***************************************************************** 06/20/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.144 ***************************************************************** 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 US: Independent Weekly: State Energy Office faces dismantling 2 US: Reuters: House halts funds for new nuclear warhead 3 US: Boston Globe: An energy bill with no juice - 4 US: UPI: NNSA chief lists Complex 2030 progress 5 AFP: US, China hold talks on critical issues - 6 BBC NEWS: Inside the UK's nuclear weapons bunker 7 People's Daily: Inside story about China's first H-bomb development 8 Reuters: Australia navy to buy A$11 bln warship fleet | 9 Antiwar.com: Cooperative Threat Reduction Is Worth the Cost - NUCLEAR REACTORS 10 AU ABC: WA Government moves to ban nuclear power ABC Perth 11 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Two Public Meetings about the Diablo Canyon Nuc 12 RIA Novosti: New NPP project launched in western Russia 13 RIA Novosti: Estonian scientists propose underwater nuclear reactor 14 BBC NEWS: China building more power plants 15 FT.com: Six companies vie to build nuclear plants 16 US: NRC: NRC Names William Mccabe Chief Financial Officer 17 WNN: Areva, British Energy move for new UK nuclear 18 EBR: British Energy to assess reactor designs for new UK nuclear bui 19 US: Rutland Herald: Activists demand their day in court 20 US: Times Argus: Why did Douglas veto energy bill? 21 US: APP.COM: Oyster Creek radiation barrier hearing planned for Sept 22 US: Decatur Daily: Browns Ferry airspace not usually protected 23 Manila Bulletin: First Gen keen to study nuclear power option 24 US: Decatur Daily: TVA finds itself in spotlight as president visits 25 Slovak Spectator: Slovakia's English Language Newspaper 26 US: DaytonDailyNews: 1st Ohio energy summit ends today 27 People's Daily: Russia likely to help build two more nuclear 28 People's Daily: GUAM countries pledge to build Eurasian energy corri 29 US: KnoxNews: Bush to visit TVA nuke plant 30 News.bg: NPP "Belene" – More Expensive Than Expected 31 Thanh Nien Daily: Vietnam latest news - 32 US: KnoxNews: Reactor's return to action smoother than expected 33 ITAR-TASS: Ivanov welcomes construction of new units at Novoronezh N 34 ITAR-TASS: Russia to build nuclear power units within 3 yrs in 10 yr 35 Japan Times: Nuclear industry gears up for global push 36 US: WNN: No significant environmental impact if Watts Bar 2 complete 37 Toronto Board of Trade: Canada's Nuclear Future 38 Viet Nam News: Experts talk over plans to go nuclear 39 Vancouver Sun: Nuclear option tippytoes back onto the agenda 40 PerthNow: WA bans nuclear plants 41 US: Herald-Leader: 1,200 write to protest plans for reactor in Tenne NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 42 US: OpEd News: Trail of Nuclear Tears - Exposing Nuclear's Horrid Tr 43 US: WRDW: Group says nuclear plant is killing you 44 CG: Border Police Detects ‘Radioactive Scrap Metal’ at Azeri Border 45 US: WorldNetDaily: D.C. to get tower to track radioactive clouds 46 IAEA: Safeguards Statement for 2006 47 US: Wisconsin State Journal: Bill would tell vets about health risks 48 US: Star-News: Progress answers tritium questions | NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 49 Las Vegas SUN: House kills 'Yucca Mountain Johnny' 50 US: Times of India: Protests against uranium mining turn violent-Ind 51 ReviewJournal.com: Surface storage outlined 52 Project Profile: Yucca Mountain Project, Nevada Arsenic Treatment 53 US: The Coloradoan: Uranium company gets OK to continue S.D. drillin 54 US: Salt Lake Tribune: EnergySolutions lands $98.4 million Atlas tai 55 Business Gazette: 60 at nuke waste plant protest 56 The Northern Echo: Toxic Dump Fears For Former Mine PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 57 CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Argonne goal: Study nukes without detonating them 58 DOE: U.S. Department of Energy Moves Forward with Final 59 DOE: DOE Reports Progress on Loan Guarantee Program 60 DOE: DOE to Provide Nearly $60 Million for Solar Energy Research 61 Udall to teleconference about LANL future 62 SF New Mexican: Udall attempt to restore LANL funding is slapped dow 63 Agency says ill Hanford workers should get $150,000 64 Hanford News: DOE releases design requirements for nuclear transport 65 Hanford News: Workers could win cancer compensation 66 Hanford News: Perma-Fix aims to treat more waste 67 Tracy Press: A toxic topic 68 lamonitor.com: House rejects restoring $190 million for LANL 69 WATE: ORNL receives $1 million for biofuels research with poplars ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Independent Weekly: State Energy Office faces dismantling JUNE 20, 2007 Agency's mission may change BY LISA SORG When state lawmakers proposed a $7.5 million budget appropriation for the State Energy Office, earlier this year, director Larry Shirley had reason to be hopeful. The amount would help buttress waning federal funds for his office, which had a $7.3 million budget for 2006-07. Then Shirley learned last month that the governor's office is rethinking the SEO's mission: The SEO should no longer be in the grant-making business, because in doing so, it's crafting policy, which shouldn't be the office's prerogative. And by changing the SEO's mission to focus on energy efficiency in state buildings, the money for grant-making is gone. The Senate's proposed budget contains no state money this year for the SEO's grant work. Many of those grants go to three university energy programs—N.C. Solar Center in Raleigh, Appalachian State and N.C. A&T. Shirley argues that without state funds, there would be no comprehensive resource for energy policymakers or citizens. "The greatest concern [about the proposal] is the fragmentation of services and lack of leadership," Shirley says. Although this year the SEO will still receive $1 million in federal funds, under the Senate budget, four people would lose their jobsabout 20 percent of the staff. (Shirley's position would be elevated to a deputy secretary.) Of the remaining employees, seven would to go to the State Construction office within the Department of Administration; three would transfer to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources to oversee grants and a loan fund. Although there is no state appropriation in 2007, in 2008, state construction and energy grants would receive $1 million each. Sen. Janet Cowell (D-Wake), long considered an environmentally conscious lawmaker, says there is "a lot of misinformation out there" about the Senate provision. She supports decentralizing the SEO in order to emphasize green state buildings and construction, as they aim for a mandatory 30 percent energy savings goal. "Core construction and facility managers of state buildings are not engaged," she says. "It is critical that state government get better at saving energy. Working hand-in-hand with construction folks was the thinking behind this." The timing is crucial: Major utilities, Duke Energy and Progress Energy, have announced plans for renewable and efficiency measures. Dozens of green bills have been introduced in the legislature, two of them mandating renewables and efficiency goals. General public awareness and concern about fossil fuels and climate change is helping to buoy these initiatives. "What I'm hearing is that the utilities are trying to kill it," says state Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), who supports continuing and funding the SEO. "And there's a history of folks over here not having any idea what the SEO does." The SEO was created in 1973, in response to the Arab oil embargo. Until the end of this year, it received federal funds from the Petroleum Violation Escrow, money collected from major petroleum producers as a settlement for overcharges in the ‘70s. According to the SEO's factsheet, it spent $5.8 million in program fundingranging from home energy improvements to biodiesel plantswhile saving more than $91 million in energy costs in 2005-06. Progress Energy spokesman David McNeill says the fate of the SEO won't affect Progress' energy efficiency programs, adding the SEO's future is a "policy decision for the legislature and administration." However, while lawmakers make policy, the utilities have enormous influence over it, hiring cavalcades of lobbyists and doling out political contributions. Two senate Democrats behind the SEO provision (they didn't return calls or emails seeking comment), John Kerr and David Hoyle, received thousands of dollars from utilities in the 2006 election cycle. According to state campaign finance records, Hoyle received $3,500 from Duke Energy executives, including $2,000 from CEO Jim Rogers, and $12,000 from Progress. Kerr raked in $3,000 from Duke and another $1,000 from Progress. "My suspicion is the utilities view the SEO as somewhat of a threat," says Tim Toben, the force behind Greenbridge, a green housing development in Chapel Hill. "In the state we are moving pretty quickly from nuclear and coal to a new and healthier clean energy scheme. The utilities aren't comfortable with the pace of awareness moving through North Carolina." While the new version of the SEO would focus on greening state construction, that office has also served private contractors and citizens interested in renewables and energy efficiency. "This is the debate we've been having," Cowell says. "Who is the SEO serving?" Toben says the SEO has been an indispensable clearinghouse for private builders. "When I started doing green building in the state, the two resources I was able to glean info from were the N.C. Solar Center and the State Energy Office." At recent meeting at UNC-Chapel Hill, Toben told officials "the prospect of dismantling the SEO would be similar to dismantling the Wilson Library at UNC, spreading the resources around and eliminating the chief librarian." Considering the push for renewables and efficiencyat the legislature, among utilities and in general, public awarenessToben says decentralizing the SEO is "inconsistent with the intention of turning the North Carolina into a green state. The real tragedy of the timing is we are on the threshold of some legislation that would mandate renewables and energy efficiency and really stimulate the whole marketplace." There is concern among lawmakers that university programs should be saved, and the House is looking at $2 million to fund them; it is too late to insert requests into university budgets. The SEO's uncertainty is already being felt at the N.C. Solar Center in Raleigh. Five people have left 20 percent of its workforcebecause many of the Center's grants are funneled through the SEO. It is unlikely the Solar Center, which is under N.C. State University, would close, but it would become a research thinktank, rather than a technical resource for citizens and builders. "When you have a situation when you don't know if you'll have a job next year, you look elsewhere," says director Steve Kalland. Kalland says he's received so many calls from companies wanting to implement green energy that "I'm running out of engineers to send to those calls." "It would be devastating," adds Dennis Grady, director of Appalachian State University's Energy Center. La Capra, the consulting firm whose feasibility study helped launch the renewable energy bills this session, was based on Appalachian State's research. "North Carolina doesn't understand what it has in intellectual capital. It would be a real travesty." Powered by Gyrosite © Copyright 2007, Independent Weekly ***************************************************************** 2 Reuters: House halts funds for new nuclear warhead Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:30PM EDT By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday moved to block President George W. Bush from developing a new generation of atomic warheads, as Democratic and Republican opponents said the administration had not developed an adequate post-Cold War nuclear strategy. A fiscal 2008 bill funding Department of Energy weapons programs that is moving through the House provided none of Bush's nearly $89 million request for continuing to develop the new warheads over the next few decades at a multibillion-dollar cost. A vote on passing the overall bill was delayed until sometime after a July 4 holiday recess so lawmakers can review a series of unrelated projects that will be attached to the legislation. The bill, which faces a White House veto threat because it would spend $1.1 billion more than Bush requested, still must be debated by the Senate. "I don't think it is asking too much for a comprehensive nuclear strategy before we build a new nuclear weapon," said Rep. Peter Visclosky, the Indiana Democrat steering the money bill through the House. Rep. David Hobson, an Ohio Republican, also voiced opposition, saying that while "The concept of RRW (Reliable Replacement Warhead) has merit if it allows us to have a smaller stockpile of more reliable weapons ... all we have right now is a vague promise." The proposed warheads would replace some that are 30 years old and could deteriorate if not properly maintained. Some supporters of the new warhead argue that small changes might be needed to extend the life of the existing ones and that could lead to nuclear testing for the first time in more than a decade. They also say the large existing stockpile could be replaced with fewer, more efficient warheads. But opponents challenge assertions that testing would not be needed for the new warhead. They also say the existing stockpile could be maintained indefinitely and there is no military need for a new, costly weapon. DIPLOMATIC PROBLEMS Continued... Reuters ***************************************************************** 3 Boston Globe: An energy bill with no juice - An energy bill with no juice June 20, 2007 IF VOTERS last fall hoped that putting Democrats in charge of Congress would guarantee a progressive energy policy, they had better keep the pressure on over the next few days. The Senate this week is poised to approve a bill that would switch some tax breaks from the oil and gas industries to producers of renewable energy, but the package could also include a new standard for auto fuel efficiency that is barely worth the name. In addition, a requirement that utilities get at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources could fall victim to a filibuster. The troubled state of this bill points up the difficulty of addressing complex and controversial issues such as energy or immigration when neither the president nor either party in Congress is in a position to provide strong leadership. The Democrats cannot present a united front on this issue because too many represent states, like Michigan, that are dependent on the US auto industry, which fears stringent mileage standards. Never mind that if Congress had raised the standard over the years and included SUVs in it, Detroit would have been able to compete with foreign automakers by translating the industry's engineering improvements into better mileage and not greater acceleration and towing power. Until the recent spike in fuel prices, the overall fuel efficiency of US cars had actually fallen as consumers gravitated to gas-guzzling SUVs. In the current bill, one provision would raise the current 27.5 miles per gallon standard to 35 by 2020, but would allow the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration to set a lower standard if this were found not to be cost effective. The two Democratic senators from Michigan, Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, favor an even weaker measure with non binding goals. The National Academy of Sciences has determined that a 37 miles per gallon requirement is feasible, safe, and cost effective. The requirement that utilities get 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020 is ambitious but, combined with the bill's tax credits for the renewable industry, could steer power generation in this country toward solar, wind and tidal turbines, and biofuels. However, the measure faces a filibuster threat from Republican Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico, who failed in his attempt to get new nuclear units and advanced coal generators included as within the 15 percent. Without a significantly stronger mileage standard for autos and the 15 percent requirement for renewable power, the Senate bill would make little progress in weaning Americans from their addiction to oil or reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases. Voters will have a right to feel cheated if last fall's change in congressional leadership does not result in real changes in energy policy. © Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. © The New York Times Company ***************************************************************** 4 UPI: NNSA chief lists Complex 2030 progress United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Briefing NATO shores up future C-17 production Published: June 20, 2007 at 11:46 AM WASHINGTON, June 20 (UPI) -- The head of the National Nuclear Security Administration has listed his agency's achievements in streamlining the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. "In recent years, we have made substantial progress including initial steps to correct some of these problems," NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino said in prepared remarks at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington Friday. "The goal is to have a smaller nuclear weapons complex, which is also more secure, more efficient, safer for the workers and environment, and more cost effective. This vision is called 'Complex 2030.'" In order to achieve these goals, D'Agostino said, "We restored tritium production and extraction at the Savannah River Site; We restored key uranium operations at Y-12; We are implementing plans to develop an interim plutonium pit production capacity of 30-50 pits per year at Los Alamos by 2012; We are reducing the number of sites with large quantities of special nuclear materials; and We are dramatically accelerating the dismantlement of retired warheads." In 2003 the NNSA assessed "10 years of our stockpile stewardship efforts and came to some important conclusions," D'Agostino said. "The main conclusion was that as we continue to draw down the stockpile, we have become concerned that our current path may pose an unacceptable risk to maintaining high confidence in Cold War system performance over the long-term. "With every life extension program we do on a weapon, we slowly move further and further away from the designs that were certified with underground nuclear tests. These inevitable accumulations of small changes over the extended lives of these highly-optimized and complicated systems, has given rise to concerns about the reliability of the weapons over time," the NNSA chief said. U.S. President George W. Bush has directed that the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile be reduced and made safer and more modern. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 AFP: US, China hold talks on critical issues - by P. Parameswaran Wed Jun 20, 5:34 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - Senior diplomats from the United States and China launched a broad dialogue Wednesday expected to touch on a range of issues from Beijing's military build-up to its human rights record and help in ending the Darfur conflict. US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte and China's executive vice foreign minister Dai Bingguo led their teams to the two-day closed-door US-China "senior dialogue" at the State Department. In brief remarks before the meeting, Negroponte said, "We look very much forward to our discussions." "I hope we achieve a satisfactory result," Dai said. The discussions "can cover anything from (military) to (military) relations to human rights issues to working together on critical problems facing us, like Darfur," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack. "It is a whole range of issues." The meeting is being held amid US concerns over China's military buildup in a "non-transparent" fashion, human rights abuses, keeping its yuan currency undervalued as well as energy dealings with Iran. A Pentagon report on Chinese military power last month detailed Beijing's drive to acquire modern warships, aircraft and missiles in what appeared to be part of a longer-term strategy to deny US forces access to the Asian region. Though Taiwan is the immediate focus of China's overhaul of its military, Beijing appears to be amassing military capabilities to project power well beyond the nationalist-rule island, driven in part by a desire to protect energy supply lines. On the human rights front, US President George W. Bush at a recent conference in Prague attacked China for rights abuses and said Beijing's political reforms were lagging behind its economic progress. The United States also has been looking forward to China's support on international issues, especially to solve the devastating crisis in Beijing's ally Sudan's western region of Darfur. China said this week that it had used "very direct language" to persuade the Sudanese government to accept a beefed-up peacekeeping force to Darfur. As the United States steps up international efforts to isolate Iran over its defiant nuclear program, it is concerned over China's potential oil and gas investments in the Islamic republic. Last year Beijing signed a 100-billion-dollar agreement to import 10 million tonnes of Iranian natural gas over the coming decades. In return, Chinese companies will become key stakeholders in Iran's oil fields But McCormack said the Chinese had not invested money into the projects, which would be the "trigger" for application of US laws on investments in Iran. "There's a big difference between talking to the Iranian Government and even negotiating with the Iranian Government about potential investments and actually investing money," he said. He described the US-China meeting this week as a "companion piece" to the US-China "strategic economic dialogue" last month led by Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. At the economic talks, Washington had prodded Beijing to allow greater flexibility of its yuan amid concerns that it was artificially keeping the currency low against the US dollar to make its exports more competitive. Growing sentiment in the US Congress to penalize China for its currency policies is fueling worry among economists over trade frictions that might lead to serious consequences for both countries. Both the dialogues were launched by Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao as part of efforts to improve ties between the world's most developed nation, and the most rapidly-growing and most populous economy. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 BBC NEWS: Inside the UK's nuclear weapons bunker Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 June 2007, 16:11 GMT 17:11 UK by Gordon Corera BBC Security Correspondent The scientists use this control room for the powerful HELEN laser Behind rings of intimidating barbed wire fences in a corner of Berkshire, lies a facility which, on the surface, looks like a throwback to the 1950s. But inside the vintage buildings lies some of the UK's most cutting edge science. The 10 minute safety presentation for visitors makes it abundantly clear that you are not entering a normal government site. As well as the standard guidance about fire alarms there's also information on what to do in the event of a "criticality alert" as well as warnings about lasers, beryllium and the presence of armed police. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston is one of the most secure sites in Britain for a reason - it has been the sole repository for the UK's atomic warhead capability for more than 50 years. Deep inside the heart of the sprawling 700-acre site is a secure bunker containing plutonium for Britain's nuclear warheads. Lying around it is what feels like a small town which exists to service Britain's nuclear arsenal using the latest science. The output of the laser facility will be more than the electrical output of the entire planet for the period it is operating - but that is only a tiny fraction of a second Dr Brian Bowsher AWE is responsible for designing, building, maintaining and decommissioning Britain's nuclear warheads - this includes maintaining the capability to build a replacement for Trident should the order be given from the government. The main challenge for AWE is to be able to guarantee the safety and performance of Britain's warheads when it is no longer possible to test the devices underground. Hi-tech specifications Doing this requires some pretty fancy science and our visit focused on one particular aspect - plasma physics and the use of lasers to understand the behaviour of materials at high temperatures and pressures such as those found in a nuclear weapon. The Helen laser sits in an ageing building which feels as though it dates from the period around World War II when the site was an airfield. In a small control room, technicians wearing protective suits (to keep dust away from the Ł30,000 glass lenses) sit at a large terminal as the laser charges. After a countdown that builds expectation, the actual firing is anti-climactic for the casual observer - no great flashes or sounds or even anything in particular to see. But what has happened in the adjacent room which houses the laser is remarkable. The cost of the electricity to charge the system is about 10p. But by concentrating the energy over a fraction of a second and on a tiny space, the power generated by the laser is more than that of the entire electrical output of the UK. The new Orion facility being built to replace Helen will be 10 times more powerful, replicating even more closely the environment within a nuclear warhead. Huge output "The amount of energy in the laser is relatively modest," explains Dr Brian Bowsher, Director for Research and Applied Science. "Only enough to heat up a cup of coffee by a few degrees. Our trick is that we'll deliver that energy in a tiny, tiny amount of time, a million millionth of a second and concentrate it in a tiny area. "That generates huge power densities. In fact the output of the laser facility will be more than the electrical output of the entire planet for the period it is operating - but that is only a tiny fraction of a second." The new ORION facility will be even more powerful than HELEN The laser fires onto a tiny target, typically weighing about 50 micrograms, whose behaviour is examined in excruciating detail. Other work done at the site includes the study of hydrodynamics, radiochemistry, forensic seismology and the use of some of the most advanced super-computers. The advanced science can have spin-offs. It was scientists from Aldermaston who were the first to establish that the former Russian security officer Alexander Litvinenko had been poisoned in London by the rare, radioactive Isotope Polonium 210 a discovery which allowed the police to follow a contamination trail and build their case. Continuous testing Nuclear weapons are the core business of AWE. Trident is due to last until sometimes in the 2020s but continued testing is vital, according to Dr Bowsher. "You might think of it a bit like your Formula 1 car, you don't want to turn it on after 30 years and hope that it works. "You want to test it continually to make sure you understand the effect of age and various other changes of materials to ensure that the tried and tested meets the safety criteria." The new Orion laser is being built in an incongruously modern curved structure on the edge of the site. It is the largest investment in a physics facility the UK has ever made and should be ready by 2010. If the government gives the go ahead, it will be used not just to test the current Trident system but also to develop Britain's new nuclear weapons system, a decision which would keep the scientists at Aldermaston busy for many years to come. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 7 People's Daily: Inside story about China's first H-bomb development Home >> Opinion UPDATED: 09:58, June 20, 2007 On June 17, 1967, a small fighter plane released a parachute above the skies over Xinjiang, in northwestern China. When the parachute was 3000 meters above the ground, it exploded. With a huge "bang", a huge mushroom cloud arose. China had the H-bomb! The news shocked the world because it took the US seven years and three months, and the former Soviet Union, four years and three months, to develop the hydrogen (H) bomb after the atom (A) bomb. However, China, which was then very backward in its comprehensive strength, only spent two years and eight months to develop the H-bomb after the A-bomb. Forty years later, according to a China Youth Daily report, some experts recalled their stories and told us some stories from that time. A breakthrough in H-bomb theory by young research team There were 100,00 people working in the nuclear industry at that time, and 68% of them were below twenty-five years of age, while 25.5% of them were between twenty-six and thirty-five. In May 1964, when former national leader, Mao Zedong, heard the third five-year plan, he pointed out that "China should have the A-bomb and soon it should have the H-bomb too." Researchers, then, only knew the basic concepts of the H-bomb. As for how to manufacture the H-bomb,-what was at its core- none of them had any idea. Li Yanxiang, director of the office of the former Ministry of Nuclear Industry, recalled that for a period of time, the young research team felt they had run out of ideas. Complicated calculations became one of the main reasons for research being slow. In the 1960s, China only had one computer with a speed of 10 thousand times of calculations per second. In addition, it was used for testing the atom bomb most of the time. Research fellow, Yu Min, who was dubbed the "number one home-grown expert," and his colleagues, often used a calculator to count day and night. One day they obtained an important reference number from foreign sources, but they questioned how this number came about. Therefore, they needed to test the validity of this number. Yu Min pondered this issue for days. One night he woke up from a nightmare and he held his wife's hand shouting, "I got it, I got it, it's clear to me, it's clear to me!" Li Yanxiang said that by 1965, research of the H-bomb had made great progress. As a result, dozens of science and research personnel traveled to Shanghai from Beijing. At that time, everybody had to take their own backpacks because there were not enough quilts available for them in Shanghai. The computer had to print every result out on paper and people had to read the paper that sometimes was held in large linen bags. They spent a lot of time reading these data and were careful with every sheet of paper so as to preserve the accuracy of the data. Beginning in September 1965, after 100 days of calculation, there was a breakthrough. After this, research was on the fast track. "Deng Jiaxian, who was in Beijing then, immediately came to Shanghai upon hearing the news, and invited all of us to lunch. Although it was just a bowl of noodles, we were all very happy," Li Yanxiang reminisced. Statistics showed that Deng Jiaxian was just 34 years old at the time; Zhu Guangya, also 34; Zhou Guangzhao, 32; and Ou Yangyu, 31. At that time, 90% of the 100,000 nuclear energy researchers were between the ages of 25 and 35 years. The battle in the ˇ®Golden Sand' area While researchers conducted experiments with A-bombs and H-bombs in the ˇ®Golden Sand' grassland in Qinghai province, in northwest China, the 221st site was being built. It became China's first nuclear factory. Seventy- year- old Wang Jingheng was the director of the factory. He graduated from a famous university in 1960 and then he was sent to the ˇ®frontline'. In January 1961, Wang Jingheng and his four classmates traveled from Beijing to Lanzhou by train. However, a train from Lanzhou to Xining did not exist, so they had to sit in a cargo train. The cold wind made their hands and feet feel dumb. They only shared one cotton overcoat during the ten hour trip. From Xining to the site, traffic not exist either. As the Chinese New Year was approaching, they all had to stay in Xining for a week, in order to wait for a cargo truck that sent daily necessities to the site. They sat on pots which contained pickled dishes. They survived the cold wind and finally arrived at the site by truck. At that time, there were hundreds of thousands of people in the site, living in caves and eating barley and millet flour with a little oil. The only dish they could eat was Chinese cabbage soup. If they felt hungry, they could gather wild vegetables. Wang Jingheng said although life was hard, people's spirit were very good, hopeful, and positive. At that time, they all had to keep their discovery a secret. The place was also a mining area. In addition to the lack of oxygen, the ultraviolet rays from the sun were very strong. Many people's skin became very dark. Nevertheless, they could not reveal to their families the true nature of their work. When some people went home, their children asked: "Daddy, while you work in the mining area, do you dig up coal everyday?" Father could only say "yes." Li Yanxiang said he thinks it is still of great significance to recall the successful launching of the H-bomb forty years ago. Particularly in the high-tech field, leaders and researchers should be as confident as those who worked forty years ago. By People's Daily Online Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 8 Reuters: Australia navy to buy A$11 bln warship fleet | Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:22PM EDT By Rob Taylor CANBERRA, June 20 (Reuters) - Australia will build an A$11 billion ($9 billion) fleet of advanced destroyers and amphibious warships, Prime Minister John Howard said, underscoring the country's plan to remain a key Asian military power. The purchases would transform Australia's navy into one of the most powerful in the Asia region, with two amphibious carriers able to land more than 2,000 troops, 16 attack and transport helicopters and up to 23 Abrams tanks. "The will greatly enhance Australia's ability to send forces in strength when required, particularly in our own region, but not restricted to our own region," Howard told a media briefing on Wednesday. Howard said his government had agreed to buy three Spanish-designed F100 air warfare destroyers at a cost of A$8 billion, to be built in Adelaide by Australian firm ASC, U.S. firm Raytheon (RTN.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Spanish government-shipyard Navantia. The 6,000-tonne warships will be equipped with advanced U.S. Aegis radars and may one day carry SM 3 missiles as part of U.S. and Japanese efforts to build a ballistic missile shield in Asia to guard against threats like a nuclear-armed North Korea. Two 27,000-tonne amphibious warships, also Navantia designs, would be built in Victoria state in partnership with Australian defence firm Tenix, with the first to enter service with the Royal Australian Navy by 2012, Howard said. The Navantia destroyers beat a larger and more costly rival U.S. design, while the amphibious warships were preferred over a smaller French design. Continued... Reuters ***************************************************************** 9 Antiwar.com: Cooperative Threat Reduction Is Worth the Cost - by Charles Peńa Original Letters Blog US Casualties Contact Donate June 20, 2007 One of the greatest fears in the post-9/11 world is the prospect of nuclear terrorism. Indeed, President Bush used this fear to gain public support for U.S. military action to depose Saddam Hussein: "If the Iraqi regime is able to produce, buy, or steal an amount of highly enriched uranium a little larger than a single softball, it could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year. And if we allow that to happen, a terrible line would be crossed. Saddam Hussein would be in a position to blackmail anyone who opposes his aggression. He would be in a position to dominate the Middle East. He would be in a position to threaten America. And Saddam Hussein would be in a position to pass nuclear technology to terrorists…. "Knowing these realities, America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof – the smoking gun – that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud." Although President Bush clearly overstated the nuclear threat posed by Iraq – not only did Saddam Hussein not have WMDs or an active nuclear weapons program, he had no history of supporting al-Qaeda or giving chemical or biological weapons to the terrorist groups he did support – the potential threat of nuclear terrorism cannot be dismissed or ignored. After all, Osama bin Laden has declared, "We call for the Muslim brothers to imitate Pakistan as to the possession of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons." The concern about a nuclear terrorist attack prompted the creation within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO). But trying to detect a nuclear weapon to prevent a terrorist attack is a last-ditch, needle-in-the-haystack effort. Simply being able to detect the presence of radiation (as one indicator of nuclear material) is not sufficient (if the concern is a nuclear device rather than a radiological weapon such as a dirty bomb). For example, there are legitimate commercial sources of industrial and medical radiation that do not constitute a nuclear threat. Moreover, there are many naturally occurring sources of radiation, such as fertilizers, ceramics, bananas, kitty litter, and smoke detectors. The difficulty of being able to detect nuclear materials is best illustrated by the fact that twice ABC News was able to smuggle a 15-pound cylinder of depleted uranium, loaned by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), though U.S. Customs into the United States (September 2002 in Staten Island, N.Y., and September 2003 in Long Beach, Calif.). Therefore, the best way to prevent nuclear terrorism is to keep nuclear weapons (and the nuclear material to create a weapon) out of the hands of terrorists in the first place – that is, dealing with the problem at its source, which is the focus of nuclear nonproliferation efforts. Toward that end, perhaps the single-most important U.S. nonproliferation effort is the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, which seeks to stop proliferation by assisting Russia and the former Soviet countries to destroy or secure nuclear weapons and materials. CTR programs conducted by the Department of Defense include: The Strategic Offensive Arms Elimination (SOAE) Program to oversee the destruction of strategic weapons and their infrastructure in Russia, in order to reduce the opportunities for their proliferation or use. The Nuclear Weapons Storage Security (NWSS) Program to increase the security of nuclear weapons stored in Russia. The Nuclear Weapons Transportation Security (NWTS) Program to enhance the security of nuclear weapons during shipment. The Fissile Material Storage Facility (FMSF) Program to provide centralized, safe, secure, and ecologically sound storage for fissile material removed from nuclear weapons in Russia. The CTR Program has also begun its first efforts outside of the former Soviet Union, specifically in Albania. The United States should consider conducting similar efforts with so-called D-3 countries that are outside the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty regime (Pakistan, India, and Israel), as well as with potential future nuclear powers (North Korea, Iran), all of which likely share a common concern over nuclear safety and security but may not have the requisite experience, expertise, or technical capabilities. It may not be possible to lock up nuclear weapons and materials to a Fort Knox "gold standard" as proposed by Graham Allison, but every effort should be made to minimize the possibility that existing nuclear stockpiles can be easily accessed or compromised – especially since only relatively small quantities of weapons-grade plutonium or highly enriched uranium are needed to build a nuclear device. Pakistan is of particular concern because so many nuclear efforts in other countries (e.g., North Korea, Iran, and Libya) were tied to a nuclear bazaar created by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Kahn, who has been hailed as a national hero by Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Since it is unrealistic to expect that Pakistan will give up its nuclear weapons, U.S. efforts would be better spent on making sure that leakage of weapons and materials does not occur. Although the political situation in Pakistan might not allow for U.S. personnel in the country, it might be possible for the U.S. to train Pakistani personnel to better safeguard and secure nuclear weapons and materials. The United States might also be able to provide Pakistan with better technology for nuclear weapons and materials security. Perhaps the greatest fear with Pakistan is the prospect of that country's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of radical Islamists. At a minimum, the United States should train Pakistani personnel and provide the requisite technology to be able to render safe Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the event of a hostile takeover of the government. At the other extreme, the U.S. military must be prepared to preemptively destroy Pakistan's nuclear weapons – which might require an extraordinary and unprecedented cooperative effort with the Musharraf regime to know the location of every warhead to be targeted. In the grand scheme of things, the several hundred million dollars spent annually on CTR is cheap insurance. And it makes sense to expand those efforts to as many nuclear-armed countries as possible. the Antiwar.com Home Page Charles V. Peńa is a senior fellow at the Independent Institute, a senior fellow with the Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy, a senior fellow with the George Washington University Policy Institute, an adviser to the Straus Military Reform Project, and an analyst for MSNBC television. He has also appeared on CNN, Fox News, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and The McLaughlin Group, as well as international television and radio. Peńa is the co-author of Exiting Iraq: Why the U.S. Must End the Military Occupation and Renew the War Against al-Qaeda, and author of Winning the Un-War: A New Strategy for the War on Terrorism. ***************************************************************** 10 AU ABC: WA Government moves to ban nuclear power ABC Perth ABC Perth | Local News Posted June 20, 2007 16:05:00 The State Government has introduced legislation into Parliament banning nuclear power plants in Western Australia. Under the bill, the construction and operation of a nuclear plant will be illegal as will the connection of such a facility to the electricity grid. Companies and individuals who try to operate a nuclear plant face fines of $500,000. Any attempt by the Federal Government to override the laws would trigger a referendum. The Energy Minister Fran Logan has told Parliament the legislation will ensure WA remains free of nuclear power. "While the Government accepts the need to reduce emissions from electricity generation, it does not agree that nuclear power is the best option," he said. "Nuclear power carries very significant issues; the risk of nuclear accidents, the need for secure transport and the long term storage, means that nuclear power is risky and expensive." Tags: nuclear-issues, federal-government, federal-state-issues, federal-parliament, state-parliament, labor-party, referendums, programs-and-initiatives, perth-6000 ***************************************************************** 11 NRC: NRC to Hold Two Public Meetings about the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant on June 26 News Release - Region IV - 2007-022 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128 E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold two public meetings on June 26 to discuss issues regarding the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, located near San Luis Obispo, Calif. The NRC staff will meet with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. officials at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the NRC’s annual assessment of safety performance at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant during 2006, then hold a “Town Hall” style meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 333 Madonna Road, in San Luis Obispo. Both meetings are open to the public but have different purposes. The public is invited to observe the afternoon meeting and will have one or more opportunities to communicate with the NRC after the business portion, but before the meeting is adjourned. The “Town Hall” meeting is specifically tailored to maximize public participation. NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the plant’s safety performance, as well as the agency’s role in ensuring safe plant operation. “Each year, the NRC assesses the performance of all of the nation’s commercial nuclear power plants,” said Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett. “The afternoon meeting gives us an opportunity to discuss our findings with the company, local officials and members of the public. Later that same evening, we will hold a “Town Hall” style public meeting to foster dialog between members of the public and the NRC. We look forward to meeting with members of the community and answering questions they may have regarding issues related to Diablo Canyon. These meetings and the insights from the public have worked well in the past and have been of great benefit to the NRC.” A letter sent from the NRC Region IV Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2006 and will serve as the basis for the afternoon discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/diab_2006q4.pdf. Overall, Diablo Canyon operated safely during 2006. The NRC staff noted that there have been more than three inspection findings during the assessment period for issues related to human performance, specifically, in the area of design documentation and procedures. However, the NRC staff is satisfied that corrective actions should prevent recurrence. The NRC is conducting the baseline (or routine) level of inspections during 2007. Routine inspections are performed by NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas. Current performance information for Diablo Canyon Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DIAB1/diab1_chart.html. Information for Unit 2 is available at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DIAB2/diab2_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. Wednesday, June 20, 2007 ***************************************************************** 12 RIA Novosti: New NPP project launched in western Russia 16:32 | 20/ 06/ 2007 NOVOVORONEZH, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's top nuclear official on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the first unit of a new nuclear power plant near Novovoronezh, western Russia. The first reactor, representing the second stage of the nuclear power plant about 310 miles south of Moscow, (NPP) is scheduled to come on stream in December 2012. "This is the first power unit under a large-scale program of building nuclear power plants in Russia," Sergei Kiriyenko said at the stone-laying ceremony. The Novovoronezh NPP-1, the first nuclear power plant in Russia to use water-cooled power reactors, underwent an upgrade, extending its life span until 2016-2017, but is unable to meet increasing electricity demand in the region. Kiriyenko said Russia was expected to double electricity generation at nuclear power plants by 2020 through the construction of 26 new reactors with total capacity of 1.2-1.5 gigawatts. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 13 RIA Novosti: Estonian scientists propose underwater nuclear reactor project 19:05 | 20/ 06/ 2007 TALLINN, June 20 (RIA Novosti) - The Estonian Maritime Academy has developed a project to construct an underwater nuclear reactor off the Baltic Sea coast, a local newspaper said Wednesday. The project, submitted to the Estonian Eesti Energia company, proposes the construction of a 1,000-MWt nuclear power plant on a granite shelf of the Muuga Bay. "The construction of a nuclear reactor on the seabed is completely safe and local authorities would not object to this project," the Estonian newspaper Arileht quoted the head of the academy, Juri Kann, as saying. Industry experts in Estonia believe that the construction of a nuclear reactor in the country is a viable proposition because the whole Baltic region may face an energy deficit in the next decade. However, an underwater NPP project would be more costly than a similar land-based project, they said. Local environmentalists have also expressed doubts about the ecological safety of such a giant undertaking on the sea shelf. The Baltic states are looking to diversify their energy sources to reduce their dependence from the Russian oil and gas supplies. The electricity companies of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have joined in a project to build a new nuclear facility with the capacity of 3,200 Megawatts in Lithuania to replace the ageing Ignalina plant, which uses reactors similar to the one that exploded at Chernobyl in 1986. The new NPP is expected to come onstream by 2015, while Lithuania pledged to shut down the Ignalina facility by 2009. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 14 BBC NEWS: China building more power plants Last Updated: Tuesday, 19 June 2007, 22:22 GMT 23:22 UK By Roger Harrabin BBC Environment Analyst China is building two large power stations every week China is now building about two power stations every week, the top climate change official at the UK Foreign Office, John Ashton, has said. He said there was no point blaming China for rising global CO2 emissions. Rich nations had to set an example of low-carbon development for China to follow, Mr Ashton told the BBC. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency said China's CO2 emissions had risen by 9% last year, compared with 1.4% in the US. Carbon footprint "It is a massive challenge," Mr Ashton told the BBC following a recent trip to China. "We need to convince China that they don't have to make a choice between prosperity and protecting the climate. We need to help them towards a low-carbon future. "There is also a moral case. Most of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been put there by developed countries without the constraint of having to worry about the climate. That means we should bear the leading edge of responsibility. Mr Ashton added that the Chinese had put out their first climate strategy, in an effort "to get to grips with their emissions and use energy efficiently". He pointed out that much of China's emissions growth was being driven by consumers in the West buying Chinese goods, and noted that China's emissions per person were still well below those of rich nations. Profile: John Ashton It is estimated that the average American still pollutes between five and six times more than the average Chinese person. Climate sceptics in the UK have been asking why Britons should switch off lights, turn down central heating and avoid foreign flights in order to save carbon when the Chinese are increasing emissions at their current rate. "Responsibility for China's soaring emissions lies not just in Beijing but also in Washington, Brussels and Tokyo," said Greenpeace UK director John Sauven. "All we've done is export a great slice of the West's carbon footprint to China, and today we see the result. "Let us not forget that the average Chinese emits just 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per year, whereas Britons emit nearly 10 tonnes and Americans 20 tonnes. "The West moved its manufacturing base to China knowing it was vastly more polluting than Japan, Europe or the US," he added. "No environmental conditions were attached to this move; in fact the only thing manufacturers were interested in was the price of labour. "This trend kept the price of our products down but at the cost of soaring greenhouse gas emissions. Long term, this policy has been a climate disaster. "We should export clean energy technology to China to increase low carbon and renewable energy take-up so the products we import have a smaller carbon footprint." * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 15 FT.com: Six companies vie to build nuclear plants / Companies / Energy Utilities Mining - Financial Times FT.com Energy Utilities Mining British Energy stake sale raises ÂŁ2.1bn - Jun-01 White paper paves way for new nuclear plants - May-23 By Ed Crooks, Energy Editor Published: June 20 2007 06:20 | Last updated: June 20 2007 06:20 Six companies have signalled interest in building new nuclear power stations in Britain including a newcomer to the UK electricity industry, showing the strength of enthusiasm for the potential of nuclear power in spite of the problems it has faced. Areva, the French state-controlled nuclear engineering company, has signed up the six companies as possible users of its European Pressurised Reactor design. One of them is Suez, the French-Belgian utility, which would be new to the British market. The others are electricity suppliers EDF of France, Eon and RWE of Germany, Iberdrola of Spain, which has just bought Scottish Power, and also British Energy, which runs Britain’s more modern nuclear power stations. Another big European utility that has nuclear experience and is not in the UK market is also expected to express an interest in the next few days. The companies have signed letters of support saying that they are interested in building new reactors, and the new EPR is one of the designs that they might use. Friday is the deadline for companies to submit reactor designs for pre-licensing – which is part of the new system of approving plans for new nuclear power plants that is intended to streamline the process. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate – part of the Health and Safety Executive – and the Environment Agency, which are the regulators, are expected to decide on which designs have been given pre-licensing approval by next spring, and then issue a full licence by the end of 2010. Companies planning to build new plants would then need to get approval for the specific locations they wanted to use. The idea is to get all the necessary approvals cleared within five years, with construction and start-up taking another five years, so the first new nuclear power stations can be on-stream within the 10-year target. EDF has said it wants its first new nuclear plant operational by the end of 2017. The regulators have said they expect to license three reactor designs, to allow some competition and choice in the market. Four companies are thought to be applying for pre-licensing for their designs, with Westinghouse, now owned by Toshiba, GE, and AECL, the Canadian state-owned nuclear company, joining Areva. One is likely to be rejected at the pre-licensing stage. Areva thinks the EPR has an advantage because it is the only “third-generation” reactor design under construction: there are projects in progress in Finland and France. It said it would run two licensing processes in parallel: on its jointly-managed project with EDF, and one representing all the other electricity companies that might be customers for the EPR. Separately, British Energy said it would be carrying out its own assessment of all four reactor designs, “in parallel with” the regulators’ review, to inform its choice of which design it might want to invest in. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007 * © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2007. "FT" and "Financial ***************************************************************** 16 NRC: NRC Names William Mccabe Chief Financial Officer News Release - 2007-077 - 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 today announced the selection of William M. McCabe as Chief Financial Officer. “I am pleased that Mr. McCabe is joining our team,” said Chairman Dale Klein. “He brings a wealth of experience to the agency that should help us greatly as we enhance our performance and accountability to keep pace with our growth while continuing sound financial reporting practices.” McCabe brings more than 28 years of experience in financial management. He has directed domestic and international corporate operations, financial system design and architecture of business operating solutions and public service financial management. Prior to his selection, McCabe served the Department of Education as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor, and Acting Chief Financial Officer and key advisor to senior management since 2002. “I look forward to contributing to the NRC’s current high standards of financial management and reporting,” McCabe said. McCabe’s professional career began at the Singer Corporation in 1978 as a financial analyst. In 1981 he joined the MITRE Corporation, where he spent 15 years in positions of progressive responsibilities from Budget Administrator, Supervisor of Finance and then Director of Corporate Finance and General Accounting. In 1996 he joined ORACLE Corporation as Financial Solutions Architect and in 2002 served as Senior Manager/Financial Solutions for KPMG. McCabe received his Bachelor of Science, specializing in Finance and Economics, from the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his Master of Business Administration, specializing in Finance and Investments, from George Washington University, Washington, DC. 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. Wednesday, June 20, 2007 ***************************************************************** 17 WNN: Areva, British Energy move for new UK nuclear 20 June 2007 Areva has submitted its EPR nuclear reactor design to UK authorities for Generic Design Assessment (GDA), while British Energy (BE) investigates four designs. EPR, a pressurized water reactor (Image: Areva NP) Paperwork on the generic UK EPR design, similar to that currently being built in Finland and France and planned for China and the USA, has been submitted two days in advance of the 22 June deadline set out in the recent energy white paper. UK regulators the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) will shortly begin a preliminary assessment on the 'licensability' of the submitted designs, to precede the selection of the three reactor designs judged to be both licensable and most preferred by industry. These would then go forward to the three-year GDA process. Areva intends to manage an 'Alliance' of companies that support EPR and "are considering EPR for new build in the UK." The companies are: BE, EdF, EOn, Iberdrola, RWE, and Suez. The result of the effort should be that each company would become an 'intelligent licensee' in preparation for subsequent site licence applications. "Our strategy is to license EPR as quickly as possible and make it available to all clients," said Luc Oursel, President of Areva NP, the company's reactors and services division. Meanwhile, BE hope to "develop a position at the heart of nuclear new build activity that safeguards the integrity of our existing operations and makes full use of our assets." BE operates the all UK's indigenous Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors, its only pressurized water reactor, and also owns the sites on which they sit. Many industry observers suggest that existing nuclear sites are the most likely for new nuclear power plants. BE said: "We have begun preparatory activity aimed at developing new capacity on one or more of our sites." It is "looking at deployment in the UK for commercial operation from around 2016." The company has said it supports and has had "initial discussions" concerning all four designs foremost in the UK market: AECL's ACR1000, Areva's EPR, General Electric's ESBWR and Westinghouse's AP1000. However, the NII has said that it only has the capacity to assess three designs concurrently and that work would not begin until after the end of consultation (10 October). BE is currently conducting its own study of the designs, timed to end when the NII issue their initial assessment, expected in late 2007 or early 2008. Mark Wheeler of the Health and Safety Executive, the NII's parent body, told World Nuclear News that AECL, Areva, General Electric and Westinghouse have all now submitted full design documentation to the NII's project office. He added that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had made enquiries about the process but had not taken further action. WNN: "Practical but radical UK energy policies" ***************************************************************** 18 EBR: British Energy to assess reactor designs for new UK nuclear build - Energy Business Review Thursday, 21st June 2007 19th June 2007 By Clare Watson UK nuclear power station operator British Energy has welcomed the decision by UK regulators to establish and begin a generic design acceptance program to allow regulators to assess the safety, security and environmental impact of power station design. British Energy said that it believes any new nuclear generation in the UK should build upon global experience and make use of modern designs that are being licensed and adopted in other countries - goals that will be supported by the program. The nuclear firm added that the generic design acceptance (GDA) initiative will also limit the need to revisit environmental and efficiency issues in-depth during site-specific planning processes. This reduces regulatory risk and provides a route to shorter and more predictable site-specific assessments, British Energy said. British Energy expects to work with the vendors and regulators as appropriate during GDA so that it, and any partners, can move quickly and credibly into full licensing, construction and operation as a suitably qualified licensee from the perspective of UK safety and environmental regulators. British Energy said that it has had initial discussions with four companies that are promoting their reactor designs for the UK. These are Atomic Energy of Canada, French construction group Areva, US-based General Electric and Westinghouse. To be in a position to select preferred designs that offer the best mix of safety, technical performance, commercial suitability and timely delivery, British Energy will be carrying out its own broader preliminary design assessment, independent of, but in parallel with, the initial regulatory review. The firm's assessment will examine licensing potential and will encompass a review of the commercial viability, broader supply chain considerations, constructability and operability of designs for deployment in the UK. British Energy's conclusions will be timed to coincide with the regulators' initial assessment, which is expected in late 2007 to early 2008. British Energy CEO Bill Coley, said: "We believe that new nuclear in the UK should build on the experience of the global industry. Adopting generic designs will enable more efficient operations, using shared experience, worldwide availability of spares and expertise, and tried and tested designs." ©2007 Business Review ***************************************************************** 19 Rutland Herald: Activists demand their day in court June 20, 2007 Staff Report BRATTLEBORO — A group of antinuclear activists took to the courtroom Tuesday — to dispute the dropping of criminal trespassing charges against them. The members of Shut It Down showed up in court Tuesday even though they knew their court date had been canceled. The seven women — six from western Massachusetts and one Vermonter, Julia Bonafine of Shrewsbury — are members of the Citizens Awareness Network. Hattie Nestel, a former Brattleboro resident now living in Athol, Mass., said the group had been arrested five times in the past year at the nuclear reactor in Vernon and the corporate headquarters in Brattleboro. After their arrest and removal by police, all charges have been dropped. "We're trying to prevent a disaster," Nestel said, noting even though the charges had been dropped against them, the women had lost their right to clear their names. The most recent arrest came April 25, when they tried to chain themselves to the plant's outside gates. They were also charged with unlawful mischief by the Vernon police, she said. "We deserve to have the charges against us heard," Nestel said after the court hearing. "We deserve a chance to exonerate ourselves." Nestel said the women tried to talk to Judge Katherine Hayes about the repeated dismissal of their cases, but she "ran away from us." Tracy Kelly Shriver, the Windham County deputy prosecutor handling the case, said Monday the charges had been dropped, following the long-standing policy by the office not to prosecute such cases. She couldn't be reached Tuesday. Windham County State's Attorney Dan Davis, who is vacationing, has said in the past his office's caseload is loaded with serious crimes and he would not give the political protesters "a soapbox" for their views. Nestel said about a dozen supporters accompanied them to Brattleboro District Court for their canceled appearance. "We are committed to shutting this place down. They're sweeping it under the rug," she said. Robert Williams, spokesman for Entergy Nuclear, declined to comment about the court case. © 2007 Rutland Herald ***************************************************************** 20 Times Argus: Why did Douglas veto energy bill? June 20, 2007 Those of you who remember the TV Show, The A-Team, might also remember a one-liner from the program, "I love it when a good plan comes together, " spoken by actor George Peppard in his role as Hannibal Smith. The Legislature is our A-Team. The Vermont Energy Efficiency and Affordability Act (H.520) is a good plan that will make it less expensive and easier for all of us, homeowners and businesses alike, to invest in renewable energy, help us lower our use of fossil fuels, and tighten existing building codes so that we may move toward greater fuel efficiency. It's a good plan with a fair funding source. The funding for these new initiatives is straightforward: the legislature will level the taxation playing field. It's not a new tax. It's not a windfall profits tax. It has nothing to do with the memorandums of understanding the state signed when Vermont Yankee wanted to move forward with its uprate and storing radioactive waste in dry casks on the banks of the Connecticut River. H.520 doesn't touch those agreements. All it does is readjust the rate of taxation Vermont Yankee pays, which was frozen in place by the Republican-controlled Legislature and the governor in 2003, making that rate the same as what new wind developments will pay. And then Jim Douglas vetoed the bill. Why? Because he worries about the "message" this sends to the business community. Actually, the message that the governor is sending to his friends in big business is, "Whisper in my ear, and we'll make a deal." It was only after his inaction started hurting him politically that Jim Douglas cobbled together a "plan" to address energy efficiency. What does the governor's plan do? It requires average Vermonters and Vermont businesses to take out loans to pay for efficiency measures. The message Gov. Douglas has sent Vermont citizens and small business owners with this so-called plan is, "Want to save energy? Why don't you go further into debt. You can afford it, right?" The problem is many Vermonters, already struggling with high costs and debt from a variety of sources, including home mortgages, student loans and credit cards, can't afford it. Rather than close a loophole that allows a business to pay less than its fair share to both the General Fund and the Education Fund, Jim Douglas is putting the burden on the backs of ordinary Vermonters. Like Hannibal Smith, I love it when a good plan comes together. So please, get on the phone and urge your representative to go to the Statehouse on July 11, override the governor's veto, and let a good plan for you, your children, and their children, come together. Judy Bevans, Albany Vice Chair, Vermont Democratic Party © 2007 Times Argus ***************************************************************** 21 APP.COM: Oyster Creek radiation barrier hearing planned for September Asbury Park Press Online Wednesday, June 20, 2007 Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/20/07 BY TODD B. BATES ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER Post Comment A landmark hearing on how often a critical radiation barrier at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in Lacey would be monitored is to be held in September, under a ruling issued Tuesday. It would be the first hearing of its kind regarding a nuclear plant license renewal application, said Neil A. Sheehan, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "I think, at minimum, we're going to make this reactor safer overall," said Richard Webster, staff attorney in the Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic. "Whether we're going to be able to make it safe enough is an open question," said Webster, who represents six citizens' groups fighting the proposed 20-year renewal of Oyster Creek's NRC operating license. On Tuesday, an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel denied AmerGen's request to dismiss the six groups' "contention" that planned drywell monitoring would not be frequent enough to maintain an adequate safety margin, according to the panel's decision. But the panel also granted AmerGen's request to limit the scope of the contention. Oyster Creek spokeswoman Leslie Cifelli said, "this denial doesn't mean that citizens' contention has any merit." "The company's confident that we can demonstrate that these issues lack technical merit . . . during the hearing," Cifelli said. At issue is how often Oyster Creek operator AmerGen Energy LLC plans to measure the thickness — using ultrasound — of a corroded lower region of the plant's steel drywell. The drywell surrounds the nuclear reactor and is designed to contain radiation during an accident. Oyster Creek opened in 1969 as the country's first large-scale commercial nuclear power plant, according to AmerGen's Web site. Nearly two years ago, AmerGen filed an application seeking NRC permission to run the plant for 20 years beyond April 2009. The independent Atomic Safety and Licensing Board panel, which has three judges, is within the NRC. The schedule calls for an evidentiary hearing to begin on the morning of Sept. 24 and end no later than noon Sept. 26, according to an e-mail from the NRC's Sheehan. The judges will then make a decision, and the NRC will decide by Jan. 22 whether to renew AmerGen's operating license, according to Sheehan and the NRC Web site. The judges could require AmerGen to check the drywell more often. The board "recognizes we have very serious issues and they need to be resolved," Webster said. Cifelli called the judges' decision "good news for the company in that there's only one remaining contention" and everything else has been dismissed. This story includes material from Asbury Park Press archives. Todd B. Bates: (732) 643-4237 or tbates@app.com Copyright © 2007 Asbury Park Press. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 Decatur Daily: Browns Ferry airspace not usually protected WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007 By Eric Fleischauer eric@decaturdaily.com · 340-2435 Airspace over Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant will be protected by strict flight restrictions Thursday for President Bush's visit, but usually, despite widespread concerns among terrorism and nuclear experts, it is not. Bush is visiting the recently restarted Unit 1 as part of an effort to push energy legislation pending in Congress. As is usually the case when the president travels, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary Notice to Airmen surrounding the president's destination. It imposes restrictions on air traffic for a radius of 35 miles around Browns Ferry, up to an altitude of 18,000 feet. Restrictions not norm Flight restrictions over nuclear plants are not the norm. No FAA restrictions prevent airplanes from flying over Browns Ferry or most other nuclear power plants. That concerns some experts, particularly in light of a 2006 National Academy of Sciences report noting vulnerabilities to air attack of the spent-fuel pools at nuclear plants. The only FAA flight restriction for planes in the vicinity of Browns Ferry is advisory, not mandatory. It says, "pilots conducting flight operations ... are advised to avoid the airspace above or in proximity to all nuclear power plants. Pilots should not circle or loiter in the vicinity of such facilities. Pilots who do so can expect to be interviewed by law enforcement personnel at their destination airport." In a subcommittee meeting of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission last year, an NRC regional administrator said FAA had demurred from more stringent restrictions. "We've coordinated with FAA and as FAA tells us, the disruption on the national flight plans for commercial flights, if there were to be restrictions over the nuclear power plants, would severely hinder the effectiveness of the commercial industry as well as increase the risk of airline flight," said Region 1 Administrator Sam Collins. "And so that judgment has been made," Collins continued. "Although ... we continue to be pressed on why that's the case, particularly at sites that are near airports where you have ascent and descent possibilities." Pryor Field is 10 miles from Browns Ferry. Huntsville International Airport is 20 miles from the plant. THE DECATUR DAILY 201 1st Ave. SE P.O. Box 2213 Decatur, Ala. 35609 (256) 353-4612 webmaster@decaturdaily.com www.decaturdaily.com ***************************************************************** 23 Manila Bulletin: First Gen keen to study nuclear power option Thursday, June 21, 2007 By MYRNA M. VELASCO With the government renewing commitment to revisit plans of setting up nuclear power facilities in the country, local energy firm First Gen Corporation indicated it is keen on studying such option. First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Federico R. Lopez said "if that would be the trend in the power sector, we will be studying this investment option." A senior policy adviser of President Arroyo disclosed that the plan of looking anew at prospects of building nuclear power plants is a policy that Malacañang wants to bring to public attention from now on. Lopez though cautioned that a plunge in nuclear generation facility investment would require government and other stakeholders to address several critical concerns first including public distrust on such type of facilities due to previous accidents; waste disposal issue; and several other political impediments. "We need to address the issue of waste disposal. We should be able to determine first where to dump the waste before we could proceed with this kind of project. And this will entail a lot of investment," the First Gen official stressed. It must be noted that the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents in the 80s built great degree of mistrust on nuclear facilities; thus, attempts at expanding their niche in the energy mix have been stalled for decades. Advocates of the resurgence of the nuclear option in power generation, however, said some of the previous concerns have already been addressed with the advent of new technologies that would handle issues of safety operations. Even in more advanced countries like the United States, though, the issue of nuclear waste management and disposal remains a sticking point. Some countries have been pursuing technologies to reprocess spent fuel; and the promise of recycling seemed to have shown prospect of turning this into usable fuel. But new problems are arising because there are also studies indicating that reprocessing of nuclear waste can serve as a trigger for weapons development; which in turn may create bigger problems of wars and disputes in the future. In the Philippines, the major problem could start at identifying areas where nuclear waste must be dumped; with Filipinos still fidgety over probabilities that radioactive materials will impact adversely on human health and the environment. The Department of Energy (DoE) said a new round of study is being carried out by a technical team; which is done in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology. It noted that it would take a decade yet before plans of putting up nuclear facilities could come into fruition. That is, if the critical concerns of safety and waste disposal would be addressed by technology and subsequent policies that shall be set in place. The country’s first experiment with a nuclear facility, via the 620megawatt Bataan project, was considered a waste opportunity. Despite the .0 billion investment poured into it, the project was shelved at pre-operation stage because of mixed political and general public dissent on nuclear facilities then. Copyright © 2001-2005, Manila Bulletin. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 Decatur Daily: TVA finds itself in spotlight as president visits WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2007 EDITORIAL President Bush will dominate the local news for much of this week here, but the Tennessee Valley Authority should share that spotlight. The president plans to use Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant as a backdrop for touting his energy plan, stalled in Congress, when he visits the Tennessee Valley on Thursday. In the 1980s, TVA represented the worst about nuclear energy. Today, with all three units reworked and operating efficiently, TVA is again a leader in producing power by splitting atoms that generate non-polluting steam that turns massive turbines. TVA represents what the nation can achieve in producing energy. In fact, TVA could be the NASA of energy if only the president and Congress stopped trying to dismantle the federal agency. Today, TVA receives no federal funds. Its research and experimentation suffer because only its power revenues finance those programs. That is unlike in the heyday of the agency, when Congress funded projects in the seven-state region. TVA still has problems to resolve that include the spent radioactive fuel rods it stores on site and its continuing pollution from coal-fired power plants. Still, TVA represents what a federal agency can do when it focuses on a project. Hopefully, Mr. Bush won't overlook TVA's history as he wrestles with solving the energy crisis. TVA would be more involved in a solution if Congress hadn't cut off its funding. It is time to reverse that mistake THE DECATUR DAILY 201 1st Ave. SE P.O. Box 2213 Decatur, Ala. 35609 (256) 353-4612 webmaster@decaturdaily.com www.decaturdaily.com ***************************************************************** 25 Slovak Spectator: Slovakia's English Language Newspaper Volume 13, Number 24 June 18 - June 24, 2007 Decommissioning of two of Slovakia’s nuclear reactor units to start in four years The decommissioning of the two reactor units of the V1 nuclear power plant in Jaslovské Bohunice should start sometime in 2011 or 2012, the head of the Slovak Nuclear Supervisory Office, Marta Žiaková, told the SITA newswire. Žiaková said that the decommissioning itself has not yet started, not even of the first reactor which was shut down on the last day of 2006. The decommissioning of the two units must be completed by 2025. The cost of preparation and winding down operations of the whole V1 power station will come to around Sk16 billion. The liquidation itself will require an additional Sk25 billion. The construction of the two units started in 1973. The first was put into permanent operation in 1980. More than 1,000 technical modifications have been carried out in the V1 power station since 1978, and it reached internationally acceptable safety levels after the completion of reconstruction works in 2000. Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings. [6/20/2007 5:09:11 PM] Copyright © 1998-2007 The Rock spol. s r.o. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 26 DaytonDailyNews: 1st Ohio energy summit ends today Technological advancements, growing use of wind turbines position the state as a promising producer of energy. By Kristin McAllister Staff Writer Wednesday, June 20, 2007 KETTERING — Alternative energy supporters outlined steps needed to make Ohio the top manufacturer of wind energy products during the state's first energy summit on Tuesday. Summit topics include wind and solar energy; clean-energy alternatives from hydrocarbon sources; and biomass energy and fuels derived from refuse, fuel cells and hydrogen fuel. Mark Shanahan, energy adviser to Gov. Ted Strickland and a keynote speaker, said Ohio has shifted its focus from being a consumer of energy, to becoming an energy supplier and top wind turbine parts manufacturer. "The component parts that Ohio's economy has been built on as a strength for years, those all exist in alternative energies, clean coal technologies, even nuclear, and we need to really focus our economic development efforts to build that capacity in the state," Shanahan said. And while nuclear energy wasn't a topic on the summit agenda, Shanahan said Ohio already is a producer of nuclear energy and must consider it in future planning. "We know carbon constraints are coming and nuclear energy doesn't have any CO2 emissions," he said. "We've got to recognize that." Technological advancements and the growing use of higher reaching wind turbines have positioned Ohio as a promising producer of up to 20 percent of the state's total energy consumption, new data show. Ohio has only a handful of wind turbines compared to other states, but is estimated to be able to produce about 66,000 megawatts of wind power. The average home consumes about 10,700 kilowatts per hour, said keynote speaker Richard Stuebi of the Cleveland Foundation. Twenty-two states already have standards that mandate how much energy from renewable energy utility companies must produce. Until Ohio lawmakers create a similar state policy, production of renewable energy can not be enforced. The foundation recently released a study showing that consumer utility rates would not go up if lawmakers passed such a policy. On top of that, Ohio ranks second behind California as a leading wind energy parts supplier, according to the panel. "If you're a manufacturer in Ohio, there's a good potential that you could be serving the wind industry," Stuebi said. If the state were to harness wind production in the same way that it has become a parts supplier giant, the state could see an economic impact of 400 to 500 jobs at production facilities, according to the panel. "Folks, the rest of world is moving past us," said Bill Spratley, Green Energy Ohio executive director. "Ohio is a sleeping giant and needs to wake up." Contact this reporter at (937) 225-9338 or DaytonDailyNews.com: By using DaytonDailyNews.com ***************************************************************** 27 People's Daily: Russia likely to help build two more nuclear power units in China: official UPDATED: 08:51, June 20, 2007 Russia is likely to play a role in the construction of the second phase project of the Tianwan nuclear power station in China, Ivan Kamenskikh, deputy director of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, said on Tuesday. Russia is in talks with China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) on the issue, and the final results and design plans will come out at the end of this year, Kamenskikh said in a teleconference. Construction of the first two 1.06-gigawatt power units supplied by Russia at Tianwan, near the eastern city of Lianyungang, has been completed. The first unit went into commercial operation on May 17 this year and the second will follow at the end of 2007. China is expected to build two more power units in Tianwan in the second phase project. The success of the first phase project has laid a solid foundation for the atomic cooperation of the two countries and we are confident that we will take part in the construction of the second phase project in Tianwan, Kamenskikh said. The deputy director said Russian atomic scientists had learned lessons from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the nuclear reactors in Tianwan are the most advanced and safest in the world. Luo Jianxing, an official at CNNC's Moscow office, said China's nuclear development strategy is providing huge opportunities for cooperation between the two countries and China is considering gradually increasing its nuclear cooperation with Russia in the future. In recent years China has resorted to nuclear energy to help ease a power crunch in the county and alleviate environmental degradation caused by high-polluting coal-fired power plants. The combined installed power generation capacity of the ten nuclear power units in operation in China currently totals eight gigawatt, less than two percent of the total installed capacity in the country. The Chinese government plans to increase the installed nuclear power capacity to 40 gigawatt in 2020. The nuclear power units will then each year help cut carbon dioxide emissions by 290 million tons and sulfur dioxide emissions by 960,000 tons. Source: Xinhua Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 28 People's Daily: GUAM countries pledge to build Eurasian energy corridor UPDATED: 09:11, June 20, 2007 Leaders from Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova pledged on Tuesday to build an Eurasian transport corridor and oil and gas pipelines in a GUAM summit in Baku, according to reports reaching here. GUAM is a regional organization for economic cooperation, which was set up in 1997 by Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. GUAM countries are considering the idea of pumping Caspian oil to the world market along the Odesa-Brody pipeline and have taken steps in this direction, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in the summit. "I believe we will be able to launch this project in the nearest future. We also have significant gas reserves that Europe may be interested in," the Interfax news agency quoted Aliyev as saying. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said the full-fledged Eurasia transport corridor will give "opportunities to revive the ancient Silk Road." A declaration signed by GUAM leaders also vowed to settle regional conflicts through joint efforts and enhance nuclear and radiation safety. GUAM has turned from an informal association into an international organization since its foundation. Azerbaijan is hosting the rotating presidency. Source: Xinhua Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 29 KnoxNews: Bush to visit TVA nuke plant By ANDREW EDER, edera@knews.com June 20, 2007 President Bush is set to visit TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant on Thursday, where he'll speak at the site of the nation's first new nuclear power production in more than a decade. TVA is at the tail end of a five-year, at least $1.8 billion effort to restore the Unit 1 reactor at the Athens, Ala., plant. After lying dormant for 22 years, the reactor saw a nuclear reaction May 22 and was connected to TVA's power grid June 2. The Bush administration has touted nuclear power as a solution to the country's energy needs. No new nuclear plants have been ordered in the United States since the 1970s, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects 19 applications in the next two years to build and operate 28 new nuclear reactors. Prior to Browns Ferry 1, the last U.S. nuclear reactor to come online was Unit 1 at TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant near Spring City, Tenn. TVA is studying whether to complete the never-finished Unit 2 reactor at Watts Bar. The president nominates individuals to serve on the board of TVA, a government-owned corporation. Bush has not yet submitted a nominee to fill the seat left vacant by the January resignation of Knoxville's Bill Baxter, or to fill either of the two directorships that expire this year. Business writer Andrew Eder may be reached at 865-342-6318. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 30 News.bg: NPP "Belene" – More Expensive Than Expected Wednesday, June 20 Author: Olga Yoncheva The total expenses of the putting into operation of the second nuclear power plant (NPP) in Bulgaria “Belene” will be much higher than the contracted with the Russian 4 billion euro, announced Money.bg, citing National movement “Ecoglasnost”. Big part of the expenses related to project consultants, the charge with nuclear fuel of the two energy blocks and the construction of the adjacent nuclear infrastructure around the plant are intentionally not discussed by the government, claim from the environmental movement. The total expenses for the construction of NPP “Belene” will exceed 6 billion euro from which nearly 400 M euro will go to the NEK (National electric company EAD) consultants, between 400-500 M euro will cost the initial charge of the reactors and nearly half a billion euro will be needed for the establishment of nuclear infrastructure in the region. Ecoglasnost believe that the price for the future power from the new NPP will be heightened. According to the preliminary arrangements the price of the electric energy from the new power plant is expected to be between 3.5-3.6 euro cents. Such low prices will hardly be possible, claim from the national movement, since all new nuclear power prices in EU begin from around 4-7 euro cents. Ecoglasnost believe that the price of the power from NPP “Belene” will be around 6 euro cents. © 2007 Web Media Group. News.bg. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 31 Thanh Nien Daily: Vietnam latest news - Editor-in-Chief: Nguyen Cong Khe 248 Cong Quynh St . , Distr. 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Tel: 84 8 8 394 046 Fax: 84 8 8 322 025 Thanh Nien is the tribune of Vietnam’s Youth Association Publication permit No. 14/GP-BC, granted by Press Department, Vietnam Ministry of Culture and Information. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed local governments to finalize all urban zoning plans and demolish unauthorized constructions before the year is out. Corrupt ex-deputy minister’s sentence cut to 12 years A former Vietnamese deputy trade minister who was recently sentenced to 14 years in jail for bribery in granting US textile quotas saw his term reduced to 12 years Wednesday. Vietnam to construct first nuclear power plant Vietnam is expected to inaugurate its first-ever atomic energy plant by 2020, said the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission at a nuclear power conference in Hanoi Tuesday. Copyright © 2004 Privacy policy ***************************************************************** 32 KnoxNews: Reactor's return to action smoother than expected Columnists By FRANK MUNGER, munger@knews.com June 20, 2007 The High Flux Isotope Reactor is out of operation, but this time it's just a normal outage for refueling and maintenance. On June 9, the research reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory completed its first fuel cycle in nearly a year and half and, according to the reactor manager, it operated "fantastically." John Bumgardner said the reactor actually surpassed expectations, given all the changes and upgrades that took place during the lengthy shutdown. ORNL workers installed a new cold source and other equipment on the 40-year-old reactor, and based on the experiences at other labs that have made similar changes, a few kinks were to be expected. "That first cycle is often problematic," Bumgardner said. But the Oak Ridge reactor had fewer operational challenges than other sites have encountered during startup activities, he said. Most importantly, he said, the High Flux Isotope Reactor appeared to meet the research objectives, and that's the whole purpose. The reactor has already been refueled, and the planned restart is June 28, Bumgardner said. Aside from their personal health and well-being, construction workers at the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility have another reason to be safe on the job. They have a chance to win a new Ford truck. The pickup truck is part of the "Safety Is Rewarding" incentive program put in place by Caddell-Blaine, the construction partnership that's building the new storage facility for bomb-grade uranium at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant. There also are monthly and quarterly giveaways with prizes ranging from $250 to $5,000, based on overall safety performance and other factors (such as good reviews from the National Nuclear Security Administration and BWXT, the managing contractor at Y-12). The truck will be given away during a drawing near the end of the construction project, which is scheduled for completion in August 2008, according to Caddell-Blaine. Each construction worker gets once chance in the drawing for every three months on the job, given he or she has no safety infractions. So, if workers spend a year on the project and have good safety records, they will have four chances in the drawing. The only employees eligible for the rewards are craft workers at the general foreman level and below, Caddell-Blaine said. Do these incentives work? It's kind of difficult to tell. Officials said there's only been one lost-time accident on the project, and that occurred about a year ago. Since then, there reportedly have been about 600,000 work hours without a significant injury. A recent report by the Government Accountability Office criticized DOE's 2005-2006 investigation of possible phosgene contamination in cylinders of uranium, including those in Oak Ridge. A GAO expert panel concluded that worker safety and facilities were not threatened, as DOE concluded a couple of years ago, but the report insisted that DOE did not adequately document its analysis of worker safety. The GAO said DOE was fortunate that things worked out as they did and suggested DOE should learn a lesson from the flawed investigation. DOE, by the way, disagreed with the GAO's findings. For those who may not recall, the investigation was launched because of concerns that some of the cylinders used for storage of uranium hexafluoride at Oak Ridge and other sites came originally from the U.S. Army a half century earlier and may at one time have contained phosgene - a highly toxic gas used in chemical weapons. The investigation temporarily stalled a project to move thousands of UF6 cylinders in Oak Ridge to Portsmouth, Ohio, but that work has since been completed. Only a relative few of the Oak Ridge cylinders were suspected of having a phosgene link. Senior writer Frank Munger covers the Department of Energy for the News Sentinel. He may be reached at 865-342-6329 or at munger@knews.com. This column is also available in the opinion section of knoxnews.com. Copyright 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 33 ITAR-TASS: Ivanov welcomes construction of new units at Novoronezh NPP 20.06.2007, 18.41 VORONEZH, June 20 (Itar-Tass) -- First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov welcomed the start of the construction of a new unit of the Novoronezh nuclear power plant in the Voronezh region. “This is an important event for the atomic energy industry,” he said at the ceremony on Wednesday. In his view, “The situation in the Voronezh region is improving steadily, primarily at the expense of the real sector of the economy – civil and military production, and construction.” Ivanov said he wished there would be “more diversification, including in agriculture”. The head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, placed a capsule into the foundation of two reactors at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant. “Sergei Kiriyenko will also familiarise himself with the operation of the functioning reactors of the NPP,” Rosatom's press service told Itar-Tass. The construction of two units on the basis of water-moderated reactors, each with a rated power of 1,000 megawatt, commences the implementation of a federal programme to develop the country's nuclear power generation sector in 2007-2012 and until 2015. The programme aims at boosting the share of nuclear power generation in Russia's energy balance 1.5 to 2 times by the year 2015. To this end, Russia will annually launch the construction of two reactors until 2015, and three or four reactors after 2015. Novovoronezh is the site for pilot models of the first batch-produced reactors under the NPP-2006 project. This year, Rosenergoatom will allocate 620 million roubles for the NPP-2 in Novovoronezh, and another 2.5 billion roubles from the federal budget are earmarked for the purpose. The Novovoronezh NPP-2 construction project is estimated to cost 100 billion roubles. The first reactor will go on line in 2012, and the second one in 2013. These units considerably differ from the reactors Russia is operating at present. Their modern equipment and materials provide for reliable and accident-free functioning during the whole period of operation. They are similar to the units Russia is building at the Kudankulam NPP in India. The Novovoronezh reactors will replace units 3 and 4 with a rated power of 417,000 watt built more than 30 years ago. It will help create conditions for rapid development of new energy-consuming productions in Central Russia and decommission aging capacities without detriment to power supply in the region. At present, the NPP in Novovoronezh operates reactors 4 and 5. Reactor No. 3r is undergoing scheduled overhaul until June 30. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, store ***************************************************************** 34 ITAR-TASS: Russia to build nuclear power units within 3 yrs in 10 yrs 20.06.2007, 22.35 NOVOVORONEZH, Voronezh region, June 20 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will build nuclear power units within three years, from the laying of concrete to physical launch, in ten years, the head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, said as he laid a capsule into the foundation of two reactors at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant on Wednesday. The construction of the power unit marks the start of the NPP-2006 project that calls for using VVER reactors with a rated capacity of 1,000-1,200 megawatt, he said. In his words, the timeline of construction is “unprecedented”. “While before it took 6-7 years to build such reactors, this power unit should be built within five years under the federal programme. This is the first project under this programme and in order to meet the five-year deadline, the general contractor should compress the time of construction to 4-4.5 years to insure itself from possible force majeure circumstances,” Kiriyenko said. He said the NPP-2006 project is fully adapted to European standards. For Russia to be able to compete in the global atomic energy market, the construction of such power units should be reduced to four years, and Russia will be able to build the within three years in 10 years from now, he said. By the beginning of next year, over 4,000 people will be working at the new construction project site, primarily local residents and specialists from other regions. Housing for them will be build this summer, Kiriyenko said. He said an ambitious programme of the development of nuclear power engineering is underway in the country. “We should increase the share of atomic energy in the national energy balance from 16 percent to 25 percent by 2020 and to 30 percent in the subsequent years,” he said. To this end, Russia will have to build 26 new nuclear power units with a rated capacity of over 1,000 megawatt by 2020. The Soviet Union built 30 nuclear power units during its entire existence. Novovoronezh is the site for pilot models of the first batch-produced reactors under the NPP-2006 project. This year, Rosenergoatom will allocate 620 million roubles for the NPP-2 in Novovoronezh, and another 2.5 billion roubles from the federal budget are earmarked for the purpose. The Novovoronezh NPP-2 construction project is estimated to cost 100 billion roubles. The first reactor will go on line in 2012, and the second one in 2013. These units considerably differ from the reactors Russia is operating at present. Their modern equipment and materials provide for reliable and accident-free functioning during the whole period of operation. They are similar to the units Russia is building at the Kudankulam NPP in India. The Novovoronezh reactors will replace units 3 and 4 with a rated power of 417,000 watt built more than 30 years ago. It will help create conditions for rapid development of new energy-consuming productions in Central Russia and decommission aging capacities without detriment to power supply in the region. At present, the NPP in Novovoronezh operates reactors 4 and 5. Reactor No. 3r is undergoing scheduled overhaul until June 30. First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov welcomed the start of the construction of a new unit of the Novoronezh nuclear power plant. “This is an important event for the atomic energy industry,” he said. In his view, “The situation in the Voronezh region is improving steadily, primarily at the expense of the real sector of the economy – civil and military production, and construction.” Ivanov said he wished there would be “more diversification, including in agriculture”. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, store ***************************************************************** 35 Japan Times: Nuclear industry gears up for global push japantimes.co.jp Web Thursday, June 21, 2007 GLOBAL WARMING CURE OR PROLIFERATION THREAT? Nuclear industry gears up for global push By ERIC JOHNSTON Staff writer KYOTO — Japan's nuclear power industry is pushing to get atomic energy on next year's agenda when this nation hosts the Group of Eight summit meetings, saying it is time world leaders recognize the power source as a practical way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the conclusion of this year's G-8 summit in Germany, world leaders agreed to combat climate change through investment in cost-efficient renewable energy technologies. In particular, they promised to promote international use of clean technologies, biofuel and biomass. Noticeably missing from the final statement was clear-cut support for nuclear power. "Hopefully, as Japan hosts the G-8 summit next year, the role of nuclear power as a stable, cost-efficient energy source that can help reduce greenhouse gases will be discussed," said Yumi Akimoto, vice chairman of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, following a meeting between French and Japanese nuclear power officials in Kyoto in early June. Of the G-8 countries, Russia, France, Japan and the United States are the most vocal proponents of new investment in nuclear plants in both the developed and developing world as a key solution to dealing with global warming. Despite a domestic nuclear industry that has been plagued by accidents and scandals, Japan's atomic ambitions are now international. At present, Japan has bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements with Australia, Canada, China, France, Britain, the U.S. and the European Atomic Energy Community, or Euratom. Negotiations are under way with Russia on an agreement that would reportedly allow Russia to re-enrich spent uranium fuel from British plants and send it to Japan, while last August, Tokyo signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan to help develop that country's substantial uranium reserves. And those are just the formal agreements. As Shunsuke Kondo, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, noted last month at a news conference with foreign journalists, Japan is also promoting nuclear power in East and Southeast Asia. "Japan attaches great significance to regional nuclear cooperation in Asia through the Forum of Nuclear Cooperation in Asia. Our midterm strategy is to assist developing countries in creating a domestic framework to introduce nuclear power, and to provide that country with any expert assistance it requests," Kondo said. The forum was conceived by Japan's nuclear power industry and is run by the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry. Member countries include Australia, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Ministerial-level representatives in charge of nuclear power meet regularly to discuss technical, health, safety and public opinion issues related to introducing and operating nuclear plants for peaceful uses. While proponents speak of a worldwide "nuclear renaissance" and have persuaded more countries to begin to turn back to nuclear power or look at it for the first time to meet energy needs and combat global warming, there remain fundamental roadblocks to actually building hundreds of new reactors worldwide. At the top of the list are proliferation concerns and waste disposal. Japanese nuclear industry executives insist that utilizing the most advanced disposal technologies will make getting rid of the waste safe and efficient and all but impossible for potential terrorists to get their hands on nuclear materials. But many on both sides fear that building new power plants, particularly in countries with little transparency, will increase the dangers of proliferation to an unacceptable risk. In an open letter to noted author James Lovelock in April, 14 Japanese-based environmental and human rights groups warned that a worldwide nuclear power renaissance would put the world in great danger. "If nuclear power was to replace all fossil fuel plants and all the current nuclear power plants which will be decommissioned, about 2,230 new nuclear reactors would have to be built (worldwide,) even if future electricity demand is assumed to be flat. The expansion of nuclear energy is one of the biggest threats to global security," the letter said. "What will happen if lots of countries introduce technology and equipment for nuclear power, train nuclear scientists and engineers and obtain large quantities of nuclear material? It is impossible to deny that nations and subnational groups with the necessary specialist knowledge and skills and access to such equipment and material could make a nuclear weapon," the letter warned. Philip White, a spokesman for the Tokyo-based Citizens Nuclear Information Center, said that with the G-8 nations divided over nuclear power, next year's summit in Hokkaido is unlikely to see the kind of clear commitment the Japanese industry is hoping for. Antinuclear activists, including White and Aileen Mioko Smith of Kyoto-based Green Action, argue nuclear power is a red herring that is distracting both politicians and the public from aggressively pursuing other ways to reduce greenhouse gases. "Nuclear power is as terrible for global warming as coal. That's because the vast investments necessary to fund new nuclear power plants will grab funds away from much better ways of reducing carbon dioxide gases," Smith said. The Japan Times ***************************************************************** 36 WNN: No significant environmental impact if Watts Bar 2 completed 20 June 2007 Completing the Watts Bar 2 reactor would have no significant environmental impact, according to owners the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The company is considering completing the unit to help meet expected increases in demand for baseload electricity. TVA first started construction of Watts Bar units 1 and 2 in the mid-1970s, both are 1270 MWe pressurized water reactors. Construction on both units was suspended in 1985, but resumed again on unit 1 in 1990, which has now been operating for over ten years. A supplemental environmental assessment statement (SEIS) has now been completed that updates the original environmental assessment produced in 1972. The SEIS states that any effects on water quality and the local ecology from completion of unit 2 would be insignificant. The only noticeable impacts would be on demand for housing from an anticipated temporary growth in population, and some realted impacts on schools. TVA hold a construction permit for Watts Bar 2, but that would expire at the end of 2010. Tom Kilgore, President and CEO of TVA, has previously estimated bringing the reactor online would cost $2-3 billion and the company is currently carrying out a study to decide whether to complete it. If TVA decide to go ahead, construction could start in early 2008. TVA have also been considering construction of a new reactor on the site of TVA's unfinished Bellefonte reactor. In May TVA restarted an uprated Brown Ferry 1, its oldest reactor, after a 22 year-shutdown. Further information Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) WNN: ***************************************************************** 37 Toronto Board of Trade: Canada's Nuclear Future Jun 20, 2007 11:46 ET ADVISORY: Upcoming Toronto Board of Trade Power Breakfast Attention: Business/Financial Editor, City Editor, News Editor, Government/Political Affairs Editor TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - June 20, 2007) - Canada occupies a significant place in the global nuclear industry. However, nuclear technology is evolving rapidly and Canada must change with the times to protect its market position. That's the message Armand Laferrere, President of Areva Canada Inc., will bring to the Toronto Board of Trade's next Power Breakfast this Friday. He will discuss Ontario and Canada's nuclear industry in the context of global competition and present a compelling case for the development of light water reactor technology in Canada to complement heavy water (Candu) technology. Tickets are available via the Toronto Board of Trade Events Hotline at 416 439 4143, or on-line at www.bot.com/events. Date: Friday, June 22, 2007 Time: 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. [PRESENTATION BEGINS AT 8:00 A.M.] Place: Toronto Board of Trade Downtown Centre, First Canadian Place, 4th Floor NOTES FOR MEDIA: Event is open to all accredited media. -30- For information contact: Nina Keitner National Public Relations 416 586 1908 nkeitner@national.ca /For further information: www.bot.com/media/ For more information, please contact Glen Stone, Public Affairs Manager, Toronto Board of Trade Primary Phone: 416-862-4565 Secondary Phone: 416-998-9458 E-mail: gstone@bot.com ***************************************************************** 38 Viet Nam News: Experts talk over plans to go nuclear Wednesday, June 20, 2007 HA NOI — Vietnamese officials and experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are taking part in a workshop on developing nuclear power in Viet Nam which started yesterday. The three-day workshop, co-organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology and IAEA, draws together of officials, scientists and managers from relevant Vietnamese industries and ministries including the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Public Securities and the Ministry of Justice. Vietnamese and IAEA experts discussed experiences in planning for and developing the necessary infrastructure for the construction of the nation’s first nuclear power factory and the implementation of a long-term nuclear programme, according to the Vietnam Atomic Energy Commission, the assigned organisation to act as the local organiser. The Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong said energy played an important role in the nation’s economic development and in improving people’s living standards. Addressing the opening ceremony, Phong said he highly appreciated the role of the IAEA as the most important international organisation on nuclear power. "We are pleased to see that technical assistance from the IAEA so far has contributed a great deal to Viet Nam in developing nuclear power," Phong said. Viet Nam received significant assistance from the IAEA in obtaining equipment, technology transfer, human resource training, research and development of a legal framework on nuclear power as well as regulations on the nuclear power industry’s impact on the environment, Phong said. Speaking at the workshop, Director of Department of Technical Co-operation’s Asia Pacific division, Peter Salema, hailed the efforts of the Vietnamese government in researching and developing nuclear power for peaceful purposes, adding that IAEA experts were willing to assist the nation in all related fields. Experts at the workshop urged Viet Nam to draft and issue legal documents on nuclear power as well as a relevant standards system on the building and operating of nuclear power factories. Its was also necessary to develop graduate and postgraduate training sites on nuclear power that meet international standards. Other major tasks for Viet Nam include improving international co-operation in the area, enhancing the capabilities of domestic industries related to power development and ensuring effective plans for dealing with potential nuclear power plant break-downs. In January last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung approved the Long – Term Strategy of Peaceful Utilisation of Atomic Energy up to the year 2020, which specified that nuclear power should account for 11 per cent of the nation’s total power output by the year 2025. The Vietnamese Government is considering the Master Plan for Implementation of this long-term strategy. — VNS E-mail: vnnews@vnagency.com.vn Publication Permit: 599/GP-INTER Granted by the Ministry of Culture and Information on April 9, 1998. ***************************************************************** 39 Vancouver Sun: Nuclear option tippytoes back onto the agenda Susan Riley, CanWest News Service Published: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn, member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands, opened the door a little wider last week to a nuclear future -- approving in principle a plan to bury radioactive waste underground. Lunn, an enthusiastic champion of nuclear power, played down the larger implications of his decision, noting that it falls to provincial governments to approve and build nuclear reactors. But industry representatives were clearly pleased. Canadian Nuclear Association president Murray Elston, a former Ontario cabinet minister, said: "This will allow us to answer persuasively those people who say the nuclear industry has no idea what to do long-term with the waste." Not entirely persuasively, perhaps. Apart from the experimental nature of the proposed solution, many hurdles remain -- notably, finding a community desperate enough to become a nuclear dumping ground. It has been long supposed that some remote northern town would be the lucky winner, given the technological preference for disposing of the waste deep in the Canadian shield. But recent re-search suggests the sedimentary rock underlying much of southern Ontario would also be suitable. That said, the prospect of a bidding war between well-to-do communities of the Golden Horseshoe appears unlikely. Leaving aside what is bound to be a heated debate over location, there will be intense public curiosity about the proposed route used for transporting the toxic cargo. There are also the astronomical costs of digging a kilometre-deep holding tank (an estimated $24 billion by one previous calculation.) That will allow access for monitoring and reclaiming the waste for future reprocessing -- which, in itself, raises fears that the re-processed material, in the wrong hands, could be used to make weapons. For his part, Lunn suggested nothing will happen for years -- an attempt, perhaps, to disguise the true significance of his announcement. In effect, the minister has given the green light to a near-moribund industry that is now rebranding itself as green. Because nuclear power plants produce negligible greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal- or oil-powered electricity facilities, nuclear is being marketed as clean energy. It is anything but, say environmentalists, who point to its dangerous byproduct -- waste that doesn't become harmless for hundreds of thousands of years -- and to a history of enormous cost overruns in constructing existing reactors. Rather than re-invest in nuclear, they say, it would be smarter, cheaper and more environmentally effective for governments to pour money into alternatives like wind, solar, biofuels, or, better still, to get serious about conservation. © 2007 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest MediaWorks ***************************************************************** 40 PerthNow: WA bans nuclear plants NEWS.com.au | Liza Kappelle June 21, 2007 06:40am THE State Government has introduced a bill that will trigger a state referendum should the commonwealth try and force a nuclear power plant on WA. Prime Minister John Howard says a nuclear industry in Australia is the only viable, non-fossil fuel alternative to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. But WA Energy Minister Francis Logan said the state's energy requirements do not lie with nuclear power when WA has wind and emerging low emission technologies such as clean coal and geothermal power. He said WA Labor's long-held opposition to a nuclear industry was under threat from Mr Howard, prompting the need for the anti-nuclear power plant legislation introduced to state parliament yesterday. "We have already passed legislation to ban the storage and transport of nuclear waste,'' Mr Logan said. "To date it has not been necessary to ban nuclear power, but a new threat has emerged. "The Howard government in its attempt to play catch up in the climate change debate is using nuclear power as its solution to global warming. "This could mean action by the commonwealth government to impose nuclear power in WA.'' The new legislation would include a referendum trigger if the commonwealth tried to override the new state laws, he said. The laws will prohibit the construction or operation of a nuclear facility in WA with such attempts to be met by a $500,000 fine. They will also prohibit the transportation of "certain material'' to a nuclear facility site and prohibit connecting nuclear generation works to an electricity transmission or distribution system. The WA Liberals support uranium mining in the state but see no need for nuclear power. AAP Copyright 2007 The Sunday Times. All times AWST (GMT + 8). ***************************************************************** 41 Herald-Leader: 1,200 write to protest plans for reactor in Tennessee 06/20/2007 | WOULD BE SECOND NUCLEAR FACILITY AT WATTS BAR STATION ASSOCIATED PRESS KNOXVILLE -- More than 1,200 people around the country flooded the Tennessee Valley Authority with form letters and personal comments opposing the federal utility's plans for building a second nuclear reactor at the Watts Bar station in Tennessee. "You must stop this madness!" wrote Toni Garmon of Dawsonville, Ga. "How can we continue to tell other countries they cannot have nuclear plants while we are opening new ones?" asked Shawn Olsen of Lakewood, Wash. A handful of letters were more supportive. "Nuclear energy is needed to provide emission free power" wrote M.J. Bender of Des Moines, Iowa. "We desperately need this additional generating capacity for the growth and viability of the TVA region," wrote Mickey Crook of Tennessee. The 1,229 form letters addressed general concerns about nuclear power, radioactive waste and security as well as some specific worries about raising water temperature in the Tennessee River, which supports Watts Bar's cooling towers some 50 miles south of Knoxville. TVA responded in a 160-page supplemental environmental impact statement. "It found that there was no significant environmental impact if TVA decides to complete construction and operate Unit Two at Watts Bar," TVA spokesman John Moulton said. The decision to build Watts Bar Two will rest with the TVA board of directors, which will be meeting Aug. 1. ***************************************************************** 42 OpEd News: Trail of Nuclear Tears - Exposing Nuclear's Horrid Truths] Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:58:54 -0700  

Trail of Nuclear Tears-Exposing Nuclear's Horrid Truths  (part one)
 

 
 

 
So, the world wants to see a Nuclear Renaissance, believes that nuclear energy is the safe, vital, secure, and Green Energy Source that is going to save us from Global Warming, and give birth to the Hydrogen Economy. The young green hipsters and tricksters in the Green Fashion Industry believe it is so. After all, former Greenpeace founder Patrick Moore tells them so, just like Jesus in "The Bible Tells Us So" song shouted out by the religious right as they warn us about gays, and abortion...harsh, but then the five front runners in the Republican race to the Presidency have endorsed nuclear, opposed gays serving in the military, and except for one are against abortion and gay marriage.

When will we stop believing the 30 second sound bites fed to us on network TV, when will we take the time to educate ourselves before taking a position on any issue? In our convenience driven society where the need for energy rules the day, the citizens of Yuppieville, USA and their 20-30 something children are content to accept on face value the nuclear industry's huge propaganda campaign to sell them on nuclear energy...where is the disconnect, how can almost 70 percent of America oppose the Iraq War, support bringing our troops home, be against the use of depleted uranium, yet believe nuclear energy is safe, vital, secure and green. Don't you realize it's all the same damn thing? If you look at nuclear, if you look at the entire cycle, you have to accept that DOD (Department of Defense), DOE (Department of Energy) and the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) are all a part of the same train. There is no commercial nuclear industry without its Siamese twin, the military nuclear industry, the two of them joined forever at the hip.

Congressman John Hall in and off the record conversation told one of my anti nuclear friends that wants to close down Indian Point, that we had no idea how tied into the Middle East nuclear power was/is. Hall went on further to explain that his access to documents we could not see truly was opening his eyes, and that shutting down any of America's nuclear reactors was not going to be easy because of the situation in the Middle East. Hall was not just speaking of the quagmire that is Iraq, though it was and is a part of it. You see, our Pentagon needs the commercial nuclear industry, and the infrastructure it takes to power it for its own evil purposes, including vast stockpiles of Depleted Uranium, which is used in numerous weaponry to make armor piercing ammunitions and war heads.


Going further, George Bush, our government, our military machine opposes Iran gaining the capability of enriching uranium for a very simple reason...with the capability of enriching said uranium for nuclear reactors, you gain as a part of the waste stream from enrichment operations the byproduct of Depleted Uranium. Oh My God! Iran already has a vast supply of oil, they have already developed long range missiles capable of striking various western societies, and now they are on the brink of having Depleted Uranium. Such a reality might mean America has to negotiate with Iran as equals, heaven forbid. Let them get the BOMB, and we might even have a new super power to contend with, someone to take Russia's seat at the grown ups table.

That's one of the big problems with the nuclear cycle...there is no such thing as the peaceful atom, no matter how you try to dress it up. Additionally, anywhere nuclear goes in all of its various forms, death is soon to follow. From its earliest days, even pre-dating the Manhattan Project, the exploration and exploitation of uranium has brought with it horrid deaths, devastating cancers, birth defects and destruction on a level almost unimaginable. Problem is, you have governments, and various assorted private corporate interests trying to hide the ugly truth, trying to convince us that uranium and nuclear energy are safe.

Do some homework, explore the hundreds of millions of dollars the DOE has spent on attorneys to fight union workers claims that their illnesses and cancers were caused by their exposure to elevated work place radiation levels. Look just under the surface of the commercial nuclear industry, and you find a trail of death...it is no coincedence that every county within 100 miles of a nuclear facility has elevated cancer rates when compared with counties outside of that 100 mile circle. Look at both wars in the Middle East (Desert Storm, and the Iraq War), and you find our soldiers coming home with strange illnesses, illnesses caused by their overexposure to depleted uranium. Already in Iraq, mothers are giving birth to children with horrible deformities, deformities caused by that same exposure to Depleted Uranium, and where does that Depleted Uranium come from? The production cycle employed to produce fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.


McCain, in a nationally televised debate on CNN, boldly lied like no other man before him. Not only did he embrace nuclear as a CO2 free clean source of energy, but he claimed that the Nuclear Navy in over 50 years of operation had never had an accident. Funny, I know of numerous examples of nuclear sea going vessels accidently ramming into other ships, and am aware of at least 37 times (up through 1983) when said nuclear vessels had MAJOR releases of radioactive materials into the environment. I believe we have had at last one nuclear sub sink. As a Senator, as a member of the military, he KNOWS the truth...do we want such a liar as our next president? Why can't he, the other candidates, our president, and even the nuclear industry come out and BE HONEST WITH THE PUBLIC? What is it that is really driving this insane push for a Nuclear Renaissance? What lunacy sees the world wanting to build 2200 new nuclear reactors when the first 437 aging reactors have been such a dismal failure, and killed so many innocent people?

There is no bigger myth within the nuclear energy than their claim that nuclear energy and commercial reactors are and environmentally friendly CO2 source of electricity. From the very beginning of the uranium fuel cycle, the massive creation of and dumping of CO2 into our environment begins, as well as a trail of far deadly contaminants. First, you have to get the uranium out of the ground...uranium mining is very equipment intensive, and the large pieces of equipment use MASSIVE amounts of fossil fuels. Further, it takes tons and tons of of ore containing trace amounts of uranium to get enough actual raw uranium to be of any use. This means said materials have to be carted to processing plants...again, said transporting of such vast quantities of these raw start up materials burn up vast amounts of carbon based fuels, adding to nuclear CO2 contributions to Global Warming.

Once the materials have been mined, they then must be milled, or crushed. These milling operations are usually fairly close to the mines. Once the materials are crushed, various impurities are removed (creating vast amounts of waste), and the end product of this segment of the processing creates what is known as yellowcake. This yellow cake is then packaged into 55 gallon drums, and is ready...TO BE SHIPPED AGAIN, thus using even more fossil fuels.


This yellow cake is about 70 percent pure, but still needs further processing to remain more impurities. A refining facility handles this purification, and then chemically transforms the yellow cake into uranium trioxide, which is now suitable for FURTHER PROCESSING. Think about much CO2 has been pumped into the environment already, and we are still not even close to being done with the process of having fuel that can actually be used to power a nuclear reactor.


Depending on the country, and enrichment means to be used, the uranium trioxide goes through even more processing at a conversion plant, where it is transformed into either uranium dioxide or uranium hexafluoride, the feedstock for enriched light water reactor fuel. At this point, the materials are ready...TO BE SHIPPED AGAIN, this time to a fuel fabrication facility. Using Canada as one example...once they have created uranium hexafluride, said materials are sent for fuel fabrication to the United States, France, the U.K., Germany or the Netherlands. Sure is a whole lot of CO2 being created that the commercial nuclear industry does not want to admit too.

For over five decades, most fuel rods produced for commercial reactors were fabricated at the Gaseous Diffusion plants in Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky, with most of that production under the watchful eye of the DOE until 1992 when then President George Bush privatized the facilities and transferred oversight over to the NRC with the signing of the 1992 Energy Policy Act. This is where the nuclear industry's CO2 contributions to Global Warming really sky rocket.

Looking just at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plants 50 years of operation, you realize the true folly that is nuclear energy. First, this plant is the largest under roof manufacturing facility ever built in its time. Sadly, it was built less than one mile from the Sciota River, less than 20 miles upstream from the Ohio River, and sits atop the largest underground aquifer in the United States of America...BRILLIANT SITING decision!

This plant was fueled by nine coal burning energy plants, and used enough electricity each and every day of operation to power all of Los Angeles county for a year. If you do the math, the Portsmouth Gasesous Diffusion Plant burned enough coal, used enough electricity to power all of Los Angeles county for six million, six hundred and sixty one thousand, two hundred and fifty days, or 18, 250 years! America is just over 200 years old folks! Imagine how much CO2 would not be in the atmosphere if it were not for those 9 coal burning power plants running 24 hours a day, all to supply America's nuclear reactors with fuel rods. Even scarier...these figures do not include the CO2 and energy consumptions for the Piketon, Kentucky plant.

Factor in the building of the nuclear facilities, and the vast amount of fossil fuels that will be burned in decommissioning, and it is obvious who the major contributor to Global Warming really is.

It would be nice if this was the end of nuclear energy's CO2 contributions to the environment, but it is not. It would be nice if these CO2 emissions were the only contaminants and contributions to Global Warming that nuclear reactors created, but sadly, it is but the tip of the iceberg. The fuel rods as one example still have to be SHIPPED to the reactor sites. Again, additional fossil fuels being burned up, and we have not seen one watt of electrical energy produced as of yet.
 
http://greennuclearbutterfly.blogspot.com
 
Anti-Nuclear activist, and publishero of two blogs on the subject of nuclear energy.  Living less than three miles from Entergy's Indian Point, which is leaking tritium and strontium 90 into the Hudson, I write in the hopes of awakening the public to the horrors that are nuclear energy.  NEI's( Nuclear Energy Institute) lies about nuclear energy being carbon free have to be exposed, their incestous relationship with the NRC and DOE has to be brought into the light of day, the wrongful rubber stamping of license renewals ended before and American Chernobyl occurs.
 
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_sherwood_070618_trail_of_nuclear_tea.htm


Help the US become Radiation Free by 2033!
www.radiation.org
 
Cathy Garger
www.mytown.ca/garger



__,_._,___
--
Roger Herried
***************************************************************** 43 WRDW: Group says nuclear plant is killing you Health Headlines for Augusta, Georgia and the CSRA Posted: 6:15 PM Jun 20, 2007 Reporter: Diane Cho Email Address: diane.cho@wrdw.com Group says nuclear plant is killing you News 12 at 6 o'clock, June 20, 2007 BURKE CTY, Ga.---The number of people dying from cancer in Burke County is on the rise, and one group says a nuclear plant may be to blame. A new study released by the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League shows the number of people dying of cancer in Burke County has shot up 25%, while the rest of country's cancer rate was on the decline. "If I lived in this county I'd want to know why these numbers are increasing," said Louis Zeller with Blue Ridge. The study is a side by side comparison of before and after Plant Vogtle opened up two nuclear reactors in the Waynesboro area. It finds that since the plant began its operation, the levels of radioactivity in the environment shot up across the board. Georgia Power spokeswoman Carol Boatright says the governmental agency regulating them has never raised this issue before. "If there were concerns of strong evidence the plants were producing a problem for the residents I'm sure we'd hear about it by now," she said. But the most startling statistic is the change in infant mortality. In Burke County the number of infant deaths increased 70% compared to the other surrounding counties in the CSRA. But even the backers of the study admit waste from other plants could be contributing to the problem. "It's like a crime being committed, but too many suspects to find out for certain what the source of the problem might be," said Zeller. The organization launched the study in December after the Southern Company announced plans last year to expand their existing two nuclear reactors by creating two more. It's a move some in the community say needs to be stopped. "I think you need to start looking at people over profits at some point," said resident Judy Stocker. The league plans to present the findings to the Department of Health as well as the Public Service Commission in the next few months. They've filed a lawsuit to block the plant from getting a permit to allow further expansion in the area. Georgia Power says they will review the findings presented today. ***************************************************************** 44 CG: Border Police Detects ‘Radioactive Scrap Metal’ at Azeri Border Online Magazine - Civil Georgia Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 2007-06-20 13:23:06 Georgian Border Police said on Tuesday that it had detected radioactive emissions from scrap metal in a truck on the Georgian-Azerbaijani border on June 15. Tbilisi-based Imedi TV reported on June 19 that the Georgian Border Police had detected nuclear materials – a mixture of plutonium and beryllium – in a truck coming from Azerbaijan. The truck was sent back to Azerbaijan. The Border Police, however, stressed in a statement that only very small traces had been detected on the scrap metal during a routine customs check. “The truck was carrying different types of scrap metal. It was driven by a Georgian citizen. He had all the necessary documents. Radiation emissions were detected on one of the metal pipes in the cargo. Pipes of this kind are usually used for wells,” the Border Police said. It also said that it had informed relevant agencies within the Interior Ministry and Ministry of Environment, which then studied the case and jointly decided to send the truck with its cargo back to Azerbaijan. “Our Azerbaijani colleagues have been informed,” the Border Police said. © 2003 UNA-Georgia About Civil Georgia : Contact CG ***************************************************************** 45 WorldNetDaily: D.C. to get tower to track radioactive clouds Founded 1997 Wednesday, June 20, 2007 Evening Edition NUCLEAR WAR-FEAR Network for monitoring 'hotspots' nears completion Posted: June 20, 2007 Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON ? The nation's first network of research instruments meant for tracking radioactive plumes or other toxic contaminants will near completion here today when researchers erect a 30-foot meteorological station atop the American Geophysical Union. Using data from the new network, which so far has 11 stations in the nation's capital, scientists expect to create and test computer models that would calculate neighborhood-scale projections of a radioactive or toxic cloud's spread. The analysis might also specify locations of contamination "hot spots," says atmospheric physicist Christoph A. Vogel of the Air Resources Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Silver Spring, Md. That would enable first responders and citizens to know "which streets you would want to go down and which to avoid," he adds. (Story continues below) The NOAA-funded network, known as UrbaNet, also supports activities of the Department of Homeland Security. AGU is an international organization of scientists who study and publish research on Earth and space sciences. The new monitoring station will include a device called a sonic anemometer that uses high-frequency sound waves to measure wind velocity in all directions simultaneously at brief time intervals. With such data, scientists can analyze local air turbulence that strongly influences where and at what rate airborne contaminants spread in an urban environment, Vogel explains. All Rights Reserved. WorldNetDaily.com Inc. ***************************************************************** 46 IAEA: Safeguards Statement for 2006 Safeguards and Verification Safeguards Statement for 2006, Background to Safeguards Statement and Executive Summary of the Safeguards Implementation Report for 2006 In 2006, safeguards were applied for 162 States with safeguards agreements in force with the Agency. The Secretariat´s findings and conclusions for 2006 are reported below with regard to each type of safeguards agreement. These findings and conclusions are based upon an evaluation of all the information available to the Agency in exercising its rights and fulfilling its safeguards obligations for that year. 1. Seventy-five States had both comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols in force: 1. For 32 of these States1/, the Secretariat found no indication of the diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities and no indication of undeclared nuclear material or activities. On this basis, the Secretariat concluded that, for these States, all nuclear material remained in peaceful activities. 2. For 43 of the States, the Secretariat found no indication of the diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities. Evaluations regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities for each of these States remained ongoing. On this basis, the Secretariat concluded that, for these States, declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities. 2. Safeguards activities were implemented for 78 States with comprehensive safeguards agreements in force, but without additional protocols in force2/. For these States, the Secretariat found no indication of the diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities. On this basis, the Secretariat concluded that, for these States, declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities. The Secretariat concluded that, for 2006, declared nuclear material in Iran remained in peaceful activities. However, the Secretariat was unable to make progress in resolving the outstanding issues related to the completeness of Iran´s declarations. Verification of the correctness and completeness of Iran´s declarations remained ongoing. In February 2006, the Board of Governors requested the Director General to report to the United Nations Security Council all Agency reports and resolutions, as adopted, relevant to the implementation of Iran´s safeguards agreement. 3. As of the end of 2006, 31 non-nuclear-weapon States party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) had not yet brought comprehensive safeguards agreements with the Agency into force as required by Article III of that Treaty. For these States, the Secretariat could not draw any safeguards conclusions. 4. Three States had in force safeguards agreements concluded pursuant to INFCIRC/66/Rev.2, which require the application of safeguards to nuclear material, facilities and other items specified in the relevant safeguards agreement. For these States, the Secretariat found no indication of the diversion of nuclear material or of the misuse of the facilities or other items to which safeguards were applied. On this basis, the Secretariat concluded that, for these States, nuclear material, facilities or other items to which safeguards were applied remained in peaceful activities. 5. Five nuclear-weapon States had voluntary offer safeguards agreements in force. Safeguards were implemented with regard to declared nuclear material in selected facilities in four of the five States. For these four States, the Secretariat found no indication of the diversion of nuclear material to which safeguards were applied. On this basis, the Secretariat concluded that, for these States, nuclear material to which safeguards were applied in selected facilities was not withdrawn, except as provided for in the agreements, and remained in peaceful activities. Background to the Safeguards Statement and Executive Summary 1. THE SAFEGUARDS CONCLUSIONS 1. The Safeguards Statement for 2006 reflects the safeguards conclusions resulting from the implementation of safeguards in accordance with the safeguards agreements concluded by the Agency. The Secretariat derives these conclusions on the basis of an evaluation of the results of the Secretariat´s verification activities and of all the safeguards relevant information available to it. This section provides background to the Safeguards Statement. 1.1 States with Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements 2. Under a comprehensive safeguards agreement, the Agency has the right and obligation to ensure that safeguards are applied, in accordance with the terms of the agreement, on all source or special fissionable material in all peaceful nuclear activities within the territory of the State, under its jurisdiction or carried out under its control anywhere, for the exclusive purpose of verifying that such material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices (paragraph 2 of INFCIRC/153 (Corrected)). 3. Comprehensive safeguards agreements consist of a Part I and a Part II, and definitions. The procedures for implementing the general provisions of Part I are described in Part II. These procedures include the record keeping and reporting obligations of the State with regard to nuclear material, nuclear facilities and locations outside facilities where nuclear material is customarily used (LOFs). They also include provisions related to Agency access to nuclear material, facilities and LOFs. 4. The procedures set out in Part II of a comprehensive safeguards agreement specify that material containing uranium or thorium which has not reached the stage of the nuclear fuel cycle where its composition and purity is suitable for fuel fabrication or for isotopic enrichment (as provided for in paragraph 34(c) of INFCIRC/153 (Corrected)) is subject to certain procedures related to the reporting of export and import of such material. Nuclear material which has reached that stage of the fuel cycle and any material produced at a later stage is subject to all the other procedures specified in the agreement. An inventory of such material is established on the basis of an initial report by a State, verified by the Agency and maintained on the basis of subsequent reports by the State and by Agency verification. The Agency performs its verification activities in order to confirm that the declarations by the State are correct and complete. 5. Many States with minimal or no nuclear activities have concluded a small quantities protocol (SQP) to their comprehensive safeguards agreement. For a State with an operative SQP based on the model set out in Annex B to GOV/INF/276 (22 August 1974), the implementation of most of the safeguards measures provided for in Part II of its comprehensive safeguards agreement is held in abeyance as long as the quantity of nuclear material subject to safeguards does not exceed the limits set out in paragraph 37 of INFCIRC/153 (Corr.) and there is no nuclear material in a facility. In 2005, the Board of Governors approved the modified text of an SQP, which reduces the number of measures held in abeyance and makes an SQP unavailable to a State with an existing or planned facility3/. 6. While the Agency´s authority to verify the correctness and completeness of a State´s declarations under its comprehensive safeguards agreement derives from the agreement itself, the tools available to the Agency to do so under such an agreement are limited. The Model Additional Protocol4/ approved by the Board of Governors in 1997 equips the Agency with important supplementary tools which address these limitations by providing the Agency with broader access to information and locations. The measures provided for under an additional protocol significantly increase the Agency´s ability to verify the correctness and completeness of a State’s declarations under a comprehensive safeguards agreement. 7. To enable the Agency to perform its verification activities effectively and efficiently, the State needs to have complied with the requirements of its safeguards agreements and - if concluded - its additional protocol, including the requirement to establish and maintain a State system of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSAC). 1.1.1 States with Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols in Force Status of Implementation 8. As of 31 December 2006, 75 States5/ had both comprehensive safeguards agreements in force and additional protocols in force6/. Of these, 27 States had operative SQPs. 9. Safeguards implementation involved activities carried out in the field and activities carried out at Agency Headquarters in Vienna. The latter activities included the evaluation of States´ accounting reports and other declarations required under comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols and the evaluation of safeguards-relevant information from other sources. The Secretariat carried out some 1733 inspections and 134 complementary accesses utilizing approximately 12 600 calendar-days in the field for verification (CDFVs)7/ in the States of this category. Deriving Conclusions 10. A safeguards conclusion that all nuclear material has remained in peaceful activities in a State is based on the Secretariat´s finding that there is no indication of diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities and no indication of undeclared nuclear material and activities in the State as a whole. 11. To conclude that there is no indication of diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful nuclear activities in a State, the Secretariat carries out a comprehensive evaluation of all information available to it. This encompasses the information provided by the State with regard to the design and operation of declared nuclear facilities, the State´s nuclear material accounting reports and the results of the Secretariat’s inspections carried out in order to verify the State´s declarations. In addition, the Secretariat evaluates the information acquired through the implementation of the State´s additional protocol. 12. To conclude that there is no indication of undeclared nuclear material and activities in a State, the Secretariat carries out an evaluation of the consistency of the State´s declared nuclear programme with the results of its verification activities under the relevant safeguards agreement and additional protocol and with all other information available to the Agency. In order to draw this conclusion, the Agency needs to have: * conducted a comprehensive State evaluation based on all information available to the Agency about the State´s nuclear and nuclear-related activities (including declarations submitted under the additional protocol, and information collected by the Agency through its verification activities and from other sources); * implemented complementary access, as necessary, in accordance with the State´s additional protocol; and; * addressed all anomalies, questions and inconsistencies identified in the course of its evaluation and verification activities. 13. When the evaluations described in paragraphs 11 and 12 above have been completed, and no indication has been found by the Secretariat that, in its judgement, would give rise to a possible proliferation concern, the Secretariat can draw the broader conclusion that all nuclear material in a State has remained in peaceful activities. Subsequently, the Secretariat implements an integrated safeguards approach for that State whereby - due to increased assurance in the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities for the State as a whole - the intensity of inspection activities at declared facilities and LOFs are reduced. 14. In drawing safeguards conclusions, the Agency evaluates whether the safeguards activities carried out during the year have satisfied certain performance targets. In those cases where integrated safeguards have not yet been implemented, the Safeguards Criteria function as the performance targets8/. Under integrated safeguards - the optimum combination of measures under comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols - the performance targets are those set out in the State-specific integrated safeguards approach approved for each State9/. Overall Conclusions for 2006 15. On the basis of the evaluations described in paragraphs 11 and 12, the Secretariat drew the conclusions referred to in paragraph 1(a) of the Safeguards Statement for 2006 for 32 States10/ - Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Chile, Croatia, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, the Holy See, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mali, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Uzbekistan. For eight of these States11/ - Austria, Chile, the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mali and Portugal - the conclusion in paragraph 1(a) of the Safeguards Statement was drawn for the first time. 16. Because the evaluation process described in paragraph 12 had not yet been completed for 43 States, the conclusion drawn for these States related only to declared nuclear material in peaceful activities. The conclusion in paragraph 1(b) was drawn for the following States: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cuba, Cyprus, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Haiti, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, the Republic of Korea, the Seychelles, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania and Uruguay. 1.1.2 States with Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements but no Additional Protocols in Force Status of Implementation 17. As of 31 December 2006, safeguards were implemented for 78 States12/ in this category, 52 of which had operative SQPs. Safeguards implementation involved activities in the field and at Headquarters, including the evaluation of States´ accounting reports and declarations required under comprehensive safeguards agreements and the evaluation of safeguards-relevant information from other sources. The Secretariat carried out some 223 inspections utilizing approximately 2060 CDFVs in the States of this category. Deriving Conclusions 18. For a State with a comprehensive safeguards agreement alone, the Agency´s right and obligation are as described in paragraph 2 above. Although safeguards strengthening measures under such an agreement13/ have somewhat increased the Agency´s ability to detect undeclared nuclear material and activities, the activities that the Agency may conduct in this regard are limited for a State without an additional protocol. Thus, the Safeguards Statement for a State with a comprehensive safeguards agreement alone relates only to the non-diversion of declared nuclear material from peaceful activities. 19. In the course of its evaluation, the Agency also seeks to determine whether there is any indication of undeclared nuclear material or activities in the State which would need to be reflected in the Safeguards Statement. However, the measures provided for in the Model Additional Protocol remain essential for the Agency to provide credible assurance of the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities for the State as a whole. Overall Conclusions for 2006 20. On the basis of the evaluation performed and as reflected in paragraph 2 of the Safeguards Statement, the Secretariat concluded that for the 78 States referred to in paragraph 17 above, declared nuclear material remained in peaceful activities. This conclusion was drawn for Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d´Ivoire, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, the Lao People´s Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Republic of Moldova, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Tuvalu, the United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 1.2 States with no Safeguards Agreements in Force 21. As of 31 December 2006, 31 non-nuclear-weapon States party to the NPT had yet to bring comprehensive safeguards agreements into force pursuant to the Treaty14/. Overall Conclusions for 2006 22. As indicated in paragraph 3 of the Safeguards Statement, for these States, the Secretariat could not draw any safeguards conclusions. These States are: Andorra, Angola, Bahrain, Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritania, the Federated States of Micronesia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Qatar, Rwanda, Săo Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Timor Leste, Togo and Vanuatu. 1.3 States with Safeguards Agreements based on INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 23. Under safeguards agreements based on INFCIRC/66/Rev.2, the Agency applies safeguards in order to ensure that nuclear material, facilities and other items specified under the safeguards agreement are not used for the manufacture of any nuclear weapon or to further any military purpose, and that such items shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and shall not be used for the manufacturing of any nuclear explosive device. Status of Implementation 24. As of 31 December 2006, safeguards agreements based on INFCIRC/66/Rev.2 were implemented at a number of facilities in India, Israel and Pakistan. None of these States had concluded an additional protocol with the Agency. The Secretariat carried out 44 inspections utilizing some 420 CDFVs in these States. Deriving Conclusions 25. The conclusion described in paragraph 4 of the Safeguards Statement is reported collectively for these three States, and relates to the nuclear material, facilities and other items to which safeguards were applied. To draw such a conclusion in respect of these States, the Agency evaluates all safeguards relevant information available, including verification results, and information about facility design features and facility operations. Overall Conclusions for 2006 26. On the basis of the results of its verification and evaluation activities, the Secretariat concluded that nuclear material, facilities or other items to which safeguards were applied in India, Israel and Pakistan remained in peaceful activities. 1.4 States with Voluntary Offer Agreements 27. Under a voluntary offer agreement, the Agency applies safeguards to nuclear material in those facilities which have been selected by the Agency from the State´s list of eligible facilities in order to verify that the material is not withdrawn, except as provided for in the agreement, and remains in peaceful nuclear activities. In selecting facilities under voluntary offer agreements for the application of safeguards, the Agency takes into consideration, inter-alia, (i) whether useful experience may be gained in implementing new safeguards approaches or in using advanced equipment and technology; (ii) whether the cost-efficiency of Agency safeguards may be enhanced by applying safeguards, in the exporting State, to nuclear material being shipped to States with comprehensive safeguards agreements in force; and/or (iii) whether the selection of a facility would satisfy legal obligations arising from other safeguards agreements concluded by States with voluntary offer agreements. Status of Implementation 28. As of 31 December 2006, safeguards were implemented at facilities selected by the Agency in four of the five States with voluntary offer safeguards agreements in force: China, France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) and the United States of America. Safeguards activities in the Russian Federation were limited to the evaluation of accounting reports on the export and import of nuclear material since no facilities were selected in 2006 from Russia’s list of eligible facilities. All five of these States have signed additional protocols with the Agency; by the end of 2006, additional protocols were in force for China, France and the United Kingdom. These three States provided declarations, inter alia, on exports to non-nuclear-weapon States of the specified equipment and non-nuclear material specified in the relevant annexes to their respective additional protocols and on cooperation with non-nuclear-weapon States in the area of nuclear fuel cycle related R&D activities. The Secretariat carried out some 87 safeguards inspections utilizing approximately 900 CDFVs in order to verify declared nuclear material in the facilities selected in these States. Deriving Conclusions 29. The conclusion contained in paragraph 5 of the Safeguards Statement is reported for the four nuclear-weapon States in which safeguards were applied to nuclear material in selected facilities. To draw the safeguards conclusion, the Agency evaluates all relevant information, including verification results and information about facility design features and operations. Overall Conclusions for 2006 30. On the basis of the results of its verification and evaluation activities, the Secretariat concluded for China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States that nuclear material to which safeguards were applied in selected facilities was not withdrawn, except as provided for in the agreements, and remained in peaceful activities. 1.5 Islamic Republic of Iran 31. During 2006, the Director General submitted five reports to the Board of Governors on the implementation of the NPT safeguards agreement in Iran (GOV/2006/15, 27, 38, 53 and 64). The Board adopted one resolution on the subject (GOV/2006/14). 32. Iran continued to implement its comprehensive safeguards agreement and, until 6 February 2006, implemented the additional protocol on a voluntary basis. In a letter dated 6 February 2006, Iran informed the Agency that its voluntary commitment to implement the additional protocol had been suspended as of that date and that the implementation of safeguards measures would be based only on its comprehensive safeguards agreement. 33. On 4 February 2006, the Board adopted a resolution (GOV/2006/14) in which it, inter alia, underlined that outstanding questions can best be resolved and confidence built in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme by Iran responding positively to the calls for confidence building measures deemed necessary by the Board. The Board also requested the Director General to report on the implementation of that resolution and the previous ones to the Security Council. 34. During 2006, the clarification of certain aspects of the scope and nature of Iran´s nuclear programme remained unresolved. The issue of the source(s) of low enriched uranium (LEU) and high enriched uranium (HEU) particles found at locations where Iran declared that centrifuge components had been manufactured, used and/or stored remains unresolved. Iran did not make any new information available to the Agency concerning its P-1 or P-2 centrifuge programmes. Iran did not provide a copy of the 15-page document describing the procedures for the reduction of UF6 to uranium metal and the casting and machining of enriched and depleted uranium metal into hemispheres. The issue of plutonium experiments has not been resolved satisfactorily. 35. While the Agency was able to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in the State in 2006, Iran´s decision to suspend its voluntary commitment to implement the provisions of the additional protocol and its insufficient cooperation and transparency limited the Agency´s ability to clarify outstanding issues with a view to drawing a conclusion regarding the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. 36. On 31 July 2006, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted resolution 1696 (2006), inter alia, demanding, that Iran suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development (R&D) to be verified by the Agency, and requesting that the Director General report to the Council by 31 August 2006 on whether Iran had established full and sustained suspension of all activities mentioned in the resolution and on the process of Iranian compliance with all the steps required by the Board. The Director General submitted a report to the Board of Governors on that date (GOV/2006/53), and in parallel to the Security Council. On 23 December 2006, the UNSC adopted resolution 1737 (2006), in which it decided, inter alia, that Iran "shall provide such access and cooperation as the IAEA requests" to verify the suspension of nuclear activities as outlined in the resolution and to resolve all outstanding issues identified in IAEA reports and requested a report from the Director General of the IAEA within 60 days15/. 1.6 Democratic People´s Republic of Korea 37. Since December 2002, the Agency has not been able to perform any verification activities in the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and, therefore, could not draw any conclusion. 38. Following the DPRK´s announcement on 9 October 2006 that it had carried out an underground nuclear test, the Security Council adopted resolution 1718 (2006), in which it demanded, inter alia, that the DPRK return to IAEA safeguards. 2. FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM Additional Protocols 39. The implementation of the provisions of the Model Additional Protocol is essential to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the efficiency of the safeguards system. As of the end of the year, 84 of the 162 States with safeguards agreements did not have additional protocols in force or being otherwise applied. One of the greatest challenges for the Agency is to be able to detect undeclared nuclear material and activities. For States with a comprehensive safeguards agreement but no additional protocol in force, the Agency´s ability to do so is limited. Small Quantities Protocols 40. In accordance with the decision taken by the Board on 20 September 2005, the Secretariat initiated, with relevant SQP States, exchanges of letters to give effect to the modifications in the standard text and the change in the SQP criteria referred to in the Director General´s report to the Board of Governors in 2005. During 2006, SQPs were amended to reflect the modified text for nine States: Azerbaijan, Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, the Holy See, Mali, Palau, the Seychelles and Tajikistan. An SQP was rescinded by Jamaica and one with Morocco became non-operational. At the end of 2006, there were 73 States with safeguards agreements in force having operative SQPs requiring modification in accordance with the decision taken by the Board in September 200516/. 3. STRENGTHENING THE EFFECTIVENESS AND IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF SAFEGUARDS 41. In 2006, further progress was made in strengthening the effectiveness and improving the efficiency of Agency safeguards in several areas, such as the implementation of integrated safeguards, the development of safeguards approaches, procedures and technology and cooperation with State and regional systems of accounting for and control of nuclear material (SSACs/RSACs). 42. Integrated safeguards were implemented throughout 2006 in Australia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Norway, Peru, Slovenia and Uzbekistan. During 2006, implementation of integrated safeguards was initiated for Latvia and Poland. Preparations were being made for implementing the approved integrated safeguards approach for Canada. In addition, integrated safeguards approaches were developed and approved for Bangladesh and Ghana. 43. The Agency continued to replace obsolete analogue surveillance systems with digital systems, installing unattended monitoring systems and expanding remote monitoring capabilities. During 2006, 54 new digital surveillance systems involving 121 cameras were installed in the field. By the end of the year, the Agency had installed 130 surveillance and radiation monitoring systems with remote monitoring capabilities. 44. In 2006, the Nuclear Trade Analysis Unit (NUTRAN) analysed available information on covert nuclear procurements. In response to General Conference resolutions17/, the Agency implemented an innovative mechanism to diversify the sources of safeguards relevant data. Pursuant to this mechanism, a number of Member States have agreed to facilitate the provision of safeguards-relevant information to the Agency by their nuclear-related industries. 45. The effectiveness and efficiency of Agency safeguards depend, to a large extent, on the effectiveness of SSACs and RSACs, and on the level of their cooperation with the Agency. The Secretariat continued to liaise with SSACs and RSACs on safeguards implementation issues such as the quality of operators´ systems for the measurement of nuclear material, the timeliness and accuracy of State reports and declarations, and support for the Agency’s verification activities. Emphasis was placed on training and on the introduction of assistance programmes such as the IAEA SSAC advisory service (ISSAS). 46. The Secretariat has continued to consult with States on the issue of visas for designated inspectors. Nearly all States with significant nuclear activities - and all States with additional protocols - have undertaken to provide designated Agency inspectors with multiple-entry visas valid for at least one year upon request by the Agency. Four States have not yet fully done so. 47. The Standing Advisory Group on Safeguards Implementation (SAGSI) held two plenary meetings in 2006. The main safeguards implementation issues considered by SAGSI were State-level safeguards implementation, international spent fuel transfers, integrated safeguards for geological repositories, the revised policy on containment and surveillance (C/S) and the Safeguards Research and Development (R&D) Programme. 48. The Advisory Committee on Safeguards and Verification within the Framework of the IAEA Statute (Committee 25) met three times during 2006 in order to evaluate ways and means to strengthen the Agency´s safeguards system. During these meetings, the Committee, inter alia, reviewed technical papers prepared by the Secretariat that described measures to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the safeguards system in several areas. 4. SAFEGUARDS EXPENDITURE AND RESOURCES 49. In 2006, safeguards expenditure from the Safeguards Regular Budget amounted to €93.1 million. In addition, $10.8 million was spent from voluntary contributions received from Member States. Due to delays in the implementation of several major projects, some €8 million of the Regular Budget remained unspent at the end of 2006 and was carried over to 2007. 5. FURTHER ACTIVITIES SUPPORTING THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME 50. The Secretariat continued to experience difficulties in obtaining information directly from States under the monitoring scheme approved by the Board of Governors in 1999 regarding separated neptunium and americium. More consistent reporting by States in this regard would improve the Agency´s ability to assess the quantities of separated neptunium and americium and the associated proliferation risk. As of the end of 2006, evaluation of the information that had been provided by States, in conjunction with all relevant information available to the Secretariat, had not indicated any issue of possible proliferation concern. 51. In 2006, the Agency continued to receive reports from Member States on events involving illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material. Of the 149 events that were reported to have occurred in 2006, fourteen involved small amounts of nuclear material (HEU in two cases). 52. The Secretariat continued to contribute, within the framework of the Agency´s International Project on Innovative Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), to the development of an assessment methodology to evaluate innovative nuclear energy systems, with proliferation resistance as an important component. The work in 2006 focused on developing additional guidance in using the INPRO methodology. In addition to its work in INPRO, the Secretariat continued to participate in the Generation IV International Forum Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection (GIF PR & PP) Expert Group. ====================================================================== 1/ And Taiwan, China. 2/ The 78 States do not include the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as the Secretariat was not able to perform verification activities in that State and, therefore, could not draw any conclusion. 3/ See paragraph 40. 4/ INFCIRC/540(Corrected), Model Protocol Additional to the Agreement(s) between State(s) and the International Atomic Energy Agency for the Application of Safeguards. 5/ See footnote 1. 6/ Additional protocols to existing safeguards agreements entered into force in 2006 with the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya and Ukraine. For Libya, the additional protocol was being provisionally applied prior to its entry into force on 11 August 2006. Comprehensive safeguards agreements with additional protocols entered into force with Botswana, Haiti, Turkmenistan and Uganda. On 6 February 2006, Iran informed the Agency that Iran’s voluntary commitment to implement the provisions of the additional protocol had been suspended as of that date. 7/ Calendar-days in the field for verification comprise calendar-days spent in performing inspections or complementary access, inspection travel and rest periods. 8/ The Safeguards Criteria specify the activities considered necessary by the Secretariat to provide a reasonable probability of detecting the diversion of a significant quantity of nuclear material from declared facilities and LOFs. 9/ A State-level approach is based on safeguards verification objectives common to all States which take into account the features of the individual State’s nuclear fuel cycle and other relevant State specific factors. 10/ See footnote 1. 11/ See footnote 1. 12/ See footnote 2. 13/ Such measures include the early provision of design information, environmental sampling and the use of satellite imagery. 14/ In a note dated 12 December 2006, Montenegro informed one of the NPT Depositary Governments that the NPT continued to be in force for Montenegro with effect from 3 June 2006. The Agency subsequently began negotiating a comprehensive safeguards agreement with Montenegro. 15/ That report (GOV/2007/8) was submitted on 22 February 2007. 16/ Costa Rica agreed to amend its SQP on 12 January 2007. 17/ See paragraph 21 of resolution GC(49)/RES/13, adopted on 30 September 2005, and paragraph 24 of resolution GC(50)/RES/14, adopted on 22 September 2006. 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: Disclaimer ***************************************************************** 47 Wisconsin State Journal: Bill would tell vets about health risks WED., JUN 20, 2007 John Maniaci - State Journal Former Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Chris Kornkven, of Helenville, who was exposed to possible health risks during the Gulf War, said he supports proposed state efforts to inform returning veterans about battlefield risks they may have faced. WED., JUN 20, 2007 - 2:56 PM JASON STEIN 608-252-6129 jstein@madison.com Former Army Reserve soldier Chris Kornkven never saw combat in the first Gulf War, but he believes he suffered an invisible wound. Years after serving in Saudi Arabia in 1991, the 41-year-old former sergeant first class fights fatigue and joint pain. He carries a digital organizer to help him remember short-term facts he was able to remember with ease before the war. He believes his exposure to depleted uranium is at least partly to blame for his symptoms. "It's a daily frustration dealing with them, particularly knowing how I had been prior to going into" the war, Kornkven said It's easy! Post your views or read others' opinions Kornkven, who lives in Helenville in Jefferson County, supports a bill before the state Senate that would require veterans to be given better information about the risks of the toxic, radioactive substance. The bill is one of a pair of proposals designed to help veterans exposed to health risks understand those risks, watch out for health effects and seek treatment for any symptoms. The bill passed the Republican-controlled state Assembly by a unanimous vote last month and is now in the Senate, where veterans committee Chairman Sen. Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa, supports it and has promised a hearing. Gov. Jim Doyle also supports the measure, spokesman Matt Canter said. If passed, the bill would make Wisconsin one of a handful of states with similar legislation, according to its author, Rep. Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna. Nelson said the proposal would help avoid long delays -- like the ones that occurred after the Vietnam War -- in notifying soldiers of health hazards. "I don't want us to repeat the mistakes of the past and that's why I want (Wisconsin) to get ahead of the curve on this," Nelson said. The second proposal is a budget provision that would create a list of the state's veterans to inform them of findings affecting their health. Possible health risks A byproduct of refining uranium for nuclear power, depleted uranium is less radioactive than other uranium isotopes. Its high density makes it good for both tank armor and the shells used to pierce that armor. The possibility of health risks such as birth defects in soldiers' children from exposure to shrapnel or small particles of the metal has generated years of controversy. A study by the University of Southern Maine released last month showed depleted uranium can damage DNA in human lung cells in cultures outside the body, raising cancer fears. But the study's author, John Pierce Wise, has said lung cancer can take decades to develop and it's too early to tell whether depleted uranium could cause lung cancer in soldiers who breathed in fine particles of the heavy metal created by a battlefield strike. Military authorities have pointed to 2005 findings by the government-owned Sandia National Laboratories that only a few veterans accidentally hit by U.S. munitions have had exposures to depleted uranium high enough to put them at significant risk. 'Very clear message' The Nelson bill requires the state Department of Veterans Affairs to use its existing resources to provide veterans with information about the possible health effects of exposure to depleted uranium and how they can be tested. The veterans department supports the bill because it sends "a very clear message" that notifying veterans is an important priority, said Anthony Hardie, executive assistant at the agency. Hardie, a Gulf War veteran, said veterans of that conflict faced possible exposure to burning oil well fires, low levels of chemical warfare agents and experimental drugs and vaccines -- "a veritable toxic soup." The veterans department also wants to develop a list of the state's 469,000 veterans to inform them of findings affecting their health. That measure is in the budget bill recently sent to the Senate and has the support of Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit. Hardie, who was exposed to smoke from oil well fires and now has lung problems, said it can take time to discover health effects from battlefield agents such as the Agent Orange herbicide and defoliant used during the Vietnam War. Depleted uranium gives troops an edge in battle but comes with possible risks troops and the public need to understand, Hardie said. "If that's what we accomplish with all of this, then this bill will have done some good," he said. Nausea and fatigue Kornkven said it wasn't until well after he returned from duty in north-central Saudi Arabia along the Iraq border that he learned of the possible dangers of depleted uranium. In April 1991, the former radio repairman toured a battlefield in Kuwait where he climbed on Iraqi tanks that had been hit by U.S. tank rounds and other munitions. Within weeks of that tour, he began suffering from nausea and fatigue. When he returned to the states, his fatigue, joint pain and short-term memory problems persisted. Kornkven eventually tested positive for exposure to depleted uranium. Kornkven said it has been difficult and frustrating trying to get help and answers from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. "You kind of wonder how many other soldiers are continuing to be exposed to that stuff over there and aren't given any sort of follow-up testing for that," he said. About the legislation What: A pair of state legislative proposals would make it easier for returning troops to receive information about possible health risks like depleted uranium. Pro: Supporters said the state should work to avoid past mistakes in failing to help veterans deal with the health risks of war. Con: Critics have said the risks from materials like depleted uranium have not been proven. Copyright © 2007 Wisconsin State Journal For comments about news coverage in the local section, contact Teryl Franklin, city editor, tfranklin@madison.com ***************************************************************** 48 Star-News: Progress answers tritium questions | StarNewsOnline.com | | Wilmington, NC Published June 20. 2007 3:30AM Print Email Email editor Southport asks energy officials about radioactive isotope's impact By Shelby Sebens shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com Southport | Curiosity brought nearby residents to the Progress Energy Media Center Tuesday night. They were curious about Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant's recent report that officials found tritium, a radioactive isotope, in two manholes near a stabilization pond that regularly receives the radionuclide. Tritium, a common by-product of nuclear facilities, is also found naturally in the upper atmosphere when cosmic rays strike nitrogen molecules in the air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established standards for the amount that can be released. As with all ionizing radiation, exposure to tritium can increase the risk of developing cancer, according to the EPA. The tritium found at Brunswick Nuclear seeped from a stabilization pond that regularly receives the radioactive isotope from the plant's cooling turbine building. So far it has only been found on the company's grounds. After sending out 100 letters to residents near the plant informing them of the tritium, the company invited its neighbors to an open house and information session. More than half the crowd that filled the Progress Energy Media Center consisted of company officials and invited guests. "The reason that they are here en masse tonight is make sure that your questions get answered," said Jim Scarola, vice president of Brunswick Nuclear Plant. The purpose of the informational meeting, he said, was to let residents know there is no apparent harm to public health. Progress Energy has tested wells that go as deep as Brunswick County's main drinking water aquifer, Castle Hayne, and found less than 300 picocuries per liter of tritium. The Environmental Protection Agency allows 20,000 picocuries per liter of tritium in drinking water. "It could be zero. We just can't detect to zero," Jerry Johnson, Progress Energy environmental chemistry superintendent, said of testing the aquifer. The samples taken from the manholes were at 160,000 picocuries per liter. The company is drilling additional shallow wells to further test the site. "They satisfied me that they stopped the increase and that the levels of tritium are not harmful," Clint Harley, a nearby resident, said. Dick Slease of Boiling Spring Lakes and his daughter Jessica Slease went to the session out of curiosity and an interest in geology. "It seems to me like the tritium is more of a non-issue than an issue," Dick Slease said. Residents asked the company, and it agreed, to hold a follow-up meeting once the final samples from additional wells come back and information is finalized. Scarola said it could take six weeks before the additional wells are dug and adequate samples are taken. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state also are conducting tests on samples from the aquifer. Roger Hannah, NRC spokesman, said the tests have not yet been completed. The company stopped releasing tritium into its stabilization pond two weeks ago and has transferred the runoff into tanks in the plant. Shelby Sebens: 755-7963 shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com ***************************************************************** 49 Las Vegas SUN: House kills 'Yucca Mountain Johnny' Today: June 20, 2007 at 13:35:11 PDT By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The House killed "Yucca Mountain Johnny" on Wednesday. A measure by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., to cut off funding for the Energy Department's Yucca Mountain Youth Zone Web site that's home to the hard-hat-wearing cartoon character was approved by lawmakers by a voice vote and without debate. On the Web site, Yucca Mountain Johnny invites kids to learn about radioactive waste and the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump project in Nevada. The site also offers puzzles and quizzes seemingly designed to foster support for Yucca Mountain. Sample quiz question: "The nuclear wastes that would go into a repository could explode." Correct answer: "False." In a letter to colleagues asking for support for her amendment, Berkley complained that the Web site "uses games and activities for children to promote a one-sided, unbalanced point of view regarding the disposal of nuclear waste." "Regardless of how you feel about Yucca Mountain, we should all agree that the Department of Energy's use of a Joe Camel look-alike to influence children is an inappropriate use of taxpayer money," she wrote. Her amendment would prohibit money in the Energy and Water spending bill that funds Yucca Mountain from being used to administer the Web site. An Energy Department spokeswoman defended Yucca Mountain Johnny. "Yucca Mountain Johnny has been an important part of educating students and adults about nuclear physics, hydrology and engineering as we face increasing energy demand," spokeswoman Megan Barnett said. "The department plans to continue this important teaching tool." Berkley's amendment still needs to get through the Senate, and President Bush has threatened to veto the underlying spending bill because it's too expensive. However Wednesday's vote was a victory for Berkley after the House shot down a similar measure she offered last year. Yucca Mountain, being built 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is planned as the first national repository for nuclear waste and is supposed to hold 77,000 tons of the radioactive material. It's been delayed repeatedly over money shortages, scientific controversies and political opposition. All contents copyright 2005 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 50 Times of India: Protests against uranium mining turn violent-India- 21 Jun, 2007 l 0024 hrs ISTlTIMES NEWS NETWORK SHILLONG: A truck was torched near Barapani lake in Meghalaya on the first of the five successive nights during which the Khasi Students' Union (KSU) has planned to block roads and highways as part of its protest against the government's plans to mine uranium from the area. The driver and a woman were injured on Tuesday night when suspected KSU activists hurled a petrol bomb at the truck at Mawiong on the outskirts of the city. The vehicle, which was carrying goods from Byrnihat, was partially damaged. Police pickets have been put up at sensitive points. Regular mobile patrols in various routes, including National Highway 44 that connects Barak valley, Tripura and Mizoram, are in place. The blockade that has hit traffic in East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts, was called by the student organisations demanding the release of five of its activists, including central organising secretary Daniel Khyriem. The activists were detained during the recent spate of violent stirs opposing the proposed mining in West Khasi Hills. Copyright © 2007 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. For ***************************************************************** 51 ReviewJournal.com: Surface storage outlined Jun. 20, 2007 'Aging pads' planned for Yucca repository By STEVE TETREAULT STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU More about Yucca Mountain WASHINGTON -- Nuclear waste would accumulate on the surface of Yucca Mountain at a rate of 800 to 1,200 tons annually, with more arriving at the site each year than can be moved right away into the mountainside repository, government models show. Much of the arriving material would be stored in reinforced containers on above-ground "aging pads" where it would cool while waiting its turn for emplacement. The pads would be designed to hold up to 15,000 metric tons of waste, Energy Department officials said. DOE officials say aging pads are an element of a "thermal loading" strategy to manage the intense heat generated by decaying nuclear fuel as it would be placed in Yucca Mountain. But the above-ground activities at the site have drawn protests from Nevada officials who say the amount of nuclear waste the government plans to keep above ground constitutes illegal onsite storage. Most Popular Stories JANE ANN MORRISON: Judge just doesn't see failure to treat people with dignity, respect Cheerleading coach boasted of girls, clients, report says Council backs neighbors in flap, orders flag down NORM: Go clubbing, get clobbered in UFC NORM: Tommy Rocker's tops more or less CROWDED PARTY: Shooters kill one, injure six Two dead, officer injured NORM: For these men, it's the size that counts KNIFE-WIELDING SUSPECT: Police kill woman NORM: Situation is ripe for court drama In a presentation Tuesday, Christopher Kouts, waste management director for Yucca Mountain, told members of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission advisory board that DOE is computer-modeling the aging pads and operations of industrial waste-handling facilities at the site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Kouts also announced the Energy Department has crossed a threshold in creating all-purpose waste canisters for the Yucca program. DOE has finalized specifications for the canisters, which would be used to ship waste assemblies, store them at the site, and bury them underground, Kouts said. About 7,500 canisters would be needed to fill Yucca Mountain to its 77,000 ton capacity. The containers are nicknamed "TAD" canisters, an acronym for "transport, aging, disposal." They would be constructed of borated stainless steel, would be between 15.5 feet and 17.5 feet long with a diameter of 66.5 inches. They would weigh 54.25 tons fully loaded. "We did quite a bit of homework, and hopefully we've developed a specification that will meet our needs," Kouts said. DOE officials plan to invite vendors to design canisters to the specifications and then proceed to fabrication. Kouts said the canisters may be available by 2012. About 90 percent of nuclear waste would arrive at Yucca in TADs, Kouts said. Damaged waste and other special materials would be handled separately. Once DOE ramps up Yucca operations, it expects to receive close to 350 canisters annually at the site, while emplacing 200 to 250 canisters in the repository, according to calculations Kouts presented to the NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste. The difference, Kouts said, would be steered to aging pads or utilized in processing facilities onsite. Each canister would contain eight to nine tons of nuclear waste, according to DOE spokesman Allen Benson. The state of Nevada in December filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission challenging the DOE "thermal loading" strategy and asking that the amount of waste allowed at the Yucca site be limited to no more than 5,000 tons. State officials maintain the amount of waste DOE envisions onsite amounts to "interim storage" that Congress outlawed at the Yucca site. Bob Loux, director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, said Tuesday the state awaits a response from NRC. "Assuming they deny that, we would go to District Court and claim this is an illegal facility," Loux said. The Associated Press contributed to this story 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. it;s time wrote on June 20, 2007 12:05 PM: nevada is going to get the waste one way or another..harry reid where are you?? Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2007 ***************************************************************** 52 Project Profile: Yucca Mountain Project, Nevada Arsenic Treatment System 6/20/2007 Wells J-12 and J-13 are located in Area 25 of the Nevada Test Site near Mercury, Nevada. These wells supply potable water for the Yucca Mountain Project. Water-quality analyses revealed that arsenic concentrations exceeded the new maximum contaminant level (MCL). Before choosing a technology, the site manager, Bechtel SAIC, contracted with Dr. Dennis A. Clifford, University of Houston, and a team of consultants to review various treatment technologies to reduce the arsenic concentrations to acceptable levels. Dr. Clifford and Los Alamos Technical Associates (LATA) recommended using granular ferric oxide (GFO) technology for the treatment system. AdEdge was subsequently selected and awarded the project as the preferred technology provider in the Bechtel-SAIC solicitation. AdEdge assisted Bechtel-SAIC with obtaining Nevada DEP regulatory approvals for permitting and installation of the system. It is one of the first arsenic treatment installations permitted in the state of Nevada by DEP. SOURCE: Adedge Technologies Inc. Water Online | VertMarkets, Inc. | Contact Water Online Legal | Help | Privacy Statement Copyright © 1996-2007, VertMarkets, Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 53 The Coloradoan: Uranium company gets OK to continue S.D. drilling www.coloradoan.com - Ft. Collins, CO. Coloradoan Ft. Collins, CO. Customer Service: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 By The Associated Press RAPID CITY, S.D. — A state judge denied a request by two environmental groups to temporarily stop test drilling for uranium by a company that is exploring mining operations near Nunn, northeast of Fort Collins. Circuit Judge Jack Delaney said at a hearing Tuesday that the groups had not shown how continuing the exploration would harm the environment. Defenders of the Black Hills and ACTion for the Environment are challenging a state exploration permit that allows Powertech Uranium Corp. to drill 155 exploration holes north of Edgemont. They asked Delaney to order a temporary stay, halting exploration during the appeal process. Attorney Cindy Gillis, representing the environmental groups, argued that without the temporary stay, the exploration would be complete before the appeal could be heard. “By allowing Powertech to continue to drill, the issue becomes moot,” she said. About 40 exploration holes already have been drilled, according to Powertech project manager Mark Hollenbeck. Now, Gillis and her clients have until June 29 to submit written documents supporting their ap-peal. Then, Powertech and the state of South Dakota have 30 days to respond. The environmental groups argue that the state Board of Minerals and Environment failed to con-sider their written objections to the exploration permit and failed to properly notify them of the decision. “Everything has been botched from the beginning,” Gillis said. Uranium was mined north of Edgemont from the 1950s to the early 1980s. A renewed interest in nuclear power and a spike in uranium prices have sparked a new uranium boom. After exploration, Powertech would need a mining permit from South Dakota, another permit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and approval of the Environmental Protection Agency. The company has said it would extract the mineral by pumping a solution into deep holes to dissolve uranium, then pumping the “pregnant” solution out another set of holes. Copyright ©2007 The Fort Collins Coloradoan. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 54 Salt Lake Tribune: EnergySolutions lands $98.4 million Atlas tailings contract Article Last Updated: 06/20/2007 02:34:40 PM MDT Posted: 2:36 PM- The Energy Department awarded EnergySolutions a $98.4 million contract Wednesday to begin removing 16 million tons of uranium tailings and contaminated soil from the banks of the Colorado River near Moab. Under the four-year contract, EnergySolutions will do the initial work on moving the tailings by rail to Crescent Junction, north of Moab, and bury it in a containment pit there. "These contract awards will bring the Department of Energy one step closer to watching the mill tailings being loaded and moved away from the Colorado River," said Don Metzler, director of the Moab project. EnergySolutions Federal Services Inc., based in Oak Ridge, Tenn., will build the tailings handling and movement systems and begin moving the waste to Crescent Junction through September 2011. "I'm delighted with this contract and the opportunity to clean up and remove these materials from the banks of the Colorado River," said EnergySolutions CEO Steve Creamer. "It is particularly satisfying to be performing this work here at home in Utah. I'm proud of our team at EnergySolutions and the confidence that DOE has placed in us to complete this work." The Atlas contract is a significant boost for EnergySolutions, which in March announced it would be going public, issuing $500 million in stock to help cover $764 million in outstanding debt. Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, said the contract is too little and too late, and hopes the department will be more aggressive about moving the tailings. "This contract award announcement is months overdue and it is only for five years," Matheson said. "The proposal calls for just one-eighth of the tailings pile to be moved by 2011. That's not acceptable, given the hazard posed by the location of the project. I expect a much more expeditious performance, including meeting my completion deadline of 2019." The Energy Department decided in 2005 to move the uranium tailings, a pasty toxic remnant of ore refining at the Atlas Corp. mill. The mill closed in 1984 and the company filed for bankruptcy in 1998, leaving in place a small remediation fund and an inadequate earthen cap on the pile. The tailings pile now sits just outside Arches National Park and studies have found that toxic chemicals such as ammonia are seeping into the groundwater and nearby Colorado River, alarming the 25 million residents down river who rely on the river for their drinking water and threatening four species of endangered fish. The department had estimated it would take seven to 10 years to finish the cleanup, but since then has set 2028 as its target date for completion - which has been criticized by Matheson and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah. Matheson wants the pile moved by 2019. Metzler said that over the last five years, the Energy Department has drained more than 75 million gallons of contaminated water from the pile to prevent it from reaching the river. The department also awarded a contract for up to $22 million to S&K Aerospace Inc., of St. Ignatius, Mont., to provide administrative, records management, training, telecommunications and infrastructure services. ***************************************************************** 55 Business Gazette: 60 at nuke waste plant protest MORE than 60 people turned up at Lillyhall to protest against plans for a nuclear decontamination facility. Local businessmen and people from Harrington, Branthwaite and Winscales picketed the site on Joseph Noble Road in the pouring rain. Members of Cumbria County Council’s development control and regulation committee were visiting the site to learn more about the proposals, by Studsvik UK. Protest organiser Keith Thomas, of Branthwaite, said Studsvik had applied to the council to build a waste facility, without specifying that it was nuclear waste that was being considered. Alan Dawson, of metalwork company Alan Dawson Associates at Lillyhall, said there had been 74 letters of objection by local businessmen, residents and Dean Parish Council. He said: “I don’t disagree with the principal of this facility, but its location.” He added the plans would not have been approved if the company had revealed their full extent from the start. A representative from Dean Parish Council told councillors at the site to consider the people living in the area, the fact that there may be a cheese factory nearby, the appearance of the site and the increased traffic it would create. He said: “Dean council is in favour of recycling and in particular of this scheme which processes contaminated materials so that clean steel is released into the market and the nuclear waste to be stored at Drigg is reduced. “But the council believes that this process should not be carried out at Lillyhall but should continue to be carried out at Sellafield which is a properly controlled and licensed site run by trained and experienced staff.” Many protestors were concerned about the safety and appearance of the proposed building. Mr Thomas said there was also huge concern about the perception of having a nuclear decontamination plant in the area. “I rent out a holiday cottage. Who will want to come and stay in an idyllic setting right next to a nuclear contamination plant?”, he said. Neil Richardson, 62, of Branthwaite, said: “I think it’s unnecessary to bring the site here, right in the middle of a trading estate, when we have protected facilities at Sellafield already. “There are going to put a huge fence around it too. It will look like a concentration camp. It would be really out of keeping with the area.” Many, including Bill Fallon, of Windscales, said that it was appalling that a representative from Studsvik was not there to talk to people. But Mark Lyons, president of Studsvik UK Ltd, said: “Studsvik is a responsible, respected company with a proven track record in the safe and efficient treatment of metal contaminated with very low-level radiation.” He added that the existing building would be greatly improved, which would enhance the appearance of Lillyhall and 30 jobs would be created. The county council will make a decision on the plans later this year. 21 June 2007 1995-2007 CN Group. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 56 The Northern Echo: Toxic Dump Fears For Former Mine By Chris Brayshay A VOTE to be taken in the European Parliament later today which could again raise the spectre of dumping toxic waste under a North-East community. The old ICI anhydrite mines running below Billingham were once earmarked by NIREX, the radioactive waste disposal agency, for the dumping of 100,000 tonnes of nuclear waste. Patrick Jenkin, Margaret Thatcher's Environment Secretary, publicly announced in 1985 that radioactive waste would not be dumped in the underground workings - only after a two year concerted community protest campaign. Now North-East Liberal Democrat Euro MP Fiona Hall fears the exhausted mine could be a future candidate for the dumping of mercury, following a vote by the European Parliament today. With few salt mines in the world to be exploited as underground dumps, Newcastle based Tory MEP Martin Callanan is calling for "alternative sites'' to be explored Ms Hall said: "The proposal by Tory MEP Martin Callanan leaves a huge question mark over the Billingham mines. "Mercury is recognised to be a substance that is detrimental to human health, requiring strict control. "We should be limiting as much as possible how mercury can be stored, not opening up the possibility of using a wide range of sites.'' Jim Vaughan, a founding father of the successful Billingham Against Nuclear Dumping campaign of the 80s, said: "I am sure the local population when they hear toxic materials like mercury could be dumped in the mines, would view it with displeasure and would take action to prevent it.'' Mr Callanan last night accused Ms Hall of "ill informed scaremongering.'' He said: Noone has mentioned Billingham or anhydrite mines. "There is a proposal to restrict the useage of mercury. The current position is lots of chemical companies on Teesside use mercury which is slowly being phased out of use. "We have a large quantity of metallic mercury being produced and the question is what do we do with it? It can be stored in salt mines, but there are very few salt mines across Europe and this could result in lots of mercury being transported across Europe, with the associated carbon footprint, because it is a heavy metal. What we are asking is if there are alternative sites that could be provided following risk assessments. A lot will have to be stored above ground in the short term.'' Privacy Policy © Copyright 2001-2007 ***************************************************************** 57 CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Argonne goal: Study nukes without detonating them EXOTIC QUEST | Bids for $550M lab to examine isotopes June 20, 2007 BY JIM RITTER Science Reporter Argonne National Laboratory hopes to build one of the world's most advanced science labs, where researchers would study everything from medical tests to nuclear bombs. The Advanced Exotic Beam Laboratory would cost $550 million to build and $80 million a year to operate. It would have 300 employees. The federal government, which is funding the project, will pick a site next year. Argonne, 25 miles southwest of Chicago, and Michigan State University are the leading contenders. On Tuesday, Argonne announced it has recruited Walter Henning, director of Germany's leading physics lab, to lead Argonne's efforts to land the beam lab. The lab would enable scientists to study rare forms of atoms, called isotopes, that don't exist in our everyday world. Isotopes have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons. For example, there are 10 isotopes of tin, each with 50 protons but a different number of neutrons. There are about 300 common isotopes. Science labs have produced an additional 3,000 or so exotic isotopes. The new lab would increase this number to 6,000. Theoretical work One of the main fields that stand to benefit is medicine. Radioactive isotopes are used to diagnose millions of patients each year. The isotopes travel to a targeted organ or tissue and emit radiation that is detected by a special camera. Isotopes also are used in radiation therapy for cancer patients. Nuclear bombs produce gobs of rare isotopes. Studying them would help scientists predict how well a bomb would work, without having to actually detonate it. Radioactive isotopes also can be used in the study of advanced materials, and as ID tags to trace the movement of pollutants. A lot of the work would be theoretical. For example, various theories explain how a star's nuclear furnace produces rare, short-lived isotopes. Making those isotopes here on Earth is a good way to test and refine those theories. The beam lab would include two subatomic particle accelerators. Scientists would produce isotopes in the first accelerator and study them in the second accelerator, where the isotopes would smash into various targets. Scientists would learn about the properties of isotopes by observing how they behave in these collisions. The U.S. Energy Department initially planned for a $1.1 billion lab. But tight budgets sent physicists back to the drawing board. The scaled-down lab would cost half as much but still have most of the capabilities of the original version, said Argonne nuclear physicist Don Geesaman. © Copyright 2007 Sun-Times News Group | ***************************************************************** 58 DOE: U.S. Department of Energy Moves Forward with Final Performance Requirements for Yucca Mountain Canister System June 19, 2007 U.S. Department of Energy Moves Forward with Final Performance Requirements for Yucca Mountain Canister System Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the release of final performance requirements for the Transportation, Aging and Disposal (TAD) canister for disposal of spent nuclear fuel at a repository to be located at Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada. This canister approach will minimize the need for repetitive handling of spent nuclear fuel by using the same canister from the time it leaves a nuclear power plant to its placement in a waste disposal package at Yucca Mountain. “This is one more step in moving the Yucca Mountain Project forward to submit the License Application,” said Edward Sproat, Director of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). “We are strongly encouraged by what we have seen so far in the proof-of-concept design phase.” DOE will shortly initiate procurement for the development of final TAD canister and cask designs. DOE also plans to enter into discussions with nuclear utilities to amend their disposal contracts with DOE to facilitate the use of TAD canisters. DOE anticipates that TAD canisters will be available for commercial use as early as 2011 and expects that up to 90 percent of commercial spent nuclear fuel could be placed in TAD canisters, resulting in the need for about 7,500 TAD canisters for the proposed repository. In November 2006, DOE released the preliminary TAD performance specification followed by a proof-of-concept phase that resulted in the development of designs by four cask vendors. The TAD-based approach, announced in October 2005, eliminates the need for the construction of several multi-million square foot, multi-billion dollar facilities for handling spent fuel at the Yucca Mountain repository. Yucca Mountain was approved by the Congress and the President as the site for the nation’s first permanent spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste geologic repository in 2002. In March 2007 DOE submitted legislation to Congress to enhance the nation’s ability to manage and dispose of commercial spent nuclear fuel and Defense high-level radioactive waste. The Department’s license application for authorization to construct the repository, which is scheduled to be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on or before June 30, 2008, will incorporate the TAD approach. The final TAD requirements are available on the OCRWM website under “WHAT’S NEW.’ Media contact(s): Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940 Allen Benson, (702) 794-1322 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 59 DOE: DOE Reports Progress on Loan Guarantee Program June 20, 2007 Forms Credit Review Board, Names Temporary Staff, and Establishes Guidelines for Financial and Technical Reviews WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) this week reported progress in implementing its Loan Guarantee program for promising projects that employ clean energy technologies, as authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct). DOE has established a Credit Review Board to make recommendations to the Secretary of Energy, named experts to work in the Loan Guarantee program office, and developed guidelines for the financial and technical review of loan guarantee applications. Additionally last month, DOE issued draft loan guarantee regulations that once final, will enable DOE to begin issuing loan guarantees for clean energy projects. A public meeting was held on the draft regulations on Friday, June 15, 2007. “We are focusing expert resources to get federal loan guarantees in place for promising clean energy technologies,” Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. “We will continue to move forward quickly and deliberately to spur innovation that will further our nation’s energy and economic security through this important program.” DOE is moving aggressively to implement the statutory authority provided in Title XVII of EPAct. In March, DOE established a Credit Review Board chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Energy. The Board will establish the overall policies and procedures for DOE’s Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program; coordinate credit management and debt collection activities for the program; determine which pre-applicants will be invited to submit full applications; and ultimately make recommendations to the Secretary of Energy prior to the Secretary granting final approval for any Title XVII Loan Guarantee. In April, DOE secured two federal employees from the Department of the Treasury to serve as detailees in the Loan Guarantee program office through the end of fiscal year 2007. These employees are experts in federal credit and loan programs and will manage the financial and technical review process for all pre-applications. DOE continues to interview candidates for the position of Director of its Loan Guarantee Office. For the financial review of the 143 pre-applications received by December 31, 2006, DOE has also established guidelines that will be used to evaluate a pre-applicant’s financial and technical proposal. The Department is currently reviewing these pre-applications, submitted in response to the Department’s first solicitation under August 2006 guidelines, and will invite a number of pre-applicants to submit applications for loan guarantees later this year. DOE is developing policies and procedures for credit subsidy cost and administrative cost estimates and expects to have these in place this year. DOE has also analyzed the accounting impacts of existing Office of Management and Budget, Treasury, Joint Financial Management Improvement Program, and Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board requirements and begun establishing the necessary processes and procedures for implementation of these accounting practices as part of DOE’s Loan Guarantee Program. The Department’s FY 2008 budget requests $9 billion in loan guarantee authority and $8.3 million to run the Loan Guarantee Office. Currently, the Department has $4 billion in loan guarantee authority. Media contact(s): Megan Barnett, (202) 586-4940 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 60 DOE: DOE to Provide Nearly $60 Million for Solar Energy Research June 20, 2007 Strengthens the President’s commitment to increasing the use of clean energy technologies NEW YORK, NY – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will make available nearly $60 to increase the use of solar power across the country, building on the President’s commitment to further the development of clean, renewable energy technologies. Secretary Bodman announced: up to $2.5 million for Solar America Cities cooperative agreements, in which thirteen selected cities will receive awards to promote increased use of solar-powered technologies throughout each city; the issuance of a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $30 million for universities to research near-term improvements in solar products; and the competitive selection of ten cost-shared Photovoltaic (PV) Module Incubator projects that will receive up to $27 million in DOE funding over 18 months. “We believe these projects will stimulate activity in the marketplace and create a ripple effect that will boost the use of solar energy across the country,” Secretary Bodman said. “Harnessing more of the sun’s power is central to reaching the President’s goal of increasing our nation’s energy security by pushing forward clean, renewable technologies that will allow us to become less reliant on imported sources of energy.” Secretary Bodman made today’s announcements while delivering keynote remarks at the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York. Secretary Bodman highlighted President Bush’s Solar America Initiative (SAI), which seeks to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional sources of electricity by 2015, and is integral to the President’s Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI). The AEI seeks to change the way we power our homes, offices, and vehicles by increasing the use of clean, renewable energy technologies. UP TO $2.5 MILLION FOR SOLAR AMERICA CITIES The 2007 Solar America Cities are: Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Madison, WI; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City, UT; San Diego, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Tucson, AZ. Subject to negotiation of final terms, DOE will provide a total of $2.5 million in financial assistance to the thirteen competitively selected, cost-shared, two-year projects. Additionally, DOE will provide hands-on assistance from technical and policy experts to help cities integrate solar technologies into city energy planning, zoning, and facilities; to streamline city-level regulations and practices that affect solar adoption by residents and local businesses; and to promote solar technology through outreach, curriculum development, and incentive programs. Solar America Cities have been identified as large cities with high electricity demand, and represent a diverse geography, population, and maturity of solar infrastructure. Cities were selected based on their plan and commitment to a comprehensive, citywide approach to the deployment of solar technologies. Their efforts will improve the ability of citizens and businesses to adopt solar technology locally, and will provide a model that other cities across the country can follow. Subject to evaluation by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as well as appropriations from Congress, DOE plans to select a new round of Solar America Cities in 2008. UP TO $30 MILLION FOR UNIVERSITY RESEARCH In support of research and development that will lower costs, increase availability, and improve the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) solar products, Secretary Bodman today also announced the issuance of a $30 million (FY 2008-2010) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). Over the next three years, this funding will support university work on materials and process research to yield near-term improvements in solar products. Funding is subject to Congressional appropriations. Projects funded through this solicitation also further President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative, which commits to investing in our next generation of scientists, engineers and educators so America can continue to successfully compete in the 21st century global marketplace. The FOA is available at Grants.gov. UP TO $27 MILLION FOR PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE INCUBATOR PROJECTS While delivering keynote remarks to ACORE’s Renewable Energy Finance Forum, Secretary Bodman also announced the competitive selection of ten cost-shared Photovoltaic Module Incubator projects. In total, these projects, subject to negotiation of final terms and Congressional appropriations, will receive up to $27 million in DOE funding over 18 months (Fiscal Years 2007-2009). With a minimum 20 percent cost share from industry, the total research investment is expected to reach $71 million. In these projects, businesses will address the challenges related to reducing cost, improving performance, and expanding manufacturing capacity of innovative PV technologies to move from small-scale to pilot production. Incubator project funding is structured so that companies receive funding from the Department only upon successful performance of pre-specified new hardware. This approach allows the Department to remove some administrative reviews and planning paperwork so early-stage companies can focus on technology development; taxpayers are also assured real value for their investment in these high-risk/high-return projects. Contingent on congressional appropriations, the Department will provide opportunities for new companies to enter this program every nine months. The following companies have been selected to participate in the PV Incubator Projects: AVA Solar (Fort Collins, CO); Blue Square Energy (North East, MD); CaliSolar (Menlo Park, CA); EnFocus Engineering (Sunnyvale, CA); MicroLink Devices (Niles, IL); Plextronics (Pittsburgh, PA); PrimeStar Solar (Golden, CO); Solaria (Fremont, CA); SolFocus (Palo Alto, CA); and SoloPower (Milpitas, CA). Additional information on the awards, funding opportunities and facts is available about the Solar America Initiative. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), signed by President Bush in August of 2005, provides incentives for purchasing and using solar equipment. Now extended through 2008, these incentives provide a credit equal to 30 percent of qualifying expenditures for purchase of commercial solar installations, with no cap on the total credit allowed. EPAct also provides a 30 percent tax credit for qualified PV property and solar water heating property. Private property owners of qualified property could be eligible for a credit up to $2,000 for either property, with a maximum of $4,000 allowed if both photovoltaic and solar hot water qualified properties are installed. Additional information is available on the incentives for solar installations. Media contact(s): Julie Ruggiero, (202) 586-4940 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 61 Udall to teleconference about LANL future By JENNIFER TALHELM | Associated Press June 19, 2007 WASHINGTON — Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., wants to talk with Los Alamos National Laboratory employees about critical funding cuts proposed for the lab, but Congress is still is session. So he’s reaching out by telephone. Using new teleconferencing technology, Udall will hold a telephone town hall meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. MDT. Tuesday night, he will put out robotic calls to residents of Los Alamos County, Espańola and other parts of northern New Mexico, telling them about the town hall meeting and giving them instructions on how to take part. On Wednesday, he will call back and ask residents to participate. Udall will lead the discussion, and listeners will be able to ask questions. Such high-tech town halls are becoming more frequent since Congress vowed to take fewer days off this year. Udall learned about it from an Oklahoma congressman who tried it last month. Udall has an urgent need to talk to his constituents. He wants to find out what Los Alamos employees think about the future of the lab. House appropriators have recommended zeroing out nearly $500 million in nuclear weapons program funding. The full House is debating the bill this week. Senators will take it up later this month. The budget cut poses a serious political problem for Udall, who joined the House Appropriations Committee this year and is expected to help protect funding for the lab, which is in his congressional district. Udall says it’s time for the lab to diversify. It now does more than 80 percent of its work for national security programs. “By utilizing the brilliant minds of the lab to develop alternate forms of energy, I believe LANL has a future in helping our nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil and reduce the likelihood of terrorism affecting us,” Udall said. Privacy Policy / Terms of Use | ©2007, Santa Fe New Mexican, ***************************************************************** 62 SF New Mexican: Udall attempt to restore LANL funding is slapped down Wed Jun 20, 2007 10:30 pm By JENNIFER TALHELM | Associated Press June 20, 2007 Editor's Note: Audio excerpts of Rep. Udall's electronic town hall meeting on LANL's future, held Wednesday evening, are available for download by clicking on the links attached to this story. The congressman's office had technical difficulties administering parts of the telephone conference causing the sound to drop out intermittently during his introductory remarks. WASHINGTON — An attempt by Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., to restore deep budget cuts at Los Alamos National Laboratory was slapped down Wednesday by fellow lawmakers, who said the lab had proven itself incapable of managing national security. The amendment, defeated by a 121-312 vote, means some $300 million of Los Alamos' $2.2 billion budget remains in question as a bill funding energy and water projects is taken up in the Senate. New Mexico's senators — particularly Pete Domenici, the lead Republican on the subcommittee that handles funding for energy projects — will take up the fight when the committee begins debating the bill as early as next week. Udall's amendment would have moved $192 million from the National Nuclear Security Administration budget to three programs at Los Alamos dedicated to monitoring the nuclear weapons stockpile, one of the lab's primary functions. The cuts "jeopardize the core mission" of Los Alamos and prevent it from doing other research that could benefit the country in some other way, argued Udall, whose district includes the lab. "The scientists at LANL are the best in the world, and they work with a commitment to both national security and the pursuit of scientific knowledge," Udall said. But several lawmakers shot down his amendment, saying Udall wasn't trying to protect national security, but Los Alamos' place at the "federal trough." Of all the Energy Department labs, Los Alamos has the highest overhead and the largest number of employees receiving the highest pay, yet it has a long history of security and safety violations and cost and schedule overruns, they said. "Given this track record, do we really believe adding another $192 million will improve security?" fumed Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, a longtime critic of the lab. "I would argue our national security would be improved by cutting 1,800 jobs from a facility that can't seem to manage sensitive information." The House energy and water bill reflects lawmakers' years of frustrations with the nuclear weapons labs' security problems, particularly Los Alamos. The bill zeroed out $600 million in President Bush's funding request for Los Alamos and Albuquerque's Sandia National Laboratories. The bill is also critical of the Bush administration proposal to develop new nuclear warheads — work Los Alamos would have shared with other labs. The bill shifts the emphasis to preventing terrorists and unfriendly governments from getting rogue nuclear materials. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., and Domenici, longtime proponents of building a new generation of warheads, both have condemned the bill for jeopardizing 20 years of research. In a speech to the House on Tuesday, Wilson said the bill would undermine allies' confidence in the U.S. weapons supply. It could force the country to return to underground testing or abandon deterrence work, she said. "The majority of this House is moving toward a nuclear freeze and unilateral disarmament without any debate whatsoever," Wilson said. House critics on Wednesday warned that the money Udall was trying to move from NNSA could be used for new weapons and would hurt nonproliferation efforts. Citing cost overruns at Los Alamos weapons facilities, Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., said the Energy Department needs to come up with a post-Cold War strategy for new weapons before it gets money for new warheads. "I wish our national labs, who are treasures and do great work, would also be as adamant and as concerned about security as they are about their budget line," Visclosky said. Buy or sell new and used cars in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico - santafedrive.com Privacy Policy / Terms of Use | ©2007, Santa Fe New Mexican ***************************************************************** 63 Agency says ill Hanford workers should get $150,000 Last updated June 20, 2007 2:52 p.m. PT RICHLAND, Wash. -- People who worked at Hanford at the dawn of the nuclear age should automatically receive $150,000 if they develop any of a wide range of cancers, a federal agency is recommending. Currently, federal workers at the south-central Washington nuclear reservation who were exposed to radiation are eligible for payment only if a federal agency estimates their personal exposure to radiation and determines there was at least a 50 percent chance it caused their cancer. But workers can get special treatment if their radiation exposure cannot be accurately calculated. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has decided that's the case for the earliest Hanford workers, who made plutonium for nuclear weapons starting in World War II. It is a key step toward getting what would be the first special exposure cohort designated at Hanford. The NIOSH recommendation will be considered at a meeting of an advisory board in the Tri-Cities July 17-19, and its decision would have to be approved by the secretary of Health and Human Services. The special exposure cohort would cover Hanford production workers who might have been exposed to radiation as early as Oct. 1, 1943, when uranium began arriving on site to be made into fuel for Hanford reactors, until Aug. 31, 1946, the end of DuPont's operation of the site. Eligible workers would include those who fabricated fuel, did research, operated reactors and separated plutonium from irradiated fuel. To receive payment, they would have to show they worked at Hanford for at least 250 days, or possibly some other nuclear site for part of that time, and that they developed any of 22 covered cancers. "In most cases, it will be their survivors who benefit," because of the dwindling number of WW II-era Hanford workers still living, said Tom Foulds, a Seattle attorney. Foulds petitioned for the special exposure cohort on behalf of 10 workers or their survivors. Adult children and spouses may be eligible for the compensation if the worker is no longer living. If the worker is still alive, the government will pay for medical care related to the cancer. According to NIOSH, 378 claims have been submitted for workers who would be eligible for the special exposure cohort. The agency made its recommendation after concluding too little information was available to estimate the dose workers might have received by inhaling or ingesting plutonium or fission products. Radiation can be inhaled or ingested during work at nearly every step of production, during research and in management of waste operations, the report said. "When plutonium production at Hanford commenced, a bioassay program to monitor employees for internal dose was still in the early stages of development," the report said. Routine urine sampling and analysis for plutonium began in September 1946. NIOSH still is considering whether any classes of workers in later years, from September 1946 through 1990, should be recommended for special exposure cohorts. Information from: Tri-City Herald, http://www.tri-cityherald.com 101 Elliott Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 448-8000 Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820 Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com ©1996-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer ***************************************************************** 64 Hanford News: DOE releases design requirements for nuclear transport canisters This story was published Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 Erica Werner, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Energy Department announced design requirements Tuesday for canisters to transport radioactive waste to Nevada and store it in the planned Yucca Mountain national nuclear dump. The agency envisions vendors competing to produce canisters dubbed "TAD"s - short for transportation, aging and disposal - from 15 1/2 feet to 17 1/2 feet long and weighing a maximum of 54.25 tons each. Some 7,500 of the canisters would be needed to fill the dump to its proposed 77,000-ton capacity. They would be shipped by rail from commercial reactor sites in some 39 states. It's the latest announcement by the Energy Department in planning for the troubled Yucca Mountain repository, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The project has been delayed by scientific controversies, money shortages, and opposition from Nevada officials including Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., now the Senate majority leader. Originally targeted to open in 1998, the best-case opening date for Yucca Mountain is now 2017. It would be the nation's first federal nuclear waste dump and would receive some 50,000 tons of radioactive waste already piled up at power plants around the country. Earlier plans had called for transporting waste to handling facilities at the desert site, then putting it into different containers for underground storage. The TAD concept emerged in October 2005 and the Energy Department will now invite vendors to submit designs. "This was somewhat of a difficult birthing within the program," said Christopher A. Kouts, director of the waste management office at the Energy Department's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. "We did quite a bit of homework and hopefully we've developed a specification that will meet our needs," he told a meeting of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste. Kouts declined to say how much a TAD might cost, saying that would be part of the procurement process with vendors. He anticipates having canisters available to utilities in four or five years. Also Tuesday, the House debated an amendment by Nevada's House members to slash 2008 Yucca Mountain funding. The House was expected to vote on the measure Wednesday. The House Appropriations Committee is seeking full House approval of $494.5 million for Yucca Mountain in 2008, meeting President Bush's budget request, but Nevada lawmakers want to cut that by $200 million. "If we want to do something for the American people let us end this ridiculous folly before it costs us any more money," Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said on the House floor in support of the amendment she was offering with GOP Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller. "At some point we have to go beyond parochial politics to do the right thing for the entire nation," responded Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio. "I would like to think we don't need a repository, but we do need a repository. We need it now." Berkley also complained that the overall cost of Yucca Mountain remains unknown. The total life cycle cost of the project was estimated several years ago at $58 billion, and the Energy Department said in March that it planned to calculate an updated figure in May. An agency spokeswoman, Megan Barnett, said Tuesday that the figure would be available later this year but she couldn't say when. Yucca Mountain can't open until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission grants the Energy Department a license. The department plans to submit its license application a year from now and incorporate the TAD approach even if individual designs from vendors aren't ready. Many nuclear utilities are in litigation with the Energy Department because the department was contractually obligated to begin accepting their radioactive waste beginning in 1998. The federal agency will seek to modify some utility contracts to include their acquisition of the transport canisters, Kouts said. The canisters could be used to store waste at reactor sites before transport to Yucca Mountain, or could be taken directly there. The canisters would hold spent fuel rods from commercial nuclear reactors and could accommodate different types of fuel rod assemblies, either 21 pressurized water reactor assemblies or 44 boiling water reactor assemblies. Homeland Security: HAMMER to receive delayed $2.25 million © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 65 Hanford News: Workers could win cancer compensation This story was published Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 Annette Cary, Herald staff writer A government agency has recommended that the earliest Hanford radiological workers be automatically awarded $150,000 if they developed any of a broad range of cancers. Now ill Hanford workers are eligible for the payment only if a federal agency estimates their personal exposure to radiation and determines there was at least a 50 percent chance it caused their cancer. But workers can petition to be part of classes of workers called "special exposure cohorts" if they believe their radiation exposure cannot be accurately calculated. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, has agreed that's the case for the earliest Hanford workers. It is a first and important step toward getting what would be the first special exposure cohort designated at Hanford. The NIOSH evaluation report will be considered at a meeting of an advisory board in the Tri-Cities next month, and its decision would then have to be approved by the secretary of Health and Human Services. The special exposure cohort would cover Hanford production workers who might have been exposed to radiation as early as Oct. 1, 1943, when uranium began arriving on site to be machined into fuel for Hanford reactors, until Aug. 31, 1946, the end of contractor DuPont's operation of the site. That was about a year after the end of World War II. Eligible workers would include those who fabricated fuel, did research, operated reactors and separated plutonium from irradiated fuel - all activities that might have caused radioactive contamination within their bodies. To receive the payment, they would have to show that they worked at Hanford for at least 250 days, or possibly some other nuclear site for part of that time, and that they developed any of 22 covered cancers. "In most cases, it will be their survivors who benefit," because of the dwindling number of WWII-era Hanford workers still living, said Tom Foulds, a Seattle attorney. Foulds petitioned for the special exposure cohort on behalf of 10 workers or their survivors. Adult children and spouses may be eligible for the compensation if the worker is no longer living. If the worker is still alive, the government will pay for medical care related to the cancer. According to NIOSH, 378 claims have been submitted for workers who would be eligible for the special exposure cohort, although it did not say how many of those claims had been denied or approved for payment based on reconstruction of doses. In addition, a designation of a special exposure cohort might interest more survivors in applying for compensation. NIOSH made its recommendation after concluding too little information was available to estimate the internal dose workers might have received by inhaling or ingesting plutonium or fission products. Radiological contamination might be inhaled or ingested during work assignments at nearly every step of production, during research and in management of waste operations, the report said. "When plutonium production at Hanford commenced, a bioassay program to monitor employees for internal dose was still in the early stages of development," the report said. In 1944 a special studies group was formed to determine a way to measure plutonium in the body, the report said, citing a history complied by R.H. Wilson. But early results of bioassays for internal contamination were erratic with poor yields and poor process control, the report said. Even though approximately 500 assays were done in Hanford's early years, many of the problems were not solved until August 1946. Routine urine sampling and analysis for plutonium began in September 1946. Air sampling data also was limited, the report said. NIOSH still is considering whether any classes of workers in later years, from September 1946 through 1990, should be recommended for special exposure cohorts. Only the petition for the earliest workers will be considered at the July meeting of the advisory board. The discussion is expected to be held July 17, 18 or 19 and the board will listen to public comment before making a decision. © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 66 Hanford News: Perma-Fix aims to treat more waste This story was published Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 Annette Cary, Herald staff writer Perma-Fix Northwest sees opportunities to treat more Hanford waste as well as expand its business in treating commercial radioactive waste at the former Pacific EcoSolutions site. Perma-Fix Environmental Services, based in Atlanta, has just completed its purchase of Pacific EcoSolutions, or PEcoS, in Richland, and has renamed it Perma-Fix Northwest. Company officials visited the Tri-Cities on Tuesday to introduce their company to the community. It purchased PEcoS as part of Nuvotec to expand its radioactive waste treatment capacity, increase its presence in the West and secure PEcoS radioactive and hazardous waste permits and licenses. "We see a lot of very special waste at Hanford," said Louis Centofanti, president of Perma-Fix Environmental Services. "We think we can add the technology to get the waste treated and find a path forward." At the Oak Ridge, Tenn., nuclear site it has been able to work with the Department of Energy and its contractor, Bechtel Jacobs, to find ways to treat different types of waste left from the 1960s and '70s that had little characterization information available. The company wants to repeat that success at Hanford, said Larry McNamara, chief operating officer of Perma-Fix Environmental Services. The former PEcoS facility has resources to treat low-level nuclear waste and low-level nuclear waste mixed with hazardous chemicals. It sees the possibility of treating miscellaneous waste from the many processes used at Hanford for the past production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program. It also sees opportunities in treating low activity waste separated from the 53 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste now stored in Hanford's underground tanks. Some of its technologies might be applied immediately to tank wastes if regulatory issues can be worked out, McNamara said. It also may be able to work with another business partner to come up with solutions that will make bulk vitrification more attractive, such as preconditioning the waste for glassification in large boxes similar to land-sea shipping containers. If that proves successful, some of the technology might be applicable to help with the waste-feed process at the main vitrification plant under construction at Hanford, McNamara said. The company already has experience treating some specialized Hanford waste that has been sent to its treatment facility in Tennessee and then returned to Hanford. That includes depleted uranium chips packed in oil and buried at Hanford's 300 Area until they were discovered in 1998. It also has cleaned equipment contaminated with tank waste for CH2M Hill Hanford Group. Perma-Fix Environmental Services brings not only its technological expertise, but also its expertise in complying with nuclear waste regulations to the Perma-Fix Northwest facility adjacent to Hanford, Centofanti said. The company also sees expansion opportunities in the 40 percent of its business focused on commercial radioactive waste, drawing more of the business in the western United States. Its customers now include utilities and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. It treats the waste, but does not dispose of it. Commercial waste it treats from western states would be disposed of at US Ecology, a commercial site on the Hanford nuclear reservation, or at EnergySolutions disposal site in Utah. It anticipates some upgrades to the Richland facility, but those are still in the planning stages. Initially, Perma-Fix will be focused on more training and improving health and safety and regulatory compliance programs at the Richland site, McNamara said. The business now has 82 employees in Richland and more people will be hired if its work increases, he said. Richard Grondin, who ran mixed-waste operations at the plant when it was owned by Allied Technology Group, has been named general manager. He's been vice president for technical services for Perma-Fix based in the Tri-Cities for five years. Perma-Fix completed its purchase of Nuvotec and its wholly owned subsidiary PEcoS, last week for $11.2 billion. It issued $6.8 million in stock and debt instruments payable over four years to Nuvotec shareholders. It also assumed $9.4 million in debt. Nuvotec acquired PEcoS from bankrupt Allied Technology Group, or ATG, in 2003. Bob Ferguson, who was the chairman of Nuvotec and PEcoS, will serve on the Perma-Fix board. © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 67 Tracy Press: A toxic topic June 21, 2007 Tracy, CA Bob Brownne/Tracy Press Wednesday, 20 June 2007 Cleanup of underground pollution at Lawrence Livermore’s explosives test site will be discussed at a 6 p.m. meeting tonight at the Community Center. By Bob Brownne The public will get one more chance to discuss cleanup efforts at Site 300 before the U.S. Department of Energy settles on a plan to deal with groundwater contamination from radioactive materials and other toxic chemicals. The 7,000-acre explosives test range just west of the proposed Tracy Hills development includes pits filled with radioactive waste from non-nuclear test explosions. Some of the site’s groundwater is also contaminated with solvents and other chemicals used at the site since it opened in 1955. The Department of Energy is nearly finished with its plan to clean up those pits and treat the contaminated groundwater. But a Livermore-based group that tracks activities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Site 300 hopes the public will tell the energy department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that its cleanup plan is inadequate. “If the community doesn’t speak out and require the cleanup plan be improved, the EPA doesn’t have any basis to believe the community wants more,” said Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment. The comments on the plan will be included in a “record of decision,” which will spell out the energy department’s responsibilities as it cleans up the site. The department will take written comments on the plan through July 25. The “Site-wide Proposed Plan” explains where contamination is and how it will be dealt with. For example, a dump at the northwest corner of the site has caused groundwater contamination during heavy rains, when the water table rises and makes contact with depleted uranium and tritium from explosives tests. That has created a plume of tainted groundwater — contaminated with radioactive tritium — that stretches across the northern part of the site. Energy officials propose digging trenches and drains around the dumps and pumping and treating groundwater, but it would not remove any of the radioactive materials from the pits. “If you look at this proposed plan, it doesn’t require any excavation in the pits at all,” Kelley said, adding that the trenches and drains will help but won’t be enough to guarantee that groundwater won’t be contaminated in the future. As of press time, a laboratory spokeswoman had not returned calls seeking comment. written by sharonbrock , June 20, 2007 “If the community doesn’t speak out and require the cleanup plan be improved, the EPA doesn’t have any basis to believe the community wants more,” said Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment. Please attend the meeting and insist that Tracy not be chosen for new National Livermore Agrolab and Biolab. If you want information on it, read the last Saturday's first article under Opinion. The rest is up to you. ***************************************************************** 68 lamonitor.com: House rejects restoring $190 million for LANL The Online News Source for Los Alamos ROGER SNODGRASS Monitor Assistant Editor Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., proposed an amendment to an appropriation bill under debate in the House this morning. His amendment, proposing to restore about $190 million of project and program cuts, mostly at Los Alamos National Laboratory was rejected after a brief debate. Udall proposed restoring funds requested by the administration in three specific areas. These included core mission and transitional support for the laboratory, specifically restoring the administration requests for upgrades to the Roadrunner supercomputer, safety improvements and science campaigns. Speaking against the amendment were the chairman and ranking member of the appropriation panel that authored the bill. Rep. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., and Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, cited security and other problems at Los Alamos to support the bill in its current form. "I wish our national labs, who are treasures and who do great work - I would ask that they be as concerned about their security as they are about their budget line," Visclosky said. "NNSA is the problem, not the scientists, that's why I take the money away from NNSA," Udall responded. The amendment was rejected by a voice vote, and a formal vote was postponed until later in the day. First day of debate The House of Representatives Tuesday largely endorsed the overall plan to cut nuclear weapons programs by $632 million, while adding $491 million to nonproliferation programs. Under a provisional arrangement, a final vote will be postponed until July, while the House reviews flood-control projects apportioned for the Army Corps of Engineers. As it stands now, the energy and water appropriation bill will eliminate funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) and construction and programs at Los Alamos National Laboratory, while reducing a number of other projects and programs. Cuts denounced Speaking during debate on the House floor, Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., said the bill represented "the most radical shift in U.S. policy on nuclear weapons that I've seen at least since the mid-1990s, that will lead us either to be forced to a return to nuclear testing, or to abandon nuclear deterrence because we stopped maintaining the stockpile." Speaking in the Senate, meanwhile, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., criticized the bill and what he considers the harm it could have on decades of work managing the U.S. nuclear stockpile and nuclear deterrence efforts. "That bill, if enacted without substantial change, would send American nuclear deterrence strategy in a new and absolutely unknown direction," Domenici said. Wilson said the bill would cause a 40-percent reduction in the LANL weapons program and a 20-percent reduction at Sandia National Laboratories, the nuclear engineering lab in her congressional district in Albuquerque. W-76 questioned In a speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on Friday, Thomas D'Agostino advanced the case for the RRW by suggesting doubts about the reliability of the W-76 missile, the first class of warheads that was scheduled to be replaced under the RRW project. "Although we have not uncovered any problems with the W-76, it is prudent to hedge against a catastrophic failure of that system by introducing a diverse warhead design into the submarine launched ballistic missile force," he said, according to the text of his remarks. D'Agostino has been nominated to become the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. NNSA supervises the nuclear weapons complex for the Department of Energy. Teleconference Udall announced Tuesday that he would conduct a telephone town hall with the Los Alamos and northern New Mexico community tonight at 6 p.m. on the subject of the future of the lab. Marissa Padilla, Udall's press secretary, said the teleconference was an experiment. "This is brand new to us," she said. Calls went out to constituents last night and another round of calls will go out tonight, asking people to join the teleconference. For more information, Padilla referred community members to the congressman's website. For more information on Udall's teleconference, visit www.tomudall.house.gov. A video of Wilson's speech is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuqPKLPPADU. A link to the text of D'Agostino's talk can be found under "News" at www.nnsa.doe.gov. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 69 WATE: ORNL receives $1 million for biofuels research with poplars June 19, 2007 OAK RIDGE (WATE) -- Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory hope to improve crop yields for ethanol production through a study of poplar trees. A recently announced three-year $1.04 million ORNL project is part of an $8.3 million joint program between the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture. It's aimed at accelerating the development of alternative fuel resources. ORNL, along with its partners Oregon State University and West Virginia University, hope to determine what the genetic basis and molecular controls are for the shade-avoidance syndrome in hybrid poplar trees. ORNL researchers hope to understand how shade-avoidance impacts plant productivity. This happens as a tree directs its resources toward longer stems and away from parts of the tree that can be harvested. Ultimately, this work will help create a conceptual model of how plants compete for light. The project will also contribute to the development of high-yielding plant varieties that maintain productivity in dense stands. The award to ORNL was made through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research in DOE's Office of Science and USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service National Research Initiative. All content © Copyright 2000 - 2007 WorldNow and WATE. All ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************