***************************************************************** 09/20/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.223 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 [NYTr] Text of Ahmadinejad's UN Speech - Sep 19, 2006 2 [NYTr] French President Backs Off Sanctions against Iran 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Tells U.N. Nuclear Program Peaceful 4 Guardian Unlimited: U.S. Tries to Save Its Iran Plan 5 Reuters: White House: Bush clear on conditions for Iran 6 Reuters: Bush: Time is of the essence on Iran 7 Independent: Iran must make first move, Bush tells UN meeting 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: China urges talks over IRI N-issue 9 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Russia to offer vows over Bushehr 10 Comment is free: Ahmadinejad has a point 11 AFP: Bush and Ahmadinejad in UN duel 12 AFP: Iranian leader launches scathing attack on US, Britain, UN - 13 AFP: New Iran deadline as Bush watches clock 14 AFP: France demands quick reply from Iran on nuclear issue - 15 AFP: Allies lead a wary US into new negotiations with Iran - 16 UPI: Iranian demands Security Council reform 17 UPI: Iran president attacks U.S. in U.N. speech 18 Guardian Unlimited: Bush, Iran Leader Spar Over Nuke Standoff 19 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Leader Says U.S. Abusing U.N. Power 20 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] N.K. sanctions 21 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [EDITORIALS] South needs to stand firm 22 Xinhua: China opposes sanction on DPRK 23 North Korea Times: China opposes N. Korean sanctions 24 UPI: Seoul defends bid for control takeover 25 UPI: China opposes N. Korean sanctions 26 US: The Boston Globe: Judge, jury, and torturer - 27 US: Comment is free: Mr Bush's mirage 28 Chennai Online News Service: 'Nuke tests made US take India seriousl 29 US: Money and Markets: The Golden Age of Uranium 30 US: UPI: Analysis: Bush's U.N. sundry list 31 Concerned That The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Is Still Not In Force, An 32 [NYTr] Russia to Open World Nuke Co-op 33 Guardian Unlimited: Mideast Process Takes Spotlight at U.N. 34 Guardian Unlimited: New Trident system may cost £76bn, figures show 35 Telugu Portal: 'Pakistan will get civil nuclear technology at any co 36 AFP: Israel watching Middle East nuclear developments 37 UN News: Concerned that the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is still not in NUCLEAR REACTORS 38 US: [NukeNet] 2 oyster creaky articles 39 US: NRC: NRC Offers New Service for E-Mail Notification 40 Guardian Unlimited: Mubarak's Son Urges Nuclear Development 41 The Hindu: Closed nuclear fuel cycle central to India's vision of 42 US: NRC: NRC Announces Opportunity to Request a Hearing on License R 43 New York Times: Mubaraks Son Proposes Nuclear Program - 44 US: Fredericksburg.com: Dominion pitches reactor 45 Reuters: Kansai Elec to restart accident-hit nuclear unit 46 US: NRC: NRC Announces Availability of License Renewal Application f 47 US: newsobserver.com: Third of nuke plants have had long shutdowns 48 US: newsobserver.com: Shearon Harris plant still down 49 US: PoAC: Oyster Creek shows well in NRC review 50 The Herald: Fears over repairs wipe £300m off British Energy 51 US: NRC: NRC Accepts Vogtle Early Site Permit Application for Review 52 Energy Business Review: Thorium Power discusses nuclear possibilitie 53 US: Energy Business Review: US energy secretary calls for increased 54 US: Concord Monitor: Nuclear power plant undergoes inspection 55 Independent: Shares plunge hits nuclear sell-off 56 US: toledoblade.com: Lesson not learned? 57 US: NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collecti 58 US: NRC: Notice of Acceptance for Docketing of the Application, Noti 59 US: NRC: Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Diablo Canyon Power Plant 60 IHT: EU clears Toshiba's takeover of U.S. atomic power firm 61 US: toledoblade.com: FirstEnergy sued for wrongful termination 62 US: The Arizona Republic: 1 reactor at Palo Verde shut down NUCLEAR SECURITY 63 US: Dallas Morning News: Former nuclear courier pleads not guilty to NUCLEAR SAFETY 64 The Hindu: Safety status of nuclear power plants (13 deaths) 65 US: APP.COM: Pulling teeth on drill | 66 US: Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC: Few risks from nuclear site NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 67 US: Philadelphia Inquirer: N.J. senators urge public meetings on rad 68 reviewjournal.com: LETTERS: Yucca problems aside, we need nuke power 69 Russia-InfoCentre: Russia is building new international nuclear fuel 70 US: CMENO: SA uranium project ahead of schedule, says developer PEACE 71 Reuters: Over 50 nations press for binding nuclear test ban US DEPT. OF ENERGY 72 Guardian Unlimited: Wash. State Seeks Toxic-Spill Fine 73 Seattle Times: State seeks restitution over Hanford leak 74 DOE: Energy Department to Award $6 Million to State Partnerships 75 DOE: U.S. Provides $80,000 for International Atomic Energy Agency 76 DOE: DOE Releases Climate Change Technology Program Strategic Plan 77 Hanford News: Wash state requests EPA fine for spill at Hanford nucl 78 Hanford News: DOE could be fined for spills 79 Idaho Statesman: Audit finds excessive bonuses at INL 80 SF Chron: UC committee votes to compete for control of Livermore lab ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [NYTr] Text of Ahmadinejad's UN Speech - Sep 19, 2006 Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:01:50 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit National Public Radio - Sep 19, 2006 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6107339 Transcript of Ahmadinejad's U.N. Speech NPR.org, September 19, 2006 7 The following is a transcript of remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Madam President, Distinguished Heads of State and Government, Distinguished Heads of Delegation, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I praise the Merciful, All-Knowing and Almighty God for blessing me with another opportunity to address this Assembly on behalf of the great nation of Iran and to bring a number of issues to the attention of the international community. I also praise the Almighty for the increasing vigilance of peoples across the globe, their courageous presence in different international settings, and the brave expression of their views and aspirations regarding global issues. Today, humanity passionately craves commitment to the Truth, devotion to God, quest for Justice and respect for the dignity of human beings. Rejection of domination and aggression, defense of the oppressed, and longing for peace constitute the legitimate demand of the peoples of the world, particularly the new generations and the spirited youth, who aspire a world free from decadence, aggression and injustice, and replete with love and compassion. The youth have a right to seek justice and the Truth; and they have a right to build their own future on the foundations of love, compassion and tranquility. And, I praise the Almighty for this immense blessing. Madame President, Excellencies, What afflicts humanity today is certainly not compatible with human dignity; the Almighty has not created human beings so that they could transgress against others and oppress them. By causing war and conflict, some are fast expanding their domination, accumulating greater wealth and usurping all the resources, while others endure the resulting poverty, suffering and misery. Some seek to rule the world relying on weapons and threats, while others live in perpetual insecurity and danger. Some occupy the homeland of others, thousands of kilometers away from their borders, interfere in their affairs and control their oil and other resources and strategic routes, while others are bombarded daily in their own homes; their children murdered in the streets and alleys of their own country and their homes reduced to rubble. Such behavior is not worthy of human beings and runs counter to the Truth, to justice and to human dignity. The fundamental question is that under such conditions, where should the oppressed seek justice? Who, or what organization defends the rights of the oppressed, and suppresses acts of aggression and oppression? Where is the seat of global justice? A brief glance at a few examples of the most pressing global issues can further illustrate the problem. A. The unbridled expansion of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons Some powers proudly announce their production of second and third generations of nuclear weapons. What do they need these weapons for? Is the development and stockpiling of these deadly weapons designed to promote peace and democracy? Or, are these weapons, in fact, instruments of coercion and threat against other peoples and governments? How long should the people of the world live with the nightmare of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons? What bounds the powers producing and possessing these weapons? How can they be held accountable before the international community? And, are the inhabitants of these countries content with the waste of their wealth and resources for the production of such destructive arsenals? Is it not possible to rely on justice, ethics and wisdom instead of these instruments of death? Aren't wisdom and justice more compatible with peace and tranquility than nuclear, chemical and biological weapons? If wisdom, ethics and justice prevail, then oppression and aggression will be uprooted, threats will wither away and no reason will remain for conflict. This is a solid proposition because most global conflicts emanate from injustice, and from the powerful, not being contented with their own rights, striving to devour the rights of others. People across the globe embrace justice and are willing to sacrifice for its sake. Would it not be easier for global powers to ensure their longevity and win hearts and minds through the championing of real promotion of justice, compassion and peace, than through continuing the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons and the threat of their use? The experience of the threat and the use of nuclear weapons is before us. Has it achieved anything for the perpetrators other than exacerbation of tension, hatred and animosity among nations? B. Occupation of countries and exacerbation of hostilities Occupation of countries, including Iraq, has continued for the last three years. Not a day goes by without hundreds of people getting killed in cold blood. The occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq. Despite the establishment of the lawful Government and National Assembly of Iraq, there are covert and overt efforts to heighten insecurity, magnify and aggravate differences within Iraqi society, and instigate civil strife. There is no indication that the occupiers have the necessary political will to eliminate the sources of instability. Numerous terrorists were apprehended by the Government of Iraq, only to be let loose under various pretexts by the occupiers. It seems that intensification of hostilities and terrorism serves as a pretext for the continued presence of foreign forces in Iraq. Where can the people of Iraq seek refuge, and from whom should the Government of Iraq seek justice? Who can ensure Iraq's security? Insecurity in Iraq affects the entire region. Can the Security Council play a role in restoring peace and security in Iraq, while the occupiers are themselves permanent members of the Council? Can the Security Council adopt a fair decision in this regard? Consider the situation in Palestine: The roots of the Palestinian problem go back to the Second World War. Under the pretext of protecting some of the survivors of that War, the land of Palestine was occupied through war, aggression and the displacement of millions of its inhabitants; it was placed under the control of some of the War survivors, bringing even larger population groups from elsewhere in the world, who had not been even affected by the Second World War; and a government was established in the territory of others with a population collected from across the world at the expense of driving millions of the rightful inhabitants of the land into a diaspora and homelessness. This is a great tragedy with hardly a precedent in history. Refugees continue to live in temporary refugee camps, and many have died still hoping to one day return to their land. Can any logic, law or legal reasoning justify this tragedy? Can any member of the United Nations accept such a tragedy occurring in their own homeland? The pretexts for the creation of the regime occupying Al-Qods Al-Sharif are so weak that its proponents want to silence any voice trying to merely speak about them, as they are concerned that shedding light on the facts would undermine the raison d'jtre of this regime, as it has. The tragedy does not end with the establishment of a regime in the territory of others. Regrettably, from its inception, that regime has been a constant source of threat and insecurity in the Middle East region, waging war and spilling blood and impeding the progress of regional countries, and has also been used by some powers as an instrument of division, coercion, and pressure on the people of the region. Reference to these historical realities may cause some disquiet among supporters of this regime. But these are sheer facts and not myth. History has unfolded before our eyes. Worst yet, is the blanket and unwarranted support provided to this regime. Just watch what is happening in the Palestinian land. People are being bombarded in their own homes and their children murdered in their own streets and alleys. But no authority, not even the Security Council, can afford them any support or protection. Why? At the same time, a Government is formed democratically and through the free choice of the electorate in a part of the Palestinian territory. But instead of receiving the support of the so-called champions of democracy, its Ministers and Members of Parliament are illegally abducted and incarcerated in full view of the international community. Which council or international organization stands up to protect this brutally besieged Government? And why can't the Security Council take any steps? Let me here address Lebanon: For thirty-three long days, the Lebanese lived under the barrage of fire and bombs and close to 1.5 million of them were displaced; meanwhile some members of the Security Council practically chose a path that provided ample opportunity for the aggressor to achieve its objectives militarily. We witnessed that the Security Council of the United Nations was practically incapacitated by certain powers to even call for a ceasefire. The Security Council sat idly by for so many days, witnessing the cruel scenes of atrocities against the Lebanese while tragedies such as Qana were persistently repeated. Why? In all these cases, the answer is self-evident. When the power behind the hostilities is itself a permanent member of the Security Council, how then can this Council fulfill its responsibilities? C. Lack of respect for the rights of members of the international community Excellencies, I now wish to refer to some of the grievances of the Iranian people and speak to the injustices against them. The Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of the IAEA and is committed to the NPT. All our nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes of IAEA inspectors. Why then are there objections to our legally recognized rights? Which governments object to these rights? Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle. Some of them have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends including the production of nuclear bombs, and some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity. Which organization or Council should address these injustices? Is the Security Council in a position to address them? Can it stop violations of the inalienable rights of countries? Can it prevent certain powers from impeding scientific progress of other countries? The abuse of the Security Council, as an instrument of threat and coercion, is indeed a source of grave concern. Some permanent members of the Security Council, even when they are themselves parties to international disputes, conveniently threaten others with the Security Council and declare, even before any decision by the Council, the condemnation of their opponents by the Council. The question is: what can justify such exploitation of the Security Council, and doesn't it erode the credibility and effectiveness of the Council? Can such behavior contribute to the ability of the Council to maintain security? Excellencies, A review of the preceding historical realities would lead to the conclusion that regrettably, justice has become a victim of force and aggression. Many global arrangements have become unjust, discriminatory and irresponsible as a result of undue pressure from some of the powerful; Threats with nuclear weapons and other instruments of war by some powers have taken the place of respect for the rights of nations and the maintenance and promotion of peace and tranquility; For some powers, claims of promotion of human rights and democracy can only last as long as they can be used as instruments of pressure and intimidation against other nations. But when it comes to the interests of the claimants, concepts such as democracy, the right of self-determination of nations, respect for the rights and intelligence of peoples, international law and justice have no place or value. This is blatantly manifested in the way the elected Government of the Palestinian people is treated as well as in the support extended to the Zionist regime. It does not matter if people are murdered in Palestine, turned into refugees, captured, imprisoned or besieged; that must not violate human rights. - Nations are not equal in exercising their rights recognized by international law. Enjoying these rights is dependent on the whim of certain major powers. - Apparently the Security Council can only be used to ensure the security and the rights of some big powers. But when the oppressed are decimated under bombardment, the Security Council must remain aloof and not even call for a ceasefire. Is this not a tragedy of historic proportions for the Security Council, which is charged with maintaining the security of countries? - The prevailing order of contemporary global interactions is such that certain powers equate themselves with the international community, and consider their decisions superseding that of over 180 countries. They consider themselves the masters and rulers of the entire world and other nations as only second class in the world order. Excellencies, The question needs to be asked: if the Governments of the United States or the United Kingdom who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the organs of the UN can take them to account? Can a Council in which they are privileged members address their violations? Has this ever happened? In fact, we have repeatedly seen the reverse. If they have differences with a nation or state, they drag it to the Security Council and as claimants, arrogate to themselves simultaneously the roles of prosecutor, judge and executioner. Is this a just order? Can there be a more vivid case of discrimination and more clear evidence of injustice? Regrettably, the persistence of some hegemonic powers in imposing their exclusionist policies on international decision making mechanisms, including the Security Council, has resulted in a growing mistrust in global public opinion, undermining the credibility and effectiveness of this most universal system of collective security. Excellencies, How long can such a situation last in the world? It is evident that the behavior of some powers constitutes the greatest challenge before the Security Council, the entire organization and its affiliated agencies. The present structure and working methods of the Security Council, which are legacies of the Second World War, are not responsive to the expectations of the current generation and the contemporary needs of humanity. Today, it is undeniable that the Security Council, most critically and urgently, needs legitimacy and effectiveness. It must be acknowledged that as long as the Council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective. Furthermore, the direct relation between the abuse of veto and the erosion of the legitimacy and effectiveness of the Council has now been clearly and undeniably established. We cannot, and should not, expect the eradication, or even containment, of injustice, imposition and oppression without reforming the structure and working methods of the Council. Is it appropriate to expect this generation to submit to the decisions and arrangements established over half a century ago? Doesn't this generation or future generations have the right to decide themselves about the world in which they want to live? Today, serious reform in the structure and working methods of the Security Council is, more than ever before, necessary. Justice and democracy dictate that the role of the General Assembly, as the highest organ of the United Nations, must be respected. The General Assembly can then, through appropriate mechanisms, take on the task of reforming the Organization and particularly rescue the Security Council from its current state. In the interim, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the African continent should each have a representative as a permanent member of the Security Council, with veto privilege. The resulting balance would hopefully prevent further trampling of the rights of nations. Madame President, Excellencies, It is essential that spirituality and ethics find their rightful place in international relations. Without ethics and spirituality, attained in light of the teachings of Divine prophets, justice, freedom and human rights cannot be guaranteed. Resolution of contemporary human crises lies in observing ethics and spirituality and the governance of righteous people of high competence and piety. Should respect for the rights of human beings become the predominant objective, then injustice, ill-temperament, aggression and war will fade away. Human beings are all God's creatures and are all endowed with dignity and respect. No one has superiority over others. No individual or states can arrogate to themselves special privileges, nor can they disregard the rights of others and, through influence and pressure, position themselves as the "international community". Citizens of Asia, Africa, Europe and America are all equal. Over 6 billion inhabitants of the earth are all equal and worthy of respect. Justice and protection of human dignity are the two pillars in maintaining sustainable peace, security and tranquility in the world. It is for this reason that we state: Sustainable peace and tranquility in the world can only be attained through justice, spirituality, ethics, compassion and respect for human dignity. All nations and states are entitled to peace, progress and security. We are all members of the international community and we are all entitled to insist on the creation of a climate of compassion, love and justice. All members of the United Nations are affected by both the bitter and the sweet events and developments in today's world. We can adopt firm and logical decisions, thereby improving the prospects of a better life for current and future generations. Together, we can eradicate the roots of bitter maladies and afflictions, and instead, through the promotion of universal and lasting values such as ethics, spirituality and justice, allow our nations to taste the sweetness of a better future. Peoples, driven by their divine nature, intrinsically seek Good, Virtue, Perfection and Beauty. Relying on our peoples, we can take giant steps towards reform and pave the road for human perfection. Whether we like it or not, justice, peace and virtue will sooner or later prevail in the world with the will of Almighty God. It is imperative, and also desirable, that we too contribute to the promotion of justice and virtue. The Almighty and Merciful God, who is the Creator of the Universe, is also its Lord and Ruler. Justice is His command. He commands His creatures to support one another in Good, virtue and piety, and not in decadence and corruption. He commands His creatures to enjoin one another to righteousness and virtue and not to sin and transgression. All Divine prophets from the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) to the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), to the Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), to the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him), have all called humanity to monotheism, justice, brotherhood, love and compassion. Is it not possible to build a better world based on monotheism, justice, love and respect for the rights of human beings, and thereby transform animosities into friendship? I emphatically declare that today's world, more than ever before, longs for just and righteous people with love for all humanity; and above all longs for the perfect righteous human being and the real savior who has been promised to all peoples and who will establish justice, peace and brotherhood on the planet. 0, Almighty God, all men and women are Your creatures and You have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirsts for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by You, and make us among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 2 [NYTr] French President Backs Off Sanctions against Iran Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 19:29:48 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Radio Havana Cuba http://www.radiohc.cu French President Jacques Chirac Backs Off Sanctions against Iran Paris, September 20 (RHC)-- French President Jacques Chirac says he is opposed to UN sanctions against Iran for an alleged nuclear weapons program -- as claimed by the United States and Britain -- and wants talks to continue with leaders of the Islamic Republic. In an interview with Europe-1 radio, the French president said he didn't believe in a solution without dialogue. Chirac suggested the international community suspend the threat of UN sanctions and that Iran, in turn, suspend enrichment while the two sides talk. Chirac said he was not pessimistic. He said that "Iran is a great country, an old culture, an old civilization, and that we can find solutions through dialogue." The French president said that Iran and the six countries involved in the issue -- France, Germany, Britain, Russia, China and the United States -- set an agenda for talks, then move ahead, with both sides removing the burden of threats. European and United Nations officials said that senior EU and Iranian negotiators planned to meet in New York later this week to try to establish enough common ground to spark negotiations. Observers note that the United States and Britain support quick moves to sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran if Tehran does not comply with demands that it cease its enrichment program. Russia and China -- two countries that also have veto power -- have been hesitant to call for sanctions before the Security Council. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Tells U.N. Nuclear Program Peaceful From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 2:16 AM AP Photo XUNJJ127 By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took aim at U.S. policies in Iraq and Lebanon Tuesday in an address to world leaders, and accused Washington of unfairly attacking Tehran's nuclear program, which he insisted was peaceful. Taking the stage at the U.N. General Assembly hours after President Bush, he also accused the United States of having double standards by criticizing his country's nuclear program while maintaining its own nuclear weapons arsenal. Ahmadinejad insisted Iran's nuclear activities are ``transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye'' of United Nations inspectors and reiterated his nation's commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as it faces accusations that it is seeking to develop atomic weapons. Bush, in his speech earlier Tuesday, singled out Iran as a sponsor of terrorism. But both countries avoided any direct confrontation of the nuclear standoff amid intense diplomacy on the sidelines of the session to resolve the issue. Neither was present for the other's speech. The U.S. and Britain played central roles in helping craft a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in July that gave Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment and asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to report on Tehran's compliance, dangling the threat of sanctions if Iran refused. Tehran made clear even before the deadline expired that it had no intention of suspending uranium enrichment. Ahmadinejad accused some permanent members of the Security Council who wield veto power - an obvious reference to the United States - of using the decision-making body as a tool of ``threat and coercion.'' ``The question needs to be asked: if the governments of the United States or the United Kingdom, who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the U.N. organs can take them into account?,'' he asked. ``If they have differences with a nation or state, they drag it to the Security Council,'' and take the roles of ``prosecutor, judge and executioner,'' he said. ``Is this a just order?'' He pointed to Lebanese suffering during the recent Israel-Hezbollah war as an example. ``We witnessed the Security Council ... was practically incapacitated by certain powers to even call for a cease-fire,'' he said, referring to the fact that the conflict lasted 34 days despite calls for an immediate truce. The Iranian leader also had harsh words about U.S. efforts in Iraq, saying ``the occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq'' and every day hundreds of people get killed ``in cold blood.'' Ahmadinejad claimed that numerous terrorists apprehended by the Iraqi government were ``let loose under various pretexts by the occupiers.'' ``It seems that intensification of hostilities and terrorism serves as a pretext for the continued presence of foreign forces in Iraq,'' he said. Bush spoke directly to the people of Iran saying America respects Islam, the Iranian nation's rich history and culture and that he looks to a day when the two peoples ``can be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace.'' That's very different from 2002 when Bush said Iran was part of an ``axis of evil.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 4 Guardian Unlimited: U.S. Tries to Save Its Iran Plan From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 2:31 AM AP Photo UNMA119 By ANNE GEARAN AP Diplomatic Writer NEW YORK (AP) - The United States tried Tuesday to salvage its plan to punish Iran with sanctions if it won't back down in a nuclear standoff with the West, even as President Bush told Iranians he hopes that one day ``America and Iran can be good friends.'' Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice convened nations that have offered Iran a bargain to head off what the United States and others fear is a drive to build a bomb. The United States had hoped to use the gathering to move decisively toward political and economic sanctions on Iran now that it has missed a U.N. deadline to shelve disputed nuclear activities, but cold feet among allies this month has made that possibility remote. Rice warned that the world will have a credibility problem if it does not act. She also acknowledged that talks are already under way between the European Union and Tehran without preconditions. That is a concession for the United States, which has led a drive to force Iran to choose between looming U.N. sanctions or talks that could reward it for scaling back its nuclear program. ``Those talks are going on now,'' Rice said on the CBS ``Early Show,'' referring to discussions between the European Union's foreign policy chief and Iran's nuclear negotiator. ``But we are still pursuing the path of sanctions should Iran not follow the U.N. Security Council resolution'' demanding a temporary end to its uranium enrichment program. The deadline had been set for Aug. 31. Bush and Iran's unpredictable hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressed the United Nations on the same day, and the White House tried to make sure the two did not cross paths. ``Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions,'' Bush told the annual U.N. opening session. He added a direct appeal to the Iranian people, telling them to look past what their leaders say about the United States. For his part, Ahmadinejad told the U.N. General Assembly that Iran's nuclear activities were ``transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye'' of U.N. inspectors. He accused the U.S. and Britain of abusing the U.N. Security Council to achieve their own ends, and he also criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq. The Bush administration saw the diplomatic ground shift beneath it this month as Iran maneuvered to avoid sanctions that even close U.S. allies such as France were never keen to impose. Two members of the coalition, France and Russia, cast doubt on the idea of sanctions over the past week, and Rice and her aides have been lowering expectations for action this week. French President Jacques Chirac proposed a compromise on Monday. The world would suspend the threat of sanctions, he suggested, if Tehran agreed to halt uranium enrichment and return to negotiations. After a meeting with Bush on Tuesday, however, Chirac said twice that the two leaders see ``eye to eye'' on Iran. Bush said he and Chirac ``share the same objective and we're going to continue to strategize together.'' Interviewed on morning news shows Tuesday, Rice stressed that the United States will not join any negotiations until Iran has at least temporarily stopped its accelerated uranium program. ``I would meet anywhere with my counterpart at any time,'' once Iran has met that precondition, Rice said on ABC's ``Good Morning America.'' Enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear energy, as Iran claims it wants to do. It can also fuel nuclear weapons, as the United States claims Iran intends. If the separate European-Iranian talks ``can get us to a suspension, that would be terrific,'' Rice said on CBS. Any face-to-face discussions between Iran and the United States would be the most significant warming of relations in nearly three decades of estrangement. The United States has had extensive unilateral economic sanctions against Iran since shortly after the 1979 revolution and the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Although the U.S. remains Iran's main adversary because of America's military, political, cultural and economic dominance, Washington has little economic leverage against Tehran on its own. The U.S. needs Europe, at least, to impose any meaningful economic penalty on Iran, but tough sanctions on the oil exporter would hurt America's international partners as well as Iran. The prospect of U.S.-Iran talks was meant to be a powerful lure for Iran, but Rice also dangled the offer of talks earlier this year as a means to shore up a shaky international coalition against Iran. It worked, at least for awhile. This summer, world powers signed on to the principle that Iran would face at least mild initial sanctions if it blew the August deadline. Iran responded by hinting that it might be willing to shelve uranium enrichment, without ever saying so directly. That was enough to sow new division in the U.S.-build coalition, with the likely result that sanctions are either a dead letter or a long way off. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 5 Reuters: White House: Bush clear on conditions for Iran Thursday September 21, 4:11 AM WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House reacted on Wednesday to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at the United Nations by underscoring a demand for Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment program. Speaking hours after President George W. Bush at the U.N. General Assembly, Ahmadinejad on Tuesday accused Washington of trying to deny Iran the right to peaceful nuclear power that Western states enjoyed. White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush did not watch the Iranian leader's speech and would not engage with Iran until it has suspended its enrichment program. Snow, referring to a package of incentives offered to Iran by major powers if it halts enrichment, said "there are a whole variety of benefits we want to make available to them. But we're not going to engage on specific points of his (Ahmadinejad's) speech." The West suspects Tehran is seeking to develop an atomic bomb, while Iran says it is using its nuclear program for peaceful purposes of developing electricity. Bush, in comments aired later on CNN, expressed concern about Ahmadinejad's stated desire to see Israel wiped off the map and said he took the Iranian leader at his word. "My judgment is you've to take everybody's word seriously in this world. You can't just hope for the best," Bush said. Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 Reuters: Bush: Time is of the essence on Iran Thursday September 21, 6:22 AM WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said it was crucial that Western powers keep up the pressure on Tehran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program and not allow Iran to drag out talks indefinitely. "Time is of the essence," Bush said in an interview with CNN. "I'm concerned that Iran is trying to stall, and to try to buy time, and therefore it seems like a smart policy is to push this issue along as hard as we can and we are." Ahmadinejad, who spoke on Tuesday at the United Nations hours after a speech by Bush, accused Washington of trying to deny Iran the right to peaceful nuclear power that Western states enjoyed. White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters that Bush did not watch the Iranian leader's speech and would not engage with Iran until it has suspended its enrichment program. Snow, referring to a package of incentives offered to Iran by major powers if it halts enrichment, said "there are a whole variety of benefits we want to make available to them. But we're not going to engage on specific points of his (Ahmadinejad's) speech." The West suspects Tehran is seeking to develop an atomic bomb, while Iran says it is using its nuclear program for peaceful purposes of developing electricity. Bush said in the CNN interview that Iran has a choice: "The country can face isolation. They could face, you know, sanctions, or they can choose a better course." The U.S. president also expressed concern about Ahmadinejad's stated desire to see Israel wiped off the map and said he took the Iranian leader at his word. "My judgment is you've to take everybody's word seriously in this world. You can't just hope for the best," Bush said. Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 Independent: Iran must make first move, Bush tells UN meeting By David Usborne in New York Published: 20 September 2006 President George Bush challenged world leaders and their citizens to "stand up for peace" by spurning extremists, in order to promote democracy and end terrorism and armed conflict. "The world must stand up for peace," he declared in a speech to the UN General Assembly. President Bush, his credibility undermined by spiralling violence in Iraq, meanwhile found himself in a game of hide-and-seek with the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was to address the UN later. White House minders were striving to avoid any chance meeting between the two men. Mr Bush reiterated his position that Iran must move first to end uranium enrichment before entering talks on its nuclear programme. "Now is the time for the Iranians to come to the table," Mr Bush told reporters. "Time is of the essence." Addressing the continuing conflict in the Darfur region in Sudan, where an estimated 200,000 people have been killed in the past three years, Mr Bush named a special envoy on the issue, Andrew Natsios, a former head of the US Agency for International Development. Referring to a recent UN resolution approving a blue-helmet force to protect the people of Darfur, Mr Bush warned Khartoum to end its opposition with a veiled threat that he would expect the UN otherwise to impose peace by force. "If the Sudanese government does not approve the deployment of this peacekeeping force quickly, the UN must act," Mr Bush said. Returning to his theme of moderates versus extremists, he said: "It is clear that the world is engaged in a great ideological struggle between extremists who use terror as a weapon to create fear, and moderate people who work for peace." Facing a sceptical audience which surely recalled his assertions in the same room four years before, subsequently proved wrong, on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Mr Bush tried to insist that progress has been made towards democracy in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and elsewhere. "From Beirut to Baghdad, people are making their choice for freedom," he said. Then, addressing citizens of the region directly, Mr Bush added: "Extremists in your midst spread propaganda... this propaganda is false and its purpose is to confuse you and justify acts of terror. We respect Islam, but we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction." After delivering his last speech to the assembly as UN secretary general, Kofi Annan received a standing ovation from delegates. He listed many of his frustrations and disappointments in 10 years of leading the UN, highlighting in particular the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict. "As long as the Security Council is unable to end this conflict, and the now nearly 40-year-old occupation, by bringing both sides to accept and implement its resolutions, so long will respect for the United Nations continue to decline," he said. President Ahmadinejad, arriving in New York, hinted at his anger at the campaign to force Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. "Everyone is upset because of the atmosphere of threat, tension, confrontation, arrogance, hatred. These things cannot lead the world to calmness and sustainable peace," he told reporters. Iran's leader was missing from a list of leaders invited to a reception hosted last night by President Bush. "I'm not going to meet with him," Mr Bush said. © 2006 Independent News and Media Limited ***************************************************************** 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: China urges talks over IRI N-issue 2006/09/20 Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday said that the international community calls for peaceful solution to IRI's nuclear issue through negotiations. Addressing reporters in a press conference in Beijing, he pointed to French President Jacques Chirac's remarks that the issue shouldnot be examined by the United Nations Security Council. He declared that IRI's nuclear issue should be solved through diplomatic and peaceful ways. Gang said that the international community's call for resolving the issue through talks is in line with the interests of various parties and the optimum approach. The Spokesman said that the basic duty of the concerned parties is to be flexible, stay calm and be careful about taking any measure, adding that they should use the available opportunities optimally to solve the nuclear issues of IRI and North Korea. Turning to the significance of his country's approach to Iranian nuclear issue, he said, "we believe that every remark and move on the issue should contribute to solving the two nuclear issues." M/D Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 9 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Russia to offer vows over Bushehr 2006/09/20 Head of the Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), Gholam-reza Aghazadeh on Wednesday expounded his visit to Vienna. Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh said that the issue of restriction of article four of Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was offered by some countries in the meeting. "The member states have different views over the Article 4 of NPT but America seeks to restrain other countries from their certain right to use peaceful nuclear energy specially uranium enrichment," He added. On meeting with the Head of Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Aqazadeh said that 'we held substantial negotiations about Bushehr power plant.' "I agreed to take a trip to Russia next week to hold talk over sending fuel to Bushehr power plant and making assurances over a fixed time for putting the plant into operation," Aqazadeh said. Pointing to his meeting with the Chairman of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Muhammad ElBaradei, he added that 'we discussed latest cooperations between the two sides. md Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 10 Comment is free: Ahmadinejad has a point It is hard to dispute the Iranian president's argument that the UN security council has become a creature of the US, and a rubber stamp for self-interest. Simon Tisdall Sept 20, 2006 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's forthright criticismof the United Nations was not aimed at the UN itself but at the way the security council is manipulated by the great powers, primarily the United States, to further their own policy objectives. And who is to say he is wrong? The problem for George Bush and those within his administration who have been working overtime lately to portray Iran's leadership as the single biggest threat to global security is that many if not most people, and most member countries of the comparatively powerless UN general assembly, will agree with Mr Ahmadinejad. It is certainly hard to argue against his view that the US, backed to his shame by Tony Blair, actively obstructed UN efforts to secure an early ceasefire in Israel's July war on Lebanon. A British Foreign Office minister has since admitted that this was probably the wrong course of action. But that is no consolation to the relatives of the hundreds of civilians who died because Israel was not reined in earlier. It is equally hard to fault Mr Ahmadinejad's condemnation of the failure of the occupying powers in Iraq, again principally the US and Britain, to establish any resemblance of security there amid horrendous daily bloodshed. It hardly needs to be pointed out that this disaster began in 2003 when the US and Britain ignored the UN and launched an illegal invasion. Iraq was one of the very few major issues in recent times on which Washington did not get its way at the UN. By rejecting the security council majority's position, it did exactly what it now accuses Iran's government of doing over the nuclear issue. In fact, Mr Ahmadinejad and his government have repeatedly offered resumed negotiations on the nuclear dossier. What they object to, reasonably enough, is the US-British-French demand, pushed through the security council, that Iran suspend enrichment activities as a precondition for new talks. Washington's haste in trying to push this problem towards a confrontation involving punitive UN-mandated sanctions is reminiscent of the run-up to the Iraq war when the US refused to give more time for UN weapons inspectors to complete their work. "If they [the US and Britain] have differences with a nation or state, they drag it to the security council," Mr Ahmadinejad said. They then assign themselves the roles of "prosecutor, judge and executioner ... Is this just," he asked. The answer is no, it is not - and it both damages the UN and is frequently counter-productive. Iran's policies can be criticised on many fronts. The role it played in supporting Hizbullah against Israel was not matched by timely efforts on its part to persuade the Lebanese militia to support a quick ceasefire. Its role in Iraq is open to question, although massive instability on its border is not in Tehran's interest. And given its track record, it is entirely reasonable to question the credibility of Iran's denials concerning the purpose of its nuclear programmes. But on every front, Mr Bush and his Downing Street and Tel Aviv supporters are undermining effective action to assuage these concerns by greatly exaggerating their case, indulging in ever more hostile rhetoric, refusing direct talks, effectively encouraging regime change in Iran - and bending the UN to their will. More broadly they have also shown little meaningful support for Kofi Annan's reform panel's recent recommendations on how to make the UN, and particularly the security council, work more efficiently. The recommendations included expanding council membership to make it more representative of today's world, rather than that of 1945. A reformed council that was not constantly dominated by five veto-wielding countries might have a better chance of effectively addressing pressing international geo-political issues such as nuclear proliferation, terrorism, Iraq, Israel's relations with its neighbours, Sudan, Burma and Afghanistan. By keeping things as they are, (while often harshly attacking the failings of the UN as an organisation), the US adds force to Mr Ahmadinejad's argument that the security council has become Washington's creature - and a rubber stamp for self-interest. About webfeeds Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006. Registered in England and Wales. No. 908396 Registered office: 164 Deansgate, Manchester M60 2RR ***************************************************************** 11 AFP: Bush and Ahmadinejad in UN duel Wed Sep 20, 2:38 AM ET UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Iran" /> Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and President George W. Bush" /> President George W. Bushof the United States launched bitter attacks on each other's governments in scathing speeches at the UN General Assembly. The Iranian leader defended his country's nuclear programme and said the United States and its British ally used their dominance at the UN Security Council to further their agendas. Bush accused the leaders of Iran and Syria" /> Syriaof sponsoring terrorism but also urged Muslims to disregard "propaganda and conspiracy theories" he blamed for poisoning their view of the United States. The corridors of the UN headquarters reverberated with news of the coup in Thailand, carried out as Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York for the General Assembly. Thaksin was preparing to fly out on Tuesday night but his destination was unknown. Ahmadinejad and Bush took their campaigns to the UN General Assembly as they step up diplomatic hostilities over Iran's nuclear programme, which Washington says hides efforts to build a nuclear bomb. Without naming the United States, Ahmadinejad charged that some governments objecting to the Iran's uranium enrichment "have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends including the production of nuclear bombs" and "some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity." Ahmadinejad said the United States and Britain had used unrest in Iraq" /> Iraqto extend their "occupation" of the country. Taking aim at Israel" /> Israel, Ahmadinejad accused the Jewish state of being "a constant source of threat and insecurity in the Middle East region." He said Israel was being used "by some powers as an instrument of division, coercion and pressure on the people of the region." The Iranian president has previously called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". Iran has ignored UN Security Council demands to end its uranium enrichment and the United States has called for sanctions against Tehran. But Ahmadinejad accused the United States and Britain of using the Security Council to further their own ends. He said the two allies "drag" countries they oppose before the UN Security Council and then act as "prosecutor, judge and executioner." A few hours earlier from the same tribune, Bush accused Ahmadinejad's government of wasting Iran's oil wealth on extremist policies. Bush said in a message to the Iranian people that they deserve "a society that allows you to fulfill your tremendous potential". "The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons," said Bush. In his speech, the US president also demanded action over the Darfur conflict. Bush warned the United Nations" /> United Nationsthat its credibility hinged on whether it would get a UN-led force to Darfur soon, even over Sudan's objections, to end "unspeakable violence" that he termed "genocide." But other leaders put the focus on the Middle East. UN chief Kofi Annan" /> Kofi Annan, who steps down as secretary general in December after 10 years in the post, and French President Jacques Chirac" /> President Jacques Chiracboth made pleas for greater action to end the Middle East conflict. Annan singled out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as one of the most important security challenges facing the world. "As long as the Palestinians live under occupation, exposed to daily frustration and humiliation; and as long as Israelis are blown up in buses or in dance-halls: so long will passions everywhere be inflamed," he said. He warned that failure by the UN Security Council to end the nearly 60-year-old conflict would lead to declining respect for the United Nations. Annan was set to attend a meeting of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet -- the United States, Russia, the European Union" /> European Unionand the United Nations -- here Wednesday. The quartet sponsored the roadmap peace plan, which has made next to no progress since its launch in June 2003 and missed its initial deadline of creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel by 2005. The French president urged the Quartet to organize an international conference to revive moribund Middle East peace efforts. "In this highly sensitive region where divides meet, the status quo has become unbearable," Chirac said in his address. "Because the conflict in the Middle East is a threat to global peace and security, the world has no option but to be the guarantor of peace," he added. He called on the Quartet to quickly begin preparations for a major international conference to set out "the guarantees we are ready to provide to the parties if they can reach an agreement". Bush said he had directed US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Riceto take steps to help the stalled process along. Rice will work with "moderate leaders" in the region; help the Palestinians reform their security services, and support Israeli and Palestinian leaders in their negotiations, he said. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 12 AFP: Iranian leader launches scathing attack on US, Britain, UN - Tue Sep 19, 8:54 PM ET UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a scathing attack on the United States and Britain in the UN General Assembly, accusing them of manipulating the world body to further their ends and trying to deny his country the benefits of nuclear power. "All our nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes of IAEA ( International Atomic Energy Agency" /> International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors," the Iranian leader said. "Why then are there objections to our legally recognized rights?" He charged that some of the governments objecting to the Iranian nuclear program "have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends including the production of nuclear bombs" and "some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity." "Some permanent members of the Security Council, even when they are themselves parties to international disputes, conveniently threaten others with the Security Council and declare, even before any decision by the council, the condemnation of their opponents by the council," he said. Tehran has refused to comply with a Security Council demand that it suspend sensitive nuclear fuel work, arguing that it has the right to conduct uranium enrichment and that its nuclear program is peaceful. Ahmadinejad more generally accused the United States and Britain of manipulating the Security Council to further their own agendas. "The question needs to be asked; if the governments of the United States or the United Kingdom who are permanent members of the Security Council, commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law, which of the organs of the UN can take them to account?," he said. "As long as the council is unable to act on behalf of the entire international community in a transparent, just and democratic manner, it will neither be legitimate nor effective," he added. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 13 AFP: New Iran deadline as Bush watches clock Wed Sep 20, 7:19 PM ET UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - World powers handed Iran" /> a new early October deadline to halt uranium enrichment, a senior European diplomat said, as President George W. Bush" /> warned "time is of the essence" in settling the nuclear showdown. Hopes of a snap breakthrough in the crisis however were already dimmed, with an announcement that European Union" /> foreign policy chief Javier Solana would not meet, as expected, this week in New York with Iranian negotiators. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and Italy agreed late Tuesday to give European negotiators more time to convince Iran to give up enrichment before seeking sanctions under a UN resolution A senior European diplomat told reporters the new deadline would stretch to early October, in the hope that new talks between Solana and Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani would bear fruit. The UN Security Council had set an August 31 deadline for Iran to comply with the demand for a suspension of enrichment operations. But Tehran, which denies US claims it is seeking a nuclear weapons, has so far refused to comply. Bush meanwhile warned time was running out for Iran, and again wondered out loud whether the latest delay was a symptom of Tehran running out the clock. "I'm not going to discuss with you our intelligence on the subject, but time is of the essence," Bush said, when asked on CNN whether he backed the Israeli line that only a few months remained before Iranian scientists learned how to enrich uranium -- the critical step towards building a bomb. "I'm concerned that Iran is trying to stall, and to try to buy time, and therefore it seems like a smart policy is to push this issue along as hard as we can and we are," Bush said. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice" /> meanwhile declined to confirm the new deadline but also warned diplomacy couldn't stretch on indefinitely. "Everyone wants to resolve this through negotiations and everyone wants to solve this thing quickly," she said here. "There is a really excellent opportunity for Iran to engage with the international community, if it will simply meet a condition (freezing uranium enrichment)." French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Wednesday major powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States -- agreed that Iran must respond rapidly. "We must have a response fairly quickly," he said, "it's becoming urgent." At Tuesday's meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice backed away from the long-standing US position that Iran should face sanctions immediately for failing to meet an August 31 UN deadline for suspending its uranium enrichment. She agreed to permit a new round of negotiations between Solana and Larijani in hopes of convincing Tehran to meet the UN demand, US officials said. If Iran suspends its enrichment, Rice said she would personally attend the launch of direct negotiations with Tehran aimed at rewarding the Islamic republic for winding down its nuclear program. Chances of a quick breakthrough in the standoff were hit by the announcement that Larijani would not meet with Solana in New York this week as expected. Instead, Larijani and Solana agreed in a telephone conversation to hold talks next week in an unidentified European capital, the official Iranian news agency reported in Tehran. "It seems to have been difficult to get some of those (talks) scheduled and we would encourage the Iranians to take him up on his offer to meet with him and to clarify any remaining questions," said Rice. "But this cannot go on for very much longer." As well as the extended deadline for an Iranian response, Washington got its partners to agree to the new deadline for imposing sanctions if Iran stands firm, according to senior US and European officials present at the meeting. Douste-Blazy said Tuesday's meeting had agreed on the need to give Iran one more chance. "We all thought that we had to avoid confrontation and do everything possible to pursue a dialogue ... while also avoiding a situation where the Iranians, through meeting after meeting, are able to play for time and we end up with a fait accompli" of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, he said. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 14 AFP: France demands quick reply from Iran on nuclear issue - Wed Sep 20, 12:24 PM ET UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - France has called on Iran" /> Iranto respond quickly to the latest European proposal that it suspend its uranium enrichment proposal in parallel with the start of negotiations on improving relations between the West and the Islamic republic. "We must have a response fairly quickly," said French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy on Wednesday, "it's becoming urgent." Douste-Blazy attended a meeting Tuesday night of the main powers dealing with the Iran issue which notably resulted in the United States backing away from its demand for immediate sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment as demanded by a UN resolution. At the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Riceagreed to permit a new round of negotiations between European Union" /> European Unionforeign policy chief Javier Solana and the Iranians in hopes of convincing Tehran to meet the UN demand, US officials said. If Iran suspends its enrichment, which Washington and others believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons, Rice said she would personally attend the launch of direct negotiations with Tehran aimed at rewarding the Islamic republic for winding down its nuclear program. But Washington also got its partners to agree to a new deadline for imposing sanctions if Iran stands firm, according to senior US and European officials who were present at the meeting. The US officials declined to reveal the new deadline, but a European diplomat said Solana would be given until the first week of October to achieve results in his talks with Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani. Douste-Blazy said Tuesday's meeting of the foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and the United States had agreed on the need to give Iran one more chance to reach a negotiated settlement of the dispute. "We all thought that we had to avoid confrontation and do everything possible to pursue a dialogue ... while also avoiding a situation where the Iranians, through meeting after meeting, are able to play for time and we end up with a fait accompli" of an Iranian nuclear weapons program, he said. Douste-Blazy was due to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki later Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, a diplomat said. At the same time, however, chances of a quick breakthrough in the standoff dimmed with the announcement that Larijani would not meet with Solana in New York this week as expected. Instead, Larijani and Solana agreed in a telephone conversation to hold talks next week in an unidentified European capital, the official Iranian news agency reported in Tehran. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 15 AFP: Allies lead a wary US into new negotiations with Iran - by David Millikin Wed Sep 20, 4:23 AM ET NEW YORK (AFP) - Months of tough-talking US diplomacy on Iran" /> Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program faded from view after Washington formally endorsed a new round of negotiations with Tehran following talks here with its major allies. Tuesday night's meeting of seven nations closely involved in the Iran standoff had been billed by Washington as the moment when the international community would back up its demand that Tehran suspend its uranium enrichment program with UN sanctions against the Islamic republic. The sanctions are called for under a unanimous UN Security Council resolution which gave Iran until August 31 to halt the uranium enrichment, which the US and others believe is a cover for development of nuclear weapons. But France, China and Russia -- all veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council -- have balked at following through with sanctions. The standoff was at the center of discussions Tuesday when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Ricehosted the dinner meeting of foreign ministers from the other four permanent Security Council members -- Britain, China, France and Russia -- plus Germany and Italy And instead of an agreement on how to proceed with punitive measures against Iran, the meeting resulted in Washington backing a plan for a new round of negotiations with the Iranians, a senior US official said. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said the negotiations would be conducted later this week between European Union" /> European Unionforeign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. There was "very strong support for Javier Solana's negotiations," including from the US, Burns told reporters after the meeting. He said if Solana succeeds in convincing the Iranians to verifiably suspend their enrichment program, Rice would personally attend the launch of broader negotiations with Iran on improving relations with the Islamic state. It would be the first direct negotiations between the two governments in 27 years. Washington's endorsement of the Solana-Larijani talks was a stark change from recent weeks when US officials repeatedly derided European calls for continued dialogue with Tehran. The US said that dragging out talks would simply give Iran time to perfect its uranium enrichment work and set it firmly on the path to acquiring nuclear arms. Burns said Tuesday's policy shift reflected a new seriousness on the part of the Iranian negotiators. "What happened is that in late August the Iranians finally got serious," he said, calling a recent round of Solana-Larijani talks in Europe "the most serious discussions" yet on resolving the crisis. "So we are in extra innings," Burns said. "We are seeking a diplomatic solution and the United States is certainly willing to support SolanaĂ‚Â’s discussions." But US officials still insisted that they won't allow the talks to drag on indefinitely and will not agree to join the negotiations directly until Iran has effectively "and verifiably" suspended uranium enrichment. A senior official who attended Tuesday's meeting said the seven powers had set a new deadline for Iran to agree to the UN's demands, although he would not reveal the date other than to say it would come up "shortly". But it remained far from clear that Washington, weakened diplomatically by the crisis in Iraq" /> Iraqand its handling of the recent Israel" /> Israel-Lebanon conflict, would be able to enforce the new deadline after failing to convince allies to respect the August 31 limit laid down in the previous UN resolution on Iran. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 16 UPI: Iranian demands Security Council reform United Press International - NewsTrack - 9/19/2006 8:35:00 PM -0400 UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the United Nations Tuesday his country's nuclear program is peaceful and the U.N. Security Council must be reformed. In contrast to his controversial speeches in Tehran, Ahmadinejad calmly constructed a world view that depicted the United States, Britain and other powers as international bullies. If the United States and Britain commit an aggression against other countries, he said, "which of the organs of the U.N. can hold them to account?" "Serious reform ... of the Security Council is more than ever necessary," Ahmadinejad said. He called for the U.N. General Assembly to change the structure of the council, adding new members from the Middle East, Asia and Africa with veto powers. Ahmadinejad said the "credibility and effectiveness" of the United Nations was at stake. He also rejected claims by the United States and others that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon. "All our nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye" of U.N. inspectors. U.N. inspectors say Iran has refused to allow monitoring of some, but not all, facilities. A U.N. deadline for Iran to end its uranium enrichment program has passed, but economic sanctions are remote due to opposition from Russia, China and France. Ahmadinejad only obliquely referred to his earlier call for the destruction of Israel and his dismissal of the Holocaust as a myth. He said there were those who opposed any "shedding of light" on the pretext for Israel's existence. The Iranian president was politely applauded at the end of his speech, with more enthusiastic applause coming from the Iranian and Iraqi delegations. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 17 UPI: Iran president attacks U.S. in U.N. speech United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - 9/19/2006 9:05:00 PM -0400 UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the United States and nations with stockpiles of nuclear weapons cause conflicts and want to rule the world. He didn't mention the United States by name except in attacking the ineffectiveness of the U.N. Security Council, dominated by winners of World War II. Ahmadinejad asked if the United States or Britain, permanent U.N. Security Council members, "commit aggression, occupation and violation of international law which of the organizers of the United Nations can take them to account? Can a council in which they are privileged members address their violations? Has this ever happened? In fact we have repeatedly seen the reverse." The questions he raised were among 40 asked in his half-hour speech. "The abuse of the Security Council as an instrument of threat and coercion is indeed a source of grave concern," the Iranian president said, calling for the assembly to "rescue the Security Council from its current state," by reforming it. In the meantime, "the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the African continent should each have a representative" as a veto-holding permanent member of the council. While Ahmadinejad said all of Tehran's "nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes of International Atomic Energy inspectors," he did not mention accusations of withholding cooperation from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency. He asked why there were objections to Iran's "legally recognized rights" to develop nuclear technology, when those objecting "have abused nuclear technology for non-peaceful ends including the production of nuclear bomb and some even have a bleak record of using them against humanity," a reference to the atomic bombs dropped by the United States on Japan at the end of World War II. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 18 Guardian Unlimited: Bush, Iran Leader Spar Over Nuke Standoff From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 11:16 AM AP Photo WX104 By KIM GAMEL Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparred over Tehran's disputed nuclear program but managed to avoid a personal encounter as the 61st General Assembly got under way in the shadow of a military coup in Thailand. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stayed on message during an emotional farewell address Tuesday, appealing to the world to unite against human rights abuses, religious divisions, brutal conflicts ``I come before you today with a deep sense of urgency,'' Abdullah told the assembly. ``Never has it been more important for the world community to act decisively for peace in my region.'' Bush tried to advance his campaign for democracy in the Middle East during his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, saying extremists were trying to justify their violence by falsely claiming the U.S. is waging war on Islam. He singled out Iran and Syria as sponsors of terrorism. Bush also pointed to Tehran's rejection of a Security Council demand to stop enriching uranium by Aug. 31 or face the possibility of sanctions. But he addressed his remarks to the Iranian people in a clear insult to the government. ``The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons,'' the U.S. leader said. ``Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions,'' he said. ``Despite what the regime tells you, we have no objection to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program.'' He said he hoped to see ``the day when you can live in freedom, and America and Iran can be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace.'' Ahmadinejad took the podium hours later, denouncing U.S. policies in Iraq and Lebanon and accusing Washington of abusing its power in the Security Council to punish others while protecting its own interests and allies. The hard-line leader insisted that his nation's nuclear activities are ``transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye'' of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog. He also reiterated his nation's commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad proposed a debate with Bush at the General Assembly's ministerial meeting after the White House dismissed a previous TV debate proposal as a ``diversion'' from serious concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But even though the two leaders spoke from the same podium, they skipped each other's addresses and managed to avoid direct contact during the ministerial meeting. Providing an unusual backdrop, Thailand's military staged a bloodless coup while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York. Thaksin initially switched speaking slots so he could make his speech on Tuesday evening, a day earlier than planned, but later canceled the address. Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a staunch U.S. ally who spoke shortly after Bush, urged the world to confront the plague of terrorism head-on and end conflicts in the Islamic world to eliminate the ``desperation and injustice'' that breed extremism. ``Unless we end foreign occupation and suppression of Muslim peoples,'' he said, ``terrorism and extremism will continue to find recruits among alienated Muslims in various parts of the world,'' he said, and the top priority should be ending ``the tragedy of Palestine.'' As speaker after speaker expressed concern about the rise of terrorism in the world, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, warned that military spending was not the answer. He said that more than $200 billion had been added to global military spending since the Sept. 11 attacks five years ago. ``There is not a single indicator that suggests that this colossal increase is making the world more secure and human rights more widely enjoyed,'' he said. ``On the contrary, we feel more and more vulnerable and fragile.'' The crisis in the ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur also was on the sideline agenda Wednesday at the United Nations, with the African Union's Peace and Security Council scheduled to discuss breaking the deadlock over a plan to replace an AU force with U.N. peacekeepers. The Sudanese president said his country will not allow the United Nations to take control of peacekeepers in Darfur under any circumstance, claiming that rights groups have exaggerated the crisis there in a bid for more cash. But Omar al-Bashir did say that the African Union, which now runs the peacekeeping mission in Darfur, should be allowed to augment its forces with more logistics, advisers and other support. ``We want the African Union to remain in Darfur until peace is re-established in Sudan,'' al-Bashir said at a news conference. Those comments suggest that the African Union will not face any resistance in renewing the peacekeeping force's mandate, which expires on Sept. 30. In her speech to the General Assembly, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the stalemate over whether a U.N. or AU force should be deployed ``demonstrates a lack of international will to address the sufferings and yearnings of the citizens and residents of Darfur.'' Saying the U.N.'s obligation to protect the helpless and innocent must remain paramount, she called on the Security Council to act under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which allows military intervention, ``to restore peace, security and stability to Darfur.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 19 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Leader Says U.S. Abusing U.N. Power From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 9:01 AM AP Photo XUNJJ127 By SCHEHEREZADE FARAMARZI Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took aim at U.S. policies in Iraq and Lebanon on Tuesday, and accused Washington of abusing its power in the U.N. Security Council to punish others while protecting its own interests and allies. He addressed the annual U.N. General Assembly hours after President Bush spoke to the same forum. But while Ahmadinejad harshly criticized the United States, Bush directed his remarks to the Iranian people in a clear insult to the hard-line government. In his speech, Bush pointed to the Iranian government's rejection of a Security Council demand to stop enriching uranium by Aug. 31 or face sanctions. ``The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons,'' the U.S. leader said. ``Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions,'' he said. ``Despite what the regime tells you, we have no objection to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program.'' He also said he hoped to see ``the day when you can live in freedom, and America and Iran can be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace.'' Ahmadinejad insisted that his nation's nuclear activities are ``transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye'' of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog. He also reiterated his nation's commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad proposed a debate with Bush at the General Assembly's ministerial meeting after the White House dismissed a previous TV debate proposal as a ``diversion'' from serious concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But even though the two leaders were addressing the same forum, they skipped each other's speeches and managed to avoid direct contact during the ministerial meeting. Ahmadinejad also accused the United States and Britain of using their veto power on the Security Council to further their own interests and he said it had become an ``instrument of threat and coercion.'' ``If they have differences with a nation or state, they drag it to the Security Council,'' and assign themselves the roles of ``prosecutor, judge and executioner,'' Ahmadinejad said. ``Is this a just order?'' The U.S. and Britain played central roles in helping craft a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in July that gave Iran until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment and asked the IAEA to report on Tehran's compliance, dangling the threat of sanctions if Iran refused. Tehran made clear even before the deadline expired that it had no intention of suspending uranium enrichment. The IAEA last week rejected a recent American report on Iran's nuclear capability, saying the Islamic republic has produced material only in small quantities that is far below the level that can be used in nuclear arms. Ahmadinejad also criticized the Security Council for failing to call for an immediate cease-fire after war broke out between Israel and the Islamic militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. A truce was only reached on Aug. 14 to end the 34-day conflict. ``The Security Council sat idly by for so many days, witnessing the cruel scenes of atro Lebanese ... Why?'' asked Ahmadinejad, whose government is one of Hezbollah's main backers. He said the answer is self-evident: ``When the power behind the hostilities is itself a permanent member of the Security Council, how then can this council fulfill its responsibilities.'' The United States and Britain refused to call for a cease-fire during the monthlong war between Israel and Hezbollah, declaring it part of war on terror. Only after Israel's failure to defeat Hezbollah and the deaths of nearly 1,000 Lebanese civilians did Washington and London agree to push for a truce by the U.N. Security Council. The Iranian leader had harsh words about U.S. efforts in Iraq, saying ``the occupiers are incapable of establishing security in Iraq'' and every day hundreds of people get killed ``in cold blood.'' Ahmadinejad claimed that numerous terrorists apprehended by the Iraqi government were ``let loose under various pretexts by the occupiers.'' Domestically, Ahmadinejad, who doesn't enjoy widespread popularity among his people, has been able to use America's uncompromising stand against Iran's nuclear program to his own benefit. Many Iranians, including those who are against the president's domestic policies, support him in his showdown with the United States on the nuclear issue. In an interview with ``NBC Nightly News,'' Ahmadinejad was asked about Bush's appeal to the Iranian people. ``We have the same desire ... to be together for the cause of world peace,'' he said through a translator. ``We think that the American people are like our people. They're good people, they support peace, equality and brotherhood,'' he said. He said his issue was with the U.S. administration. ``I explicitly say that I am against the policies chosen by the U.S. government to run the world because these policies are moving the world toward war,'' he said. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 20 Korea Herald: [EDITORIAL] N.K. sanctions Japan and Australia have imposed financial sanctions on North Korea under a U.N. resolution adopted on July 15 to discipline the communist state over its earlier missile launches. The sanctions cover foreign currency transactions by companies and individuals suspected of being linked to North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons programs. But North Korea will have to realize that the Japanese and Australian sanctions are only a prelude to what is yet to come if it refuses to behave itself as a responsible member of the international community. All U.N. members are already required by the resolution to "exercise vigilance and prevent the procurement of missiles or missile-related items, materials, goods and technology from the DPRK, and the transfer of any financial resources in relations to the DPRK's missile or WMD programs." North Korea's conflict with the rest of the world is of its own making. It has posed a serious threat to international security by developing weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles. Add the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, and it is not difficult to understand what a predicament North Korea has placed itself in. The United States, which took initial action against the illegal printing of $100 "supernotes," is working on additional sanctions as well as punitive measures under U.N. Resolution 1695. The U.S. move, however, poses a dilemma for South Korea, which has an overriding commitment to a peaceful solution to North Korea's nuclear threat. South Korea is feeling irksome about additional U.S. sanctions, which it fears will compromise its efforts to bring North Korea back to the long-stalled six-party talks. The United States is logically correct in asserting that it is one thing to try to persuade North Korea to return to the talks, and another to impose sanctions against it. Who can ask the United States to forgo U.N. sanctions just because they may hamper the six-party talks? There is no disputing that North Korea has to be held accountable for its bad behavior. That is why South Korea had to go along with the U.S. plan to discipline the North. It is the same with any U.S. action against the currency counterfeiting. But the problem is that North Korea does not see its return to the six-party talks and U.S. sanctions as separate issues. It says it will not attend the talks if the United States does not lift the sanctions it has already imposed, let alone the additional ones being considered. Against this backdrop, South Korea is asking the United States to exercise flexibility in punishing North Korea for the counterfeiting. It is also calling on the United States to limit its missile-related sanctions to those explicitly authorized under the U.N. resolution. In other words, it is saying the sanctions should not include actions such as the search and seizure of North Korean ships that are clearly not carrying missiles or missile-related materials. Indeed, the United States will have to exercise prudence in determining what course of action it will take. It will be impossible for the United States to bring North Korea back to negotiations if it only tightens the screw on it. For its part, North Korea will have to realize that it has nothing much to gain if it attaches strings to reopening the six-way talks that the United States cannot accept. It will have to abandon the brinkmanship it has pursued in the past if it wishes to free itself from the status of international pariah. 2006.09.21 ***************************************************************** 21 INSIDE JoongAng Daily: [EDITORIALS] South needs to stand firm September 21, 2006 KST 12:15 (GMT+9) International sanctions against North Korea are becoming a reality, starting with Japan. Japan imposed financial sanctions on 15 North Korean entities and one Swiss national suspected of being involved in the development of North Korean weapons of mass destruction, and those named will not be allowed to withdraw money from banks inside Japan. Australia has taken similar measures. The United States is expected to reinstall economic sanctions that were lifted in 2000, while in international waters, it is expected to blockade and search North Korean vessels. North Korea has refused to take a carrot from Washington, which is offering Pyongyang more incentives than the money frozen in a Macao-based bank. It has worsened the situation by going ahead with missile launches despite international urging to refrain from doing so. This is why the international community has opted to use a "stick" now, as it has judged that it has tried in vain. The South Korean government is now in a very difficult position. Another burden is the strong reaction from North Korea, which has worsened the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. If North Korea conducts a nuclear test, a situation will arise that the government will have trouble handling. For the international community, the chance of persuading the North or to play a card that can subdue it seems to be slight as well. Then there are the differences between Seoul and its allies, the United States and Japan, in dealing with the North, which increases the tension and can make matters worse. Nevertheless, Seoul is not edging away from its awkward position that it will stay in line with sanctions outlined in a UN resolution adopted in response to a North Korean missile launch in July, but opposes sanctions going beyond that. Neither the international community nor North Korea will listen to such vague measures. Especially if, despite a local bank declining to open a bank account for North Korea inside the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Unification Ministry puts pressure on the bank, saying it should "consider" the matter. This will not result in a solution to the issue. This government has tried hard not to agitate the North. Nevertheless, tensions have not eased and we are now at the current sorry state. Humanitarian efforts should be strengthened but if North Korea avoids till the end resolving the nuclear issue, the government needs to devise concrete measures that signal to the North that it, too, will join the sanctions. 2006.09.20 Copyright by Joins.com, Inc. Terms of Use | ***************************************************************** 22 Xinhua: China opposes sanction on DPRK www.chinaview.cn 2006-09-20 14:35:56 BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China is opposed to financial sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday, warning against further complication of the thorny issue. The spokesman, in a comment on Japan's newly-approved financial sanctions on the DPRK, urged all sides in the six-party nuclear talks to keep calm and exercise restraint. China has always maintained that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula should be solved through dialogues, Qin told a press briefing. "All parties concerned should focus on how to resume the talks as soon as possible and avoid any action that may further complicate the situation," the spokesman said. He said that the situation on the peninsula is sensitive and complicated, calling for efforts to ease the tension. However, Qin said that China has no plan to attend a 10-nation meeting proposed by the United States on the nuclear issue. Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the Joint Statement of the six-party talks. The statement, adopted at the end of the fourth round of talks on Sept. 19, 2005, was regarded as the most substantial document since talks began in August 2003. The statement offered a framework for solving the nuclear issue through dialogues, Qin said, urging all parties to make efforts to implement the statement. The six-party talks, involving China, the DPRK, the United States, the Republic of Korea, Russia and Japan, have stalled after the first phase of the fifth round of talks ended last November. Enditem Editor: Pliny Han ***************************************************************** 23 North Korea Times: China opposes N. Korean sanctions NorthKoreaTimes.com Thursday 21st September 2006 Big News Network Wednesday 20th September, 2006 (UPI) China believes that imposing financial sanctions on North Korea will delay the restart of the six-party talks. Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said that steps should be taken instead to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua, the official government news agency reported. Japan and Australia have approved additional sanctions against North Korea in response to the missile tests during the summer. All parties concerned should focus on how to resume the talks as soon as possible and avoid any action that may further complicate the situation, Qin said. The talks, involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, have been stalled for almost a year. North Korea has said it will not return to the table until the United States lifts sanctions, while the U.S. government says those sanctions involve counterfeiting by North Korea and are separate from the nuclear issue. ***************************************************************** 24 UPI: Seoul defends bid for control takeover United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - 9/20/2006 7:05:00 AM -0400 SEOUL, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- South Korea's regaining of wartime control of its troops from the United States would boost peace on the Korean peninsula, a top Seoul official said Wednesday. Song Min-soon, chief presidential security adviser, said South Korea's regaining of wartime operational control of its troops would contribute to establishing a peace regime on the peninsula as well as a multilateral security system in Northeast Asia. "South Korea has steadily prepared to regain the wartime control since the late 1980s. We have already launched a military satellite and are planning to send more satellites into space to help enhance our intelligence-gathering capabilities," he said at a Seoul forum. Regaining wartime control is necessary to boost South Korea's stance in possible discussions with North Korea over arms reduction. The North is supposed to hold talks on arms reduction and confidence-building with the party which holds operational control of the military involved in the dispute, he said. South Korea voluntarily put operational control of its military under the U.S.-led United Nations Command shortly after the Korean War broke out in 1950. It took back peacetime operational control in 1994, but wartime operational control remains in the hands of the top U.S. commander in Seoul. President Roh Moo-Hyun has pushed to regain wartime control by 2012 as part of efforts to bolster the country's self-defense posture, which prompted Washington to seek to hand over the right by as early as 2009. But critics say it is premature to get back wartime control, as tensions on the Korean peninsula are still running high over the North's nuclear and missile programs. The two Koreas remain technically in a state of war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice agreement, not a peace treaty. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 25 UPI: China opposes N. Korean sanctions United Press International - NewsTrack - 9/20/2006 7:08:00 AM -0400 BEIJING, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- China believes that imposing financial sanctions on North Korea will delay the restart of the six-party talks. Qin Gang, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said that steps should be taken instead to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, Xinhua, the official government news agency reported. Japan and Australia have approved additional sanctions against North Korea in response to the missile tests during the summer. "All parties concerned should focus on how to resume the talks as soon as possible and avoid any action that may further complicate the situation," Qin said. The talks, involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, have been stalled for almost a year. North Korea has said it will not return to the table until the United States lifts sanctions, while the U.S. government says those sanctions involve counterfeiting by North Korea and are separate from the nuclear issue. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 26 The Boston Globe: Judge, jury, and torturer - By James Carroll | September 18, 2006 ``TRUST US. You're guilty. We're going to execute you, but we can't tell you why." That is how Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, characterized the Bush administration's recent proposal for a draconian new trial system to deal with accused terrorists. The plan includes a reinterpretation of prisoner protections guaranteed by the Geneva Conventions. Graham was joined in opposition last week by other Republicans, including Colin Powell. Remarkably , lawyers in the Pentagon also raised objections. But the White House argument is straightforward: terrorists are such a mortal threat that established due process must be suspended. In particular, the classified secrets of anti terrorist operations must be so closely held that the most basic pillar of jurisprudence -- the accused's right to know and respond to evidence -- must be discarded. The legislation was drafted by Franz Kafka. The Congress will decide how to respond to administration proposals, and courts will review whatever system is enacted. All of this unfolds in the context, first, of the Supreme Court's decision in June that Bush-sponsored terrorist tribunals, centered in Guantanamo, violate international law and the Constitution, and, second, of the administration's admission two weeks ago that the CIA has been running a secret and extrajudicial prison system abroad, without any pretense of legal procedure. Nothing inhibits interrogation methods from approaching torture. Not exactly grounds for trust. In the United States, there has been only vague unease about such revelations. It does not seem right to suspend hallowed legal protections, but questions about such Bush policies dating back to early days of the war on terrorism have not risen to the level of vigorous resistance, much less indignation. That's why the Supreme Court ruling was so surprising. Regarding the new White House proposals, The New York Times reported that, even with vociferous Republican objection, responses from Democrats were muted. They don't want to seem friendly to terrorists. What reservations are expressed have less to do with innate rights of the accused than with possible repercussions when enemies apply such standards to captured US soldiers. Last week, 27 retired military leaders warned Congress, ``If degradation, humiliation, physical, and mental brutalization of prisoners is decriminalized" then US soldiers will suffer similarly. But the fabric of law is spun from a single thread and when the US government deems a few individuals to be less worthy of full protections against the abuse of power , everyone is threatened. That's because the procedures of law -- the requirement, in this example, that the accused be shown the evidence -- protect not only the individual but the system itself. To say that justice must be administered blindly is to forbid favoritism toward the privileged, yes, but it is also to prevent prejudice toward the despised or dangerous. Justice is measured in every society by how the worst malefactors are treated -- the worst not only in culpability, but in capacity for general harm. The best way to combat terrorism is to wrap accused terrorists in the cloth of the law they would rip asunder. More important, to legalize the abuse of a class of prisoners is to prepare for the abuse of all. In the novels and stories of Kafka, the guilt or innocence of the accused is not the issue. When hauled before the unknown accuser, without explanation of charges or evidence, Kafka's characters assume that they must have done something wrong. The surreal dislocation of the one imprisoned in the penal colony or the castle consists in solitude, vulnerability, ignorance. The anonymously oppressing power structure is Kafka's true subject, and it is characterized only by its radical unaccountability. ``Trust us. You're guilty. We're going to execute you, but we can't tell you why." The absolute power of the oppressor depends on the absolute ignorance of the oppressed. Kafka died in 1924, but his work was recognized as a prophecy of the totalitarian nightmares of the rest of the 20th century. Who would have thought his images would resonate again? And not this time in Berlin or Prague. To watch the Bush administration cavalierly dismantle the most basic structures of justice is to feel like the man in ``Metamorphosis" who discovers upon awakening that, in the night, he has become a monstrous insect. But, in the United States today, instead of thinking of his body as the objection of gross mutation, he is thinking of his nation. Kafka's last novel was called ``Amerika." James Carroll's column appears regularly in the Globe [ /] © Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company. More: ***************************************************************** 27 Comment is free: Mr Bush's mirage [Brian Whitaker] The US president's speech yesterday highlighted his desire to see only what he wants to see in the Middle East. September 20, 2006 11:13 AM | President Bush was yesterday. You know the sort of thing: a world beyond terror ... defend civilisation ... extremists ... free to determine their own destiny ... great challenge of our time ... more hopeful future ... more hopeful world ... ordinary men and women ... peaceful majority ... voices of moderation, and so on and so forth. I have long suspected that his speeches are written by a computer - something along the lines of the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator which has such a boon to hard-pressed business executives. Anyway, Mr Bush's latest effort to spread democracy was somewhat upstaged by Thailand's army chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who deemed it a suitable moment to the prime minister from office. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was diagnosed some time ago as suffering from Blair's syndrome (delusions of indispensability), so the coup may be a blessing in disguise. He had made the fatal mistake of leaving the country in order to hobnob with Mr Bush at the UN. Events in Thailand have left the blogger known as Angry Arab writhing with envy. "I am jealous. Very jealous," he . "When was the last time we had a coup in the Arab world?" Also coinciding with President Bush's speech, the National Democratic [sic] Party in Egypt began its annual conference. Cairo-based journalist/blogger Issandr el-Amrani has written a perceptive but gloomy showing how the reform process has run into the sand. It begins: "It's hard to drum up the enthusiasm to blog about the National Democratic Party's annual conference, which started today. It's not exactly like anything earth-shattering is likely to happen, and the interest in Egypt's ruling party's attempts to reform itself (which started a few years ago) have dwindled amid the clear reversal of the dynamic of reform that was launched last year and the depressing failure of reformist movement to achieve much concretely - not to mention the secular opposition's electoral failure, the recent judges' crisis (which they lost some time this summer, by the way), and the general crackdown on Muslim Brothers, bloggers and activists. Some would add to that the abandonment of Egypt's democrats by the Bush White House, which had previously egged them on ... " Anyone who seriously wanted to establish a model democracy in the Middle East would look first at Egypt. Nobody in their right mind would ever have considered Iraq as a possible model. Egypt is not only the most populous Arab country but it has the building blocks: a long-established parliamentary and electoral system (rigged, of course, but that could be changed), political parties that are not based on tribe, ethnicity or (for the most part) religion, numerous civil society institutions (albeit, many of them currently monopolised by the government) and, above all, genuine home-grown movements pressing for democracy. There are certainly many obstacles, such as the institutionalised corruption, but - more than any other Arab country - Egypt has the basic materials to work with. Instead of providing real support and encouragement for Egyptian activists and cracking the whip over Mubarak, the Bush administration chose to pursue its democratic fantasies elsewhere, in all the least promising places. In the weirdest part of his speech yesterday, Mr Bush said: "Some have argued that the democratic changes we're seeing in the Middle East are destabilising the region. This argument rests on a false assumption, that the Middle East was stable to begin with. The reality is that the stability we thought we saw in the Middle East was a mirage. For decades, millions of men and women in the region have been trapped in oppression and hopelessness. And these conditions left a generation disillusioned, and made this region a breeding ground for extremism." There's a lot of truth in this, but the problem with Mr Bush is that he only sees the mirage where he wants to see it. Egypt, surely, is a prime example of an apparently stable regime that has survived far too long, of a president who has fallen victim to Blair's syndrome, of a populace trapped in hopelessness and disillusionment, and where extremism beckons as an escape route. The reason, of course, is that Egypt has been granted dhimmi status by Washington and shoring up the Mubarak regime is seen as a way of protecting Israel. But stability in Egypt is a mirage, too. It may last for a few more years but in the end nobody will thank Mr Bush for it perpetuating it - not the Egyptian people, nor even the Israelis. This entry was tagged with the following keywords: georgebush egypt democracy thailand mubarak Comments Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006. Registered in England and Wales. No. 908396 Registered office: 164 Deansgate, Manchester M60 2RR ***************************************************************** 28 Chennai Online News Service: 'Nuke tests made US take India seriously' Sep 21, 2006 Thu Viya - Purattasi New Delhi, Sept 20: The 1998 Pokhran atomic tests made the US take India seriously and Washington decided to engage New Delhi in talks on strategic nuclear issues, a top official of the former Clinton administration has said. "It is ironic but yes", former Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott told newspersons here when asked whether the 1998 tests triggered the decision of the US administration under President Bill Clinton to engage India in the talks. Recalling that there were differences in India at that time on whether or not to conduct nuclear tests, he said there was a section here which said the country should demonstrate its nuclear weapon capability so that the US took it seriously. "They test and guess what, the US takes India seriously," said Talbott who was in office at that time. "You can say it, sort of, vindicated the exact argument that we did not want to prevail. I recognised that." Talbott was the key US interlocutor for the strategic dialogue with then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh and they held 13 rounds of talks between 1998 and 2000. (Agencies) 20, 2006 Copyright © 2006, Chennai Interactive Business Services (P) Ltd. All rights reserved. - Copyright and Disclaimer - Privacy Policy 2, North Crescent Road, T.Nagar, Chennai-600017. ***************************************************************** 29 Money and Markets: The Golden Age of Uranium (by Sean Brodrick) 9/20/2006 8:00:00 AM In the past few weeks, I’ve been digging deep into uranium — talking to CEOs, geologists, government officials, and scientists. And everything supports my view that we have entered the golden age of uranium. But before I tell you what I see in the future, let’s take a quick look at how we got here. Uranium’s Past: Colored Glass and Atomic Bombs Uranium is found pretty much everywhere — in rocks, dirt, even the ocean. It’s about as common as zinc or tin. Indeed, uranium is about 40 times more common than silver. That means there are an estimated 40 trillion metric tonnes of uranium in the Earth’s crust. But normally it’s not concentrated in one place, making it harder to find in very large quantities. Mankind’s romance with uranium began in 79 AD, when the metal was used to add a gorgeous yellow color to ceramic glazes that decorated a villa near Naples, Italy. This know-how disappeared with the fall of the Roman Empire, until the Germans rediscovered it in the early part of the 19th century. You can still find this kind of “vaseline glass” in antique stores today. It has a yellow-green hue in daylight and glows bright green under ultra-violet light. It’s not dangerous ... I’m told ... though the more yellow it is, the more likely a Geiger counter will freak out! Later in the 19th century, French physicist Henri Becquerel unlocked uranium’s true potential by discovering that the metal was radioactive. From there, mankind learned that splitting uranium released energy. Fast forward a half century, and this path through time culminates with the Manhattan Project and the first atomic bomb. Until the fall of the Berlin Wall, the prospect of nuclear weapons far overshadowed uranium’s potential as a power source. But now, we’re finally entering ... The Golden Age of Uranium: Nuclear Power Now’s the best time: We’re no longer going to squander this natural resource just to color glass and it’s unlikely we’re going to abuse its power to blow each other up. Instead, uranium is emerging as the fuel of the future. Yes, the concept has been around for a while. But nuclear power hit a major barrier with the accident at Three-Mile Island in 1979. The Chernobyl disaster was the nail in the coffin. Today, we’re finally getting over those setbacks. A sign of the times: Many who were once stridently anti-nuke are now on my side of the fence, and there are three good reasons why. I call them the “Three E’s”: #1 — Economics: Nuclear power is getting cheaper and safer. The current generation of nuclear plants is much safer than the old models. These new plants involve more safety mechanisms that automatically shut the reactor down in the event of a problem. Plus, costs have dropped. Westinghouse, for example, reports that its AP1000 advanced nuclear plant will cost $1,500 to $1,800 per kilowatt (kw) for the first reactor, and may fall to $1,200 or even $1,000/kw for subsequent reactors. That’s less than one-third of what it costs to run the older, second-generation plants currently in use — up to $5,000/kw. Of course, the real trick is to make nuclear power as cheap as coal or natural gas, and major companies like Westinghouse think they can do it. But even if nuclear is a little more expensive, there are hidden costs to coal-fired plants — especially the greenhouse gases and other pollutants they emit, which leads me to ... #2 — Environment: Global warming IS a major problem. Right now, coal plants can spew hundreds of tons of heavy-metal laden ash into the air without paying fines or penalties. However, this could change very soon. Indeed, word is leaking out of the White House that President Bush is preparing a jaw-dropping U-turn on global warming. After years of saying the facts were inconclusive on climate change, the President is said to be drawing up plans to control emissions of carbon dioxide. Heck, his administration’s own “Climate Action Report,” published in 2002, concluded that unless global warming emissions are reduced, average temperatures will rise another 3 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, bringing with it even more severe heat waves, drought, and crop damage — not to mention permanent flooding caused by rising sea levels. Coal power is one of the worst culprits when it comes to greenhouse gases, and oil power is also an issue. But you know how much greenhouse gases come out of an operating nuclear plant? ZERO! #3 — Energy security: Taking control of our own destiny. Enjoy this short-term pullback we’ve seen in crude oil prices, but don’t expect it to last. The big trends are still in place, and they are pointing to higher prices. There’s been no change in our dependence on the rest of the world for energy, especially Persian Gulf oil, and particularly Saudi Arabia. And there’s no change in the fact that the U.S. keeps importing a larger percentage of its energy supply from foreign suppliers with big chips on their shoulders. Are there many other alternative sources of energy? Yes. But they don’t have a chance of replacing oil anytime soon. Nuclear power is the only one that’s got a solid shot at doing so. That’s why the investment money flowing into nuclear is just beginning to gain momentum. If it continues, as I expect it will, I bet that in 10 years or so, we could tell the Saudis to kiss our collective assets. The Time Is Right … Let’s Make Lots of Money Even if the U.S. does not ramp up its nuclear energy production, and even without a push from Washington, I expect we’ll see a lot more uranium mining going forward. Reason: The world is already running an estimated uranium supply/demand gap of 42 million pounds in 2006. All the experts I’ve talked to agree that this disparity will continue for years. The only question is how bad it’s going to be. I’m betting it will be bad enough to drive the stocks of near-term uranium suppliers through the roof. Ditto for the uranium prices: I fully expect to see uranium hit $70 per pound next year — a 35% rise from current prices. To put that in perspective, a 35% rise would send the price of gold to $782 per ounce ... or oil to $84 per barrel. Where could uranium go after that? $80 ... $90 ... even higher! Heck, in 1978, uranium topped out at $43.40 per pound —about $145 per pound in today’s dollars! So, how can you participate in uranium’s big bull market? One way is through the Uranium Participation Corp., a Canadian fund that tracks uranium. The symbol up in Canada on the Toronto Exchange is U. In the U.S., the symbol is URPTF on the Pink Sheets. (On Yahoo, that would be URPTF.PK). If I’m right, and uranium rises 35% in the next year, that would be a nice return on your money. Yours for trading profits, Sean P.S. For the really big potential returns in uranium, I’m targeting stocks that are leveraged to the metal. They could rack up gains of 100% or even 200% down the road. I’ll be naming some of these companies in the special uranium report I’m sending to my subscribers on Monday, September 25. I’ll be selling this report — including three follow-ups — for $199. I think it would be cheap at triple the price, but if you contact us at 1-800-400-6916, and mention my name, you can reserve a copy for the low pre-publication price of $99. On September 25, we’ll email you a PDF copy so you can jump on those red-hot recommendations as soon as they come off the press. For more information and archived issues, visit http://www.moneyandmarkets.com ***************************************************************** 30 UPI: Analysis: Bush's U.N. sundry list United Press International - Intl. Intelligence - 9/19/2006 9:26:00 PM -0400 By CLAUDE SALHANI UPI International Editor WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush's address to the United Nations General Assembly annual meeting in New York, Tuesday touched on a sundry list of problems and solutions, as well as heroes and villains in the broader Middle East. Overall, Bush's speech was one of optimism as the president looked ahead to a better future for the people of the world, despite some major setbacks in U.S. foreign policy. "As liberty flourishes... we're seeing that bright future begin to take root in the broader Middle East," said Bush. Bush spoke of a tougher reality in a troubled part of the world. "The reality we thought of the Middle East was a mirage," said Bush, who called some of the changes in the area "dramatic." Since Sept. 11, 2001, Bush said, "The enemies of humanity have continued their campaign of murder." But as the world enters into the 21st century, the president said, "it is clear that the world is engaged in a great ideological struggle between extremists who use terror as a weapon to create fear and moderate people who work for peace." The American president alluded that some of the changes in the Middle East are happening gradually, "But they are real," said Bush. He singled out Algeria, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt, where elections have taken place, in some form or another. "This is still the great challenge of our time," said Bush. "It is the calling of our generation." The American president envisaged a world without terror. Addressing the people of the world directly, Bush asked people living in oppressed countries not to digest everything they are told by their governments. "You have been fed propaganda and conspiracy theories that blame others for your country's shortcomings," said Bush. The president said that "when people have a voice in their future they are less likely to blow themselves up in suicide attacks." However, hope must be given to some men and women "who want the same thing for their children that we do for ours." Reaching out to the Muslim world, Bush said: "We respect Islam and we will protect our people from those who pervert Islam to sow death and destruction." Bush then addressed a number of Middle Eastern countries individually. To the people of Iraq: "Your courage fills us with admiration. We will not abandon you and your struggle to build a free nation. Working together we will help your democracy succeed so that it can become a beacon of hope for millions of people in the Muslim world." The people of Afghanistan: "We have watched you build a democratic government. We will continue to stand with you to defend your democratic gains." To the people of Lebanon: Last year you inspired the world when you came out into the street to demand your independence from Syrian dominance. For many years Lebanon was a model of democracy and pluralism and openness in the region, and it will be again." To the people of Iran: "The United States respects you. We respect your country; we admire your rich history, your vibrant culture and your many contributions to civilization. You deserve an opportunity to determine your own future. However, on the issue of Iran and its nuclear ambitions Bush was unmovable. "Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions," said the president. "We have no objections to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program," said Bush. But then injecting a ray of hope Bush said "We are working towards a diplomatic solution to this crisis." To the people of Syria: "Today your rulers have allowed your country to become a crossroad for terrorism." To the people of Darfur: "My nation has called the atrocities what they are: genocide. If the Sudanese government does not approve this peacekeeping force quickly, the United Nations must act. "Your lives and the credibility of the United Nations are at stake." Lastly, Bush touched upon the crucial issue of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, saying: "I am committed to two democratic states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side by side in peace and security. I'm committed to a Palestinian state that has territorial integrity and that can live peacefully with the Jewish state of Israel. "I believe peace can be achieved. From Beirut to Baghdad people are making the choice for freedom." For his part, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressing the Assembly later in the day asked: "Would it not be easier for global powers to ensure their longevity and win hearts and minds through the championing of real promotion of justice, compassion and peace, than through continuing the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons and the threat of their use?" The Iranian president went on to say that "The abuse of the Security Council, as an instrument of threat and coercion, is indeed a source of grave concern." Ahmadinejad said: "Threats with nuclear weapons and other instruments of war by some powers have taken the place of respect for the rights of nations and the maintenance and promotion of peace and tranquility. Ahmadinejad didn't mention the United States by name except in attacking the ineffectiveness of the U.N. Security Council, dominated by permanent members, whom he called "the winners of World War II." Ahmadinejad said the Security Council should be reformed. "The Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the African continent should each have a representative" as a veto-holding permanent member of the council. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 31 Concerned That The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Is Still Not In Force, Annan Calls For Urgency Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:00:50 -0400 CONCERNED THAT THE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY IS STILL NOT IN FORCE, ANNAN CALLS FOR URGENCY New York, Sep 20 2006 8:00PM Expressing disquiet that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty still requires 10 more signatures to come into force, despite it being open for signing for exactly a decade today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Member States to show greater urgency as he highlighted the consequences of further delays. “Although there is an international norm against nuclear testing and continuing moratoria on testing, I am concerned that the treaty has yet to enter into force. Indeed, no one can guarantee that nuclear testing might one day resume, particularly when the modernization of weapons continues,” he said in a <"http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sgsm10648.doc.htm">message to a ministerial meeting on the Treaty. “Resumption of nuclear testing by one State could well lead to a single cascade of States seeking to acquire nuclear weapons... also a variety of cascades, with other States conducting their own nuclear tests, additional States acquiring nuclear devices, and existing nuclear-weapon States racing to expand or improve their nuclear capabilities. Avoidance of such a series of events is a mission we must pursue with the utmost urgency.” Mr. Annan’s message, which was delivered by Nobuaki Tanaka, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, highlighted that the Treaty has now been signed by 176 States, while 135 States have ratified it. “Of the 44 States identified in the Treaty's Annex II, whose ratifications are required for the Treaty to enter into force, 34 have done so. I urge all such States that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so, and I call upon all other States to work on behalf of this goal.” He said that each additional signature will “bring the world closer to achieving its long-standing goal of outlawing all nuclear tests, thereby advancing both nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament,” adding that verification provisions under the Treaty would contribute to ensuring full compliance with the test ban. At today’s 10th anniversary of the Treaty’s opening for signature, the ministers also launched a joint statement supporting the agreement, a move that Mr. Annan welcomed. 2006-09-20 00:00:00.000 ___________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/ _______________________________ To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/ ***************************************************************** 32 [NYTr] Russia to Open World Nuke Co-op Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:01:48 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit [Putin has taken a page from the book of Hugo Chavez and plans a regional cooperative that will enrich uranium for newly nuclear nations. An interesting idea, which might go a long way toward blunting the USA's hysterical accusations against any nation it doesn't like that wants to have nuclear energy. -NY Transfer] Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Russia to Open World Nuke Co-op Moscow, Sep 20 (Prensa Latina) A collectively founded international center to enrich uranium for electronuclear plants in fledgling nations to this industry could open in Russia in 2007, national media said Wednesday. The Russian delegation at the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assured its nation can guarantee the supply of fuel to the center4s stockholders. Moscow insisted that any state can be co-founder of the uranium enrichment company and as shareholder has full access to that fuel for its nuclear plants. But it noted the limiting factor will be access to technologies of civil and military use related to uranium enrichment to ensure the fulfillment of the Non Proliferation Treaty under IAEA control. Expert Irina Yesipova, from the Atomstroiexpor Company, explained that among other services, the center may purvey fuels to member countries under lease conditions for them to bill to their atomic reactors. This is the base of the ongoing Russian-Iranian cooperation in the construction of the Busher nuclear electrical central. That and other Russian projects in China and India are also monitored by IAEA inspectors. sus/ymr/jpm/mf * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 33 Guardian Unlimited: Mideast Process Takes Spotlight at U.N. From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 2:01 PM AP Photo UNSE130 By KIM GAMEL Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Mideast peace process was taking the spotlight at the United Nations on Wednesday, with ministers from the Quartet that drafted the stalled ``road map'' peace plan - the United States, the U.N., the European Union and Russia - planning to meet. The Security Council also was scheduled to hold a ministerial meeting Thursday that Arab leaders hope will help revive the peace process. President Bush and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparred over Tehran's disputed nuclear program but managed to avoid a personal encounter as the 61st General Assembly got under way Tuesday in the shadow of a military coup in Thailand. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stayed on message during an emotional farewell address Tuesday, appealing to the world to unite against human rights abuses, religious divisions, brutal conflicts and an unjust world economy. Annan, who is to leave office on Dec. 31, also warned that the failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue to raise questions about the U.N.'s impartiality and stymie its efforts to resolve other conflicts, ``including those in Iraq and Afghanistan.'' Jordan's King Abdullah II said that until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian lands and gives Palestinians their rights, the cycle of violence will continue in the region and its effects will be felt throughout the world. ``I come before you today with a deep sense of urgency,'' Abdullah told the assembly. ``Never has it been more important for the world community to act decisively for peace in my region.'' Bush tried to advance his campaign for democracy in the Middle East during his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday, saying extremists were trying to justify their violence by falsely claiming the U.S. is waging war on Islam. He singled out Iran and Syria as sponsors of terrorism. Bush also pointed to Tehran's rejection of a Security Council demand to stop enriching uranium by Aug. 31 or face the possibility of sanctions. But he addressed his remarks to the Iranian people in a clear insult to the government. ``The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons,'' the U.S. leader said. ``Iran must abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions,'' he said. ``Despite what the regime tells you, we have no objection to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program.'' He said he hoped to see ``the day when you can live in freedom, and America and Iran can be good friends and close partners in the cause of peace.'' Ahmadinejad took the podium hours later, denouncing U.S. policies in Iraq and Lebanon and accusing Washington of abusing its power in the Security Council to punish others while protecting its own interests and allies. The hard-line leader insisted that his nation's nuclear activities are ``transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eye'' of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog. He also reiterated his nation's commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad proposed a debate with Bush at the General Assembly's ministerial meeting after the White House dismissed a previous TV debate proposal as a ``diversion'' from serious concerns over Iran's nuclear program. But even though the two leaders spoke from the same podium, they skipped each other's addresses and managed to avoid direct contact during the ministerial meeting. Providing an unusual backdrop, Thailand's military staged a bloodless coup while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was in New York. Thaksin initially switched speaking slots so he could make his speech on Tuesday evening, a day earlier than planned, but later canceled the address. Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a staunch U.S. ally who spoke shortly after Bush, urged the world to confront the plague of terrorism head-on and end conflicts in the Islamic world to eliminate the ``desperation and injustice'' that breed extremism. ``Unless we end foreign occupation and suppression of Muslim peoples,'' he said, ``terrorism and extremism will continue to find recruits among alienated Muslims in various parts of the world,'' he said, and the top priority should be ending ``the tragedy of Palestine.'' As speaker after speaker expressed concern about the rise of terrorism in the world, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, warned that military spending was not the answer. He said that more than $200 billion had been added to global military spending since the Sept. 11 attacks five years ago. ``There is not a single indicator that suggests that this colossal increase is making the world more secure and human rights more widely enjoyed,'' he said. ``On the contrary, we feel more and more vulnerable and fragile.'' The crisis in the ravaged Sudanese region of Darfur also was on the sideline agenda Wednesday at the United Nations, with the African Union's Peace and Security Council scheduled to discuss breaking the deadlock over a plan to replace an AU force with U.N. peacekeepers. The Sudanese president said his country will not allow the United Nations to take control of peacekeepers in Darfur under any circumstance, claiming that rights groups have exaggerated the crisis there in a bid for more cash. But Omar al-Bashir did say that the African Union, which now runs the peacekeeping mission in Darfur, should be allowed to augment its forces with more logistics, advisers and other support. ``We want the African Union to remain in Darfur until peace is re-established in Sudan,'' al-Bashir said at a news conference. Those comments suggest that the African Union will not face any resistance in renewing the peacekeeping force's mandate, which expires on Sept. 30. In her speech to the General Assembly, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the stalemate over whether a U.N. or AU force should be deployed ``demonstrates a lack of international will to address the sufferings and yearnings of the citizens and residents of Darfur.'' Saying the U.N.'s obligation to protect the helpless and innocent must remain paramount, she called on the Security Council to act under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which allows military intervention, ``to restore peace, security and stability to Darfur.'' Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 34 Guardian Unlimited: New Trident system may cost £76bn, figures show Richard Norton-Taylor Thursday September 21, 2006 The Guardian The true cost of replacing and operating the Trident nuclear missile system would be at least £76bn, according to estimates revealed today. Based on official figures, they take into account the initial cost of acquiring new Trident missiles and replacing Britain's existing nuclear submarines, and the annual running costs of maintaining the system and nuclear warheads over its 30-year life. The figure is based on calculations made by the Liberal Democrats from parliamentary answers and is backed up by independent Commons researchers. Most estimates have put the cost of replacing Trident at between £15bn and £25bn, but these do not take into account the annual maintenance costs. Des Browne, the defence secretary, told the Commons in July, shortly before the summer recess, that the annual expenditure for capital and running costs of Trident would amount to up to 5.5% of the defence budget in the current financial year. He was responding to a question from the Scottish National party MP Michael Weir, who asked what the "annual maintenance cost" of the existing Trident system was expected to be. The £76bn figure is based on the value the government has put on the cost of the existing Trident system - £14.9bn - plus the percentage of the £30bn defence budget now devoted to Trident for 30 years. Nick Harvey, the Lib Dems' defence spokesman, yesterday called the figures extraordinary. "They demonstrate the duty of the government to facilitate a genuine debate on our nuclear deterrent prior to any decision on replacement. The government's ludicrous position that the decision should precede the debate is irresponsible and undermines the democratic process." In a separate move, a website, bigtridentdebate, has been set up, calling for a "full and informed" debate about the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent. It is promoted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, but has support from a wider circle of people, including church leaders, who say their motive is to ensure there is an open debate on the issue. In his presidential address to the governing body of the Church in Wales yesterday, the Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, said money spent on Trident could be better used fighting child disease, the Press Association reported. Referring to a possible replacement cost of £25bn, he said: "With that money we could prevent 16,000 children dying every day from diseases caused by impure water and malnutrition." CND's chairwoman, Kate Hudson, also said yesterday: "Money spent on weapons of mass destruction could instead be spent on health, education, jobs and genuine human security." The Ministry of Defence says it is too early to speculate on the possible costs of a new Trident system. The government has said it will publish a white paper this year, once it has made a decision. It will be followed by a debate and vote in parliament. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both favour the UK keeping nuclear arms. It remains uncertain whether party managers will allow motions on Trident at next week's Labour conference in Manchester. Some have indicated that the issue is not sufficiently contemporary. Email your comments for publication to politics.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 35 Telugu Portal: 'Pakistan will get civil nuclear technology at any cost' Posted by on 2006/9/20 10:21:15 New York, Sep 20 (IANS) Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri said that his country will obtain civil nuclear technology at any cost and developed nations should have no hesitation in transferring it to Islamabad as it is a recognised nuclear power. Addressing mediapersons in New York, he said that there should be no discrimination against Islamabad at the Nuclear Supplier Group's (NSG) meeting in Vienna, Online news agency reported. The command and control system of Pakistan's nuclear programme is well established, and there is no danger of its proliferation, Kasuri said. "Pakistan has the infrastructure and resources for obtaining the technology and we will achieve it at any cost", the foreign minister said. He said: "we are capable of obtaining civilian nuclear technology as thousands of engineers, scientists and technicians were working on Pakistan's nuclear programme". © 2006 TeluguPortal.Net | | | | ***************************************************************** 36 AFP: Israel watching Middle East nuclear developments Wed Sep 20, 12:43 PM ET VIENNA (AFP) - Israel" /> is watching with concern nuclear developments in the Middle East, a senior Israeli official has said, in a clear reference to Iran" /> . Israel views "with special concern the alarming nuclear and missile proliferation developments in and around the Middle East," Gideon Frank, head of Israel's atomic energy commission, told a meeting in Vienna of the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency" /> (IAEA) on Wednesday. "Naturally we cannot and will not remain indifferent to such developments, but we still pin our hopes on the international community to address them," Frank said. On Tuesday Israel voiced concern about a French concession towards Iran's nuclear activities and again urged the international community to impose immediate sanctions against the Jewish state's arch-enemy. "Immediate sanctions must be imposed on Iran and should have been a long time ago because time is not just working against us, but against the entire international community," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told public radio from New York. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani is set to hold a new round of talks in Europe next week with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Larijani's office said Wednesday in Tehran. Referring in part to recent IAEA reports that have cited Iran for failing to suspend uranium enrichment, Frank said here: "These ominous developments, were they allowed to grow further, would gravely undermine regional and eventually global stability and pose an existential challenge to Israel." Israel is believed to be the only country in the Middle East to have a nuclear arsenal, estimated at some 200 nuclear warheads, although the Jewish state has never confirmed or denied it holds such weapons. Washington -- which leads Western concerns that Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons -- on Tuesday formally endorsed a new round of negotiations between Larijani and Solana to try to resolve the long-running standoff with Iran. The United States had previously been pushing for sanctions after Iran failed to meet a UN Security Council resolution calling for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment by August 31. The 140 nations of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency are holding a week-long meeting here, which includes a three-day seminar on finding a way for nations to get nuclear reactor fuel, but not to acquire the technology to make atom bombs. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 37 UN News: Concerned that the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is still not in force, Annan calls for urgency 20 September 2006 Expressing disquiet that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty still requires 10 more signatures to come into force, despite it being open for signing for exactly a decade today, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on Member States to show greater urgency a s he highlighted the consequences of further delays. “Although there is an international norm against nuclear testing and continuing moratoria on testing, I am concerned that the treaty has yet to enter into force. Indeed, no one can guarantee that nuclear testing might one day resume, particularly when the modernization of weapons continues,” he said in a message to a ministerial meeting on the Treaty. “Resumption of nuclear testing by one State could well lead to a single cascade of States seeking to acquire nuclear weapons... also a variety of cascades, with other States conducting their own nuclear tests, additional States acquiring nuclear devices, and existing nuclear-weapon States racing to expand or improve their nuclear capabilities. Avoidance of such a series of events is a mission we must pursue with the utmost urgency. Mr. Annan’s message, which was delivered by Nobuaki Tanaka, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, highlighted that the Treaty has now been signed by 176 States, while 135 States have ratified it. “Of the 44 States identified in the Treaty's Annex II, whose ratifications are required for the Treaty to enter into force, 34 have done so. I urge all such States that have not yet ratified the treaty to do so, and I call upon all other States to work on behalf of this goal. He said that each additional signature will “bring the world closer to achieving its long-standing goal of outlawing all nuclear tests, thereby advancing both nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament,” adding that verification provisions under the Treaty would contribute to ensuring full compliance with the test ban. At today’s 10th anniversary of the Treaty’s opening for signature, the ministers also launched a joint statement supporting the agreement, a move that Mr. Annan welcomed. ***************************************************************** 38 [NukeNet] 2 oyster creaky articles Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:53:09 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-Sender-Host-Address: 63.203.231.61 X-Sender-Host-Name: adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) Asbury Park Press, Sept. 19, 2006 TOP NRC REGULATOR INSPECTS REACTOR By Nicholas Clunn, Staff Writer LACEY -- One of the nation's top regulators of nuclear power made a special visit to the Oyster Creek plant Monday but was mum on the outlook for the generating station getting federal permission to continue operating until 2029. The official, Jeffrey S. Merrifield, one of the five presidentially appointed commissioners to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, met with senior plant officials, toured sensitive areas and spoke with about 150 workers for more than an hour during his visit. But the commissioner could not go into specific detail about the plant's license renewal application, an operational plan Oyster Creek needs the NRC to approve for it to operate after 2009, when the current license expires, for 20 more years. Merrifield could not address the application because all commissioners are striving for impartiality as they are now appellate judges of sorts, in a case brought against Oyster Creek's application by the state Department of Environmental Protection. He also would not discuss that challenge by the DEP, which wants the commission to call a hearing on making the threat of a terrorist attack part of the assessment Oyster Creek needs to pass to obtain a renewal. State officials asked the commission to consider their arguments after their request for a hearing was denied by administrative judges at the NRC. The NRC tabled the state's request at least until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to hear a related case. Tour of duty A visit by an NRC member to a plant is rare but Merrifield, since his appointment to the commission by President Clinton in 1998, has made it a point to visit all 103 commercial reactors, which are located at 65 sites in 31 states. He visited Oyster Creek once before several years ago, said Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman. "His object is to become as informed as possible about each site," Sheehan said. Regardless of Merrifield's opinion on the license renewal, many plant workers appreciated the chance to hear him talk about other issues, including nuclear waste disposal and new plant construction, said Rachelle Benson, plant spokeswoman. "This was a big deal for the station because he was a visiting dignitary," Benson said. "I think the employees liked to listen to him speak, and even more so, to have the opportunity to ask him questions." Merrifield's day at the nation's oldest commercial nuclear power plant started about 7:30 a.m. He met one on one with Tim Rausch, site vice president for Oyster Creek, and with Christopher M. Crane, president and chief nuclear officer for Exelon Nuclear, which operates the plant. During a 2 1/2-hour tour, he visited the control room and went outside to see the manmade canal that holds the cooling water pumped in and out of the plant. Merrifield also took an interest in security, climbing to the top of a bullet-resistant watchtower staffed by guards with high-powered rifles. Nicholas Clunn: (732) 643-4072 or nclunn@app.com Copyright 2006 Asbury Park Press. Return to Table of Contents :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Ocean County Observer, Sept. 14, 2006 OYSTER CREEK DECISION POSTPONED By Bob Vosseller, Staff Writer LACEY -- Federal regulators postponed a decision concerning whether the threat of a terrorist action should be included as part of the license renewal of the Oyster Creek Generating Station. State Department of Environmental Protection representatives have requested the inclusion of the possible threat of a terrorist action, be included in the license renewal process. Oyster Creek is the oldest operating nuclear facility in the nation; its operating license will expire in April 2009. A decision on its license renewal for another 20 years was originally expected to be reached by May of next year. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Neil Sheehan said on Monday that the five-member board of the Atomic Safety Licensing Review board rejected a request by six environmental groups to hold an additional hearing. The groups filed a contention calling for the hearing and listed three reasons why they felt it should be held. Those reasons included the threat of a terrorist action toward the nuclear facility, metal fatigue of the drywell shell which is a key component involving the containment of radioactive contaminants at the facility and the need for a backup power system at the plant. The rejection of the last two reasons were upheld by the state according to Sheehan. Citing a June ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the DEP wants the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deliberate the possibility of a terrorist attack as part of the license renewal process, according to Sheehan. In the prior decision, a three-judge panel decided that the storage of spent fuel at the Diablo Canyon power plant in California and the threat of a terrorist attack would have to be considered more seriously by NRC regulators. "Diablo Canyon was not a license renewal case but it did fall under the National Environmental Impact Review policy," Sheehan said. The panel disagreed with a conclusion in 2003 by the NRC that a terrorist attack was "remote and speculative" and therefore unnecessary to consider. Sheehan said that on Sept. 6 the Supreme Court extended by 30 days the Aug. 31 deadline to review the 9th Circuit ruling, and postponed its decision. Oyster Creek produces around 4 percent of the electricity distributed by the PJM power grid which serves five Mid-Atlantic States according to the plant's owner, Exelon Corp. "We are pleased with he commission's decision to dismiss the two points of the contention and as we stated in the appeal we believe the third will also be dismissed," AmerGen spokeswoman Rachelle Benson said on Tuesday. Benson added that the postponement of the matter "was not a decision but the agency being cautious before they make a final ruling." Critics of the plant's license renewal have said the 636-megawatt plant is no longer safe to operate due to its aging systems. Opponents of the plant's license renewal such as the Ocean County Chapter of the League of Women Voters state that due to the increased population of Ocean County, an evacuation plan for the surrounding area of municipalities is problematic and that the current plan is obsolete. Copyright 2006 Ocean County Observer. Return to Table of Contents :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Coalition for Peace and Justice; UNPLUG Salem Campaign, 321 Barr Ave, Linwood; NJ08221; 609-601-8583 _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://mail.energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 39 NRC: NRC Offers New Service for E-Mail Notification News Release - 2006-11 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: No. 06-113 September 19, 2006 In an effort to expand communications with the public, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has initiated a free automated list serve program to provide information and documents when they are issued. Those who wish to subscribe should go to the SUBSCRIBE link on the NRC website: . Interested members of the public may subscribe to electronic notices of the latest news releases, speeches by NRC officials, public meetings on the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in New York, generic communications from the NRC to specific classes of licensees such as power reactors, and notices on meetings, upgrades and issues concerning NRCs Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS). E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when the information is posted to NRCs web site. Other information may be available through this service in the future as part of the agencys continuing efforts to better serve the public. Last revised Wednesday, September 20, 2006 ***************************************************************** 40 Guardian Unlimited: Mubarak's Son Urges Nuclear Development From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 2:31 PM By SALAH NASRAWI Associated Press Writer CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - The son of Egypt's president urged the nation to consider developing nuclear energy, a proposal that could help establish his own credentials as a serious politician and publicly distance him from the United States. Gamal Mubarak made the suggestion in an address to delegates of the country's ruling party Tuesday as the impasse between the international community and Iran continued over Tehran's defiance of a U.N. demand that it halt uranium enrichment. ``We will continue using our natural energy resources, but we should conserve these resources for our future generations. The whole world is looking at alternative energy - so should Egypt - including nuclear,'' Mubarak told the gathering in Cairo. Since 2002, when Mubarak took up a high-profile position in his father's party, rumors have abounded that he was being groomed to replace his father. Frequent appearances at official functions in Egypt and several trips to the United States, which have included meetings with top officials, have fed that speculation. Mubarak has repeatedly denied that he wants to succeed his father, President Hosni Mubarak. Asserting that his country has a ``responsibility to offer a new vision for the Middle East based on our Arab identity,'' Gamal Mubarak vowed not to ``accept ideas about a greater Middle East or a new Middle East,'' apparently referring to ideas for the region put forward by the Bush administration, which provides Egypt with a hefty annual aid package. ``We will not accept initiatives made abroad,'' said the 42-year-old politician. ``Egypt is a big country and plays a leading role and will continue to do that.'' The younger Mubarak addressed delegates for nearly an hour, emphasizing the party's commitment to continuing political and economic reform. Egypt, which has signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, has conducted nuclear experiments on a very small scale, according to the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. In February 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency disclosed that it was investigating Egypt's nuclear activities. It concluded that Egypt had conducted atomic research for as long as four decades, ending it as recently as 2000, but that research did not appear to be aimed at developing nuclear weapons and did not include uranium enrichment. Egyptian officials have largely remained on the sidelines of international criticism of Iran's nuclear program, which the U.S. has said aims to produce nuclear weapons, although Tehran claims its goal is to generate electricity. Like many other Arab countries, Egypt is said to be concerned that Iranian nuclear capabilities could spark an arms race and destabilize the region. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 41 The Hindu: Closed nuclear fuel cycle central to India's vision of energy security: Anil Kakodkar Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 Special Correspondent Crucial for implementation of its nuclear power programme EXPLAINING THE OBJECTIVES: Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar addressing the IAEA conference in Vienna on Wednesday. CHENNAI: "India considers a closed nuclear fuel cycle of crucial importance for implementation of its three-stage nuclear power programme" with its long-term objective of tapping vast energy available in thorium resources in India, according to Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission. "This is central to India's vision of energy security and the Government [of India] is committed to its full realisation through the development and deployment of technologies pertaining to all aspects of a closed nuclear fuel cycle," he said in his speech at the 50th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Vienna on Wednesday. (Know-how of closed nuclear fuel cycle implies that a country has mastered the technology of reprocessing and re-making the spent fuel from its nuclear power reactors. India's three-stage nuclear electricity programme is: building Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRS) using natural uranium as fuel; building Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) using plutonium and depleted uranium from the PHWRs; and construction of reactors using the abundant thorium found in India.) Dr. Kakodkar, leading the Indian delegation to Vienna, said the construction of a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, was on schedule and expected to be commissioned by 2010. "In keeping with our philosophy of efficient utilisation of a fuel material by closing the fuel cycle, we have embarked on the design and construction" of a re-processing and re-making facility at Kalpakkam to cater to the PFBR. This facility would be commissioned by 2012. He described thorium utilisation as "the long-term core objective of the Indian nuclear power programme for providing energy independence on a sustainable basis." So, the third stage of the programme was based on thorium-uranium-233 cycle. India was actively engaged in developing a 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), which would use thorium-uranium-233 as fuel. A critical facility to validate the physics design of the AHWR would become functional this year. Out of the existing fleet of 443 nuclear power reactors in the world, less than half were under IAEA safeguards. Even in this scenario and with a slow growth of nuclear power in the last two decades, a large fraction of the human and financial resources available to the IAEA had to be used to implement the safeguards. With an anticipated rapid growth in demand for nuclear power, especially in developing countries, "cost-effective safeguards are essential so that the safeguard system does not by itself become a hindrance to the development of nuclear power while at the same time providing the necessary assurances in terms of verification," Dr. Kakodkar said. India, therefore, felt it necessary to look for institutional and technological solutions with increased resistance to proliferation along with an assured fuel supply. Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. ***************************************************************** 42 NRC: NRC Announces Opportunity to Request a Hearing on License Renewal Application for FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Station News Release - 2006-11 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 06-114 September 20, 2006 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is announcing the opportunity to request a hearing on an application to renew the operating license for the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Station for an additional 20 years. The FitzPatrick nuclear plant is a boiling water reactor located eight miles northeast of Oswego, N.Y. Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., submitted the renewal application Aug. 1. The current operating license for FitzPatrick expires Oct. 17, 2014. The NRC staff has determined that the application contains sufficient information for the agency to formally docket, or file, the application and begin its technical review. Docketing the application does not preclude requesting additional information as the review proceeds; nor does it indicate whether the Commission will grant the application. A notice of opportunity to request a hearing was published today in the Federal Register. The deadline for requesting a hearing is Nov. 20. Petitions may be filed by anyone whose interest may be affected by the license renewal and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding. NRC staff will conduct a public meeting Oct. 12 in the vicinity of the plant to discuss the license renewal process and the scope of the agencys environmental review for the license renewal application. More information about that meeting is contained in todays Federal Register notice, and an additional announcement will be made closer to the date. A request for hearing and a petition for leave to intervene must be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff. Requests may also be submitted by facsimile to (301) 415-1101 or e-mail to HEARINGDOCKET@nrc.gov. A copy should also be submitted to the NRC Office of General Counsel, by facsimile to (301) 415-3725 or e-mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. Information about the license renewal process can be found on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html. The FitzPatrick renewal application is online at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons/fitzpatrick.html. An NRC review schedule for the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Station will also be posted on the NRC Web site which will identify the deadline for requesting a hearing. NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site. Last revised Wednesday, September 20, 2006 ***************************************************************** 43 New York Times: Mubaraks Son Proposes Nuclear Program - By MICHAEL SLACKMANand MONA EL-NAGGAR Published: September 20, 2006 CAIRO, Sept. 19 — Gamal Mubarak, the son of Egypt’s president, proposed Tuesday that his country pursue nuclear energy, drawing strong applause from the nation’s political elite, while raising expectations that Mr. Mubarak is being positioned to replace his father as president. The carefully crafted political speech raised the prospect of two potentially embarrassing developments for the White House at a time when the region is awash in crisis: a nuclear program in Egypt, recipient of about $2 billion a year in military and development aid from the United States, and Mr. Mubarak succeeding his father, Hosni Mubarak, as president without substantial political challenge. Simply raising the topic of Egypt’s nuclear ambitions at a time of heightened tensions over Iran’s nuclear activity was received as a calculated effort to raise the younger Mr. Mubarak’s profile and to build public support through a show of defiance toward Washington, political analysts and foreign affairs experts said. “The whole world — I don’t want to say all, but many developing countries — have proposed and started to execute the issue of alternative energy,” he said. “It is time for Egypt to put forth, and the party will put forth, this proposal for discussion about its future energy policies, the issue of alternative energy, including nuclear energy, as one of the alternatives.” He also said in a clear reference to the White House: “We do not accept visions from abroad that try to dissolve the Arab identity and the joint Arab efforts within the framework of the so-called Greater Middle East Initiative.” When President Bush called for promoting democracy in the Middle East, he looked to Egypt as a leader in that effort. But with all the chaos in the region, and with the United States in need of strong allies, the administration has backed off on pressing for democracy here. Instead, it has witnessed the country reversing earlier gains, arresting political opposition figures, beating street demonstrators, locking up bloggers, blocking creation of new political parties and postponing local elections by two years. In his speech, Mr. Mubarak, an assistant secretary general of the governing National Democratic Party and head of its powerful policies committee, did not specify what he envisioned for a nuclear program, but there are several potential avenues. If, for example, Egypt simply purchased nuclear fuel from abroad to power its reactors under international inspection, and then returned the spent fuel to its supplier, it would pose no significant threat of being diverted to a weapons program, nuclear experts said. The Bush administration and the Europeans have proposed a similar arrangement to solve the Iran standoff, though Iran has so far rejected that approach. The trouble would come if Egypt, like Iran, insisted on developing the capacity to produce the fuel on its own, which would also give it the ability, theoretically, to produce weapons-grade uranium. Many experts here welcomed Gamal Mubarak’s proposal and dismissed suggestions that it might pose a threat to the West. “Egypt, and especially the N.D.P., is a strategic ally of the U.S.,” said Hassan Abou Taleb, an analyst with the government-financed Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo. “It does not seek confrontation with the U.S. over its nuclear program. Instead, it seeks cooperation. Why should the U.S. assist India in its nuclear program and not Egypt?” Mr. Mubarak’s speech was delivered during the fourth annual party convention, presented as “New thought and a second leap toward the future.” Thematically, the party has refocused itself on bread-and-butter issues, talking about pensions, jobs and even how to promote soccer, which is a national obsession. Both Gamal Mubarak and his father have said that he is not interested in the presidency. But political analysts said that Egypt was serious about nuclear energy and that the speech was clearly aimed at promoting the younger Mr. Mubarak. Afterward, even party members said it appeared that he would be the party’s candidate for president in 2011. Distance from Washington and pursuit of nuclear power are two actions that could help shore up two of Gamal Mubarak’s perceived shortcomings if he were to run for president: his lack of a military background and the perception that he and his father are Washington’s lackeys. The nuclear program might help him win support among the military and the veiled criticism of Washington might help him restore some credibility with the public. President Mubarak, 79, has said Egypt, unlike Syria, will not allow the presidency to be inherited. He was elected to a new six-year term in 2004, and that is expected to be his last. Even party members close to the son acknowledge that there are no other candidates on the horizon, either in the party or in what remains of a crushed and disorganized opposition. “Even if we assume that Gamal Mubarak will run, what is the problem with that?” said Gamal Moussa, a district party leader. “He is an Egyptian citizen. I am one of the people who support him. He is an educated man and he is sensitive to the public. He has ideas and he is loyal to his country. If the party can get him the votes, then why can’t he run?” Egyptians often joke about the president’s son, watching as he checks off requirements to become president. He recently visited Washington, where he was greeted by President Bush. The party insisted he had gone to the United States only to renew his pilot’s license. With his nuclear proposal, the younger Mr. Mubarak also appears to be taking a page from the playbook of the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has turned producing nuclear energy into a matter of national pride. Today, Egypt has no nuclear reactors for making electricity, nor the means to enrich uranium into atomic fuel. It has conducted atomic research for decades, but appears to have never pursued major programs for making reactors for power or nuclear arms, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Early last year, the agency reported “a number of failures by Egypt to report” on the history of its atomic research program, with most of the violations centering on small research facilities. Egypt has two research reactors. For the decades ahead, atomic experts foresee strong international growth in the use of nuclear power and expect developing states like Egypt to eventually build reactors. “The N.D.P. has been discussing and deliberating the issue of developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes for about three months,” said Mr. Abou Taleb of the Ahram Center. “This is not a secret.” Jano Charbel contributed reporting from Cairo, and William J.Broad from Vienna. NYTimes.com ***************************************************************** 44 Fredericksburg.com: Dominion pitches reactor Free Lance-Star!] Wed, Sep. 20, 2006 If a third reactor is built at the North Anna Power Station in Mineral, it is tentatively planned for the area of the left corner, behind the current two reactors. By RUSTY DENNEN Across a sunken field and gravel road from the two enormous, bee-hive shaped reactor containment buildings at North Anna Power Station sits a little length of white pipe marked with a pink flag. The spot is where Dominion power may someday build a third nuclear reactor at the plant near Mineral in Louisa County. It was one stop on a "media day" tour yesterday for reporters, and a chance for Dominion to reinforce its arguments that another reactor could help the company deal with future electrical power needs. David Christian, senior vice president-nuclear and chief nuclear officer, kicked off the tour with a short presentation in the plant's visitors center. He said Dominion must plan ahead, and that more nuclear power should be in the mix--not only for the nation, but to meet rising electricity demand worldwide. Between 2002 and 2025, he said, U.S. energy consumption will increase by about a third. Since 1998, the fuel of choice for new power plants has been natural gas. But he noted that natural gas prices have fluctuated from between $4 per million cubic feet to $14, and oil prices have been volatile. Between now and 2020, 50,000 megawatts of new nuclear power generation will be needed just to maintain existing energy supply diversity, he added. In a speech to the World Affairs Council last week in Richmond, Thomas F. Farrell II, Dominion's chief executive officer, said the United States could be headed for an "energy train wreck" unless a balanced energy policy is created soon. "Diversification is the linchpin. We must utilize all of our energy sources--coal, nuclear, oil, gas hydro and renewable sources--together with more conservation and energy efficiency. We do not have the luxury of limiting ourselves to a few sources of energy and excluding others." That's why the plant, on the Louisa County shore across from Spotsylvania County, has been in the news as its application for a possible new reactor wends its way through the regulatory system. The 13,000-acre lake, formed in 1972 to cool the two existing reactors, is ringed by thousands of homes and is a popular destination for fishing and boating. Dominion is one of four U.S. utilities seeking permits for new reactors. Others in the running are in Illinois, Mississippi and Georgia. Dominion applied in September 2003 for an early site permit, the first step in a lengthy review process. The permit allows the utility to resolve site, safety and environmental issues prior to making a decision to build and to "bank" a site for up to 20 years. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to make a decision on that permit by December 2007. If that's approved, Dominion would then need a combined license to build and operate a third reactor. The company says it has no plans now for a new reactor, but that it wants the option should market conditions and demand make it worthwhile. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is also involved in the permitting process. It will decide by early November whether Dominion's plan conforms to the state's coastal protection laws. There is no shortage of opposition to Dominion's plan: Half a dozen environmental groups and citizens organizations have weighed in on the prospect of a North Anna Unit 3. To date, environmental and safety impacts have been reviewed by the NRC. The agency is expected to issue a final environmental impact statement in December. Critics have many concerns, among them, additional spent fuel stored on the site creating more of a target for terrorists, plant security, environmental impacts on the lake--mainly water levels, water temperatures and water use--and whether Dominion has sufficiently explored other alternative energy sources. To reach RUSTY DENNEN: + 540/374-5431 + Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com Date published: 9/20/2006 Copyright 2006, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Va. ***************************************************************** 45 Reuters: Kansai Elec to restart accident-hit nuclear unit Wednesday September 20, 4:58 PM TOKYO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. said on Wednesday it plans to temporarily restart its 826,000-kilowatt Mihama No. 3 nuclear power generation unit for the first time on Thursday following a fatal accident two years ago. Kansai Electric, Japan's second-biggest electric power company by sales, plans to restart the unit, located in Fukui prefecture, western Japan, for an experimental run, then shut it again on Oct. 3 for inspection, it said in a statement. A company spokesman said it does not have a detailed schedule for when the unit may return to normal operations. The company had received approval in May from the local government to restart the nuclear generator. In August 2004, hot water and steam leaking from a broken pipe at the No. 3 unit killed five workers in Japan's worst-ever nuclear power plant accident. Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 46 NRC: NRC Announces Availability of License Renewal Application for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 News Release - 2006-11 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: No. 06-115 September 20, 2006 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced today that an application for a 20-year renewal of the operating license for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, is available for public review. The Susquehanna plant has two boiling water reactors and is located approximately seven miles northeast of Berwick, Pa. The current operating licenses expire July 17, 2022, for Unit 1 and March 23, 2024, for Unit 2. The applicant, PPL Susquehanna, Inc., submitted the renewal application Sept. 15. The application is available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applicati ons.html. The NRC staff is currently conducting its initial reviews of the application to determine whether it contains enough information for the required formal reviews. If the application has sufficient information, the NRC will formally docket, or file it and will announce an opportunity for the public to request an adjudicatory hearing on the renewal request. Additional information about the NRCs review of reactor license renewal applications is available on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site. Last revised Wednesday, September 20, 2006 ***************************************************************** 47 newsobserver.com: Third of nuke plants have had long shutdowns Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Raleigh · Durham · Cary · Chapel Hill Meeting tonight to focus on fire safety standards at Shearon Harris plant Lochbaum says Harris plant has violated standards for years. IF YOU GO Nuclear critics are meeting in Pittsboro tonight to discuss fire safety standards at Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear plant. The critics allege that the Shearon Harris plant has been in violation of fire standards for more than a decade. When: 7 to 9 p.m. Where: Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro, U.S. 64 West (Building 2, Multipurpose Room) For more information: N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, (919) 416-5077, www.ncwarn.org Scheduled speakers: David Lochbaum, nuclear safety engineer, Union of Concerned Scientists; Paul Gunter, reactor safety director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service; John Runkle, attorney, N.C. WARN John Murawski, Staff Writer One-third of the nation's nuclear reactors have been forced to shut down for a year or more because of safety concerns, according to a new study from the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nuclear watchdog group in Washington. The shutdowns, which include two reactors in North Carolina operated by Progress Energy -- but not the one in Wake County -- took place during the past 27 years, since the partial meltdown at the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania. Both reactors owned by Progress Energy, formerly known as Carolina Power &Light, are at the Brunswick nuclear plant in Southport, south of Wilmington. Keeping the plant out of commission for more than a year usually indicates serious problems that require extensive repairs. The nuclear engineer who wrote the report, David Lochbaum, said the nuclear industry still hasn't fixed the underlying problem: lax compliance with safety laws by plant operators and management. He is also worried about the lukewarm response by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal agency that oversees nuclear safety. The concerns raised in the report could help fuel nuclear opponents' fight as companies such as Progress Energy in Raleigh and Duke Energy in Charlotte lay plans to build the nation's first new nuclear reactors in more than two decades. Of the 130 power reactors ever licensed, 41 were closed for at least a year, Lochbaum found. Ten were closed twice. Lochbaum will appear in Pittsboro tonight to discuss another long-standing worry among nuclear critics: fire safety standards at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant in southwestern Wake County. Lochbaum and others allege that the plant has been in violation of federal standards for more than a decade, requiring Progress Energy to assign round-the-clock fire patrols to compensate for the defects. Officials at Progress Energy and the NRC say the fire patrols, along with several other measures, adequately ensure safety at the plant. Progress Energy has been using the fire patrols since 2002 -- six people patrolling 24 hours a day, which costs the company about $500,000 a year. The fire safety issue is linked to the fire-retardant properties of a safety wrapper used on electrical cables. The material, called Hemyc, failed lab tests under extreme heat conditions. However, Hemyc use poses no immediate danger to the plant or surrounding community, the NRC has concluded, in part because the conditions of the lab tests exceed those of a real fire. Shearon Harris is the focus of critics' attention because Progress Energy announced plans in January to license new reactors at the site, and is likely to build the first reactor within a decade. Groups such as the N.C. Waste Awareness and Reduction Network in Durham have called Shearon Harris one of the most dangerous nuclear plants in the nation. Lochbaum will likely also discuss the topic of his report released Monday: unplanned outages, though Shearon Harris hasn't had an unplanned outage lasting a year and is not included in Lochbaum's study. Coincidentally, Shearon Harris shut down unexpectedly Tuesday morning when the plant's generator short-circuited, the first unplanned outage in more than a year. Company officials expect to have the plant operational again today, said spokeswoman Julie Hans. During the outage, the company also plans to fix a leaky valve in a cooling pump that would feed water to the reactor during an emergency. The last unplanned outage at Shearon Harris took the plant off-line for 14 days last year. Nuclear plants are designed to shut down automatically under certain circumstances as a safety precaution. Most outages are quickly corrected and aren't considered dangerous. The extended outages at the Brunswick reactors took place between 1992 and 1994. Among the problems uncovered there, NRC inspectors found that 85 percent of the iron bolts supporting a wall were either fraudulently or improperly installed, according to the study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In some cases, the bolt heads were sawed off and welded to the steel frame like ornamental buttons to create the appearance that they would support the wall during an earthquake. The NRC proposed fines totaling $495,000 for the fake bolts and other violations, said the report by the group of scientists. The report does not indicate the ultimate disposition. Progress Energy spokesman Mike Hughes said the problems were corrected years ago and the Brunswick plant is safe. Staff writer John Murawski can be reached at 829-8932 or murawski@newsobserver.com. © Copyright 2006, The News & Observer Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 48 newsobserver.com: Shearon Harris plant still down Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Raleigh · Durham · Cary · Chapel Hill From Staff Reports Progress Energy workers continued efforts this afternoon to resume operations at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant, following an unexpected shutdown Tuesday morning. The plant shut down automatically when power from the generator stopped reaching the transformers, said Julie Hans, a spokeswoman for the Raleigh utility. In simplest terms, think of it as blowing a fuse, which caused a circuit breaker to disconnect. Workers are trying to isolate and repair the problem, but could not say when the reactor might start up again. When the nuclear plant, about 25 miles southwest of Raleigh, went offline, the company's systems automatically pulled extra power from other plants. There have been no service interruptions for Progress Energy customers, Hans said. Nuclear plants are designed to shut down automatically under certain circumstances as a safety precaution. The previous unplanned outage at Shearon Harris was in May 2004. It lasted 14 days. The reactor was taken offline for refueling in March, a planned outage that lasted 37 days. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner. © Copyright 2006, The News & Observer Publishing Company ***************************************************************** 49 PoAC: Oyster Creek shows well in NRC review The visit Monday by Jeffrey S. Merrifield, one of five presidentially appointed commissioners for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was not part of Oyster Creek's bid for a 20-year extension of its operating license. But it didn't hurt that the staff and managers at the plant impressed the commissioner. " The Press of Atlantic City By DAVID BENSON Staff Writer, (609) 272-7206 Published: Wednesday, September 20, 2006 The Oyster Creek Generating Station received a generally favorable review this week from one of the country's top regulators of nuclear energy, although an official said Tuesday there are still concerns about human performance at the plant. The visit Monday by Jeffrey S. Merrifield, one of five presidentially appointed commissioners for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was not part of Oyster Creek's bid for a 20-year extension of its operating license. But it didn't hurt that the staff and managers at the plant impressed the commissioner. “I have a generally positive impression of the plant and of the people who are there,†Merrifield said. “But it would be inappropriate to say they don't have challenges.†During the 2-hour tour of the plant, Merrifield checked out critical systems and security and spoke with about 150 workers. The commissioner described it as a thorough tour and said he left with the impression that the plant staff and managers are knowledgeable. The plant's operating license expires in 2009. Exelon, which operates the plant, hopes to extend the license to 2029. Oyster Creek is the nation's oldest operating nuclear plant. At least one challenge to the re-licensing is working its way toward the U.S. Supreme Court. In June, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the NRC was wrong when it refused to consider the possibility of a terrorist attack in preparing an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. That ruling came in a California case, brought by the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, who challenged the NRC's view that the possibility of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility is so remote that the potential consequences of an attack need not be considered in such a review. Although that ruling is aimed at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California, it could thwart Oyster Creek's attempts at license renewal. Several state government officials and environmental groups have pointed to Oyster Creek's unique vulnerabilities in an attempt to block the renewal. Specifically, officials cite the spent fuel storage pool, which is 119 feet above the ground and holds about 375 tons of highly radioactive fuel rods. On Aug. 9, U.S. Rep. James Saxton, R-3rd, challenged the draft environmental impact statement issued as part of the license renewal process for Oyster Creek. In a letter to the NRC, Saxton wrote: “I am concerned the environmental impacts of a potential atmosphere release of radiation have not been adequately addressed in this report.†The letter also cited a National Academy of Sciences report that points out potential vulnerablities specific to boiling water reactor pools, such as those at Oyster Creek. Saxton also asked that the regulatory commision include the NAS in the license renewal process for Oyster Creek. Merrifield said the ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. But the NRC has not backed down from its original stance. “Terrorism isn't something that should be considered,†he said. The commissioner also discounted an independent review by the NAS as unnecessary. “We have an internal independent advisory body that advises the commission,†he said. “I don't think that we need another agency in order to serve the public.†Merrifield also said the NRC does not comment on the vulnerabilities of specific design of a plant, such as the elevated spent fuel pool at Oyster Creek. He did say, however, that in general he did not see any needed changes for that kind of design at this time. But the commissioner would not go so far as to say that Oyster Creek's operating license would be renewed for an additional 20 years. “The applicant will have to come to the staff to apply for the 20-year license extension,†Merrifield said. Still, Merrifield said he had a discussion with Christopher M. Crane, president and chief nuclear officer for Exelon Nuclear, which operates Oyster Creek, about how to take care of issues lingering at the plant. One issue noted several times by the NRC is known officially as “human performance cross-cutting issues.†Plainly speaking, it's human error in a variety of departments at Oyster Creek that concerns the regulatory agency. “During the last six months, there have been substantive cross-cutting issues,†Merrifield said. “Human performance in a lack of procedural occurence.†This lack of procedural occurence stems from an incident that happened more than a year ago. In August 2005, sea grass clogged one of the intake valves that pulls water in to cool the reactor. Neil Sheehan, an NRC spokesman, said Oyster Creek personnel did not respond correctly in that instance. Sheehan said an alert should have been issued to local officials. “If there is an event at a plant,†Sheehan said, “local officials need to know so they can implement their procedures.†Sheehan said neither the nuclear plant nor the surrounding area were in danger. “What it boils down to is that if there is a more significant event, they must recognize when there are procedures that spell out what to do.†Oyster Creek's failure to issue an alert to area officials earned the plant a degraded rating, known as a “white finding.†Since August 2005, there have been two other incidents — in November 2005 and February 2006 — in which plant operators did not respond appropriately. The NRC cited those two instances in a midyear review issued late last month, and Merrifield touched on the subject during his tour of the plant. “I gave a lecture about procedural adherence to the staff there,†Merrifield said Tuesday. ***************************************************************** 50 The Herald: Fears over repairs wipe £300m off British Energy Web Issue 2621 September 20 2006 KARL WEST, City Editor September 20 2006 Nuclear power generator British Energy yesterday lost nearly £300m from its stock market worth as investors were spooked over delays in repairs to two of its power stations. The company issued a late statement after the market had closed on Monday evening revealing the fresh blow in its battle to improve output at Hunterston B in Ayrshire and Hinkley Point B in Somerset. Shares in the company fell 52.5p, or 8.3%, to close at 582.5p last night as investors reacted to the warning that delays in returning the units to service would extend its record of unplanned stoppages. The share slump sliced £299.7m off its market value, leaving it with a stock market worth of £3.32bn last night. British Energy warned in August that it was unlikely to meet its output target of 63 terrawatt hours (TWh) in the current financial year, following losses of 4.4 TWh over the previous four months. Last night it warned of the potential loss of another 2 TWh because of the latest delays, which came after inspections at a unit of Hunterston B indicated a higher-than-expected level of boiler tube cracking. The company does not believe there is a similar degree of boiler tube cracking at a unit of Hinkley Point B, but has decided to bring forward inspections in advance of a statutory outage planned for the end of September. The share price fall comes as British Energy prepares to face small shareholders, as well as a planned protest by Friends of the Earth, at today's annual meeting at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh. The environmental lobbying group plans to greet shareholders with a 14ft tall inflatable white elephant bearing the slogan, "Nuclear power? No thanks. It's a white elephant". Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "If anyone needed proof that nuclear is not the solution then they need look no further than companies like British Energy. "The nuclear industry routinely leaves pollution, waste and contamination in its wake. Add to this the hundreds of millions of pounds the taxpayer has had to shoulder in subsidies and bail-outs and nuclear power makes no sense at all." The government, which is looking at the possibility of building a new generation of nuclear power stations, is considering reducing its 65% stake in British Energy, which is the UK's biggest producer of nuclear power. Ministers may be prepared to sell up to half of the holding, which the government picked up as part of its involvement in the financial rescue of the company in January last year. The group was privatised in 1996 but ran into trouble in 2002 when electricity prices slumped. It was rescued by the government in a £5bn refinancing package that saw ministers take on decommissioning liabilities. Copyright © Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 51 NRC: NRC Accepts Vogtle Early Site Permit Application for Review News Release - 2006-11 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov No. 06-116 September 20, 2006 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has commenced review of Southern Nuclear Operating Co.s application for an Early Site Permit (ESP) on property near the Vogtle nuclear power plant, about 23 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga. The NRC staff has determined that the application contains sufficient information for the agency to formally docket, or file, the application and begin its technical review. Docketing the application does not preclude requesting additional information as the review proceeds; nor does it indicate whether the Commission will grant the application. The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible future construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at the site. The NRCs formal review will address site safety, environmental protection and emergency planning issues. If the agency approves the request, Southern Nuclear could reference the permit at any time for up to 20 years in an application with the NRC for approval to begin construction of one or more nuclear reactors at the site. The Vogtle Early Site Permit application is available electronically on the NRCs Web site on this page: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp/vogtle.html. A copy of the application is also available for public review at the NRC Public Document Room, located at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD; telephone: 800/397-4209 or 301/415-4737. Local residents may view the application at the Burke County Library, 130 Highway 24 South in Waynesboro, Ga. Future NRC announcements will notify the public of the opportunity to request a hearing concerning the Vogtle ESP, along with public meetings near the site to discuss environmental issues. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site. Last revised Wednesday, September 20, 2006 ***************************************************************** 52 Energy Business Review: Thorium Power discusses nuclear possibilities for Poland - 19th September 2006 By Helen Marshall Nuclear technology development firm Thorium Power has been discussing possible nuclear energy joint efforts with the Polish government, including the use of nuclear technologies for power generation. Thorium Power joined a delegation of developers and providers of nuclear fuels and nuclear power plants. The delegation, which included Westinghouse Electric Company and the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company, had been invited to tour the Polish nuclear institute at Swierk and hold meetings with senior government officials. ['' /] Advertisement The meetings focused on how cutting edge nuclear technologies can address several of Poland's critical needs, including power generation and the liquefaction and gasification of stony coal. "Poland is well poised to become a center for new nuclear technologies," stated Thorium Power president and CEO Seth Grae. "Our discussions with senior officials of the government have convinced me that Poland has a well thought out vision of how to address its energy future." Thorium Power and the other members of the delegation are now in follow-up discussions with the Polish government relating to possible joint venture partnerships. In other news, Novastar Resources confirmed that its merger with Thorium Power, which was announced in February, should be completed early in Q4 2006. Under the merger agreement, Thorium Power will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Novastar Resources, and the combined company will operate under the name Thorium Power, Ltd. ©2006 Business Review Ltd ***************************************************************** 53 Energy Business Review: US energy secretary calls for increased nuclear cooperation - 19th September 2006 By Helen Marshall The US secretary of energy, Samuel Bodman, has called for increased international cooperation in safely increasing the use of nuclear energy. The call came during a speech Secretary Bodman delivered to the 50th Annual International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference in Vienna, Austria. To guide international efforts to expand nuclear power, Secretary Bodman highlighted the global vision of President Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), which seeks to work with international partners to promote the use of advanced nuclear energy systems in order to provide a reliable fuel source on an economically competitive basis worldwide. Through GNEP, nations will develop enhanced nuclear safeguards in cooperation with the IAEA as an integral part of the development of advanced nuclear facilities. Secretary Bodman cited the need for mutually beneficial partnerships with nations to ensure that appropriate investments are made to demonstrate technologies that recycle nuclear fuel, reduce waste, and provide developing nations reliable access to clean nuclear energy for electricity. Secretary Bodman also stressed the need for all nations to redouble efforts to secure radioactive and radiological material and further expand cooperative work in nuclear nonproliferation. He encouraged compliance with international safeguards, the amended Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and Facilities, and related requirements for nuclear safety and security. This included a discussion of the US and Russia's Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which aims to secure nuclear materials. "As an international community, we must work together to globally expand clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy in ways that reduce proliferation risks, increase global energy security, and limit pollution and greenhouse gas emissions," Secretary Bodman commented. "The decisions we make today in terms of both reliable energy supply and nuclear nonproliferation will have an affect for generations to come." ©2006 Business Review Ltd ***************************************************************** 54 Concord Monitor: Nuclear power plant undergoes inspection September 20, 2006 Copyright 1997-2006 Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Patriot P.O. Box 1177 Concord NH 03302 603-224-5301 Privacy policy Seabrook The Associated Press The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has started a special inspection at the Seabrook nuclear power plant after it was shut down Aug. 31. The plant was shut down after two emergency diesel generators experienced problems with their voltage controls, the NRC said in a news release Monday. "This was a conservative decision we made to make the repairs" to the backup electrical system, Alan Griffith, spokesman for FPL Energy Seabrook Station, said of the shutdown. After repairs were made and the generators were returned to service, the reactor was restarted Sept. 3 and returned to power operations Sept. 4. It's common for the NRC, as the oversight agency, to take a closer look at what happened, Griffith said. The NRC's inspection started Monday and will continue over the next few weeks. A report will be issued within 45 days afterward. The Associated Press Material posted to this site retains copyright. See the User's Guide for details. Concord Monitor Online, P.O. Box 1177, Concord NH 03302 Phone: 603-224-5301 | E-mail: cmwebmaster@concordmonitor.com[ ***************************************************************** 55 Independent: Shares plunge hits nuclear sell-off British Energy warns over reactor shutdowns. Government's £3bn stake sale facing delay By Michael Harrison, Business Editor Published: 20 September 2006 Fresh doubts were cast over the Government's plans to raise some £3bn from the sale of shares in British Energy yesterday after the nuclear power producer warned that output this year would be further hit by cracks in some of its reactors. The warning sent British Energy shares 8 per cent lower, wiping nearly £500m from the value of the Government's 65 per cent holding in the company. Since late July, when the Trade and Industry Secretary, Alistair Darling, confirmed that the Government intended to proceed with the disposal of part of its stake through a public offer, British Energy shares have fallen by 16 per cent. Although ministers have never given any details about the timing or scale of the share sale, it is thought that the Government planned to launch the offer late this year and to sell between 20 and 30 per cent of British Energy, raising between £2bn and £3bn. Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch were appointed to advise the Government on the share sale in early August. In a circular issued yesterday, Citigroup's energy analyst Peter Atherton said that the additional uncertainty caused by British Energy's announcement "calls into question the ability of the UK Government to sell down its stake this year". British Energy said in August that output this year could be 2 TWh (terawatt hours) less than planned because of cracks in boiler tubes on one of the units at its Hunterston B station. Yesterday, it said that delays in bringing Hunterston B back into service and the need for similar safety checks on a sister station, Hinkley Point B, meant that output could be cut by a further 2 TWh. Analysts estimated the delays could shave £50m-£60m from British Energy profits this year, but warned that, because of the nature of the problems, there could be further unplanned reactor shutdowns in future years. Brokers at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson said: "The market is likely to be very disappointed in another downward revision for output, especially with the prospect of further problems going forward. As British Energy's stations get older there may be further operational issues and the market is likely to be worried about continuing problems and targets being missed." A DTI spokeswoman said the Government was still "actively considering" the sale of part of its stake in the group and would take into account what British Energy had said. She reiterated that the intention was to dispose of the shares through a "capital markets transaction" rather than a trade sale. There has been speculation that EdF, the state-owned French electricity company, and the two German utilities RWE and E.ON could be interested in buying British Energy. At British Energy's closing share price last night of 582.5p, the company is worth £9.4bn, valuing the Government's 65 per cent stake at £6.1bn. The vale of the company has soared since it was rescued through a £5bn government bailout and re-listed on the London market 18 months ago. However, in the past three months, the shares have slipped due to the flow of negative news on station shutdowns and the fall in wholesale electricity prices. Even so, a sale of half of the Government's remaining shareholding would still represent one of the biggest secondary offerings seen on the London market. © 2006 Independent News and Media Limited ***************************************************************** 56 toledoblade.com: Lesson not learned? Wednesday, September 20, 2006 THE response by FirstEnergy Corp. to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's accusations of lax oversight at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania is illuminating. The utility considers the matter a case of paperwork error and says it has learned its lesson from Davis-Besse. That's a fanciful reading of this case which, rather than show FirstEnergy has its act together, indicates that the utility hasn't learned much from the near calamitous accident at Davis-Besse in 2002 when the plant's reactor head came precipitously close to rupturing. The Beaver Valley incident stems from installation of a new head on one of two reactors at the complex. The NRC found that a contractor on the project undertook only a fraction of the inspections required before the new reactor head was put in place, but signed off as though all had been conducted. That's scary enough. What's worse is that this scandalous dereliction escaped the notice of the very people at FirstEnergy who should have seen a red flag right away, unless they were asleep at the switch. The company's quality assurance program, its management, and fact-checkers all missed it. Ultimately, a clerk found the problem, for which the individual should be richly rewarded by FirstEnergy. The issues now facing the company are that the contractor's employee would feel comfortable falsifying inspection documents involving a nuclear plant, and that FirstEnergy did not have in place a checking mechanism that would ensure each of the inspections was indeed carried out. The company has even managed to bring together a consortium of critics including the NRC itself, environmental group Greenpeace, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Nuclear Information and Resource Service. That diverse group speaks almost with one voice in expressing incredulity that in the wake of the near-catastrophe at Davis-Besse this error could occur. The NRC says enforcement action will be taken against FirstEnergy, but it remains to be seen whether any sanction is enough to bring the utility to a level of safety-consciousness that the people who live around its plants can be comfortable with. Admitting that the falsified records at Beaver Valley were a foul-up of major proportions would be a first step. Yet a spokesman blithely states that while the utility doesn't like such things to happen it did catch the error. The corporate culture at FirstEnergy clearly needs an extreme makeover before it will convince a skeptical public that it has learned the painful lessons of Davis-Besse. The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660 , (419) 724-6000 ***************************************************************** 57 NRC: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: FR Doc E6-15577 [Federal Register: September 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 182)] [Notices] [Page 55032] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr20se06-87] Comment Request AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of pending NRC action to submit an information collection request to OMB and solicitation of public comment. SUMMARY: The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: ``General Licensee Registration,'' NRC Form 664. 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0198. 3. How often the collection is required: Annually. 4. Who is required or asked to report: General Licensees of the NRC who possess devices subject to registration under 10 CFR 31.5. 5. The estimated number of annual respondents: 1,000. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 333 hours annually (1,000 respondents x 20 minutes per form). 7. Abstract: NRC Form 664 is used by NRC general licensees to make reports regarding certain generally licensed devices subject to registration. The registration program allows NRC to better track general licensees, so that they can be contacted or inspected as necessary, and to make sure that generally licensed devices can be identified even if lost or damaged, and to further ensure that general licensees are aware of and understand the requirements for the possession of devices containing byproduct material. Greater awareness helps to ensure that general licensees will comply with the requirements for proper handling and disposal of generally licensed devices and would reduce the potential for incidents that could result in unnecessary radiation exposure to the public and contamination of property. Submit, by November 20, 2006, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/index.html. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Brenda Jo. Shelton, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, T-5 F52, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Brenda Jo. Shelton, NRC Clearance Officer, Office of Information Services. [FR Doc. E6-15577 Filed 9-19-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 58 NRC: Notice of Acceptance for Docketing of the Application, Notice of FR Doc 06-7974 [Federal Register: September 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 182)] [Notices] [Page 55032-55035] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr20se06-88] Opportunity for Hearing and Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Scoping Process for Facility Operating License No. DPR-59 for an Additional 20-Year Period, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is considering an application for the renewal of Operating License No. DPR-59, which authorizes Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy), to operate the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant (JAFNPP) at 2536 megawatts thermal. The renewed license would authorize the applicant to operate the JAFNPP for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in the current license. JAFNPP is located on Lake Ontario in Oswego County, [[Page 55033]] approximately seven miles northeast of the City of Oswego, New York. The current operating license for the JAFNPP expires on October 17, 2014. On August 1, 2006, the Commission's staff received the application from Entergy, to renew the Operating License No. DPR-59 for JAFNPP, pursuant to 10 CFR part 54. A Notice of Receipt and Availability of the license renewal application (LRA) was published in the Federal Register on August 11, 2006 (71 FR 46245). The Commission's staff has reviewed the LRA for its acceptability and has determined that Entergy has submitted sufficient information in accordance with 10 CFR 54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23, and 51.53(c), and the application is acceptable for docketing. The current Docket No. 50- 333 for Operating License No. DPR-59 will be retained. The docketing of the renewal application does not preclude requesting additional information as the review proceeds, nor does it predict whether the Commission will grant or deny the application. Before issuance of each requested renewed license, the NRC will have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations. In accordance with 10 CFR 54.29, the NRC may issue a renewed license on the basis of its review if it finds that actions have been identified and have been or will be taken with respect to: (1) Managing the effects of aging during the period of extended operation on the functionality of structures and components that have been identified as requiring aging management review, and (2) time-limited aging analyses that have been identified as requiring review, such that there is reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by the renewed license will continue to be conducted in accordance with the current licensing basis (CLB), and that any changes made to the plant's CLB comply with the Act and the Commission's regulations. The Commission also must first find that the requirements of subpart A of 10 CFR 51 have been satisfied, and that matters raised under 10 CFR 2.335 have been addressed. Within 60 days after the date of publication of this Federal Register Notice, the applicant may file a request for a hearing, and any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene with respect to the renewal of the license. Requests for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene shall be filed in accordance with the Commission's ``Rules of Practice for Domestic Licensing Proceedings'' in 10 CFR part 2. Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR 2.309, which is available at the Commission's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852 and is accessible from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at . If a request for a hearing/petition for leave to intervene is filed within the 60-day period, the Commission or a presiding officer designated by the Commission or by the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on the request/petition; and the Secretary or the Chief Administrative Judge of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of a hearing or an appropriate order. In the event that no request for a hearing/petition for leave to intervene is filed within the 60-day period, the NRC may, upon completion of its evaluations and upon making the findings required under 10 CFR parts 51 and 54, renew the license without further notice. As required by 10 CFR 2.309, a petition for leave to intervene shall set forth with particularity the interest of the petitioner in the proceeding, and how that interest may be affected by the results of the proceeding, taking into consideration the limited scope of matters that may be considered pursuant to 10 CFR parts 51 and 54. The petition must specifically, explain the reasons why intervention should be permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The nature of the requestor's/petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the proceeding; (2) the nature and extent of the requestor's/ petitioner's property, financial, or other interest in the proceeding; and (3) the possible effect of any decision or order which may be entered in the proceeding on the requestor's/petitioner's interest. The petition must also set forth the specific contentions which the petitioner/requestor seeks to have litigated at the proceeding. Each contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the requestor/petitioner shall provide a brief explanation of the bases of each contention and a concise statement of the alleged facts or the expert opinion that supports the contention on which the requestor/ petitioner intends to rely in proving the contention at the hearing. The requestor/petitioner must also provide references to those specific sources and documents of which the requestor/petitioner is aware and on which the requestor/petitioner intends to rely to establish those facts or expert opinion. The requestor/petitioner must provide sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the applicant on a material issue of law or fact.\1\ Contentions shall be limited to matters within the scope of the action under consideration. The contention must be one that, if proven, would entitle the requestor/ petitioner to relief. A requestor/petitioner who fails to satisfy these requirements with respect to at least one contention will not be permitted to participate as a party. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ To the extent that the application contains attachments and supporting documents that are not publicly available because they are asserted to contain safeguards or proprietary information, petitions desired access to this information should contact the applicant or applicant's counsel to discuss the need for a protective order. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The Commission requests that each contention be given a separate numeric or alpha designation within one of the following groups: (1) Technical (primarily related to safety concerns); (2) environmental; or (3) miscellaneous. As specified in 10 CFR 2.309, if two or more requestors/petitioners seek to co-sponsor a contention or propose substantially the same contention, the requestors/petitioners will be required to jointly designate a representative who shall have the authority to act for the requestors/petitioners with respect to that contention. Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding, subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene, and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the hearing. A request for a hearing or a petition for leave to intervene must be filed by: (1) First class mail addressed to the Office of the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; (2) courier, express mail, and expedited delivery services: Office of the Secretary, Sixteenth Floor, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, Attention: Rulemaking and Adjudications Staff; (3) e-mail [[Page 55034]] addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ; or (4) facsimile transmission addressed to the Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, Attention: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff at 301-415-1101, verification number is 301-415-1966.\2\ A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene must also be sent to the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001, and it is requested that copies be transmitted either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail to . A copy of the request for hearing and petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to the attorney for the applicant, Mr. Terrence A. Burke, Entergy Nuclear, 1340 Echelon Parkway, Mail Stop--ECH-62, Jackson, Mississippi 39213. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \2\ If the request/petition is filed by e-mail or facsimile, an original and two copies of the document must be mailed within 2 (two) business days thereafter to the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; Attention: Rulemaking and Adjustication Staff. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Non-timely requests and/or petitions and contentions will not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the presiding officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the petition, request and/or contentions should be granted based on a balancing of the factors specified in 10 CFR 2.309(a)(1)(i)-(viii). In addition, the purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the NRC will be preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) related to the review of the LRA and to provide the public an opportunity to participate in the environmental scoping process, as defined in 10 CFR 51.29. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the NRC will prepare an environmental impact statement that will be used as a supplement to the Commission's NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants'' (GEIS), dated May 1996. Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26, and as part of the environmental scoping process, the NRC staff intends to hold a public scoping meeting. In addition, as outlined in 36 CFR 800.8, ``Coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act,'' the NRC plans to coordinate compliance with section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act in meeting the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). In accordance with 10 CFR 51.53(c) and 10 CFR 54.23, Entergy prepared and submitted the Environmental Report (ER) as part of the LRA. The LRA and the ER are publicly available at the NRC's PDR, located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, or from the NRC's ADAMS. The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is accessible at . The ADAMS Accession Numbers for the LRA and the ER are ML062160494 and ML062160557, respectively. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC's PDR reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at . The LRA and the ER may also be viewed on the Internet at . In addition, the LRA and the ER are available for public inspection near the JAFNPP at the following public libraries: Penfield Library SUNY, 7060 State Route 104, Oswego, New York 13126; and Oswego Public Library, 140-142 East Second Street, Oswego, New York 13126. Possible alternatives to the proposed action (license renewal) include no action and reasonable alternative energy sources. The NRC is required by 10 CFR 51.95 to prepare a supplement to the GEIS in connection with the renewal of an operating license. This notice is being published in accordance with 10 CFR 51.26. The NRC staff will first conduct a scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS and, as soon as practicable thereafter, will prepare a draft supplement to the GEIS for public comment. Participation in the scoping process by members of the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal government agencies are encouraged. As described in 10 CFR 51.29, the scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS will be used to accomplish the following: a. Define the proposed action which is to be the subject of the supplement to the GEIS. b. Determine the scope of the supplement to the GEIS and identify the significant issues to be analyzed in depth. c. Identify and eliminate from detailed study those issues that are peripheral or that are not significant. d. Identify any environmental assessments and other ElSs that are being or will be prepared that are related to, but are not part of, the scope of the supplement to the GEIS being considered. e. Identify other environmental review and consultation requirements related to the proposed action. f. Indicate the relationship between the timing of the preparation of the environmental analyses and the Commission's tentative planning and decision-making schedule. g. Identify any cooperating agencies and, as appropriate, allocate assignments for preparation and schedules for completing the supplement to the GEIS to the NRC and any cooperating agencies. h. Describe how the supplement to the GEIS will be prepared, and include any contractor assistance to be used. The NRC invites the following entities to participate in scoping: a. The applicant, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. b. Any Federal agency that has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved, or that is authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards. c. Affected State and local government agencies, including those authorized to develop and enforce relevant environmental standards. d. Any affected Indian tribe. e. Any person who requests or has requested an opportunity to participate in the scoping process. f. Any person who has petitioned or intends to petition for leave to intervene. In accordance with 10 CFR 51.26, the scoping process for an EIS may include a public scoping meeting to help identify significant issues related to a proposed activity and to determine the scope of issues to be addressed in an EIS. The NRC will hold public meetings for the JAFNPP license renewal supplement to the GEIS, at the Town Municipal Building, 42 Creamery Road, Oswego, New York 13126, on Thursday, October 12, 2006. There will be two identical meetings to accommodate interested parties. The first meeting will convene at 1:30 p.m. and will continue until 4:30 p.m., as necessary. The second meeting will convene at 7 p.m. and will continue until 10 p.m., as necessary. Both meetings will be transcribed and will include: (1) An overview by the NRC staff of the NRC's license renewal review process; (2) an overview by the NRC staff of the NEPA environmental review process, the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS, and the proposed review schedule; and (3) the opportunity for interested government agencies, organizations, and individuals to submit [[Page 55035]] comments or suggestions on the environmental issues or the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS. Additionally, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour prior to the start of each session at the same location. No formal comments on the proposed scope of the supplement to the GEIS will be accepted during the informal discussions. To be considered, comments must be provided either at the transcribed public meetings or in writing, as discussed below. For more information about the proposed action, the scoping process, and the environmental impact statement, please contact the NRC Environmental Project Manager, Mr. Samuel Hernandez, at Mail Stop O-11F1, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, by telephone at 1- 800-368-5642, extension 4049, or by e-mail at . Persons may register to attend or present oral comments at the meetings on the scope of the NEPA review by contacting Mr. Hernandez. Members of the public may also register to speak at the meeting within 15 minutes of the start of each meeting. Individual oral comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. Members of the public who have not registered may also have an opportunity to speak, if time permits. Public comments will be considered in the scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS. Mr. Hernandez will need to be contacted no later than September 29, 2006, if special equipment or accommodations are needed to attend or present information at the public meeting, so that the NRC staff can determine whether the request can be accommodated. Members of the public may send written comments on the environmental scope of the JAFNPP license renewal review to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail Stop T-6D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001, and should cite the publication date and page number of this Federal Register notice. Comments may also be delivered to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T- 6D59, Two White Flint North, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. during Federal workdays. To be considered in the scoping process, written comments should be postmarked by November 14, 2006. Electronic comments may be sent by e- mail to the NRC at , and should be sent no later than November 14, 2006, to be considered in the scoping process. Comments will be available electronically and accessible through ADAMS. Participation in the scoping process for the supplement to the GEIS does not entitle participants to become parties to the proceeding to which the supplement to the GEIS relates. Matters related to participation in any hearing are outside the scope of matters to be discussed at this public meeting. At the conclusion of the scoping process, the NRC will prepare a concise summary of the determination and conclusions reached, including the significant issues identified, and will send a copy of the summary to each participant in the scoping process. The summary will also be available for viewing in ADAMS. The staff will then prepare and issue for comment the draft supplement to the GEIS, which will be the subject of separate notices and separate public meetings. Copies will be available for public viewing at the above-mentioned addresses, and one copy per request will be provided free of charge, to the extent of supply. After receipt and consideration of the comments, the NRC will prepare a final supplement to the GEIS, which will also be available for public viewing. Information about the proposed action, the supplement to the GEIS, and the scoping process may be obtained from Mr. Hernandez at the aforementioned telephone number or e-mail address. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Eric J. Benner, Acting Director, Division of License Renewal, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. 06-7974 Filed 9-19-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 59 NRC: Pacific Gas and Electric Company; Diablo Canyon Power Plant, FR Doc E6-15589 [Federal Register: September 20, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 182)] [Notices] [Page 55035-55036] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr20se06-89] Unit Nos. 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Section 50.90 for Facility Operating Licenses, Nos. DPR-80 and DPR-82, issued to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG, the licensee) for operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (DCPP or facility), located in San Luis Obispo County, California. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. Environmental Assessment Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would delete the antitrust license conditions from the licenses. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated January 19, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated June 20, 2006. The Need for the Proposed Action Circumstances have changed significantly from those that existed when the antitrust license conditions were first imposed 28 years ago. In particular, there have been recent developments in the law at both the Federal and State levels to ensure competition in the industry in California and elsewhere. Moreover, agreements binding PG related to the Stanislaus Commitments will continue to be in effect whether or not the antitrust conditions actually remain a part of the DCPP licenses, and competitors have voiced no opposition to the removal of the conditions. Finally, under the limited statutory authority granted to the NRC under Section 105 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, it appears that the NRC lacks the authority now to continue to impose the antitrust conditions against PG through the DCPP licenses. Accordingly, in consideration of all of the foregoing, the licensee has requested to remove the antitrust conditions from the licenses as the conditions are no longer necessary to serve the original intended purpose. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that the proposed license amendment involves administrative actions which have no effect on plant equipment or operation. The details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the license amendment that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee approving the license amendment. The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released off site. There is no significant increase in the amount of any effluent released off site. There is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, [[Page 55036]] there are no significant radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non- radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar. Alternative Use of Resources The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for DCPP, dated May 1973, and Addendum to Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for DCPP dated May 1976. Agencies and Persons Consulted In accordance with its stated policy, on July 27, 2006, the staff consulted with the California State official, Steve Hsu of the Radiologic Health Branch, Department of Health Services, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments. Finding of No Significant Impact On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated January 19, 2006, as supplemented by letter dated June 20, 2006. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, . Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to . Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Alan Wang, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch IV, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E6-15589 Filed 9-19-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 60 IHT: EU clears Toshiba's takeover of U.S. atomic power firm Westinghouse Electric - iht,business,EU Toshiba Westinghouse Electric - Associated Press SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 BRUSSELS, Belgium EU regulators cleared Japan's Toshiba Corp. to buy U.S. atomic power company Westinghouse Electric Co. after Toshiba offered to change the conditions of its contracts with other shareholders in its Global Nuclear Fuels joint venture. The European Commission said it had identified possible competition problems in the fuel assembly market because Toshiba would have a stake in two of the three largest suppliers — Westinghouse and GNF. "To allay these concerns Toshiba has submitted to the Commission a commitment to modify its contractual arrangements with its partners in GNF, General Electric and Hitachi in order to eliminate the risk that Toshiba could impede competition through the joint venture," the Commission said. EU approval is conditional on Toshiba complying fully with that promise. The Toshiba takeover will combine two nuclear power plant suppliers but regulators said their activities do not overlap. Toshiba focuses on boiling water reactors it sells in Asia while Westinghouse specializes in pressurized water reactors. The new firm will still face competition from rivals such as GE and France's Areva, the Commission said. Westinghouse's parent, British Nuclear Fuels PLC, agreed in February to sell the business to Toshiba along with its U.S. unit, BNFL USA Group. Japanese companies Marubeni Corp. and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. as well as Shaw Group Inc. of the United States are expected to join Toshiba's bid to acquire Westinghouse, Japan's Kyodo News agency reported in July. It said Marubeni, a major trading company, Ishikawajima-Harima, and Shaw Group are likely to join Toshiba's US$5.4 billion purchase of Westinghouse. It said Toshiba was likely to take a 51 percent stake while Marubeni would take around 20 percent. Herald Tribune All rights reserved [IHT] ***************************************************************** 61 toledoblade.com: FirstEnergy sued for wrongful termination Wednesday, September 20, 2006 Ex-worker says he tried to fix problems By BLADE STAFF WRITER PORT CLINTON - Andrew Siemaszko, a former Davis-Besse engineer who claims FirstEnergy Corp. turned on him for trying to fix problems that jeopardized the public's safety, is suing the utility for wrongful termination and breach of contract. An 18-page complaint filed Monday in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court contends that Mr. Siemaszko was made out to be a "scapegoat" for insisting in 2000 that boric acid be removed from Davis-Besse's old reactor head before the nuclear plant resumed operation that spring. Two years later, when the plant was shut down for refueling, the massive lid had become so thinned out by acid that government researchers eventually concluded it was a statistical fluke that it held together. Mr. Siemaszko also contends he was illegally fired in 2002 for insisting that all four of the plant's reactor coolant pumps be refurbished. Those pumps, which circulate coolant water over the reactor, have since been fixed. The suit seeks more than $1 million, plus money for legal expenses and other costs. It claims that "streaming real time video coverage" from the plant's closed-circuit TV shows rust so thick that workers were using crowbars to dislodge it from Davis-Besse's old reactor head in the spring of 2000. It also claims FirstEnergy reneged on its agreement to cover legal expenses that Mr. Siemaszko incurred after he was fired. Richard Wilkins, a spokesman for FirstEnergy, said the utility had no response to the lawsuit. FirstEnergy has acknowledged that it put in an order for a new reactor head in the summer of 2001, then told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in November of that year that the old reactor head was still safe. The plant wound up being idled for more than two years at a cost of $605 million. The utility was fined $33.5 million for lying to the government. U.S. Department of Justice officials claim much of the company's information came from Mr. Siemaszko and two others, former Davis-Besse engineer David Geisen and former contractor Rodney N. Cook. All three have indicted on criminal charges of withholding information. Each could face five years in prison and be fined up to $250,000 if convicted. Their cases are expected to be heard next year in U.S. District Court in Toledo. The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660 , (419) 724-6000 ***************************************************************** 62 The Arizona Republic: 1 reactor at Palo Verde shut down September 20, 2006 1 reactor at Palo Verde shut down Utility seeks reason behind device failures Mark Shaffer The Arizona Republic Unit 1 at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station was shut down early Tuesday because of a recurring problem with pressurizer heaters. Jim McDonald, an Arizona Public Service Co. spokesman, said the unit, one of three reactors at the nation's largest nuclear plant, would be out of service for at least a week. "We need to know what is the root cause of the problems with these heaters," McDonald said. McDonald said that Unit 1 has 36 pressurizer heaters and that five have failed during the past two months. He said 23 of the heaters need to be functioning properly for the unit to be in operation. "We evaluated whether we could find out the problem with the unit still online and decided it would be best to take it offline for at least a week," McDonald said. "Power supply is not an issue now." APS officials had said that they plan to shut down Unit 2 later this month for five weeks of refueling and maintenance. The 1,243-megawatt Unit 1 creates enough electricity at peak production to power more than 300,000 homes. Copyright © 2006, azcentral.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 63 Dallas Morning News: Former nuclear courier pleads not guilty to federal charges 09/20/2006 Associated Press A former nuclear weapons courier has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he sold restricted military equipment over the Internet, stole government property and illegally owned two machine guns. Joe Allen Sizemore, 41, the former courier assigned to Pantex nuclear weapons plant near Amarillo, made his plea Tuesday to charges contained in a 31-count federal indictment earlier this month. He was indicted on five counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud, 26 counts of aiding and abetting theft of government property and one count of possession of unregistered firearms, including an M-60 machine gun and a Thompson submachine gun. Sizemore, who once held a top secret clearance and was assigned to protect nuclear weapons shipments, was released on his own recognizance. His attorney, Selden Hale, did not immediately return a phone message left Wednesday. Hale told U.S. Magistrate Clinton E. Averitte on Tuesday that the Energy Department retained Sizemore's passport when it fired him. Sizemore has no prior criminal history, Averitte said. From July 2003 until August 2005, Sizemore prepared purchase requests of restricted items on DOE letterhead and submitted them to his supervisors, who signed them, according to the indictment. After he received the items, he posted them for sale on the Internet, prosecutors say. Couriers transport nuclear weapons and obtain body armor, night scopes and weaponry restricted to government and law-enforcement officials. They agree to return equipment the DOE that has been provided to them during their employment, federal officials have said. Sizemore allegedly faxed the purchase orders to military suppliers and paid for the items with his personal credit card. In an Oct. 20 raid at Sizemore's home, federal agents seized a Thompson submachine gun, a Browning machine gun, and multiple federal security badges, along with other items, according to search warrant affidavits unsealed last year. Sizemore had worked at Pantex since 1990. The charges carry possible prison terms of up to 370 years and $9 million in fines. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. This text is invisible on the page, but this text is affected by the invisible item's flow. © 2006 The Dallas Morning News Co. ***************************************************************** 64 The Hindu: Safety status of nuclear power plants (13 deaths) Thursday, Sep 21, 2006 Safety status of nuclear power plants The radiation doses to the public were very low Photo: K. Gajendran NEW LEASE OF LIFE: MAPS underwent safety upgradation recently. THE ATOMIC Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) reported that during 2005-2006, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has operated safely all its nuclear power reactors in the country. The radioactive releases from the plants were well within the limits prescribed by AERB. The estimated radiation doses to the public at different stations were too low to be measured and were very small fractions of the permitted value. The radiation doses to workers in all Units of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) were also in total compliance with the AERB limits. Classified into seven levels Of the 28 events reported from various nuclear power stations during the year, 26 were at level zero (deviations, no safety significance) and two were at level 1 (anomalies). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), depending on their safety significance, classifies events occurring in a nuclear power plant into seven levels (1-7). The Agency rated the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station at level 7, as it involved large-scale release of radioactivity and human health effects. IAEA calls the events at level 4 and above, accidents. Up-gradations NPCIL implemented the required safety up-gradations at Units 1 &2 of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, the oldest nuclear power reactors in the country. The up-gradations included modification of emergency power supply, segregation of shared systems, addition of emergency control room, up-gradation of fire protection system, seismic re-evaluation and retrofitting as appropriate. AERB renewed authorisation to the plants up to March 2011. The Board renewed the authorisations to operate Unit 1 &2 of the Madras Atomic Power Station up to March 2011; these reactors also underwent safety up-gradation. The Board is carrying out safety review of reactors of new and diverse designs that are under construction. These included two water moderated water-cooled reactors (VVER) at Kudankulam, several Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR), the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam and Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) at Trombay. Scope for improvements AERB continued to administer the provisions of the Factories Act 1948 in the Units of the Department of Atomic Energy. The overall status of industrial safety in various DAE Units was satisfactory; there was scope for further improvements. Unfortunately, there were 13 fatalities due to industrial accidents during the year. Following one fatal accident, AERB suspended jobs involving work at heights at all NPCIL projects until it submitted a detailed report on measures taken to improve safety of workers working at heights. The Board lifted the restrictions after verifying that NPCIL had implemented such measures. Indoctrination of workers Continuous indoctrination of workers on safety measures and compulsorily showing them audiovisual programmes of case studies of accidents may be necessary to help prevent accidents. AERB has started implementing the Atomic Energy (Radiation protection) Rules 2004 by issuing type approvals to radiation generating equipment such as Computed Tomography Units (16), medical accelerators (18) and baggage inspection systems (7), radiotherapy simulators (5) and 124 devices containing radioactive material. The Board staff inspected 450 institutions outside the DAE. Unusual incidents Two instances in which Indian firms exported steel products contaminated with cobalt-60 to the U.S. highlighted the need to install appropriate radiation monitors at ports and other entry points to prevent contaminated material from entering and exiting the country. The firms used imported scrap to produce the products. Two incidents related to transport of radioactive materials (a molybdenum-99 generator and a package containing Y-90) used in nuclear medicine revealed avoidable procedural lapses. The incidents did not involve any radiation exposure to the public. AERB assisted the customs authorities of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust to search and recover a low activity Am-Be neutron source from a shipping container of steel scrap. This followed an alert received from U.S. customs. AERB investigated two cases involving theft of radiography sources. AERB staff held discussion meetings on safety related topics with the staff of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in September 2005 and March/April 2006. Other notable developments included the renewal of cooperation agreement with the French Regulatory Body for five years and the organisation of an IAEA meeting at Mumbai of the countries operating CANDU type reactors. K.S. PARTHASARATHY Former Secretary, AERB (ksparth@yahoo.co.uk) The Hindu Group: Home| About Us | Copyright | Archives | Comments to : thehindu@vsnl.com Copyright © 2006, The Hindu ***************************************************************** 65 APP.COM: Pulling teeth on drill | Asbury Park Press Online September 20, 2006 If you live near the Oyster Creek nuclear generating station in Lacey and a serious accident should occur at the plant, there's no need to worry, a homeland security official says. An emergency drill conducted at the plant and in surrounding towns last week showed emergency responders would be able to protect the public. That assessment might have been more reassuring had it not come from someone employed by the agency that bungled the response to Hurricane Katrina. And it might have been more credible if the post-mortem on the drill at which it were offered by homeland security official Rebecca Thomson offered even the sketchiest details about the exercise, including what the scenario was. But it didn't. The 10-minute presentation consisted of Thomson reading from hand-written notes. It ended with the attendees being told by Thomson that she wouldn't field any questions. Inquiries had to be submitted in writing to a bureaucrat in Washington. Afterward, a Press reporter managed to pry some information out of Thomson. The drill scenario, she said, began with a failure of two backup generators, one of which had caught fire, and ended with a minor radioactive release that cleared plant boundaries. How minor was the release? How far, and in what direction, did the release spread? What areas were affected? How quickly, and by what means, were towns notified? Was there a need for evacuations? Looking for the answers? Write Washington. Drills can be invaluable if the scenarios are realistic and if the exercises are designed to identify weaknesses rather than gloss over them. If the emergency response last week was half as bad as the presentation, residents in the area should keep their fingers crossed that a real emergency never occurs at Oyster Creek. Copyright © 2006 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 66 Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC: Few risks from nuclear site ajc.com By STACY SHELTON The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 09/20/06 Aiken, S.C.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found only a minimal risk to residents and workers at the Savannah River Site who were exposed to thousands of air and water releases of potentially cancer-causing radioactive plutonium, tritium and other chemicals in the 39 years that nuclear bomb materials were manufactured at the plant. Mandated by Congress in 1992, the last year the plant produced the bomb components, the exhaustive 14-year scientific analysis was quietly presented in final form Tuesday night at a little-publicized gathering at the University of South Carolina campus here. Scientists said they delved into mountains of formerly top-secret documents to reconstruct the doses of radiation and chemicals that were released after 1954 into the atmosphere, the Savannah River and its tributary, the Lower Three Runs Creek and into the soil. CDC officials estimated the study cost $10 million. The exposure findings  projected for seven hypothetical families of two adults and two children  left a few critics questioning why real people who live in the area weren't given blood and tissue tests. Louis Zeller of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, one of the fewer than three dozen people who attended, agreed that "more work needs to be done. "There are shortcomings and information gaps that undermine the estimates and the impact on human health and the environment." Jen Kato, a nurse who works in Atlanta and a former member of the CDC's advisory panel  the Savannah River Site Health Effects Subcommittee  said the study did not consider any exposure effects on fetuses, considered the most likely to be affected by radiation. Nor did the study project the impact of eating deer hunted on the federal acreage around the site, animals that would likely have consumed contaminated vegetation. "I see a lot of holes that point to some concerns for me," said Kato, who grew up in Augusta. She was particularly concerned that two phases planned for the study  which would have considered actual human effects  were eventually scratched. Retired environmental scientist Todd Crawford, who worked at SRS and now lives nearby, was the last chairman of the subcommittee. He said the shortcuts were taken, with the panel's blessing, because there was a sense that CDC's interest and funding were waning. "You can quibble on the numbers, and you can quibble on the [study methods], but I think you have to say 'stop' at some point," Crawford said. Charles M. Wood, a CDC health physicist who worked on the project, said additional data was requested by some of the panel members and by a Georgia Tech scientist who reviewed the work. But he said the study is over. "At some point, we have to declare that we're beating this thing to death," Wood said. Wood, who has also worked on four other dose reconstruction studies including Hanford, Wash., said the exposures calculated for SRS are the lowest found. He said CDC did conduct epidemiological studies at Hanford and found thyroid cancer cases, but the incidence was "no higher than in the American population in general." The Savannah River Site is a vast, Cold War-era facility where the materials for nuclear bombs  radioactive plutonium, tritium and other compounds  were produced and purified. Built in the early 1950s under great secrecy on 300 square miles in South Carolina along the Savannah River, the complex that once employed as many as 25,000 people is about 22 miles southeast of Augusta and about 190 miles east of downtown Atlanta. Georgia officials have said they fear groundwater contaminated with tritium at the site could migrate beneath the Savannah River and taint Georgia's groundwater. Most production at the plant ended in 1992 but some separation processes , waste management and environmental cleanup facilities still operate, with the federal government spending billions on cleanup and remediation at the heavily polluted Superfund site. Large amounts of plutonium and tritium, with other radioactive materials and chemicals, were released into the air and water during the plant operations, causing concern to people living near SRS that their health may have been damaged. CDC launched the current Dose Reconstruction Project in 1992, focusing on those releases from 1954 to 1992  a massive effort involving digging through thousands of documents to find information on accidental or unplanned radioactive releases. The scientists, using a series of hypothetical scenarios representing a family that lived and worked near the plant, including children born during years of large releases of radioactive material. They concluded that the highest risk would have been to a hypothetical male child born in 1955 to a family in a rural area on the SRS outskirts. That person, CDC said would have been exposed from eating fish from the Savannah River and eating food grown nearby. But even the greatest risk, scientists said, would have been small. The study estimated that male child's risk of dying of cancer would be only fractionally greater  by 0.024 percent than for a man who didn't grow up next to the facility. © 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Customer care| ***************************************************************** 67 Philadelphia Inquirer: N.J. senators urge public meetings on radioactive site 09/20/2006 | By Sam Wood Inquirer Staff Writer Both of New Jersey's U.S. senators yesterday called for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold public meetings to discuss the fate of a 35-foot pile of radioactive waste that covers six acres on an industrial site in Gloucester County. Sens. Robert Menendez and Frank R. Lautenberg, in a letter to NRC chairman Dale E. Klein, urged the commission to meet with residents to discuss Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corp.'s plan to close its factory. The company wants to move from tiny Newfield to Brazil for cheaper labor and material. Shieldalloy wants to bury more than 50,000 tons of low-level radioactive slag and dust under a layer of soil and fence it for 1,000 years. The NRC, which regulates radioactive waste, is considering the plan. If the NRC accepts Shieldalloy's proposal, the slag pile would become New Jersey's first radioactive waste dump. The letter from the Democratic senators, dated yesterday, follows an article in The Inquirer on Monday about the slag pile. For 50 years, Shieldalloy refined Canadian ore into a metal called ferroniobium, which is added to steel, aluminum and titanium to make the materials stronger and lighter. The refining process also created a small mountain of low-level radioactive slag and dust. The company dumped more than 50,000 tons of it, containing about 1 percent uranium and thorium, on its back lot. Shieldalloy says the pile is harmless and wants to leave it when it moves operations to Brazil. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection said the site, already on the Superfund list for chemical pollution, is leaching radioactive material into groundwater. A company spokesman said the slag has value, but Shieldalloy has been unable to find a buyer. Spokesman Michael Turner said the price of a complete cleanup would be $58 million and might force the company into bankruptcy, which would leave taxpayers stuck with cleanup costs. Envirocare of Utah, a Salt Lake City-based company that specializes in radioactive waste disposal, said yesterday the tab for cleaning up the Newfield site would be closer to $30 million. The price includes refurbishing an existing rail line adjacent to the slag pile. Burying the slag, fencing it, and monitoring it until the year 3010 would cost about $5 million, according to Shieldalloy. The mayors of Newfield and neighboring towns are outraged that Shieldalloy wants to leave the slag. Yesterday the chorus got louder. "Newfield residents are making it clear that they don't want this in their community." said Menendez. "Senator Lautenberg and I are calling for hearings before a plan is approved. The public deserves to be heard before a decision is made." U.S. Reps. Frank A. LoBiondo, a Republican, and Robert Andrews, a Democrat, also called for a public hearing. "Their views should be heard in a case that is in their backyard," LoBiondo said of Newfield residents. NRC chairman Klein had no immediate response, said commission spokeswoman Diane Screnci. Screnci said Shieldalloy's earlier proposal to bury the waste had been considered "inadequate." The modified plan to cover and fence the slag is under consideration, said Screnci. If the NRC accepts the plan, its staff will conduct a technical review, Screnci said. Citizens won't have a chance to comment until after Shieldalloy files an environmental impact statement - a process that could take five years. Newfield Mayor Rick Westergaard said he was grateful for the senators' support. "We want the site cleaned up and the slag removed immediately," Westergaard said. "The company has been dragging its heels, and it's been going on long enough." Contact staff writer Sam Wood at 856-779-3838 or . The Inquirer ***************************************************************** 68 reviewjournal.com: LETTERS: Yucca problems aside, we need nuke power Sep. 20, 2006 To the editor: In your Sept. 16 editorial, "Frank talk on Yucca Mountain," you concluded that the primary purpose of the Yucca Mountain Project "is to spin the American public into accepting the need for more nuclear power plants." You based your conclusion, in part, on congressional testimony by a spokesman from the Nuclear Energy Institute in Washington, D.C. While your conclusion may be partially correct, it is difficult to understand how any member of the public could fail to comprehend the need for more nuclear power. Warnings on global warming from a broad spectrum of scientists from around the world have reached a fevered pitch. Most recent was a warning based on the rate of ice melting at the poles. Scientists tell us that we might have as little as a decade to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions from our continued burning of fossil fuels. Certainly these international scientists are not basing their conclusions on a desire to advance the nuclear cause in the United States. Also, our continued over-reliance on imported oil from Middle East countries -- many of whom would like to destroy us -- places our future and that of our children in jeopardy. We have already fought several wars in countries where we have oil interests and traded our blood for their oil. The more oil we import, the more accelerated will be Iran's atomic weapons development. Is there anyone who doubts what Iran will do with atomic weapons? Without additional nuclear power plants, our nation will be forced to continue to generate harmful levels of greenhouse gases; prevented from moving away from a petrol-powered transportation infrastructure to an electric-powered one; and possibly engaged in more wars to protect our oil and economic interests. If the Nuclear Energy Institute can contribute toward a broader public understanding of our present precarious position, then I say more power to them. Dan Kane Las Vegas Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2006 Stephens Media GroupPrivacy Statement ***************************************************************** 69 Russia-InfoCentre: Russia is building new international nuclear fuel cycle service center 20.09.2006 The head of Rosatom Sergey Kirienko announced the exact location where the international nuclear fuel cycle service center will soon appear. It is the electrolysis and chemical industrial complex in Angarsk that will enrich uranium. But the specialists say the center will start paying for itself no sooner than 2015-2020. The absence of military production at the plant afforded an opportunity of reprofiling. As Kirienko predicted, the international center is to start working in 2007. Sergey Kirienko promised the production to be ecologically safe and clean. The industrial complex in Angarsk is occupied only with uranium enrichment, no nuclear waste, says the head of Rosatom. Nevertheless, Russian department of Greenpeace organization has another opinion. The creating of the uranium enrichment complex is just the first step which will entail the problem of nuclear waste utilization. So Russia will have to build the appropriate center. source: www.gazeta.ru © Garant-InfoCentre, 2004-2006. All rights ***************************************************************** 70 CMENO: SA uranium project ahead of schedule, says developer Creamer Media's Engineering News Online, South African Industry ['DOMINION PROJECT' Uranium development company sxr Uranium One has begun commissioning the plant at its Dominium project, near Klerksdorp, in South Africa, a quarter earlier than anticipated, the company announced in a statement to the JSE on Wednesday. The company said the plant substations and transformers were powered up at the end of August and the boiler and the rest of the plant equipment were currently being commissioned. Construction of the thickeners was being completed and the first autoclave had been delivered ahead of schedule. The crushing circuit was already operational and would be integrated into the uranium processing circuit. Dominium is moving smoothly towards the start-up of production, said sxr Uranium One CEO Neal Fronemen. I am pleased to see that the team has managed to meet this milestone a quarter ahead of schedule, and we remain confident that we are on track to achieve our objective of hot commissioning in the first quarter of 2007. The workforce at Dominion now totals 1 300, with an additional 700 contractors on site, who are engaged in the construction of the plant. sxr Uranium One had completed the first-phase feasibility study of the Dominion project and of a conceptual study to extend the project to a 30-year life-of-mine. The feasibility study had demonstrated that the first phase, which covered the first 11 years of the mine life, was financially viable and robust. Metal recovery had been optimised at a maximum mining width of 1,6 m, where the channel width was higher, resulting in a probable reserve of 31-million pounds of U3O8, which was contained within 18 454 000 t at an average head grade of 0,77 kg/t. The company is pursuing uranium projects in South Africa and Australia, having recently sanctioned the development of the $35,9-million Honeymoon in situ leach (ISL) uranium project in South Australia. The company hoped to commission what would be South Australia's fourth uranium mine in the first quarter of 2008. The project was not affected by the State's moratorium on new uranium projects and Nortier described the government as being very helpful, with all permits having been obtained. Uranium One's far larger and longer-life Dominion uranium-mine resuscitation project, should begin producing a year earlier. The ISL project was expected to produce 880 000 lbs of U3O8 over a six- to seven-year period, compared to 3,8-million pounds from Dominion. The life-of-mine average cash operating costs at the 'shallow' Honeymoon venture was expected to be $14,13/lb U3O8, which translated into a net present value of $37,7-million, at an 8% discount rate. The after-tax internal rate of return (IRR) was expected to be 40%, with a payback period of around three years from the start of construction. Dominion's IRR was expected to be 32% and the South African project would also have a much longer three-phase life of 30 years. While rival Paladin would be the first to produce from a resuscitated brownfields site in Namibia, Uranium One would be second with Dominion and third with Honeymoon. Published: 2006/09/20 Printer friendly: [View this article Copyright © Creamer Media (Pty) Ltd ***************************************************************** 71 Reuters: Over 50 nations press for binding nuclear test ban Thursday September 21, 3:24 AM UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - More than 50 nations issued a plea on Wednesday for 10 more countries to ratify a 10-year old treaty banning nuclear tests, a step that would transform an informal moratorium into a binding commitment. A meeting of "Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" at U.N. headquarters was intended to "serve as a wake-up call for those nations that have not done so to sign and ratify the CTBT," said Bernard Bot, the Netherlands foreign minister. The pact was adopted in New York in September 1996. So far, 176 nations have signed it and 135 have ratified. But under the treaty's terms, it will come into force only after it is ratified by the 44 states deemed capable of producing nuclear weapons. To date just 34 of those states have done so. The 10 that have not are the United States, China, Colombia, North Korea, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel and Pakistan. President George W. Bush's administration actively opposes the pact although U.S. officials have said they have no plans to resume nuclear testing. "We live with the risk of someone going ahead and testing nuclear weapons all of the time," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who co-chaired Wednesday's meeting with Bot. Downer singled out North Korea as one country that might soon do so. U.S. officials have reported signs that Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct an underground nuclear test. "Through the horrific experiences in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese people learned first-hand that the use of nuclear weapons causes incomparable human suffering," Japanese Vice Foreign Minister told the meeting. "We must ensure that nuclear tests are not held." Copyright © 2005 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 72 Guardian Unlimited: Wash. State Seeks Toxic-Spill Fine From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday September 20, 2006 5:46 AM By SHANNON DININNY Associated Press Writer RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - Washington state on Tuesday requested that the Energy Department pay a fine for leaking a highly toxic and potentially cancer-causing agent into the ground at the Hanford nuclear reservation. The state asked the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates cleanup at the site, to issue a violation against the department after federal workers digging up an old pipeline near a nuclear reactor in August leaked sodium dichromate about a half-mile from the Columbia River. The concentrated material potentially endangered the workers, as well as groundwater, spawning salmon and other fish in the river, said Jay Manning, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. ``They should have known what they were getting into. They should have been prepared. They weren't,'' Manning said, noting that contractors at the site have generally performed well. ``This was a notable and very disappointing exception.'' The EPA will review the state's request, program manager Nick Ceto said in a statement. Energy Department spokeswoman Colleen French also said the agency would review the state's report. ``Our concern - first and always - is ensuring the safety of the work force out there. It's clear on a site like ours we are going to continue to run into surprises and changing conditions during cleanup,'' French said. The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. Over the next 40 years, nine reactors were built to produce plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. Contractors have been working to ``cocoon'' those reactors, which involves demolishing nonradioactive portions of the buildings and sealing the reactor cores in concrete shields. They also must dig up ancillary pipes and so-called ``burial grounds,'' where contaminated equipment and junk were buried. Cleanup at the 586-square-mile site is expected to continue through 2035. That includes treatment of an estimated 80 square miles of groundwater contaminated when 1.7 trillion gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste leaked into the soil. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 73 Seattle Times: State seeks restitution over Hanford leak Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - Page updated at 12:00 AM By The Associated Press RICHLAND  Washington state issued a notice of violation Tuesday to the U.S. Department of Energy for leaking a highly toxic and potentially cancer-causing agent into the ground at the heavily contaminated Hanford nuclear reservation. The leak of sodium dichromate occurred in June as workers were digging up an old pipeline near a nuclear reactor, about a half-mile from the Columbia River. The concentrated material potentially endangered workers, as well as the already contaminated groundwater and the spawning salmon and other fish species in the river, said Jay Manning, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. The notice alerts the Energy Department that the state believes the agency and its contractors violated the Tri-Party Agreement, the legal cleanup pact signed by the state, Energy Department and federal Environmental Protection Agency, Manning said. The state also asked the EPA, which regulates cleanup at that part of the site, to issue a fine. "They should have known what they were getting into. They should have been prepared. They weren't," Manning said, noting that contractors at the site have generally performed well. "This was a notable and very disappointing exception." The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. Over the next 40 years, nine reactors were built to produce plutonium for the nation's nuclear-weapons arsenal. Contractors have been working to "cocoon" those reactors, which involves demolishing nonradioactive portions of the buildings and sealing the reactor cores in concrete shields. They also must dig up ancillary pipes and so-called "burial grounds," where contaminated equipment and junk were buried. When the leak occurred, workers were using heavy equipment to remotely dig up a pipe that carried sodium dichromate near the D Reactor, which operated from 1944 to 1967. Sodium dichromate, considered to be carcinogenic, was used to inhibit corrosion of the reactor's cooling-system pipelines that carried Columbia River water into the reactor core to cool it. An estimated 30 gallons of sodium dichromate leaked into the ground during one excavation project June 15. Another 3 gallons leaked into the ground from the same pipeline in another spot June 19. Sampling of the liquid sodium dichromate showed concentrations of 44,000 parts per million, 22,000 times the limit considered safe for direct contact with humans. Todd Nelson, spokesman for contractor Washington Closure Hanford, said workers immediately halted the excavation after the first leak, digging up the contaminated soil. They pinched off the ends of the pipe so nothing else could leak out, and covered the area with uncontaminated soil to protect the site until a new work plan could be established. In trying to determine where else material may have collected in the pipe, the second leak occurred, Nelson said, and workers immediately halted excavation. "Typically, when we encounter an anomaly, we shut down work, secure the site and prepare a new plan. And sometimes that requires more investigation," Nelson said. "All of that was done in this case." Washington Closure officials, in tandem with the Energy Department and the state Department of Ecology, agreed upon a new plan and restarted cleanup in the area in August, he said. One worker was in the immediate area of the leaks, working inside a piece of heavy equipment. No workers were contaminated, and all contaminated soil has been collected, Nelson said. The EPA will review the Department of Ecology's request, conduct an additional investigation as necessary and determine if any other action is required, program manager Nick Ceto said in a statement. "It is essential that all cleanup work be completed in a way that is protective of both workers and the environment," he said. Cleanup at the 586-square-mile site is expected to continue through 2035. That includes treatment of an estimated 80 square miles of groundwater contaminated when 1.7 trillion gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste leaked into the soil. Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company ***************************************************************** 74 DOE: Energy Department to Award $6 Million to State Partnerships to Increase Energy Efficiency September 19, 2006 WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner today announced that DOE will award $6 million to fund 22 federal-state partnerships that will create innovative initiatives to increase energy savings in residential and commercial buildings. These state partnership grants will help implement training programs, and provide technical assistance and education that will ultimately result in the construction of more energy-efficient buildings. Assistant Secretary Karsner made the announcement while speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This $6 million dollars announced today will help reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources, increase energy efficiency and help implement alternative methods of changing ways to power our homes and businesses, an integral part of President Bushs Advanced Energy Initiative, Assistant Secretary Karsner said. The Energy Department is eager to assist with increasing energy efficiency throughout states as well as contributing to the construction more state-of-the-art energy efficient facilities. DOEs Building Technologies Program, within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will oversee funding for these partnerships. DOE anticipates providing $3.9 million for these projects in FY 2006, with the remainder funded in FY 2007 and FY 2008. While actual award dates will vary, DOE expects to make funding available by the end of September 2006. The selection process for state projects to receive awards was based on an evaluation of the merits of their applications, submitted in response to the funding opportunity announcement on March 21, 2006. The state partnerships selected, subject to negotiation, are: + Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority - Southeastern High Performance Buildings + Kentucky Office of Energy Policy - Enhanced Building Energy Efficiency Technology in Kentucky + Louisiana Department of Natural Resources - Gulf Region High Performance Homes Program + Maryland Energy Administration - Mid-Atlantic Home Performance Collaborative + Maine State Energy Program, ME Public Utilities Commission - Whole House Energy Efficiency Pilot Project + Mississippi Development Authority, Energy Division - Promoting Energy Codes and Beyond Code Building Programs through Energy Policy Act 2005 Tax Incentives + Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Illinois-Kansas-Missouri Tri-State Residential Energy Efficiency Project + New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department - New Mexicos Three Strides Toward Energy Efficient Buildings + New York State Energy Research and Development Authority - Multifamily Standardized Training Program - Getting a Handle on Your Building Energy Costs + Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Implementation of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code  Pennsylvania Housing Research Center + California Energy Commission - California Rebuild America + Connecticut Office of Policy and Management - Building Operator Certification for State and Local Public Employees and Employees of Small Commercial/Industrial Organizations + Florida Energy Office - Automated Energy Code Compliance System  A Pilot Project for Enhanced Enforcement and Evaluation + Michigan - Michigan Home Builders Training: Integrating Building Codes, ENERGY STAR®, and Building America + Minnesota Department of Commerce  Energy and Environmental Building Administration Outreach and Training to Transform the Home Market  Build America + Minnesota Department of Commerce - Project to Enable Commissioning Provisions in Commercial Energy Codes + Montana Department of Environmental Quality - Montana Integrated Approach for Delivering Technical Assistance to Schools and Residential Buildings + Rhode Island - Northeast Regional Building Energy Codes Project + Texas State Energy Conservation Office - Building Technologies Program-Rebuild America-East Texas Rural Building Initiative + Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts - Multi-State High Performance Housing and Energy Code Enhancement Initiative + Vermont Department of Public Service - Vermont High Performance Schools Implementation Project + Washington Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development - Implementation of a Coordinated Regional ENERGY STAR®, Building America, and Building Energy Code Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance Program in the Pacific Northwest For more information, visit: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/. Media contact(s): Julie Ruggiero, (202) 586-4940 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 75 DOE: U.S. Provides $80,000 for International Atomic Energy Agency Infrastructure Workshop to Establish Nuclear Generating Capacity September 19, 2006 VIENNA, AUSTRIA  U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis Spurgeon today announced that the Department will provide $80,000 to co-sponsor, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other countries, a workshop on infrastructure issues related to the introduction of nuclear power into countries seeking to establish nuclear generating capacity. This funding will encourage developing nations to consider needed infrastructure development as part of their participation in the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). The workshop will be held December 4-6, 2006, in Vienna, Austria. Under GNEP, the U.S. seeks to work with the international community to bring the benefits of nuclear energy to the world in a manner that is safe and secure, Assistant Secretary Spurgeon said. In an effort to hasten the benefits of nuclear power globally, we will extend a helping hand to emerging economies so that they can develop the necessary basic human, regulatory, legal and physical infrastructure to build and operate new nuclear power plants. Participants of the conference will include representatives of countries without nuclear power plants and who are interested in using nuclear power as a source of electricity, representatives from supplier countries, and representatives of countries interested in the future application of nuclear power. The funding may be used to defray costs of government officials from emerging economies who wish to attend. Additional information on this conference may be found on the IAEA web site at: 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 ***************************************************************** 76 DOE: DOE Releases Climate Change Technology Program Strategic Plan September 20, 2006 Plan Outlines Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Development and Deployment of Advanced Technologies WASHINGTON, DC  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today released the Climate Change Technology Program (CCTP) Strategic Plan, which details measures to accelerate the development and reduce the cost of new and advanced technologies that avoid, reduce, or capture and store greenhouse gas emissions. CCTP is the technology component of a comprehensive U.S. strategy introduced by President Bush in 2002 to combat climate change that include measures to slow the growth of greenhouse gas emissions through voluntary, incentive-based, and mandatory partnerships, advance climate change science, spur clean energy technology development and deployment, and promote international collaboration. This Plan was inspired by the Presidents vision to harness Americas strengths in innovation and technology to transform energy production and use in ways that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the long term, U.S Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. This Strategic Plan is unprecedented in its scope and scale and breaks new ground with its visionary 100-year planning horizon, global perspective, multi-lateral research collaborations, and public private partnerships. The CCTP Strategic Plan organizes roughly $3 billion in federal spending for climate technology research, development, demonstration, and deployment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase economic growth. It provides a long-term planning context, taking into account many uncertainties, and establishes principles for formulating research and development portfolios to identify areas for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and highlights an array of technology strategies and investment criteria. This Plan complements other Administration efforts including short-term measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity, advance climate change science, and promote international cooperation through partnership including the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, Methane to Markets Partnership, and the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy. The Plan sets six complementary goals: (1) reducing emissions from energy use and infrastructure; (2) reducing emissions from energy supply; (3) capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide; (4) reducing emissions of other greenhouse gases; (5) measuring and monitoring emissions; and (6) bolstering the contributions of basic science to climate change. The Plan outlines approaches toward attaining these goals, articulates underlying technology development strategies, and identifies a series of next steps toward implementation. Through this Plan, the Climate Change Technology program provides a framework for getting the broad range of government experts involved in climate technology research pulling in the same strategic direction, Stephen Eule, DOE Director of CCTP, said. The technologies outlined in the Plan  hydrogen, biorefining, clean coal, carbon sequestration, nuclear fission and fusion, and others - have the potential to transform our economy in fundamental ways and can address not just climate change, but energy security, air pollution, and other pressing needs. The Plan is the outcome of coordination through government working groups, expert review, and public comment. A draft Strategic Plan was released in September 2005 and over 250 comments were received during the public comment period. Through public comment, the Plans ambitious goals for advanced technology, both near- and long-term, are more clearly stated and, within a wide range of uncertainties, summarize both quantities and timing. Further, the final Plan seeks to outline transformational ways through technology to reduce the costs of addressing climate change. To view the CCTP Strategic Plan, please visit the CCTP website at: . Media contact(s): Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 77 Hanford News: Wash state requests EPA fine for spill at Hanford nuclear site This story was published Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 By Shannon Dininny, Associated Press Writer RICHLAND, Wash. (AP) - Washington has issued a notice of violation to the U.S. Department of Energy for leaking a highly toxic and potentially cancer-causing agent into ground at the heavily contaminated Hanford nuclear reservation. The leak of sodium dichromate occurred as workers were digging up an old pipeline near a nuclear reactor, about a half-mile from the Columbia River. The concentrated material potentially endangered workers, as well as the already contaminated groundwater and the spawning salmon and other fish species in the river, said Jay Manning, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. The notice alerts the Energy Department that the state believes the agency and its contractors violated the Tri-Party Agreement, the legal cleanup pact signed by the state, Energy Department and federal Environmental Protection Agency, Manning said Tuesday. The state also asked the EPA, which regulates cleanup at that part of the site, to issue a fine. "They should have known what they were getting into. They should have been prepared. They weren't," Manning said, noting that contractors at the site have generally performed well. "This was a notable and very disappointing exception." The federal government created Hanford in the 1940s as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb. Over the next 40 years, nine reactors were built to produce plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. Contractors have been working to "cocoon" those reactors, which involves demolishing nonradioactive portions of the buildings and sealing the reactor cores in concrete shields. They also must dig up ancillary pipes and so-called "burial grounds," where contaminated equipment and junk were buried. When the leak occurred, workers were using heavy equipment to remotely dig up a pipe that carried sodium dichromate near the D Reactor, which operated from 1944 to 1967. Sodium dichromate is considered to be a potentially carcinogenic, or cancer-causing compound. It was used to inhibit corrosion of the reactor's cooling system pipelines that carried Columbia River water into the reactor core to cool it. An estimated 30 gallons of sodium dichromate leaked into the ground June 15 when workers tried to excavate the pipe. Another 3 gallons leaked into the ground from the same pipeline in another spot June 19. Sampling of the liquid sodium dichromate showed concentrations of 44,000 parts per million, 22,000 times above limits considered safe for direct contact with humans. Todd Nelson, spokesman for contractor Washington Closure Hanford, said workers immediately halted the excavation June 15 after the first leak, digging up the contaminated soil. They pinched off the ends of the pipe so nothing else could leak out, then covered the area with less stained soil that had been dug up to protect the site until a new work plan could be developed. He did not know if the soil had been sampled for contamination. In trying to determine June 19 where else material might have collected in the pipe, the second leak occurred, Nelson said, and workers immediately halted excavation. "Typically, when we encounter an anomaly, we shut down work, secure the site and prepare a new plan. And sometimes that requires more investigation," Nelson said. "All of that was done in this case." Washington Closure officials, in tandem with the Energy Department and the state Department of Ecology, agreed upon a new plan and restarted cleanup in the area in August, he said. One worker was in the immediate area of the leaks, working inside a piece of heavy equipment. No workers were contaminated, and all contaminated soil has been collected, Nelson said. The work was actually being conducted by a subcontractor to Washington Closure, Duratek Federal Services of Hanford. That company has since been renamed Energy Solutions. Specifically, the notice faults the Energy Department for failing to notify regulators of the leak in a timely manner, and failing to characterize the nature of the soil contamination, among other things. The EPA will review the Department of Ecology's request, conduct an additional investigation as necessary and determine if any other action is required, program manager Nick Ceto said in a statement. "It is essential that all cleanup work be completed in a way that is protective of both workers and the environment," he said. Energy Department spokeswoman Colleen French also said the agency would review the Department of Ecology's report to determine its accuracy and conclusions, as well as to ensure that corrective actions are being implemented as appropriate. "Our concern - first and always - is ensuring the safety of the work force out there. It's clear on a site like ours we are going to continue to run into surprises and changing conditions during cleanup," French said. "The big focus for us is ensuring the contractor's excellence at worker health and safety when we do." Cleanup at the 586-square-mile site is expected to continue through 2035. That includes treatment of an estimated 80 square miles of groundwater contaminated when 1.7 trillion gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste leaked into the soil. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 78 Hanford News: DOE could be fined for spills This story was published Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer The Washington State Department of Ecology wants the Department of Energy to be fined because of two hazardous chemical spills a half-mile from the Columbia River. The sodium dichromate spills should not have occurred and those responsible did not handle them correctly, said Jay Manning, director of the state agency. He called the situation a breakdown of common sense. Washington Closure Hanford, the DOE contractor for cleanup along the Columbia River at the Hanford nuclear reservation, said unexpected situations are common there. Dealing with them requires judgment, and the state disagrees with what was done to secure the site, said Todd Nelson, a company spokesman. Work was under way June 15 to remove piping that once carried highly concentrated sodium dichromate to the D and DR reactors. They operated from 1944-67 to produce plutonium for the U.S. nuclear weapons program. The chemical was piped to the reactors to be mixed with water to prevent corrosion in the reactors' cooling systems. When an excavator started to remove the first set of twin pipes, about 30 gallons of a bright red and green liquid flowed out of the pipe. Duratek Federal Services, which has since been acquired by EnergySolutions, was doing the work as a subcontractor to Washington Closure Hanford. Washington Closure Hanford had found records that indicated the pipe had been emptied, but instead it only had been sealed off from the reactors. Workers pinched off the ends of the pipe at the break and dug up soil they believed was contaminated. The most contaminated soil was placed in a waste container on site. The rest was piled back into the hole after it had been lined with plastic. The contractor said that was a way to secure the site, but the state report indicates the soil was put back into the hole because the contractor ran out of room in the waste container. At that point, DOE and the state should have been notified, the state believes. Instead, workers went home for the weekend. When they returned to work Monday, they cut into a different section of the twin pipes and three more gallons spilled into the soil. Then DOE was notified. Workers filled the hole over the second spill without sampling the soil, a violation of regulations, according to John Price, Department of Ecology project manager for environmental restoration. They did not use a plastic liner in the second spill. The soil was put back into the hole to stabilize the site until the contractor, DOE and regulators could decide what to do next, Nelson said. The Department of Ecology, a regulator on the project, was not notified until June 26, Manning said. Regulations allow flexibility for contractors that encounter unexpected situations at Hanford, but the key is notifying regulators to come up with acceptable actions, Price said. The Department of Ecology on Tuesday issued a notice that DOE had violated the legally binding Tri-Party Agreement on Hanford cleanup. The state agency has requested that the other Hanford regulator, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, follow up with a fine. They said the violations include spilling toxic waste, failing to take adequate soil samples and failing to notify DOE and the state. The sodium dichromate in the pipes includes hexavalent chromium at levels 22,000 times the safe level for human exposure, the state said. It's a human carcinogen and highly toxic to people and to the salmon that spawn in the Columbia River. The spill was a threat to workers, the state said. However, Washington Closure Hanford said all work was done remotely by an excavator, and air sampling showed workers were not exposed. The excavator operator was the only worker inside a 30-foot safety perimeter marked off to protect workers. Because similar work was done last year at another Hanford reactor, Washington Closure Hanford and EnergySolutions should have anticipated the problem, Manning said. "This was a notable and very disappointing exception" to the good work typical of contractors at Hanford, he said. The EPA has not made a decision on a fine, but said the state has raised significant concerns. "EPA plans to carefully review Department of Ecology findings, conduct additional investigations as necessary and consider appropriate enforcement actions," said Nick Ceto, EPA Hanford project manager, in a statement. The Department of Energy received the state report Monday night and is continuing discussions with regulators and the contractor to determine its accuracy and conclusions, said Colleen French, DOE spokeswoman. "It's clear on a site like ours we are going to continue to run into surprises and changing conditions during cleanup," she said. "The big focus for us is ensuring the contractor's excellence at worker health and safety when we do." DOE is likely to consider what regulations apply, since soil in the area already was suspected to be contaminated and scheduled to be dug up. Work resumed Aug. 15 in the area with full approval of the state, Nelson said. © 2006 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 79 Idaho Statesman: Audit finds excessive bonuses at INL 09-20-2006 DOE inspection cites lab's contractor; other officials defend subjective nature of awarding fees The Associated Press IDAHO FALLS  The contractor running the Idaho National Laboratory has received more than $2 million in overly liberal bonus money, an audit has found. The audit by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Inspector General found that Battelle Energy Alliance received the money in reward fees since February 2005 when it took over operations at INL, the 890-square-mile federal nuclear research area in eastern Idaho. The audit, released in August, also found that goals set by the department were months late, and on some occasions came after the work was done. Officials at the department acknowledged that due dates had been missed, but said deciding whether reward fees were reasonable was subjective. "It may be impossible to ever consistently meet the expectations of the (inspector general) regarding fee allocations," Dennis Spurgeon, the department's assistant secretary for nuclear energy, said in a written response. The audit report cited seven cases of bonus fees that were too large. Four of the cases gave Battelle a "sales commission" for getting new projects. The contractor, in one case, could earn $499,000 for getting $100,000 worth of work. In another example, the audit found that the cost of completing some steps to establish the Center for Advanced Energy Studies would be $220,000 for labor. But Battelle could earn $600,000 for completing the steps. John Lindsay, a Battelle spokesman, said the report on the Center for Advanced Energy Studies work was unfair because the collaborative work with the state, universities and others was not considered. Battelle, in a written response, also said that the fees were based on the value of the work to the government, and that the fees were a good value to the department and taxpayers. The audit blamed the department for releasing performance plans months after the fiscal year started. At least one performance deadline had passed by the time the department had told Battelle of its priorities. ***************************************************************** 80 SF Chron: UC committee votes to compete for control of Livermore lab [San Francisco Chronicle] Keay Davidson, Chronicle Science Writer Wednesday, September 20, 2006 (09-20) 13:08 PDT -- A committee of UC's governing body voted today to compete for the next contract to run Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the nuclear weapons laboratory in Livermore. The full Board of Trustees is expected to ratify the recommendation Thursday. If successful, UC would retain its half-century-long grip on the nation's two nuclear weapons design laboratories -- Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Wednesday's unanimous recommendation came despite protests by nuclear weapons foes urging the university system to get out of the nuclear weapons business altogether. Local activists, including representatives of New College of California, Tri-Valley CARES, Nuclear Watch New Mexico and WindMiller Energy, a New York-based wind energy firm announced plans this morning to file their own bid for the lab contract, as a way to protest continued operation of the lab as a weapons research facility. Under new management, the lab "could transition to a 'green' science mission, comply with international law, and provide enhanced security and safety for its workers, surrounding communities, the nation and the world," Tara Dorabji, outreach director of Tri-Valley CARES, told the board. In the past, she said, "the community and (lab) workers have experienced the leaks, spills and accidents resulting from systemic mismanagement," such as a case in which lab workers inhaled plutonium in their noses. Linton Brooks, head of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nuclear labs on behalf of the Energy Department, said in a statement in February that the plutonium incident revealed "the need for significant improvement in (the lab's) nuclear safety culture." UC has until Oct. 12 to submit its contract proposal to the Energy Department, which is expected to name the winner of the bid in March. The university system has run Lawrence Livermore since the early 1950s under an exclusive agreement with the federal government. This marks the first time it has been required to compete for the contract. Congress and the Energy Department moved to require competitions for management contracts at certain national laboratories following the revelation of financial, safety and managerial scandals at Los Alamos National Laboratory, another nuclear weapons lab that UC has run since the early 1940s. E-mail Keay Davidson at kdavidson@sfchronicle.com. The San Francisco Chronicle] ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************