***************************************************************** 04/17/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.90 ***************************************************************** 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 UPI: Iraq security plan still uncertain - expert 2 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IRI, 1st to offer nuclear free ME 3 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea Signals Atomic Shut Down 4 YONHAP NEWS: Koreas to hold economic talks despite N. Korea missing 5 BBC NEWS: US doubts N Korea reactor reports 6 UPI: Seoul traces signs of N. Korea disarmament 7 AFP: Macau bank challenges US blacklisting - 8 US: New West Network: Western Leaders Push Congress on Energy NUCLEAR REACTORS 9 WNA: Russian floating reactor construction starts 10 US: Fredericksburg.com: Reactor bid hearing set 11 OBJ: Nuclear power continues to gain foothold in global energy 12 Myjoyonline.com Ghana News: Gov't establishes power reactor committe 13 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for River Bend N 14 Myjoyonline.com Ghana News: Nuclear power is long term - Bekoe 15 US: FresnoBee.com: Panel rejects bill to lift nuclear ban 16 RIA Novosti: Floating NPP will be safer 17 BBC NEWS: Russia making floating atom plant 18 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for Ft. Calhoun 19 US: SF Chron: Nuclear power plant bill dies -- committee chair cuts 20 Euroarctic: Protest action against nuclear power plants 21 US: FR NRC: Notice of Issuance of Early Site Permit (ESP) for Grand 22 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Indian Point Nuclear Pla 23 US: Reuters: Calif. Assembly panel rejects nuclear power bill 24 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Nine Mile Point Nuclear 25 Prague Daily Monitor: Temelin's 1st unit seen closed a week longer - 26 US: Entergy News Release: Entergy and Consumers Energy Announce Clos 27 The Statesman: Energy Ministry explores nuclear energy option 28 NewsRoom Finland: E.ON says to buy land for nuclear power station in 29 NewsRoom Finland: Finland's Vanhanen says utilities have right to ap NUCLEAR SECURITY 30 Guardian Unlimited: Egypt Accuses Nuclear Employee of Spying 31 Gulfnews: Egypt arrests engineer spying for Israel 32 Platts: US, Mexico team up against nuclear smuggling 33 BBC NEWS: 'Nuclear spy' arrested in Egypt 34 US: UPI: U.S., Mexico sign nuke smuggling agreement 35 UPI: DHS scans containers in Pakistan, Honduras NUCLEAR SAFETY 36 US: IndyStar.com: Nuclear bomb exercise will test region's response 37 US: FR CDC: Worker safety hearings 38 US: MHNN: Whistle blower protection bill passes Senate NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 39 Las Vegas SUN: Sparks City Council opposes Yucca Mountain rail route 40 US: AU ABC: Yellowcake jars found at Olympic Dam village 41 BBC NEWS: Probe into Sellafield body parts 42 ReviewJournal.com: Sparks asked to fight transporting 43 US: thewest.com.au: Security at uranium mine under probe 44 RGJ.com: Sparks warned about Yucca plans 45 US: FR NRC: Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste 46 US: AU ABC: South Australia the 'Saudi Arabia' of uranium - Rann. 47 US: AU ABC: Labor's 'no new mines' policy dead, Minchin says. 48 wltx.com: Biden Opposes Yucca Mountian 49 US: The Australian: Uranium samples left at remote site 50 US: AU: Herald Sun: Jars of stolen yellowcake found in BHP camp | PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 51 KnoxNews: An ORNL strength just got even stronger 52 ENS: $27.5 Million Funds Uranium Contamination Studies 53 washingtonpost.com: Guards Go on Strike at Nuclear Weapons Plant - 54 Standard News: Guard Strike Continues 55 KVII Online: Pantex guards on strike 56 KnoxNews: 60 Y-12 workers to be laid off this week 57 KnoxNews: Nuke waste moves safer ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 UPI: Iraq security plan still uncertain - expert United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing Published: April 17, 2007 at 5:44 PM WASHINGTON, April 17, 2007 (UPI) -- Mainstream U.S. military analysts remain unconvinced that President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy in Iraq will work. The strategy of focusing U.S. military forces in Baghdad to establish spreading islands of security there will take many months to succeed, and even then its success remains uncertain, Anthony H. Cordesman, who holds the Arleigh A. Burke chair in strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, warned in a new analysis released this week entitled "Synopsis: Iraq's Troubled Future: The Uncertain Way Ahead." "If the United States is to succeed even in the greater Baghdad area, the Congress and American people must accept the fact that the U.S. build-up will not be complete until June, that it will take months to get the Iraqi Army fully in place and ready for the mission, that the Iraqi police at best will be largely passive, that the U.S. aid team and flow of aid will probable only be fully ready in August or September, and that the Iraqi government is not ready to provide services and a meaningful presence in the city and 'ring areas,'" Cordesman warned. "It is not going to be possible to see just how well the resulting mix of capabilities will counter the insurgency until the late spring of 2008 at the earliest," he wrote. Cordesman's comments reflect the uncertainties and worries that moderate, mainstream, respected U.S. military analysts still widely feel about the dangers and uncertainties surrounding the "surge" strategy. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 2 IRIB PERSIAN NEWS: IRI, 1st to offer nuclear free ME 2007/04/17 Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini on Monday, referring to the remarks of IAEA Chief, said that as Mohamed Elbaradei is aware, the idea of a Middle East free from nuclear weapons was first brought up at the United Nations by Iran and Egypt in the 70s. The remark was made in an interview with Irna reporter on Monday, while expressing his view on Elbaradei's recent statements in Jordan. "IAEA chief remembers that as an NPT member, Iran has always underlined that it is committed to this treaty," he added. Turning to Elbaradei's acknowledgement that Iran has never deviated from peaceful path in its nuclear activities, he said that Iran's nuclear activities have always been transparent. The Spokesman said that unrealistic interpretations and hypotheses on a country's intentions, specially under conditions that there is no cause for concern over Iran's nuclear activities for peaceful purposes, will not contribute to promotion of peace and security in the region. Copyright 2004, All Rights Reserved By Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting News Network Sponsored By IRIB News Computer Center. E-Mail: Info@IRIBNEWS.ir ***************************************************************** 3 Guardian Unlimited: North Korea Signals Atomic Shut Down From the Associated Press Tuesday April 17, 2007 6:31 PM By BO-MI LIM Associated Press Writer SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Intelligence officials reported increased activity Tuesday around North Korea's main nuclear reactor, indicating the country may be preparing to uphold its agreement to shut down the plant. North Korea missed last Saturday's deadline for shuttering the reactor because of a dispute over $25 million in North Korean deposits frozen in a bank blacklisted by Washington. The funds were allegedly linked to money laundering and counterfeiting. The owner of the bank in the Chinese territory of Macau, Stanley Au, insisted the money had been unblocked. He noted however that North Korea had made no withdrawals from his Banco Delta Asia ``because they cannot transfer the money out.'' ``There are no banks accepting the so-called black money,'' Au told The Associated Press. ``The only thing they can do at the moment is to take the money in bank notes out of the bank.'' North Korea promised the U.S. and four other nations in February to dismantle its nuclear programs in return for energy aid and political concessions. North Korea's Yongbyon reactor remained in operation Tuesday, but there was a high possibility that movement of cars and people at the site recorded in satellite photos could be linked to a shutdown, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported, citing an unnamed intelligence official. The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper carried a similar report. An official at the National Intelligence Service, South Korea's main spy agency, told The Associated Press they were ``following and analyzing some peculiar movements'' around the reactor in North Korea, without elaborating. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing policy. Yonhap news agency cited another unnamed intelligence official as saying that South Korea and the United States have been closely monitoring some movements since a month ago. ``The intensity of these activities has increased from about a week or two ago,'' the official was quoted as saying. ``There are activities other than cars and people moving busily.'' But the United States said Tuesday it had received no formal notification that North Korea was taking steps to shut down the reactor, and State Department spokesman Sean McCormack declined to comment about what U.S. intelligence might be seeing at the nuclear site. McCormack said the United States was willing to give North Korea ``a little bit more time'' to act on its pledge to shut down the reactor because of technical issues that delayed the release of North Korean funds frozen at a Macau bank. ``We're being flexible,'' he said, though he would not say how long U.S. patience would last. A North Korean decision to shut down the reactor would be its first move toward stopping its nuclear program since 2002, when the latest nuclear standoff began. The North is believed to have produced as many as a dozen atomic bombs since then, and conducted an underground nuclear test in October. South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon spoke by telephone Tuesday with his U.S. counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, and the two ``strongly expressed expectations that North Korea will soon implement disarmament measures,'' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Song and Rice ``reaffirmed that the door to resolving the (bank) issue is clearly open to North Korea,'' the statement said. China said Tuesday that it hoped th Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular briefing. ``There are still some specifics the relevant countries are concerned about that need to be further clarified and confirmed.'' He did not give details. Banco Delta Asia said Monday it had filed a legal challenge to Washington's decision to cut it off from the U.S. financial system. The bank said it told the Treasury Department that its accusations of abetting North Korea's alleged illicit activities ``lacked specific facts'' and were motivated by politics. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 4 YONHAP NEWS: Koreas to hold economic talks despite N. Korea missing nuke deadline 2007/04/17 20:13 KST SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will send a delegation to participate in planned economic talks with North Korea this week despite the North's failure to meet a key deadline for its initial steps toward nuclear dismantlement, officials said Tuesday. South Korea hopes to use the upcoming talks, which come just a few days after the Saturday deadline, to urge North Korea to implement a landmark Feb. 13 agreement to end its nuclear weapons program. The meeting will be held in the North Korean capital Pyongyang for four days from Wednesday. "During the talks, we will deliver our position urging the North to carry out the Feb. 13 accord as soon as possible," said Kim Joong-tae, spokesman for the six-member delegation to the talks. Last Friday, North Korea said it would take first steps toward nuclear dismantlement as soon as it withdraws its funds from Banco Delta Asia in Macau that were unblocked with the help of the United States last Tuesday. But the deadline passed with no word from the North on when it will act to withdraw its US$25 million from the U.S.-blacklisted bank. In February, North Korea pledged to shut down its main nuclear reactor and allow U.N. inspectors back into the country within 60 days. In return, North Korea would receive aid equal to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil from South Korea. The U.S. promised to resolve the financial issue within 30 days, but it failed to do so because of technical complications. The two Koreas will also discuss the North's request for 400,000 tons of rice in the form of a loan in Pyongyang. South Korea is likely to accept the request unless the situation surrounding the North's nuclear reactor shutdown gets worse. "I expect that the talks will go the way of success on the path toward a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Despite much worry, the food issue will be discussed well," Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said. Shortly after the North conducted missile tests in July, the South suspended food and fertilizer aid. But fertilizer aid was resumed in late March a few weeks after the two sides agreed to repair their strained ties. Also high on the agenda will be test runs of reconnected cross-border railways in the first half of this year, and the implementation of an economic accord under which South Korea was supposed to provide raw materials in exchange for the North's natural resources. "Pyongyang had proposed a test run for the cross-border train on May 9, and we expect detailed negotiations on this matter in the upcoming talks," the minister said. Lee added that the train issue will be a more important topic at the talks than the proposed rice aid, stressing that if conditions are not sufficiently mature, a partial opening of the railroad will be needed. In March, at the end of a ministerial meeting in Pyongyang, the Koreas agreed to discuss the various issues during the economic talks. The South Korean delegation, led by Chin Dong-soo, second vice minister of finance and economy, is scheduled to fly to Pyongyang on a direct chartered flight Wednesday afternoon. North Korea abruptly called off scheduled test runs of cross-border railways in May last year, under apparent pressure from its hard-line military. The cancellation also led to the mothballing of the economic accord. North Korea's subsequent missile and nuclear weapons tests further clouded hopes of implementing the agreement. The tracks, one line cutting across the western section of the border and the other crossing through the eastern side, were completed and set to undergo test runs. A set of parallel roads has been in use since 2005 for South Koreans traveling to the North. South Korea has repeatedly called on North Korea to provide a security guarantee for the operation of cross-border railways, but the North has yet to respond on the issue. The reconnection of the severed train lines was one of the tangible inter-Korean rapprochement projects agreed upon following the historic summit between then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2000. In 2005, South Korea agreed to provide the North with US$80 million worth of raw materials to help it produce clothing, footwear and soap starting in 2006. In return, the North was to provide the South with minerals, such as zinc and magnesite, after mines were developed with South Korean investments guaranteed by Pyongyang. (END) ***************************************************************** 5 BBC NEWS: US doubts N Korea reactor reports Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 22:56 GMT 23:56 UK North Korea has missed a deadline to shut down its main reactor The US has said it has no confirmation that North Korea is starting to shut down its main nuclear reactor. Comments by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack follow media reports in South Korea that Pyongyang may have begun dismantling the Yongbyon reactor. Satellite images detected unusual activity there, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper and Yonhap news agency said. Pyongyang has already missed the first deadline agreed as part of the deal. It was meant to have "shut down and sealed" its Yongbyon reactor by Saturday - 60 days after the deal was reached. But complications over North Korean funds, frozen in a Macau bank, delayed proceedings. On Tuesday, Mr McCormack said Washington was willing to give North Korea "a little bit more time" to honour its pledge. N KOREA NUCLEAR DEAL N Korea to 'shut down and seal' Yongbyon reactor, then disable all nuclear facilities In return, will be given 1m tonnes of heavy fuel oil N Korea to invite IAEA back to monitor deal Under earlier 2005 deal, N Korea agreed to end nuclear programme and return to non-proliferation treaty N Korea's demand for light water reactor to be discussed at "appropriate time" Limited outcry Q&A: Nuclear standoff Pyongyang linked progress on the agreement to the return of the money, refusing to move forward with shutting down the reactor until it had access to the $25m (Ł13m). After weeks of delay, the US said recently that the money was now available to be picked up, but there has been no confirmation of this from Pyongyang, and the funds are currently still in Macau's Banco Delta Asia. Saturday's deadline came and went with no official comment from the North. Rice aid Since the deadline has passed, there has been huge pressure on the North to start the process of shutting down its Yongbyon reactor as soon as possible. South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-soon spoke by telephone with his US counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, on Tuesday and the two "strongly expressed expectations that North Korea will soon implement disarmament measures," the South's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. South Korean media has also reported that Seoul is thinking of delaying the resumption of rice aid to its impoverished neighbour, until the North takes concrete steps forward. The two Koreas were set to begin talks on Wednesday to discuss the North's request for 400,000 tonnes of rice. But there are signs of hope, according to reports in Tuesday's South Korean media. Officials from both Seoul and Washington have been closely monitoring activity at Yongbyon - and they have begun to notice changes. South Korea has reportedly threatened to delay aid shipments An unnamed intelligence official told Yonhap that the reactor was still operating, but there were some more intense signs of activity than usual. "We are tracing and analysing them," the official said, requesting anonymity. Some diplomatic officials were noncommittal about what these signs meant, but another un-named source is quoted as telling the Dong-A Ilbo: "Washington thinks it is highly likely that those activities are a part of North Korea's operations to close down the nuclear facility." Meanwhile the Macau bank involved in the funding dispute has challenged a US Treasury ruling that bars US banks from doing business with it. Banco Delta Asia said the ruling ignored all remedial measures it has taken, and "was politically motivated because it was based on disputes between the United States and North Korea". * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 6 UPI: Seoul traces signs of N. Korea disarmament United Press International - International Intelligence - Briefing Published: April 17, 2007 at 9:41 AM SEOUL, April 17, 2007 (UPI) -- South Korea is tracing and analyzing signs that North Korea may be finally preparing to shut down its nuclear reactor. Seoul officials said Tuesday they are seeing possible denuclearization signs after local news reports that U.S. spy satellites have spotted "unusual" activity around North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear reactor, north of Pyongyang. The satellite image was shared with South Korea, which has interpreted the move as possibly connected to the shutdown of the reactor, according to the reports. Seoul officials conceded the activities are taking place, saying South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities have paid close attention to the movements at the site. But the Yongbyon nuclear reactor is still operating, they said. Under a Feb. 13 nuclear accord, North Korea agreed to shut down the reactor by April 14, but it missed the deadline, fueling doubts about the process of nuclear disarmament. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 AFP: Macau bank challenges US blacklisting - Tue Apr 17, 2:13 AM ET HONG KONG (AFP) - The Macau bank at the heart of a dispute delaying an international deal on North Korea's nuclear disarmament said it would challenge a US decision barring it from doing business with US banks. Calling the US Treasury Department's ruling "arbitrary and capricious", Banco Delta Asia (BDA) said the decision was "politically motivated since it was based on disputes between the US and North Korea". In a statement, the BDA said the United States had ignored the remedial measures it had taken and had filed a petition with the US Treasury to have the decision overturned. "With this filing, the bank seeks a fair hearing on all the evidence, free from political intervention and the distraction of public diplomacy," said Joseph McLaughlin of Heller Ehrman, counsel to the bank. "We are confident that the US legal system, in the end, will not countenance the sacrifice of legal rights to political ends," he said. Pyongyang missed an April 14 deadline to start shutting down a nuclear reactor as part of an international disarmament deal, saying it would not do so until it had received the money frozen in BDA. The US Treasury and the Macau Monetary Authority said last week the North Korea was free to access the funds and Washington hoped that it would meet a deadline to shut down its nuclear weapons program in exchange for foreign aid. But it missed last Saturday's deadline and North Korea has not withdrawn the money. "The Banco Delta petition risks making the wider diplomatic effort much harder," one diplomatic source told the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong. The funds were initially frozen at US instigation after Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on North Korea in September 2005, when negotiations on the North's disarmament were stalled. After the United States named BDA a "primary money-laundering concern" for North Korea, the Macau Monetary Authority took control of the bank. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 8 New West Network: Western Leaders Push Congress on Energy | Salt Lake City | UTAH ENERGY SUMMIT By Headwaters News, 4-17-07 Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will wrap up the Utah Energy Summit today. The summit, which has drawn a wide range of Western leaders and environmental groups, has drawn some fairly heft financial support from some of the region’s largest energy players, as well. The Salt Lake Tribune reported on Monday that Arch Coal, Rocky Mountain Power, Questar, Chevron and Bill Barrett Corp., all pitched in on the summit. The summit kicked off on Sunday, with Huntsman and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer presiding over the opening remarks, which consisted of a list of things the National Association of Governors would like Congress to get done on energy. The governors’ driving desire to hold off devastating changes wrought by a warming climate, along with a desire to wean the nation off foreign oil, provided the motivation for the “to-do” list. The list contained a push for clean-coal technology, higher mileage requirements for vehicles, and massive injections of federal cash for developing new technology. Unremarkedly, Gov. Brian Schweitzer pushed his coal agenda, and added his endorsement for nuclear energy as well. He chided those who didn’t share his enthusiasm for coal and nuclear energy as being a bit behind the times, and the Tribune quoted him as saying, “Coal is our future. Are you willing to sit naked in trees and eat nuts?” Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons decided not to tout his earlier coal-to-liquids proposal, and instead promoted his state’s plethora of solar, wind and geothermal resources all available for the harnessing. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that Gibbons, who participated via teleconference, said he’ll put together an advisory committee to study the best way to provide transmission lines to carry energy produced by remote renewable sources to areas needing the energy. Discussions on the second day of the summit centered around renewable energy, and just why despite all the enthusiasm wind, solar and geothermal energy seems to generate, very little of the nation’s power actually comes from renewable resources. John Nielson, executive director of Western Resource Advocates, a nonprofit law and advocacy organization based in Boulder, Colo., told attendees of the conference that only about 2 percent of all the energy produced in the seven Rocky Mountain States comes from renewable energy resources. The general consensus of attendees, according to the Salt Lake Tribune article today, is that there has been an across-the-board failure on the part of the federal government, state lawmakers and regulatory commissions to promote the development of renewable energy resources across the region. Attendees said Congress has done little to provide federal leadership, not all states have laws mandating renewable energy and utility commissions haven’t sat down and put pencil to paper to accurately determine the cost of adding renewable energy into the power equation. Energy summit attendees also added other factors into the dearth of renewable energy efforts: a lack of transmission line capacity, a worldwide shortage of wind turbines, see-sawing incentives for renewable energy options, and an unwavering belief that wind and solar energy aren’t consistent power sources. But some of the state Legislatures in the Rocky Mountain states have passed legislation setting goals for renewable energy generation: Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada all have done so. Idaho, Wyoming and Utah have not. And as far as subsidies and incentives go, Ron Lehr, the American Wind Energy Association’s Western representative, scoffed at the notion that renewable energy sources ought to stand on their own, and pointed out the recent 20-year extension of the $10 billion program meant to prop up the nuclear energy industry. Back in D.C., Congress heard from Bush administration officials that carbon dioxide sequestration, a much-needed component in the portfolio of tools to combat global warming especially if coal is to be moved to the forefront of the energy picture, may not be economically feasible for nearly 40 years. The Billings Gazette reports that New Mexico’s Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici called the administration’s timeline “troubling,” and promised to propel legislation to speed up development of sequestration of carbon dioxide to the top of the agenda. Montana Sen. Jon Tester is the co-sponsor of one such piece of legislation which calls for the cataloguing of the nation’s underground geologic formations that could be used to sequester greenhouse gases and the creation of a database of such formations. © 2007 NewWest, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 9 WNA: Russian floating reactor construction starts 17 April 2007 World Nuclear Assoc The keel was laid for the world's first floating nuclear power plant at the Sevmash shipyard on 15 April. The Akademik Lomonosov will house two 35 MW KLT-40S nuclear reactors, similar to those used in Russia's nuclear powered ice breakers, and two generators, and will be capable of supplying a city of 200,000 people. After decades of discussion, work has reached the first landmark stage in the development of floating nuclear power plants. Destined for the Archangelsk industrial shipyard in northwest Russia the Akademik Lomonosov will supply 70 MWe from two KLT-40S naval-developed reactors. It is estimated that the plant will cost around six billion roubles ($232 million) to build. A ceremony was held at the Sevmash shipyard at which first Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov, the head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), Sergey Kiriyenko, and academic Yevgeny Velikhov fixed a memorable plaque on the body of the future plant. Later, a memorandum was signed by Sevmash and Rosenergoatom (Russia's nuclear operator) for up to six more of the floating plants between 2008 and 2016. Two are envisaged for Pevek on Russia's Chukotka peninsula on the East Siberian Sea, while others are thought to be suitable for providing power to Gazprom's Arctic oil extraction operations. These uses would help Russia to achieve President Vladimir Putin's goal of having nuclear generate 25% the country's electricity by 2030. The floating units could also be deployed in other countries for electricity and seawater desalination, operating for 15 years before returning to Russia for defuelling and maintenance. Other countries including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Algeria, Namibia and Argentina are reported to have expressed in buying the plants, which could also be used for desalination. Responding to safety concerns from the advent of a new type of nuclear installation, Kiriyenko cited the 2000 Kursk disaster as evidence of Russian naval nuclear excellence: "After the boat was raised, specialists proved that the reactor could be put into service that very moment." "If today we are building low-capacity floating nuclear power plants based on 70 MWe ice-breaker reactors, tomorrow, we will start building medium-capacity plants based on unique technologies designed for nuclear submarines, ie 300-400 MWe" Kiriyenko said. Some commentators, however, have expressed misgivings about the safety of the floating plants, particularly their potential vulnerability to accidents and terrorism. Further information Rosenergoatom Sevmash ***************************************************************** 10 Fredericksburg.com: Reactor bid hearing set Federal board to hold hearing on Dominion power license application for North Anna plant By RUSTY DENNEN Date published: 4/17/2007 The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hold an evidentiary hearing next Tuesday regarding the North Anna Power Station. The board, the administrative law arm of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is reviewing elements of Dominion power's plan for up to two more nuclear reactors at the Louisa County plant. A three-judge panel will question witnesses on seven topics gleaned from an ASLB public meeting in Louisa in February. The public can attend and observe the hearing, but only attorneys and witnesses for Dominion and the NRC staff will participate. The session convenes at 9 a.m., April 24 in the Louisa County Government Building, and could run for several days. Issues raised include site characteristics, radioactive and toxic materials, water and seismic safety. The NRC will decide by year's end on whether to approve the application for additional reactors. That would allow Dominion to resolve environmental, safety and site issues prior to applying for permission to actually build and operate one or more reactors. The NRC staff has recommended that the early site permit be approved; the ASLB is not bound by that recommendation. Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431 Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com Copyright 2007, The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co. of Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA - ***************************************************************** 11 OBJ: Nuclear power continues to gain foothold in global energy markets: report Ottawa Business Journal - By Krystle Chow, Ottawa Business Journal Staff Tue, Apr 17, 2007 11:00 AM EST Uranium prices are approaching record highs worldwide as nuclear energy gains popularity in North America, while coal-fired electricity plants continue to lose out due to concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report by CIBC World Markets. While nuclear power accounts for only 16 per cent of global power generation today, the report noted that "it has a huge upside in a carbon-constrained world." Environmental opposition has forced TXU, the largest energy generator in Texas, to cut approximately 6,000 megawatts of planned new coal-fired capacity and to instead build as many as five new nuclear facilities, the report said. The facilities will be the first new nuclear stations started in North America in more than 25 years, aside from refurbished plants in Ontario. "If you can't get coal-fired generating capacity licensed in Texas these days, where can you get coal plants built," said CIBC World Markets chief economist Jeff Rubin in a statement. "Coal-fired utilities find themselves the primary target of a tidal wave of greenhouse gas legislation that is sweeping across state legislatures. Weaning American power consumers off cheap and abundant domestic coal supply is rapidly shaping up to be the frontline battleground of the carbon wars in North America." Nuclear power generation is also growing strongly in Asia, where 21 new reactors are expected to come online by 2010. As well, more than 40 new nuclear plants are scheduled to come into service by the end of the next decade. Mr. Rubin said the rapid growth of demand for nuclear power means uranium supply is becoming a big issue. "Prices have more than doubled over the last six months and with utilities still needing to contract roughly a third of their uranium fuel requirements over the next five years, more and more are scrambling to lock in supplies," he said. Mr. Rubin predicted that uranium oxide prices will more than triple from last fall's numbers within the next two years, reaching US$140 per pound this year and $160 per pound by late 2008. The report forecasted that uranium mines will only be able to supply little more than 60 per cent of global demand until at least the end of the decade, or possibly even longer. The rest of the supply will have to come from secondary sources such as inventories held by utilities, mines, reprocessed reactor fuels and the contents of depleted uranium stockpiles. The report noted that approximately half of the fuel used by U.S. reactors have come from secondary sources in recent years, but warned that these sources are limited and continue to decline rapidly. ***************************************************************** 12 Myjoyonline.com Ghana News: Gov't establishes power reactor committee Posted on: 17-Apr-2007 Previous Page A special committee to explore the possibility of using nuclear power to produce electrical energy has been set up, says the Minister of Energy, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda. Addressing the media in Accra on nuclear power and the current energy crises, he said the committee had not been given any specific time frame within which to work, but was expected to come out with its recommendations as early as possible. Mr Adda said based on the recommendation, government would then take steps towards the establishment of a nuclear plant if need be. “This is a long term project, which needs to be carefully planned and not done in a rush. In the meantime, Government is still working at solving the energy problem as well as finding solutions to address the short and medium term energy needs of the country,” Mr Adda said. He expressed the hope that the committee, chaired by Professor Daniel A. Bekoe, Chairman of the Board of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), would come out early for government to take a position on the issue, adding that a lot of other alternatives such as wind and solar power uses were also being explored in collaboration with private entrepreneurs. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Kwamena Bartels, cautioned the media against misinformation regarding Ghana’s establishment of a nuclear plant saying, the President was yet to take a position on the subject matter. “The President is in no way confused, but was rather weighting all the recommendations so as to come out with the best decision,” he said. Cabinet, he noted, was also awaiting the recommendations of the special committee before selecting an option. He said Ghana had not been able to take a decision on the establishment of a nuclear power reactor since the proposals were first made in line with the establishment of GAEC in 1963 because of the country’s chequered political history. Mr Bartels was however optimistic that the project would take off as soon as the recommendations were made for its establishment. Source: GNA ***************************************************************** 13 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for River Bend Nuclear Plant News Release - Region IV - 2007-008 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 www.nrc.gov 07-008 CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128 E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet in St. Francisville, La., on April 23, with representatives of Entergy Operations, Inc., to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last year at the River Bend Station nuclear plant near Baton Rouge, La. The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the River Bend Station Training Center Auditorium, 5485 U.S. Highway 61N, St. Francisville. In addition to the performance assessment, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of River Bend Station, as well as the NRC’s role in ensuring safe plant operation. “The NRC continually reviews the performance of River Bend Station and the nation’s other commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett 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.” A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2006 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/rbs_2006q4.pdf. The NRC utilizes color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors start with "green" and then increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. The NRC said River Bend Station operated safely during 2006, but identified 16 “green” violations in the area of human performance during the assessment period. In order to address this substantive cross-cutting issue, the licensee has implemented an improvement plan, but it has not yet proven fully effective. NRC will continue to focus attention on this area as part of its baseline inspections during 2007. The NRC is also looking at the cross-cutting area of problem identification and resolution, where previous violations were identified. The licensee has implemented an improvement program, but NRC will continue to focus attention on this area to verify that performance improvements are sustained. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. Among the areas of plant performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with engineering, fire protection, emergency preparedness, maintenance and radiological controls. Current performance information for River Bend Station is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/RBS1/rbs1_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. Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ***************************************************************** 14 Myjoyonline.com Ghana News: Nuclear power is long term - Bekoe Posted on: 17-Apr-2007 Previous Page The Chairman of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), Professor Daniel Adzei Bekoe, says the possibility for Ghana to have a nuclear power plant to complement its current energy needs was high. “If a decision is taken now to add a nuclear power plant to our sources of electricity, it will take at least eight years to deliver the first nuclear,” he said at a press conference in Accra on Nuclear Power and the current energy crises. He said the establishment of a nuclear power plant was a sophisticated technology which required a corresponding sophisticated infrastructure and so would only serve as a long term purpose and not one for short term solutions. Prof. Bekoe who is also the Chairman of the Council of State said from experience it was necessary to develop effective national policies and legislations before the project is undertaken, so that among other objectives, the safety of operators, the environment and the general population was assured and that they were protected from radiation. He said with the existing infrastructure at the GAEC, expansion work could take a maximum of two years in matters relating to safety, security, legal and regulatory framework with “the rest of the planning and implementation taking another five to six years”. Prof. Bekoe said if the decision to build the Nuclear Power station was agreed upon by government, the issue of location would have to be seriously considered before the project took off, taking into consideration the encroachment of the GAEC lands. He said the generation of nuclear power was however environmentally friendly compared to hydro and thermal, except that it had high capital cost, though it produced electricity at a cost lesser than that from oil-fired stations. Talking about environmental friendliness, he said dams were noted for their submersion of vast agricultural and mineral-rich lands, the displacement of settlements and the propagation of water-borne disease. “Thermal generators produce a lot of green house gases which lead to climate change which the whole world is watching with some concern”, he said, adding that, the use of those sources had to be limited although Ghana was nowhere near the league of high generators of green house gases. Source: GNA ***************************************************************** 15 FresnoBee.com: Panel rejects bill to lift nuclear ban Assembly committee vote doesn't deter Fresno group. By E.J. Schultz / Bee Capitol Bureau 04/17/07 04:16:02 An Assembly committee on Monday rejected a bill to lift California's ban on nuclear power plants, as backers of a proposed Fresno plant said they might take their case directly to the state's voters. As expected, Democrats on the Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted against the measure, siding with environmentalists who raised concerns about storing radioactive waste and nuclear weapons proliferation. Assembly Bill 719 failed 3-6, with the three yes votes coming from Republicans. Assembly Member Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, had pitched the bill as a way to help increase the state's electricity supply while complying with new restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power plants produce few greenhouse gas emissions, the leading man-made cause of global warming. The bill would have boosted efforts by a group of Fresno business leaders seeking to build a $4 billion, 1,600-megawatt nuclear reactor in Fresno. But project supporters said they weren't disappointed because they had nothing to do with DeVore's effort. "It came [as] unexpected to us that this was even proposed in the first place, so we don't look at it as a setback at all -- we will continue to move forward," said John Hutson, president and chief executive of the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group. Bypassing lawmakers, the group has been considering launching an effort to lift the ban with a ballot measure, he said. About 13% of the state's electricity supply comes from nuclear power, including two California plants. But a state law passed in 1976 prohibits the construction of plants until the federal government finds a way to dispose of high-level nuclear waste. The most-discussed proposal is a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but the project has been plagued by delays. DeVore, who vowed to re-introduce the bill next year, said the state's portfolio of electricity options will continue to narrow -- and grow more costly -- as more environmental controls are put in place. "You can't power an electrical grid on good intentions," he said. Greenhouse gas legislation that passed last year calls for reducing emissions by 25% by 2020. Another law prohibits utilities from entering into long-term contracts with coal-fired power plants. Last week, the State Lands Commission rejected a proposed liquefied natural gas facility off the Southern California coast, which supporters said was needed to keep up with energy demands. About 16% of the state's electricity supply comes from coal and 42% comes from natural gas, according to a recent report by the California Energy Commission. Opponents of DeVore's bill said lifting the ban is premature. "Nuclear technology is the most dangerous technology on earth," said Daniel Hirsch, president of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, an anti-nuclear group. "We haven't solved the waste problem, [and] we haven't solved the proliferation problem." Anti-nuclear activists worry that materials from nuclear plants could fall into the wrong hands and be turned into weapons, or that terrorists might attack a plant. Environmentalists testifying Monday also pointed to cost overruns that plagued existing plants. Construction of the Diablo Canyon plant exceeded the $320 million estimate, according to the energy commission. A better solution, environmentalists said, is to invest in alternative energy like wind and solar power. Proponents of the Fresno plant would face a divided public if they are able to get an initiative on the ballot. Of likely voters, 46% support new nuclear plants and 46% oppose them, according to a July poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. The Fresno Nuclear Energy Group is doing its own polling on the issue and is expected to reach a decision soon on the best way to move forward, Hutson said. The reporter can be reached at eschultz@fresnobee.com or (916) 326-5541. * © Copyright 2007 The Fresno Bee ***************************************************************** 16 RIA Novosti: Floating NPP will be safer Opinion & analysis - 17:13 | 17/ 04/ 2007 MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti commentator Tatyana Sinitsyna) - "This plant has several layers of protection, which means that it will be much safer than its land equivalents," said Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, speaking at a ceremony of laying down the world's first floating nuclear power plant (FNPP). The plant will be built at the Sevmash shipyard, the core of the Russian Center for Nuclear Shipbuilding, in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk Region. To add weight to his words, the head of the agency cited the sad tragedy of the nuclear submarine "Kursk," which sank in the Barents Sea in 2000. A powerful explosion de-energized the ship and filled it with water. But the nuclear reactor withstood the shock and shut down automatically, obeying the command of its safety system. After the submarine was raised, specialists found an intact nuclear reactor ready to operate. There is really hardly a test more devastating and convincing than exposure to an extreme situation. Such power units, which have years of service on warships and ice-breakers, will be used on floating nuclear power plants. The first such plant will be named "Akademik Lomonosov" after the famed Russian scholar and scientist Mikhail Lomonosov (1711-1765). Its construction is scheduled to be completed by 2010. The vessel will drop anchor in the White Sea, close to Sevmash. The plant will supply power for Sevmash's production and municipal needs. The project is estimated at $200 million, but it will recoup itself in seven years with an expected service life of 38 years. This one, Kiriyenko said, is a pilot project. Later on, such plants will be less expensive and quicker to build, the construction period taking only three years. The new plant looks like a miniature of its land cousin, and is about 1/15th as powerful. The 70 MW plant will power the infrastructure of Sevmash, which has invested $20 million in the project, and sell one fifth of the electricity elsewhere. FNPPs have attractive prospects. They are the dream of power-hungry regions and large industrial enterprises that require an uninterrupted power supply when no centralized source is available. Built on a shipbuilding yard, a floating plant is towed by water to its operation site. By 2015, Russia plans to build seven FNPPs for its domestic needs. Priority sites are Chukotka, Kamchatka, Yakutia and Taimyr, in the Far East of the country and in Siberia. It is the transportability of the new Russian technological wonder and its ability to feel at home in any coastal area that is attracting the attention of other countries - maritime and island-based. According to the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, 12 countries have already expressed interest, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. The plant to be built in Severodvinsk will also serve as a working model to be visited and examined by potential exporters. What is its principle of operation? A site suitable for mooring is chosen in coastal waters, near the client to be supplied with electricity (town, village, industrial facility). Then the power unit arrives, towed by a tug. It mounts two reactors and has working and accommodation space. A minimum of infrastructure is established beforehand on the shore, complete with transformer units, pumps, etc. The plant is capable of supplying the power needs of a city with a population of 200,000. When converted to sea water distillation, it can produce 240,000 cubic meters of drinking water daily. The FNPP saves up to 200,000 tons of coal or 100,000 tons of fuel oil a year. The infrastructure of the Russian nuclear complex backs up its life cycle in full. Any description of a nuclear facility is taken with a grain of salt. The critics of the project, for example, say that it can damage the environment in case of a natural disaster. But the site is picked up following close monitoring, observing fixed rules - no one is going to anchor the plant in a place with a high risk of tsunamis. "There will be no floating Chernobyl," Kiriyenko assured. "The guarantee is the tremendous expertise built up by the Russian nuclear ice-breaking fleet with its 7,000 reactor-years." Plant designers say the philosophy incorporated in the design points to high dependability and freedom from radioactive effects on the environment. When the plant weighs anchor to sail elsewhere, it leaves the place absolutely unpolluted. A terrorist threat has also been taken care of. The latest scientific and technological devices have been employed to stop unauthorized access to fissile materials aboard the vessel. Staff are identified by fingerprints and retinal analysis. The system is also protected against underwater sabotage. Rigid safeguards exist against external physical threats. A hypothetical aircraft falling on the vessel would have no chance of breaking the reactor unit. It is important to keep in mind that Russia will be selling only the plant's output - electricity - not the vessel itself. This settles all issues connected with the spread of nuclear technologies. A floating nuclear power plant flying the Russian flag is towed to a country that has signed the contract, drops anchor in a suitable place and gets in touch with local engineering services ashore. Then the reactors are switched on, and the customer is supplied with electricity. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 17 BBC NEWS: Russia making floating atom plant Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 10:27 GMT 11:27 UK The floating plant will have a 70-megawatt reactor Russia has started building the world's first floating nuclear plant, designed to provide power for remote areas. The plant, costing Ł100m ($200m), is due to be launched in 2010. Russia's atomic energy ministry (Minatom) announced that the base unit for the plant had been prepared in Severodvinsk, in Russia's Arctic north. Export potential Russia's nuclear energy producer Rosenergoatom is financing 80% of the project and Sevmash the other 20%. According to Minatom, the plant will have an operational life of 12-15 years and has a high level of radiation security. A senior engineer involved in the project, Oleg Samoilov, said that "in the worst-case accident, with damage to the radioactive zone, civilian protection measures will not be needed beyond a one-kilometre radius around the plant". Minatom says such plants could be widely used in energy-poor regions and could also power water purification installations. There are risks of the unit itself sinking, there are risks in towing the units to where they need to be Charles Digges, Bellona environmental pressure group Russia hopes that Pacific island states will want to buy the technology. According to Rosenergoatom, more than 12 countries have expressed interest in the project. Russia plans to build seven floating nuclear plants by 2015. Environmentalists have been highly critical of the proposals. Charles Digges, editor of the Norwegian-based Bellona website, told the Associated Press that floating nuclear plants were "absolutely unsafe - inherently so". "There are risks of the unit itself sinking, there are risks in towing the units to where they need to be," he said. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 18 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Plant News Release - Region IV - 2007-009 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128 E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet in Omaha, Neb., on April 24, with representatives of the Omaha Public Power District to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last year at the Ft. Calhoun nuclear plant near Omaha. The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Omaha Mariott, 10220 Regency Circle, Omaha. In addition to the performance assessment, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of Ft. Calhoun, as well as the NRC’s role in ensuring safe plant operation. “The NRC continually reviews the performance of Ft. Calhoun and the nation’s other commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett 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.” A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2006 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/fcs_2006q4.pdf. The NRC utilizes color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors start with "green" and then increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. The NRC said Ft. Calhoun operated safely during 2006, but has yet to reach a final determination on the safety significance of one violation related to an improperly installed valve in the plant’s containment spray system. It also identified 13 “green” violations in the area of human performance during the assessment period. NRC will continue to focus attention on this area as part of its baseline inspections during 2007. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. Among the areas of plant performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with engineering, fire protection, emergency preparedness, maintenance and radiological controls. Current performance information for Ft. Calhoun is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/FCS/fcs_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. Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ***************************************************************** 19 SF Chron: Nuclear power plant bill dies -- committee chair cuts off author Matthew Yi, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (04-17) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- A bill that sought to lift California's three-decade ban on building new nuclear power plants died Monday in a Democrat-controlled legislative committee. It was clear that the legislation would get a chilly reception in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee when the chairwoman abruptly interrupted a presentation by the bill's author, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine (Orange County), and asked him to finish his opening remarks. "You've spoken for five minutes ... and I'm wondering if you can wrap up," said Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley. The committee voted 3 to 6 along party lines. As his main argument for the bill, AB719, DeVore called nuclear power the answer to meeting the state's growing demand for electricity without exacerbating the problem of global warming. His measure sought to repeal a 1976 moratorium on building new nuclear reactors in California until the federal Department of Energy builds a permanent storage facility for nuclear waste. The federal agency has chosen a site in Nevada, but the effort has been stalled by technical, legal and political challenges. AB719's opponents -- largely environmental and anti-nuclear groups -- on Monday argued that nuclear waste is harmful to the environment, there is no permanent solution for storing spent fuel rods, and nuclear power plants could become targets of terrorism. "Nuclear technology is the most dangerous technology on earth," said Dan Hirsch, president of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, a California-based anti-nuclear watchdog group. Hancock sided with the skeptics. Before the votes were cast by committee members, the chairwoman said she is convinced that the moratorium needs to stay in place. "In addition, we have safe alternatives. We've just started looking at solar energy potential, wind energy potential ... and new alternative fuel sources," she said. Despite the failure of AB719, the nuclear power debate will probably continue. Before DeVore introduced his bill, a number of businessmen in Fresno last year formed an investment group to build a nuclear power plant in the San Joaquin Valley. The Fresno Nuclear Energy Group LLC signed a letter of intent with UniStar Nuclear Development LLC, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy in Baltimore, to design, build and operate a plant. John Hutson, the group's chief executive, said the death of AB719 won't deter his group from going forward with its plans. In fact, the Fresno group's board is scheduled to meet today to consider putting an initiative on the ballot asking voters to repeal the state's nuclear ban. "The only thing that will stop us will be if the voters say we don't want nuclear power in California," he said. According to recent polls, California voter sentiment has been shifting in favor of building more nuclear power plants, especially if it means limiting greenhouse gas emissions. A July 2006 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found likely voters were split down the middle -- 46 percent on each side -- on whether they support additional nuclear power plants. In 2005, the result was 37 percent in support and 55 percent opposed. As for DeVore, he said he wasn't surprised by the outcome of his bill, but he won't give up, either. "We're going to keep bringing this back," he said. "California's energy needs are not going to go away." E-mail Matthew Yi at myi@sfchronicle.com. This article appeared on page D - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle ***************************************************************** 20 Euroarctic: Protest action against nuclear power plants Environmentalist and ecologist in many Russian cities oppose constructions of new nuclear power plants. The organization “Nature and youth” in Murmansk organized a protest action in the center of Murmansk in support of a nationwide action. An announcement from the power company Rosenergoatom, that several floating nuclear power plants will be built to provide oil and gas exploitation at the Sthokman field with energy, triggered the protest action. It’s also planned to install a new experimental reactor at the Kola Nuclear Power Plant – hybrid of ground - based and aquatic plants. By that time old reactors will be taken out of operation. The ecologists strive against such experiments. They say nobody can guarantee safety of newly built reactors. They insist a referendum should be held on this question. The specialists at the Kola NPP plant guarantee that due to tight controls at the station a situation like in Chernobyl is out of the question. Ecologists set their hopes on alternative energy sources. They say 20 percent of the Murmansk Region power consumption can be produce by wind turbines in 2020. In any case they realize that it’s impossible to renounce from atomic energy, but it’s important that it should be absolutely safe. Yakov Osetrov, Anastasia Yakonuk © Copyright Sveriges Radio. Responsible editor under Swedish Law: Göran Hedemalm. ***************************************************************** 21 FR NRC: Notice of Issuance of Early Site Permit (ESP) for Grand Gulf ESP Site Located 25 Miles South of the City of Vicksburg, MS Doc E7-7261 [Federal Register: April 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 73)] [Notices] [Page 19217-19218] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr17ap07-77] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 052-00009] AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice of issuance of Early Site Permit. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George F. Wunder, Senior Project Manager, ABWR/ESBWR Projects Branch 1, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Telephone: (301) 415-1494; Fax number: (301) 415-2102; e-mail: gfw@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Introduction Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.106, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing notice of the issuance of Early Site Permit (ESP) ESP-002 to System Energy Resources Inc. (SERI, or the permit holder), for approval of a site located near Port Gibson, Mississippi, approximately 25 miles south of the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, for one or more nuclear power reactors; this action [[Page 19218]] is separate from the filing of an application for a construction permit or combined license for such a facility. The NRC has found that the application for an ESP filed by SERI complies with the applicable requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission, and all required notifications to other agencies or bodies have been duly made. Based on consideration of the site criteria contained in 10 CFR Part 100, a reactor, or reactors, having design characteristics that fall within the site characteristics and controlling parameters of the Grand Gulf ESP Site can be constructed and operated without undue risk to the health and safety of the public. There is reasonable assurance that the permit holder will comply with the regulations in 10 CFR Chapter I, and the health and safety of the public will not be endangered. Issuance of an ESP to the permit holder will not be inimical to the common defense and security or the health and safety of the public. There is no significant impediment to the development of emergency plans, as referenced in 10 CFR 52.17(b)(1) and 10 CFR 52.18. The descriptions of contacts and arrangements made with Federal, State, and local governmental agencies with emergency planning responsibilities, as referenced in 10 CFR 52.17(b)(3), are acceptable. Major features A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, J, K, L, O, and P of the emergency plan are acceptable to the extent specified in NUREG-1840, ``Safety Evaluation Report for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Grand Gulf Site.'' The issuance of this ESP is in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and with applicable sections of 10 CFR Part 51 as referenced by Subpart A of 10 CFR Part 52, and all applicable requirements therein have been satisfied. The permit holder's request for the proposed permit was previously noticed in the Federal Register on January 16, 2004, (69 FR 2636), with a notice of hearing and opportunity to petition for leave to intervene. This ESP complies with the standards and requirements of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and NRC's rules and regulations as set forth in 10 CFR Chapter I and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Accordingly, this ESP was issued on April 5, 2007, and is effective immediately. II. Further Information The NRC has prepared a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) and Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), that document the information that was reviewed and NRC's conclusions. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's ``Rules of Practice,'' details with respect to this action, including the SER, FEIS, and accompanying documentation included in the ESP package, are available electronically at the NRC's Electronic Reading Room at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. From this site, members of the public can access the NRC's Agencywide Document Access and Management System (ADAMS), which provides text and image files of NRC's public documents. The ADAMS accession numbers for the documents related to this notice are: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ML070780457............................ Issuance of Early Site Permit for System Energy Resources, Inc.--Grand Gulf Site (ESP- 002). ML061070443............................ NUREG-1840--``Safety Evaluation Report for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at Grand Gulf Site''. ML060900037............................ NUREG-1817--``Environmental Impact Statement for an Early Site Permit (ESP) at the Grand Gulf ESP Site'' Final Report. ML032960291............................ Grand Gulf Early Site Permit Application, Part 1, Cover and Table of Contents. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the NRC Public Document Room (PDR) Reference staff at 1-800-397-4209, 301-415- 4737, or by e-mail to pdr@nrc.gov. These documents may also be viewed electronically on the public computers located at the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR), O 1 F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The PDR reproduction contractor will copy documents for a fee. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 9th day of April, 2007. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mohammed Shuaibi, Chief, ESBWR/ABWR Projects Branch 1, Division of New Reactor Licensing, Office of New Reactors. [FR Doc. E7-7261 Filed 4-16-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 22 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Indian Point Nuclear Plant at Public Meeting Scheduled for April 26 News Release - Region I - 2007-018 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual assessment of safety performance at the Indian Point nuclear power plant, in Buchanan (Westchester County), N.Y., will be the subject of a public meeting on Thursday, April 26. NRC staff will meet with representatives of plant owner Entergy Nuclear Northeast at 6:30 p.m. to discuss plant performance and the annual assessment, which covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006, and was documented in a March 2nd letter to the company. The session will take place at the Colonial Terrace, 119 Oregon Road in Cortlandt Manor, N.Y. (Directions to the facility are available at: http://www.colonialterracecaterers.com/ct_map.html.) Attendees are advised that parking may be limited. Before the meeting is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the performance of the two-reactor Indian Point plant, as well as the role of the NRC in providing oversight of plant safety. In conjunction with that meeting, the NRC will conduct an informational open house at the same facility from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the same day. It will provide an opportunity for members of the public to discuss topics related to Indian Point with NRC staffers in an informal manner. Representatives of Entergy, state regulators and several citizen groups will also likely be available at the open house. “Each year we take a step back to size up plant performance during the previous calendar year, with the overarching goal of ensuring that facilities are achieving the levels of safety that are essential to protecting the public and the environment,” said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins, who noted the agency also conducts mid-year assessments of performance. “At the meeting on April 26th, members of the public will receive information about how we go about that review process for Indian Point and other nuclear power plants across the nation. The NRC staff will also be prepared to answer questions from attendees, both during the regular meeting and during the informational open house.” The annual assessment letter for Indian Point is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/inpt_2006q4.pdf . The notice for the meeting, with agenda attached, is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML071000060. ADAMS is accessible at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html . Help in using ADAMS is available via the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR@NRC.GOV . Overall, the Indian Point Unit 2 and 3 plants operated safely during 2006. The NRC utilizes color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. At the conclusion of 2006, all of the performance indicators for the Indian Point 2 were determined to be “green” and there were no inspection findings greater than “green.” However, Indian Point 2 did have a “white” (low to moderate safety significance) inspection finding open during the first quarter of 2006. The finding involved degradation of the unit’s safety injection system over a period of several weeks in late 2004 and early 2005. The NRC completed a supplemental inspection in response to this finding in December 2005 and determined that steps to prevent a recurrence had been effective. That led to a closure of the finding in the first quarter of 2006. Indian Point 3 also had all “green” performance indicators and no inspection findings that were greater than “green” at the end of last year. However, the unit recently exceeded a threshold in the performance indicator for unplanned shutdowns. The threshold is crossed when a reactor has more than three unplanned shutdowns per 7,000 hours of operation. Consequently, the indicator will change from “green” to “white” and Indian Point 3 will receive additional oversight in 2007 via a supplemental inspection. The letter sent by the NRC to Entergy on April 13 notifying the company of the change is available in ADAMS under accession number ML071030272. Above and beyond the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, enhanced oversight remains in effect for Indian Point in response to issues associated with the installation of a new siren system for the plant as well as groundwater contamination issues at the site. That oversight is made possible by a deviation from the Reactor Oversight Process that was first approved by the agency’s Executive Director for Operations on Oct. 31, 2005. In addition, the NRC plans to monitor progress in two areas through baseline, or routine, inspections during 2007. The agency has identified a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of human performance at Indian Point 2. Specifically, there were seven inspection findings involving procedure inadequacy at the unit in 2006. Also, the NRC will be checking on Entergy’s progress toward addressing issues related to the site’s safety conscious environment, that is, the willingness of plant employees to raise safety concerns. This issue was raised by the NRC to the company in a letter sent on Dec. 21, 2006. Entergy responded on Jan. 22, 2007, with its corrective action plans and the NRC, in a response on Feb. 26, 2007, found those activities to be appropriate. Nevertheless, the NRC will be following up on the company’s efforts through the baseline inspection program. Routine inspections are performed by four NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant – two for each unit – and by inspection specialists from the Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas of plant performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with the construction of a dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at the site, fire protection, radiological protection and emergency preparedness. Current performance information for Indian Point Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/IP2/ip2_chart.html . Current performance information for Indian Point Unit 3 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/IP3/ip3_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. Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ***************************************************************** 23 Reuters: Calif. Assembly panel rejects nuclear power bill Tue Apr 17, 2007 4:46PM EDT SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A California state Assembly committee rejected a bill to remove a ban on new nuclear power plants but the bill's author said on Tuesday he will introduce it again next January. California barred new nuclear power plant construction in 1976 until the U.S. Department of Energy develops a permanent site for disposal of radioactive spent fuel rods. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, a Republican from Irvine in Orange County, introduced the measure in February, saying California needed nuclear power to cut heat-trapping greenhouse gases and keep electricity affordable. The Democrat-controlled Assembly Natural Resources Committee, however, turned it down on Monday on a 3-to-6 vote on party lines. Anti-nuclear and environmental groups opposed the measure. DeVore said his bill next January also would allow California to adopt the practice in France's power industry to reprocess nuclear fuel and recycle it to generate electricity and reduce the amount of waste material. While his bill faces an uphill battle for passage, DeVore said any realistic look at California's energy future -- if it is to meet the cuts in gas emissions made law last year -- must include nuclear power, which has near-zero emissions of carbon dioxide. California last year passed a law requiring the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020. California has two nuclear power stations that, along with imported power from a nuclear plant in Arizona, in 2005 provided 13 percent of the electricity consumed in the state, according to the California Energy Commission. Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant At Public Meeting Scheduled for April 24 News Release - Region I - 2007-019 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual assessment of safety performance at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant, in Scriba (Oswego County), N.Y., will be the subject of a public meeting on Tuesday, April 24. NRC staff will meet with representatives of plant owner Constellation Energy, LLC, at 2 p.m. to discuss the assessment, which covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006, and was documented in a March 2nd letter to the company. The session will take place at the plant’s Joint News Center, located at the Oswego County Airport, on County Route 176 in Fulton, N.Y. Before the meeting is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the performance of the two-reactor Nine Mile Point plant, as well as the role of the NRC in providing oversight of plant safety. “Each year we take a step back to size up plant performance during the previous calendar year, with the overarching goal of ensuring that facilities are achieving the levels of safety that are essential to protecting the public and the environment,” said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins, who noted the agency also conducts mid-year assessments of performance. “At the meeting on April 24th, members of the public will receive information about how we go about that review process for Nine Mile Point and other nuclear power plants across the nation. The NRC staff will also be prepared to answer questions from attendees.” The annual assessment letter for Nine Mile Point is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/nmp_2006q4.pdf . The notice for the meeting, with agenda attached, is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML071010098. The meeting slides can be found under accession number ML071010084. ADAMS is accessible at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html . Help in using ADAMS is available via the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR@NRC.GOV . Overall, the Nine Mile Point plant operated safely during 2006. The NRC utilizes color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. At the conclusion of 2006, all of the performance indicators for Nine Mile Point Units 1 and 2 were determined to be “green” and there were no inspection findings greater than “green.” Subsequent to the NRC’s 2006 annual assessment, a “white” (low to moderate safety significance) inspection finding for Nine Mile Point 1 was finalized by the NRC on March 13, 2007. That finding involves control room operator training. Specifically, operator crews were allowed to validate simulator exam scenarios that were substantially the same as those later administered to crews as part of their annual operating test. This had the unintentional effect of compromising the Unit 1 2005 and 2006 dynamic simulator exam scenarios for these operators. As a result of this finding, the NRC will conduct a supplemental inspection at the plant in 2007 to assess the effectiveness of the company’s corrective actions. Nine Mile Point 2 will receive a baseline, or routine, level of inspections in 2007. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas of plant performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with radiological safety, emergency preparedness and problem identification and resolution. Current performance information for Nine Mile Point 1 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/NMP1/nmp1_chart.html . Current performance information for Nine Mile Point 2 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/NMP2/nmp2_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. Tuesday, April 17, 2007 ***************************************************************** 25 Prague Daily Monitor: Temelin's 1st unit seen closed a week longer - By Prague Daily Monitor/CTK / Published 17 April 2007 Temelin, April 16 (CTK) - The first unit of the Temelin nuclear power station will probably stay out of operation for another week, Temelin spokesman Milan Nebesar told CTK today. Temelin staff shut the unit down at the weekend after they had detected increased humidity in the collector of the generator in the non-nuclear part of the power station. Technicians at first expected the repair to take two or three days, but in the end they decided to take the device to the producer, Czech engineering company Skoda Power. The first unit has been shut down since end-January, when technicians started to replace a quarter of its nuclear fuel. The second unit runs at full output. The first unit was scheduled to launch power production at end-March, but a leak of about 1,000 litres of slightly radioactive water put the launch off by another three weeks. The latest postponement reaped the criticism of Austrian opponents of the power station, who said this was the 102th defect in Temelin that Czech state-run power producer CEZ, Temelin's operator, has tried to keep secret. The opponents also said the increased humidity was caused by another crack in the pipeline, due to excessive vibrations of the turbine. Nebesar rejected all these statements. This story copyright 2007 CTK Czech News Agency The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content. ***************************************************************** 26 Entergy News Release: Entergy and Consumers Energy Announce Closing of Palisades Nuclear Energy Plant Transaction April 11, 2007 Contact: Jim Steets Entergy jsteets@entergy.com 914-671-0457 Jeff Holyfield Consumers Energy jlholyfield@cmsenergy.com (517) 788-2394 New York, NY--Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) and Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), announced today the completion of the previously announced purchase by Entergy of the 798-megawatt Palisades Nuclear Plant, near South Haven, Michigan for $380 million. As part of the purchase, Entergy will sell 100 percent of the plant’s output, up to its current 798 megawatts, back to Consumers Energy for 15 years at a price that retains the benefits of the low-cost nuclear generation for Consumers Energy’s 1.8 million electric customers. Said Entergy Nuclear President and Chief Nuclear Officer Michael R. Kansler, “Entergy Nuclear has a strong track record of generating safe, clean, reliable, and low-cost energy across the Southern and Northeastern United States. Now that Palisades is part of Entergy’s nuclear fleet, we look forward to bringing our track record to Michigan and continuing Entergy’s strong tradition as a good employer and community partner that our customers, local communities and employees expect and deserve.” The transfer in ownership was reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). David Joos, CMS Energy's president and chief executive officer, said Consumers Energy's 1.8 million customers will benefit from the sale and the 15-year contract for the plant's electrical output. "Palisades will continue to provide the benefits of low-cost nuclear generation to Consumers Energy's customers. Plus, net proceeds from the sale will be used to provide $255 million in bill credits to customers over the next 18 months, as ordered by the Michigan Public Service Commission. Together, this sale and power contract provide significant benefits to customers. Entergy is one of the premier operators of nuclear energy plants in the country and able to continue the long tradition of safe, reliable and economic production from the Palisades plant," said Joos. The transaction includes the transfer of the Big Rock Point Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation to Entergy. With the addition of Palisades, Entergy – the nation's second largest nuclear power company – owns and manages 11 nuclear generating power plants and manages a 12th for the State of Nebraska. On January 18, Palisades was granted a 20-year renewal of its operating license by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Its current operating license now expires in 2031. About Entergy Corporation Entergy Corporation, headquartered in New Orleans, La., is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity. Entergy Nuclear, its nuclear businesses headquartered in Jackson, Miss., is the second-largest nuclear power operator in the United States and the largest in the Northeast. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.6 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and approximately 14,000 employees. Additional information regarding the transaction is available in Entergy’s investor release dated July 12, 2006, on Entergy’s investor relations website at http://www.shareholder.com/entergy/publications.cfm. For more information, please visit www.entergy-nuclear.com. About CMS Energy CMS Energy is a Michigan-based company that has as its primary business operations an electric and natural gas utility, natural gas pipeline systems, and independent power generation. For more information, please visit www.consumersenergy.com. -30- ©1998-2007 Entergy Corporation, All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 27 The Statesman: Energy Ministry explores nuclear energy option . , 18/04/2007 By Albert Oppong Ansah and Annabel Charnock The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Ministry for Energy yesterday announced the establishment of a committee to report on nuclear power as a long-term solution to meeting Ghana's energy needs. The timetable for the committee"s report is yet to be confirmed, but speaking exclusively to The Statesman Professor Edward H.K. Akaho, Director-General of the GAEC, said the report was likely to be delivered in around a month’s time. Although the Government will not be bound by the recommendations of the Commission’s report, Professor Akaho revealed that "I have a feeling it will be included in the long-term planning of Government." The next stage would be the establishment of a Nuclear Power Policy Planning Committee, which would examine in detail aspects such as foreign relations dimension and public opinion. However, the Chairman of the GAEC, D A Bekoe, stressed that "If a decision is taken now to add a nuclear power plant to our sources of electricity, it will take at least eight years to deliver the first nuclear electricity". Thus the nuclear option would not resolve the short-term energy crisis that has led the Electricity Company of Ghana to step up load shedding from once every five days to every other day. Traditionally, it has only been in the long-term that nuclear power has been seen to be a viable energy source for Ghana, but Prof Akaho is optimistic that conditions are right to allow nuclear power to be a medium-term option instead of a long-term one. Nevertheless, the panel highlighted the need for adequate long-term planning in order to avoid future shortages of the kind the country is currently experiencing. Although changes in government can provide obstacles in long-term policy formation, Prof Akaho believes that a decision on nuclear will not have to wait until after next year’s presidential elections, as "any government of the day will have to accept this" as in his view "we don’t have any choice" but nuclear in order to guarantee Ghana’s energy security in future decades. Referring to the limitations of Ghana’s current sources of power - primarily hydro-electricity and thermal energy from burning of oil and gas – Prof Bekoe reiterated that "Unless we have other sources of power available, our power security will remain suspect and subject to the occasional crisis, such as we have now. The greater the variety of sources from which electricity can be generated, the more secure we shall be in the provision of electricity." The panel also drew attention to the environmental credentials of nuclear energy, which is a source of some controversy amongst environmentalists, although Prof Bekoe described it as an "environmentally friendly" source of power. One of the major hurdles Ghana would face in establishing nuclear power plants is the huge upfront costs in building the plants, together with considerable infrastructure and security demands. Notwithstanding this, Prof Akaho believes there would be "no problem finding a site", even suggesting that nuclear generators could be combined with desalination plants along the coast so as to provide both energy and fresh water to the population. © Copyright of Statesman 2005. Terms & Conditions of reading. ***************************************************************** 28 NewsRoom Finland: E.ON says to buy land for nuclear power station in Finland 17.4.2007 at 13:57 German utility E.ON said Tuesday it would buy land in Loviisa in southern Finland for what would be Finland's seventh nuclear power station. Finnish utilities Fortum and Pohjolan Voima had announced in late March that they would launch environmental impact assessment processes on possibly erecting a sixth nuclear station. E.ON told the Finnish News Agency (STT) it was looking for Finnish companies and municipal utilities to act as partners in building the power station. E.ON trumpeted the project as presenting Finnish energy consumers with a significant new power supplier option. Finland's fifth nuclear power station is being built in Olkiluoto in southwestern Finland for Teollisuuden Voima, a company where PVO is the majority stakeholder. /STT/ © Copyright STT 2007 News from Finnish News Agency STT © 1995 – 2005, Virtual Finland Produced by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Department for Communication and Culture/Unit ***************************************************************** 29 NewsRoom Finland: Finland's Vanhanen says utilities have right to apply for nuclear permits 17.4.2007 at 16:01 Matti Vanhanen (centre), having elected to continue as prime minister on Tuesday, said that the nuclear power station project of Germany's E.ON was no surprise in the sense that power companies were free to submit applications. Mr Vanhanen underlined however that the government would weigh issues like the competitive situation of the utilities, the schedule of the projects and the number of stations to be built when assessing the merits of the applications. "All this will be considered," the prime minister said. E.ON had announced that it would buy land in Loviisa for what would be the country's seventh nuclear power station. Last month, Finnish utilities Fortum and Pohjolan Voima launched environmental impact assessment processes on possibly building the sixth station. /STT/ © Copyright STT 2007 © 1995 – 2005, Virtual Finland Produced by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Department for Communication and Culture/Unit for Promotion and Publications ***************************************************************** 30 Guardian Unlimited: Egypt Accuses Nuclear Employee of Spying From the Associated Press Tuesday April 17, 2007 9:16 PM By NADIA ABOU EL-MAGD Associated Press Writer CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - An engineer from the Egypt's nuclear agency stole documents and gave them to the Israel's Mossad intelligence service in exchange for $17,000, a prosecutor said Tuesday, announcing the man's arrest on espionage charges. The engineer's family denied the accusations. State security prosecutor Hisham Badawi announced that two foreigners, one Japanese and one Irish, were also wanted in the case. Badawi identified the Egyptian engineer as Mohammed Sayed Saber. He said Saber was arrested Feb. 18 after he returned to Egypt from Hong Kong, but authorities withheld news of his detention during the investigation. Saber, 35, stole ``important documents'' from the Atomic Energy Agency and gave them to Mossad agents in December in Hong Kong in return for $17,000, Badawi said. Saber first met the two foreigners in Hong Kong between 2004 and 2006, Badawi added. Saber's family, however, said the engineer was the one to report to authorities that the people he worked with in Hong Kong were suspicious. The family did not know more specific details. ``We leave it to God to take revenge on his behalf. Is this what he gets for informing about them and trying to defend the security of his country? He did nothing wrong,'' Saber's wife said from her home in Giza, Cairo's twin city. She declined to give her name because of the sensitivity of the issue. In Jerusalem, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mark Regev was skeptical about the allegations: ``These sort of charges unfortunately appear all too often in the Egyptian media and they always prove to be baseless.'' News of Saber's arrest followed the detention in January of Mohammed el-Attar, another Egyptian who also holds Canadian citizenship, on charges of spying for Israel. El-Attar has pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleges he was forced to confess while authorities tortured him by electrocution and other extreme measures. The verdict in his trial is expected Saturday. Three Israelis, who were charged alongside el-Attar, remain at large. In 2002, an Egyptian court convicted Sherif al-Filali, an Egyptian engineer, of spying for Israel and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with hard labor. Two years later, Egypt freed an Israeli Arab businessman convicted of spying, in exchange for Israel's release of six Egyptian students. The convicted businessman, Azzam Azzam, served eight years in an Egyptian prison before his release. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 31 Gulfnews: Egypt arrests engineer spying for Israel Cairo: Authorities said on Tuesday they have arrested an Egyptian engineer from the country's nuclear energy agency for spying for Israel. State security prosecutor, Hisham Badawi, announced that two foreigners, one Japanese and one Irish, were wanted in connection with the case but remained at large. He identified the Egyptian engineer as Mohammed Gaber and said he was arrested February 18 but that news of his detention were withheld pending the completion of the investigation. He said Gaber stole "important documents" from the Atomic Energy Agency and passed it on to agents of Israel's Mossad intelligence service in return for US$17,000. Gaber first met the two foreigners in Hong Kong between 2004 and 2006, Badawi said. Egypt has a small research atomic reactor. It has recently announced plans to develop a nuclear energy program more than 20 years after it abandoned the idea of building a reactor in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. News of Gaber's arrest followed the detention in January of Mohammed el-Attar, another Egyptian who also holds Canadian citizenship, on charges of spying for Israel. Three Israelis, who were charged alongside el-Attar, remain at large. © Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 32 Platts: US, Mexico team up against nuclear smuggling Washington (Platts)--16Apr2007 The US and Mexico signed an agreement Monday under which the US will provide advanced radiation detection equipment to Mexico, which will be installed at four seaports, in an attempt to combat nuclear smuggling, the Department of Energy said. DOE said that the four ports account for nearly 90% of the shipping container traffic in Mexico. A DOE spokeswoman, Julianne Smith, said the "Megaports Agreement" calls for a US-Mexico partnership on the project. Smith said it was too early to project the total cost of the project or when the installations might occur. The agreement advances cooperative efforts under the 2005 Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America, a trilateral initiative involving the US, Canada, and Mexico that focuses on collaboration in trade, import and export controls, immigration, and security, DOE said. For more news, request a free trial to Platts Nucleonics Week at http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/index.xml?src=story or subscribe now at http://www.platts.com/infostore/product_info.php?cPath=22_41&products_id=67 Copyright © 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 33 BBC NEWS: 'Nuclear spy' arrested in Egypt Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 12:48 GMT 13:48 UK Egypt hopes to have a power station of its own by 10 years The Egyptian authorities have arrested an engineer who works at the country's nuclear energy agency for spying for Israel, state prosecutors said. Prosecutor Hisham Badawi told a news conference the Egyptian national had taken reports from his workplace with the aim of exchanging them for money. Two foreign nationals are also wanted by the authorities, prosecutors said. The Egyptian engineer was arrested on 18 February, but news of his detention was withheld until the investigation was completed, prosecutors said. A government statement named him as Muhammad Sayed Saber Ali, 35. The foreign nationals were named as Irishman Brian Peter and Shiro Izo of Japan. Strained ties Egypt is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows countries to build nuclear power stations under international supervision. Israel is not a signatory and is believed to be the only state in the region with a nuclear arsenal, though it maintains a position of "ambiguity" on its nuclear weapons. The two countries ended decades of hostility with the Camp David accords in the late 1970s, but ties have been put under strain over a string of espionage cases. Last September, Egypt said it wanted to revive its nuclear power programme, which was frozen 20 years ago following the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 34 UPI: U.S., Mexico sign nuke smuggling agreement United Press International - NewsTrack - Science - Published: April 17, 2007 at 8:39 AM WASHINGTON, April 17, 2007 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman and Mexican Minister of Finance and Public Credit Agustin Carstens signed a pact to halt nuclear materials smuggling. The Megaports agreement is designed to aid the detection and prevention of the smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material. It calls for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration to collaborate with Mexican Customs officials in the installation of radiation detection equipment at four Mexican seaports that account for nearly 90 percent of container traffic in Mexico. "The Megaports Agreement ... solidifies the United States and Mexico's joint commitment to the safety, security and prosperity of our nations," Bodman said. "This initiative builds on our ongoing cooperation to advance non-proliferation by deploying advanced technologies to reduce the threat of illegal shipments of nuclear and other radioactive materials into our countries." Officials said the Megaports program is designed to help nations install specialized radiation detection equipment at international seaports. The initiative is operational in eight nations, with operational testing underway in three countries and at various stages of implementation and negotiations with approximately 13 other nations. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 35 UPI: DHS scans containers in Pakistan, Honduras United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing Published: April 17, 2007 at 5:42 PM WASHINGTON, April 17, 2007 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is extending its radiation security program to operate in ports in Honduras and Pakistan. The U.S. departments of Homeland Security and Energy said last week that they had begun operational testing in Honduras and Pakistan "to strengthen global supply chain security by scanning shipping containers for nuclear or radiological materials before they are allowed to depart for the United States." "The tests represent the initial phase of the Secure Freight Initiative announced Dec. 7, 2006, which involves the deployment of nuclear detection devices to six foreign ports," the National Nuclear Security Administration of the Department of Energy said in a statement. "Terrorists and criminals use global shipping networks, and we are deploying multiple layers of advanced technology to counter their tactics," said Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson. "Secure Freight creates a global nuclear detection network with shippers, carriers and foreign allies, to head off the worst possible form of attack, a nuclear or dirty bomb on our soil." "It is through this important work at foreign ports that we improve the overall security of the global maritime shipping network and hinder terrorists from smuggling in a nuclear device or dangerous material into a U.S. port," said Thomas D'Agostino, the NNSA's acting director. The NNSA said Secure Freight Initiative testing began in Puerto Cortes, Honduras on April 2. It said testing began in Port Qasim, Pakistan in March. "Four other Secure Freight Initiative ports are expected to initiate tests this year," the NNSA said. It identified them as Southampton in Britain; Salalah in Oman; Singapore; and the Gamman Terminal at Port Busan in South Korea. The Bush administration cites the growing scope of the SFI as a sign of progress in its efforts to boost U.S. imports security. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 36 IndyStar.com: Nuclear bomb exercise will test region's response April 17, 2007 More than 3,000 troops, police officers will participate in simulation this month By Will Higgins Indiana's homeland security readiness will be tested later this month with the simulated detonation of a nuclear bomb somewhere in the Hoosier state, the U.S. Northern Command said. The event will trigger the deployment of 1,000 Indiana National Guard troops, more than 2,000 active-duty military personnel, local and state police officers, and other officials. The action will take place at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Jennings County and Camp Atterbury in Johnson County. The nuclear scenario will be played out from April 30 to May 18. It is one of three such tests that will be held simultaneously. The others are a hurricane in Rhode Island and a terrorist attack in Alaska. Such tests are held twice a year by the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Canadian Department of National Defence. "They're designed to test what are our weak spots so we can start fixing holes," said Lt. Cmdr. Sean Kelly, a spokesman for the U.S. Northern Command, which was established after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to coordinate the armed services' response to internal attacks and disasters. Kelly declined to provide details of the exercises, because it would give the responders an unrealistic advantage. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report issued in January projected that if terrorists were to detonate a 10-kiloton nuclear device in a large city, the surrounding 3,000 square miles would be contaminated, 450,000 people would need to be evacuated, and there would be "hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impact." Call Star reporter Will Higgins at (317) 444-6043. ***************************************************************** 37 FR CDC: Worker safety hearings Doc E7-7253 [Federal Register: April 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 73)] [Notices] [Page 19207-19208] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr17ap07-61] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH or Advisory Board) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces the following committee meeting: Name: Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Committee Meeting Times and Dates: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., May 2, 2007. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., May 3, 2007. 8 a.m.-12:15 p.m., May 4, 2007. Public Comment Times and Dates: 5 p.m.-6 p.m., May 2, 2007. 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m., May 3, 2007. Place: Westin Westminster, 10600 Westminster Boulevard, Westminster, Colorado 80020, Phone 303.410.5000, Fax 303.410.5005. Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available. The meeting space accommodates approximately 75 people. Background: The Advisory Board was established under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) Act of 2000 to advise the President on a variety of policy and technical functions [[Page 19208]] required to implement and effectively manage the new compensation program. Key functions of the Advisory Board include providing advice on the development of probability of causation guidelines which have been promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a final rule, advice on methods of dose reconstruction which have also been promulgated by HHS as a final rule, advice on the scientific validity and quality of dose estimation and reconstruction efforts being performed for purposes of the compensation program, and advice on petitions to add classes of workers to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). In December 2000, the President delegated responsibility for funding, staffing, and operating the Advisory Board to HHS, which subsequently delegated this authority to CDC. NIOSH implements this responsibility for CDC. The charter was issued on August 3, 2001, renewed at appropriate intervals, and will expire on August 3, 2007. Purpose: This Advisory Board is charged with (a) providing advice to the Secretary, HHS, on the development of guidelines under Executive Order 13179; (b) providing advice to the Secretary, HHS, on the scientific validity and quality of dose reconstruction efforts performed for this program; and (c) upon request by the Secretary, HHS, advising the Secretary on whether there is a class of employees at any Department of Energy facility who were exposed to radiation but for whom it is not feasible to estimate their radiation dose, and on whether there is reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered the health of members of this class. Matters To Be Discussed: The agenda for the Advisory Board meeting includes SEC Petitions for Rocky Flats, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Bethlehem Steel, Sandia National Lab-Livermore, WR Grace, Dow, Y-12 and Chapman Valve; Use of Data from ``Other'' Sites; Global Science Issues including OroNasal Breathing, Ingestion, and Welding Rods; Program Updates from NIOSH, Department of Energy, and Department of Labor; Selection of 8th Round of Individual Dose Reconstructions for Review; Timeliness in the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP); Working Group Updates; and Board Working Time. The agenda is subject to change as priorities dictate. In the event an individual cannot attend, written comments may be submitted. Any written comments received will be provided at the meeting and should be submitted to the contact person below well in advance of the meeting. For Further Information Contact: Dr. Lewis V. Wade, Executive Secretary, NIOSH, CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, Telephone 513.533.6825, Fax 513.533.6826. The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dated: April 10, 2007. Elaine L. Baker, Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. E7-7253 Filed 4-16-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163-18-P ***************************************************************** 38 MHNN: Whistle blower protection bill passes Senate Tuesday April 17, 2007 Copyright © 2007 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide Albany - Citing the highly publicized case in Middletown where a school employee was fired after turning in the superintendent of Schools for possessing pornography, Senator William Larkin of Cornwall-on-Hudson sponsored legislation that was passed by the State Senate Monday to protect public employees who file such reports. "Clearly, there is a need to expand the kinds of actions that are covered under the current whistle blower statute to include protecting people who uncover information about someone who may be putting children at risk," said Larkin. "This is particularly important for any employee who works in our local schools." Under the current whistle blower statute, only information that "presents a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety" is covered. Larkin's bill would expand the scope of the law to include acts that could potentially endanger the welfare of a child, be it physical, mental or sexual abuse. Referring to the Middletown case, Senator Larkin said, "Was it just a coincidence that one of the people who turned in the superintendent of Schools in Middletown for possessing pornography lost his job after this incident occurred? Because of the actions of the school district, we have an entire local community questioning the timing of this 'downsizing' proposal. It takes a very brave and conscientious person to go to the authorities with such a serious accusation. Do we really want people to hesitate when it comes to the safety of our children? This bill would ensure that there could be no retaliation or threat of job loss by a public employer when someone has the courage and conviction to report an incident that could endanger a minor." The bill was sent to the Assembly. HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's only Internet radio news report. ***************************************************************** 39 Las Vegas SUN: Sparks City Council opposes Yucca Mountain rail route April 16, 2007 By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press Writer SPARKS, Nev. (AP) - Transporting nuclear waste by rail to Yucca Mountain through Reno and Sparks could hurt tourism even without an accident occurring, the Sparks City Council was told Monday. The state's top nuclear waste expert urged the council to pressure the Walker River Paiute Tribe to rescind its invitation for the U.S. government to study a rail line near Hawthorne that would be necessary for a Reno-Sparks route. "The tribe owns the (rail) line from Wabuska to Hawthorne so they kind of control this route," said Bob Loux, executive director of Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects. "This would, by and large, not be occurring if the tribe would tell them `No,'" he said. Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said the council would express it's opposition to the plans in a letter to the tribe. A spokesman for the tribe said the only person authorized to comment was tribal chairwoman Gina Williams, who was unavailable. The Energy Department's original plan for shipping most waste to Yucca Mountain 90 miles north of Las Vegas called for an east-west route on Union Pacific lines through Caliente in southeast Nevada, around the Nevada Test Site and south through Goldfield and Beatty, Loux said. Later, the department decided the north-south "Mina" route through Hawthorne, Wabuska and Schurz would be cheaper and easier to engineer, he said. "This particular route would impact more Nevada towns and counties than any other," Loux said. Under the plan, as many as 1,000 casks of nuclear waste would travel through Reno and Sparks on 333 trains over 24 years - an average of about two trains a week over that period, he said. "We are very concerned about public perception of risk," Loux said. "It creates some sort of stigma for some of these shipments." In Sparks the rail line is within hundreds of yards of a fuel tank farm and the Sparks Marina, a large outdoor retail center and shopping mall scheduled to open over the next two years. "I don't have to tell you that any mention of these routes could seriously have an impact on tourism. Even without releasing any materials, you could see a dramatic drop-off in tourism in these areas," he said. "The other concern that we have is the idea someone might make mischief with these materials, terrorists and other kinds of people. I am told by FBI and others that some of the information about nuclear waste shipments have appeared on many Arab and other terrorist-type Web sites." Loux said the tribe originally opposed use of its rail line but apparently was persuaded by the Energy Department that if the rail line was not used, the waste could be shipped on trucks on U.S. Highway 95 near their reservation. But Loux said the department has no basis for considering highway travel if rail options exist. "They are required to stay off highways and interstates as long as they can until they reach the final destination," he said. Energy Department spokesman Allen Benson has said that it is premature to discuss transportation routes and that the agency is concentrating on submitting a licensing application for Yucca Mountain to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission next summer. Yucca Mountain would be the first national repository for radioactive waste and is meant to store at least 77,000 tons. The department hopes to open it some time after 2017. Martini said the department has agreed to hold a public hearing on the plans in Sparks. Sparks is nicknamed the "Rail City" because it housed western Nevada's largest rail yard when it was founded a century ago. Councilman John Mayer, whose family worked in the rail yards for generations, said that any train carrying nuclear waste likely would stop to make a crew change in the yard directly behind John Ascuaga's Nugget hotel-casino. "This is what Sparks was established for - a train crew to change. So they'll stop here," he said. He and others expressed concern about the lack of security at the yard. "You can walk anywhere in that yard right now without one person asking you what you're doing. ... It is the most unsecured place I've ever seen," he said. All contents © 1996 - 2007 Las Vegas Sun, Inc. ***************************************************************** 40 AU ABC: Yellowcake jars found at Olympic Dam village Tuesday, 17 April 2007. 17:03 (AEST)Tuesday, 17 April 2007. 17:03 South Australian police are investigating how 10 jars of uranium oxide ended up at a contractors' residential village at Olympic Dam in the state's north. The box of yellowcake was found at the village last night, which is outside BHP Billiton's mining lease at Olympic Dam. The company says the samples do not pose a health risk because the powder has not been enriched and the radiation measurements were very low. It is understood the uranium oxide samples had been sent back to BHP Billiton from the Honeywell conversion facility in the United States. The Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office has asked BHP Billiton to conduct an audit of its sample holdings. The Environment Protection Authority has also been informed. The company says this has not happened before. The Australian Conservation Foundation says BHP Billiton has lost control of its uranium. The foundation's nuclear campaigner, David Noonan, says the uranium would be a hazard if it were released into the environment. "We certainly would want to know how much more of their uranium have they lost control of and how stringent are their accountant procedures," he said. "So that others can be able to verify what level of control they're demonstrating or not." ***************************************************************** 41 BBC NEWS: Probe into Sellafield body parts Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 April 2007, 19:44 GMT 20:44 UK Tests were carried out between the 1960s and 1990s, said BNFL The government is to investigate union claims that nuclear workers who died in the 1960s and 70s may have had body parts removed without consent. The GMB said that samples were taken from up to 70 former employees at Sellafield in Cumbria. British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), which owns Sellafield, confirmed autopsy material had been used for "legally correct" purposes such as inquests. A government spokesman said Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling would appoint a leading QC to lead a "full, proper and independent investigation" into the matter. Mr Darling is due to make a statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday. Radiological analysis sampling began in the 1960s and stopped in 1992, according to BNFL. This is an historic issue not a current one, however our prime concern is the feelings of the families of those involved BNFL spokesman The GMB claims tissue, bones and body parts may have been removed without permission during the tests. National officer Gary Smith said: "Our chief concern is for the families of those who died during this period and the anguish they face. "We need information from the company and we expect a quick reply to clarify what has happened." The subject came to light because of a request by the Westlakes Research Institute to examine data for a new study, said a BNFL spokesman. He said: "This is an historic issue not a current one, however our prime concern is the feelings of the families of those involved. "Files exist at Sellafield for 65 cases. An examination of the data has shown that in 56 of those cases the sampling was associated with coroners' post-mortem examinations or inquests. 'Samples destroyed' "In five other cases it was done under instruction from other legally correct bases, such as family solicitors. "For the remaining four cases there is no record of instruction or consent on file although this does not mean that appropriate requests were not made." All tissue samples taken were destroyed by the process of analysis and no tissue is stored on site today, he explained. The union Prospect, which represents workers at Sellafield, said organs were removed at several sites, including the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, Berkshire. General secretary Paul Noon said the issue must be treated in an open and transparent way to protect the interests of the affected families and employees across the nuclear industry. * BBC Copyright ***************************************************************** 42 ReviewJournal.com: Sparks asked to fight transporting Apr. 17, 2007 Loux wants Paiute Tribe to rescind access By SCOTT SONNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS More about Yucca Mountain SPARKS -- Transporting nuclear waste by rail to Yucca Mountain through Reno and Sparks could hurt tourism even without an accident occurring, the Sparks City Council was told Monday. The state's top nuclear waste expert urged the council to pressure the Walker River Paiute Tribe to rescind its invitation for the U.S. government to study a rail line near Hawthorne that would be necessary for a Reno-Sparks route. "The tribe owns the (rail) line from Wabuska to Hawthorne so they kind of control this route," said Bob Loux, executive director of Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects. "This would, by and large, not be occurring if the tribe would tell them 'No,'" he said. Sparks Mayor Geno Martini said the council would express it's opposition to the plans in a letter to the tribe. A spokesman for the tribe said the only person authorized to comment was tribal chairwoman Gina Williams, who was unavailable. The Energy Department's original plan for shipping most waste to Yucca Mountain 90 miles north of Las Vegas called for an east-west route on Union Pacific lines through Caliente in southeast Nevada, around the Nevada Test Site and south through Goldfield and Beatty, Loux said. Later, the department decided the north-south "Mina" route through Hawthorne, Wabuska and Schurz would be cheaper and easier to engineer, he said. "This particular route would impact more Nevada towns and counties than any other," Loux said. Under the plan, as many as 1,000 casks of nuclear waste would travel through Reno and Sparks on 333 trains over 24 years -- an average of about two trains a week over that period, he said. "We are very concerned about public perception of risk," Loux said. "It creates some sort of stigma for some of these shipments." In Sparks the rail line is within hundreds of yards of a fuel tank farm and the Sparks Marina, a large outdoor retail center and shopping mall scheduled to open over the next two years. "I don't have to tell you that any mention of these routes could seriously have an impact on tourism. Even without releasing any materials, you could see a dramatic drop-off in tourism in these areas," he said. Loux said the tribe originally opposed use of its rail line but later was persuaded by the Energy Department that if the rail line were not used, the waste could be shipped on trucks on U.S. Highway 95 near their reservation. But Loux said the department has no basis for considering highway travel if rail options exist. "They are required to stay off highways and interstates as long as they can until they reach the final destination," he said. Energy Department spokesman Allen Benson has said that it is premature to discuss transportation routes and that the agency is concentrating on submitting a licensing application for Yucca Mountain to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission next summer. Martini said the department has agreed to hold a public hearing on the plans in Sparks. Councilman John Mayer, whose family worked in the rail yards for generations, said that any train carrying nuclear waste probably would stop to make a crew change in the yard directly behind John Ascuaga's Nugget. "This is what Sparks was established for -- a train crew to change. So they'll stop here," he said. He and others expressed concern about the lack of security at the yard. "You can walk anywhere in that yard right now without one person asking you what you're doing. ... It is the most unsecured place I've ever seen." Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2007 Stephens Media, LLC Privacy Statement ***************************************************************** 43 thewest.com.au: Security at uranium mine under probe 17th April 2007, 17:09 WST Security at BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine in South Australia is under investigation after stolen uranium samples were discovered in a camp kilometres away. A box of uranium oxide samples was found on Monday night at Olympic Dam Village, a construction camp serving the uranium mine in South Australia's far north, BHP Billiton said. The uranium samples had been taken out of the resource giant's special mining lease area. Radiation measurements of the box confirmed levels near natural background and the uranium had not been enriched, a company spokeswoman said. The material did not pose a public health risk. The samples were being held in a secure location pending police forensic investigation. Police will investigate the security breach and how the batch was transported to the village about five kilometres south of the mine. Inspector Mark Syrus of Port Augusta police said he could not say who found the box or where it was located while inquiries were under way. Police have visited the Roxby Downs township, about 500km north of Adelaide, where many of the mine's workers live, he said. The security breach came to light after SA Premier Mike Rann on Monday started a national tour to convince the Labor Party to ditch its opposition to new uranium mines. Mr Rann told Adelaide radio that South Australia was the "Saudi Arabia of uranium". SA Greens MP Mark Parnell said the security breach at Olympic Dam was frightening and highlighted the dangers of mining the controversial resource. Mr Parnell said Mr Rann had eyes only for the profits an expansion of uranium mining could bring to the state and not security or health risks. "It is frightening that a security breach like that could take place and it is ironic that it comes to light at the same time Mike Rann is out spruiking the benefits of uranium mining," Mr Parnell said. "While Mike Rann is out being Lawrence of Arabia, our police are running around Roxby Downs looking for the culprit. "If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable." A spokesman for Mineral Resources Minister Paul Holloway said it was too early to comment on the security breach. Olympic Dam has the largest known deposit of uranium in the world, exporting to countries including the United Kingdom, United States and Japan. AAP West Australian Newspapers Limited 2007. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 44 RGJ.com: Sparks warned about Yucca plans April 17, 2007 GUY CLIFTON RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Trains carrying nuclear waste to a repository at Yucca Mountain could put thousands of Truckee Meadows residents in harm's way, decrease property values and severely impact tourism even without an accident taking place, the Sparks City Council was told Monday. Executive Director Bob Loux, of Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects, which is fighting against the proposed dump at Yucca Mountain, said the Department of Energy is considering a rail route that would bring the nuclear waste though Sparks and Reno. The proposed Mina-Schurz Rail Route "would impact more Nevada cities than any other route the Department of Energy could pick," Loux said. He said the DOE had considered an east-west route in Southern Nevada through Caliente in Lincoln County but began considering the north-south route after the Walker River Paiute Indian Tribe reconsidered its original opposition to the use of the rails on land it controls. "This would not be occurring if the tribe would tell DOE, 'no,'" Loux said in urging the council to write the tribe and voice opposition. The Walker River tribe owns the rail line from Wabuska to Schurz. Tribal chairwoman Gina Williams could not be reached for comment Monday evening. Council members worried about a lack of security at the rail yards in Sparks. "You can walk in the Sparks yard, and not one person would ask you what you're doing there," councilman John Mayer said. "It is the most unsecure place I've ever seen. It is so dangerous for the city of Sparks if this goes through." Councilman Mike Carrigan said the real key is continuing Nevada's opposition to Yucca Mountain. "If there's no place to store (nuclear waste), we won't have to worry about transport," he said. Loux said the state, particularly with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada leading the opposition, has been effective in stopping Yucca Mountain. However, he said, the DOE is planning at least one more major push to get the dump approved and will apply for a license for the dump in 2008. The council unanimously approved a motion to send a letter to the Walker River tribe to oppose the rail line. © Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett Co. Inc. Newspaper. ***************************************************************** 45 FR NRC: Request To Amend a License To Export Radioactive Waste Doc E7-7270 [Federal Register: April 17, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 73)] [Notices] [Page 19218-19219] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr17ap07-78] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Pursuant to 10 CFR 110.70(c) ``Public notice of receipt of an application,'' please take notice that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received the following request to amend an export license. Copies of the request are available electronically through ADAMS and can be accessed through the Public Electronic Reading Room (PERR) link http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html at the NRC Homepage. A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene may be filed within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register. Any request for hearing or petition for leave to intervene shall be served by the requestor or petitioner upon the applicant, the Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; and the Executive Secretary, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20520. The information concerning this import license application follows. [[Page 19219]] NRC Export License Application ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name of applicant Date of application Date received Material type Total quantity End use Recipient application No. docket No. country ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Description of Material ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diversified Scientific Services, Class A radioactive License to be Return of non- Canada. Inc. (DSSI). mixed waste in the amended to extend conforming waste February 21, 2007............... form of baghouse expiration date to back to the February 26, 2007............... salts and ash; March 31, 2009. Atomic Energy of XW008/02........................ and, if necessary, Canada, Limited 11005323........................ return of any non- (AECL). conforming Class A radioactive mixed waste. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Dated this 5th day of April 2007 at Rockville, Maryland. Janice Dunn Lee, Director Office of International Programs. [FR Doc. E7-7270 Filed 4-16-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 46 AU ABC: South Australia the 'Saudi Arabia' of uranium - Rann. 17/04/2007. ABC News Online Mike Rann says South Australia has huge uranium deposits which should be exploited (ABC TV) Premier Mike Rann says uranium is "the fuel of the future" even though he opposes the use of nuclear power in South Australia. Mr Rann will fly to Melbourne and Sydney tomorrow to begin lobbying Labor delegates to overturn the party's "no new uranium mine" policy, ahead of next week's national ALP conference. Mr Rann says the policy is outdated and illogical and he believes the potential of South Australia's uranium would be huge if the policy could be overturned. "Sixty companies in South Australia are now holding exploration licences for uranium," he said on Radio 5AA. "To put it into perspective, if uranium is the fuel for the future, we're not the Texas, we're the Saudi Arabia of it in our state." ***************************************************************** 47 AU ABC: Labor's 'no new mines' policy dead, Minchin says. 17/04/2007. ABC News Online Federal Finance Minister Nick Minchin says it is obvious the Labor Party will drop its 'no new uranium mines' policy. South Australian Premier Mike Rann says he is planning to lobby Labor delegates to overturn the policy at next week's ALP conference. Senator Minchin says the issue has been dividing the party for years and he believes the policy will be dropped at the conference. "There's no way they're going to embarrass their new leader, who has said he doesn't support it, by retaining it," he said. "So that policy is gone although I think they'll have a good donnybrook over it because they are very divided." © 2007 ABC | Privacy Policy ***************************************************************** 48 wltx.com: Biden Opposes Yucca Mountian WLTX-TV News Columbia, SC (Wilmington, DE) -- The Washington Post called Sen. Joe Biden a "steady foe" of the Yucca Mountain Project, the proposed burial site for nuclear waste in the Nevada desert. "I oppose Yucca Mountain. There are serious questions about the impact of using it as a repository of radioactive waste," said Sen. Biden. Stressing that there needs to be a greater focus on science and technology, Sen. Biden went on to say, "I agree with Senator Reid that our focus on resolving this issue should be on science -- research and development of technology that allows plants to recycle waste or doesn't create that kind of waste in the first place." Illustrating Sen. Biden's consistent opposition to Yucca Mountain, the Washington Post highlights two quotes from Sen. Biden: "I have serious concerns not only about the long-term environmental and security problems... but the very real dangers posed by shipping 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste through at least 43 states." (News release, July 9th, 2002) and now "I've been deeply involved with Yucca Mountain over the years." (Las Vegas Sun, March 23). Sen. Biden will next be in front of Nevada voters this Saturday, April 21st, when he will speak before the Nevada AFL-CIO's Friends of Working Families Awards Dinner at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Updated: 4/16/2007 6:57:34 PM copyright 2007 WLTX-TV 19| Time Warner Cable 9 | HDTV 19-1, 19-2, and 19-3 | WLTX.com ***************************************************************** 49 The Australian: Uranium samples left at remote site NEWS.com.au | * April 17, 2007 This story is from our news.com.au network Source: AAP A BOX of uranium samples from BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam has been found outside the mine's lease area in South Australia's far north. The samples were found last night in the Olympic Dam Village, outside the company's special mining lease, a company spokeswoman said. Radiation measurements of the box confirmed levels near natural background and it did not pose a public health risk. The find has been reported to the state and federal governments while a company inquiry had begun to find the person responsible. The samples were being held in a secure location pending forensic investigation by the police. © The Australian ***************************************************************** 50 AU: Herald Sun: Jars of stolen yellowcake found in BHP camp | NEWS.com.au | By Andrew Trounson April 18, 2007 12:00am BHP Billiton has been ordered to audit its stocks of uranium samples after being embarrassed by the apparent theft and recovery of 3kg of the radioactive material, which is used to make nuclear fuel and weapons. Ten glass jars of unprocessed uranium oxide, also known as yellowcake, were discovered on Monday night at the mining camp outside BHP's giant Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in outback South Australia. Police are investigating the find amid rumours the jars were found in someone's room at the camp that houses 1350 workers. While the samples posed no immediate health risk, with radiation near normal "background levels," the incident casts doubt over the security of Australia's uranium-handling procedures when the country is gearing up to supply it to nuclear-armed China. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which has ordered BHP to count its stocks, yesterday said the quantity was too small to present a weapons proliferation risk. About 70 tonnes of uranium oxide is needed to make enough nuclear material for a weapon, and it would need complex processing that is not done in Australia. Ron Huisken of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University in Canberra said the incident would weigh on Australia's reputation as a secure handler of uranium. "It isn't a good look," he said. The Australian Conservation Foundation said the occurrence highlighted the limitations of safeguards aimed at preventing nuclear material falling into the wrong hands. It also cast doubt over the effectiveness of the tracking systems that Australia will rely on to ensure uranium sold to China does not end up feeding the country's nuclear arsenal, the ACF said. The uranium samples had been sent for testing to a US nuclear fuel processor, Honeywell, and were being returned. But it is unclear when the box of jars went missing, whether it was at Roxby Downs airport, enroute to the mine site, or at BHP's facilities. It is also unclear what may have motivated the apparent theft. There were suggestions yesterday from the industry that it may been an attempt to discredit the uranium industry ahead of the ALP conference next week. While the oxide could be used to "doctor" drill samples in a fraudulent bid to inflate the value of a uranium discovery, uranium mining executive Warwick Grigor said that was unlikely. "It is more likely to be a larrikin, or part of an attempt to discredit the uranium industry," Mr Grigor said. In a statement, BHP said the jars were now being held in a secure location ahead of a forensic investigation by the police. © Herald and Weekly Times. All times AEST (GMT + 10). ***************************************************************** 51 KnoxNews: An ORNL strength just got even stronger By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com April 16, 2007 Oak Ridge National Laboratory, bidding to become the world's leading center for scientific computing, has added a powerhouse member to its team. Gil Weigand, 57, is the new director of strategic programs and planning for computing and computational sciences. His career is jammed with accomplishment, with major stints at the Department of Defense, Department of Energy and Time Warner (where he headed a technology group for AOL). Weigand was architect of DOE's Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative in the 1990s, which made the agency an important player in supercomputer development for science. He oversaw the post-Cold War development of computing tools for weapons simulation. At this stage of his career, Weigand said he wants to focus all his energies on advanced simulation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with scientific supercomputing. He said he wants to validate the fact that simulation is on a par with physical experimentation and theory. "Oak Ridge is just over the top in terms of its capability, and I think the future potential there is just huge," Weigand said in a telephone interview. It's the place to be to push the edge of simulation and computer modeling, he said. His interest in Oak Ridge began years ago at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, which was using numerical controls for precision manufacturing of warhead parts. Isotek takes custody of U-233 Isotek Systems LLC, a partnership of EnergySolutions, Burns and Roe, and Nuclear Fuel Services, officially has taken custody of Building 3019-A at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the stockpile of uranium-233 that's housed there. The company is the U.S. Department of Energy's contractor for a complex, high-security project that will process the fissile uranium, remove its weapons capability and prepare it for disposal. The cost of the project has been estimated at $379 million. Pat Hopper, president of Isotek, said the company had passed a readiness review to take responsibility for the strategic nuclear material. Actual processing is still several years away, and Isotek's main focus is maintaining the storage facility until the company is sanctioned to begin preparations in earnest. Hopper said Isotek has about 20 people stationed at the site. The project still is waiting on federal approval for Critical Decisions 2 and 3A. CD 2 will establish the project's formal baseline, and CD 3 is the start of construction. In this case, CD 3A is a preliminary form of construction, involving the demolition of some old hot cells in the building to make way for new equipment. According to a memo from staff of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, the approval has been delayed pending a hazard evaluation of a ventilation stack adjacent to Building 3019. Removal of old equipment inside the building is scheduled for fiscal 2008. Isotek has not yet hired a subcontractor for that work. The Oak Ridge project is unusual on several fronts, including the fact that Isotek will be conducting the project as an island in the middle of the federal laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle. Jeff Smith, the lab's deputy director for operations, said UT-Battelle has given up day-to-day operational responsibility for Building 3019 - a World War II-era structure in the middle of the lab's historic area - but the ORNL contractor will continue to provide the necessary site security. UT-Battelle also has a master services agreement with Isotek to provide fire protection, radiation dosimetry and other things to avoid unnecessary duplication of services, Smith said. Building 3019 is a big headache for ORNL and UT-Battelle. The aged facility is located smack dab in the middle of the laboratory and demands unusual security because the material housed there could be converted into nuclear bombs. Turning custody of the facility over to Isotek eliminates some of UT-Battelle's responsibility, but Smith indicated that nothing has really changed. "I'll be pleased when the project is completed and the U-233 is no longer a burr under our saddle," he said. Project completion isn't scheduled until 2015 or beyond. Cleanup budget a big concern Alice Murphy, executive director of the Energy, Technology and Environmental Business Association, said the budget numbers for Oak Ridge cleanup are a big concern. She noted that the Bush administration's proposed budget package for Oak Ridge environmental management in fiscal 2008 is about $100 million less than fiscal 2006. ETEBA, which has more than 100 corporate members, is hoping U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., will lead the fight to get the budget allotment bumped up during the appropriations process. The state of Tennessee is threatening to fine DOE if it misses cleanup milestones under the Federal Facilities Agreement, but Murphy said it still appears that Oak Ridge is taking a back seat to other DOE sites with more enforcement clout. "It appears to us that sites that have hard compliance drivers, like Hanford (in Washington state) and Savannah River (in South Carolina) are the ones that are getting the dollars, and the Oak Ridge budget is suffering," Murphy said. ETEBA is working with the Tennessee delegation in Congress, she said, to push for steady funding until the Oak Ridge cleanup job is finished. "Our message is give us level funding at $550 million (per year), and we'll get the job done," Murphy said. Another priority is to get approval for accelerated decommissioning of old nuclear facilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. That proposal is known as the Integrated Facilities Disposition Program. Rae joins ReNuke Glen A. Rae, who has held senior positions with utilities and nuclear service companies, has joined ReNuke and will head the new company's Lynchburg, Va., office. Rae is reported to have more than 40 years of industry experience, including stints with Florida Power & Light and Chem-Nuclear Systems. Oak Ridge-based ReNuke was formed earlier this year to provide technical staffing to nuclear utilities and other companies involved in power-plant design, licensing, construction and other nuclear-related tasks. Beckner on board Everet Beckner, who's held executive positions in the Department of Energy, as well as major corporations doing work for the government, is the newest board member of Pro2Serve Professional Project Services Inc. According to a press statement, the company's shareholders elected Beckner to a three-year term on the Pro2Serve board of directors. Other board members include Barry Goss (the founder, president and board chairman), Robert Van Hook, Homer Fisher, Paul Martin Jr. and Hugh Morgan. Beckner previously served as deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, overseeing the management of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. He also held top positions within Lockheed Martin Corp., including a stint at the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons complex at Aldermaston. He spent much of his career at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico. Senior writer Frank Munger covers the Department of Energy operations in Oak Ridge. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 52 ENS: $27.5 Million Funds Uranium Contamination Studies Environment News Service (ENS) AmeriScan: April 16, 2007 $27.5 Million Funds Uranium Contamination Studies RICHLAND, Washington The Department of Energy has granted Pacific Northwest National Laboratory $27.5 million dollars over five years to investigate the movement groundwater contaminated with uranium at sites in Washington and Colorado. The studies are intended to identify new approaches and strategies to help clean up the groundwater. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PNNL, will lead the field studies at a uranium mill tailings site in Rifle, Colorado, and at the Hanford Nuclear Site in Richland, Washington, where some 60 percent of the nation's high-level nuclear waste is stored. The Hanford study involves investigation of the groundwater and the subsurface soil and rock just above the groundwater - both of which are contaminated by uranium. The study area is adjacent to the Columbia River and located near the southern boundary of the Hanford Site, north of Richland. PNNL Project Manager John Zachara says the field study at Hanford will help develop transport models that will be relevant to contaminant movement along the entire Columbia River corridor. At the uranium mill tailings site in Colorado, PNNL geohydrologist Phil Long leads a diverse team of researchers examining the stimulation of subsurface microorganisms aimed at reducing and immobilizing uranium in the subsurface. Researchers have found that bioremediation of uranium is possible, but optimal control and manipulation of the process is still unknown. "We hope to understand the microbial factors and the associated geochemistry that is controlling uranium movement, so that DOE can confidently remediate the uranium plumes," Long said. "Our approach should lead to new knowledge that can then be used to develop effective flow and reactive transport models." Participants in the field studies include the United States Geological Survey, Oregon State University, Purdue University, the University of Alabama, the University of California-Berkley, and DOE’s Pacific Northwest, Lawrence Berkley, Los Alamos and Idaho national laboratories. Both the Hanford and Colorado studies are part of Energy Department’s Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge, a new program that commits multi-investigator teams to performing large, benchmark-type experiments on formidable field-scale science issues. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2006. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 53 washingtonpost.com: Guards Go on Strike at Nuclear Weapons Plant - By Dale Russakoff Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, April 17, 2007; Page D01 More than 500 security guards at the nation's only nuclear weapons assembly plant walked off the job just after midnight yesterday to protest what they said is a steep deterioration in job and retirement security since the government changed fitness standards for weapons-plant guards in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The contractor at the plant, BWXT Pantex in Carson County, Tex., replaced the striking guards with a contingency force that it says will secure the plant's weapons, nuclear materials and explosives as long as necessary. The issue is not confined to Pantex because guard union leaders at other weapons plants also are raising concerns about the new security requirements, which they say will force many older guards out of their jobs. Staging bunkers at the Department of Energy's Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, Tex., are shown in this 1986 file photo. More than 500 security guards at the plant are striking in protest of new fitness standards. (Associated Press) Congressional Democrats criticized the Energy Department for not acting to resolve the guards' concerns in time to avert a strike. "This employment instability not only raises the potential for significant costs to the American taxpayer, but also raises serious nuclear security concerns," said Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), who chairs the oversight subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Energy Department officials said there is no cause for security concerns at Pantex or at other weapons plants that have sent security guards to participate in the contingent force. "Security and safety are paramount at Pantex, and they will not be compromised regardless of any circumstances," said Bryan Wilkes, spokesman for the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration. "Both safety and security will continue to be consistent with the conditions that existed prior to the guard work stoppage." The Pantex plant, which covers 16,000 acres outside Amarillo, assembles, refurbishes and dismantles the country's nuclear weapons. The Energy Department, which owns nuclear weapons plants, and BWXT, which operates and secures the Pantex site, have been preparing for several weeks for the strike, which grew from serious differences over how to implement stiffer fitness requirements designed to protect against acts of terrorism. Pantex is among the first few Energy Department facilities to implement the more stringent security standards, formulated in 2005. The standards require a shift from a defensive guard force to what one agency document describes as "a combat-effective protective force designed to defeat a well-armed and dedicated terrorist adversary." The shift requires more guards to be highly skilled shooters and to meet offensive, as opposed to defensive, fitness standards, which include running a mile in 8 1/2 minutes and a 40-yard dash in 8 seconds. They also must wear bulletproof vests and carry rifles throughout their 12-hour shifts, which together weigh about 40 pounds, according to Pantex Guards Union President Robert Lynch, who said this poses a problem for middle-aged guards. Guards unable to meet the requirements face the prospect of losing their jobs and health insurance, according to Lynch. The guards work for the contractor, not for the Energy Department, but must meet the department's security standards. Jud Simmons, a spokesman for BWXT Pantex, said the company thought it had presented "a fair and reasonable labor agreement that recognizes [the security guards'] important contributions to national security." He declined to give details of the company's offer. Lynch said the union is not questioning the need for higher security but wants the contractor and the department to provide guards a career path similar to that of federal law enforcement officers who can move into less physically demanding positions as they age. He said many older guards cannot meet the fitness standards and are taking janitorial jobs inside the Pantex plant, for much lower pay, to keep their medical coverage. The guards make more than $20 an hour, and because they work extensive overtime, Pantex said they earn an average of $72,000 yearly. Glenn Podonsky, the Energy Department's chief of health, safety and security, wrote in February that the department recognized that the new security policies could hinder the guards' career paths and that their pensions were not comparable to their federal counterparts'. In a letter to Mike Stumbo, president of the National Council of Security Police, Podonsky said he and others in the department would "explore courses of action to address longevity and retirement options." A spokeswoman for Podonsky did not respond to a reporter's queries on Friday and yesterday, asking what had been explored. Simmons of BWXT Pantex said the company has not set a timetable for resuming negotiations. The guards have called for a federal mediator to help expedite talks. A mediator worked through the weekend but left for a 14-day cooling-off period after the strike vote. "Fourteen days is okay for general industry, but we're not protecting the Wal-Mart parking lot here. We're protecting nuclear weapons," Stumbo said. © 2007 The Washington Post Company ***************************************************************** 54 Standard News: Guard Strike Continues Reported by: Ny Lynn Nichols 04/17/2007 04:33pm AMARILLO -- The Pantex guard strike continued Tuesday. It started Monday. Guards say it's because of a poor pension plan, poor medical coverage, and too much overtime. The union president had hoped negotiations would pick back up Tuesday. But they had not. Pantex spokesman Jud Simmons says they're working to determine when negotiations will resume, and if a federal mediator could help. Pantex has a backup force in place to guard the plant. Copyright (c) 1998- 2007 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 55 KVII Online: Pantex guards on strike By Chris Olsen Posted: Monday, April 16, 2007 at 5:14 AM AMARILLO -- Monday at midnight they went on strike. They voted whether or not to accept BWXT Pantex's new contract Sunday evening, there the membership voted it down 532 to one.         There was a rally outside the East Entrance to   on Monday morning at six, where hundreds of striking guards picketed carrying signs saying “  on Strike.” ’s President Robert Lynch says the primary reasons for the strike includes; an unreasonable long-term career progression path, higher and unreasonable fitness standards, and poor or unsafe working conditions. An end [to the strike] is not in site, at this time, Lynch says that he has meeting in Washington D.C. later this week, and a decision probably won’t come for sometime after that. Lynch did say striking was the last thing the Union wanted to do. “I know how hard a strike is on a family and the companies,” said Lynch. “Currently those assets [the plant and nuclear arms] are being protected by people that are not as qualified as we are. They don’t have the experience at the   that we have either, our job is to be on that side of the fence, not this side picketing, and we need everyone at the table to get these issues resolved.” released a statement on Sunday night saying “  is disappointed that the   membership voted not to accept a fair and reasonable labor agreement that recognizes their important contributions to national security.” They also said a contingency force is in place. Related Links * Pantex Guards Union PGU Strike The management of BWXT Pantex recieved a 27 million dollar bonus for security performance. They promise a 3% raise every year for the next five years for PGU members. This is barely over the current national inflation rates of 2.8%. With this raise they will increase working standards. That means the current increase in health care, and putting the current national inflation rates employees will be making less money for performing more tasks in the five year period. The BWXT Pantex claim for the average salary being $78,000 is only true for PGU members that work 14 hour shifts with a 6-7 day work week. The reporting income that can be used for purchasing a home or a car is roughly $48,000. Your reporting has been one sided with little to no information from PGU members. Your hot fills with the BWXT spokesman has upset a lot of PGU members. — BWXT Guard Family Member notlisted, Amarillo P.G.U. MEMBER To answer your question, all the millions of dollars they are getting, is going to the pockets of the upper management for salaries and bonuses. — P.G.U. P.G.U. Member , Amarillo Contract must stink Why would a company, who recently got additional money for security, not have a retirement equal to that equal to at least the City of Amarillo. Is it not a security force with soldiers who fought for this country and people who served this nation in law enforcement? The people of this country don't want are tax money to go to a company but to the people who have and still are serving this country. One more thought is why isn't this security force who protects America's largest stockpile not a federalized police force? WHERE'S ALL OF PANTEX'S MONEY GOING? IF NOT TO THEM THEN WHERE? Yvonne McKee, Amarillo ***************************************************************** 56 KnoxNews: 60 Y-12 workers to be laid off this week Official says company hopes to relocate most By News Sentinel staff April 17, 2007 OAK RIDGE - The government's contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant will issue about 60 layoff notices this week, although a plant spokesman said the company hopes to relocate most of the workers to other jobs. "We believe the actual impact may be as few as eight to 10 (people out of work)," Bill Wilburn, a spokesman for BWXT Y-12, said Monday. Wilburn said BWXT is trying to realign its work force to meet the required missions and available funding for the Oak Ridge plant. Y-12 is a key part of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. "This is an opportunity to streamline and realign our organization," Wilburn said. The "reduction in force" includes 50 hourly jobs and about eight to 10 monthly paid positions, he said. BWXT, which manages Y-12 for the National Nuclear Security Administration, employs about 4,500 people. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 57 KnoxNews: Nuke waste moves safer First shipment of specially sealed containers leave Oak Ridge for Nevada By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com April 17, 2007 OAK RIDGE - The first shipment of super-loaded boxes of nuclear waste left Oak Ridge on Monday bound for the Nevada Test Site. EnergX, the Department of Energy's waste contractor, is loading six drums of waste into each of the giant containers, which are then filled with polyurethane foam and sealed with a special heating technique. The U.S. Environmental Protection agency recently approved "macroencapsulation" as an alternative for transporting and disposing of mixed waste. Mixed waste has both radioactive elements and hazardous chemicals. Tony Buhl, the president of EnergX, said the technique is expected to save big bucks and speed the processing of radioactive waste at the Oak Ridge plant on state Highway 95. EnergX developed a special technique for sealing the big boxes, using a relatively low heat to permanently bond the high-density polyethelene lid and liner within the carbon steel container. That enhances the safety of bulk-packaging of nuclear waste. One of the drawbacks of other sealing techniques, such as welding, is that they introduce the potential for sparks - and fire - around the hazardous materials, Buhl said. "Therefore, we have no fire-protection issues," he said. The first truck to leave the DOE waste-processing plant Monday carried eight of the "macro" boxes. Each box is about 7 1/2 feet long, 4 feet high and 5 feet wide. Space inside the box must be at least 90 percent filled in order to meet the waste-acceptance criteria. Future truck shipments may include as many as 10 of the boxes, according to Quincy Carter, operations manager for EnergX. The Nevada Test Site is licensed to bury certain types of low-level radioactive materials mixed with chemicals. In the future, DOE's Oak Ridge plant will be shipping so-called transuranic wastes - long-lived radioactive materials that are considered particularly hazardous - to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. EnergX is processing a lot of legacy materials from nuclear operations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as well as some wastes shipped brought here from the Nuclear Fuels Services facility near Erwin, Tenn. Buhl said operations have picked up pace recently. In many cases, workers are opening old containers of waste that have been in storage for decades, some dating back to the 1950s or even before. Environmental and safety regulations weren't the same back then, and Buhl said that becomes obvious when the old containers are opened and the contents are sorted and processed. "It's like opening a box of Cracker Jack," he said. "There's a surprise in every box." Officials previously thought some of the ORNL waste was simply low-level radioactive, but additional testing showed it contained solvents and other hazardous chemicals from lab operations. That changed the waste classification and made disposal options more difficult. DOE and the state are in a dispute over regulations of the mixed radioactive wastes at the Oak Ridge site, according to John Owsley of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The state wants to establish enforceable milestones for getting the wastes out of Oak Ridge, but DOE has so far resisted setting deadlines, he said. Bill McMillan, the DOE project manager, said, "We're getting ready to negotiate that. I think we're committing to develop some milestones for shipping wastes out of here. We have yet to negotiate the details, but we're getting rid of mixed waste right now and hopefully we'll be getting rid of the TRU (transuranic waste) later this year." Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. 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: *****************************************************************