***************************************************************** 10/03/06 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 14.234 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 [NYTr] Iran Offers France Uranium Deal 2 Guardian Unlimited: Diplomats: Iran Nuke Stance Hurts Talks 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Suggests France Enrich Its Uranium 4 BBC: Iran pushes France nuclear deal 5 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IRI needs not US security guarantees 6 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: US should totally revise policies 7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: No legality for Sanctions on Iran 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: France rejects IRI nuclear proposal 9 AFP: Iran proposes French role to end nuclear stalemate 10 AFP: US wants Iran answer in nuclear standoff this week - official - 11 AFP: Iran moots new nuclear plan amid sanctions threats - 12 AFP: France rejects Iranian nuclear proposal 13 AFP: Iran's Ebadi slams US 'double standards' on Middle East - 14 Annan Expresses Concern After Dpr Korea Says It Will Conduct Nuclear 15 [NYTr] N Korea says it will stage nuke test; Brits, US Howl 16 [NYTr] More on N.Korean Announcement of Nuke Test 17 Guardian Unlimited: U.S.: N. Korea Nuclear Test Unacceptable 18 Guardian Unlimited: N. Korea Says It Will Conduct Nuke Test 19 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea raises stakes with threat to carry o 20 BBC: N Korea 'to conduct nuclear test' 21 AFP: Canada calls North Korea's nuclear tests a provocation - 22 AFP: Japan condemns NKorea nuclear test plan; says will 'never forgi 23 AFP: Russia urges restraint from North Korea on nuclear test UPDATE 24 AFP: US warns 'reckless' NKorea against test 25 AFP: South Korea to convene security meeting after North threatens n 26 AFP: North Korea says it will conduct nuclear test 27 AFP: NKorea's nuclear odyssey aided by China, USSR, Pakistan 28 UPI: N. Korea to conduct 'safe' nuclear test 29 US: [NukeNet] Indian Country Today reporter censored & terminated 30 Guardian Unlimited: Growth of Nuclear Nations Feared 31 Guardian Unlimited: Rice off to Middle East - with no new ideas NUCLEAR REACTORS 32 IPS-English LATIN AMERICA: Nuclear Energy Reborn 33 US: NRC: NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Turkey Point 34 US: St. Paul Pioneer Press: Why resurrecting nuclear power would be 35 US: NRC: NRC to Present Results of Licensee Performance Review at Ar 36 allAfrica.com: U.S. Follows SA in Race to Produce 'Clean' Nuclear En 37 allAfrica.com: SA Backs India's Nuclear Ambition -- Mbeki 38 business.iafrica.com: Govt outlines nuke power plan 39 Shoreline Beacon: County wants to show support for new nuclear build 40 Interfax: Kazakhstan to join Russia's initiative to set up intl nucl 41 US: Platts: Duke seeks state regulators' okay for recovery of new nu 42 Platts: Dutch Government sets conditions for new nuclear constructio 43 US: Tennessean: Noted doctor to speak at Vandy tonight on nuclear po 44 US: Dallas Morning News: Federal inspection starts at nation's large 45 Business Report: PBMR part of team awarded $3m US engineering contra 46 US: NRC: Nuclear Management Company, LLC; Palisades Plant; Environme 47 US: NRC: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; James A. Fitzpatrick Nucl 48 US: NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Uni 49 US: EnergyBiz Magazine: Public's Perception of Nuclear 50 US: NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting 51 US: Wisconsin Radio Network: Candidate says Congress "punts" on depl 52 US: Hudson Valley News: NRC to discuss Indian Points alert and notif 53 ITAR-TASS: Tianwan NPP becomes brand name for Russian company 54 ITAR-TASS: Kazakhstan to participate in nuclear center creation - Pu 55 Business Day: SA backs Indias nuclear ambition  Mbeki  56 US: Hampton Union: Plant off-line for refueling outage 57 SNA: Bulgaria: Bulgaria's N-plant Plays Down Danube Oil Spot 58 AFP: Yemen to obtain nuclear power with US, Canada help - NUCLEAR SECURITY 59 US: Guardian Unlimited: N.J. Port Gets New Radiation Detectors 60 Interfax: Putin ratifies international convention against nuclear te NUCLEAR SAFETY 61 US: Coastal Post: VA Report Says Gulf War Syndrome Doesn't Exist 62 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes - Meetin 63 News & Star: Nuke alert training day NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 64 US: Bradenton Herald: Residents angered by state's findings 65 Independent: BNFL to fast-track sale of Magnox nuclear reactors 66 US: Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tallevast residents frustrated 67 globeandmail.com: AECL gets Candu storage contract in China 68 US: Ventura County Star: Scientists to discuss Rocketdyne studies 69 US: UPI: Analysis: Nuke waste bill could set course PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 70 Pueblo Chieftain: Agreement sets stage for Flats upcoming life as wi 71 DOE: Department of Energy Releases Strategic Plan to Address Energy 72 DOE: DOE-Supported Researcher Is Co-Winner of 2006 Nobel Prize in Ph 73 SF New Mexican: Government considering plan to compensate LANL worke 74 Seattle Post-Intelligencer: EPA chooses plan for cleaning up Cold Wa 75 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah 76 lamonitor.com: Defense bill on to president 77 Knox News: Moving uranium will save government millions 78 Knox News: ORNL to get additional security funding ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 [NYTr] Iran Offers France Uranium Deal Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 19:52:37 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Iran Offers France Uranium Deal Paris, Oct 3 (Prensa Latina) Amid discrepancies in solutions to the US-created storm over its nuclear program, Iran has proposed to France creation of a consortium for the production of enriched uranium. The deputy director of the Iranian Atomic Energy, Mahamed Saidi, told France Info that through that venture, and specifically the participation of Areva Company and Eurodif complex, Paris could considerably control its uranium enrichment activities. Saidi provided no further details of the offer, to be analyzed by the French government. The initiative was presented amid the talks between Ali Lariyani, the Iranian negotiator on the atomic issue, and Javier Solana, the European Union s High Representative for Foreign Policy and Common Security. sus dig bts mf PL-76 * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 2 Guardian Unlimited: Diplomats: Iran Nuke Stance Hurts Talks From the Associated Press [UP] Tuesday October 3, 2006 10:01 PM AP Photo VAH105 By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Iran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment has sabotaged talks meant to defuse the standoff over its nuclear program, opening the way for the U.N. Security Council to start considering sanctions next week, senior U.N. diplomats said Tuesday. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity, citing agreement not to publicly pronounce the talks dead before a final attempt by European Union envoy Javier Solana and Ali Larijani, Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, to bridge differences in a phone call scheduled for Wednesday. But with both sides standing firm, ``the talks are considered a failure,'' even in key European capitals that had favored negotiations over U.N. sanctions, said one of the diplomats, adding the Larijani-Solana phone call could focus on nothing more than how to publicly acknowledge that the discussions had failed. John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told The Associated Press: ``It's only a very short time before we'll be seeking sanctions,'' unless Iran complies with international demands to suspend enrichment. And, he added, ``there is not a single sign that they're prepared to give up'' the activity, which can be used to make fissile material to arm nuclear warheads. Beginning Sept. 9, the EU-Iran talks had been billed as a final attempt to head off a confrontation between Tehran and the Security Council, after Iran ignored an Aug. 31 deadline to suspend enrichment or face punishment. Two diplomats familiar with several rounds of negotiations between EU envoy and Larijani told the AP that the prospect of an up to three-month enrichment freeze was floated, and both men until recently spoke of progress in resolving the impasse. But on Tuesday, another diplomat said Larijani - considered a moderate - told Solana he had been unable to sell the concept of even a limited enrichment freeze to the more hard-line leadership in Tehran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had said as much during the weekend, telling professors at Tehran University that Iran would not suspend enrichment for a single day. Wednesday's planned Larijani-Solana phone call is to be followed by a meeting Friday in London by the foreign ministers of the five Security Council nations and Germany or their senior representatives. Those countries spearheaded the latest effort to persuade Tehran to renounce enrichment by offering it a package of economic and political rewards if it cooperated - and dangling the prospect of punitive action by the Security Council if it did not. Then, the Security Council could meet as early as Monday to start work on a resolution imposing the first of a series of sanctions meant to make Iran turn course. One of the diplomats said Western council members - the United States, Britain and France - favor an embargo on sales of nuclear or missile technology to Tehran as a first step, to be followed by others, including travel bans on Iranian officials and the freezing of their assets. While relatively mild, such punishments are meant to maintain council unity in the face of opposition to any sanctions from Russia and China, the other two permanent Security Council members. The diplomats offered conflicting opinions on how Russia would respond, but both agreed China remained skeptical about using such punishment to rein in Iran. Moscow and Beijing are Tehran's economic partners and have been traditionally opposed to sanctions, fearing they could ultimately lead to the council's most potent weapon - the threat of military action. In refusing to give up enrichment, the oil-rich nation says it has a right to nuclear technology as an alternate means of generating power. But Bolton on Tuesday dismissed that argument. ``They've been throwing sand into the eyes of the people concerned about their weapons program for three years now'' - he said, alluding to the more than three-year investigation by the International Atomic Energy Agency into suspicious nuclear activities. While the agency says it has found no direct proof that Iran has a secret weapons program, its worrying findings - including revelations of secret plutonium experiments by Tehran and its possession of a diagram showing how to mold weapons-grade uranium into the shape of nuclear warheads, has increased suspicions. In an attempt to ease the pressure, a top Iranian official on Tuesday revived a proposal of foreign oversight on its enrichment activities. Mohammad Saeedi, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, suggested that France create a consortium to enrich uranium in Iran. Georges Le Guelte, a nuclear expert at France's Institute for International and Strategic Research, called Saeedi's announcement ``a diversion tactic.'' He said the international community was unlikely to agree to such a deal because the enrichment would take place in Iran. ``This is something that would be almost as dangerous as leaving the Iranians to do it alone,'' he said. --- Associated Press Writer Angela Charlton contributed to this report from Paris. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 3 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Suggests France Enrich Its Uranium From the Associated Press [UP] Tuesday October 3, 2006 12:31 PM AP Photo PAR801 By ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press Writer PARIS (AP) - A top Iranian nuclear official proposed Tuesday that France create a consortium to enrich Iran's uranium, saying that could satisfy international demands for outside oversight of Tehran's nuclear program. Mohammad Saeedi, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, made the proposal in an interview with French radio in Tehran, suggesting that France's state-controlled nuclear company and one of its subsidiaries be partners in the consortium. He did not specify what form Iran's participation should take. ``To be able to arrive at a solution, we have just had an idea. We propose that France create a consortium for the production in Iran of enriched uranium,'' Saeedi told France-Info in the interview broadcast Tuesday. ``France, through the companies Eurodif and Areva, could control in a tangible way our enrichment activities,'' he added. France is the world's most nuclear energy-dependent country, relying on atomic reactors for about 75 percent of its electricity, and it has several leading nuclear manufacturers, including state-controlled Areva. Eurodif is a branch of Areva that was created in the 1970s by France with support from Belgium, Spain, Italy - and Iran. A French Foreign Ministry spokesman would not comment on Saeedi's proposal. Speaking on customary condition of anonymity, he said ``the important thing'' for France is the result of talks between Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. The five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany are in a standoff with Iran over its enrichment program, which Tehran insists is aimed at producing electricity but which many nations fear is aimed at making nuclear weapons. Larijani was to hold talks Tuesday in Tehran with the head of Russia's Security Council. Immediate sanctions, favored by the U.S. and Britain, have been resisted by France, to some extent, and by Russia and China - both major commercial partners of Iran. Georges Le Guelte, a nuclear expert at France's Institute for International and Strategic Research, called Saeedi's announcement ``a diversion tactic.'' He said the international community was unlikely to agree to such a deal because the enrichment would still take place on Iranian territory. ``This is something that would be almost as dangerous as leaving the Iranians to do it alone,'' he said. ``The day that (Iran's president) thinks the international situation would permit, he will show Areva and Eurodif the door and say, 'Now I will take care of the plant.''' There was no mention of the proposal in any Iranian media, and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran declined to comment. Areva spokesman Charles Hufnagel expressed surprise at Saeedi's announcement. ``We are not involved in any negotiations'' about a possible consortium for enriching Iranian uranium, he said. He added that any discussions involving nuclear cooperation with Iran would be at the government level because of the sensitivity of the issue. Hufnagel said it was too early to comment on whether Areva would be ready in principle to lead such a consortium. Iran's participation in Eurodif was reduced after the 1979 revolution, and now Iran has a ``purely financial'' stake of about 11 percent through a joint French-Iranian company called Sofidif, Hufnagel said. Eurodif's plant in Pierrelate in southeast France produces about a quarter of the world's enriched uranium, for use in nuclear reactors in several countries. Tehran says it has 50 tons of UF-6 gas, which can be turned into enriched uranium, in Eurodif's plant in France but has not been allowed to use it. Saeedi gave no other details of his proposal, and it was not clear when he made his comments to France-Info. France, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, is among countries pushing to stop Iran's nuclear activities. Iran ignored a U.N. Security Council deadline in August to suspend uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions. Saeedi's proposal echoed a similar idea involving Russia. Moscow had sought to defuse the dispute with Iran by offering to conduct all of Iran's enrichment on Russian soil, but Tehran has refused. Russia is building the Islamic republic's first nuclear power plant in the southern port of Bushehr under an $800 million contract. Moscow says it has worked out a deal with Iran for all of Bushehr's spent fuel to be sent to Russia, eliminating the possibility that Iran could reprocess it for weapons. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 4 BBC: Iran pushes France nuclear deal Last Updated: Tuesday, 3 October 2006 [Mohammad Saeedi] Mohammad Saeedi's plan would still see uranium enriched in Iran Iran has suggested that France monitor its nuclear programme, by setting up a nuclear fuel consortium inside Iran. The announcement was made by the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy agency. France said Iran's offers had to go through the EU's foreign policy chief. But Javier Solana has concluded that Iran is unlikely to suspend nuclear enrichment, said a senior UK official. Key world powers have agreed to seek a new UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions, the official said. The official stressed that this did not prevent further negotiation with Iran to try to persuade it of the benefit of complying with UN requirements to halt their nuclear programme. Conflicting signals The deputy director of Iran's atomic energy agency, Mohammad Saeedi, told French radio that a solution to the nuclear issue could be a consortium with France to enrich uranium in Iran. "That way France... could control in a tangible way our enrichment activities," Mohammad Saeedi, deputy chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told France-Info radio. Mr Saeedi presented this as a new idea, but more than a year ago Iran's president suggested foreign companies should enter into joint ventures with Iran to develop its nuclear power industry, says the BBC's Tehran correspondent Frances Harrison. Iran has given out confusing and conflicting signals about how far it is willing to go in what many suspect may be a deliberate attempt to delay, says our correspondent. France said it was taken by surprise by the latest Iranian move. "There is a channel of dialogue with the Iranians" that must pass through Mr Solana, said Jean-Baptiste Mattei, a spokesman for the French foreign ministry. "It's through this channel we await a response from the Iranians on the suspension" of uranium enrichment, as demanded by the UN Security Council, Mr Mattei told reporters. Speaking in Helsinki, Mr Solana said the Iranian offer was "something we have to analyse in greater detail". He described a telephone conversation with Iran's nuclear chief Ali Larijani as "cordial and constructive". But he added: "We still have some elements that need to be agreed. We will continue talking." ***************************************************************** 5 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IRI needs not US security guarantees 2006/10/03 Secretary of Supreme National Security Council and the country's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said in an interview with German weekly 'Focus' that Iran is not worried about its security status, and does not need any US security guarantees. 'Focus' reporter had claimed that Iran's main intention in pursuing talks with EU is to pave the path for direct talks with the US, adding, "That is because only that country can provide effective security guarantees for Iran." Larijani added, "The proposal for direct talk with the United States has not raised a storm of enthusiastic feeling and happiness among the Iranians." The Secretary of the Supreme Security Council said, "If the Americans have faced difficulties in Iraq, it is not right for them to propagate that Iran is enthusiastically longing for holding talks with them on regional security." Larijani added, "Our first priority is pursuing the path we have started with the Europeans." He said, "The Americans pursue the same policy they have applied in Iraq in case of Iran, too, but they would definitely have no chance for embracing success, since the time for adopting unilateral policies at the international scene has long been over." On Iran's nuclear program, he referred to Iran's membership at the NPT, Germany's abandoning of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant project, and full transparency in Iran's peaceful nuclear policies. He said, "We do not intend to manufacture the A-bomb, since firstly it has absolutely no place in our defence doctrine, and secondly we really do not need it." In reply to 'Focus' reporter's question, "Why should EU trust a country whose president has asked for the annihilation of Israel?" he said, "Israel's existence, or annihilation should not be decided in the other side of the ocean." Larijani said, "The residents of occupied Palestine, including the Arabs, the Jews, the Muslims, and the Christians should decide over the type of the political system they prefer in a free election." Referring to the problems that West has created for the freely elected Palestinian government he said, "That proved the fact that the West's pro-democracy slogans are only authentic where the results of elections match their interests, not those of the other free nations." sm Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 6 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: US should totally revise policies 2006/10/03 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a meeting with the American Foreign Policy Council (USFPC) during his recent American visit to take part at the annual UN General Assembly, during which he proposed that certain world powers, particularly America, need to thoroughly revise their policies. The IRI President published the full text of his remarks at the Q-A session there in his recently launched weblog "to inform the public opinion of its contents" on Monday. The USFPC, an NGO, comprised of senior veteran American politicians, is said to have a strong influence on American elites, politicians, and political activists. Having answered some USFPC members' questions on Iran and Iran-America relations, Ahmadinejad complained, "Before attending this session I expected to be asked key questions at expert level here, but I notice the level of questions is the same as those posed at journalists' conferences, and the questions are the often repeatedones." The President added, "I once more realized here that the main reason behind the repeated America's defeats at political and international scenes is their lack of sufficient knowledge about the prevailing realities of the world, and the segregation of American policy makers in the fence of the self-style, phony propagation that are too politicized." He pointed out that the most important point about the USFPC for him was its claim to be independent, and yet expressed surprise that the stands of its members were so close to those of American acting politicians. President Ahmadinejad expressed concern over the prevailing conditions at the international scene, arguing, "You can rarely, if ever find someone to be optimistic about the ongoing process of the international developments, in which the gaps keep on further deepening and the tensions and enmities keep getting more deep-rooted." Focusing on international developments of the day, he said, "Our most important concerns today are the prevailing conditions in Palestine, Iraq, and even Afghanistan, that are quite disappointing, and the problems in Africa and South America, too, are not quite resolved yet." He criticized the "interference of world powers in other nations' internal affairs" and in many sensitive regions of the world, that he said, "unfortunately keep broadening, and aggravating day after day." Ahmadinejad said, "The behavior of some powers that play decisive roles in these developments is even against their own interests, and have signs of dizziness and confusion." He set example of the American administration's behavior in the Middle East, that has signs of their ignorance about the psychology of the regional nations, that leads to further aggravating the dimensions of regional tensions, in such places as Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. He said, "American government not only inflicts losses against the other nations, but inflicts heaviest losses against America's interests in the world and the interests of the Americans." Ahmadinejad added, "Due to American policies in the Middle East, America is an isolated regime in the hearts and minds of the regional nations, and over one billion human beings hate it more with the passage of each new day." sam Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 7 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: No legality for Sanctions on Iran 2006/10/03 Pakistan on Monday said that American sanctions on Iran has no international legality, describing the curbs as America's own problem. "The Iran sanction bill is basically its (America') domestic thing, it does not have any international legality as such," the foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said. She said that the Iran sanctions bill used to be Iran sanctions bill and that it has been on the American legislative process for a long long time. In reply to a question about Iranian leaders' statements on Iran's peaceful nuclear issue, the spokesperson said that in the last couple of weeks, there had been some positive statements from both sides and there was a meeting between the Iranian negotia tor Mr. Larijani and European Foreign Policy Chief Mr. Solana. "Although there were no immediate results, but it is a process, as we have said that this process should continue," she said. She added, "We do hope that as after the meeting there was indication, there was constructive discussion and we are in favor of continuation of these discussions and negotiations till they reach a peaceful solution." sam Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 8 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: France rejects IRI nuclear proposal 2006/10/03 France on Tuesday rejected a fine proposal from the Islamic Republic of Iran to set up a consortium to produce enriched uranium on Iranian soil as a way out of impasse. French Foreign Ministry said that EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana is the channel to rpopose anything. He said the proposal, made on French radio earlier Tuesday by the deputy director of IRI's Atomic Energy Agency Organization, Mohammad Saeedi, was 'unexpected. The French reaction came as Solana said in Finland he was interested by the Iranian offer to the French, but added he needed to study the idea more closely. Saeedi, in his interview with France Info radio, suggested the French consortium idea. "To be able to reach a solution, we have just had an idea. We propose that France create a consortium for the production in Iran of enriched uranium," he said. "That way France, through its Eurodif and Areva companies, can monitor our activities in a tangible fashion." Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 9 AFP: Iran proposes French role to end nuclear stalemate by Siavosh Ghazi Tue Oct 3, 6:38 AM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has suggested France should lead a consortium to produce enriched uranium on Iranian soil, as a way out of the impasse with the West over its contested nuclear programme. The offer from the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy agency came Tuesday amid warnings time was fast running out for Tehran to broker a deal with the European Union and escape possible UN sanctions. "The best solution to dispel the worries about Iran's nuclear activities is not to demand a suspension," of enrichment, Mohammad Saeedi told AFP. "We have an idea that technically and legally is the best solution." "It is that France creates a consortium with Eurodif and Areva to carry out enrichment in Iran and thus they can closely monitor our nuclear programme," he added, referring to France's enrichment specialist and its parent company. Questioned by AFP, the French foreign ministry refused any immediate comment on Saeedi's statements. Iran's use of uranium enrichment, a process used to create the fuel for a nuclear power station but which can also provide the explosive core of a nuclear bomb, lies at the centre of the standoff. Iran has so far refused to comply with Western demands that it suspends uranium enrichment as proof it is not seeking nuclear weapons, despite ongoing talks with the European Union aimed at making it halt the practice. Tehran insists that its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful energy needs, vehemently rejecting US allegations that it is seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who has been leading the talks with Iranian officials, warned time was running out for Tehran to make a deal amid warnings by the United States Tehran faces UN sanctions if it did not suspend. "We don't have an infinite length of time in front of us," he told reporters on Monday in Levi, northern Finland, after talks between EU defence ministers. "The fundamental matter of suspension has not been agreed." Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani spoke on the telephone Monday and resolved to make further contact in the next days, Iranian news agencies reported on Tuesday. The conversation was the first contact between the two men since they held talks in Berlin last week which failed to broker an agreement but were hailed by the Iranian side as constructive. The intense activity on both sides came as the head of Russia's security council Igor Ivanov was due in Tehran to hold talks with Larijani, Iranian media said. Russia has supported calls for Iran to suspend nuclear enrichment, but has been reluctant to endorse sanctions and wants to continue work on building a nuclear power station at Bushehr, in southern Iran. In emphasising foreign involvement, Saeedi's proposal resembles a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United Nations" in September 2005 saying foreign countries could help Iran to enrich uranium on its soil. The reaction at the time was sceptical. Speaking on her way to a tour of the Middle East expected to be dominated by the Iran crisis, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reaffirmed that Iran would face UN Security Council sanctions if it did not suspend. "We did have a discussion on the importance of remaining firm on (UN) Resolution 1696 which means that if the Iranians don't suspend, then we go to the Security Council for sanctions," she said. A senior US official meanwhile said the United States had made "good progress" in gaining allies' approval for a list of sanctions to be imposed on Iran if it fails to freeze enrichment, without specifying the nature of the penalties. "I don't think it would be particularly difficult, given the progress they've made, to pull all this together" into a resolution against Iran, said the official, who declined to be named. Iran missed a deadline of August 31 to suspend uranium enrichment but according to diplomats world powers have now agreed a new deadline of early this month. + Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 10 AFP: US wants Iran answer in nuclear standoff this week - official - Tue Oct 3, 5:43 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States are giving European negotiators until the end of the week to convince Iran" /> Iranto suspend its uranium enrichment program and will then pursue sanctions if Tehran fails to comply, a senior US official said. The latest contact between European Union" /> European Unionforeign policy chief Javier Solana and Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani Monday failed to result in Iranian agreement to suspend enrichment as required by the UN Security Council, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said on Tuesday. "There's no change in the Iranian position, which is there's no decision on their part to suspend," he said. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, the State Department's point man on Iran, earlier told The Washington Times that Tehran needed to make an unambiguous commitment to suspend enrichment this week or face sanctions. "If (Iran's answer) is maybe, it's a no," Burns was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "If it's 'We'd like to negotiate this further,' it has been negotiated for four months," Burns said. "At some point, you have to draw the line. So I think you'll have the answer by the end of the week," he said. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Riceagreed to requests from her counterparts from the other four permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany last month to give the Solana-Larijani talks more time before turning to sanctions. But the so-called P5-plus-1 nations agreed to set a new deadline this week for Iran to comply with an earlier UN resolution demanding it freeze its uranium enrichment program, which Washington and others believe is a cover for developing nuclear weapons. Rice, currently on a tour of the Middle East, said she could meet Friday in Europe with the foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany to take stock of the Solana-Larijani talks. Burns has meanwhile been negotiating with his P5-plus-1 counterparts on a list of sanctions to be included in a new UN resolution if and when the six agree that negotiations have failed. A senior US official said Monday that Burns had nearly obtained agreement among the six on the sanctions list, although he acknowledged it could still take time to thrash out the actual wording of a sanctions resolution. China and Russia have both voiced strong opposition to using sanctions against Iran, though Burns insisted in the interview that there was "unity" among the six on the issue. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly rejected the UN demand, although Larijani has reportedly offered a temporary halt to enrichment during which the six powers would negotiate a longer-term resolution of the standoff. Those talks would include providing Iran with economic and diplomatic rewards, including the first direct diplomatic contacts with Washington in nearly 30 years. But in the interview published Tuesday, Burns was quoted as rejecting a proposal that Washington give Iran a formal pledge not to use military action against the country as part of the deal. Washington does not want to grant security guarantees to Iran because of concerns over its support for Islamic militants in the region, most notably its backing for Lebanon's Hezbollah in its recent war with Israel" /> Israelbut also of the Palestinian group Hamas, Burns was quoted as saying. "We saw the war this summer not to be just a border war," he said. "We saw this as a new element in the Middle East -- the Iranian and Syrian involvement." "We are also very concerned about this nexus of terrorism -- Iran, Syria" /> Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas. We think they are coordinating their actions, and we are trying to push back on that," he said. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 11 AFP: Iran moots new nuclear plan amid sanctions threats - by Siavosh Ghazi Tue Oct 3, 12:33 PM ET TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran" /> Iranhas made a last-ditch proposal to break the deadlock over its nuclear programme as world powers warned it still risked being taken to the UN Security Council within a week for possible sanctions. A top Iranian official said Tuesday the crisis could be resolved if France created a consortium to produce enriched uranium on Iranian soil, a proposal that stops short of Western demands Tehran suspends the sensitive nuclear activity. "The best solution to dispel the worries about Iran's nuclear activities is not to demand a suspension" of enrichment, the deputy head of Iran's atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Saeedi, told AFP. "We have an idea that technically and legally is the best solution. "It is that France creates a consortium with Eurodif and Areva to carry out enrichment in Iran and thus they can closely monitor our nuclear programme," he added, referring to France's enrichment specialist and its parent company. The United States has vowed to haul Iran up before the Security Council if it fails to suspend uranium enrichment, a process the West fears could be diverted away from energy uses to make nuclear weapons. British and US officials confirmed time was running out on a final deadline for Iran to agree to suspend enrichment, an eventuality deemed highly unlikely given repeated vows by Iran it has no intention of halting the process. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who has been leading the talks with the Iranians, described Saeedi's proposal as "interesting" and in need of further examination. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste Blazy said the proposal could only be taken into consideration "after Iran suspends its uranium activities". But comments from Washington and London suggested only an unambiguous vow of readiness to suspend enrichment from Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani would be enough to prevent the issue going towards the United Nations" /> United Nations. "If (Iran's answer) is maybe, it's a no," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, the State Department point man on Iran, told The Washington Times. "If it's 'We'd like to negotiate this further,' it has been negotiated for four months," Burns said. "At some point, you have to draw the line. So I think you'll have the answer by the end of the week," he added. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Rice, on a trip to the Middle East dominated by the Iran issue, underlined "the importance of remaining firm on (UN) Resolution 1696, which means that if the Iranians don't suspend, then we go to the Security Council for sanctions." A high-ranking British official, who declined to be named, said preparations were now underway to propose a draft resolution at the UN Security Council under Article 41 of the UN Charter, which allows for economic sanctions. "Unless there is a sudden unexpected change of heart by the Iranians, we can expect this to move to New York in the coming week or so," he said. Iran's use of enrichment, a process used to create the fuel for a nuclear power station but that can also provide the explosive core of a nuclear bomb, lies at the centre of the standoff. Tehran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful energy needs, vehemently rejecting US allegations it is seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons. Solana and Larijani spoke on the telephone Monday and resolved to make further contact in the next days. The conversation was the first contact between the two men since they held talks in Berlin last week. The intense activity on both sides came as the head of Russia's security council, Igor Ivanov, held talks with Larijani in Tehran and backed a diplomatic solution to the crisis. "We welcome the discussions between Mr. Solana and Mr. Larijani and we think that this can ... prepare the ground for a political and diplomatic solution," Ivanov said after the talks in Tehran. Russia has supported calls for Iran to suspend nuclear enrichment, but has been reluctant to endorse sanctions and wants to continue work on building a nuclear power station at Bushehr, in southern Iran. In emphasising foreign involvement, Saeedi's proposal resembles a speech by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the United Nations in September 2005 saying foreign countries could help Iran to enrich uranium on its soil. The reaction at the time was sceptical. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 12 AFP: France rejects Iranian nuclear proposal Tue Oct 3, 8:15 AM ET PARIS (AFP) - France has rejected a proposal from Iran" /> to set up a consortium to produce enriched uranium on Iranian soil as a way out of the international impasse over Tehran's suspect nuclear programme. "There is a channel of dialogue with the Iranians" that must pass through EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, a spokesman for the French foreign ministry said Tuesday. "It's through this channel we await a response from the Iranians on the suspension" of uranium enrichment, as demanded by the UN Security Council, spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei told reporters. He said the Iranian proposal, made on French radio earlier Tuesday by the deputy director of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad Saeedi, was "unexpected". If the Iranians agreed to suspend uranium enrichment, Mattei said, "there could be place for negotiations where each side can make whatever proposals it wishes." The French reaction came as Solana said in Finland he was "interested" by the Iranian offer to the French, but added he needed to study the idea more closely. Saeedi, in his interview with France Info radio, suggested the French consortium idea as a way to break a deadlock over Iran's nuclear programme. "To be able to reach a solution, we have just had an idea. We propose that France create a consortium for the production in Iran of enriched uranium," he said. "That way France, through its Eurodif and Areva companies, can monitor our activities in a tangible fashion." Iran ignored an August 31 deadline set by the UN Security Council for halting enrichment, and foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini on Sunday reaffirmed Tehran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program after EU-Iran talks last week failed to reach any compromise. Earlier this year, Russia had proposed allowing Iran to enrich uranium on Russian soil as a way out of the standoff, but despite a flurry of talks Tehran never embraced the idea with enthusiasm and eventually rejected it. Saaedi's proposal appears to contain the key difference that enrichment should be done by foreign firms on Iranian soil, meeting Tehran's constant demand that it will never surrender its right to enrichment in Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had suggested in a speech to the United Nations" /> in New York in September 2005 that foreign countries could help Iran to enrich uranium on its soil. He said at the time the "further confidence-building measure" was to "engage in serious partnership with private and public sectors of other countries in the implementation of the uranium-enrichment program in Iran." However key global players in the Iranian nuclear dispute such as France and Russia reacted at the time with scepticism to the offer. The West is urging Iran to freeze uranium enrichment -- a process that can be used to make both nuclear fuel and the explosive core of a nuclear bomb -- in return for a package of economic and diplomatic rewards. Iran says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful energy needs, vehemently rejecting US allegations it is seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons. Washington has pressed its Security Council allies to use sanctions to increase the pressure on Tehran, but has met stiff resistance, notably from Russia and China. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 13 AFP: Iran's Ebadi slams US 'double standards' on Middle East - Tue Oct 3, 6:27 AM ET OSLO (AFP) - Iranian lawyer and Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi has accused the US of double standards for its policy of trying to bring democracy to the Middle East while courting undemocratic regimes. Ebadi was speaking Tuesday during a visit to Oslo where she received the Nobel Peace Prize three years ago. "America acts on the basis of double standards on Iran" /> . Look at America's friends in the region, who are they? Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait. None of them have an advanced democracy," Ebadi said at a press conference after a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. "It's even more interesting that Pakistan has nuclear weapons. (President) Pervez Musharraf did not come to power through democratic means and he is America's close friend," the Nobel laureate added. The West is urging Iran to freeze uranium enrichment -- a process that can be used to make both nuclear fuel and the explosive core of a nuclear bomb -- in return for a package of economic and diplomatic rewards. Iran says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful energy needs, vehemently rejecting US allegations it is seeking to manufacture nuclear weapons. Washington has pressed its Security Council allies to use sanctions to increase the pressure on Tehran, but has met stiff resistance, notably from Russia, China and Ebadi. "Economic sanctions on Iran would damage the people," Ebadi said. Ebadi welcomed the presence of international oil groups in her native Iran, including Norwegian companies. "Our request is please sign your economic contracts in a way that would help the people," she said, calling on oil companies not to limit their landmine clearance work to areas in and around their facilities. Ebadi linked her call for the democratisation of her country to the nuclear issue. "If the (Iranian) government wishes the world to trust its claims, there is a need for the establishment of democracy in Iran," Ebadi said. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 14 Annan Expresses Concern After Dpr Korea Says It Will Conduct Nuclear Test Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 19:00:05 -0400 ANNAN EXPRESSES CONCERN AFTER DPR KOREA SAYS IT WILL CONDUCT NUCLEAR TEST New York, Oct 3 2006 7:00PM Voicing concern about the stated intention of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to carry out a nuclear test in the future, Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned today that such a move would be counter-productive and worsen tensions in the region, and he called on the country’s leadership to maintain the current moratorium on testing. In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2236">statement issued by his spokesman at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mr. Annan said he “shares the global concern” regarding the DPRK’s avowal to conduct a nuclear test. “Such action, if undertaken, would further aggravate tensions in the region,” the statement said. “It would bring universal condemnation by the international community and will not help the DPRK achieve the goals expressed in its statement, particularly with regard to strengthening its security.” The Secretary-General urged Pyongyang “to exercise utmost restraint and adhere to the international community’s norm on nuclear testing and also observe the current moratorium.” He called on the North Koreans to return to the Six-Party Talks – comprising the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States – to ensure that the nuclear issue and any other security concerns on the Korean peninsula are solved through negotiations. Earlier today, the Security Council’s President for October, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, said the issue of DPRK and its nuclear programme would be near the top of the Council’s agenda this month. 2006-10-03 00:00:00.000 ___________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/ _______________________________ To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/ ***************************************************************** 15 [NYTr] N Korea says it will stage nuke test; Brits, US Howl Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 12:49:36 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit AP via Yahoo - Oct 3, 2006 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061003/ap_on_re_as/nkorea_nuclear North Korea says it will stage nuke test By BO-MI LIM Associated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said Tuesday it will conduct a nuclear test in the face of what it claimed was "the U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war," ratcheting up tensions amid international pressure to return to negotiations on its atomic program. The United States said it would raise the latest statement in a U.N. Security Council meeting, and South Korea raised its security level. "The government has taken measures to strengthen the security level in relation to the North Korea nuclear test, and has begun discussions with related countries," South Korea's presidential office said in a statement after an emergency meeting. The statement from Pyongyang gave no precise date as to when a test might occur. "The DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test in a condition where safety is firmly guaranteed," the North's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, using its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. In an early-morning interview with The Associated Press, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said the U.S. would bring up North Korea's statement for discussion Tuesday morning in a regular meeting of the U.N. Security Council. "A nuclear test by North Korea would be extraordinarily serious," Bolton said. "The threat is serious enough that we're certainly going to take this action in the council this morning, by raising it." Pyongyang has said it has nuclear weapons, but has not conducted any known test to prove its claim. South Korea's spy agency has said the North could test a nuclear bomb at any time. "The U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a self-defense measure in response," said the statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. China, North Korea's neighbor, ally and chief benefactor, had no immediate comment. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso called the North's nuclear test plans "totally unforgivable," and said Japan would react "sternly" if the North conducted the tests, according to Kyodo News agency. In Finland, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said such a test "is always bad news." Multilateral talks on North Korea's nuclear program have been stalled for almost a year, with Pyongyang boycotting the six-nation talks in protest over U.S. financial restrictions imposed for its alleged illegal activity, including money laundering and counterfeiting. Efforts to bring the North back to negotiations have taken on added urgency after the communist nation test-fired seven missiles in July, including one believed to be capable of reaching the United States. Reports have also suggested the North might conduct a nuclear test, citing suspicious activity at a possible underground test site. Many experts believe the North has enough radioactive material to build at least a half-dozen or more nuclear weapons. The North said Tuesday its ultimate goal is "to settle hostile relations between the DPRK and the U.S. and to remove the very source of all nuclear threats from the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity," accusing the U.S. of posing a nuclear threat in the region. The North, however, said it will "never use nuclear weapons first and strictly prohibit any threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear transfer." Charles Kartman, who was the lead negotiator with North Korea under the Clinton administration, said last week that North Korea had few other options than saber-rattling. "If they feel they are not getting interaction with us, they tend to do things to get our attention. And the tools that they have are all bad ones," he said. "The missiles, the nuclear program, the military." [Associated Press writers Michael Weissenstein and Peter Spielmann contributed to this report from New York.] Copyright ) 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. *** Reuters - Oct 3, 2006 http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=L0351968&WTmodLoc=World-R5-Alertnet-5 N.Korea missile test would be highly provocative-UK LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday it would view any North Korean nuclear missile test as "a highly provocative act with serious consequences for the DPRK (North Korea)". "It would raise tensions in an already tense region and have repercussions internationally," a Foreign Office spokesman said in response to Pyongyang's announcement that it would conduct a nuclear test at some point in the future. "The UK believes the six-party talks continue to represent the best mechansism for progress towards the denuclearisation of the Korean pensiula and for bringing the DPRK into the international community," the spokesman said. The six-party talks, involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States, are aimed at resolving the stand-off over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. They have been stalled since November. ) Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 16 [NYTr] More on N.Korean Announcement of Nuke Test Date: Tue, 3 Oct 2006 12:49:48 -0500 (CDT) X-Sender-Host-Name: chumbly.math.missouri.edu X-Spam-Class: HAM-VERY-WHITELIST Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit AFP - Oct 3, 2006 http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/061003123313.8gvvsodo.html North Korea says it will conduct nuclear test SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea has announced that it will carry out a nuclear weapons test in response to threats and sanctions from the United States, which it said was trying to topple its communist regime. No date or time was given for the test but the annoucement, which portrayed the North as under siege from a US administration pushing for nuclear war, drew immediate and strongly worded condemnation from Japan. The statement, issued by the foreign ministry, said the nation's atomic programme was essential in providing a deterrent to Washington -- and that after developing nuclear weapons, it had to test them. "The US extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK (North Korea) to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a corresponding measure," it said. The test would be conducted under conditions where "safety is firmly guaranteed," it added in the statement, which was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "The Korean nation stands at the crossroads of life and death," it said. "A people without a reliable war deterrent are bound to meet a tragic death, and the sovereignty of their country is bound to be wantonly infringed upon." The North said the administration of US President George W. Bush was intent on toppling its socialist system. It said the US imposition of sanctions and a UN Security Council resolution imposing other sanctions on the North, passed after it test-launched seven missiles in July, meant that the country's security was at risk. Calling the UN resolution a de facto "declaration of war," it said it would do its utmost to de-nuclearise the Korean peninsula but without disarming unilaterally. The United States says it has withdrawn all its nuclear weapons from South Korea, but the North has repeatedly said it considers itself under threat from Washington. Bush in 2002 lumped the North in with Iran and Saddam Hussein's Iraq as an "axis of evil," and rhetoric between the two sides has often been harsh. Tuesday's statement lashed out at the Bush government's "foolish attempt to isolate and stifle it economically and bring down the socialist system chosen by its people themselves" and reiterated its February 2005 claim that it had developed the atom bomb. "The already declared possession of nuclear weapons presupposes the nuclear test," it said, adding: "The DPRK will never use nuclear weapons first." Japan was first to respond to the test announcement, with Foreign Minister Taro Aso calling the idea unforgivable. "It would be a threat to peace. We would never be able to forgive such a move," Aso told reporters. "It would gravely affect Northeast Asia, including Japan." Aso said he did not doubt North Korea's resolve in testing a nuclear device. "In the past, the country has done what it had said earlier. So I think it would be wrong automatically to think the country will not do this." The South Korean presidential Blue House had no immediate comment. Tuesday is a public holiday marking National Foundation Day. "It's one thing that North Korea says it will carry out a nuclear test and it's another that it really carries it out," an unidentified senior official of the presidential Blue House was quoted as saying by YTN television. "The government will take steps in accordance with the already-prepared package of phased measures." The Seoul government has for years adopted a "sunshine policy" of engagement with the North but suspended regular aid shipments after the missile tests. Peter Beck, director for Northeast Asia of the International Crisis Group, agreed with Aso that the threat to stage a test should be taken "very seriously." The annoucnement meant the North had given up negotiating with the Bush administration and only its sole major ally China could restrain it, he said. The current stand-off over North Korea's nuclear programmes erupted in 2002 when the United States accused Pyongyang of running a secret uranium enrichment programme in violation of a 1994 denuclearisation agreement. North Korea responded by withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003 before announcing eight months later that it had produced enough weapons-grade plutonium to make half a dozen atomic bombs. It then declared in February 2005 that it had built nuclear weapons and the CIA has stated in the past that it believes Pyongyang has created several crude nuclear bombs. The United States, the two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan signed a joint statement in September last year under which the North would abandon its nuclear program in return for energy and economic aid, eventual diplomatic benefits and security guarantees. But two months later, North Korea boycotted the forum in protest over US sanctions on a Macau bank which allegedly helped it pass counterfeit US dollars and launder funds. Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have risen since the July missile launches, which heightened speculation that a nuclear weapons test could be in the works. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 17 Guardian Unlimited: U.S.: N. Korea Nuclear Test Unacceptable From the Associated Press [UP] Tuesday October 3, 2006 5:46 PM By FOSTER KLUG Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration said Tuesday that a North Korea nuclear test would be an ``unacceptable threat to peace and stability'' and further isolate Pyongyang from the rest of the world. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States will work with its allies to discourage ``such a reckless action.'' In nearly identical comments, he and Frederick Jones, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, warned that any such test ``would only further isolate the North Korean regime'' and deny North Koreans possible benefits they might reap by returning to negotiations about their nuclear program. The U.S. and other countries have imposed financial sanctions on Pyongyang. North Korea announced Tuesday that it would conduct a nuclear test in the face of what it claimed was ``the U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war.'' The statement from Pyongyang gave no precise date as to when a test might occur. Pyongyang has said it has nuclear weapons, but it has not conducted any known test to prove its claim. South Korea's spy agency has said the North could test a nuclear bomb at any time. Many experts believe the North has enough radioactive material to build at least a half-dozen or more nuclear weapons. ``They are an active proliferator,'' said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld. ``And were they to test and were they then to proliferate those technologies we'd be living with a proliferator and obviously we'd be living in a somewhat different world.'' Rumsfeld, in Managua, Nicaragua, for meetings with Central and South American foreign ministers, declined to say whether Pyongyang's announcement had triggered any changes in the U.S. alert status. A North Korean nuclear test, McCormack said, ``would pose an unacceptable threat to peace and stability in Asia and the world.'' The U.S. and its allies have been trying to lure the North back to stalled international efforts to persuade Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear weapons program. The communist-led nation alarmed the world when it test-fired seven missiles in July, including one believed to be capable of reaching the United States. The North has pushed for direct talks with the United States, something Washington says it will not do outside of the framework of the stalled six-nation talks. The North has refused to return to the disarmament talks because of U.S. financial restrictions imposed for its alleged illegal activity, including money laundering and counterfeiting. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the U.S. would bring up North Korea's statement for discussion later in the day in a regular meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Vice Adm. John Morgan, the Navy's chief of strategy and plans, told reporters that a possible test is ``something we're very concerned about. We think there needs to be a diplomatic solution to this. We think the international community is working hard to achieve that.'' Robert Einhorn, a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation, said that the North's comments should be taken seriously. ``They often don't bluff. They tell you what they're going to do, and then they do it,'' Einhorn said. ``It's a reflection of their frustration, that their previous provocations haven't had the desired effect of getting the U.S. to talk with them bilaterally or getting the U.S. and the others to make further concessions.'' --- Associated Press reporters Robert Burns and Peter Spielmann contributed to this report. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 18 Guardian Unlimited: N. Korea Says It Will Conduct Nuke Test From the Associated Press [UP] Tuesday October 3, 2006 12:16 PM AP Photo TOK109 By BO-MI LIM Asssociated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea said Tuesday that it will conduct a nuclear test to bolster its self-defense capability amid what it calls increasing U.S. hostility toward the communist regime. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said that the U.S. would bring up North Korea's statement for discussion Tuesday morning in a regular meeting of the U.N. Security Council. ``A nuclear test by North Korea would be extraordinarily serious,'' Bolton said in an interview with The Associated Press. ``The threat is serious enough that we're certainly going to take this action in the council this morning, by raising it.'' Using the acronym for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's Foreign Ministry said in the official English translation of its statement that: ``The DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed.'' The statement gave no precise date of when a test might occur. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso called the purported nuclear test plan a threat to peace, and said a nuclear test would have graver implications than North Korean missile tests in July. Aso called the North's self-described plan ``totally unforgivable,'' and said Japan would react ``sternly'' if the North conducted a nuclear test, according to Kyodo News agency. China, North Korea's neighbor, ally and chief benefactor, had no immediate comment. The North Korean announcement appeared to have caught Chinese officialdom off-guard, coming in the midst of a weeklong National Day holiday. Pyongyang has said it has nuclear weapons, but is not known to have conducted any test to prove its claim. It has not mentioned a nuclear test in previous public statements. ``The U.S. extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a corresponding measure for defense,'' said the statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. The North's ``nuclear weapons will serve as reliable war deterrent for protecting the supreme interests of the state and the security of the Korean nation from the U.S. threat of aggression and averting a new war and firmly safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean peninsula under any circumstances,'' the statement said. Multilateral talks on the North's nuclear program have been stalled for almost a year. Pyongyang has boycotted the six-nation talks to protest U.S. financial restrictions imposed for its alleged illegal activity, including money laundering and counterfeiting. The North said Tuesday that its ultimate goal is ``to settle hostile relations between the DPRK and the U.S. and to remove the very source of all nuclear threats from the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity,'' accusing the U.S. of posing a nuclear threat in the region. ---- Associated Press writer Michael Weissenstein contributed to this report from New York. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 19 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea raises stakes with threat to carry out nuclear weapons test Jonathan Watts in Beijing Wednesday October 4, 2006 The Guardian [A band of female militia parades in Pyongyang, North Korea] A band of female militia parades in Pyongyang, North Korea. Photograph: Ji Xinlong/AP North Korea yesterday announced plans to test a nuclear weapon in a move aimed at ratcheting up tension in east Asia and forcing the US to halt financial sanctions. The declaration - which comes less than three months after Pyongyang test-fired an intercontinental missile that would put Alaska and Hawaii within range of its warheads - was immediately condemned by the US, Japan and Britain. "The US extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a self-defence measure in response," said a statement in English carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. No date was given, but a test would be a significant escalation of hostilities in the four-year nuclear stand-off between Pyongyang and Washington. The US said yesterday that a nuclear test would further isolate Pyongyang and that Washington would work with allies to discourage "such a reckless action". The US State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, said a test would pose an "unacceptable threat to peace and stability in Asia and the world". Governments across the region - including the North's traditional ally China - have pleaded with North Korea not to take such a dangerous step. These entreaties appear to have little impact on the military-controlled government. Its statement said: "A people without a reliable war deterrent are bound to meet a tragic death and the sovereignty of their country is bound to be wantonly infringed upon." It adds: "This is a bitter lesson taught by the bloodshed resulting from the law of the jungle in different parts of the world." Pyongyang promised that the test would be conducted in a safe place and that it would not negate the goal of de-nuclearising the peninsula. But such pledges have done nothing to reassure its regional neighbours. The Japanese foreign minister, Taro Aso, said a nuclear test would be "totally unforgivable". He warned that Tokyo was prepared to take "harsh" measures in concert with the international community. Britain said that a test would be highly provocative. "It would raise tensions in an already tense region and have repercussions internationally," the foreign office said in a statement. The risk posed by North Korea remains unclear. The CIA estimates that the reclusive state has enough fissile material to make at least six to eight bombs. But whether these can be turned into warheads and mounted on a missile is questioned by Japanese military experts, who say North Korea lacks the necessary miniaturising technology. After a recent trip to Pyongyang, Selig Harrison - a former US state official responsible for east Asia - said North Korean officials had warned him that "the US government should be concerned about the transfer of fissile material or nuclear weapons to other parties". By announcing a test but not setting a date, President Kim Jong-il is trying to keep the world on tenterhooks. Analysts said that North Korea initiates crises to boost the country's bargaining power. In the six-nation talks last year, the US promised it would not seek regime change or threaten the sovereignty of North Korea. Pyongyang claims that Washington has violated this agreement by freezing its bank holdings in Macau and other places. "This is an ultimatum. North Korea feels it has been pushed into a corner," said Professor Kim Sung-han of the Institute of Foreign Affairs in Seoul: "Talking about a test is different from conducting one. But things are getting worse and worse. Under the current circumstances, it is difficult to see a compromise." According to Mr Harrison, Washington has got it wrong. "There is no sign whatever that the US sanctions are undermining the Kim Jong-il regime as the Bush administration hopes," he said condemning the US government's confrontational stance over the past four years. "The result of the Bush policy is that since December 2002, North Korea has been churning out nuclear material like sausages". World reaction "A provocative action of this nature would only further isolate the North Korean regime and deny the people of the North benefits they deserve" US state department spokesman Sean McCormack "A nuclear test would raise tensions in an already tense region and have repercussions internationally" Foreign Office "A nuclear test would be unforgivable for Japan" Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe "This is always bad news" European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana "It would be a factor of grave instability" French foreign ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei Useful links Korea Herald (South) North Korean Central News Agency World Food Programme History of the Korean war - tcsaz.com CIA factbook: North Korea CIA factbook: South Korea [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 20 BBC: N Korea 'to conduct nuclear test' Last Updated: Tuesday, 3 October 2006 North Korea is to conduct a nuclear test "in the future", the foreign ministry said in a statement. The move would "bolster" the country's self-defence in the face of US military hostility, official agency KCNA said. Pyongyang has faced mounting international pressure over its nuclear programme, and in July was condemned by the UN for test-launching missiles. The news has been condemned by the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia - all members of the six-nation talks. The US state department said any nuclear test would further isolate the North Korean regime and said the US would work with allies to discourage "such a reckless action". North Korea gave no time-frame for a test, but correspondents say a successful nuclear trial would signal the end of international negotiations on the North's nuclear ambitions, and threaten a dangerous arms race in East Asia. It would be a threat to pea that is absolutely unforgivable. Our response will be severe Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso In quotes: World reaction Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the nuclear test plans were unacceptable and would be responded to "harshly". South Korea's government went into emergency security talks, while Yang Chang-Seok, a spokesman for the country's unification ministry, warned that any test would have "a decisively negative impact on inter-Korean relations". Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for restraint, and a diplomatic solution, while UK foreign office officials warned of "serious consequences" to what would be regarded as "a highly provocative act". North Korea is thought to have developed a handful of warheads but has never before announced it would test one. Sanctions frustration The announcement comes as six-nation talks on its nuclear programme have been stalled for a year. The North has also appeared increasingly angry at sanctions imposed by the US and other countries on North Korean businesses accused of arms sales and illegal activities. The statement from Pyongyang said it would "in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed", though it did not state when. "The US daily increasing threat of a nuclear war and its vicious sanctions and pressure have caused a grave situation on the Korean Peninsula," it said. The ministry went on to say that "under the present situation in which the US moves to isolate and stifle" North Korea, the country "can no longer remain an onlooker to the developments". The move comes after the UN imposed sanctions on North Korea in July, for test-firing seven missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2 - believed to be capable of reaching Alaska. The missile tests also prompted South Korea to suspend aid to the North, and correspondents say China had been showing signs of frustration with its old Communist ally. Nuclear claims North Korea claims to have nuclear weapons and to be working on building up its arsenal. In 2002 it restarted its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon and forced two UN nuclear monitors to leave the country. It is unclear how far work has progressed at the plant since then. Washington is not only concerned about the development of such weapons in North Korea, but also wants to curb Pyongyang's capacity to export missile and nuclear technology to other states or organisations. ***************************************************************** 21 AFP: Canada calls North Korea's nuclear tests a provocation - Tue Oct 3, 3:17 PM ET OTTAWA (AFP) - Canada warned North Korea" /> that planned nuclear tests were "a provocation" that would destabilize the region and further isolate Pyongyang, a foreign affairs official told AFP. "Canada views a nuclear test as a provocative act that would have a serious destabilizing effect on the region and which would only further isolate North Korea," said Alain Cacchione, a spokesman for the department. North Korea announced Tuesday that it would go ahead with nuclear tests, without saying when, in order to bolster its arsenal to counter what it deems is a growing threat from the United States. North Korea has nothing to gain from these tests and would more likely achieve its security, economic and political objectives if it worked within the six-party negotiations framework, Cacchione said. The six parties are the United States, North and South Korea" /> , China, Japan and Russia. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 22 AFP: Japan condemns NKorea nuclear test plan; says will 'never forgive' such move Tuesday October 3, 12:24 PM TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Foreign Minister Taro Aso strongly condemned North Korea for pledging to carry out a nuclear test, saying Tokyo will 'never forgive' the action if carried out. 'It would be a threat to peace. We would never be able to forgive such a move,' Aso told reporters. 'It would gravely affect Northeast Asia, including Japan,' he said. Aso said he did not doubt North Korea's resolve in testing a nuclear device. 'In the past, the country has done what it had said earlier. So I think it would be wrong automatically to think the country will not do this,' Aso said. The North Korean statement came one week after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office on a platform to boost the role of the military in Japan, which has been officially pacifist since World War II. Aso said it will be more difficult to verify a nuclear test than the missiles, which fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). 'This time, unlike with the missile launches, you won't be able to see it from outside because it will be conducted underground,' he said. 'But if they were to do it, there would be some radioactive reaction. But right now we can't tell when it would take place,' Aso said. afp Copyright © 2006 AFP AFX. All rights reserved. Republication or ***************************************************************** 23 AFP: Russia urges restraint from North Korea on nuclear test UPDATE Tuesday October 3, 01:14 PM (Updates with quotes, call for US-N Korea talks) MOSCOW (AFX) - Russia urged North Korea to exercise restraint after Pyongyang said it would be compelled to carry out a nuclear weapons test. Together with other countries involved in six-party talks with North Korea, Russia is 'working with Pyongyang in order that it exercises restraint and in order to prevent hasty steps' by North Korea, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists. But he called on the US to engage in one-on-one negotiations with North Korea before the six-party talks are resumed. 'Direct contacts between the United States and North Korea are needed', he said. The North Korean nuclear issue 'should be resolved by diplomatic means, and we hope for a return to negotiations,' Lavrov said. The Russian minister also cast doubt on the seriousness of the announcement by the official KCNA news agency that Pyongyang would be compelled to carry out a nuclear weapons test due to threats and sanctions from the US. 'It is not the first time that we've heard this kind of announcement, but for the most part these announcements have not been confirmed,' Lavrov said. Lavrov stressed that both the North Korean and Iranian nuclear issues should only be resolved through diplomacy. 'We proceed from the view that these problems should be solved exclusively by peaceful, diplomatic means,' Lavrov told journalists. COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 AFP: US warns 'reckless' NKorea against test by Olivier Knox Tue Oct 3, 6:08 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States warned North Korea" /> North Koreaagainst conducting a "reckless" and "very provocative" nuclear weapons test and worked to stiffen global resolve to forcefully confront Pyongyang. Top US diplomats sounded out their counterparts in key countries like China and Russia and pushed for UN Security Council action under a July resolution punishing North Korea after the Stalinist regime test-fired a wave of missiles. In Cairo, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" /> Condoleezza Ricesaid a nuclear weapons test would be a "very provocative" act and predicted that "a number of countries would reassess" their approach towards Pyongyang. While she did not name them, Washington has long pushed China and South Korea" /> South Koreato take a harder line on North Korea, which declared in February 2005 it had nuclear weapons. At the White House, national security spokesman Frederick Jones said "the United States will continue to work with its allies and partners to discourage such a reckless action and will respond appropriately." "We stand firmly with our allies in the region and reaffirm our commitment to their security," said Jones, who suggested that a test would imperil a package of incentives offered to North Korea in September 2005. The United States wants its partners in the talks, as well as the UN Security Council, "to exert every effort to persuade North Korea that the test of a nuclear weapon would only bring its further isolation and would not be in the interest of the North Korean people," said Jones. A US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted recent Japanese and Australian sanctions on Pyongyang and said that "a number of other countries that have been thinking about these kinds of things might be more energized to do that." US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns discussed the way forward with Japanese, Korean and European officials and was to do the same with Russian and Chinese counterparts, said State Department spokesman Tom Casey. At the United Nations" /> United Nations, US Ambassador John Bolton said the 15-member security council would hold a "brainstorming session" Tuesday "to see if we can come up with a coherent policy" after members consult with their respective capitals. "I expect there will be a fair amount of support to take this very seriously .... It is a test of the Security Council," he said. A senior US official, who requested anonymity, noted that the Council's July resolution also urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions and that this could be the foundation for "further steps." Pyongyang announced earlier Tuesday that it would test nuclear weapons in response to US military threats and sanctions, jangling nerves worldwide just three months after North Korea test fired long-range missiles. Since November 2005, the communist regime has stayed away from the six-way talks that bring together the United States, North and South Korea, China, Japan and Russia to try to bring an end to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, visiting Nicaragua, told reporters that he hoped that global outrage at the possible test might be enough to drag North Korea back to six-party talks. "It may be that the reaction will be sufficient to get the North Koreans to go back and have the six-party talks," suggested Rumsfeld, who would not say whether US forces were put on alert or had detected signs of an impending test. Rumsfeld stressed, however, that US President George W. Bush" /> President George W. Bush"believes the six party talks are the proper method for dealing with North Korea." "We continue to work with our six-party partners to bring the North Koreans back to the talks, most recently offering a six-party ministerial meeting in Malaysia to allow the North Koreans a high-level venue in which to express their concerns," said Jones. As part of an agreement reached in the six-party talks on September 19 last year, the United States had made security guarantees to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang accepting to renounce its nuclear weapons program. But Pyongyang then said the removal of US sanctions imposed for alleged money laundering and counterfeiting of US currency was the condition for the return to the negotiating table. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 25 AFP: South Korea to convene security meeting after North threatens nuclear test - Tue Oct 3, 7:50 AM ET SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea" /> South Koreawill convene an emergency meeting of top officials Wednesday after North Korea North Koreathreatened to carry out a nuclear test. "There will be a meeting of top officials to discuss the situation soon," Mira Sun, a spokesperson for the presidential palace, said Tuesday without specifying the date. Yonhap news agency said the Security Policy Coordination Meeting will take place early Wednesday. It will include Song Min-Soon, top secretary for the president on security, and cabinet ministers including the unification, foreign and defence ministers as well as the head of the National Intelligence Service. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be ***************************************************************** 26 AFP: North Korea says it will conduct nuclear test by Park Chan-Kyong Tue Oct 3, 8:34 AM ET SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea has announced that it will carry out a nuclear weapons test in response to threats and sanctions from the United States, which it said was trying to topple its communist regime. No date or time was given for the test but the annoucement, which portrayed the North as under siege from a US administration pushing for nuclear war, drew immediate and strongly worded condemnation from Japan. The statement, issued by the foreign ministry, said the nation's atomic programme was essential in providing a deterrent to Washington -- and that after developing nuclear weapons, it had to test them. "The US extreme threat of a nuclear war and sanctions and pressure compel the DPRK (North Korea) to conduct a nuclear test, an essential process for bolstering nuclear deterrent, as a corresponding measure," it said. The test would be conducted under conditions where "safety is firmly guaranteed," it added in the statement, which was carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "The Korean nation stands at the crossroads of life and death," it said. "A people without a reliable war deterrent are bound to meet a tragic death, and the sovereignty of their country is bound to be wantonly infringed upon." The North said the administration of US President George W. Bush was intent on toppling its socialist system. It said the US imposition of sanctions and a UN Security Council resolution imposing other sanctions on the North, passed after it test-launched seven missiles in July, meant that the country's security was at risk. Calling the UN resolution a de facto "declaration of war," it said it would do its utmost to de-nuclearise the Korean peninsula but without disarming unilaterally. The United States says it has withdrawn all its nuclear weapons from South Korea , but the North has repeatedly said it considers itself under threat from Washington. Bush in 2002 lumped the North in with Iran and Saddam Hussein 's Iraq as an "axis of evil," and rhetoric between the two sides has often been harsh. Tuesday's statement lashed out at the Bush government's "foolish attempt to isolate and stifle it economically and bring down the socialist system chosen by its people themselves" and reiterated its February 2005 claim that it had developed the atom bomb. "The already declared possession of nuclear weapons presupposes the nuclear test," it said, adding: "The DPRK will never use nuclear weapons first." Japan was first to respond to the test announcement, with Foreign Minister Taro Aso calling the idea unforgivable. "It would be a threat to peace. We would never be able to forgive such a move," Aso told reporters. "It would gravely affect Northeast Asia, including Japan." Aso said he did not doubt North Korea's resolve in testing a nuclear device. "In the past, the country has done what it had said earlier. So I think it would be wrong automatically to think the country will not do this." The South Korean presidential Blue House had no immediate comment. Tuesday is a public holiday marking National Foundation Day. "It's one thing that North Korea says it will carry out a nuclear test and it's another that it really carries it out," an unidentified senior official of the presidential Blue House was quoted as saying by YTN television. "The government will take steps in accordance with the already-prepared package of phased measures." The Seoul government has for years adopted a "sunshine policy" of engagement with the North but suspended regular aid shipments after the missile tests. Peter Beck, director for Northeast Asia of the International Crisis Group, agreed with Aso that the threat to stage a test should be taken "very seriously." The annoucnement meant the North had given up negotiating with the Bush administration and only its sole major ally China could restrain it, he said. The current stand-off over North Korea's nuclear programmes erupted in 2002 when the United States accused Pyongyang of running a secret uranium enrichment programme in violation of a 1994 denuclearisation agreement. North Korea responded by withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in January 2003 before announcing eight months later that it had produced enough weapons-grade plutonium to make half a dozen atomic bombs. It then declared in February 2005 that it had built nuclear weapons and the CIA has stated in the past that it believes Pyongyang has created several crude nuclear bombs. The United States, the two Koreas, China, Russia and Japan signed a joint statement in September last year under which the North would abandon its nuclear program in return for energy and economic aid, eventual diplomatic benefits and security guarantees. But two months later, North Korea boycotted the forum in protest over US sanctions on a Macau bank which allegedly helped it pass counterfeit US dollars and launder funds. Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have risen since the July missile launches, which heightened speculation that a nuclear weapons test could be in the works. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 27 AFP: NKorea's nuclear odyssey aided by China, USSR, Pakistan Tue Oct 3, 7:59 AM ET SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea 's quest for nuclear weapons has relied on the former Soviet Union, China and more recently a smuggling ring linked to the father of Pakistan's own atom bomb. The North has sought nuclear weapons since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean war, when Washington stationed nuclear warheads in South Korea and Japan. Pyongyang then got help from the Soviet Union and China in launching its own drive to acquire the bomb. Later, assistance was obtained in crucial technology areas from other countries, including Pakistan. In the mid-1950s North Korea signed a research agreement with Moscow under which hundreds of its scientists were trained in nuclear physics by the Soviets. Pyongyang later signed a similar cooperation agreement with China. Around 1960, North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung ordered the construction of an atomic energy research complex in Yongbyon, 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of the capital, Pyongyang. Two years later Soviet scientists helped the North Koreans assemble a two-megawatt IRT-200 research reactor shipped by Moscow to Pyongyang. In return, North Korea exported the spent fuel back to the Soviet Union. The reactor was in operation in 1965. In 1974, North Korean leader Kim visited China, and reportedly won China's promise to train more North Korean nuclear scientists. North Korea was ready to step up its nuclear drive and five years later began work on a second reactor at Yongbyon. The five-megawatt research reactor was operational in 1987, and ready to produce some seven kilogrammes of plutonium a year, enough for one or two nuclear weapons. In 1989, US satellite pictures showed the existence of a reprocessing plant at the Yongbyon complex. At about the same time, the reactor was shut down and North Korea was suspected of unloading it and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel rods to separate around 12 kilogrammes of plutonium, enough for a couple of atomic bombs. Washington accused North Korea of actively pursuing nuclear weapons. Pyongyang denied the charge but started to build two larger reactors, a 50-megawatt and a 200-megawatt plant. Gathering tension about North Korea's nuclear ambitions reached crisis point when the United States reported several undeclared nuclear sites in North Korea and Pyongyang rejected outside inspections and threatened to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The two-year-long standoff was headed off in 1994 when Pyongyang agreed to freeze its nuclear programme in return for the construction of safe nuclear reactors for the impoverished country. But the issue flared up again in October 2002 when Washington said North Korea, while freezing its plutonium-based programme, had admitted secretly using a different route to nuclear weapons, helped by Pakistan. North Korea began seeking nuclear weapons fuel through uranium enrichment while the ink was still wet on the 1994 accord, according to US sources. The program was given a boost by Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, who in 2004 admitted passing nuclear technology to North Korea and other countries. According to US reports he made 13 trips to North Korea in the 1990s and helped supply uranium enrichment equipment and possibly even warhead designs. Finally the North declared in February 2005 that it had built nuclear weapons. The CIA has stated in the past that it believes Pyongyang has created several crude nuclear bombs. Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 28 UPI: N. Korea to conduct 'safe' nuclear test United Press International - NewsTrack - 10/3/2006 6:41:00 AM -0400 PYONGYANG, North Korea, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- The North Korean government announced Tuesday it will conduct a test nuclear explosion because of concerns over U.S. hostility. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying in the interest of scientific research, the country "will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed," South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Talks among Pyongyang and five other countries on its nuclear program have been stalled for almost a year since the United States imposed economic sanctions on North Korea based on a Southeast Asian counterfeiting ring. The government statement alleged the United States was trying to "isolate and stifle" the country, and said Pyongyang could "no longer remain an onlooker," the BBC reported. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 29 [NukeNet] Indian Country Today reporter censored & terminated Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2006 15:13:51 -0700 NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) Brenda Norrell wrote much about Ward Valley all throughout that struggle and has written wonderful pieces about all of the nuclear injustice on Indian lands throughout the west. She has also been a voice of fairness, reason and truth in all areas regarding Indian Country. Please contact ICT and let them know they should not have fired this wonderful journalist. Molly September 28,2006 Indian Country reporter censored & terminated. TAKE ACTION NOW! Journalist Brenda Norrell has been fired by the newspaper Indian Country Today after years of undergoing their censorship of what she writes in support of indigenous peoples. Brenda is a long-time friend & ally to people especially throughout American Indian nations, giving voice to the Dineh people of Big Mountain, AZ who are resisting forced relocation, and destruction of their homeland through strip-mining by Peabody Coal. "These true stories being written about community based issues are a threat to the federal government as well as the tribal governments, who are only interested in upholding non-traditional tribal codes that accommodate and facilitate the exploitations and occupations of our homelands. There are less and less stories of real struggle and real warriors reported, and instead we have the implanted ideas and agendas of the corporate media. The real stories of injustice and resistance need to be heard." -Bahe Katenay, Big Mountain, AZ. It is important to not allow this kind of discrimination to continue, especially at a paper that purports to support indigenous rights. Brenda states that "The censoring of vital issues reflects what news reporters are enduring all over America." Brenda has always been there for the people; it's time that we show our support for her!! Please send letters to Indian Country Today expressing your outrage at the censorship of crucial facts and issues, and of an outstanding journalist! (CONTACT INFORMATION SUPPLIED BELOW.) Perhaps we should consider organizing a boycott of the paper the paper if there is no accountability and an end to the censorship! Thank you, ~BMIS ------------ From Brenda: Censorship, the other genocide, killing of the spirit Hello, I was just terminated by Indian Country Today. Since I began this effort as a news reporter in Indian country 23 years ago in pursuit of justice and truth, I feel I owe the readers an apology for allowing ICT to censor the truth in articles I have written. I did protest the censorship, but no retractions were published. Officially, my position is being eliminated on Friday. This comes after I repeatedly complained of censorship at the newspaper. During the past month these issues were censored: --Censored: After all reporters were told to write about the bird flu, I wrote about how Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is profiteering by millions from the sale of the drug Tamiflu, receiving profits from a company where he holds shares. The article included information on the earlier attempts of companies to profiteer from the sale of ribavirin during the Navajo hantavirus outbreak. My article was censored in ICT and turned into an advertisement for the medication Tamiflu. --Raytheon Missiles on Navajo farm (NAPI) in the recent NAPI/Cuban contract story; I was told not to include in the article the fact that Raytheon is located on the Navajo farm and is responsible for spills leading to cancer in South Tucson, where Chicanos and Indians live. Raytheon produces missiles for the Department of Defense. --Tohono O'odham teen ran over by Border Patrol, recent visit to the site of Bennett Patricio Jr.'s death with Amnesty International; we were followed by undercover agents on tribal land Also, these are some of the articles censored since 2004: --The fact that Ben "Nighthorse" Campbell is Portuguese and grew up in California. His mother is full-blooded Portuguese and his story changed about his father through the years. One Northern Cheyenne medicine man asked ICT who Campbell is. Campbell first claimed to have some Apache blood and later changed it Northern Cheyenne. The Denver Post reported that Campbell is at least 7/8th non-Indian. Campbell did not respond for a request to comment. --Louise Benally of Big Mountain, comments comparing the Long Walk and imprisonment in Bosque Redondo to the atrocities in Iraq (this deleted from a published article) --Denial of prison rights to Leonard Peltier in an article on Indian prison rights --The Montana governor's criticisms of the war in Iraq during his formal address at NCAI's annual convention in 2005 --The handcuffing of Tohono O'odham Ofelia Rivas and attempts to silence her by a non-Indian police officer of the Tohono O'odham Nation --Comments by Bahe Katenay of Big Mountain on how the Navajo sacred place of Creation in Dinetah, near Bloomfield, NM, in the Four Corners area, is inundated with oil and gas wells and pollution from the power plants on tribal land. The ongoing censorship is a violation of the public trust. This is the second time I've been terminated at ICT since the newspaper was purchased by the Oneida Nation. I was already in bankruptcy because of the first time they terminated me in 2001 (for refusing to relocate, even though no male reporters were required to relocate.) To my knowledge, all female reporters who have not resigned have been terminated. To my knowledge, none of the male reporters have ever been terminated since the Oneida Nation purchased the newspaper. However, the bigger issue is censorship. The censoring of vital issues reflects what news reporters are enduring all over America. They are forced into silence because of the necessity of work. However, since ICT/Oneida Nation has already forced me into bankruptcy, I can share a little of the truth. One of those truths is that Indian gaming, at times, offers the illusion of wealth. There are two Indian editors that deserve a great deal of praise for what they have done over the past decades, Navajo Times managing editor Duane Beyal and Indian Country Today founder, Lakota Tim Giago. During the many years I worked for these two editors, I was never censored. When other publications refused to publish voices of Indian people opposing the war in Iraq, the Navajo Times published those. When other publications censored an article on Indians targeted by police in South Dakota, Lakota Journal published it. Those are just two examples. Both Beyal and Giago have championed the pursuit of truth and never attempted to censor Indian peoples' voices. I hope all Indian people will put pressure on Indian Country Today concerning the censorship. There is a select agenda being published in the name of "Indian Country," which does more to advance the interests of the Oneida Nation and Indian gaming. At ICT, I was repeatedly told to halt writing articles about "grassroots people and the genocide of American Indians," by one of the non-Indian managing editors. Also, I hope people will question ICT hiring non-Indian managing editors with no prior experience in Indian issues or Indian country, and little experience in journalism. The managing editors are the ones actually in the New York ICT office, chosing content and putting the paper out. For years there has been a series of non-Indian managing editors with no prior experience in Indian country. The censorship and errors have increased. It is easy to look at ICT and see what the agenda is and what is being censored. There's certainly no articles on Leonard Peltier or how Arizona Indian tribal members are living in poverty while the casino gaming management makes a fortune. (One Tohono O'odham casino manager made $800,000, according to a recent mainstream news article.) Of course, I will continue to write for other Indian media, provide information to radio stations and write for the UN Observer and International Report at the Hague. It is sad that at such a crucial time, while so many reporters are being censored by corporations and the Bush administration, that Indian Country Today has taken all of these extreme acts of censorship. This censorship of Indian voices constitutes another form of genocide, a killing of the spirit of the people. Best, Brenda Norrell Brenda Norrell b_norrell@yahoo. com ------------ --- CONTACT INFORMATION FOR INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY: Print Edition Editor Contact for issues relating to the web articles, staff and print edition of ICT. Email: _editor@indiancount ry.com Editorial Fax: 1.315.829.8393 Current Subscribers & Vendors: ssharkey@indiancoun try.com Address: 3059 Seneca Turnpike Canastota, NY 13032 ------------ ---- About ICT, in their own words: "Since 1981, Indian Country Today has been a persuasive voice in American Indian journalism, leading the way with accurate and timely reporting, incisive analysis and pointed commentary. Indian Country Today publishes more original journalistic content on American Indian issues than any other news source. Our success is due to the professionalism and dedication of our staff journalists based in key regional locations across North America. Whether sounding an alarm from the corridors of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., or conveying the pounding energy of a Southern plains pow wow, Indian Country Today's gifted news team finds the essence of what's happening in Indian country and carries it faithfully to our readers. In 1998, Four Directions Media, Inc., owned and operated by the Oneida Nation of New York, purchased Indian Country Today and established corporate headquarters in New York State. As we enter our third decade of reporting, we have added the viewpoints of correspondents, guest columnists and photographers to our established journalistic core. Our subscribers in North America and abroad, including most Tribal leaders, U.S. senators and representatives, officials in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, lawyers, educators, students, business professionals, and local and state politicians, rely on Indian Country Today for a American Indian perspective of unparalleled clarity, consistency, credibility, and focus." http://www.blackmes ais.org - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tori Woodard is a dear friend of mine who now lives in China. She just got back from a 30-day trip through Mongolia. The following quote is from an email to me after visiting a temple - "After we look at some particularly frightening gods, Muugii asks me what my religion is. I shrug and say I don't have one. Her response surprises me: "Then you're free!" Mongolians understand freedom." Molly Johnson 6290 Hawk Ridge Place San Miguel, CA 93451 Cell: 805 296-0524 ***************************************************************** 30 Guardian Unlimited: Growth of Nuclear Nations Feared From the Associated Press [UP] Wednesday October 4, 2006 12:31 AM By KATHERINE SHRADER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - A nuclear test by North Korea could encourage Japan, Taiwan and possibly South Korea to initiate their own nuclear programs in the already unsettled region, according to a report by Republican staff on the House Intelligence Committee. The 36-page document circulated on Tuesday says U.S. spy agencies must do more to fill crucial intelligence gaps on the closed communist regime. It argues that North Korea's threatened nuclear test would drive relations with its Asian neighbors to ``a new low.'' ``Most importantly, a North Korean nuclear test could have serious implications for regional security as it might spur Japan, Taiwan and possibly South Korea to begin their own nuclear weapons programs,'' the report concludes. The report says the regime's existing program ``has seriously undermined its relations within the region and beyond by destabilizing East Asia.'' In recent months, senior U.S. intelligence officials have provided little detail publicly about the latest thinking on North Korea, so the report provides an unusual assessment of subjects from the regime's counterfeiting to its military spending. Republicans highlighted the fact that the document was reviewed by National Intelligence Director John Negroponte's top aide on North Korea, who told the committee it was ``objective, not biased and not excessively harsh,'' according to an attached memo. Yet Negroponte spokesman Chad Kolton said officials had reviewed a draft copy of the report and had not yet read the final version to know if their suggested changes were incorporated. It comes in a series of committee reports on Iran and other hot subjects that have come under fire by critics who find errors and political undertones. This one appeared to be no different. David Albright, a former weapons inspector who heads the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, called at least one section of the report ``nonsense.'' It describes North Korea's uranium enrichment program as older than Iran's and argues it's reasonable to assume that North Korea has as many centrifuges as Iran. Tehran has said publicly it hopes to have 3,000 centrifuges enriching uranium by next year, which could theoretically produce two or more weapons each year. Albright said North Korea's uranium program is not well understood, but he called it ``misleading and dishonest'' to date the North Korean centrifuge program back to 1985, when the Iranians are known to have started theirs. Iran, he noted, also got significantly more help than North Korea from the Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., who signed the report as chairman of the intelligence policy subcommittee, said the committee took almost all the changes suggested by the intelligence officials. He said the section Albright highlights was not one that raised questions and noted the report was assembled ``painstakingly'' to give the public more information. The Democrats didn't participate in the report's drafting, which is part of the Republicans' ``scare America plan,'' said Patrick Eddington, a spokesman for New Jersey Rep. Rush Holt, the policy subcommittee's top Democrat. The findings on the major part of North Korea's nuclear program - its plutonium enrichment - are in line with the consensus of experts. The report says Pyongyang is believed to have at least one or two nuclear weapons from its plutonium program, and estimates it could have five more if it has reprocessed 8,000 spent fuel rods. With additional steps, North Korea could produce many more. The report lays out the range of issues, including North Korea's efforts to counterfeit U.S. currency, the population's poverty and the regime's massive defense spending. The Republican staff noted the size of the North Korean military - 1.2 million men - but said the conventional threat from North Korea has declined because of poor economic conditions and the slow pace of modernization. The concern, the report says, is that the North Korean leadership could miscalculate ``by instigating a minor provocation that escalates into a major incident.'' It also calls North Korea's intelligence service ``aggressive and ruthless,'' and says it ``almost certainly'' has a heavy contingent of intelligence officers working at the United Nations in New York. The U.S. intelligence community has spy satellites and other eavesdropping equipment aimed at North Korea, and the report calls on the agencies to do more to fill the gaps so analysts can make judgments ``with confidence'' about the murky regime. That need will be especially acute, the report says, if the U.S. needs to monitor any potential agreements with North Korea to curb its nuclear program. Such an agreement seemed far off on Tuesday, given North Korea's threats to test a weapon. Eyes now are on what U.S. intelligence can do to confirm - and predict - such a test, which is expected to be underground. A host of U.S. agencies are believed to be studying the issue, looking for clues such as trucks and other activity around the suspected test site. Within the U.S. military, the organization primarily responsible for reporting on nuclear events is the Air Force Technical Applications Center, headquartered at Florida's Patrick Air Force Base. It operates a worldwide network of nuclear event detection sensors, which includes satellites and a ground-based seismic network. --- Associated Press writer Robert Burns contributed to this report. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 31 Guardian Unlimited: Rice off to Middle East - with no new ideas Simon Tisdall Wednesday October 4, 2006 The Guardian Condoleezza Rice is portraying her Middle East tour this week as an opportunity to "rally moderate forces and moderate voices" following Israel's summer war on Lebanon and ahead of looming confrontation with Iran. But she has a lot of ground to make up and little in the way of help. For many Arabs, the US secretary of state is returning to the scene of a crime. The Bush administration's refusal to back an immediate ceasefire in Israel's conflict with Hizbullah, which ultimately lasted 34 days and inflicted enormous damage on Lebanon, has further reduced its leverage on key issues. A low point came when Fuad Sinoria, Lebanon's pro-western prime minister and the sort of "moderate" the US wants to engage, said Ms Rice was not welcome in Beirut. The free rein given to Israel by Washington did not produce the intended results. As Robert Malley, a former senior Clinton administration official, has noted, Hizbullah emerged with its standing on the Arab street enhanced while that of Israel's once feared military and its political leadership was considerably dented. Nor had Ms Rice's "utterly incomprehensible" hands-off approach created the lasting stability that was its ostensible justification, he told the New York Review. A new war against Hizbullah in which Israel sought to reassert its superiority was more likely than not, Mr Malley suggested, and the UN's reinforced but still largely toothless peacekeepers were in no position to stop it. "The conflict is no longer about achieving a specific objective ... It is about establishing one's power of deterrence, defining the rules of the game, showing who is boss." That, in theory, is also Ms Rice's pan-regional objective, to be achieved by diplomatic rather than military means. But a lack of new ideas or a clear plan continues to characterise her approach to other key issues. Speaking in Jeddah, Ms Rice urged a halt to fighting between Hamas and Fatah factions in Gaza. But she made plain there would be no let-up in the US-directed boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority which is stoking those tensions. And while paying lip service to a two-state solution, she did not diverge one inch from the administration's line that countering extremism in Iran and Iraq, and among al-Qaida and like-minded jihadists, was Washington's top priority. That is more likely to dismay than rally ministers from the eight "moderate" Arab governments who met her in Cairo later yesterday. "It is the hope that the US will restart the peace process and lead the region to peace and stability," said Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister. He described the Israel-Palestinian conflict as the region's "core problem" on whose settlement the resolution of other disputes depended. Similar appeals have come from Egypt and Jordan. But Ms Rice, conscious of neo-con opposition at home to any pressure for Israeli concessions and aware that Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is in no shape politically to reopen peace talks, offered no concrete response. It is suggested in Washington that any initiative must wait until after next month's congressional elections - if it comes at all. Rejecting Ms Rice's intervention before her meeting today with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and leader of Fatah, Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister, accused her of "divide and rule" tactics and urged Arab leaders to ignore her. Impatience with Ms Rice's do-nothing policy is growing. "There needs to be a serious effort to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," a New York Times editorial said this week. She should also travel to Damascus to persuade the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, to rein in Hamas and Hizbullah, it said. But such exhortations, supported by some European governments, appear to have little impact. According to her spokesman, Ms Rice is engaged in "consultations [and] taking stock of where we are". There are no plans to visit Syria. Amid much soft talk of promoting moderation, Ms Rice is carrying one tough message of her own. To Sunni Arab rulers worried by Shia Iran's nuclear and regional ambitions and shamed by Hizbullah's perceived prowess, the hard word from Washington is: back us in the coming fight with Iran. Ms Rice may have no answers to old conflicts. But she is a willing cheerleader for new ones. [UP] Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 32 IPS-English LATIN AMERICA: Nuclear Energy Reborn Date: Tue, 03 Oct 2006 14:42:14 -0700 X-Nohoney: yes white-hard - relay H=adsl-63-203-231-61.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net (borg.energy-net.org) [63.203.231.61] X-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 LA DV EN IJ KP=20 LATIN AMERICA: Nuclear Energy Reborn Diego Cevallos* - IPS/IFEJ MEXICO CITY, Oct 3 (IPS) - Just 3.1 percent of Latin America's electricit= y comes from nuclear sources, but if expansion plans in Argentina, Brazil= and Mexico succeed, that proportion could more than double in a decade -= - much to the annoyance of environmentalists. Carried by the global wave towards nuclear energy being driven by high pe= troleum prices, Brazil is proposing construction of the country's third r= eactor, while Argentina and Mexico will go from two to four nuclear energ= y plants each. Brazil, one of the nine countries worldwide that enriches uranium -- the = essential input for nuclear energy -- is trying to make expanded producti= on viable. And Argentina is picking up enrichment efforts begun in the 19= 80s, but halted in 1992. The nuclear plants in operation, with second-generation technology, had a= n estimated useful life of 15 to 20 years in the case of Mexico, and 30 t= o 40 years in Argentina and Brazil. But the plans imply prolonging their = operation up to 60 years in some cases. The criticisms from ecologists, led by the environmental watchdog Greenpe= ace, point to the danger of accidents, the inevitable accumulation of tox= ic waste, and the lack of transparency that usually surrounds any nuclear= activity. There is no effort to conceal, but =94because it involves strategic indus= tries with national security issues, there is information that is not app= ropriate to be made available to the public,=94 Mexico's under-secretary = for electricity, Jos=E9 Acevedo, said in an interview. The Mexican government announced in early September a plan to build two r= eactors, which would begin operating in 2010, and opened bidding for expa= nding the capacity of the two that have been in operation since the 1990s= , at the Laguna Verde plant, 290 kilometres northeast of the capital. Fiv= e percent of Mexico's electricity is supplied by those nuclear reactors. In August, the Argentine government launched a similar plan, which includ= es completing construction of an unfinished nuclear power plant, studying= the feasibility of opening a new one, and also producing enriched uraniu= m. The two plants in Argentina supply seven percent of that country's energy= needs: Atucha I, 100 km from Buenos Aires, and Embalse, in the north-cen= tral province of C=F3rdoba. Built in 1974, Atucha I was the first nuclear-electrical plant in Latin A= merica. Its productive life was originally set at 32 years, but governmen= t authorities plan to extend it to 42. Embalse began to produce energy in 1984 and its operating license expires= in 2014. The government's plan is to invest 600 million dollars to compl= ete Atucha II, on which construction began in 1981 but was abandoned in t= he 1990s. Brazil, with the sixth largest reserves of uranium in the world, wants to= become a major producer of this strategic nuclear fuel. Two nuclear reactors operate in Brazil, in Angra dos Reis, 130 km west of= Rio de Janeiro: Angra I, inaugurated in 1985, and Angra II, in 2000. Tog= ether they provide about four percent of the electricity consumed in Braz= il. Equipment for Angra III has already been purchased. The nuclear power plants are second generation, with an original useful l= ife of 40 years, but new studies have prolonged it to 60 years. They are = safer than the world's first nuclear reactors, but will be surpassed by t= he third generation, which the United State will begin building in the ne= xt few years, says Aquilino Senra, nuclear engineering professor at the F= ederal University of Rio de Janeiro. Nuclear scientist Juan Luis Francois of the Autonomous National Universit= y of Mexico sees this as good news. =94There are currently 435 reactors in the world functioning safely and e= fficiently, despite statements like those from Greenpeace, a group that h= andles information in a way that is quite tendentious and not very clean,= =94 commented the expert. But Guilherme Leonardi, coordinator of Greenpeace-Brazil's climate and en= ergy campaign, maintains that faults and accidents are =94inherent to nuc= lear technology.=94 Embalse and Atucha I in Argentina have suffered imperfections and acciden= ts over the years. Mexico's Laguna Verde plant has seen administrative an= d security mistakes, as well as some fissures in the plant itself, accord= ing to reports from the World Association of Nuclear Operators, cited by = Greenpeace. But the government says they were minor observations and have already bee= n corrected. The waste from nuclear power plants will always be a problem, with the ri= sk of accidents or theft, which in Leonardi's opinion defines the industr= y as =94dirty, dangerous, and surpassed by alternative sources like wind = and solar,=94 and furthermore, =94very costly.=94 In the three Latin American countries, the waste is accumulating in stora= ge sites at the plants themselves, and their final disposal has yet to be= determined, because the governments assure that they have the capacity f= or storage for several decades. But the case of Laguna Verde in Mexico is one of =94a very unsafe plant,=94= where storage sites are full, says Arturo Moreno of Greenpeace-Mexico. Mexico's electricity under-secretary Acevedo assured that =94around the w= orld the waste is kept in storage adjacent to the plants until a definiti= ve policy is developed,=94 which does not exist =94anywhere in the world,= =94 he said. Francois mentioned =94highly advanced=94 studies about transmuting the wa= ste (reducing and even eliminating its radioactivity) with technologies t= hat could be available in 15 to 20 years. But that doesn't convince the environmentalists. Juan Casavelos, coordina= tor of Greenpeace-Argentina's energy campaign, maintains that =94in the n= uclear arena, everything is cause for worry.=94 There is a lack of transparency in official information, and the evidence= of errors and accidents at the nuclear plants is hidden, he said. Furthermore, say activists, in addition to the inevitable link with its u= se in weapons, nuclear development fell out of favor in 1986, when a reac= tor collapsed at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine, causing the worst accide= nt in the industry's history, leaving thousands of victims and contaminat= ing the water and soil across a vast area. Since then, environmental activism has closed ranks against atomic energy= . But now, that movement itself has developed some fissures. Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace, and the late Hugh Monte= fiore, who was trustee of the international network Friends of the Earth,= spoke out in recent years in favor of nuclear energy as an alternative t= o fossil fuels because it does not produce climate changing greenhouse ga= ses. The International Energy Agency, made up of wealthy countries and major p= etroleum consumers, will propose ending the virtual global suspension of = nuclear development in its annual report in November, say sources close t= o that organisation. Several European countries and the United States have returned to nuclear= energy in reaction to the high costs of fossil fuels and to reduce green= house gas emissions, an argument also put forth by Chile, where President= Michelle Bachelet called for studying the feasibility of nuclear power. Worldwide, 16 percent of electricity comes from nuclear sources, while th= e six reactors operating in Latin America supply 3.1 percent of the regio= n's energy needs, according to the Latin American Energy Organisation. In the opinion of Francisco Carlos Rey, vice-president of Argentina's Nat= ional Atomic Energy Commission, the negative responses are the result of = myths, fueled in part by the tragedy in Chernobyl. The degree of safety at nuclear power plants today is 100 percent, he sai= d. (*This story is part of a series of features on sustainable development b= y IPS-Inter Press Service and IFEJ-International Federation of Environmen= tal Journalists. Additional reporting by Maricel Drazer in Argentina and= Mario Osava in Brazil. Originally published Sep. 23 by Latin American ne= wspapers that are part of the Tierram=E9rica network. Tierram=E9rica is a= specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United = Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programm= e.) ***** +Tierram=E9rica (http://www.tierramerica.net/english/) +Greenpeace Nuclear Campaign (http://archive.greenpeace.org/cnuk.html) +International Energy Agency (http://www.iea.org/) +Argentina's National Atomic Energy Commission (http://www.cnea.gov.ar/) +Brazil's National Nuclear Energy Commission (http://www.cnen.gov.br) +Mexico's Energy Secretariat (http://www.energia.gob.mx/wb/) (END/IPS/LA/EN DV IJ KP/TRASP-LD/SW/DC/TA/06) =20 =3D 10032037 ORP008 NNNN ***************************************************************** 33 NRC: NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Turkey Point Nuclear Plant Event News Release - Region II - 2006-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II No. II-06-040 October 3, 2006 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a regulatory conference with officials of Florida Power & Light on Tuesday, October 10, in Atlanta to discuss an event at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant, located south of Miami near Homestead, Fla. NRC and FPL officials will discuss the significance of an event last March involving the temporary loss of the residual heat removal capability on one of the two reactors at the plant. An NRC review found that plant operators and staff failed to adequately assess and manage the increase in risk of maintenance on equipment supplying electricity to the residual heat removal system. That maintenance caused a loss of the ability to remove heat for seven minutes. The reactor coolant temperature increased, but the reactor was shut down at the time and plant staff immediately corrected the problem. After the event, FPL also began daily risk reviews of all outage activities and entered the matter into its corrective action program. The NRC evaluates regulatory performance at commercial nuclear power plants with a color- coded system which classifies findings as either green, white, yellow or red, in increasing order of safety significance. The NRCs preliminary evaluation determined that this issue at Turkey Point is white, meaning it is of low to moderate safety significance. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in the NRCs Region II office, located on the 24th floor of the Atlanta Federal Center at 61 Forsyth Street SW in Atlanta. The public is invited to observe, and will have one or more opportunities to talk with NRC officials after the business portion, but before the meeting is adjourned. Persons wishing to participate in this meeting by toll-free audio teleconference should contact the NRCs Joel Munday at 404-562-4560 or . No decisions on final safety significance, any apparent violations or possible enforcement action will be made at the conference. Those decisions will be made by NRC officials at a later time. ----------------------------------------------------------------- NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site. Last revised Tuesday, October 03, 2006 ***************************************************************** 34 St. Paul Pioneer Press: Why resurrecting nuclear power would be a step backward 10/03/2006 | BY JEREMY RIFKIN Suddenly, nuclear power is in vogue. At the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a far-reaching agreement to cooperate in the rapid expansion of nuclear energy worldwide and called on other countries to join them. It was the latest in a series of high-profile initiatives by the White House to promote nuclear power. Bush argues that the future energy security of the United States and the world will depend on increasing reliance on nuclear energy. A technology that for years suffered ignominiously in scientific purgatory has been resurrected. Its virtues have been heralded by the likes of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, famed scientist Sir James Lovelock and even a few renegade environmental activists. The nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979 and the horrific meltdown at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union in 1986 have become distant memories. Now, facing rising costs of oil on world markets and real-time global warming, nuclear technology has been given a public relations face-lift and is touted, by some, as the energy of choice in a post-oil era. However, before we let our enthusiasm run away from us, we ought to take a sober look at the consequences of re-nuclearizing the world. First, nuclear power is unaffordable. With a minimum price tag of $2 billion each, new-generation nuclear power plants are 50 percent more expensive than putting coal-fired power plants online, and they are far more expensive than new gas-fired power plants. The cost of doubling nuclear power's share of U.S. electricity generation — which produces 20 percent of our electricity — could exceed half a trillion dollars. In a country facing record consumer and government debt, where is the money going to come from? Consumers would pay the price in terms of higher taxes to support government subsidies and higher electricity bills. Second, 60 years into the nuclear era, our scientists still don't know how to safely transport, dispose of or store nuclear waste. Spent nuclear rods are piling up all over the world. In the United States, the federal government spent more than $8 billion and 20 years building what was supposed to be an airtight, underground burial tomb dug deep into Yucca Mountain in Nevada to hold radioactive material. The vault was designed to be leak-free for 10,000 years. Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency concedes that the underground storage facility will leak. Third, according to a study conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2001, known uranium resources could fail to meet demand, possibly as early as 2026. Of course, new deposits could be discovered, and it is possible technological breakthroughs could reduce uranium requirements, but that remains speculative. Fourth, building hundreds of nuclear power plants in an era of spreading Islamic terrorism seems insane. On the one hand, the United States, the European Union and much of the world is frightened by the mere possibility that just one country — Iran — might use enriched uranium from its nuclear power plants for a nuclear bomb. On the other hand, many of the same governments are eager to spread nuclear power plants around the world, placing them in every nook and cranny. This means uranium and spent nuclear waste in transit everywhere and piling up in makeshift facilities, often close to heavily populated urban areas. Nuclear power plants are the ultimate soft target for terrorist attacks. On Nov. 8, 2005, the Australian government arrested 18 suspected Islamic terrorists who were allegedly plotting to blow up Australia's only nuclear power plant. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission found that more than half of the nuclear power plants in this country failed to prevent a simulated attack on their facilities. We should all be very worried. Finally, nuclear power represents the kind of highly centralized, clunky technology of a bygone era. In an age when distributed technologies are undermining hierarchies, decentralizing power and giving rise to networks and open-source economic models, nuclear power seems old-fashioned and obsolete. To a great extent, nuclear power was a Cold War creation. It represented massive concentration of power and reflected the geopolitics of a post-World War II era. Today, however, new technologies are giving people the tools they need to become active participants in an interconnected world. Nuclear power, by contrast, is elite power, controlled by the few. Its resurrection would be a step backward. Instead, we should pursue an aggressive effort to bring the full range of decentralized renewable technologies online: solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass. And we should establish a hydrogen storage infrastructure to ensure a steady, uninterrupted supply of power for our electricity needs and for transportation. Our common energy future lies with the sun, not with uranium. Jeremy Rifkin is author of "The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the World Wide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth." He wrote this piece for the Los Angeles Times. ***************************************************************** 35 NRC: NRC to Present Results of Licensee Performance Review at Areva Commercial Fuel Plant in Richland News Release - Region II - 2006-04 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II No. II-06-041 October 3, 2006 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials will meet with AREVA NP, Inc., management in Richland, Wash., at 1:00 p.m. (PDT) on Wednesday, October 18, to discuss the results of a review of regulatory safety performance at the companys commercial nuclear fuel fabrication plant. The meeting will be held in Conference Room 5 at the AREVA facility, which is located at 2101 Horn Rapids Road in Richland, and will be open to observation by interested members of the public and the news media. The meeting will be between AREVA and the NRC, and NRC officials will be available at the end of the business portion, but before the meeting is adjourned, to answer questions from observers. The NRC staff assessed performance at AREVA for a period from August 1, 2004, until August 12, 2006, in the areas of operational safety, radiological controls, facility support and licensing. The NRC staff review highlighted improvements made by the company in several areas, but said improvements were still needed in others areas. However, based on overall performance, the agency determined that no additional inspections beyond the standard program for such a facility are needed. Dr. William D. Travers, Administrator of the NRC Region II office in Atlanta, said the NRC continually reviews regulatory safety performance at AREVA and at all of the nations other licensed nuclear facilities. He added that the meeting is an opportunity for us to discuss safety performance with the company and with residents living near the plant who might be interested. A copy of the NRC letter to the company regarding the review is publicly available on the internet in the NRCs Agencywide Document Access and management System (ADAMS) at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (ML062710348 for the meeting announcement and ML062640014 for the performance report). NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site. Last revised Tuesday, October 03, 2006 ***************************************************************** 36 allAfrica.com: U.S. Follows SA in Race to Produce 'Clean' Nuclear Energy South Africa: Business Day (Johannesburg) October 3, 2006 Khulu Phasiwe Johannesburg THE US is following in the foot- steps of SA by investing in research and development of "next-generation" nuclear technology to produce electricity and large quantities of hydrogen to fuel its transport sector. Last year US President George Bush unveiled an aggressive initiative reduce his country's reliance on petroleum imports and move towards a "hydrogen economy". To this end, Bush has pledged $1bn for research and development of the US's nuclear hydrogen programme. Nuclear energy proponents say the next-generation nuclear plants, such as the pebble bed modular reactor that SA is pursuing, are profoundly different from older designs and emit less carbon dioxide. The US energy department told the High Temperature Reactor conference, held in Johannesburg yesterday, that last week it awarded an $8m contract to three companies to perform engineering studies for the first phase of its next-generation nuclear plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. Two South African companies, the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor company and M-Tech Industrial, are part of a consortium led by US-based Westinghouse Electric, which won a contract worth $3m for the preconceptual engineering of the proposed nuclear plant. Regis Matzie, a senior vice- president and chief technology officer at Westinghouse, said recently that SA's proposed nuclear reactor was set to become the first in the world to produce electricity and large quantities of hydrogen for commercial purposes. If it can be shown the reactor is safe and can produce hydrogen at commercial levels as promised, SA stands to get a foot in the door of the new hydrogen-based energy drive in the US. Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin told the conference SA supported the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. He said nuclear power would be an important component of the country's future energy mix. "We have to take a hard-nosed, pragmatic approach to the issues of energy," Erwin said. He said government aligned itself with the thinking of scientists who believe that "nuclear power is the only green solution". London newspaper The Times yesterday quoted physicist James Martin as saying that the concerns of environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth fundamentally misunderstood the safety of the latest generation of reactors. Copyright © 2006 Business Day. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 37 allAfrica.com: SA Backs India's Nuclear Ambition -- Mbeki South Africa: Business Day (Johannesburg) October 3, 2006 Jonathan Katzenellenbogen Johannesburg PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki yesterday gave the strongest indication yet that SA supports India's bid to be given access to international technology for a civilian nuclear- energy programme. The matter is controversial as India has nuclear weapons and is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Speaking at a press conference after talks with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mbeki indicated that SA would give support to the bid by India and the US for New Delhi to be allowed to be given access to nuclear technology to increase the number of nuclear power stations it operates. At a press conference in Pretoria, when asked about what SA's response would be in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Mbeki said: "SA has absolutely no problem with that. So when the matter has to be formally decided, surely SA will support that." The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a 45-member group of countries capable of supplying nuclear materials and technology that can be used in a military programme. As a member, SA has the right to veto India's access. Singh leaves today after a three-day official visit to SA. Yesterday the two leaders signed a broad agreement aimed at greater co-operation in fighting terrorism, as well as in education, defence and energy. Washington and New Delhi recently signed an accord under which India would have access to technology solely for the purposes of its civilian nuclear programme. The treaty is before the US congress and there are signs that it could face obstacles. The Nuclear Suppliers Group operates on consensus. The US said that the group would have the final say on its deal with India. One of the reasons for the formation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group was to prevent India, Pakistan and Israel, none of which are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, gaining further access to nuclear technology. Copyright © 2006 Business Day. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 38 business.iafrica.com: Govt outlines nuke power plan Tue, 03 Oct 2006 Government plans to have the first pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) hooked up to South Africa's electricity supply grid about seven years from now. "We are currently planning around providing between 4000 and 5000 megawatts of power from the PBMRs," Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin told delegates at the High Temperature Reactor Conference in Johannesburg on Monday. This amount of power equated to between 20 and 30 PBMRs of about 165 megawatts each. "This initial order for the reactors allows us to construct a business case for the reactor industrialisation process. Our target is to have the first reactor linked to the grid around 2013-2014." Erwin said nuclear energy was critical to South Africa's long-term energy supply. Referring to his department assuming responsibility for the PBMR project earlier this year, he said this move signified the intention to raise it from a development project "toward a family of enterprises that can sustain a new primary source of energy and an industry in South Africa". There was now little doubt as to the importance of nuclear technology as a primary energy source that did not have direct greenhouse gas effects. "As the South African economy grows... it will need more energy, and we will have to reduce our dependence on coal fired stations. "The rate at which we achieve this... depends on an affordable and environmentally alternative base-load source of primary energy. We believe that nuclear energy is such a viable alternative as we move into the future." As a major producer of uranium, it also made sense for South Africa to pursue the route of nuclear energy. Economic benefits of the pebble bed technology were "potentially decisive for Africa's development", and could play a crucial role in both advanced industrial countries and developing countries. The PBMR was ideally suited for widespread power generation across developing countries. "Its unique pebbles make it clean, inherently safe, and because it is modular, it is more responsive to changing demand. "In effect, the PBMR has a capacity to 'nudge' into being new economic opportunities  particularly in resource-rich developing countries currently short of energy  due to its modularity and ease of assembly in remote areas," Erwin said. Sapa Copyright © 2002-2005 iafrica.com, a division of Metropolis* - a Primedia company ***************************************************************** 39 Shoreline Beacon: County wants to show support for new nuclear build at Bruce Power Port Elgin, ON Wednesday October 04, 2006 Bruce County wants to promote Bruce Power as the host for new nuclear reactors if the province makes that move. The Bruce Power site is already getting competition from Darlington, said Bruce County CAO Wayne Jamieson. That community has launched a public campaign in support of the bid to host new nuclear reactors. Kincardine mayor Glen Sutton agreed to head the effort to keep up Bruce County’s profile in face of that competition. “I would call it a coalition-based grassroots movement to be developed in Bruce County to help support Bruce Power as it moves ahead to have nuclear build, rehabilitation and also to have new transmission lines built to help get capacity out of the Bruce site,” Sutton said. Bruce Power is a big economic force in the county, and county councillors suggested businesses, economic development groups and the public could join the support campaign. “There is a nuclear rennaisance going on and public opinion polls show that nuclear power is becoming more popular,” Sutton said. “Let’s face it, with global warming and climate issues, nuclear power has a role to play.” County councillors don’t want Bruce to miss out on growth in the nuclear power industry. “We have to move forward with some sort of organization in Bruce County that will help make sure we get Bruce C and possibly Bruce D at the Bruce site, and the appropriate infrastructure and transmission lines,” Sutton said. Publisher: Carol McKnight Proprietor and published by Bowes Publishers Limited at 694 Goderich Street, Port Elgin, Ontario, Canada N0H 2C0 © 2006 Shoreline Beacon ***************************************************************** 40 Interfax: Kazakhstan to join Russia's initiative to set up intl nuclear cycle center - Putin Interfax.com Site map Oct 3 2006 4:44PM URALSK (Kazakhstan). Oct 3 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has said that his country would join Russia's initiative to set up an international center that would provide nuclear cycle services in Russia, under the International Atomic Energy Agency's control, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. "Taking into account the Kazakh nuclear power industry's scientific and productive potential, Nursultan Nazarbayev has decided to hook Kazakhstan to the Russian initiative to set up an international center that would provide a nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium enrichment, in Russia under the IAEA's control," Putin said at a press conference in Uralsk on Tuesday. © 1991-2006 Interfax All rights reserved News and other data on this web site are provided for information purposes only, and are not intended for republication or redistribution. Republication or redistribution of Interfax content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Interfax. ***************************************************************** 41 Platts: Duke seeks state regulators' okay for recovery of new nuke costs Washington (Platts)--2Oct2006 Duke Energy Carolinas has asked the North Carolina Utilities Commission to approve recovery in future electric rates of its investment in evaluating and developing a new nuclear plant. In a September 20 filing, the company said it wanted to recover the North Carolina allocable portion of necessary costs and development related to its proposed William States Lee III plant in Cherokee County, South Carolina and incurred through December 31, 2007. The company said it wanted to recover the costs whether or not a new nuclear facility is constructed. Duke Energy and Southern Company are looking into building two Westinghouse AP1000s on a site the companies jointly own (NW, 23 March, 1). In a statement, the company said it expects to invest about $125 million before the end of 2007 on the planned plant. Duke Energy Carolinas President Ellen Ruff said nuclear power supplies the company's customers in North Carolina and South Carolina with about half of their electricity and "is a primary reason why our electric rates are below the national average." Duke Energy Carolinas, a Duke Energy subsidiary, operates Catawba-1 and -2 and Oconee-1, -2 and -3 in South Carolina and McGuire-1 and -2 in North Carolina. The company said in a statement it doesn't plan to file a similar application with regulators in South Carolina "at this time." But it said it intended to pursue cost recovery assurance in both jurisdictions before it invested "significant capital" in the nuclear project. It said it applied to North Carolina regulators first because state law expressly recognizes the importance of utilities' ability to finance generation facilities and the need for provisions to facilitate utility investment in new plants. If the commission doesn't grant the request, the company said it would work with the commission and other stakeholders to seek a legislative solution. The company told the commission that it is in the public interest to ensure all potential future resource options, including nuclear generation, are "fully considered and the most economic resources are available on a timely basis." It said the project would be useful for determining whether the nuclear station is the least-cost option to meet future customer needs. The company noted it would incur other costs and obligations even after December 31, 2007, including licensing fees, costs of design completion, project planning costs, and the purchase of long lead time material and equipment before plant construction can begin. Should the station be determined to be the least-cost option to serve customer needs, the company will incur construction costs, too. The company said it would seek commission approval for recovery of the North Carolina allocable portion of all such prudently incurred costs at the appropriate times. Duke Energy Carolinas supplies electricity at retail in the central and western portions of North Carolina and the western portion of South Carolina. It also sells electricity at wholesale to municipal, cooperative and investor-owned electric utilities. --Tom Harrison, Washington Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill Companies] ***************************************************************** 42 Platts: Dutch Government sets conditions for new nuclear construction london (Platts)--2Oct2006 --THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT HAS SET CONDITIONS FOR NEW NUCLEAR CONSTRUCTION, reversing its earlier phase-out policy. In a letter submitted September 28 to the lower house of Parliament, junior minister for environment Pieter van Geel (Christian Democrat) said nuclear can help the transition to more sustainable energy supply and reduce carbon emissions. In the documents, submitted on behalf of the economics minister, van Geel said any new reactor in Holland must be a Generation III model with barriers to prevent containment breaches including aircraft crashes. Before operation, and no later than 2016, the government must decide on a disposal strategy for existing high-level waste. Spent fuel should be stored until 2025, when a choice would be made between direct disposal, reprocessing, or partitioning and transmutation. Plants should be dismantled promptly after closure, and decommissioning funds clearly earmarked. General elections are scheduled for November 22. It's not known whether the parliament will consider a pending nuclear energy bill during its last weeks or put off the nuclear debate until the next coalition government is in place. Copyright © 2006 - Platts, All Rights Reserved [The McGraw-Hill Companies] ***************************************************************** 43 Tennessean: Noted doctor to speak at Vandy tonight on nuclear power - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 10/03/06 - Tennessean.com Tuesday, 10/03/06 By ANNE PAINE Staff Writer Dr. Helen Caldicott, co-founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility, will be at Vanderbilt University today asking the question: "Do we really need nuclear-powered light bulbs?" While a push is taking place to build more nuclear plants, Caldicott, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, offers another view. She will be speaking at 7 p.m., at Ingram Hall-Blair School of Music, 2400 Blakemore Ave., on the Vandy campus. A reception and signing of her latest book "Nuclear Power is Not the Answer" will follow. The events are free and open to the public. The Smithsonian Institute named Caldicott one of the 100 most influential women of the Twentieth Century. In 2003, Caldicott was the recipient of the Lannan Prize for Cultural Freedom and the Peace Organization of Australia awarded Caldicott the inaugural Australian Peace Prize in 2006. She divides her time between Australia and Washington, D.C., where she is president of the Nuclear Policy Research Institute. "Every billion dollars spent on the supremely misguided attempt to revivify the nuclear industry is a theft from the production of cheap, renewable electricity," Caldicott says in her latest book. "Think what these billions could do if invested in the development of wind power, solar power, cogeneration, geothermal energy, biomass, and wave and tidal power, let alone basic energy conservation, which itself could save the United States 20% of the energy it currently consumes.” For more information about Dr. Caldicott: Event sponsors include the Tennessee Chapter Sierra Club, Tennessee Environmental Council, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Nashville Peace and Justice Center, Cumberland Green Bioregional Council, Vanderbilt Office of Active Citizenship and Service, Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Recycling, and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace. Another misguided "doctor" talking out of her area of expertise. I also genuinely love to hear Phd. in English Lit talk about the bogus cases of global warming and ozone holes. Efiiciency and effectiveness are symptoms of nuclear energy in the West. Collectives and communist communes are the symptoms of reduced energy consumption. Please stop spending student money on bringing the nut-job-of-the-week to campus. Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:05 pm tennessean.com main | news | sports | business | Copyright © 2006, tennessean.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 44 Dallas Morning News: Federal inspection starts at nation's largest nuclear power plant 10/03/2006 Associated Press Federal inspectors have started a weeklong probe of emergency diesel generators at the nation's largest nuclear power plant, which has been plagued by outages and equipment problems the past two years. The special inspection was ordered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after a Unit 3 generator at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station did not activate during plant inspections July 25 and Sept. 22. Each unit of the triple-reactor west of Phoenix has two diesel generators, which are operated if there are major disturbances in the power grid. The most recent of those emergency situations was two years ago, said Jim McDonald, a spokesman for Arizona Public Service Co., which operates Palo Verde for a consortium of utility companies in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California. In addition to the inspection of Unit 3, both Units 1 and 2 have been taken off line. Unit 1 was shut down on Sept. 19 because of a recurring problem with pressurizer heaters and is expected to be operating by Thursday, according to McDonald. Unit 2 was shut down Saturday for refueling and maintenance and isn't expected to be back in operation until mid-November, said McDonald who added that Unit 3 will not be shut down during the inspection. A so-called dry pipe that could have disrupted the flow of water to the emergency core-cooling system was found in 2004. APS repaired that problem, but federal inspectors discovered other issues during investigations afterward, most of them problems not directly tied to safety. In a letter sent to Palo Verde management on Aug. 31, NRC officials noted 24 minor violations over a six-month period, including issues with decision-making systems, not always following technical requirements during nuclear reactor restarts, ineffective communication and poor interaction between engineering and operations workers. The NRC inspection team will prepare a written report about a month after the inspection is completed. Palo Verde, located in Wintersburg some 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix, supplies electricity to about 4 million customers in the four states. ___ Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com © 2006 The Dallas Morning News Co. ***************************************************************** 45 Business Report: PBMR part of team awarded $3m US engineering contract [South Africa's National Financial Daily] October 3, 2006 Pretoria - The US department of energy awarded an important new generation nuclear plant contract to an international team that includes South Africa's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company (PBMR). Jaco Kriek, the chief executive of PBMR, said yesterday that contract was worth about $3 million (R23 million) and was for the first phase of engineering work for the project at the Idaho National Laboratory. The contract included preconceptual engineering, design comparisons of various alternatives for reactor heat and hydrogen generation, conceptual cost estimates and accompanying schedules and research and development requirements for different options. Kriek said the international team was led by Westinghouse Electric Company and included Potchefstroom-based M-Tech Industrial. Other members of the team were Shaw Stone &Webster of Boston; Technology Insights of San Diego; Air Products and Chemicals of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Nuclear Fuels Services of Erwin, Tennessee; and Kadak Associates of Providence, Rhode Island. The initial 12-month phase was the first step in a multistep programme to deliver a high temperature, gas-cooled reactor prototype to increase domestic energy supplies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move more quickly towards a national hydrogen economy. "High temperature gas-cooled reactors, like the pebble bed reactor, can be a source of bulk hydrogen that can be used in fertiliser production, desalination of water, conversion of coal to synthetic gas and liquid fuels, and direct use in hydrogen-fuelled transportation," he said. Kriek was "very proud" to get the PBMR technology accepted for development. - Roy Cokayne Independent Online (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 46 NRC: Nuclear Management Company, LLC; Palisades Plant; Environmental FR Doc E6-16260 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58442-58443] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-113] Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Section 50.46, and Appendix K to 10 CFR Part 50 for Facility Operating License No. DPR-20, issued to Nuclear Management Company, LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Palisades Nuclear Plant (Palisades), located in VanBuren County, Michigan. Therefore, as required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. Environmental Assessment Identification of the Proposed Action The proposed action would provide an exemption from the requirements of: (1) 10 CFR 50.46, ``Acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power reactors,'' which requires that the calculated emergency core cooling system (ECCS) performance for reactors with zircaloy or ZIRLO fuel cladding meet certain criteria, and (2) 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, ``ECCS Evaluation Models,'' which presumes the use of zircaloy or ZIRLO fuel cladding when doing calculations for energy release, cladding oxidation, and hydrogen generation after a postulated loss-of-coolant accident. The proposed action would allow the licensee to use the M5 advanced alloy in lieu of zircaloy or ZIRLO for fuel rod cladding in fuel assemblies at Palisades. The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's application dated October 4, 2005, as supplemented by letter dated June 14, 2006. The Need for the Proposed Action The Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 50.46 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix K, require the demonstration of adequate ECCS performance for light-water reactors that contain fuel consisting of uranium oxide pellets enclosed in zircaloy or ZIRLO tubes. Each of these regulations, either implicitly or explicitly, assumes that either zircaloy or ZIRLO is used as the fuel rod cladding material. In order to accommodate the high fuel-rod burnups that are necessary for modern fuel management and core designs, Framatome ANP developed the M5 advanced fuel rod cladding material. M5 is an alloy comprised primarily of zirconium (~99 percent) and niobium (~1 percent) that has demonstrated superior corrosion resistance and reduced irradiation-induced growth relative to both standard and low-tin zircaloy. However, since the chemical composition of the M5 advanced alloy differs from the specifications of either zircaloy or ZIRLO, use of the M5 advanced alloy falls outside of the strict interpretation of NRC regulations. Therefore, approval of this exemption request is needed to permit the use of the M5 advanced alloy as a fuel rod cladding material at Palisades. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC staff has completed its evaluation of the proposed action and concludes that use of M5 clad fuel would not result in changes in the operations or configuration of the facility. There would be no change in the level of controls or methodology used for processing radioactive effluents or handling solid radioactive waste. The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents. No changes are being made in the types of effluents that may be released off site. There is no significant increase in the amount of any effluent released off site. There is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological [[Page 58443]] environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. With regard to potential non-radiological impacts, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does not affect non-radiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant non- radiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant environmental impacts associated with the proposed action. Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). Denial of the application would result in no change in current environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action and the alternative action are similar. Alternative Use of Resources The action does not involve the use of any different resources than those previously considered in the Final Addendum to the Final Environmental Statement Related to Operation of the Palisades Nuclear Plant, dated February 1978. Agencies and Persons Consulted In accordance with its stated policy, on September 11, 2006, the staff consulted with the Michigan State official, Mary Ann Elzerman of the Department of Environmental Quality, regarding the environmental impact of the proposed action. The State official had no comments. Finding of No Significant Impact On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed action. For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated October 4, 2005, as supplemented by letter dated June 14, 2006. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/[fxsp0]reading-rm/ adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or send an e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. L. Mark Padovan, Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch III-1, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E6-16260 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 47 NRC: Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.; James A. Fitzpatrick Nuclear FR Doc E6-16262 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58436-58440] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-111] Power Plant; Exemption 1.0 Background Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENO or the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR-59, which authorizes operation of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant (JAF). The license provides, among other things, that the facility is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) now or hereafter in effect. The facility consists of one boiling-water reactor located in Oswego County, New York. 2.0 Request/Action Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Part 50, Section 50.48, requires that nuclear power plants that were licensed before January 1, 1979, of which JAF is one, must satisfy the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Section III.G. Subsection III.G.2 addresses fire protection features for ensuring that one of the redundant trains necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown conditions remains free of fire damage in the event of a fire. Subsection III.G.2.c provides use of a 1-hour fire barrier as one means for complying with this fire protection requirement. ENO proposes that the absence and/or control of ignition sources, the adequacy of detection and suppression systems, and the capability of the existing Hemyc fire wrap in this fire area, satisfy the underlying intent of 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.2.c. In summary, by letter dated July 27, 2005, Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) accession number ML052210382, as supplemented on May 17, 2006, [[Page 58437]] ADAMS accession number ML061530108, ENO submitted an exemption request to the NRC for relief from the requirements of Subsection III.G.2.c of 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, specifically, from the 1-hour rating requirement for the fire wrap in the West Cable Tunnel at JAF. 3.0 Discussion Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50 when (1) the exemptions are authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health or safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security; and (2) when special circumstances are present. One of these special circumstances, described in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), is that the application of the regulation is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. The NRC staff examined the licensee's rationale to support the exemption request and concluded that the existing fire protection features in and accessible for the specific fire zone referenced for JAF meet the underlying purpose of 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.2.c. The following technical evaluation provides the basis for this conclusion. 3.1 Background On May 29, 2001, the NRC granted the licensee an exemption from the requirement of Appendix R, Section III.G.2.c, applicable to the West Cable Tunnel at JAF. Specifically, although III.G.2.c provides the use of a 1-hour rated fire barrier as a means of ensuring adequate fire protection for redundant safe shutdown trains in this fire zone, the licensee identified that the fire barrier material intended to be rated for 1 hour, in fact demonstrated functionality for 52 minutes during testing in accordance with American Society for Testing and Materials E-119 test criteria. The NRC granted the exemption based on supporting evidence that a 30-minute rated fire barrier, in combination with existing fire protection features and the absence of significant combustibles and ignition sources in the area, provided an equivalent level of protection and satisfied the underlying purpose of the rule. More than one type of fire barrier is used in this fire area, however no specific fire barrier type was identified in the exemption itself. In 2005, the NRC identified Hemyc fire barriers as potentially nonconforming fire barriers relied on for compliance with fire protection regulations for 1-hour or 3-hour rated protection at some licensed nuclear power plants. On April 1, 2005, the NRC staff issued Information Notice 2005-07, ``Results of HEMYC Electrical Raceway Fire Barrier System Full Scale Fire Testing'' (ML050890089), identifying the concern. On April 10, 2006, the NRC staff issued Generic Letter 2006- 03, ``Potentially Nonconforming Hemyc and MT Fire Barrier Configurations'' (ML053620142), asking that licensees determine whether this type of fire barrier is relied on for compliance and, if so, how compliance is maintained given the potential for nonconformance observed during recent NRC Hemyc testing (ML051190026). ENO identified use of Hemyc in the West Cable Tunnel and seeks an exemption similar to that granted in May 2001 (specified in the current submittal as applicable to Kaowool FP-60 fire barrier wrap), on the basis that the existing Hemyc fire barrier in this area is expected to provide at least 30 minutes of protection for the redundant safe shutdown trains located there and, in combination with existing fire protection features and the absence of significant combustibles and ignition sources in the area, provides an equivalent level of protection to satisfy the underlying purpose of the rule. 3.2 Existing Fire Protection Features Fire Area 1C at JAF contains the West Cable Tunnel (Fire Zone [FZ] CT-1). FZ CT-1 is protected from adjoining fire zones and other plant areas by 3-hour fire barriers. It has a total area of 13,400 square feet and contains Division I (Train A) cables for systems relied on for post-fire safe shutdown. In the event of a fire in this zone, the High Pressure Coolant Injection System and Residual Heat Removal System ``B'' Train are relied on for hot shutdown of the plant, as well as the Alternate Shutdown Cooling System ``B'' Train which is relied on for cold shutdown. These systems are supported by the ``B'' Train direct current (dc) power supply and associated heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. Therefore, the power cable for the air handling unit which provides proper ventilation for the ``B'' Train dc power supply (or Battery Room ``B''), is also relied on for safe shutdown and is the subject of this review. Hemyc is used to protect approximately 40 feet of the 5-inch conduit containing this power cable, for compliance with safe shutdown requirements. Within the 40 feet of Hemyc-wrapped conduit are 3.75 feet of 5-inch flex-conduit, and an inline pull box approximately 12 inches by 18 inches by 8 inches. All structural supports are seismically- qualified and completely wrapped in Hemyc except for a portion of the base plates, which are bolted to a concrete ceiling. The licensee describes the Hemyc material used in this application as consisting of an inner and outer covering of aluminized Siltemp[supreg].\1\ The licensee states that aluminized Siltemp[supreg] can be expected to have better heat resistive properties than non- aluminized Siltemp[supreg] or Refrasil[supreg], since the reflective coating serves to reflect more radiant energy than the standard Siltemp[supreg] or Refrasil[supreg]. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- \1\ Siltemp[supreg] and Refrasil[supreg] are heat-resistant fabrics used as an outer covering for Hemyc. Both were tested by the NRC and determined to be essentially equivalent (ADAMS Accession No. ML 051190055). Refrasil[supreg] was used during recent NRC Hemyc tests. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- The licensee identifies the in-situ combustible load for this zone as cable and fiberglass. Cable is described as making up over 90 percent of the load, with original cables ordered before Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 383-1974 was issued. However, the licensee states that the flame retardant capability of the installed cable was analyzed and determined to be similar to IEEE 383-1974 rated cable. The fiberglass in this zone is comprised of a water tank (shower waste tank), piping, and ladders. The tank is approximately 21 feet from the Hemyc wrap, and the ladders are stored over 50 feet from the Hemyc wrap. Only the cables have been identified as significant in-situ ignition sources. Detection in FZ CT-1 is described by the licensee as an automatic area-wide early warning smoke detection system monitored in the Main Control Room. Although the detection system was designed and installed in accordance with National Fire Protection Standards 72D and 72E, 1979 and 1978 Editions, respectively, the installed system does not meet the code of record in some cases. However, the deviations from the code were evaluated by the licensee and determined not to adversely impact safety performance. Automatic suppression for this zone is described as consisting of area-wide sprinklers and in-tray water spray. Manual suppression is also available within FZ CT-1 and in nearby areas in the form of fire extinguishers and hose stations. 3.3 Evaluation Hemyc fire barrier is used to wrap a cable in FZ CT-1 that supplies power to the air handling unit that supports redundant safe shutdown equipment [[Page 58438]] described in Section 3.2 above. Although this Hemyc was installed with the intention of providing 1 hour of rated fire protection in accordance with Appendix R, Subsection III.G.2.c, the licensee has evaluated the Hemyc configuration for this power cable and requests an exemption from the 1 hour requirement based on the expectation that the configuration will provide at least 30 minutes of protection. Five-inch conduits were not tested in recent Hemyc tests. However, because the mass of the larger sized conduits used in this application at JAF should be more resistant to thermal absorption than that of the 4-inch conduits tested, and because this expectation was confirmed during NRC testing where the smaller sized conduits consistently failed in less time than the larger sized conduits, the NRC staff expects the results of the 4-inch conduit tests to be representative of a 5-inch configuration with some conservatism. The NRC testing was described in NRC Information Notice 2005-07 and further documented in the Sandia National Laboratories test reports (ML051190026). In the NRC tests (described in Section 3.1 above), the 4-inch conduit was tested with and without cable placed inside. With cable inside, indication of thermal failure for the 4-inch conduit was reached at 43 minutes. Therefore, for the rigid 5-inch configuration at JAF, the NRC staff finds that the test results for the 4-inch conduit and the additional time margin for thermal failure to occur due to the larger mass of the 5-inch conduit provides reasonable assurance that the Hemyc would provide 30 minutes of protection. The 5-inch cable configuration at JAF also includes a section of flex-conduit and an in-line pull box. Flex-conduit was not included in the recent Hemyc tests. However, the licensee provided additional information regarding this application of flex-conduit. The size and geometry of the flex-conduit is described as identical to that of the rigid conduit. However, the weight per unit length of the flex-conduit (4.7 pounds per foot (lbs/ft)) was determined to be best represented by the empty 2.5-inch conduit tested (5.1 lbs/ft). Because the initiation of thermal failure for the 2.5-inch empty conduit was indicated at 41 minutes during the NRC tests, the NRC staff finds that the flex-conduit configuration at JAF would be expected to provide slightly less than 41 minutes of protection. Because initiation of thermal failure for the 1- inch filled conduit tested (2.52 lbs/ft) was indicated at 34 minutes during the NRC tests, the NRC staff finds that the flex-conduit configuration at JAF would be expected to provide 30 minutes of protection, with an estimated margin of approximately 10 minutes (approximately 33 percent margin). The in-line pull box included in the Hemyc configuration is approximately 12-inches by 18-inches by 8-inches, and is positioned in- line with the 5-inch rigid conduit. A larger junction box of the same shape as the JAF pull box was included in the recent Hemyc tests, tested both with and without bands. Therefore, the NRC test results for the junction box should provide a reasonable representation of the expected performance of the JAF pull box configuration. In the NRC tests the Hemyc material was wrapped around the junction box (18-inches by 24-inches by 8-inches) using two Hemyc mats, each covering 3 sides of the box and stitched together. In the test with bands, the banding kept both mats in place even though the stitching failed. The junction box was banded with 2 to 3 bands around each of the six sides. When tested with the bands, initiation of thermal failure within the junction box was indicated at 31 minutes following the onset of the fire. In the test without the bands, initiation of thermal failure within the junction box was indicated at 15 minutes following the onset of the fire. At JAF, the Hemyc material is wrapped around the pull box using one Hemyc mat covering four sides, with a seam stitched along the length of one side. The remaining two ends are protected by Hemyc end pieces stitched in place. Banding is used to keep the four sides secured in place; however, the banding does not secure the end pieces. The licensee describes the end pieces as partially secured in place with the Hemyc that is wrapped around the in-line conduit. However, the NRC staff is concerned that without banding of the end pieces similar to banding of all sides during NRC tests, failed stitching would result in thermal failure at the unbanded end pieces similarly to that demonstrated during NRC testing of the unbanded junction box. In the licensee's May 17, 2006, response (ADAMS Accession No. ML061530108) to the NRC staff's request for additional information (ADAMS Accession No. ML060860014) regarding the expected performance of the pull box during a severe fire, the licensee stated that the degree of thermal shrink observed during NRC testing using Refrasil[supreg] was more substantial than that observed during subsequent industry testing using Siltemp[supreg], which is the material used in the JAF Hemyc configuration. However, this reasoning is not consistent with the NRC staff's interpretation of the results of the tests. The NRC staff observed both the NRC and industry tests and analyzed the data from both tests. The NRC staff observed that the improvements made to the industry test configuration (including increased collar widths, double wrapped elbows, and larger overlap area at the joints) may have resulted in smaller gaps at the joints; however, the resulting thermal failures were consistent (and sometimes more severe) than those observed during the NRC tests. In addition, these improvements have not been incorporated into the JAF pull box configuration. Therefore, the NRC staff finds no basis to conclude improved performance at the pull box end piece stitching. Based on the results of the NRC tests, it appears that the four banded sides of the pull box would remain protected for approximately 31 minutes. However, the protection provided by the two ends of the pull box is uncertain. Banding is not used to secure the end pieces of the JAF pull box as it was during the NRC test of the junction box. The adjoining Hemyc from the in-line conduit may provide some reinforcement, but that potential additional protection is uncertain. Also, the apparent pinched stitching could provide additional Hemyc material that may improve performance, but again with uncertain quantification of the potential additional protection. Therefore, based on the results of the NRC tests and the absence of banding at the two ends of the JAF pull box, it appears that the conduit within the pull box would remain protected for 15 to 31 minutes from the onset of a fire. With additional margin added to the NRC test results to provide reasonable assurance of protection of the cables inside, the NRC staff finds that 30 minutes of protection cannot be reasonably expected at the pull box. Regarding the licensee's expectation that aluminized Siltemp[supreg] will improve the heat resistive properties of the JAF Hemyc configuration, it is not clear to the NRC staff that this expectation has been quantified or analyzed. In response to the NRC staff's request for additional information asking for supporting evidence of this expectation, the licensee referred to the manufacturer's data. Although this reference confirmed the statement that, ``(a)luminized Siltemp[supreg] provides thermal reflectivity,'' it also provided a table of Siltemp[supreg] products, including aluminized Siltemp[supreg] as an entry with a footnote that states, ``Coatings will lose properties as temperature increases.'' In [[Page 58439]] addition, the licensee stated that ``(b)ased on the better thermal reflectivity of the aluminized Siltemp[supreg], less heat transfer will occur into the Hemyc wrap because it is reflected away.'' However, the licensee has provided no quantification for any potential reduction in radiant heat transfer. In addition, the stratification of hot gases would likely result in the formation of a black body in the vicinity of the Hemyc configuration (near the ceiling) which would impede radiant heat transfer. Based on the information provided, the NRC staff is unable to confirm that the contribution of thermal reflectivity, if any, would be effective enough to result in a measurable improvement in Hemyc performance. Therefore, the NRC staff finds no basis for the expectation of any marked difference in radiant energy reflection between aluminized and standard Siltemp[supreg] or Refrasil[supreg]. All structural supports used in this application are seismically- qualified and completely wrapped in Hemyc except for a portion of the base plates, which are bolted to a concrete ceiling. In response to the NRC staff's request for additional information, the licensee provided details on the configuration of the structural support. Although the area of the exposed portions of the base plates requested was not provided, the NRC staff is of the opinion that the concrete ceiling should act as a heat sink for a fire in this area, minimizing the heat transfer through the supports. Based on the fully-wrapped structural support system, the NRC staff finds the heat transfer through the exposed based plates or supports would be insufficient to adversely impact the functionality of the associated protected cable. Combustibles and Ignition Sources The only significant in-situ combustible and ignition source for this zone is cable. Although these cables were installed before IEEE Standard 383-1974 was issued, they have been analyzed to determine the flame retardant capability and shown to be equivalent to IEEE 383-1974 rated cable. The NRC staff has reviewed the licensee's evaluation of the flame retardant characteristics of the cable installed and finds acceptable the licensee's determination that a fire in this area will propagate slowly. Administrative procedures control transient combustibles, ignition sources, and hot work in this zone. Procedures are being revised to incorporate restrictions on hot work in the proximity of the Hemyc wrap under review, similar to that done for the Kaowool FP-60 fire barrier wrap. Detection An automatic area-wide smoke detection system is installed in this fire area. If actuated, the detector will initiate an alarm in the Main Control Room. Because the installed detection system does not meet the code of record in some cases, the deviations from the code were evaluated by the NRC staff and found to potentially affect the availability of the detection system. Therefore, the NRC staff reviewed the licensee's program to ensure availability of the detection systems in the event detection is unavailable in FZ CT-1. The NRC staff found that adequate administrative controls are in effect to apply compensatory measures if the system is not available and adequate controls maintain the effectiveness of the detection system. Therefore, the NRC staff concludes that the detection system code deviations do not adversely impact safety performance in this zone. Suppression Automatic suppression for this zone is supplied by area-wide sprinklers and an in-tray water spray system. Manual suppression is also available through hose stations and fire extinguishers located within the fire zone and in nearby areas. In the event that automatic or manual suppression systems are out of service, compensatory measures have been established to protect safe shutdown equipment in FZ CT-1. Risk Analysis The licensee reviewed the JAF fire probabilistic risk analysis database for the air handling unit and the power cable supplying it, and found that neither are risk significant. If the power cable was damaged by a fire, and therefore ventilation was lost to the B battery room, the licensee stated it would take 2 hours for the B battery room to heat up to the point it would exceed the manufacturer's qualification of the battery. This allows time to fight the fire and take corrective actions. Assuming the loss of all the equipment in FZ CT-1, the licensee estimated the total core damage frequency for a fire in FZ CT-1 as 7.21E-7/year, based on the JAF Individual Plant Examination for External Events. Defense-in-Depth Part 50 of 10 CFR, Appendix R, section II, states that a licensee's fire protection program extends the concept of defense-in-depth to fire protection with the following objectives: To prevent fires from starting, To detect rapidly, control, and extinguish promptly those fires that do occur, and To provide protection for structures, systems and components important to safety so that a fire that is not promptly extinguished by the fire suppression activities will not prevent the safe shutdown of the plant. Regulatory Guide 1.174 also identifies factors to be considered when evaluating defense-in-depth for a risk-informed change. The NRC staff has evaluated the elements of defense-in-depth used for fire protection at JAF, applicable to the fire zone under review. Although the NRC staff finds inadequate basis to support the licensee's expectation that the existing Hemyc configuration in FZ CT-1 will provide 30 minutes of protection for the power cable to the air handling unit relied on for post-fire safe shutdown in the event of a worst-case fire in FZ CT-1, the NRC staff is reasonably assured that the absence of significant combustible loading and ignition sources in the area of the Hemyc configuration and low risk significance associated with the safe shutdown equipment protected, preclude the need for withstanding a fire of the magnitude tested in recent NRC tests. In particular, although the Hemyc configuration applied to the JAF pull box may not be optimal, the risk significance is low. In addition, the existing fire protection capabilities for full area detection, full area suppression, and in-tray suppression, provide reasonable assurance for prevention of an unmitigated fire. Therefore, based on the NRC staff's analysis, defense-in-depth is maintained. Special Circumstances One of the special circumstances, described in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii), is that the application of the regulation is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. The underlying purpose of Subsection III.G.2.c of 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, is to ensure that one of the redundant trains necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown conditions remains free of fire damage in the event of a fire, and allows the use of a 1-hour fire barrier with fire detectors and an automatic fire suppression system as one means for complying with this fire protection requirement. For FZ CT-1, based on the presence of area-wide smoke detection; the presence of automatic area and in-tray fire suppression and manual fire suppression; fire barrier protection at the boundaries of the fire zone; the existing Hemyc configuration in the fire zone; implementation of transient combustibles controls including proposed revisions for hot work in the [[Page 58440]] vicinity of the Hemyc configuration; and the absence of significant combustible loading and ignition sources, the NRC staff finds that a 1- hour rating for the fire barrier protection in this zone is not necessary to ensure the availability of a redundant train necessary to achieve and maintain safe shutdown of the plant in the event of a fire in FZ CT-1. Based upon consideration of the information in the licensee's Fire Hazards Analysis; administrative controls for transient combustibles and ignition sources; responses to NRC staff requests for additional information; previously-granted exemptions for this fire zone; and the considerations noted above, the NRC staff concludes that this exemption meets the underlying purpose of the rule. Therefore, operating in the proposed manner meets the underlying purpose of Subsection III.G.2.c to 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, and special circumstances required by 10 CFR 50.12 for the granting of an exemption from 10 CFR 50 exist. Authorized by Law This exemption would allow use of a fire barrier expected to provide less than 1 hour of fire protection. As stated above, 10 CFR 50.12 allows the NRC to grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50. The NRC staff has determined that granting of the licensee's proposed exemption is permissible under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the Commission's regulations. Therefore, the exemption is authorized by law. No Undue Risk to Public Health and Safety The underlying purpose of Subsection III.G.2.c of 10 CFR 50, Appendix R, is to ensure that one of the redundant trains necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown conditions remains free of fire damage in the event of a fire. Based on the existing fire barriers, fire detectors, automatic and manual fire suppression equipment, administrative controls, the fire hazard analysis, the Hemyc configuration, and the absence of significant combustible loads and ignition sources, special circumstances are present such that application of this rule is not necessary. No new accident precursors are created by allowing use of a fire barrier expected to provide less than 1 hour of fire protection and the probability of postulated accidents is not increased. Similarly, the consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. Therefore, there is no undue risk (since risk is probability multiplied by consequences) to public health and safety. Consistent With Common Defense and Security The proposed exemption would allow use of a fire barrier expected to provide less than 1 hour of fire protection based on the existing fire barriers, fire detectors, automatic and manual fire suppression equipment, administrative controls, the fire hazard analysis, the Hemyc configuration, and the absence of significant combustible loads and ignition sources. This change to the plant requirements for the specific configuration in this fire zone has no relation to security issues. Therefore, the common defense and security is not impacted by this exemption. 4.0 Conclusion Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and security. Specifically, special circumstances are present in that the application of the regulation is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants ENO an exemption from the requirement of a 1-hour rated fire barrier (fire wrap) in Section III.G.2.c of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, for the West Cable Tunnel at JAF provided that the proposed revisions to the procedures for hot work in the vicinity of the Hemyc configuration are implemented. The granting of this exemption is based on the implementation of revised administrative controls for hot work in the vicinity of the Hemyc configuration in FZ CT-1 (addressed in Section 3.3 above), the existing or upgraded fire barrier protection features in FZ CT-1, the maintenance of existing automatic detection and suppression features in FZ CT-1, and the availability of manual fire fighting and associated fire fighting equipment. Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the granting of this exemption will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment (71 FR 54100). This exemption is effective upon issuance. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Catherine Haney, Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E6-16262 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 48 NRC: Tennessee Valley Authority; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1; FR Doc E6-16270 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58440-58442] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-112] Exemption 1.0 Background The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) is the holder of Facility Operating License No. DPR-33, which authorizes operation of the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 1 (BFN-1). The license provides, among other things, that the facility is subject to all rules, regulations, and orders of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) now or hereafter in effect. The BFN-1 facility consists of a boiling water reactor (BWR) located in Limestone County, Alabama. 2.0 Request/Action Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), 50.54(o), requires that primary reactor containments for water-cooled power reactors be subject to the requirements of Appendix J to 10 CFR part 50. Appendix J specifies the leakage test requirements, schedules, and acceptance criteria for tests of the leak tight integrity of the primary reactor containment and systems and components which penetrate the containment. Appendix J, Option B, Section III.A requires that the overall integrated leak rate must not exceed the allowable leakage with margin, as specified in the Technical Specifications (TSs). The overall integrated leak rate, as specified in the 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J definitions, includes the contribution from main steam isolation valve (MSIV) leakage. By letter dated July 9, 2004, the licensee requested exemption from Option B, Section III.A, requirements to permit exclusion of MSIV leakage from the overall integrated leak rate test measurement. Option B, Section III.B of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J, requires that the sum of the leakage rates of all Type B and Type C local leak rate tests be less than the performance criterion with margin, as specified in the TSs. The licensee also requests exemption from this requirement, to permit exclusion of the MSIV contribution to the sum of the Type B and Type C tests. 3.0 Discussion Pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12, the Commission may, upon application by any interested person or upon its own initiative, grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50 when (1) [[Page 58441]] the exemptions are authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to public health and safety, and are consistent with the common defense and security; and (2) special circumstances are present. Section 50.12(a)(2)(ii) of 10 CFR states that special circumstances are present when ``Application of the regulation in the particular circumstances would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule or is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.'' In addition, Sec. 50.12(a)(2)(iii) of 10 CFR states that special circumstances are present when ``Compliance would result in undue hardship or other costs that are significantly in excess of those contemplated when the regulation was adopted, or that are significantly in excess of those incurred by others similarly situated.'' Testing in accordance with 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J, ensures that primary containment leakage following a design basis loss-of-coolant accident will be within the allowable leakage limits specified in the TSs and assumed in the safety analyses for determining radiological consequences. For BFN-1, the containment integrated leakage rate test currently includes leakage through closed MSIVs. However, the MSIV leakage effluent has a different pathway to the environment compared to other containment penetrations. It is not directed into the secondary containment and filtered through the standby gas treatment system as is other containment leakage. Instead, the MSIV leakage is directed through the main steam drain piping into the condenser and is released to the environment as an unfiltered ground level effluent. The licensee analyzed the MSIV leakage pathway for the increased leakage (from less than or equal to 11.5 standard cubic feet per hour (scfh) per valve to less than or equal to 100 scfh per valve, with combined leakage for all four main steam lines less than or equal to 150 scfh), and the containment leakage pathway separately in a dose consequences analysis. The calculated radiological consequences of the combined leakages were found to be within the criteria of 10 CFR part 100 and 10 CFR part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 19. The NRC staff reviewed the licensee's analyses and found them acceptable, as described in the safety evaluation associated with Amendment No. 251, dated September 27, 2004. In approving Amendment No. 251, the NRC staff added license condition 2.C(15): The licensee is required to confirm that the conclusions made in TVA's letter dated September 17, 2004 [Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession No. ML042730342], for the turbine building remain acceptable using seismic demand accelerations based on dynamic seismic analysis prior to the restart of Unit 1. In approving these exemptions, the NRC staff notes that the licensee must satisfy license condition 2.C(15). By separating the MSIV leakage acceptance criteria from the overall integrated leak rate test criteria, and from the Type B and C leakage sum limitation, the BFN-1 containment leakage testing program will be made more consistent with the limiting assumptions used in the associated accident consequences analyses. It will also allow additional operational flexibility by, in effect, increasing the total containment leakage rate limit while remaining within the applicable dose consequence guidelines and requirements. The licensee's exemption request was submitted in conjunction with a proposed amendment to the TSs to increase the allowable leak rate for MSIVs, which is being evaluated by the NRC staff separately. The amendment associated with this exemption will revise TS Surveillance Requirement (SR) 3.6.1.3.10 to limit the maximum allowable MSIV leakage through each individual valve to 100 scfh and combined MSIV leakage to 150 scfh. The requested exemption from Appendix J requirements for MSIV leakage will allow BFN- 1 to operate with the proposed TS increased allowable MSIV leakage rates with reduced radiological exposure to plant personnel for maintaining MSIV leakage limits. The licensee's exemption request and proposed changes to the TSs together would implement the recommendation of BWR Owners Group Topical Report NEDC-31858, ``BWR Report for Increasing MSIV Leakage Rate Limits and Elimination of Leakage Control Systems,'' which was approved by the NRC staff in a safety evaluation dated March 3, 1999. Therefore, the NRC staff finds the proposed exemptions from Appendix J to separate MSIV leakage from other containment leakage to be acceptable. Authorized by Law This proposed exemptions would permit exclusion of MSIV leakage from the overall integrated leak rate test measurement and permit exclusion of the MSIV contribution to the sum of the Type B and Type C local leak rate tests. As stated above, 10 CFR 50.12 allows the NRC to grant exemptions from the requirements of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J. The NRC staff has determined that granting the licensee's proposed exemptions will not result in a violation of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, or the Commission's regulations. Therefore, the exemptions are authorized by law. No Undue Risk to Public Health and Safety The underlying purpose of Appendix J is to assure that containment leak tight integrity is maintained (a) as tight as reasonably achievable, and (b) sufficiently tight so as to limit effluent release to values bounded by the analyses of radiological consequences of design-basis accidents (DBAs). The proposed changes require the use of the main steam piping and the condenser to process MSIV leakage. This additional function does not compromise the reliability of these systems. They will continue to function as intended and not be subject to a failure of a different kind than previously considered. Since no new accident precursors are created by permitting the exclusion of MSIV leakage from the overall integrated leak rate test measurement and permitting the exclusion of the MSIV contribution to the sum of the Type B and Type C local leak rate tests, the probability of postulated accidents is not increased. The allowable leak rate specified for the MSIVs is used to quantify a maximum amount of leakage assumed to bypass containment. Sufficient margin relative to the regulatory limits is maintained even when conservative assumptions and methods are utilized. Also, the proposed change does not involve changes to the structures, systems, or components which would affect the probability of an accident previously evaluated in the BFN-1 updated final safety analysis report. Thus, the consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. Therefore, there is no undue risk to public health and safety. Consistent With Common Defense and Security The proposed exemptions would permit exclusion of MSIV leakage from the overall integrated leak rate test measurement and permit exclusion of the MSIV contribution to the sum of the Type B and Type C local leak rate tests. This change to the operation of the plant has no relation to security issues. Therefore, the common defense and security are not impacted by these exemptions. Special Circumstances Section 50.12(a)(2)(ii) of 10 CFR states that special circumstances are present when ``Application of the regulation in the particular circumstances would not serve the underlying purpose of the rule [[Page 58442]] or is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule.'' The NRC staff examined the licensee's rationale to support the exemption request and concluded that it would meet the underlying purpose of Appendix J, Option B, Sections III.A and III.B. The underlying purpose of Appendix J is to assure that containment leak tight integrity is maintained (a) as tight as reasonably achievable, and (b) sufficiently tight so as to limit effluent release to values bounded by the analyses of radiological consequences of DBAs. Including the MSIV leakage in the test acceptance criteria is not necessary to achieve the underlying purpose of the rule because MSIV leakage is not directed into the secondary containment. Also, TS SR 3.6.1.3.10 specifies a specific leak rate limit to assure operation of BFN-1 remains within the bounds of the DBA analysis. Therefore, the underlying purpose of the rule continues to be met. In addition, Sec. 50.12(a)(2)(iii) of 10 CFR states that special circumstances are present when ``Compliance would result in undue hardship or other costs that are significantly in excess of those contemplated when the regulation was adopted, or that are significantly in excess of those incurred by others similarly situated.'' The licensee's exemption request and proposed changes to the TSs together would implement the recommendation of Topical Report NEDC-31858. The special circumstances associated with MSIV leakage testing are fully described in the topical report. These circumstances include the monetary costs and personnel radiation exposure involved with maintaining MSIV leakage limits more restrictive than necessary to meet offsite dose criteria and control room habitability criteria. The exemption from Appendix J requirements for MSIV leakage rates is required so that BFN-1 can operate with the proposed TS increased allowable MSIV leakage rates. This results in reduced radiological exposure to plant personnel, greater MSIV reliability, and significant monetary benefit to TVA as a result of reduced plant outage durations. Therefore, since the underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J, is achieved and the circumstances described in NEDC-31858 are met, the special circumstances required by 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2)(ii) and 50.12(a)(2)(iii) for the granting of an exemption from 10 CFR part 50, Appendix J exist. 4.0 Conclusion Accordingly, the Commission has determined that, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.12(a), the exemption is authorized by law, will not present an undue risk to the public health and safety, and is consistent with the common defense and security. Also, special circumstances are present. Therefore, the Commission hereby grants TVA an exemption from the requirements of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Option B, Sections III.A and III.B with respect to MSIV leakage, for BFN-1. Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.32, the Commission has determined that the granting of this exemption will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment (71 FR 33777). This exemption is effective upon issuance. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 26th day of September 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Catherine Haney, Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. [FR Doc. E6-16270 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 49 EnergyBiz Magazine: Public's Perception of Nuclear October 2, 2006 Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider Editor-in-Chief Autumn has arrived. And the country may turn a new leaf. More than a year after the energy act became law, federal regulators are following through on their congressional instructions to help design the next generation of nuclear reactors -- one that might propel the nation into a new era of electricity generation. Proponents of nuclear energy say that future nuclear reactors will be safer, more cost effective and highly efficient. That will give nuclear energy a regulatory advantage and therefore help such producers raise capital for their projects. Several nations that include the United States have combined to come up with newer and better technologies that purport to be safer and more environmentally friendly. The U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for conducting research and development to select an initial design for the modern nuclear reactors and to do so by 2011. By 2021, it is supposed to have picked a final design and construction on reactors is expected to begin. The difference between the so-called Very High Temperature Reactors and the ones used today is that the future ones will operate at 1,742 degrees Fahrenheit. That is about three times that of today's light water reactors, which results in a more efficient use of fuel and the ability to create hydrogen in the process. All of that makes the proposition a lot more economically attractive. The reactors are cooled by helium gas and not water. That means that the reactors rely on gravity and not on mechanical instruments to flush water through the system in the event of emergency. Therefore, the odds of any leaks and subsequent meltdowns are close to zero, say advocates of the design. And because the system relies on gravity and not mechanical tools that must constantly pump the water to cool the reactors, the cost to build them would be less. At least that's the theory. "Our reviews of the Energy Department management of other major projects have found that the project management has long been a significant challenge and (this latest reactor) is at high risk of waste and mismanagement," says a study just released by the General Accountability Office that is a congressional watchdog agency. If the project is successful, however, the watchdog agency has high hopes because such systems would not need cooling towers, redundant pumps and back-up diesel generators. That would result in a safer and more economical reactor, it says. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has awarded the design of the next generation nuclear reactor to Westinghouse. At the same time, AREVA NP, formerly Framatome ANP, and Siemens have formed an alliance to build reactors here in the United States. They currently design and install 30 percent of the world's nuclear generation capacity and provide nuclear fuel to 46 percent of it while GE is active here and elsewhere. Outreach Programs While nuclear energy proponents are optimistic about new reactor designs and the potential role they might play in producing an increased amount of electricity, opponents remain vigilant. Those Very High Temperature Reactors might work well in the lab, they say, but they are unproven as commercial entities. Beyond that: There's still no politically viable solution over where to store the spent nuclear waste. It's now a test of wills. No new plants have been started in a couple decades. The Tennessee Valley Authority was the last one to activate a new nuclear reactor -- Watts Bar in Spring City, Tenn. -- in 1996. That reactor ended up costing $6 billion to build after construction and financing in a process that took 20 years. As a result of all that, utilities lost their appetite to build nuclear plants. But, energy shortages, high prices and environmental concerns mean that policymakers, producers and consumers alike are searching for newer and cleaner fuel sources. Congress sees potential in nuclear. It authorized in last year's energy bill $1 billion in tax credits as well as $500 million in insurance to protect against delays in construction that are directly tied to regulatory logjams. And, finally, the first six reactors to get built in the 21st Century are promised millions in loan guarantees. z No doubt, utilities are now motivated to at least explore the possibility of building modern nuclear power plants. About 15 sites are under consideration, with roughly 13 of them based in the south. Southern Co. is looking to construct two of them at one of its existing plants in Georgia and plans to file a permit to do so by 2008. TVA, meantime, is doing the same at one of its existing sites while Duke Energy is getting applications ready for construction in North and South Carolina. Dominion Power says it will submit preliminary paperwork next year to build in Virginia and South Carolina and Entergy will also file applications to build two reactors in Mississippi. "We say broadly the passive plants (next generation nuclear reactors) are simple and have fewer active components, and should cost less to build," says Ed Cummins, nuclear engineering manager for Westinghouse in an interview with the Associated Press. "Utilities are not risk takers. Investors want steady earnings and low risk." The International Atomic Energy Agency says nuclear energy now comprises 16 percent of the world's generation mix. But, it projects the use of such power to grow significantly over the next 30 years and mainly in Asia. In fact, 22 of the last 31 such plants have been constructed in Asia while 18 of the current 27 reactors now being built are going up there. Japan, for example, has few natural resources and limited land space while China relies heavily on coal with high sulfur content and is looking for cleaner options. Today, energy demand is growing and some prevalent fuel sources are becoming scarce. That reality, in conjunction with global environmental concerns, means that many of the pieces are now in place for nuclear energy to make a comeback. Opposition will remain strong. But the American public is listening. More information on this topic is available from Energy Central: Entergy’s Nuclear StrategyEnergyBiz, July/August 2005 Dawn of a New Nuclear EraEnergyBiz, July/August 2005 Recycling Nuclear Waste – Fast Nuclear ReactorsEnergyBiz, March/April 2006 Copyright © 1996-2006 by CyberTech, Inc. All rights ***************************************************************** 50 NRC: Sunshine Act Meeting FR Doc 06-8470 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58443-58444] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-115] Agency Holding the Meetings: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Dates: Weeks of October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 2006. Place: Commissioners' Conference Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. [[Page 58444]] Status: Public and Closed. Matters to be Considered: Week of October 2, 2006 Thursday, October 5, 2006 12:55 p.m.--Affirmation Session (Public Meeting) (Tentative) a. Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., (Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station), Massachusetts Attorney General's Petition for Backfit Order (Tentative). Week of October 9, 2006--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the Week of October 9, 2006. Week of October 16, 2006--Tentative Monday, October 16, 2006 9:30 a.m--Briefing on Status of New Reactor Issues--Combined Operating Licenses (COLS) (morning session). 1:30 p.m.--Briefing on Status of New Reactor Issues--Combined Operating Licenses (COLS) (afternoon session) (Public Meetings) (Contact: Dave Matthews, 301-415-1199). These meetings will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . Friday, October 20, 2006 2:30 p.m.--Meeting with Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) (Public Meeting) (Contact: John Larkins, 301-415-7360). This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . Week of October 23, 2006--Tentative Tuesday, October 24, 2006 9:30 a.m.--Briefing on Transshipment and Domestic Shipment Security of Radioactive Material Quantities of Concern (RAMQC) (Closed--Ex. 3) (morning session). 1:30 p.m.--Briefing on Transshipment and Domestic Shipment Security of Radioactive Material Quantities of Concern (RAMQC) (Closed--Ex. 3 & 9) (afternoon session). Wednesday, October 25, 2006 9:30 a.m.--Briefing on Institutionalization and Integration of Agency Lessons Learned (Public Meeting) (Contact: John Lamb, 301-415-1727). This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . 1:30 p.m.--Briefing on Resolution of GSI-191, Assessment of Beris Accumulation on PWR Sump Performance (Public Meeting) (Contact: Michael L. Scott, 301-415-0565). This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . Week of October 30, 2006--Tentative There are no meetings scheduled for the Week of October 30, 2006. Week of November 6, 2006--Tentative Wednesday, November 8, 2006 9:30 a.m.--Briefing on Digital Instrumentation and Control (Public Meeting) (Contact: Paul Rebstock, 301-415-3295). This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . Thursday, November 9, 2006 9:30 a.m.--Briefing on draft Final Rule--Part 52 (Early Site permits/ Standard Design Certification/Combined Licenses) (Public Meeting) (Contact: Dave Matthews, 301-6415-1199). This meeting will be webcast live at the Web address--http://www.nrc.gov . * * * * * *The schedule for Commission meetings is subject to change on short notice. To verity the status of meetings call (recording)--(301) 415- 1292. Contact person for more information: Michelle Schroll, (301) 415- 1662. * * * * * The NRC Commission Meeting Schedule can be found on the Internet at: http://www.nrc.gov[fxsp0]/what-we-do/policy-making/ [fxsp0]schedule.html. * * * * * The NRC provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in these public meetings, or need this meeting notice or the transcript of 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 DLC@nrc.gov. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. * * * * * This notice is distributed by mail to several hundred subscribers; if you no longer wish to receive it, or would like to be added to the distribution, please contact the Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301-415-1969). In addition, distribution of this meeting notice over the Internet system is available. If you are interested in receiving this Commission meeting schedule electronically, please send an electronic message to dkw@nrc.gov. Dated: September 28, 2006. R. Michelle Schroll, Office of the Secretary. [FR Doc. 06-8470 Filed 9-29-06; 9:48 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-M ***************************************************************** 51 Wisconsin Radio Network: Candidate says Congress "punts" on depleted uranium Tuesday, October 03, 2006, 12:36 PM by Bob Hague A candidate for Congress says more needs to be done for veterans exposed to depleted uranium. That's the contention from Mike Mikes, Green Party candidate in northern Wisconsin's Seventh congressional district. Miles notes that depleted uranium munitions were first used during the first Gulf War, and that 25% of the troops deployed in that conflict are now suffering from some type of permanent disability. Miles says that, not only has Congress "punted" on the issue of depleted uranium, they're also cutting funds for the Veterans Administration. Miles says many Gulf War vets now refer to depleted uranium as the "Agent Orange" of their generation. Miles was among 78 people cited for trespassing Monday at the suburban Minneapolis headquarters of Aliant Technosystems. The firm is the world's largest producer of depleted uranium weapons, according to Miles. Tel: 608.251.3900; Fax: 608.251.7233;  - ©2006 ***************************************************************** 52 Hudson Valley News: NRC to discuss Indian Points alert and notification system Tuesday, October 3, 2006 Buchanan Current performance issues involving the Indian Point nuclear power plants emergency notification system will be discussed at an NRC public meeting on Friday, October 6. The 1 p.m. session at Crystal Bay on the Hudson in Peekskill, will be between the NRC and Entergy, the company that owns the nuclear power plants. In recent years, Indian Points 10-mile radius siren system has experienced a number of failures. More recently, there have been three occasions when the system was unavailable due to hardware and/or human performance problems. The purpose of meeting is discuss the companys corrective actions to address the systems ongoing performance issues; steps being taken by the company to avoid similar problems with the new system it is installing; and the status of the installation of that new system. Entergy is currently replacing its emergency notification system. ----------------------------------------------------------------- HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's only Internet radio news report. ***************************************************************** 53 ITAR-TASS: Tianwan NPP becomes brand name for Russian company 02.10.2006, 23.01 LIANGYUNGANG (CHINA), October 2 (Itar-Tass) - The construction of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China has become a “brand name” for Russia’ s state-owned company Atomstroiexport, its president Sergei Shmatko said. He said the project, launched in 1999, had become the first full-scale contract for building a nuclear power plant abroad after a more than 10-year pause. “The contract for the construction of the Tianwan nuclear power plant has allowed us to restore if not lost then surely forgotten administrative and technological elements of building nuclear power plants abroad,” Shmatko said. “Considering the combination of active and passive safety and security systems at the Tianwan nuclear power plant, it is unparalleled in the world,” he said. For example, the plant has a so-called “core melt trap” under the reactor, which can also withstand a plane attack and a magnitude 9 earthquake. Reactor No. 1 at the Tianwan nuclear power plant was connected to the Chinese power system in May 2006. Russian specialists are waiting for Chinese supervisory authorities’ permission to increase its capacity to 75 percent. “The Russian side has submitted all necessary documents to the Chinese partners,” Atomstroiexport Vice President Yevgeny Reshetnikov said. Alexander Selikhov, who is charge of the Tianwan nuclear power plant construction, said more than 520 Russian specialists were working under the project. Russia and China have decided to build reactors 3 and 4 at the Tianwan nuclear power plant. The commencement of this work will depend on the successful commissioning of the first stage of the project, the chief of the Russian Federal Agency of Atomic Energy, Sergei Kiriyenko, said. “The Russian side can bring the Tianwan nuclear power plant to full capacity by the end of this year,” Kiriyenko said on Monday. He said reactor No. 1 was operating at 40 percent of its capacity, generating 400 megawatt of electricity. “After a week of holidays in China [ends on October 8] we hope to receive the supervisory authorities’ permission to increase the capacity of the reactor to 75 percent,” he said. “The situation at the Tianwan nuclear power plant is unique. Usually the client wants work to be done faster, and the contractor asks for more time to carry out additional tests. The situation here is the opposite. The Russian contractor is ready to commission the reactor faster, but the Chinese partners think there should be no haste,” Kiriyenko said. “Such position deserves respect and understanding because reactor No. 1 is the main one, and there will be a series of them under the project,” he added. Kiriyenko and his Chinese counterpart, Sun Jing, visited the Tianwan nuclear power plant and examined the construction site of reactor No. 3. The Tianwan plant’s chief Jiang Goyuang told the directors of the two countries’ nuclear agencies that 900,000 cubic metres of soil had been dug at the construction site for the reactor. Over six million cubic metres of rock are to be removed for preparing the construction site for reactor No. 4, a task that is to take at least a year, he said. Authorities of the Jiangsu province are considering providing an additional area for the third and fourth stages of the Tianwan nuclear power plant, with building four more reactors. The Russian-assisted project of the nuclear power plant in Liangyungang allows for installing eight reactors. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, ***************************************************************** 54 ITAR-TASS: Kazakhstan to participate in nuclear center creation - Putin 03.10.2006, 18.41 URALSK, October 3 (Itar-Tass) -- Kazakhstan will participate in the creation of an international nuclear center in Russian territory, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “President Nursultan Nazarbayev made a decision to plug Kazakhstan into the Russian initiative for creating an international nuclear center in Russian territory to provide nuclear fuel cycle services, including uranium enrichment,” Putin told a news conference. He stressed the center’s ability “to provide non-discriminatory access to nuclear power for other countries and the compliance with the non-proliferation regime.” The Russian atomic energy agency Rosatom last week launched the practical implementation of a project to create an international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk. Rosatom’s deputy chief Nikolai Spassky said a number of other countries, alongside Kazakhstan, had declared their intention to join in. “Consultations are underway with other countries, both eager to enjoy uranium enrichment services and those having the corresponding technologies and interested in taking part in the future center’s activities for purely commercial reasons,” the Rosatom deputy chief said. Investments in the project will measure “billions of dollars.” As far as the deadlines are concerned, “at this point it is possible to contemplate the creation of the first unit in 4-5 years’ time after the decision has been made and formalized.” The international nuclear center is to be based on the premises of the Angarsk Electrolysis and Chemical Complex. Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko earlier said the yet-to-be created international uranium enrichment center might go in operation in Russian territory early next year under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Danial Akhmetov earlier said his country would become the world’s leading uranium producer. It accounts for 25 percent of the world’s uranium reserves. In January-June 2006 Kazakhstan mined 2,336.7 tonnes of uranium. Annual production growth will average 12 percent. The explored uranium reserves in Russia stand at 615,000 tonnes, Kiriyenko said. Last week he announced “a decision to create a mining company that would consolidate all uranium production inside and outside Russia.” “We have been cooperating actively with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan along these lines. In January or February 2006 we shall be celebrating the production of the first tonne of uranium at the Zarechnoye joint venture we had created with Kazakhstan,” the Rosatom chief said. Kazakhstan has declared the intention to build a nuclear power plant, but no bidding contests will be held. A Russian contractor will be invited to do the job. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, ***************************************************************** 55 Business Day: SA backs Indias nuclear ambition  Mbeki  03 October 2006 Jonathan Katzenellenbogen International Affairs Editor PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki yesterday gave the strongest indication yet that SA supports Indias bid to be given access to international technology for a civilian nuclear- energy programme. The matter is controversial as India has nuclear weapons and is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Speaking at a press conference after talks with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mbeki indicated that SA would give support to the bid by India and the US for New Delhi to be allowed to be given access to nuclear technology to increase the number of nuclear power stations it operates. At a press conference in Pretoria, when asked about what SAs response would be in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Mbeki said: SA has absolutely no problem with that. So when the matter has to be formally decided, surely SA will support that. The Nuclear Suppliers Group is a 45-member group of countries capable of supplying nuclear materials and technology that can be used in a military programme. As a member, SA has the right to veto Indias access. Singh leaves today after a three-day official visit to SA. Yesterday the two leaders signed a broad agreement aimed at greater co-operation in fighting terrorism, as well as in education, defence and energy. Washington and New Delhi recently signed an accord under which India would have access to technology solely for the purposes of its civilian nuclear programme. The treaty is before the US congress and there are signs that it could face obstacles. The Nuclear Suppliers Group operates on consensus. The US said that the group would have the final say on its deal with India. One of the reasons for the formation of the Nuclear Suppliers Group was to prevent India, Pakistan and Israel, none of which are signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, gaining further access to nuclear technology. Copyright © 2005 BDFM Publishers (Pty) Ltd. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 56 Hampton Union: Plant off-line for refueling outage October 03, 2006 By Susan Morse smorse@seacoastonline.com SEABROOK -- FPL Energy Seabrook Station shut down at 12:01 a.m. Sunday for its 11th refueling outage. The nuclear power plant is not releasing how long the facility will be off-line, because of the industry being deregulated and Seabrook Station now in the competitive market as a merchant plant, according to spokesman Al Griffith. The outage is planned, he said, and all normal activities are being conducted for the refueling by an estimated 1,300 contractors on site. The last refueling took place in April 2005. The plant last shut down over Labor Day weekend, because of an issue with a diesel generator, which required maintenance, he said. During the outage, the fuel rod assemblies containing uranium pellets are removed from the reactor and replaced. Spent fuel rod assemblies are initially placed in wet storage for cooling for a planned period of five years. Because of the delay in the federal government opening a dry storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, spent fuel pools are filling to capacity. Seabrook's pool will be full by 2009, according to information given by Griffith this summer. FPL Energy Seabrook Station and other power plants in the FPL nuclear fleet plan to build dry storage on site, Griffith said. Construction is expected to begin next year and the dry storage operational by 2008. Copyright © 2006 Seacoast Online. All rights reserved. Please ***************************************************************** 57 SNA: Bulgaria: Bulgaria's N-plant Plays Down Danube Oil Spot Wed 4 October 2006 The oil spill entered the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube around two in the afternoon on Monday near the town of Vidin. Local Border Police experts immediately sent an official query to Serbia, but did not receive an answer before midnight. Photo by BTA Politics: 3 October 2006, Tuesday. The huge oil slick that entered the country's aquatory along the Danube River has been fenced in to prevent accidents near Bulgaria's only nuclear plant at Kozloduy, located on the coast. First reported as 22-kilometer long, the spot now turns out to be over 30-kilometre long and 400-meter wide. It has split into several parts, but continues to be with high density and huge enough to cause concerns. Authorities said there are no risks for the oil spot to harm the nuclear plant cooling system. The oil spill entered the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube around two in the afternoon on Monday. Local Border Police experts immediately sent an official query to Serbia, but did not receive an answer before midnight. Authorities say the slick has apparently reached Bulgarian waters from the Serbian sector upriver. They believe it will be carried by the flow of the river to the Romanian coast partly due to the two large islands near Kozloduy. Authorities called on people in riverside settlements to refrain from using water from the Danube. Click here to receive realtime news about this topic in the future. novinite.com Forum Google Tourism Business All Rights Reserved © Novinite Ltd., 2001-2006 - Copyright &Disclaimer - Privacy Policy ISO 9001:2000 Certified Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish ***************************************************************** 58 AFP: Yemen to obtain nuclear power with US, Canada help - [Ali Abdullah Saleh] SANAA (AFP) - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has said his country, one of the poorest in the world, plans to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes with the help of the United States and Canada. "I confirm that our intentions are serious. We will produce electricity by nuclear energy, in cooperation with the United States and Canada," Saleh said on Monday evening in remarks quoted Tuesday by the Saba news agency. In July, Saleh had already said he would seek to produce nuclear energy for civilian use as he presented his candidacy for last month's presidential elections, which gave him a new seven-year mandate. "(My) speech is serious, it is not an electioneering speech," he said. Saleh had defended "the right of the Arab countries to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes" in a public statement in June, amid an international crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions. The country has dwindling oil reserves. AFP ***************************************************************** 59 Guardian Unlimited: N.J. Port Gets New Radiation Detectors From the Associated Press [UP] Tuesday October 3, 2006 8:16 AM By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press Writer NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - More than 200 times each day, authorities detect radiation in containers arriving off cargo ships at Port Newark. It's in ceramic tiles, granite, pottery, kitty litter - all natural products made from Earth's elements. This month, the port is getting a new generation of radiation detectors that will more quickly distinguish those natural products from dangerous nuclear materials that could be used by terrorists. It's just one of several new technologies being used at the nation's third busiest seaport to help screen for dirty bombs or terrorist weapons. ``Of all the areas that need to be addressed, this is the Holy Grail. This is the one that's the scariest,'' said Tom Barnes, a maritime security expert with Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J. and retired U.S. Navy captain. ``You can make a lot of people sick or even kill a lot of people,'' he said. ``When you talk about radiation, that's what shuts areas down for 50 years. Just think Chernobyl.'' The devices being tested at Port Newark represent the next generation in port security, according to Kevin McCabe, chief of seaport enforcement for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection in New York and New Jersey. If they prove successful, they could change how ports across the nation screen for threats, he said. Customs agents use hand-held isotope identifiers to confirm that cargo emits only naturally occurring radiation if an alarm is triggered by stationary sensors. This can happen every few minutes at Port Newark, where 5,000 to 6,000 containers arrive daily. One recent morning, the light on one of the goal-post-shaped radiation detectors changed from green to red as a tractor trailer passed through with a loaded container behind it. A customs inspector then walked alongside the container holding up a radiation detector that took readings on what was inside. The readings soon showed the radiation was nothing to be concerned about. It was ceramic tile - exactly what the truck's paperwork indicated. The alert was canceled, and the truck continued on its way out of the port, all within about three minutes. The new detectors, Advanced Spectroscopic Portals, would identify the cargo as trucks haul the containers out of the seaport, without the need for officers to walk around the truck, pressing hand-held units against its side and waiting for sensors to determine what's inside. Port Newark will be the first U.S. seaport to test the ASP detectors, which cost $1.1 billion to develop. If the tests are successful, they likely would be deployed nationally, McCabe said. Testing will start this month, and they should be operational by early 2007. Other major security initiatives either under way or planned for Port Newark include an advance imaging system capable of peering far deeper into cargo containers than the current technology allows, and the deployment of four portable radiation detection trucks that can scan cargo containers and create an image of what's inside. Where current imaging systems can penetrate about 3 to 5 inches of steel, the new system, mounted on a vehicle resembling a large Winnebago camper, can see about a foot and a half inside. About 7 percent of the containers that come into Port Newark - 350 to 400 as day - are considered to be high-risk, singled out for extra inspections, either because of their points of origin, their listed contents, or unfamiliar shippers. Of those, 25 to 30 are completely emptied and checked by hand. All cargo is screened using a computer database that lists virtually everything that has entered or left the port in the past 25 years and is a useful source on past shipping patterns. The screening makes anomalies easily apparent, McCabe said. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006 ***************************************************************** 60 Interfax: Putin ratifies international convention against nuclear terror Interfax.com Site map Oct 3 2006 3:40PM MOSCOW. Oct 3 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law a bill ratifying the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, a press release posted on the president's official website says. The convention, which was signed on behalf of Russia in New York on September 14, 2005, was ratified by the State Duma on September 15, 2006, and the Federation Council on September 25. The convention, which was drafted at Russia's initiative, is the first UN universal treaty aimed at preventing terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. The convention has been signed by 107 countries and ratified by the parliaments of six nations, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said earlier. The document will come into force after it is ratified by 22 countries, he said. © 1991-2006 Interfax All rights reserved News and other data on this web site are provided for information purposes only, and are not intended for republication or redistribution. Republication or redistribution of Interfax content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Interfax. ***************************************************************** 61 Coastal Post: VA Report Says Gulf War Syndrome Doesn't Exist Article October, 2006 MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS MONTHLY - FREE PRESS (415)868-1600 - (415)868-0502(fax) - P.O. Box 31, Bolinas, CA, 94924 By Marie Seigenthaler On the 12th of September, the US Department of Veteran's Affairs released a report that denied the existence of Gulf War Syndrome, thus unnaming the umbrella disease indicated by a multitude of symptoms found in Gulf War veterans over the years. Since 1991, when veterans returned home from the war, there has been an onslaught of health issues affecting them. Leukemia, asthma, cancers, allergies, and lymphoma, not to mention birth defects in unfortunate offspring, are a few among the many in veterans. These ailments also plague the Middle and Near East, where many hospitals and doctors are incapable of assisting. Back in the States we have uninformed doctors attempting to treat symptoms of mystery diseases. Prior to now, only one study has been conducted by the government for depleted uranium in veterans. 32 soldiers, out of over 900 thousand men and women serving in both Gulf Wars, were tested for clinical health effects caused by depleted uranium. Their findings? Nothing that significantly deterred their health. While this is too small a sample to gauge for the other veterans, at least that .00003% is unharmed. The recent study was unique in that it was conducted at the request of the VA to determine the current state of veterans "irrespective of the exposure information". With a balanced mindset and assumptions cleared, a team of scientists set to work researching. The hunt for reliable information in the clause of a subject as touchy as the Gulf War is difficult. Many studies had to be declared "secondary" to be used as context or background. The selection of information is just as frustrating. Many of the studies don't use the same definition for the same terms. Still others had "invalid" control groups, if any at all. But, by the miracles of science and improvising thereof, perhaps the first iota of reliable intelligence regarding GWS is unveiled. Their results? "No unique syndrome, unique illness, or unique symptom complex in deployed Gulf War veterans. Veterans of the Gulf War report higher rates of nearly all symptoms or sets of symptoms than their non-deployed counterparts; 29% of veterans meet a case definition of "multi-symptom illness," as compared with 16% of non-deployed veterans." The point of this report seems extraneous, given that the veterans have been told for years that there is no single cause to their symptoms. And as there were many nasties employed throughout the war, including but not limiting to Benzene, Sarin, insecticides, and depleted uranium, this should be a given. So what's next? We have these results, so what are we going to do for the veterans? According to the report, the recommended actions are that we offer health screens both before and after combat, evaluate exposures, and look for "adverse health outcomes" such as cancer. One would think that we should have been doing this from the start by default. But then, one would also think that our government would sooner release vital information regarding the welfare of American veterans than spend over 300 million tax dollars researching for a treatment to a disease that doesn't exist. ***************************************************************** 62 NRC: Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes - Meeting FR Doc E6-16267 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58443] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-114] Notice AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY: NRC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on October 24, 2006. A sample of agenda items to be discussed during the public sessions includes: (1) NARM Legislation Update; (2) Status of Specialty Board applications for NRC recognition; (3) Staff Actions for Authorized Medical Physicist and Radiation Safety Officer; (4) Interim Inventory and National Sealed Source Tracking; (5) Status of Medical Events; (6) NARM Guidance. To review the agenda, see http://www.nrc.gov/[fxsp0]reading-rm/doc- collections/[fxsp0]acmui/agenda/ or contact Mohammad Saba, by telephone at: (301) 415-7608, or via e-mail at: mss@nrc.gov. Purpose: Discuss issues related to 10 CFR Part 35, Medical Use of Byproduct Material. Date and Time for Closed Session Meeting: October 24, 2006, from 8 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. This session will be closed so that NRC staff can brief the ACMUI on information relating solely to internal personnel rules. Dates and Times for Public Meetings: October 24, 2006, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Address for Public Meeting: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Two White Flint North Building, Room T2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mohammad S. Saba by telephone at: (301) 415-7608 or via e-mail at: mss@nrc.gov of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Conduct of the Meeting Leon S. Malmud, M.D., will chair the meeting. Dr. Malmud will conduct the meeting in a manner that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. The following procedures apply to public participation in the meeting: 1. Persons who wish to provide a written statement should submit a reproducible copy to Mohammad S. Saba, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop T8F03, Washington DC 20555. Alternatively, an e- mail can be submitted to mss@nrc.gov. Submittals must be postmarked or e-mailed by October 17, 2006, and must pertain to the topics on the agenda for the meeting. 2. Questions from members of the public will be permitted during the meeting, at the discretion of the Chairman. 3. The transcript and written comments will be available for inspection on NRC's Web site (http://www.nrc.gov) and at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-2738, telephone (800) 397-4209, on or about January 25, 2007. This meeting will be held in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (primarily Section 161a); the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App); and the Commission's regulations in Title 10, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 7. 4. Attendees are requested to notify Mohammad S. Saba, at his previously stated contact information, of their planned attendance if special services, such as for the hearing impaired, are necessary. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of September, 2006. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Andrew L. Bates, Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E6-16267 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 63 News & Star: Nuke alert training day Published on 03/10/2006 ONE of the biggest nuclear disaster training exercises for 15 years takes place in Carlisle today. Emergency control rooms will be set up at the Civic Centre and the city’s Sands Centre. There will be an increased number of Cumbria Fire and Rescue vehicles in the area. The site siren at Sellafield will also be sounded, but nearby residents should take no action. The exercise, codenamed Oscar 8, will work on the assumption that Summergrove, the plant’s normal emergency control centre, is out of action. ***************************************************************** 64 Bradenton Herald: Residents angered by state's findings 10/03/2006 | Reverend says toxic plume is example of 'environmental racism' DONNA WRIGHT Herald Staff Writer TALLEVAST - Angry Tallevast residents gathered at Mount Tabor Church Monday to unite in what the Rev. Willie Shaw described as a David and Goliath fight to save their community. The threats, Shaw said, are formidable - a 200- acre plume of toxic waste the state is trying to minimize and industrial development county officials are allowing to go through despite the objections of families trying to hang on to their residential neighborhood. The Tallevast plume must be recognized for what it is - "an example of environmental racism," said the Rev. Charles McKenzie, a longtime supporter of Tallevast and souther regional director of Rainbow Push. The way Tallevast residents have been treated fits a pattern all too prevalent throughout the nation where minority communities are surrounded by toxic waste, McKenzie said. "Some will say we are playing the race card," said McKenzie. "But we are playing the right card, and if it falls along the lines of race, then so be it." At issue is a decision made by DEP last week to accept Lockheed Martin Corp.'s latest data on the plume as complete, thereby ending the investigation to determine how far the toxic waste had spread underneath the community. The toxic waste has been traced back to the former Loral American Beryllium Co. plant. Lockheed Martin Corporation owned the facility when the pollution was discovered in 2000, while preparing the property for sale. Lockheed now bears the responsibility for cleaning up the mess. For years, Lockheed has said the poisons in Tallevast residents' backyards poses no threat to their health or property values. Tallevast residents refuse to accept those conclusions and they distrust Lockheed's measurements of the plume even though the state has now accepted the defense giant's plume maps as accurate. Lewis Pryor, was one of several longtime Tallevast residents who said they don't buy Lockheed's data and that they mistrust DEP's motives for closing the investigation. Moreover, Pryor said, the county turns a cold shoulder to Tallevast when it comes to rezoning decisions that favor industrial development. More than 100 people attended, including Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton and Rep. Frank Peterman, D-St. Petersburg, who represents part of Manatee County. Leaders of the advocacy group FOCUS - Family Oriented Community United Strong - sought Galvano and Peterman's help in forcing the county and state to pay attention the community's concerns. Both Galvano and Peterman said they had little confidence in how the state has handled the Tallevast plume issue and in Lockheed's data. They promised to make Tallevast a statewide issue and Peterman said he intended to seek the help of his colleagues in the Legislature's Black Caucus. Galvano said he would only be comfortable with an independent review of Lockheed's data and DEP's decision to close the investigation phase of the plume clean-up. McKenzie agreed. "We want to make sure there is a full and thorough investigation," said McKenzie. "Tallevast residents are deserving of dignity and respect and we want to go to the bottom of this." The time has passed for answers, said Wanda Washington, vice president of FOCUS. "Ever since last December, DEP and Lockheed have just shut down. They are not addressing our concerns and they have yet to respond to our independent reviews of Lockheed's data," Washington said. Those reviews were conducted by Tim Varney and Michael Graves, independent scientists and consultants to Tallevast who said that while Lockheed's data has defined the width of the plume, it has failed to adequately measure its depth or how ground-water is moving through the area. Varney and Graves' assessments dovetail with the review conducted by Wilma Subra, a well-known chemist and environmental activist who reviewed Lockheed's latest data for The Herald. Personal emergencies kept Varney and Graves from attending Monday's meeting. The Herald did receive Subra's review comments of DEP's decision. Subra lauded DEP for requiring Lockheed to address contamination in private drinking water wells the company claims is not related to the Tallevast plume. Subra said Lockheed has still failed to define the depth of the plume. Nor has Lockheed addressed how the plume is affecting the health of Tallevast residents, Subra said. After reading Subra's comments, Lockheed spokeswoman Gail Rymer expressed confidence in DEP's decision to end the investigation stage. "The State has concurred that we have adequately characterized the plume," said Rymer. "And we are moving quickly forward to develop the final cleanup plan." ***************************************************************** 65 Independent: BNFL to fast-track sale of Magnox nuclear reactors By Michael Harrison, Business Editor Published: 03 October 2006 Britain's ageing Magnox nuclear reactors are likely to be sold off to private buyers within the next six months under recommendations put to ministers by their owner, British Nuclear Fuels. The BNFL board is understood to have recommended that the disposal of its 11 Magnox stations, only four of which are still in service and producing electricity, should be fast-tracked alongside the sale of its engineering consultancy division and its stake in the consortium which runs the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Aldermaston site. BNFL is also thought to have agreed to a plan devised by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to keep the operation of the Sellafield waste reprocessing site in Cumbria in public ownership, but bring forward the date at which private-sector firms can compete for the work to 2008. The Government's original plan was to privatise British Nuclear Group (BNG), the division of BNFL which encompasses everything from Sellafield and the Magnox stations to the Aldermaston contract and engineering consultancy, as one. The successful bidder would then have been given a contract to run Sellafield until 2012. But in August that plan was scrapped in favour of a decision to proceed with a piecemeal sale of BNG. Fluor, the US engineering company, then made the Government a £400m offer for the whole business. Unions attacked the latest sell-off plans for BNG yesterday, warning that it could put at risk confidence among the 6,000 staff. © 2006 Independent News and Media Limited ***************************************************************** 66 Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Tallevast residents frustrated Tuesday, October 3, 2006 #sh_menu ROB MATTSON Wanda Washington, FOCUS vice president, addresses elected officials in Tallevast on Monday. Pollution, industrial park plans irk southern Manatee community BY CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL MANATEE COUNTY -- Tallevast residents are still deciding whether they will appeal the state's sign-off on a survey that shows pollution in Tallevast has swelled to more than 200 acres. At a meeting Monday night, residents railed and pleaded with state Reps. Bill Galvano and Frank Peterman Jr. to question state environment officials on why they have ignored conflicting data. Residents also said they needed help in their fight against The Forum, a 37-acre industrial park proposed for the northwest corner of U.S. 301 and Tallevast Road that they fear will tear their community apart and spread pollution farther. County commissioners will vote on the project Thursday. "We are a historic community; we've been here for over 100 years," said Wanda Washington, vice president of the community group FOCUS. "It's going to completely tear the community apart." The plume of contamination at Tallevast was originally believed to cover about 50 acres. On Sept. 26, Florida Department of Environmental Protection officials approved Lockheed Martin's newest survey showing the plume covered more than 200 acres. Residents have until Oct. 21 to appeal the decision. Three reviews of Lockheed's data by environmental consultants questioned some of the conclusions of Lockheed's survey. One report suggested that the survey had not revealed all the polluted areas. The contamination of soil and ground water was left behind by the former American Beryllium Co. plant, which for nearly 40 years built parts for nuclear warheads under contract with the federal government. Lockheed bought the site in 1996 and shut down the plant. It later sold the property, but not before discovering soil and ground-water pollution on and around the site. In 2000, Lockheed notified county and state officials of the pollution. But the residents of about 100 homes, many of whom relied on well water, were not told of the problem until nearly four years later. Manatee County officials are also waiting to see if the survey will be challenged. If not, the county will proceed with a plan to set up a overlay district to prohibit the digging of wells and put tighter controls on construction in areas known to be polluted. In April, plans for a Tallevast Overlay District were postponed after residents from Whitfield complained that property values would plummet if they were associated with Tallevast. The district has been renamed the Aquifer Restoration Overlay District. The Rev. Charles McKenzie, a regional director of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said he hopes the politicians who attended Monday's meeting at the Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in the heart of Tallevast will do more than listen. "This community feels that it has been somewhat abandoned, and with the effort to put in the industrial park, they feel stepped on again." Last modified: October 03. 2006 4:19AM ***************************************************************** 67 globeandmail.com: AECL gets Candu storage contract in China POSTED AT 9:02 AM EDT ON 03/10/06 Canadian Press MISSISSAUGA, ONT. — Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. has been awarded a three-year, $12-million contract to build a spent fuel dry storage system at China's Qinshan Candu nuclear power site. AECL said Tuesday it will provide the Third Qinshan Nuclear Power Company with engineering services and equipment for the construction of a Macstor 400 storage system. We are enjoying significant worldwide growth in our nuclear services business, a sign that AECL is truly becoming the international full project and services nuclear company of choice, AECL president and CEO Robert Van Adel said in a release. The technology provides passively safe storage for CANDU fuel after it is used in a reactor and has been cooled, the company said in a release. AECL has been a mainstay in Canada's nuclear industry for more than 50 years. The Crown corporation has nearly 4,000 employees and its Candu-6 reactors are operating worldwide in countries like Korea, China, Romania and Argentina. > © Copyright 2006 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 68 Ventura County Star: Scientists to discuss Rocketdyne studies Potential effects of reactor meltdown at Field Lab topic By Teresa Rochester, trochester@VenturaCountyStar.com October 3, 2006 A series of studies examining the potential effects on the community of a 1959 partial meltdown of a nuclear reactor at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory in the hills south of Simi Valley will be unveiled Thursday. The Santa Susana Field Laboratory Work Group will present the findings at a public meeting. The studies, funded by the state, were born out of the Santa Susana Field Advisory Panel, which was established in the early 1990s by local legislators to look at the potential health effects of the facility formerly owned by Rocketdyne. The studies were conducted by independent scientists around the country, said Dan Hirsch, a Work Group member who heads the nuclear watchdog group Committee to Bridge the Gap. The body of work looks at how much radioactivity could have been released from the reactor after the partial meltdown in 1959 as well as how many cancers in the off-site population may have resulted, Hirsch said. "These studies are remarkable because they were initiated by the community, which wanted some independent answers about the Rocketdyne site and potential off-site impacts," he said. The studies also address whether chemical and radioactive contamination at the site can migrate into groundwater and whether contaminated groundwater can migrate off-site. The meeting will take place from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, 3050 E. Los Angeles Ave. 2006 © The E.W. Scripps Co. Ventura County Star ***************************************************************** 69 UPI: Analysis: Nuke waste bill could set course United Press International - Energy - 10/3/2006 2:20:00 PM -0400 By BEN LANDO UPI Energy Correspondent WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., has introduced legislation to fix a troubled nuclear waste repository project, setting schedules for transporting defense and civilian material to Nevada as well as a policy for interim storage and recycling. While Domenici's bill is unlikely to move forward in this Congress, he hopes it will start the discussion in the next Congress on an issue the nuclear industry says is necessary to solve before new nuclear plants come online, and fulfills an obligation by the federal government to take control of nuclear waste. And though the bill aims at clearing procedural and bureaucratic hurdles in opening Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, which the government has designated as the final resting place of the tens of thousands of highly radioactive nuclear byproducts, opponents say the legislation is no match for the unsound science of the plan. Bob Loux, executive director of Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects, rejected the bill's premise that the long-delayed project could be worked out. He called the legislation, and others that have been introduced recently, "largely irrelevant," especially before this Congress and said it isn't going to get a serious look by his agency -- at the forefront of Nevada's fight against Yucca -- until next Congress. While Domenici formally introduced the Nuclear Waste Acceleration to Yucca bill -- or NU-WAY -- on the Senate floor last Wednesday, its architects briefed reporters earlier that morning in a conference room in Domenici's office. Domenici's bill would put under the U.S. Energy Department's jurisdiction 147,000 acres of land around Yucca Mountain controlled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Air Force or Nevada Test Site, as well as land needed for the rail system to transport the waste from 131 sites around the country to Yucca Mountain. Right now there is 13,300 metric tons of nuclear byproduct being stored by the Defense Department at a handful of locations and 54,000 metric tons of civilian nuclear waste at both active and shuttered power plants. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission estimates an additional 2,000 metric tons of waste is currently produced each year. The NRC says it expects applications for up to 30 new reactors soon that, when or if they are approved and come online, will increase that production. The Energy Department's schedule for Yucca, if there are no legal, procedural or structural stumbling blocks along the way -- and in all likelihood there will be -- puts opening day at 2017. (Nevada alone has numerous pending legal challenges.) There will be enough nuclear waste produced to fill the repository in a year-and-a-half, however, so the Domenici bill also removes the 70,000 metric ton cap and calls for the NRC to set a new limit. Under the bill, defense waste can begin its travels to the site when the NRC approves an above-ground storage facility at the repository site, planned for 2010. Civilian spent fuel can make its way there when the NRC issues a construction permit for the Yucca site itself -- 2011 at the earliest (both before the NRC has given final approval to store waste). This changes the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which outlaws moving nuclear waste until a repository is actually licensed and allows defense waste to be moved to Nevada. The Energy Department has tripped over its feet on the project numerous times and its latest estimate is to have an application into the NRC by 2008 -- 10 years after a repository was supposed to open. Domenici says he hopes the bill is approved along with other interim storage and recycling plans, including one in an Energy and Water appropriations bill establishing storage sites within the state that generated the nuclear waste. Domenici is also keen on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership that, in part, would place a huge emphasis on recycling technology in an effort to thin out the amount of waste to be eventually stored at a repository. It gives the energy secretary authority to decide what waste can be recycled and sent instead to interim storage or, if it's built, a recycling plant, and which waste cannot be recycled and heads straight to Yucca. "The three pieces of the fuel cycle that I have discussed today -- interim storage, GNEP and Yucca Mountain," Domenici said on the Senate floor, "will establish a comprehensive program that will provide confidence that our nation's nuclear waste will be managed safely both for current and future reactors." Michelle Boyd, legislative director of Public Citizen's Energy Program, in a news statement, called the bill a waste of "billions of taxpayer dollars" -- about $10 billion over the past 20 years, the Energy Department estimates -- "on the flawed Yucca Mountain site, on a dangerous scheme to reprocess nuclear waste and on unnecessary away-from-reactor interim storage." She also said that to have a plan that centers on the Yucca Mountain project, without it being approved by the NRC, biases the regulatory process. The Nuclear Energy Institute, the leading industry trade group, has praised Domenici's bill to address an issue first placed on Congress' desk in the 1950s. © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 70 Pueblo Chieftain: Agreement sets stage for Flats upcoming life as wildlife refuge Pueblo, Colorado U.S.A Tuesday October 03, 2006 AP PHOTO/ED ANDRIESKI, FILE Deer cross a road stripped of its asphalt at the former Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons plant near Denver. An agreement declaring Rocky Flats ready to be removed from the Superfund site clears the way for the bulk of the plant to be turned into a national wildlife refuge. Site of former plutonium trigger plant is officially considered no threat to the public or environment. By JUDITH KOHLER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DENVER - An agreement signed Friday declaring Rocky Flats ready to be removed from the Superfund sets the stage for the bulk of the former nuclear weapons plant to be turned into a national wildlife refuge. The $7 billion cleanup of the 6,200-acre site 16 miles northwest of Denver was completed last year, years and billions of dollars short of original projections. The record of decision signed by the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and Colorado officials signals that the area is considered cleaned up and not a danger to the public and environment, said Frazer Lockhart, manager of the DOEs Rocky Flats office. The next steps are approval of a plan detailing the DOEs long-term monitoring and management of the 1,600-acre core where plutonium triggers were produced for nuclear weapons and the transfer of about 4,900 acres to the Department of Interior to manage as a wildlife refuge. This really marks the end of the regulatory process for the cleanup of the site, Lockhart said. The EPA must agree to remove Rocky Flats from its Superfund list before the land can be managed as a wildlife refuge. Lockhart said the transfer to the Interior Department likely will happen early next year. We dont really see any technical barriers to that, Lockhart said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which released a conservation plan for the site in 2005, has said it will be a few years before any of the planned trails and facilities are open to the public. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., sponsored the legislation to turn the former bomb plant into a wildlife refuge. This effort stands as a model to the nation on how we can, with determination, collaboration and innovation, reclaim areas that have been impacted by weapons production and industrial use, Udall said. Allard noted that the DOE originally estimated the cleanup could take up 60 years and cost $35 billion. He said cooperation among state and federal agencies, activists and the surrounding communities greatly accelerated the cleanup by private contractor Kaiser-Hill and the transformation from weapons to wildlife. Together we have made the impossible possible, Allard said. In nearly four decades, some 70,000 plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs were made at Rocky Flats. Production was halted in 1989 because of chronic safety problems, prompting a raid by FBI agents. The Cold War ended before production could resume. In 1993, the DOE announced that the facilitys mission was over. State and federal regulators signed an agreement in 1996 on the cleanup, including demolition of what was dubbed the most dangerous building in America because of leaks, spills and a fire that drove radiation levels off the charts. Thousands of acres of open space buffered the industrial complex made up of about 800 buildings. High-level radioactive waste was shipped to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico and less contaminated waste was sent to sites in Utah and Nevada. Some of the structures were reduced to rubble and buried beneath several feet of earth. In 2000, Allard and Udall announced their plan to turn most of the land into a national wildlife refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service says the tall-grass prairie in the buffer, relatively undisturbed for about 40 years, is home to a mule deer herd, elk, coyotes, the Western painted turtle and several species of birds. The site is also considered habitat for the threatened Prebles meadow jumping mouse. Critics have questioned the thoroughness of the cleanup and dont think the public should ever be allowed on the site.0 Clearly, we need to make sure the sites cleanup components are adequately secured and monitored, Udall said. The DOE will maintain control over 1,600 acres to run treatment systems for plumes of contaminated groundwater and do monitoring. The government is negotiating to acquire private mineral rights on the land. On the Net: The Rocky Flats Closure Project: www.chieftain.com Star-Journal Publishing Corp. Pueblo, Colorado U.S.A. ***************************************************************** 71 DOE: Department of Energy Releases Strategic Plan to Address Energy Challenges October 2, 2006 WASHINGTON, DC  Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman today released the Departments five-year strategic plan that focuses on the Departments role in powering and securing Americas future. The plan addresses overall Department goals for developing and deploying new clean energy technologies, reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources, protecting our nuclear weapons stockpile, and ensuring that America remains competitive in the global marketplace. The Departments plan builds on President Bushs Advanced Energy and American Competitiveness Initiatives, which are increasing Americas energy security, spurring scientific innovation, and sustaining our economic vitality. The Department of Energys strategic plan outlines a path forward to enhance our clean energy options and advance national security interests while protecting the health and safety of our workers and the public, Secretary Bodman said. Building on the Departments rich and diverse history and the Presidents initiatives, this plan details the steps necessary to keep our commitments, embrace innovation, and work together to ensure safe, secure, and environmentally responsible operations. The Departments strategic plan seeks to deliver results along five strategic themes that include promoting Americas energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable sources; ensuring Americas nuclear security by transforming the nuclear weapons stockpile through development of Reliable Replacement Warheads that are safer and more secure; strengthening U.S. scientific discovery, economic competitiveness, and improving quality of life through scientific innovations; protecting the environment through responsible resolution of weapons era waste; and strengthening the operations and management of the Department. The plan addresses the energy, environmental, and nuclear security challenges facing the nation. The thrust of the plan is founded on innovation through science-driven development of new technologies. It outlines commitments to energy diversity and efficiency through a host of clean fuels and new technologies, including bold new initiatives in nuclear, coal, biomass, and solar energy as outlined in the Presidents Advanced Energy Initiative. It also renews and extends the Departments commitment to the environment, both resolving legacy nuclear waste and supporting a future of cleaner energy. To meet the pledge to the national security interests of the United States, the Departments plan details a path that will ensure a reliable and responsive nuclear weapons stockpile and advance the goal of global nuclear non-proliferation. The Department of Energy updates its strategic plan in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA). To access the Departments 2006 Strategic Plan, go to http://www.energy.gov/about/strategicplan.htm. Media contact(s): Craig Stevens, (202) 586-4940 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 72 DOE: DOE-Supported Researcher Is Co-Winner of 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics October 3, 2006 WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman today congratulated Dr. George F. Smoot of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley, and Dr. John C. Mather of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for co-winning the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics. I offer my congratulations to George Smoot and John Mather for their outstanding contributions to science, which are being recognized with the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, Secretary Bodman said. The groundbreaking work of these two American scientists showed us how to look back in time to the very infancy of our universe, so we might better understand how it came to be, and where it is going. They began a scientific journey that we are still on today, one I am sure that will lead to more amazing discoveries in the future. The two American scientists were honored for leading the enormous teams of researchers, engineers and others who worked on the historic 1989 NASA COBE satellite experiment and measured its results. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly to Dr. Mather and Dr. Smoot for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. The Academys news release announcing the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics noted that the COBE results provided increased support for the Big Bang theory of the universe and also marked the inception of cosmology as a precise science. DOE takes particular pride in the contributions of George Smoot and our Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, DOE Under Secretary for Science Raymond L. Orbach said. The DOE Office of Science supported Dr. Smoots research during the period in which he worked on the COBE experiment, and we continue to support him today. In addition, one of the principal instruments for the NASA COBE experiment used to make the discoveries was built at Berkeley Lab at facilities maintained by the Office of Science. This is an example of the scientific excellence that DOE supports. The Department of Energy has sponsored 44 Nobel Laureates since DOEs inception in 1977  and a total of 84 Nobel Laureates associated with DOE and its predecessor agencies since 1934. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences news release announcing the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics is at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2006/press.h tml. Information about Nobel laureates supported by the Department of Energy is available at http://www.science.doe.gov/Accomplishments_Awards/Heroes/heroes.h tm. Media contact(s): Jeff Sherwood, (202) 586-5806 [ ] U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 73 SF New Mexican: Government considering plan to compensate LANL workers exposed to radioactive lanthanum Tue Oct 3, 2006 5:59 pm By JENNIFER TALHELM | Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Los Alamos National Laboratory workers who developed cancer after being exposed to a radioactive substance during two decades of nuclear weapons experiments in Bayo Canyon may soon qualify for automatic payments from the government. But it is unclear how many workers will be eligible, said a staffer for Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., who is working to make sure the group is a broad as possible. Between Sept. 1, 1944, and July 18, 1963, Los Alamos lab employees set off about 250 tests of atomic bomb components using a substance called radioactive lanthanum. Officials now say that substance endangered the health of workers who were exposed to it. The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, which helps determine whether to compensate sick Cold War-era workers, last month recommended the radioactive lanthanum workers be included in a group eligible for automatic compensation. Their recommendation ultimately will be sent to Congress. If the Bush administration and Congress do not agree, the workers will have to go through a lengthy evaluation in which officials try to estimate how much radiation they were exposed to. Udall, who has worked for years to see more lab workers compensated, is happy about the board's decision, a spokeswoman said. "If (the move) will help constituents, even one or two more constituents who would have had to endure the (individual evaluation), we are absolutely thrilled," said Udall's district director Michele Jacquez-Ortiz, who has worked on the issue for several years. There is a complication, however. Advocates say it's almost impossible to say exactly who was exposed during the nearly 20 years of tests, and they worry the administration will use that as a reason to limit the number of people who are compensated. Udall's office is hoping the administration and Congress will also approve a provision that says all workers at the facility during the tests should be presumed to have worked in an area where they were exposed to the radiation unless there's evidence they worked elsewhere. Their recommendation was included in a draft letter from the board. But the final letter has not yet been forwarded to the administration. Officials for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health could not be reached to comment about the letter or the program. Jacquez-Ortiz said Udall's office is hopeful the administration and Congress will agree to the provision. "Congressman Udall was there when we had the first hearings in New Mexico before the program came about in 2000," Jacquez-Ortiz said. "He's been dealing with these very sick constituents for many years now, and some of them have died." ©2006, Santa Fe New Mexican, all rights reserved. Opinions ***************************************************************** 74 Seattle Post-Intelligencer: EPA chooses plan for cleaning up Cold War era uranium mine [seattlepi.com] Tuesday, October 3, 2006 · Last updated 5:20 p.m. PT By JOHN K. WILEY ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER SPOKANE, Wash. -- Radioactive wastes at a defunct Cold War uranium mine on the Spokane Indian Reservation will be dumped into open pits, then covered, under a cleanup plan selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials said Tuesday. Contaminated water from the Midnite Mine near Wellpinit, about 45 miles northwest of Spokane, will be treated at a new water treatment plant before it will be permitted to be discharged into Blue Creek, which flows into the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt, the EPA said. "After a thorough analysis of options, we believe we've arrived at the best solution for a tough problem," Dan Opalski, director of EPA's Region 10 Office of Environmental Cleanup in Seattle said in a statement about the cleanup. "We can't erase 25 years of mining impacts, but this cleanup will protect the health of the community and the surrounding environment." The Midnite Mine is a Superfund cleanup site which operated from 1955-1981. The 350-acre area now is a series of open pits filled with mildly radioactive heavy metals and water that can enter nearby streams and harm humans, animals and plants, the EPA has said. The EPA's proposal calls for removal of mine waste rock from the surface and placing it in two open pits on the site. The pits would be covered with several feet of clean soil. Other pits already filled with mining waste would also be covered, the EPA said. Native vegetation would be planted over the pits to prevent erosion. Groundwater entering the pits would be pumped to a nearby water treatment plant, where sludge would be removed and disposed of, the EPA plan said. [advertising] Spokane tribal officials reacted favorably to the cleanup plan. "The mine ceased operations in the early 1980s, and the tribe has been waiting since then for significant movement toward remediation," Shannon Work, the tribe's special environmental counsel, said in a statement. "The selection of a remedy is a long-awaited big step forward." The EPA plan eases some early concerns about reliance on long-term water treatment and the amount of land that will remain unusable by tribal members, tribal officials said. "We're happy that we're nearing a point where the studies will end and the actual cleanup work will begin," Tribal Councilman Gerald Nicodemus said. The EPA estimates the cleanup work and annual maintenance will cost about $152 million. The federal regulatory agency has sued owner Dawn Mining Co. and its parent company, Newmont Mining Co., for cleanup costs. If that fails, the EPA has said taxpayers will foot the bill. Dawn Mining General Manager Robert Nelson was out of the office and did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday afternoon. The Superfund process calls for EPA to conduct a review every five years to make sure that the cleanup continues to be effective. The final cleanup plan begins the design phase, which is expected to take several years to complete before construction begins, the EPA said. Ores taken from the open pit mine were hauled about 25 miles to a mill near Ford. The mill site also is being cleaned up under the federal Superfund law. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer] 101 Elliott Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 448-8000 Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com ©1996-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer ***************************************************************** 75 DOE: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Paducah FR Doc E6-16296 [Federal Register: October 3, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 191)] [Notices] [Page 58387-58388] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr03oc06-63] AGENCY: Department of Energy (DOE). ACTION: Notice of Open Meeting. SUMMARY: This notice announces a meeting of the Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Paducah. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of this meeting be announced in the Federal Register. DATES: Thursday, October 19, 2006--5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. ADDRESSES: 111 Memorial Drive, Barkley Centre, Paducah, Kentucky 42001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reinhard Knerr, Deputy Designated Federal Officer, Department of Energy Paducah Site Office, Post Office Box 1410, MS-103, Paducah, Kentucky 42001, (270) 441-6825. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose of the Board: The purpose of the Board is to make recommendations to DOE in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management and related activities. Tentative Agenda 5:30 p.m. Informal Discussion 6 p.m. Call to Order Introductions [[Page 58388]] Review of Agenda Approval of September Minutes 6:15 p.m. Deputy Designated Federal Officer's Comments 6:35 p.m. Federal Coordinator's Comments 6:40 p.m. Liaisons' Comments 6:50 p.m. Public Comments and Questions 7 p.m. Task Forces/Presentations Presentation of a Redevelopment Blueprint, Cecil Field, Navy National Priorities List Site--David Williams Water Disposition/Water Quality Task Force 8 p.m. Review of Action Items 8:05 p.m. Public Comments and Questions 8:15 p.m. Break 8:25 p.m. Administrative Issues Preparation for November Presentation Budget Review Review of Work Plan Review of Next Agenda 8:35 p.m. Subcommittee Report Executive Committee--Retreat Preparation 8:50 p.m. Final Comments 9 p.m. Adjourn Public Participation: The meeting is open to the public. Written statements may be filed with the Board either before or after the meeting. Individuals who wish to make oral statements pertaining to agenda items should contact David Dollins at the address listed below or by telephone at (270) 441-6819. Requests must be received five days prior to the meeting and reasonable provision will be made to include the presentation in the agenda. The Deputy Designated Federal Officer is empowered to conduct the meeting in a fashion that will facilitate the orderly conduct of business. Individuals wishing to make public comment will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present their comments. Minutes: The minutes of this meeting will be available for public review and copying at the U.S. Department of Energy's Freedom of Information Public Reading Room, 1E-190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday-Friday, except Federal holidays. Minutes will also be available at the Department of Energy's Environmental Information Center and Reading Room at 115 Memorial Drive, Barkley Centre, Paducah, Kentucky between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday or by writing to David Dollins, Department of Energy, Paducah Site Office, Post Office Box 1410, MS-103, Paducah, Kentucky 42001 or by calling him at (270) 441-6819. Issued at Washington, DC on September 28, 2006. Rachel M. Samuel, Deputy Advisory Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. E6-16296 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ***************************************************************** 76 lamonitor.com: Defense bill on to president The Online News Source for Los Alamos MONITOR STAFF REPORT The Senate gave final approval to the FY2007 Defense Appropriations Bill, including at least $61 million for New Mexico projects requested by Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M. The final bill trimmed about $27 million from the New Mexico projects included in the Senate's appropriation bill. "While the entire federal budget is constrained, we've tried to give the president a bill that fully supports our military men and women in uniform." Domenici said in a release. "One aspect of that is ensuring that R continues on new generations of weapons and equipment that will make our fighting forces more effective." The vote to approve the $436 billion spending bill was unanimous. The bill is expected to be signed before the new fiscal year begins on Monday. Included in the bill are the following projects related to Los Alamos National Laboratory requested by the senator. + High-Throughput Laboratory Initiative -$6.0 million to support at LANL and UCLA proposal to establish a network of high-throughput automated laboratories that can process and test deadly human and animal pathogens. + HMX Requalification Program (Los Alamos National Laboratory &TPL Inc.) - $1.3 million to advance the HMX Requalification Program to minimize the contamination impact caused by residues (HMX) from high explosives. TPL Inc. in Albuquerque, LANL, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center are involved in this work at Fort Wingate in McKinley County. + Field Programmable Gate Array (AFRL, UNM, Sandia &LANL) - $1.0 million to support an AFRL-led collaboration of nine technology organizations working on a Field Programmable Gate Array project, which could result in a FPGA Mission Assurance Center in New Mexico. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 77 Knox News: Moving uranium will save government millions By Staff reports October 3, 2006 OAK RIDGE - Relocating stocks of bomb-grade uranium will save the government millions of dollars in security costs, federal officials said Monday. Ted Sherry, the Oak Ridge head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said removing the highly enriched uranium from Building 9204-4 - also known as Beta-4 - means officials won't have to improve the security there to meet new requirements. The reduced security needs at Beta-4 will save $17 million in the short term and about $137 million between now and 2018, when a new Uranium Processing Facility comes online. At that time, all of the plant's enriched uranium will be stored at two facilities. "By moving out of the Beta-4 facility, we have been able to redeploy our protective force personnel and thus reduce the amount of overtime in performing the security mission at Y-12," Sherry said in a statement released to the news media. The NNSA would not specify how much uranium was moved, but Steven Wyatt, a federal spokesman at Y-12, said the transfer involved more than 600 items in 240 containers. The amount of highly enriched uranium in storage at Y-12 is classified. Butch Clements, the plant's security chief, recently said that the Oak Ridge facility had reduced its uranium storage sites by 30 percent. That means the plant doesn't have to apply maximum security to as many facilities, he said. 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** 78 Knox News: ORNL to get additional security funding DHS official says there are no allegations of conflicts of interest By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com October 3, 2006 OAK RIDGE - Following a review of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's work on databases for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS has approved an additional $32 million in funding for the ORNL work, a department spokesman said Monday. Russ Knocke of DHS said the decision to free up the multiyear funding came after a team visited ORNL Sept. 15 to evaluate the lab's work associated with preparedness programs - specifically, the National Asset Database. The Washington Post reported Monday that DHS was reviewing whether federal managers with ties to ORNL improperly directed $20 million to Oak Ridge in 2004-05 for work on the National Asset Database - a list of the top potential terrorist targets. The newspaper also reported that another $40 million "destined for the lab" had been held up pending the review. Knocke confirmed the review, but he said he was unaware of any conflict-of-interest allegations or similar issues. The spokesman said the DHS team, headed by Rob Zitz, deputy undersecretary for preparedness, was simply evaluating the quality and importance of the work and whether the taxpayers' money was being spent properly. "My understanding is it was a very successful visit, and a lot of important questions were answered," Knocke said. "I want to be clear. No one is suggesting there are conflicts of interest (regarding ORNL's work for DHS)." The Department of Homeland Security, a relatively new federal agency, has been under scrutiny and criticism for wasteful spending and improper controls on high-dollar projects. Frank Akers, a retired Army brigadier general who heads the national security work at ORNL, confirmed that an eight-member team came to Oak Ridge in mid-September to review the lab's work on databases. He said the Oak Ridge work involves the use of specialized software to analyze and integrate disparate databases for potential terrorist targets in the United States. Those databases come from many sources, including the states and various sectors, such as the chemical industry, he said. According to Akers, DHS officials were enthusiastic after seeing some of ORNL's capabilities first-hand. Not only did they release the hold on funds, they indicated more money might be coming Oak Ridge's way, he said. "It's not unusual to have a program review," Akers said of the DHS visit. "If you can't defend the work you're doing, you probably don't deserve it." Akers recently said about $300 million annually, roughly a third of ORNL's budget, is devoted to work pertaining to national security, with the biggest part on nuclear nonproliferation. Akers said he thought the laboratory was doing about $70 million in projects this year for DHS. Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2006 - Knoxville News Sentinel ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************