the cause, but he cannot convince anyone
caring for him that the military's new favorite weapon has made him
terrifyingly sick.
In the sprawling bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, he has
many caretakers. An internist, a neurologist, a pain-management specialist,
a psychologist, an orthopedic surgeon and a dermatologist. He cannot
function without his stupefying arsenal of medications, but they exact a
high price.
"I'm just a zombie walking around," he says.
Reed believes depleted uranium has contaminated him and his life. He now
walks point in a vitriolic war over the Pentagon's arsenal of it --
thousands of shells and hundreds of tanks coated with the metal that is
radioactive, chemically toxic, and nearly twice as dense as lead.
A shell coated with depleted uranium pierces a tank like a hot knife through
butter, exploding on impact into a charring inferno. As tank armor, it
repels artillery assaults. It also leaves behind a fine radioactive dust
with a half-life of 4.5 billion years.
Depleted uranium is the garbage left from producing enriched uranium for
nuclear weapons and energy plants. It is 60 percent as radioactive as
natural uranium. The U.S. has an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of it, sitting
in hazardous waste storage sites across the country. Meaning it is plentiful
and cheap as well as highly effective.
Reed says he unknowingly breathed DU dust while living with his unit in
Samawah, Iraq. He was med-evaced out in July 2003, nearly unable to walk
because of lightning-strike pains from herniated discs in his spine. Then
began a strange series of symptoms he'd never experienced in his previously
healthy life.
At Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C, he ran into a buddy
from his unit. And another, and another, and in the tedium of hospital life
between doctor visits and the dispensing of meds, they began to talk.
"We all had migraines. We all felt sick," Reed says. "The doctors said,
'It's all in your head.' "
Then the medic from their unit showed up. He too, was suffering. That made
eight sick soldiers from the 442nd Military Police, an Army National Guard
unit made up of mostly cops and correctional officers from the New York
area.
But the medic knew something the others didn't.
Dutch marines had taken over the abandoned train depot dubbed Camp Smitty,
which was surrounded by tank skeletons, unexploded ordnance and shell
casings. They'd brought radiation-detection devices. The readings were so
hot, the Dutch set up camp in the middle of the desert rather than live in
the station ruins.
"We got on the Internet," Reed said, "and we started researching depleted
uranium."
Then they contacted The New York Daily News, which paid for sophisticated
urine tests available only overseas.
Then they hired a lawyer.
------
Reed, Gerard Matthew, Raymond Ramos, Hector Vega, Augustin Matos, Anthony
Yonnone, Jerry Ojeda and Anthony Phillip all have depleted uranium in their
urine, according to tests done in December 2003, while they bounced for
months between Walter Reed and New Jersey's Fort Dix medical center, seeking
relief that never came.
The analyses were done in Germany, by a Frankfurt professor who developed a
depleted uranium test with Randall Parrish, a professor of isotope geology
at the University of Leicester in Britain.
The veterans, using their positive results as evidence, have sued the U.S.
Army, claiming officials knew the hazards of depleted uranium, but concealed
the risks.
The Department of Defense says depleted uranium is powerful and safe, and
not that worrisome.
Four of the highest-registering samples from Frankfurt were sent to the VA.
Those results were negative, Reed said. "Their test just isn't as
sophisticated," he said. "And when we first asked to be tested, they told us
there wasn't one. They've lied to us all along."
The VA's testing methodology is safe and accurate, the agency says. More
than 2,100 soldiers from the current war have asked to be tested; only 8 had
DU in their urine, the VA said.
The term depleted uranium is linguistically radioactive. Simply uttering the
words can prompt a reaction akin to preaching atheism at tent revival. Heads
shake, eyes roll, opinions are yelled from all sides.
"The Department of Defense takes the position that you can eat it for
breakfast and it poses no threat at all," said Steve Robinson of the
National Gulf War Resource Center, which helps veterans with various
problems, including navigating the labyrinth of VA health care. "Then you
have far-left groups that ... declare it a crime against humanity."
Several countries use it as weaponry, including Britain, which fired it
during the 2003 Iraq invasion.
An estimated 286 tons of DU munitions were fired by the U.S. in Iraq and
Kuwait in 1991. An estimated 130 tons were shot toppling Saddam Hussein.
Depleted uranium can enter the human body by inhalation, the most dangerous
method; by ingesting contaminated food or eating with contaminated hands; by
getting dust or debris in an open wound, or by being struck by shrapnel,
which often is not removed because doing so would be more dangerous than
leaving it.
Inhaled, it can lodge in the lungs. As with imbedded shrapnel, this is
doubly dangerous -- not only are the particles themselves physically
destructive, they emit radiation.
A moderate voice on the divisive DU spectrum belongs to Dan Fahey, a
doctoral student at the University of California at Berkeley, who has
studied the issue for years and also served in the Gulf War before leaving
the military as a conscientious objector.
"I've been working on this since '93 and I've just given up hope," he said.
"I've spoken to successive federal committees and elected officials ... who
then side with the Pentagon. Nothing changes."
At the other end are a collection of conspiracy-theorists and Internet
proselytizers who say using such weapons constitutes genocide. Two of the
most vocal opponents recently suggested that a depleted-uranium missile, not
a hijacked jetliner, struck the Pentagon in 2001.
"The bottom line is it's more hazardous than the Pentagon admits," Fahey
said, "but it's not as hazardous as the hard-line activist groups say it is.
And there's a real dearth of information about how DU affects humans."
There are several studies on how it affects animals, though their results
are not, of course, directly applicable to humans. Military research on mice
shows that depleted uranium can enter the bloodstream and come to rest in
bones, the brain, kidneys and lymph nodes. Other research in rats shows that
DU can result in cancerous tumors and genetic mutations, and pass from
mother to unborn child, resulting in birth defects.
Iraqi doctors reported significant increases in birth defects and childhood
cancers after the 1991 invasion.
Iraqi authorities "found that uranium, which affected the blood cells, had a
serious impact on health: The number of cases of leukemia had increased
considerably, as had the incidence of fetal deformities," the U.N. reported.
Depleted uranium can also contaminate soil and water, and coat buildings
with radioactive dust, which can by carried by wind and sandstorms.
In 2005, the U.N. Environmental Program identified 311 polluted sites in
Iraq. Cleaning them will take at least $40 million and several years, the
agency said. Nothing can start until the fighting stops.
------
Fifteen years after it was first used in battle, there is only one U.S.
government study monitoring veterans exposed to depleted uranium.
Number of soldiers in the survey: 32. Number of soldiers in both Iraq wars:
more than 900,000.
The study group's size is controversial -- far too small, say experts
including Fahey -- and so are the findings of the voluntary, Baltimore-based
study.
It has found "no clinically significant" health effects from depleted
uranium exposure in the study subjects, according to its researchers.
Critics say the VA has downplayed participants' health problems, including
not reporting one soldier who developed cancer, and another who developed a
bone tumor.
So for now, depleted uranium falls into the quagmire of Gulf War Syndrome,
from which no treatment has emerged despite the government's spending of at
least $300 million.
About 30 percent of the 700,000 men and women who served in the first Gulf
War still suffer a baffling array of symptoms very similar to those reported
by Reed's unit.
Depleted uranium has long been suspected as a possible contributor to Gulf
War Syndrome, and in the mid-90s, veterans helped push the military into
tracking soldiers exposed to it.
But for all their efforts, what they got in the end was a questionnaire
dispensed to homeward-bound soldiers asking about mental health, nightmares,
losing control, exposure to dangerous and radioactive chemicals.
But, the veterans persisted, how would soldiers know they'd been exposed?
Radiation is invisible, tasteless, and has no smell. And what exhausted,
homesick, war-addled soldier would check a box that would only send him or
her to a military medical center to be poked and prodded and questioned and
tested?
It will take years to determine how depleted uranium affected soldiers from
this war. After Vietnam, veterans, in numbers that grew with the passage of
time, complained of joint aches, night sweats, bloody feces, migraine
headaches, unexplained rashes and violent behavior; some developed cancers.
It took more than 25 years for the Pentagon to acknowledge that Agent Orange
-- a corrosive defoliant used to melt the jungles of Vietnam and flush out
the enemy -- was linked to those sufferings.
It took 40 years for the military to compensate sick World War II vets
exposed to massive blasts of radiation during tests of the atomic bomb.
In 2002, Congress voted to not let that happen again.
It established the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans'
Illnesses -- comprised of scientists, physicians and veterans advocates. It
reports to the secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Its mandate is to judge all research and all efforts to treat Gulf War
Syndrome patients against a single standard: Have sick soldiers been made
better?
The answer, according to the committee, is no.
"Regrettably, after four years of operation neither the Committee nor (the)
VA can report progress toward this goal," stated its December 2005 report.
"Research has not produced effective treatments for these conditions nor
shown that existing treatments are significantly effective."
And so time marches on, as do soldiers going to, and returning from, the
deserts of Iraq.
------
Herbert Reed is an imposing man, broad shouldered and tall. He strides into
the VA Medical Center in the Bronx with the presence of a cop or a soldier.
Since the Vietnam War, he has been both.
His hair is perfect, his shirt spotless, his jeans sharply creased. But
there is something wrong, a niggling imperfection made more noticeable by a
bearing so disciplined. It is a limp -- more like a hitch in his get-along.
It is the only sign, albeit a tiny one, that he is extremely sick.
Even sleep offers no release. He dreams of gunfire and bombs and soldiers
who scream for help. No matter how hard he tries, he never gets there in
time.
At 54, he is a veteran of two wars and a 20-year veteran of the New York
Police Department, where he last served as an assistant warden at the
Riker's Island prison.
He was in perfect health, he says, before being deployed to Iraq.
According to military guidelines, he should have heard the words depleted
uranium long before he ended up at Walter Reed. He should have been trained
about its dangers, and how to avoid prolonged exposure to its toxicity and
radioactivity. He says he didn't get anything of the kind. Neither did other
reservists and National Guard soldiers called up for the current war,
according to veterans' groups.
Reed and the seven brothers from his unit hate what has happened to them,
and they speak of it at public seminars and in politicians' offices. It is
something no VA doctor can explain; something that leaves them feeling like
so many spent shell rounds, kicked to the side of battle.
But for every outspoken soldier like them, there are silent veterans like
Raphael Naboa, an Army artillery scout who served 11 months in the northern
Sunni Triangle, only to come home and fall apart.
Some days he feels fine. "Some days I can't get out of bed," he said from
his home in Colorado.
Now 29, he's had growths removed from his brain. He has suffered a small
stroke -- one morning he was shaving, having put down the razor to rinse his
face. In that moment, he blacked out and pitched over.
"Just as quickly as I lost consciousness, I regained it," he said. "Except I
couldn't move the right side of my body."
After about 15 minutes, the paralysis ebbed.
He has mentioned depleted uranium to his VA doctors, who say he suffers from
a series of "non-related conditions." He knows he was exposed to DU.
"A lot of guys went trophy-hunting, grabbing bayonets, helmets, stuff that
was in the vehicles that were destroyed by depleted uranium. My guys were
rooting around in it. I was trying to get them out of the vehicles."
No one in the military talked to him about depleted uranium, he said. His
knowledge, like Reed's, is self-taught from the Internet.
Unlike Reed, he has not gone to war over it. He doesn't feel up to the
fight. There is no known cure for what ails him, and so no possible victory
in battle.
He'd really just like to feel normal again. And he knows of others who feel
the same.
"I was an artillery scout, these are folks who are in pretty good shape.
Your Rangers, your Special Forces guys, they're in as good as shape as a
professional athlete.
"Then we come back and we're all sick."
They feel like men who once were warriors and now are old before their time,
with no hope for relief from a multitude of miseries that has no name.
C Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
==========
http://tinyurl.com/jd6r2
==========
*****************************************************************
20 RIA Novosti: Novaya Zemlya: birds, animals adapt to nuclear test site
Opinion &analysis -
14/ 08/ 2006
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who recently returned
from the nuclear test site on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago,
confirmed that radiation there was lower than in many large
cities - 7-13 microroentgen per hour versus 18-25 in central
Moscow. The radioactive atmosphere at Russia's sole nuclear test
site is monitored using various methods, including with the help
of deer, whose population has so far reached the natural limit
of 5,000-6,000.
Paradoxically, the revival of the deer population on Novaya
Zemlya may be called an "environmental side effect" of the
nuclear test site. Restricted areas always contribute to the
preservation of fauna - take the Chernobyl area, which has been
restricted for 20 years and whose flora and fauna are now
thriving. This indicates that radiation is less harmful to fauna
than human aggression.
"Collecting large numbers of seagull and guillemot eggs, as well
as hunting birds, was the most destructive action people have
ever done on Novaya Zemlya," said Gennady Khakhin, head of the
Center for Wild Animal Health of the All-Russia Research
Institute of Nature Conservation at the Russian Ministry of
Natural Resources. "The most alarming data from a survey of
seabird colonies came in the 1950s - there was a tiny number of
them." Paradoxically, the Soviet government's decision to
establish a nuclear test site on Novaya Zemlya saved the birds
from extinction.
"However, the effect of nuclear explosions on the local
environment has been understudied," Khakhin said. "I am not
talking about the legitimacy of the nuclear test site here,
rather I am saying we should study the local environmental
situation more thoroughly." It is clear that contamination from
nuclear tests has had an effect on the local soil, rocks and
plants, and radio nuclides have penetrated birds and animals.
Fortunately, the expert said, the concentration of harmful
substances on the whole is within admissible limits.
Novaya Zemlya is the largest archipelago in the European Arctic,
and occupies an area of 83,000 square kilometers. The islands
stretch from north to south in a 925km arch, separating the
Barents and the Kara seas. Half of the northern section of
Novaya Zemlya is a polar desert covered in ice, while tundra
occupies the remainder of the archipelago. The coast of Novaya
Zemlya boasts diverse biota - there are rookeries of marine
animals and the famous bird bazaars.
"The birds nesting on Novaya Zemlya are the healthiest in the
Barents Sea region, including the Russian, Norwegian and Swedish
areas," said Khakhin. This, at least, is surprising: how can it
be so if nature was long subjected to radiation? One hundred and
thirty two bombs have been tested at the nuclear test site built
here 54 years ago. With the assistance of Admiral Gennady
Zolotukhin researchers made four expeditions to the archipelago
from 1994 to 2001 as part of the Russian-Norwegian project to
assess seabird colonies. The research showed that bird bazaars
on the Novaya Zemlya islands were growing.
Gennady Khakhin also took part in the Russian-Norwegian
expeditions. "Certainly, the effect the Russian nuclear test
site has on the whole area alarms our Northern European
neighbors. We conducted thorough research and monitored the bird
colonies using the world's best methods," he said.
Experts confirmed the existence of large bird bazaars in the
mouths of the Gribovaya, the Bezymyannaya and the Arkhangelskaya
rivers and in the Vilkitskogo Strait. Researchers concluded that
the size of the colonies was similar to that of other key
bird-nesting areas around the world. They also revealed that the
population of thick-billed guillemots was dwindling, but nuclear
tests were hardly to blame for that; rather, food supplies in
the entire Barents Sea area had deteriorated.
Though civilian researchers have not yet sufficiently studied
the impact of military facilities on the environment,
researchers are talking about potential peaceful functions for
military test sites. The "restricted" areas allow wildlife to
flourish: bird colonies grow in undisturbed habitats. Some
species have adjusted to the military presence on the islands.
Swans, for example, do not fear the sound of aircraft engines,
and large numbers of them nest along flight routes.
The last bomb was tested on Novaya Zemlya on October 24, 1990,
and the test ground has been idle for 16 years now. In 1996, the
de facto moratorium transformed into de jure, with Russia's
signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. No
explosions shake the test site, which, however, remains on
stand-by - only the so-called sub-critical tests envisioned by
the treaty are conducted.
"The special status given to Novaya Zemlya by the presence of
the Northern Nuclear Test Site necessitates a monitoring system
on the archipelago," Khakhin said. However, no monitoring is
possible without environmental benchmarks - a system of
conservation areas and aquatic preserves. That is why
researchers have proposed converting the nuclear test site into
a nature preserve or a national park. "After we have started to
take special biotechnological measures and conduct environmental
surveys, hunting may be allowed on the islands," said Khakhin.
After the end of World War II, in 1947, efforts were made to set
up a branch of the Seven Islands Nature Reserve on Novaya
Zemlya. In 1950, this plan was sacrificed for the country's
military interests. So far, a compromise has been maintained
between the nuclear test site and wildlife.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
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21 Salt Lake Tribune: Many Utahns bear reminder of Cold War
Article Last Updated: 08/14/2006 01:03:53 AM MDT
Civil defense: Sense of patriotism spurred many to get blood type
engraved on their side
By Lexie Kite The Associated Press
LOGAN - During the Cold War years of the 1950s, folks in Cache
Valley and across the country were afraid, very afraid, and some
ended up with tattoos of their blood type on their rib cage.
In the midst of the bloody Korean War and what would be
decades of superpower warfare, the answers to unrivaled civil
defense were ''duck and cover'' drills, bomb shelters and mass
food storage. But for northern Utah in the early 1950s,
desperate times called for even more desperate measures.
Today, many of the Cold War survivors who lived in Cache or
Rich County in 1951-52 live with a permanent reminder of the
angst surrounding fears of nuclear war: a small blood-type
tattoo hidden beneath his or her left arm on the rib cage. For
this disappearing generation, their fading tattoos symbolize the
fading facts and records surrounding this local piece of Cold
War phenomena.
After a couple of notices in The Herald Journal of May 1951
(excluding a guest commentary to the newspaper in 1998 by T.C.
Skanchy), no historical information on the tattoos given to so
many northern Utahns was discovered through any health
department, medical association or archive. The records lie in
the decades-old recollections of those who took part in this
undying measure of civil defense, whether as medical
professionals or school-aged children who simply did what they
were told.
''It won't hurt! And it may save a life,'' proclaims the
front page of The Herald Journal on May 22, 1951. A photograph
of ElRay Christiansen, president of the Logan temple, receiving
his blood-type tattoo from Omar Budge, chairman of the
blood-typing committee, accompanies the encouraging statement.
At that point, four days into the civil defense campaign
sponsored by the Cache Valley Medical Association of which Budge
was district coordinator, the committee had already tattooed 120
Logan business, government and church leaders. The call was
heard loud and clear.
''The purpose of this campaign is to have readily available
the type and Rh factor of an individual to help protect him in
case he is injured during a wartime period of any disaster which
may necessitate the immediate call for blood,'' Budge announced.
''In the event of disaster, large amounts of blood could be made
available on a moment's notice to be shipped to neighborhood
areas who may be the victims of such a condition.''
By the end of 1952 when the program's popularity diminished,
every resident of Cache and Rich County who wanted one from
toddlers on up was sporting a blood-type tattoo that varied in
size, but usually measured an inch or two in height and width.
With special approval of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints for members to receive the tattoos, and the
social pressures of patriotism in all its forms, one of the few
surviving doctors of the time said the permanent imprints were
''questionable but never questioned.''
''We went along with this because we were asked to do it
first of all, and second, we were all afraid the Russians would
bomb us,'' said Merrill Daines, of Logan. ''But this wasn't some
sort of national civil defense push. My guess is it was some
eager beavers in the local defense unit that thought this
[blood-type tattoo] would be easy to sell because it's the
patriotic thing to do.''
''We were really swimming against the tide here,'' he said.
''No one in their right mind would trust a tattoo to determine
someone's blood type.''
© Copyright 2006, The Salt Lake Tribune.
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22 Salt Lake Tribune: Permit allows transportation of all Moab nuclear tailings
Article Last Updated: 08/14/2006 01:03:39 AM MDT
Permit allows transportation of all Moab nuclear tailings All in
one: Now waste can be moved without case-by-case permission
Federal officials have obtained a special permit that allows
for the transport of all nuclear waste from Moab Uranium Mill
Tailings Remedial Action Project site.
The permit granted by the U.S. Department of Transportation
allows the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Management
Office in Grand Junction, Colo., to transport each shipment of
waste without obtaining multiple permits, agency officials said.
The Colorado office plans to move low-level radioactive mill
tailings from Moab to a permanent disposal site at Crescent
Junction in Grand County.
The energy department began the permit application in
November 2005.
''This has been a long and sometimes tedious process,'' said
Donald Metzler, Moab project director for the DOE, in the press
release. ''However, in the long run, having this special permit
in place will save us extensive time and money.''
The permit requires the waste to be transported in secure,
covered containers that are clearly marked with the designation
''For Radioactive Materials Use Only,'' a DOE news release
states. Most of the materials are to be moved by rail, although
the permit provides for transport by truck and trailers.
It's unlikely the tailings will be moved until 2008 or 2009,
said Utah Department of Environmental Quality hydrologist Molly
Gregerson, adding that the project has been extended because of
logistical and funding issues.
''What this [permit] will do is allow them to move the
project along a little bit quicker,'' Gregerson said.
© Copyright 2006, The Salt Lake Tribune.
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23 DOE: DOE Announces $1.4 Million for Industry-Laboratory Teams to
Study Using Nuclear Energy for Clean Hydrogen
August 14, 2006
Projects Led by Electric Transportation Applications and GE
Global Research
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today
announced that it intends to fund approximately $1.4 million
(subject to negotiation) for two projects to partner with
industry to study the economic feasibility of producing hydrogen
at existing commercial nuclear power plants. Teams selected by
DOE for funding will be headed by Electric Transportation
Applications and GE Global Research. Both teams include DOE
national laboratories and nuclear utility companies as partners.
Hydrogen is important to our economy today and will be even
more important in the future as a potential clean, renewable
carrier of energy, particularly in the transportation area, DOE
Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis Spurgeon said.
Finding efficient ways to produce hydrogen by using
emissions-free nuclear power has long been an important part of
President Bushs energy strategy.
Electric Transportation Applications plans to perform a study
looking at the economics of producing hydrogen at existing
nuclear power plants using commercially available production
technology. ETA will partner with DOEs Idaho National
Laboratory and Arizona Public Service.
GE Global Research proposes a feasibility study of hydrogen
production using alkaline electrolysis powered by existing
nuclear power plants. Their proposal is based on the low-cost
alkaline electrolyzer technology developed by GE, in part under
DOEs Hydrogen Program. Partners for this project include DOEs
National Renewable Energy Lab and the Entergy Corporation.
Both of these proposals involve very strong project teams, with
a lot of experience in both the nuclear energy and hydrogen
production areas, Assistant Secretary Spurgeon said. I
believe the results of their studies will bring a good deal of
new information to the question of how to use nuclear energy to
efficiently produce hydrogen in this country.
These studies support President Bushs Advanced Energy and
Hydrogen Fuel Initiatives, as well as the Energy Policy Act of
2005, the first piece of comprehensive energy legislation in
over a decade. Funding for these studies is provided by the DOE
Office of Nuclear Energys Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, with
industry sharing a minimum of 20 percent of the cost.
For more information on the Department of Energys nuclear
energy programs, visit: http://nuclear.gov/.
Media contact(s): Craig Stevens, (202) 586-4940 [ ]
U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW |
Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 | e/General
*****************************************************************
24 Tri-City Herald: Interns get inside look at Hanford
Published Monday, August 14th, 2006
By Aimee Chou, Herald staff writer
Some work in gray cubicles, while others are a stone's throw
from waste sites, facilities and reactors.
As interns with Washington Closure Hanford LLC, 10 young
Tri-Citians now have an understanding of Hanford's inner
workings. They know it takes dedicated people wearing different
hats to finish a $1.9 billion project by 2012.
Last August, Washington Closure Hanford won the River Corridor
Closure Project contract with the Department of Energy. This
summer is the first time the company recruited interns through
CI Intern, a division of Kennewick nonprofit agency Columbia
Industries.
"CI gave us a larger pool of students to draw from, and handles
all of the actual administration," said Todd Nelson, media
relations director. "From the student perspective, it also gave
them a larger pool of potential employers to consider."
From 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. four days a week, interns work with
full-time employees.
Marcos Vargas, 21, is in the thick of it all. He knows the names
of 750 employees, as he's updating stacks of their information
for a database.
Insider knowledge is a shift for Vargas, a Kamiakin graduate and
intern with human resources and regulatory integration and
outreach.
"I wanted to see what it was like -- I've lived in Tri-Cities
but was never familiar with what was going on out here," Vargas
said.
On his first day, Vargas was swimming in a sea of acronyms like
ISMS, ERDF and D4.
"It was like speaking Greek to me," the Columbia Basin College
student said. But "now it's hands-on and definitely rewarding."
Acronyms became daily language for some interns. Matt Shoaf, a
political science major at Washington State University, is
working on a safety packet on haul trucks for the Environmental
Restoration Disposal Facility. Joseph Staehili, a civil
engineering major at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, is
interning with the D4 Project.
Richland High graduate Maren Disney, 21, quickly rattled off
D4's meaning: "Deactivation, Decontamination, Decommissioning
and Demolition."
She's gotten practice as a communications intern, writing and
taking photographs for newsletters as well as writing for the
Web site.
"My education is paying for itself," said Disney, a senior
majoring in English at Central Washington University. "It's good
to know that what I do translates into different settings."
That includes translating topics -- such as mercury amalgamation
-- into plain English. But the subject matter has been "a nice
mix of technical articles and accomplishments of (employees)."
As a Web support specialist intern, a technical world has opened
for Briana Robinson.
"Some college kids are afraid of the real world," the
19-year-old Richland High School graduate said. "I'm in it, and
the real world is awesome."
As a management information systems major at WSU, she'd worked
more on projects than for the Web. Now she applies her education
to coding, using HTML and Visual Basic to update hundreds of Web
requests and compile feedback surveys for employees.
Scott Caldwell, one of Robinson's mentors, said interns have
freed employees to tackle other projects.
Internships are driven by "a need for a diverse workforce," said
Carrie Locke, director of human resources. "Introducing younger,
new workers has always been the goal our company continues to
foster by bring new graduates into the 'business world.'"
Other interns are John Darby and Jeff Medford in Information
Technology, Matt James and Brian Seely with Project Controls and
Travis Killen in Procurement.
n Reporter Aimee Chou can be reached at 947-9308 or via e-mail
at intern@tricityherald.com.
© 2006 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
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25 American Spectator: Public Works Blues
The Nation's Pulse
By Shawn Macomber
Published 8/14/2006 12:08:33 AM
BOSTON -- In his 2000 guidebook Boston A to Z, Thomas O'Connor
offered a dour assessment of the city's project to ease traffic
by routing major thoroughfares underground and underwater
commonly known as the Big Dig, writing, "old roadways are closed,
new access roads are built, road signs are changed, drivers are
confused, traffic jams are endemic, delays are routine -- but
authorities assert that when the Big Dig is finally completed the
results will make it all worthwhile."
Though the Big Dig officially wrapped up in 2003, the day when
the "results" would all be "worthwhile" has seemed light years
away since the evening of July 10 when the life of 38-year-old
newlywed immigrant Milena Del Valle was snuffed out in front of
her horrified husband as twelve tons of concrete crashed down on
their Honda sedan from the ceiling of the I-90 Connector tunnel.
In the past, notoriously jaded Bostonians tended to make bitter
light of the failings of the Big Dig. The most shocking aspect
of the reaction to the tragedy in Boston was the lack of shock.
The general mood throughout the city since Del Valle's death,
however, has more closely mirrored a 1985 song by British
troubadour Morrissey, "that joke isn't funny anymore, it's too
close to home and it's too near the bone."
As I have expounded upon elsewhere at length, in denying Gov.
Mitt Romney's repeated attempts to gain some semblance of
supervision over the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA), the
independent agency running the Big Dig, Massachusetts Democrats
-- with an 87 percent majority in the state legislature --
essentially knitted Romney a radiation suit for use during what
populist-Left economist Max Sawicky deemed "Massachusetts
Democrats' mini-Chernobyl." Having spent the last three years
damning the fiscal and safety policies of Big Dig
administrators, Romney now has Lexis-Nexis on his side. Unless
the Governor drops the ball, those who have opposed his attempts
at reform will reap the whirlwind.
Still, the Big Dig disaster is bound to have implications beyond
the realm of 2008 politics, where pundits treat Del Valle's life
as if its primary value was how it would strengthen or weaken
Romney's bid for the presidency.
Touted as the largest public works project in the nation's
history, the Big Dig, according to former MTA chairman Matthew
Amorello, rivaled "anything in the history of the world built by
men." That it is such a mess financially (a $2.5 billion project
authorized over Reagan's veto in 1987 that ballooned to nearly
$15 billion) and structurally (large and small leaks throughout,
falling debris, a collapsed slurry wall and, now, murderous
falling ceiling panels) does not bode for public works
enthusiasts' aspirations.
"You start from the point where the Big Dig project has cost
exponentially more than anybody was ever told it was going to,
which in and of itself shakes public confidence and promotes
criticism," Massachusetts House Minority Leader Brad Jones told
me. "Then when you see what you got for what you paid -- the
leaks and the bolts and the associated failure issues -- that
only compounds the lack of public confidence, not only in this
project, but the next time public officials anywhere come back
for another project of any magnitude."
As if on cue, within days of my conversation with Jones, Harry
Reid invoked the now deadly Big Dig specter to argue against the
nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. "It's the same kind
of thing, a big hole, the same kind of deal," Reid argued. An
editorial in the Boston Phoenix called for a federal
investigation, thundering "we were all canaries sent into a
$14.6 billion coal mine." Andrew Cline has suggested naming a
tunnel after Del Valle as "a reminder of how much we risk when
we take the government's word on faith."
If earmarks weren't consistently used in such a dishonest way at
the federal level, the ghost of the Big Dig might prove
problematic for legislators seeking support for similar
projects. Unfortunately, there is little accountability at the
federal dollar spigot. Constituencies that would never
countenance wasteful pie-in-the-sky plans if the brunt of the
costs would have to be carried locally have few qualms about
accepting federal largesse for identical plans. Indeed, it seems
boosters of the Big Dig specifically sold the project as a money
maker for the city.
"The hope for thousands of construction and related jobs in the
1990s is a vital element in the coalition supporting the project
and shows that Bostonians are once again turning to their
government to secure economic goals for the community," Lawrence
Kennedy wrote in his 1992 book Planning the City Upon a Hill.
Nevertheless, what political figure with long-term ambitions
outside the Bay State is going to take similar gamble on a
monster public works project -- financial windfall or no -- with
an example like this? Romney is looking good right now seizing
control of an out of control mess, but it is a moment in time
not easily re-created. Politicians seeking to divine a lesson
from nearly twenty years of Big Dig history must realize that at
a statistical level they are more likely to end up caught in a
mess than playing hero in the aftermath. Likewise, few
politicians have Romney's supremely cool head or a proven
methodical approach to problem solving.
"It is a delicate balancing act, because it's difficult to come
out and say, 'You should have no confidence at all,' create a
panic when you want to be calming and reassuring," Jones agreed.
"I think the Governor, both by past experience and temperament
and personality, is someone who has the ability to do that."
None of this takes away from the simple fact that the failures
of the Big Dig have been painful to friend and foe alike in
Massachusetts.
"It has been very dispiriting," Jones said. "On paper [the Big
Dig] is obviously a tremendous feat of engineering. Now I'm left
like a lot of people sort of scratching my head saying, 'We
built the pyramids and they've last for such a long time, but
with modern tools and technology we can't build a tunnel that'll
be hold up and be safe?"
Shawn Macomber is a 2006 Phillips Foundation Journalism fellow
living in Boston. His website is www.shawnmacomber.com.
Copyright 2006, The American Spectator
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26 lamonitor.com: Beryllium source now thought natural
The Online News Source for Los Alamos
ROGER SNODGRASS,
A low-level detection of beryllium in an old building on DP Mesa
is now believed to have a natural source, according to officials
at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Beryllium, a potentially
cancer-causing pollutant, is commonly used in nuclear weapons
production and many other industrial processes, because it is
lighter than aluminum and six times stronger than steel.
But it is also found in soil and rocks.
Kathy DeLucas, a LANL spokeswoman, said Friday that follow-up
assessments now suggest that even slightly elevated detections
are consistent with naturally occurring beryllium in the area.
On Aug. 4, the laboratory reported the finding from July 19 in
Building 210 on the east end of DP Road in Technical Area 21.
The tests came during deconstruction and demolition operations
in TA-21.
Since Aug. 3, she said, 114 additional samples were taken from
former work areas, furniture, boxes, computers and places where
dust collects - such as tops of air ducts and air conditioners.
"All samples were well below the housekeeping level of .2
micrograms per 100 cm2, except for one," said DeLucas.
"Housekeeping level" is considered to be a safety threshold.
"If you drive down a dusty road in Los Alamos and you accumulate
enough dust to write 'wash me' on your vehicle, you have
accumulated about one to two micrograms per 100 cm2 of naturally
occurring beryllium," she said.
After the new tests came back the laboratory held follow-up
meetings with about 30 employees on Thursday.
Beryllium causes chronic beryllium disease, which can be fatal
in a small percentage of the population. According to the
laboratory, symptoms of CBD include "persistent cough breathing
difficulty, chest pain, fatigue and weight loss."
Employees with health concerns are advised to contact the lab's
occupational medicine office.
© 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
27 Knox News: Landfill will add 5th cell to contain nuke waste
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
August 14, 2006
OAK RIDGE - The government is preparing for a second expansion
of its nuclear landfill, which will bring the Oak Ridge
facility's waste capacity to 1.7 million cubic yards - the
maximum allowed under an agreement reached with environmental
regulators in late 1999.
The facility was established to handle the massive amount of
hazardous and radioactive waste generated during cleanup
operations at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge
facilities.
The first two disposal cells, which began receiving
waste in 2002, have a capacity of 400,000 cubic yards. Two
additional cells were constructed, bringing the total capacity
to 1.2 million cubic yards.
The design for a fifth cell is "being wrapped up right now" and
will be submitted to regulators for review later this month,
said Dennis Hill, a spokesman for Bechtel Jacobs Co., DOE's
environmental manager.
After the design by Washington Earth Tech Disposal LLC is
approved and a contractor is chosen, construction is expected to
begin in late 2007, Hill said.
The large-scale waste-disposal facility is on Bear Creek Road,
about a mile from the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant.
Access to the federal site is restricted because contractors are
disposing of classified materials there. The volume of
classified waste is expected to multiply over the next couple of
years as workers dismantle the uranium-enrichment equipment at
the old K-25 plant.
Although the gaseous diffusion method used to separate U-235 for
atomic bombs is more than 60 years old, much of the technology
remains classified and must be protected during the
decommissioning of the K-25 facilities.
The K-25 dismantlement effort is just revving up, and that
project will up the ante at the landfill over the next couple of
years.
A $20 million haul road was built for the sole purpose of
hauling waste from K-25 and other nearby buildings to the
disposal operation about eight miles away.
Dismantling the uranium-processing facilities will generate
about 700,000 cubic yards of junk and debris with radioactive or
chemical hazards, and about 50 truckloads of waste are expected
to make the trek each day.
That's why Bechtel Jacobs and subcontractors are working on the
landfill expansion, even though there's still plenty of room
available under the current configuration.
John Owsley, who oversees the DOE cleanup operations for the
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, said state
officials would review the latest design plans to make sure they
meet the landfill requirements outlined in the "record of
decision" that was signed Nov. 2, 1999.
There's been talk that the Oak Ridge cleanup activities could
necessitate another expansion of the landfill, perhaps up to 2.2
million cubic yards, but Owsley said that would require an
amendment to the legally binding agreement between DOE and
environmental regulators.
Owsley said the current limits should suffice if DOE and its
contractors properly segregate wastes during cleanup operations,
separating the "clean" construction rubble from those materials
bearing radioactive elements or hazardous chemicals.
The disposal facility is likely to operate until at least 2015
and probably beyond.
Michael Koentop, a spokesman in DOE's Oak Ridge office, said the
federal agency doesn't have a definitive schedule for closure
because one of the major cleanup projects - involving the
demolition of numerous facilities at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex - is still in
the proposal stage.
"It wouldn't be fair to give you a date (for closure)," Koentop
said. Landfill operations would continue as long as
environmental cleanup activities are taking place here, he said.
The state doesn't object to that strategy.
"We wouldn't close it if there was still space in the facility
and cleanup that remained to be done," Owsley said.
By prior agreement, DOE puts $1 million annually into a trust
fund, which will be used to pay for monitoring and maintenance
after the landfill is closed and capped. Owsley said the state
manages the fund to make sure it's sufficient to meet future
needs.
There have been a number of problems at the landfill, including
surface flooding in the early stages of operation, and some
issues with the waste evaluations and associated documents.
Owsley also said there had been a concern about groundwater
underneath the waste cell reaching into what's supposed to be a
10-foot dry buffer zone.
"The water was rising up to come in contact with the base of the
waste cell. They installed a French drain through the middle of
it, and that appears to be causing the water table to drop. But
it's difficult to show that with just a couple of years. We'll
withhold judgment," Owsley said.
As for the overall operation of the landfill, the state official
said, "They are doing fairly well."
DOE has taken steps to improve the overall profiling of wastes
entering the landfill, Owsley said.
"They're constantly improving the process, and our investigation
has documented that those improvements have been made."
There is a monitoring system in place to ensure that
contamination from the waste doesn't leach into the environment.
Water that's collected after passing through the waste cells is
collected and sent to Oak Ridge National Laboratory for
treatment, Owsley said. Surface water runoff at the site is
collected in holding ponds and then monitored for any
contamination before being released into nearby Bear Creek, he
said.
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
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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
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information go to:
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