***************************************************************** 04/13/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.87 ***************************************************************** 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 Iran: the Threat of a Nuclear War 2 Interfax: Russia rules out use of force against Iran, even if it ste 3 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Kashani warns about Western ploy 4 Reuters: Better U.S.-Iran ties would help Iraq - Iraqi spokesman | 5 AFP: Top Iran MP wants talks with US House speaker Pelosi - 6 Gulfnews: Iran offers to share nuclear expertise with GCC states 7 [NYTr] DPRK: Free Our Funds and We'll Nix Nukes 8 [NYTr] US Stamps Its Foot, Demands N.Korea to Act on Disarmament 9 Strategic Security Blog: Russian Nuclear Forces 2007 10 Xinhua: China, Japan hold first ministerial meeting on energy 11 GlobalResearch.ca: 480 US Nuclear warheads in Europe 12 Hindustan Times: India, IAEA discuss nuke safeguards- 13 Hindustan Times: Amorim wants civil nuclear cooperation with India- 14 IAEA: Japanese Nuclear Symposium Marks 50 Years of the IAEA 15 Manila Times: OPINION > Is Japan now a nuclear power? NUCLEAR REACTORS 16 Ghana News: Nuclear energy debate hots up 17 RIA Novosti: Japan's Toshiba could produce NPP components in Russia 18 US: Law.com: Gone Fission: Firms Weigh Nuclear Option 19 US: Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Nuclear plant seeks new way to 20 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point sirens fail final test before federal 21 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for Quad Cities 22 US: FR NRC: Humboldt FONSI 23 US: NRC: NRC Staff Issues Order to Former Contract Foreman for Delib 24 US: UPI: Indian Point fails siren tests 25 UPI: Egypt again backs nuclear power 26 US: MHNN: Entergy asks NRC for siren activation start up delay 27 Vanguard: Making a case for Nuclear Power Plants in Nigeria 28 US: Decatur Daily: TVA seeks final check on Browns Ferry unit: Nucle 29 KalingaTimes.com: Brazil 'positive' about civil nuclear cooperation NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 30 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Family still battling Army over contamination 31 AU ABC: DUSK - supports Gulf War Vets 32 AU ABC: The Government responds to depleted uranium poisoning scare. NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 33 US: Aiken Today: Officials: MOX is safe 34 US: The NewStandard: EPA Helping to Hide Tons of Toxic Waste, Resear 35 US: Green Bay Press-Gazette: Residents OK with dry-cask storage at K 36 US: NewsChannel6: Bingham County Joins GNEP Discussion 37 times and star: Consultation over nuclear waste dump 38 US: OMB Watch: EPA Punts on Perchlorate...Again - PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 39 LA Daily News: Field lab finally on EPA radar 40 Denver Post: Suit against Labor by ill nuclear employees gains notic 41 Denver Post: Whistle-blower helped shut Flats 42 Ventura County Star: Santa Susana lab might be listed Superfund site 43 KnoxNews: DOE unlikely to get salts removed by deadline 44 KnoxNews: NRC: 'Deliberate misconduct' at Browns Ferry ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Iran: the Threat of a Nuclear War Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2007 00:07:21 -0500 (CDT) Iran: the Threat of a Nuclear War by General Leonid Ivashov Global Research, April 9, 2007 Strategic Culture Foundation - 2007-03-30 Analysis of the current state of the conflict with Iran shows that the world faces the possibility of a new war... General Ivashov The US and its allies started the psychological preparation of world public opinion for the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons to resolve 'the Iranian problem'. The US propaganda machine is working hard to create the impression that a 'surgically precise' use of the nuclear weapon with only limited consequences is possible. However, this has been known to be untrue since the 1945 US nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the very first nuclear strike, it will become totally impossible to prevent the use of all of the available means of mass destruction. In the situation of a mass extermination of their nations, the conflicting sides will resort to whatever means they have without limitations. Therefore, not only the nuclear arsenals of various countries, including those whose nuclear status is not recognized officially, will come into play. No doubt, chemical and biological warfare (and, generally, any poisonous substances), which can be produced on the basis of minimal industrial and economic resources, will be used. Currently, one can assert that peace and mankind are in great danger. Consider the military-technical aspect of the situation. Practically, the operation's objective declared by the US - destroying some 1,500 targets on the territory of Iran - cannot be accomplished by the forces already amassed for the mission. This objective can only be met if tactical nuclear munitions are used. An examination of the military-political aspect of the matter reveals even more significant facts. The attack on Iran is not planned to include a ground offensive. Strikes on selected military and industrial installations can cause a severe damage to the Iranian defense potential and economy. Casualties are likely to be substantial, but not catastrophic from the military point of view. At the same time, it is impossible to gain control of the territory of a country as large as Iran without a ground operation. The planned offensive will entail a consolidation of forces not only in Iran, but also in other Muslim countries and among the public throughout the world. The support for the country suffering from the US-Israeli aggression will soar. Certainly, Washington is aware that the result will be not the strengthening but the loss of US positions in the world. Consequently, the goal of the US attack against Iran has to be seen in a different light. The nuclear offensive must boost the use of nuclear blackmail in global politics by the US and fundamentally transform the world order. Further evidence of the radicalization of the goals of the US and its allies is available. The early 2007 leaks, which exposed Israel's plans to use three nukes against Iran, were quite dangerous for a country in a hostile environment, but certainly they were deliberate. They meant that the decision on the character of Israel's activity had already been made, and all that remained to be done was to influence public opinion accordingly. The pretext for the operation against Iran does not appear serious. Judging from both the technical and the political points of view, there is no possibility of it developing nuclear weapons in the near future. One must remember that allegations of Iraq's possessing weapons of mass destruction were used by the US as a pretext for the war against the country. As a result, Iraq was devastated, and the civilian death toll rose to hundreds of thousands, but no evidence for the claims had ever been discovered. The really important question is not whether Iran is capable of making nuclear weapons. The only function of small stockpiles of nuclear weapons not backed by various forms of support is that of containment. The threat of a retaliation strike can stop any aggressor. As for attacking other countries and winning a nuclear war in the situation of a conflict with a coalition of major powers, this would require a potential that Iran neither has nor is going to have in the foreseeable future. The allegations that Iran can become a nuclear aggressor are absurd. Anyone having at least some theoretical knowledge of military affairs must understand this. What is the real reason why the US is unleashing this military conflict? The activities having consequences of global proportions can only be intended to deal with a global problem. This problem itself is by no means something secret - it is the possibility of a crash of the global financial system based on the US dollar. Currently the mass of US currency exceeds the total worth of US assets by more than a factor of ten. Everything in the US - industry, buildings, high-tech, and so on - has been mortgaged more than ten times all over the world. A debt of such proportions will never be repaid - it can only be relieved. The dollar amounts on the accounts of individuals, organizations, and state treasuries are a virtual reality. These records are not secured by products, valuables or anything that exists in reality. Writing-off this US indebtedness to the rest of the world would turn the majority of its population into deceived depositors. It would be the end of the well-established rule of the golden calf. The significance of the coming events is truly epic. This is why the aggressor ignores the global catastrophic consequences of its offensive. The bankrupt 'global bankers' need a force major event of global proportions to get out of the situation. The solution is already in the plans. The US has nothing to offer the rest of the world to save the declining dollar except for military operations like the ones in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. But even these local conflicts only yield short-term effects. Something a lot greater is needed, and the need is urgent. The moment is drawing closer when the financial crisis will make the world realize that all of the US assets, all of its industrial, technological, and other potentials do not rightfully belong to the country. Then, it must be confiscated to compensate the victims, and the rights of ownership of everything bought for dollars all over the world - everything drawn from the wealth of various nations - are to be revised. What might cause the force major event of the required scale? Everything seems to indicate that Israel will be sacrificed. Its involvement in a war with Iran - especially in a nuclear war - is bound to trigger a global catastrophe. The statehoods of Israel and Iran are based on the countries' official religions. A military conflict between Israel and Iran will immediately evolve into a religious one, a conflict between Judaism and Islam. Due to the presence of numerous Jewish and Muslim populations in the developed countries, this would make a global bloodbath inevitable. All of the active forces of most of the countries of the world would end up fighting, with almost no room for neutrality left. Judging by the increasingly massive acquisitions of the residential housing for the Israeli citizens, especially in Russia and Ukraine, a lot of people already have an idea of what the future holds. However, it is hard to imagine a quiet heaven where one might hide from the coming doom. Forecasts of the territorial distribution of the fighting, the quantities and the efficiency of the armaments involved, the profound character of the underlying roots of the conflict and the severity of the religious strife all leave no doubt that this clash will be in all respects much more nightmarish than WWII. So far, the response of the world's major political players to the developments gives no cause for optimism. The inconsequent UN resolutions concerning Iran, the attempts to appease the aggressor who no longer disguises his intentions are reminiscent of the Munich Pact on the eve of WWII. The intense shuttle diplomacy focusing on all sorts of international problems except for the main one discussed above is also indicative of the problem. This is a usual practice on the eve of a war, aiming to provide for alliances with third-party countries or to ensure their neutrality. Such politics seeks to avert or soften the first strikes, which would be the most sudden and devastating ones. Is it possible to prevent the bloodshed? The only efficient argument that might stop the aggressors is the threat of their total global isolation for instigating a nuclear war. The implementation of the scenario described above can be made impossible by a complete absence of allies for the US-Israeli tandem, combined with loud public protests in the countries. Therefore, these days a definite and uncompromising stance of country leaders, governments, politicians, public figures, religious leaders, scientists, and artists with respect to the prepared nuclear aggression would be an invaluable service to mankind. The coordinated public activities must be organized with the promptness adequate to the war-time conditions. The forces of aggression have already been amassed and concentrated at the starting positions in the state of full combat readiness. The US military do not make it a secret that everything can be a matter of weeks or even days. There are indirect indications that the US will launch a nuclear strike on Iran already in April, 2007. After the very first nuclear blast, mankind will find itself in an entirely new world, an absolutely inhumane one. The chances to prevent this outcome must be used completely. General Leonid Ivashov is the vice-president of the Academy on geopolitical affairs. He was the chief of the department for General affairs in the Soviet Union's ministry of Defense, secretary of the Council of defense ministers of the Community of independant states (CIS), chief of the Military cooperation department at the Russian federation's Ministry of defense and Joint chief of staff of the Russian armies. General Ivashof is a frequent contributor to Global Research. Global Research Articles by Leonid Ivashov Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. To become a Member of Global Research The CRG grants permission to cross-post original Global Research articles on community internet sites as long as the text & title are not modified. The source and the author's copyright must be displayed. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: crgeditor@yahoo.com www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the copyright owner. For media inquiries: crgeditor@yahoo.com Copyright Leonid Ivashov , Strategic Culture Foundation , 2007 The url address of this article is: www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=IVA20070409&articleId=5309 ***************************************************************** 2 Interfax: Russia rules out use of force against Iran, even if it steps up nuclear program - deputy Apr 13 2007 4:10PM MOSCOW. April 13 (Interfax) - The Russian authorities are considering several scenarios of actions in case Iran steps up its nuclear program, but fully rules out the use of force against that country, head of the Duma International Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachyov said. "Russian MPs see that the Foreign Ministry and other authorities have well-planned programs of action for different scenarios of further developments involving Iran's nuclear program. The only scenario that the Russian side fully rules out is the use of force against Tehran," he said after a Friday expanded session of his committee closed to the public. © 1991-2007 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. ***************************************************************** 3 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: Kashani warns about Western ploy 2007/04/13 Interim Friday Prayers Leader of Tehran Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani on Friday said that the west's strategy on Islamic states and the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on sowing discord. Emami Kashani was addressing worshipers in Tehran University while delivering his second Friday prayers sermon. "The west has found out that occupation of Islamic states would bring it to its knees and that the world has no fear of the west." "The west pays money and piles up pressure to cause a strife between Islamic countries so that Muslims would kill each other and the west can obtain its desirable outcome thereby," Ayatollah Kashani said. He said the Islamic Revolution Leader Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei has dubbed the current Iranian year as year of "national unity and Islamic harmony," stressing, "this will treat pains of the Islamic world. "The arrogant world has concentrated on Iran. It even has produced a film against Iran because our country is the base and center of a religious thought which will lead to development of the region," he stated. As President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in the city of Natanz on April 9, the cleric said, Iran's peaceful nuclear program has reached a better point, adding, "although the west knows Iran does not seek nuclear weapons which is not based on Islamic orders, it still intends to cause difference." "The west makes certain governments and Islamic states far Iran. Enemies intend to cause horror and fan psychological warfare inside Iran." "The Iranian nation has proved that it is united whenever its national interests is at stake," Emami Kashani said. He stressed the importance of reinforcing unity among Shiites and Sunnis. M/D Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 4 Reuters: Better U.S.-Iran ties would help Iraq - Iraqi spokesman | Fri Apr 13, 2007 4:29PM EDT By Caren Bohan and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Better relations between Washington and Tehran would help Iraq and lessen the tendency of Iran to meddle in the affairs of its neighbor, the Iraqi government spokesman said on Friday. Ali al-Dabbagh was speaking at a White House news briefing where he supported President George W. Bush's effort to resist a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq and said a premature U.S. pullout would leave a power vacuum. The Bush administration has repeatedly accused Iran of fueling Sunni-Shi'ite violence in Iraq by providing arms and other support to Shi'ite militias. Iraq's government includes both Sunnis and Shi'ites but is led by Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. "There is an interference from the Iranians in Iraqi affairs, we don't deny that," Dabbagh said. "We feel that the improvement and the better relations between the United States and Iran could minimize -- could make the interference less." Washington, which has had hostile relations with Tehran's Islamic leaders since the overthrow of the Shah in 1979, is leading international efforts to curb Iran's nuclear program, which it says is aimed at making a bomb. Iran says the program is for energy generation. Iran is pressing for the release of five Iranians detained in Iraq by U.S. forces and says unless they are freed it may not attend a multilateral conference in Iraq next month. Echoing a line used by Bush, Dabbagh said it would be a victory for insurgents if U.S. troops left Iraq too early and cited Thursday's bomb attack on the Iraqi parliament to back his case. Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 AFP: Top Iran MP wants talks with US House speaker Pelosi - AFP - Friday, April 13 TEHRAN (AFP) - A top MP said on Friday the Tehran parliament would favour talks with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after her controversial visit to Iran's ally Syria, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "We are ready for talks with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi," said Mohammad Nabi Rudaki, deputy head of the influential national security commission in Iran's conservative-dominated parliament. "Parliamentary talks can discuss bilateral problems and bring US, European and Iranian nations closer. They could also consider Iran's peaceful nuclear issues," he said. But Rudaki added that "this willingness does not mean a resumption of political ties with the occupying and bullying US government." Pelosi's office said on Wednesday she had no intention of visiting Iran after a top US lawmaker signalled she might be interested in doing so. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos said after accompanying Pelosi to Damascus to meet Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid stiff White House opposition that he had tried for more than 10 years to get a visa for Iran. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic ties since Islamist revolutionaries raided the US embassy in Iran in 1979 and held staff hostage for 444 days. The US is spearheading an international campaign to thwart Iran enriching uranium, which it alleges to be a cover for weapons development. Tehran denies the charges, saying its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful purposes. * Copyright/IP Policy ***************************************************************** 6 Gulfnews: Iran offers to share nuclear expertise with GCC states Last updated: 12:41 (GMT+04) "Nuclear energy would become a need for the Gulf countries as well ... the safety regulations (then) become a collective bargain," says Mohammad Larijani. By Barbara Bibbo', Correspondent Doha: Iran is ready to share its nuclear technology with Gulf countries and open its research facilities to create confidence among neighbours and demolish the charge that the country is on its way to building a nuclear bomb, Iranian officials here said. While supporting Iran's stance over the use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Gulf countries have at times expressed concerns over a nuclear build-up in the region and the risks posed to the environment. "Gulf countries know we are not building any nuclear weapons. They rather fear Bushehr plant [currently under construction] may cause an environmental disaster. But we invite them to visit us and to carry out investigations and inspections of our facilities," Alireza Shaikhattar, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs of Iran, told Gulf News "Our nuclear plant at Bushehr would have the best available safety standards. We are in search of peaceful and safe nuclear energy, and we are ready to make the Gulf countries or any other country confident by allowing access to the nuclear facilities. Unlike North Korea, we have not come out of the Non Proliferation Treaty. The United States is making a false case against us." On Wednesday, Prof Mohammad Larijani, director of the Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics in Iran, told panellists in a public debate on the Gulf-Iran relations that Gulf countries should not be suspicious about Iran's nuclear programme and invited them to share its technology. "Iran's neighbours in the Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] should actually be glad about Iran's peaceful nuclear programme because they can share technology with it," said Prof Larijani. He added that Iran and the Gulf countries should put aside their historical disputes and cooperate following the model of the European Union. Speaking to Gulf News after the talks, he said the Gulf countries would soon be obliged to consider the production of nuclear energy. "Production of nuclear energy would become a need for the Gulf countries as well. Sooner or later all of them would need energy because their resources [oil and gas] are not unlimited. With this in mind, the safety regulations become a collective bargain." Hasan Rowhani, head of the Strategic Research Centre in Iran, addressing the Arab World Competitiveness Roundtable in Doha this week, called for the creation of the Arabian Gulf Security and Cooperation Organisation comprising GCC, Iran and Iraq. The group would aim to establish a common security framework, combating terrorism, sectarianism, organised crime and drug trafficking. Iran would continue on the path of uranium enrichment despite international sanctions, Iranian delegates here said. "Our energy demand grows by more than 10 per cent per year. It is a matter of national interest and economic development," Alireza Shaikhattar told Gulf News. Crisis: We can survive without outside help - minister Asked how the sanctions would impact Iran's nuclear technology development and economy, Alireza Shaikhattar, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs of Iran, said sanctions would only have the result of affecting oil prices, with severe consequences for the entire world. "More sanctions would only hike oil prices with negative consequences for all. The United States is building a case against us, but it seems not to be aware of our capabilities and potential. We are an independent country in many regards, we produce everything internally and we can continue to develop our nuclear technology without any help," he said. "Sanctions would not affect us seriously. This is why they are trying to paralyse our banking and financial system. But Iran has strong historical ties with financial and monetary institutions all over the world. They must consider the volume and capacity of our economy. They cannot ignore Iran." - B.B. © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 [NYTr] DPRK: Free Our Funds and We'll Nix Nukes Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:47:15 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com DPRK to Nix Nukes If Funds Freed Pyongyang, April 13 (Prensa Latina) The Democratic People s Republic of Korea reiterated on Friday its steady will of implementing the February 13 denuclearization agreement, as soon as its funds are unfrozen. KCNA news agency quoted a declaration from the North Korean Foreign Ministry saying that it has taken note of the US and Macao authorities announcement on the unfreezing of the DRPK funds in Delta Asia Bank. Pyongyang financial institutions will confirm soon whether this measure is valid or not, says the text. DPRK authorities will act as soon as the lift of sanctions is proven to be a reality, concludes the official note. This issue has hindered often the progress of the six-way talks, including China, the US, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and DPRK, since the US Department of Treasure imposed financial sanctions on the DPRK in 2005. sus ajs jhb mf PL-16 * ================================================================ .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 ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 8 [NYTr] US Stamps Its Foot, Demands N.Korea to Act on Disarmament Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:50:06 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit AP via The Washington Post - Apr 13, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/13/AR2007041300203_pf.html U.S. Urges N.Korea to Act on Disarmament By GILLIAN WONG The Associated Press BEIJING -- The top U.S. nuclear envoy insisted Friday that North Korea act on its promises to begin nuclear disarmament, hours before a deadline the communist nation was expected to miss to shut down its main reactor. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill did not say what the consequences would be if the North missed the Saturday deadline to begin shutting down its sole operating nuclear reactor at Yongbyon as part of a landmark agreement with the U.S. and regional powers. So far, the North has refused to take action because of a dispute over the release of North Korean funds frozen in a Macau bank. "There is no reason why the DPRK can't get on with the task of denuclearization," said Hill, using the official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We are not indifferent to missing a deadline. Obviously it is a very important date," he said. "We will work with our other partners on the appropriate response to the current circumstances," Hill told reporters in Beijing, where he will meet his Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei on Saturday. As part of the disarmament agreement, the North was supposed to gain access to $25 million in frozen funds at the Banco Delta Asia bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. The bank was blacklisted by Washington in September 2005 for allegedly helping the North launder money and pass counterfeit $100 bills. The funds were unblocked this week, but North Korea's Foreign Ministry said Friday it was still confirming the release. The ministry said the country would carry out its side of the February agreement "when the lifting of the sanction is proved to be a reality." North Korea alarmed the world in October when it conducted its first-ever underground nuclear test. After a 13-month boycott of nuclear talks, it agreed in February with the United States, China, South Korea, Japan and Russia to give up its nuclear programs in exchange for energy aid and political concessions, along with a U.S. promise to resolve the bank issue. Macau's Monetary Authority, which has taken control of the bank, has been tightlipped about the process of releasing the frozen funds. But Hill said the United States considered the problem resolved. "It's certainly worrisome to all of us to see them approaching this date rather lethargically. ... We understood their concerns about the banking issue and frankly those concerns have been met," he said. U.S. officials and experts say the process of shutting down a reactor and having U.N. nuclear inspectors verify it would take at least several days _ making it virtually impossible for the North to meet the Saturday deadline. "It's a technical question, but it does not take that long," Hill said. "We're not talking months or anything like that. There should be no reason to go slow in this process." He would not say how long the other countries would wait for North Korea to act on its promises. "I don't want to put a date or an hour, but another month is not in my constitution," he said. The only immediate cost the impoverished North would suffer for not shutting the reactor by the deadline would be an initial 50,000 ton shipment of heavy fuel oil promised as a reward. That shipment was part of 1 million tons of oil it would get for dismantling its nuclear program. However, it is unlikely the U.S. or other countries would take any punitive action, as Washington also failed to resolve the bank issue within 30 days as promised. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, was still awaiting an invitation from North Korea for a preliminary visit, a diplomat familiar with the issue said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. After a visit by two senior IAEA officials to establish procedures for an inspection tour, the agency's board would meet to approve the first return of inspectors since December 2002, when North Korea kicked them out and quit the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The process could take weeks. ) 2007 The Associated Press * ================================================================ .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 ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 9 Strategic Security Blog: Russian Nuclear Forces 2007 Iraq's Looted Arms Depots: What the GAO Didn't Mention A project of the Federation of American Scientists At the beginning of 2007, Russia maintained approximately 5,600 operational nuclear warheads for delivery by ballistic missiles, aircraft, cruise missiles and torpedoes, according to the latest Nuclear Notebook published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The Russian Notebook, which is written by Hans M. Kristensen of FAS and Robert S. Norris of NRDC, breaks down the Russian arsenal into roughly 3,300 warheads for delivery by strategic weapon systems and 2,300 warheads for delivery by tactical systems. In addition to operational warheads, the Notebook estimates that Russia has a stock of roughly 9,400 warheads intended as a reserve or awaiting dismantlement, for a total stockpile of approximately 15,000 warheads. The Importance of START The future of the START agreement could have a significant effect on the size and composition of Russia's arsenal of deployed strategic warheads. If START is extended beyond 2009 and announced programs implemented, Russia's arsenal of deployed strategic nuclear warheads will continue to decline to approximately 2,000 warheads by 2015 and roughly 1,800 warheads by 2030. If START is allowed to expire in 2009, however, and Topol-M is equipped with three warheads (MIRVs, Multiple Independently Targeted Reentry Vehicles) each and missile production continues, then the arsenal will level out around 2,200 warheads in 2015 but could increase to some 2,300 warheads by 2030, depending on missile production rates (see figure below). Russian Strategic Nuclear Warheads 2006-2030 The future of START will have a significant impact on the size of Russia's arsenal of deployed strategic warheads. Beyond 2015, plans for the Russian force structure are uncertain. This projection assumes continued production of Topol-M at current level and up to six Borei-class SSBNs with 6 MIRVs per missile. The lower chart assumes up to 3 MIRVs on both silo and mobile Topol-M. Col. Gen. Nikolai Solovtsov, the commander of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF), declared in December that Russia will begin to substitute the single warheads on Topol-M ICBMs with multiple warheads after START expires in 2009. He did not specify if that includes both the silo-based and mobile Topol-Ms. If only the silo-based Topol M is MIRVed, then Russia would have 2,100 strategic warheads in 2015 and approximately 2,030 warheads deployed by 2030. Russia might also decide that it doesn't need to continue Topol-M production after 2015, but that would leave it with "only" 180 ICBMs, less than half of what the United States plans to have at that time. Since Russian planning also takes into consideration the Chinese posture, it is reasonable to assume continued ICBM production also after 2015. As a result, the future of START becomes very important. “For us,” President Vladimir Putin said in May 2006, “this idea of maintaining the strategic balance will mean that our strategic deterrence forces must be capable of destroying any potential aggressor, no matter what modern weapons systems this aggressor possesses.” A Need For Additional Arms Control Russia is currently, like the United States, making the decisions that will shape the long-term size and composition of its nuclear forces. Seventeen years after the Cold War ended, those decisions are still closely tied to the size and composition of the U.S. nuclear posture. Putin proposed in June 2006 that START be replaced with a new treaty, and warned that “the stagnation we see today in the area of disarmament is of particular concern.” But a U.S. decision may be delayed till after the presidential election in 2008. The governments of both countries urgently need to articulate and decide on a new phase of arms control that will replace the open-ended nuclear planning of today with a framework for how to get to very low numbers with the medium-term goal of concluding the nuclear era. Background: Russian Nuclear Forces 2007 | Status of World Nuclear Forces | Posted by Hans Kristensen on April 13, 2007 12:00 PM | Permalink TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.fas.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/692 ***************************************************************** 10 Xinhua: China, Japan hold first ministerial meeting on energy www.chinaview.cn 2007-04-13 21:51:41 TOKYO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Japan held its first ministerial dialogue on energy policies here on Thursday, agreeing to reinforce energy cooperation. Ma Kai, head of China's State Development and Reform Commission, and Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari had in-depth discussions on a wide range of energy-related issues, including energy-saving, nuclear power, coal industry and multinational cooperation. They agreed that the cooperation in energy-saving, environmental protection, new energy and oil replacements are the key contents in the bilateral strategic, mutually-beneficial relations and the crucial driving force for the development Chinese-Japanese economic relations. The two sides have signed a joint statement on boosting energy cooperation. Meanwhile, some 600 entrepreneurs from China and Japan talked about energy policies, technology and cooperation covering areas of electric power, coal, oil and gas, and renewable energy. Editor: Liu Dan ***************************************************************** 11 GlobalResearch.ca: 480 US Nuclear warheads in Europe Centre for Research on Globalization Global Research, April 12, 2007 presstv.ir A documentary aired on Italian TV channel, RAI 24, has claimed that the U.S. military is keeping 480 nuclear warheads across Europe, 90 in Italy. Fifty of the warheads are being kept at Aviano Air Base, north-east of Italy and forty others at a military facility near Brescia. The documentary warns of possible nuclear strikes against countries in the Middle East. The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has banned the deployment of so many nuclear warheads in Europe. The documentary has also called on the Italian government to comply with its obligations under the NPT and demand the removal of the weapons from the Italian soil. Pointing to remarks made by NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Weapons of Mass Destruction policy, Guy Roberts, the documentary emphasizes that all sovereign countries have the right to call on the U.S. government to remove all its nuclear weapons from their soil. MBK/KB © Copyright 2005-2007 GlobalResearch.ca ***************************************************************** 12 Hindustan Times: India, IAEA discuss nuke safeguards- Brizil seeks civil N-cooperation with India: Amorim April 13, 2007 Officials of India and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) met here on Saturday to negotiate the proposed Safeguards Agreement, which is required to be put in place to allow the international community to resume nuclear trade with New Delhi. The Indian side was headed by Joint Secretary (Disarmament) in the External Affairs ministry Hamid Ali Rao. Officials of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) also participated in discussions with the IAEA delegation. Under the Indo-US civil nuclear deal signed in March during the visit of President George W Bush here, New Delhi and the IAEA have to work out an 'India-specific Safeguards Agreement' for supervision of civilian nuclear facilities of this country. In the civil nuclear agreement, India had classified 14 of its 22 atomic reactors as civilian, which will be covered under the IAEA safeguards agreement. After the signing of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar had travelled to Vienna to hold preliminary discussions with IAEA officials on the proposed Safeguards agreement. India is expected to seek an early conclusion of the agreement with IAEA in view of the US Congress' desire to see progress on it before the American Parliament approves a change of law to allow nuclear trade with New Delhi. International Committees of both US House of Representatives and the Senate recently approved two bills providing for a change of law that will end India's nuclear apartheid. ***************************************************************** 13 Hindustan Times: Amorim wants civil nuclear cooperation with India- 'Indo-US ties at stake over nuke bill' India will not be in N-club: Rice 'India fails to convince NSG' 'Indo-US nuclear deal not to fuel arms race in South Asia' Madhur Singh New Delhi, April 13, 2007 Brazil will seek "positive and pragmatic" steps towards civil nuclear cooperation with India, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said on Friday. He added that Brazil would take a positive view of the Indo-US nuclear deal at the NSG. India and Brazil have been seeking enhanced cooperation in the field of energy security, especially in view of Brazil’s success with biofuels. “We have strong cooperation in the energy sector and are also looking at other sciences,” Amorim told reporters at a joint press conference with Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma. A high-level delegation of Brazil’s National Nuclear Energy Commission will visit India to explore possibilities of cooperation. Brazil has among the largest uranium reserves in the world, and the success of the Indo-US nuclear deal would open up the large Indian market for Brazilian uranium. Later, while speaking at a business leaders’ meet, Amorim said Brazil will continue to be “unfailingly supportive” of India’s concerns over special products in the Doha round negotiations. However, he said, the WTO is indispensable as it is the only forum where developing countries can negotiate a fair deal with developed countries. “It is the only forum where there is a relative balance of forces," he said. Amorim also lent his support to an India-Mercosur-Sacu FTA, which was proposed at the IBSA meet in 2006, as a forum for South-South cooperation. Mercosur brings together almost all of South America with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Paraguay as members and Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as associate members. Sacu stands for the South African Customs Union and has South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland as members. The FTA being talked about will cover the largest area in terms of GDP ($1.5 tr) and population (1.3bn). While Mercosur and Sacu have an RTA in place since 2004, India is in negotiations for an FTA with Sacu and with Mercosur. Amorim admitted that the India-Mercosur FTA has been held up because the Brazilian Congress has not ratified it, and said the issue would be resolved soon. India and Brazil have been forging a closer relationship bilaterally as well as in IBSA and at multilateral forums like the WTO. Brazil is India’s largest trading partner in Latin America, with bilateral trade standing at roughly $2.5bn in 2006. During his three-day visit to India, Amorim co-chaired the Indo-Brazil Joint Commission which laid the groundwork for the visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in June 2007. ***************************************************************** 14 IAEA: Japanese Nuclear Symposium Marks 50 Years of the IAEA Web IAEA.org Japan is Key Partner in Global Nuclear Scene, IAEA Deputy Director General Says Staff Report 13 April 2007 IAEA Deputy Director General David Waller. (Credit: D. Calma/IAEA) * Story Resources * Mr. Waller´s Statement * Symposium Background Information * Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) * Nobel Peace Prize Speaking at the Special Symposium for the IAEA 50th Anniversary, held on 11 April 2007 in Aomori, Japan, David Waller, Deputy Director General of the IAEA, paid tribute to Japan´s role in the nuclear sector. "Japan is a critical part of the global nuclear community: needless to say, its nuclear industry is one of the most advanced and impressive in the world, and it has ambitious plans for future growth," he said. According to Mr. Waller, Japan remains one of the world's leading nations in nuclear power generation. "Nuclear power growth in the near term, based on current construction plans, will be greatest in China and India. But, Japan, with its ambitious ten-year plan for 13 new nuclear units, will remain a leader," he commented. Hosted by the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) on the occasion of its 40th annual conference, the one-day Symposium was dedicated fully to the IAEA. The event was held to review the Agency's 50 years history and activities, and investigate the current status of the nuclear sector in the world. In summarizing why JAIF would hold a full day event on the IAEA alone, Mr. Waller emphasized the Agency's unique position on the world's stage for matters relating to non-proliferation and nuclear technology development. "The IAEA is central to the global nuclear enterprise. It is the caretaker of the NPT. It is a central hub from which developing countries gain access to peaceful nuclear technology. It is a driving force for nuclear safety and security. In short, by managing the nuclear dilemma it is an organization in which all countries have a stake," he stated. In addition, Mr. Waller highlighted the IAEA's role in helping Member States address a wide range of issues. "Our hundreds of projects using nuclear techniques are driven by unique and pressing needs in Member States. They cover a broad spectrum - from helping locate desperately needed drinking water in Bangladesh, to using radiation sterilization to help eliminate insect pests, such as the tsetse fly, that kills livestock and humans in Africa. And we donated the monetary award that came with the Nobel Peace Prize to a project aimed at training cancer therapy specialists in developing countries," he said. The Special Symposium for the IAEA 50th Anniversary was organized around the theme Global Challenges for the Future of Nuclear Energy and the IAEA. Topics addressed during the event included nuclear power generation and fuel cycle, nuclear safety and security, non-proliferation and future challenges for the IAEA. Copyright ©, International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria Telephone (+431) 2600-0; Facsimilie (+431) 2600-7; E-mail: ***************************************************************** 15 Manila Times: OPINION > Is Japan now a nuclear power? Saturday, April 14, 2007 As early as 1974 Henry Kissinger had seen that Japan could go nuclear without anyone being the wiser. He was then US President Gerald Ford’s secretary of state. In those days only Soviet Russia and its satellites and China and it’s ward Albania published articles about the dangers of a militarized Japan which could turn itself into a nuclear power overnight. China’s Xinhua and its HK newspapers were saying Japan could use its extensive submarine fleet to launch nuclear warheads from against any target. Kissinger’s 1974 predictions were in all the papers abroad last week, when some of us were focused on the Passion of Our Lord or enjoying Boracay or Palawan. I have not seen any comment about it in the Philippine press. According to various wire-service reports, Henry Kis­singer had predicted in 1974 that Japan could produce many nuclear bombs within the framework of the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). That Dr. Kissinger said so is found in a recently declassified U.S. government document. This is a top-secret memorandum of the US National Security Council, an office he had been close to as a consultant even before he officially became a public official. He was the 56th Secretary of State of the United States from 1973 to 1977, continuing to hold the position of Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, which he began to hold in 1969 and kept until 1975. He made his prediction about a nuclear power Japan in an August 21, 1974, meeting with Australian Ambassador to the US Patrick Shaw. Kissinger had also mentioned the possibility of Japan going nuclear in an earlier meeting with then (now the late) Syrian President Hafez al-Asad. He had also talked f a nuclear Japan in an interview televised in Japan and in some other occasions. Ambassador Shaw was concerned about nuclear proliferation in Asia. He remarked that India was now a nuclear power, having done its first underground nuke test earlier in 1974. To this Kissinger replied a nuclear power is defined by the Nonproliferation Treaty as a nation that has produced and detonated nuclear weapons. But Japan could become a nuclear power without falling under the ambit of the NPT. He could see that with Japan’s advanced scientific, technological and industrial development (including its state of the art nuclear power plants) it could produce many atomic bombs without having to do any nuclear testing. Japan could make itself a nuke-armed military power without anyone getting wise to it—and without being a violator of the NPT. “I have always believed the Japanese would go nuclear … The Japanese could build lots of bombs and never explode any within the terms of the NPT,” the declassified National Council memorandum quotes Kissinger to have told Ambassador Shaw. Kissinger was also worried that Tokyo could make and fire missiles using its technology for a weather satellite launch rocket. At that time Japan had yet to ratify the NPT. It subsequently ratified it. But it really doesn’t matter if it did. Japan could make itself a nuclear power without detonating any nuclear bomb. The newly declassified National Security Council memorandum also shows that Kis­singer was exercised by the possibility that “violent nationalism” could emerge in Japan in the 1980s. He and other Japan-watchers could see in 1974 (and earlier) that Yasuhiro Nakasone would become prime minister. Kissinger told Ambassador Shaw he would do what he could to keep “violent nationalism” from growing in Japan. “In the 1980s, when some people like my former student, Mr. Nakasone, come to power, I expect a cycle of violent nationalism,” the National Security Council’s top-secret memo quoted Kissinger as telling Shaw. “Then they will balance the Chinese. We will see a more assertive policy … We will do our utmost to discourage this,” he said. Nakasone eventually became prime minister from 1982 to 1987. Kissinger told Shaw there was a need to supplement the NPT with other instruments. He thought strengthening the International Atomic Energy Agency inspection mechanisms was one way. A question Filipinos—pausing from our parochial concerns—should spare a thought to is: Has Japan exercised its secret and undetectable nuclear option to go militarily nuclear? In other words, could Japan already be a nuclear power? The Manila Times Web Admin. ***************************************************************** 16 Ghana News: Nuclear energy debate hots up Myjoyonline.com Posted on: 13-Apr-2007 Previous Page Proponents of nuclear power are urging the government to embrace atomic power as a long-term solution to Ghana’s recurring energy crisis. It’s estimated that a 400 Megawatts nuclear reactor cost between 700 million and 1.5 billion dollars, but proponents say they would rather see money spent on a nuclear reactor than on other mega-projects like the Bui Dam. Critics warn that the environmental and financial costs of nuclear are simply too high. The retired nuclear scientist and former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Francis Allotey knows all about nuclear power. Since the debate over what energy form would best serve Ghana started, he has been talking to people in high places trying to convince the government to invest in nuclear power. “The president himself, I have not talked to him. But I have got messages hearing that he is interested in nuclear. I have talked to some of the ministers and they have been talking to me. And some of the commissioners have also been talking about it. The Atomic Energy Comission has written a document to the President.” Professor Allotey says Ghana has the expertise to build and maintain a nuclear reactor and argues that nuclear pollutes less that burning oil and gas, and is more reliable than hydro. “We are going to do the Bui, but are we sure the weather will be friendly at the time the Bui has been done? Now we have a problem with Akosombo. It’s good we do the Bui, but we’re not certain that when we are ready for Bui, the rain will fall.” But rain or shine, critics say the idea of nuclear power in Ghana is just unrealistic. According to Balatey Gormey, Projects Coordinator with Green Earth Ghana, “It’s good to satisfy our scientific curiosity and make us feel good, but in actual fact, it’s not an option…” He says the push for nuclear is coming from developed countries who own the technology and banks willing to loan countries like Ghana the money to pay for it, but he is convinced it is a recipe for financial disaster. “Mexico has one plant, which is about 1,300 megawatts of electricity and it has contributed to 10% of its national debt, because it has had to go for loans from the US to maintain this facility in order to prevent any accident. Most of the countries, especially in the third world, like India, for example, when they started their second nuclear plant, three years into the construction period, the cost almost doubled. Because while the projects analysts were calculating we’ll spend this amount on it, other costs keep emerging. A country like Thailand by 1994-95 decided not to go with the nuclear option because of the cost.” Balatey Gormey says the costs of maintenance, storing nuclear waste, and ultimately decommissioning the reactor are beyond Ghana’s means. “Look at Ghana, ordinary municipal waste, 50 years of independence, we cannot manage municipal waste efficiently. What are we going to do when we have nuclear waste? The question is: do we have the money for regular maintenance of a nuclear facility in order to prevent a disaster? Because should we have even one percent of what they had in Chernobyl, I don’t think most of us will survive in this country. It will be a major disaster no one can control.” Gormey says the idea of building a reactor has been on the table since Nkrumah’s time. And that the latest talk about going nuclear is just that… talk and nothing else. He has doubts he’ll see a nuclear reactor on Ghanaian soil anytime soon. And we may find out as early as next week if this really is all just talk really. The Director General of the Atomic Energy Commission, Professor Akaho, has told Joy News that the Commission will be holding a news conference next Tuesday, to tell Ghanaians whether the Commission thinks nuclear energy is feasible for the country. Sustainable Energy and Environment Please Mr John Agyekum kuffour, being the President of this great nation in africa, would like to appeal to you ,not to subject yourself to pressure and approve a plan that will drain the financial resources of ghana forever. Nuclear energy for the country at this present precarious state of the economy will cause a very great harm to ghana environmentally and financially probably till thy kingdom come. Look at the very countires that embarked on nuclear energy and their wealth behind their initial proposals?Lybia, india, Pakistan, North Korea, Iran, Japan got to a point that all avenues, despite, their heavy reliant on thermal enerygy were exhausted before going into this nuclear issue.with all the pros and cons especially the timing of such projects. how on earth, with our little waste "borla" in makola and mallam attah markets even cant be dispose off, how much more this nuclear waste, do we have the money for this? Dont ever make a mistake of doing this now. Thank you Posted By Singapore EVEN MUNICIPAL WASTE!!! The handling of our municipal waste is even highly inefficient, inadequate and environmentally unfriendly. So the question is, are we ready for radioactve waste? Where are we going to dispose it? In our water bodies, like the KORLE as we do now? Or what? Secondly, do we even know the cost of putting up such facilites or even maintaining them? We would only plunge ourselves into more debt within a few years of completion, largely due to high maintenance costs. Look at Mexico for instance, 10% of their national debt stems from their nuclear facilities. Are we even ready to sell power at realistic prices or we'll still play politics with it? How far have even gotten with the installation of prepaid meters? And do we have the necessary man power or we will bring foreign expartriates and at what cost? PLEASE LETS BE WISE. Nuclear energy is surely NOT THE WAY!!!!!! at least not in the nearest future. Posted By shamoo let's think together at least we have now identified that we have a problem with long term planning. the government of the day is not innovative. i think we don't even have to vote for these illiterate legal practitioners any more. we need a leadership who are vexed in the direction of science and technology. now to energy, we have a whole lot of energy sources in Ghana. people speculate about solar, but friends, i'm an energy physicist and i can tell you solar is not reliable for our country. now look at the vast source of energy we can generate from he sea. one plant alone will be enough to meet the demands of the whole west Africa. we can generate and sell to neighboring countries. we will need Akosombo as a back-up. that's all. nuclear is too political for a small HIPC country like Ghana to undertake and the safety. we have the sea so what are we doing. if we decide to channel some resources into researching the potential of the sea alone, we can propel from our current HIPC state to a first class country in less than 20 years. how much minerals are embedded in the sea bed, how much energy can we not generate from the ocean current, how much food can we not get from the sea; yet we leave it ajar like and complain. let's vote for intelligent futuristic and technologically mindful young men and women to steer the affairs of this country. people who can change the mindset of the people of Ghana. vote for me if you want to. Posted By Kojo Agyei Poncho BEST LOCATION FOR A NUCLEAR PLANT IN GHANA If kufour thinks nuclear plants are so safe and good, he should should build this plant in his own backyard. i mean go build it in his hometown. the we can be assured he really has confidence in the technology. Posted By CITIZEN KOFI Nuclear Energy... Let people learn to keep their environments clean before we think about nuclear energy. There is so much wastes that need to be cleard. Solar Energy is the best. The so- called western nations know that when we focus on solar energy we will be far ahead of them. Posted By nana Think Solar and think straight Ghana cannot finance, sustain, or maintain nuclear plants. Please leave this technology with those who are struggling to manage the nuclear waste. Please be smart enough to invest in Solar energy- expensive in the short term but cheap in the long term. Be wise Posted By KD Let’s debate thoroughly The solution to the current crisses lies in painstaking debate. And I believe Kuffor is no body's fool. To insult your President at a forum like this is sad indeed if your head is a fool then what are you? We in Ghana thank God that the relationship btn our current President and the powers that be is a blessing indeed. God Bless Ghana and the President! Posted By Cobbina Daniel Climate Change Guys,all these talk about climate change has certainly not gotten to certain people.But I believe it is real and its going to bring more distortion to the weather in the near future.We cannot at this stage rely on the weather to build our economy(Bui Dam?) How are we going to ensure there is water in the dam.Are we going to seed the clouds for rain or we are going to be praying to God for rain? Lets be realistic,I think nuclear is a better option for sustainable power generation.We are always going to be in debt anyway but atleast lets have a BASIC thing like ELECTRICITY. Poor Ghana. Posted By SKA NO FEARS Ghanaians dont be scared of anything,grab the bull by the horn.Go ahead with the nuclear reator as a long term measure but what is the immediate solution now.Mind you Kwame Nkrumah started but did not finish it.This is time to finish it.GO AHEAD NO FEARS.GOD BLESS GHANA. Posted By SAMUEL AKOTO(LONDON) nuclear We cant do it, we are .... poor, small, "third world",dont have the money, Wait that sound like a ghanain talking. WE CAN DO WHATEVER WE PUT OUR MINDS TO. Posted By ghanaba Solar Energy I think the arguments Gormey is putting accross is absolutely Valid. In my view if we cannot manage domstic waste then managing nuclear waste will be more than a problem, the best idea is to go for Solar energy, let us sacrifice for our children, we have the sun shining almost 16 hours a day, even temperate countries do have solar energy driven plants and equipments, our sun rays are strong enough to capture the required energy. President Kuffour please lets go for Solar energy I know its very expensive but it will pay off in the long run. Posted By Love (UK) Re: Nuclear Energy My ppl, why are you thinking of nuclear now, when you have a poor habit of maintenance. look at the facilities we have in the country, most of them have gone bad due to poor maintenance. We don't even have a proper waste management policy and you thinking of nuclear energy. Look, divide Ghana in energy zones, then we will have enough to supply to everyone. Example: Northern Ghana: Abundant sunshine, Place solar panels there to generate 2400 Megawatts of power. Coastal Zone: Abundant Winds, Place Wind Propellers to generate 1200 Mega Watts of power. Then let Akosombo and the thermal plant sell it's energy to industries. Now that is how you should be thinking. And stop thinking of your stomachs and pockets of how much money you can pocket etc. Again, Atomic Energy Commission, since your establishment, what have you done constructively that has benefited Ghana. And don't tell me experimenting with Corn and Plants. Cos that is LAME. You guys should wake up and do innovative works. Posted By Kobina John Sanni nuclear energy ghana must go in for a nuclear energy as a long-term solution to ghana's recurring energy crisis Posted By adom mensah, kokomlemle I support nuc more than 100% The only way we can do this without bush and blair chasing is to give them the contract. I sggest mr. kuffor do us a favour before leaving office because he is the only person who can beg bush/blair and MAY get approval because they see him as a f***. and are using him Posted By James, UK Disclaimer: Myjoyonline Is Not Responsible For Comments Posted On This Forum. However, offensive comments shall not be tolerated and will be deleted. Search Our Website Enter your search terms Submit search form Web myjoyonline.com OTHER NEWS STORIES Apr-13 Youth employment taken to the next level Apr-13 Tipper driver escapes death Apr-13 President of GaDangme Council calls for cool heads Apr-13 Chiefs urged to help prevent security threats Apr-13 Swimming expedition turns tragic as 15-year old drowns Apr-13 Nuclear energy debate hots up Apr-13 Chief Justice, Hawa’s deaths are punishments from God Apr-13 Ga Stool succession fracas deepens Apr-13 Unemployed father attempts to sell son Apr-13 Togolese refugees in Ghana to return home voluntarily Apr-13 State burial for late Chief Justice on April 27 Apr-12 Rehabilitate borehole-Residents appeal Apr-12 Health scheme collaborates with education directorate Apr-12 Farmers schooled on sorghum cultivation Apr-12 Two persons die in accident Home | About Myjoyonline.com | Contact Us | Feedback | Advertise with Us ***************************************************************** 17 RIA Novosti: Japan's Toshiba could produce NPP components in Russia - paper-1 12:56 | 13/ 04/ 2007 TOKYO, April 13 (RIA Novosti) - Japan's Toshiba Corp. has reached a basic agreement with Russia's nuclear authorities to start talks on the construction of a factory in Russia to produce nuclear power plant components, a Japanese newspaper reported Friday. Federal Nuclear Power Agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko and a delegation of Russia's nuclear industry experts visited Japan April 10-12 to hold negotiations with a number of ministers and officials on bilateral cooperation in the nuclear industry, and to discuss intergovernmental arrangements concerning the use of nuclear energy for civilian purposes. The Yomiuri Shimbun daily said, citing informed sources, that Kiriyenko met with Toshiba executives on Thursday to discuss preparation for talks on the future project, including the location and production volumes. But during a Thursday news conference in Tokyo, the Russian nuclear chief denied signing any agreements with Japanese companies in the sphere of nuclear industry. He said Russia considers Toshiba as "a prospective partner" along with other Japanese companies. Commenting on the Yomiuri Shimbun article published April 11, which said that a preliminary agreement on the joint project to build an NPP components plant has been reached, Kiriyenko said the newspaper was "a bit ahead of news," although he did not explicitly deny the possibility. If the deal goes through, Toshiba could become the first Japanese company to manufacture nuclear power plant equipment in a foreign country, the paper said. According to the newspaper, Russia plans to build 40 to 60 nuclear power plants in the next 25 years, but it does not have the technology to manufacture key components for the reactors and intends to use Toshiba's technology for this purpose. Toshiba has recently been expanding its operations overseas. Last year, the company acquired Westinghouse Electric Co., a major U.S. nuclear reactor builder. The Japanese newspaper suggested that that by establishing close relations with the Russian government and nuclear authorities Toshiba hopes to expand its business in Russia's nuclear sector. Sergei Kiriyenko earlier said that Japanese, Chinese and South Korean companies could be invited to join a project to build a nuclear power plant in the Russian Far East. Meanwhile, Toshiba Corp. denied Friday the Yomiuri Shimbun report on the company's preliminary agreement with Russia. "Information contained in today's article published in Yomiuri does not correspond to real facts," a Toshiba spokesperson told RIA Novosti correspondent. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 18 Law.com: Gone Fission: Firms Weigh Nuclear Option Zusha Elinson The Recorder April 13, 2007 Ever since the Three Mile Island meltdown, it's been a veritable nuclear winter for nuclear energy lawyers. There hasn't been a formal application for a new nuclear plant -- with its long, contentious and lawyer-intensive approval process -- for more than a quarter of a century. But rising energy costs and efforts to curb global warming have changed the climate in the energy industry, and in the nation's capital. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expecting about 30 applications for new reactors in the next few years. Firms with established nuclear energy practices, like Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; and Winston & Strawn, say they're busier than they've been in years and are adding new lawyers. Other firms, such as Duane Morris and Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner, intend to catch some of the work -- construction, finance -- that will follow. "The nuclear renaissance is real," said John O'Neill Jr. The Pillsbury nuclear energy partner, who heads the firm's energy practice from Washington, D.C., said there's plenty of work lately. "For the couple of firms that know how to do this stuff, shall we say, take a number." Pillsbury has been busy helping utilities -- Progress Energy, Dominion, Amarillo Power and FPL — prepare applications for the NRC. In fact, the 19-lawyer "energy section," which includes NRC and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission lawyers, was one of the busiest at the entire 800-lawyer firm last quarter. To cope with the increased workload and to build the practice up, the firm has added six new lawyers in recent months, said O'Neill, who added that he wants another six by the end of 2008. O'Neill said he'll also draw on other lawyers in the firm once the NRC approval process, often a courtroom-like battle between the applicant and opposing forces, begins. In the past, the approval process could last for years, in part because applicants were required to get two separate licenses for a plant's construction and operation. New rules let applicants get both licenses at the same time, avoiding the risk of a plant that gets built but can't be operated. Winston & Strawn, which is representing Duke Energy and UniStar in their NRC applications, became the first firm to successfully apply the new rules when it pushed a uranium enrichment facility through a similar process. While not a reactor, the 30-month approval of the New Mexico project leads Winston lawyer James Curtiss to believe that the process for reactors can be as quick. "Hopefully that's a bellwether for how the NRC will treat these upcoming applications," said Curtiss, who heads the firm's energy practice and served on the NRC from 1988-93 when the new rules were adopted. CHAIN REACTIONS While the application process is dominated by just a few firms, others are looking for ways to capitalize on the nuclear resurgence. Philadelphia-based Duane Morris has formed a new nuclear energy practice group that will focus on the companies building the nuclear plants. "The people we're targeting are the people that are going to be building and designing these things," said Charles Whitney, the firm's Atlanta office managing partner and head of the nuclear energy group. "The activity going on right now has to do with the licensing and that's being done by inside the beltway firms with a long history in the area -- we're not trying to compete with them." Whitney said the group of more than 20 lawyers was formed last year after inquiries from potential clients. Although no work has resulted yet, he expects it to roll in once operators gear up to build. That will include negotiating contracts for projects worth billions, he said. At Thelen, Washington, D.C., energy partner Phillip Lookadoo also said the firm has only had inquiries on the subject, but expects that projects going forward would turn to the firm's energy practice, which ranges from financial to regulatory. "When I was younger, I thought I would like to do that work," said Lookadoo, who studied nuclear physics before becoming a lawyer. "It's 27 years and I'm still waiting, but now it's got potential." Of course, not everyone is as thrilled about nuclear power as nuclear energy lawyers. The disasters at Three Mile Island in the United States and Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union made building new nuclear facilities a radioactive issue with the U.S. public. There's also the large cost of construction and where to put the waste, issues that may become major stumbling blocks. But nuclear energy lawyers say these aren't insurmountable problems, and that the public's fear should be allayed because nuclear plants use much safer and more efficient technology today. About ALM | About Law.com | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions ***************************************************************** 19 Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Nuclear plant seeks new way to store fuel Posted April 13, 2007 By Richard Ryman Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers CARLTON — The details of Dominion Inc.'s plan to begin above-ground storage of spent nuclear fuel at Kewaunee Power Station bothers local residents less than the need to do it in the first place. "I'm not happy it's going to be out here, but it's not Dominion's fault," said Dave Zellner, Carlton town chairman Thursday during an open house at the Town Hall. "Am I worried about it. No." Dominion Resources would like to begin construction on a dry-cask storage system by the end of the year. Currently, used nuclear fuel is stored in the power plant's spent-fuel pool, but the pool is running out of room. Zellner, as did others at the event, criticized the federal government for not helping foot the bill for the additional storage and for not providing a permanent storage location as it pledged to do in 1982. The planned Yucca Mountain nuclear storage site is at least another 10 years from completion, and some question whether it will ever be used. Rick Philipps, a Carlton resident, said he is concerned that used fuel stored at the site could outlast the plant. "My concern is what assurance do I have when this plant is decommissioned or Dominion goes out of business?" he said. "Let's say they go out of business. Who's going to pick up when they are not here?" Francis Wojta of Carlton had a similar concern. "Sometimes, when you build something, it stays," he said. Philipps said he has no problem with nuclear power or with Dominion as neighbors, and would not oppose issuing the plant a building permit for the storage facility. Dave Lohman, project manager for Dominion, said the company soon will apply for a building permit from the town and zoning approval from Kewaunee County. Bill Matthews, senior vice president of nuclear operations for Dominion, said citizens need to pressure the federal government to provide permanent storage. "I advise them to keep up the political pressure," he said. "All we can do is propose the solution to store it safely (temporarily)." Zellner said the cost of building the facility will have to be passed on to consumers by Dominion. "The federal government should return some of that money they've got," he said. Zellner predicted the effort to secure a building permit will result in "an interesting couple of months." Initially, the 3-acre storage facility will house 10 modules, each of which can hold a 75-ton fuel rod storage cask. Each cask will hold 32 fuel assemblies. The Kewaunee reactor has 121 assemblies, with about one-third being replaced every 18 months. All 121 assemblies are placed into the pool during refueling and those in use for three refueling cycles are permanently removed. The spent nuclear fuel is radioactive and placed in welded steel canisters designed to be leak-tight. They will be kept in a dry-storage facility consisting of a series of reinforced concrete horizontal storage modules measuring 8.5 feet wide by 14 feet high, and 20 feet deep with walls and roof that are up to 4 feet thick. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved storage system is designed by Transnuclear Inc. Its Web site is www.transnuclear.com. Contact us at 920-684-4433. htrnews.com is a Gannett Company website. ***************************************************************** 20 JOURNAL NEWS: Indian Point sirens fail final test before federal deadline Friday, April 13, 2007 By GREG CLARY BUCHANAN - Indian Point's new $15 million emergency siren system failed its biggest test yesterday, forcing nuclear plant officials to seek an extension of the Sunday installation deadline rather than try to fix it on the fly. After five tests Wednesday and yesterday passed federal requirements with more than 135 of 150 sirens sounding successfully, officials from Indian Point's owner, Entergy Nuclear Northeast, were hopeful the last test of the day would mean final approval. That wasn't to be, as the most difficult radio-controlled activation left all of Putnam County's 14 sirens inoperable, as well as 16 others failing among Orange Westchester and Rockland counties. In total, 30 sirens failed, a 20 percent rate - twice what the federal government allows. The radio activation is more difficult because of the topography of the Lower Hudson Valley. Two earlier tests yesterday employing the Internet and cell phones as part of the activation method delivered 100 percent success on one and 98 percent success on the other. Entergy spokesman Jim Steets said the company also found out yesterday afternoon that Federal Emergency Management Agency sound audits showed siren volumes that were lower in spots than the company's siren vendor had measured. With only one business day to go before Sunday's deadline, the company has decided it would be prudent to request an extension. It isn't the first time Entergy needed more time. In January, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended the project's deadline by 75 days, noting that there were factors beyond the company's control. It took 12 days from the time that request was made until it was granted. NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the agency would not rule on the extension before the latest deadline, so the project would not meet the deadline. He said it was not yet determined what sanctions the agency would bring against Entergy. The current warning system remains in place until the new one is fully operational, and Sheehan said the agency would move as quickly as possible to determine whether the extra time was warranted. "All of the parties appear aligned on the approach that it makes the most sense to get the system operating in an optimal manner rather than declaring it operational now and dealing with remaining issues afterward," Sheehan said. Local emergency and elected officials were concerned about the company's inability to deliver as promised. "While we are disappointed that the deadline was not met, we have expressed several concerns about the new system, including decibel level and coverage for some densely populated areas in Rockland," said C. Scott Vanderhoef, Rockland's county executive. "We would rather those concerns be thoroughly addressed than rush a new alert system through that could turn out to be inadequate." Westchester officials noted that there already was one extension granted. "We are very disappointed that even with the extension, they have not been able to get the new siren system working properly," said David Novich, a spokesman for the Westchester County Department of Emergency Services. Company officials said they were disappointed with yesterday's results, especially because the radio-activation method, using four microwave dishes to simulcast, is the only method that federal officials will accept to sign off on the new system. "It's not clear where we're heading, except that we'll keep working on it," said Michael Slobedien, Entergy's top emergency preparedness official, after the last results came in. "Because the results were so different than what we expected, we still have to gather more information about what went wrong. To get these results now is perplexing." One benefit from the delay is that the 10-mile emergency evacuation zone surrounding the nuclear plant won't be subjected to a third straight day of siren tests. Yesterday's exercise was the fourth time in two weeks that the sirens have been tested, and even Entergy officials were fielding telephone calls from people complaining about the noise. The system alerts residents in four counties within the 10-mile evacuation zone around the plant to check the media for information if an emergency occurs at the plant. The public does not have to take any action in response to the testing. Reach Greg Clary at 914-696-8566 or gclary@lohud.com. Posted by: ed on Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:57 am Copyright © 2006 The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper ***************************************************************** 21 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for Quad Cities Nuclear Power Plant News Release - Region III - 2007-016 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region III 2443 Warrenville Road, Lisle, IL 60532 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Exelon Generation Co. on Wednesday, Apr. 18, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last year at the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located near Cordova, Ill.. The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Best Western Steeplegate Inn, 100 West 76th Street, in Davenport, Iowa. The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting. “The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Quad Cities plant and the nation’s other commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. “This meeting will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual assessment of safety performance with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant. Our goal is to explain the NRC oversight process and make as much information as possible available to the public regarding our regulation of these facilities.” A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during the period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/quad_2006q4.pdf. The NRC’s assessment concluded that the Quad Cities plant operated safely during the period. The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear plant performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. During 2006, there was one white inspection finding of low-to-moderate safety significance at Quad Cities, Unit 1. This finding was associated with the failure to verify that the design of the electromatic relief valve actuators would not be damaged by increased vibrations produced by operation at extended power uprate power levels. As a result, in addition to regular, baseline inspections during calendar year 2007, the NRC conducted a supplemental inspection on Unit 1 to review the plant’s corrective actions on this issue. All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for Quad Cities, Unit 2, during 2006 were determined to be green. As a result of this performance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline level of inspections on Unit 2 during calendar year 2007. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill., and the agency’s headquarters in Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are modifications, maintenance effectiveness, radioactive material processing and transportation; radiological environmental monitoring program and radioactive material control; performance indicator verification; and operation of an independent spent fuel storage facility. Current performance information for Quad Cities is available on the NRC’s web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/QUAD1/quad1_chart.html for Unit 1 and http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/QUAD2/quad2_chart.html NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. , April 13, 2007 ***************************************************************** 22 FR NRC: Humboldt FONSI Doc E7-7074 [Federal Register: April 13, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 71)] [Notices] [Page 18691-18692] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr13ap07-80] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-133] Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Issuance of License Amendment for the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Unit 3 License DPR-007, Humboldt, CA AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Hickman, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop: T7E18, Washington, DC 20555-00001. Telephone: (301) 415-3017; e-mail: jbh@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a request, dated December 20, 2006, by the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PGE or the Licensee), to approve an amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-7 that would revise License Condition 2.B.3 to allow the receipt, possession, and use of byproduct, source, or special nuclear material without restriction to amount or atomic number, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components. II. Environmental Assessment Background Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) was permanently shut down in July 1976, and until recently was in safe storage condition (SAFSTOR). SAFSTOR is the decommissioning method in which a nuclear facility is placed and maintained in a condition that allows the safe storage of radioactive components of the nuclear plant and subsequent decontamination to levels that permit license termination. A Decommissioning Plan (DP) was approved in July 1988. Subsequent to the 1996 License Termination rule, the licensee converted its DP into its Defueled Safety Analysis Report which is updated every two years. A Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report was issued by the licensee in February 1998. The licensee is now engaged in some incremental decommissioning activities. In December 2003, PG&E formally submitted a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approval of a dry-cask Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at the Humboldt Bay site. A license and safety evaluation report for the Humboldt Bay ISFSI were issued on November 17, 2005. PG&E plans to begin active decommissioning of the facility in 2007. This Environmental Assessment (EA) has been developed in accordance with the requirements of 10 CFR Part 51.21. Proposed Action The change proposed by this amendment will replace the current license condition 2.B.3(copyright) which addresses the receipt, possession, and use of byproduct materials with one which allows the receipt, possession, and use of byproduct, source, or special nuclear material without restriction to chemical or physical form or atomic number, for sample analysis or instrument calibration or associated with radioactive apparatus or components. The proposed action is contained in the licensee's application dated December 20, 2006. Need for Proposed Action The current license condition was included in the license that was issued by the NRC when HBPP entered the possess-but-not-operate SAFSTOR phase. The license, including License Condition 2.B.3(c), was proposed by PG&E on July 30, 1984, and approved and issued by the NRC on July 16, 1985, as Amendment No. 19 to the facility license. License Condition 2.B.3(c) was established based on the byproduct materials onsite at the time and not based on any safety issue. The licensee has now begun preparations for transfer of the spent fuel from the spent fuel pool to an onsite Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation and for active decommissioning. Offsite equipment will need to be received to perform these activities. However, review of potential equipment has revealed that some would be unsuitable due to radiological composition which contains atomic numbers not allowed by the current license condition. Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action The NRC has completed its evaluation of the proposed amendments to the License and concludes the changes provide a minor revision of the existing provision for the receipt, possession, and use of special nuclear, source, and byproduct materials. The revised license condition is similar to the license condition currently in place for multiple decommissioning and operating nuclear power facilities. The NRC evaluated the safety impacts of the proposed changes and determined that the changes proposed by this license amendment request will provide reasonable assurance that the applicable radiation protection requirements of 10 CFR parts 20, 30, 40, and 70 will be met. The NRC has evaluated the change and determined that the revised license condition will not significantly change the types or quantities of special nuclear, source, and byproduct materials the license may receive, possess, or use and would therefore have no significant impacts to the environment. Due to the limited nature of the amendment which will not significantly change the licensed activities on site, the proposed action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites, would not increase the probability or consequences of accidents, would not change the types of effluents that may be released offsite, and would not increase occupation or public radiation exposure. Alternatives to the Proposed Action The alternative to the proposed action would be to deny the request. Denial of this amendment request would have the same environmental impact as the proposed action. Agencies and Persons Consulted This EA was prepared by John B. Hickman, Project Manager, Decommissioning Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection (DWMEP). NRC staff determined that the proposed action is not a major decommissioning activity and will not affect listed or proposed endangered species, nor critical habitat. Therefore, no further consultation is required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Likewise, NRC staff determined that the proposed action is not the type of activity that has the potential to cause [[Page 18692]] previously unconsidered effects on historic properties, as consultation for site decommissioning has been conducted previously. There are no additional impacts to historic properties associated with the disposal method and location for demolition debris. Therefore, no consultation is required under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The NRC discussed the proposed action with the State of California Radiologic Health Branch. The state official had no comments. III. 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, preparation of an environmental impact statement for the proposed action is not warranted. IV. Further Information For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the licensee's letter dated December 20, 2006. (ADAMS Accession No. ML063560061) The NRC Public Documents Room is located at NRC Headquarters in Rockville, MD, and can be contacted at (800) 397-4209. Documents may be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System's (ADAMS) Public Library component on the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209, or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of April, 2007. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Keith I. McConnell, Deputy Director, Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Licensing Directorate, Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection, Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs. [FR Doc. E7-7074 Filed 4-12-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 23 NRC: NRC Staff Issues Order to Former Contract Foreman for Deliberate Misconduct at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant News Release - Region II - 2007-018 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued a confirmatory order to a foreman employed by Stone and Webster Engineering Company at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry nuclear power plant for deliberate misconduct. An NRC investigation determined that Robbie Balentine engaged in deliberate misconduct in early 2004 while acting as lead foreman for some paint removal activities inside the torus at Browns Ferry Unit 1. The torus is a large doughnut-shaped metal structure below the reactor vessel designed to capture excess steam in some accident scenarios. The NRC’s Office of Investigations found that Mr. Balentine willfully directed and allowed open blasting to be performed in violation of the requirements of a radiation work permit and verbal instructions. Balentine’s deliberate misconduct resulted in an internal contamination event involving a painter under his supervision as well as a violation of a portion of the Browns Ferry nuclear plant license related to radiation protection. The order issued to Balentine is a result of mediation under an NRC pilot program using a neutral third party. Under the order, Balentine agrees to take corrective actions including following all instructions, procedures and requirements governing NRC-licensed activities, ensuring that all those working for him do likewise and participating in any initiatives established by TVA or Stone and Webster to use this event as training for others. NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Friday, April 13, 2007 ***************************************************************** 24 UPI: Indian Point fails siren tests United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: April 13, 2007 at 5:40 PM BUCHANAN, N.Y., , April 13, 2007 (UPI) -- New York's Indian Point nuclear plant's new siren system can't pass federal standards, forcing it to request a stay of Sunday's deadline. Although the plant, owned by Entergy Nuclear Northeast, passed federal standards on most tests, it had a 20 percent failure rate on its radio-controlled activation system, two times what the law allows, The Journal News reports. The sirens also blared softer than federal emergency requirements. "It's not clear where we're heading, except we'll keep working on it," said Michael Slobedien, head of emergency readiness for Entergy. He said the company needs to understand what went wrong before determining what to do next. It has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an extension to the Sunday deadline, but NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said the commission would likely not rule on it by then. The NRC, which gave Entergy a 75-day extension in January, would move as quick as possible, Sheehan said. Community officials said they were disappointed in Entergy. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 25 UPI: Egypt again backs nuclear power United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: April 13, 2007 at 1:10 PM CAIRO, April 13, 2007 (UPI) -- Egypt has reiterated its desire for a civilian nuclear power program as part of the country's energy mix. Electricity and Energy Minister Hasan Yunis said Thursday nuclear power, along with wind and solar energy, would be alternatives to traditional sources of energy, the official MENA news service reported. He said setting up a nuclear station would take two years, as it would in any developed state, and pointed out that Cairo had begun talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, on the issue. Last September, Egypt announced it will restart its nuclear program, halted more than 20 years ago. News reports say Egypt plans to build three 600 megawatt nuclear plants, and last September Yunis said a 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant will be built along the Mediterranean coast. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 26 MHNN: Entergy asks NRC for siren activation start up delay April 13, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide One of the new sirens Buchanan – Entergy, the company that owns the Indian Point nuclear power plants in Buchanan, Friday will ask the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an extension on the timetable it needs to have its new emergency warning siren system up and running. It was supposed to be turned on this weekend in the 10-mile warning radius around the plants; however, the last of three test sounds Thursday ended with poor results including the failure of all of the sirens in Putnam County, said Entergy spokesman James Steets. “It seems that we are having trouble with the radio communications aspects where the microwaves and transmission through the topography there just isn’t getting to a receiver and sorting out the data, which would then activate the sirens,” he said. “Our contractor is working diligently on that.” Senator Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, said the failure of over 30 sirens is “extremely troubling.” She said the failures are “deeply alarming,” particularly in light of a fire and shutdown of the Indian Point Unit 3 facility last week. As a result of the poor test results, Entergy will formally apply for an extension from the NRC on placing the new system into service. This is the second extension being sought. In January, Entergy sought and was granted an extension until April 15. Steets said the work to resolve the problems could take two weeks; however, a specific timetable is unclear at this time. The company said it will also address during the requested extension a concern raised by FEMA relating to the volume of the sirens. HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's only Internet radio news report. ***************************************************************** 27 Vanguard: Making a case for Nuclear Power Plants in Nigeria LAW & HUMAN RIGHTS By Kayode Oladele Posted to the Web: Friday, April 13, 2007 In its bid to address the importance of uninterrupted power supply and energy needs, the environment and concerns about climate change, the Federal Government of Nigeria has finally moved to establish nuclear energy power plants. The move was recently announced by the Federal Minister of Science and Technology who disclosed after a Federal Executive Council Meeting that the Federal government has approved plans to build nuclear power plants over the next 10-15 years. The government estimates that the project, which would bring in the elements of power plants, would cost about $6 billion. Besides the certainty that nuclear plants take a much longer time to construct than almost, if not all other types of power plants, they also cost more up front and involve serious investment downsize (particularly, if things go wrong) than any other power generating station. This is because electricity demand is not always constant and also relatively difficult to estimate. As a result, the cost of building a nuclear power plant which typically takes into consideration a convergence of interest rates and inflationary rates is usually financially speculative. Nonetheless, the goal and objective of the nuclear power plant project, according to the Government, is very clear: to be an emerging industrialized nation that can generate about 30,000 to 40,000 megawatts (MW). Indeed, if this is the goal, Nigeria has no other alternative but to endorse nuclear energy. This is because the country’s electricity needs cannot be met solely by hydro-electric power generation and gas-fired plants which have proven to be disastrous experiments. It is a fact that not only household consumers suffer from the erratic power generation, investors cite constant power outages as a major factor in the country’s top economic barriers. Despite the fact that the current administration has spent about $2.5 billion to build seven new gas-fired plants following the failure of the old power stations to improve output and productivity (in spite of millions of Dollars poured into it since the inception of this administration), millions of Nigerians still do not have access to electricity and for those who do, power outages lasting hours or even several days have become a way of life. Both the private and public sector organizations spend significant amount of money every year on diesel_fuelled generators to keep offices and industries running. It is therefore important that we require a reasonable combination of nuclear energy with our hydro power generation and gas-fired plants if the country is really serious bout industrializing, increasing productivity and encouraging foreign investment. Hence, for a government that requires the atom-splitting energy for peaceful purposes, the decision is a welcome development. The private sector, particularly financial institutions should support this move and become a driving force behind the government’s new enthusiasm for nuclear energy in order to end the growing demand for electricity with fleet of generating plants whose smoke emissions pollute the environment -the amount of carbon dioxide that nuclear power plants do not put into the air. Nuclear energy is one economic sector that has been greatly misunderstood by many including environmentalists, the academia and policy makers who until recently (thanks to the changes in the technology), argued among other reasons that nuclear energy will increase the risk of nuclear proliferation. This led to the passage of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT or NNPT) which opened for signature on July 1, 1968. The NPT has three pillars namely: non-proliferation, disarmament and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology. Nigeria, like many other countries has ratified the treaty According to the UN Disarmament Affairs, the NPT is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. However, since very few of the nuclear weapons states are willing to completely abandon possession of nuclear fuel, the third pillar of the NPT provides other states with the possibility to do the same, but under conditions intended to make it difficult to develop nuclear weapons. The treaty therefore, gives every state the inalienable right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purpose. Critics also cited problems associated with the disposal of waste as another major reason. During a recent hearing by the U.S House Committee on Science and Technology. Copyright ©1998 - 2007 Vanguard Media Limited All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 28 Decatur Daily: TVA seeks final check on Browns Ferry unit: Nuclear panel review required to restart reactor FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2007 By Duncan Mansfield Associated Press Writer KNOXVILLE — The Tennessee Valley Authority on Thursday told federal regulators it is ready for a final inspection before returning its oldest nuclear reactor to service after a five-year, $1.8 billion restoration. TVA asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to send its “operational readiness assessment team” to the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens to evaluate the Unit 1 reactor. The reactor is scheduled to power up in May after a nearly 22-year shutdown. “It is kind of the last significant test,” TVA spokesman John Moulton said. “It is basically telling the NRC, ‘Bring your team in and confirm that this plant’s ready to operate again as a three-unit plant.’ ” Unit 3 would be the first “new” nuclear power capacity in the United States in the 21st century. The country’s last new plant was TVA’s Watts Bar station, opened in 1996. All three Browns Ferry reactors were idled in 1985 over management and operational concerns. Units 2 and 3 returned to service in 1991 and 1995, respectively. “It’s important to show that we have the ability to operate and maintain all three units at Browns Ferry along with demonstrating that work to restart Unit 1 has been done well,” said Ashok Bhatnagar, TVA’s senior vice president for nuclear services. The NRC review, required for new plants and those restarting after an extended outage, will evaluate Browns Ferry’s management oversight, corrective action programs and safety processes. TVA spent more than 15 million work hours modifying, refurbishing or replacing Browns Ferry Unit 1 systems and components. The agency also conducted more than 1,200 safety tests. Moulton said TVA expects to remain on schedule with the Unit 1 recovery, depending “on what the NRC team tells us we need to do” after the inspection. Browns Ferry Unit 1 began commercial operation in 1974 and made international news a year later when a worker using a candle to check for air leaks started a fire that disabled safety systems throughout the plant. It was the worst commercial reactor accident in the United States prior to the Three Mile Island meltdown in Pennsylvania in 1979. However, TVA, the country’s largest public utility, has new hope for nuclear as a cleaner energy source than coal-fired power plants at a time of rising demand for electricity. Browns Ferry Unit 1 will be able to generate more than 1,155 megawatts, enough power to supply 650,000 homes. On the Net: TVA, www.tva.gov Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. THE DECATUR DAILY 201 First Ave. S.E. P.O. Box 2213 Decatur, AL 35609 (256) 353-4612 www.decaturdaily.com ***************************************************************** 29 KalingaTimes.com: Brazil 'positive' about civil nuclear cooperation with India New Delhi: Ahead of President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva's visit to India in June, Brazil, a member of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group, Friday said it had no issues with civil nuclear cooperation with India and struck an optimistic note on the G4 initiative for expansion of UN Security Council. "We believe India is committed to nuclear non-proliferation. We have to be, however, clear that such a cooperation conforms to our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim, who wrapped up his four-day visit to India Friday, told select journalists. "The India-US civil nuclear deal doesn't cause us any concern. Brazil made a clear option not to have nuclear weapons. But it can cooperate with India in peaceful uses of nuclear energy like medicine, food and conservation," Amorim said. During his meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday and with External Affairs Minister, Amorim discussed civilian nuclear cooperation and a host of bilateral and global issues, including the UN reforms and multilateral WTO (World Trade Organisation) trade negotiations and the IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) grouping. Civil nuclear cooperation is part of the strategic dialogue that was launched Thursday with Amorim's discussions on a wide swathe of bilateral issues with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan. Earlier, speaking to reporters after the meeting of the third joint commission, Amorim stressed that Brazil was "looking at positive and pragmatic steps in this direction". "There are good prospects for civilian nuclear cooperation within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards," Amorim said during a joint press interaction together with Minister of State of External Affairs Anand Sharma. A delegation of Brazil's National Nuclear Energy Commission is likely to visit India soon to discuss the issue, Amorim said. Last year, during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Brasilia for the IBSA summit, Brazil had lent its support for "forward looking approaches to enhance international civilian nuclear cooperation". Amorim also discussed with Indian leaders the broad outlines of the agenda for the visit of Lula Da Silva in June. A slew of agreements is expected to be signed during his visit. Speaking to business leaders in the afternoon at a meeting organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries, Amorim said the two countries are confident of overcoming the knowledge gap to achieve bilateral trade target of $10 billion by 2010. A CEOs' forum comprising top business leaders of the two countries is likely to be launched during the visit of the Brazilian president, he said. He also participated in a key meeting of ministers from India, the European Union, the US, Australia and Japan on WTO negotiations and said that these countries were confident of wrapping up the Doha Development Round before the end of the year. Besides nuclear energy, Brazil and India are also cooperating in the crucial area of bio-fuels and have agreed to set up an international market for ethanol fuel. Belying sceptics' assertions, India and Brazil have fleshed out an action plan to push the G4 initiative that also includes Japan and Germany and said they were "confident" that the expansion of the Security Council would become real in the not too distant future. Top officials of the G4 are expected to meet in Brasilia next month to discuss the G4 strategy to push the Security Council reforms. "I see the process advancing. We are now in the negotiating phase," Amorim said, underlining that it was difficult to bring about a change in the power structure of the global body in a day. "Brazil and India are steadfast in their commitment to bring about reforms in the UN and expansion of the UN Security Council," said Sharma after co-chairing the meeting of the joint commission with Amorim. "We do hope that the African Union will be able to reach a consensus on this soon. We can't put a time cap to it, but we will surely succeed in it," he stressed. -IANS Copyright © 2006 East Coast Media (P) Ltd. All rights reserved. Editor: Sulochana Das ***************************************************************** 30 Salt Lake Tribune: Family still battling Army over contamination Article Last Updated: 04/13/2007 12:54:19 AM MDT It was 1945 when the Army took out a five-month lease on private property adjacent to Dugway Proving Ground for training purposes - about the same time the United States was preparing to invade Japan. More than 60 years later, the Cannon family is still trying to get the U.S. military to clean up chemical and incendiary weapons exploded in 86 working mines, as well as conventional bombs dropped on 1,425 acres of Tooele County land their grandfather had leased to the government. U.S. District Judge Dee Benson last week threw out the lawsuit brought by siblings Louise, Allan and Douglas Cannon, saying an Army study of the site satisfies requirements in the law that remedial action be taken by the government. "This is a warning to anyone who is approached by state or federal government to come onto your private land," Louise Cannon said Monday. "I don't care what you have to do. Keep them out or you'll wind up in the same boat we're in." It's undisputed that the Army promised to return the property to the owner "in as good condition as it is on the date of the government's entry," according to court documents. But so far, nothing has been done to dispose of incendiary weapons that had tested butane, gasoline and napalm, or of lethal chemical weapons filled with the choking agent phosgene, the blood agent hydrogen cyanide and the blistering agent mustard. Army attorney Daniel Pinkston said the government has set aside $600,000 to hire contractors and another $300,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study of the property, which may begin this summer. He said until that study is completed, cleanup discussions would be premature. Douglas Cannon called this latest study "an attempt to put off doing anything" for a clean-up project that could cost the government as much as $380 million. He said the Army had commissioned another study in the 1990s but rather than use that information, military officials are "starting all over." "By this time," he said, "it should be very clear that the Army does not want to compensate us, buy us out or clean up our property." This is not the first case lost by the Cannons. Five years ago the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out another claim, saying that despite the government's "abysmal failure" to clean up the site, the family filed that suit too late. "The result the law dictates in this case does not diminish the harm to the Cannon's property," wrote the three-judge panel in 2003, noting that the statute of limitations "may permit a rogue to escape." For his part, Judge Benson said that as long as the government is studying the problem, the federal Superfund law requires that courts do not interfere or cause delays - even though though the Army has no immediate cleanup plans or money set aside to implement rehabilitation work. Doug Cannon said that in the meantime, the family cannot even pick up a spent cannister "because whatever the Army fired onto our property belongs to the U.S. military. We would be treated like we were terrorists." Nor can the Cannons refuse to pay taxes because if the property reverted to the state, all cleanup costs would be charged to the family. The Cannons have suggested that the land be used for a commercial nuclear waste dump, but that idea has gone nowhere. Family members also say they began a letter-writing campaign 12 years ago to the Utah congressional delegation, but have received no concrete responses. dawn@sltrib.com © Copyright 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 31 AU ABC: DUSK - supports Gulf War Vets Sunshine & Cooloola Coasts Qld. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Last Update: Friday, April 13, 2007. 1:52pm AEST A group concerned about the use of depleted uranium weapons has spoken out in support of claims being made by two Sunshine Coast Gulf War veterans that say they're suffering from depleted uranium poisoning. Pauline Rigby, project coordinator of Depleted Uranium Silent Killer (DUSK) and the author of Your Future with Depleted Uranium says the men's urine samples were tested at the Uranium Medical Research Centre in Canada and the J.W. Goethe University in Germany. "The tests prove the veterans were exposed to depleted uranium during their time in the Australian Defence Force. "The mass spectrometry does not lie. It very carefully analyses the four uranium isotopes in the urine and there's a considerable presence of depleted uranium in the urine of these veterans, 15 years after their service in Gulf War I," she said. Depleted Uranium is a heavy metal and can be used in ammunition and amour-piercing weapons. The two ex-servicemen, who only want to be identified as Warren and Frank received the results by phone recently. Warren says he and his wife and their children suffer from debilitating symptoms including weeping ulcerous rashes, headaches and chest pain. The men say the samples were sent overseas because the Government doesn't acknowledge any possibility service personnel were contaminated during the war. "The tests prove the veterans were exposed to depleted uranium during their time in the Australian Defence Force." Pauline from DUSK says she contacted the uranium medical research centre that tested United States personnel and some UN peacekeepers from Kosovo who tested positive for uranium contamination. "To prove contamination you need the radio bioassays and they cost $1200 each; so that's probably one reason why our government isn't doing the test," she said. Pauline says she doesn't know if the Federal Government can legitimise the results. "I can't imagine the Australian government would be too keen... There's a compensation issue here for many veterans." The reason why the men are still excreting uranium, Pauline says, is due to the life of depleted uranium. "It actually has a half life of 4.5 billion years. "When the weapons are fired they immediately flare off radioactive oxide particles and because they're formed at very high temperatures they're like glass. Even though they're sub-micron particles they are ingested and inhale. They lodge in the lung or other body organs and they are not soluble," she said. Pauline says the Government needs to look at the decades of scientific research. "Anybody who reads the science knows that you just don't put radioactive material near living cells." When asked how many people she suspects could have come into contact with depleted uranium, Pauline says, "any service person that served in Gulf War I and were breathing at the same time, were exposed". "For instance the Government has said that our Australian Navy personnel were at sea and therefore couldn't be exposed. But apart from the fact that the sirens for nuclear chemical and biological contamination were going off on their frigates all the time until they were turned off because they were told that they weren't working; one of these navy veterans were taken on a tour of Iraq by the Navy after hostilities had ended. This is not acknowledged in the Gulf War Veteran's Health Survey commissioned by the Australian Government through Monash University. They were taken off their ship and driven into Iraq to take photographs and to see the devastation and these particles were in the air," she said. Pauline also says the threat to people goes beyond Iraq. "It really is a great possibility for a public health catastrophe and those words were actually said by Federal MP Arch Bevis. It's because of organ donation or blood transfusions. If service personnel or other civilians have given blood and have been in areas of radiological warfare, which would be Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, then it's already in the general population. "The grave concern for these veterans is that there is nothing in the Australian pension book that now allows them to claim compensation for their service or any kind of pension for their contamination with uranium because it doesn't exist," she said. © 2007 ABC | Privacy Policy | Information about the use of ***************************************************************** 32 AU ABC: The Government responds to depleted uranium poisoning scare. 13 Apr 2007. ABC Sunshine & Cooloola Coasts Qld. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Last Update: Friday, April 13, 2007. 2:09pm AEST The Government says it's yet to see evidence that proves two Sunshine Coast veterans were exposed to depleted uranium while serving in Gulf War 1 15 years ago. A group concerned with the use of depleted uranium weapons, Depleted Uranium Silent Killer (DUSK) arranged overseas tests of the two veteran's urine samples in Canada and Germany. One of the men served in the army and the other in the navy and say they've suffered from debilitating symptoms including weeping ulcerous rashes, headaches and chest pain since returning home. But Veterans Affairs Minister Bruce Billson says the actual evidence of the test results is long overdue and the two men should reveal themselves and be tested at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). "123 men have gone through a world-class testing regime at ANSTO... The process is one that's internationally recognised as appropriate and that's a urinary test. At this stage of the 123 people who've come forward all have returned a negative result," he said. But Pauline Rigby from DUSK says the results will be made public once they've been peer reviewed by two international journals. "The test results will be published. As soon as I receive word that these abstracts have been accepted the results will be made public internationally," she said. "At this stage of the 123 people who've come forward all have returned a negative result." Minister Billson says he accepts inhaled or ingested particles of depleted uranium can have adverse effects. "The depleted uranium itself is a very dense material... The issue of it being inhaled or ingested actually presents a higher risk of toxicity and that's why we're very focused on making sure that proper testing regimes are in place. "We have assessment teams that can check out battlefields before our men and women of our defence forces go in and we've got a comprehensive range of health support where there are illnesses and conditions related to someone's military service. "In fact, I'd urge Frank and Warren and their families to come forward... It's very difficult for us to provide the world class healthcare and support that we do offer that is available for former and current serving defence forces if people aren't contacting us and raising these issues with us to enable to test and put some responses in place," he said. A mass spectrometry test was used abroad to test the men's urine. A mass spectrometry is an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. But when asked whether the tests performed at ANSTO are mass spectrometry tests, Minister Billson says, the Australian tests are an industry standard methodology. "I must say I'm not a scientist but the ANTSO process is an internationally accepted methodology. It is something that's been recognised right throughout the world as an appropriate way of identifying whether there are any elements in a persons system that may have occurred as a result of the kinds of exposure that's being spoken about. "I might also mention that in addition to assessment teams that go into areas of combat there are monitoring regimes in place during engagements. "In fact in 2001, there was a comprehensive review because there was this kind of discussion around. There was little evidence coming forward but enough to cause a need to re-examine all of these issues where there was the risk of depleted uranium and the conclusion was that there wasn't any risk of the kind that's been discussed," he said. Minister Billson says Australia hasn't used depleted uranium in national operations since 1990 and testing of the heavy metal isn't currently occurring anywhere in Australia. "There is no agreement for any other country that may be in Australian territory or territorial waters to use that kind of technology. There's no evidence that DU has ever been used in Australia by Australian or foreign forces," he said. But Mr Billson says it is used in some aircraft as a weight related stabilising technology. "It's very inert though, but the material is in our C130's and elevated control services and I believe in F111's," he said. Recommendations of the European Commission on Radiation and Risk publicised in the Health Effects Of Ionising Radiation Exposures At Low Doses For Radiation Protection Purposes in 2003 it was quoted... "With regard to internal radiation purposes the committee identifies a serious misuse of scientific method in the extension and application of the ICRP external model. Such a process involves deductive reasoning; it falsely uses data from one set of conditions, high-level acute external exposure to model low-level chronic internal exposure. The procedures are scientifically bankrupt and were it not for political considerations would have been rejected long ago." But Minister Billson says the finding doesn't debunk current Australian testing procedures. "We started our discussion by recognising that depleted uranium's risk is more related to when it's ingested and it's toxicity concerns out way any radioactive hazard yet in that quote you've just shifted back to radioactive hazard. This is one of the dilemmas. I know there's one organisation that I hope aren't motivated by exploiting the concerns of Frank and Warren to raise a whole broader agenda about radiation and the like and I hope that's not the case here but there we've just drifted into a whole other area," he said. "We have assessment teams that can check out battlefields before our men and women of our defence forces go in and we've got a comprehensive range of health support where there are illnesses and conditions related to someone's military service." The group referred to by the Minister describes the technology used in Australian testing as 1940 procedures. They say people use to be tested for whole body radiation whereas now this document talks about the need to look specifically at the liver, or kidney, or spleen, or urine to get an accurate reading. But Minister Billson says that's what ANSTO does. "We do test for urine as I mentioned earlier and as I think you'd recognised.... Depleted uranium is less radioactive than naturally occurring uranium. Its potential chemical toxicity if it's ingested or if it's inhaled actually outweighs any potential radioactive hazard. So the radioactive argument is a little bit of counterfeit science being used to raise further concern. In our testing regime we focus on what is the real concern and that's the potential chemical toxicity. That's why we have urine testing, that's why ANSTO do that work and that's what we look for and try to identify in any of our serving personnel or in fact in the environment in which they are working to make sure they're properly cared for. "I am simply busting to get hold of them (Frank and Warrens tests) myself so we can have a look at them because our goal is very simple. If someone's got some fresh scientifically valid, credible insights that we need to embrace please, please bring the tests forward," he said. However, for now Frank and Warren say they're waiting to have the tests peer reviewed. They say they're afraid the government will treat them like the ex-servicemen from Vietnam affected by Agent Orange. Minister Billson disagrees. "Yeah, well I don't think that's any kind of reasoning at all in that we've got $6 Billion of health care support services provided through my department at the tax payers expense recognising the special duty we have to all those that have served. The opportunity to access those services is provided in favour of veterans where there is potential link between a health consequence and their service. We are therefore keen, willing and enthusiastically ready to provide for support," he said. But Frank and Warren say they can only access Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) payments. They say there's nothing under the title of depleted uranium poisoning. But according to Minister Billson that's inaccurate. "That's part of a string of allegations that are completely inaccurate... We hear about some science or even some sort of pseudo science dressed up as 'thinking' about this matter to bring forward a case when all we want is for people to come forward... To bring whatever material they have, to engage in a process," he said. ***************************************************************** 33 Aiken Today: Officials: MOX is safe AikenStandard.com Fri, Apr 13, 2007 By JOSH VOORHEES Staff writer Officials from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission reassured members of the public Thursday evening that the proper steps are being taken in order to ensure that the proposed construction of the mixed oxide fuel fabrication facility on the Savannah River Site moves forward in a safe manner. "If we find problems that require work to be stopped, that's what happens ? it stops for however long it takes," said Deborah Seymour, the NRC branch chief that is overseeing the construction and licensing of the facility, in response to a question from the audience about the independent federal agency's inspection standards. More than 50 people showed up to the public meeting to discuss a variety of MOX regulatory issues, including the licensing process, inspection program, and the NRC's oversight role. Representatives from both the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League and Nuclear Watch South took advantage of the public comment period at the end of the meeting to speak out against the proposed facility, citing safety concerns associated with the nuclear waste that is used in the MOX process. The two groups were part of a coalition of 44 organizations that sent a letter to members of Congress earlier this year urging lawmakers to end the MOX program due to fiscal and environmental concerns. Allen Blancet, a member of the Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, was also on hand and read a statement in support of the MOX program. The proposed facility would be owned by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration and be part of the nation's effort to convert supplies of weapons-grade plutonium into more proliferation-resistant forms by blending it with uranium. Converting the plutonium into MOX fuel would enable it to be used in commercial reactors to generate electricity. Shaw Areva MOX Services ? formerly Duke, Cogema, Stone & Webster ? applied for the operating license for the proposed facility in the fall of last year. The application process had been delayed because the federal government was operating under a continuing resolution that fixed spending at 2006 fiscal-year levels. Now that the NRC has received its 2007 funding, the review process is proceeding. More information about the inspection and licensing process is available at the NRC's web site at www.nrc.gov. Contact Josh Voorhees at jvoorhees@aikenstandard.com. © 2005 The AikenStandard. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 34 The NewStandard: EPA Helping to Hide Tons of Toxic Waste, Researchers Show - by Michelle Chen Apr. 12 This year, Californians will live alongside over half a million pounds of newly hidden toxic waste, thanks to recent changes in the national system for reporting releases of hazardous chemicals. * Proposed Barriers to Pollution Oversight Alarm Watchdogs, Activists (Dec 8, 2005) The Environmental Protection Agency’s revisions to the federal reporting system known as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) dramatically raised the threshold at which industrial facilities must explicitly disclose how much toxic material they release or dispose of. According to an investigation by the national watchdog organization Environmental Working Group (EWG), the move will obscure data on an estimated nearly 600,000 pounds of dangerous chemicals that would have been exposed under the old rules – in California alone. EWG released the study to complement a bill recently introduced in the California Assembly that would restore previous toxics-reporting guidelines for the state. Launched 20 years ago, the TRI itself does not impose limits on pollution. But by simply forcing about 23,000 facilities nationwide to reveal how they handle waste, the TRI has helped community organizations and state officials hold polluters accountable for their environmental impacts through grassroots campaigns and regulatory actions. The new regulations, issued in December, raise the threshold that triggers detailed reporting on releases of most chemicals covered by the TRI, from 500 to 2,000 pounds per year. Facilities that do not reach the threshold could just list basic information identifying the chemicals released. The reforms, which the EPA says affect less than one percent of all waste tracked by the TRI nationwide, are aimed at offering polluters "burden relief" by reducing the time and money devoted to complying with environmental regulations. Analyzing TRI data from 2004, the EWG identified 274 waste-producing California facilities that will benefit from the change, including 52 that would no longer be required to report any details on their handling of toxic waste under the new rules. The data that would disappear, according to the group’s estimates, include some 12,000 pounds of benzene, a known human carcinogen found in gasoline and used to make drugs and pesticides. More than 26,000 pounds of toluene, a common paint ingredient linked to neurological disorders, would also no longer be documented. Promotional Tools Share this article with the world using these popular services! Bill Walker, a vice president of the EWG, called the rule-change "a real blow to the rights of Americans to know what toxic chemicals are being used or released to their neighborhoods." © 2007 The NewStandard. All rights reserved. The NewStandard is a ***************************************************************** 35 Green Bay Press-Gazette: Residents OK with dry-cask storage at Kewaunee Nuclear Plant Posted April 13, 2007 Facility's fuel pool running out of room By Richard Ryman rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com CARLTON — The details of Dominion Inc.'s plan to begin above-ground storage of spent nuclear fuel at Kewaunee Power Station bothers local residents less than the need to do it in the first place. "I'm not happy it's going to be out here, but it's not Dominion's fault," said Dave Zellner, Carlton town chairman Thursday during an open house at the Town Hall. "Am I worried about it? No." Dominion Resources would like to begin construction on a dry-cask storage system by the end of the year. Currently, used nuclear fuel is stored in the power plant's spent-fuel pool, but the pool is running out of room. Zellner, as did others at the event, criticized the federal government for not helping foot the bill for the additional storage and for not providing a permanent storage location as it pledged to do in 1982. The planned Yucca Mountain nuclear storage site is at least another 10 years from completion, and some question whether it will ever be used. Rick Philipps, a Carlton resident, said he is concerned that used fuel stored at the site could outlast the plant. "My concern is what assurance do I have when this plant is decommissioned or Dominion goes out of business?" he said. "Let's say they go out of business. Who's going to pick up when they are not here?" Francis Wojta of Carlton had a similar concern. "Sometimes, when you build something, it stays," he said. Philipps said he has no problem with nuclear power or with Dominion as neighbors, and would not oppose issuing the plant a building permit for the storage facility. Dave Lohman, project manager for Dominion, said the company soon will apply for a building permit from the town and zoning approval from Kewaunee County. Bill Matthews, senior vice president of nuclear operations for Dominion, said citizens need to pressure the federal government to provide permanent storage. "I advise them to keep up the political pressure," he said. "All we can do is propose the solution to store it safely (temporarily)." Zellner said the cost of building the facility will have to be passed on to consumers by Dominion. "The federal government should return some of that money they've got," he said. Zellner predicted the effort to secure a building permit will result in "an interesting couple of months." Initially, the 3-acre storage facility will house 10 modules, each of which can hold a 75-ton fuel rod storage cask. Each cask will hold 32 fuel assemblies. The Kewaunee reactor has 121 assemblies, with about one-third being replaced every 18 months. All 121 assemblies are placed into the pool during refueling and those in use for three refueling cycles are permanently removed. The spent nuclear fuel is radioactive and placed in welded steel canisters designed to be leak-tight. They will be kept in a dry-storage facility consisting of a series of reinforced concrete horizontal storage modules measuring 8.5 feet wide by 14 feet high, and 20 feet deep with walls and roof up to 4 feet thick. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission-approved storage system is designed by Transnuclear Inc. Its Web site is www.transnuclear.com. Contact us at 920-435-4411. greenbaypressgazette.com is a Gannett Company website. ***************************************************************** 36 NewsChannel6: Bingham County Joins GNEP Discussion Reporter: Doug Andersen Bingham County jumps into the nuclear energy discussion when representatives from EnergySolutions present their interest in building a waste recycling facility near Atomic city. Formerly known an Envirocare, EnergySolutions is one of two groups bidding for Idaho options related to President George Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). AREVA/Washington, with support from the Regional Development Alliance, submitting a bid for the Idaho National Laboratory site. The Salt Lake City-based organization is one of thirteen sites being considered for a fuel treatment center, an advanced recycling reactor for spent nuclear fuel rods or a research and development operation. All bids are for sites near national labs but EnergySolutions plan would be private but have oversight from the Department of Energy. GNEP, as proposed by President Bush in 2006, would form an international partnership to reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a way that is emissions-free and doesn't increase weapons-grade by-products. DOE held a listening session in March in Idaho Falls before a capacity crowd. The open comment period concluded April 4 and impact statements due this summer. While any facilities would be built near Atomic city, Bingham County Commissioners say a project of this scope would be of "immense financial benefit" to the greater Blackfoot area. Errol Covington, Bingham County Commissioner: "[If] they land the contract they will be located in Bingham County. It will be bigger than the INL and would go on our tax rolls and allow us to do needed infrastructure work." EnergySolutions' Acting General Manager of Idaho Operations Darin Johnson and Alan Dobson, Senior Vice President, Fuel Cycle and Spent Fuel Management of Richland, Washington, will be on-hand to comment and take questions. Tonight's meeting in Blackfoot City Council chambers at 7:00pm. All content © Copyright 2000 - 2007 WorldNow and kpvi. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 37 times and star: Consultation over nuclear waste dump Published on 13/04/2007 THIS summer Cumbrians will be asked whether they want to house the UK’s underground nuclear waste dump. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has taken over all the work and many of the staff from the now defunct Nirex group. The NDA also now decides on the long-term disposal of nuclear waste. In a statement, the NDA said: “The government transferred its shares in Nirex to the NDA and since then the two organisations have been working closely to integrate Nirex’s skills and expertise into the NDA. “The majority of Nirex staff have been transferred to the NDA ensuring that the necessary skills, knowledge and experience are protected. “As a result of this successful integration, a new directorate has been established within the NDA – the Radioactive Waste Management Directorate - which will be led by Richard Waite, previously NDA’s engineering director.” The NDA is to focus on geological disposal of nuclear waste. The nuclear industry had retained land ownership between Sellafield and Gosforth for potential use as an underground nuclear dump site. The NDA says its next step is consultation this summer to include “proposals for a voluntarist/partnership approach to site selection, and also an outline geological disposal delivery programme”. View this story and the latest newspaper in full digital reproduction, just like the printed copy at www.timesandstar.co.uk/digitalcopy Other stories from this category that may interest you: ***************************************************************** 38 OMB Watch: EPA Punts on Perchlorate...Again - "[P]eople acting in a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could even hope to bring about." - FDR Friday, April 13, 2007 EPA has once again delayed developing a standard for perchlorate in drinking water. Perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel, can detrimentally effect the human hormonal system even in low doses. Sen. Barbara Boxer, whose support for perchlorate regulation is unimpeachable, is perturbed with EPA's decision, or lack thereof. In a statement, Boxer said, "I am outraged that EPA has yet again refused to do its duty to protect the health of our families and communities from perchlorate pollution." For more info on the EPA decision, read NRDC's press release. OMB Watch often criticizes the regulatory process for being too slow in responding to the public's needs. The process is muddied and subject to political interference. Perchlorate testing is a prime example of what we mean. * 1998: EPA assesses perchlorate. Verdict: perchlorate bad. * 1999 — 2002 : EPA assessment is peer reviewed. Verdict: perchlorate bad. * 1999: EPA issues toothless interim guidance on perchlorate exposure. * 2002: EPA's peer-reviewed assessment is reviewed by the Pentagon and EPA, allowing the agency to reach new heights in redundancy. * 2003: EPA issues interim guidance about the 1999 interim guidance. (Again with the redundancy.) * 2004: White House and Pentagon spend their time interfering in an upcoming NAS study on perchlorate. * 2005: NAS releases study on perchlorate. Verdict: perchlorate bad. * Yesterday: EPA decides not to regulate perchlorate citing the need for "additional investigation." © 2007 OMB Watch 1742 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 202-234-8494 (phone) 202-234-8584 (fax) ***************************************************************** 39 LA Daily News: Field lab finally on EPA radar Agency to reassess Superfund decision BY KERRY CAVANAUGH, Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 04/12/2007 10:05:42 PM PDT Twenty years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency first refused to designate the Santa Susana Field Lab as a high-priority cleanup site, the federal agency said Thursday that it is now reconsidering its decision. In a move long sought by community activists, the EPA said it will reassess testing data from recent years and, if necessary, conduct further analysis to determine whether the lab qualifies for the National Priorities List, also called the Superfund program. Reserved for the worst-contaminated sites, Superfund status would give the EPA authority to conduct a new investigation and oversee cleanup at the hilltop lab. "What we've heard from the community for many years is that they're concerned that the site isn't being addressed as a whole under Superfund," said Betsy Curnow, chief of the EPA's regional site assessment section. "Given all the community concerns about this site and the fact that it's not being studied and cleaned up under Superfund, this would be appropriate to go back and look at the whole site." Longtime field lab watchdogs hailed the EPA's decision but remained wary Thursday, noting that the agency has twice previously rejected the lab site for Superfund status. "I'm hopeful and cautious at the same time," said Dan Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the Gap. "On the face of it, it's positive. EPA has recognized, belatedly, that the site should be looked at as a whole. But twice before they've declined to list it, so there has to be some skepticism about why they're doing it now." Activists have pushed for EPA Superfund status so one agency would supervise and coordinate cleanup of the 290-acre lab, owned by Boeing Co. Currently, regulation of the field lab cleanup is divided among several agencies. The Department of Energy oversees its own cleanup of the former nuclear research section of the lab. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control is responsible for monitoring chemical cleanup on the site, and the state's Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board monitors surface water flowing off the lab. "We definitely want it to be a Superfund site, because it is," said state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles. "I'm very happy that the EPA is going to assess the site again, with an eye toward whether it can be declared a Superfund site." Kuehl has pushed for the highest cleanup standards at the lab. She has legislation pending that would add the lab to the state's Superfund list and prohibit Boeing from selling the property until the state director of Toxic Substances Control certifies that contamination has been completely remedied. Boeing spokeswoman Blythe Jameson said the company is working closely with all the regulatory agencies on site decontamination. "All the radiological and chemical cleanups that the company has undertaken throughout the site continue to follow standards that have been carefully set by scientists and engineers and are fully protective of public health and safety," Jameson said. One of the big controversies surrounding the lab is decontamination of the former Energy Technology and Engineering Center, where the federal government developed nuclear reactors - and where one had a partial meltdown in 1959. Critics of the DOE said the agency's proposed cleanup would leave 99 percent of the tainted soil on site, and Boeing could eventually sell the property for residential use. In 2003, the EPA said there hadn't been enough analysis of the site and the cleanup would leave the site unsafe for anything but limited picnicking and camping. At the same time, however, EPA officials said the former nuclear-research portion of the lab did not qualify for Superfund status because nobody lived on site and few people were in immediate risk from the contamination. Similarly, in 1987, the EPA said the field lab didn't score high enough on its hazard-ranking system to qualify for the National Priorities List. At that time, however, the EPA did not consider radiological contamination on site, only the toxic chemical pollution. This time, the EPA's Curnow said, the agency will consider the entire lab and all chemical and radiological contamination. EPA officials will score the site based on contamination and how many people might have been exposed if pollutants moved off site. If the site scores high enough, it will be considered for inclusion on the National Priorities List. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Thousand Oaks, has long sought EPA involvement in the site cleanup and praised the EPA for its decision Thursday. "My goal has always been to have the site cleaned to the highest standard possible in a timely and complete manner," Gallegly said in a written statement. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said the agency's decision to reconsider the lab is long overdue. "Now the EPA should as quickly as possible ensure that public health is protected by using the best information to make its decisions, not old or inadequate data that could mask the dangers posed by radiation and chemicals at the site," she said. Staff Writer Harrison Sheppard contributed to this report. kerry.cavanaugh@dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 Los Angeles Newspaper Group ***************************************************************** 40 Denver Post: Suit against Labor by ill nuclear employees gains notice Denver Post Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 04/13/2007 01:34:31 AM MDT A class-action lawsuit on behalf of six Cold War-era nuclear workers in Colorado and New Mexico is drawing interest from other nuclear workers across the country, the attorney who filed it said Thursday. The lawsuit accuses Bush administration Labor officials of holding up health care the government owes to elderly workers who became ill after working with radioactive and other toxic materials at mines and other facilities in the nation's nuclear weapons complex. About 100 workers in Colorado and New Mexico, and unknown numbers nationwide, are affected by the bureaucratic hurdles that in many cases violate doctors' orders, said attorney Greg Piche of the Denver-based firm Holland and Hart. Since last summer, U.S. Department of Labor workers' compensation officials have waged "an orchestrated, internal campaign to limit access to medical and other benefits available to nuclear energy workers" under federal law, according the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. Labor officials "have engaged in a deliberate program to unreasonably delay payment for authorized skilled nursing services, so as to disrupt the availability of skill nursing suppliers to the energy workers," the suit alleges. "These actions by the defendants have artificially created legal, economic and medical uncertainties that have jeopardized and continue to jeopardize the health and emotional well-being of the plaintiffs and threaten the availability of nursing services to them." Denver-based Professional Case Management, which cares for ill weapons workers, was put in the position of risking losses or cutting off services to workers who couldn't get the government to pay their bills, Piche said. Professional Case Management asked U.S. Sens. Ken Salazar and Wayne Allard of Colorado to break bureaucratic jams last year. Labor Department officials raised questions about whether the services that workers requested were necessary. The workers are frail and in many cases dying with respiratory problems, Piche said. All contents Copyright 2007 The Denver Post or other copyright ***************************************************************** 41 Denver Post: Whistle-blower helped shut Flats Denver Post Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 04/13/2007 12:45:31 AM MDT Jim Stone told the FBI about violations at the plant. (The Denver Post) Jim Stone, whose whistle-blowing efforts at Rocky Flats led to the plant's closure, died Wednesday at the Julia Temple Center in Englewood. He was 82. A service time has not been set. An engineer, Stone helped to build Rocky Flats, a plant west of Denver that made nuclear triggers, and later was employed as a troubleshooter for the plant, said his attorney, Hartley Alley of Denver. When Stone found what he believed were radioactive hazardous-waste violations, he was told by plant operator Rockwell International not to tell the Department of Energy, Alley said. Ultimately he took the information to the FBI and was "the driving force behind the agency's raid of the plant" in 1987, according to The Denver Post. Rockwell pleaded guilty to 10 environmental crimes and paid $18.5 million in fines. Later, $4.2 million in civil penalties were assessed against Rockwell. Stone's efforts to get some of that money were denied last month by the U.S. Supreme Court. "We had won every step of the way, until the Supreme Court," Alley said. Stone, who lived in Lakewood, suffered from dementia and Alzheimer's in his last years, said his son, Bob Stone of Lakewood. "By the time he died, he didn't even remember who Rockwell was," Bob Stone said. Even though "he never got a nickel, he was, oddly, never bitter," Bob Stone said of his father's 18-year court battle. James Stone was born Aug. 9, 1924, in St. Louis. He and his brother and sister were put in an orphanage because their parents couldn't afford a family, Bob Stone said. One of his first jobs was "swabbing out old barges in the summer on the Mississippi," Bob Stone said. Jim Stone took engineering classes and got a job working with the military in Point Barrow, Alaska. On March 4, 1947, he married Virginia Gilbert, a Coloradan, and they honeymooned in Point Barrow. Stone had other jobs, including helping to lay a pipeline in Greenland and several heating and air conditioning jobs, including at the Brown Palace Hotel and Daniels and Fisher tower. He started at Rocky Flats in 1980, and when he found the environmental violations, "all he wanted was to solve the problems and clean things up," his son said. He told Rockwell there was plutonium missing, pressure valves that didn't work and problems with the beryllium. Rockwell had a waste-disposal system, but it ultimately didn't work, as Stone had predicted. Water and soil were contaminated. Rockwell officials got so tired of hearing from him that they laid him off in 1984, which "ultimately ruined his career," Alley said. In addition to his wife and son, Stone is survived by another son, Randy, of Wheat Ridge; five grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com. All contents Copyright 2007 The Denver Post or other copyright ***************************************************************** 42 Ventura County Star: Santa Susana lab might be listed Superfund site By Teresa Rochester (Contact) Friday, April 13, 2007 The Santa Susana Field Laboratory will be studied as a possible Superfund site, officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday. If the former rocket engine and nuclear test site in the hills south of Simi Valley becomes a Superfund site, the EPA would become the lead agency overseeing all cleanup at the laboratory, which is polluted with both chemical and radioactive contamination. Currently, the Department of Energy is in charge of radioactive contamination. The DOE and its predecessors conducted nuclear experiments at the site. California's Department of Toxic Substances Control oversees the cleanup of chemical pollution at the Field Laboratory, which is owned by the Boeing Co. Community members have long called for the 2,850-acre lab to be listed as a Superfund site, which would put in motion a stringent set of cleanup standards under EPA's leadership. EPA has assessed small parts of the site at the facility twice, and twice determined it did not qualify. The most recent assessment was in 2003, the same year the Energy Department backed out of a 1995 agreement that called for it to follow EPA guidelines for cleaning up the site. Entire site to be reviewed The difference with the new study is that it will look at the entire facility, said Betsy Curnow, who manages site assessments for the EPA's Superfund division in this region. "We are sort of in agreement now with the community that we need to look at the whole site and see if needs to be handled at the Superfund level," Curnow said. "I would say we've had a lot of concerns coming up in the last years." Curnow said one of the reasons EPA is interested in re-evaluating the site is the emergence of new data. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, praised the EPA. He recently met with agency officials to discuss the possibility of declaring the lab a Superfund site, according to a prepared statement. "My goal has always been to have the site cleaned to the highest standard possible in a timely and complete manner," he said in the statement. "If the Rocketdyne Santa Susana Facility is designated a Superfund site, it will be cleaned up under EPA supervision to EPA standards, something the community has been seeking since the outset." Hearing on cleanup scheduled The EPA's announcement comes almost a week before the Department of Energy is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed cleanup of a radioactive materials handling facility at the Field Laboratory. DOE officials said it is cleaning up that facility and another building according to the 1995 agreement. Curnow said the EPA's assessment would not affect DOE's cleanup process, which has been criticized as being too lax by observers who worry contamination will be left behind on land that may one day be used for housing. State Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, held a briefing about the site last week and discussed her recently introduced legislation calling for the site to be cleaned up to EPA standards before it is turned over for development. "I'm very happy they decided to look again at the Rocketdyne site," Kuehl said Thursday. "My opinion has always been that it would qualify as a Superfund site." Officials from Simi Valley have lobbied to have the site's potential effects on the nearby community studied more thoroughly. "Anytime we can get another look, a stronger look at potential issues in our community" it's a good thing, Councilman Glen Becerra said. Dan Hirsch, of the nuclear watchdog group Committee to Bridge the Gap, said that he was pleased but skeptical about the outcome of the study. "It is a good sign that they are recognizing the inadequacies of the cleanup and taking a new look at making it a Superfund site," Hirsch said. "But the public should not hold its breath because EPA has twice before disappointed the public by not listing it." © 2007 Ventura County Star ***************************************************************** 43 KnoxNews: DOE unlikely to get salts removed by deadline Problems plague stalled cleanup at old reactor By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com April 13, 2007 OAK RIDGE - The U.S. Department of Energy will likely miss the Sept. 30 deadline for removing tons of highly radioactive fuel salts from the Molten Salt Reactor, making the agency subject to fines and penalties. "We're not prepared to change that milestone," said John Owsley, the state's environmental oversight chief in Oak Ridge. The cleanup project at the old nuclear reactor, which was shut down in 1969, has been running way behind schedule. Virtually no work has been done for the past year. A fluorine leak shut down all activities in May 2006. There have been other problems since then, including mandatory drug tests for all workers after marijuana was reportedly found in the parking lot. There is a plan to restart work at the site next month, but the near-term focus will be on removing the uranium-233 from the fuel mixture - not on removing the 9 tons of radioactive salts stored in the reactor's basement. John Shewairy, the public affairs chief for DOE, said the U-233 extraction should be accomplished by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year, but he would not give a timetable for removal of the fuel salts. "Our primary objective is to get the uranium out," Shewairy said. "The secondary objective is to get the salt out." He refused to rule out the possibility of meeting the milestone for fuel removal, although he acknowledged the deadlines for it and other projects are in jeopardy. "We do have some challenges ahead of us," the DOE spokesman said. The Molten Salt defueling project is among the most technically challenging projects ever conducted in Oak Ridge. That's partly because of the high radiation fields inside the reactor basement, where the fuel tanks house the remnants of operations from the 1960s. Much of the work must be performed remotely, using special equipment. The Molten Salt Reactor was built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1960 as an experimental facility to test new reactor concepts, including the use of lithium and beryllium salts to cool the reactor's fuel. The reactor also substituted fissile uranium-233 for U-235 as fuel. The fuel wasn't cased in conventional rods or plates, but rather the molten salt mixture flowed through the reactor chamber. Bechtel Jacobs, DOE's environmental cleanup manager in Oak Ridge, has been trying to chemically extract the U-233 from the tanks as a preliminary step to removing the fuel salts, but progress has been slow. Once the U-233 has been removed, DOE will evaluate its options, Shewairy said. "We'll certainly look at the bigger picture, what option or what path suits our needs." An expected budget shortfall for 2008 apparently is a factor in the decision-making for Molten Salt and other cleanup projects in Oak Ridge. Owsley said DOE is committed to removing all of the fuel from Molten Salt by Sept. 30 as part of the Federal Facilities Agreement, which was signed years ago by DOE, the state and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Those plans are set by three parties and are changed by three parties," Owsley said. "That schedule cannot be changed unilaterally by the Department of Energy." Shewairy said DOE officials plan to meet with environmental regulators to discuss the situation and "see if there's a way we can approach this work and resolve the schedule to everybody's satisfaction." Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 44 KnoxNews: NRC: 'Deliberate misconduct' at Browns Ferry By News Sentinel staff April 13, 2007 The Nuclear Regulatory staff has issued a "confirmatory order" to a contract foreman at TVA?s Browns Ferry nuclear power plant for deliberate misconduct that exposed a worker to radiation contamination. In a press release today, the NRC said Robbie Balentine, employed by Stone and Webster Engineering Co. at the Athens, Ala., plant engaged in "deliberate misconduct in early 2004 while acting as lead foreman for some paint removal activities inside the torus at Browns Ferry Unit 1." The torus is a large doughnut-shaped metal structure below the reactor vessel designed to capture excess steam in some accident scenarios. The NRC said in its statement than an investigation found Balentine "willfully directed and allowed open blasting to be performed in violation of the requirements of a radiation work permit and verbal instructions." That conduct, the NRC said, resulted in an "internal contamination event involving a painter under his supervision as well as a violation of a portion of the Browns Ferry nuclear plant license related to radiation protection." The order is the result of mediation under an NRC pilot program using a neutral third party, the release said. Under the order, Balentine agrees to take corrective actions including following all instructions, procedures and requirements governing NRC-licensed activities, ensuring that all those working for him do likewise and participating in any initiatives established by TVA or Stone and Webster to use this event as training for others. The NRC will take no further enforcement against Balentine, the release said. The action comes a day after TVA announced it is ready for final review of the restart of Browns Ferry Unit 1 reactor. Unit 1, which TVA expects to return to service in May, would be the first new nuclear generation in the United States this century. TVA shut down the three reactors at Browns Ferry in 1985 because of safety concerns. Unit 2 returned to service in 1991, and Unit 3 was restarted in 1995. The $1.8 billion effort to restore Unit 1 began in 2002. More details as they develop online and in Saturday?s News Sentinel. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************