***************************************************************** 05/15/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.114 ***************************************************************** 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 ITAR-TASS: N Korea's debt should be repaid to Russia as soon as poss 2 US: Tell Congress: No New Nukes, No Reckless Missile Defense 3 Reuters: U.S., Russia to calm rhetoric but disputes remain 4 US: UPI: Tenet to testify with Rice on Niger claim 5 ITAR-TASS: Pulikovsky discusses nuclear problems in Washington 6 Guardian Unlimited: Rice and Putin Talk in Russia Tuesday 7 AFP: Rice, Putin hold tense Moscow talks - NUCLEAR REACTORS 8 US: [NukeNet] Major Security Breach at Palisades Nuclear Plant 9 US: How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke and Launched the Glob 10 US: NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear P 11 The Australian: Faith in nukes to combat warming 12 The Australian: Skills shortages undermining nuclear push 13 US: Charlotte Observer: Wake nuke plant dispute has wide implication 14 WNN: Nuclear key to Japan's climate plans 15 US: newsobserver.com: Nuke plant guards cheated 16 US: NRC: NRC Authorizes Restart of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 17 RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear contractor tests Tianwan NPP ahead of s 18 US: toledoblade.com: Reactor owner in hot water with NRC 19 US: Inside Bay Area: Clergyman decries nuke funding 20 US: NRC: NRC Approves Final Rule on Expanded Definition of Byproduct 21 US: Brattleboro Reformer: NRC discusses Yankee safety 22 Hamilton Spectator: Nuclear power is a failed '50s dream 23 IAEA: Nuclear Energy Stays in Picture of Sustainable Development 24 New Scientist: Russia to build nuclear reactor in Myanmar - 25 Reuters: Russia to build nuclear reactor in Myanmar 26 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting May 22 on Work Authorizations fo 27 Reuters: RWE has no indication of EDF preparing takeover 28 UPI: Russia, Myanmar sign nuclear deal 29 UPI: British utility eyes nuclear 30 FOCUS Information Agency: Romania Libera: Nuclear threat from Cernav 31 US: BostonNOW: College nukes a 'disaster' next door? - How the rules 32 US: NRC: NRC Demands Information from First Energy Regarding Davis-B 33 Scotsman.com: Opinion - Energy is an ethical dilemma 34 AFP: Russia to build nuclear centre in sanctions-hit Myanmar - 35 AFP: World faces 5-year deadline for decisions on climate change - W 36 US: Huntsville Times: TVA gets OK to restart Unit 1 at Browns Ferry 37 US: KnoxNews: Nuclear restart OK'd at Browns Ferry NUCLEAR SECURITY 38 US: Public Citizen: Public Citizen and San Luis Obispo Mothers for NUCLEAR SAFETY 39 US: [NYTr] Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills 40 Taranaki Daily: Nuke-tests study poses questions for Taranaki man - 41 US: HeraldTribune.com: Casualties of the Cold War 42 US: KPUA Hawaii: Critics want to watch Army for depleted uranium 43 US: UPI: DHS to test rail security technology 44 US: More Delays on OSHAs Latest Agenda: Beryllium standards delayed 45 AU ABC: Australian nuclear test veterans plan legal action 46 AU ABC: Government considers NZ radiation findings. 47 Whitehaven News: New fears over body parts scandal NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 48 US: Waste from nuke weapons facilities released to reguilar landfill 49 US: ENS: Feds Offer $60 Million to Jumpstart Nuclear Fuel Recycling 50 US: ENS: U.S. Allows Radioactive Materials in Ordinary Landfills 51 ReviewJournal.com: ERIN NEFF: Obama and Yucca 52 US: Chillicothe Gazette: Famous activist Brockovich signs petition a 53 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Tailing failing 54 US: AU ABC: ALP uranium policy change 'aids acceptance'. 55 Scotsman.com News: Waste plant ruled out of Dounreay jobs recovery 56 This is Guernsey: Nuclear Waste 57 US: The Australian: Half of Australians 'support uranium mining' PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 58 [NukeNet] URGENT sign-on letter to support UC student hunger striker 59 DOE: Energy Dept. Awards $11.2 Million for Hydrogen Research 60 Tri-City Herald: Department of Revenue: Put brakes on Hanford tax 61 Daily Nexus: UCs Should Separate From Nuclear Plants - 62 KVII Online: The Strike Continues 63 NAS: Project: Review of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & 64 KOB.com: Ex-archivist pleads guilty in classified docs case ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 ITAR-TASS: N Korea's debt should be repaid to Russia as soon as possible - Pulikovsky 15.05.2007, 11.01 WASHINGTON, May 15 (Itar-Tass) -- North Korea’s debt to Russia should be repaid as soon as possible, the co-chairman of the Russian-North Korean intergovernmental committee for trade-economic and scientific-technical cooperation and the head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management, Konstantin Pulikovsky told Russian reporters here in comments about Russia’s position on North Korea’ s debt problem. “In March the committee held its meeting in Moscow. The main achievement is that the meeting was held at all. I as the co-chairman of the committee is satisfied that the committee managed to hold its meeting seven years later,” Pulikovsky emphasized. “We are working (on issues, which are put on the protocol for further cooperation – Itar-Tass), and I think we will advance forward in the course of the year,” he pointed out. “In spring 2008 we will meet again and make first steps for our further cooperation,” Pulikovsky went on to say. “Why first? Because the committee has not worked for seven years. For this period of time people, circumstances and approaches have changed,” he remarked. “Our country’s approach – the debt should be repaid and the quicker, the better,” Pulikovsky indicated. “It was stated so to the North Korean side. We offered to them several solutions envisaging joint economic activities. Commercial organisations, which are ready to cooperate with North Korea, were found. They are ready to receive common incomes and deduct some part of these incomes for the debt repayment,” he noted. “We were waiting for them to offer various variants of the debt repayment. But it did not happen,” Pulikovsky said. However, Pulikovsky noted, “The North Korean side left Moscow quite satisfied.” “A relevant agreement exists that the protocol will be in effect, if all guarantees, which were agreed on during the six-party talks (on North Korea’s nuclear problem), are observed,” the Russian co-chairman of the committee added. “If the six-party agreements are observed, cooperation between Russia and North Korea will develop. For our part, everything is done for this,” Pulikovsky said. “There is much talk about North Korea’s debt repayment,” Pulikovsky underlined. “This decision is not economic, not within the framework of the intergovernmental committee. This decision is only political, which both sides will fulfill,” he said. North Korea’s debt to Russia exceeds eight billion dollars. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 2 Tell Congress: No New Nukes, No Reckless Missile Defense Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 18:59:01 -0700 Peace Action West E-Alert! Become a Member >>> My Profile >>> TELL YOUR FRIENDS This week, the House of Representatives will debate the Defense budget for the coming year. Already, Congress has thrown up some roadblocks for the development of new nuclear weapons?the committee preparing the budget bill slowed the so-called Reliable Replacement Warhead program and eliminated funds for the initial phase of a new nuclear bomb plant. But Congress can and should do better. As the House of Representatives debates the Defense budget, amendments may be offered to completely eliminate the Reliable Replacement Warhead and significantly reduce funds for a provocative missile defense system. Can you help build momentum for this important action with a letter to your representative? *Click here to write yours now.* In its 2002 Nuclear Posture Review, the Bush administration laid out a clear plan to expand the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal with new, so-called "useable" nuclear weapons, and outlined the possibility of using these weapons in a nuclear preemptive strike. However, Congress defeated the administration's initial attempts to fund new weapons such as the nuclear bunker buster and the Advanced Concepts program. Having learned from their defeat, the administration came back with a revised strategy, arguing that our current stockpile of nuclear weapons is "unreliable" and needs to be updated. The Bush administration calls this new weapon the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW). Though scientific experts have proven that there's no need for such a weapon, and foreign policy experts have demonstrated that building this weapon would encourage other countries to do the same, the President's FY2008 budget requested over $100 million for the reckless program. Similarly, the administration's missile defense programs would cost billions to develop and deploy, yet cannot provide an effective defense because they are vulnerable to simple countermeasures. Like the developement of new nuclear weapons, missile defense programs encourage an international arms race. *Write your representative and ask that they support the eliminating funds for new nukes, and cutting funds for missile defense. * Thanks for taking action and we'll keep you updated on the Defense budget's progression through Congress over the next few months. Thank you, Erin Sikorsky-Stewart Political Director *Iraq Vote Update* A big thanks to all of you who acted at the last minute to call your representative about the McGovern Iraq withdrawal bill last week. Though the bill didn't pass, 171 representatives voted in favor of it?a huge increase from where we were at this time last year. Every step in this direction helps build the pressure to end the war, and your activism is the key. Click here to see how your representative voted. *Upcoming Nuclear Weapons Events* Please join Peace Action West for two important events we're cosponsoring in the coming months: "The Path Towards Zero Nuclear Weapons" in Walnut Creek, CA and "A New Hydrogen Bomb?" In Los Angeles. *Click here for more information. * *Attend our Trainings* California's primary is scheduled for February 5, 2008, and the candidates are already spending a lot of time in the Golden State. At every public appearance, they should have to answer questions about ending the war in Iraq, getting rid of nuclear weapons, or increasing U.S. leadership for peace in the world. *Sign up to attend our birddogging trainings and learn how to get the candidates on record. * This is a message from Peace Action West 2800 Adeline Street Berkeley, CA 94703 510.849.2272 To subscribe to this list visit here . To unsubscribe from this list visit our unsubscribe page To update your preferences and contact information visit our preferences page ***************************************************************** 3 Reuters: U.S., Russia to calm rhetoric but disputes remain 11:39PM EDT, Tue 15 May 2007 By Arshad Mohammed MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday Russia could not veto American plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe but added that the two countries had agreed to tone down their rhetoric. Recent harsh remarks have revived memories of the Cold War, capped by a speech by Russian President Vladimir Putin last week commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany, when he seemed to compare U.S. foreign policy to that of the Third Reich. After meeting Putin at his residence, Rice told reporters "the rhetoric is not helpful, it is disturbing to Americans who are trying to do our best to maintain an even relationship." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed, telling reporters Putin had "supported the American side's understanding that it's necessary to tone down the rhetoric in public statements and concentrate on concrete business." However, both said they failed to bridge many differences, including over U.S. plans to put 10 missile interceptors in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic as part of a system to shield Europe from missile attack. Russia has attacked the U.S. plan, designed to counter potential aggressors, as a threat to its security. While repeating the U.S. offer to cooperate with Russia on the system, Rice made clear that the United States would build it over Russian objections if necessary. "The United States needs to be able to move forward to use technology to defend itself and we're going to do that." Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 UPI: Tenet to testify with Rice on Niger claim United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing Published: May 15, 2007 at 11:56 AM E-mail Story | Print Preview | License WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- A U.S. House oversight committee is setting up what could be a controversial hearing pitting a former CIA director against the secretary of state. At issue is how the erroneous intelligence claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium from Niger -- a key plank in the platform for the U.S. invasion -- made it into President George W. Bush's State of the Union Speech. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was national security adviser in 2003, claims she has no knowledge of how the claim made it into the speech, and also says she read the speech prior to its delivery and believed the intelligence to be true. In 2005 she told the Senate that she did not recall discussing that particular finding with either her then-deputy, Stephen Hadley, or with the director of the CIA at the time, George Tenet. Committee Chairman Henry Waxman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform announced Monday that Tenet will appear with Rice at a hearing June 19 to discuss the matter, so he will be able to ask Tenet himself whether they had a conversation about the claim, which was sourced by the president to "British intelligence." In October 2002, Tenet wrote a memo questioning the accuracy of the Niger claim, an intelligence finding that was later revealed to have been based on forged documents. The memo caused a reference to the Niger uranium plot to be stripped out of a 2002 presidential speech. "(1) The evidence is weak. One of the two mines cited by the source as the location of the uranium oxide is flooded. The other mine cited by the source is under the control of French authorities; (2) the procurement is not particularly significant to Iraq's nuclear ambitions; and (3) we have shared points one and two with Congress, telling them the Africa story is overblown and telling them this was one of two issues where we differed with the British," Tenet wrote in his memoir, referencing the memo to Hadley. Rice has said she was unaware that Tenet had objected to the inclusion of the claim until 10 months later. Del.icio.us | Digg it | RSS © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. United Press International, UPI, the UPI logo, and other trademarks and service marks, are registered or unregistered trademarks of United Press International, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. ***************************************************************** 5 ITAR-TASS: Pulikovsky discusses nuclear problems in Washington 15.05.2007, 13.57 WASHINGTON, May 15 (Itar-Tass) - Head of the Federal Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Monitoring Service Konstantin Pulikovsky has discussed here the ways to promote joint control over the work of the nuclear sector of the economy and to guarantee radiation safety. He had two meetings on Monday – with Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dale Klein and with Acting Administrator of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. William Ostendorff. “The main purpose of my visit to the United States was to deliver a report to the fifteenth session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development,” Pulikovsky said in reply to an Itar-Tass question. “Russia’s stand was heeded. It is very difficult to approximate the stands of different countries on problems of sustainable development, that is the stands of the developing nations and of those that are who are in a very difficult economic predicament,” he stated. “I could not bypass Washington,” Pulikovsky added. Due to several reasons I was unable to attend the annual meeting of the Nuclear Regulatory Commissionl, though the Americans had invited me to come. This is why I have availed myself of this possibility. We have discussed many problems of interaction and control. It so happened that Russia and America had almost simultaneously announced their unprecedented plans to develop the nuclear energy systems. Russia did it first and America followed suit. However, nuclear energy development calls for tougher controls,” Pulikovsky underscored. This is why “we are now engaged in very active joint work on normative problems and on the training of personnel,” he added. “Our officials are regularly coming here and we are inviting the Americans to come to our country, too. We are exchanging suggestions and there are some things we can certainly learn from them,” Pulikovsky noted. “I, for instance, appreciate the management system within the Commission. It has five members. The U.S. president appoints three of the, and the two houses of the Congress – one each. They are independent. They are appointed for terms of five years each and nobody has the right to dismiss them. This makes for the independent assessment of radiation security without looking back on anybody… I am now working on a package of documents for the cabinet and the president. I will offer something similar to be done in our country, too” he stressed. Pulikovsky will have a meeting with the leading officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, store ***************************************************************** 6 Guardian Unlimited: Rice and Putin Talk in Russia Tuesday From the Associated Press Tuesday May 15, 2007 12:46 PM By MATTHEW LEE Associated Press Writer MOSCOW (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice opened talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials Tuesday after acknowledging growing diplomatic tension over a host of issues including the proposed missile defense system for Europe. Rice was meeting with Putin, national security adviser Igor Ivanov, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov as well as Russian civic leaders in a bid to soothe tensions between Washington and Moscow. She said Monday that now was a time for ``intensive diplomacy'' and that Washington is committed to working through the problems that also include Russia's threat to suspend a major military treaty and Moscow's opposition to a U.N. plan for Kosovo independence. There is also growing U.S. concern about Moscow's treatment of its former Soviet neighbors and steps that Putin has taken to consolidate power in the Kremlin - seen as democratic backsliding as Russia prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections next year. ``I don't throw around terms like 'new Cold War,''' Rice said. ``It is a big, complicated relationship, but it is not one that is anything like the implacable hostility'' between the United States and the Soviet Union for a half-century after World War II. ``It is not an easy time in the relationship, but it is also not, I think, a time in which cataclysmic things are affecting the relationship or catastrophic things are happening in the relationship,'' Rice told reporters as she headed here. She noted that the United States and Russia are working together in numerous areas: on Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, the global spread of weapons of mass destruction and efforts to achieve Middle East peace. But her visit comes as the two nations have traded increasingly sharp barbs, despite ostensibly warm personal feelings between Putin and President Bush, who spoke to each other just last week and are expected to meet at a summit of leaders in Germany next month. A planned event Tuesday at which Rice and Putin were to be photographed together and make brief remarks was canceled by the Kremlin and a senior Russian diplomat warned the U.S. not to try to go it alone in world affairs. In April, simmering Russian anger over U.S. plans to place missile defense components in Poland and the Czech Republic, both former Warsaw Pact members, boiled over despite Washington's pledges to cooperate with Moscow on the system. Russia views the plan as an attempt to alter the strategic balance. Rice has dismissed such concerns as ``ludicrous,'' but top Russian military officials have hinted the system might be targeted. Last month, hours before the United States and its NATO allies met in Norway to discuss the matter, Putin threatened to suspend Russia's participation in a key treaty limiting military deployments in Europe. Rice says that NATO and the United States want to keep the Conventional Forces in Europe pact alive but cannot unless Russia abides with its treaty commitments. Russia views U.S. activity in its former sphere of influence with growing suspicion. Just last week, Putin denounced ``disrespect for human life, claims to global exclusiveness and dictate, just as it was in the time of the Third Reich.'' The Kremlin insisted that Putin had not meant to compare the Bush administration's policies with those of Nazi Germany, but the reference appeared to highlight Russia's annoyance at what it sees as U.S. domination of world affairs and meddling in Russian politics. In addition to discussion of missile defenses, she said she would push the Russians on accepting a U.N. proposal for supervised independence for Kosovo, now a U.N.-administered province in Russian-allied Serbia, that Moscow has threatened to block. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 7 AFP: Rice, Putin hold tense Moscow talks - Tue May 15, 7:44 AM MOSCOW (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday on a visit aimed at allaying Russian complaints of American interference in both the military and political spheres. The meeting at a presidential residence outside Moscow came amid an escalation of tensions, with Russian newspapers warning of deep-seated differences in the US-Russian relationship. Earlier Rice -- who made highly critical comments on the eve of her visit about the state of democracy in Russia -- met civil society leaders but avoided controversy by not meeting with human rights organisations critical of Putin's rule. Russia has bridled at what it sees as American interference, not only in the area of democracy but also US plans to extend missile defences to central Europe, as well as Washington's backing for a UN plan for Kosovo's independence and possible enlargement of the NATO military alliance. At a US embassy meeting Rice told the five civil society leaders, who represented business, the media, aid and politics, that Washington had no intention of interfering in Russian politics, said one of those present. "From what I see, the name of the game is damage limitation. Her message was the United States is here to assist and the United States is not in the business of a new Cold War with Russia," said Andrei Kortunov, from US-funded development group the New Eurasia Foundation. The absence of human rights activists, who have had the chance to air their views on previous high-level American visits, prompted a dismissive response from Svetlana Gannushkina of the respected rights organisation Memorial. "We'd like to have support from countries that consider themselves democratic and clear statements on what's happening in Russia, but how could we expect that from (President George W.) Bush?" Russian newspapers were generally downbeat on the state of relations. The independent Vremya Novostei declared that "Rice doesn't feel the cold" and warned that current tensions did not bode well for Putin's forthcoming encounter with Bush at the Group of Eight summit next month. But the Gazeta newspaper said there might be room for compromise on the status of the Serbian province of Kosovo, on which the United States is keen to secure a settlement. Russia has opposed a US-backed UN plan to grant supervised independence to the ethnic-Albanian-majority province, saying that any settlement must be agreeable to Belgrade. Rice's "visit will be key to the fate of the Serbian province.... It is this question that will be at the centre of negotiators' attention today," Gazeta predicted. Rice on Monday forcefully rejected talk of a new Cold War with Russia, saying that despite the harder stance by both sides, any suggestion that US-Russian relations could become as bad as they were in the Soviet era "have no basis whatsoever." The top US diplomat told journalists travelling with her that she would raise US concerns over anti-democratic developments in Russia and "heavy-handed" moves by Moscow against some former Soviet bloc neighbours. Putin has railed against US policy in recent months and last week made a speech interpreted by some analysts as comparing US foreign policy "diktats" to the actions of the Third Reich in Nazi Germany. In downplaying such differences, Rice noted that Moscow and Washington were working together through the United Nations on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear threats, on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, on non-proliferation, and to support Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation. Moscow has sharply criticised US plans to place 10 anti-missile interceptors in Poland and a tracking radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its own strategic defences. In response, Putin announced last month that he was suspending Russian compliance with a key East-West arms pact, the CFE treaty. ***************************************************************** 8 [NukeNet] Major Security Breach at Palisades Nuclear Plant Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 18:57:21 -0700 *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* MAY 15, 2007 8:56 AM *CONTACT: Nuclear Information and Resource Service * Kevin Kamps, 301.270.6477 (o) or 240.462.3216 (cell) *Major Security Breach at Palisades Nuclear Plant * TAKOMA PARK, MD - May 15 - A story appearing in the June edition of Esquire magazine that reveals a major security breach at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Covert, Michigan, confirms that reactor security around the country is grossly inadequate according to specialists in the field. Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and its allies today called on the U.S. Congress to investigate the security breach at Palisades. The Esquire story, entitled “Mercenary,” details how the head of Palisades security – William E. Clark – had largely fabricated his background, experience and security credentials presenting himself as an expert on armed deterrence. Clark has since resigned his position. “Mercenary” reveals that officials at the Palisades nuclear power plant failed to detect false assertions in Clark’s resume that claimed he had high level security clearance from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Clark also passed a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)-regulated background check. He was hired by the plant’s previous owner, Consumers Energy Company, and operator, Nuclear Management Company, a year and a half ago, but was kept on by the new owner and operator, Entergy, since it acquired Palisades one month ago. The article can be found at http://www.esquire.com/features/mercenary0607. “What’s disturbing is not only that Palisades hired an individual who claimed to be an experienced assassin but that apparently no one verified his false claim to have DOD clearance,” said Kevin Kamps, nuclear waste specialist at NIRS. “This has serious implications for security at all 103 reactors across the country. It begs the question as to what would have happened if Mohamed Atta had decided to fake a resume rather than fly a plane, and earned a top-level security job at a nuclear power plant.” The article describes how Clark convinced NRC officials, as well as Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents, to support and even join his “Viper team,” a supposedly “elite strike force” he set up at Palisades. According to Esquire, FBI agents and NRC officials attended a “Viper team” presentation by Clark hosted at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C. The federal officials reportedly considered establishing Clark’s “Viper teams” at nuclear power plants across the U.S., the article said. “If what Esquire says about Clark is true, I surely hope Entergy and Consumers have formally notified the NRC, FBI, and DHS of the revelations by now,” said Terry Lodge, an attorney based in Toledo, OH who represents citizens in interventions against Palisades. “Apparently a journalist can do a much better background check than Entergy and Consumers security officials. Entergy has also had security problems at the Indian Point reactors near New York City. The NRC must reconsider whether Entergy can guarantee the safe operation of Palisades, and one hundred per cent protection of the high-level radioactive waste still stored at Big Rock Point in northern Michigan,” Lodge said. “Despite the NRC claim that the 9/11 attacks prompted a “top to bottom” security review, it did not detect Clark’s deceptions or act upon his apparent erratic behavior as described in the article,” Kamps added. “Palisades’ reactor and waste storage facilities hold potentially catastrophic amounts of radioactivity, at continual risk of release into the environment due to accident or attack,” said Kamps. “This incident clearly shows that private companies and government agencies who are supposed to protect public health, safety, security, and the environment are incompetent at doing so.” NIRS has called on Congress to investigate the failures at NRC, FBI, DHS and the nuclear utilities involved at Palisades and to explore whether similar problems exist with security at other nuclear power plants across the country. It will also re-apply to NRC for hearings on its security-related contentions at Palisades and Big Rock, which had previously been rejected, based on the new information revealed by Esquire. ### http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0515-03.htm - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Switching from coal to nukes," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's global warming program, "is like giving up smoking and taking up crack." "Americans cannot escape a certain responsibility for what is done in our name around the world. In a democracy, even one as corrupted as ours, ultimate authority rests with the people. We empower the government with our votes, finance it with our taxes, bolster it with our silent acquiescence. If we are passive in the face of America's official actions overseas, we in effect endorse them." - Mark Hertzgaard ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) ***************************************************************** 9 How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke and Launched the Global Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 19:06:41 -0700 http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/13/1160/ How Creative Mass Non-Violence Beat a Nuke and Launched the Global Green Power Movement By Harvey Wasserman CommonDreams.org Sunday 13 May 2007 Thirty years ago this month, in the small seacoast town of Seabrook, New Hampshire, a force of mass non-violent green advocacy collided with the nuke establishment. A definitive victory over corporate power was won. And the global grassroots "No Nukes" movement emerged as one of the most important and effective in human history. It still writes the bottom line on atomic energy and global warming. All today's green energy battles can be dated to May, 13, 1977, when 550 Clamshell Alliance protestors walked victoriously free after thirteen days of media-saturated imprisonment. Not a single US reactor ordered since that day has been completed. In the classic tradition of New England democracy, it all started when the tiny town of Seabrook voted four times against the construction of a mammoth twin reactor complex aimed at the salt marshes along its seashore. The site is at the very southeast corner of New Hampshire, where the Granite State meets Massachusetts and the Atlantic. All other towns within a ten-mile radius of the proposed plant joined the opposition, including those in Massachusetts. The absurdly mis-named Public Service Company of New Hampshire offered the cash-strapped communities major economic bribes. But local stalwarts feared disruption of their lives, destruction of the local fishing industry, ecological desolation of the marshes and the dangers of radiation. So a de facto coalition rose up that joined extremely conservative locals with the very peace activists they had bitterly denounced for marching against the Vietnam War, which was just ending. Many were new to the environmental cause, having moved to communal farms in rural areas where they became acquainted for the first time with trees, grass and gardens. The coalition was joined by Quaker stalwarts from Boston who helped introduce many of the youthful demonstrators to the art and politics of creative non-violence. Forming the Clamshell Alliance, they began small-scale civil disobedience at the Seabrook site, which was just then being bulldozed. On August 1, 1976, 18 New Hampshirites were arrested there. On August 22, 180 from around New England were dragged away. In October, at a nearby seaside park, the Alliance staged an Alternative Energy Fair. They drew on the experiences of the Toward Tomorrow Fair, recently held at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The conference's godfather was William Heronemus, who pioneered a vision of huge windmill arrays off-shore and in the Great Plains, which he dubbed "the Saudi Arabia of Wind." Also speaking was a young Oxford don named Amory Lovins, who helped conceive an ultra-efficient world powered by renewable energy. From these gatherings came a "Solartopian" vision of a fossil/nuke-free economy, powered by green energy, that the Clamshell demonstrators carried with them onto the Seabrook site. They were battling not just nuclear power, but an obsolete "King CONG" paradigm centered on coal, oil, nukes and gas. Once the immense resources being wasted on nukes and unclean fossil fuels were shifted to renewables and efficiency, they said, a green-powered Earth would come. On April 30, 1977, about 2,000 Clams poured onto the Seabrook site from numerous directions. Key to the months of prior planning was the requirement that all who came to occupy the site be trained in small "affinity groups." The sessions included discussions of the theory of non-violence, and active role playing in which demonstrators would take turns practicing the rituals of both arresting and being arrested. (These sessions are documented in the Green Mountain Post film "Training for Non-Violence" available via www.gmpfilms.com.) Technically, the Clams' commitment was to shut construction altogether. The theoretical model came from Wyhl, West Germany, where a mass grassroots occupation stopped a proposed nuclear facility. The Wyhl campaign helped birth a social movement that's led to Germany's renunciation of nuke power, a multi-billion-dollar boom in green power and what may be the world's most efficient industrial economy. New Hampshire's extreme right-wing Gov. Meldrim Thomson wanted none of it. He demanded that the state police bar the demonstrators from the site altogether. But the patrol was worried about chaos on local highways, especially the nearby Interstate 95. They preferred to let the Clams march onto the bulldozed construction site, where they could be easily herded onto buses and hauled to local courts for arraignment. The 1414 arrests proceeded deep into the night. No instances of violence were reported, and no one was seriously injured. The Clams' expectation was to be booked and freed on personal recognizance, as in the previous actions. They had volunteered to be arrested. They had come to state their case that stopping nuke power served a higher good. But early in the evening, a livid Gov. Thomson helicoptered into the seacoast. He demanded that the detainees from out of state pay bail. Most refused. In solidarity, so did most of the New Hampshirites. Next morning, the nation awoke to read that more than a thousand non-violent protestors were being held in five National Guard armories spread around the state of New Hampshire. At the crucial moment, Thomson's attorney general (none other than David Souter, now a "liberal" associate of the U.S. Supreme Court) swooped into the seacoast and browbeat a local judge into requiring bail. The Clams stiffened. The epic confrontation was on. The global media had a field day. The Guard in Manchester, the biggest of the armories, was forced to visit a local McDonalds to buy hundreds of hamburgers for their unexpected "guests" (many were vegetarians and would eat only the buns). Gov. Thomson, who constantly railed at neighboring Massachusetts, advocated arming the New Hampshire National Guard with nuclear weapons. But for the first time ever, the world's print and electronic journalists gave serious focus to nuke power's fatal flaws. The question of whether to build more reactors got the kind of thoughtful, responsive coverage that left the American mainstream with the coming of Ronald Reagan. Thomson wouldn't budge on bail. Beckoned by jobs and families, a steady flow did exit the armories. But a hard core stayed. Charles Matthei refused to eat or drink at all. Edgy officers finally put him (gently, and unindicted) out on the street. Staunch New Hampshire conservatives cringed in embarrassment. The mass imprisonment cost the state's notoriously thrifty taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars per day. Finally, on Friday, May 13, Thomson caved. Some 550 Clams walked free, pledging to return for their trials (which they did) with no bail posted. The standoff sparked a global movement against atomic power and for green energy. Dozens of alliances sprouted up at US reactor sites. California's Abalone Alliance led thousands of arrests at Diablo Canyon, perched perilously close to a major earthquake fault. The Trojan Decommissioning Alliance eventually shut Oregon's only nuke. At Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island, protestors demanded - unsuccessfully - that Unit Two not open. TMI all but undid Jimmy Carter. Carter campaigned in New Hampshire in August, 1976, as the Clamshell staged its first protests. For a documentary crew from Green Mountain Post Films he outlined a series of requirements he pledged to enforce before any new reactor could open. Neither Seabrook nor TMI could meet them. But construction continued at Seabrook anyway. TMI went critical in December, 1978, then melted three months later. Carter did fund pioneer green energy work at the Solar Energy Research Institute (now the National Renewable Energy Lab) in Golden, Colorado. But the reactor battles proved politically disastrous. The ultimate blow came when TMI-2 melted in the wee hours of March 28, 1979. Had it not been for the demonstrations at Seabrook and elsewhere, the accident might have garnered a few paragraphs in the local papers. But inspired in part by the protests, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas's China Syndrome, happened to open in theaters just as TMI went to the brink. The industry took the double body blow of a terrifying disaster and a Hollywood blockbuster. Ironically, Carter's greatest triumph, the signing of the Camp David accords, had just been consummated at the White House on March 26. For thirty-six hours the president basked in an afterglow that might have helped him coast to re-election. But, suddenly, there he was in the TMI control room, dressed in protective booties, desperately doing damage control. Had the public and Jimmy Carter's career been spared the openings of Seabrook and TMI, the world might be a very different place. The grassroots alliances helped drive the nuke industry into dormancy. Seabrook Unit I was eventually finished. But Unit 2 is a rotting hulk, every bit as useless (but not quite as radioactive) as TMI-2. Richard Nixon had pledged to build 1000 nukes in the US by the year 2000. But the industry peaked at less than 120. Today, just over a hundred operate. No US reactor ordered since 1974 has been completed. The Seabrook demonstrations - which extended to civil disobedience actions on Wall Street - were key to keeping nearly 880 US reactors unbuilt. Nixon's nuke backers thought they could solve the Arab oil embargo. But rising oil prices helped doom reactor construction. In construction and in fuel enrichment, nukes depend on fossil fuels that emit greenhouse gases and are in increasingly short supply. Another round of rising oil prices could easily doom another round of proposed reactors, as could impending shortages of raw uranium. As in the 1970s, the cost calculations for new reactors that are fictional wish lists. Despite millions in PR hype, there is no core Wall Street funding for new nukes or reliable private insurance for liability in case of a major accident. There is also no solution to the problems of waste storage or terror attacks. Whatever economic case there might have been for atomic energy thirty years ago has long since disappeared. The global grassroots movement that emerged from those New Hampshire armories was savvy, well-organized and passionate. It defined the Solartopian paradigm of an energy-efficient, fossil/nuke-free world powered by renewables. Tens of thousands of arrests have followed at hundreds of No Nukes demonstrations. But no non-violent reactor opponent or arresting officer has been seriously injured. It is an epic monument to the evolution of peaceful civil disobedience as an effective agent of social change. Thirty years since construction began at Seabrook, it is a given that any new reactor construction will be accompanied by mass arrests, huge cost overruns, and profound political and financial instability. By contrast, the prices for renewables and efficiency have plummeted. While reactor construction has gone nowhere, wind, solar and bio-fuels have become reliable multi-billion-dollar money-makers enjoying double-digit growth rates. The revolution in green power is poised to do for emerging Solartopian economies of the next quarter-century what the computer revolution did for the last. Those 550 Clamshell activists who held fast in Mel Thomson's armories thirty years ago opened the door for a brave renewable world. Their astonishing victory on May 13, 1977, still testifies to the power of mass non-violence - and to the coming reality of a green-powered planet. Harvey Wasserman helped co-ordinate media for the Clamshell Alliance, 1976-8. He was arrested at Diablo Canyon in 1984 and at Seabrook in 1989, and is author of "SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH, A.D. 2030" (http://www.solartopia.org/). He is senior editor of http://www.freepress.org/, where this article first appeared. -- Cheers, Henry Schwan "Toleration of people who differ in convictions and habits requires a residual awareness of the complexity of truth and the possibility of an opposing view having some light on one or the other facet of a many-sided truth." -- Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) ***************************************************************** 10 NRC: NRC to Discuss 2006 Assessment for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Plant at Public Meeting Scheduled for May 22 News Release - Region I - 2007-028 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual assessment of safety performance at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, in Lusby (Calvert County), Md., will be the subject of a public meeting on Tuesday, May 22. NRC staff will meet with representatives of plant owner Constellation Energy Group, LLC, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the assessment, which covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006, and was documented in a March 2nd letter to the company. The session will take place at the Holiday Inn Express at 355 Merrimac Court, Prince Frederick, Md. Before the meeting is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the performance of the twin-reactor Calvert Cliffs plant, as well as the role of the NRC in providing oversight of plant safety. “Each year we size up plant performance during the previous calendar year, with the overarching goal of ensuring that facilities are achieving the levels of safety that are essential to protecting the public and the environment,” said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins, who noted the agency also conducts mid-year assessments of performance. “At the May 22nd meeting, NRC staff will talk to members of the public about how we go about evaluating Calvert Cliffs and other nuclear power plants across the nation and will also answer questions from the audience.” Overall, the Calvert Cliffs plant operated safely during 2006. The NRC utilizes color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear power plant performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. At the conclusion of last year, all of the performance indicators for Calvert Cliffs were determined to be “green.” With one exception, there were no inspection findings for the plant that were identified as greater than “green” at that time. There was a “white” inspection finding of low to moderate safety significance for Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 that was finalized on Oct. 27, 2006, and that remains open. That finding involved an incorrect circuit-breaker setting that impacted the operability of one of two emergency diesel generators. In the event of the loss of off-site power for the plant, emergency diesel generators would be used to provide back-up power. The NRC, in response to the finding, performed a supplemental inspection in January 2007 to determine if the problem had been properly addressed. Based on the positive results of that review, the finding will be closed out after the second quarter of 2007. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas of plant performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with radiological safety, fire protection, emergency planning, and problem identification and resolution. The annual assessment letter for Calvert Cliffs is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/calv_2006q4.pdf. The slides for the meeting are available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML071270042. ADAMS is accessible at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Help in using ADAMS is available via the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR@NRC.GOV. Current performance information for Calvert Cliffs 1 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CALV1/calv1_chart.html. Current performance information for Calvert Cliffs 2 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CALV2/calv2_chart.html NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Tuesday, May 15, 2007 ***************************************************************** 11 The Australian: Faith in nukes to combat warming * May 16, 2007 * Ashleigh Wilson and Richard Kerbaj AN increasing number of Australians believe nuclear power and uranium mining will play a major part in tackling climate change. Labor's decision last month to drop its ban on new uranium mines came amid increasing public support for the expanding uranium industry, according to polling by ANOP Research. But Australian Uranium Association executive director Michael Angwin, who commissioned the research, said the industry had more work to do to expose the myths about uranium mining. "The Australian uranium industry has gone from fringe-dwellers to mainstream in a very short space of time," Mr Angwin told a conference in Darwin. "We should ourselves be robust in challenging myths that substitute for insight." The ANOP study found 50 per cent of Australians supported uranium mining, with 39 per cent against. The poll showed 59 per cent of those surveyed supported exporting uranium. "The support is because of its economic benefits and because they see it making a contribution to climate change," Mr Angwin said. "People remain concerned about proliferation and waste, and they are clearly issues about which we will have to do more." Forty-nine per cent of respondents thought energy from uranium would make a big contribution to tackling climate change in the next 20 years. The research suggests attitudes to nuclear power are changing, with 51 per cent supporting the general proposition. This compares with a Newspoll survey in March that put support for nuclear power to counter greenhouse gases at 45 per cent. Support declines to 42 per cent when voters are asked if they would accept a power station in their own state. ANOP notes that support is likely to fall further if people are asked about a nuclear power station in their local area. The March Newspoll found only 25per cent supported a nuclear plant in their neighbourhood. Former Iraq hostage and nuclear power plant builder Douglas Wood said he would be happy to live on the boundary of a nuclear generating station. However, Mr Wood, who came to national attention when he was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents in April 2005 and held hostage for six weeks, cast doubt on whether Australia had the infrastructure for a nuclear power industry. He said the Palo Verde plant in Arizona took 10 years and a million man-hours to build at a cost of $US4billion ($4.8 billion) and created between 9000 and 12,000 jobs. Building a nuclear power plant in Australia would require the training of engineers with a nuclear bias and apprenticeship programs for mechanics, electricians and other trades. A regulator would have to check construction to ensure quality and safety. © The Australian ***************************************************************** 12 The Australian: Skills shortages undermining nuclear push NEWS.com.au | * May 15, 2007 * Richard Kerbaj FORMER Iraq hostage and engineer Douglas Wood said today skill shortages were undermining the push for nuclear energy, and urged the government to educate voters about the benefits of the nuclear industry to overcome negative public sentiment. Mr Wood, who worked as a project manager on nuclear power plants in the United States and the Philippines, said Australia would need to train up 1000 engineers and gain public approval before it could successfully kick-start its nuclear industry. “We've got a skills shortage,” he told an Australian Institute of Project Management function in Melbourne. “Where are we going to get 1000 pipe fitter welders? Where are we going to get those 1000 engineers? It's not an easy job.” Mr Wood said it would take four year to educate engineers for the job. “What does it take, about four years to get an engineer educated? And you're doing it with a bit of a nuclear bias,” he said. Mr Wood said while it was feasible to bridge the skills shortage by hiring engineers from overseas, Australia would be better served by using local labour. “I'm an Australian for Australia, not Australian for foreigners.” Mr Wood said the government needed to do more to educate the public about the benefits of nuclear power through more awareness campaigns. He said it would be imperative to appoint a regulatory body to a nuclear power plant to ensure the public's safety and peace of mind. “I think we have to have a regulatory body that would protect the public and make sure things are done in the right way,” he said. © The Australian ***************************************************************** 13 Charlotte Observer: Wake nuke plant dispute has wide implications 05/15/2007 | JOHN MURAWSKI (Raleigh) News & Observer Critics of Progress Energy's safety standards at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant picked up a congressional ally in their bid to force the Raleigh utility to upgrade the plant's fire protection system. U.S. Rep. David Price, a Democrat who represents the western Triangle, said Monday that he has requested an independent review of Shearon Harris and other nuclear power plants. The Shearon Harris plant in southwestern Wake County is in Price's district. Price's involvement could elevate an arcane engineering dispute about the safety of electrical wiring into a referendum on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's oversight of the nation's nuclear plants. Critics contend that the NRC has let Shearon Harris, and potentially other nuclear plants, skirt federal fire-safety rules for years. Price asked the research arm of Congress -- the Government Accountability Office -- to conduct a review of the federal enforcement of fire-safety standards at nuclear plants. If the GAO, an agency known for independence and nonpartisanship, validates the safety concerns, the NRC could be moved to stricter enforcement of its safety rules. If the GAO affirms the NRC and Progress' insistence that Shearon Harris is safe, the agency could put to rest allegations that have dogged the utility for years. The NRC determined five years ago that about 6,500 feet of electrical cables at Shearon Harris are wrapped with a fire-retardant material that doesn't consistently hold up to intense heat in laboratory tests. Progress and the NRC say the tests essentially prove that Shearon Harris can operate safely as Progress proposes modifications. Critics say the lab tests prove the opposite and show that the company should be forced to make multimillion-dollar fixes immediately. Price contacted the GAO two weeks after meeting in his Chapel Hill office with six elected officials from Chapel Hill, Pittsboro, Hillsborough, Carrboro, as well as Orange and Chatham counties. The officials are convinced that a fire at Shearon Harris could damage the electrical cables essential to shutting down the nuclear plant during an emergency. {quot}The risk is serious and very troubling,{quot} said Carrboro alderman Dan Coleman. {quot}They've been out of compliance for too long. Progress Energy should have resolved this years ago.{quot} Price has been hearing about the concerns for years, but the April 27 meeting was the first time he met with the region's elected officials to address the concerns. Coleman organized the meeting after the Orange County Assembly of Governments in March agreed to send delegates to enlist Price's support. {quot}He wants to make sure the NRC is being vigilant in its oversight of nuclear safety,{quot} said Price's press secretary, Paul Cox. In one lab test, the Hemyc insulation used at Shearon Harris was supposed to withstand one hour under 1,700-degree temperatures, Progress spokeswoman Julie Hans said. Some of the material gave out at 30 minutes, but some held out a full hour. In another test, the Hemyc was supposed to withstand three hours at 2,000 degrees, but some shrank after two hours in the heat, exposing the cables. The GAO is expected to decide within two weeks whether to conduct the study Price requested. The NRC has said the Shearon Harris plant is safe with interim compensatory measures, such as round-the-clock fire patrols. Progress has said it would cost millions to shut down the plant and rewrap more the 6,500 feet of cables with another fire-retardant material. Instead, the company will attempt to comply with the NRC's revised fire-safety rules, which would be less costly. Progress will propose plans to comply with the new NRC fire standards by June 2008. * About Charlotte.com | ***************************************************************** 14 WNN: Nuclear key to Japan's climate plans 15 May 2007 Nuclear power is a key element in Japan's climate change mitigation strategy, a United Nations working group heard on 14 May. Kazuhiko Hombu, deputy director general of Japan's Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry (METI), explained his country's strategy to members of a working group of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Hombu said that Japan's energy use per unit of gross domestic product had been reduced by 37% since 1973, while the supply of low-carbon primary energy from nuclear and renewable sources had increased from 6% to 15%. However, the country aims to increase efficiency by 'at least' 30% more by 2030. He identified industry, and in particular the steel industry, as having potential for major efficiency gains. The methods and technologies METI would expect to make the difference were: Increasing energy efficiency; Clean fossil fuel technology; New technologies such as biomass and solar power; and advanced nuclear power. Hombu said current light-water reactor technology would be used for the 'next generation' of nuclear power plants, while fast breeder reactors are envisaged beyond that. The strategy would see nuclear's share of electricity maintained at 'more than 30-40%' even after 2030. Japan already has 55 nuclear power reactors, which provide about 30% of electricity. Two more are under construction and 11 are in the planning stage. Hombu added that hydrogen would be used as an energy carrier in fuel cells. Japan has an advanced program to produce hydrogen on an industrial scale using nuclear heat. By 2015 it is planned to construct a hydrogen production system linked to the existing High-Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR), that would use heat at up to 950 degrees C to produce hydrogen at a rate of around 1000 l/h. Hombu's comments were made at a round-table discussion on the Ad-hoc Working Group (AWG) on mitigation potentials of policies, measures and technologies. As part of the 13th Conference of Parties (COP-13), taking place in Bonn, Germany, on 15-18 May, the AWG is meant to provide a forum for discussion of the mitigation potential, effectiveness, efficiency, costs and benefits of current and future policies, measures and technologies. The AWG is open to industrialised and certain transition countries taking part in the UNFCCC - the so-called Annex 1 Parties. Hombu's words echoed the recent conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which published a report on 4 May listing nuclear as a 'key mitigation technology'. Further information United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) WNN: IPCC sees role for nuclear energy ***************************************************************** 15 newsobserver.com: Nuke plant guards cheated Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Federal probe says security bosses at Shearon Harris gave answers to tests Wade Rawlins, Staff Writer Federal investigators have concluded that three contract security supervisors handed out answers to guards taking annual recertification tests at Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant in southern Wake County. As a result, numerous guards were not tested or properly qualified in 2005 to protect the Progress Energy-owned nuclear plant, Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspectors said. The NRC informed Progress Energy and Securitas Security Services USA, which provides contract security at the nuclear plant, of the apparent violations after conducting an investigation of security breaches at the nuclear plant in January 2006. The probe came in response to whistle-blower complaints brought to light by N.C. WARN, a Triangle-based nuclear watchdog group, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, a national group. The scientists' group obtained the recent letters sent to Progress and Securitas. The NRC said because the actions were willful violations, Progress and Securitas could face enhanced sanctions or civil penalties. The NRC said that no notice of violation had been issued because no final decision had been made. It has offered Progress Energy and Securitas a chance to respond in writing or meet privately to discuss the findings. "That particular issue has not been resolved," Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the NRC, said Monday. "It's still going through our enforcement process." Julie Hans, a spokeswoman for Progress Energy, said the utility had retested guards in January 2006 after allegations of cheating arose and before the NRC validated them. "We had every one of our security guards retested using an alternate testing practice where training personnel rather than platoon supervisors oversaw and proctored the exams to add a layer of independence," Hans said. "We continue to use that practice." Federal regulations require security guards at nuclear plants to requalify every 12 months to perform security-related tasks. The report said it was Progress Energy's responsibility to ensure that security guards were being properly tested. It said Securitas was ultimately responsible for the actions of its supervisors and the apparent violations. Securitas provides contract security guards at Progress Energy's four nuclear plants in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. The company did not respond to a request for comment. Hans said the three guard supervisors implicated in the cheating scandal were no longer employed by Securitas. "We absolutely don't tolerate cheating," Hans said. In a summary of findings, NRC investigators said two supervisors with Securitas admitted under oath to handing out answer keys along with the written tests in September 2005. Another supervisor admitted he reworded questions in two tests to give the guards the correct answer. Jim Warren, executive director of N.C. WARN, said the NRC findings confirmed what whistle-blowing guards had reported. "Those sets of qualification tests are essential to the defense of nuclear power plants," Warren said. David Lochbaum, a nuclear safety engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said they had heard about cheating on state-required tests for guards to carry handguns. The letters cited cheating on two different NRC-required tests, suggesting it was more widespread, he said. "The good news is it's something in the rearview mirror," Lochbaum said. "The problem has been exposed." Staff writer Wade Rawlins can be reached at 829-4528 or wade.rawlins@newsobserver.com. newsobserver.com ***************************************************************** 16 NRC: NRC Authorizes Restart of Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Unit 1 News Release - Region II - 2007-032 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region II office in Atlanta notified Tennessee Valley Authority officials today that the agency is authorizing the restart of Unit 1 at the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Alabama. “TVA has completed an extensive refurbishment of Unit 1 and the NRC staff has closely monitored their progress throughout the project,” Region II Deputy Regional Administrator for Operations Victor McCree said. All three units of the Browns Ferry plant were shut down in 1985 to address performance and management issues, but the reactors retained NRC operating licenses. TVA agreed at the time that it would complete corrective actions and not restart any of the units without NRC concurrence. After TVA completed all the work involved with those corrective actions with NRC inspection and approval, Unit 2 was restarted in 1991 and Unit 3 was restarted in 1995. NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Tuesday, May 15, 2007 ***************************************************************** 17 RIA Novosti: Russian nuclear contractor tests Tianwan NPP ahead of start-up 12:49 | 15/ 05/ 2007 MOSCOW, May 15 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's nuclear equipment export monopoly said Tuesday it had completed a 100-hour test of the first power unit of the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China at nominal capacity before restarting it. Atomstroyexport is building the Tianwan NPP in eastern China's port city of Lianyungang. The plant, which is being built under a 1992 bilateral agreement, features improved VVER-1000 reactors and K-100-6/3000 turbo-generators. "The tests showed no faults," the company said in a statement. It was reported in April that the first power unit would be put into commercial operation once all tests had been conducted. The first unit of the Tianwan NPP went online in early January, but was then shut down for maintenance work. The second power unit of the Chinese nuclear power plant was put to 12% of its nominal capacity May 8. Atomstroyexport is building seven NPP power units in China, India, Iran and Bulgaria. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 18 toledoblade.com: Reactor owner in hot water with NRC Article published Tuesday, May 15, 2007 FirstEnergy actions displease regulators By TOM HENRY BLADE STAFF WRITER FirstEnergy Corp. could face sanctions by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for attempting to process a $200 million insurance claim with a pair of reports that contradicts what the company previously said regarding the near-rupture of Davis-Besse's old reactor head in 2002. Scott Burnell, spokesman for the NRC's headquarters in suburban Washington, told The Blade last night his agency is displeased with what FirstEnergy has to say about the reports in question. The NRC, consequently, has issued a "Demand for Information," which compels FirstEnergy to answer key questions under oath. It faces more legal action if it is caught misleading the government or providing incomplete information. Mr. Burnell said that "significant enforcement action is on the table" when the NRC gets to the point of using that process to solicit information. The agency's news release stated that failure to comply with such edicts can lead to "revising, suspending, or revoking existing operating licenses." "We will fully comply with the NRC's request," Todd Schneider, FirstEnergy spokesman, said. He declined to elaborate, other than to say he was "not going to discuss those [items raised by the NRC] in the newspaper at this point." Among other things, the NRC wants to know why FirstEnergy waited until March 20 to provide the NRC with a 661-page report the company received Dec. 15 from its consultants, Exponent Failure Analysis Association of Menlo, Calif., and Altran Solutions Corp. of Boston. That report suggested Davis-Besse's near-rupture was a fluke. Though the NRC stands behind its inspection program and has seen no widespread implications for the nuclear industry, Mr. Burnell said FirstEnergy shouldn't have held the documents for three months. "If we're talking about an issue that could affect the safe operation of other plants, it's not up to [FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.] to do anything except give us the information," he said. The NRC also wants to know why FirstEnergy did not contest the agency's then-record $5.45 million fine April 21, 2005, for civil penalties. On Jan. 20, 2006, that record was smashed by a $28 million fine the U.S. Department of Justice imposed after its criminal probe. Both were based on a combination of federal laboratory tests, probes by federal investigators, and evidence that suggested Davis-Besse's old reactor head took years to waste away. FirstEnergy also admitted its problems arose after it put profits ahead of safety, and did not contest government claims that it made numerous bad decisions over several years. A second report, only recently discovered by the NRC, provides a historical overview of the plant's corrosion-management efforts. FirstEnergy has turned both over to its insurance carrier, Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited. The NRC's demand comes as the agency is trying to respond to a demand itself from U.S. District Court Judge David Katz in Toledo, who is presiding over the criminal cases of two former Davis-Besse engineers and a longtime contractor associated with the plant near Oak Harbor, Ohio. All three face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted this fall of withholding information about the plant's dangerous condition in the fall of 2001. Judge Katz told Justice Department attorneys April 20 he needs to know if the 661-page report is "junk science" before he lets the government proceed with its case against the three defendants. Mr. Burnell said the NRC's next move will be based on how FirstEnergy responds. David Lochbaum, a former Westinghouse employee and longtime nuclear safety engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the NRC's strategy of shifting the onus over to FirstEnergy was appropriate. "The NRC's not an insurance scam regulator," Mr. Lochbaum said. "We have some questions about that [661-page] report and what the company's trying to do with it." His group has argued that the NRC should shut down the remaining 68 reactors with Besse-like pressurized water reactors for inspections if the report is given credibility. If not, FirstEnergy should be fined for filing misleading information again, Mr. Lochbaum has said. Mr. Lochbaum's group and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Cleveland) have called upon the NRC to revoke FirstEnergy's operating license at Davis-Besse. Contact Tom Henry at: thenry@theblade.com or 419-724-6079. The Toledo Blade Company, 541 N. Superior St., Toledo, OH 43660 , (419) 724-6000 ***************************************************************** 19 Inside Bay Area: Clergyman decries nuke funding Minister fights 'fear, fundamentalism and Fox News' By Rebecca Rosen Lum, MEDIANEWS STAFF Article Last Updated: 05/15/2007 02:39:32 AM PDT ALAMO ? A leader of the National Council of Churches and former congressman sought support here for the group's campaign to block renewal of the nation's nuclear weapons armory. "If you're going to wait for the House and the Senate to lead, you're going to wait for a long time," the Rev. Bob Edgar told congregants, clergy and activists Thursday at the San Ramon Valley Methodist Church in Alamo. "We are the leaders we've been waiting for." Edgar will soon finish his term as general secretary of the Council of Churches. The 50-year-old organization encompasses 35 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox denominations with roughly 45 million congregants. He served in Congress from 1974 to 1987. His mission has been a fight against "fear, fundamentalism and Fox News," he said. His talk kicked off an interfaith initiative to eliminate funding for the production of new nuclear warheads. His target is the $150 billion Reliable Replacement Warhead Program. The money for nuclear weapons could be better spent, he said, on education, fighting poverty and building environmental programs before the nation's quality of life decays and civilization loses its fight against global warming. "We're living in a country that puts the accent on the wrong syllable," he said. "There is such a thing as being too late." He also said the administration is misleading the public with its claim that the current stockpile of nuclear weapons is out of date. Studies show they have 80 years of life left, he said. Edgar recalled meeting the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. five weeks before the civil rights leader's death. King, he said, had never intended to lead the movement, but was "the right person at the right time with the right passion." People must bring a similar passion to the fight against nuclear weapons, he told the group. He urged them to join a group visiting Congress to urge it not to allow the return of a Cold War-style arms race. "May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe we can make a difference," he said. An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Edgar came to the National Council from the Claremont School of Theology, where he was president from 1990 to 2000. He is credited with restoring the economically depressed school to fiscal health. Edgar was the first Democrat to represent the heavily Republican seventh district in Philadelphia in 120 years when he was elected in 1974. He served six terms. He went on to teach at Swarthmore College and direct a national security think tank before taking the top job at Claremont. Sprinkling his talk with the phrase, "middle churches, middle synagogues, middle mosques," Edgar said that when his council term ends, he will continue to lobby for an end to arms spending. Alamo-based Democratic U.S. Rep. "Ellen Tauscher said the Department of Energy needs to learn how to walk before it can run," he said. "We want to see them turn around and walk in another direction." Contact Rebecca Rosen Lum at (925) 977-8506 or rrosenlum@cctimes.com. © 2000-2006 ANG Newspapers | Privacy Policy ***************************************************************** 20 NRC: NRC Approves Final Rule on Expanded Definition of Byproduct Material News Release - 2007-059 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov www.nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a final rule expanding the definition of radioactive materials subject to its regulatory authority, implementing provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Commission approved the rule by a 5-0 vote affirmed May 14. The final rule will be published in the Federal Register later this year, after the agency staff incorporates changes to the text directed by the Commission and obtains approval from the Office of Management and Budget for information-collection requirements. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 expanded the definition of so-called “byproduct material” subject to NRC’s authority to include discrete sources of radium-226, material made radioactive in a particle accelerator, and other radioactive material that the Commission determines could pose a threat to public health and safety or the common defense and security. Previously, these materials were regulated by the states. Although the legislation made NRC’s authority over these new materials effective immediately, the agency issued a waiver allowing states to continue to regulate them while the agency drafted regulations to implement the new requirements. The NRC soon will publish a transition plan for assuming the new authority over these materials. The 34 Agreement States - which regulate byproduct material in their states under agreements with the NRC - are expected to maintain authority over the new materials under their agreements with the NRC. The draft text of the final rule was posted on the NRC Web site last month at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/secys/2007/se cy2007-0062/2007-0062scy.pdf. The Commission’s Staff Requirements Memorandum, which details the edits and revisions directed by the Commission to be incorporated in the rule, will be posted at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/srm/2007/. NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Tuesday, May 15, 2007 ***************************************************************** 21 Brattleboro Reformer: NRC discusses Yankee safety BRATTLEBORO, VT By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staff Tuesday, May 15 BRATTLEBORO -- Though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission was in town to discuss Vermont Yankee's safety evaluation for the past year, several members of the small crowd in attendance at the Quality Inn Monday night wanted to know how the NRC was protecting spent fuel storage from terrorist attack. Because much of the security of the plant is considered vital to national security, the representatives from the NRC couldn't explain much of what has been done since Sept. 11 to protect power plants and their fuel pools. The NRC has implemented "a number of measures across the country" to keep an attack or accident from spreading radioactive materials around the area, said Ray Clifford, who is in charge of the NRC's resident inspectors in the region. "That is as far as I can go with the discussion of that." "We do take safety and security as seriously as you do," said Ray Powell, the branch chief for the NRC's Region One. But, he said, "the defense of those is a national effort. What is the best way to prevent that from happening? Not let someone get control of an airplane," adding "the government has undertaken efforts to enhance that." The NRC is currently looking at a number of ways to protect spent fuel pools from terrorist attacks, said Clifford. Still, he said, "the country has established prevention as the major first step." Because the NRC has taken steps to insure that in such an accident the spent fuel would remain covered by water, "we are confident the spent fuel will remain safe," he said. The meeting was called to discuss the safety evaluation, but of the less than 30 people at the meeting, most were from the NRC or Entergy or were representatives from state and local governments. The NRC performed a number of inspections of the plant over the past year, said Dave Pelton, the senior resident inspector at Yankee, which included not only day-to-day inspections, but also reviews conducted by NRC staff from other offices. All of the inspection data is available at the NRC's Web site, he added. On average, said Beth Sienel, a resident inspector at Vermont Yankee, nuclear plants around the country receive seven findings in any given year that need to be addressed by plant operators. Yankee received six, she said. Of the six findings at the plant, five were of very low significance, said Pelton, while one, the shipment of radioactive materials to a plant in Pennsylvania, received a white finding. "Entergy did not properly prepare and ship a package containing radioactive materials," said Pelton. Several radioactive metal slivers, less than an inch in length, shook loose from inside a control rod crusher, and fell to the bottom of a shipping container during transport. When it arrived at the power plant, the package had a reading of 820 millirems per hour, more than four times the limit established by the federal Department of Transportation. Entergy's efforts to decontaminate the equipment prior to shipment "were not effective," said Pelton. The radiological review was not sufficient to detect the slivers of medal inside the machine, he said. Having reviewed its shipping procedures at all its plants, said Bill McGuire, Yankee's general manager for plant operations, Entergy instituted a new set of procedures to prevent the same thing from happening again. "The practices we used, those consistent with industry practices, were not sufficiently rigorous to prevent this and created this hazard," admitted McGuire. In another finding, a fire suppression system was tripped after smoke was detected in a switching control room. Though there was no fire, carbon dioxide was injected into the room and plant operators initiated a power reduction before reporting an unusual event at the plant. What happened, said Pelton, is dust was accumulating on surfaces designed to radiate heat from equipment in the room. The NRC told Entergy it needed to clean up the dust, but "corrective action did not correct the problem," he said. McGuire said plant technicians had replaced the motor that began to smoke due to the dust and initiated preventative maintenance tasks to insure the incident doesn't happen again. Ted Sullivan, the site vice president at Vermont Yankee, said Entergy's goal is to get all 11 of its plants into the top 10 percent of the 103 plants in the country. "Four are in the top 10 right now," he said, adding Entergy was working to bring the others onto that list, including Vermont Yankee. "It is good equipment upgrades and good processes and good human performance that enables us to sustain excellent plant performance," said John Dreyfuss, director of nuclear safety assurance for Vermont Yankee. During its recent uprate, when plant technicians increased power output by 20 percent, maintenance workers installed a new high pressure turbine, a new generator and a new stator as well as improved controls for that equipment. Those upgrades and equipment replacements have "really positioned this plant for being an excellent candidate for license renewal," said Dreyfuss, calling Yankee a "vital part of the energy mix here in the state." Bob Audette can be reached at raudette@reformer.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 273. ***************************************************************** 22 Hamilton Spectator: Nuclear power is a failed '50s dream Bruce Cox By Bruce Cox, executive director, Greenpeace Canada (May 15, 2007) Re: 'Seeing the bright side of nuclear energy; City council should rethink its idea of a ban on building nuclear power plants' (Opinion, May 11) Patrick Moore's rosy view of nuclear power is likely influenced by the fact he is paid by the nuclear industry to write such articles. As a practitioner of one of the world's oldest professions -- consulting -- Moore is simply doing the bidding of those who pay for his services. But he fails to mention this fact anywhere in his upbeat, don't worry, be happy, opinion piece singing the virtues of nuclear power. As a nuclear industry spokesperson, he also fails to mention many other things such as the fact that the $46 billion the Dalton McGuinty government plans to sink into new nuclear reactors will, in effect, block the development of safe, green energy like solar and wind. Moore fails to mention our current fleet of aging reactors cost Ontario ratepayers twice what they were promised to cost and lasted half as long. He shrugs off the 350,000 people displaced by the Chernobyl nuclear accident as if they are a fluke not to be repeated and bizarrely holds up the near catastrophic melt down at Three Mile Island nuclear plant as some virtuous success of the technology. According to him, we shouldn't sweat creating more radioactive nuclear waste because our children's generation will figure out how to deal with it. He dismisses reports and evidence showing renewable energy and power efficiency can replace nuclear and coal in Ontario by simply declaring them "unrealistic." As a paid professional, he spins nuclear power as a potential solution to climate change, but fails to mention the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change spoke to nuclear power's flaws in its latest report, noting that "safety, weapons proliferation and waste remain constraints." Mere details, according to the writer. But solving climate change with nuclear generation is akin to curing cancer with the plague. It is simply not an avenue any jurisdiction should be pursuing. The motion before Hamilton city council calling for a moratorium on construction of new nuclear reactors inside the city is reasonable and well advised from an environmental, economic and energy standpoint. It sends a message to the province and the industry that Ontarians want to build a safe green energy future rather than resuscitate the failed 1950s dream of atomic power. Countries such as Germany and Spain are phasing out nuclear and going green; Ontario can, too. Legal Notice: Contents copyright 1991-2006, The Hamilton Spectator. ***************************************************************** 23 IAEA: Nuclear Energy Stays in Picture of Sustainable Development Staff Report 15 May 2007 Delegates at the CSD-15 meeting held at the UN Headquarters in New York. (Photo: IISD) The worldŽs challenging energy scene was one main focus of the latest and 15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, 30 April - 11 May. The IAEA supports the CSDŽs work in key areas, including the development of energy indicators that can help countries achieve the goals of sustainable development. At the session, the IAEA presented its latest report on energy indicators -- a 463-page volume entitled Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development: Country Studies on Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexican, Russian Federation, Slovakia and Thailand. It features case studies and presents examples of how energy indicators – such as energy use per capita, share of renewable energy, share of households without electricity, per-capita greenhouse-gas emissions from energy production and use – are developed at the national level, how they can be used to assess national energy systems and how they assist in reviewing the effectiveness of policies undertaken or planned. (See Story Resources for more information.) One of the CSD sessions was entirely dedicated to UN-Energy, an inter-agency forum of the IAEA and some 20 other organizations collaborating in fields of energy. Mats Karlsson, World Bank and Chair of UN-Energy, outlined the history and mandate of UN-Energy, which he explained was created following the WSSD at a time when there was no framework for energy within the UN system. The IAEAŽs Hans-Holger Rogner, Head of Planning and Economic Studies, discussed a UN-Energy case study assessing policy options for increasing the use of renewable energy for sustainable development in the Sichuan Province, China. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed support for UN-Energy in his remarks to the CSD. "We need to mainstream energy and climate issues more deeply into our programmes and activities," he said. "I am determined to lead the system in reinforcing the coherence of our actions at all levels, and to better utilize to this end the potential of UN-Energy. Stronger inter-agency collaboration is essential to support an effective response by the international community to growing energy interdependence." Regarding nuclear powerŽs role for sustainable development, the option remains open, noted Alan McDonald, a senior officer in the IAEAŽs Planning and Economic Studies Section. He said that while the CSD failed to agree on a final document at its 15th session, the CSD texts that remain operative "keep the door open" for nuclear power. See Story Resources for more information and background texts. Copyright ©, International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria Telephone (+431) 2600-0; Facsimilie (+431) 2600-7; E-mail: ***************************************************************** 24 New Scientist: Russia to build nuclear reactor in Myanmar - 15 May 2007 - Russia's atomic energy agency, Rosatom, said on Tuesday it has signed a deal to build a nuclear research reactor in Myanmar. The centre will include a 10-megawatt nuclear reactor with low enriched uranium consisting of less than 20% uranium-235, Rosatom said. The research centre will be under the control of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rosatom said. Russia, along with China, has become a major supporter and supplier of arms to Myanmar's junta since the West imposed sanctions in late 1988. The country, formerly known as Burma, has been referred to the United Nations Security Council for its repressive and undemocratic military rule. Power for the people? Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Khin Maung Win says the reactor would be used to train Myanmar scientists and to produce radio isotopes, which have a range of uses, including in medicine and agricultural science. He says the reactor would be for peaceful purposes "in the interests of the people". "Myanmar’s interest in nuclear power is not for the wrong purpose." Myanmar’s nuclear program would adhere to international treaties and would be carried out systematically, he says. "So, there is no need to worry about this issue." Long-term plan He says Myanmar was a signatory to the 1992 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, as well as the Asean agreement on establishing nuclear-free zone, which prohibits the production, storage and transport of nuclear weapons within the 10-member grouping. Win says that the government had been planning to acquire nuclear power for nearly 40 years and Myanmar's technicians had received training from the IAEA since the country joined the organisation in 1957. Russia is also building a nuclear power station in Iran, a country suspected by the US of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Russia says Iran has a right to civilian nuclear power. * © Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd. Vacancies ***************************************************************** 25 Reuters: Russia to build nuclear reactor in Myanmar Tue May 15, 2007 11:07AM EDT By James Kilner MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's atomic energy agency said on Tuesday it had signed a deal to build a nuclear research reactor in Myanmar, whose military rulers have been criticized by the West for repressive and undemocratic practices. "This agreement provides for cooperation in the design and construction in Myanmar of a centre for nuclear research," Rosatom said in a statement. The centre will include a 10 megawatt nuclear reactor with low enriched uranium consisting of less than 20 percent uranium-235, the agency said. It said the research centre would be under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Russia, along with China, has become a major supporter and supplier of arms to Myanmar's junta since the West imposed sanctions in late 1988. Last year China and Russia vetoed a U.S-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution urging Myanmar to stop persecution and release political prisoners. Myanmar has recently repaired ties with North Korea, damaged when a North Korean bomb in 1983 killed South Korean ministers visiting Myanmar. The United States considers North Korea a rogue state and wants it to abandon its nuclear arms program. Russia is already building a nuclear power station in Iran, suspected by the United States of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Russia says Iran has a right to civilian nuclear power. Continued... © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 26 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meeting May 22 on Work Authorizations for New Nuclear Power Plants News Release - 2007-060 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov www.nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting Tuesday, May 22, in Rockville, Md., to discuss recent changes in the agency’s rules regarding limited work authorizations (LWA) for new nuclear power plants. The NRC’s regulations now require a company to obtain a LWA before starting construction activities including pile-driving and foundation work for structures, systems or components with high importance to safe operation and security at a nuclear power plant. The meeting will discuss the revised regulations in more detail and provide guidance as to how they will be implemented. The public is invited to participate in this meeting and discuss issues with NRC staff at designated points in the agenda. The meeting will run from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville. The new LWA regulations were announced in an April press release NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Tuesday, May 15, 2007 ***************************************************************** 27 Reuters: RWE has no indication of EDF preparing takeover Mergers/Acquisitions | Tue May 15, 2007 6:21AM EDT Germany's RWE offers stakes in power stations FRANKFURT, May 15 (Reuters) - German utility RWE (RWEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research has no indication that French power group EDF (EDF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research is preparing a takeover bid, RWE's Chief Financial Officer Rolf Pohlig reiterated on Tuesday, after a report on May 11 suggested EDF was doing just that. Asked if the company's profit expectations for 2007 were conservative, Pohlig said: "You can see it that way." Speaking after RWE reported higher-than-expected first-quarter profits, Pohlig reiterated that RWE was planning to sell a majority of its American Water unit before the end of the year. The company will pay clearly more than 100 million euros ($135.4 million) for certificates allowing it to emit carbon dioxide, he also said. © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 28 UPI: Russia, Myanmar sign nuclear deal United Press International - International Intelligence - Briefing Published: May 15, 2007 at 5:58 PM MOSCOW, May 15 (UPI) -- Russia and Myanmar will work together to build a nuclear reactor as well as a research center in the Asian nation. Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom said Tuesday that under the agreement between the two countries, Rosatom subsidiary Atomstroiexport will operate the nuclear center, which in turn will be under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. "The agreement foresees cooperation in the design and equipping of a center for nuclear research in Myanmar," Rosatom said. Myanmar continues to be a pariah state, as both the United States and European Union along with many other nations continue to impose sanctions against the ruling military junta, protesting in particular the ongoing house arrest of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. In recent years, however, countries including China and India have been strengthening ties with the regime. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 29 UPI: British utility eyes nuclear United Press International - Energy - Briefing Published: May 15, 2007 at 3:16 PM WINDSOR, England, May 15 (UPI) -- As talks of nuclear power open with France's EdF, Centrica demonstrates the importance of a diverse energy portfolio. Preliminary discussion between Centrica on one side and EdF and Areva, the two largest producers of nuclear power in France, are the beginning of plans for Centrica to take stake in new nuclear generation plants in Britain, the Daily Mail reported. If the new plants are built, they would be the first in 30 years and cost nearly $3 billion each. The plants are unlikely to be complete until around 2017. Britain has 17 nuclear plants that account for about 20 percent of electricity production. EdF already has nuclear customers in Britain but is looking to expand, and Centrica is looking to diversify its energy sources. Meeting the European Union renewable goal of 20 percent by 2020 will not be possible without clean energy coming from a variety of sources. Aside from diversity and expanding EdF's client base, there's also speculation nuclear energy is poised to expand and become more cost-efficient as energy prices from traditional sources continue to rise. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 30 FOCUS Information Agency: Romania Libera: Nuclear threat from Cernavoda NPP? 15 May 2007 | 12:08 | FOCUS News Agency Bucharest. Three specialists warn that the start of the second nuclear reactor of the Romanian NPP Cernavoda (about 50km from the Bulgarian border) is a real threat for the national security, the Romania Libera writes today. An well-experienced nuclear engineer commented for the newspaper that most of the equipment was bought before 1989 and wasn’t preserved in an appropriate way which posts a danger of ‘radiation explosion which could be more powerful even than the one in Chernobyl’. Information Agency FOCUS is a member of FIBEP and is certified under the ISO 9001:2000 standard Focus Information Agency © 2006 ***************************************************************** 31 BostonNOW: College nukes a 'disaster' next door? - How the rules don't apply to the reactor in your city Beverly Ford, Correspondent Three nuclear research reactors operated by Massachusetts colleges and universities could be easy targets for terrorist attacks because they lack the stringent security required of larger commercial nuclear power plants, critics and nuclear security experts charge. "These things are just a disaster. They should all be shut down," said Peter Stockton, an expert on reactor security with the Project on Government Oversight, a government watchdog organization. The reactors, all located in densely populated areas at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and Worcester Polytech in Worcester, are exempt from many of the more stringent requirements imposed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on other larger facilities, notes Matthew Bunn, a senior research associate with the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. "They are not required to have armed guards, not required to defend against any basic threat and they are not required to have fences with intrusion detection devices around the building," he said. "They really aren't treated like sites for potential nuclear bomb material." Scott Burnell, spokesman for the NRC, said the agency has evaluated the risk of the unauthorized removal of highly enriched uranium from research reactors and found that risk to be "extremely remote" given security measures and the self-protecting nature of the material. The uranium, used in the manufacture of "dirty bombs," is so highly irradiated, Burnell says, that improper handling would cause death in just minutes. Until, earlier this month, the NRC pulled the trigger on FBI background checks for all "unescorted visitors" at nuclear facilities, local police were the only law enforcement scrutinizing employee backgrounds. Neither MIT, Worcester Polytech nor UMass Lowell responded to numerous inquiries for interviews about reactor security, but both MIT and Worcester Polytech, which will begin moving to de-commission its reactor next month, said in statements they are in compliance with the new FBI employee screening guidelines. "Safe operation of the MITR is our highest priority and these new NRC requirements are fully consistent with that objective," Dr. David Moncton, director of MIT's Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, said in a statement. It's not enough, critics like Stockton and Bunn said, however. Security at research reactors is so lax throughout the country, they maintain, it would be difficult to stop an armed team of terrorists from taking over a facility. "There's virtually no security at college reactors," notes Stockton. "You're lucky you have a guard walking around every hour with a pistol." The holes in security at research reactors became frighteningly clear two years ago when a four-month investigation by ABC News found floor plans for MIT's reactor using computers in Barker Library. The floor plans were later removed by MIT but a schematic plan of the reactor itself is still available online. In its report, ABC News also found it was able to park a large truck within about 30-feet of MIT's reactor, outside of the facility's security perimeter. MIT's Nuclear Reactor Laboratory Director David E. Moncton said at the time a study conducted shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 found the reactor would not suffer significant damage from a truck bomb. Published on Wed, May 16, 2007 Tags: university, nukes ***************************************************************** 32 NRC: NRC Demands Information from First Energy Regarding Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant News Release - 2007-061 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov www.nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a Demand for Information (DFI) to FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC), regarding a new technical analysis of the corrosion event at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant in Ohio. The analysis, performed by a FENOC contractor and referred to as the “Exponent Report,” suggests the corrosion, which severely weakened the Davis-Besse reactor vessel’s head in 2002, occurred much faster than previous analyses determined. The Exponent Report and related documents touch on important safety issues and prior NRC enforcement actions. The agency is therefore asking FENOC several questions, including: ? Why were there delays in bringing the Report to the NRC’s attention? ? How did FENOC consider operational experience and physical evidence gathered prior to discovery of the Davis-Besse corrosion before sending the NRC a letter on May 2 accepting the Exponent Report’s assumptions and conclusions? ? How does another report, concerning Davis-Besse’s performance relating to the corrosion event, affect FENOC’s responses to the NRC Notice of Violation and Proposed Imposition of Civil Penalties dated April 21, 2005? NRC news releases are available through a free list server subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC Home Page at www.nrc.gov also offers a Subscribe to News link in the News & Information menu. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web Site. Tuesday, May 15, 2007 ***************************************************************** 33 Scotsman.com: Opinion - Energy is an ethical dilemma Tue 15 May 2007 MORAG MYLNE HOW we should generate and use electricity obviously involves technical and economic assessment. But each option has its embedded values, pros and cons. The choice we make among them is ultimately an ethical matter. The Government insists that the market must be in control of the decisions regarding energy, but that approach fails to address the ethical dimension. From a Christian perspective, the ethical aspects of energy are rooted in an understanding that the earth is God's creation and not ours to do with as we please. We have a responsibility to care for the earth and, in doing that, we care for each other, and especially for the poor and vulnerable. In acting as if the whole earth was created simply for our present benefit, we selfishly exploit God's gift. It is in that context that we have to face up to difficult choices about where our electricity comes from and what it costs in terms of environmental damage. Some people see nuclear power as a clean solution to the current problem. Within the Church of Scotland, there are different views on the subject. There are environmental advantages: nuclear power does not generate large amounts of CO2 and in its life cycle releases less greenhouse gases than fossil fuel stations, even with carbon capture and storage as the standard. But there are disadvantages. First, the risk of catastrophic accident is, for some, a reason to reject nuclear power altogether, and low-level accidental discharges remain an issue. Secondly, radioactive waste means that future generations will inherit a problem that was not of their making but for which they will need to be responsible. Thirdly, for some, the link with nuclear weapons proliferation presents a prohibition in principle. The key ethical question is whether human beings are capable of managing such a powerful force as the basis for a significant contribution to the energy supply. There are other relevant questions. If we are reluctant to see nuclear power deployed widely in the developing world, is it hypocritical for us to pursue it in this country? If we can achieve serious greenhouse gas reduction, do we have a duty to continue with it? How much would it cost and would we be diverting huge resources away from truly sustainable solutions? Nuclear power cannot be an excuse for us as a country to neglect our responsibilities in the areas of energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy. These must remain overwhelmingly the priority. Building big new power plants, whether fossil-fuelled or nuclear, should not be seen as the answer. There are no easy solutions, but we have to see concerted action at Government, community and individual levels. Our duty to care for the earth demands nothing less than absolute commitment. ‱ Morag Mylne is convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland. The Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland is currently preparing a report for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Energy for a Changing Climate. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=753702007 Last updated: 15-May-07 12:01 BST ©2007 Scotsman.com | contact | terms & conditions ***************************************************************** 34 AFP: Russia to build nuclear centre in sanctions-hit Myanmar - by Conor Humphries Tue May 15, 1:22 PM ET MOSCOW (AFP) - Russia said Tuesday it had agreed to help build a nuclear research centre in Myanmar, the Asian state run by a military junta that is under European and US economic sanctions. "The agreement foresees cooperation in the design and equipping of a centre for nuclear research in Myanmar," including a small light-water nuclear reactor, Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom said in a statement. Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko and Myanmar's Science and Technology Minister U Thaung signed the deal for construction of the centre on Tuesday in Moscow, the statement said. The deal is the latest example of Russia doing business with a country shunned by the West as authoritarian and is likely to further dent rapidly deteriorating relations with Washington and the European Union. Myanmar is under US and European economic sanctions imposed in response to rights abuses by the country's military dictatorship and the house arrest of 61-year-old democracy icon and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. Washington has accused the Myanmar regime of torturing, raping and executing its own people as well as waging war on minorities and looking the other way while drug and human trafficking grows. The impact of the sanctions has been weakened by countries such as China, India, Russia and Thailand, which are spending billions of dollars to gain a share of Myanmar's vast energy resources. Russian companies recently signed oil and gas contracts with Myanmar. In one deal, Russia offered arms to the regime in exchange for access to energy reserves, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported last year. Russia has also supported Myanmar diplomatically. It joined China in January in vetoing a draft UN Security Council resolution urging Myanmar's rulers to free all political detainees and end sexual violence by the military. In recent years, Russia has consistently dealt with regimes considered unfriendly by the United States, such as Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, raising the ire of Washington. Russia has also angered Washington by providing Iran with civilian nuclear technology amid international fears that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. The nuclear centre in the current deal with Myanmar will be under the control of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, Tuesday's statement said. It will be operated by Atomstroiexport, a Rosatom subsidiary, the statement said, without giving a date for when the project would be built. The centre is to include a laboratory for the production of medical isotopes and a complex of buildings and equipment for the reprocessing and burial of nuclear waste, Rosatom said. ***************************************************************** 35 AFP: World faces 5-year deadline for decisions on climate change - WWF - By Peter Capella AFP - Tuesday, May 15 04:14 pm GENEVA (AFP) - Governments need to take key decisions within five years on how to tackle climate change to cope with an expected doubling of energy demand over the next 50 years, the environmental group WWF said Tuesday. Delays would expose the planet to dangerous warming within a lifetime or force even harsher and costlier measures that could cause significant damage to the global economy, WWF International said in a technical report. "The question for leaders and governments everywhere is how to rein in dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide emissions without stunting development and reducing living standards," said WWF Director General James Leape. "We have a small window of time in which we can plant the seeds of change and that is the next five years. We cannot afford to waste them," he added. The report set a target of limiting the increase in global average temperatures to two degrees centigrade over pre-industrial levels by 2050 -- compared to 0.7 degrees now -- and a 50 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions. The WWF backed a recent report by a UN panel of scientists that had underlined that the worst consequences of global warming could be averted with known technologies, alternative energy sources and energy-saving measures. However, the enviromental group said economic and political decision-making was still "on a different and dangerous trajectory." "Scientific warnings continue to mount, yet the debate continues and what passes for vision seems to have great difficulty seeing past the next filling station," it added. The report advocated six key solutions, including more efficient energy use, the reversal of deforestation, accelerated development of low emission technologies such as wind and solar power, as well as energy storage. The WWF also wants coal-fired power stations to be replaced by gas, and more carbon capture and sequestration to cope with continuing emissions from fossil fuels like oil. Together they could cut carbon dioxide emissions by about 60 to 80 percent by 2050 provided they are implemented on time. Leape rated measures like investment in energy efficiency in buildings and transport as "no brainers" because they could bring huge gains at relatively low cost and with little risk. At the other end of the scale, the report ruled out nuclear power despite its zero emissions potential because the risks of radioactive pollution, weapons proliferation, and the cost of construction and decommissioning, outweighed the benefits. The report stressed that if concerted decisions were taken by every country within five years, the measures could start to have the desired impact in a decade "based on the real world constraints" of industry's ability to adapt. underlined The "Climate Solutions: WWF's Vision for 2050" was produced by a task force that includes 100 scientists and experts. It focused purely on the issue of what is known about the technologies and physical resources available, as well as industry's ability to cope with change. It did not examine the economic costs, or the exact policies needed to implement the steps. But the WWF said it was "acutely aware" that ending the dominance of oil and coal, phasing out nuclear power, or rapidly and unsustainably expanding biofuels could cause huge social, environmental and economic upheavals if badly managed. Reports by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change this year underlined that efforts to stabilise the level of greenhouse gases over the next 20 to 30 years would be crucial in the fight against global warming. The IPCC scientists said carbon dioxide emissions by industry, transport and households were already having an impact on the world's climate and were set to wreak huge damage on human settlement and wildlife this century if they went unchecked. Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 36 Huntsville Times: TVA gets OK to restart Unit 1 at Browns Ferry - al.com Posted by Brian Lawson May 15, 2007 2:55 PM The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given the Tennessee Valley Authority approval to restart its Unit 1 nuclear reactor at Browns Ferry near Athens, marking the successful completion of a five-year $1.8 billion effort. The NRC signaled its formal support for the restart Tuesday in a letter to TVA, following a request Saturday for the approval. "We're very, very pleased," said Craig Beasley, spokesman for Browns Ferry. "It's a good feeling to have NRC concurrence, saying that our programs and our people and everything else is ready to move forward." Beasley said there are a number of tests and calibrations TVA will conduct, but the goal is to have a critical nuclear reaction in Unit 1 this month, as called for by the TVA board in May 2002. The utility will increase power and test its systems over a number of weeks to determine if the reactor is ready to run full-time. ©2007 al.com. All Rights Reserved. RSS Feeds | Complete Index ***************************************************************** 37 KnoxNews: Nuclear restart OK'd at Browns Ferry By ANDREW EDER, edera@knews.com May 15, 2007 Following a five-year, $1.8 billion restoration, TVA is authorized to restart the Unit 1 reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, federal regulators said today. The refurbished reactor, which was shut down for safety reasons in 1985 along with the other two reactors at Browns Ferry, will represent the first new nuclear generation in the United States this century when it comes online. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed a final inspection in April and said today that TVA has met NRC standards and could restart the reactor. Unit 2 at the Athens, Ala., plant was restarted in 1991 and Unit 3 was restarted in 1995. More details online and in Wednesday's News Sentinel. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 38 Public Citizen: Public Citizen and San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace Challenge Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Inadequate Security Rule May 14, 2007 Final Rule Doesn’t Protect Against 9/11-Style Terrorist Threats As Required By Congress WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) new rule addressing nuclear plant security would not protect reactors from all likely terrorist threats – including 9/11-style air attacks – as required by Congress, according to Public Citizen and San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace. The groups filed a complaint about the rule late Friday afternoon in federal court. The groups’ petition, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, urges the court to review the NRC’s “design basis threat” regulation, which describes the types of terrorist threats against which nuclear power plants and certain other facilities must maintain effective security measures. The groups contend that it appears that the NRC has based the threat it would require plants to defend against only on what it thought was reasonable for a private security force to accomplish. In particular, it appears that the NRC rule does not require plants to defend against groups the size of the 9/11 terrorist force of 19 attackers, nor does it require plants to protect against air attacks. “Instead of deciding what threats nuclear reactors are likely to face and requiring security improvements to protect against them, the NRC seems to have taken the opposite approach,” said Scott Nelson, a lawyer at Public Citizen. “The agency has looked at the capability of private security forces defending reactors and required them only to protect against those limited threats they can currently handle.” In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the NRC upgraded its nuclear plant security requirements by issuing secret orders to licensees in April 2003 and bypassing the legally required notice and comment procedure. After Public Citizen and San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace filed a challenge to that action in 2003, the NRC announced that it would conduct an official rulemaking, and Congress required it to do so in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The final rule was published in March. In the Energy Policy Act, Congress required the NRC to take into account 9/11-style air attacks in its rulemaking. However, in its rule, the agency responded that post-crash “mitigation measures” are sufficient and refused to consider requiring reactor operators to construct passive barriers that would ensure that an attacking aircraft could not successfully crash into the reactor itself. “The NRC has ignored Congress and failed to give a reasonable or even logical explanation as to why it can’t protect our nuclear plants. The public deserves better,” said Michele Boyd, legislative director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program. To read the petition, click here. ### ***************************************************************** 39 [NYTr] Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 18:41:11 -0400 Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Nuclear Information and Resource Service 6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912 301-270-6477; fax: 301-270-4291; http://www.nirs.org dianed@nirs.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2007 Contacts: Diane D Arrigo, 301-270-6477 ext. 16 Mary Olson (NIRS Southeast) (after 1 PM eastern), 828-675-1792 New Report Finds Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills Pathways Open for Reuse and Recycling Takoma Park, MD Radioactive materials are being released from nuclear weapons facilities to regular landfills and could get into commercial recycling streams, finds a new report released today by Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS). The report: Out of Control On Purpose: DOE s Dispersal of Radioactive Waste into Landfills and Consumer Products was commissioned to track if and how the Department of Energy (DOE) releases some of the radioactive wastes from nuclear bomb production. The report authors, led by Diane D Arrigo, NIRS Radioactive Waste Project Director, researched seven sites and the DOE national headquarters. The seven sites were: Oak Ridge TN, Rocky Flats CO, Los Alamos NM, Mound and Fernald OH, West Valley NY, and Paducah KY. People around regular trash landfills will be shocked to learn that radioactive contamination from nuclear weapons production is ending up there, either directly released by DOE or via brokers and processors, D Arrigo said. Just as ominous, the DOE allows and encourages sale and donation of some radioactively contaminated materials. The report tracked the laws, guidance and technical justifications that DOE uses to rationalize allowing radioactive scrap, concrete, equipment, asphalt, plastic, wood, chemicals, soil, and more out to landfills, commercial businesses and recreation areas, recycling and reuse in places unprepared to handle radioactivity. Applauding DOE s ban on recycling of radioactive metal from nuclear weapons, the report cautions there are loopholes and it is again threatened. DOE is ignoring public opposition to unnecessary exposures and releasing radioactivity even though the U.S. Congress revoked such release policies, said Mary Olson, director of the NIRS Southeast office and a co-author of the report. DOE is using its own internal guidance to allow radioactive weapons wastes out of control, claiming the doses to people will be acceptable even though they are not enforced or tracked. Under the current system, the DOE and other nuclear waste generators release materials directly, sell them at auction or through exchanges or send their waste to processors who can then release it from radioactive controls to landfills, to recyclers or for reuse. The report found that the State of Tennessee is a leader in licensing processors that can release radioactive materials for the nuclear waste generators. Tennessee is serving as a funnel to bring in nuclear weapons and power waste from around the country to disperse into the landfills and recycling without public knowledge, D Arrigo said. The waste is processed by state-licensed companies and in some cases redefined as special then released to regular landfills. This free release also opens up the potential for the materials to enter the recycling stream to make everyday household and personal items or to be used to build roads, schools, and playgrounds. As long as DOE and other nuclear waste generators can slip their contamination out letting it get Out of Control On Purpose there is really no limit to the amount of additional radiation exposure members of the public could receive, D Arrigo concluded. Only an informed, outraged public can force DOE and agreeable states to shift the goal from dispersal to isolation of radioactive waste. A copy of the full report can be found on the NIRS web site at: http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm The report authors and contributors include: Diane D Arrigo, NIRS Radioactive Waste Project Director Mary Olson, Director, NIRS Southeast Office Cindy Folkers, NIRS, Health and Environment Project Dr. Marvin Resnikoff, Radioactive Waste Management Associates, NYC * ================================================================ .NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems . Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us . .339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org .List Archives: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ .Subscribe: https://olm.blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================ ***************************************************************** 40 Taranaki Daily: Nuke-tests study poses questions for Taranaki man - Wednesday, 16 May 2007 JAYNE HULBERTjayne.hulbert@tnl.co.nz - Taranaki | Wednesday, 16 May 2007 TREVOR READ Bell Block's Dave Wilson with photos taken by his father Bruce during the 1957 hydrogen bomb tests on Christmas Island. Formerly in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Bruce Wilson died of a brain tumour in his mid-50s. BRUCE WILSON outlived many of his former navy mates who witnessed the British hydrogen bomb tests in the 1950s. Mr Wilson was in his mid-50s when he died 16 years ago of a brain tumour - the average age of death among the New Zealand servicemen who watched the bombs is just over 52. A young sailor at the time, Mr Wilson captured the moment of the explosions on his camera. Mr Wilson's son, Bell Block man Dave Wilson (43), says his father never talked to him about the testing experience, but now he wonders what effect it had on his dad's health. "He was about 55 or 56 when he died, which is pretty young really. When he got a brain tumour I just thought at the time, well people get brain tumours," Mr Wilson junior said yesterday. His parents separated when he was young, his father living in Auckland while Mr Wilson came to Taranaki with his mother. "I used to go up and stay with him in the holidays, but he never talked to me about the testing." Over the years, Mr Wilson has had correspondence from the New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans Association, but had not seriously considered a lawsuit against the British Government would be possible. But research released on Monday could at least offer some answers to what happened to his father. A Massey University study has found that veterans exposed to nuclear testing had three times the normal rate of chromosome mutations. Born seven years after his father stood on the deck of the Royal New Zealand Navy frigate Pukaki to observe the British test hydrogen bombs on Christmas Island in 1957, Mr Wilson and his wife Robyn have begun to think about his own health issues. His problems have ranged from tinnitus, anxiety, dermatitis, back pain, sinus pain, hayfever, heart palpations and lactose intolerance. Conditions not in themselves very serious, but enough to make Mr Wilson wonder about his father's exposure to radiation. © Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2007. All the material on this page has the protection of international copyright. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 41 HeraldTribune.com: Casualties of the Cold War Review compensation program for nuclear-arms plant workers Donald Gabel's service to his country did not occur on a battlefield. It happened at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant outside Denver. His job, as The Washington Post recounted in a recent story, involved climbing a furnace several times a day. When he reached the top, his head was within inches of a pipe emitting radioactive exhaust. When Gabel died of a rare type of brain cancer in 1980 at the age of 29, his widow sought compensation from the federal government. She and their three children were given $15,000 -- and a multitude of reasons why more would not be forthcoming. Some of records from his 10 years on the job were missing. The pipe had been replaced, making radiation tests impossible. And scientists investigating the case had lost most of Gabel's brain tissue, making it difficult to assess plutonium levels. In the end, The Post reports, Gabel's family was told that a government computer had calculated that there was only a 41.73 percent chance that his death was connected to his work. Only. Sadly, the percentages are decidedly against people who worked in hazardous jobs at similar plants around the country. Since 2000, the government has denied compensation on 60 percent of the 72,000 claims reviewed thus far. Another 32,000 cases are still being assessed -- and many have been under review for several years. Congress and the Bush administration should re-examine the compensation program, which was set up to speed aid to people exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals at arms plants during the Cold War. Among those eligible for aid are former workers at a now-defunct weapons and aircraft plant in Tallevast, near the Manatee-Sarasota county line. Many people have reported illnesses stemming from their work with beryllium, a metal known to cause an incurable lung disease and other ailments. To a degree, the compensation program has worked. Roughly $2.6 billion has been paid out, The Post reported. But the Gabel case and others like it raise serious doubts. As a rule, officials should not approve claims without sufficient medical evidence. On many claims, however, records apparently are missing or tests cannot be conducted because the plant has been refitted or closed. Is it fair to judge those cases by current standards, which call for a 50 percent chance that the job caused the illness? The U.S. government has a moral obligation to take care of these workers and their families, just as it looks out for military veterans and their loved ones. Last modified: May 15. 2007 12:00AM Serving the Herald-Tribune newspaper and SNN Channel 6 © Sarasota Herald-Tribune. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 42 KPUA Hawaii: Critics want to watch Army for depleted uranium KPUA.net - KPUA 1145 Kilauea Ave Hilo, Hawaii 96720 PH: 808 935-5461 FAX: 808 935-7761 Hilo, Hawaii News, Sports, & Information Tuesday, May 15, 2007 By Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) _ The Army claims its Stryker armored vehicles have never fired depleted uranium rounds in Hawaii. But critics are pushing for monitoring to make sure the Army doesn't start. A bill before the Legislature this year would have required regular soil testing at Schofield Barracks for the presence of depleted uranium. The bill died in conference committee. It was prompted by findings in January of 2006 that the Army had found 15 tail assemblies from spotting rounds made of depleted uranium. Community members say the Stryker vehicles have the capability to fire the weakly radioactive material. It could cause a potential health risk. Doctor Lorrin Pang is the state Health Department's district officer for Maui. She says she'd like to see someone watch the Army's activity. According to Pang, the community is worried about the Army's credibility. (Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved) ***************************************************************** 43 UPI: DHS to test rail security technology United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing Published: May 15, 2007 at 4:14 PM WASHINGTON, May 15 (UPI) -- A branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin to focus on securing one of the most vulnerable U.S. assets: the rail system. The department announced plans last week to establish a rail test center at the Port of Tacoma, Wash., that will be used to evaluate radiation detection technology and concepts. The projects found to work at the Port of Tacoma will be implemented throughout the country, a statement from the department said. The commission investigating the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, found that the U.S. rail system, both for passenger and freight transportation, is largely unmonitored and could be exploited by terrorists. The Department of Homeland Security has stepped up its efforts to scan cargo at U.S. ports and even overseas to ensure that dangerous cargo never reaches U.S. shores. But recent assessments of outstanding recommendations of the commission found that the U.S. rail system has still received only scant attention. Projects at the testing facilities in Tacoma, the seventh largest container port in North America, will aim at scanning and securing cargo at the vulnerable step between being off-loaded from the ship and transferred to the rail system. Vayl Oxford, director of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which will direct the testing, said there are unique requirements for scanning cargo at intermodal terminals. "The deployment of radiation portal monitors can be much more challenging at seaports where cargo containers depart the port by rail," Oxford said in a statement. "Advances in this area will provide greater capabilities to our partners such as the Customs and Border Protection, the United States Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration," he added. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights ***************************************************************** 44 More Delays on OSHAs Latest Agenda: Beryllium standards delayed THE AUTHORITY ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY, HEALTH AND LOSS PREVENTION May, 15 2007 More Delays on OSHA's Latest Agenda By Katherine Torres OSHA's latest semiannual regulatory agenda, published in the April 30 Federal Register, includes predictable delays for long-awaited standards such as crystalline silica and occupational exposure to beryllium, to name a few. Crystalline silica ? a compound that workers in construction, maritime and general industry are routinely exposed to ? has been cited as the cause of silicosis, which is a disabling, if not fatal, disease. The standard has been on OSHA's regulatory agenda for years, but it has not moved past the pre-rule stage. Previously slated for April, OSHA's latest agenda indicates that a complete peer review of health effects and risk assessment will be done by September. Occupational exposure to beryllium also has been on OSHA's plate for some time now. Since 2001, OSHA has been in the process of gathering data through an official request for information in order to determine an appropriate course of action for addressing work-related hazards to beryllium. The agency, in its previous regulatory agenda, had indicated that the a SBREFA (Small Business Regulatory Enforcement and Fairness Act) panel would complete its report by March. The standard has been postponed to September. OSHA Promised to Churn Out PPE Standard by November Another hot topic on the agenda has been the employer-payment-for-PPE standard. The agenda notes that an interim final rule had been scheduled for April. However, in response to a lawsuit filed in January by AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the Department of Labor promised that OSHA by November will issue a final rule on the standard. (For more read Chao: “OSHA Will Issue PPE Rule by November.”) Ever since the United Nations adopted the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in 2003, several nations as well as the European Union have been preparing proposals for adoption of GHS. OSHA admits that “U.S. manufacturers, employers and employees will be at a disadvantage in the event that our system of hazard communication is not compliant with the GHS.” The agency has indicated that it will submit a complete peer review of economic analysis by August. In 1993, OSHA issued a rule to protect workers from the hazards associated with working in confined spaces (storage tanks, sewers, silos, etc.) but the rule did not cover construction workers. As part of a settlement agreement with the United Steelworkers of America, OSHA agreed to propose a rule to protect workers employed on construction sites. According to the agency's latest agenda, an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for confined spaces on construction sites has been scheduled for August ? as opposed to February, as it was noted in the previous agenda. Other items on the regulatory agenda, which are slated for final action, include: * Updating OSHA standards based on national consensus standards ? direct final rule, June. * Vertical tandem lifts for longshoring and marine terminals ? December. * Electric power transmission and distribution; electrical protective equipment ? June 2008 * Revision and update of Subpart S ? electrical standards ? final action, effective August. Copyright © 2007 Penton Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 45 AU ABC: Australian nuclear test veterans plan legal action Australian war veterans involved in nuclear tests in the South Australian outback 50 years ago are planning legal action. Last Updated 15/05/2007, 13:04:52 Australian war veterans involved in nuclear tests in the South Australian outback 50 years ago are planning legal action. Their case is based on a study linking exposure to radiation and genetic diseases during nuclear tests at Maralinga, in the state of South Australia. A study by New Zealand's Massey University analysed chromosomes of navy veterans present at nuclear tests in the Pacific in 1950s. The president of the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association Ric Johnstone says the study is more evidence that veterans suffered long term harm from radiation. "This study vindicates what we've been saying for many, many years," Mr Johnstone said. "We've always known that cancer rates have been higher amongst nuclear test participants as have many other radio genetic type of illnesses." The Australian Veterans Affairs Minister, Bruce Billson, says his department is still looking at the study findings. Mr Billson say he's not sure if the study makes any conclusions about sickness being caused by radiation exposure. "One of the things that's not clear at this stage is whether the New Zealand research makes any attempt to connect it's findings with health consequences," Mr Billison said. ***************************************************************** 46 AU ABC: Government considers NZ radiation findings. 15/05/2007. ABC News Online The federal Veterans Affairs Minister, Bruce Billson, says his department is looking at a university study from New Zealand linking genetic damage with radiation exposure. The study by Massey University involved navy veterans who watched nuclear tests in the Pacific in the late 1950s. It will be cited as evidence in legal action planned by the Australian Nuclear Veterans Association over the Maralinga nuclear tests in South Australia's outback in the 1950s and 60s. "One of the things that's not clear at this stage is whether the New Zealand research makes any attempt to connect its findings with health consequences," Mr Billson said. "Of course we're very interested in any new research that might add further insights to how we can best care for nuclear test participants." Ric Johnstone, from the Nuclear Veterans Association, says Australians were even more exposed to danger than the Pacific veterans. "The New Zealand veterans were 80 to 100 km away from the test sites. Most of our people were knee deep in the stuff," he said. A veteran of nuclear testing in South Australia's outback, Avon Hudson, believes any legal action for compensation is too late. "Even if the court finds it, I don't know whether the Government is willing to go through with it because they always appeal," he said. "They've got the money. They can go on appealing forever. We haven't. We can't." ***************************************************************** 47 Whitehaven News: New fears over body parts scandal Published on 15/05/2007 Angela Christie FRESH fears emerged this week that more families could be unwittingly involved in the Sellafield body parts scandal. New evidence was released to Angela Christie revealing that the GMB union, Sellafield bosses, coroners and doctors, all knew that organs were being removed and tested. Her father Maclolm Pattinson, a worker at the plant, died of leukaemia caused by radiation in 1971. Mrs Christie’s solicitors found the documents years ago when they were researching her high court case for compensation over her father’s death, but believed they had been shredded. They have since been found and Mrs Christie was shown them last week. She was given three files but said that a further five boxes, containing information relating to other families, remain with her solicitors, Crutes in Newcastle. Mrs Christie believes that the families in the other cases are unaware that their relatives – also involved in radiation claims – may have had body parts removed. “We were lucky because we got the information but there are other families who might not,” she said. “There are five more boxes of papers involving other families. It will help if it all comes out,” she said. The papers show how organs and tissue were removed at autopsies and apparently burned by doctors looking for evidence of radiation contamination. Mrs Christie has advised concerned families to contact Crutes to find out if their relatives were involved. She has also hit out at Tony Blair’s decision not to hold a full, public inquiry. She said: “Some of the stuff I have seen is terrible. I want the facts to come out because everyone in Cumbria has a right to know. “These people have taken things that do not belong to them without permission. They did not do it for the families’ sake because they would not give us the results. “Reading through it has upset me but it gives me something to focus on. I want to know once and for all so I can put it to rest and move on.” One of the letters shows the discussion about which of Mr Pattinson’s organs should be removed. Another, from Sellafield, details the weight of his liver, lungs and vertebrae, once they were taken. Mrs Christie’s recognised the work the GMB did in representing families throughout the 1970s and 80s but added: “It was still secretive.” Her family won ÂŁ67,000 compensation in an historic high court battle against Sellafield in 1979, after proving radiation killed her father. It was Sellafield’s first court admission of liability in 1979 following an eight year court battle. View this story and the latest newspaper in full digital reproduction, just like the printed copy at www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/digitalcopy ***************************************************************** 48 Waste from nuke weapons facilities released to reguilar landfills Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 00:54:35 -0500 (CDT) http://www.nirs.org/press/05-14-2007/1 Nuclear Information and Resource Service FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2007 CONTACT Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS 301-270-6477 16 Mary Olson, NIRS 828-675-1792 New Report Finds Nuclear Weapons Materials Released to Landfills Pathways Open for Reuse and Recycling Takoma Park, MD Radioactive materials are being released from nuclear weapons facilities to regular landfills and could get into commercial recycling streams, finds a new report released today by Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS). The report: Out of Control On Purpose: DOE's Dispersal of Radioactive Waste into Landfills and Consumer Products was commissioned to track if and how the Department of Energy (DOE) releases some of the radioactive wastes from nuclear bomb production. The report authors, led by Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS' Radioactive Waste Project Director, researched seven sites and the DOE national headquarters. The seven sites were: Oak Ridge TN, Rocky Flats CO, Los Alamos NM, Mound and Fernald OH, West Valley NY, and Paducah KY. "People around regular trash landfills will be shocked to learn that radioactive contamination from nuclear weapons production is ending up there, either directly released by DOE or via brokers and processors," D'Arrigo said. "Just as ominous, the DOE allows and encourages sale and donation of some radioactively contaminated materials." The report tracked the laws, guidance and technical justifications that DOE uses to rationalize allowing radioactive scrap, concrete, equipment, asphalt, plastic, wood, chemicals, soil, and more out to landfills, commercial businesses and recreation areas, recycling and reuse in places unprepared to handle radioactivity. Applauding DOE's ban on recycling of radioactive metal from nuclear weapons, the report cautions there are loopholes and it is again threatened. "DOE is ignoring public opposition to unnecessary exposures and releasing radioactivity even though the U.S. Congress revoked such release policies," said Mary Olson, director of the NIRS Southeast office and a co-author of the report. "DOE is using its own internal guidance to allow radioactive weapons wastes out of control, claiming the doses to people will be 'acceptable' even though they are not enforced or tracked." Under the current system, the DOE and other nuclear waste generators release materials directly, sell them at auction or through exchanges or send their waste to processors who can then release it from radioactive controls to landfills, to recyclers or for reuse. The report found that the State of Tennessee is a leader in licensing processors that can release radioactive materials for the nuclear waste generators. "Tennessee is serving as a funnel to bring in nuclear weapons and power waste from around the country to disperse into the landfills and recycling without public knowledge," D'Arrigo said. The waste is processed by state-licensed companies and in some cases "redefined" as "special" then released to regular landfills. This free release also opens up the potential for the materials to enter the recycling stream to make everyday household and personal items or to be used to build roads, schools, and playgrounds. "As long as DOE and other nuclear waste generators can slip their contamination out letting it get Out of Control On Purpose there is really no limit to the amount of additional radiation exposure members of the public could receive," D'Arrigo concluded. "Only an informed, outraged public can force DOE and agreeable states to shift the goal from dispersal to isolation of radioactive waste." A copy of the full report can be found on the NIRS web site at: http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm The report authors and contributors include: Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS' Radioactive Waste Project Director Mary Olson, Director, NIRS Southeast Office Cindy Folkers, NIRS, Health and Environment Project Dr. Marvin Resnikoff, Radioactive Waste Management Associates, NYC ***************************************************************** 49 ENS: Feds Offer $60 Million to Jumpstart Nuclear Fuel Recycling Environment News Service (ENS) AmeriScan: May 14, 2007 WASHINGTON, DC The Department of Energy, DOE, will pay up to $60 million by the end of 2008 to nuclear industry experts who can provide the conceptual design of an initial nuclear fuel recycling center and advanced recycling reactor as part of the Bush administration's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, GNEP. Under GNEP, President George W. Bush plans to have nations with "secure, advanced nuclear capabilities" provide fresh fuel and recover used fuel to other nations who agree to use nuclear energy for power generation purposes only. This closed fuel cycle model requires development and deployment of technologies that enable recycling and consumption of long-lived highly radioactive waste. The $60 million in design funding will be disbursed subject to appropriation from Congress. Stressing that nuclear power is "safe, environmentally sensitive, and affordable," Energy Deputy Secretary Clay Sell announced the funding while addressing the United States Energy Association in Washington, DC on May 9. "By further engaging engineering and design experts in the nuclear industry, we can spur radical development of new nuclear recycling technologies that are more proliferation-resistant and economically attractive," said Sell. In addition to the conceptual design studies, the recipients of funding will develop technology development roadmaps to describe the state of the current technology, perform a technology "gap" analysis, and define the methods and plans to acquire technology needed to achieve the GNEP goals. Business plans will address how the market may facilitate DOE plans to develop and commercialize the advanced fuel cycle technologies and facilities. Communications plans will address the dissemination of scientific, technical, and practical information relating to nuclear energy and closing the nuclear fuel cycle. In a factsheet on GNEP, the Energy Department says the program includes, "An aggressive plan to manage spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste in the U.S., including permanent geologic disposal at Yucca Mountain." GNEP technologies yet to be developed will "change the characteristics and, potentially, significantly reduce the toxicity of spent fuel and nuclear waste to be disposed of in Yucca Mountain," the Energy Department says. "This will make disposal less complex and potentially extend the capacity of Yucca Mountain for generations to come." For more information on GNEP, log on to: http://www.gnep.energy.gov/gnepProgram.html Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2006. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 50 ENS: U.S. Allows Radioactive Materials in Ordinary Landfills Environment News Service (ENS) TAKOMA PARK, Maryland Radioactive materials from nuclear weapons facilities are being released to regular landfills and could get into commercial recycling streams, finds a report issued today by the nonprofit Nuclear Information and Resource Service, NIRS. Radioactive scrap, concrete, equipment, asphalt, plastic, wood, chemicals, and soil are placed in ordinary landfills, researchers learned. Contaminated by nuclear bomb production at Department of Energy, DOE, facilities, some of the radioactive waste is processed by state-licensed companies. In some cases it is "redefined" as "special" and then disposed of in regular landfills. "People around regular trash landfills will be shocked to learn that radioactive contamination from nuclear weapons production is ending up there, either directly released by DOE or via brokers and processors," says lead author Diane D'Arrigo, NIRS' Radioactive Waste Project director. "Just as ominous," she said, "the DOE allows and encourages sale and donation of some radioactively contaminated materials." Typical waste disposal practices used in the 1950s through early 1970s at the Y-12 area of the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee. (Photo courtesy DOE) This free release opens up the potential for the materials to enter the recycling stream to make everyday household and personal items or to be used to build roads, schools, and playgrounds. D'Arrigo and her team researched what happens to radioactive materials from the DOE national headquarters and seven nuclear sites - Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Rocky Flats, Colorado; Los Alamos, New Mexico; Mound and Fernald, Ohio; West Valley, New York; and Paducah, Kentucky. The state of Tennessee is the most active state in licensing processors that can release radioactive materials for the nuclear waste generators, the report found. "Tennessee is serving as a funnel to bring in nuclear weapons and power waste from around the country to disperse into the landfills and recycling without public knowledge," D'Arrigo said. The Department of Energy is charged with removing the radioactive materials from more than 50 years of energy research and weapons production at Tennessee's Oak Ridge Reservation. The program includes what the DOE calls "an aggressive effort" to complete the majority of the environmental cleanup by 2008. The sheer volume of radioactive material the Energy Department’s Office of Environmental Management must deal with is enormous. This agency is tasked with cleanup of the environmental legacy of the nation’s nuclear weapons program and government-sponsored nuclear energy research. One of the largest and most technically complex environmental cleanup programs in the world, the effort includes cleanup of 114 sites across the country, including those on the Oak Ridge Reservation. On September 30, 2005, the Department of Energy announced that it had accomplished "a major milestone in environmental cleanup with the safe disposition of over one million cubic feet of legacy waste," from the Oak Ridge Reservation. A shipment of boxes containing radioactive waste departs the Oak Ridge Reservation for disposal off site. The shipment is one of hundreds that were disposed of on and off Oak Ridge as part of the Legacy Waste Disposition Program. (Photo courtesy DOE) This volume equates to a football field covered more than 30 feet high. The waste consisted of radioactive scrap metal, contaminated soil, construction debris, organic liquids, waste water and sludge residue, the DOE said. Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC, the department’s environmental cleanup contractor, completed the project safely and on-time, the DOE said. But it is where the radioactive material goes when it is removed from the DOE sites that NIRS researched. By permitting radioactive materials to go directly to unregulated destinations and to licensed processors who subsequently release it, DOE is enabling manmade radioactivity to get out into the open marketplace, landfills, commercial recycling and into everyday consumer products, construction supplies and equipment, roads, piping, buildings, vehicles, playgrounds, basements, furniture, toys, zippers, personal items, without warning, notification or consent, NIRS researchers discovered. The NIRS report tracked the laws, guidance and technical justifications that DOE uses to rationalize allowing commercial businesses and recreation areas - places unprepared to handle radioactivity - to recycle and reuse these materials. "DOE is ignoring public opposition to unnecessary exposures and releasing radioactivity even though the U.S. Congress revoked such release policies," said Mary Olson, director of the NIRS Southeast office and a co-author of the report. "DOE is using its own internal guidance to allow radioactive weapons wastes out of control, claiming the doses to people will be 'acceptable' even though they are not enforced or tracked," Olson said. Under the current system, the DOE and other nuclear waste generators release materials directly, sell them at auction or through exchanges or send their waste to processors who can then release it from radioactive controls to landfills, to recyclers or for reuse. The Disposal Area Remedial Actions Soils Storage Facility at Oak Ridge was built in 1989 to store contaminated sediments and excavation wastes. (Photo courtesy DOE) This dispersal of radioactive materials is being done without comprehensive complex-wide tracking, without routine public reporting of the releases from each site and processor and usually without independent verification that it is within the DOE's self-imposed limits, the NIRS researchers found. "As long as DOE and other nuclear waste generators can slip their contamination out — letting it get out of control — On purpose — there is really no limit to the amount of additional radiation exposure members of the public could receive," D'Arrigo concluded. "Only an informed, outraged public can force DOE and agreeable states to shift the goal from dispersal to isolation of radioactive waste." While approving of DOE's ban on recycling of radioactive metal from nuclear weapons, the report cautions there are loopholes and the Bush administration is considering lifting the ban. Olson and D'Arrigo say NIRS is submitting a new Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration to identify and quantify how much nuclear weapons generated radioactivity has been released, is being released and may be released and its destinations. "Our previous efforts have only begun to answer these questions," they said. Based on the information in this report, NIRS is calling for a comprehensive, permanent ban to be placed on release for recycling, regular (unregulated) disposal and reuse of all radioactive wastes and materials, including potentially contaminated metals and materials from all DOE sites and activities. A copy of the full report, "Out of Control — On Purpose: DOE's Dispersal of Radioactive Waste into Landfills and Consumer Products," is online at: http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/outofcontrol/outofcontrol.htm Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2006. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 51 ReviewJournal.com: ERIN NEFF: Obama and Yucca Opinion - May. 15, 2007 The Yucca Mountain Project has fallen off the political radar in Nevada because, among other reasons, the planned nuclear waste repository has no certain opening date. The state's elected officials have battled that bogeyman by withholding funding from the Department of Energy and challenging the project in court. In the political realm, the Yucca Mountain issue has been so carefully muddled that candidates who've voted in favor of the dump have been able to twist their positions to seem friendly to Nevada. Thus, as the major parties prepare for Nevada's Jan. 19 presidential caucuses, Republican Sen. John McCain, who openly supports the project, can defend his stance only by claiming other contenders are simply hypocrites. John Kerry's vote against the Yucca Mountain Project and his promise to shutter the facility as president were ignored by the GOP attack machine in the 2004 presidential election, thanks to a letter Kerry had written advocating the exploration of deep geological burial of nuclear waste. Kerry's running mate, Sen. John Edwards, actually voted for the Yucca Mountain Project, requiring state Democrats to accept his "new thinking" on the project as an honest change of heart. Instead it appeared as just more political pandering. That's why Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., will have a hard time answering questions about the Yucca Mountain Project this year in the run-up to Nevada's early 2008 caucus. When he was in Las Vegas in March for a health care forum, Obama told The Associated Press he opposed the repository and would look to regional storage as a solution. Surely that could not have meant keeping the stuff in Illinois, where much of the nation's commercial nuclear waste is generated. On June 30, 2006, Obama and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., wrote a letter to Sen. Pete Domenici, D-N.M., who at the time chaired a key energy subcommittee. "Senator Obama and I want to make it clear to the chairman that any plan to create regional nuclear waste sites without any local veto power is unacceptable," Durbin said at the time. "Illinois must not become a dumping ground -- even a temporary one -- for nuclear waste brought in from other states." Of course, that's what the junior senator from Illinois is supposed to do. Illinois has 11 nuclear power plants, which generate 48 percent of the state's power. But what should Nevadans think now as Obama runs a national campaign? If he still supports regional storage, might not Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, be acceptable as a "temporary" site? But Obama's Yucca problems don't end with his parochial view of the dump. He's also hip-deep in financial ties that McCain or Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney will be able to exploit. Obama has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the nation's largest nuclear power operator. Exelon Corp. is the second-largest contributor to Obama's presidential campaign, after financial services company UBS, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. Exelon executives and employees have given $161,000 to Obama's presidential bid. He's received an additional $86,000 since 1998 from Exelon's political action committee, employees and predecessor, Commonwealth Edison. Obama got money from the company in his 1998 bid for the Illinois state Senate and for his failed 2000 congressional campaign. Exelon also donated to Obama's PAC and his successful 2004 U.S. Senate bid. Someone donating that much cash wants an ear in the White House. So what does Exelon Chief Executive Officer John Rowe want? Fortune magazine, in a May 15, 2006, article titled "Meet Mr. Nuke," details Rowe's call to solve the waste problem before additional nuclear power plants are built. "We have to be able to look the public in the eye and say, 'If we build a plant, here's where the waste will go,' " Rowe told Fortune. The Yucca Mountain Project is the "linchpin" to solving the waste problem and building new plants, Rowe told U.S. News and World Report for an Oct. 22, 2006, article, "Mired in Yucca muck." Rowe is co-chairman of the National Commission on Energy Policy, a privately funded advocacy group formed in the aftermath of Dick Cheney's secret energy task force. Rowe is also on the board of the Nuclear Energy Institute. If it were just Rowe's support, or just the donations, or just the Domenici letter, Obama might be able to successfully play the Edwards card to Democratic caucus voters. Iraq, health care and education still trump Yucca Mountain among Nevadans. But having that combination of money, the executive's advocacy and a letter the candidate wrote could definitely tip the scales. Maybe that's why Obama didn't bring up Yucca Mountain during his big public rally in Las Vegas in February. The Obama campaign said Monday the candidate did not accept money from Exelon's lobbyists. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the letter shows Obama "doesn't believe any state should be burdened with storing the waste from others as long as the state has a storage site to deal with its own waste." Erin Neff's column runs Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at (702) 387-2906, or by e-mail at eneff@reviewjournal.com. Leave Your Comment 1 Reader Comments Terms & Conditions The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor. Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once. Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2007 ***************************************************************** 52 Chillicothe Gazette: Famous activist Brockovich signs petition against GNEP in Piketon www.chillicothegazette.com - Chillicothe, OH Tuesday, May 15, 2007 By ASHLEY LYKINS Gazette Staff Writer PIKETON -While the Southern Ohio Neighbors Group usually only allows residents in and around southern Ohio to sign its petition to prevent a nuclear facility from being built in Pike County, it made an notable exception last week. Environmental activist Erin Brockovich signed the petition to prevent the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership from materializing in Piketon, writing, "Neighbors helping neighbors: Be protective of public health and safety" next to her signature. Brockovich came into the national spotlight after her legal battle with Pacific Gas & Electric on behalf of residents of Hinkley, Calif., over contaminated drinking water was turned into a feature film starring Julia Roberts in the title role. Her signature marked the document's 2,000th, said SONG co-founder Geoffrey Sea. The group has been "fighting plans to locate a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel" since August 2006, he wrote in a news release. If the nuclear partnership lands in Piketon, two possible facilities could be built, including an advanced nuclear fuel recycling center, which would separate used nuclear fuel into its reusable and waste components. The other building would be an advanced recycling reactor, which would demolish radioactive aspects of the used fuel while generating electricity. Sea doesn't see the facilities in that light. "If it looks like a dump, and it quacks like a dump, it's a dump," said Sea in a news release. A public meeting that will feature Victoria Wulsin, candidate for Ohio's second congressional district, has been slated by SONG for 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Flohr Auditorium in Shawnee State University's library. Another meeting about the issue, organized by the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network of Athens, will be conducted in Athens City Council's chambers from 7 to 9 p.m. May 24. The forums follow three gatherings conducted by the Southern Ohio Nuclear Integration Cooperative in the past few months. The cooperative has been striving to bring the partnership to southern Ohio. It was awarded a grant to conduct a study that will determine the location's suitability for the nuclear facilities. While some members of SONG attended one or two of the cooperative's meetings, SONIC's members won't be returning the favor. "We never said we wanted a dump," said Greg Simonton, SONIC's vice president, adding the Nuclear Waste Storage Prohibition Act -introduced Friday by lawmakers -will support the group's ambitions. "I think that goes a long way. It speaks to the fact that we want something safe." The act, which states no GNEP funds may be used for the creation of a permanent storage facility for nuclear waste and no waste can be stored long-term at reprocessing states, was sponsored by a bipartisan group that includes Jean Schmidt, Zack Space and Charlie Wilson. However, Sea isn't convinced. "No one has any idea if or when this bill would pass. It is one of the many thousands of bills that are proposed to accomplish a political purpose," he wrote in an e-mail, noting its purpose is to "salvage" Schmidt's chances of re-election. The Department of Energy will release its decision for where to locate the GNEP facilities in summer 2008. Copyright ©2007 Chillicothe Gazette ***************************************************************** 53 Salt Lake Tribune: Tailing failing Public Forum Letter Article Last Updated: 05/14/2007 07:05:57 PM MDT Regarding The Tribune's May 3 story, "Utah senator rejects 21Ðyear projection on tailings," U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett deserves hearty thanks from everyone who relies on the Colorado River for drinking water. He's exactly right when he says the U.S. Department of Energy's plan to take up to 21 years to clean up the radioactive tailings pile on the bank of the Colorado outside of Moab is "unacceptable." The long delay is dangerous to the millions downstream who drink from the Colorado. The flooding currently occurring in the Midwest could just as easily be happening here. A flood of similar magnitude might wash the entire toxic pile into the river. The threat is so obvious that a remarkable coalition of environmentalists, elected officials, scientists and water department officials spoke with one voice supporting the plan to remove the tailings to a safer location in a timely fashion. This is not complex; it simply requires the political will to fund the cleanup at an adequate level. I encourage citizens to write, e-mail or call the Department of Energy and express their displeasure with the current time line. Bill Hedden Executive director, Grand Canyon Trust Moab © Copyright 2007, The Salt Lake Tribune. ***************************************************************** 54 AU ABC: ALP uranium policy change 'aids acceptance'. 15/05/2007. ABC News Online A uranium conference in Darwin has heard the Labor Party's policy change on uranium mining will lead to broader acceptance of it in Australia. Energy Resources of Australia chief executive Chris Salisbury says there is a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication about uranium that a better public voice from the industry will address. Mr Salisbury has welcomed Labor's abandonment of its "no new mines" policy. He has told about 300 delegates at the conference it paves the way to open new deposits in Australia. But he says the approval process for new mines is still lengthy. Australian Uranium Association spokesman Michael Angwin says a new survey of 1,000 people across all states and territories shows increasing support for the uranium mining industry. "Fifty per cent of Australians support the industry, 75 per cent of Australians believe that it will make a big contribution to Australia's economy in the future," he said. "All of that's driven by people's understanding of the economic benefits of Australia's uranium mining and the contribution it can make to the world's climate change challenge." Mr Angwin says the political consensus will lead uranium mining to the mainstream. He says strengthening the non-proliferation treaty would give Australians greater confidence to export uranium. "Our industry and our association will take every opportunity we can to contribute to continuing improvement in that non-proliferation regime," he said. Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin says having the international uranium conference held in Darwin shows the territory is a good place to invest. "We are a growing economy," she said. "A lot of that is based on the strength of the price of minerals and obviously, the organisers think we're a good place to be in and I think in terms of economic development, we certainly are." ***************************************************************** 55 Scotsman.com News: Waste plant ruled out of Dounreay jobs recovery Wednesday, 16th May 2007 JOHN ROSS A NUCLEAR waste repository in Caithness would harm efforts to regenerate the economy after the rundown of Dounreay, it was claimed yesterday. An action plan is being drawn up to help the area offset the loss of about 2,500 jobs when the nuclear plant is due to return to a near-greenfield site by 2033, after a ÂŁ2.9 billion decommissioning project. Up to 500 jobs are expected to go over the next five years, when the rundown will level out until about 2017, after which the downward trend will continue. The board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which met in Caithness yesterday, says it is confident of replacing the lost jobs. However, the agency came out against the possibility of a nuclear waste repository being sited in the area. Sandy Cumming, HIE's chief executive, said: "A waste repository does not enter our discussions at all. One of the things we want to do in terms of selling Caithness is to have it regarded as an outstanding opportunity to develop a new business. "As well as an excellent skills base, Caithness has a wonderful natural environment and I'm very excited about recent developments in tourism and the food and drink industry. "The question is 'will their growth in future be assisted by that particular proposal?' My feeling is that we want to build a sustainable opportunity in Caithness and not in any way detract from the growing opportunities we see at the moment." Earlier this year, a taskforce was set up to plan the regeneration of the economy after the Dounreay shutdown. HIE, Highland Council and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, together with the Scottish Executive and MP John Thurso, have agreed a plan to tackle the social and economic effects of closure. An inward investment manager and a Caithness regeneration programme co-ordinator will shortly be appointed to take on the challenge. Mr Cumming said the area had traditionally had a low number of business start-ups because Dounreay had provided employment for the past 50 years. He said: "The action plan will try to stimulate more business start-ups and grow local businesses wherever we can, but a fundamental task will be to attract new inward investment from the private and public sectors." Carroll Buxton, the area director of HIE Caithness and Sutherland, said the local economy was already becoming more diverse, with firms involved in the oil and gas, defence, renewable energy and food and drink sectors, while 500 people were employed in call centres. Willie Roe, HIE's chairman, said he was confident the jobs could be replaced: "The decommissioning of Dounreay and all the facilities here represent a major short-term boost to the economy, but a long-term fundamental change to the economy of Caithness. "It is the biggest area of change facing the Highlands and Islands economy. "But in other parts of the UK, having 500 skilled people available would constitute an amazing competitive advantage seeking inward investors. "I would confidently say we can replace 500 jobs within five years - experience in other places says it's possible. And I have no doubt we can replace 2,500 jobs over the next 25 years. There are attractive features to this part of Scotland." Related topic * Dounreay http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=566 This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=758462007 Last updated: 15-May-07 00:33 BST ©2007 Scotsman.com | contact | terms & conditions ***************************************************************** 56 This is Guernsey: Nuclear Waste Wednesday May 16, 2007 La Hague to take Italy nuke waste ITALIAN nuclear waste is to be brought to La Hague. Areva, the French company which operates the nuclear-reprocessing centre on the Cotentin coast, has signed a 250m. euro contract with Italian nuclear waste-management concern Sogin. Areva subsidiary Cogema will begin reprocessing 235 tonnes of waste this year. Under an inter-governmental agreement signed in November concerning transport, treatment and storing of waste in France to extract exploitable uranium, the residue must be returned to Italy by 2025. In a national referendum in 1987, the year after the Chernobyl disaster, Italians voted to close down all four of the country’s nuclear power plants. The last was shut in 1990 but the spent fuel now presents a security risk. In 2003, residents of a small town in southern Italy succeeded in forcing the government to abandon plans to bury the waste there. Besides handling waste from Italy’s decommissioned plants, Sogin has been given European Union authority to handle the dismantling of former Soviet nuclear submarines under the Global Partnership accord, a statement from Areva revealed at the weekend. The company this week announced a net profit for 2006 of 649m. euros, 43.9% up on 2005’s 451m. euros.
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [NukeNet] URGENT sign-on letter to support UC student hunger strikers Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 17:58:43 -0800 From: Marylia Kelley To: marylia@earthlink.net NukeNet Anti-Nuclear Network (nukenet@energyjustice.net) PLEASE READ THE LETTER, BELOW, ON THE UC STUDENTS' HUNGER STRIKE -- AND IF YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN SIGN ON, SEND YOUR SIGN ON INFO ASAP TO: "Nick Roth" HERE ARE YOUR INSTRUCTIONS, LETTER FOLLOWS: The following is a sign-on letter to the Office of the Secretary of the Board of Regents of the University of California. Currently, over 40 hunger strikers are protesting the University of California's involvement with the US nuclear weapons complex and the US development of new nuclear weapons. This act has already received a great deal of press including articles in the LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle. We ask that NGOs sign on to this letter to show support for the protesters and opposition to the development and production of new nuclear bombs. All signatures need to be submitted by 7:00am Pacific Standard Time (10am Eastern Standard) Thursday. However, Wednesday is better if you can do this right away! Please send sign-ons to Nroth@napf.org. To: OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF THE REGENTS For: DISTRIBUTION TO THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA On behalf of the undersigned organizations that work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons, we urge you, as a member of the University of California Board of Regents, to go on record at your May 17, 2007 meeting in San Francisco, opposing the development of new nuclear weapons, including the so-called Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program. We also ask that you publicly oppose the ongoing preparations to design new nuclear weapons and conduct pit manufacturing to support the RRW program. As you likely already know, more than 40 UC students and alumni are currently on a long-term fast to call attention to this timely issue. As you also no doubt know, the hunger fasters are asking Regents to introduce a resolution at the May 17th meeting calling for full and immediate severance >from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), on the grounds that the Reliable Replacement Warhead program, including LLNL's development of RRW-1, and LANL's preparations to conduct plutonium pit manufacturing both violate Article VI of the 1970 nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Some of the fasters have pledged to go without solid food until you meet their demand for either an end to nuclear weapons development at LLNL and LANL or severance of the management ties between UC and the weapons labs. Our organizations support them in their efforts, which are inspiring and, unfortunately, necessary given the United States  continued maintenance and augmentation of nuclear weapons, the attendant weakening of the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, the global nuclear proliferation risks and the continued acquiescence of UC system giving academic respectability to the weapons labs' bomb-making enterprise. Far from supporting "national security" through its management of LANL and LLNL, the UC is helping to foster dangerous programs that threaten not only the security of people living in the United States, but that of all other life on earth. By designing the new RRW-1, LLNL is involved in sending a clear message to the international community that the United States intends to maintain a vast nuclear weapons arsenal for the indefinite future, despite its legal obligation to disarm and the global threat these weapons pose. By preparing to manufacture plutonium pits, LANL is responsible for the most pivotal step in the process of manufacturing new nuclear warheads, one which also stands to pollute the natural environment of New Mexico. There has never been a more critical time for the UC Regents to take a principled stand against new nuclear weapons. You are in a very powerful position to do so: You can cast the UC's enormous political and intellectual weight on the side of international law and morality, and make a clear statement of opposition to these dangerous programs. You can refuse to continue managing the weapons labs unless and until genuine mission change to civilian science is put "on the table." We, the undersigned organizations call on you to uphold UC's motto: "Let There Be Light." We call on you to let the light of reason, openness, and true academic accountability shine through your actions on May 17th and beyond. Join us in supporting the hunger strikers and their aspirations for a nuclear weapons free world. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Again, I strongly urge you to voice your opposition to new nuclear weapons -- and UC's continuing role in designing and developing them at your upcoming meeting. ### Marylia Kelley, Executive Director Tri-Valley CAREs 2582 Old First Street Livermore, CA 94551 Ph: (925) 443-7148 Fx: (925) 443-0177 Web: www.trivalleycares.org Email: marylia@trivalleycares.org or marylia@earthlink.net _______________________________________________________________________ Subscribe/Unsubscribe Here: http://www.energyjustice.net/nukenet/ Change your settings or access the archives at: http://mail.energyjustice.net/mailman/listinfo/nukenet_energyjustice.net ***************************************************************** 59 DOE: Energy Dept. Awards $11.2 Million for Hydrogen Research May 15, 2007 WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $11.2 million in awards for research aimed at overcoming the scientific challenges associated with the production, storage and use of hydrogen. “This funding will support transformational scientific research addressing major issues underpinning the hydrogen economy: hydrogen storage, essential for transportation; and catalysts, for hydrogen production, storage and use," Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach said. DOE’s Office of Science selected 13 projects that will focus on fundamental science in support of hydrogen technologies. Universities and national laboratories in 10 states and Washington, DC will conduct the research. The projects are part of a department-wide, comprehensive, balanced portfolio of basic and applied research, technology development and demonstration projects aimed at significantly advancing President Bush’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. DOE selected the new projects through a merit-review, competitive solicitation process and plans to fund additional projects in fiscal year 2008. The projects will address two priority technical areas: Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage (7 projects, $5.6 million over three years) Both the National Academy of Sciences and DOE have identified hydrogen storage as a key technology for the successful implementation of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. A broad range of research in hydrogen storage is covered by these projects, including: complex hydrides; nanostructured and novel materials; theory, modeling and simulation; and state-of-the-art analytical and characterization tools to develop novel storage materials and methods. Nanoscale Catalysts (6 projects, $5.6 million over three years) Catalysts play a vital role in hydrogen production, storage and use. Specifically, catalysts are needed for producing hydrogen from water or carbon-containing fuels such as coal and biomass, increasing hydrogen storage kinetics and producing electricity at low cost from hydrogen in fuel cells. Research areas include: innovative synthetic techniques; novel characterization techniques; and theory, modeling and simulation of catalytic pathways. The list of new projects follows. U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 60 Tri-City Herald: Department of Revenue: Put brakes on Hanford tax Opinions Published Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 Kudos to state Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, and Rep. Bill Grant, D-Walla Walla, for efforts to delay a tax hike on some Hanford cleanup work. Now, the state Department of Revenue needs to take heed of its bipartisan call to put tax collection on hold until next year, when lawmakers intend to clear up confusion surrounding the issue. It's a reasonable request, since it requires only carrying out the Legislature's original intent when the tax break was first created more than a decade ago. At the time, lawmakers understood the savings weren't going into the pockets of Hanford contractors. The Department of Energy reimburses contractors for reasonable costs, including the state's business and occupation tax. In other words, taxes on Hanford's contractors ultimately move money out of DOE's cleanup budget and into state coffers. As a way to keep millions of extra federal dollars in cleanup programs, the tax break worked fine for a while, but the state Department of Revenue has decided that support activities such as site security and computer services aren't "integral or necessary" to cleanup. As we've said before, it's a bizarre twist of logic to conclude Hanford's computer systems -- which manage tank farm monitoring systems, payroll for cleanup workers, communications between engineers and a hundred other details -- aren't integral or necessary. Regardless, it means millions less for cleanup as money gets redirected to the state treasury. That didn't make sense when the Legislature created the tax break. It makes even less sense today, when the federal budget is squeezed by escalating defense costs and runaway deficits. A bill to resolve the issue languished in Olympia this year, but that appears unlikely to happen in the next session. House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, said recently that he'd be willing to take another look next year. Gov. Chris Gregoire told the Herald's editorial board that she intends to look into the issue. It's increasingly apparent the Department of Revenue simply has it wrong, and lawmakers want a tax break for support services at Hanford if it means more money for cleanup. That agency ought abandon its demand for higher taxes at Hanford and wait to hear from the Legislature and governor's mansion. 2007 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 61 Daily Nexus: UCs Should Separate From Nuclear Plants - Will Parrish Published Tuesday, May 15, 2007 Issue 124 / Volume 87 For over six decades, the University of California has been the primary nuclear weapons research and design contractor. It has managed the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories since their inceptions. Scientists at these laboratories - all UC employees - have designed every nuclear warhead in the U.S. arsenal and carried out close to every U.S. nuclear weapons test detonation since the dawn of the Nuclear Age, of which the official tally is 1,054. The fealty of the UC Board of Regents to the nuclear industry is such that, during the 2005-06 fiscal year, the UC received almost as much money from the Dept. of Energy to conduct nuclear weapons programs - $2.76 billion - as it received from the states of California for education - $2.85 billion. Last Wednesday, 41 UC students, alumni and faculty members began a hunger strike to demand that the UC retract its management of the Los Alamos and Livermore National Laboratories. Individuals at four campuses - Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and Santa Barbara - are part of the hunger strike roster. This bold act of civil resistance comes at a critical time. In March, the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Council announced that the UC’s Livermore facility would develop a new hydrogen bomb. This is to be the first new U.S. nuclear weapon since the end of the Cold War. Los Alamos is slated to manufacture the plutonium bomb cores, or “pits,” for these weapons. The larger context for these programs is that the U.S. nuclear weapons complex is preparing its infrastructure and employees for the task of building dozens of new nukes a year by the year 2030. The DOE has outlined that plan in its “Complex 2030” document. The UC stands to play a central role in these developments. But note that the regents do not really “manage” LANL and LLNL. The Regents only rubber-stamp everything the labs do, providing no actual oversight of their programs and policies - precisely as the DOE requires of them. From the perspective of the DOE, then, what is the benefit of UC weapons lab management, or the illusion thereof? As the largest public research university system in the world, the UC provides the ultimate fig leaf of academic respectability to nuclear weapons science. By casting the UC’s intellectual and political capital on the side of the nuclear weapons industry, the regents help to legitimize everything these labs do. By contrast, if the regents withdrew their management of LANL and LLNL, they would provide the weapons labs with the worst publicity possible. The political consequences of their doing so would be vast. That is particularly so at this critical juncture. The regents have rarely been more politically vulnerable in their capacity as nukes lab managers. The labs’ new hydrogen bomb program, misleadingly referred to as the Reliable Replacement Warhead, has virtually no technical justification and is contrary to the terms of the 1970 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The RRW is deeply unpopular even among many long-time nuclear weapons supporters, even by the Navy. If the RRW dies, the U.S. nuclear weapons complex will be one step closer to the grave. One of the complex’s dirty secrets is that it is currently in a state of crisis. The post-Cold War world is producing fewer young scientists interested in nuclear weapons. Many of the weapons labs’ projects lack a clear purpose. UC weapons lab severance would cause this crisis to deepen appreciably. The day prior to the hunger strike, the UC officially received a new contract, only with a twist. It will manage the lab as part of a limited-liability corporation with Bechtel Corporation, two other multi-national firms, and Texas A&M University. In 2006, UC-Bechtel’s Los Alamos Security, LLC, likewise took over from the UC alone as manager of Los Alamos. The contradictions of UC weapons lab management, thus, have never been greater. The focus of the UC hunger strike is, in many ways, the UC Regents meeting on Thursday. We are attempting by every non-violent means possible to pressure the regents to sever their nuclear ties. If the regents fail to withdraw their weapons lab management, many of those participating, including myself, have pledged to sustain the hunger fasts indefinitely. Will Parrish is the youth empowerment director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Daily Nexus at the University of California, Santa Barbara. All ***************************************************************** 62 KVII Online: The Strike Continues The Pantex Guards Union, or PGU, rejected the second contract proposal from BWXT Pantex. By Chris Olsen Posted: Monday, May 14, 2007 at 6:03 AM AMARILLO -- The  , or   rejected the second contract proposal from  President Frank White says this vote was almost as overwhelming as the first one, which was 532 votes to five. The reason for the overwhelming vote comes from the guards not being satisfied with some of their benefits, especially their medical benefits as well as long-term career progression paths. This strike began on April 15th 2007, making it the second longest strike in   history, the longest being three months back in 1981. White told Pronews7 that eight employees have already left their post as guards, pursuing other career opportunities. Overall the guards say the reason they turned this one down with such great numbers is for the sheer fact Pantex wont budge anymore than they already have. They say that’s unacceptable. “The nature of bargaining is one party starts at one side another party starts on the other side, you hope to meet in the middle somewhere,” said White. “When they don't see movement it's very frustrating.” “When we came with our proposal I felt we had a middle of the road proposal, and it was a serious one where we made concessions. That’s why we wanted them to meet us there in the middle. They failed to do that and the membership let their opinions be know with this vote.” “It's a puzzlement to me, I can't understand it,” said Vivian Havron,   member and  . “I've been out there for 20 years, I just don't understand why they aren't budgeting anymore than they are.  did release a statement. “BWXT Pantex is disappointed in the members’ decision to reject a fair and reasonable agreement,” said BWXT Pantex regarding the turned down contract proposal. White also told Pronews7 that President Robert Lynch stepped down as PGU President, making White the new President.  White said the resignation was for personal reasons. manages and operates the   for the  , where they assemble and disassemble nuclear weapons. A contingency force continues to guard the plant until the   and   reach an agreement. ***************************************************************** 63 NAS: Project: Review of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology Research & Development Program Project Title: Review of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology Research & Development Program PIN: BEES-J-05-01-A Major Unit: Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences Sub Unit: Board on Energy and Environmental Systems RSO: Bowen, Matt Subject/Focus Area: Energy and Energy Conservation; Engineering Project Scope The committee will undertake a comprehensive, independent evaluation of DOE's nuclear energy (NE) program's goals and plans, and validate the process of establishing program priorities and oversight (including the method for determining the relative distribution of budgetary resources). The evaluation will result in a comprehensive and detailed set of policy and research recommendations and associated priorities (including performance targets and metrics) for an integrated agenda of research activities that can best advance NE's fundamental mission of securing nuclear energy as a viable, long-term commercial energy option to provide diversity in energy supply. The review will also include the relationship of the research program to the Idaho Facilities Management program. In conducting the evaluation of the R&D program, the committee will: (1) Review the technical goals and timetables for government and industry R&D efforts in the various technical areas (e.g., Nuclear Power 2010; Generation IV; Hydrogen Initiative; Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative); (2) Review the R&D directions and progress in various parts of the program and their relevance to meeting the goals of the R&D program; (3) Review the overall balance and adequacy of the R&D program in light of the objectives and schedules in the major technology areas, and whether efforts in various technical areas are at an appropriate level, should be expanded, reduced, or eliminated; (4) Identify, if appropriate, new and promising technologies not included in the DOE portfolio that the DOE could meaningfully advance to meet the goals of the program; (5) Examine and comment, as necessary, on the appropriate federal role in the various technical areas; (6) Examine and comment on the commercial implications of each major part of the R&D portfolio and what each element needs to contribute to the commercial adoption of the technology; (7) Examine and comment on NE's strategy for accomplishing its goals, which would include such issues as: (a) program management and organization; (b) the process of setting milestones, research directions and making Go/No Go decisions; (c) collaborative activities with other parts of the government or private sector; (d) the integration of major activities in each program into a plan and associated schedule; (e) integration and associated schedule and milestones of the various major programs across DOE-NE; (f) consistency of the budget, schedule and scope for selected major activities; (g) risk identification and assessment and mitigation activities; and (h) other topics that the committee finds important to comment on related to the success of the program to meet its technical goals. (8) Comment on the relationship of the R&D program to the Idaho Facilities Management program. The committee will write a report documenting its findings and recommendations. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. The approximate start date for the project is April 24, 2006. A report will be issued at the end of the project in approximately 18 months. Project Duration: 18 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 - 08/24/2006 Meeting 2 - 10/17/2006 Meeting 3 - 11/08/2006 Meeting 4 - 01/09/2007 Meeting 5 - 03/08/2007 Meeting 6 - 05/30/2007 Reports Reports having no URL can be seen at the Public Access Records Office Email: info@nas.edu ***************************************************************** 64 KOB.com: Ex-archivist pleads guilty in classified docs case Posted at: 05/15/2007 03:15:35 PM By: The Associated Press Quintana and her attorney walk into federal court on Tuesday. ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - A former archivist for a Los Alamos National Laboratory contractor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a single count of negligent handling of classified documents. Jessica Quintana, 23, entered her plea before U.S. Magistrate Lorenzo Garcia in Albuquerque. No sentencing date has been set. Quintana’s attorney said last week she had reached an agreement with federal prosecutors about the charge. Los Alamos police found lab data at Quintana’s home last October during a drug bust. The drug bust was aimed at a roommate. The lab information was contained on a portable computer storage drive and in about 200 pages of documents. The discovery renewed the furor over security problems at the nuclear weapons lab. (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: *****************************************************************