***************************************************************** 05/08/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.108 ***************************************************************** 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 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Accepts Nuke Agenda Compromise 2 UPI: Report: U.S. on nuclear tightrope 3 UPI: Bulgaria may become major transit route 4 SPIEGEL ONLINE: Atomic Power Not Dead Yet: Germany To Increase Nucle NUCLEAR REACTORS 5 RIA Novosti: Putin, Bulgarian PM to discuss energy, Belene NPP 6 BBC NEWS: Date set for nuclear landmark end 7 US: Burlington Free Press: Here's your hat, what's your hurry? 8 CNW Telbec: Romania's Second CANDU Unit Nears Commercial Operation 9 US: Reuters: RPT-Duke Energy plans to buy interest in proposed nucle 10 globeandmail.com: Applications filed to build eight new reactors in 11 UPI: Analysis: Members tackle EU's energy goal 12 UPI: CEZ may switch to TVEL for nuke fuel 13 UPI: U.S., Indian leaders try to save nuke deal 14 UPI: Romania nuclear reactor to go online 15 US: Gloucester Daily Times: Nuclear energy resurges as source of ene 16 Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation: Nuclear review welcomed 17 DutchNews.nl: Petten nuclear reactor shut down after leak 18 NewsRoom Finland: Areva begins uranium investigations in Eno 19 asahi.com: EDITORIAL/ Climate change report - 20 AFP: Bush, Singh discuss nuclear cooperation plan - 21 AFP: A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling ring may resume business - report - 22 Guardian Unlimited: Kuwait: Gulf Needs 15 Years for Nukes NUCLEAR SECURITY 23 news @ nature.com: Have you seen any nuclear material? - 24 US: UPI: NNSA secures 15,000 radioactive sources NUCLEAR SAFETY 25 Guardian Unlimited: Study suggests cancer risk from depleted uranium 26 US: Tennessean: 2006 uranium spill cited at Tenn. plant - 27 This is Hampshire: Daughters Anguish At Bodypart Test Mystery 28 Huliq: Exposure to depleted uranium from military action may pose he 29 US: Tennessean: Uranium spill at Eaststate plant revealed - 30 US: UPI: Depleted uranium may post health hazard 31 US: UPI: NRC tests plants for accident consequences 32 SocietyGuardian.co.uk: Toxic legacy 33 Guardian Unlimited: The conspiracy theorists may be close to the tru NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 34 US: Bradenton.com: March of 2009 date for cleanup 35 ReviewJournal.com: YUCCA MOUNTAIN RAIL LINE: Reid steps in, sways tr 36 US: APP.COM: Spent fuel pool's structural integrity not a concern 37 US: Rutland Herald: Shumlin wants to reopen nuke waste issue 38 US: UPI: U.S. uranium sales down as price soars 39 Telegraph: Sellafield to ship its waste to Sweden PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 40 DOE: DOE Selects Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC to 41 SF Nex Mexican: A Long Recovery 42 Hanford News: Hanford cleanup: Delay requested for tax decision - Se 43 Denver Post: Rocky Flats water to be tested 44 Rocky Mountain News: Rocky Flats water to be tested 45 Boulder Daily Camera: Uranium part of new, 'natural' Rocky Flats 46 PRN: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC Set to Launch Transit 47 Wired News: Nuke Lab Bunglers' $11 Billion Reward 48 NAS: Project: Evaluation of Quantification of Margins and Uncertaint 49 KOB.com: Los Alamos lab recovers radioactive sources ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Guardian Unlimited: Iran Accepts Nuke Agenda Compromise From the Associated Press Tuesday May 8, 2007 5:31 PM By GEORGE JAHN Associated Press Writer VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Pressured even by its allies, Iran on Tuesday accepted a compromise on the agenda text of a 130-nation nuclear conference, clearing the way to resolve a week-long deadlock that threatened to end the gathering. The meeting - like others to be convened annually - is meant to prepare the ground for senior policy makers at a follow up conference in 2010 that will try to make the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty more effective. As such, it has no decision-making powers. Still, its failure would have damaged the chances of progress at subsequent meetings, and at the 2010 conference, by hardening opposing fronts and making consensus decision-making even more difficult. Iran's decision allowed Tehran to deflect criticism that it was prepared to see the meeting end in failure rather than be targeted for its defiance of U.N. Security Council demands that it mothball its uranium enrichment program. Instead, the Iranians appeared to be hoping that their decision to give in would put them in the role of saving the meeting from ending without any substantial progress. And if their stonewalling since the gathering opened April 30 was an effort to stifle criticism, they appeared to have gone a ways in achieving their goal. As of last Friday, the conference had only three full days until its scheduled end to focus on anything other than bickering over the agenda. The issue stalling the meeting had been Tehran's refusal to accept a phrase calling for the ``need for full compliance with'' the nonproliferation treaty. The South African proposal accepted Tuesday will footnote that phrase to the agenda to specify that ``all provisions'' of the pact must be fully observed - an allusion to the need for the United States and other nuclear weapons states to disarm. Iranian chief delegate Ali Ashgar Soltanieh spoke of the ``flexibility of my delegation'' in accepting the compromise. Still, Tehran's decision to give in reflected its isolation. Even delegates of nonaligned countries that normally take Iran's side in any dispute over its nuclear program spoke critically of the Islamic Republic's approach as the meeting dragged on with no progress. Before Tuesday's developments, delegates had evoked memories of the 2005 nonproliferation treaty review conference, which failed to make substantive progress because of similar bickering over procedure. The statement Tuesday by Soltanieh that ``my government can accept the proposal by South Africa'' appeared to catch most delegations by surprise. Before the statement, Iranians had shown no signs of movement after the proposal was floated on Friday. Subsequent approval was followed by brief, but relieved applause. But the U.S. delegation criticized the Iranians, suggesting the delay had been unnecessary because it was clear all along that the phrase ``full compliance'' meant acceptance of all treaty provisions. ``It's been disappointing that, as a result of Iranian obstruction of procedure, it has taken so long to get to the point of beginning substantive discussion,'' chief U.S. delegate Christopher A. Ford told reporters. The phrase ``all provisions'' that Iran had been holding out for is a ``restatement of the obvious,'' he said. Iran argues it is entitled to enrich uranium under the treaty provision giving all pact members the right to develop peaceful programs. But suspicions bred by nearly two decades of clandestine nuclear activities, including questionable black market acquisitions of equipment and blueprints that appear linked to weapons plans, have led the U.N. Security Council to impose sanctions over Tehran's refusal to mothball its program - which can generate energy or produce the fissile core of nuclear warheads. The nonproliferation treaty calls on nations to pledge not to pursue nuclear weapons in exchange for a commitment by five nuclear powers - the U.S., Russia, Britain, France and China - to move toward nuclear disarmament. India and Pakistan, known nuclear weapons states, remain outside the treaty, as does Israel, which is considered to have such arms but has not acknowledged it. Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 2 UPI: Report: U.S. on nuclear tightrope United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Published: May 8, 2007 at 9:32 AM WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is grappling with devising strategies on responses to a terrorist nuclear attack on U.S. soil, the New York Times reported Tuesday. The newspaper said experts from the CIA, FBI, Energy Department and Homeland Security meet every week in a bid to modernize strategies that were all founded on the Cold War scenario of missiles and bombers. However, terrorists can now carry small nuclear weapons in backpacks, and the administration is reportedly working on about 12 potential attack situations, the Times said. The U.S. government has some data that resembles "nuclear DNA" that can be used to trace the source of the uranium in a nuclear weapon from such countries as North Korea, but there is no data at all for other countries. Robert Litwak of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars told the paper an issue was "leakage" into terrorists' hands in a nuclear country. "We don't want to be trapped into a question of how we retaliate against Russia or Pakistan," Litwak said. "But through calculated ambiguity, we can create incentives for the Russians and the Pakistanis to do even more in the area of safeguarding their weapons and capabilities." Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 3 UPI: Bulgaria may become major transit route United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 8, 2007 at 2:29 PM SOFIA, Bulgaria, May 8 (UPI) -- Russian gas monopoly Gazprom is weighing the idea of expanding gas transit through Bulgaria. Bulgaria's BTA news agency reported Monday that a new project to carry natural gas from Bulgaria to Southern and Central Europe via Bulgaria was scheduled to start in mid-June. It cited Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov but did not provide direct quotes. If the project happens, it will make Bulgaria a major transit route. Last year Gazprom, the No. 1 gas company in the world, supplied to and transited through Bulgaria 3,200 million cubic meters of natural gas, BTA reported. The new project is expected to earn Bulgaria between $600 million and $2 billion a year, BTA reported. Ovcharov was part of a Bulgarian team headed by Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev that was visiting Moscow for meetings with key energy and other officials. Ovcharov also met with the head of Russian nuclear firm Atomstroyexport, Sergey Shmatko. Atomstroyexport is building Bulgaria's second nuclear plant in Belene. Germany's Siemens and France's Areva are partners. The two countries are paving closer energy ties, Stanishev said Monday. "First, there is the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline. ... Second, there is the Bulgarian project for the construction of a new nuclear power plant. ... "And there is an agreement for the supply of gas and transit of gas through Bulgarian territory, which -- in my opinion -- meets the interests of both countries since it is a long-term agreement that ensures the stability of supplies and transit for the Russian side." The 175-mile, $1 billion Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline brings together Russia, Greece and Bulgaria, and bypasses Turkey. It is seen as a contributor to energy security in the region. It will stretch from Russian oil fields to European, Pacific Asia and U.S. markets. More than 257 million barrels a year will flow to ports in Burgas, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea, as well as Alexandroupolis, Greece, on the Aegean Sea, and then to world markets. Total annual exports through the pipeline could increase to more than 367 million barrels. Transneft, Russia's state pipeline monopoly, and Gazprom will share a 51-percent stake in the project. Greece and Bulgaria each will own 24.5 percent. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 SPIEGEL ONLINE: Atomic Power Not Dead Yet: Germany To Increase Nuclear Research Spending - May 08, 2007 Despite Germany's commitment to phase out nuclear power, the government has announced it plans to increase its research spending on waste storage and security issues. Some, however, would prefer to see that money go into the development of renewable energies. DDP "Caution -- Increased Radioactivity": The German government is phasing out nuclear power, but it is still investing in research on nuclear safety. The fact that the German government renounced nuclear energy in 2000 and pledged to take its last plant off the grid by 2020 might lead you to think that it would scale back its nuclear research programs. What, after all, is the point in spending money on developing a technology which is on its way out? However, the current administration seems reluctant to give up nuclear quite yet -- at least not totally. German Research Minister Annette Schavan raised eyebrows this week with her announcement to DER SPIEGEL that she would increase research spending between 2008 and 2011 by up to €40 million. Most of the money has been earmarked for young researchers working on nuclear waste storage and nuclear security issues. With the expansion of the research program, Schavan -- who has adamantly opposed the shutdown of Germany's nuclear power plants, arguing they are one of the best ways of reducing climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions -- says she wants to ensure the country's competitiveness in nuclear technology and support future scientists. "We cannot afford to neglect developing the next generation of scientists in internationally important research areas, otherwise we will fall behind the rest of the world," said Schavan. Up until now, the Education and Research Ministry funded nuclear research programs with €30 million annually. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel backed Schavan's stance. "I don't believe that anyone could be against further research in this area," he said, adding that it is of utmost urgency that Germany does not lose its competence in nuclear technology. Nevertheless, he said that the German government is still fully committed to a phaseout of nuclear energy. Meanwhile, over at the Green Party -- which governed together with the Chancellor Gerhard Schrder when parliament approved the phaseout -- party boss Reinhard Btikofer said he viewed the plan as an open provocation. "Each euro which is spent on dead-end nuclear technologies is an irresponsible waste of money," he said, arguing that research into renewable energies should be expanded instead. With climate change a key worry in Germany, there is an open political debate over whether the country should postpone the closure of nuclear power plants or whether it should instead keep them open. Schavan's funding plan is controversial because of her adamant stance in support of reversing the closure of the plants. vvk/ap/dpa ***************************************************************** 5 RIA Novosti: Putin, Bulgarian PM to discuss energy, Belene NPP 10:55 | 08/ 05/ 2007 MOSCOW, May 8 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev will focus on bilateral energy cooperation when they meet later Tuesday, the Kremlin press service said. Stanishev, on a two-day visit to Russia, will also meet with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Fradkov. Ahead of the meeting, Putin told a Cabinet session that the Bulgarian delegation "has drawn up a broad agenda for bilateral relations and international matters." Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Naryshkin, who is also co-chairman of the Russian-Bulgarian Intergovernmental Commission, said energy was the main area of cooperation between Russia and Bulgaria. "We have good high-tech projects in the energy sphere, primarily a new nuclear power plant project (in Belene). Our company, Atomstroyexport, has won a tender," he said. Russia's nuclear equipment export monopoly Atomstroyexport won a tender to build an NPP in Belene in October 2006. The Balkan state wants to build a second nuclear power plant in Belene, 250 kilometers (about 150 miles) from the capital, Sofia, and to modernize the Kozloduy NPP in the north of the country. Naryshkin said bilateral trade and economic relations have been growing steadily in the past two to three years. "Last year alone, it [trade] grew around 55%," he said. He said four intergovernmental agreements would be signed - on the protection of intellectual property in the military-technical sphere, on the protection of classified information, a general agreement on economic and scientific-technical cooperation, and a tourism cooperation agreement. According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, Russia is Bulgaria's third largest trading partner, after Germany and Italy. Russia's trade with Bulgaria hit $3 billion in 2005. Russia, Bulgaria and Greece signed a long-delayed deal to build a pipeline across their territories to pump Russian oil further on to Europe. The 280-kilometer (175-mile) Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline will carry Russian oil via the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Burgas and Greece's Alexandroupolis on the Aegean to Europe, the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. The pipeline will pump 35 million metric tons of oil a year (257.25 million bbl), a volume that could eventually be increased to 50 million metric tons (367.5 million bbl). Russia's state-controlled oil producer Rosneft [RTS: ROSN], state pipeline operator Transneft, and energy giant Gazprom [RTS: GAZP] will hold a total of 51% in the project, while Greece and Bulgaria will control 24.5% each. Last year, Russian energy giant Gazprom teamed up with Italy's ENI to build the Blue Stream-2 gas pipeline, which will use Turkey as a transit point for exports to the EU and have a capacity of 8 billion cubic meters. Sofia is interested in a route leading to the south of Italy, which envisions gas supplies via Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Austria. That would raise Bulgaria's transit revenues from the current $600 million to $2 billion. Bulgaria could also become a central element in gas deliveries from Russia to South and Central Europe. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 6 BBC NEWS: Date set for nuclear landmark end Last Updated: Tuesday, 8 May 2007, 13:47 GMT 14:47 UK The towers will be destroyed in a controlled explosion A demolition date has been set to bring down the landmark cooling towers of the Chapelcross nuclear power station. The four famous stacks at the plant, near Annan, are set to be blown up in a controlled explosion at 0900 BST on Sunday 20 May. The towers are being destroyed as part of the decommissioning process of the nuclear plant, which was built in 1959. A 200-metre exclusion zone will be enforced on the day and police road closures will be in place from 0700 BST until 1030 BST in the surrounding area. The next couple of weeks will finally see us getting the explosives in place to blow the towers down David Wilson Deputy site director Deputy site Director at Chapelcross David Wilson said the scale of the demolition had been a huge operation, two years in the planning. He said: "We have been planning it for a long time so the chances of anything going wrong are absolutely minimal. "The internals of the towers have been stripped out and now we're just left with the shell. "The next couple of weeks will finally see us getting the explosives in place to blow the towers down." Internet users will be able to see the destruction of the cooling towers broadcast live. British Nuclear Group has confirmed that a webcam will be used to allow people to watch the event from home. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 7 Burlington Free Press: Here's your hat, what's your hurry? Opinion burlingtonfreepress.com | Burlington, Vermont Published: Tuesday, May 8, 2007 By Lisa Ventriss Here's your hat, what's your hurry? That's the message behind Sen. Shumlin's proposal to tax Entergy/Vermont Yankee. The roundtable agrees that global climate change is a serious problem that, individually and collectively, we must address. And we are on record as stating that we support state policy giving preference to investments in energy efficiency programs and renewable sources of generation as important and, arguably, the first steps we must take to reduce our carbon footprint. We also believe, however, that it is not realistic to rely on efficiency and renewables alone when existing contracts for Vermont Yankee and Hydro-Quebec expire and the state will need to procure power from conventional sources of generation. To that end, we commend the Legislature for the important work it has done this session to address the problem of climate change. Funding of these programs remains the point of controversy, and Sen. Shumlin's proposal to levy a 35 percent gross revenues tax on Entergy/Vermont Yankee is not only poor energy policy, it is poor economic development policy. We already know that nuclear energy is clean, reliable, and inexpensive; it represents 1/3 of our electricity supply; and the most aggressive renewable energy portfolio cannot approach replacing this base load power. Nuclear energy is one of the reasons we are the lowest carbon-emitting state in the union; it is the backbone of our portfolio. To levy a new tax on one corporation, Entergy, in effect showing them the door, is a shot across the bow of the business community in and outside of Vermont. It says, Vermont cannot be trusted. As I talk to business leaders around the state who tell me that they are actively discouraging other national and international enterprises from locating here, I can only cringe at how these new headlines are being received. We need Entergy/Ver- mont Yankee -- and all businesses -- to be profitable and committed to staying in our communities and our state. Not only is Entergy/Vermont Yankee the lynch-pin of the Southern Vermont economy, but it pumps $80 million into the state's coffers. If Entergy were to leave Vermont, the new wounds we suffer will have been self-inflicted. Not only will the reliability and cost of future energy supply be in question, but also the state's effort to further reduce our carbon footprint. And, most discouraging of all, our children's future employment and quality of life choices will deteriorate. It isn't just a bad policy alternative; it's a dangerous one. We must work together to find an alternative funding mechanism for the efficiency programs that is fair, predictable and sustainable over time, one that does not adversely impact the negotiation of future power contracts or cast a shadow over Vermont's business climate. Lisa Ventriss of South Burlington is president of the Vermont Business Roundtable comprised of 112 CEOs of Vermont's most active and committed businesses and employers. ***************************************************************** 8 CNW Telbec: Romania's Second CANDU Unit Nears Commercial Operation New CANDU 6 power plant achieves first sustained nuclear reaction CERNAVODA, Romania, May 7 /CNW/ - Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) today announced that the new Cernavoda Unit 2 CANDU 6 nuclear power plant owned by Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN) SA, Romania's nuclear public utility, sustained a fission reaction for the first time at approximately 11:25 p.m. local time on Sunday, May 6, 2007. Plant Operators initiated procedures to activate the uranium fuel within the core of the reactor, which allowed the reaction to occur. "This marks a major milestone towards commercial operation of Romania's newest CANDU 6 power plant," said AECL's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Ken Petrunik. "We are now looking ahead to the next two major and final commissioning events - synchronization to Romania's power grid and achieving 100 per cent power later this summer." A series of low power tests of the reactor's major components and operating systems will be conducted over the next several weeks before the reactor's power levels are increased in anticipation of full commercial operation. The Cernavoda NPP Unit 2 project, located approximately 165 kilometres east of Bucharest, is the second in a series of 700-MWe CANDU 6 Power Plants that began construction in the early 1980's. Cernavoda Unit I CANDU nuclear power plant has been successfully operating since 1996. A consortium of AECL and ANSALDO Energie of Italy, along with the SNN, were contracted in 2003 to manage the construction of the partially completed Unit 2 power plant and to commission it into service. Dr. Petrunik added, "We are very confident that Cernavoda 2 will perform to the same high standards recorded during the 10 years of operation of Unit 1 and contribute to the significant reduction of Greenhouse Gasses to the environment by producing clean and environmentally friendly power to Romania." Dr. Teodor Chirica, CEO of Nuclearelectrica SA commented on the occasion by stating, "The second unit at Cernavoda represents an important contribution toward ensuring a clean and affordable energy source for Romania and the European Union. This will also significantly reduce our dependency on expensive energy resources from outside of Europe." About AECL AECL is a full-service nuclear-technology company providing services to nuclear utilities around the world. Established in 1952, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU technology. AECL specializes in a range of advanced nuclear-energy products and services that are an important component of clean-air energy programs on four continents. AECL's 4,300 employees provide research and development, support, design and engineering, construction management, specialized technology, refurbishment, waste management and decommissioning in support of CANDU reactor products. More information on AECL and CANDU technology can be found at www.aecl.ca. About Nuclearelectrica NUCLEARELECTRICA SA is a state-owned company that produces nuclear-generated electricity, provides district heating and manufactures CANDU 6 type nuclear fuel. The company has also an active participation in the Romanian power development program. Societatea Nationala "NUCLEARELECTRICA" (SNN) SA was established on July 27, 1998 is registered with the Register of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce and Industry. SNN SA is reporting to the Ministry of Economy and Finance. More information on SNN can be found at www.nuclearelectrica.ro. For further information: Dale Coffin, Director, Corporate Communications, AECL, Direct (905) 403-7457 ATOMIC ENERGY OF CANADA LIMITED - Renseignements sur cet organisme ***************************************************************** 9 Reuters: RPT-Duke Energy plans to buy interest in proposed nuclear plant Mon May 7, 2007 5:43PM EDT NEW YORK, May 7 (Reuters) - Duke Energy Corp (DUK.N: Quote, Profile, Research said on Monday it plans to buy Southern Company's interest in the proposed William States Lee III nuclear power project in South Carolina. Southern Company said it is withdrawing from the project to explore and focus on energy options within its service territory, according to a statement from Duke Energy. Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 10 globeandmail.com: Applications filed to build eight new reactors in Ontario While province's plans call for two, electricity producers say they want to keep their options open KAREN HOWLETT From Tuesday's Globe and Mail May 8, 2007 at 4:35 AM EDT ? The two companies that operate nuclear power plants in Ontario are seeking the green light to build up to eight new reactors, a far more ambitious plan than that touted by the McGuinty government. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan said last year that a large portion of the $40-billion it plans to spend addressing the province's looming electricity shortage would be earmarked for refurbishing existing nuclear reactors. He said only two new reactors would be built. However, Bruce Power and Ontario Power Generation have each applied to Canada's nuclear safety regulator to build four new reactors. Company officials played down their expansion plans, saying they merely give them the option of building new reactors or refurbishing existing ones. But the spectre of up to eight new reactors is fuelling concerns among nuclear-energy opponents that the province will be much more dependent on nuclear power than previously believed. Yesterday, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission announced that it will ask the federal Environment Minister to refer Bruce Power's proposal to build and operate up to four new nuclear reactors to a review panel. The privately owned consortium operates the Bruce Nuclear Station on Lake Huron. "With the potential addition of four nuclear reactors and the refurbishment of existing reactors, the Bruce Nuclear site could have up to 12 reactors operating all at once, making it one of the largest nuclear facilities in the world in terms of power produced on a single site," the regulator says in explaining its decision. The regulator has not yet ruled on the application submitted by Crown-owned OPG. Duncan Hawthorne, chief executive officer of Bruce Power, said his company's application to build up to four new reactors is "entirely consistent" with the government's position. "Once all the economic assessments have been done, it may make more sense to replace rather than refurbish," he said. "So this is all about forward planning." Steve Erwin, a spokesman for Mr. Duncan, said the companies are making a precautionary move, "in case there's stuff that can't be refurbished," by seeking approval to build up to four times as many new reactors as the government has stated in its 20-year plan unveiled last year. Greenpeace activist Shawn-Patrick Stensil said yesterday that he thinks Bruce Power and OPG would simply prefer to build new reactors as opposed to refurbish existing ones, a prospect that would leave the province dependent on nuclear power for another 80 years. "Both OPG and Bruce Power are attempting a bait-and-switch," Mr. Stensil said. Mr. Duncan has said the government plans to have nuclear energy supply about 30 per cent of Ontario's electricity needs by 2025, down from about 40 per cent today as the province moves toward renewable energy and conservation. He has asked OPG to look at refurbishing four of its aging reactors at its Pickering B station. But he has acknowledged that it might not be feasible to refurbish the units in all cases. globeandmail.com and The Globe and Mail are divisions of CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc., 444 Front St. W., Toronto, ON Canada M5V 2S9 Phillip Crawley, Publisher ***************************************************************** 11 UPI: Analysis: Members tackle EU's energy goal United Press International - Energy - Analysis Published: May 7, 2007 at 9:14 PM By KRISTYN ECOCHARD UPI Energy Correspondent MILAN, Italy, May 7 (UPI) -- Although Europe may have gotten a head start in the wind industry, it still faces challenges in meeting renewable goals. The plan for the future of European energy includes key ideas and strategies from a number of documents. Internal market reviews, the road map for renewables, the action plan on energy efficiency, studies on interconnection, sustainable fossil fuels and nuclear all play a role, said Hans van Steen, deputy head of transport and energy at the European Commission. European Union targets of 20 percent renewable energy, 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 10 percent biofuels by 2020 are all legally binding, van Steen said. Also mandatory will be sector-specific targets for electricity, heating and cooling and fuel. Each of the 27 member states will be required to come up with its own sector-specific targets and a specific action plan for meeting them. "Any watering down of the directive in the next legislative session will be unacceptable," said Mechtild Rothe, vice president of the European Parliament. "The sector-specific approach is necessary." Reasons cited for the push for renewable energy and wind power included Saudi Arabia having passed its peak oil production in 2005, climate change and growing population, said Michael Mueller, parliamentary state secretary of the Ministry for Environment, Conservation and Nuclear Safety in Germany. Europe has also nearly reached the peak of its hydroelectric capacity. "This road map must be followed by all governments," Mueller said. There is no official legal basis for how the directive will be implemented, but there will be, said Fabrizio Barbaso, deputy director of the European Parliament. The EU faces challenges to wind power similar to those in the United States: concern over environmental and aesthetic impact, noise, cost and siting. However, Europe has taken the next step and faces more difficult problems in its offshore wind production. Germany is in the Top 5 producers of wind energy, and Mueller is pushing now for offshore wind power, including an international action plan to increase production and improve transmission with a "super grid." While the costs are much higher for offshore wind, if there were a shared grid the costs would be distributed among them. Some officials said cost should not be an issue in dealing with such a critical energy problem. "Did we ask how much it cost when we build the roads?" asked Arthouros Zervos, president of the European Wind Energy Association. "Do we believe there's a need for offshore? Then we'll find a way to pay for it." But no renewable technology will be completely accepted, nor will it be technically or economically sound enough to supply 100 percent of the power, said Paul Bulteel, general secretary of Eurelectric in Belgium. Not to be ignored, he said, are the potential carbon capture and clean coal and co-firing technologies. There is also great potential in parts of Europe for solar and geothermal power, Bulteel said. Bulteel's forecast is similar to that of the United States, but the plan the European Renewable Energy Council would like to see is much more ambitious. It would see little to no fossil-fuel use and no nuclear use by 2050. However, despite the rush to stamp out fossil-fuel use and comply with mandates, it will likely be years before the effects of the legislation are fully felt, said Christian Kjaer, chief executive officer of the European Wind Energy Association in Belgium. "It's still unknown exactly how much on and offshore wind will contribute to the future renewables mix," Kjaer said. Predictions are also difficult to make because of the rapidly changing market. In the last two years distributors have become producers, and manufacturers and suppliers have merged, as have developers and investors, changing the landscape of the industry. "The political will is there and growing concern on climate change," Per Holmgaard, senior vice president of Dong Energy in Denmark. "Politicians have created a market, turning risky wind into a business opportunity." Sustained, strong growth, especially on the investment side, will not likely slow anytime soon, said David Jones, chief executive officer of the Renewable Energy Group for Allianz Specialized Investments Ltd. in the United Kingdom. -- (e-mail: energy@upi.com) Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 12 UPI: CEZ may switch to TVEL for nuke fuel United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 8, 2007 at 3:47 PM PRAGUE, Czech Republic, May 8 (UPI) -- The Czech Republic may end its contract for nuclear fuel with Westinghouse early, instead starting a 2010 contract with TVEL ahead of schedule. The move comes after problems with the U.S. company's supply caused longer and more frequent refueling shutdowns, Czech Business Weekly reports. TVEL, the Russian state-owned company, last year won a tender for the new 10-year supply contract. "We've already had preliminary talks with TVEL," said Jiri Borovec, vice chairman and executive director for power generation for CEZ, the state-owned operator of the Temelin nuclear plant in the Czech Republic's South Bohemia region. Temelin is a dual reactor plant with 2,000 megawatt capacity. CEZ officials wouldn't discuss the monetary aspect of the TVEL contract. The Weekly estimates CEZ lost more than $36 million because of the shutdowns this year. The Prague Daily Monitor notes a government report found 166 operational "defects" in the past five years of operation, some of which were attributed to the fuel assemblies, though none threatened the environment or public safety. Borovec said it is unclear what it would cost to exit the Westinghouse contract early. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 13 UPI: U.S., Indian leaders try to save nuke deal United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 8, 2007 at 7:22 PM WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. and Indian leaders spoke by phone Monday to address renewed concerns that could scuttle a nuclear energy pact. The deal, which would provide India access to U.S. nuclear technology and material, was first struck in 2005. There are two main sticking points: India has contested certain provisions that would hamper what it calls a sovereign right to develop its nuclear weapons program, and the U.S. Congress wants New Delhi to break development ties with Iran. White House spokesman Tony Snow said President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh "welcomed the recent progress in the civil nuclear cooperation initiative. They also agreed on the need for negotiations to conclude the bilateral agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation." U.S. and Indian leaders last week attempted to save the deal, The Dawn reports. Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon was in Washington last week, and U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns will head to India later this month. The United States is pressing India to halt activity in the Iran-Pakistan-India natural-gas pipeline. India wants the U.S. Congress, which needs to give final approval of the nuclear deal, to remove restrictions on weapons testing and enriching bomb-grade uranium. India, which has nuclear weapons and hasn't signed key international weapons treaties, would be given a break from U.S. law that bans any nuclear trade with such countries. India intends to increase its nuclear-energy sector as its demand for power grows with its economy. The Hindu reports both leaders were happy with the results of the phone conversation. Nuclear power currently makes up 3 percent of India's power mix. It is expected to remain at those levels in the future, too, primarily because of India's expected increased in demand for energy. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 14 UPI: Romania nuclear reactor to go online United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Published: May 7, 2007 at 6:11 PM BUCHAREST, Romania, May 7 (UPI) -- A second 700-megawatt reactor at Romania's Chernavoda nuclear power plant in the Danube River's delta is ready to go into operation, a report said. The reactor reached optimum levels during the weekend and should be connected to Romania's national power grid in July, the Bulgarian SNA news agency reported Monday. The second unit of the Chernavoda nuclear plant in the Black Sea port of Constanta should be at full capacity in September. The second nuclear reactor, based on Canadian CANDU technology, cost about $1.36 billion and was built with Romanian state budget funds and loans from Societe General bank of France and the European Union. The Chernavoda plant was designed in the 1980s during the communist regime but its construction was hampered by lack of money. The first reactor came online in 1996. The 700-megawatt reactor will provide about 10 percent of Romania's power. Romania plans to build two more reactors at the Chernavoda nuclear plant, SNA said. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 15 Gloucester Daily Times: Nuclear energy resurges as source of energy in U.S. GloucesterTimes.com, Gloucester, MA - Published: May 08, 2007 12:00 am By Duncan Mansfield , Associated Press KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - America's nuclear energy program is being revived at the site of one of its worst accidents. All signs from regulators and operators point to a startup within days of the Tennessee Valley Authority's Unit 1 reactor at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala., culminating a five-year, $1.8 billion restoration. Mothballed since 1985, TVA's oldest reactor was the scene of a major fire sparked by a candle three decades ago. It has been reborn as a modern 1,200-megawatt atomic generator capable of lighting 650,000 homes. The reactor is the last of three Browns Ferry units designed in the 1960s, run in the 1970s, idled in the 1980s and revived since the 1990s. It will be this country's first "new" nuclear generator of the 21st century - the 104th active commercial reactor. Though no one has applied to build a new nuclear plant in the U.S. since the 1970s, several are now being planned. "You could almost point to Browns Ferry Unit 1 as really the beginning of nuclear energy's rejuvenation in the United States," said Scott Peterson, vice president of the industry's Nuclear Energy Institute. Growing demand for electricity and concern over global climate change are propelling this nuclear renaissance. The Department of Energy estimates 50 new reactors will be needed by 2030 to keep pace. Tighter controls on greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants are looming and will be expensive. "If you care about global warming and clean air, it is hard not to be for nuclear power," said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., co-chairman of the TVA congressional caucus. Alan Griffith, spokesman for the Seabrook Station nuclear power plant, said global warming, whether you believe it's true or not, is the "main driving motivation" for what he called a "very real resurgence" in interest in nuclear power. He added that "global warming aside," other contributing factors include the country's over-dependence on foreign oil, strife in the Middle East and an insufficient supply of domestic sources of electricity - not to mention support from Pres. George Bush. "We in the nuclear industry have known this for a long time," he said. "At the end of the day, nuclear energy is the safest and cleanest source of electricity we have." He said the company that owns Seabrook, FPL Energy, is actually a fairly diverse energy company, and operates wind farms, solar arrays and hydroelectric dams. "We're not all about nuclear," he said. "It's about diversity and diversification." Dealing with the radioactive waste accumulating at plant sites - an industry volume that Peterson says would cover a football field 7 feet deep - remains a problem. Political hurdles remain on burying it in Nevada. Technical hurdles surround proposals to reprocess it like the French. Griffith said that at Seabrook, that problem has been solved. He noted that the nuclear waste is currently held in "wet storage" at Seabrook, but that FPL is in the process of building a dry storage facility, which should be done by next year some time. In addition, FPL and other nuclear plant operators have sued the federal government over the failure to fulfill its obligation to provide a national waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. He noted that the national repository, which will take radioactive waste from medical and military facilities as well as nuclear power plants, won't be done until 2010 or 2011 at the earliest, meaning that in the meantime, waste will continue to be stored on FPL property in Seabrook. New nukes on horizon Meanwhile, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects to receive fast-track construction and operating license applications for 28 standard design reactors at 19 sites by 2009, most in the energy-hungry Southeast and Southwest. Among the interested utilities is a group of power companies and equipment manufacturers called NuStart Energy Development LLC. The consortium, which includes TVA, is looking to build two reactors at TVA's unfinished Bellefonte plant site in Hollywood, Ala. Knoxville-based TVA, the country's largest public utility serving 8.7 million consumers in Tennessee and six surrounding states, also expects to decide by late summer if it will complete a second reactor at its Watts Bar plant in Spring City. Watts Bar, the last new plant in the U.S., came on line in 1996 after 22 years of construction. TVA still holds a construction license for a second reactor there. TVA estimates it could finish the second unit by 2013 for around $2 billion, about a third of the cost of the first unit. That would give TVA three plants and seven reactors, with a two-reactor Bellefonte plant coming on board between 2018 and 2020. "We are probably going to stay in the nuclear ballpark until the clean-air regulations clear up," TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore told The Associated Press. "I think nuclear (projects are) going to be in our future for a decade." TVA will have spent nearly $6 billion on emission controls for its fleet of 11 coal plants in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky under existing rules by the end of the decade. Tougher standards to capture carbon could cost billions more. TVA's situation is not unique. Coal produces nearly one of every two megawatts in this country, and about 40 percent of all carbon emissions. Carbon-free nuclear supplies about 20 percent of the nation's electricity. TVA gets 64 percent of its power from coal, 29 percent from nuclear, 6 percent from hydroelectric and 1 percent from natural gas and diesel. TVA's wind, solar and methane renewable energy program contributes less than 1 percent. If Watts Bar 2 and Bellefonte are built, TVA's nuclear generation could approach 40 percent. Rocky history Nuclear plants cost about half as much to operate as coal-fired power plants but cost twice as much to build, Kilgore said. Kilgore said the TVA is taking a more cautious one-plant-a-time approach today than in the 1970s, when TVA was forced to scrap much of a planned 17-reactor system. He also said renewable energy and conservation programs can't satisfy a market growing nearly 2 percent annually. In 1975, Browns Ferry Unit 1 caught fire when a candle used by a worker to check for air leaks ignited insulation near the control room. Safety systems failed and a nuclear disaster was narrowly avoided. The mishap caused $10 million in damage, knocked the reactor out of service for more than a year and was considered the worst nuclear accident in the U.S. until the near meltdown at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant in 1979. TVA shut down its entire nuclear program in 1985 over safety concerns, NRC fines and whistleblower complaints. It scrapped three plants and delayed others. Finishing Watts Bar Unit 1 cost nearly $7 billion because of extensive rewiring and pipe rewelding. "I think it is shortsighted. Rushing back to nuclear power is a real mistake," said Steve Smith, director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. While conceding a place for nuclear in TVA's generation mix, Smith cautioned that, "We are still digging ourselves out of the last experiment TVA did with nuclear power, and it led to the massive ($25 billion) debt that TVA continues to struggle with." Few know this better than S. David Freeman, a former TVA chairman who helped kill eight of the 17 planned reactors between 1977 and 1984. "You know if anybody gave nuclear power 'the college try' it was the Tennessee Valley Authority. And I know because I had to suffer through it. It failed financially," said Freeman, now a commissioner with the Port of Los Angeles. "We don't even need to go to the new concerns about terrorism and nuclear proliferation and what to do with the waste and all of those issues," he said. "The pure economics of it killed it, and there is no reason to think that another round with the same technology is going to do any better." Kilgore acknowledged TVA won't be able to build just from cash flow; some borrowing will be required. But he hopes to boost the agency's debt to no more than $28 billion, still below its $30 billion congressional ceiling. Activists continue to worry about safety at TVA plants. But NRC spokesman Ken Clark said the agency's Sequoyah, Watts Bar and Browns Ferry stations have performed well in recent years. John Johnson, an Earth First! organizer, said TVA's reactors have run better than he expected when he was staging demonstrations against opening the Watts Bar plant 11 years ago. "Just to be honest and fair, I would have to give the operators credit for managing to avoid a catastrophe," Johnson said. "I still don't think it is a safe source of energy, but they are sure trying their best, since nothing bad has happened." Business Editor Bill Kirk contributed to this story. timeline: Seabrook nuclear plant timeline * Built during the 1970s * Completed and fully operational in 1986 * Protests and politics delayed start-up until 1990 * After a series of ownership changes, in 2002 it was sold by majority owner Northeast Utitlities to FPL Energy, the current owner * Originally built to have two reactors; second reactor was partially built but never went on-line and was demolished in 2003 * Generates 1,245 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 1 million homes Source: Alan Griffith, Seabrook spokesman Gloucester Daily Times, 36 Whittemore Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 - 978-283-7000 Copyright Eagle Tribune Publishing Company. All rights reserved. 100 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845 978-946-2000 ***************************************************************** 16 Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation: Nuclear review welcomed Mix 106 | 560 CFOS | Country 93 | 98 the Beach News for Tuesday, May 8th, 2007 Written by Mark Douglas Bruce Power is not upset about the latest government review at the nuclear generating station in Tiverton -- in fact, it was the company's idea. President and CEO Duncan Hawthorne says they recommended the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission call for a federal review panel. Hawthorne expects federal Environment Minister, John Baird, to approve such a panel fairly soon to look into any new construction of reactors at the nuclear generation station. The panel would assess a New Build project for any adverse environmental effects, encourage an open discussion among members of the public and give Bruce Power the chance to present their case for the new reactors. Hawthorne says it's unlikely, but if the review panel found massive public disapproval of the New Build, the panel could shut the whole project down. Hawthorne says he wants to see the guidelines of what Bruce Power needs to do for this panel, like groundwater samples, or local fish spawning data -- things Hawthorne says can only be done in certain seasons. Hawthorne says, given this is the first time in decades new nuclear reactors have been built in North America, it would be optimistic to think such a project could happen without a full review. 2006 Bayshore Broadcasting Corp. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 17 DutchNews.nl: Petten nuclear reactor shut down after leak WWW.DUTCHNEWS.NL Tuesday 08 May 2007 The nuclear reactor at Petten which carries out research and produces isotopes for medical use was shut down on Monday following the discovery of a small leak in a cooling water pipe. The Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group (NRG), which operates the facility, said there is no risk to the public. NRG has started an investigation into the cause of the leak and expects the unit to be out of use for several days. ***************************************************************** 18 NewsRoom Finland: Areva begins uranium investigations in Eno 8.5.2007 at 14:20 French nuclear group Areva said Tuesday it had started site investigations in Eno and Kontiolahti in Finland. Areva geologists are to carry out measurements, collect samples and take geophysical readings from the air during the summer. The company does not have the permission to carry out deep drilling or excavations for uranium. In October 2006, Finland's trade and industry ministry granted Areva a site investigation permit for an area of about 16 square kilometres in Eno and Kontiolahti. The Supreme Administrative Court is processing three appeals on the matter. /STT/ Copyright STT 2007 1995 2005, Virtual Finland Produced by: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Department for Communication and Culture/Unit for Promotion and Publications ***************************************************************** 19 asahi.com: EDITORIAL/ Climate change report - 05/08/2007 Global warming is sometimes likened to a lifestyle disease. Under this analogy, the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) can be described as a menu of treatments to stop the progress of the disease. The IPCC Working Group III Report is the third this year by the international panel of experts studying climate change. The panel's Working Group I Report, released in February, predicted that the global climate will be 4 degrees warmer at the end of this century than at the end of the 20th century if the world continues its current path of high economic growth driven by the burning of fossil fuels, like oil. The expert panel warned that the Earth will become feverish unless people change their lifestyles. The Working Group II Report, published in April, predicted possible symptoms of further global warming and warned that a rise of 2 to 3 degrees from the 1990 level would cause far-reaching negative effects on the health of the planet. The document highlighted the importance of keeping the rise in temperatures to within 2 degrees. The latest IPCC report says achieving this target requires a downturn in the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 at the latest. The decrease must be realized by 2015 if the temperature increase from the 1990 level is to be capped at 1.4 to 1.8 degrees, and by 2020 to keep the rise within 1.8 to 2.2 degrees, according to the new report. This report is a strong call for immediate action to stem the rise in the Earth's temperature. The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which requires industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, starts next year and lasts until 2012. Recently, however, Canada admitted it will not be able to achieve its emission reduction target under the Kyoto treaty. Both the United States and Australia have already withdrawn from the protocol. All these moves have put the international framework for emission cuts in jeopardy. To stop a further erosion of the agreement, Japan should continue serious efforts to fulfill its commitments under the treaty. A new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol after the end of the commitment period in 2012 should be an effective framework that is embraced by the United States and imposes binding emissions restrictions on such major developing countries as China and India, which are currently exempted from emission limits. In April, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed in separate meetings with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and U.S. President George W. Bush to step up bilateral cooperation and policy coordination to curb global warming. To ensure that these agreements will lead to meaningful actions, Japan should launch a fresh diplomatic offensive to promote the cause until next year's Group of Eight summit at the Lake Toyako hot spring resort in Hokkaido. The offensive should be aimed at producing concrete steps to slash the overall amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The latest IPCC report also estimates the economic costs of measures to cut emissions. Keeping the rise in temperatures to around 2 degrees from 1990 levels would shave up to 5.5 percent off global gross domestic product in 2050, according to the report. This is not a negligible cost. But the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, a report compiled by Nicholas Stern for the British government last year, said 5 to 10 percent of global output would be lost if temperatures rise by 5 degrees. Given that unchecked global warming would cause unrecoverable damage to the Earth, economic costs should not be an issue. The IPCC report says higher energy efficiency of buildings and industries would make a big dent in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy conservation is a win-win approach that can be promoted easily since it leads directly to productivity gains and cost cuts. The report cites the promotion of nuclear power as a policy option, but also lists factors for concern, including safety, nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear waste. It would not be wise to take too many other risks in trying to prevent global warming. Efforts to keep global warming in check should focus on accelerating a shift away from dependence on fossil fuels mainly through energy conservation and the development of renewable energy sources. --The Asahi Shimbun, May 5(IHT/Asahi: May 8,2007) * The Asahi Shimbun Company ***************************************************************** 20 AFP: Bush, Singh discuss nuclear cooperation plan - Tue May 8, 12:17 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh discussed efforts to ratify a landmark nuclear deal, according to White House spokesman Tony Snow. "They welcomed the recent progress in the civil nuclear cooperation intiative. They also agreed on the need for negotiations to conclude the bilateral agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation," Snow told reporters. Bush, who spoke to Singh by telephone on Monday, also underscored the importance of a "successful outcome in the Doha Round," the stalled global free trade negotiations, said Snow. Indian officials have said that the nuclear pact has hit a fresh snag with senators in Washington piling the pressure on New Delhi to keep its distance from Iran. Although the US Congress agreed in December to let talks on the energy deal move forward, Indian and US officials are still at odds over the fine print of an accord seen as the centerpiece of a new post-Cold War relationship. There was some cause for optimism after talks in Washington earlier this week, with Indian diplomats saying problem issues like the treatment of spent fuel and India's right to test nuclear weapons could be overcome. But in the aftermath of the talks on how India should get previously forbidden nuclear technology, seven US senators wrote to Singh telling him not to cozy up too much with Iran. Washington is trying to isolate Tehran over its disputed nuclear program and alleged support for terrorism. Copyright 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 21 AFP: A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling ring may resume business - report - Tue May 8, 2:17 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - A Pakistani nuclear smuggling network that was reportedly crippled three years ago could resume business amid strong demand for atomic technology from governments and terrorist groups, a new study says. Although the United States had declared the network led by disgraced Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan had been rolled up, only a few of the some 40 individuals identified as having worked with him are in prison, said the report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Investigators are confident that none remain involved in the proliferation business but they "are less certain, however, about the more shadowy recesses of the network," said the report, released in Washington Tuesday. "At least some of Khan's associates appear to have escaped law-enforcement attention and could, after a period of lying low, resume their black market business," said the 176-page dossier, "Nuclear black markets: Pakistan, A.Q. Khan and the rise of proliferation networks." "Decapitating the nodes of non-hierarchical networks does not necessarily eradicate the enterprise," it warned. Aside from Iran and North Korea, Khan also reportedly sold nuclear equipment or technology to Libya and Syria. Khan, held in January 2004, is currently under house arrest after being pardoned by Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf. Some information has been passed from Musharraf to the United States based on Pakistani debriefings of Khan, but neither Islamabad nor the Bush administration have made any public statements about what Khan may have said. The IISS report also highlighted concerns over the penetration of organized crime groups into the nuclear materials black market. A conservative estimate of some 429 nuclear trafficking cases recorded in the 2001-2005 period suggested that about 10 percent of them appear to have involved organized crime groups, it said. "The true extent of their involvement is likely to be greater," it said. The report pointed out that "the strongest evidence of a real demand for illicit nuclear material involves groups set on terrorism, not nation states." It identified a dozen countries -- Pakistan, India, North Korea, Libya, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, Syria and Israel -- that allegedly sought nuclear technologies through illicit means. "Some of these are still trying, those who have an active nuclear weapons program are trying to maintain that program," said Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US State Department non-proliferation official who edited the IISS study. "This is particularly evident in the case of Iran, in the case of Pakistan and, though lesser degree, India," he said. Copyright 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 Guardian Unlimited: Kuwait: Gulf Needs 15 Years for Nukes From the Associated Press Tuesday May 8, 2007 9:46 AM KUWAIT CITY (AP) - It could take Gulf states up to 15 years to establish a planned peaceful nuclear program, Kuwait's foreign minister said in remarks published Tuesday. Oil-rich Arab states announced last December that they ``commissioned a study'' for a joint nuclear program. ``As of the minute the decision was taken, it could take 12 to 15 years for the nuclear plant to be completed,'' the foreign minister, Sheik Mohammed Al Sabah, was quoted by the Al-Qabas newspaper as saying. He said Kuwait had a plan ready on what the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council need begin a preliminary study. The plan will be discussed at a GCC foreign ministers meeting in Riyadh on Tuesday, he said. The GCC is a loose political and economic alliance that groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 23 news @ nature.com: Have you seen any nuclear material? - Pakistan places advertisements regarding 'misplaced' isotopes. Published online: 8 May 2007 Geoff Brumfiel Do you recognize this symbol? This advertisement aims to raise public awareness about any 'lost' nuclear material. A Pakistani public information campaign about what to do if you stumble across stray radioactive material is raising hairs on the necks of Western arms control experts. The ads, which appeared last week in several Urdu-language newspapers, featured the large, yellow radiation symbol and a warning to report any lost or misplaced isotopes. "As public education campaigns go, it's unique," says Jeffrey Lewis, director of nuclear strategy and nonproliferation at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC. Lewis says he was "shocked" to hear of the announcements. Pakistan has never lost nuclear material per se, but it has a poor track record of protecting its nuclear technology. The father of its nuclear weapons programme, A.Q. Khan, is notorious for having sold the nation's secrets on the black market. Last week, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank, released a report suggesting that Khan had been involved in selling nuclear secrets to Iran, in addition to North Korea and Libya. Pakistan's Nuclear Regulatory Authority played down the significance of the ads. "No radioactive source has been stolen, lost or missed," spokesman Zaheer Ayub Baig told news@nature.com via e-mail. Baig says that the newspaper ads were simply meant to warn citizens about old medical and industrial sources that may have been lost before the founding of the nation a half-century ago. He adds that in coming weeks, advertisements will also appear in regional and English-language papers. Lost radioactive materials, often called "orphan sources," can pose a risk to public health. In 1987, an abandoned canister of caesium-137 found in a Brazilian scrap yard led to the contamination of over 244 people. And the problem is not confined to the developing world. In March, a container of yellowcake uranium turned up in a Los Angeles area pawn shop. Yellowcake is not considered dangerous, but the store owner nevertheless called authorities. Lewis says that the cultural stigma surrounding radiation in the West, and the relative infrequency with which sources are lost, makes the need for such advertising campaigns largely unnecessary. In Pakistan, he imagines, it might well make sense to place such an ad. But given the country's difficult history, it doesn't inspire confidence, he says. "It's having to do it in the first place that's suspicious." ***************************************************************** 24 UPI: NNSA secures 15,000 radioactive sources United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing Published: May 8, 2007 at 3:06 PM WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration said Tuesday it had recovered and secured more than 15,000 radioactive sources. The materials, some of which could have been utilized to make a "dirty bomb," were recovered from different sites within the United States, the NNSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Energy, said in a statement. "One of NNSA's top priorities is removing, securing and disposing of materials that pose a national security risk. It is important that we protect the public from material that could be misused before it becomes a problem," said NNSA acting Administrator Bill Ostendorff. "This is a tremendous achievement that illustrates one piece of our comprehensive strategy to keep dangerous material out of the hands of dangerous people." The NNSA said that its Global Threat Reduction Initiative locates and takes control of the radioactive sources through its Los Alamos National Laboratory "from commercial firms and academic institutions after the sources are determined to be excess and unwanted, and when there is no other disposition path," the agency said. "NNSA's source recovery efforts involve reporting to the proper state radiation safety agencies and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission," it said. "Sources containing radioactive plutonium, americium, californium, cesium, cobalt, iridium, radium, and strontium have been recovered from medical, educational, agricultural, research and industrial facilities throughout the nation," the NNSA said. "Since 1999, the program has secured more than 15,000 radioactive sources from around the country." The Bush administration has put renewed emphasis on domestic nuclear safety and security since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It has prioritized the location and secure storage of potentially dangerous radioactive substances. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 25 Guardian Unlimited: Study suggests cancer risk from depleted uranium James Randerson Tuesday May 8, 2007 Depleted uranium, which is used in armour-piercing ammunition, causes widespread damage to DNA which could lead to lung cancer, according to a study of the metal's effects on human lung cells. The study adds to growing evidence that DU causes health problems on battlefields long after hostilities have ceased. DU is a byproduct of uranium refinement for nuclear power. It is much less radioactive than other uranium isotopes, and its high density - twice that of lead - makes it useful for armour and armour piercing shells. It has been used in conflicts including Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq and there have been increasing concerns about the health effects of DU dust left on the battlefield. In November, the Ministry of Defence was forced to counteract claims that apparent increases in cancers and birth defects among Iraqis in southern Iraq were due to DU in weapons. Now researchers at the University of Southern Maine have shown that DU damages DNA in human lung cells. The team, led by John Pierce Wise, exposed cultures of the cells to uranium compounds at different concentrations. The compounds caused breaks in the chromosomes within cells and stopped them from growing and dividing healthily. "These data suggest that exposure to particulate DU may pose a significant [DNA damage] risk and could possibly result in lung cancer," the team wrote in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. Previous studies have shown that uranium miners are at higher risk of lung cancer, but this has often been put down to the fact that miners are also exposed to radon, another cancer-causing chemical. Prof Wise said it is too early to say whether DU causes lung cancer in people exposed on the battlefield because the disease takes several decades to develop. "Our data suggest that it should be monitored as the potential risk is there," he said. Prof Wise and his team believe that microscopic particles of dust created during the explosion of a DU weapon stay on the battlefield and can be breathed in by soldiers and people returning after the conflict. Once they are lodged in the lung even low levels of radioactivity would damage DNA in cells close by. "The real question is whether the level of exposure is sufficient to cause health effects. The answer to that question is still unclear," he said, adding that there has as yet been little research on the effects of DU on civilians in combat zones. "Funding for DU studies is very sparse and so defining the disadvantages is hard," he added. Useful links British Medical Association Department of Health General Medical Council Health on the Net Foundation Institute of Cancer Research Medical Research Council NHS Direct Royal Institute of Public Health World Health Organisation Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 26 Tennessean: 2006 uranium spill cited at Tenn. plant - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 05/08/07 - Tennessean.com By BILL THEOBALD Tennessean Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Thirty-five liters of high-enriched uranium were spilled at the Nuclear Fuel Services plant in Erwin, Tenn., in 2006, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has revealed for the first time. In a report to Congress filed late Friday, the commission said that a faulty pipe leaked the radioactive material into a glovebox and then onto the floor at the East Tennessee facility. Two workers were close to the leaked material, one about 20 feet away. That worker could have been killed if the liquid uranium had reached "criticality," meaning it began a chain reaction that emitted large amounts of radiation. Even if that had occurred, said David McIntyre, spokesman for the NRC, the surrounding community would not have been threatened. McIntyre said the incident was not revealed until now because of security concerns. Tennessean.com and its related sites are pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the Internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting. Since Tennessean.com does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our Web site. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Tennessean.com or its related sites. Copyright 2007, tennessean.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 27 This is Hampshire: Daughters Anguish At Bodypart Test Mystery By Eleanor Stride Raymond Rose with his wife Susan, whose late father Charles Grant may have had tissue samples removed after his death A BASINGSTOKE woman has told of her shock that her late father may be one of the cases in the body parts investigation being carried out at British nuclear sites. Susan Rose, of Tiverton Road, Winklebury, said she was disgusted at the thought that organ or tissue samples from her father may have been used for testing following his death in 1992 at the age of 70. Mrs Rose's father, Charles Fyson Grant, worked at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston for 16 years. He then worked at the nuclear research plant in Harwell, Oxfordshire, for 20 years until retirement. The investigation follows claims from trade unions that tissue samples may have been taken from British nuclear workers between 1961 and 1992 without the proper consents. Initially, the investigation was to examine the cases of 65 workers, including six from AWE. However, it is now thought more workers at sites including Harwell may have been involved. Mrs Rose, 58, said: "We want to get to the bottom of it. I want to know whether my father was involved." Mrs Rose's husband, Raymond, 58, said: "We're trying to find out what is going on. My father-in-law died of cancer and had radiation treatment, so when I saw the papers saying about possible testing, I made inquiries. "I have been in touch with AWE and phoned the helpline, but we haven't been given enough information. "It has come as a huge shock to find this out after all these years. My wife is very upset about it. "We are very worried about what could have happened to him. We are now just waiting for news." Both AWE and the UK Atomic Energy Authority have said they are co-operating fully with the inquiry, which was launched last month at the request of Trade Secretary Alistair Darling. The inquiry, being undertaken by Michael Redfern QC, is to include establishing when, where, by whom and by what means the taking of organs and tissue was requested and authorised, and whether samples were taken with the consent of family and surviving relatives. 10:53am Tuesday 8th May 2007Print  Email this Privacy Policy © Copyright 2001-2007 ***************************************************************** 28 Huliq: Exposure to depleted uranium from military action may pose health threats Exposure to particles of depleted uranium (DU), the source of growing international concern as a potential health hazard, may increase the risk of genetic damage and lung cancer, scientists in Maine conclude in a report scheduled for the May 21 issue of ACS' Chemical Research in Toxicology, a monthly journal. DU is the material remaining after removal or depletion of the U-238 isotope of uranium. With a density about twice that of lead, DU is ideal for use in military armor and munitions, John Pierce Wise, Sr., and colleagues point out in the new study. DU dust produced in combat creates potentially frequent and widespread exposure for soldiers and non-combatants, who may inhale DU dust particles, the researchers note. However, there have been few studies on the health effects of lung exposure to DU, they add. In the new study, researchers tested the effects of DU on cultures of human lung cells. "This is the first article on the cytotoxicity and clastogenicity [chromosome damaging potential] of particulate and soluble DU in human bronchial cells," the study states. "These data suggest that exposure to particulate DU may pose a significant genotoxic risk and could possibly result in lung cancer."-American Chemical Society Posted under: Health cancers depleted uranium genotoxic risk health threats lung cancer lung cancer development Submitted by harminka on Mon, 2007-05-07 13:27. Web huliq.com © Huliq.com 2006 Write your news and inform the public. ***************************************************************** 29 Tennessean: Uranium spill at Eaststate plant revealed - Nashville, Tennessee - Monday, 05/07/07 - Tennessean.com Monday, 05/07/07 By BILL THEOBALD Tennessean Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Nine gallons of highly enriched uranium were spilled at a nuclear plant in Erwin, Tenn., last year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has revealed for the first time. In a report to Congress filed late Friday, the commission said that a faulty pipe at the Nuclear Fuel Services facility leaked the radioactive material into a glovebox and then onto the floor. Two workers were close to the leaked material, one about 20 feet away. That worker could have been killed if the liquid uranium had reached "criticality," meaning it began a chain reaction that emitted large amounts of radiation. Even if that had occurred, said David McIntyre, spokesman for the NRC, the surrounding East Tennessee community would not have been threatened. The uranium is used in weapons and to power naval vessels, McIntyre said. The company was not fined, McIntyre said, but was required to stop processing in the area, remove the piping, and fill with concrete an elevator pit where the uranium could have accumulated. McIntyre said the incident was not revealed until now because of security concerns regarding the work done at the plant. Contact Bill Theobald at wtheobal@gns.gannett.com. Copyright 2007, tennessean.com. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 30 UPI: Depleted uranium may post health hazard United Press International - NewsTrack - Science - Published: May 8, 2007 at 11:03 AM GORHAM, Maine, May 8 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests exposure to particles of depleted uranium might increase the risk of genetic damage and lung cancer. Depleted uranium is the material remaining after removal or depletion of the U-238 isotope. With a density about twice that of lead, depleted uranium is ideal for use in military armor and munitions. But now John Pierce Wise Sr. and colleagues at the University of Southern Maine have discovered depleted uranium dust produced in combat creates potentially frequent and widespread exposure for soldiers and non-combatants inhaling such dust particles. In their study, the researchers tested the effects of depleted uranium dust on cultures of human lung cells. "These data suggest that exposure to particulate DU may pose a significant genotoxic risk and could possibly result in lung cancer," the scientists said. The study is to be reported in the May 21 issue of the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 31 UPI: NRC tests plants for accident consequences United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 7, 2007 at 8:20 PM ROCKVILLE, Md., May 7 (UPI) -- U.S. nuclear regulators will begin a computer-based analysis of potential accidents at two nuclear plants, and will soon analyze all plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will begin Phase 1 of the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analysis, taking the data from nuclear plants and assessing how devastating an accident would be. The Peach Bottom plant in Pennsylvania and the Surry plant in Virginia volunteered for the analysis, the first step in ensuring the NRC has enough data to accurately predict how well the plant can mitigate the effects of an accident. "Both sites have significant databases available from earlier studies, and this detailed information will make it easier to judge where the analysis can be improved," said Farouk Eltawila, director of the division of risk assessment and special projects in the NRC's office of nuclear regulatory research. "We're undertaking this research to replace work that's almost 25 years old -- studies that were so conservative that their predictions are not useful for characterizing results or guiding public policy. Those predictions have sometimes been misinterpreted and often misused," Eltawila said. "Today's computer-based analytical tools are much more capable of realistically evaluating potential nuclear power plant accidents." The NRC, in a statement announcing the project, said accidents at nuclear plants are "unlikely." Enhancements to the design are intended to mitigate consequences to ensure the ability to safely draw down power and keep the reactor cool. Results of the work will be made public in 2009, when the entire project has been finished. Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 32 SocietyGuardian.co.uk: Toxic legacy Veterans suffering with Gulf war illnesses are still fighting for answers and for compensation, write Frances Hoy and Lisa Wise Tuesday May 8, 2007 SocietyGuardian.co.uk Of the 53,500 UK troops deployed to the Gulf war in 1990-91, there are now close to 7,000 who have received a payment or are in receipt of an ongoing war pension for illness or injury relating either to their preparation to deploy or active service. The Gulf war has been labelled the most toxic war in history. Troops were subjected to a multiple immunisation programme of up to 14 vaccinations prior to deployment, followed by exposures to organophosphates (and other pesticides), nerve agents to counteract the effects of chemical warfare, depleted uranium, environmental hazards, chemical weapons such as sarin and cyclosarin, and smoke from burning oil wells. Completed research in the UK has now discounted most of these as the single cause of Gulf war illnesses. However, work is currently under way in the US and elsewhere investigating the possible "cocktail effect" of these multiple exposures. Research has confirmed, however, that Gulf war veterans are more than twice as likely to report symptoms of ill health, and to be suffering more severely from them, than their military contemporaries of equivalent age, gender, rank and branch of service. Symptoms largely fall into four categories: musculoskeletal, neurological, respiratory and psychological. Sadly, even though 16 years have passed, the veterans and the scientific community are still no clearer on the causes of their illnesses, some of which have proved terminal. Epidemiological studies used to investigate causal links with illness have been hampered by the lack of accurate data, including service records and medical and/or vaccination records. Health surveillance was not carried out during deployment, or immediately post deployment. Additionally, this lack of clarity on exposures has resulted in lengthy delays for veterans seeking pensions and compensation for their conditions. Still more controversy surrounds administrative problems with the programme of medical countermeasures in the lead-up to and during deployment of British troops to Kuwait and Iraq. In 2003, the government spokesperson for defence admitted in the House of Lords that these included breaches of the policy of voluntary informed consent on immunisations, the use of unlicensed and unproven vaccinations, and ignoring medical advice from the Department of Health on the potential adverse reactions of administering the vaccine cocktail. Tomorrow, the Royal British Legion will host a conference in Birmingham for veterans of the Gulf war. The conference will aim to update veterans - many of whom are in broken health - on the progress that has been made since the release of the findings of an independent public inquiry into Gulf war illnesses in 2004, and offer input on future policy initiatives, including demands for a one-off payment of 10,000 to those affected. The day's programme will include a speech from the minister for veterans, Derek Twigg - the first time in 10 years that a veterans minister has spoken to Gulf veterans about their illnesses - as well as a presentation from Dr Harcourt Concannon on how the military's pensions appeal tribunal has effectively forced the Ministry of Defence to accept the umbrella term "Gulf war syndrome" on selected hard-fought cases. The government has continually stated that the time is not right for a public inquiry into the causes of Gulf war illnesses and the handling of the surrounding issues; a policy which has bred a feeling of rejection among veterans. The reasons given for this have been that scientific and medical investigations are ongoing. However, many scientific and medical experts have now concluded that further clinical or causal investigations will probably not produce any further useful outcomes. The legion has renewed its call on the government to make a definitive statement regarding a public inquiry at tomorrow's conference. The government has recognised the call from Gulf veterans for further research into rehabilitation and health and social care models that can improve the quality of life and general health of veterans and their families. Identifying useful models needs to become a greater priority. In 2004, the Rt Hon Lord Lloyd of Berwick made a recommendation for an ex gratia payment for Gulf war veterans as part of the findings of his independent public inquiry into Gulf war illnesses. Wednesday's conference will seek support for the immediate offer of the ex gratia payment - based on the government's failure to protect veterans, the treatment they have received and the resulting anxiety. The 10,000 payment is in line with other UK ex gratia payment schemes. It should be awarded to all Gulf war veterans who have received a gratuity or war disablement pension, Gulf war widow(er)s in receipt of a widow's pension, and children of Gulf war veterans who are in receipt of a war orphan's pension. Frances Hoy is head of PR and campaigns and Lisa Wise is head of public policy for the Royal British Legion. The group's Gulf War Veterans' Conference will be held at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Birmingham tomorrow SocietyGuardian.co.uk Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 33 Guardian Unlimited: The conspiracy theorists may be close to the truth Comment is free | Dr David Lowry: The inquiry into irradiated body parts must examine fully the National Archive files, says David Lowry Tuesday May 8, 2007 James Randerson is right to argue for the importance of experimentation and the gathering of empirical data in order to take forward scientific discovery (Don't punish the scientists, April 25). But, as the researcher who dug out the National Archives papers - dating from the early 50s to mid 60s - on the scientific experiments on human "volunteers", on which your sister paper the Observer based its story on April 22, I am not as sanguine as Randerson in believing these experiments were purely conducted for the benign purpose of future protection of the health of the workforce handling radioactive materials. Although the ethics of the experiments were carefully evaluated by government lawyers of the time, one letter I uncovered, dated February 12 1965, from the then UK Atomic Energy Authority's chief medical officer, KP Duncan, to Dr Geoff Schofield, then senior medical officer at the Sellafield/Windscale works, commented: "I was a little surprised to find that you had already started [the proposed experiments] and trust that you get all these points documented." Randerson dismissively comments that the radiation experiments are "conspiracy theorists' dreams". Sadly, in this case, the conspiracy explanation may be the most accurate one. In the 50s and 60s Sellafield was run by the UKAEA, which had a dual mission: research and development for the civilian nuclear programme; and to create the fissile materials, such as plutonium and enriched uranium, and to design and build the warheads for the British atomic bomb programme. The experiments discussed by Randerson were developed in the wake of the major accident in October 1957 at the so-called atomic piles at Windscale, operated to make plutonium for weapons, the result of which ended in the uncontrolled distribution of large quantities of radioactive fallout across the north-west of England, Ireland and further afield. Papers presented to the United Nations' first international conference on atomic energy in Geneva in 1958 revealed that the Sellafield operators had taken advantage of the plant's coastal location to dispose of liquid radioactive wastes to sea. Such a cavalier approach to deliberately releasing huge quantities of radioactive toxic poisons into an uncontrolled maritime environment is evidently unethical - and was known to be so at the time. No informed consent was sought from the public who used the local beaches for pleasure, or the fishermen who made their living in the Irish Sea - or indeed the north-east Atlantic and North Sea. So Randerson may be right in stating that two of Sellafield's chief medical officers in the 80s "were building up a store of information about plutonium levels in the bodies of workers that they could compare with levels measured in urine samples taken routinely from the deceased workers when they were alive". But what remains unexplained is the real reason behind why they were doing so. Michael Redfern QC - the lawyer appointed to head the inquiry into the irradiated body parts issue - should examine all of the National Archives files on radiation exposure experiments, including those presently withdrawn from public access by the UKAEA, to find out why. Dr David Lowry is a researcher specialising in nuclear, security and environmental policy drdavidlowry@hotmail.com If you wish to respond to an article in which you have featured, email response@guardian.co.uk or write to Response, The Guardian, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER. We cannot guarantee to publish all responses, and we reserve the right to edit pieces for both length and content Guardian Unlimited Guardian News and Media Limited 2006. Registered in England and Wales. No. 908396 Registered office: Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG. ***************************************************************** 34 Bradenton.com: March of 2009 date for cleanup 05/08/2007 | By DONNA WRIGHT dwright@bradenton.com TALLEVAST -- Lockheed Martin Corp. by March of 2009 plans to have a system of extraction wells and trenches in place to clean up the Tallevast plume, according to a proposal submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Lockheed has estimated it could take 20 years or more to clean up the toxic chemical spill that has contaminated more than 200 acres beneath the historic community. The pollution has been traced back to the former Loral American Beryllium Co. plant at 1600 Tallevast Road. Lockheed is responsible for the cleanup because the spill was discovered during its ownership of the plant in 2000. The Remedial Action Plan, which Lockheed submitted Friday, is the first step in the final cleanup process, said Gail Rymer, company spokeswoman. Once DEP approves Lockheed's plan, the design phase will begin, said Rymer. Lockheed based its timeline on a three-month review process set by DEP, but agency spokeswoman Pamala Vazquez said there is no firm deadline state regulators must meet. "The review will take as long it takes our staff to review the document," Vazquez said. Copies of the cleanup plan were also delivered to FOCUS, or Family Oriented Community United Strong, an advocacy group for Tallevast residents. The community is just beginning to review the lengthy document, which fills two binders, each five inches thick, said Wanda Washington, FOCUS vice president. "It's hard to comment because we don't know what's in that report," said Washington. "Our technical adviser, Dr. Tim Varney, has not yet received his copy." In September, DEP accepted Lockheed's analysis of the plume as sufficient to begin drafting the final cleanup plan. FOCUS and the community's technical advisers disagreed with DEP's decision, saying Lockheed's data and maps failed to define the extent of the plume. But the advocacy group chose not to challenge DEP's ruling in court, after being promised by the agency that they could raise their concerns when the final cleanup plan was submitted. Vazquez said DEP has every intention of keeping its promise to FOCUS. "At some point we will contact FOCUS and make them part of the review," said Vazquez. "We promised them in person that we would incorporate their concerns before finalizing the review." The remedial plan is limited to cleaning up groundwater, but also calls for addressing contaminated soil at the former beryllium plant. Lockheed began a pilot project last fall to extract and treat contaminated groundwater at the plume's source on the site. As of Feb. 23, 1.2 million gallons of groundwater has been extracted and treated by the system. ***************************************************************** 35 ReviewJournal.com: YUCCA MOUNTAIN RAIL LINE: Reid steps in, sways tribe May. 08, 2007 Senator uses his clout to persuade Paiutes to refuse DOE's rail plan By STEVE TETREAULT STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU Harry Reid Democratic senator adamant about preventing dump from being built, aide says WASHINGTON -- Once again showing his clout on Yucca Mountain, Sen. Harry Reid helped the Walker River Paiute Indians reach a decision against allowing nuclear waste to be shipped through their reservation to the proposed repository, according to government officials and lobbyists. It is not clear whether Reid, D-Nev., used a carrot or a stick to persuade the Paiutes to withdraw from a railroad corridor study being prepared by the Energy Department. The tribe made a surprise announcement on April 17 pulling out of the project. A number of factors almost certainly played into the decision, observers said, such as the Indians' environmental conscience, concerns about safety, discomfort among the tribe's rank and file, and growing vocal opposition from other Northern Nevada communities. But tribal leaders have told the Energy Department that Reid's intervention played a role in their decision, according to sources in Nevada and Washington who have spoken with DOE officials, and several others familiar with the situation. The Paiutes "explained it as Harry had just given them an offer they couldn't refuse," said a nuclear industry lobbyist who has spoken to DOE managers. Reid told the Paiutes that he will look into the possibility of having the government relocate the railroad tracks that bisect the tribal community of Schurz in Mineral County, his spokesman Jon Summers said. "There is nothing firm on the table just yet," Summers said. The tribe long has wanted to move the railroad away from town, as it conveys ordnance to and from the Hawthorne Army Depot 40 miles to the south. Until Reid's promise, the tribe was looking to the Department of Energy to relocate the rail as part of any agreement to allow radioactive waste on the tracks. The tribe also has sought Reid's help to obtain federal funding for fisheries and to settle disputes over water rights in the Walker River basin. By stepping in, Reid once again displayed his influence on matters involving Yucca Mountain, both in Nevada and Congress where he has worked to cut funding and to block legislation that would speed up the nuclear waste project. "Clearly we were aware of dialogue going on with the senator's office," said David Blee, executive director of the U.S. Transport Council, a pro-Yucca organization of waste shippers that had met with the Walker River Paiutes before the tribe's announcement. "The feeling always was that Senator Reid would make a more attractive offer to the tribe than continuing to dialogue with the (Energy) Department," Blee said. "He did what I would have done if I was the senior senator from Nevada. The only surprise is that it didn't happen later in the process. "You can't underestimate how important it was to the (Walker River Paiutes) to get the rail line moved," Blee said. Reid said in a short interview he has been a champion of all Nevada Indian tribes, and that he continues to help the Walker River Paiutes pursue economic development opportunities. "The Walker River tribe is going to be taken care of in many different ways," Reid said. "They don't have to ask for help." As for the tribe's involvement with Yucca Mountain, "I am not going to get into specifics of negotiations but obviously the Walker River tribe was able to see this DOE thing as a pig in a poke," Reid said. "It was DOE's effort to buy something from somebody that they shouldn't have been dealing with. "We'll look at any of the concerns the tribe has at this stage," Reid said. Summers said Reid's intervention should come as no surprise. "Obviously the senator would want to talk to the tribe about changing their mind on a position that would help out Yucca," Summers said. "Senator Reid is adamant about preventing the dump from ever being built. "If there is anyone who is considering doing anything that could be helpful to Yucca he will have a conversation with them, or someone from our office will have a conversation with them about the cons associated with the dump," Summers said. The Walker River Paiutes did not respond to an e-mail requesting an interview with chairwoman Genia Williams. The tribe said in its April 17 statement that it had been contacted by business interests interested in economic development that could make use of a north-south rail route through the state. The Paiutes said they contacted Reid's office to propose a cooperative effort to develop such opportunities that would allow the construction of new railroad tracks to bypass Schurz. "A new rail line bypass could provide a safer community on the reservation and could have economic benefits to Nevada," Williams said in the statement. "We plan to work cooperatively with Senator Reid to explore the benefits of this project and sincerely request his assistance in its development for the benefit of the Walker River Paiute Tribe as well as his constituents throughout Nevada," Williams said in the statement. Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2007 Stephens Media, LLC Privacy Statement ***************************************************************** 36 APP.COM: Spent fuel pool's structural integrity not a concern Asbury Park Press Online Tuesday, May 8, 2007 BY NEIL SHEEHAN Post Comment I am writing to call your attention to an incomplete and therefore misleading picture painted in two editorials published by the Press Jan. 23 and April 26. The editorials cite the minutes of a May 24, 2005, meeting of the internal Plant Operations Review Committee at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey. During that meeting, it was stated there was corroded rebar in the plant's spent fuel pool. Rebar refers to metal bars used to reinforce concrete. What the editorials did not mention is that the minutes of a subsequent committee meeting, on June 14, 2005, clarify that the issue did not involve the plant's spent fuel pool but rather the walls of its equipment pool and reactor cavity. The equipment pool is separate and distinct from the spent fuel pool; it is used to hold equipment during a plant shutdown. The reactor cavity is a pool-like area around the top of the reactor vessel that is flooded with water during refueling and maintenance outages to allow for the safe movement of spent nuclear fuel. Both have stainless steel liners. After reading your Jan. 30 editorial, U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding the issue. In a March 16 response, we noted that our agency has been monitoring the issue since 1986, when it was first identified by the plant's then-owner, GPU Nuclear Corp. Here's some additional history: Upon identifying the issue, GPU took steps to deal with it, including sampling the concrete to determine whether water intrusion into hairline cracks on the exterior surface of the equipment pool and reactor cavity walls was creating an aggressively corrosive environment for the rebar located there. Based on the results of this testing, it was determined the environment was non-aggressive and would result in minimal corrosion of the rebar. GPU provided the NRC with additional information in December 1990. This information included a comprehensive analysis of the maximum stress capacity of the corrosion-affected rebar. The report indicated that even under maximum calculated stress conditions, the rebar was below yield-stress limits established by the American Concrete Institute. The NRC analyzed this information and, in a safety evaluation issued in May 1994, likewise concluded the corrosion was minimal and that the equipment pool and reactor cavity walls were capable of performing their intended function. In addition, the NRC recommended that GPU periodically monitor the condition of the rebar. Since that time, the plant's owner has conducted periodic inspections of the walls of the equipment pool and reactor cavity but has seen no indications of any additional degradation. The NRC has reviewed those assessments by the company, both as part of our ongoing inspection activities and during our review of the plant's license renewal application. As to the source of the corrosion, the company's analysis has found that was caused by leakage from cracks in the stainless steel liner of the equipment pool and reactor cavity when they are filled with water during refueling outages. To minimize water leakage, the company now applies a strippablecoating prior to filling the pool and the cavity with water. To summarize, contrary to two editorials in the Press, the spent fuel pool is not a safety concern in terms of its structural integrity and, further, corrosion issues involving the equipment pool and reactor cavity walls are considered to be minimal and are being addressed. On a separate note, the Press reported April 29 that the NRC has adopted a stance that cooling towers are not needed at Oyster Creek. In fact, the NRC laid out the pros and cons of installing cooling towers at the plant in our environmental review of the plant's license renewal application. But we did not offer a recommendation because that decision rests with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which issues the water discharge permit to the plant. Neil Sheehan is a public affairs officer for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Copyright 2007 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 37 Rutland Herald: Shumlin wants to reopen nuke waste issue Rutland Vermont News & Information May 8, 2007 By DAVID GRAM The Associated Press MONTPELIER A variety of sites around Vermont could be considered as places to store high-level radioactive waste from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, under a proposal floated Monday by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham. Shumlin said he may introduce legislation next year that would re-examine the approval Vermont Yankee received 13 months ago to store spent fuel rods in concrete and steel casks on its Vernon site, about 210 feet from the Connecticut River. Shumlin said he wanted to settle the storage issue before lawmakers consider whether to allow Vermont Yankee to continue operating after 2012, the year its license expires. There is no indication when the federal government will find a national disposal site for high-level nuclear waste. "Vermont is clearly a high-level nuclear waste storage site for the foreseeable future," Shumlin said. "We need to have a discussion about where is the safest and most responsible place to store it." Shumlin said he did not have a specific site or sites in mind as potential hosts. "I'm not a geologist, no," he said. But he said his preference would be that the material not be stored "in a flood plain on the banks of the Connecticut River." The Public Service Board has approved Vermont Yankee's plan to expand its waste storage beyond a spent fuel pool adjacent to the reactor. Fuel will be stored in dry casks on the plant's grounds. Testimony before the board predicted that one flood in 500 years would reach 231 feet above sea level, still 21 feet shy of the 252 foot elevation of the pad holding the dry casks. Department of Public Service Commissioner David O'Brien, Gov. Jim Douglas' point man on energy issues, responded to Shumlin's comments by saying a debate over a waste storage site would be a "distraction" from the more important debate of whether the plant should be allowed to operate after 2012. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has jurisdiction over whether Vermont Yankee gets the 20-year license extension it is seeking. But Vermont law also gives state lawmakers a say. O'Brien said he would like to have had that debate this year, but it must happen next year at the latest. If the state were to decide in 2008 that Vermont Yankee should shut down, that would leave it scrambling to replace about a third of its power supply with electricity generated in a way that does not emit greenhouse gasses, the commissioner said. The debate came against the backdrop of a legislative conference committee meeting Monday to try to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of a wide-ranging bill on energy issues. The Senate version includes a tax on Vermont Yankee to raise about $5 million a year to fund energy efficiency efforts in buildings. The conference committee met Monday afternoon, but put off the discussion of the Vermont Yankee tax until Tuesday. 2007 Rutland Herald ***************************************************************** 38 UPI: U.S. uranium sales down as price soars United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 8, 2007 at 7:44 PM WASHINGTON, May 8 (UPI) -- As the price of uranium surged another $7 over the past week, the U.S. Energy Department may scale back its inventory sale and open a strategic reserve. Uranium prices hit $120 per pound Monday, the weekly pricing date, on the heels of expected growing demand and a new futures trading product offered by the New York Mercantile Exchange and uranium analyst Ux Consulting. The price has jumped from $56 per pound last October. It was around $20 at the start of 2005. Analysts like UXC President Jeff Combs attribute the low uranium price -- around $10 through the 1980s and 1990s -- to a market with a false bottom, since government inventories fed demand. Governments like the United States, intent on addressing proliferation, controlled uranium programs. The inventory was also increased after the Cold War when weapons-grade uranium from the former Soviet Union was blended down to energy stock. The United States still sells from its inventory, which competes against suppliers. When the price was low, there was little incentive to invest in exploring, mining and producing uranium. Ed Rutkowski of the U.S. Energy Department's Nuclear Fuel Supply Security group told StockInterview.com this year's sale will likely be a small amount. "We don't plan to dump uranium," he said. "We have a lot of inventory, but uranium miners are worried that DOE would affect the market. We want to be good neighbors with them." With an enhanced demand for uranium to fuel a nuclear-power boom worldwide, supplies are quickly dwindling. While that is incentive to build the uranium industry, it worries the Energy Department and U.S. nuclear plants, which need a constant and affordable supply. Like the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which stockpiles oil in case of emergency, the department is looking into a uranium reserve. "There is an interest in the creation of a nuclear fuel reserves," Rutkowski told StockInterview.com. "The reserve would be to safeguard against supply disruptions, whether these are environmental or through force of nature." Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 39 Telegraph: Sellafield to ship its waste to Sweden Last Updated: 12:39am BST 09/05/2007 By Katherine Griffiths City Correspondent The operator of Sellafield has signed an innovative agreement to send nuclear waste to Sweden for treatment. Sellafield is the world's largest nuclear plant The move will help to reduce pressure on space in the UK to store nuclear waste but has been criticised by environmentalists and politicians. Under the deal with Studsvik, a nuclear technology supplier, reactive steel from Sellafield, the world's largest nuclear plant, is shipped to Sweden. Studsvik separates the steel from the waste, and ships both back to the UK. However, David Lowry, a nuclear expert, said: "The two-way movement of radioactive material could be an attraction for terrorists." It also increased the risk of a nuclear spillage into the sea. The financial terms of the deal between British Nuclear Group and Studsvik have not been disclosed. It comes as the UK is struggling to deal with the nuclear waste from its historic reactors. advertisement Low-level waste is stored in concrete containers at Drigg in Cumbria, while highly reactive waste is kept at Sellafield. Both sites are filling up. The Government will also build a new repository or series of plants to store waste, but the Studsvik deal presents another option. Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, has tabled questions in Parliament asking "what permission is required" for the deal. He also asked what regulations covered "the safe transport of radioactively contaminated metals" within Europe. The Government must set out in its forthcoming energy White Paper how it plans to deal with waste from the new UK reactors due to be built in the next decade. Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2007. | Terms ***************************************************************** 40 DOE: DOE Selects Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC to Manage its Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory May 8, 2007 WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) has been selected to be the management and operating contractor for DOEs National Nuclear Security Administrations (NNSA) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Livermore National Laboratory is a critical part of our nuclear weapons complex and has been for the last 55 years, Secretary Bodman said. For the first time since the beginning of the laboratory a new contractor is coming to Livermore. We look forward to working with LLNS as Livermore continues its vital national security work. LLNS is a limited liability corporation made up of Bechtel National, Inc., the University of California, BWX Technologies, Inc., and the Washington Group International, Inc. The team also includes Battelle Memorial Institute, four small business subcontractors, and Texas A&M University. Livermore is one of the departments three premier nuclear weapons laboratories. It performs sensitive national security missions, including helping to ensure that the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile is safe, secure and reliable without underground nuclear testing, and countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The laboratory has been managed since its inception in 1952 by the University of California. A Source Evaluation Board chaired by Walter Lips carried out the contract competition process culminating with their presentation of a report on their evaluation of the offers to NNSAs Senior Advisor to the Administrator C.S. Tyler Przybylek, who made the decision as the selecting official for the contract competition. LLNS proposed an approach to sustain exceptional science and technology and innovation at the laboratory, to implement enhanced business and laboratory operations, to deliver strong mission performance while also expanding the amount of work for customers outside of NNSA and the Department of Energy, and to be a leader in achieving the objectives of NNSAs Complex 2030 Integration Initiative. The LLNS team members will bring lessons learned and best practices to the laboratory from their experiences in managing a majority of NNSAs weapons complex sites and a majority of the departments national laboratories, as well as their private sector experience, with the goal of saving 20 percent in support costs in three years. Activities to transfer the laboratory to the new contractor begin today. LLNS will take over NNSAs mission activities under the new contract starting October 1, 2007. The basic term of the contract is 7 years, and up to an additional 13 years can be earned through successful performance under an award term provision. The contract includes a possible maximum fee of $45.5 million per year to manage the laboratory for DOE and NNSA work, depending on LLNSs quality of performance. Important goals of the new contract include the following: * conducting research and development programs effectively and efficiently under disciplined project management procedures including use of an earned-value management system; * demonstrating design and development capabilities to support the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) strategy; * supporting stockpile and complex transformation in support of NNSAs complex 2030 initiative including improved integration among the NNSA sites and increased enterprise-wide activities; * completing construction of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and operating NIF as a national user facility to support NNSA missions as well as the needs of the broader scientific community; * helping to deter, detect, and respond to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; advancing science through technological innovation, public and private sector collaboration, and technology transfer to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and national security; * managing and operating the laboratory facilities and infrastructure in an efficient, cost effective and innovative manner; supporting other Department of Energy programs; and, * supporting non-DOE federal and other customers including the Department of Homeland Security through a work-for-others program. Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a separately organized agency within DOE responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Additonal information on the NNSA. Media contact(s): NNSA: Bryan Wilkes, (202) 586-7371 DOE: Anne Kolton, (202) 586-4940 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 41 SF Nex Mexican: A Long Recovery Tue May 8, 2007 5:13 pm Gilbert Aguilar's claim that his kidney cancer came from his exposure to radiation when he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratories was rejected by the federal government. "I don't care so much about the money, but I would like to have the government health card (which would cover his medical expenses)", he said. By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican Gilbert Aguilar lost a kidney to cancer, a disease he says was caused by radiation exposure from working at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1970s. He filed a claim to be compensated with the U.S. Department of Labor, but it was denied. He's not sure if he'll follow through with an appeal or not. ``It's kind of hard to fight the government when you don't have an attorney, no?'' Aguilar said Monday from his Penasco home. House Speaker Ben Lujan, D-Nambe, is trying to fix that. Lujan successfully pushed a $125,000 appropriation through the Legislature to establish an office to advocate for people like Aguilar, former U.S. Department of Energy workers who file claims to get compensated for their illness and medical expenses related to their jobs. The office has yet to be established, and many details still need to be worked out. But it would be housed under Gov. Bill Richardson's administration, and the money kicks in July 1. ``All we're trying to do is to get the Department of Energy to live up to its obligations,'' Lujan said. ``# Some of these people have legitimate complaints.'' An effort to spend $610,000 on the state advocacy program failed in this year's Legislature, but Lujan was able to get the $125,000 through a Senate appropriations bill. ``We of course felt that the original amount would be able to do a lot more research, but at the very least we wanted to get our foot in the door and keep this issue alive,'' Lujan said. The federal Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Act was spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and became law in 2000. The aim of the program, which is run by the U.S. Department of Labor, is to pay current and former Department of Energy workers for certain cancers and other illnesses caused by toxins. Some claimants have to prove to the government that their illnesses were caused by exposure to radiation or toxins on the job. Others don't, depending on when and where they worked. ``Thousands of workers took part in experiments at LANL -- and only later were some of them determined to be dangerous to their health,'' Bingaman said in a news release. ``I strongly believe they should receive compensation and medical care for the important work they performed.'' Those who can prove radiation-induced cancers can collect $150,000, plus medical expenses. Those who can prove illness from toxins, at certain places, can get up to $250,000 and payment of medical bills. Dr. Maureen Merritt of Nambe supported Lujan's effort and said there's a great need for an advocacy office in the state. ``We hope to help thousands of workers in this state,'' Merritt said. ``That's the idea.'' Aguilar said he was lucky his wife's insurance covered his operation in 2005, which cost more than $40,000. The 57-year-old Penasco native said he worked as a laborer at the lab between 1975 and 1977. ``They had us working with all kinds of contamination,'' Aguilar said. Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827 or alenderman@sfnewmexican.com. Copyright 2007 The New Mexican, Inc. ***************************************************************** 42 Hanford News: Hanford cleanup: Delay requested for tax decision - Senators ask Department of Revenue to allow time for Legislature to act This story was published Tuesday, May 8th, 2007 Chris Mulick, Herald Olympia bureau OLYMPIA - State Sen. Jerome Delvin and Rep. Bill Grant, D-Walla Walla, sent a letter to the Department of Revenue on Monday asking it to hold off on charging Lockheed Martin a higher business tax rate until the Legislature can address it next year. And House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, said recently that he'd be willing to reconsider a bill to resolve the issue that languished during this year's recently completed session. "It is our intention to build on the momentum created by SB 6071/HB 2330 and to introduce similar bills during next year's legislative session," Delvin and Grant wrote in their letter. "Support for such legislation is growing." In 1996 the Legislature approved a preferential business and occupation tax rate of 0.471 percent of gross receipts for contractors cleaning up Hanford. But in 2005 the Department of Revenue revised an agency rule determining what kind of work would qualify for the tax break, indicating that support services would not. Lockheed Martin, which provides information technology services at Hanford, pushed a bill in Olympia this year to clarify that such services would qualify, hoping to not only avoid higher taxes in the future but also a bill for a decade's worth of unpaid taxes. Bills were introduced in both chambers in February but just two weeks before they had to clear their first cutoff hurdles. Even after they failed hope remained one might emerge late in session. Senate leaders indicated they might be willing but House leaders favored tax breaks for other causes. "Jerome and I worked on that but in the end we simply couldn't jar it loose," Gregoire told the Herald recently. Chopp said after the Legislature adjourned that he is willing to take a second look. "The wish list on tax incentives was shrunk," he said. "We were not sure it was the right policy. This one just didn't jell but we're open to considering it in the future." The Department of Revenue estimated the bill would cost the state about $1.1 million a year to start with. Supporters say that's money that will come out of cleanup activities if the tax break isn't allowed. © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 43 Denver Post: Rocky Flats water to be tested By The Associated Press Article Last Updated: 05/08/2007 09:59:20 AM MDT Broomfield - Department of Energy officials plan to send samples of water collected at Rocky Flats to a laboratory in New Mexico to determine if elevated levels of uranium in the samples come from weapons production or naturally occurring. Testing at Los Alamos National Laboratory will pinpoint the isotope, or the exact atomic element, in the samples from the site where plutonium bomb triggers were made from the 1950s until 1989. The levels exceed the limits set by the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement. Scott Surovchak, Rocky Flats site manager for DOEs Office of Legacy Management, said decreased runoff, dropping from hundreds of gallons per minute during production to about a gallon a minute now, could be why levels are elevated. There are 19 surface-water monitors and 126 wells sampling groundwater, with the majority in the 1,313-acre zone in the center of the property that includes the former plant's 380-acre industrial zone. Rocky Flats, about 10 miles northwest of Denver, was shut down after the FBI raided offices there for evidence of alleged environmental crimes. Plant operators eventually reached an $18.5 million plea deal with the government. The meeting was the first update covering a full year since a $7 billion, decade-long cleanup effort was declared completed in October 2005. Much of the site's 6,200 acres is to become a national wildlife refuge. All contents Copyright 2007 The Denver Post or other copyright ***************************************************************** 44 Rocky Mountain News: Rocky Flats water to be tested By Daily Camera May 8, 2007 BROOMFIELD - Department of Energy officials on Monday said they will send samples of water collected at Rocky Flats to a laboratory in New Mexico to determine if elevated levels of uranium in the samples come from weapons production or are naturally occurring. Testing at the Los Alamos National Laboratory will pinpoint the isotope, or the exact atomic element, in the samples from the site where plutonium bomb triggers were made from the 1950s until 1989. The levels exceed the limits set by the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement. Scott Surovchak, Rocky Flats site manager for DOE's Office of Legacy Management, said decreased runoff could be why levels are elevated. There are 19 surface-water monitors and 126 wells sampling groundwater, with most in the 1,313 acres of the property's center that includes the former plant's 380-acre industrial zone. ***************************************************************** 45 Boulder Daily Camera: Uranium part of new, 'natural' Rocky Flats First full year of closure shows quirks of environment By Todd Neff (Contact) Tuesday, May 8, 2007 BROOMFIELD — In the first full year since the end of the Rocky Flats cleanup, the former nuclear-weapons plant site began its transition back to a preindustrial state with few surprises, U.S. Department of Energy officials announced Monday. Of greatest note, they said, are elevated levels of uranium at a surface-water station and one measuring groundwater. The 6,240-acre Rocky Flats site has 19 surface-water monitors and 126 wells sampling groundwater. The majority are in the 1,313-acre zone in the center of the property that includes the former plant's 380-acre industrial zone. DOE will retain the 1,313 acres, with most of the rest planned for transfer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sometime in June for the creation of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge. DOE officials briefed the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council on Monday, discussing the agency's 2006 annual report for the now-deserted site. One of the surface-water monitoring stations, known as GS10, showed elevated readings of radioactive plutonium and americium — products of nuclear-weapons production — during the 10-year, $7 billion Rocky Flats Superfund cleanup officially completed in October 2005. The South Walnut Creek station, just downstream of the heart of the former industrial area, now shows little in terms of those elements. But per liter, there's more uranium, enough that it exceeds the limits set by the Rocky Flats Cleanup Agreement. Scott Surovchak, Rocky Flats site manager for DOE's Office of Legacy Management, said the reason is precisely because Rocky Flats is going natural. Rocky Flats was an industrial city employing thousands of people during production and cleanup, importing millions of gallons of water a year. Most was discharged from the plant's sewage-treatment plant and into natural waterways. There was also major leakage, Surovchak said. Without the additional water, he said, typical stream flows have gone from hundreds of gallons per minute to a gallon a minute. More of the water flowing through streams is from groundwater, which contains more natural uranium, he said. Download the Rocky Flats Annual Report for 2006. Go >> A groundwater monitor just downstream of the plant's original landfill also is finding more uranium than groundwater monitors just upstream of the landfill, Surovchak said. He said DOE officials would be sending samples to Los Alamos National Laboratory for isotope testing. It will show whether the uranium is naturally occurring or a product of weapons production, he said. The original landfill itself is sagging in four places due to settling with moisture, said Jeremiah McLaughlin, operations lead at Rocky Flats for S. M. Stoller Corp., the company handling surveillance and maintenance for DOE at the Rocky Flats site. In addition, new signs at the site's west entrance have "significantly reduced damage from people thinking it was the highway," he said. Contact Camera Staff Writer Todd Neff at 303-473-1327 or nefft@dailycamera.com. 2007 Daily Camera and Boulder Publishing, LLC. . ***************************************************************** 46 PRN: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC Set to Launch Transition at Laboratory 2007-05-08 21:01:27 - LIVERMORE, Calif., May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS), today announced the mobilization of its senior leadership team to prepare for the transition to manage and operate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) selected LLNS to manage and operate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The contract begins Oct. 1, 2007. The new management team includes Bechtel National, University of California, BWX Technologies (BWXT), Washington Group International, and Battelle. The team also includes Texas A&M University. "We are honored and excited that the Department of Energy has selected our team and given us the opportunity to lead this vital national security science laboratory," said LLNS President George Miller, designated director for Lawrence Livermore Lab and the Lab's current director. "As our country continues to respond to threats at home and abroad, our new team will ensure that the employees at Lawrence Livermore are able to continue enhancing our nation's security. LLNS will apply world-class science and technology, business and operation capabilities to the challenges that lie ahead." As one of his first actions as president of LLNS, Miller announced Dr. Steve Liedle, a Bechtel principal vice president, would serve as deputy director at LLNL. Liedle has more than 24 years experience with DOE/NNSA, most recently as deputy general manager of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tenn. "LLNS was created to deliver the best combination of scientific and management expertise," said Gerald Parsky, chairman of the LLNS board of governors and a member of the UC Board of Regents. "Our team is eager to apply our expertise and capabilities to further benefit the Laboratory and the security of our nation." "We are ready to serve," said LLNS Vice Chairman Tom Hash. "George Miller and his team have been preparing for months to assume this tremendous responsibility and provide as smooth a transition as possible for the employees, their families and the community." Hash is chairman and president of Bechtel Systems and Infrastructure, Inc., Bechtel Corporation's government services unit. The LLNS team was formed to manage and operate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory by entities renowned for their expertise and accomplishments throughout the DOE nuclear weapons complex and beyond. Bechtel is the largest project management contractor in the United States. The University of California is the world's largest academic research institution. BWX Technologies and Washington Group International are the top two DOE nuclear facilities contractors and between them manage and operate four of DOE's five safest sites. Battelle is a global leader in science and technology and commercializes technology, performs contract research and manages laboratories for government and industry. The team also includes Texas A&M University, which provides an important academic alliance. The LLNS office currently is located in the Sunset Plaza Building C, 1658 Holmes St., Livermore, or phone 925 960-1485. Information updates on Lawrence Livermore National Security, including biographical profiles of Miller and Liedle, are available at http://www.llnsllc.com/ or by calling (925) 960-1485. Background on the organizations that formed LLNS: BECHTEL Bechtel is a global engineering, construction and project management company with more than a century of experience mastering complex projects in challenging locations. Privately owned, with headquarters in San Francisco, the company has 40,000 employees working in 50 countries. Bechtel National, Inc. (BNI) is supporting national security and U.S. intelligence and defense efforts, developing new technologies to fight terrorism, monitoring the consequences of terrorist acts, designing emergency response programs, and training both military and civilian responders nationwide. Additionally, BNI has broad capabilities and extensive experience in the management of complex, multisite, environmental programs, including environmental cleanup projects at several DOE sites in the United States. BNI's national security work includes managing and operating facilities for the National Nuclear Security Administration. BNI also is a partner in management of NNSA's Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee and the Pantex Plant in Texas, as well as the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. Among its Department of Defense contracts, BNI manages the Kwajalein missile range and supports nonproliferation efforts in the former Soviet Union for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. BNI's portfolio also includes more than 15 years of government laboratory management and support experience. For more news and information about Bechtel National Inc.: http://www.bechtel.com/ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA The University of California, founded in 1868, is a system of 10 campuses with a mission of teaching, research and public service. With 208,000 undergraduate and graduate students, UC is the world's premier public research university. UC has five medical schools, three law schools and the nation's largest continuing education program. Forty-nine researchers affiliated with UC have been awarded Nobel Prizes; 16 of theses prestigious awards have been won since 1995. UC also has 358 members in the National Academy of Sciences, and UC-affiliated researchers have received 48 Medals of Science since Congress created the award in 1959. UC is involved in the management of three national laboratories on behalf of the Department of Energy - Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. For more news and information about the University of California: http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/ BWX TECHNOLOGIES, INC. BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), headquartered in Lynchburg, Va., is the nation's premier manager of complex, high-consequence nuclear and national security operations. Responsible for the operations at the Pantex Plant in Texas and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, along with nuclear operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Idaho National Laboratory, BWXT has a long history in nuclear manufacturing and operations, both in the Department of Energy and at its unique, highly secure, privately owned and operated nuclear manufacturing and laboratory facilities. A supplier of nuclear products and services to the U.S. government and commercial clients for more than 50 years, BWXT has unparalleled experience in nuclear safeguards and security and has been recognized as a model by DOE. BWXT has more than 11,000 employees in 11 states and is a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc., an engineering and construction company with specialty manufacturing and service capabilities, focused on energy infrastructure. For more information about BWXT: http://www.bwxt.com/ or contact Regina W. Carter, BWXT Communications, 1-434-522-5158 or rwcarter@bwxt.com. WASHINGTON GROUP INTERNATIONAL Washington Group International, with headquarters in Boise, Idaho, provides the talent, innovation and proven performance to deliver integrated engineering, construction and management solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. A contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies since 1942 with the Manhattan Project, Washington Group is a leader in providing safe, disciplined operations, risk management and comprehensive environmental services for its customers. Its long history of successful DOE operations continues today with: management and operation contracts at the Savannah River Site (including the Savannah River National Laboratory), the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the West Valley Demonstration Project and its partnerships in the Battelle Energy Alliance for operation of the Idaho National Laboratory and the Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS) partnership to manage Los Alamos National Laboratory. Washington Group also is involved in the Hanford River Closure and Idaho Cleanup Project as well as technical support and consulting projects at Lawrence Livermore and Sandia national laboratories, DOE's Hanford Site, Pantex Plant and Oak Ridge complex. For more news and information about Washington Group International: http://www.wgint.com/ or contact Jack N. Herrmann of Washington Group International Inc., 1-803-502-9791. BATTELLE Battelle is the world's largest non-profit independent research and development organization, with 20,000 employees in more than 120 locations worldwide, including five national laboratories Battelle manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle conducts $3.8 billion in R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Battelle provides innovative solutions to some of the world's most important problems including global climate change, sustainable energy technologies, high-performance materials, next-generation healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, and advanced security solutions for people, infrastructure and the nation. Battelle has a long history of developing successful commercial products in collaboration with its clients, ranging from products to fight diabetes, cancer, and heart disease to the development of the office copier machine (Xerox). As a non-profit charitable trust with an eye toward the future, Battelle actively supports and promotes science and math education. For more information visit http://www.battelle.org/ or contact National Media Relations Manager Katy Delaney at (410) 306-8638 or at delaneyk@battelle.org. Source: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC PRNewswire ***************************************************************** 47 Wired News: Nuke Lab Bunglers' $11 Billion Reward Tuesday,May 08, 2007 Los Alamos gets most of the headlines. But, in recent years, security and safety at its nuclear sister, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been God-awful, too. Barely-armed guards, inhaled plutonium, -- things got so bad that the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration said he wanted to start shipping weapons-grade materials out of the lab by 2014. With all those violations and all those breaches, you'd think that the Energy Department might be a little reluctant to renew the University of California's $1.6 billion-per-year contract to run the lab. Guess not. A consortium led by the University and Bechtel has won the bid to operate Livermore for at least the next seven years. It's a replay, essentially, of what happened to the Los Alamos contract. And the nuke watchdogs at the Project On Government Oversight are slapping their heads in disgust. “Obviously, past performance means nothing to the officials at the Department of Energy,” POGO senior investigator Peter Stockton says in a statement. “It is ridiculous that after years of security breaches and safety debacles DOE would decide that the best way to fix these problems is by hiring the same incompetent contractors. This decision truly fits the definition of ‘insanity.’” Posted by Noah Shachtman6:18:38 PMinLos Alamos and Labs "Obviously, past performance means nothing to the officials at the Department of Energy" You mean like that whole nuclear bomb designing thing? Or that hydrogen bomb designing thing? Or being the largest research institution on the planet? Maybe, just maybe, the Department valued the actual work the labs are supposed to accomplish, and not the amount of noise POGO was able to generate in any given week... Posted by: POGO is not an authority on anything | May 8, 2007 6:28:05 PM 2007 CondNet, Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 48 NAS: Project: Evaluation of Quantification of Margins and Uncertainty (QMU) Methodology Applied to the Certification of the Nation's Nuclear Weapons Stockpile PIN: DEPS-L-06-03-A Major Unit: Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences Sub Unit: RSO: Rowberg, Richard Subject/Focus Area: Project Scope In accordance with Section 3116 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2007, P.L. 109-364, an ad hoc committee will provide an independent assessment and evaluation of the Quantification of Margins and Uncertainty (QMU) Methodology employed by the national laboratories for assessing and certifying the safety and reliability of the nuclear stockpile. Specifically, the study committee will evaluate the following: (1) The use of the quantification of margins and uncertainty methodology by the national security laboratories, including underlying assumptions of weapons performance and the ability of modeling and simulation tools to predict nuclear explosive package characteristics. (2) The manner in which that methodology is used to conduct the annual assessments of the nuclear weapons stockpile. (3) How the use of that methodology compares and contrasts between the national security laboratories. (4) Whether the application of the quantification of margins and uncertainty used for annual assessments and certification of the nuclear weapons stockpile can be applied to the planned Reliable Replacement Warhead program so as to carry out the objective of that program to reduce the likelihood of the resumption of underground testing of nuclear weapons. In assessing the QMU methodology, the study committee will examine the interplay between existing and planned experimental and related activities of the directed stockpile work and the science and technology campaigns and application of the QMU. The objective of this analysis is to determine whether the data provided for the use of the QMU methodology and related quantitative computer simulations are adequate to make the assessments necessary to certify the reliability and safety of the stockpile. This additional element will also recommend how QMU can support the stockpile stewardship program's goals to capture and preserve the nation's core intellectual and technical competence in nuclear weapons. Project sponsored by NNSA of the Department of Energy. Approximate start date is March 2, 2007. The study will produce two reports one interim report and one final report. Project Duration: 21 months Provide FEEDBACK on this project. Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry or to schedule an appointment to view project materials available to the public. Committee Membership Meetings Meeting 1 - 05/04/2007 Meeting 2 - 05/17/2007 Reports Reports having no URL can be seen at the Public Access Records Office Email: info@nas.edu ***************************************************************** 49 KOB.com: Los Alamos lab recovers radioactive sources Posted at: 05/07/2007 07:32:15 PM By: Todd Dukart LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - Experts at Los Alamos National Laboratory have reached a significant milestone by recovering and securing more than 15,000 radioactive sources from around the country. The radioactive sources come from businesses and academic institutions that no longer need the materials. They can include plutonium, americium and cesium that was once used in applications ranging from nuclear-powered cardiac pacemakers to gauges used in the production of paper. The materials have been gathered by the Los Alamos team for several years in an effort to protect the country. The lab says it reached the 15,000 mark today with the delivery of several small sealed radioactive sources from an industrial gauge manufacturer near Los Angeles that had used the material in a measurement device. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************