***************************************************************** 04/20/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.93 ***************************************************************** 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 AFP: India bans exports to NKorea, Iran - 2 US: PR: Bingaman Talks Energy Efficiency With New Mexico Radio Repor 3 BBC NEWS: EU-Russia relations 'at low ebb' 4 UPI: Russia official says no nuke pass along NUCLEAR REACTORS 5 [NYTr] Chavez Laughs Off Colombia Nuke Plant Joke 6 SABCnews.com: Nuclear needs co-operation: minister 7 US: APP.COM: Reactor would be South Jersey site's fourth 8 US: Chattanoogan.com: Tennessee Valley Corridor Leads The Way In Nuc 9 US: Tennessean: TVA's draft energy plan draws barbs - 10 ireland.com: Ibec calls for debate on nuclear energy 11 Reuters: CORRECTED: U.S. frustrated on India nuclear deal | U.S. | 12 Reuters: U.S. frustrated on India nuclear deal 13 AFP: High-level talks set amid US frustration at Indian nuclear deal 14 IPS: ENVIRONMENT: Prepare for the 'Nuclear Century' 15 SNA: Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Energy Interests Shaped by Common EU Strat 16 AU ABC: PM touts new nuclear reactor as 'triumph' 17 US: SanLuisObispo.com: AB 719 killed 18 US: New York Sun: 2008 Candidates Show Affinity for Atomic Energy - NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 19 Business Gazette: Decontamination kits contract 20 US: Barnstable Patriot: Free KI pill distribution begins Monday - NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 21 RGJ.com: Walker River Tribe nixes nuclear waste transport through Ly 22 US: Beacon News: Nuclear waste on the tollways? 23 Maryland Business Gazette: Bethesda company secures critical license 24 Lompoc Record: McCain tells critics to 'lighten up' in Las Vegas sto 25 US: The Tribune: Don't be concerned about Uranium mines 26 LVN: State official refutes Yucca Mountain claims PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 27 SF New Mexican: New boss to take over waste cleanup 28 Tri-City Herald: Higher Hanford budgets projected 29 Recordnet.com: Radiating distrust of bomb tests 30 Time: A Breach in Nuclear Security | 31 Denver Post: Court asked to revisit Flats ruling 32 The State: SRS hoping to get 500 volunteers for layoffs ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 AFP: India bans exports to NKorea, Iran - Friday April 20, 06:31 PM NEW DELHI (AFP) - India has banned all imports and exports of products to North Korea and Iran that could aid their suspect nuclear programmes, a report said. The ban was notified in India's foreign trade policy unveiled by Commerce Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday and is is in compliance with UN Security Council resolutions, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. "The government has prohibited direct and indirect export and import of materials, goods and technology which could contribute to North Korea's nuclear-related, ballistic missile-related or other weapons of mass destruction-related programmes," the report quoted the policy document as saying. New Delhi has "also prohibited direct or indirect export and import of all items, materials, goods and technology which could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities, or to development of its nuclear weapons delivery systems," it added. India maintains diplomatic relations with North Korea, and had also incurred international isolation after carrying out nuclear tests in 1998. Energy-hungry India, which is negotiating a civilian nuclear energy deal with the United States that will give New Delhi access to previously forbidden technology, has repeatedly called for talks to resolve the row over Iran's suspect nuclear ambitions. Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Australia & NZ Pty Limited. All rights ***************************************************************** 2 PR: Bingaman Talks Energy Efficiency With New Mexico Radio Reporters Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from New Mexico Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Bingaman Today Introduced Legislation Aimed At Improving Efficiency In Vehicles, Buildings, Appliances And Industrial Equipment WASHINGTON -During his weekly radio press conference with New Mexico radio reporters U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today talked about a bill he has introduced aimed at reducing the use of fossil fuels by requiring more efficient use of energy. Bingaman also answered questions on a variety of other topics. 00:00 - Bingaman talks about bipartisan legislation aimed at improving efficiency in vehicles, buildings, consumer appliances and industrial equipment. 03:29 - Bingaman talks about funding for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia. 04:24 - Bingaman talks about legislation he has introduced that will dramatically expand the use of biofuels in America over the next two decades. 06:20 - Bingaman talks about New Mexico's potential in the area of biofuel production. 07:25 - Bingaman comments on the proposed Estancia biomass plant. 09:16 - Bingaman comments on Thursday's scheduled Senate Judiciary hearing with Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. 10:18 - Bingaman talks about concerns regarding possible groundwater contamination at the Los Alamos National Labs. 12:12 - Bingaman comments one the proposed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership facility in New Mexico. 14:58 - Bingaman comments on a report released by humanitarian organizations that calls on the United States to do more for Iraqi refugees. Contact: Jude McCartin Maria Najera 703 Hart Building United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5521 ***************************************************************** 3 BBC NEWS: EU-Russia relations 'at low ebb' Last Updated: Friday, 20 April 2007, 13:53 GMT 14:53 UK Mr Mandelson urged partnerships to deal with mistrust Trust between the EU and Russia has reached its lowest level since the end of the Cold War, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has warned. He said this was partly due to concerns over energy, which both thought the other was using as a political weapon. Mr Mandelson urged the creation of a "grand bargain" with security of demand and supply on both sides as well as investment in each other's markets. There was also a lack of respect between the two sides, he said. "Neither [side] thinks they enjoy the respect from the other they are entitled to expect," he said at a conference in the Italian city of Bologna. To overcome this mistrust it would be necessary to anchor the Russian economy in the EU's single market and the international trade system, he added. Partnership call "Relations between the EU and Russia ... contain a level of misunderstanding or even mistrust we have not seen since the end of the Cold War," he told the conference. In my view the roots of these misunderstandings lie in different perceptions of the 1990s and what's happened since the collapse of the Soviet empire Peter Mandelson Are EU-Russian relations deteriorating? But he later clarified his remarks, saying there was not the same animosity between the two sides that there was during their nuclear-based confrontation. "Since the Cold War we've had obviously very different, much better relations, ... nonetheless I think they're going through a very difficult period," he told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme. "I'm somebody who believes that Russia's interests and Europe's interests will be served by the strong partnership between the both of us," he added. "You're only going to create that partnership if you deal with the current misunderstandings and mistrusts between us, and in my view the roots of these misunderstandings lie in different perceptions of the 1990s and what's happened since the collapse of the Soviet empire." The trade commissioner said it was not surprising that Russians were sceptical about democracy and the market economy, in view of the unhappiness caused by economic liberalisation and privatisation during the 1990s. 'No respect' Mr Mandelson told the conference that the EU needed guarantees Russia would not cut off oil and gas supplies. Recent rows over energy costs between Russia and former Soviet states have caused temporary disruption of supply to western Europe and sparked accusations that Russia is using energy exports as a political weapon. Russia, meanwhile, believed that the EU was generating an insecurity of demand for its supplies, Mr Mandelson said, and urged Europe not to give the impression it was determined to avoid dependence on Russian oil and gas at all costs. He said Russia should diversify its economy away from a reliance on energy. "In the modern age, the essential characteristics of a country with Russia's huge potential cannot be heavy, centralised political control, and an economy based on the rents from energy resources," he said. Membership of the World Trade Organisation would both strengthen the Russian economy and make resolving trade disputes easier, he told the conference. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 4 UPI: Russia official says no nuke pass along United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Published: April 20, 2007 at 2:47 PM MOSCOW April 20 (UPI) -- A top Russian official says his nation's gas uranium enrichment centrifuge technology never would be passed along. First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said Friday to do otherwise would violate Russia's non-proliferation commitment, Novosti reported. He spoke at a new centrifuge producing plant at Kovrov in central Russia. "Russia long ago took on a commitment," Ivanov said. "Such products (gas centrifuges) are subject to export controls. Such technology will never be passed to anyone." Russia, however, has suggested sharing centrifuge technology. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 [NYTr] Chavez Laughs Off Colombia Nuke Plant Joke Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 15:51:05 -0400 (EDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Bloomberg - April 18, 2007 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=abfJs9LuleoI&refer=latin_america Chavez Laughs Off Earlier Colombia Nuclear Power Plant Joke By Theresa Bradley Venezuela President Hugo Chavez last night dismissed a joke he'd made earlier in the day suggesting that Venezuela was trying to buy a nuclear power plant from Argentina to put on its border with Colombia. "Argentina also has nuclear energy, right? I think they're even exporting to some countries. I hope they export a small plant to us and we can put it -- Alvaro -- there on the border," Chavez said, addressing his Colombian counterpart, Alvaro Uribe, at a regional energy summit in Porlamar, Venezuela, according to the Associated Press. When asked about the comment at a press conference following the summit last night, Chavez dismissed it as a joke designed to "make headlines," and said that Venezuela has no short-term plans to buy a nuclear facility from Argentina. "It's not a priority for us at this moment," Chavez said. Uribe, who returned to Colombia last night, had no comment in response to Chavez's statement, a spokeswoman at his Bogota press office said this morning. Chavez on February 24 said that Venezuela, which relies on hydropower to generate much of its domestic electricity, plans to explore developing other energy alternatives, and may "in the future" build its own nuclear power plant. At the first South American Energy Summit that he organized and hosted this week, Chavez stressed natural gas and bio-fuel hybrids as an alternative to oil alone, and opposed plans by nations, including Brazil and the U.S., to boost ethanol production exclusively. Venezuela is the world's fifth largest exporter of crude oil. * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 6 SABCnews.com: Nuclear needs co-operation: minister South African Broadcasting Corporation Copyright © 2000 - 2005 SABC Dlamini-Zuma says the NSG should not hinder international co-operation on nuclear's peaceful use April 20, 2007, 21:00 Increased international co-operation was required as the use of nuclear power gained popularity, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, SA's foreign minister, said. "This renewed international focus on the expansion of nuclear energy as a renewable energy source... requires increased international co-operation to ensure the safety, security and peaceful use of nuclear energy," she said in a message to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) of states which met in Cape Town yesterday and today. She said this affected the NSG's efforts to implement effective controls over the transfer of nuclear-related materials between countries. The 17th plenary meeting was chaired by Abdul Samad Minty, the ambassador and special representative for disarmament, who delivered Dlamini-Zuma's message on behalf of the government. The NSG currently had 45 participating governments and the European Commission as a permanent observer. Dlamini-Zuma said the NSG should not hinder international co-operation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which could potentially accelerate the economic development of poor parts of the world. Experience had however shown that no control regime, no matter how comprehensive, could guarantee an end to the illicit trade of nuclear materials. "The success of such controls remains dependent on effective information-sharing and co-operation among the relevant parties. "We should also recognise the central role that the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) can play in addressing this illicit trade and we should consider how we can support the IAEA in this regard," she added. - Sapa ***************************************************************** 7 APP.COM: Reactor would be South Jersey site's fourth | Asbury Park Press Online Friday, April 20, 2007 PSEG CONSIDERING ANOTHER NUCLEAR PLANT NEWARK: The Public Service Enterprise Group at a shareholders' meeting this week hinted that it might consider building another nuclear reactor in South Jersey, but not for many years. Company spokesman Paul Rosengren told The Press of Atlantic City that the Salem and Hope Creek site originally was intended to have four nuclear units. "But we only built three," he said. "We're meeting with all major suppliers of nuclear reactors to evaluate our options — to see whether we want to build a new plant." He said the company has not made a decision to seek applications to build a new unit. It takes years to get the necessary approvals to build a nuclear reactor, said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The state's only other nuclear generating site is the Oyster Creek plant in Lacey. The Associated Press Copyright © 2007 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 8 Chattanoogan.com: Tennessee Valley Corridor Leads The Way In Nuclear Power - Opinion - posted April 20, 2007 The Tennessee Valley Corridor has a long history of serving our country by deploying this region’s leading science, technology and national security assets to help solve important national challenges. It was the Tennessee Valley Corridor that led the way when the men and women in Oak Ridge helped develop the technology that won World War II, and when the men and women in Huntsville developed, tested and built the Saturn V rocket to help place the first man on the Moon. Today, the Tennessee Valley Corridor again has the opportunity to demonstrate “National Leadership through Regional Cooperation” on the important issue of energy security. One of the clearest ways to help reduce our country’s dependency on foreign sources of energy is the reestablishment and expansion of our domestic nuclear power capabilities. Safe, environmentally-friendly nuclear power was first developed in the United States, and it now supplies more than 20 percent of the electricity used here. But in other countries (e.g. France and Japan), nuclear power is used to a far greater extent. Not only has it helped with their energy security, but it has also helped protect their environments. The key is that nuclear power plants do not emit greenhouse gases like fossil fuel plants, nor are they dependent on unstable or hostile regions of the world for their fuel supply; two obvious and very important benefits for the United States. As one of the nation’s premier science and technology centers, the Tennessee Valley Corridor is once again well positioned to help lead the way as we seek to meet the nation’s rising needs for safe, clean, abundant energy. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is leading America’s utility industry to a future with more electricity from clean and safe nuclear power. TVA’s restart of Unit 1 at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant next month demonstrates that the industry can meet both schedule and cost expectations. Once it is up and running, this plant will produce enough electricity to power 650,000 Valley homes. TVA is also considering completing the construction of Unit 2 at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City, Tn., and partnering with NuStart to gain a license for an advanced nuclear plant at the Bellefonte site near Scottsboro, Al. The Y-12 National Security Complex, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), continues to play an integral role in strengthening national security by creating, safeguarding, and safely disposing of nuclear materials. Y-12 was recently acknowledged as the “Uranium Center of Excellence” for the NNSA, recognizing Y-12’s key position supporting national defense, nuclear non-proliferation and other skills related to handling and protecting uranium. Y-12 is actively preparing to support domestic nuclear power needs by modernizing the site and its workforce. Additionally, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of the lead Department of Energy laboratories for civilian nuclear energy research, has been heavily involved in a variety of nuclear projects, including efforts to develop breeder reactors (which produce more fissile fuel than they consume) and the development of advanced materials suitable for use in future nuclear systems. ORNL has state-of-the-art nuclear research facilities, including the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), the Irradiated Materials and Fuels Laboratories, and the Radio Chemical Engineering Development Center. All of these facilities are heavily used by the U.S. and international nuclear communities. Recently, ORNL and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville were tasked to assist in the design and potential development of affordable fission surface power systems for providing a safe, power-rich environment on the surface of the moon and Mars. The Early Flight Fission Test Facility (EFF-TF) at MSFC provides a unique capability to affordably complete high fidelity development testing. MSFC has extensive capability that could be used to design, develop, and qualify fission surface power and nuclear thermal propulsion systems for missions to the moon, Mars, or beyond. Such work related to nuclear systems in space will not only benefit space exploration, but will provide direct benefits to all of us in the future. The future is bright for the Tennessee Valley Corridor. Strengthening our leadership role in civilian nuclear technology and the construction of next generation nuclear power plants is yet another way the Tennessee Valley Corridor is playing a leadership role in this country. Mickey Crutcher President of Maximum Technology Corporation Huntsville, Al. news@chattanoogan.com (423) 266-2325 ***************************************************************** 9 Tennessean: TVA's draft energy plan draws barbs - Nashville, Tennessee - Friday, 04/20/07 - Tennessean.com Meetings slated for Monday in Franklin By ANNE PAINE Staff Writer The Tennessee Valley Authority is looking 10 years into the future to build a plan that will affect the environment and electricity ratepayers statewide, and a few conservation groups say the agency’s view is not large enough. The concern built when TVA gave notice April 18 that it was holding public meetings to talk about its draft 2007 Strategic Plan. One of the agency’s first meetings is 6 p.m., Monday, April 23, at the Cool Springs Marriott hotel. Kilowatt Ours, an energy conservation group, has rented its own room there for a pre-meeting public gathering at 4:30 p.m. that day for a panel discussion on the topic. “We want ensure that energy efficiency is at the top of TVA’s strategy for meeting the growing demand for energy in the valley,” said Alex Tapia, assistant director of Kilowatt Ours, a group focused on energy conservation and alternative energy. “Right now, it’s not,” he said. “They’re already proposing new nuclear sites. The largest, cheapest, cleanest, quickest source of new energy for the Valley is in our existing homes and buildings through energy efficiency.” TVA spokeswoman Barbara Martocci said that energy conservation is under consideration, but there’s more to the picture. “We also need to prepare for managing the two percent growth that continues in the valley,” she said. And, nuclear plants provide a lot of energy at one site, she said. TVA generates about 60 percent of the electricity it sells in the Valley from coal and other fossil fuels. About 27 percent comes from nuclear power and 10 percent from hydroelectric generation, with the rest from various sources. Coal-fueled power plants are one of the largest emitters of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas contributing to global warming, and mercury, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. TVA serves about 8.7 million people in the Tennessee Valley will be affected by the plan. Nashville Electric Service and other Midstate electricity distributors get their power from the agency. Contact Anne Paine at apaine@tennessean.com or 259-8071. Monday meetings TVA’s draft strategic plan for the next decade will be presented and discussed Monday, April 23 at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd. TVA’s meeting will be at 6 p.m. Beforehand, the energy conservation group Kilowatt Ours will hold a panel discussion at 4:30 p.m., in Salon 7 and show a 20-minute sneak preview of the new edition of “Kilowatt Ours,” a video on what people, cities and TVA can do to reduce energy use. To see TVA’s draft strategic plan go to www.tva.com/stratplan/. For more information on Kilowatt Ours, go to www.KilowattOurs.org. Copyright © 2007, tennessean.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 10 ireland.com: Ibec calls for debate on nuclear energy Fri, Apr 20, 2007 - Elaine Edwards Business lobby group Ibec has called for an urgent national debate on the use of nuclear energy to help provide a sustainable alternative to Ireland's energy needs. The body, which claims to represent 8,000 businesses employing over 70 per cent of the private sector workforce, said society's responses to global warming "will involve changes that bring a wide range of social and business benefits, in addition to environmental benefits". Many of our EU neighbours, including the UK and Finland, have made the decision either to continue with nuclear power or to increase its use. Ireland must look seriously at the option Ibec chairman Maurice Healy In a statement following its national council meeting in Cork, the body said that to ensure rapid progress in tackling climate change, measures that make sense "for a wide-range of reasons" should be promoted in a 'no regrets' strategy. Ibec president Maurice Healy said: "Environment and energy worries have risen to the top of society's concerns, putting business - with its enterprise and innovation - central to resolving the challenges they pose. "The need to switch to a sustainable, low carbon and energy efficient society is a clear necessity. It makes sense for us to use energy sources that are sustainable in the long-term, reduce carbon emissions and reduce our import dependence." Mr Healy said the government target that 33 per cent of electricity be generated from renewable sources is important and that, if reached, Ireland will be at the forefront in Europe. "However, other alternatives must also be considered, including nuclear. Nuclear is a proven safe and efficient technology which produces 16 per cent of global electricity, a share that looks likely to rise. There are now over 400 nuclear power reactors operating in more than 30 countries." Mr Healy said new reactors are being built in 28 countries, and are planned for 62 more. "Many of our EU neighbours, including the UK and Finland, have made the decision either to continue with nuclear power or to increase its use. Ireland must look seriously at the option." He said Ireland would soon be using interconnectors to buy electricity from Britain and possibly from France. "Undoubtedly, some of this will be generated by nuclear power. If we are going to import nuclear generated energy there is the question whether or not we generate our own here. It is irresponsible to dismiss the option without a serious national debate." Today's meeting was addressed by Dieter Helm, economist and Professor of Energy Policy at Oxford University. © 2007 ireland.com ***************************************************************** 11 Reuters: CORRECTED: U.S. frustrated on India nuclear deal | U.S. | Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:07PM EDT (Corrects dates in first and fifth paragraphs to make clear the talks will be on April 30 and May 1; complies with official correction from State Department) By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it was frustrated at the pace of negotiations with India on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and will try to break the impasse in talks that begin later this month. U.S. and Indian negotiators are trying to complete an agreement affirming landmark political commitments announced by the two governments in 2005 and 2006 that would let India buy U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors for the first time in 30 years. But New Delhi has balked at provisions Washington considers essential, including a U.S. legal requirement that it halt nuclear cooperation if India tests another nuclear weapon, U.S. officials have said. "There is frustration," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will discuss the matter in Washington on April 30 and May 1. "They're going to explore ways that we can energize the discussions so that we can get this done," McCormack added, saying the State Department believed the agreement will ultimately be carried through. Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 12 Reuters: U.S. frustrated on India nuclear deal Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:18PM EDT By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday it was frustrated at the pace of negotiations with India on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement and will try to break the impasse in talks that begin later this month. U.S. and Indian negotiators are trying to complete an agreement affirming landmark political commitments announced by the two governments in 2005 and 2006 that would let India buy U.S. nuclear fuel and reactors for the first time in 30 years. But New Delhi has balked at provisions Washington considers essential, including a U.S. legal requirement that it halt nuclear cooperation if India tests another nuclear weapon, U.S. officials have said. "There is frustration," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon will discuss the matter in Washington on April 30 and May 1. "They're going to explore ways that we can energize the discussions so that we can get this done," McCormack added, saying the State Department believed the agreement will ultimately be carried through. While he declined to go into detail about the differences, McCormack said India had asked the United States to change some of its laws, something he ruled out. Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 13 AFP: High-level talks set amid US frustration at Indian nuclear deal - by David Millikin Fri Apr 20, 6:43 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - Senior US and Indian officials will meet here at the end of the month to "energize" stalled negotiations on a landmark deal to give India access to US nuclear technology, a US spokesman said Friday. Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon will be in Washington April 30 and May 1 and will meet with Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns to discuss the negotiations, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. Earlier, the department mistakenly said Menon would be in Washington on Monday and Tuesday next week. McCormack said there was "some frustration on the part of the administration as well as Congress on the pace of these negotiations." "We still have faith that we're going to be able to get this agreement done, but we're at a stage in these particular negotiations where we think we need to raise the level of dialogue to a political level," he said. "They're going to explore ways that we can energize the discussions so that we can get this done," he said. The talks concern how to implement an agreement initially reached in July 2005 to India unprecedented access to US nuclear fuel and technology for its civilian power sector without requiring New Delhi to sign a nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty as normally required by US law. The deal has drawn fire from some US lawmakers and non-proliferation advocates who argue that it undermines efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. But it has been strongly defended by President George W. Bush's administration as the centerpiece of a new relationship with rapidly growing India following decades of Cold War tensions. The deal has also run into trouble in India, expecially from leftist parties in the governing coalition of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who feel it requires New Delhi to relinquish too much control over nuclear and military matters. The negotiations have bogged down notably over India's refusal to commit formally to its voluntary unilateral moratorium on nuclear weapons testing and its insistence the deal give it the right to reprocess nuclear fuel. The US law authorizing the deal, passed by Congress late last year, would suspend the nuclear cooperation if India carried out a nuclear test. McCormack said an experts level meeting to discuss the outstanding differences was held in South Africa earlier this week but failed to make headway, prompting Washington to request the upcoming higher level talks. While not going into details of the Indian demands, McCormack said they were "suggesting solutions that would require us to change our laws, and we're not going to do that." Despite the US frustration, McCormack said Washington was not "questioning the Indian government's goodwill and good faith" on the issue and expressed optimism "that these negotiations will ultimately yield an agreement" well before the end of the Bush presidency in January 2008. The implementing agreement now under negotiation will also have to be approved by Congress, where lawmakers have been angered by recent reports of Indian military cooperation with Iran and charges that India has been trying to illegally obtain secret US weapons technology. "On the one hand, we have India stealing controlled US missile technology, and on the other hand we have India signing a new defense agreement with Iran," Representative Edward Markey (news, bio, voting record) was quoted as saying in The Washington Post on Friday. "We are a wink and a nod away from US missile technology winding up in Iran's possession, and the Bush administration has either failed to connect these two problems or they just don't care," said the Democratic lawmaker. McCormack said Washington had "urged the Indian government to take a look at what sort of ties they have with Iran", but that "we're not going to dictate Iranian-Indian relations." Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 14 IPS: ENVIRONMENT: Prepare for the 'Nuclear Century' Inter Press Service News Agency Zoltán Dujisin BUDAPEST, Apr 20 (IPS) - Representatives of the nuclear industry met this week to discuss strategies to meet challenges posed by what they assume will be "the nuclear century." The World Nuclear Fuel Cycle 2007 conference, organised by the Nuclear Energy Institute and the World Nuclear Association, took place in Budapest in Hungary Apr 17-19. Participants agreed that in view of the growing need to curb the emission of greenhouse gases, believed to be the main force behind global climatic warming, nuclear energy presents the most readily available and realistic response to energy needs. But even though the last decade has seen the construction and planning of new nuclear plants accelerate worldwide, there was acknowledgment that the "renaissance" of nuclear energy will require additional time and effort. "This industry has already lost 25 years, because of Chernobyl and because the collapse of the Soviet Union affected fuel supply," Gerard Pauluis, manager at Synatom, the Belgian Society for Nuclear Fuel, told the conference. Speakers at the conference agreed that the memory of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 had done much to damage the nuclear industry's reputation, but were optimistic about overcoming its legacy. "We are still short of manpower and of infrastructure, and more reactors need to be built," Pauluis added. "The renaissance will take longer than expected. This will definitely be the nuclear century, but after we are all gone." Maurice Lenders, executive director at Urenco, a supplier of enriched uranium, added that "only in Finland we can see signs of a renaissance," where environmental impact assessments are under way for building new nuclear installations. Speakers at the conference noted that the industry faced difficulties as a result of the supply in nuclear fuel consistently lagging behind demand, pushing up prices for uranium. "We are not cooperating, and though there are also external factors, sometimes we are our own enemy," Germán Garcia Calderón, finance and procurement director at Enusa, a nuclear fuel supplier, told the audience. "We have to regulate ourselves because our market is still not mature." But in a conference where the focus was clearly on the commercial side of the nuclear industry, environmental and security concerns were left in the background. Among environment groups there are divisions on nuclear energy, with some favouring it as a clean alternative, and others pointing to the challenge posed by nuclear waste, bound to grow hand in hand with the industry's expansion. The reprocessing of nuclear waste, making it reusable, is one of the available options, but is opposed by some as it produces high rate plutonium which could be stolen and used for nuclear weapons. Reprocessing is accepted in France but not allowed in the United States due to fears of proliferation. Some are also concerned over health effects on communities living around nuclear plants. But research has not yet confirmed an increase in the rates of cancer mortality in the vicinity of nuclear power stations, except in locations where accidents have taken place. Yet even though admittedly small, the occurrence of an accident can have very serious consequences for human health, and many environmentalists are concerned about the risks, in spite of assurances by the industry that security is being taken seriously. "This meeting was more focused on producers and buyers, but obviously security is above everything," Paco Tarin, manager at Enusa, told IPS. "Future nuclear reactors will be safer, cheaper, and easier to operate." Like other representatives of the industry, Tarin does not see any reliable alternatives to nuclear energy. "Nuclear energy is the only clean, reliable and increasingly cheap source. Prices for oil and coal are going up. There is really no other option." "Nuclear power does not emit greenhouse gases, which is why an increasing number of people are supporting it as a solution," Tarin said. "Not only public opinion, but many environmentalists are seeing nuclear power as the solution." Tarin said he was "a big supporter of solar and wind energy, but when the wind doesn't blow, or the sun doesn't shine, you don't have energy, it's not reliable. You can install a large capacity, invest large amounts of money, but in some cases you will get very little in exchange," he told IPS. He noted, however, that all forms of energy are needed, "especially if we are going to help the development of poorer countries." "Unfortunately clean energies are the most expensive ones, so if we want to reduce greenhouse emissions and give electric energy to all developing countries, we will need all energies, but especially nuclear energy." (END/2007) Copyright © 2007 IPS-Inter Press Service. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 15 SNA: Bulgaria: Bulgaria's Energy Interests Shaped by Common EU Strategy 20 April 2007, Friday Bulgaria is well aware of its energy interests within the common European strategy that is currently forming, Vice President Anguel Marin said in Macedonia. Marin attended an Ohrid meeting of the presidents of the countries of Southeastern Europe dedicated on the energy policy in the region. About 60% of the energy in Macedonia and Albania is imported, the two countries' heads said. The relations in the region are so interlaced that Bulgaria's promise to the EU to shut down Units 3&4 of its Nuclear Power Plant in Kozloduy, immediately affected Albania, president Alfred Moisiu said, adding that his country has sought help from the EU. Electricity demand in the region is growing and about EUR 30 M need to be invested in the sector so all of Southeastern Europe's electricity needs are met. novinite.com Forum Google Tourism Business MobileBulgaria All Rights Reserved © Novinite Ltd., 2001-2007 - Copyright & Disclaimer - Privacy Policy ISO 9001:2000 Certified Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria ***************************************************************** 16 AU ABC: PM touts new nuclear reactor as 'triumph' ABC New South Wales | Local News (ACST)Friday, 20 April 2007. 10:27 (AWST) Prime Minister John Howard has launched the new nuclear reactor at Sydney's Lucas Heights saying nuclear energy technology and medicine are the way of the future. After touring the new OPAL research reactor, Mr Howard says it is worth every dollar of its $400 million price tag. "If a nation is unwilling to make a capital investment in projects of this nature, then it's really not interested in our future," he said. Mr Howard says the facility is a triumph for those who believe in the central role of science in society. The chief executive of the Australian Nuclear Science and Training Organisation (ANSTO), Dr Ian Smith, says the OPAL demonstrates Australia has the capacity for more nuclear projects. He says the new facility has many of the challenges and almost the scale of a nuclear power plant. ANSTO chairman Ziggy Switkowski says the OPAL project is a flagship for Australian science and nuclear technology. "It's quite interesting to observe in this particular case how the project has been managed, how successfully it's been managed," he said. "Although this is a research reactor it has many of the challenges of a large power reactor and what we've demonstrated is Australia's ability to tackle very complicated nuclear projects." ***************************************************************** 17 SanLuisObispo.com: AB 719 killed 04/20/2007 | County Roundup The state Assembly this week killed legislation that would have lifted the state’s moratorium on new nuclear power plants. The bill by Orange County Republican Chuck De- Vore would have struck down a 1976 law that prohibits licensing of any new nuclear power plants until a permanent solution to the problem of storing the nation’s high-level radioactive waste is found. The proposed underground storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is beset by problems and is years away from opening, if it ever does. The Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee voted 6-3 to uphold the ban. The San Luis Obispobased Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility lobbied against the bill. “We anticipate that the results of an upcoming study by the California Energy Commission analyzing the costs, benefits and risks of continuing down the nuclear energy path will lead us to a clearer understanding of where to invest our energy dollars,” said Rochelle Becker, the group’s director. —David Sneed ***************************************************************** 18 New York Sun: 2008 Candidates Show Affinity for Atomic Energy - April 20, 2007 - By JOSH GERSTEIN Staff Reporter of the Sun In American politics, the rallying cry "No nukes!" seems to be losing its punch. The crop of candidates seeking the White House in 2008 shows an affinity for atomic energy that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. "You absolutely would not have gotten the same reaction not that long ago," a key anti-nuclear activist in California, Rochelle Becker, said. Each of the top contenders for the Republican nomination and all but one of the major Democratic hopefuls support nuclear power to some extent. Most cite the prospect that atomic energy could help reduce climate change by supplanting power produced by fossil fuel sources such as coal and natural gas. "The global warming issue is what is causing at least the Democratic candidates to say we need to leave nukes on the table," Ms. Becker, the executive director of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, said. The two leading Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Clinton and Obama, have joined one of the top Republicans in the race, Senator McCain of Arizona, to sponsor the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act of 2007. The measure includes more than $3.6 billion in funding and loan guarantees for the planning and construction of nuclear plants using new reactor designs. The only major candidate opposed to increased reliance on nuclear power is a former senator from North Carolina, John Edwards. The Las Vegas Review Journal reported that during a visit to that city in February, Mr. Edwards declared that atomic energy had no future in America. A spokeswoman for the candidate, Kate Bedingfield, said the report slightly overstated his position, but she added, "He does not advocate building additional nuclear power plants in the U.S." One potential entrant in the Democratic field, Vice President Gore, also remains cool to nuclear power. Despite his advocacy for urgent action to combat climate change, he has repeatedly dismissed the prospect of increased reliance on atomic power. The Democrats' take on nuclear energy this time is nearly a mirror image of their stance in 1992. Then, a former senator from Massachusetts, Paul Tsongas, was the sole advocate for greater use of atomic power. The rest of the field stood opposed and heaped scorn on Tsongas as a proponent of a dangerous and foolish policy. "There is no such thing as a pro-nuclear environmentalist," one of Tsongas's rivals, Senator Harkin of Iowa, declared in campaign ads. Other Democratic hopefuls such as a former California governor, Jerry Brown, and a senator from Nebraska, Robert Kerrey, made similar arguments. However, the leader of the anti-nuclear assault on Tsongas was arguably the then-governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, who was jousting with the Massachusetts native for the front-runner slot in the presidential nominating contest. "We do not need to do what Senator Tsongas needs to do and build hundreds of more nuclear plants to become energy independent," Mr. Clinton said at a debate in Denver on February 29, 1992. "One of the reasons he's ahead in the polls it that people do not know what he stands for." Tsongas took umbrage at the claim that he wanted to build hundreds of new nuclear facilities. "That is a lie. That is a lie. That is a lie," the former senator declared. The fight over the nuclear issue provoked one of the primary campaign's most memorable exchanges, as Mr. Clinton went on to needle his rival by saying, "No one can argue with you, Paul, you're always perfect." "I'm not perfect, but I'm always honest," Tsongas replied caustically. Mr. Clinton's use of the nuclear cudgel against Tsongas is in sharp contrast to Mrs. Clinton's open embrace of nuclear power in the current campaign. "I think nuclear power has to be a part of our energy solution," the New York senator said during a town hall meeting in Aiken, S.C., in February. "We've got to be very careful about the waste and about how we run our nuclear plants, but I don't have any preconceived opposition. I just want to be sure that we do it right, as carefully as we can because obviously it's a tremendous source of energy. We get about 20% of our energy from nuclear power in our country. . Other countries like France get, you know, much, much more. So, we do have to look at it because it doesn't put greenhouse gas emissions into the air." Mr. Obama's camp gave a somewhat more reserved answer when asked about the Illinois senator's views on atomic energy. " Barack Obama feels we must address three key issues before ramping up nuclear power, including the public's right to know, security, and waste storage," a campaign spokeswoman, Jennifer Psaki, said. "Nuclear power represents the majority of non-carbon generated electricity therefore making it unlikely that it will be taken off the table." A spokeswoman for another Democratic hopeful, Senator Dodd of Connecticut, said he "has been supportive of safe nuclear power." The campaign of Senator Biden of Delaware did not respond to requests for comment on the issue, but in 2005 he voted for an amendment containing a next-generation nuclear design program similar to the one backed by Mrs. Clinton and Messrs. McCain and Obama. Tsongas, the early nuclear advocate, died at 55 in 1997, from a recurrence of lymphoma. His adviser on energy issues, Mitchell Tyson, said Tsongas backed nuclear power primarily as an alternative to the pollution caused by burning coal. However, press clippings show that, even back in 1992, the Lowell, Mass., native also cited global warming as a reason to consider atomic power. " Paul Tsongas was 100% right," Mr. Tyson said in an interview this week. "Paul had a multigenerational approach to energy. He did not see it as what's easy today. . It's nice to see the mainstream Democratic candidates coming around to it." When read the text of Mrs. Clinton's recent remarks, Mr. Tyson said he was stunned by the contrast with her husband's anti-nuclear attacks a decade and a half ago. "Amazing. Just astounding," he said. One critical part of the nuclear calculus for Democrats these days is the negative sentiment of Nevada residents to the federal government's plan to store high-level nuclear waste at a site there known as Yucca Mountain. The clout of Nevada voters is magnified in this cycle by plans to stage the state's Democratic presidential caucuses on January 19, 2008, prior to New Hampshire's primary. The four senators in the Democratic race also have another good reason not to get crosswise with Nevadans: the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, hails from that state. "In the Democratic Party in Nevada, it's just sort of an article of faith that you don't even question that Yucca is bad," a political science professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Eric Herzik, said. As a result, and perhaps for substantive reasons as well, all of the major Democratic candidates are now opposed to the plans for Yucca. The even appear to be in something of a competition to outdo one another on the issue. Mr. Biden's campaign sent out a press release Monday calling attention to a Washington Post report that found him to be a "steady foe" of Yucca but labeled Messrs. Dodd and Edwards as "flip-floppers." The article said Mrs. Clinton has also steadily opposed Yucca for a number of years. Mr. Dodd backed the waste site in 2002 but recently said he opposes it because of security concerns. Mr. Edwards voted against the Yucca plan in 2000, in favor of it in 2002, and is now back to opposing it. An aide said the former senator said he was troubled by recent allegations of forged engineering reports and by increased prospects that terrorists could intercept waste shipments. Anti-nuclear activists like Ms. Becker see hypocrisy in those who claim to be worried about the waste but still tout nuclear power as part of the solution to global warming. "If you're really concerned about the waste, how can you favor nuclear power if we have no way to deal with the waste?" she asked. "What they're doing is really a very political decision and not a very pro-nuclear decision." 105 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007 © 2007 The New York Sun, One SL, LLC. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 19 Business Gazette: Decontamination kits contract A WEST Cumbrian firm which makes radioactive protective clothing for Sellafield workers has secured a £4.5 million contract to supply decontamination kits. The kit, manufactured by Romar Workwear, of Hensingham, Whitehaven, is designed to combat the effects of nuclear, chemical, biological and other radiological contamination. Romar was awarded the contract by the Government, and the kits would be distributed to the public after any contamination incident. The Prime Minister, the Queen and other members of the Royal family have been supplied with the Romarkits. They have also featured in television programme Waking The Dead and the film The World Is Not Enough. More than 250,000 kits have now been made at the Hensingham factory and a stock of 10,000 is kept ready to be sent out in an emergency. Under a rolling £1m contract, Romar is making enough decontamination kits to cater for the UK as well as distributing to France. The kit consists of an orange cape capable of countering any contamination, especially droplets coming through the air, respirator, special shoes, underwear and gloves. In collaboration with local haulier Tyson Burridge, Romar has sent out 51 lorry loads of kits to 80 UK locations. Cumbria Online | Business Gazette | Cumbria Life | News & Star | NW Evening Mail | Cumberland News | Times & Star | Whitehaven News © 1995-2006 CN Magazines. All rights reserved. Company Number: 1931452 ***************************************************************** 20 Barnstable Patriot: Free KI pill distribution begins Monday - Cape Cod & Islands Fire stations, senior center and health office to offer pills The free distribution of potassium iodide, or KI, pills to any Barnstable resident who wants them begins Monday. Barnstable Heath Director Tom McKean said a two-week initial distribution period begins Monday at six locations across town. Barnstable adopted a 2002 provision of state law to accept state-provided KI pills last year. The greatest single threat for widespread radiation exposure on Cape Cod is the Pilgrim nuclear power station in Plymouth. There will be no charge for the pills. According to the state Department of Public Health’s Web site, KI is effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in individuals or populations at risk for inhalation or ingestion of radioiodine. KI floods the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine and prevents the uptake of the radioactive molecules. The town already received its initial allotment of 124,500 pills and has requested another 167,000. The 290,000 total is based on the estimated summer population of 145,000 and the need for two pills per person in a 24-hour period. The number of pills to be distributed to each family will depend on the number of people and ages. Extended hours and days will be available at the West Barnstable and Cotuit fire departments, which will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. All fire departments except Hyannis are participating, but there are two Hyannis distribution locations. The pills have a shelf life into 2013, said McKean, which will be noted on the packaging. Distribution Locations Health Division, 200 Main Street Hyannis: 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Barnstable Fire Station, Rte 6A Barnstable: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon - Fri. West Barnstable Fire Station, Rte. 149: 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. Mon. - Sat. Cotuit Fire Station:  8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon. - Sat. COMM Headquarters, Route 28 Centerville: 10 a.m.  -  2 p.m. Mon  -  Fri Senior Center, Route 28 Hyannis: 10 a.m.  -  2 p.m. Mon.  -  Fri. McKean said that pills will be distributed at these locations through May 4. After the initial two weeks, distribution will be ongoing at the health division’s office at 200 Main Street from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information on potassium iodide, log on to www.mass.gov/dph/rcp. All information copyright OTTAWAY NEWSPAPERS, INC. 4 Ocean Street, P.O. Box 1208 Hyannis, MA 02601 - (508) 771-1427 - FAX: (508) 790-3997 EMAIL: editor@barnstablepatriot.com or publisher@barnstablepatriot.com ***************************************************************** 21 RGJ.com: Walker River Tribe nixes nuclear waste transport through Lyon County PATRICK ABANATHY RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL Posted: 4/20/2007 The Walker River Paiute Tribe passed a resolution earlier this week putting the kibosh on the possibility of Yucca-bound nuclear waste being transported through Lyon County. The Tribe owns a critical portion of existing railway land between Wabuska and Schurz, which helps make up the formerly proposed Mina Corridor. The April 17 decision makes the second time the Tribe has declined permission to use their land. Late last year the Tribe agreed to participate in an environmental study with the U.S. Department of Energy to reexamine the Mina Corridor, which passes through Fernley, Silver Springs and Wabuska before heading to Schurz. "The Tribal Council began the (Environmental Impact Study) process to allow the Tribe to make an informed, educated decision on the likelihood of nuclear waste passing through our Reservation, and to determine the safest method for that transportation," Walker River Paiute Tribal Chairman Genia Williams said. Following consideration of gathered information and consulting with Tribal members, the Tribe has decided to cease participation in the environmental study. "The Tribe will not allow nuclear waste to be transported by rail through our Reservation," Williams said. She expressed her appreciation to the Department's personnel. "We understand that (the Department of Energy) will need to continue its efforts to locate a method to transport nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, but the Tribe came to the decision that a rail route through our Reservation was not in the best interest of our people." Allen Benson, a Department of Energy and Yucca Mountain spokesman in Las Vegas, told the Associated Press the Tribe's decision means the Mina corridor will be dropped from the department's choices of potential rail lines to Yucca Mountain. However, it will still be included in an impact statement expected for release in October. Elimination of the Mina corridor "certainly simplifies (the Department of Energy's) options," said David Blee, executive director of the U.S. Transport Council, a coalition of nuclear waste shippers. Another possible route includes the Caliente Corridor southeast of Lyon, though the Mina route was favored, as it included existing rail beds rather than a need for more than 300 miles of new infrastructure. Both Bob Loux, Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects executive director, and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, who adamantly opposes the Yucca Mountain project as a whole, welcomed the tribe's announcement. "I am so pleased that the Walker River Paiute Tribe has made the decision not to allow nuclear waste to be transported through their Reservation," Reid said in an issued statement. "With this decision, the Tribe has made the determination that the risks associated with transporting thousands of tons of nuclear waste through Nevada communities far outweigh any potential benefits being touted by those looking to turn Nevada into the nation's nuclear dumping ground." Reid also spoke to the larger project, which is, at minimum, 10 years out. "Further, what is true for Nevada is true for the nation. It is not safe to haul 77,000 tons of the most dangerous substance known to man through this nation's cities and towns so it can be buried 90 miles outside of Las Vegas. The Tribe's decision is yet another blow to this project, which is on its last legs." © Copyright Reno Gazette-Journal, a Gannett Co. Inc. Newspaper. ***************************************************************** 22 Beacon News: Nuclear waste on the tollways? Meeting tonight: Information focuses on safety concerns April 20, 2007 By STEVE LORD Staff Writer Concern over the possibility that radioactive plutonium waste will be transported on area highways has prompted a meeting tonight on the subject. The meeting with people on both sides of the issue will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave. in Naperville. It was organized by the Nuclear Waste Containment Campaign, a group of citizens from throughout the western suburbs. Kathy Gere, of Naperville, spokesman for the organization, said they are concerned because the federal Department of Energy is considering using Interstates 88, 80, 294 and 74 to transport the plutonium to Argonne National Laboratory for research and to a new nuclear waste facility in Morris. "The (Department of Energy) has confirmed that those are the preferred routes," she said. The plan to transfer the nuclear waste, which the organization refers to as "highly radioactive weapons-grade plutonium," is part of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership held a public hearing in February in Joliet, but Gere said her citizens group "did not feel this was sufficient." Brian Quirke from the U.S. Department of Energy will speak at tonight's meeting, along with Dave Kraft, director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service. Quirke will give background on the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and will discuss the processing and storage at Morris, as well as what research will be done at Argonne. Processes at both places are considered experimental, Gere said. Kraft will give background on problems with the kind of shielding used on the radioactive material. Both will discuss the safety issues related to transporting the waste. © Copyright 2007 Sun-Times News Group ***************************************************************** 23 Maryland Business Gazette: Bethesda company secures critical license for nuclear fuel plant Maryland Community Newspapers Online Friday, April 20, 2007 USEC expects to start operations at Ohio facility by late 2009 by Kevin J. Shay | Staff Writer USEC, a Bethesda provider of enriched uranium fuel for nuclear facilities, has received a construction and 30-year operating license for its uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio, from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The license approval on Friday culminates a process that lasted two-and-a-half years and included environmental and safety reviews, said Elizabeth Stuckle, a USEC spokeswoman. Construction on the $2.3 billion American Centrifuge Plant is expected to begin ‘‘immediately,” with the plant operational by late 2009, Stuckle said. About 400 people will work at the facility, and other manufacturing jobs will be created in other areas to support the work. The USEC facility is the second uranium enrichment plant approved by the NRC in the last three decades, Stuckle said. A license for Louisiana Energy Services to build an enrichment facility in New Mexico was approved last year. The new plant is expected to replace an older uranium enrichment facility that USEC operates in Kentucky, Stuckle said. ‘‘The new plant will use about 95 percent less electricity than the old one,” she said. The gas centrifuge technology in Piketon is much more efficient than the gas diffusion enrichment technology used at USEC’s Kentucky facility, Stuckle said. Plans are under way for more than 30 new commercial nuclear reactors in the United States, John K. Welch, USEC president and CEO, said in a statement. ‘‘A stable, domestic source of enriched uranium is vital” for the development of the facilities, he said. No commercial reactor has been built in the United States in three decades, though the Bush administration is trying to revive the industry. About 20 percent of the nation’s electricity is generated by nuclear plants. The New Mexico enrichment plant is being challenged in court by watchdog groups Nuclear Information and Resource Service of Takoma Park and Public Citizen of Washington, D.C. Officials with those groups said in a news release that the plant did not have proper disposal capacity for depleted uranium waste that would be produced and cited other issues. A challenge was filed in early April in a District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Michele Boyd, legislative director of Public Citizen’s energy program, said Monday that the group was focusing on the New Mexico case and did not plan to legally challenge the USEC plant. An official from Nuclear Information and Resource Service could not be reached for comment. Geoffrey Sea, a resident of Sargents, Ohio, and co-founder of a local neighborhood group there, said the USEC license will be challenged. He questioned whether USEC had the financing or the technology to actually build the plant. Shares of USEC on the New York Stock Exchange initially rose before closing at $19.66 on Thursday. USEC reported that net income last year more than quadrupled over 2005 to $106.2 million. Revenues rose by almost 19 percent to $1.85 billion. Copyright 2007 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net The Gazette: newsroom and business office | 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd. | Gaithersburg, MD 20878 | 301-948-3120 The Gazette: administration, advertising, classifieds | 9030 Comprint Court | Gaithersburg, MD 20877 | main number: 301-670-2565, classifieds: 301-670-2500 ***************************************************************** 24 Lompoc Record: McCain tells critics to 'lighten up' in Las Vegas stop Updated Friday, April 20, 2007 By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY LAS VEGAS - Arizona Sen. John McCain said critics complaining about his recent joke about bombing Iran should "lighten up and get a life." "Please, I was talking to some of my old veterans friends," the Republican presidential candidate told reporters Thursday, a day after he parodied the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann" at a campaign stop in South Carolina. The senator changed the song's title to "Bomb Iran." "My response is lighten up and get a life," he said. McCain's quip, which was circulating on the Internet, was prompted by an audience question about whether the senator believes the U.S. should send Iran "an airmail message to Tehran." "That old, eh, that old Beach Boys song, Bomb Iran," McCain joked and broke into the melody: "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, anyway, ah ..." McCain then said he agreed with President Bush's policy of protecting Israel from Iran and working to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Asked by reporters Thursday if he thought the joke was insensitive he said: "Insensitive to what? The Iranians?" McCain, speaking at a press conference before a fundraiser at a Las Vegas casino, also responded sharply to comments made Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Reid said he thought the war could not be won through military force, although he said the U.S. could still pursue political, economic and diplomatic means to bring peace to Iraq. He called the Iraq war "lost" and said Bush's plan to increase troop levels "is not accomplishing anything." McCain, a defender of the president's troop surge proposal, blasted the Nevada senator, saying his comments would hurt troop morale. "It seems to me Sen. Reid has lost all sense of priority," he said. McCain later continued the criticism in a speech to the Clark County Republicans, where a critique of Democrats in Congress was met with applause. He called a Democratic funding proposal that include timelines for troop withdrawal a "date for surrender." He tied the war against insurgents in Iraq to the fight to keep terrorists from striking the U.S. "They want to follow us home because it's not Iraq they're after, it's the United States they're after," McCain said. The fundraising stop was the senator's first public appearance in Nevada since mounting his bid for the White House. Nevada Republicans are expected to move their presidential caucus to Jan. 19, making it the second in the nation. The move would match Democrats who saw their political stock rise when they won the early caucus date. The senator boasted of his Western roots and his familiarity with the state's top issues: water and growth. As he did so, he mispronounced the state's name, a frequent outsider gaffe. The senator faces a hurdle in pitching his candidacy to Nevadans: his long record supporting the opening of a nuclear waste storage site at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The waste dump is strongly opposed by Democrats and Republicans in the state. McCain repeated his support Thursday, calling nuclear power a "vital part of this nation's future." He dismissed the notion that the waste should be stored at various sites around the nation. McCain also repeated his opposition to gun control in the wake of the campus massacre at Virginia Tech. The senator said the disaster should prompt concern about the mental health system not gun laws. "The question is not about gun control or the 2nd Amendment, the question should be asked why this very troubled and disturbed young man ... was not taken and given treatment of some kind," he said. A service of the Associated Press(AP) Reid said he thought the war could not be won through military force, although he said the U.S. could still pursue political, economic and diplomatic means to bring peace to Iraq. He called the Iraq war "lost" and said Bush's plan to increase troop levels "is not accomplishing anything." Main Phone: 805-736-2313 Copyright © 2007 2006 Lee Central Coast Newspapers. All Rights Reserved. All Lee Central Coast Newspapers pages are designed for screen ***************************************************************** 25 The Tribune: Don't be concerned about Uranium mines Tribune Opinion April 20, 2007 We can understand that residents near Nunn are concerned about plans to drill uranium mines on their land. We most likely wouldn't want a uranium mine in our backyard either. But from what we know so far, we think their concerns may be premature and overblown. A Canadian company, Powertech Uranium Corp., is suddenly interested in drilling in northern Weld. Recent price increases in uranium sparked the company's interest, and it has purchased 5,760 acres of mineral rights in Weld in hopes of extracting more than 9 million pounds of uranium. A company spokesman who is president of environment, healthy and safety says the mining process that it hopes to use, called in-situ recovery, is among the safest in the industry. Of course, that's what you would expect the company to say. Some Nunn-area residents have been notified the drilling will occur on their property, and they're concerned about groundwater contamination, among other environmental problems. "We were thinking about making a bumper sticker, 'Hell No, We Won't Glow,' " said Robin Davis, who with her husband, Jay, purchased 80 acres about six miles northwest of Nunn a year ago. But company officials appear to be intent on preserving the environment and working with their drilling neighbors. They have scheduled two public meetings to explain the process and work with neighbors. They also have promised to install monitoring wells on property where they drill to make sure groundwater is not contaminated. Wyoming is the nation's largest producer of uranium, and we have yet to hear of major groundwater concerns in Wyoming related to the drilling. Nor have we heard of Wyoming residents who glow in the dark. The company also must work with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA to prove the process will be environmentally safe. The company has stated that before it can drill close to a dozen environmental disciplines have to be studied, ranging from archaeology to seismology to wildlife to soils. "We're very early in the process," said company spokesman Richard Blubaugh. "We're years away from opening the mine." We can't blame Weld residents for questioning a uranium mine on their property. But at least initially, the company appears willing to meet the concerns head-on. Weld residents should take advantage of the company's openness and attend the meetings that are scheduled in the next month. Learn about the process, learn about how the company has operated in other communities, ask questions -- lots of questions -- and demand answers. We'll wait for those answers as well before we give our final stamp of approval to the mining. But at least initially, we are impressed with Powertech's interest in a mining process that protects the health and safety of our communities. All contents © Copyright 2007 greeleytrib.com The Greeley Publishing Co. - P.O. Box 1690 - Greeley, CO 80632 ***************************************************************** 26 LVN: State official refutes Yucca Mountain claims Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard - Opinion April 20, 2007 By Robert Loux Your article about Churchill County High School students' reactions to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository following a tour of the site sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy ("Local students impressed by safety of nuclear repository after site visit" in the Lahontan Valley News, April 5, 2007) demonstrates just how much misinformation is disseminated during these DOE public relation tours. It is important to recognize that the tours of Yucca Mountain operated by DOE are part of the federal government's larger effort to promote the proposed repository project. They are not "unbiased," as the students apparently were led to believe. The entire tour program is run out of DOE's Office of Public Affairs, the public relations arm of the Yucca project. The office maintains a whole staff of people who run the tours and who are trained to present information in such a way as to make Yucca Mountain appear safe and suitable. Nothing, however, could be farther from the truth. I am sure none of the students on the trip to Yucca heard anything about the fundamental problems with using this site for disposal of deadly radioactive waste, such as: The fact that the Yucca site is so fractured and porous that, according to DOE's own assessments, the geology of the site contributes virtually nothing to waste isolation. In a desperate effort to "fix" this fatal problem, DOE has come up with a system of manmade barriers relying on waste disposal canisters that must remain intact for between 10,000 and 1 million years! Almost no one in the scientific community believes this is remotely possible, yet DOE continues to assert that this "Rube Goldberg" fix somehow make Yucca a safe and suitable site. Because the site is so porous and so fractured, water moves very rapidly though the subsurface. These fast water pathways mean that once waste is out of the manmade containers, it moves very quickly to the aquifer below and into the environment. The groundwater at Yucca Mountain is highly corrosive, and even though the proposed repository would be above the water table, there is a great deal of it (the so-called unsaturated zone is actually 80 percent or more saturated). State of Nevada experts have shown that DOE's waste disposal containers - the ones that need to last for up to 1 million years - will begin to corrode very rapidly (within tens and hundreds of years) when exposed to water with the chemical composition of that found underground at Yucca. Yucca Mountain is located in what the U.S. Geological Survey calls a major earthquake zone, and scientists are still trying to understand the risk of new volcanic activity at and near the site. All in all, it would be hard to find a place that is less suited for disposing of deadly radioactive material that must be isolated from people and the environment for hundreds of thousands of years. Another thing I'm sure the students weren't told during their public relations visit is that Yucca Mountain was singled out in 1987 as the only site to be studied for a repository on purely political grounds, not because it was the best site or even one that had been shown to be safe and suitable. It is an unfortunate fact of life that DOE and Yucca Mountain supporters in the commercial nuclear industry will say and do almost anything to try to keep this fatally flawed and potential dangerous project alive. It's even more unfortunate that this includes misinforming and misleading Nevada students whose enthusiasm for science and learning deserves better. Robert R. Loux is the executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects. All contents © Copyright 2007 lahontanvalleynews.com Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard - 562 North Maine Street - Fallon, NV 89406 ***************************************************************** 27 SF New Mexican: New boss to take over waste cleanup Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:10 pm By Andy Lenderman LOS ALAMOS -- Sue Stiger has faced big cleanup jobs before, and now she's been drafted to help out at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Stiger has worked for Bechtel National for the last nine years, including a stint as a cleanup manager at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. She comes to Los Alamos later this month to take over as the associate director for environmental programs, which oversees an effort to deal with roughly 700 contaminated sites on lab property. The cost to clean up that leftover Cold War waste has been pegged at $1 billion by lab officials. Stiger inherits about 400 employees and a 2015 deadline enforced by the New Mexico Environment Department to clean up that waste. Stiger said she's had a broad range of assignments before. ``Although it can look very challenging, it is possible to get cleanup accomplished on those kinds of schedules,'' she said in an interview. One noteworthy accomplishment on Stiger's list is that while in Idaho, she led a team that shipped about 15,000 drums of transuranic waste to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant almost two years ahead of schedule. Stiger also has experience at Rocky Flats, a former plutonium pit manufacturing facility in Colorado, from 1993-95. She's also worked at Oak Ridge, Tenn., where another U.S. Department of Energy site is located. She's a civil engineer by training and received her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Stiger replaces Andy Phelps, who asked to be reassigned earlier this year. The New Mexico Environment Department fined the lab several times in the past year over perceived violations of the consent order, or legal agreement, that governs the cleanup plan for the lab. ``I recognize that there's some room for improvement in the relationship with the regulators,'' Stiger said. Improving trust and respect is important to her, she added. Environment Secretary Ron Curry said he's hopeful about Stiger aggressively pursuing the consent order requirements. ``We will know within 90 days whether she is successful in that approach,'' Curry said. ``We expect the lab to fulfill the promise it made to the citizens of New Mexico to complete a comprehensive environmental cleanup at Los Alamos National Laboratory.'' Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827. Terms of Use | ©2007, Santa Fe New Mexican, ***************************************************************** 28 Tri-City Herald: Higher Hanford budgets projected Published Friday, April 20th, 2007 ANNETTE CARY, HERALD STAFF WRITER The Department of Energy is projecting a Hanford budget that will increase about 21 percent from fiscal year 2007 to fiscal year 2012. The amounts are projected based on the Bush administration's request to Congress for the coming year and its work plans for the four years after that. The projection serves as a road map for Hanford for the next five years and outlines the cleanup work DOE plans at the nuclear reservation that once made plutonium for the nation's nuclear wea-pons program. The five-year funding profile uses the $1.88 billion available in the current fiscal year as a base and projects that will increase to $2.28 billion in fiscal year 2012. That would be with steady increases every year except fiscal year 2009, which would dip to $1.90 billion from the $1.94 billion in the fiscal year 2008 request to Congress. DOE is planning to spend $690 million each year on design and construction of the $12.3 billion vitrification plant being built to turn much of the radioactive waste in underground tanks into a stable glass form for permanent disposal. That's the amount DOE originally projected would be needed each year to build the plant. The plant was to be in full production in 2011, but it may not open until 2019 because of technical and budget problems. That means that retrieval of waste from Hanford's leak-prone underground tanks will be done at a rate to "maintain operator proficiency" and support the delayed start-up date. Single-shell tanks are being emptied into 28 newer double-shell tanks. The delayed start-up of the vitrification plant will limit the space available in the double-shell tanks until some of the waste is emptied for treatment. However, DOE would move forward with plans to permanently close some of the emptied tanks. A demonstration project to close a tank would start in fiscal year 2011 and closure of the C Tank Farm, the first group of tanks expected to be emptied, would start in fiscal year 2012. Other highlights over the next five years include getting weapons-grade plutonium that's now stored at Hanford shipped elsewhere, likely the Savannah River, S.C., site, in 2009. That should free up money now being used for security for the plutonium for cleanup work. Radioactive sludge from the K Basins would be removed and treated by 2010. By then, 55 million curies of radioactivity -- or 95 percent of the radioactivity at Hanford in areas near the Columbia River -- should be moved to central Hanford. The budget document projects the cleanup of the reactor and nuclear research areas along the river would be finished in 2015 at the latest. The public will have a chance to comment on the annual budget that's now being developed. Under the federal budget process, the Bush administration has submitted its budget request for fiscal year 2008 to Congress. Now Hanford officials are working on a budget proposal to DOE headquarters for fiscal year 2009 that is due in Washington, D.C., June 15. The public can comment on the budget at a meeting 5 p.m. May 9 at the Clarion Hotel in Richland. A workshop on cleanup planned for 2009 is planned from noon to 4:45 p.m. before the meeting, and the evening meeting will start with a brief overview of planned work. Budget meetings also are planned June 4 in Seattle, June 6 in Spokane, June 12 in Hood River, Ore., and June 13 in Portland. For more information on the 2009 budget, go to www.hanford.gov and click on "Hanford site budget" and then look for the fiscal year 2009 budget presentations. The five-year budget plan for DOE is posted at www.em.doe.gov. © 2007 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 29 Recordnet.com: Radiating distrust of bomb tests Friday April 20, 2007 - By Michael Fitzgerald Record Columnist Stockton is an unlikely target for terrorists. Yet some people are worried that Uncle Sam himself poses a danger by exploding radioactive material in the county. It's been happening for years at a place called Site 300, a 7,000-acre weapons test site for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the hills south of Tracy. The government says it's safe. Activists say it's time to take a good, hard look at what's going on down there. Especially since the top-secret lab recently applied to do a lot more of it. Lawrence lab's job is to develop and to "ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons." A 1992 test ban forbids real bomb tests. Scientists run simulations. The lab applied in November to more than triple the amount of explosives it detonates. Air pollution officials said yes; they changed their minds, though, temporarily at least, upon learning the lab intends to use radioactive materials in the explosions. The lab, in its first application, left that little detail out. The lab has taken a lot of guff for this. Oh, hey, ha ha, did we forget to mention the radioactivity? In fact, the lab proposes to explode around 60 toxic and radioactive elements that will be dispersed by the blasts, cautions Marylia Kelley, head of Tri-Valley Communites Against Radioactive Environment, or Tri-Valley CAREs. "People in Stockton should care, because the prevailing wind goes from the south to the north in the rainy season," Kelley said. "So the people in the Central Valley are in fact the down-winders from Site 300." One of the materials used in the tests is U-238, also called depleted uranium, or DU. It is radioactive. It can cause cancer and other lethal diseases, sometimes years after exposure. So just because cancer rates aren't spiking in Tracy, that doesn't mean they won't, Kelley said. "So the lab can argue that the risk is small, and that the lab believes that it's OK," said Kelley. "But is it OK to the family whose child gets sick and dies?" There may be a skullduggery-free reason why the lab did not mention radioactivity in its permit application. Air pollution boards don't regulate radioactivity. Other agencies do. "This information has been publicly reported in many other venues and has been thoroughly reviewed in the past by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)," said Susan Houghton, a lab spokeswoman. "There was no intention to hide anything." The big question is whether the tests pose a danger. That comes down to the level of radiation emitted by them. Tri-Valley CARES contends there is no safe level of radiation. But there is, said James Hetrick, physics department chairman at University of the Pacific. Bananas are radioactive, Hetrick said. Solar winds are radioactive. Many naturally occurring things are radioactive. "Essentially, radioactivity is all around us," Hetrick said. It's very low level, "and it's a level we have evolved to be able to tolerate." That's one benchmark. "If what comes over the Altamont is considerably less than the amount we receive from cosmic rays or naturally occurring minerals in the ground, ... or just potassium in bananas, then no, I wouldn't be worried," Hetrick said. It's less, said Houghton. "The levels are way below EPA's acceptable standards," she said - more than 100 times less than EPA's 10-millirem standard for exposure to the public at Site 300's fence line. Air pollution officials decided to march the lab's proposal through the state's environmental impact review process. Instead of administrative approval, there are going to be public hearings and public comment. Probably scientists at the lab are shaking their heads at the rigmarole. But it's a good thing. After all, Site 300 is a "Superfund" site - meaning it's one of the most dangerously contaminated spots in the country. An open process will reassure the public that history isn't repeating itself. Contact columnist Michael Fitzgerald at (209) 546-8270 or michaelf@recordnet.com. Visit his blog. Reader Reaction These discussions and our forums are not moderated. We rely on users to police themselves, and flag inappropriate comments and behavior. You need not be registered to report abuse. In accordance with our Terms of Service, we reserve the right to remove any post at any time for any reason, and will restrict access of registered users who repeatedly violate our terms. Click here if you wish to report inappropriate comments or behavior. Copyright © 1998 - 2007 ONI Stockton, Inc., All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 30 Time: A Breach in Nuclear Security | 4-19-2007 TIME Magazine New Mexico police got more than they bargained for last fall when they responded to a call about a domestic dispute in a trailer park near Los Alamos National Laboratory. Not only had they stumbled on paraphernalia for making the drug crystal meth; they also found thousands of pages of highly classified documents detailing the designs of U.S. nuclear weapons. "We're taking it (the security breach) very seriously," said a spokesman for the Energy Department, which controls the lab, soon after the incident was made public. He added that Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman "was personally disturbed" by the matter. As well he ought to have been: New details obtained by TIME offer an even more disturbing picture of security at the nation's nuclear inner sanctum than the one outlined last year in a no-nonsense investigation by the Department's Inspector General. In fact, according to government documents, the woman who made off with the weapons designs was herself engaged in chronic illegal drug use and other serious security breaches that have never been made public. Documents also show that the DOE is investigating separate drug use by at least 35 other lab workers who received security clearances around the same time. Investigators don't believe powers hostile to the U.S. have exploited this latest round of security lapses, although they cannot be certain. But clearly, those with access to the nation's nuclear secrets would be priority targets of foreign intelligence services, and problems such as drug-abuse could make them vulnerable to manipulation. "After years of security breaches at Los Alamos - and this shocking episode in the trailer last fall - you have to wonder, when will it end?" says Danielle Brian, the executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, an independent, non-partisan government watchdog group. "How can we continue to believe Department of Energy promises to end this brazen laxity in the handling of national security information?" TIME has also obtained the report of a task force set up by Energy Secretary Bodman to examine some of the security issues in his department. Given the stakes involved in protecting nuclear secrets in a post 9/11 world, the report makes uncomfortable reading: It details not only more extensive drug use among staff at Los Alamos, but describes a systematic lack of accountability and weaknesses in the safeguards surrounding nuclear secrets. Jessica Quintana, the woman who lived in the trailer, went to work as an archivist at Los Alamos at age 18, right out of high school. Accounts seen by TIME of the investigation that followed her arrest reveal that even before taking the job, she "self-reported acts of drug and alcohol abuse" in high school. By her own admission, she was using drugs (marijuana) and drinking while under age even during the period of her security screening. But after promising to stop taking drugs (although not alcohol), and signing a written pledge to submit to drug-testing, she received a clearance to handle some of America's most sensitive secrets. Despite the pledge, follow-up drug-tests were "never performed," a government document says, even as Quintana proceeded to commit multiple security violations with little supervision from the lab's security administrators. It was only after several years on the job that she was caught with bomb designs in her trailer and fired. But the investigation reveals that Quintana had taken her cell phone into a vault filled with secret documents where she worked - another major security violation. She also had access to a high-speed classified printer, even though such access was "not required by her job," and used the device to run off hundreds of copies of classified documents that she also brought home. The young woman received inadequate supervision - government documents show that the security administrator responsible for Quintana's area was not around roughly half the time, because that person had "other duties." Quintana's lawyer, Stephen Aaron, told TIME that, on occasion, she would be locked into a secure vault to work until colleagues returned. "We hope that the lessons learned from this episode can be used to make the Lab more secure in the future," he added. Quintana's motive for breaching the rules appears to have been benign: Falling behind on her work scanning paper copies of nuclear-weapons designs into a digital format, she would save highly-classified documents onto a "thumb drive" and then take the material home to work on after hours, she has said. The practice of inserting thumb drives was specifically forbidden by then DOE secretary Bill Richardson in 1999, but was apparently not uncommon at Los Alamos. Using thumb drives, and at least one wireless (WIFI) device that was improperly in the secure area, it would have been possible to transfer secret material from classified computers to non-classifed computers, a process known as "migration" . Since the discovery of Quintana's breach last fall, computer ports have been plugged with glue to prevent thumb drives being inserted. Secretary Bodman's task force report shows, however, that security problems were not limited to Quintana or Los Alamos. Investigators examined more than 450 security clearances issued over 12 months beginning in June 2001, the period in which Quintana had been under review, and found two other cases in which clearances were granted to people with "indications of prior drug use within the month prior to the clearance being granted." A further 35 cases involved drug use within the year prior to requesting a security clearance. Following its internal investigation, the DOE is proposing sweeping changes in security procedures and the issuance of clearances - and not just at Los Alamos. The report indicates that for the first time after years of security snafus, "Any proven or admitted drug involvement within the past 12 months" will be cause for "termination" of a security-clearance application. Other steps to tighten, centralize and refine security procedures and drug tests will also be implemented. Secretary Bodman, who will testify Friday April 20 before a congressional oversight sub-committee on security issues, has already taken a number of steps of his own to deal with the problem. He not only commissioned the task force report, and reviewed the results of a DOE inspector general investigation, but in January fired the department's top official in charge of nuclear security in response to the latest Los Alamos and earlier incidents. As Bodman put it: "Unauthorized removal of the classified material from the Lab marks a significant breach of security protocol and of the public trust. Unfortunately, we cannot correct the errors of the past. But we will learn from this incident and we will do better." ***************************************************************** 31 Denver Post: Court asked to revisit Flats ruling Denver Post Staff Writer Article Launched: 04/20/2007 01:32:29 PM MDT A lawyer for the whistle-blower who alerted federal authorities to crimes at the Rocky Flats nuclear-weapons factory asked the U.S. Supreme Court today to reconsider its rejection of his claim to part of a $4.2 million court award. Stone warned Rockwell International contractors at Rocky Flats that their waste-disposal scheme - involving "pondcrete" blocks made of radioactive sludge combined with concrete - would fail due to faulty design. He proved to be correct as some of the blocks disintegrated, contaminating water and soil. The Supreme Court's 6-2 ruling against engineer James Stone "was based on a factually incorrect understanding of why the 'pondcrete' failed and how Stone knew of that failure," attorney Hartley Alley said. Alley now argues that Stone knew the system would fail because he was aware that piping used to draw sludge from solar evaporation ponds could not control water content, making it impossible to consistently add the correct amount of cement powder for the blocks. Stone died April 11. Family members are planning a public remembrance at 1 p.m. April 28 at Maple Grove Park in Golden. His wife is taking his place in the effort to reconsider his case. Supreme Court justices rarely grant petitions for rehearing. All contents Copyright 2007 The Denver Post ***************************************************************** 32 The State: SRS hoping to get 500 volunteers for layoffs 04/19/2007 TheState.com The Associated Press AIKEN, S.C. -- The company that runs the former nuclear weapons complex here is looking to cut 500 jobs from its work force. Washington Savannah River Co., which operates the site for the Energy Department, said it first will ask workers to volunteer, according to a letter from company president Leo Sain to employees Thursday. The company said much of the work in decommissioning and demolition at SRS is complete as is much of the transuranic waste shipment program. Liquid waste and tank closure are new focus areas. Workers with skills considered critical in new mission areas will not be allowed to participate in the "self select program," Sain said in his letter. Details about incentives to get workers to participate in the voluntary layoffs will be released later, Sain said. * About TheState.com | ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************