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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IAEA inspectors visit Isfahan site
2 AFP: Iran tests new automatic cannons in war games -
3 UPI: U.N. nuclear inspectors in Iran
4 UPI: Report: Iran ready to talk to U.S.
5 The Korea Herald: Roh pledges support for N. Korea projects
6 Korea Herald: U.S., Japan to demand concrete moves by N.K.
7 AFP: Japan urges 'concrete' action by NKorea amid diplomatic drive -
8 Korea Times: South Korea Expands African Energy Ties
9 Korea Times: Obstructers of Six-Party Talks
10 AFP: Next UN chief alarmed by Japan's nuclear debate
11 AFP: SKorea to maintain projects with North despite nuke test -
12 UPI: S. Korea to keep North projects on track
13 UPI: Japan, U.S. discuss demands for N. Korea
14 [NukeNet] Scotland: As thousands march to halt climate change
15 RIA Novosti: Russia, China to ink 17 documents during PM visit in No
16 BBC: EU calls for full power cut probe
17 TheStar.com: Re-wiring Ontario
NUCLEAR REACTORS
18 IPS-English ENVIRONMENT-KAZAKHSTAN: Planned Nuke Plant
19 US: Patriot News: TMI remains shut down
20 US: [NukeNet] Fitch Report: Credit Implications for U.S. Nuclear
21 Moscow Times: Putin Seeks to Form State Nuclear Firm
22 US: Green Bay Press-Gazette: Panel seeks comments on nuke-reactor sa
23 US: NRC: Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; Before Administrative Ju
24 Sofia Echo: Billions for nuke deal in Bulgaria
25 This is dorset: Reactor Hall Pulled Down At Nuclear Site
26 US: NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Uni
27 US: NRC: Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Rancho Seco Nuclear
28 US: NRC: Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC; Nine Mile Point Nucle
29 US: NRC: Appointments to Performance Review Boards for Senior Execut
30 US: NRC: Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Before Administrative Ju
31 US: NRC: Notice of Public Meeting
32 AU ABC: Caldicott rejects PM's nuclear power stance.
33 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meetings
34 AU ABC: Lindsay plays down nuclear power talk
NUCLEAR SECURITY
35 US: Las Vegas SUN: Doling out nuclear secrets
36 US: UPI: Analysis: No real terror A-bomb threat
37 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Politics trumped intelligence on Web site
NUCLEAR SAFETY
38 [du-list] Depleted Uranium Haunts Kosovo And Iraq
39 [du-list] USUK war crimes update - ICC "Gravity threshold"
40 US: Morning News: Army, industry working on details of uranium trans
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
41 Ely Times: DOE adds Yucca meeting in Reno
42 US: AU ABC: Uranium exploration companies booming -
PEACE
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
43 Tri-City Herald: Hanford board questions tanks' capability
44 lamonitor.com: Lab responds to retiree complaints
45 KnoxNews: Scientifically super sites
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IAEA inspectors visit Isfahan site
2006/11/05
Two inspectors of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
visited nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz and inspected
operation of second cascade of centrifuges for enrichment of
uranium at Research and Development (R) stage.
The inspection took place in line with Iran's commitment to
safeguards agreement of Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
An official with Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) said
that the inspectors will provide a report to IAEA Director
General Mohamed ElBaradei to be included in a report Elbaradei
is expected to deliver to the upcoming meeting of IAEA Board of
Governors scheduled for November 30.
The inspectors arrived in Tehran on Friday and will stay for
four days to do their work.
M.H.Z
Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center.
E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir
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2 AFP: Iran tests new automatic cannons in war games -
Mon Nov 6, 5:07 AM
TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has tested new automatic cannons and rocket
launchers on the fifth day of war games aimed at showing off its
defensive capabilities.
"The range of cannons and rockets tested today is between 75
kilometres (45 miles) and 120 kilometres (75 miles) and it is the
first time that a new generation of automatic cannons with a
range of 75 kilometers has been successfully tested," the
manoeuvre's spokesman, Brigader General Ali Fazli, was quoted as
saying by the student news agency ISNA on Monday.
Iran's elite revolutionary guards launched the 10-day war games
last Thursday by firing, for the first time in manoeuvres, its
longer-range Shahab-3 ballistic missile, triggering widespread
international concerns.
The missiles have a range of up to 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles)
-- sufficient to threaten US bases in the Gulf.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran would "suffer
greatly" if it used the weapon in anger while Israeli Defence
Minister Amir Peretz urged the world to act over Iran's ballistic
missiles testing.
Iran's revolutionary guards chief Yahya Rahim Safavi has said the
Great Prophet II war games are aimed at showing off Iran's
ability to defend itself against any threat and to test new
military hardware.
Iran is engaged in a mounting standoff with the West over its
sensitive nuclear programme, defying demands to halt activities
world powers fear could be diverted to developing an atom bomb.
Iran insists its nuclear drive is aimed solely at generating
energy.
Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Canada Co. All Rights Reserved.
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3 UPI: U.N. nuclear inspectors in Iran
United Press International - NewsTrack -
11/6/2006 11:45:00 AM -0500
TEHRAN, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Iran says inspectors from the U.N.
nuclear watchdog IAEA have visited the second centrifuges
network of its uranium enrichment facility.
The official Islamic Republic News Agency said two inspectors
from the International Atomic Energy Agency "visited nuclear
sites in Isfahan and Natanz and inspected operation of second
cascade of centrifuges for enrichment of uranium."
The report comes in the wake of announcement by Iran last month
that it has started a second network of centrifuges to enrich
uranium in defiance of Security Council demands to stop its
uranium enrichment program. Iran insists its program is meant
only to generate electricity.
China's Xinhua news agency reported that the IAEA inspectors
arrived in Tehran on Friday. An Iranian official was quoted as
saying the inspectors would stay for four days to carry out
their inspections "in line with Iran's commitment to the
safeguards agreement of Non-Proliferation Treaty."
The inspectors will submit their findings to IAEA head Mohammed
El Baradei, who is scheduled to deliver his report to the IAEA
Board of Governors later this month.
© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
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4 UPI: Report: Iran ready to talk to U.S.
United Press International - NewsTrack -
11/6/2006 12:17:00 PM -0500
TEHRAN, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Iran says it is ready to consider any
offer to talk to the United States but indicated the talks
cannot be on U.S. effort to end Iran's nuclear program.
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini,
responding to reports that some U.S. and Iraqi officials have
suggested that Tehran and Washington hold talks on regional
developments, said, "If we receive any formal offer in this
regard, we will consider it."
But he went on to say, "Iran's stance on bilateral relations has
not changed," reports the official Islamic Republic News Agency.
Hosseini also rejected as unfounded U.S. claims that Iran, Syria
and Hezbollah are working to topple the Lebanese government.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran supports independence, national
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon," he said. "It
is the right of the Lebanese people to make decisions on their
own national affairs. Non-interference of the United States in
the region and terminating its unconditional support for the
aggressions of the Zionist regime are the only solution to
restore stability in the region."
© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
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5 The Korea Herald: Roh pledges support for N. Korea projects
President Roh Moo-hyun yesterday said the government would push
ahead with key inter-Korean projects in order to keep channels
of exchange with North Korea open.
"The government will maintain the (Mount) Geumgang tourism and
the Gaeseong industrial complex projects in a direction that is
compatible with the spirit and objective of the United Nations
Security Council resolution. These programs are symbols of peace
and stability on the peninsula," said the president in a state
of the nation address at the National Assembly.
As is customary, the speech was read by Prime Minister Han
Myeong-sook.
After almost a year of boycotting six-party talks aimed at
ending its nuclear weapons program, North Korea has recently
agreed to return to the negotiating table.
"The talks may not always be smooth. They will require diverse
procedures and take a long time before the nuclear issue is
resolved completely," the president said.
Top nuclear envoys from Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are
expected to meet later this week to discuss strategies ahead of
the talks.
Washington, which recently dispatched a pair of undersecretaries
to Northeast Asia to coordinate measures with regional partners,
is likely to demand that Pyongyang disassemble its nuclear
weapons development, possibly by returning to the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty.
Dialogue has remained Roh's policy for dealing with the
communist regime even in the aftermath of Pyongyang's Oct. 9
nuclear test.
"Under no circumstances can we cut the channel of dialogue with
the North. The government may adjust the speed and scope of its
policies but will continue to maintain the overall framework and
basic principles of the policy of peace and prosperity," he said.
Seoul has so far suspended humanitarian aid to Pyongyang and
cut off government-level cooperation in response to last month's
nuclear test.
The Geumgang tours and the industrial complex are not tied to
UNSC Resolution 1718, but critics have called for the government
to suspend the projects. Earlier, U.S. chief nuclear negotiator
Christopher Hill raised suspicions about funds flowing into the
North via the tourism project.
Washington is unlikely to give in to Pyongyang during the
upcoming six-party talks, observers say. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice has said the United States strongly advocates
the implementation of the UN resolution.
This hard-line stance is interpreted by some as conflicting with
Seoul's policy toward the communist regime.
"The ROK-U.S. alliance is solid now and will continue to be so
in the years to come," Roh said yesterday.
He also said the South would not tolerate a nuclear North Korea.
He said peace on the peninsula can "never coexist with nuclear
weapons."
The two Koreas signed a joint treaty in 1991 against nuclear
weapons development.
(jemmie@heraldm.com)
By Kim Ji-hyun
2006.11.07
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6 Korea Herald: U.S., Japan to demand concrete moves by N.K.
The United States and Japan yesterday agreed to press North
Korea to make concrete moves to end its nuclear program when the
six-party talks eventually resume.
The U.S. delegation met Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuhisa Shiozaki in Tokyo and reaffirmed their alliance that
was was further solidified after North Korea's defiant nuclear
test last month.
U.S. undersecretaries of state Nicholas Burns and Robert Joseph
arrived in Seoul late last night as part of an Asian tour.
"While we welcomed the expected resumption of six-way talks, we
also agreed that Japan and the United States must continue to
cooperate and to use dialogue and pressure to demand concrete
measures from North Korea," Shiozaki said.
North Korea agreed to return to the Beijing-based talks last
week after a year-long boycott.
South Korean Foreign Minister and the 8th U.N.
Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon was also in Japan yesterday
talking with top Japanese officials and discussing pending
regional and U.N. issues.
Ban met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and shared ideas on how to
cooperate in the six-party talks.
It is considered crucial for the member countries including
South Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia to
coordinate their positions before meeting their North Korean
counterpart at the negotiating table. The date of the resumption
has not yet been settled but it is most likely to be the end of
this month or early next month at the latest.
During the meeting with Ban, Abe also expressed gratitude for
the latest South Korea-Japan summit on Oct. 9.
Japan is likely to again raise the issue of North Korea's past
kidnapping of Japanese citizens at the nuclear talks in return
for closer cooperation with the allies in handling North Korea.
Delegates from five of the six parties to the talks to gather
in Hanoi, Vietnam next week on the occasion of the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation summit.
"We have agreed to use the foreign ministers talks and summit
talks at APEC in Hanoi to closely coordinate our efforts over
various problems affecting the international community,
including the North Korean problem," Shiozaki said.
Burns and Joseph, who arrived in Seoul after their meetings in
Japan, are to hold meetings with their South Korean counterparts
before leaving for China.
Nicholas Burns, the undersecretary for political affairs, will
meet First Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan today to discuss
the timetable and details of the six-party talks. The two are
likely to present the outcome of their talks in a joint press
release.
Robert Joseph, the undersecretary for security affairs will
meet Director-general for Policy Planning Park In-kook and
discuss U.N. resolution 1718 against North Korea's Oct. 9
nuclear test.
They are also likely to continue discussing South Korea's role
in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative, a global
network of marine surveillance and interdiction to prevent the
trade in weapons of mass destruction.
The chief negotiators of the South, the United States and Japan
are also considering meeting up this weekend or next week for
trilateral discussion on drawing up a road map for the
implementation of the Joint Statement of principles on
denuclearization agreed at the nuclear talks last September.
(angiely@heraldm.com)
By Lee Joo-hee
2006.11.07
*****************************************************************
7 AFP: Japan urges 'concrete' action by NKorea amid diplomatic drive -
by Kyoko Hasegawa Mon Nov 6, 7:24 AM ET
TOKYO, (AFP) - Japan has called for "concrete" action by North
Korea" /> North Koreato end its nuclear program as incoming UN
chief Ban Ki-Moon and two US envoys visited in a bid to form a
united front on Pyongyang.
The rush of diplomacy comes after North Korea, which last month
conducted its first atom bomb test, agreed to return to
six-nation talks on ending its nuclear program following a
one-year boycott.
US undersecretaries of state Nicholas Burns and Robert Joseph
started a regional tour in Japan, which with the United States
drafted a UN Security Council resolution that slapped stiff
sanctions on North Korea.
"It's clear that the United States and Japan see eye to eye on
the question of North Korea," Burns said after meeting with
Foreign Minister Taro Aso.
Joseph added Monday: "We are in agreement that the resolution
must be fully and effectively implemented until North Korea
meets all of the demands of the Security Council."
The two countries want to see results from North Korea during
the upcoming six-way talks, Japanese officials said.
"While we welcomed the expected resumption of six-way talks, we
also agreed that Japan and the United States must continue to
cooperate and to use dialogue and pressure to demand concrete
measures from North Korea," said Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuhisa Shiozaki.
But Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi cautioned to be
realistic and wondered aloud if the world may be asking too much
upfront from North Korea.
"The hurdle is too high when we demand North Korea accept
inspections of its nuclear development sites and other things
from the beginning," said Yachi, Japan's top career diplomat.
"We need to win them over."
Ban Ki-Moon, who is South Korea" /> South Korea's foreign
minister, was also in Japan on a world tour of major countries
before he becomes UN secretary general in January.
He said he hoped the six-way talks would resume "at an early
stage."
"I hope they will start within November. And if not, I believe
they will be held by the end of December," Ban said.
He met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who unlike South Korean
leaders has pushed for strong action to punish North Korea for
its nuclear test.
Japan has never established relations with North Korea, in part
due to an emotionally charged row over Pyongyang's abductions of
Japanese civilians in the 1970s and 1980s. North Korea also
fired a missile over Japan's main island in 1998.
Abe, who built his career campaigning on the abduction issue,
said Ban promised to look at UN action on the row.
Japan has persistently raised the abduction issue at the six-way
talks, angering North Korea and irritating China, South Korea
and Russia.
North Korea on Saturday urged Japan to stay away from the talks,
calling its leaders "political imbeciles" for saying it would
not consider North Korea to be a nuclear power.
But Japan said there was no change either to its participation
in the talks nor its view on North Korea's nuclear arsenal.
"We have agreed on three points on the North Korean issue. The
first is that we will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear
power," said Aso, the foreign minister.
The other two points are that Japan will not loosen its sweeping
sanctions on North Korea and that the six-way talks are only "a
way to reach the objective of North Korea abandoning nuclear
weapons," Aso said.
He said the five countries negotiating with North Korea would
hold talks later this month in Hanoi on the sidelines of an
Asia-Pacific summit to form a common strategy.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
8 Korea Times: South Korea Expands African Energy Ties
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, left, walks with President
Roh Moo-hyun before a welcoming ceremony at Chong Wa Dae,
Monday. /Korea Times
President Roh Moo-hyun and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo
agreed Monday to enhance bilateral ties, by expanding
cooperation in energy, resource and plant construction sectors,
the presidential office announced.
In a summit at Chong Wa Dae, Roh and Obasanjo also agreed to
make joint efforts to develop bilateral relations into a more
substantial one, seeking future-oriented cooperation in such
fields as information-technology (IT), presidential spokesman
Yoon Tai-young said.
``President Roh asked for the Nigerian government¡¯s support
for South Korean firms involved in the oil and gas development
projects in the African country and President Obasanjo called
for South Korea¡¯s expanded participation in his country¡¯s
hydroelectric power generation projects,¡¯¡¯ he said.
Yoon added the two heads of state also discussed regional and
international issues, such as South Korea¡¯s efforts to resolve
North Korea¡¯s nuclear problem in a peaceful manner and
Nigeria¡¯s effort to address regional conflicts in Africa.
After the summit, the two countries signed a double tax
avoidance agreement to facilitate more participation by South
Korean firms in various projects in Nigeria to build
infrastructure and bilateral cooperation in the IT field.
``I hope the substantial cooperation would further expand to
culture, tourism, sports as well as energy and resources,¡¯¡¯
Roh said. ``I also hope more South Korean firms could take part
in Nigeria¡¯s projects to build infrastructure.¡¯¡¯
Roh is scheduled to hold separate summits with his counterparts
from four more African countries _ the Republic of the Congo,
Tanzania, Ghana and Benin _ as part of the inaugural South
Korea-Africa Forum from Nov. 7 to 10.
Chong Wa Dae said Roh will meet President Denis Sassou Nguesso
of the Republic of the Congo, President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of
Tanzania, President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana and President
Boni Yayi of Benin on Wednesday.
The forum was organized to follow up on Roh¡¯s initiative: he
had promised to triple Seoul¡¯s Official Development Assistance
(ODA) to African nations to some $100 million by 2008 when he
visited Nigeria last March.
jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr 11-06-2006 17:36
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9 Korea Times: Obstructers of Six-Party Talks
Hankooki.com > The Korea Times > Opinion
Allies Should Cooperate to Attain Substantive Progress
Diplomats from Korea, Japan and the United States will meet in
Tokyo this week to discuss strategies at the six-nation talks.
After the meeting, two special U.S. envoys will visit Beijing
via Seoul for similar purposes. We hope the ``warm-up¡¯¡¯
session of allies in the run-up to the regional disarmament
talks, which will be resumed soon after a yearlong hiatus, would
help them attain substantive progress toward ending the nuclear
standoff. There are signs that do not warrant optimism, though.
Japan, which took the lead in sanctioning the reclusive
regime¡¯s nuclear test last month, insists the reconvened forum
should discuss the issue of Japanese citizens kidnapped by
Pyongyang during the Cold War years. Tokyo¡¯s fear of nuclear
weapons and its anger on abduction of innocent civilians are
understandable. These, however, should not be allowed to pose
obstacles to maintaining the hard-won momentum for multilateral
dialogue. The issue should be a by-product of successful six-way
talks.
Equally inauspicious was a report on possible U.S. preemptive
attacks on the North¡¯s nuclear facilities published by the
Washington Times. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
denied such an intention, but not exactly the plan itself. The
report might have reflected American hawks¡¯ dissatisfaction
with the diplomatic process. Or, it appears aimed at adding
psychological pressures on Pyongyang, while enhancing the U.S.
negotiating position. In any case, it is definitely a nonstarter
for others.
Most worrisome is the reported U.S. position to unilaterally
demand the dismantlement of North Korea¡¯s nuclear weapons
program as a precondition to the talks¡¯ resumption. The demand,
if unaccompanied by corresponding compensation, would preclude
any progress. If the U.S. keeps adding a new precondition
whenever the multinational talks resume after a lull, even
neutral observers cannot help but suspect Washington¡¯s
sincerity for talks. It¡¯s taking one step forward and two steps
backward.
Two former U.S. officials made correct _ and thus noteworthy _
remarks in this regard. Allen Lomberg, a former State Department
director general, noted the one-sided U.S. demand would violate
the Sept. 19, 2005, agreement of ``commitment for commitment,
action for action.¡¯¡¯ Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter¡¯s
comments are even more frank and to the point, pointing out
North Korea did not cheat on the 1994 General Agreement on
nuclear freezing. If Pyongyang violated it, so did Washington,
Carter said.
That said, North Korea ought not to make new demands, calling
for its treatment as an established nuclear power. Pyongyang has
clearly seen the limitation of patience of its two biggest
providers of aid _ Beijing and Seoul _ in dealing with a
nuclear-armed neighbor. China will likely continue to play the
role of earnest matchmaker. South Korea, instead of siding with
Pyongyang unconditionally, is also advised to properly mix
sticks and carrots, just as Washington should.
11-06-2006 17:37
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10 AFP: Next UN chief alarmed by Japan's nuclear debate
[South Korean foreign minister and next United Nations chief,
Ban Ki-Moon (L) with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (R)]
TOKYO (AFP) - South Korean Foreign Minister and incoming UN
chief Ban Ki-Moon have expressed alarm over calls in Japan to
consider a nuclear weapons program, saying the debate was not
healthy for the region.
"On the option of nuclear arms, which some powerful Japanese
politicians have debated since North Korea's atom bomb test, I
would like to express concerns," he said Monday, "not only as
South Korean foreign minister but also as the next UN secretary
general.
"Such remarks would not (Advertisement)
[Click Here!] [ src=] serve right for the future of one of the
most significant UN member states and a leading country of
Northeast Asia," he said at a news conference in Tokyo.
Top aides to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, including Foreign
Minister Taro Aso, have called for Japan to hold a frank debate
on whether to develop nuclear weapons after communist neighbor
North Korea on October 9 tested an atomic bomb.
Abe, however, has stood by a 1967 policy under which Japan, the
only nation to be attacked by atomic weapons, has refused the
possession, production and presence of nuclear weapons on its
soil.
"Of course the Japanese government, including the prime minister
and foreign minister, says it abides by the three-point,
non-nuclear principles," Ban said. "But it's not good that such
a political debate continues."
Abe on Monday downplayed the brewing debate in his Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) on the nuclear option, saying no one was
calling for the country to build atomic weapons.
"It is extremely clear that the three-point, non-nuclear
principles are and have been the government's unchanged policy.
No one is against this policy," Abe told reporters.
Shoichi Nakagawa, the LDP's policy chief, and Foreign Minister
Aso have both called for Japan to discuss the long-taboo nuclear
option, while stopping short of urging development of atomic
weapons.
LDP parliamentary affairs chief Toshihiro Nikai Sunday
reprimanded Nakagawa and Aso for remarks that he said risked
Abe's position.
"The repeated comments that could risk causing misunderstanding
by the international community may lead to questions about the
person who appointed those people," said Nikai, a dovish former
trade minister.
The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were obliterated
by US nuclear bombs at the end of World War II that killed more
than 210,000 people.
The United States forced Japan to renounce its right to a
military after its defeat and has since ensured its security.
AFP
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11 AFP: SKorea to maintain projects with North despite nuke test -
by Simon Martin Mon Nov 6, 2:23 AM ET
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun" /> has vowed
to maintain two cross-border projects that have earned North
Korea" /> almost one billion dollars, despite the "intolerable
provocation" of its nuclear test.
In a state of the nation address to parliament, he defended his
"sunshine" policy of engagement with the North, which has come
in for stinging criticism since the October 9 atom bomb test
sent shockwaves around the world.
The South Korean-funded Kaesong industrial estate and Mount
Kumgang tourist resort in the North are "symbols of peace and
stability on the peninsula," he said in his speech read by Prime
Minister Han Myeong-Sook.
The ventures have earned the North almost one billion dollars
since Kumgang opened in 1998.
Critics say the money can be creamed off for weapons programmes.
Senior US official Christopher Hill has stated that in his view,
Kumgang "seems to be designed to give money to the North Korean
authorities."
Roh said his government would take the projects in a direction
compatible with "the spirit and objective" of UN sanctions
imposed on the hardline communist state after its test.
But he praised Kaesong as "directing the North to openness by
passing on the South's experience in a market economy."
He added: "Under no circumstances can we cut the channel of
dialogue with the North.
"The government may adjust the speed and scope of its policies
but will continue to maintain the big framework and basic
principles of the policy of peace and prosperity."
Roh described the test as "an intolerable provocation that
dashed the hopes of Koreans and the international community for
the denuclearisation of the peninsula.
"North Korea's nuclear test was a foolish act indeed," he said,
adding that it would only jeopardise the stability of its regime
and cause severe economic difficulties.
Roh insisted the North "should never possess a nuclear arsenal
under any circumstances" and cautioned that prospects for
six-nation disarmament talks, which Pyongyang agreed to join
last week, "may not always be smooth."
"It will require diverse procedures and take a long time before
the nuclear issue is resolved completely."
One potential stumbling block is North Korea's demand to be
recognised as a proper nuclear power, something the United
States, South Korea" /> and Japan firmly oppose. The six-nation
talks also group China and Russia.
Pyongyang hit out Saturday at Japan for "impudently" asserting
that it could not accept the North's return to the talks as a
nuclear power.
In a related development, US under-secretaries of state Nicholas
Burns and Robert Joseph were Monday in Tokyo and set to travel
on to Seoul and Beijing.
They will press the three countries to maintain the sanctions in
the run-up to the negotiations and to ensure a united front in
insisting the talks lead to Pyongyang's full denuclearization,
the State Department has said.
"While we welcomed the expected resumption of six-way talks, we
also agreed that Japan and the United States must continue to
cooperate and to use dialogue and pressure to demand concrete
measures from North Korea," said Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yasuhisa Shiozaki Shiozaki after talks with the visitors.
Meanwhile South Korea's Dong-a newspaper, reporting from
Pyongyang, said the streets are filled with banners proclaiming
the test.
"Long live General Kim Jong-Il, a matchless leader building a
global nuclear power!" read one.
Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
12 UPI: S. Korea to keep North projects on track
United Press International - Intl. Intelligence -
11/6/2006 7:08:00 AM -0500
SEOUL, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- President Roh Moo-hyun said Monday that
South Korea would press ahead with joint projects with North
Korea despite its nuclear test.
In a policy speech to the National Assembly, Roh said
inter-Korean tourism of the North's Mount Kumgang and the joint
industrial project in the North Korean border city of Kaesong
are "symbols" of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.
"The Mount Kumgang and Kaesong projects will be continued, but
carried out in a way that conforms to the spirit and purport of
the U.N. sanctions resolution against North Korea," Roh said in
the speech read by Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook.
"Under any circumstances, inter-Korean dialogue must be
sustained and the government will stick to the basic policy for
peace and prosperity," he said.
The two projects, which came to pass as a result of the 2000
Korean summit, were suspected of serving as a cash cow for the
North's development of nuclear weapons and missiles.
© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
*****************************************************************
13 UPI: Japan, U.S. discuss demands for N. Korea
United Press International - NewsTrack -
11/6/2006 5:34:00 PM -0500
TOKYO, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. and Japanese officials meeting in
Tokyo have agreed to seek progress during upcoming six-party
talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozak, U.S. Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns and
Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International
Security Robert Joseph agreed to demand that Pyongyang dismantle
its nuclear weapons and end its nuclear program, the Mainichi
Shimbun reported Monday.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry called
for Japan to withdraw from the six-party talks, the country's
official KCNA news service reported.
"No sooner had the agreement on the resumption of the six-party
talks been made public than the Japanese prime minister, foreign
minister, chief cabinet secretary and others are behaving
impudently, asserting 'Japan has no idea of accepting North
Korea's return to the six-party talks on the premise that it is
a nuclear weapons state,'" the spokesman said.
"It is the view of the DPRK that since the U.S. attends the
six-party talks, there is no need for Japan to participate in
them as a local delegate because it is no more than a state of
the U.S. and it is enough for Tokyo just to be informed of the
results of the talks by Washington."
© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
*****************************************************************
14 [NukeNet] Scotland: As thousands march to halt climate change
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:32:39 -0800
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
http://www.sundayherald.com/58936
Sunday Herald - 05 November 2006
As thousands march to halt climate change … car industry admits it can’t
meet green pledges
By Torcuil Crichton in London
----------
The two polar bears had only taken a few steps into the crowd when they
were greeted by one of Trafalgar Square’s resident drunks. Rapidly
adjusting to the concept of climate change, the tramp shook the bears
warmly by the paw, as if meeting an Arctic mammal in central London was a
perfectly normal occurrence, which, if we don’t put the brakes on global
warming, it soon might be.
The Greenpeace activists in the bear outfits, the tramp and 22,000 other
optimistic people rallied yesterday calling for a halt to climate change.
Cynics argue King Canute tried it first.
Nature itself sought to diminish their efforts, parading an unnaturally hot
November day. The plane trees on either side of the square showed no
autumnal tinge; nor was there a breeze to shed their leaves.
Climate change, its causes and effects, were all around. The bleaching
vapour trails of passenger jets marked the blue sky above London. Whenever
one of the carbon-burning behemoths lined up for Heathrow it was booed by a
crowd that, all as one, felt it had the power to halt aircraft pollution
and save the planet.
That was the point, of course: to show it is possible to take action on
climate change, collectively and individually. The “I Count” rally took
place on the eve of global climate talks in Nairobi this week and in the
wake of the Stern review, which warns that global warming could shrink the
world economy by 20%.
Trafalgar Square has seen bigger demonstrations. A cyclists’ protest
wheeled in early, via Downing Street. Others took less conventional
transport. Matt Springs canoed down the Thames from Oxford to the rally. He
set off on Thursday and walked the last bit.
Jan Muller, who surfs the sea off Hastings, turned up in his wet suit with
his daughters, Nastassya and Matamoana, whose name means “to gaze out over
the oceans” in Tongan.
“Their mother is from Tonga and rising sea levels is a real issue for
low-lying islands,” said Muller, who sees a global problem with local
solutions. “We can do little things, change to a green energy supplier,
switch off the car while outside the shops,” he said. “We don’t need to go
crazy, just do what we can.”
Rose Barnett had difficulty persuading her Milton Keynes neighbour that it
was worth coming along. “He said it was all codswallop, with China and
India carrying on polluting,” said the retired Open University employee.
“But I say you have to start somewhere,” she said.
Lots of revolutions begin with small numbers of people doing things
differently. Yesterday it was members of the Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds, the Women’s Institute, churches and third world
charities marching behind the banner of change.
“In developing countries climate change already has a massive effect on
poor people, on water supplies and crops,” said Andy Atkins of Tearfund,
explaining why the Christian charity was involved. “Also, we need our UK
supporters to reduce our own carbon emissions and persuade the government
to take action.”
A power failure cut some speeches short, but that’s the kind of thing we’ll
get used to in an energy-starved world. The PA system came back on for that
old double act, an actress and a bishop.
Miranda Richardson and the words “turn off” do not usually run together,
but she urged the crowd to do just that. Turn off lights, turn off the car.
“We can’t leave this to everyone else. Every day we can all make a
difference,” she said.
It was a theme taken up by the bishop of Liverpool. “Seas are filled by
mighty rivers and small drops of rain,” he said quoting a proverb from
China, where they open a new coal-fired power station every 10 days.
“We cannot lecture China when we do not have our own house in order,” said
the right reverend James Stuart Jones. “We are all guilty of personal
hypocrisy on this issue.”
For KT Tunstall, the Scottish troubadour, it was a more straight forward
matter. “I didn’t think twice about doing this,” said Tunstall before going
onstage. “I grew up in a beautiful part of the country, the East Neuk of
Fife. I love the sea and the outdoors and I want my kids to be able to do
that, and their kids. We’re caught in a spot where that might not happen so
it’s important to raise awareness. A rally in London is always special,
it’s empowering and it does make a difference, it makes govern ment realise
that people are aware.”
Landseer’s bronze lions, impassive on their plinths below Nelson’s Column,
have seen it all before but I swear one of them arched an eyebrow when
Tunstall rocked out her impressive version of the Jackson Five’s hit I Want
You Back. She sang: “Oh baby give me one more chance, to show that I love
you.”
Which, I suppose, is what everyone in Trafalgar Square yesterday was asking
of our planet.
----------
Copyright © 2006 smg sunday newspapers ltd. no.176088
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15 RIA Novosti: Russia, China to ink 17 documents during PM visit in November
06/ 11/ 2006
BEIJIN, November 6 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and China are planning
to sign 17 bilateral agreements in various spheres during the
Russian prime minister's visit to China on November 9-10, Deputy
Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said Monday.
Zhukov, who is currently on a visit to China, said the two
countries will sign an intergovernmental agreement on
Russian-Chinese border regulations and an agreement on mutual
investment, among the most important documents.
The sides will also sign a protocol on the conclusion of the
development of the program on bilateral trade cooperation for
2006-2010.
Zhukov said bilateral trade approached $30 billion in 2005, and
grew by 25%, year-on-year since the beginning of 2006. He said
the bilateral trade volume could double by 2009.
"If we are going to increase the trade turnover with these
rates, I am quite sure we may reach this volume [$60 billion] as
early as in 2009," the deputy PM said.
He also said Russia and China will sign an agreement on mid-term
and long-term cooperation in nuclear power industry.
Russia's Atomstroiexport is building the Tianwan NPP in eastern
China's port city of Lianyungang, featuring improved VVER-1000
reactors and K-100-6/3000 turbo-generators, under a
Russian-Chinese agreement signed in 1992.
"The first reactor block [2 reactors] will become fully
operational in March, may be even earlier," Zhukov said.
© 2005 RIA Novosti
*****************************************************************
16 BBC: EU calls for full power cut probe
Last Updated: Monday, 6 November 2006
[Cruise ship Norwegian Pearl]
E.ON turned off a power cable over a river to allow a cruise ship
to pass
The European Commission has called for a full investigation into
the causes of a blackout that left swathes of western Europe
without power at the weekend.
The comments of Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs came after
German electricity firm E.ON admitted that it was to blame for
the power cut.
E.ON said its grid had overloaded after it temporarily switched
off an electricity line in northern Germany.
Mr Piebalgs said the power cut was "unacceptable".
He added that Saturday's two-hour blackout once again showed the
need for a Europe-wide common policy on electricity distribution.
"Energy security is better delivered through a common European
approach rather than 27 different approaches," he said.
E.ON said the offending power line crossed over the river Ems and
was turned off to allow a cruise ship to safely pass through.
The knock-on power cut left millions without electricity across
Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Despite politicians' anger, E.ON said Europe's power grid was in
good shape.
'Knock-on effect'
"I am grateful that the situation was not worse than it turned
out, because E.ON caused it," said E.ON board member Klaus-Dieter
Maubach.
[Power lines in Germany]
Politicians have called for more investment in Europe's
electricity grid
"The trigger of the breakdown in supply was that we had to take a
line out of operation and that the knock-on effect from that loss
spread to other lines which later cut out."
Mr Maubach added that European grid operators enjoyed good
co-operation, meaning Saturday night's power cuts only lasted for
about an hour.
Yet politicians from the affected countries have called for the
electricity companies to invest more in their networks.
"We have known for a while that there are bottlenecks on the
power grids and that the utilities have not ensured that the
grids are being expanded," said German Environment Minister
Sigmar Gabriel.
Italy's prime minister has called for Europe to have a central
power authority.
Romano Prodi said there was a "contradiction" in having a unified
power network but no central authority.
Past examples
Saturday's power cut started in the German city of Cologne before
quickly spreading.
Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Croatia were also affected,
with the cuts even reaching as far as Morocco.
The worst recent power blackout struck Italy in 2003, plunging
the country into darkness for 18 hours between 28 and 29
September.
The previous month, a similar power cut had struck the
north-eastern US and Canada.
*****************************************************************
17 TheStar.com: Re-wiring Ontario
Mon. Nov. 6, 2006. | Updated at 06:36 PM
LUCAS OLENIUK/TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO
Power lines seen from the city's west end last summer. A
renovated grid is needed if Ontario is to plug into new power
sources, experts say.
Much of the infrastructure for Ontario's electrical grid is at
capacity, in the wrong place or a half-century old
TYLER HAMILTON STAFF REPORTER
A natural gas plant here. New nuclear reactors there. Massive
wind farms in northern Ontario. Surplus hydroelectric power from
projects in Manitoba and Labrador.
Who says Ontario is facing an electricity shortage?
On top of conservation efforts aimed at reducing how much
electricity we all consume, the reality is there are plenty of
opportunities — some cleaner than others — to generate the power
this province needs over the next two decades. Even, it should
be noted, with the shutdown of all coal-fired plants.
But generation is only part of Ontario's electricity equation.
Under-appreciated in the power supply debate is the crucial role
transmission plays in moving electricity around the province.
Power generation, like a car, is useless if there are no roads
on which to drive, or if the only route into a big city is
limited to one lane during rush hour.
"Transmission is undervalued; without transmission you can't do
anything," says engineering consultant Frank Macedo, a 25-year
veteran of the electricity sector who once oversaw Hydro One's
provincial transmission assets.
Similar in many respects to how we share the Internet, a
transmission network lets us access the power we need without
truly knowing where it's coming from — it's just there upon
request, drawn from a big mysterious cloud through a complex
network of high-voltage cables, towers and transformer stations.
We take it for granted. But experts say that attitude is no
longer sustainable.
On Friday, the Ontario Power Authority will release a discussion
paper outlining what must be done to the province's transmission
system as patterns of energy use, population growth, and power
development change over the coming two decades.
The challenges are immense. If the province wants to double the
amount of renewable electricity on the grid by 2025, it must
survey the land for the best and most economical "green"
projects, and make sure enough transmission infrastructure is
built to not only collect this emission-free electricity, but to
also encourage its development.
Population growth around the province must also be assessed over
the next 20 years to pinpoint potential transmission bottlenecks
that could cripple economic growth in certain communities.
Meanwhile, the McGuinty government's promise of shutting down
the province's coal-fired plants, including nearly 4,000
megawatts at the Nanticoke plant on the north shore of Lake
Erie, will require a massive re-jigging of transmission lines to
keep the entire grid stable.
All of this must be done on top of the day-to-day maintenance
and related investment that's required to keep the whole system
humming. "The average age of the transmission system is
something like 56 years old," says energy expert Tom Adams,
executive director of Energy Probe. "It's a priority just caring
for existing assets." Need No. 1:
Tapping wind
By 2025 the provincial government wants to double the amount of
electricity supply that comes from renewable sources. That's an
increase from 7,855 megawatts in 2005, which includes generation
from Niagara Falls, to 15,700 megawatts over the next 19 years.
Where will this additional clean power come from? Some through
the government's new standard-offer program, which buys
renewable electricity at a premium from small producers of
hydro, wind, biomass and solar power.
But a lion's share is expected to come from larger wind and
hydropower projects that are not near existing transmission
corridors, or are located where lines are near full capacity.
"As you build out the grid you have to ask how much of it is
going to be set aside for renewables," says John Kourtoff,
president and chief executive officer of Trillium Power Energy
Corp., which has a number of projects under development.
For example, GE Energy recently released a study of Ontario's
wind resources that found the province could easily add 5,000
megawatts of wind generation to its electricity system with
"negligible" impact on the overall operation and stability of
the grid.
But the best wind resources tend to be far from where power is
consumed. The challenge is to capture wind energy from around
Georgian Bay, Lake Superior and James Bay, and bring it to
power-hungry communities in southern Ontario, without breaking
the bank on transmission.
Even wind projects around Windsor and Ottawa need to see
transmission upgrades before development can begin.
"You can't start soon enough getting some of these transmission
projects going," says Mike Crawley, president and CEO of wind
developer AIM PowerGen Corp., which has a 100-megawatt wind farm
along the northern shore of Lake Erie.
"There are a lot of companies investing big money in projects
that are still uncertain. You don't want to see that being
scared away because of transmission constraints."
Crawley points out that many wind developers have four- or
six-year land options that are about to expire. "Some of those
companies might decide to leave Ontario until there's a clear
roadmap on where and how this transmission is going to be built."
The fact that it takes only a couple of years to get a wind farm
up and running and more than 10 years to construct new
high-voltage transmission links means transmission must be
planned and built in anticipation of — indeed, to encourage —
future development of renewables.
It hasn't always worked that way. In the past, transmission and
generation often competed for resources, and planning for one
wasn't necessarily in harmony with the other.
"Transmission needs to be integrated with generation," says
Macedo. "Right now, the problem is that transmission can't be
built unless there's generation, but generation can't be built
until there's transmission. So there's this catch 22 situation,
and we've got to get away from that."
Still, observers like Adams say the government has to be smart
about where it invests in transmission. For example, the
capacity of transmission lines going up to Bruce County is
currently being expanded to accept power from two refurbished
nuclear reactors at Bruce Power and new wind farms in the area.
That's two bangs for the buck — a no-brainer.
But building an entirely new high-voltage line can cost roughly
$3 million per kilometre, a lot of money just to tap an
intermittent resource such as wind. "I'm not anti-wind," says
Adams. "But there's a limit to how much wind power we can take,
unless we're prepared to blow the budget on transmission." Need
No. 2:
Leveraging water
One way to help justify such an investment is to learn from
Quebec, which has built transmission to areas where wind and
hydroelectric projects can complement each other.
Waterpower is emission-free, but unlike wind, it's flexible and
easy to control. When the wind isn't blowing, a hydroelectric
facility can increase its water flow. It can also turn down its
water flow and build up its storage reserves when the wind is at
its strongest.
Ontario has 190 potential waterpower sites that, collectively,
could produce about 7,500 megawatts of power on their own. Most
sites are located in northern Ontario where, like wind,
transmission will be needed to tap it.
Another hitch is that many are in provincial parks or on
Aboriginal lands, meaning a potential minefield of regulatory,
environmental and land-claim issues.
The challenge for the power authority is to find the least
controversial locations where wind and hydroelectric projects
are clustered, ultimately improving the economic case for a
speedy buildup of transmission.
`Right now, the problem is that transmission can't be built
unless there's generation, but generation can't be built until
there's transmission. So there's this catch 22 situation, and
we've got to get away from that'
Engineering consultant Frank Macedo, who once oversaw Hydro
One's provincial power transmission assets
"The optimization of wind in Ontario is going to be directly
related to our ability to have some storage in hydro," says Paul
Norris, president of the Ontario Waterpower Association.
Another less-talked-about option is pump storage. This involves
using electricity during off-peak periods or from wind
generation to pump water from a lower location, such as a lake
or abandoned mine, to a higher location, such as an artificial
or naturally occurring reservoir.
When electricity is needed during peak periods, water released
from the higher reservoir turns a turbine as it falls to the
lower location. In this sense, a pump storage station is like a
big natural battery that can store power during periods of low
demand and release it when demand is peaking, such as on hot
days when air conditioners are cranked up.
One proposed project in northern Ontario would spin eight
turbines, creating 2,500 megawatts of power on demand for 18
solid hours — enough to offset about a third of the province's
coal-fired generation. The location is windy, meaning wind
turbines could be set up nearby to help pump the water back up
to the reservoir.
But again, substantial transmission would be needed to get that
power to Toronto and the rest of southern Ontario. The numbers
would have to be crunched to justify such a large investment.
Norris said pump storage, which is more popular in certain parts
of the United States, has never been given serious consideration
in Ontario. "My expectation is that it's going to be an area of
interest going forward," he says.
Other areas of hydroelectric interest lie beyond Ontario's
borders. "Quebec has god-given storage," says Amir Shalaby,
vice-president of system planning for the Ontario Power
Authority.
Ontario has several transmission inter-ties into Quebec. It's
conceivable, Shalaby once told the Star, to pump intermittent
wind and off-peak grid power into Quebec for hydroelectric
storage, and then access that power under contract with Hydro
Quebec when Ontario needs it.
There's also the potential, talked about for decades, of an
east-west grid tapping clean hydroelectric power in Manitoba and
Labrador. Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro wants to develop a
2,800-megawatt project at Lower Churchill Falls by 2015 and sell
much of that power through Quebec and into Ontario. The McGuinty
government is watching cautiously and open to discussion.
On the other side of the border, Ontario is still interested in
Manitoba's proposed Conawapa hydroelectric dam project, which
would generate 1,250 megawatts of clean electricity — if we want
it.
Wanting it, however, would require construction of a new
transmission corridor stretching from Kenora to Toronto, roughly
equivalent to the distance between Toronto and Orlando, Florida.
The price tag, including generation and transmission, could
easily approach $10 billion — a tough figure for any government
to swallow.
"I think it would be the biggest expenditure ever made in
Ontario on transmission," says Macedo, the engineer.
On top of cost, the path would be lined with all sorts of
hurdles — negotiating rights-of-way with Aboriginal groups,
environmental assessments, reaching a fair purchase contract
with Manitoba, and fighting community NIMBYism along a
1,500-kilometre stretch of country.
But if wind and hydroelectric projects in Ontario could
piggyback any link to Manitoba, it might be worth the cost,
effort and wait over the long run, says Macedo. A transmission
line to Conawapa could prove a boon for development in northern
Ontario, and would mark the beginnings of a national east-west
grid.
Trillium Power's Kourtoff isn't so convinced. He believes
Ontario would be better off developing transmission to tap its
own resources first before building all the way to Manitoba in
an act of desperation.
Rather than lock into a long-term contract with our neighbour to
the east, he believes Ontario could position itself to become an
exporter of its own clean power to the United States, if the
political will existed. "Ontario doesn't need to have a gun held
against its head," says Kourtoff. "Let's do what's here, in our
own borders, then look outside." Need No. 3:
Killing coal
But spending on transmission isn't all about supporting
generation. The government's plan to shut down Ontario's
coal-fired plants is a case in point.
"If we're cutting out all the coal, then major aspects of our
transmission system have to be reconfigured," says Adams. "At
minimum that means vast increases in inter-tie capacity to other
jurisdictions, new transformer stations and new generation."
Nanticoke, for example, isn't just a plant that can supply 4,000
megawatts of dirty power to Ontario. The massive generating
station is an anchor for the grid, providing voltage support for
the transmission system.
Voltage is equivalent to pressure, kind of like the pressure you
would need to keep water flowing from a municipal
water-purification facility to the faucets in your home.
Under the basic design of an electricity system, generating
stations connect to high-voltage transmission lines (110,000
volts or greater) that carry power over long distances to local
low-voltage distribution networks (less than 50,000 volts),
where the electricity eventually makes its way to your home or
business at a mere 120 volts.
Powering down a gigantic source of generation like Nanticoke
would remove enough pressure that voltage on transmission lines
would sink and power couldn't be imported from Michigan or
transmitted from Bruce Power. Greater Toronto would be in
trouble.
"The problem is not insurmountable, it just requires planning,"
says Bob Chow, director of transmission integration at the
Ontario Power Authority.
One way of replacing the voltage support provided by Nanticoke
is to put a cleaner form of generation in its place, such as
converting the facility to burn on natural gas instead of coal.
This proposal has been advanced by the Ontario Clean Air
Alliance.
But replacing generation at Nanticoke may be just part of the
answer. The power authority is looking at a number of options,
including the use of advanced power electronics — something
called thyristors — to manage and support voltage levels. Other
more conventional devices can also do the trick, but whatever
the approach it will be a costly and complex exercise. The power
authority will have to choose the combination of approaches that
make sense and are most economical.
Need No. 4:
Anticipating growth
Ontario is growing — some places more quickly than others. The
power authority's job is to identify potential transmission
bottlenecks in communities that are rapidly expanding to
accommodate rising populations, particularly in the northwest.
Cambridge, Windsor, southern Georgian Bay and the Greater
Toronto Area are among several communities identified by the
power authority as "transmission priorities," though building
new lines isn't the only answer.
In Toronto, for example, the two major transformer stations that
bring electricity into the city — Leaside and Manby — are at
capacity, and building new infrastructure to provide relief
would take too long.
"In a built-up area, you can't bring major transmission into the
GTA easily," says the power authority's Bing Young, who oversees
transmission needs for the Toronto area. "The only relief in the
near-term is to provide local generation."
This is why several high-efficiency natural gas plants, such as
the Portlands Energy Centre near downtown and Goreway Drive
Generating Station in Brampton, are under construction.
Looking longer term, the power authority says it is working
closely with municipalities, provincial departments and other
stakeholders to make sure transmission planning isn't being done
in isolation, as it was in recent years.
It's also looking at how targeted conservation efforts and
emphasis on efficiency can help defer the need to build new
transmission lines in communities that would prefer to avoid it.
There's a lot of work to do, but observers such as Trillium's
Kourtoff believe the power authority is heading in the right
direction, at least from the perspective of a power developer.
He's more confident than he's been in the past: "I can certainly
say there's knowledge there of what needs to be done."
by Tyler Hamilton
Legal Notice: Copyright Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.
*****************************************************************
18 IPS-English ENVIRONMENT-KAZAKHSTAN: Planned Nuke Plant
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:21:32 -0800
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
ROMAIPS AP DV EN CU CV=20
ENVIRONMENT-KAZAKHSTAN: Planned Nuke Plant Generates Worries
Marina Kozlova - Asia Water Wire*
BALKASH, Nov 5 (IPS) - Residents taking a stroll along this town's sandy =
beach, strewn with broken bottles and discarded tyres, often talk about t=
he prospect of a nuclear power plant being built a few hundred km from he=
re.
In fact, concern over this nuclear plant has, at least for now,=20
overshadowed fears much closer to local folk -- the pollution of=20
Balkhash lake from heavy metals and sulphides caused by the=20
operations of the industrial association Balkhashtsvetmet.
Authorities in this Central Asian, one of the largest uranium producers =
in the world, are intent on building a nuclear power plant and developing=
the nuclear energy industry here.
But local officials, along with some residents, oppose the plan=20
to construct a nuclear plant, at an estimated cost of two billion US doll=
ars.
''The town doesn't lack power. The question of building the=20
plant is settled at the national level,=94 Kazhymurat Tokushev, the=20
mayor of Balkhash, told Asia Water Wire.
By end-2006, a special work group in the government must decide=20
if the plant will be built on Lake Balkhash in the country's south-=20
east or in other region, according to Kairat Kadyrzhanov, general=20
director of Kazakhstan's National Nuclear Centre. The final decision=20
will depend on many factors, including the sentiments of local=20
residents toward the project, he says.
But members of the Movement for the Revival of the Balkhash=20
Region, a non-governmental organisation based in Balkhash, are=20
confident that the plant will be built on the site of an unfinished=20
thermal power station near the lake.
In 1997, the St Petersburg-based research and design institute=20
Atomenergoproject undertook a feasibility study on the construction=20
of a nuclear plant there. The work was done in accordance with an=20
agreement between Kazakhstan's National Joint-Stock Company of Atomic=20
Energy and Industry and the Russian institute.
=94Despite the fact that it was built as a thermal power station,=20
there was talk that it will become a nuclear power plant in the end,=94 D=
aut Shishov, deputy head of the Movement for the Revival of the Balkhash =
Region, said in an interview. =94It is not hard to transform a thermal po=
wer station into a nuclear power plant. And what is more, the area around=
it is rather deserted.=94
The plant is envisioned to have three =91VVER-640' type=20
reactors with a total capacity of 1,900 Mw. VVER-640 is a=20
new design with improved safety features, but like any technology its abs=
olute safety is not guaranteed, according to the Russian Ministry of Atom=
ic Energy.
Shishov, one of the few vocal supporters of the nuclear plant=20
project on Lake Balkhash, says that technical progress -- in the form of =
new energy through nuclear power -- cannot be stopped. Moreover, the regi=
on could use the revenue it generates from selling electricity to meet it=
s other needs such as breeding sturgeon, he adds.
But if Shishov thinks ways can be found for the nuclear plant to=20
be safe, the movement's head, Kadylkhan Tokshymanov, thinks=20
otherwise, and says corruption is likely to rear its head.
=94Nuclear power plants can be built in rich countries where=20
everything is done according to projects and people do not steal,=94=20
Tokshymanov said in an interview.
He continued: =94Up to half the money allocated for building in=20
poor countries is usually embezzled, which reduces the safety of=20
construction (work).=94 Also, =94Kazakhstan is a rather poor country.=94
In October, Kazakhstan and Russia signed documents to set up=20
three nuclear joint ventures, with equal shares in their authorised=20
capital. The joint ventures will extract Kazakh uranium ore, enrich=20
uranium in Russia's Irkutsk region and develop projects involving=20
plants with small and medium-power reactors to be sold in=20
Kazakhstan, Russia and other countries
Tokshymanov added, =94There is lack of electric power in the areas=20
to the south of Lake Balkhash.=94 He explained the nuclear plant plans=20
thus: =94Russia (which manufactures and sells reactors) has lobbyists in =
Kazakhstan's government.=94
The plant will use water from Balkhash, which will push down the=20
lake's water levels. At the international ecological forum=20
Balkhash-2000 held in Almaty in 2000, ecologists warned that its=20
construction and operation can lead to air and water pollution.
=94I am unambiguously against nuclear power plants, especially in=20
Kazakhstan that has lots of energy resources, including abundant=20
reserves of oil, natural gas and coal,=94 Mels Eleusizov, the head of=20
Kazakhstan's Tabigat environmental movement and a former presidential can=
didate, told AWW. =94The country is well endowed with sun and wind (which=
are also energy resources.)=94
Moreover, he said, =94We will not allow building the plant on=20
Balkhash -- if necessary, we will address the country and press the=20
state into holding a referendum.=94
Lake Balkhash, the 15th largest lake in the world, is the second=20
largest in Central Asia. It covers over 16,000 sq km =20
with a length of 600 kilometres and a width that varies from five to=20
70 kilometres. The lake's average depth is 5.8 metres, but its=20
maximum depth reaches 25.6 metres.
=94Of course I am against the nuclear power plant,=94 a young woman=20
who introduced herself as Lena said, walking along the shore with a=20
six month-old baby in her arms. =94As thing are, we have bad ecology=20
here because of Balkhashtsvetmet (a gigantic enterprise producing=20
copper, zinc, silver and gold.) The plant would make the ecology=20
worse.=94=20
(*The Asia Water Wire, coordinated by IPS Asia-Pacific, is a series=20
of features around water and development in the region.)
*****
+Asia Water Wire (http://www.asiawaterwire.net)
(END/AWW/IPS/AP/EN/DV/CV/CU/MK/JS/RDR/06)
=20
=3D 11051342 ORP003
NNNN
*****************************************************************
19 Patriot News: TMI remains shut down
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:23:44 -0800
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LONDONDERRY TWP.
TMI remains shut down
Saturday, November 04, 2006
BY ELLEN LYON
Of The Patriot-News
The Three Mile Island nuclear plant remains off line as officials study
malfunctioning sensors that triggered a shutdown there Thursday.
A worker injured during the shutdown has been released from the hospital.
One of three sensors measuring steam temperature, pressure and flow at the
plant was out of service for maintenance at the time of the incident,
according to Neil Sheehan, spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission. Two of the three signals must activate for a shutdown to occur,
he said.
Two signals erroneously activated Thursday afternoon, indicating low-vacuum
conditions in the condenser. The sensors sent data that was out of the
normal range to a computer that automatically shut down the reactor, said
Ralph DeSantis, spokesman for AmerGen Energy, which operates TMI.
A TMI worker who fell from a scaffold after being startled by a sudden
release of steam during the shutdown is on the mend. He was treated for a
leg injury and released from the hospital, and he showed up for work at the
plant yesterday, DeSantis said.
DeSantis said he didn't know what in the digital control system's measuring
data was incorrect, but there wasn't a problem with the steam's
temperature, pressure or flow.
"It was an erroneous signal," he said. "This all happened pretty much
instantaneously" at 1:35 p.m. Thursday.
The incident occurred on the plant's non-nuclear side, and no radiation was
released, he said.
"What AmerGen is busy trying to determine is why the other two signals
activated, i.e., a short-circuit or some other kind of problem," Sheehan
said in an e-mail.
Sheehan predicted the shutdown would last for days rather than weeks.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors are "closely following the
company's troubleshooting efforts,"Sheehan said. "We would expect the
company to fully understand what caused the shutdown before returning the
plant to service."
AmerGen Energy will notify the public when the reactor is operating again,
DeSantis said.
Eric Epstein, chairman of TMI Alert, said the watchdog group's monitors
have not shown an increase in radiation levels since the shutdown.
"I think it will be some time before we find out what happened," Epstein
said. "This is what happens at an aging plant that needs new parts."
"Every time a plant is forced to shut down, it's a safety challenge,"
Epstein said. "This is an incident that needs to be investigated. We need
to find out the root cause, and the company needs to take action to make
sure it doesn't happen again."
DeSantis said the Londonderry Twp. plant, which opened in 1974, is in good
shape. The last unscheduled shutdown of TMI was nine years ago, and in
October 2005 the plant set a world record for operating continuously for
689 days, he said.
Epstein said AmerGen Energy also needs to work on getting timely and
accurate information to the public.
Daryl LeHew, who is on the Londonderry Twp. Board of Supervisors, said
yesterday that DeSantis called him about 10 minutes after the incident
occurred to tell him of the shutdown.
ELLEN LYON: 255-8167 or elyon@patriot-news.com
Swatara Twp. Commissioner Anthony Spagnolo said his office was not notified
of the shutdown and planned to question plant officials about it.
"There is an alert process that is automatic," he said. "To my knowledge,
we did not receive it."
Friday, November 03, 2006
©2006 The Patriot-News
© 2006 PennLive.com All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
20 [NukeNet] Fitch Report: Credit Implications for U.S. Nuclear
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:24:17 -0800
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NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net)
I have not had the time to read this report yet - MoJo
Fitch Report: Credit Implications for U.S. Nuclear Power
NEW YORK, Nov 03, 2006 -- BUSINESS WIRE
The ownership and operation of nuclear power plants can have a significant
effect on the risk profile and credit ratings of U.S. utility companies, as
discussed in a Fitch Ratings report. Nuclear ownership can accrue many
benefits, including low and stable variable production costs and an absence
of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the high cost of construction and the
potentially severe financial effect of an extended outage warrant a careful
inspection of a company's financial flexibility, liquidity resources and
nuclear operating performance.
A combination of volatile energy markets potentially stricter environmental
regulations and global warming concerns, along with investment incentives
contained in the 2005 Energy Policy Act has revived interest in nuclear
power plant construction. However, Fitch does not anticipate that the
construction of a new nuclear plant in the United States will begin for at
least 4-5 years, at the earliest. In the mean time, Fitch's primary credit
concerns center on operating and regulatory risks, rather than construction
and financing risks.
"The potential for an extended unplanned outage is the primary credit risk
of nuclear ownership," said Robert Hornick, Senior Director, Fitch Global
Power team.
Fitch's report, through a Q&A format, outlines the major credit risk of
owning, operating and constructing nuclear facilities and Fitch's approach
to rating companies with nuclear exposure. The full report 'U.S. Nuclear
Power: Credit Implications' can be found at
www.fitchratings.com.
Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are
available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published
ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all
times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest,
affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures
are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.
SOURCE: Fitch Ratings
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"We've never been 'stay the course,' George." - George Bush to George
Stephanopoulos on ABC This Week October 22, 2006
"Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is
it politic? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks
the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a
position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular- but one must take
it simply because it is right." : Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968
Molly Johnson
6290 Hawk Ridge Place
San Miguel, CA 93451
Cell: 805 296-0524
Everyone is raving about
the
all-new Yahoo! Mail.
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21 Moscow Times: Putin Seeks to Form State Nuclear Firm
Tuesday, November 07, 2006 / Updated Moscow Time
By Yuriy Humber
Bloomberg
duma.gov.ru Viktor Opekunov
President Vladimir Putin wants to give state companies the right
to own the nation's nuclear assets and have power to form joint
ventures with foreign operators, making the industry more
efficient, a State Duma deputy said.
Putin's bill, proposed to the Duma on Thursday, would let the
companies group together under a new state-controlled holding
and try to put Russia's atomic energy industry on a commercial
footing, in the manner of Paris-based Areva. The holding company
would compete in all markets related to nuclear energy.
"We need to have the organizational structure in place as soon
as possible,'' said Viktor Opekunov, chairman of the
subcommittee for nuclear energy of the Duma's Energy,
Transportation and Communications Committee.
Legislation currently forbids enterprises to hold nuclear
assets, with companies like state fuel monopoly TVEL operating
merely as trustees. The bill would allow all nuclear companies
and institutes to be collected under the aegis of a full-cycle
atomic energy holding, preliminarily named Atomprom.
Russia plans to increase its dependence on nuclear power to 25
percent of its total electricity needs by 2030, freeing more gas
for exports. The country seeks to reorganize its atomic sector,
mostly run by state enterprises that are not joint-stock
companies, into simpler, corporate structures.
Atomprom, devised along the lines of Gazprom, would provide a
broad brand name for nuclear products and services in direct
competition with Areva and Toshiba's Westinghouse Electric.
Atomprom would be one of a select number of companies permitted
by the president to own nuclear assets.
The holding could be registered before the end of this year, by
which time Putin's bill is expected to enter into law, said
Sergei Novikov, spokesman for the Federal Atomic Energy Agency.
"If all goes to plan, without too many corrections, then the
bill could be approved by parliament within this year,''
Opekunov said.
Federal Atomic Energy Agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko, who acts as
the president's adviser on the bill, has said he wants all
nuclear activities to be self-sufficient and run like
businesses, not as part of the state.
Although Atomprom will be fully controlled by the state, the
companies in its holding will be free to form joint ventures
with private businesses, Novikov said.
The bill also allows for foreign companies to own nuclear
material on Russian territory. This would allow mining companies
such as Australia's BHP Billiton to send uranium ore to Russia
for processing and enrichment, and then re-export.
Russia, which has the world's ninth-largest uranium reserves,
wants to buy the ore from Australia, which has the world's
biggest reserves of the element, although laws in both countries
currently prevent this, said Vladimir Smirnov, head of
Technsabexport, the state nuclear fuel trader.
Copyright 2006. The Moscow Times. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
22 Green Bay Press-Gazette: Panel seeks comments on nuke-reactor safety
Posted November 6, 2006
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking comment on proposed
rules regarding nuclear power reactor physical-security
requirements.
The commission will hold public meetings in Rockville, Md., and
Las Vegas this month but will also accept written comments.
The rules address training and qualification of security guards,
access authorization and safety/security interface. The rules
were published in the "Federal Register" on Oct. 26 and can be
viewed at ruleforum.llnl.gov/. The "Federal Register" notice
outlines how to submit written comments.
— Richard Ryman/Press-Gazette
Direct Link to the Federal Register Posting Mon Nov 06,
2006 11:49 am
Here is a direct link to the federal register posting
http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2006-10-26-06-8678
Contact us at 920-435-4411. greenbaypressgazette.com is
a Gannett Companywebsite. Use of this site signifies your
agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, updated
June 7, 2005.
*****************************************************************
23 NRC: Atomic Safety and Licensing Board; Before Administrative Judges:
FR Doc 06-9075
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65008] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-63]
Lawrence G. McDade, Chairman, Nicholas G. Trikouros, Dr. Richard
E. Wardwell; in the Matter of System Energy Resources, Inc.;
Early Site Permit for Grand Gulf Site; Revised Notice of Hearing
October 31, 2006.
On October 6, 2006, this Atomic Safety and Licensing Board issued
a Notice of Hearing,\1\ which indicated that an evidentiary
session would be convened beginning on Tuesday, November 14,
2006, to receive testimony and exhibits in the ``mandatory
hearing'' portion of this proceeding regarding the October 16,
2003, application of System Energy Resources, Inc. (SERI) for a
10 CFR Part 52 early site permit (ESP), seeking approval of the
site of the existing Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS) near Port
Gibson in Claiborne County, Mississippi, for the possible future
construction of a new nuclear power generation facility.\2\ This
mandatory hearing will concern safety and environmental matters
relating to the proposed issuance of the requested ESP, as
described in our October 6 Notice. The Board hereby gives notice
that the mandatory hearing will now begin on Wednesday, November
29, 2006, and will continue day-to-day thereafter until
concluded.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \1\ See 71 FR 60,583 (Oct. 13, 2006). \2\ See 69 FR
2636 (Jan. 16, 2004).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- A. Date, Time, and Location of Mandatory Hearing Date:
Wednesday, November 29, 2006.
Time: Beginning at 9 a.m. EST. Location: ASLBP Hearing Room, Two
White Flint North, Third Floor, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville,
Maryland 20852-2738.
Any members of the public who plan to attend the mandatory
hearing are advised that security measures will be employed at
the entrance to the hearing facility, including searches of
hand-carried items such as briefcases or backpacks. The public is
further advised that, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.390, portions
of the hearing sessions may be closed to the public because the
matters at issue may involve the discussion of protected
information.
B. Scheduling Information Updates Updated/revised scheduling
information regarding the evidentiary hearing can be found on the
NRC Web site at or by calling (800) 368-5642, extension 5036, or
(301) 415-5036.
It is so ordered.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \3\ Copies of this Notice were sent this date by
Internet e-mail transmission to counsel for (1) SERI; and (2) the
NRC Staff.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- Dated: Rockville, Maryland, October 31, 2006.
For the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.\3\ Lawrence G. McDade,
Chairman, Administrative Judge.
[FR Doc. 06-9075 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
24 Sofia Echo: Billions for nuke deal in Bulgaria
http://www.sofiaecho.com
09:00 Mon 06 Nov 2006
Russian company Atomstroyexport was chosen to build Bulgaria’s
second nuclear power plant (NPP) in Belene, on the Danube, for
the price of 3.999 billion euro. The decision was made on
October 31 by Bulgaria’s National Electric Company (NEC), two
days after the second round of Bulgaria’s presidential
elections.
Atomstroyexport, together with the French-German Framatome, will
construct the two 1000 megawatt reactors of Belene NPP. The
first nuclear reactor will be commissioned after 6.5 years,
while the second one will be put into operation a year later.
Atomstroyexport’s offer envisages that the price of one kWh of
electricity generated at the Belene NPP will be 3.6-3.7 euro
over a 60-year depreciation period of the equipment cents.
The other bidder for the construction of Belene NPP, the Czech
Republic’s Skoda Alliance, offered a price of 4.98 billion euro
with a price for one kW of four to 4.3 euro cents over a 40-year
depreciation period. Atomstroyexport’s major advantage, however,
was its offer to buy back old equipment in Belene that could
reduce the net expenses of the project by some 100 million to
3.9 billion euro.
Belene’s construction was started about 20 years ago by the then
communist regime. However, because of economic crises, the
project was put on hold. Today, the equipment at the
construction site, delivered by the former Soviet Union, is
outmoded. Atomstroyexport’s bid offers Bulgaria a solution.
The NEC said that Atomstroyexport’s offer led on higher safety
standards assigned to the new (third) generation power reactors
VVER-466. These types of nuclear reactors are considered well
accepted by the European Union. The final deal on the
constitution of Belene is expected to be signed within a month.
Construction is expected to start at the end of 2007 because of
a number of licensing requirements and time required to set up
up an investment company and make financial arrangements.
The construction of Belene NPP has turned into a sensitive issue
for Bulgaria. As The Sofia Echo reported on October 27, some
European banks were said to have withdrawn from financing the
project because of tremendous pressure from environmentalists.
Such was the case with Germany’s Deutsche Bank and
HypoVereinbank. “The financing of the Belene NPP construction
has not been secured until now,” Lyubomir Velkov, head of NEC,
told a news conference after announcing Atomstroyexport as the
winner. Velkov said that negotiations were being conducted with
several investment banks.
Some parts of NEC’s selection procedure also raised doubts. For
the past year NEC has several times asked the bidders to improve
their offers for upgrading the old Soviet-type equipment at
Belene NPP.
On October 31, NEC did not reveal any details about the
parameters of the improved offers of Atomstroyexport and Skoda
Alliance. Another concern is the way the price of electricity
was estimated. The average electricity production price in the
Russian bid was calculated on a 60-year period against a 40-year
period in the other bid. This longer period set in the Russian
offer was described as an advantage by NEC. However, it could
easily turn into a weakness in case of rapid technological
developments in the field of power generation, as some analysts
have pointed out in Bulgarian media.
At present, Bulgaria has only one NPP constructed in Kozloduy,
on the Danube, of which units 3 and 4 are supposed to be shut
down in 2007, as part of Bulgaria’s commitments to the EU. The
country is scheduled to join the EU on January 1 2007 and
shutting down Kozloduy, which was built with Soviet technology,
was one of the conditions.
While Bulgaria owns 100 per cent of Kozloduy NPP, the country is
expected to hold a 50 per cent stake in Belene NPP. The
remaining shares will be offered to one or several strategic
foreign investors. An information memorandum is currently being
prepared and will be offered to potential investors within a
month and a half. Potential strategic investors include
Germany’s E.ON, Spain’s Ebedrola, France’s EDF, Italy’s Enel,
Belgium’s Traktabel and Russia’s RAO.
www.sofiaecho.com
*****************************************************************
25 This is dorset: Reactor Hall Pulled Down At Nuclear Site
By Eric Randolph
DESTROYED: Reactor hall B20, which housed reactors Nestor and
Dimple at the Winfrith UKAEA nuclear research site, is demolished
ANOTHER major stage in the decommissioning of the nuclear site
at Winfrith has been completed.
The latest project in the closing down of the UKAEA site was the
removal of Nestor and Dimple, two low power reactors which were
among the world's longest-running and most successful research
facilities.
It has taken almost eight years to complete this project, with a
separate reinforced concrete building put up in the process to
store radioactive fissile material.
Nestor started its working life, known as "going critical" in
the industry, in 1961. It provided a source of neutrons to test
radiation shields.continued...
Dimple, built in 1954, tested safety and efficiency across the
whole fuel cycle. The building that housed them has now been
completely torn down.
Under close inspection, the remaining 65 tonnes of natural and
depleted uranium from the reactors was sealed and transferred
off-site.
Paul Milverton, the UKAEA project manager said: "The project to
remove these facilities represented a number of technical and
contractual challenges.
"But the demolition work was carried out safely and for a lot
lower than the expected cost.
"It's an excellent result and shows a great working partnership
between UKAEA and its contractors."
There were once nine reactors at the Winfrith site. The last
functioning site was turned off in 1990, beginning the long
process of clearing the site.
This was sped up in 2003 when the government became keen to show
how neatly and efficiently nuclear sites could be cleared.
It is now hoped Winfrith will be completely decommissioned by
2015, making it the first major nuclear site to be taken off the
regulator's books.
Only two reactors remain now at Winfrith and the first stage in
their demolition is due to be completed in the next few weeks.
3:45pm Monday 6th November 2006Print SendPost this story to:
Privacy Policy © Copyright 2001-2006 Newsquest Media Group A
Gannett Company
*****************************************************************
26 NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority, Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1,
FR Doc E6-18623
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65009-65017] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-65]
2 and 3; Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No
Significant Impact Related to the Proposed License Amendment To
Increase the Maximum Reactor Power Level AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
[[Page 65010]] ACTION: Notice of Opportunity for Public Comment.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has
prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) as its evaluation
of a request by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for license
amendments to increase the maximum thermal power at Browns Ferry
Nuclear Plant (BFN) from 3458 megawatts-thermal (MWt) to 3952 MWt
for Units 2 and 3 and from 3293 MWt to 3952 MWt for Unit 1. These
represent power increases of approximately 15 percent for BFN
Units 2 and 3 and a total of 20 percent for BFN Unit 1. As stated
in the NRC staff's position paper dated February 8, 1996, on the
Boiling-Water Reactor Extended Power Uprate (EPU) Program, the
NRC staff would prepare an environmental impact statement if it
believes a power uprate would have a significant impact on the
human environment. The NRC staff did not identify any significant
impact from the information provided in the licensee's EPU
applications for BFN Units 1, 2, and 3, or from the NRC staff's
independent review; therefore, the NRC staff is documenting its
environmental review in an EA. Also, in accordance with the
position paper, the draft EA and Finding of No Significant Impact
are being published in the Federal Register with a 30-day public
comment period.
Environmental Assessment Plant Site and Environs: BFN is located
on approximately 340 ha (840 ac) of Federally owned land that is
under the custody of the TVA in Limestone County, Alabama. The
EPU would apply to facilities at the BFN site, which is located
in northern Alabama on the northern shore of Wheeler Reservoir,
an impoundment of the Tennessee River, at Tennessee River Mile
(TRM) 294. The BFN site is approximately 16 km (10 mi) south of
Athens, Alabama; 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Decatur, Alabama; and
48 km (30 mi) west of Huntsville, Alabama.
Land in the vicinity of BFN is used primarily for agriculture.
Population densities are low, with no population centers of
significance within 16 km (10 mi) of the plant. The site is
surrounded to the north and east by rural countryside. It
includes open pasture lands, scattered farmsteads, few residents,
and little industry within several miles. The terrain is gently
rolling with open views to higher elevations to the north. The
southern and western sides of the plant site abut the Wheeler
Reservoir, which is a wide expanse of open river used for a
variety of recreational purposes. The reservoir in the vicinity
of the plant site is moderately used by recreational boaters and
fishermen. There are no homes within the foreground viewing
distance to the north and east. However, adjacent to the plant
site several developments have partial views of the site--a small
residential development is sited to the northwest and another
across the Wheeler Reservoir to the southwest, and the Mallard
Creek public use area is directly across the reservoir. A berm,
graded during the initial construction of the plant site and
containing approximately 2.5 million m3 (3.3 million yd3) of
earth excavated to make cooling water channels, lies adjacent to
the cooling tower complex and blocks views of the northern and
eastern plant areas. Two wildlife management areas--Swan Creek
State Wildlife Management Area and Mallard-Fox Creek State
Wildlife Management Area--are within 5 km (3 mi) of the BFN site.
The Swan Creek Wildlife Management Area includes 1232 ha (3045
ac) of land and 2357 ha (5825 ac) of water surrounded by numerous
industrial facilities. The Mallard-Fox Creek State Wildlife
Management Area encompasses approximately 593 ha (1483 ac) and is
used primarily for small game hunting. The Round Island
Recreation Area, a site on the Central Loop of the North Alabama
Birding Trail, is located approximately 5.6 km (3.5 mi) upstream
of BFN on the northern side of the Tennessee River and provides
birding opportunities and boat access.
BFN has two active nuclear reactor units (Units 2 and 3) and one
currently inactive unit (Unit 1). Each unit includes a
boiling-water reactor and a steam-driven turbine generator
manufactured by General Electric Company. Each unit originally
was licensed for an output of 3293 megawatts-thermal (MWt), with
a design net electric rating of 1065 megawatts-electric (MWe).
Major construction on BFN, TVA's first nuclear power plant, began
in 1967. Commercial operation began in 1974 for Unit 1, in 1975
for Unit 2, and in 1977 for Unit 3. All three units were shut
down in 1985 during a review of the TVA nuclear power program.
Unit 2 returned to service in May 1991, and Unit 3 resumed
operation in November 1995. Work began in 2002 to bring Unit 1 up
to current standards, and the reactor is currently scheduled to
restart in 2007.
Wheeler Reservoir on the Tennessee River is the source for
cooling water and most of the auxiliary water systems for BFN.
The intake forebay is separated from Wheeler Reservoir by a
structure with three bays each with a gate that can be raised or
lowered depending on the operational requirements of the plant.
Beyond the forebay are 18 intake pumping station bays (6 per
reactor unit) each with traveling screens.
The BFN units are normally cooled by pumping water from Wheeler
Reservoir into the turbine generator condensers and discharging
it back to the reservoir via three large submerged diffuser pipes
that are perforated to maximize uniform mixing into the flow
stream. This straight-through flow path is known as ``open
cycle'' or ``open mode'' operation. As originally designed, the
maximum thermal discharge from the once-through cooling water
system is directed into the Wheeler Reservoir, with a temperature
increase across the intake and discharge of 13.9 [deg]C (25
[deg]F). The flow exits the diffusers and mixes with the
reservoir flow. At the edge of the discharge mixing zone, the
water temperature is required to be less than 5.6 [deg]C (10
[deg]F) above ambient water temperature.
Through various gates, some of this cooling water can also be
directed through cooling towers to reduce its temperature as
necessary to comply with environmental regulations. This flow
path is known as the ``helper mode'' operation.
The capability also exists to recycle cooling water from the
cooling towers directly back to the intake structure without
being discharged to the reservoir. This flow path, known as the
``closed mode'' of operation, has not been used since the restart
of Units 2 and 3 because of difficulties in meeting temperature
limits in summer months and problems with equipment reliability.
TVA does not anticipate using this mode in the future, and no
procedures for operating in this mode currently exist.
In recent years, only Units 2 and 3 have been operated, but
because of a combination of system upgrades and improved flow
calibrations, the measured total per-unit condenser cooling water
(CCW) flow rate in open mode (with three CCW pumps per unit) has
increased. The condenser tubes were replaced with stainless steel
tubing that has a larger internal diameter and lower flow
resistance. This modification increased flow through the
condenser by approximately 6 percent. TVA estimates total intake
for three-unit operation in open mode to be 139 m3/s (4907 cfs)
or 12,000 m3/d (3171 million gallons per day [MGD]).
Because of various system limitations, BFN cannot pass all the
CCW through the cooling towers when operating in the helper mode.
The fraction of cooling
[[Page 65011]] water that cannot be passed through the cooling
towers is routed directly to the river. Also, almost all of the
cooling water that passes through the cooling towers is returned
to the river, but a small amount is lost to the atmosphere during
operation. If cooling tower capacity is increased due to the EPU,
this consumptive use could increase proportionally. The cooling
towers are only operated when necessary, typically a few weeks
during the hottest part of the summer (typically July and
August), to meet thermal discharge temperature limits specified
in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
permit issued by the Alabama Department of Environmental
Management.
The residual heat removal service water (RHRSW) system consists
of four pairs of pumps located on the intake structure for
pumping river water to the heat exchangers in the RHRSW system
and four additional pumps for supplying water to the emergency
equipment cooling water (EECW) system. The EECW system
distributes cooling water supplied by the RHRSW system to
essential equipment during normal and accident conditions.
Identification of the Proposed Action: By letters dated June 25,
2004 and June 28, 2004, TVA proposed amendments to the operating
licenses for BFN Units 2 and 3 and for BFN Unit 1, respectively,
to increase the maximum thermal power level by approximately 15
percent for Units 2 and 3, from 3458 MWt to 3952 MWt, and by
approximately 20 percent for Unit 1, from 3293 MWt to 3952 MWt.
The change is considered an EPU because it would raise the
reactor core power levels more than 7 percent above the
originally licensed maximum power levels. This amendment would
allow the heat output of the reactors to increase, which would
increase the flow of steam to the turbines. This would increase
production of electricity and the amount of waste heat delivered
to the condensers, and increase the temperature of the water
being discharged into the Wheeler Reservoir. On September 8,
1998, the NRC approved license amendments for power uprates of 5
percent for BFN Units 2 and 3. BFN Units 2 and 3 are currently
operating at 105 percent of their originally licensed thermal
power (an increase from 3293 MWt to 3458 MWt). Therefore, the
proposed EPUs analyzed in this EA are 15 percent for Units 2 and
3 and 20 percent for Unit 1, which is currently licensed to
operate at 100 percent of its originally licensed thermal power
(3293 MWt).
The Need for the Proposed Action: The proposed action would meet
the increasing demand for bulk power resulting from the economic
growth in the TVA service area. Such economic growth is
forecasted to continue in the Tennessee Valley region resulting
in an estimated average annual increase of 1.6 percent in the
regional energy demand over the next 20 years. Such demand
increases would exceed TVA's capacity to generate electricity for
its customers. The proposed EPUs would add approximately 600 MWe
to the historical generating capacity of BFN; such additional
capacity should provide a cost-effective means of meeting the
projected increased demand. The EPUs can be implemented without
substantial capital investment and would not cause the
environmental impacts that would occur if construction of a new
power-generation facility was sought to meet the region's
electricity needs.
Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action: At the time of
issuance of the operating licenses for BFN, the NRC staff noted
that any activity authorized by the licenses would be encompassed
by the overall action evaluated in the Final Environmental
Statement (FES) for the operation of BFN that was issued in
September 1972. Additionally, the Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants Regarding Browns
Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2 and 3 (NUREG-1437, Supplement 21)
Final Report evaluating license renewal for BFN assumes operation
of all three units operating at 120 percent of the originally
licensed power level because it was assumed that the EPU would be
approved before the renewed license terms begin. This EA
summarizes the non-radiological and radiological impacts in the
environment that may result from the proposed action of the EPU.
Non-Radiological Impacts Land Use Impacts The potential impacts
associated with land use for the proposed action include effects
from construction and plant modifications. While some plant
components would be modified, all plant changes related to the
EPUs would occur within existing structures, buildings, and
fenced equipment yards housing the major unit components. Also,
the EPU would use existing parking lots, road access, lay-down
areas, offices, workshops, warehouses, and restrooms. Therefore,
no land use would change at BFN. Also, no land use would change
along transmission lines (no new lines would be required for
EPU), transmission corridors, switch yards, or substations.
According to the SEIS for license renewal of BFN, the only
significant cultural resources in the proximity of BFN are site
1Li535 and the Cox Cemetery, which was moved to accommodate
original construction of the plant. TVA has procedures in place
to ensure that the operation of BFN would protect undiscovered
historic or archaeological resources, and the proposed action
would not change such procedures.
The EPUs and continued operation of BFN Units 1, 2, and 3 would
remain in the scope of the original FES, and therefore, the staff
concludes potential impacts to land use and to historic and
archaeological resources from the proposed action are bounded by
the impacts previously evaluated in the FES.
Cooling Tower Impacts In support of the EPUs, operation frequency
of the cooling towers would likely increase to approximately 7.2
percent of the time to meet thermal discharge requirements of the
NPDES permit. The potential impacts from increased use of the
cooling towers would be negligible to minor. The impacts would be
increased noise directly proportional to the increased usage
frequency. The towers may produce more noise and longer periods
of noise due to the increased cooling tower operation, but other
background noise, such as traffic, insects, frogs, and air
conditioners, dominated TVA's June 2001 background noise survey.
There are two neighborhoods in close proximity to BFN. The
estimated background noise in the two neighborhoods, Paradise
Shores and Lakeview, with six cooling towers operating would be
approximately 52 and 48 decibels, respectively. These values are
below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's)
recommended level of 55 decibels for the annual equivalent sound
level day/night.
Therefore, noise increases are not expected to have a noticeable
effect on nearby residents.
Conclusions reached in NUREG-1437, Generic Environmental Impact
Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (GEIS), apply to
the proposed action regarding cooling tower impacts on crops,
ornamental vegetation, and native plants. The conclusions state
that salt drift, icing, fogging, or increased humidity resulting
from cooling tower operation would not be significant. These same
conclusions
[[Page 65012]] apply for the period of operation prior to entry
into the renewed operating license period. Additionally, as
stated in the SEIS, the BFN cooling towers would be operated as
helper towers and, therefore, would be operated less frequently
than at plants with continuous cooling tower operation. However,
since the publication of the NRC's SEIS, TVA has proposed a
design change for the future sixth cooling tower, which would
result in slightly increased frequency of cooling tower operation
than the originally planned 20-cell tower. Nonetheless, cooling
tower operation at BFN with all three units operating at EPU
levels would still be operated less frequently than at plants
with continuous cooling tower operation.
Likewise, the conclusion reached in the GEIS regarding aesthetics
of cooling tower operation applies to the BFN helper towers. In
addition to increased noise, increased operation of cooling
towers may have an aesthetic effect in that a visible plume would
be detectable more days of the year. However, the conclusions in
the GEIS state that continuously operated cooling towers would
not have significant effects on visible and audible aesthetics;
therefore, the proposed action, including the increased use of
helper towers, would not significantly affect aesthetics. This
conclusion also applies to operation both prior to the renewed
operating license period and during the renewed operating license
period.
The proposed EPU would increase the number of days of operation
of the cooling towers, which may increase the number of days
experiencing background noise, fogging, icing, increased
humidity, and a visible plume. Although the frequency of cooling
tower operation would increase, the helper towers would be used
only intermittently. Therefore, the staff concludes impacts of
operating cooling towers would not be significant for the
proposed action.
Transmission Facility Impacts The potential impacts associated
with transmission facilities for the proposed action include
changes in transmission line corridor right-of-way maintenance
and electric shock hazards due to increased current. No change in
right-of-way maintenance, including vegetative management, would
occur as a result of the EPU. The proposed EPU would increase the
current, which would affect the electromagnetic field, but would
not increase the voltage. Because the voltage would not change,
there would be no change in the potential for electric shock.
The National Electric Safety Code (NESC) provides design criteria
that limit hazards from steady-state currents. The NESC limits
the short-circuit current to the ground to less than 5 mA. There
would be an increase in current passing through the transmission
lines associated with the increased power level of the proposed
EPU.
The increased electrical current passing through the transmission
lines would cause an increase in electromagnetic field strength.
Transmission lines would continue to meet applicable shock
prevention provisions of the NESC. Although the United States has
no guidelines for exposure to power frequency electromagnetic
fields, Florida and New York have guidelines based on maximum
load-carrying conditions. Under conditions of increased EPU
currents, TVA transmission lines would continue to meet such
guidelines. No data exist to suggest that higher electromagnetic
fields adversely affect human health or flora and fauna.
The impacts associated with transmission facilities for the
proposed action would not change significantly relative to the
impacts from current plant operation. There would be no physical
modifications to the transmission lines, transmission line
right-of-way maintenance practices would not change, there would
be no changes to transmission line rights-of-way or vertical
clearances, and electric current passing through the transmission
lines would increase only slightly.
Therefore, the staff concludes there would be no significant
impacts associated with transmission lines for the proposed
action.
Water Use Impacts Potential water use impacts from the proposed
action include hydrological alterations to the Wheeler Reservoir
on the Tennessee River and changes to plant water supply. No
changes to the plant intake system are expected due to the
proposed action; therefore, the volume of intake water would not
change. Therefore, the staff concludes that there would be no
significant alteration of the hydrology of the Wheeler Reservoir
or the plant's water supply.
In addition to the once-through cooling system, BFN has five
mechanical draft cooling towers that operate during helper mode.
In conjunction with the restart of Unit 1, TVA has committed to
building a replacement for the sixth cooling tower; the
replacement tower would have a heat removal capacity greater than
or equal to that of existing cooling tower 3. BFN typically
enters helper mode during the hot summer months, and the cooling
towers are operated only when necessary to meet the NPDES
permit's thermal discharge limits.
With the restart of Unit 1, if more than six circulating water
pumps are operating, some flow must bypass the cooling towers and
enter the river directly due to system limitations. Only about 2
percent of the cooling tower flow is not returned to the river
due to evaporation and drift. BFN's consumptive water use
consists of a negligible, unquantifiable amount that would not
change detectably as a result of the EPU. Therefore, the staff
concludes there would be no significant impacts to water use in
the Wheeler Reservoir or the Tennessee River for the proposed
action.
Discharge Impacts Potential impacts to the Wheeler Reservoir from
the BFN discharge include increased turbidity, scouring, erosion,
and sedimentation. These discharge-related impacts apply to
open-cycle flow due to the large volume of water discharged to
the reservoir. However, since the EPU at BFN would not alter the
intake volume of water, no significant change in discharge volume
is anticipated. Therefore, no significant impacts from increased
turbidity, scouring, erosion, and sedimentation are expected.
Surface runoff and wastewater discharges at BFN are regulated by
the State of Alabama via a NPDES permit (NPDES No. AL0022080).
The permit is periodically reviewed and renewed by the Alabama
Department of Environmental Management. With the exception of
discharge temperature, the EPU would not be expected to alter any
other effluents, such as yard drainage, station sumps, and sewage
treatment. Increase in discharge temperature in the Wheeler
Reservoir would remain within the NPDES permit limits due to the
implementation of cooling towers in helping mode or derating the
units during hot summer months.
BFN's current NPDES permit limits thermal discharge, as detected
at a depth of 5 feet at the end of a 2400-foot mixing zone
downstream of the discharge diffusers, to a maximum 1-hour
average of 93[deg]F, a maximum 24-hour average of 90[deg]F, and a
maximum increase of 10[deg]F over ambient temperatures.
Currently, with Units 2 and 3 operating at 105 percent of the
originally licensed maximum power level in open mode, the
approximate temperature increase at the end of the mixing zone is
5.3[deg]F. Operation of all three units at 120 percent power is
[[Page 65013]] predicted to increase the mean water temperature
at the end of the mixing zone by about 0.5[deg]F compared to
current operations and only 0.3[deg]F when compared to all three
units operating at their original power level as assessed in the
FES. Increase in discharge temperature beyond the NPDES limits
would trigger operation of the cooling towers in helper mode. If
operation of the cooling towers is insufficient to reduce
discharge temperature enough to remain within the NPDES
compliance, the units would be derated so that the discharge
temperature does not exceed the permit's limits. It is estimated
that three-unit operation with the EPU would increase
cooling-tower- operation frequency to about 7.2 percent and would
result in derating approximately 0.29 percent of the time. It is
expected that such operational controls would maintain compliance
with the NPDES permit. When the plant is operating within the
permit limits, it is expected that thermal discharge would not
have significant individual or cumulative effects on reservoir
stratification, dissolved oxygen concentrations, and
eutrophication.
The proposed EPU would not result in changes in any other
effluents, which are currently within permit limits. Therefore,
the staff concludes that the proposed action would not result in
any significant impacts on the Wheeler Reservoir or the Tennessee
River from BFN discharge.
Impacts on Aquatic Biota The potential impacts to aquatic biota
from the proposed action include impingement, entrainment,
thermal discharge effects, and impacts due to transmission line
right-of-way maintenance. The BFN has intake and discharge
structures on the Wheeler Reservoir. The aquatic species
evaluated in this EA are those in the vicinity of the intake and
discharge structures.
Entrainment and impingement of aquatic species at BFN are limited
by the NPDES permit. TVA conducted a pre-operational and
operational study to collect data describing ichthyoplankton
populations in the Wheeler Reservoir from 1971 through 1979. The
results of the study indicated that, under open-cycle, three-unit
operation, entrainment would not increase mortality significantly
beyond the expected levels of natural mortality of fish eggs and
larvae and that impingement would not adversely affect the fish
community in the Wheeler Reservoir. TVA also conducted flow
studies at BFN; the studies indicated that most entrained water
originates on the eastern side of the main river channel. This
area has lower densities of fish larvae than in overbank areas.
Fish eggs (mostly from freshwater drum [Aplodinotus grunniens])
are found in the main channel at higher densities, but abundance
of freshwater drum has not decreased noticeably. With the return
of three- unit operation at 120 percent power for each unit,
entrainment and impingement would increase slightly due to the
increased flow rate of CCW. TVA's Vital Signs monitoring program
currently being conducted would continue after the return of
three-unit operation. In addition to assessing impacts from
entrainment and impingement of fish populations in the Wheeler
Reservoir, the monitoring program addresses effects on fish
population dynamics and commercial and recreational fisheries as
needed. The staff has determined that slight increases in
entrainment and impingement as a result of the proposed action
would not have significant impacts on species abundance or on the
Wheeler Reservoir fish community.
On July 9, 2004, EPA published a final rule in the Federal
Register (69 FR 41575) addressing cooling water intake structures
at existing power plants whose flow levels exceed a minimum
threshold value of 50 MGD. The rule is Phase II in EPA's
development of 316(b) regulations that establish national
requirements applicable to the location, design, construction,
and capacity of cooling water intake structures at existing
facilities that exceed the threshold value for water withdrawals.
The national requirements, which are imposed with NPDES permits,
minimize the adverse environmental impacts associated with the
continued use of the intake systems. Licensees are required to
demonstrate compliance with the Phase II performance standards to
renew their NPDES permits. TVA is currently conducting
entrainment and impingement studies at BFN in compliance with the
Phase II rule.
Fish have the ability to detect thermal changes and actively
avoid areas with elevated water temperature near the BFN
diffusers.
Thermal modeling shows that the bank opposite the BFN diffusers
would not be affected by the thermal plume and, therefore, would
allow passage for migrating fish. Known fish hosts for the
protected freshwater mussels (see section below describing
impacts on threatened and endangered species) are common in the
Wheeler Reservoir. Most fish host species in the reservoir have
upper lethal temperature limits that are higher than the BFN
thermal variance of 90 [deg]F. Studies on the least thermally
tolerant species, sauger (Stizostedion vitreum) and yellow perch
(Perca flavescens), showed that BFN had no significant, adverse
impacts on reproduction of either species or on the annual sauger
migration past BFN for spawning. Most larvae and eggs drifting
past BFN are demersal and would have very little exposure to the
thermal plume due to rapid mixing with the ambient surface water
and rising of the heated water. Therefore, the thermal plume
associated with the proposed EPU is not expected to affect
adversely any life history stages of freshwater mussels or their
host species.
The NPDES permit limits the amount of heat discharged to the
Wheeler Reservoir from the operation of BFN. The thermal limits
specified in the NPDES permit (as discussed above in discharge
impacts section) would not change with implementation of the EPU.
Because TVA would continue to meet the thermal limits set in the
NPDES permit, whether in open cycle, in helper mode, or via power
derating, the proposed action is not expected to result in
additional thermal discharge effects on aquatic species in the
Wheeler Reservoir.
As discussed in the transmission facility impacts section of this
EA, transmission line right-of-way maintenance practices would
not change for the proposed action. Therefore, the staff
concludes that there would be no significant impacts to aquatic
species associated with transmission line right-of-way
maintenance for the proposed action.
Impacts on Terrestrial Biota The proposed action would not
include any new land disturbance or changes in transmission line
right-of-way maintenance. Most areas at BFN are not pristine and
continue to provide habitat only for species with widespread
distributions; the wildlife diversity at BFN is not great. No
rare terrestrial species occur in the vicinity of BFN. Although
wetlands do occur at the BFN site (25 acres according to the
National Wetlands Inventory and 12 acres according to the Federal
jurisdictional criteria), none of the wetlands would be affected
by the proposed action. Therefore, the staff concludes that there
would be no significant impacts to terrestrial species or their
habitat associated with the proposed action, including
transmission line right-of-way maintenance.
Impacts on Threatened and Endangered Species Potential impacts to
threatened and endangered species from the proposed action
include the impacts assessed in
[[Page 65014]] the aquatic and terrestrial biota sections of this
environmental assessment. These impacts include impingement,
entrainment, thermal discharge effects, and impacts due to
transmission line right-of-way maintenance for aquatic and
terrestrial species.
There are seven species listed as threatened or endangered under
the Federal Endangered Species Act that occur within Limestone
County, Alabama. The listed terrestrial species include the
endangered gray bat (Myotis grisescens) and the endangered
Indiana bat (M. sodalis). These two species are not known to
occur within three miles of BFN. As no significant impacts are
expected to terrestrial species or their habitat, the proposed
action would not have significant impacts on the gray or Indiana
bats or their habitats.
There are five Federally endangered aquatic species that occur
within the vicinity of BFN. The rough pigtoe (Pleurobema plenum)
and the pink mucket (Lampsilis abrupta) are freshwater mussels
that have been reported to occur in areas upstream from BFN. It
is unlikely that these species would occur in areas near the
thermal plume or downstream of BFN; therefore, effects on the
rough pigtoe, the pink mucket, their habitats, or their fish host
species (see aquatic biota section above describing impacts on
host species) are not expected to result from the proposed
action. The three other Federally listed aquatic species are
endangered snails: Armored snail (Pyrgulopsis pachyta), slender
campeloma (Campeloma decampi), and Anthony's river snail
(Athearnia anthonyi). All three Federally endangered aquatic
snails are found only in tributaries to the Wheeler Reservoir
that are located upstream of BFN; therefore, no significant
impacts on these snails are expected from the proposed action. No
Federally listed fish species or critical habitat are known to
occur within the vicinity of BFN. TVA's Vital Signs monitoring
program and Regional Natural Heritage Program would continue
acting as tools for identification of protected species and
habitat at BFN. The staff concludes that there would be no
significant effects on Federally threatened or endangered species
as a result of the proposed action.
Socioeconomic Impacts Potential social and economic impacts due
to the proposed action include changes in the payments in lieu of
taxes for Limestone County and changes in the size of the
workforce at BFN. The NRC staff has reviewed the information
provided by the licensee regarding socioeconomic impacts. Because
BFN changes in conjunction with the proposed action would occur
during a planned outage, the proposed action would not result in
any additional changes in the workforce. For all planned outages,
which typically last about 35 days, employment at BFN would
increase by about 1000 people at most. Due to the short-term need
for increased employment, it is not expected that workers would
move into the local area for such temporary employment. The
maximum employment during an outage would be about 3.1 percent of
Limestone County's current labor force, which was about 32,690 in
2003.
For the primary labor market area, which includes Huntsville,
Decatur, and Florence, BFN outages would employ about 0.3 percent
of the labor force, which was about 318,800 in 2003. Therefore,
the proposed EPU would not affect significantly the size of the
BFN labor force as the modifications would occur during planned
outages and would not increase the size of permanent employment
at BFN. Accordingly, the proposed action would not have
measurable effects on annual earnings and income in Limestone
County or on community services due to the very small and
insignificant impact on the local population.
The Limestone County population is about 17.6 percent minority,
which is well below both the state and national minority
populations, 29.7 and 30.9 percent, respectively. The labor
market minority population is about 22.1 percent. The poverty
rates in Limestone County and the labor market area are 12.3
percent and 12.1 percent, respectively, which are lower than the
state's average of 16.1 percent and about the same as the
nation's average of 12.4 percent. Therefore, due to the low
minority population, low poverty rate, and lack of significant
environmental impacts resulting from the proposed action, the
proposed EPU would not have disproportionate negative impacts to
minority and low-income populations.
In compliance with Section 13 of the TVA Act, TVA makes payments
in lieu of property taxes to states and counties in which its
power operations occur and in which its acquired properties were
subject to state and county taxation previous to their
acquisition by TVA.
For such payments, TVA pays 5 percent of its gross power revenues
to appropriate states and counties, with most of the money paid
to the states, which redistribute the payments to local
governments.
The proposed action would affect the in-lieu-of-tax payments
because the total amount of money to be distributed increases as
power generation increases and because the EPU would increase
BFN's value, thus resulting in a larger allocation of the payment
to Limestone County. Because the proposed EPU would increase the
economic viability of BFN, the probability of early plant
retirement would be reduced.
Early plant retirement would be expected to have negative impacts
on the local economy and the community by reducing in-lieu-of-tax
payments and limiting local employment opportunities for the long
term.
While the proposed action would not affect the labor force
significantly, there would be no disproportionate impacts on
minority or low-income populations. Additionally, the proposed
EPU would increase the in-lieu-of-tax payments received by
Limestone County, increase the book value of BFN, and increase
the long-term viability of BFN. Therefore, the NRC staff
concludes that there would be no significant socioeconomic
impacts associated with the proposed action.
Summary The proposed EPU would not result in a significant change
in non- radiological impacts in the areas of land use, cooling
tower operation, transmission facility operation, water use,
waste discharges, aquatic and terrestrial biota, or socioeconomic
factors. No other non- radiological impacts were identified or
would be expected. Table 1 summarizes the non-radiological
environmental impacts of the proposed EPU at BFN.
Table 1.--Summary of Non-Radiological Environmental Impacts
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-------
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------- Land Use..................... No significant land-use
modifications.
Cooling Tower................ No significant aesthetic impacts;
slightly larger visible plume and increased noise due to more
frequent operation; no significant fogging or icing.
Transmission Facilities...... No physical modifications to
transmission lines; lines meet shock safety requirements; no
changes to right-of- ways; small increase in electrical current
would cause small increase in electromagnetic field around
transmission lines; no changes to voltage.
[[Page 65015]] Water Use.................... No configuration
change to intake structure; no increased volume of water
withdrawal; increase in flow rate of condenser cooling water;
slight increase in consumptive use due to evaporation; no water
use conflicts.
Discharge.................... Increase in discharge water
temperature; no increases in other effluents; discharge would
remain within NPDES permit limits due to cooling tower operation
and derating as necessary.
Aquatic Biota................ Entrainment and impingement would
increase slightly but are not expected to affect the fish
community in Wheeler Reservoir.
Terrestrial Biota............ No land disturbance or changes to
transmission line right-of-way maintenance are expected;
therefore, there would be no significant effects on terrestrial
species or their habitat.
Threatened and Endangered As for aquatic and terrestrial
biota, no Species. significant impacts are
expected on protected species or their habitat.
Socioeconomics............... No significant change in size of
BFN labor force required for plant operation or for planned
outages; proposed EPU would increase in-lieu-of-tax payments to
Limestone County and book value of BFN; minority and low-income
populations would not be disproportionately affected.
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------- Radiological Impacts Radioactive Waste Stream Impacts BFN
uses waste treatment systems designed to collect, process, and
dispose of gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes that might contain
radioactive material in a safe and controlled manner such that
discharges are in accordance with the requirements of Title 10 of
the Code of Federal Regulations Part 20 (10 CFR Part 20),
``Standards for Protection Against Radiation,'' and 10 CFR Part
50, ``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization
Facilities,'' Appendix I. Although there may be a small increase
in the volume of radioactive waste and spent fuel, the proposed
EPU would not result in changes in the operation or design of
equipment in the gaseous, liquid, or solid waste systems.
Gaseous Radioactive Waste and Offsite Doses During normal
operation, the gaseous effluent treatment systems process and
control the release of gaseous radioactive effluents to the
environment, including small quantities of noble gases, halogens,
tritium, and particulate material. The gaseous waste management
systems include the offgas system and various building
ventilation systems. The proposed EPU is expected to result in a
15-20 percent increase in gaseous effluents, which is still well
within regulatory limits of Appendix I to 10 CFR Part 50.
Therefore, the increase in offsite dose due to gaseous effluent
release following the EPU would not be significant.
Liquid Radioactive Waste and Offsite Doses During normal
operation, the liquid effluent treatment systems process and
control the release of liquid radioactive effluents to the
environment, such that the doses to individuals offsite are
maintained within the limits of 10 CFR Part 20 and 10 CFR Part
50, Appendix I. The liquid radioactive waste systems are designed
to process the waste and then recycle it within the plant as
condensate, reprocess it through the radioactive waste system for
further purification, or discharge it to the environment as
liquid radioactive waste effluent in accordance with State and
Federal regulations. Although no changes to the liquid
radioactive waste processing and disposition at BFN are expected
to occur with the EPU, TVA does expect a small increase in the
volume to be processed. The projected liquid effluents would be
well within the regulatory limits under the proposed action.
Therefore, there would not be a significant environmental impact
from the additional volume of liquid radioactive waste generated
following the EPU.
Solid Radioactive Wastes The solid radioactive waste system
collects, processes, packages, and temporarily stores radioactive
dry and wet solid wastes prior to shipment offsite and permanent
disposal. The proposed EPU would generate 15-20 percent more
radioactive resin resulting from the increased condensate
demineralizer flow. Such an increase would not exceed BFN's
capacity for radioactive waste treatment and storage.
Modifications associated with the proposed action would generate
a small amount of dry radioactive waste, which would remain
within the range of solid waste currently generated and would not
impact waste generation goals.
The proposed action would increase the average batch size of fuel
assemblies for refueling, but it would not affect BFN's schedule
for spent fuel storage expansion. The number of dry storage casks
required with the proposed EPU would increase by about 7 percent.
Therefore, the increase in solid radioactive waste under the
proposed action would not have a significant environmental
impact.
In-Plant Radiation Doses The proposed EPU would result in the
production of more radioactive material and higher radiation dose
rates in some areas at BFN.
The annual average occupational radiation dose to an individual
for BFN during the 1991-to-2000 period was 0.198 rem. The
predicted occupational radiation dose for BFN with the proposed
EPU could increase to almost 0.24 rem, which is about 5 percent
of the 10 CFR Part 20 limit for adult whole body occupational
radiation dose.
This estimate does not account for potential further reductions
in dose due to As Low As Reasonably Achievable program
initiatives and administrative dose level controls. Therefore,
the proposed action is not expected to impact significantly the
in-plant radiation doses.
Direct Radiation Doses Offsite Direct radiation from
radionuclides (mainly nitrogen-16) in the reactor water and the
turbine building would increase linearly with the EPU. Such
increase in radiation would be monitored at the on-site
environmental thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) stations at BFN.
In the past, data from BFN's TLD stations have not indicated that
any measurable nitrogen-16 radiation could be detected offsite.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the small increase in radiation
associated with the EPU would result in any measurable dose to
the public.
The annual whole body dose equivalent for liquid effluents to a
member of the public beyond the site boundary is limited to 25
mrem (0.25 mSv) by 40 CFR Part 190. The projected maximum direct
radiation dose offsite at BFN with the EPU is 0.065 mrem, which
is only about 0.3 percent of the limit in 40 CFR 190. The liquid
effluent dose limit for any organ is projected to be 0.94
mrem/year, which is only 0.4 percent of the 40 CFR 190 limit.
Projected gaseous limits with the EPU would also remain well
within limits, with each dose type reaching less than 0.2 percent
of the limit. The licensee would continue to perform surveys as
the EPU is implemented to ensure continued compliance with 40 CFR
190.
[[Page 65016]] Therefore, the direct radiation dose offsite at
BFN with the EPU would not be significant and is not expected to
affect human health.
Postulated Accident Doses As a result of implementation of the
proposed EPU, there is an increase in the source term used in the
evaluation of some of the postulated accidents in the FES. The
inventory of radionuclides in the reactor core is dependent upon
power level; therefore, the core inventory of radionuclides could
increase by as much as 20 percent. The concentration of
radionuclides in the reactor coolant may also increase by as much
as 20 percent; however, this concentration is limited by the BFN
Technical Specifications. Therefore, the reactor coolant
concentration of radionuclides would not be expected to increase
significantly. This coolant concentration is part of the source
term considered in some of the postulated accident analyses. Some
of the radioactive waste streams and storage systems evaluated
for postulated accidents may contain slightly higher quantities
of radionuclides.
In 2002, TVA requested a license amendment to allow the use of
Alternate Source Term (AST) methodology for design basis accident
analyses for BFN Units 1, 2, and 3. TVA conducted full-scope AST
analyses, which considered the core isotopic values for the
current and future vendor products under EPU conditions. TVA
concluded that the calculated post-accident offsite doses for the
EPU using AST methodologies meet all the applicable acceptance
criteria of 10 CFR 50.67 and Regulatory Guide 1.183. The NRC
staff is reviewing the licensee's analyses and performing
confirmatory calculations to verify the acceptability of the
licensee's calculated doses under accident conditions. The
results of the NRC staff's calculations will be presented in the
safety evaluation to be issued with the license amendment, and
the EPU would not be approved by NRC unless the NRC staff's
independent review of dose calculations under postulated accident
conditions determines that dose is within regulatory limits.
Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the EPU would not
significantly increase the consequences of accidents and would
not result in a significant increase in the radiological
environmental impact of BFN from postulated accidents.
Fuel Cycle and Transportation Impacts The environmental impacts
of the fuel cycle and transportation of fuels and wastes are
described in Tables S-3 and S-4 of 10 CFR 51.51 and 10 CFR 51.52,
respectively. An additional NRC generic EA (53 FR 30355, dated
August 11, 1988, as corrected by 53 FR 32322, dated August 24,
1988) evaluated the applicability of Tables S-3 and S-4 to higher
burn-up cycle and concluded that there is no significant change
in environmental impact from the parameters evaluated in Tables
S-3 and S- 4 for fuel cycles with uranium enrichments up to 5
weight percent uranium-235 and burn-ups less than 60,000 megawatt
(thermal) days per metric ton of uranium-235 (MWd/MTU). Resulting
from an interagency agreement in 2001 between TVA and the
Department of Energy, 33 metric tons of highly enriched uranium
will be obtained and blended down to allow use of the low
enriched uranium as nuclear reactor fuel for BFN. With the use of
blended low enriched uranium fuel, a higher percentage of
uranium-236 exists. As a neutron poison, uranium-236 requires
greater enrichment to compensate for reactivity loss. The number
of fuel assemblies to be shipped would increase as would the
associated handling doses. However, the burn-up limit and the
uranium enrichment limit would stay within the 5 percent and the
60,000 MWd/MTU limits. Therefore, the environmental impacts of
the EPU would remain bounded by the impacts in Tables S-3 and S-4
and would not be significant.
Summary The proposed EPU would not significantly increase the
consequences of accidents, would not result in a significant
increase in occupational or public radiation exposure, and would
not result in significant additional fuel cycle environmental
impacts.
Accordingly, the Commission concludes that there would be no
significant radiological environmental impacts associated with
the proposed action. Table 2 summarizes the radiological
environmental impacts of the proposed EPU at BFN.
Table 2.--Summary of Radiological Environmental Impacts
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
------- Gaseous Effluents and Doses.. Slight increase (by about
15-20 percent) in dose due to gaseous effluents; doses to
individuals offsite would remain within NRC limits.
Liquid Effluents and Doses... Volume of liquid effluent
generated and amount of radioactivity in the effluent are
expected to increase slightly; discharges of liquid effluents
would remain within NRC limits; however, no routine discharge of
liquid effluent is expected.
Solid Radioactive Waste...... Volume of solid waste expected to
increase slightly due to more frequent change of demineralizer
resins; increase in amount of spent fuel assemblies.
In-plant Dose................ Occupational dose could increase
by 20 percent overall; occupational doses would remain well
within NRC limits.
Direct Radiation Dose........ Up to 20 percent increase in
production of nitrogen-16; however, dose rate at site boundary
due to skyshine is not expected to increase significantly and
would remain within NRC and EPA limits.
Postulated Accidents......... Licensee using AST; doses would
remain within NRC limits.
Fuel Cycle and Transportation Impacts in Tables S-3 and S-4 in
10 CFR 51, ``ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION REGULATIONS FOR DOMESTIC
LICENSING AND RELATED REGULATORY FUNCTION'' are bounding.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
------- Alternatives to Proposed Action: As an alternative to the
proposed action, the NRC staff considered denial of the proposed
EPU (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Denial of the
application would result in no change in the current
environmental impacts. However, if the EPU were not approved,
other agencies and electric power organizations may be required
to pursue other means of providing electric generation capacity
to offset future demand. Fossil fuel plants routinely emit
atmospheric pollutants, causing impacts in air quality that are
larger than if BFN were to provide the same amount of electric
generation. Construction and operation of a fossil fuel plant
also create impacts in land use and waste management. Other
alternatives, such as purchased electrical power, wind power, and
hydropower, were considered during the NRC's review for the BFN
license renewal. The proposed EPU, like license renewal, would
incur fewer environmental costs than the alternatives considered.
While the EPU would produce additional spent fuel, the additional
amount of spent fuel
[[Page 65017]] would be stored in a new dry cask storage
facility, which would be constructed even if the EPU were not
approved. Therefore, the proposed EPU would not have significant
environmental impacts.
Alternative Use of Resources This action does not involve the use
of any resources not previously considered in the SEIS (NRC
2005).
Agencies and Persons Consulted In accordance with its stated
policy, on August 7, 2006, the NRC staff consulted with the
Alabama State official, Mr. Kirk Whatley, of the Office of
Radiation Control, regarding the environmental impacts of the
proposed action. The State official had no comments. Finding of
No Significant Impact On the basis of the EA, the Commission
concludes that the proposed action would not have a significant
effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the
Commission 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 applications dated June 25 and June 28, 2004, as
supplemented by letters dated August 23, 2004, February 23, April
25, June 6, and December 19, 2005, February 1 and 28, March 7, 9,
23, and 31, April 13, May 5 and 11, June 12, 15, 23 and 27, and
July 21, 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, 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
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 at 1-800-397-4209, or
301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to .
DATES: The comment period expires December 6, 2006. Comments
received after this date will be considered if it is practical to
do so, but the Commission is only able to assure consideration of
comments received on or before December 6, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Chief, Rules and Directives
Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Mail Stop T-6D59, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Written
comments may also be delivered to 11545 Rockville Pike, Room
T-6D59, Rockville, Maryland, 20852 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on
Federal workdays. Copies of written comments received will be
electronically available at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading
Room link, , on the NRC Web site or at the NRC's Public Document
Room located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland. 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 at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail to .
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NRC is considering issuance of
amendments to Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and
DPR- 68 issued to TVA for operation of BFN Units 1, 2, and 3
located in Limestone County, Alabama.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Margaret Chernoff, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Mail Stop O-8G9A, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at
301-415-2315, or by e-mail at .
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of October 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
L. Raghavan, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of
Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-18623 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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27 NRC: Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Rancho Seco Nuclear
FR Doc E6-18624
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65017-65018] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-66]
Generating Station; Notice of Public Meeting on the License
Termination Plan The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is
providing notice that the NRC staff will conduct a meeting to
discuss and accept public comments on the Rancho Seco Nuclear
Generating Station (Rancho Seco) License Termination Plan (LTP)
on Tuesday, November 14, 2006, at 7 p.m. in a meeting room at the
Marriott Courtyard Hotel, 10683 White Rock Road, Rancho Cordova,
California.
Rancho Seco initially went critical on September 16, 1974, and
began commercial operation on April 18, 1975. In accordance with
the results of a public referendum on June 6, 1989, the
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) decided to
permanently shut down the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station.
Accordingly, on August 29, 1989, SMUD notified the NRC of its
intent to seek amendments to the Rancho Seco operating license to
decommission the facility. On March 20, 1995, the NRC issued
Rancho Seco's Decommissioning Order.
The Order authorized SMUD to decommission Rancho Seco in
accordance with the Decommissioning Plan, submitted to the NRC on
May 20, 1991. On March 20, 1997, SMUD submitted its Post Shutdown
Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR), in accordance with 10
CFR 50.82. The PSDAR superseded the original Decommissioning
Plan. On August 21, 2002, Rancho Seco completed placing all 493
spent fuel assemblies in dry storage at the onsite Independent
Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), licensed under 10 CFR
Part 72.
In accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(9), all power reactor
licensees must submit an application for termination of their
license. The application for termination of license must be
accompanied or preceded by an LTP to be submitted for NRC
approval. If found acceptable by the NRC staff, the LTP is
approved by license amendment, subject to such conditions and
limitations as the NRC staff deems appropriate and necessary.
SMUD submitted the proposed LTP for Rancho Seco with a license
amendment application dated April 12, 2006. In accordance with 10
CFR 20.1405 and 10 CFR 50.82(a)(9)(iii), the NRC is providing
notice to individuals in the vicinity of the site that the NRC is
in receipt of the Rancho Seco LTP, will hold a public meeting,
and will accept comments from affected parties.
The Rancho Seco LTP is available for public viewing at the NRC's
Public Document Room (PDR) or electronically through the NRC
Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) at
accession number ML061460053. Documents may be examined, and/or
copied for a fee, at the PDR, located at One White Flint North,
11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly
available records will be accessible electronically from the
ADAMS Public Library component on the NRC Web site,
http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room). 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 by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov.
[[Page 65018]] Comments or questions regarding the Rancho Seco
LTP or the public meeting may be addressed to Mr. John B.
Hickman, Mail Stop T-7-E18, Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery
Licensing Directorate, Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials
and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, telephone (301) 415- 3017
or via e-mail jbh@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this
31st day of October 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, James Shepherd, Acting
Branch Chief, Reactor Decommissioning Branch, Decommissioning and
Uranium Recovery, Licensing Directorate, Division of Waste
Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and
State Materials and Environmental Management Programs.
[FR Doc. E6-18624 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
28 NRC: Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC; Nine Mile Point Nuclear
FR Doc E6-18627
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65007-65008] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-62]
Station, Units 1 and 2; Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility
Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69 for an Additional
20-Year Period; Record of Decision Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) has
issued Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69
to the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC (the licensee), the
operator of the Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (NMP), Units 1
and 2. Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-63 authorizes
operation of NMP, Unit 1, by the licensee at reactor core power
levels not in excess of 1850 megawatts thermal, in accordance
with the provisions of the NMP renewed license and its Technical
Specifications. Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-69
authorizes operation of NMP, Unit 2, by the licensee at reactor
core power levels not in excess of 3467 megawatts thermal, in
accordance with the provisions of the NMP renewed license and its
Technical Specifications.
This notice also serves as the record of decision for the renewal
of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69 for NMP,
Units 1 and 2. As discussed in the Final Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for NMP, dated May 2006,
the Commission considered a range of reasonable alternatives that
included generation from coal, natural gas, oil, wind, solar,
hydropower, geothermal, wood waste, municipal solid waste, other
biomass-derived fuels, delayed retirement, utility-sponsored
conservation, a combination of alternatives, and a no-action
alternative. This range of alternatives was discussed
[[Page 65008]] in the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for
License Renewal, Supplement 24 regarding Nine Mile Point Nuclear
Station, Units 1 and 2.
After weighing the environmental, economic, technical and other
benefits of the facility against environmental costs and
considering available alternatives, the Commission found that the
adverse environmental impacts of license renewal are not so great
that preserving the option of license renewal would be
unreasonable.
The Commission also has taken all practicable measures within its
jurisdiction to avoid or minimize environmental harm in its
decision to renew Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69. No
license conditions are imposed in connection with mitigation
measures.
NMP, Units 1 and 2, are located on approximately 900 acres along
the shore of Lake Ontario, Oswego County, New York. The site is
approximately 5 miles north-northeast of the nearest boundary of
the City of Oswego. The licensee's application for the renewed
licenses complied with the standards and requirements of the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), and the
Commission's regulations.
As required by the Act and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR
Chapter I, the Commission has made appropriate findings, which
are set forth in each license.
Prior public notice of the action involving the proposed issuance
of the renewed licenses and of an opportunity for a hearing
regarding the proposed issuance of the renewed licenses was
published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2004 (69 FR 43633).
For further details with respect to this action, see (1) the Nine
Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC license renewal application for
Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2 dated May 26,
2004, as amended July 15, 2005; (2) the Commission's safety
evaluation report (NUREG-1900), published in September 2006; and
(3) the Commission's final environmental impact statement
(NUREG-1437, Supplement 24), published in May 2006. These
documents are available at the NRC Public Document Room, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland
20852, and can be viewed from the NRC Public Electronic Reading
Room at (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html). Copies of
Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-63 and NPF-69 may be
obtained by writing to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC, 20555-0001, Attention: Director, Division of
License Renewal. Copies of the NMP, Units 1 and 2, Safety
Evaluation Report (NUREG-1900) and the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (NUREG-1437, Supplement 24) may be purchased from the
National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161-0002 (http://www.ntis.gov),
703-605-6000, or the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA, 15250-7954.
(http://www.gpoaccess.gov), 202-512-1800. All orders should
clearly identify the NRC publication number and the requester's
Government Printing Office deposit account number or a VISA or
MasterCard number and expiration date.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st day of October, 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Frank P. Gillespie, Director, Division of License Renewal, Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. E6-18627 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
29 NRC: Appointments to Performance Review Boards for Senior Executive
FR Doc E6-18630
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65018] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-68]
Service AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Appointment to Performance Review Boards for Senior
Executive Service.
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has
announced the following appointments to the NRC Performance
Review Boards.
The following individuals are appointed as members of the NRC
Performance Review Board (PRB) responsible for making
recommendations to the appointing and awarding authorities on
performance appraisal ratings and performance awards for Senior
Executives and Senior Level employees: Bruce A. Boger, Associate
Director for Operating Reactor Oversight and Licensing, Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
R. William Borchardt, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Security
and Incident Response.
Samuel J. Collins, Regional Administrator, Region I. Karen D.
Cyr, General Counsel. Jesse L. Funches, Chief Financial Officer.
William F. Kane, Deputy Executive Director for Reactor and
Preparedness Programs, Office of the Executive Director for
Operations.
Bruce S. Mallett, Regional Administrator, Region IV. Luis A.
Reyes, Executive Director for Operations. Jacqueline E. Silber,
Deputy Executive Director for Information Services and
Administration and Chief Information Officer.
Jack R. Strosnider, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety
and Safeguards.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary of the Commission. Martin J.
Virgilio, Deputy Executive Director for Materials, Research,
State and Compliance Programs.
James T. Wiggins, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory
Research.
The following individuals will serve as members of the NRC PRB
Panel that was established to review appraisals and make
recommendations to the appointing and awarding authorities for
NRC PRB members: Stephen G. Burns, Deputy General Counsel, Office
of the General Counsel.
Brian W. Sheron, Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
Roy P. Zimmerman, Director, Office of Nuclear Security and
Incident Response.
All appointments are made pursuant to Section 4314 of Chapter 43
of Title 5 of the United States Code.
DATES: Effective Date: November 6, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Secretary, Executive Resources
Board, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555;
(301) 415- 7530.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 14th day of August, 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Carolyn J. Swanson, Secretary, Executive Resources Board.
[FR Doc. E6-18630 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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30 NRC: Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Before Administrative Judges:
FR Doc 06-9076
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65008-65009] From the Federal Register Online via
GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-64]
Lawrence G. McDade, Chairman, Dr. Peter S. Lam, Dr. Richard E.
Wardwell; In the Matter of USEC, Inc. (American Centrifuge
Plant); Notice of Opportunity To Make Oral or Written Limited
Appearance Statements October 31, 2006.
This proceeding involves the application of USEC, Inc.
(USEC) for authorization to construct a facility and
[[Page 65009]] to possess and use source, byproduct, and special
nuclear material in order to enrich natural uranium to a maximum
of ten percent uranium-235 (U235) by the gas centrifuge process.
USEC proposes to do this at a facility--denominated the American
Centrifuge Plant (ACP)--to be constructed near Piketon, Ohio.
More specifically, on August 23, 2004, USEC filed an application
with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to obtain a
thirty-year license under 10 CFR Parts 30, 40, and 70 to operate
its proposed ACP. Thereafter a public interest group, the
Portsmouth/Piketon Residents for Environmental Safety and
Security (PRESS) and an individual, Geoffrey Sea (Sea), filed
petitions to intervene. Based on the pleadings submitted, and
after hearing argument from the putative intervenors, this Board
determined that neither Petitioner had presented an admissible
contention. LBP-05-28, 62 NRC 585 (2005). Both PRESS and Sea
appealed the Board's Order and, on April 3, 2006, the Commission
affirmed the Board's rulings as to both Petitioners.
CLI-06- 09, 63 NRC 433 (2006); CLI-06-10, 63 NRC 451 (2006).
Therefore, the only matter remaining before this Board is
satisfaction of the Mandatory Hearing requirement with regard to
USEC's License Application (LA). 42 U.S.C. 2243(b)(1); 10 CFR
70.23a, 70.31(e). This Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hereby
gives notice that, in accordance with 10 CFR 2.315(a), the Board
will entertain oral limited appearance statements from members of
the public in connection with this proceeding at the date, time,
and location specified below.
A. Date, Time, and Location of Oral Limited Appearance Statement
Session The session will be held on the following date at the
specified location and time: Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2006.
Time: 6 p.m. EST until 9 p.m. EST. Location: Ohio State
University Endeavor Center, Training Room 160, 1862 Shyville
Road, Piketon, Ohio 45661.
B. Participation Guidelines for Oral Limited Appearance
Statements Any person not a party, or the representative of a
party, to the proceeding will be permitted to make an oral
statement setting forth his or her position on matters of concern
relating to this proceeding. Although these statements do not
constitute testimony or evidence in the proceeding, they
nonetheless help the Board and/or the parties in their
consideration of the issues.
Oral limited appearance statements will be entertained during the
hours specified above, or such lesser time as might be necessary
to accommodate the speakers who are present. In this regard, if
all scheduled and unscheduled speakers present at the session
have made a presentation, the Licensing Board reserves the right
to terminate the session before the ending time listed above.
During the limited appearance session no signs or banners will be
permitted in the room.
In order to allow all interested persons an opportunity to
address the Board, the time allotted for each statement normally
will be no more than five (5) minutes, but may be limited, or
expanded, depending on the number of written requests to make
oral statements that are submitted in accordance with Section C
below, and/or the number of persons present at the designated
time. At the outset of each statement, the speaker should
identify himself or herself by stating their name, city and state
of residence, and stating whether they have any affiliation (such
as employment, consultancy, or membership) with any of the
parties (USEC or the NRC).
C. Submitting a Request To Make an Oral Limited Appearance
Statement Persons wishing to make an oral statement who have
submitted a timely written request to do so will be given
priority over those who have not filed such a request. To be
considered timely, a written request to make an oral statement
must either be mailed, faxed, or sent by e-mail so as to be
received by 5 p.m. EST on December 5, 2006. Written requests to
make an oral statement should be submitted to: Mail: Office of
the Secretary, Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Fax: (301)
415-1101 (verification (301) 415-1966).
E-mail: hearingdocket@nrc.gov. In addition, using the same method
of service, a copy of the written request to make an oral
statement should be sent to the Chairman of this Licensing Board
as follows: Mail: Administrative Judge Lawrence G. McDade, c/o:
Debra Wolf, Esq. Law Clerk, Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
Panel, Mail Stop T-3 F23, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001.
Fax: (301) 415-5599 (verification (301) 415-6094).
Email: daw1@nrc.gov. D. Submitted Written Limited Appearance
Statements A written limited appearance statement may be
submitted to the Board regarding this proceeding at any time,
either in lieu of or in addition to any oral statement. Such
statements should be sent to the Office of the Secretary using
the methods prescribed above, with a copy to the Licensing Board
Chairman.
E. Availability of Documentary Information Regarding the
Proceeding Documents relating to this proceeding are available
for public inspection at the Commission's Public Document Room
(PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike
(first floor), Rockville, Maryland, or electronically from the
publicly available records component of NRC's document system
(ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (Electronic Reading
Room). 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 (800) 397-
4209 or (301) 415-4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. F.
Scheduling Information Updates Updated/revised scheduling
information regarding the limited appearance session can be found
on the NRC Web site at
http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm or by
calling (800) 368-5642, extension 5036, or (301) 415-5036.
Dated: October 31, 2006.
For the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.\1\
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- \1\ Copies of this Notice were sent this date by
Internet electronic mail transmission to counsel for (1) USEC;
and (2) the NRC Staff.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
---------- Lawrence G. McDade, Chairman Administrative Judge.
[FR Doc. 06-9076 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
31 NRC: Notice of Public Meeting
FR Doc 06-9080
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 64949] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-27] [[Page 64949]]
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
SUMMARY: The NRC and DOE announce their intent to conduct a
public meeting to discuss interactions during the review of
non-high-level waste determinations under the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2005. The meeting date,
time and location are listed below: Date: Thursday, November 16,
2006.
Time: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Location: L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Meeting
Rooms--Monet 1 and 2, 480 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 20024,
phone: 202-484-1000.
Agenda: 9-9:15: Introductions and Opening Remarks.
9:15-10:45: Discussion of NDAA consultation. 10:45-11:
Opportunity for Public Comment.
Background On October 9, 2004, the Ronald W. Reagan National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) was passed
by Congress and was signed by the President on October 28, 2004.
Section 3116 of the NDAA allows the U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) to determine that certain waste stemming from reprocessing
of spent nuclear fuel is not high-level-waste (HLW). The NDAA is
applicable only in the States of South Carolina and Idaho and
does not apply to waste transported out of these States. The NDAA
requires that: (1) DOE consult with NRC on its waste
determinations in South Carolina and Idaho, and (2) NRC, in
coordination with the State, monitor disposal actions taken by
DOE for the purpose of assessing compliance with NRC regulations
in 10 CFR part 61, subpart C. If the NRC determines that any
disposal actions taken by DOE are not in compliance, the NDAA
requires NRC to inform DOE, the affected State, and congressional
subcommittees. The NRC and DOE are holding a public meeting to
discuss the efficiency and effectiveness of the consultation
process.
As noted on the agenda, time will be set aside during this
meeting for observers who wish to make comments. After the
meeting, a publicly available summary of this meeting will be
made available on the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and
Management System at http://www.nrc.gov .
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions related to this
meeting, please contact Anna Bradford at (301) 415-5228 or
ahb1@nrc.gov, or Karen Guervara at (301) 903-3339 or
karen.guevara@em.doe.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 31st
day of October 2006.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Scott Flanders, Deputy Director, Division of Waste Management and
Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials
and Environmental Management Programs.
Dated at Washington, DC, this 31st day of October 2006.
For the Department of Energy.
Frank Marcinowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of
Regulatory Compliance.
[FR Doc. 06-9080 Filed 11-3-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
32 AU ABC: Caldicott rejects PM's nuclear power stance.
07/11/2006. ABC News Online
A prominent anti-nuclear campaigner has rejected comments by the
Prime Minister that nuclear power production should be an option
in Australia.
Dr Helen Caldicott was the main speaker at an energy forum in
Adelaide last night.
She says advances in technology means that renewable energy is
a much better option.
Dr Caldicott also dismisses John Howard's comment that world
attitudes to nuclear power are changing.
"I think he's kidding himself. I feel very strongly the
sentiment in Australia is we will never accept nuclear power. We
don't need it," she said.
"If ever there's a chance for us to become an energy superpower,
it's to cover every house with solar panels and have wind farms
everywhere."
The prominent anti-nuclear campaigner Helen Caldicott has
rejected assertions by the Prime Minister John Howard that
nuclear power should be considered as an option for energy
production in Australia.
*****************************************************************
33 NRC: Sunshine Act Meetings
FR Doc 06-9096
[Federal Register: November 6, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 214)]
[Notices] [Page 65018] From the Federal Register Online via GPO
Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06no06-67]
Date: Week of November 6, 2006.
Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, Maryland.
Status: Public and closed.
Additional Matters to be Considered: Week of November 6, 2006:
Thursday, November 9, 2006, 9:25 a.m. Affirmation Session (Public
Meeting) (Tentative) a. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (Diablo Canyon
ISFSI), Docket No. 72-26-ISFSI, ``Motion by San luis Obispo
Mothers for Peace, Sierra Club, and Peg Pinard for Partial
Reconsideration of CLI- 06-23'' (Tentative) b. System Energy
Resources, Inc. (Early Site Permit for Grand Gulf ESP)
(Tentative).
* * * * * * The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to
change on short notice. To verify the status of meetings call
(recording)--(301) 415-1292. Contact person for more information:
Michelle Schroll, (301) 415-1662.
* * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the
Internet at: .
* * * * * The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to
individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a
reasonable accommodation to participate in these public meetings,
or need this meeting notice or the transcript or other
information from the public meetings in another format (e.g.
braille, large print), please notify the NRC's Disability Program
Coordinator, Deborah Chan, at 301-415-7041, TDD: 301-415-2100, or
by e-mail at . Determinations on requests for reasonable
accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
* * * * * This notice is distributed by mail to several hundred
subscribers; if you no longer wish to receive it, or would like
to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the
Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301-415-1969). In addition,
distribution of this meeting notice over the Internet system is
available. If you are interested in receiving this Commission
meeting schedule electronically, please send an electronic
message to .
Dated: November 1, 2006.
R. Michelle Schroll, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 06-9096 Filed 11-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M
*****************************************************************
34 AU ABC: Lindsay plays down nuclear power talk
ABC Queensland | Local News | Story
November 2006. 13:35 (ACDT)Monday, 6 November 2006. 10:35 (AWST)
The Liberal Member for the north Queensland federal seat of
Herbert is at odds with his Nationals' colleague in Dawson,
claiming any talk of a nuclear reactor in Australia is
premature.
De-Anne Kelly is bringing a nuclear physicist to Mackay next
month to promote the use of nuclear energy, after a federal
report suggested north Queensland is a possible site for a
nuclear reactor within 15 years.
Peter Lindsay says it is highly unlikely north Queensland will
have a nuclear generator.
"It's more than a decade away, that's why the Government has set
up the prime ministerial task force - until we see that report
there's a long, long way to go," he said.
*****************************************************************
35 Las Vegas SUN: Doling out nuclear secrets
Today: November 06, 2006 at 7:36:10 PST
Officials shut down federal Web site that gives recipe for
building nuclear bombs
Federal officials have shut down a U.S. government Web site
that, under the guise of posting Iraqi documents to support
justification for going to war, gave detailed instructions on
how to construct a nuclear bomb.
According to a story by The New York Times on Friday, the site,
which was launched in March, was taken down Thursday night after
the Times exposed its existence and asked U.S. intelligence
officials why such information had been posted. The site's
contents included a trove of Iraqi documents dating back more
than 15 years that have been seized during the war. Among them
were details of Iraq's secret nuclear research that predates the
1991 Gulf War, the Times reports.
European diplomatic sources told the Times that officials from
the International Atomic Energy Agency complained last week to
the U.S. ambassador to the agency that the posted information
could help such nations as Iran develop nuclear weapons. And
U.S. Intelligence Director John Negroponte had previously warned
the White House that it was uncertain as to what was in the
documents and that posting them was risky, former White House
chief of staff Andrew Card said Friday on NBC's "Today" show.
For months, the United States has joined other nations in trying
to force Iran to halt its nuclear program out of fear that the
unstable regime would develop nuclear weapons. Yet for all of
that time, the United States posted right on the Internet the
documents detailing complicated formulas for building every part
of such weapons, including detonation triggers. And they're in
Arabic.
Amazingly, such sensitive information was released at the
direction of President Bush, caving to pressure from Republican
conservatives who said that posting the documents would help
find new evidence that justified the Iraq war. But it was an
obviously desperate attempt to justify an increasingly unpopular
war in the months leading up to an election.
That congressional Republicans and the Bush administration
pushed for the posting of these documents against the wishes and
repeated warnings of not only international nuclear experts but
also of the United States' top intelligence agency official
shows the kind of arrogance and ignorance that have peppered the
entire approach to the war in Iraq. For Bush and some
congressional Republicans, apparently, "intelligence" is a
relative term.
All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
36 UPI: Analysis: No real terror A-bomb threat
United Press International - Security &Terrorism -
11/6/2006 1:13:00 PM -0500
By SHAUN WATERMAN UPI Homeland and National Security Editor
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Two leading U.S. nuclear scientists
say a team of terrorists with industrial equipment, physics and
engineering skills and access to highly enriched uranium could
build a crude atomic weapon in the United States for less than
$10 million.
The claim, on the heels of revelations that U.S. agencies
Web-posted detailed technical documents from Saddam Hussein's
Iraqi nuclear weapons program that might aid such an effort, is
likely to fuel concerns about the possibility of a terrorist
nuclear strike inside the United States.
Such a strike is already one of the "low probability-high
consequence events" that the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security's new risk-based strategy is designed to direct more
resources to combating.
But a careful review of the evidence suggests that there are
technical obstacles to such an attack that are insuperable, for
the time being at least, by the only terrorist organization
seriously interested in staging one -- Osama bin Laden's
al-Qaida.
And the two scientists themselves acknowledge there is no
evidence that any terrorist group currently possesses the
technical expertise necessary for a nuclear effort.
Bin Laden "perhaps has yet to find his Robert Oppenheimer,"
write Peter Zimmerman and Jeffrey Lewis in "Foreign Policy," the
journal of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Oppenheimer was the scientist who led the Manhattan Project, the
secret U.S. effort at Los Alamos, N.M., to build an atomic
weapon.
Zimmerman and Lewis are widely respected, and Zimmerman, now an
academic, was formerly chief scientist both of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, and the Arms Control and
Disarmament Agency -- before its merger into the State
Department.
Their piece imagines a year-long effort, undertaken at an
isolated ranch property, by a team of 19 terrorists -- the same
number who carried out the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings.
The 19, all technically-trained specialists, would be divided
into teams dealing with physics, engineering, metallurgy,
machining, ballistics, electronics and procurement.
The weapon they would build is a "gun-assembled" uranium bomb,
like the one code-named "Little Boy," built by Oppenheimer's
Manhattan Project, and dropped on Japan in 1946.
The authors call such a bomb "conceptually simple," pointing out
that the technology "is more than 60 years old," and adding that
"It is perhaps easier to make a gun-assembled nuclear bomb than
it is to develop biological or chemical weapons."
They add that, at a cost of $10 million, the bomb, which could
kill up to 100,000 people, would be an extremely cost-effective
attack.
"In strictly commercial terms ... for a cost of ... about $100 a
murder, it would be a bargain."
But some experts that United Press International spoke to --
whilst stressing their respect for the authors -- expressed deep
skepticism about their argument.
Arms control expert Milton Leitenberg of the University of
Maryland called the scenario "super-optimistic," and said the
authors had glossed over the difficulty of finding the kinds of
highly qualified experts the project would need.
"Yes it's conceptually simple," he said, "And that's where the
simplicity ends."
The tiny size of the team -- the Manhattan Project had a staff
of three thousand -- meant that in every one of a dozen or more
expertise categories "you would have to find someone with the
absolute optimal skills."
"How does that kind of organization find those kinds of people,
in the real world?" he asked.
"Historically, al-Qaida has never had anyone at that level who
was prepared to help them in that way," he said, adding that
al-Qaida's unconventional weapons development efforts in
Afghanistan had amounted to very little.
The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo -- who managed to make sarin
nerve gas in the 1990s -- had a nuclear effort, too, said
Leitenberg, adding "It was a shambles."
"These people don't pop up like jack-in-the-boxes," he said of
the experts in more than a dozen fields required for such a
project.
George Smith, a veteran weapons analyst, pointed to a paper
prepared for a more specialist audience in 1987 by the Nuclear
Control Institute. He said the authors -- including J. Carson
Mark, who led the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National
Laboratory for nearly three decades -- had addressed detailed
technical issues not covered in the "Foreign Policy" article.
"I think in writing for a general audience, (Zimmerman and
Lewis) elided some of those technical issues," he told UPI.
In particular, the institute paper addresses the difficulty of
preparing the fissile material -- uranium in the case of the
"gun-assembled" device -- and the large amount that would likely
be required for a successful fission reaction to be initiated.
"They would have to acquire more material than is to go into the
device, since ... considerably more material is required to work
with than will appear in the finished pieces," says the paper.
Moreover the institute paper points out that with a relatively
crude gun-type device, there is a good chance of a problem known
as pre-detonation, where the nuclear chain reaction starts too
soon, resulting in what is called a "fizzle yield" -- an
explosion equivalent to just a few thousands pounds of dynamite,
as opposed to the hundred thousand pounds of a successful 10
kiloton nuke.
Overall, Leitenberg said their account "omits real consideration
of at least a dozen points in the process where something could,
and very likely would, go wrong that would bring the whole
project to an end."
Zimmerman and Lewis do acknowledge, "Our scenario does not
suggest that terrorists would find building a nuclear weapon
either easy or inexpensive."
"The most important obstacle remains the difficulty in acquiring
enough nuclear explosive material to build a bomb," they add.
But they argue that "No one really knows how much highly
enriched uranium there is in the world, or how close the wrong
groups are to getting the right amount."
In reality, however, getting even the "right amount" is unlikely
to be enough, given what we know about the capabilities of the
'wrong groups."
© Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights
Reserved
*****************************************************************
37 Salt Lake Tribune: Politics trumped intelligence on Web site
Tribune Editorial
Article Last Updated:11/03/2006 08:25:40 PM MST
Some people just can't take no for an answer. The U.S. invasion
of Iraq did not turn up any substantial evidence of a
reconstituted nuclear or biological weapons program by Saddam
Hussein. But Bush administration sympathizers were so distrustful
of U.S. intelligence agencies that they hatched a scheme to post
tens of thousands of captured Iraqi documents on a Web site
called "Operation Iraqi Freedom Document Portal."
The idea was that if these documents were available to all
comers, maybe independent scholars or amateur sleuths would turn
up some evidence to support the Bush rationale for the invasion.
But there was a problem.
The New York Times reported Friday that the documents included
technical information that could help the enemies of the United
States to build a nuclear bomb. It wasn't the kind of stuff that
would be useful to a mad scientist working in his garage or a
terrorist tinkering in a cave, but it could help a
technologically sophisticated state that was running a
clandestine nuclear program, say, Iran or North Korea.
It would appear, then, that the Republican gang that can't shoot
straight in the White House and Congress has once again, through
its incompetence, willful refusal to accept facts and devotion to
ideological spin, done something stupid that could imperil
national security. And the wonder of it all is that they have
done it in the name of national security.
As the Times was about to break its story, which was
based on concerned European diplomats and the International
Atomic Energy Agency sending up red flares, the director of
national intelligence pulled the Web site down pending further
review of the documents. So who do the American people have to
thank for this latest bit of buffoonery?
The Times story says it began with conservative publications and
politicians, who mounted a campaign for the online archive. The
Web site was championed in Congress by Rep. Peter Hoekstra,
R-Mich., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and Sen.
Pat Roberts, R-Kan., his counterpart in the Senate. Thanks, guys.
Need we say it? While it is generally a good idea to make
government documents available to the widest possible audience,
that does not extend to nuclear cookbooks.
*****************************************************************
38 [du-list] Depleted Uranium Haunts Kosovo And Iraq
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:24:15 -0800
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Depleted Uranium Haunts Kosovo And Iraq
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=PET20061105&ar
ticleId=3715
Center for Research on Globalization -
Canadahttp://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=PET20061105&articleId=3715
... and Kosovo may be thousands of miles apart, but they share the dubious
distinction of contamination with radioactive residue from depleted uranium
(DU)
bullets ...
See all stories on this topic
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39 [du-list] USUK war crimes update - ICC "Gravity threshold"
Date: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:24:13 -0800
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The recent study confirming an estimate of approx. 700,000 dead in Iraq
does not include victims of USUK uranium weapons.
Re USUK war crimes mentioned at...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6118226.stm
5/11/06
Item ends...
" Update: I have had an e-mail asking about the ICC and the invasion of
Iraq. The court reported in February this year that it had received 240
complaints about the invasion and its conduct. Many related to the British
involvement since Britain is a party to the court treaty. The US is not, so
US citizens can only be prosecuted if the crime takes place on the
territory of a treaty member or if the issue is referred to the ICC by the
Security Council.
The Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo replied that the crime of
"aggression" had not yet been defined. He said the court had a mandate to
examine conduct but "not whether the decision to engage in armed conflict
was legal".
As for the conduct of the war, he said that evidence presented about the
number of wilful killings did not meet the "gravity threshold". "
Paul.Reynolds-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
See
http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/opin/pr_uswc.html
U.S. War Crimes in Iraq:
A Prima Facie Case
Respectfully submitted to the International Criminal Court
by Paul Rockwell
Oakland, California
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a.. War Crimes From The Air
b.. Depleted Uranium
c.. Cluster Bombs Are Indiscriminate
d.. A Backward Glance
e.. Still We Hold Our Tongues
The international dispatches about the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq
-- replete with graphic details about overcrowded hospitals, U.S. cluster
bomb shrapnel buried in the flesh of children, babies deformed by U.S.
depleted uranium, farms and markets destroyed by U.S. bombs -- do not make
pleasant reading. The mounting evidence from Iraq establishes what many
Americans may not want to face: that the highest leaders of the land are
violating almost every international agreement relating to the rules of
war. Unless we address the possibility of the war crimes by the Bush
administration -- and the prima facie evidence is overwhelming -- we betray
our conscience, our country, and our own faith in democracy...."
..........."It is especially forbidden to employ poison or poisoned
weapons, to kill treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation
or army, to employ arms, projectiles or material calculated to cause
unnecessary suffering." -- Hague Convention IV, Article 23"
See also
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/38604/
Could Bush Be Prosecuted for War Crimes?
By Jan Frel, AlterNet. Posted July 10, 2006.
A Nuremberg chief prosecutor says there is a case for trying Bush for the
'supreme crime against humanity, an illegal war of aggression against a
sovereign nation.'
Includes..
".Perhaps no person on the planet is better equipped to identify and
describe our crimes in Iraq than Benjamin Ferenccz, a former chief
prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials who successfully convicted 22 Nazi
officers for their work in orchestrating death squads that killed more than
one million people in the famous Einsatzgruppen Case. Ferencz, now 87, has
gone on to become a founding father of the basis behind international law
regarding war crimes, and his essays and legal work drawing from the
Nuremberg trials and later the commission that established the
International Criminal Court remain a lasting influence in that realm.
Ferencz's biggest contribution to the war crimes field is his assertion
that an unprovoked or "aggressive" war is the highest crime against
mankind. It was the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 that made possible the
horrors of Abu Ghraib, the destruction of Fallouja and Ramadi, the tens of
thousands of Iraqi deaths, civilian massacres like Haditha, and on and on.
Ferencz believes that a "prima facie case can be made that the United
States is guilty of the supreme crime against humanity, that being an
illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation."
Interviewed from his home in New York, Ferencz laid out a simple summary of
the case:
"The United Nations charter has a provision which was agreed to by the
United States formulated by the United States in fact, after World War II.
Its says that from now on, no nation can use armed force without the
permission of the U.N. Security Council. They can use force in connection
with self-defense, but a country can't use force in anticipation of
self-defense. Regarding Iraq, the last Security Council resolution
essentially said, 'Look, send the weapons inspectors out to Iraq, have them
come back and tell us what they've found -- then we'll figure out what
we're going to do. The U.S. was impatient, and decided to invade Iraq --
which was all pre-arranged of course. So, the United States went to war, in
violation of the charter."
It's that simple. Ferencz called the invasion a "clear breach of law," and
dismissed the Bush administration's legal defense that previous U.N.
Security Council resolutions dating back to the first Gulf War justified an
invasion in 2003. Ferencz notes that the first Bush president believed that
the United States didn't have a U.N. mandate to go into Iraq and take out
Saddam Hussein; that authorization was simply to eject Hussein from Kuwait.
Ferencz asked, "So how do we get authorization more than a decade later to
finish the job? The arguments made to defend this are not persuasive."
Writing for the United Kingdom's Guardian, shortly before the 2003
invasion, international law expert Mark Littman echoed Ferencz: "The
threatened war against Iraq will be a breach of the United Nations Charter
and hence of international law unless it is authorized by a new and
unambiguous resolution of the Security Council. The Charter is clear. No
such war is permitted unless it is in self-defense or authorized by the
Security Council."
Challenges to the legality of this war can also be found at the ground
level. First Lt. Ehren Watada, the first U.S. commissioned officer to
refuse to serve in Iraq, cites the rules of the U.N. Charter as a principle
reason for his dissent.
Ferencz isn't using the invasion of Iraq as a convenient prop to exercise
his longstanding American hatred: he has a decades-old paper trail of calls
for every suspect of war crimes to be brought to international justice.
When the United States captured Saddam Hussein in December 2003, Ferencz
wrote that Hussein's offenses included "the supreme international crime of
aggression, to a wide variety of crimes against humanity, and a long list
of atrocities condemned by both international and national laws."
Ferencz isn't the first to make the suggestion that the United States has
committed state-sponsored war crimes against another nation -- not only
have leading war critics made this argument, but so had legal experts in
the British government before the 2003 invasion. In a short essay in 2005,
Ferencz lays out the inner deliberations of British and American officials
as the preparations for the war were made:
U.K. military leaders had been calling for clear assurances that the war
was legal under international law. They were very mindful that the treaty
creating a new International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague had entered
into force on July 1, 2002, with full support of the British government.
Gen. Sir Mike Jackson, chief of the defense staff, was quoted as saying "I
spent a good deal of time recently in the Balkans making sure Milosevic was
put behind bars. I have no intention of ending up in the next cell to him
in The Hague."
Ferencz quotes the British deputy legal adviser to the Foreign Ministry
who, in the lead-up to the invasion, quit abruptly and wrote in her
resignation letter: "I regret that I cannot agree that it is lawful to use
force against Iraq without a second Security Council resolution . [A]n
unlawful use of force on such a scale amounts to the crime of aggression;
nor can I agree with such action in circumstances that are so detrimental
to the international order and the rule of law."....."
......................................................................................................................................................................................
( Article does not mention the USUK use of uranium WMD )
See also
http://www.bushcommission.org/?q=node/50#comment-64
Commission Finds President George W. Bush and His Administration Guilty of
War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
The Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush
Administration released its final verdict on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.
Find the full text of the verdict in PDF form here.
("uranium" does not appear on a search at this site)
See also
http://www.icc-cpi.int/otp/otp_bio.html
Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina as first Chief Prosecutor of the Court.
Regards, David Broatch.
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40 Morning News: Army, industry working on details of uranium transport
Sunday, November 5, 2006 6:16 PM
By Aaron Sadler
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army and a defunct Sequoyah County
industry are expected to iron out details as early as next week
on a plan to move more than 1 million pounds of depleted uranium
away from the site near Gore, Okla.
About 1,200 sealed drums of processed uranium have sat on
Sequoyah Fuels' property since 1993, remnants of a project to
manufacture anti-tank ammunition for the Army.
A provision in the 2007 defense authorization bill that Congress
passed on Sept. 30 requires the Army to move the drums of toxic
material away from the uranium conversion facility by March 31.
President Bush signed the bill into law two weeks ago.
An Army spokeswoman Thursday said initial plans for moving the
uranium will be made next week. The actual move should take
place in January or February, she said.
Sequoyah Fuels president John Ellis said his company just
Wednesday notified the Army it agreed to waive any liability
claims regarding transport of the material, a requirement in the
bill.
He now awaits word from the military.
"I'm assuming they will contact us and we will proceed to make
arrangements to work with them or for them; but, at this point
in time, I don't know what that approach is going to be," he
said.
Sequoyah Fuels at its peak had 325 employees on a 700-acre site
in western Sequoyah County. It has not been operational since
1993, after an incident a year earlier that contaminated parts
of the property and damaged soil and groundwater in the area.
Ellis said the company now has six employees as it works with
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to clean up the plant.
He said moving the uranium is a small part of decommissioning
the site. He expects federal approval within a year to tear down
possibly hazardous buildings, remove potentially tainted soil
and groundwater and place the material in an underground storage
cell.
That process will take up to five years. At that point, the
company will transfer the site to the Department of Energy,
Ellis said.
He estimated moving the uranium will require about 50 truckloads
and that the only possible places for the waste are the Nevada
Test Site and a spot in Utah.
The test site, in rural Nevada, was the site of U.S. nuclear
tests until 1992. The Utah location is a commercial radioactive
waste disposal site near Salt Lake City.
The Army said the mode of transportation, whether rail or truck,
and the site for relocation have not been determined.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and Rep. Dan Boren, D-Muskogee
(Okla.), brokered an agreement to place a provision for moving
the uranium in the defense bill.
A Boren spokesman said Thursday that the onus was on the Army
and the industry to flesh out details of the transport.
Ellis said earlier this year he would recommend his company take
care of the loading and preparation of the waste. He speculated
that a private company would be hired to move the material at
the Army's expense.
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Law and Order wrote on November 05, 2006 8:54 PM:"Are we talking
WMDs in OK? Hope they aren't planning to move them through AR."
All content © The Morning News.
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41 Ely Times: DOE adds Yucca meeting in Reno
elynews.com :: News:
Published on Monday, November 06, 2006
By STEVE TETREAULT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department
added a public meeting in Reno later this month to discuss new
designs for a Yucca Mountain repository and a possible Northern
Nevada railroad corridor for nuclear waste.
The department on Tuesday also extended the official public
comment period on both matters until Dec. 12, a 15-day extension.
The DOE announcement fell short of what the state of Nevada and
activist groups had requested as the government embarks on a
round of environmental impact studies for the proposed changes.
Besides Reno, state officials had sought meetings in cities
across Northern Nevada, and also in Sacramento, Calif., and Salt
Lake City, areas could be affected by rail shipments of nuclear
waste along the so-called "Mina corridor" that the DOE is
preparing to study.
Under the Mina route proposal, the nuclear waste would travel
south near or through the small towns of Winnemucca, Silver
Springs, Hawthorne, Mina, Goldfield and Amargosa Valley and then
northeast to the repository.
The state plans to register growing irritation over the
department's schedule for the Yucca Mountain "scoping" meetings
and their format, said Bob Loux, executive director of the
Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
"Certainly this is not enough," Loux said. "DOE is making a
deliberate attempt to reduce the affected public from any
effective involvement in the process.
"There are thousands of people in the Interstate 80 corridor
where the bulk of shipments would be coming through who don't
know what is going on," Loux said.
The added hearing in Reno coupled with the extra time for
Nevadans to comment at public meetings or on the
www.ocrwm.doe.gov Web site "provides the public with sufficient
opportunity to provide us comments," DOE spokesman Allen Benson
said.
DOE was required only to hold a single public meeting, Benson
said. "So clearly we are going beyond what was required," he
said.
The additional meeting will be Nov. 27 at the University of
Nevada, Reno. Nuclear waste could travel through the downtown of
that city under a scenario DOE plans to examine, according to
activists.
The Energy Department has scheduled a scoping meeting from 4
p.m. to 7 p.m. today in Amargosa Valley at the Longstreet, state
Route 373.
Another meeting is scheduled for the same time Thursday in Las
Vegas at the Cashman Center, 850 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
Meetings also will be held next week in Caliente, Goldfield,
Hawthorne and Fallon.
At the sessions, information about new repository designs and
maps of the proposed Mina route will be presented on poster
boards, with project officials on hand to answer questions.
Members of the public will be able to register comments to
official recorders at the sites.
But Loux said the format is not informative based on comments he
heard from people who attended an initial meeting in Washington
on Monday.
He said the DOE and contractor officials gave conflicting
answers to questions about repository blueprints and the status
of multipurpose canisters DOE plans to employ to ship and store
the radioactive waste.
"All in all, this whole process is really a disaster," Loux
said.
Copyright © 2006, The Ely Times Stephens Media Group
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42 AU ABC: Uranium exploration companies booming -
06/11/2006
Australian uranium exploration companies are booming due to the
increasing international focus on cleaner energy production.
Recent floats have been heavily over-subscribed and have closed
early, while many stocks are doubling their issue price in a
single day of trading.
Investment manager with broking house ASANDAS Mark Niutta
believes public attitudes to uranium mining are changing.
"It's a case of, you know, the greenhouse effect and the Kyoto
and all the rest of it's coming to a head I think where not
immediately but people are realising that something will be done
sooner or later and uranium is a clean, very, very clean, source
of energy," he said.
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43 Tri-City Herald: Hanford board questions tanks' capability
Published Monday, November 6th, 2006
By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer
HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- The Hanford Advisory Board is looking for
scientific evidence that the nuclear reservation's newest
underground tanks for radioactive waste will last long enough to
see the waste turned into a stable glass form.
The Department of Energy continues to work to move 53 million
gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste from
leak-prone single-shell tanks to newer double-shell tanks. The
waste will be held there until it can be treated.
But given delays in building Hanford's vitrification plant, that
could be a long time. The plant is not expected to start turning
the first of the tank waste into a stable glass form until 2018
or 2019.
Plans still being developed will indicate how many years the
plant will need to operate to treat much or all of the waste
left from the production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear
weapons program.
"There is not a scientifically credible basis to say the tanks
will last," Todd Martin, chairman of the Hanford Advisory Board,
said Friday after the board's Oregon meeting.
The board is asking the Washington State Department of Ecology
to require DOE to produce data to show whether the tanks will
continue to be a safe storage system, Martin said. The
double-shell tanks are expected to be needed to hold waste well
beyond the design life established when they were built.
DOE has completed the Double Shell Tank Integrity Assessment
Report to meet a requirement of the Tri-Party Agreement, which
sets legal requirements for cleanup of Hanford. While it
addresses the current condition of the tanks, it did not include
all the information the board expected.
"The board believes the report does not show the regulators and
the public the condition and integrity of each of the 28 tanks,"
said advice sent from the Hanford Advisory Board to DOE and the
Washington Department of Ecology, a Hanford regulator.
The board also is concerned that the state plans to consider a
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act permit application from
DOE for the double-shell tank system.
"The board is seriously concerned that a permit will erroneously
signal that long-term 'storage' in the (double-shell tanks) is
appropriate," the letter of advice said. "This could undermine
the state's efforts to ensure it is understood that these tanks
may not safely store waste until 2030 or beyond."
As a condition of the permit, the state should require DOE to
develop an integrity plan that requires annual inspections,
tests, trending and repairs, the board said. It also made other
technical recommendations about how inspections should be done.
Several of the recommendations already are being followed by
DOE, said Shirley Olinger, deputy manager of DOE's Hanford
Office of River Protection. The double-shell tanks are not
leaking and DOE has an inspection program for them, she said.
© 2006 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press &Other Wire Services
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44 lamonitor.com: Lab responds to retiree complaints
The Online News Source for Los Alamos
ROGER SNODGRASS roger@lamonitor.comMonitor Assistant Editor
Following a recent public meeting on retiree benefits and health
care coverage, the lab's facilitator Ellen Fox personally
delivered 800 copies of a handout to senior centers and other
distribution points in Los Alamos, White Rock and Espanola.
"Yes, she did and this was a good response," remarked Dale
Henderson, one of the retirees most critical of the way the new
managers of Los Alamos National Laboratory have handled the
transition.
The lack of handouts at the meeting Oct. 17 had started the
annual pre-enrollment sessions on the wrong foot, according to
retirees, but lab officials blamed the problem more on the
unexpectedly large turn out than on poor planning. They were
prepared for 550 people, but an estimated 750 came to the
meeting at Duane Smith auditorium.
Some of the retirees said the high attendance was more a sign of
the atmosphere of distrust that has crept into the relationship
between those older employees who had earned their pension under
the University of California and the new managers of the
laboratory.
Since many of them had not received notice from a mailing that
was sent out late, nor seen a notice in each of the local
newspapers, many of those who came were there because of
communicating among themselves. Those who knew told those who
hadn't heard.
The leader of the laboratory's communications office Jeff Berger
personally followed up last week on a number of complaints
expressed by the retiree community after the initial
presentation (Monitor, Oct. 27, "Retirees stew about LANL's
handling of benefits plan.")
"We apologize and can't apologize enough to the retirees, who
have been inconvenienced," Berger said in a telephone
conversation.
He said he delved into the questions that had been raised and
had been personally impressed by the care and concern he had
found talking to staff in the benefits office.
"The passion to set things right was unmistakable," he said.
In a summary e-mail Friday, Berger concluded, "Some of the
assertions by frustrated retirees are correct. Some are wrong.
Others amount to half-truths, based on false premises. What
problems did surface have been or are being rectified."
Concerning specific snags in the enrollment process, Berger
attributed some problems to "one-time startup challenges," and
the transition to a "new system, developed by necessity in a
short period of time and dependent (initially) on the transfer
of huge volumes of information from the UC system that had been
in place for decades."
Then again, nothing can be done about some of the problems.
The two-week enrollment period, that begins Nov. 20 and ends
Dec. 1, rankles retirees not only because it is shortened by the
Thanksgiving holiday, but also because they believe they are
entitled to the same full month of open enrollment that LANL
employees enjoy.
A theme emphasized by Henderson was that he and his cohorts had
always been promised that they would be treated the same as
employees.
"If LANS does not wish to treat retirees equally with employees
(breaking commitments made long ago as we each signed onto
LANL), then let it give us back to the University of
California," he said.
Berger noted that LANL HR management sought to renegotiate a
longer enrollment period with Hewitt and Associates, the
benefits manager for retirees, "but to no avail."
He said, "The standard by far is two weeks."
For Glen Lockhart, who worked in the lab's human resources
office before retiring in 1993, the failure to obtain the same
treatment for retirees on this issue is symptomatic of poor
planning by the new management.
"They should have been prepared for that when they took over the
contract," he said. "Making Hewitt responsible for retirees and
LANS responsible for employees was a management decision."
A volunteer benefits councilor for a state agency and a policy
analyst for the LANL Retiree Group (LRG), Lockhart said, "LANS
hit the ground running backward. Administrative inertia slowed
them down."
He said, "renegotiating" a contract was not the time to try to
get equal treatment for retirees.
Both sides acknowledged the inconvenience that has been caused
by the fact the premium rates have yet to be set by the
Department of Energy.
Berger noted, "We're waiting for DOE input, among several steps
that must be completed before rates are firm. The alternative
would have been to delay benefits communications, which would
have created additional hardships."
Lockhart's response was that better project management - setting
target dates and assigning roles - should have solved that
problem within a workable time.
The original schedule for open enrollment was Nov. 6 through
Nov. 17, he said, so the delay in premium approval also
aggravated the short enrollment period for the retirees.
One positive result from the post-enrollment meeting efforts on
both sides has been to lower one barrier in the process related
to a "special indicator" in the files of retirees with "split
family" Medicare status. When Medicare covers one family member,
but not the other, their files are currently flagged and their
web access blocked, Berger explained in his e-mail.
"The special indicators were necessary to prevent transactional
events from running on the web without corrected pricing," he
wrote. The pricing information, as noted above, is not yet
available.
Soon, Berger noted, as of Nov. 13, a week before the open
enrollment, those users will be able to access the web site and
the planning tools, instead of Jan. 1, as previously announced.
The delay would have meant making decisions in November, without
having the financial information needed to make the decision
until a month later.
That problem affecting about 500 retirees will have been
eliminated.
Another constructive sign: Lockhart said that he and a colleague
would be working with the benefits program on behalf of the LRG
to help them anticipate and resolve some problems before they
happen - not this year, but next year..
© 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
45 KnoxNews: Scientifically super sites
Oak Ridge laboratories are favorite destinations for a lot of
researchers
By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com
November 6, 2006
OAK RIDGE - Doug Scalapino, a theoretical physicist at the
University of California at Santa Barbara, allots about four
weeks each year to visit other facilities to advance his
scientific studies.
He's trying to explain aspects of high-temperature
superconductivity, such as an interaction that causes electrons
in certain materials to glue together instead of repelling each
other.
Over the course of his lengthy career, Scalapino has anchored his
research at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and
Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois and other beloved
institutions.
"This is now where I come," Scalapino said as he stretched his
lanky frame in a comfortable chair at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences.
During his stay, Scalapino occupies a third-story office at the
newly opened nanoscience center - a $65 million facility that
boasts plenty of tools to characterize and synthesize materials
at a near-atomic scale. But CNMS is not the only thing that
attracts Scalapino to Oak Ridge.
He and his research teammates are using ORNL's Jaguar, a Cray
supercomputer that can perform trillions of calculations per
second, to explore their theories of how things work. He's also
anxious to have scientists test some of the theories with
experiments at the newly constructed Spallation Neutron Source, a
$1.4 billion complex that's just gearing up for action.
The CNMS was the first of five nanoscience research centers
funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. It's part of a strategy
to make the U.S. more competitive in this super-hot area of
science.
Some of the Oak Ridge staff - including Linda Horton, the
director - moved into the 80,000-square-foot facility months ago,
even as construction continued around them. That proved helpful
as they tweaked the interior design, reduced the number of
offices and opened up more conversation areas for scientists to
share thoughts and generate ideas.
The nanoscience center is next door to the Spallation Neutron
Source and actually adjoins the main office complex for SNS
researchers.
That arrangement makes it easy for visitors to use both
facilities. Researchers can prepare samples of newly engineered
polymers and other materials at the nanoscience labs and evaluate
their structures and properties with neutron-scattering
experiments at the SNS.
Mike Kilbey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
at Clemson University, is on a year's sabbatical and spending his
time at ORNL.
Kilbey has been coming to Oak Ridge for a few years as part of
the "Jump Start" program, which was designed to help U.S.
researchers get going on nanoscience projects. He's one of the
few scientists already taking advantage of both the nanoscience
labs and the SNS.
The Spallation Neutron Source is still in its early test phases
and probably 18 months away from full-scale research operations,
but Kilbey is working there during the setup of instruments.
It's not exactly research, but the work will give him an intimate
understanding of the neutron-scattering instruments and might
ultimately help him design better experiments.
"It's a trade-off," Kilbey said.
The CNMS is stocked with $20 million worth of specialized
equipment, such as electron beam lithography and a scanning
electron microscope with polarization analysis.
Lian Li, physics professor at the University of Wisconsin at
Milwaukee, uses the special microscope to look at the way
electrons spin in material samples - some of which he prepared at
his college lab, some of them fabricated here. He's trying to
create new materials that would integrate magnetism into
semiconductors, a project with potential to improve computers.
"The idea is to combine two properties with one material," Li
said during a recent visit to the Oak Ridge facility. He
previously did his experiments at the National Institute of
Standards and Technology.
Scientists want to manipulate and control the properties
exhibited by materials at the nanoscale and then extend that
understanding to produce functional materials.
A 10,000-square-foot enclosure on the first floor of CNMS is
maintained as a Class-1000 "clean room," which means it has fewer
than 1,000 particles per cubic foot of air.
That's much cleaner than a hospital operating room, and
scientists and technicians using the facilities must wear "bunny
suits" to cover their skin and minimize contamination from skin
flaking. No makeup is allowed.
"You'd be surprised how much stuff falls off your skin," said
Tony Haynes, user coordinator at the nanoscience center.
Stray particles could create havoc when fabricating materials on
the scale of a nanometer - a billionth of a meter.
"Dust particles are a thousand times larger than that," Haynes
said. "It's like a big boulder sitting on top (of the sample). So
it's not just a contamination issue. It actually breaks the
structure."
CNMS is a national user facility, as are many of ORNL's other
research facilities, and it's built to make visiting scientists -
expected to grow from about 100 the first year to 250 in 2008 -
feel right at home.
Joe Pickel is a chemist on the Oak Ridge staff and part of a
research group dedicated to creating new breeds of polymers.
"Using stringent procedures, we can make polymers behave the way
we want them to," Pickel said.
That could mean a class of polymers that behave like metals and
conduct electricity but retain the flexibility of plastics.
"The ideas out there are just amazing," Pickel said during a tour
of the chemistry labs. "We're working the area of electronic
polymers, polymers for solar applications, polymers for
biomaterials - such as drug-delivery devices. We're doing a lot."
Some of ORNL's polymer chemists have become expert glassblowers,
creating their own chemical reactors and equipment to support
their experiments.
These glass instruments - some of them quite elaborate - are
needed to purify chemicals and keep them free of oxygen or
anything that might cause them to react until it's time to
combine the different additives.
"Actually, for the type of polymerization we do, you pretty much
have to be a glassblower," Pickel said.
So what if you can't get the hang of it? "You become a theorist,"
one chemist joked.
Theory, of course, is a big deal.
"We have a very large theory group because in every aspect of
nanoscience research, there is a role for theory to play in
interpreting the results and leading the science forward and
understanding the phenomena," Horton said. "We really wanted to
emphasize that strength of ORNL in our nanoscience center."
Scalapino said the Oak Ridge laboratory offers the best of
everything.
"It's an incredible facility that's been built here. The people
range from biology all the way over to where I am, a theoretical
physicist," he said "What draws me here is partly the
experimental work that goes on and will go."
The theorists want the experimentalists to test their theories,
and the experimentalists want the theorists to help them
interpret their research.
"It's a two-way street," Scalapino said. "That's the real part of
being here - the communication. You can read people's papers and
you can write a paper, but it's a huge difference when you sit
down and talk with them."
The Californian said there's something special about ORNL that
goes beyond the nano and the neutrons and the teraflops.
"You're talking with an extremely satisfied user. This thing is
really working," Scalapino said. "There's a real difference
coming into this lab and coming into some of the other labs - in
terms of the people who let me in through the gate, people who
get you the badge, people who set up your computing. I don't know
if it's just being in the South, but there's a certain gentleness
or welcoming. There's an attitude that makes people very
comfortable."
Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329.
Copyright Permissions] Copyright 2006, Knoxville News Sentinel
Co.
A worker fitted in a "bunny suit" enters the photo-lithography
research area, one of the "clean rooms" at the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences. The suit is
designed to reduce skin flakes or other body particles from
contaminating the facility. ['' border='0'] SAUL YOUNG NEWS
SENTINEL
Joe Pickel, a chemist, uses glassblowing techniques to produce
the containers that will hold solvents for a research facility.
Most of the chemists at the Center for Nanophase Materials
Sciences create their own glass reactors and instruments.
© 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel
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