***************************************************************** 07/11/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.161 ***************************************************************** 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 IPS-English IRAN-NUKE PROGRAMME: U.S. urged to solve differences 2 Dpr Korea: UN Nuclear Agency Experts To Embark On Mission 3 Daily Yomiuri: Pyongyang sought N-reactor during Hill's visit 4 UPI: BMD Watch: Japan fury over USN leak 5 UPI: Outside View: Bulava ICBM breakthrough 6 ITAR-TASS: Russia to actively participate in ITER project 7 DW: US Army to Close Five More Bases in Germany | Germany | 8 AFP: Bush, Singh discuss nuclear pact - NUCLEAR REACTORS 9 Moscow Times: $3Bln Siberian Nuclear Plant Planned 10 Guardian Unlimited: Recruits sacked from decommissioning project 11 Bangkok Post: South tipped for nuclear plant 12 Digital Chosunilbo: Timeline of the Nuclear Dismantlement Talks 13 US: NRC: NRC issues draft EIS for James A. FitzPatrick license renew 14 BBC NEWS: Brazil to revive nuclear project 15 US: NRC: NRC Issues Draft Environmental Report for James A. Fitzpatr 16 US: Platts: Progress chooses Westinghouse reactor for potential Flor 17 US: The Coloradoan: Nuclear Power: Boon or bane 18 WNN: Brazil backs nuclear energy 19 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Climate change options range from nuclear ene 20 US: Tampa Bay Business Journal: Progress Energy moves nuclear plans 21 US: Reuters: Dull birds fared better after Chernobyl - study 22 BCNG Portals: Nuke clean-up veteran buoyed by govt. statement 23 US: ajc.com: Nuclear expansion plan would require bids 24 US: TheDay.com: Millstone Wants To Replace Siren System 25 Guardian Unlimited: Brazil: $540M for Nuclear Program 26 Guardian Unlimited: Brighter birds more at risk from Chernobyl fallo NUCLEAR SECURITY 27 US: IHT: Regulators issue license to phony company to buy radioactiv NUCLEAR SAFETY 28 US: HeraldTribune.com: Tallevast fears are confirmed 29 US: Bradenton.com: Tallevast pollution declared health risk 30 US: VA: exposure meeting 31 US: NAS Project: Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of D 32 US: AFP: US nukes deployed in Britain in 1980s "posed safety threat" 33 times and star: Radiation tests on kids' bodies 34 Guardian Unlimited: Greenham nuclear risk for millions uncovered NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 35 Guardian Unlimited: Sellafield body parts inquiry grows, says QC 36 US: AU ABC: No uranium mining for Qld despite company exploration bi 37 US: Murfreesboro Post: Radioactive waste meeting set 38 US: Guardian Unlimited: EPA Investigating Waste at Camp Lejeune PEACE US DEPT. OF ENERGY 39 Aiken Today: Group to continue SREL investigation 40 SF New Mexican: LANL: Group calls for stronger contaminant monitorin 41 Hanford News: South Dakota wins federal underground lab project 42 Hanford News: Hastings pushes B Reactor standing 43 YubaNet.com: Elevated Radioactivity Found Around Los Alamos 44 DOE: BP and LLNL sign technical cooperation agreement on underground 45 Knoxville News Sentinel: Erwin uranium spill cloaked in secrecy 46 Knoxville News Sentinel: Mason not a Democrat— or a Republican 47 Knoxville News Sentinel: Nuke plant has a 'big, big day' 48 lamonitor.com: Elevated radiation levels monitored by citizens' grou 49 Oak Ridger: New buildings, new era for Y-12 - 50 news @ nature.com: Government-funded labs have their perks, and thei 51 KOB.com: Contaminated dust found in homes, offices near LANL ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 IPS-English IRAN-NUKE PROGRAMME: U.S. urged to solve differences Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 14:49:49 -0700 IRAN-NUKE PROGRAMME: U.S. urged to solve differences with an accord Att.Editors: The following item is from the Emirates News Agency (WAM) DUBAI, Jul. 11 (WAM) - The verbal crossfire between Iran and the U.S. does nothing for either side and it is time that both countries negotiate on issues other than Iraq and get down to serious business, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) paper commented today. “They may find that while there is much that divided them there is also much scope for agreement,” wrote the’ Gulf News’. In its editorial, the Dubai-based paper said: “The question of Tehran's nuclear programme continues to define its relations with Washington. “There is no contradiction in an oil-rich country using its hard cash from oil exports while benefiting from a domestic nuclear programme to provide energy. The U.S. itself is a case in point as is Russia and Britain. Japan has experienced the benefits of nuclear energy without resorting to the capability to make weapons,” the paper remarked. “The problems arise when there is less than full accountability, when the International Atomic and Energy Agency is not fully briefed on developments. Given the amount of mistrust between Iran and the U.S., any Iranian nuclear programme is going to be viewed with deep suspicion in Washington,” it added. The issue of nuclear power, the paper continued, is too important to be anything but fully open. Nuclear energy has immense benefits if it is run efficiently and safely. “There can be no ifs and buts, no half measures, no cutting corners and most importantly no doubt as to the extent of the programme. “Both Iran and the U.S. have serious issues ranging from energy supplies to regional stability, not to mention Iraq, that demand at least the opening of serious negotiations between the two countries. “There can only be a diplomatic and political solution to any impasse or disagreements the countries may have. Use of military force is simply not an option,” concluded the paper. (WAM) (WAM) ***************************************************************** 2 Dpr Korea: UN Nuclear Agency Experts To Embark On Mission Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:00:23 -0400 New York, Jul 11 2007 5:00PM An inspection team from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will travel to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the next few days to implement agreements to monitor the shutdown and eventual abandonment of the Yongbyon nuclear facilities. The <"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/MediaAdvisory/MA200709.html">IAEA received an invitation from the DPRK yesterday, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York today. Late last month, IAEA inspectors visited Pyongyang and reached agreement with authorities regarding arrangements for the agency’s monitoring and verification of the shutdown of the Yongbyon nuclear facility and the reactor under construction in Taechon. Earlier this week, the IAEA’s Board of Governors decided to dispatch inspectors after approving a report detailing the agency’s future activities in the Asian country. “This is the beginning of a long and complex process, but I welcome the return of the DPRK to the verification process,” IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei told reporters after briefing the Board on 9 July. Mr. ElBaradei predicted that the shutdown of the facilities should only take “a few days,” and cameras and other equipment will also need to be installed to monitor the sites. 2007-07-11 00:00:00.000 ___________________ For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news To listen to news and in-depth programmes from UN Radio go to: http://radio.un.org/ _______________________________ To change your profile or unsubscribe go to: http://www.un.org/apps/news/email/ ***************************************************************** 3 Daily Yomiuri: Pyongyang sought N-reactor during Hill's visit North Korea demanded a light water reactor in return for scrapping its nuclear weapons program during a visit by top U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill to Pyongyang last month, sources close to the six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program said Tuesday. In light of the United States' reluctance to allow North Korea the means for nuclear development in any form, such demands will certainly complicate matters at the talks set to resume soon in Beijing. A light water reactor is a nuclear reactor for generating electricity from which it is hard to extract weapons-grade plutonium--a raw material for nuclear weapons. Pyongyang made the demand to Hill, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, on June 21 without stating specific conditions, the sources said. Washington has said it would only consider supplying such a reactor if Pyongyang totally abandons its nuclear weapons program and diplomatic relations are normalized. North Korea insists on continuing its nuclear energy program using a light water reactor even after it abandons its weapons program. A six-party joint statement made in September 2005 said the supply to North Korea of a light water reactor would be considered at an "appropriate time." ) © The Yomiuri Shimbun. ***************************************************************** 4 UPI: BMD Watch: Japan fury over USN leak United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Analysis Published: July 11, 2007 at 1:12 PM By MARTIN SIEFF UPI Senior News Analyst WASHINGTON, July 11 (UPI) -- Japanese defense officials are furious that the U.S. Navy leaked details of a successful, top-secret missile defense exercise last week to the media, the Japan Times reported Wednesday. The newspaper said the Japanese Defense Ministry had wanted the details of the July 6 exercise to be kept tightly secret. Ironically, the exercise was a complete success, the newspaper said. It was to confirm the length of time it would take to inform Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's office that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile strike against the Japanese mainland. The time involved was only one minute, the paper said. However, details of the exercise, including the one minute time to informing Prime Minister Abe's office, were revealed to the public Monday in a news release that the Japan Times identified as being sent out by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Schwarz of the U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs office. Japanese officials indicated to the Japan Times they were taken aback by publication of the one-minute time of delivering the news. They told the paper they had not timed it explicitly. "The main purpose of the exercise was to test if communications channels and devices work. We didn't measure the time," said one senior Japanese Defense Ministry official. "We wonder how the U.S. measured it." "This time, we actually passed the tracking information all the way to Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe's office," Schwarz said in the release quoted in the Japan Times report. The newspaper said Japanese experts believe it would only take 10 minutes for North Korean missiles to strike their targets in Japan after being fired. China updating missile arsenal China now has an arsenal of at least 400 nuclear weapons and an arsenal of 20 intercontinental ballistic missiles and other delivery systems to carry them, a report said this week. "At this time, reports have placed the number of deployable nuclear weapons China possesses at 400. Of these, around 20 are deployed in the intercontinental ballistic missile configuration," GlobalResearch.ca reported Monday. GR's estimate of the number of Chinese ICBMs currently deployed was lower than some other estimates that have been published. But the report also warned that Beijing had many more nukes that could be delivered in other ways. "Nearly 220 are reported to be deployed in various delivery platforms such as aircrafts, submarines and short-to-medium range missile systems," it said. "All of these weapons are of tactical capability," the report said. "The remaining weapons are held in tactical reserves for short range missiles, low yield attacks and demolition purposes." GR said the main ICBM in China's strategic arsenal remains the Dong-Feng 5, which is a liquid-fueled missile, greatly slowing its preparation for launch time. The missile has a range of 7,800 miles, the report said. The report noted that the venerable Dong-Feng 5 "was first deployed in the summer of 1981 and has remained the backbone of China's ICBM force for the past two decades." It said the Chinese military kept 20 of them on full alert in the center of the country. The missiles are not capable of carrying multi-independently targeted vehicle, or MIRV-ed warheads. But the article also noted that China is now moving into the capability of deploying new missiles on mobile launchers that do not have to launch from fixed ground silos as the old Dong Feng-5 do, and that will also have solid-fuel propellants allowing them to be launched far more quickly. GR said the medium range DF 31 "entered first-line operation in 2005." A more ambitious ICBM version of the design, the DF 41, "is expected to be fielded by late 2010," the report said. © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 UPI: Outside View: Bulava ICBM breakthrough United Press International - Security & Terrorism - Analysis Published: July 11, 2007 at 1:31 PM By ANDREI KISLYAKOV UPI Outside View Commentator MOSCOW, July 11 (UPI) -- Russian Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov recently congratulated Yury Solomonov, general designer of the Moscow Heat Technology Institute, on the successful submarine launch of a new sea-based strategic missile, the Bulava, which was developed by his institute. The launch was part of a series of flight tests. Such publicity given to an event so ordinary and routine may seem strange, but only at first glance. It was not on the spur of the moment that Russia's aerospace industry's top man congratulated the developers of the missile. The successful liftoff of the Bulava on June 27 not only broke the streak of bad luck that had dogged the missile, but has also offered hope for a revival of the sea component of the Russian nuclear triad. Historically, the Soviet Union and later Russia have preferred to base their strategic nuclear forces on the ground, giving second place to strategic aviation and missile-carrying submarines. In all probability, there were several reasons for this. To begin with, the ground forces have always outstripped the naval forces in development. Second, sad as it sounds, Soviet strategic bomber aviation was way behind that of the potential opponent. And, most important of all, both sea- and air-based carriers, themselves highly technical machines, needed a high level of logistical support, which at all times in all of the armed forces has only been provided when funds were left over from other projects. On the other hand, it is not true that the Soviet leadership paid too little attention to sea-launched missiles. On the contrary. Within a short period of time, through super-human efforts and inconceivable costs, the Soviet Union was able to outnumber the United States in nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarines and their missiles. Admittedly, the reasons had more to do with politics and intimidation than military and technological advantages. Here is an excerpt from the 1979 Agreed Statement to the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II (SALT-II): "Modern submarine-launched ballistic missiles are: for the United States of America, missiles installed in all nuclear-powered submarines; for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, missiles of the type installed in nuclear-powered submarines made operational since 1965." The Americans decided not to count the first generation of Soviet sea-launched nuclear weapons, believing, with reason, that they posed no threat. But the Soviet leadership was perfectly aware of that, too. So, beginning in April 1962, a real effort was mounted to improve this state of affairs by commissioning the development of a new missile, the R-27, from Vladimir Makeyev's design bureau. A companion project was launched to develop the new Navaga-class submarine. The new missile was launched from a submarine as early as September 1967. The first twin launch followed within six days; and in December 1969, the world's first salvo of eight R-27 missiles was fired. The Navaga-class nuclear-powered missile-carrying submarines became the largest series of Soviet submarines equipped with strategic weapons. In 1975, the Soviet Union outstripped the United States in the number of missile-carrying submarines and missiles. The following short table makes for impressive reading: 1960: U.S. - 3 submarines and 48 missiles (3-48); Soviet Union - 0-0 (the first Soviet K-19 submarine with three missiles became operational in November 1960); 1967: U.S. - 41-656; Soviet Union - 2-32; 1970: U.S. - 41-656; Soviet Union - 20-316; 1975: U.S. - 41-656; Soviet Union - 55-724; 1981: U.S. - 40-648; Soviet Union - 62-950. A several-fold increase in strategic weapons makes no sense without corresponding improvements in cost and quality. Churning out submarines day and night, the shipyards were guided by one overarching principle: The plan must be fulfilled at all costs. But no effort was made to establish a proper infrastructure, develop basing facilities or build up repair capacities. The training system, moreover, was beneath any criticism. The overall result, combined with bad workmanship, was that despite their numerical superiority fewer Soviet submarines were on patrol duty than American ones. Most of their time was spent in repair docks. What is more, preparations for putting to sea were sometimes made with ridiculous negligence. The commander of one Navaga in the Northern Fleet, in order not to upset the patrol schedule, had to mount his own Ural motorcycle, hitch up a trolley and haul two torpedoes up to the ship from its allowance of ammunition capable of destroying half of Europe. To be fair, the fleet's logistics headquarters had allocated an ambulance vehicle, of all things, for the purpose, but it never showed up. The Soviet Union has never lived down its obsession with large-scale projects and big numbers in a drive to get ahead of the potential opponent. In response to the American Ohio-Trident sea-based weapons system, it developed the behemoth Akula (Typhoon)-class submarine, which displaced 33,000 metric tons and came equipped with 20 silos for the rather hefty, solid-fueled R-39 missile with a liftoff weight of 90 (metric) tons. But the American boat, with a much lower displacement of 18,700 tons, could carry 24 Trident missiles and had a more quiet acoustic profile and, as a result, better survivability. One hopes that in view of today's threats, which call for constant readiness and mobile forces, Russia will learn from the past when deploying its new naval strategic weapons. -- (Andrei Kislyakov is a political commentator for the RIA Novosti news agency. This article is reprinted by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.) (United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.) © Copyright 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 ITAR-TASS: Russia to actively participate in ITER project 11.07.2007, 10.56 TOKYO, July 11 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian government pays serious attention to work on the thermonuclear synthesis, and it is going to make an active contribution to the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), the deputy chief of the governmental staff, Igor Borovkov, said at the 2d conference of the ITER project’ member states opening on Wednesday. The Russian delegation to the conference includes Academician Yevgeny Velikhov, who was at the origins of the ITER concept. “Apart from the contribution to the ITER project, funds will be issued for the modernization of Tokamak devices at the Kurchatov Institute for solving important scientific, engineering and technical questions in this area,” Borovkov said. About 80 representatives of governmental departments, scientific and energy organizations from European Union, India, China, Russia, the US, South Korea and Japan attend the two-day conference of the participants in the ITER project. The agreement on the construction of ITER was signed in last year’s fall in Paris. It was decided to build the reactor in Cadarache, southern France, and a center for its control and data processing in northern Japan in the settlement of Rokkashio. The worlds’ first 500-megawatt thermonuclear synthesis reactor is to be launched in ten years. It is to be jointly used for subsequent 20 years. The cost of the project is about 13 billion dollars. The European Union is to contribute half of this sum, and the rest will be paid by other participants. The thermonuclear reactor will use energy of synthesis of hydrogen isotopes that burn out actually without leaving radioactive waste. Such fuel will produce ten times more energy than fuel oil or gas and about one hundred times more than energy of uranium nucleus fission. © ITAR-TASS. All rights reserved. You undertake not to copy, store ***************************************************************** 7 DW: US Army to Close Five More Bases in Germany | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 11.07.2007 The Stars and Stripes are slowly disappearing from military bases in Germany Just a day after the US announced it had emptied the Ramstein air base in southwestern Germany of nuclear weapons, the US Defense Department said Wednesday that it would close five more US Army sites in Germany by 2009. The closure of Turley Barracks in Mannheim, scheduled for the end of September this year, will be followed by US Army Europe facilities in BĂŒdingen and Gelnhausen in 2008. Sites in Darmstadt and Hanau also will be closed in 2009. The announced closures follow the publishing of a report by the Washington-based Federation of American Scientists (FAS) on Tuesday that stated the US military had apparently completely removed its stock of an estimated 130 nuclear weapons from the Ramstein air base. The US Army has been slowly initiating a previously announced plan to realign military forces abroad by beginning the closure of a total of 51 bases in Germany and other areas of western and northern Europe. Units relocating to areas closer to new threats Bildunterschrift: Not only military personnel but Germans will be affected, too The US Army revealed that it is shifting the German-based units to new bases further south and east of Germany in response to new threats. The bases already closed and those due to close are those that do not lead operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. The closure of the five bases will affect 2,372 soldiers, nine airmen, 799 US civilians and 679 local workers. The closures and previous changes such as the consolidation of various military headquarters under one roof in Wiesbaden are part of a post-Cold War cutback plan that began in the 1990s. DW-WORLD * Study Says US Removed Nuclear Weapons From Base in Germany The Ramstein air base in southwestern Germany, long the largest US nuclear storehouse in Europe, has been completely emptied of its atomic arsenal according to experts who say the weapons are out of the country. (10.07.2007) * Britain to Cut Forces Stationed in Germany Britain will reduce its total armed forces in Germany by 2,200 troops by 2009 as part of a "rebalancing" following the end of the Cold War, Defense Secretary John Reid said on Monday. (31.01.2006) * Troops to Head Home in US Military Cuts US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld revealed major military cuts across the United States on Friday which would be offset by returning troops from German bases and other European deployments. (13.05.2005) 1. © 2007 Deutsche Welle ***************************************************************** 8 AFP: Bush, Singh discuss nuclear pact - Wed Jul 11, 11:15 AM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday discussed the US-India nuclear agreement and efforts to promote global trade, the White House said. The two leaders "spoke by phone this morning and discussed the transformation of our bilateral relationship, including the civil nuclear cooperation initiative," said national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe. "They also agreed on the need to provide leadership to achieve a successful Doha round," he added, referring to the stalled negotiations on global free trade. "The president noted the one-year anniversary of the July 11, 2006, Mumbai train bombing and praised the leadership of Prime Minister Singh in dealing with terrorism," said Johndroe. India and the United States have been discussing the fine print of the accord for two years after Washington agreed in principle to reverse three decades of US sanctions on nuclear trade with India. The outlines of the deal were agreed even though New Delhi refuses to sign the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and had tested nuclear weapons in 1998. Under the deal, India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and set up a regime of international inspections in return for technology and nuclear fuel supplies. Despite several rounds of talks, India has stood fast against accepting any curbs on its reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. India also wants assurances that Washington will continue to supply fuel for its atomic plants in the event New Delhi conducts further nuclear weapons tests. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 Moscow Times: $3Bln Siberian Nuclear Plant Planned Thursday, July 12, 2007. Issue 3697. Page 7. Bloomberg Russia and Kazakhstan will spend as much as $3 billion setting up an enrichment facility in Siberia to produce nuclear fuel, the head of Kazakhstan's nuclear fuel company said Wednesday. The two countries will split the costs of the venture, which is scheduled to start production in 2011, Kazatomprom chief Mukhtar Dzhakishev said by telephone from Almaty. The facility will be built alongside a planned UN-backed enrichment center designed to make nuclear energy affordable to all nations regardless of politics. Japan, Armenia and Ukraine have already expressed interest in joining the United Nations project, Dzhakishev said. Russia has called on the United States and other atomic-energy producers to make the technology available to all countries regardless of politics. Kazakhstan plans to overtake Canada and Australia in 2010 to become the world's biggest uranium producer as demand for the radioactive metal surges. © Copyright 2006. The Moscow Times. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 10 Guardian Unlimited: Recruits sacked from decommissioning project David Hencke, Westminster correspondent Wednesday July 11, 2007 Fifty newly recruited scientists and engineers in charge of the government's nuclear decommissioning programme in Harwell and Winfrith are to be sacked by Christmas with another 150 facing redundancy next June. Malcolm Wicks, the energy minister, confirmed the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, has a budget of Ł60m for the next financial year - nearly half that allocated for 2006 - resulting in 200 job losses and a big delay in the programme and the creation of science parks at both sites. Prospect, the union representing the scientists, yesterday condemned the move. David Luxton, national secretary, said scientists affected by the cuts were furious about the decision since many had left private companies lured by six to 10 years' work decommissioning. "This is a false economy - because the effect will be to put back the whole decommissioning programme and delay the opening of new science parks for up to 10 years," he said. Mr Wicks discloses in a letter to the Tory leader, David Cameron, that an attempt will be made to try to get more resources during further talks with the Treasury - but "the NDA can only confirm funding at the lower level (Ł60m)". He admits this will have an impact on the handover of the Harwell site for a privately funded science park. Mr Cameron describes the response as "very depressing" and has alerted his frontbench team to challenge the government. He says the slowdown in the decommissioning programme will delay the creation of a science park at Harwell from 2014 to 2030. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has been forced to make the cuts because it was relying on the commercial profits from the now abandoned Thorp reprocessing plant in Sellafield to fund decommissioning. Useful links British Energy Department of Trade and Industry British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Greenpeace Come Clean WMD awareness programme UK atomic energy authority National Radiological Protection Board Friends of the Earth World Nuclear Association World Nuclear Transport Institute Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 11 Bangkok Post: South tipped for nuclear plant General news >> Thursday July 12, 2007 POWER PRODUCTION / POSSIBLE SITES IDENTIFIED APINYA WIPATAYOTIN Ranong, Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces have been tipped as possible sites for Thailand's first nuclear power plant, as the country continues to struggle with sharp rises in fuel costs. The three coastal provinces have been selected due to their proximity to the sea as the abundant water can be used to cool down the plant's powerful nuclear reactors. However, the government is still cautious about the idea and says the issue of nuclear power has not been finalised. ''Based on geographical advantages, those three coastal provinces are suitable for a nuclear power plant,'' said Science and Technology Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong. ''However, we can't have the final say right now about the exact location. Just let's say it is possible.'' Nuclear power plants are commonly located close to the sea or big rivers. Chumphon and Surat Thani are on the Gulf of Thailand and Ranong is on the Andaman coast. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand previously selected Laem Pathiu in Chumphon's Pathiu district as a site for a nuclear plant.However, the project was suspended due to the discovery of natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand, enabling the government to postpone its nuclear plans. However, the plan has been dusted off again. With the price of fossil fuels rapidly increasing, nuclear power is once more a favoured option for alternative energy sources. The ministry is preparing to launch an education programme in the three selected provinces to ensure better understanding among the locals of the safety and the benefits of nuclear power, as well as its importance for the country, the minister said. Under the Power Development Plan, policy makers hope to increase electricity production to about 55,000 megawatts by 2021, with 4,000MW being provided by nuclear power. Sirichai Keinmeesuke, deputy secretary-general of the Office of Atoms for Peace, said selecting the location was a big challenge for the nuclear power committee. ''Personally, I prefer a site close to the sea because this would reduce the burden of transport costs,'' he said. Pricha Karasudthi, vice-president of the Nuclear Society of Thailand, said other countries had benefitted greatly from nuclear energy. © Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2007 ***************************************************************** 12 Digital Chosunilbo: Timeline of the Nuclear Dismantlement Talks Updated July.12,2007 06:53 KST Nuclear tensions mount in October 2002 as North Korea admits to running a secret uranium-enrichment program. The U.S. considers this a breach of the 1994 Agreed Framework, a bilateral deal under which Washington would assist North Korea to build two light-water reactors in return for nuclear dismantlement. In response, Washington halts shipments of oil to Pyongyang and nuclear tensions escalate. China then steps in to mediate and other regional powers South Korea, Japan and Russia also get involved. In August 2003, the inaugural round of six-party talks begins in Beijing followed by a second and third round of talks the following year. But they bring little measurable progress as the U.S. insists on a "complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement" of all nuclear activity in North Korea while Pyongyang balks at the idea and demands concessions. Then, in February 2005, North Korea declares it possesses nuclear weapons. Tensions mount again, but Seoul makes a "significant proposal" to supply 2,000 megawatts of electricity to the North and succeeds in luring the communist country back to the bargaining table. In the 2nd phase of the fourth round of six-party talks held in September 2005 participants manage to draw up a six-point joint statement. Under the deal, North Korea agrees to abandon all nuclear weapons and programs in return for security guarantees and energy aid. The fifth round of talks ends without progress, bogged down by a financial problem after Washington freezes Pyongyang's funds in a Macau bank over charges of counterfeiting and money laundering. The six-party talks don't convene for more than a year after North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test and test-fires missiles in 2006. In response, the United Nations Security Council imposes economic sanctions on the North. But Seoul and Washington persevere to find ways to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue and a face-to-face meeting between Washington and Pyongyang in Beijing in November 2006 helps break the impasse and revive the six-way dialogue. In another contact between Washington and Pyongyang two months later in Berlin the two sides agree to basic measures for dismantlement. In the third phase of the fifth round of talks, the parties agreed on specific first steps to nuclear disarmament. North Korea pledges to shut down and seal its main nuclear reactor, at Yongbyon, in exchange for 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil. Arirang News ***************************************************************** 13 NRC: NRC issues draft EIS for James A. FitzPatrick license renewal application Wednesday, July 11, 2007 Washington -- NRC staff will accept public comments on Wednesday, Aug. 1 on a draft report that assesses the environmental impacts of extending the operating license of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in Scriba, N.Y. In August 2006, Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which operates the single-reactor plant, submitted an application to renew the license for an additional 20 years. There will be two meetings on Aug. 1 at which comments will be taken. One session will begin at 1:30 p.m. and another at 7 p.m. Both meetings are planned for the Scriba Municipal Building, at 42 Creamery Road in Scriba. NRC staff will be available for an hour prior to the start of each meeting for informal discussions of the report. The draft report, known as the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, was issued on June 8. As part of its license renewal application, the company submitted an environmental report. The NRC staff reviewed the report and performed an on-site audit. The staff also considered comments made during what’s known as the environmental scoping process, including comments offered at public meetings held on Oct. 12, 2006 in Scriba. Based on its review, the NRC staff has preliminarily recommended that the Commission determine the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for the FitzPatrick plant is not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. This recommendation is based on the analysis and findings in the agency’s Generic Environmental Impact Statement on license renewal; the environmental report submitted by Entergy; consultation with federal, state and local agencies; the NRC staff’s own independent review; and the NRC staff’s consideration of public comments. ***************************************************************** 14 BBC NEWS: Brazil to revive nuclear project Last Updated: Wednesday, 11 July 2007, 02:23 GMT 03:23 UK Brazil currently gets about 4% of its electricity from nuclear Brazil's president has pledged to revive a long-stalled project to build the country's third nuclear reactor and also a nuclear submarine. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said hundreds of millions of extra dollars would be made available for the project over the next eight years. Work on the third reactor for uranium enrichment stopped in the 1980s over security fears and lack of funds. "If money was lacking, it won't be lacking now," President Lula said during a visit to a navy research centre in Sao Paulo. "I've made a commitment to provide the necessary funds so we can complete that project. "We will complete Angra 3, and if necessary, we'll go on to build more (nuclear reactors) because it is clean energy and now proven to be safe." President Lula added that Brazil could now afford the luxury of becoming one of the few countries in the world capable of uranium enrichment. He also said that building a nuclear submarine could take about eight years. Energy shortage warning President Lula's comments come days after the country's energy commission recommended restarting the third reactor, near the coastal city of Angra dos Reis. Brazil's Angra 1 and Angra 2 - located in the same region - have an installed capacity of about 2,000 megawatts, and Angra 3 would increase capacity to 3,000 megawatts. Angra 3 would require an investment of about $3.7bn (Ł1.85bn) with construction due to be completed by 2013, Energy and Mines Minister Nelson Hubner said last month. Brazil spent some $800m (Ł400m) on parts for Angra 3 in the 1980s before construction was halted. Brazil, which is heavily dependent on hydro-electricity, could face energy shortages in a couple of years if generating capacity is not increased, analysts say. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 15 NRC: NRC Issues Draft Environmental Report for James A. Fitzpatrick License Renewal Application, Announces August 1st Public Meetings News Release - Region I - 2007-038 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov NRC staff will accept public comments on Wednesday, Aug. 1 on a draft report that assesses the environmental impacts of extending the operating license of the James A. FitzPatrick nuclear power plant in Scriba, N.Y. In August 2006, Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which operates the single-reactor plant, submitted an application to renew the license for an additional 20 years. There will be two meetings on Aug. 1 at which comments will be taken. One session will begin at 1:30 p.m. and another at 7 p.m. Both meetings are planned for the Scriba Municipal Building, at 42 Creamery Road in Scriba. NRC staff will be available for an hour prior to the start of each meeting for informal discussions of the report. The draft report, known as the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, was issued on June 8. As part of its license renewal application, the company submitted an environmental report. The NRC staff reviewed the report and performed an on-site audit. The staff also considered comments made during what’s known as the environmental scoping process, including comments offered at public meetings held on Oct. 12, 2006 in Scriba. Based on its review, the NRC staff has preliminarily recommended that the Commission determine the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for the FitzPatrick plant is not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. This recommendation is based on the analysis and findings in the agency’s Generic Environmental Impact Statement on license renewal; the environmental report submitted by Entergy; consultation with federal, state and local agencies; the NRC staff’s own independent review; and the NRC staff’s consideration of public comments. “Now that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available, we would encourage interested members of the public to review the report and provide us with their comments,” Rani Franovich, a Branch Chief in the NRC’s Division of License Renewal, said. “They will be able to do so in person at our upcoming public meetings.” Those interested may pre-register to attend or speak at the meetings by contacting Jessie Muir of the NRC at 1-800-368-5642, ext. 0491, or by sending an e-mail to FitzPatrickEIS@nrc.gov no later than July 25. Members of the public may also register to provide oral comments before the start of each session. The duration of individual comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of persons who register. Written comments on the draft report will also be considered by the NRC staff. Comments can be submitted by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6 D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. They can also be submitted electronically to FitzPatrickEIS@nrc.gov. The public comment period ends on Sept. 5, 2007. Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant has a term of 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating license for the FitzPatrick plant is due to expire on Oct. 17, 2014. The draft environmental report is posted on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/f itzpatrick.html#environmental. The FitzPatrick license renewal application is posted at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/f itzpatrick.html. Additional information about the license renewal process is available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.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, July 11, 2007 ***************************************************************** 16 Platts: Progress chooses Westinghouse reactor for potential Florida nuke 2007-07-10 Washington (Platts)--10Jul2007 Progress Energy Florida has chosen Westinghouse Electric's AP1000 offering as its chosen reactor for any potential future expansion of its nuclear fleet, the utility said Tuesday. Progress Energy has named a site in southern Levy County as the preferred location for potential nuclear expansion in Florida. "Progress Energy Florida is committed to the safety and security of our plants, and the Westinghouse AP1000 incorporates state-of-the-art technology in its design," said Danny Roderick, vice president of nuclear projects and construction. The AP1000 is a 1,100-MW reactor. A decision on whether to build a plant remains at least a year away, Progress said. The company anticipates filing a need case with the Florida Public Service Commission in early 2008, it said. If the decision is to move forward with the plant, site preparations could begin as early as 2010, construction could begin in 2012, with commercial operation scheduled for 2016, it added. For more news, request a free trial to Platts Electric Power Daily at http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/index.xml?src=story or subscribe now at http://www.platts.com/infostore/product_info.php?cPath=2_31&products_id=47 Copyright © 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 17 The Coloradoan: Nuclear Power: Boon or bane www.coloradoan.com - Ft. Collins, CO. Wednesday, July 11, 2007 Markus Mayer It started a couple years ago. Everybody was talking about the "greenhouse effect" and "global warming" and the terrible consequences we will have to face if we do not change our lifestyles and our energy consumption. New ways to produce "clean energy" were sought. One of the most advertised solutions are nuclear power plants. They are supposed to produce "clean energy" without the emissions that coal power plants release. As of May 2007, there are 436 nuclear power plants in use worldwide and 31 under construction. The United States is planning on adding about 30 new power plants over the next 15 years to the 103 running right now, and China wants to build 30 reactors over the next 20 years. Nuclear energy is now the second-largest energy source after coal in the United States and accounts for approximately 20 percent of the U.S. electricity generation. Now you think that nuclear power plants sound great, right? Only if you look on the surface of a nuclear power plant. If you look inside, you will find highly enriched radioactive uranium. The uranium atoms are being bombarded with neutrons so they split up (fission). During the fission, the uranium releases an incredible amount of energy in form of heat and radioactive gamma radiation. The heat is used to produce water steam to drive a turbine, which spins a generator to produce power. During this process, no greenhouse gases are released. However, greenhouse gases are released during the mining and the transportation of the uranium that is needed in the reactor. The estimated amount of uranium the United States required for its reactors in 2006 was 19,715 metric tons. Also, because uranium is not a renewable resource, every 18 to 24 months a third of the uranium in a plant has to be replaced. The used fuel has to be transported and stored in a radioactive waste facility. Spent fuel is toxic for billions of years and there is no safe place to store it. All U.S. plants together produce 2,000 tons of radioactive waste every year. The state of Nevada is fighting to not being buried in nuclear waste right now! In addition, "waste generated from uranium mining operations and rainwater runoff can contaminate groundwater and surface water resources with heavy metals and traces of radioactive uranium" (Nuclear Energy Institute). If you support nuclear power plants, you support uranium mining and its consequences. Of course, there is always a risk that the power plant doesn't function correctly and radioactivity is released. Accidents such as Three Mile Island and Chernobyl happened! So, do you still think that energy from nuclear power plants is "clean?" I hope not. Otherwise, something went wrong. I know that we need a long-term alternative energy source. However, I don't think that nuclear power plants might be the solution. Two-thousand tons of radioactive waste every year got me. It's not worth it! There are other renewable energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases or radioactive waste. There is wind and solar energy. There is certainly enough wind and sun in Colorado! But before you do anything else, try to conserve energy. Use your bike instead of your car, read a book instead of watching TV, do something outdoors! Just think about it! Markus Mayer lives in Fort Collins. Copyright ©2007 The Fort Collins Coloradoan. ***************************************************************** 18 WNN: Brazil backs nuclear energy 11 July 2007 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is committed to nuclear energy, starting with the completion of Angra 3. The project to build a 1245 MWe pressurized water reactor (PWR) stalled due to a lack of funds in the late 1980s but is now the subject of a $3.6 billion completion project, following the June recommendations of the National Energy Policy Council. Although construction never actually started, around 70% of Angra 3's components are maintained on-site. It was originally meant to be a sister plant to Angra 2, which started up in 2000. The 626 MWe Angra 1 unit was connected to the grid in 1982. In recent years Brazil has rebuilt some of the nuclear research program begun in the 1980s, which focused on uranium enrichment and naval propulsion. In 2006 a modest uranium enrichment plant began operation at Resende. Planned to achieve 200,000 separative work units (SWUs), this could cater for about 60% of the enrichment needs of Angra 1 and 2. Brazil also holds around 4% of the world's uranium resources. Celebrating these achievements at a navy research centre, Lula said: "Brazil can give itself the luxury of being one of the few countries in the world to control all the technology of uranium enrichment." "Why not dream big," added Lula, before raising again the possibility of developing nuclear powered submarines. "I believe that this project could be the embryo for all we need from the point of view of nuclear energy and from the point of view of energy production." According to Lula, $540 million is budgeted for nuclear over eight years. The Brazilian nuclear industry hopes the new impetus could lead to the construction of up to eight new reactors by 2030. Further information WNA's Nuclear Power in Brazil information paper WNN: Completion of Brazil's Angra 3 recommended WNN: Brazil looks to new nuclear build ***************************************************************** 19 Salt Lake Tribune: Climate change options range from nuclear energy to retiring coal power plants, planting trees The Salt Lake Tribune Article Last Updated: 07/11/2007 08:29:52 AM MDT A panel appointed by the governor to chart state policy on climate change took a Chinese restaurant menu approach Tuesday, choosing from a lengthy list of options that left some hungry for more and others worried they had bitten off too much. The Blue Ribbon Advisory Council on Climate Change, appointed in August by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., was presented with 88 policy options - from retiring dirty-coal power plants and mandating renewable energy production to planting more trees. In a preliminary vote Tuesday, the panel weeded out 19 options it deemed less attractive, settling on a policy that generally advocates market-driven incentives for expanded renewable energy and new statewide efficiency targets for things like appliances and buildings. It also gave a surprisingly strong endorsement to development of nuclear energy, a hot-button issue in the state, which has fought the storage of nuclear waste within its borders. Half of the 24-member council supported development of nuclear power, even though the subcommittee that looked at the issue called it a "low priority" and said that "questions about waste disposal and safety make it unlikely that nuclear energy development will result in near-term reductions in [carbon dioxide]." Indeed, nuclear development received more support from the council than a recommendation that the state develop a "renewable energy portfolio" - a requirement that some percentage of the state's electricity come from renewable sources, like wind, solar or geothermal. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have already adopted a renewable portfolio standard, and Huntsman has embraced the concept, appointing a task force in May to study the issue and make recommendations. "The same old saying applies here. Utah will go kicking and screaming into the 21st century," said Tim Wagner, conservation coordinator for the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club, a council member who is co-chairing the Huntsman renewable energy task force. "Public opinion is strongly supportive of really addressing the subject. . . . In the end, I do believe we'll end up with something good." The council, made up of representatives of various energy interests and advocacy groups, is scheduled to report to Huntsman in August on its consensus recommendations on how the state could cut greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming. Carol Hunter, vice president for division services at Rocky Mountain Power, said she worried that the council may have been too eager to support renewable energy, and the pressure to abandon fossil energy without a reliable alternative could make it hard to guarantee electricity when consumers flip on their light switches. "The idea is to make sure we have enough choices that we can operate," Hunter said. David Litvin, president of the Utah Mining Association, also expressed concern that the report favored renewable energies at the expense of traditional fossil fuels. "As we move forward as a society we need all these sources of energy," Litvin said. The council will hold two more meetings, on July 31 and Aug. 14, before delivering its report to Huntsman before the end of August. ***************************************************************** 20 Tampa Bay Business Journal: Progress Energy moves nuclear plans forward - Tampa Bay Business Journal - 10:38 AM EDT Wednesday, July 11, 2007 Progress Energy Florida has chosen Westinghouse Electric Co.'s latest reactor technology for the potential future expansion of its nuclear operations. Nuclear energy provides cost benefits and maximizes energy independence, said Danny Roderick, vice president of nuclear projects and construction for Progress Energy Florida, in a release. The Westinghouse AP1000 is a 1,100-megawatt nuclear power plant that uses passive safety system designs and engineering to enhance plant reliability and reduce construction costs, the company said. It has 87 percent less cable, 83 percent less pipe, 50 percent fewer valves and 35 percent fewer pumps than the generation of reactors in operation today, the company said. While the decision on whether to build a plant is at least a year away, Progress Energy has named a site in southern Levy County as the preferred location for potential nuclear expansion in Florida. The Levy County site is roughly 3,000 acres and is located about seven miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico and eight miles north of the company's Crystal River Energy Complex in Citrus County. Progress Energy Florida anticipates filing a need case with the Florida Public Service Commission in early 2008. If the decision is to move forward, preparations could begin as early as 2010, construction could begin in 2012, with commercial operation scheduled for 2016. Progress Energy previously announced that it will use the Westinghouse technology in the Carolinas as well, if the decision is made to move forward with a new nuclear plant there. Using the same technology in both locations will help increase the efficiency of construction and maintenance, which benefits all customers, the company said. Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to nearly 1.7 million customers in Florida. Headquartered in St. Petersburg, it serves a territory of more than 20,000 square miles including St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. © 2007 American City Business Journals, Inc. and its licensors. All ***************************************************************** 21 Reuters: Dull birds fared better after Chernobyl - study Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:32PM EDT By Michael Kahn LONDON (Reuters) - Birds with bright feathers suffered worse from contamination after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, a study into the impact of radiation on different species showed on Wednesday. Four groups of birds in the forests around Chernobyl -- the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986 -- declined more than others, researchers examining 1,570 birds from 57 different species at varying distances found. Birds with red, yellow and orange feathers, birds that laid the biggest eggs and those that migrated the farthest were hardest-hit, possibly because they use up more of a natural chemical that forms a remedy against radiation. "These are the species that seem to be missing or depressed in numbers," said Timothy Mousseau, an ecologist at the University of South Carolina. The results bolster an earlier study of barn swallows in Ukraine indicating that impact from radiation varies among species, said Mousseau, who worked with Anders Moller of the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie. Survival seems to stem from antioxidants -- natural chemicals usually obtained through diet that help fight the negative effects of oxygen free radicals generated by DNA-damaging radiation, Mousseau said. Activities like producing pigments for feathers, migrating long distances and laying large eggs all use up crucial antioxidants and put these groups of birds at greater risk from radiation following the 1986 disaster, he said. The study, which the team said was the first linking the effects of radiation on population size of different species to antioxidant defense, also shows that reports of species rebounding in the area may be off the mark. The results could help scientists better understand the implications for animals elsewhere, particularly in mountain regions that tend to have higher levels of natural radiation. "There are no studies of the biological consequences of such variation in natural levels of radioactivity, but we suggest that some of the consequences can be predicted from the present study," the researchers said in the study in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology. © Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 BCNG Portals: Nuke clean-up veteran buoyed by govt. statement Bren Keetch in Nov. ‘06. By Jim Sinclair Sooke News Mirror Jul 11 2007 Otter Point resident Bren Keetch is pleased with a recent article in the Ottawa Citizen illuminating an issue he has been struggling to make public for decades. The article cites a report called for by Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor in January of this year, that Keetch feels is the most extensive official disclosure of Canadian involvement in nuclear testing and clean-up to date. The Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (CCNR) has worked to reveal information regarding conditions under which workers toiled following accidents, and also tests they had been required to witness. Roughly 30 occasions have been noted by the coalition. The same subject has been broached in a Sooke News Mirror story published on November 29, 2006. Keetch was a young man in the 50s when he took part in the clean-up of a nuclear reactor in Chalk River Ontario. A member of the Canadian Forces, Keetch was part of a group sent in to a facility that had undergone a major accident. Knee-deep radioactive water was part of the soldiers’ working environment as they laboured while clad in only the most basic of protective wear. Keetch said he always knew something was wrong with the whole episode, and his feelings of exploitation followed by neglect only intensified as innumerable mates fell ill and passed away over the years. Keetch has insisted the government is responsible for the welfare of Canadian personnel who had been exposed to such contamination, and in cases where illness and death had resulted, morally bound to compensate victims and/or their relatives. Keetch is elated with the published material from the Nation’s capital. “I wrote a letter to the Honourable Minister O’Connor,” Keetch said on June 22, “thanking him profusely for getting on to this matter before it reaches its 50th anniversary.” While perhaps coming short of a full apology and commitment to compensate surviving personnel, the report encourages Keetch, who explained how much. “On a scale of one to 10...8,” he said. “I’ve been working on this matter since my discharge – the 12th of January, 1966.” He agreed that up until now this report has been the brightest light he has seen in the process. It could be the precursor to a full making of amends by the government if he has his way. “I’m enjoying reasonably good health for an old man,” said Keetch when asked if some resolution might be bittersweet, if it were to come at all. “However, many of my comrades are dead. Of course there are spouses and children that were totally ignored by the Department of National Defence.” Keetch will continue to watch for further developments in the hope he will gain closure to his ordeal. Copyright © 2007 Sooke News Mirror A Division of Black Press Group Ltd. ***************************************************************** 23 ajc.com: Nuclear expansion plan would require bids By MARGARET NEWKIRK The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 07/11/07 Georgia Power will have to consider other options before it proceeds with proposed new nuclear plants, under a deal to be taken up by the state Public Service Commission on Thursday. It's supported by Georgia Power, as well as groups representing the company's biggest consumers. The commission will discuss the deal in committee meetings Thursday morning and vote on it that afternoon. The no-bid nuke proposal has been one of the most controversial parts of the debate to date. The company had asked for a waiver of state-mandated bidding related to its next big power supply construction project — two new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro. If the commission accepts the deal, Georgia Power would begin an expedited bidding process that would allow other companies to submit bids, allowing the commission to weigh whether new nuclear reactors are in fact the cheapest and best option. The deal's language also endorses Georgia Power's interest in nuclear expansion in general, calling it reasonable. Other than the bidding language, the deal isn't likely to satisfy environmental advocates, who had argued against nukes and for more ambitious investments in energy efficiency and renewable sources of power. The settlement endorses five new energy efficiency programs proposed by Georgia Power. It also allows Georgia Power to earn a profit off such programs for the first time — although less than half as much profit as the company had originally requested. ajc.com Archives Yellow Pages © 2007 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ***************************************************************** 24 TheDay.com: Millstone Wants To Replace Siren System Published on 7/11/2007 Millstone Power Station is looking to replace three warning sirens in existing locations in Montville. The current sirens are about 30 years old and are being replaced at no cost to the town. Sirens are located throughout the approximately 10-mile emergency planning zone in the East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lyme, Montville, New London, Old Lyme, Waterford and Fishers Island, N.Y. The sirens are designed to alert the public of a nuclear power-plant emergency, natural disaster or any other major emergency. They emit several different tones, each one serving a different emergency function. When necessary, sirens will be activated by the local community officials. Sirens are maintained and routinely tested by Millstone. Montville currently has seven sirens but Fire Marshal Ray Occhialini said Millstone plan to decrease that amount to five. The three being replaced are on Moxley Road at Old Colchester Road, Fire Street at Chesterfield Road, and Sharp Hill Road by Calvary Church. Occhialini said the new sirens would be installed next to the existing sirens and the old ones would then be removed. Occhialini said Waterford, East Lyme and Groton have already completed the easement process and have started replacing the sirens. The Town Council must approve easements for the sirens to be installed. A public hearing is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13. — Amy Renczkowski Montville Privacy Policy | Contact Us at 1 (860) 442-2200 | New London, CT | © 1998-2007 The Day Publishing Co. ***************************************************************** 25 Guardian Unlimited: Brazil: $540M for Nuclear Program Wednesday July 11, 2007 7:46 AM SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that Brazil will budget about $540 million over eight years to complete its nuclear program, including uranium enrichment and possibly building a nuclear-powered submarine. ``I believe that this project could be the embryo for all we need from the point of view of nuclear energy and from the point of view of energy production,'' Silva told reporters Tuesday after visiting a navy research center in Sao Paulo state. The country says its nuclear program is peaceful and it has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons. In 2004, the Brazilian government drew attention when it refused unrestricted inspections by the International Atomic Energy Association, arguing that full access to its centrifuges would put it at risk of industrial espionage. Inspectors said they were satisfied after monitoring the uranium that comes in and out of the centrifuges. ``Brazil can give itself the luxury of being one of the few countries in the world to control all the technology of the uranium enrichment cycle,'' Silva added. ``Why not dream big, and say we want to arrive at the possibility of having a nuclear submarine?'' The navy's nuclear program, begun in 1979, has already mastered part of the enrichment process. But it lags in developing and constructing a reactor entirely from Brazilian technology, navy Adm. Julio Soares de Moura Neto said. Silva has frequently touted nuclear power as a way to diversify Brazil's energy sources and meet growing demand in South America's largest nation and economy. Last month, his government moved to restart work on a long-planned third nuclear power plant, Angra 3, which has been stalled since the 1980s by lack of funds. Brazil's two operating nuclear plants, Angra 1 and Angra 2, have an installed capacity of about 2,000 megawatts. Angra 3 would raise capacity to 3,300 megawatts, at a cost of about $3.6 billion, according to the Mines and Energy Ministry. Brazil's nuclear program began during a 1964-85 military dictatorship, and the ruling generals had secret plans to test an atomic bomb underground in the Amazon jungle. The idea was scrapped in 1990. Silva's announcement came a day after the government's environmental protection agency gave preliminary approval to a $10 billion to $14.7 billion project to build two dams in the Amazon that would generate 6,450 megawatts, or 8 percent of current electricity demand. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 26 Guardian Unlimited: Brighter birds more at risk from Chernobyl fallout Conservation | Ian Sample, science correspondent Wednesday July 11, 2007 Birds with brightly-coloured plumages face a greater threat from radiation released during the 1986 Chernobyl disaster than many other species, a team of ecologists claims today. A survey of bird populations in forests neighbouring the nuclear reactor found declines in the most vibrantly-coloured species, including blue tits, blackbirds and bright yellow orioles, suggesting they are more susceptible to damage from environmental radioactivity. Less colourful species, such as chaffinches and tree pipits, appeared to be less affected. The finding emerged from a detailed study of 1,570 birds of 57 species in wooded areas at least 20km from Chernobyl. Ecologists led by Anders Moller at the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris and Tim Mousseau at the University of South Carolina, gathered information on bird numbers throughout the region and compiled records on their body mass, egg size, the area they covered and their migration distances. They compared all of these factors with radiation levels. The brightly-coloured birds that seemed worst affected were species that use antioxidants called carotenoids to colour their feathers or beaks. Other species badly affected also used up large amounts of antioxidants. The scientists suspect that antioxidants may be crucial to understanding why some bird species appear more susceptible to radiation than others. In the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology today, the scientists write: "We found that bird species differed in their response to radiation from Chernobyl. The strongest declines in population density with radiation level were found for species with carotenoid-based plumage, long-distance migration, and large eggs for their body size." In pictures Fallout: the toxic legacy of Chernobyl and other nuclear disasters Related articles 13.04.2006: Sheep farms under curbs see no end to Chernobyl fallout 31.03.2006: Linda Walker: We need to know the truth about the Chernobyl fallout 26.03.2006: Adam Higginbotham: Chernobyl 20 years on 25.03.2006: UN accused of ignoring 500,000 Chernobyl deaths From the archive 30.04.1986: Russia admits blast as death fears rise 30.04.1986: Leader: A disaster without frontiers Special reports Ukraine Russia Nuclear industry Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 27 IHT: Regulators issue license to phony company to buy radioactive material in sting operation - International Herald Tribune The Associated Press Published: July 11, 2007 WASHINGTON: Congressional investigators set up a bogus company with only a postal box and within a month obtained a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that allowed them to buy enough radioactive material for a small "dirty bomb." Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, who will ask the NRC about the incident at a Senate hearing Thursday, said the sting operation raises concerns about terrorists obtaining such material just as easily. Nobody at the NRC checked whether the company was legitimate and an agency official even helped the investigators fill out the application form, Coleman said in an interview Wednesday. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission acknowledged that more checking is needed in such licensing and said that since being told of the GAO sting operation it has tightened licensing procedures. The license that was obtained allowed for the purchase of up to five portable moisture density gauges widely used in construction, in which are encased small amounts of cesium-137 and americium 241, two highly radioactive isotopes. Individually, these devices pose little threat because of the small amount of radioactive material, radiation experts say. Still the devices require an NRC license to be purchased and must be closely safeguarded by companies that use them to avoid theft. But the investigators from the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, found a way to purchase as many as 45 of the gauges and could have bought many more because they duplicated the NRC-issued license and removed the restrictions on the amount that could be purchased. "With patience and the proper financial resources, we could have accumulated from other suppliers substantially more radioactive source material than what the two supplies initially agreed to ship to us," says the GAO in a report prepared for Thursday's hearing. Coleman, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs investigations subcommittee, said the NRC "still has this good-faith assumption. The problem is there are bad-faith people out there." He said "there is no question" they could have obtained enough radioactive material to make a dirty bomb because the GAO was able to duplicate the certificate and no one checked on the company or whether the counterfeit license was legitimate. A so-called dirty bomb could spread radiation by a conventional explosion but does not have a nuclear detonation. While experts believe such a bomb would not cause casualties beyond those affected by the explosion, such an attack could have significant psychological impact and have serious economy consequences because of cleanup problems. The GAO said that investigators operated the sting from their Washington office, although they provided a postal box in West Virginia. At one point, an NRC license examiner called them to caution that the gauges are subject to special security at the construction site. The GAO said that it contacted two suppliers of the gauges and that one "offered to provide twice as many machines as we requested and offered a discount for volume purchases." The investigators also were told that the supplier does not check with NRC to confirm the terms on the license, a copy of which was sent to the supplier along with the purchase order. The GAO investigators never finished the deal because they did not have the money to buy the machines — which can cost several thousand dollars apiece — and also did not have any place to safely store them. Copyright © 2007 the International Herald Tribune All rights ***************************************************************** 28 HeraldTribune.com: Tallevast fears are confirmed STAFF PHOTO / NINA GREIPEL / Tallevast resident Laura Ward, left, technical consultant Tim Varney and legal adviser Jeanne Zokovitch welcomed the report Tuesday. Report backs residents' claims that bad well water raised cancer risk BY CHRISTOPHER O'DONNELL TALLEVAST -- Tallevast residents who have claimed for years that their health has suffered from polluted ground water finally have a government report that backs them. A recent Florida Department of Health report acknowledges that until 2004, residents of the predominantly black community were exposed to pollutants in well water that increased the likelihood of kidney and liver cancer, leukemia and lymphoma. The report could play a vital role in bolstering residents' lawsuit against Lockheed Martin, the company responsible for cleaning up more than 200 acres of polluted ground water. Tallevast community leaders welcomed the report but at a meeting with Department of Health officials Tuesday called for bolstering the link it makes between residents' health and the contamination. "It was important for us to set the record straight," said Wanda Washington, vice president of community group FOCUS. "People need to know the truth; they need to know what they've been exposed to." Based on levels found in private wells, Tallevast residents who used polluted water every day for 42 years would have a low to moderate increased risk of cancer, according to the report. The report also states that workers at the former plant were at risk because of an on-site well. But a consultant representing FOCUS said the language of the report downplayed the risk residents faced. "Many of these cancers have incidence rates that are less than one or just over one in a million," said Tim Varney, of Tampa-based Environ International Corp. "We're talking about a significant increase." The pollution at Tallevast was left behind by the former American Beryllium Co., which built parts for nuclear warheads for the federal government for nearly 40 years. Lockheed bought the site in 1996 and shut down the plant. It later sold the property, but not before discovering soil and ground-water pollution. In 2000, Lockheed notified county and state officials of the pollution, which included trichloroethylene, or TCE, a compound linked to liver and kidney cancer and other ailments. But residents, who were not informed for almost four more years, continued to use well water. Homes in the community were switched to the county drinking water system in 2004. Water is not safe to drink if the level of TCE exceeds 3 parts per billion, according to state standards. The levels in Tallevast average 300 and have been measured as high as 35,000 close to the former plant. "I don't think there's any doubt it was a public hazard," Varney said. The meeting in Tallevast was attended by Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. Officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Manatee County were also present. The Department of Health report uses modeling systems to calculate whether exposure to TCE and other contaminants would produce higher than normal rates of cancer in the community. Made up of about 100 homes, the Tallevast community is too small to measure actual cancer rates against the national average, said Randall Merchant, a environmental administrator with the Department of Health. But representatives of FOCUS questioned the validity of the modeling process, saying there was no accurate record of incidents of cancer until 1981, almost 20 years after the American Beryllium Company opened its Tallevast plant. "If we had the data, it would be a tough nut to crack," Varney said. "Without the data, it's almost impossible." Last modified: July 11. 2007 4:29AM Serving the Herald-Tribune newspaper and SNN Channel 6 © Sarasota Herald-Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Member Agreement ***************************************************************** 29 Bradenton.com: Tallevast pollution declared health risk 07/11/2007 | TIFFANY TOMPKINS-CONDIE/ttompkins@bradenton.com SOUTHERN MANATEE, 9/10/07--Jeanne Zokovitch and Tim Varney after a Tallevast meeting at Mt. Tabor Church. By DONNA WRIGHT dwright@bradenton.com TALLEVAST -- Contaminated groundwater under the former Loral American Beryllium Co. plant and in the Tallevast community may have been a public health hazard, state health officials say. And prolonged use of contaminated groundwater increased the theoretical risk of kidney and liver cancer, as well as leukemia and lymphoma, according to Randy Merchant, leader of the state's three-year public health assessment of the Tallevast community. The assessment is the first and only study that has addressed the threat of long-term exposure to chemicals found in the underground plume. Merchant met Tuesday at Mount Tabor Church with Tallevast leaders and their technical consultants Tim Varney and Jeanne Zokovitch, an environmental lawyer. Also in attendance were Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and staff representing Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota. Garrett Smith, an attorney representing Tallevast residents in their lawsuit against Lockheed Martin Corp., the party responsible for cleaning up the toxic plume, was present, as well as Bill Kutash from the Department of Environmental Protection and Tom Larkin and Ron Cox from the Manatee County Health Department. After reviewing a draft of the final assessment report, Tallevast leaders said the document leaves too many questions unanswered while a Lockheed official warned the state may have overestimated health risks. Qualifying language dismisses the very risks the report documents, said Varney, who asked Merchant and his team to re-evaluate exposure data using the latest scientific findings on how exposure to multiple chemicals over time may affect cancer risk and adverse health impacts. Varney also asked for further studies that would examine not only past cancer data but also the potential for latent cancers yet been identified. "We understand that everything is still in draft form," said Varney. "We also understand that a risk assessment is not a simple task but a very difficult undertaking. Going through a series of rewrites is not uncommon and it can be a very frustrating and disappointing task." Merchant promised his team, which works with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will take residents' concerns seriously. "I don't disagree with any of the points taken," Merchant said. "We have a strong desire to work with the community to make sure all of their questions are answered. I promise your concerns will have close scrutiny." Galvano echoed Varney's concern. "This is not an unreasonable request," he said. "They want a plain language approach. The state should have the confidence to say what the risk is, rather than hedging their bet." Zokovitch said the document's language diluted its message. "Our overreaching goal is to get more precise language and explanations in the documents," said Zokovitch. "We want to know why you did what you did, what you found, what that means. We want to find ways to make the document more accessible to residents." Varney lauded the state for taking on the challenge. "It's complex and takes time," said Merchant. "We appreciate your patience. We are not finished yet." Varney stressed the importance of working through the advocacy group FOCUS, which stands for Family Oriented Community United Strong. The legal document that establishes Lockheed Martin Corp., the former owner of the beryllium plant when the contamination was found in 2000, as the responsible party for cleaning up the toxic spill, identifies FOCUS as the main contact group for the community. From the very beginning, FOCUS has strived to work cooperatively with Lockheed and state officials, Varney said. "The community has attempted to partner with everybody," Varney told Merchant. "They don't want to be in an adversarial position. They want you to get the best final report you can." When asked if the state health department has the technical and financial resources to address Tallevast's concerns, Merchant said he would not know until he talked to other members on the health assessment team. While Lockheed Martin officials did not attend the meeting, they raised their own concerns in a June 16 letter to Merchant. Contaminated groundwater under the former Loral American Beryllium Co. plant and Tallevast community may have been a public health hazard. ? Past long-term use of groundwater contaminated with the highest measured concentrations of trichloroethylene or TCE - a chemical component of industrial solvents - by residents could have resulted in a moderate to high increased theoretical risk of liver, kidney, leukemia and lymphoma cancers. ? If former workers drank groundwater from wells on the company site with the highest concentrations of TCE, they may also be at moderate to high increased theoretical risk of liver, kidney, leukemia and lymphoma cancers. ? As long as no one uses groundwater for drinking, showering or other household uses, there is no apparent current or future public health hazard. ? Soil and surface water on the former beryllium company site poses no apparent public health hazard. ? The number of people living in the community is too small to make a definitive determination for the rates of kidney and liver cancers, leukemia and lymphoma. TALLEVAST RESIDENTS' RESPONSE n Qualifying language downplays risks. Contaminated groundwater presents a clear public health threat because the health assessment's own data identified increased risk of cancer or other adverse health impacts. n Report needs to present data in chart form for each contaminant in an easy-to-understand format. n Florida's Cancer Registry began in 1980, which means the cancer data studied does not cover the entire time period Tallevast residents may have been exposed to contaminated groundwater. n Health assessment does not incorporate the latest scientific findings on how risk is affected by exposure to multiple chemicals or how cancers spread throughout the body LOCKHEED MARTIN'S RESPONSE n Because of uncertainties, the report does not represent an absolute estimate of risk. n The assumptions, interpretations and recommendations made throughout this public health assessment tend to err on the side of protecting public health and may overestimate risk. n Workers and residents may mistakenly consider themselves represented by the "worst-case scenario." WHAT'S NEXT? n Florida Department of Health will address Tallevast concerns with federal health officials overseeing the health assessment process. Time frame - four to six weeks. n A draft of the updated report will be shared with Tallevast leaders and their technical advisers. n When completed, the final health assessment report will be shared with the Tallevast community in a public meeting. n Health officials will explore possible follow-up health studies. Bradenton.com | ***************************************************************** 30 VA: exposure meeting FR Doc 07-3361 [Federal Register: July 11, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 132)] [Notices] [Page 37816] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr11jy07-142] DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards; Notice of Meeting The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under Public Law 92-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards will be held on July 30-31, 2007, in room 530 at 810 Vermont Street, NW., Washington, DC, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. The meeting is open to the public. The purpose of the Committee is to provide advice to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on adverse health effects that may be associated with exposure to ionizing radiation, and to make recommendations on proposed standards and guidelines regarding VA benefit claims based upon exposure to ionizing radiation. The Committee's agenda will include discussions of medical and scientific papers concerning the health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. On the basis of the discussions, the Committee may make recommendations to the Secretary concerning the relationship of certain diseases to exposure to ionizing radiation. On July 30, there will be a presentation by VA's Public Health and Environmental Hazards Office. The July 31 session will include planning for future Committee activities and assignment of tasks among the members. An open forum for oral statements from the public will be available for 30 minutes in the afternoon each day. People wishing to make oral statements before the Committee will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis and will be provided three minutes per statement. Members of the public wishing to attend should contact Ms. Bernice Green at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Compensation and Pension Service, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20420, by phone at (202) 461-9723, or by fax at (202) 275-1728. Individuals should submit written questions or prepared statements for the Committee's review to Ms. Green at least five days prior to the meeting. Those who submit material may be asked for clarification prior to its consideration by the Committee. Dated: July 3, 2007. By Direction of the Secretary E. Philip Riggin, Committee Management Officer. [FR Doc. 07-3361 Filed 7-10-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8320-01-M ***************************************************************** 31 NAS Project: Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Depleted Uranium Project Title: Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Depleted Uranium PIN: PHPH-H-06-01-A Major Unit: Institute of Medicine Sub Unit: Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice RSO: Mitchell, Abigail Subject/Focus Area: Project Scope A committee of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will review, evaluate, and summarize scientific and medical literature regarding the association between exposure to depleted uranium and chronic human health effects. The study committee will focus on literature published since the IOM's 2000 report, Gulf War and Health, Volume 1: Depleted Uranium, Pyridostigmine Bromide, Sarin, and Vaccines was written. The committee will make determinations on the strength of the evidence for associations between exposure to depleted uranium and human health effects. The report might include recommendations for additional scientific studies to resolve areas of continued scientific uncertainty. The findings will not be limited to veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. They also will be applicable to veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The start date for the project is September 18, 2006. A report will be issued at the end of the project in approximately 15 months. Project Duration: 15 months Provide FEEDBACK on this project. Contact the Public Access Records Office to make an inquiry or to schedule an appointment to view project materials available to the public. Committee Membership Meetings Meeting 1 - 03/22/2007 Meeting 2 - 06/28/2007 Meeting 3 - 09/27/2007 Reports Reports having no URL can be seen at the Public Access Records Office Email: info@nas.edu ***************************************************************** 32 AFP: US nukes deployed in Britain in 1980s "posed safety threat" New Scientist - Wed Jul 11, 2:28 PM ET PARIS (AFP) - Nuclear-tipped cruise missiles deployed at a US base in Britain in the 1980s could have exposed millions of people to plutonium inhalation if an accident occurred, the British weekly New Scientist says. A warning from the government's Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) also said the base was the worst possible site for the missiles, according to top-secret documents that New Scientist says were released to it by the Ministry of Defence under freedom of information laws. Between 1983 and 1991, the United States stationed 96 cruise missiles at Greenham Common, in the southeastern county of Berkshire, to help offset a Soviet buildup in medium-range nuclear missiles. The deployment sparked the longest protest in Britain against nuclear weapons, including a women's encampment that stayed for 19 years, ending long after the base was closed. In reports in 1980, AWRE scientists calculated the "plutonium dispersion hazard" if a stored warhead caught fire or accidentally exploded. Of the 11 bases in England being considered for the missiles, Greenham Common was "the worst site which has been examined," as it was closest to large population centres. "If one warhead were to detonate, it is possible that the other seven warheads in the storage cell could be engulfed in the fire which is virtually certain to ensue from the rupture of the missiles' fuel tanks," they said. If so, 10 million people across southern England, including the population of London, could be exposed to an "inhalation hazard" from plutonium, one of the most toxic substances in the world. In two assessments, though, AWRE deemed the risk was "acceptable," the New Scientist report, carried in next Saturday's issue, says. New Scientist quoted the defence ministry as saying, "There has never been an accident involving nuclear weapons in the UK that has put the public at risk. The MoD (ministry of defence) maintains the highest standards of safety and security during the storage or transport of nuclear weapons." Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 33 times and star: Radiation tests on kids' bodies Published on 11/07/2007 ORGANS from children and Cumbrian crash victims have been tested by nuclear scientists probing plutonium levels in human tissue. The evidence emerged as QC Michael Redfern launched his year-long inquiry yesterday into the harvesting and testing of human tissue from workers at nuclear sites such as Sellafield over three decades. Fifty seven non-nuclear workers - as well as accident victims aged between 18 and 22 - had organs removed for testing. It is not clear whether consent was sought from the relatives of the dead but the research paper points out: “there are legal difficulties in obtaining autopsy material.” Nor is it clear whether families were told of the tests. Mr Redfern confirmed that Sellafield Limited has given him the names of 65 workers whose organs were taken and tested. The work was part of a research programme into the physical effects of working with radioactive materials such as plutonium. In a handful of cases, it is said that consent for organ removal was not sought from the relatives of the dead. Launching the inquiry, Mr Redfern QC, who headed the inquiry into the removal of children’s organs at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool, confirmed that scientists tested tissue from two control groups - meaning non-nuclear workers, as well as body parts from staff who worked at nuclear sites across England. He said lawyers found evidence for the wider testing in academic research papers. Though he did not identify specific research documents, a report written by a scientist from the National Radiological Protection Board has been tracked down by the Times & Star's sister paper, the News & Star. Entitled Plutonium in Autopsy Tissue in Great Britain, the report outlines how scientists tested bones, lives, lungs from dozens of Sellafield workers. Similar tests were carried out on tissue from more than 50 non-nuclear industry workers, including young adults who died in road crashes in the north-east and West Cumbria and from several “very young children.” Speaking in Whitehaven yesterday, Mr Redfern set out the terms of his inquiry, which will examine organ testing in the nuclear industry between 1962 and 1992. He said information already before the investigation showed scientists felt it necessary to compare test results for Sellafield worker body parts with results from tests on the body parts of people outside the industry. There was evidence that body parts were taken from workers at other nuclear sites, including Springfields nuclear plant in Lancashire and Aldermaston research facility in Berkshire. The two control groups, he said, were non nuclear workers who lived and died either in West Cumbria or elsewhere in the country. He said: “What we need to do is look at those nuclear installations which have laboratory facilities which are able to test organs or tissue to ascertain whether levels of radiation are within satisfactory limits.” There has been public unease over claims that organs were taken without the consent of relatives. View this story and the latest newspaper in full digital reproduction, just like the printed copy at www.timesandstar.co.uk/digitalcopy ***************************************************************** 34 Guardian Unlimited: Greenham nuclear risk for millions uncovered Ian Sample, science correspondent Thursday July 12, 2007 Nuclear missiles stationed at the former RAF base at Greenham Common in Berkshire put 10 million people at risk from radioactive contamination, according to documents released by the Ministry of Defence. The reports include scientific studies by government researchers at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston which warned there was a "credible" danger of a warhead accidentally catching fire or exploding, engulfing others in flames and sending a plume of radioactive plutonium into the atmosphere. One study among the reports investigated how the material was likely to disperse, revealing that the population of London was at risk of an "inhalation hazard" from any radioactive release. Between 1983 and 1991, the US military stored 96 nuclear-tipped cruise missiles at the airfield, which became home to the Greenham Common women's peace camp, one of the longest anti-nuclear protests in history. The base was returned to civilian use in 1993 following the end of the cold war. The previously secret reports, obtained by New Scientist magazine under the Freedom of Information Act, state that the MoD regarded the risk to the population as "acceptable", despite the misgivings of its own experts. One report, dated February 11 1980, examined the risk of a "plutonium radiation hazard" from a cruise missile fire. It found that a fire in a single silo, fed by fuel from the missiles, could release plutonium from eight warheads, creating a radioactive cloud that would be blown across much of the south-east of England. It concluded that Greenham Common, near Newbury, was the worst of 11 sites under consideration to house the missiles, because of its proximity to urban centres. A second report was produced on December 2 1980, after information from the US confirmed the warheads could explode accidentally, and after the decision had been made to station the missiles at Greenham Common and Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. It said: "If one warhead were to detonate it is possible that the other seven warheads in the storage cell could be engulfed in the fire which is virtually certain to ensue from the rupture of the missiles' fuel tanks." A response from the MoD, published in New Scientist today, did not "confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular place at any particular time", adding: "There has never been an accident involving nuclear weapons in the UK that has put the public at risk. The MoD maintains the highest standards of safety and security during the storage or transport of nuclear weapons." In 2001, the Atomic Weapons Establishment exceeded management targets for "abnormal events", including accidents involving nuclear material at Aldermaston and the neighbouring Burghfield bomb assembly plant. The company registered 826 accidents, including cuts, breaches of safety procedures and the failure of breathing apparatus worn by an employee handling radioactive material. Useful links British army Royal Navy RAF Ministry of Defence Nato United Nations Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 35 Guardian Unlimited: Sellafield body parts inquiry grows, says QC David Ward Wednesday July 11, 2007 The barrister investigating the removal of body parts from Sellafield workers and those at other nuclear plants over 30 years said yesterday that he expected the number of cases would rise beyond the 65 already disclosed by BNFL. But Michael Redfern QC refused to estimate how many cases he might consider in the year-long inquiry, whose sessions will be held in private. "I would not expect that it will be a large number," he said in Whitehaven, Cumbria, where the inquiry will be held. "But I would expect it to exceed, from looking at the research, 65. "It would be wrong to speculate. You could have mass hysteria on your hands if you were not careful." The inquiry was announced in April by Alistair Darling, then trade and industry secretary. Mr Redfern, who chaired the inquiry into the removal of children's organs at Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, will also consider cases at plants at Capenhurst, Cheshire; Springfields, Lancashire; Aldermaston, Berkshire; Harwell, Oxfordshire, and possibly other sites. Mr Redfern added: "I must make it abundantly clear that blame, fault, the conduct of the nuclear industry, have nothing to do with this inquiry save insofar as it bears upon the use of organs to investigate the cause of death and whether the law prevailing at the time was complied with." Since the inquiry was announced it has emerged that organs were removed at postmortem examinations and apparently burned by doctors investigating evidence of radiation contamination. Some families have called for a public inquiry but Mr Redfern said yesterday that private hearings, with their emphasis on an investigative rather than an adversarial approach, would mean the report would be produced earlier and families would feel more comfortable. He also said witnesses could remain anonymous. The report will be submitted to John Hutton, secretary of state at the new Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Mr Redfern hopes Mr Hutton will publish it in full. Useful links British Energy Department of Trade and Industry British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Greenpeace Come Clean WMD awareness programme UK atomic energy authority National Radiological Protection Board Friends of the Earth World Nuclear Association World Nuclear Transport Institute Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 36 AU ABC: No uranium mining for Qld despite company exploration bid - Minister ABC North West Qld Posted July 11, 2007 11:20:00 The Queensland Government denies there has been a softening of its stance on uranium mining. An exploration company has lodged applications to explore 920 square kilometres of land around Dalby and Kingaroy in the state's south-west, as well as other sites in northern Queensland for uranium. It is believed to be the first major search for uranium in Queensland in three decades, sparked by the soaring international price due to a critical shortage. Queensland Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson says the company involved, Duyfken Energy, would be well aware of the Queensland Government's no uranium mining policy. "It's in black and white - it's been there for years and it will continue to be there for years because the government position - as been well stated and made known by the Premier - is that there will be no mining leases granted for uranium in Queensland," he said. Tags: business-economics-and-finance, industry, government-and-politics, states-and-territories, uranium-mining, dalby-4405, kingaroy-4610, mount-isa-4825, rockhampton-4700, townsville-4810 ***************************************************************** 37 Murfreesboro Post: Radioactive waste meeting set Thu, Jul 12, 2007, 00:28 CST, 102 Readers By Michelle Willard Post staff writer The arrow marks the meeting site off Thompson Lane. Google Maps Tennessee Municipal Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) has set a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 17 in Murfreesboro to inform the public and gather opinion on the Bulk Survey For Release (BSFR) low-level radioactive waste disposal program. The meeting will be at the Fleming Training Center located at 2022 Blanton Drive (map) off N. Thompson Lane. In response to the recent revelation of low-level radioactive waste disposal in Murfreesboro’s Middle Point landfill, the General Assembly placed a 60-day moratorium on the BSFR program. SWAC was charged with reviewing the process and taking public comment on the issue before deciding on the fate of the program. The committee received a primer on the issue July 5 and agreed to take the issue to Murfreesboro for public comment. The July 17 meeting reviews the program and the risk of radiation exposure to the public from Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation officials. A video explanation will also be available. An open public comment period follows at 6:30 p.m. Oral comments will be recorded, written comments should be mailed to Joyce Dunlap at TN Department of Environment and Conservation 8th Floor, L&C Tower 401 Church Street Nashville, TN 37243 or e-mailed to Joyce.Dunlap@state.tn.us. The committee also meets July 24 at 10:30 a.m. for another public meeting for review of Bulk Survey for Release (BSFR) program in the L&C Tower in Nashville. More information on the meeting, the state sponsored BSFR program, or a link to the July 5 meeting can be found at www.state.tn.us/environment/rad/bsfr/. 615-869-0800 | online@murfreesboropost.com | 630 Broadmore Blvd. Suite 120, P.O. 10008, Murfreesboro, TN 37129 ***************************************************************** 38 Guardian Unlimited: EPA Investigating Waste at Camp Lejeune From the Associated Press Wednesday July 11, 2007 4:31 AM By ESTES THOMPSON Associated Press Writer RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating whether cancer-causing radioactive material was buried in the 1980s near a rifle range at Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps' primary base on the Atlantic Ocean. A recently recovered Navy document dated 1981 said the material included 160 pounds of soil and two animal carcasses laced with strontium-90, an isotope that causes cancer and leukemia. ``We are looking into this information to determine if we need to sample and where,'' said Dawn Harris-Young, a spokeswoman for the EPA's regional office in Atlanta. ``It's really early.'' The document said the dirt, carcasses and other materials containing strontium-90 originated at a naval research lab near the base and were buried in a remote area. According to the paperwork, the waste was later recovered, ``safely stored'' and was awaiting shipment to an approved disposal site in South Carolina. But base spokesman 2nd Lt. Craig Thomas said that because of record keeping practices in the early 1980s, the Marine Corps can't find any proof the material was shipped to South Carolina. The Marines informed the EPA of the past contamination while discussing the possible construction of a building nearby, Thomas said, adding that recent testing found there are ``no harmful materials'' at the site. ``I guarantee you the waste material from that lab is sitting over there'' at the range, said Jerry Ensminger, a former Marine master sergeant who found the 1981 document while researching the base's history of contaminated water. He also recalled seeing a sign warning of hazardous waste while hunting near the rifle range in 1986. Ensminger came across the Navy document, as well as others referring to ``radiation pools,'' while seeking information on chemical contamination of water wells at the base. He said he also found a water-testing report from 1984 that showed radioactivity levels of more than twice the allowed amounts. Over three decades, tens of thousands of Marines at Camp Lejeune and their families drank and bathed in water contaminated with as many as 40 times more toxins than permitted by safety standards. The wells had been contaminated with industrial solvents and were shut off in the mid-1980s. The base's water now meets federal standards. At least 850 former residents of the base have filed claims against the military, seeking nearly $4 billion, for exposure to the tainted water. Ensminger, 55, served in the Marine Corps for 24 years, living for part of that time at Camp Lejeune. His 9-year-old daughter, Janey, died of cancer in 1985. Today, he is a member of the Restoration Advisory Board, a panel of military and civilian representatives formed in 1996 to discuss the water contamination issues. He brought up the radioactivity report at a quarterly board meeting Tuesday night. At the meeting, Robert Lowder, Camp Lejeune's installation restoration program manager, said base officials have known about the 1981 document since 2004. ``It's a valid concern,'' Lowder said, according to The Daily News of Jacksonville. ``But we have to find supporting documentation and do more comprehensive sampling.'' Local officials have also said they will listen to Ensminger's concerns. --- On the Net: Camp Lejeune: http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil EPA: http://www.epa.gov/ Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 39 Aiken Today: Group to continue SREL investigation AikenStandard.com Tue, Jul 10, 2007 By JOSH VOORHEES Staff writer After a brief postponement, it appears as though the congressional committee looking into the looming closure of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory is prepared to move forward with its investigation. The U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology will hold "Part I" of a formal hearing on Tuesday, July 17 in Washington, D.C., according to a committee press release. When contacted, a committee spokesperson could not provide any additional details concerning how many total parts of the hearing there would be or when any such additional parts would be held. The original date for the hearing had been set for the end of June, but committee members decided to postpone the hearing to allow staffers more time to examine the large amount of records they requested and received from both the Department of Energy and the University of Georgia. Since the investigation was launched in May, it has increased in scope to include records from both UGA and SREL, in addition to those from the DOE. An official list of witnesses for the hearing has not yet been finalized, according to the committee. However, several key players are expected to be on hand to testify. Both Rep. John Barrow and former SREL Director Dr. Paul Bertsch have been in discussion with committee members about testifying, their respective offices confirmed Tuesday. Neither the Department of Energy nor the University of Georgia could provide details about who, if anyone, might testify from their own offices. Late last year UGA and DOE officials signed a cooperative agreement that greatly reduced department funding for the ecology lab for this fiscal year and completely eliminated funding for future years. Lab proponents had argued that decision was akin to closing the doors on the facility. Their assertions proved correct when last month, UGA officials announced plans to begin closure of the 56-year-old research facility. Committee members are seeking an explanation to the decision process that led to the termination of funding for the internationally-acclaimed research lab. Department officials have steadfastly maintained that it was understood by both the university and the lab that SREL was to become self-sustaining by seeking a variety of other grant-based funding. Laboratory officials have denied they made such a promise and have said that they were operating with the understanding that they would receive more than twice the $1.8 million provided by the department for this year. Funding for the infrastructure of the lab ran out at the end of May, at which time the University of Georgia stepped in to provide minimum funding for the lab in hopes of keeping it afloat until the committee had a chance to complete its investigation. The ecological laboratory is a research unit of the University of Georgia and is located on the Savannah River Site. Throughout its history, it has received the bulk of its core funding from the Department of Energy. The lab has been responsible for monitoring the impact of the nuclear complex on the environment. Contact Josh Voorhees at jvoorhees@aikenstandard.com. © 2005 The AikenStandard. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 40 SF New Mexican: LANL: Group calls for stronger contaminant monitoring By ANDY LENDERMAN | The New Mexican July 10, 2007 Lab officials say there’s nothing new in report on airborne particles Investigators have found higher than expected levels of radioactive dust in homes and businesses from White Rock to Picuris Pueblo and are calling for more aggressive monitoring of airborne contaminants — a potential health risk — in the area around Los Alamos National Laboratory. Officials with the Government Accountability Project, which reported on their findings Tuesday, are concerned about the nature of the pollution since people are more likely to be exposed to the contamination because it is in the form of fine dust that can travel easily and lodge in the lungs. But lab officials say there’s nothing new in the report, and much of the contamination caught by citizen watchdogs is either naturally occurring or nuclear fallout from nuclear weapons explosions conducted during the Cold War. Indoor dust samples had higher radiation levels than surrounding soils, and three locations in Los Alamos had higher plutonium levels than safe soil standards established by the New Mexico Environment Department. The report covered Los Alamos, White Rock, and San Ildefonso and Picuris pueblos. “For area residents, low off-site levels of radioactivity can translate into higher human health risk levels than on-sight materials,” the report says, referring to the lab. “Radioactive contaminants collect in residential dusts, and will remain there for long periods unless additional mitigation measures are put in place.” Eighty samples were taken from farm fields, homes, businesses and other locations from November 2006 to last May. “What we think this study means is that there needs to be more independent studies,” Tom Carpenter of the Washington, D.C., based Government Accountability Project said. “We think that the citizens around here should demand that Los Alamos and the government do a better job looking at pathways, human pathways for radiological exposure. We think that dust pathways are ignored.” An environmental scientist from Los Alamos lab said the radioactive isotopes associated with nuclear weapons — plutonium, strontium and cesium — were reported in the same concentrations and ratios that have shown up all over the country. And that’s why Los Alamos thinks the contamination found by the activist group, with one exception, comes from old nuclear weapons tests and not lab activity. “Lab contamination does not have that same ratio. …,” scientist Mike McNaughton said. “LANL contamination has different ratios, different proportions.” Lab officials did not disagree with the measurements reported in the Government Accountability Project report. And most of the radioactivity found in dust appears to come from naturally occurring radon, the lab reports. Another lab scientist, Craig Eberhart, said it’s not unusual for radon levels to be higher inside than outside. Still, most of the environmental study done by the lab is conducted on lab property, and most of it is done by scientists employed by the lab, said Marco Kaltofen, a Boston-based scientist who analyzed the samples. “Knowledge is power,” Kaltofen said. “Find out exactly what we’re dealing with.” Carpenter said the Government Accountability Project intends to raise more money for a bigger study and return to New Mexico. Contact Andy Lenderman at 995-3827 or alenderman@sfnewmexican.com. Copyright 2007 The New Mexican, Inc. ***************************************************************** 41 Hanford News: South Dakota wins federal underground lab project This story was published Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Science Foundation has chosen South Dakota's closed Homestake Gold Mine to house a federally funded underground physics lab, a project that could bring millions of dollars to the state. The state won the project, called the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory, over Washington and two other states. The project is designed to study the history and makeup of the universe. In a news release, the agency said Homestake offers the greatest potential for developing the lab. Tony Chan, assistant director for the agency's Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, said the closed mine is a "unique, world-leading facility." The lab at Lead, S.D., in the northern Black Hills, would be the largest and deepest facility of its kind in the world, according to the agency. The state stands to gain about $300 million in federal funding and the potential for millions of dollars more in scientific grants to participating universities. South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and two of the state's members of Congress praised the announcement. "This is an opportunity for South Dakota children to meet and participate and to learn with some of the greatest minds throughout the world," Rounds said. "There'll be scientists and researchers and technologists coming in from literally throughout the world to come and to study in this brand new national laboratory right in the Black Hills of South Dakota." Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., joined Rounds on a flight to Lead. They vowed to secure the funding now that a site has been chosen. "That mine for 125 years was a gold mine and when it shut down, it was a tremendous economic hit to the Black Hills and the entire state. This is like the gold strike of the 21st century," Thune said. Herseth said she spoke by phone Tuesday to Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., who's recovering from a brain hemorrhage. "He's as excited as we are," she said. "We're committed just as we did in saving Ellsworth Air Force Base and working together to secure the necessary resources now to make sure the (lab) goes forward in a timely way." The team developing the project is expected to receive up to $5 million a year for three years to continue developing a plan for the lab. Construction is scheduled to start in fiscal year 2010, depending on funding from Congress. The state touted Homestake's depth, its existing miles of tunnels and shafts, and immediate availability. Mining stopped at Homestake seven years ago. The benefit of a deep underground lab is the absence of cosmic rays that can interfere with experiments. Homestake and a mine in Colorado were chosen in 2005 as finalists for the lab. The NSF reopened the competition in 2006 after the University of Washington complained it's proposal was unfairly eliminated. The foundation later accepted proposals from Washington and Minnesota. The other locations are the Henderson Mine, a working molybdenum operation near Empire, Colo.; the closed Sudan Iron Mine near Sudan, Minn.; and Pioneer Tunnel near Scenic, Wash. The South Dakota site had a lot of money and local support behind it, and was particularly intriguing because the state was willing to open the site right away so an interim laboratory could be set up, said Wick Haxton, a UW researcher and proponent of the Washington site. "Our view is we did the best we could and we didn't come out on top, so our job is to support our colleagues in South Dakota now. My colleagues here will be anxious to work in any deep site that the NSF can provide," he said. The Colorado and South Dakota teams already have received $500,000 each to prepare a conceptual design. Sen. Johnson also obtained $10 million from the federal government in 2001 to maintain the mine in preparation for the project. The lab would conduct research in physics, astrophysics, earth science and geomicrobiology, studying particles from the sun, the formation of minerals and hydrology inside the Earth and microbial life deep underground. Physicists want to go deep underground to conduct experiments to increase their understanding of the universe's composition, its beginning and its future. More than a mile of rock would filter out many of the cosmic rays. "The reason for going underground is the same reason why astronomers look at stars at night," said Ken Lande, a University of Pennsylvania physicist who manages a small existing underground lab at Homestake. Scientists also want to study dark matter, which has gravitational force but is not visible. Other experiments would study whether protons decay, which the NSF has said would provide evidence that all the fundamental forces are united at some very high energy. In addition to the scientific research expected out of the lab, South Dakota stands to gain about $300 million in federal funding and the potential for millions of dollars more in scientific grants to the participating universities. No official cost estimates or staffing levels have been mentioned yet for the national lab. --- Associated Press Writer Carson Walker contributed to this report from Sioux Falls, S.D. ---- On the Net: Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory: http://www.dusel.org © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 42 Hanford News: Hastings pushes B Reactor standing This story was published Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 Annette Cary, Herald staff writer The U.S. Department of Interior needs to stop delaying consideration of Hanford's B Reactor for National Historic Landmark status, according to a letter from Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash. "The B Reactor played a pivotal role in our nation's history and deserves full and fair consideration by the Park Service," Hastings wrote in a letter Tuesday to Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne. A hearing on B Reactor by the National Park System Advisory Board's Landmarks Committee had been expected in April. That was delayed until June and now until possibly October when the board is expected to meet next. "I am concerned that without some action on the part of the Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Energy that it could be cocooned," said Gary Petersen, vice president for Hanford programs at the Tri-City Development Council. Supporters of the reactor would like it preserved and opened to the public as a museum. DOE's plan has been to cocoon all nine plutonium production reactors built along the Columbia River during World War II and the Cold War. The process includes tearing them down to little more than their radioactive core, reroofing them and sealing them to let their radiation decay over 75 years. Washington Closure is now working on N Reactor and historic B Reactor is next on its cocooning list, since delays in removing sludge from the basins of K East and K West Reactors mean that cocooning them will be delayed past Washington Closure's seven-year contract. Five reactors already are cocooned. However, Washington Closure's contract calls for beginning work to cocoon B Reactor no earlier than October 2009, said Todd Nelson, spokesman for Washington Closure. DOE also has reserved the right to withdraw the reactor from Washington Closure's cleanup schedule if a way is found to make it into a museum. In the meantime, Washington Closure is going ahead with plans to put a new roof on the reactor using money designated for the project by Congress. Bids are due July 18 and a contract could be awarded in mid- to late-August after review by DOE headquarters. The reactor was scheduled be cocooned starting as early as last October until DOE agreed to delay the action until 2009 to allow more time to see if the rector could be preserved. The National Park Service is studying the reactor as part of a comprehensive look at whether Manhattan Project sites across the nation could be saved and how that could be done. The study should be completed between fall 2008 and spring 2009. A designation of National Historic Landmark for B Reactor is no guarantee that it will be saved, but supporters see it as an important step. Only 3 percent of the properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places are also National Historic Landmarks because of what the National Park Service calls "exceptional value in illustrating the nation's heritage." A designation would recognize B Reactor's role in World War II and the Cold War. The reactor was built in 13 months during World War II, supplying plutonium for the world's first atomic explosion in the New Mexico desert and for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. It continued to produce plutonium for the Cold War until 1967 and also served as a model for other reactors. As a National Historic Landmark, the reactor would be protected from any action that could affect its integrity, including cocooning, until the action is discussed with the National Park Service. Hastings has asked that the advisory board that will consider the designation be convened as soon as possible and that the reasons for any further delays be identified. © 2007 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 43 YubaNet.com: Elevated Radioactivity Found Around Los Alamos By: Government Accountability Project Published: Jul 11, 2007 at The Government Accountability Project (GAP), a watchdog group and whistleblower support organization, published a study today detailing that elevated and potentially harmful levels of radioactivity are present in environmental samples collected in the area around the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. The purpose of the study was to determine whether radionuclides related to activities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory could be detected offsite, and if so, whether levels of offsite radiation could pose a health threat. The report is available on GAP's Web site here: http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2007/FinalLANLReport.pdf Eighty environmental and indoor samples were collected last November, and evaluated by Boston Chemical Data, Inc. Samples were taken from homes, farm fields, plants, next to roads, in a park, from vacuum cleaners and in local businesses. The samples selected were designed to reflect offsite conditions, and materials to which humans are routinely exposed. Results of the analyses for Strontium-90, Plutonium and Uranium isotopes, total radioactivity, and alpha and beta activity show that dusts and offsite biological materials are a source of radiation exposure to residents of the Los Alamos area. These radionuclides are man-made, and most likely were generated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. "We are concerned that a number of the random samples we collected contained potentially harmful levels of radioactivity. This study indicates that a broader and more extensive study is needed. We recommend that a health impact survey be undertaken to safeguard the public in and around the Los Alamos area," said the study's author, Marco Kaltofen of Boston Chemical Data, Inc. The findings included: - Indoor dust samples had higher radiation levels than surrounding soils: Seven of the eight samples with the highest radiation levels were dusts found from inside homes and offices. Dusts made up only 20 out of the total of 79 samples examined in this study. All six of the highest total alpha screening samples were dust samples. Human exposure to these dusts is troublesome as fine dust is more easily breathed into the lungs. Residential dusts from the Picuris Pueblo and from the San Ildefonso Pueblo were among the more elevated radiation levels in the set of residential samples studied. One notable sample included an interior dust sample collected from the washroom at the New Mexico Environment Department offices in White Rock, NM. The measured activity from this interior dust sample was the highest of the entire study set. Assuming a 200 day per year exposure at 8 hours per working day, exposure to this sample translates into an annual exposure of just over 48 millirems per year per gram of dust, almost five times the annual permissible off-site dose permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency (10 millirem per year) from a federal facility. Dust from a vacuum bag of Los Alamos's newspaper, the Los Alamos Monitor, yielded one of the highest radiation counts of alpha and beta radiation. The Los Alamos Monitor is located across the street from LANL acre legacy waste site, known as MDA B, which is slated for cleanup, and is east of Technical Area 21, the location of the plutonium facilities. -Significant plutonium 239/240 detections were found. Three of the test sites near LANL exceeded state standards for plutonium 239/240. Portrillo Canyon sediment slightly exceeded the reference value. A sample of wood ash from the San Ildefonso Pueblo was double the plutonium reference value. Most alarming, in downtown Los Alamos, soils in publicly-accessible areas were found to have the highest plutonium values of the entire study sample set – more than two orders of magnitude above the expected value. For example, a soil sample from an area next to the parking lot of the Los Alamos Inn was more than 200 times the state standard. Strontium-90, a man-made radionuclide, was also found at locations over 42 miles away on or near Picuris lands and in the dusts of homes there. - Remediation efforts are incomplete without reducing the release of contaminated airborne dusts and historic dust accumulations. Radionuclide movement via airborne particulates should be minimized. Radioactive contaminants remain in residential dusts, and will remain there for long periods unless additional mitigation measures are put in place. "The legacy of the nuclear arms race is a daily reality in the form of offsite contamination for certain residents of the Los Alamos area," said Tom Carpenter, GAP Nuclear Oversight Program Director. "Well funded and independent studies are urgently needed to protect public health and safety from health risks from Los Alamos radiation exposure." Community reaction to the findings in the GAP report included tribal and citizen group perspectives. Kathy Sanchez, Tewa Women United, stated "This is a continuation of our knowing that our health was impacted long ago by the nuclear business at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Now there is scientific proof that we have been impacted. This nuclear business must be stopped and LANL must stop making its neighbors homeland casualties of war. We need more intensive, independent testing related to these impacts." Ray Naranjo, Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE), stated "I am outraged that radionuclides and toxic chemicals are found in our homes and at dangerous levels. How will LANL and the DOE and its associates respond, now that there is more proof that contamination exists in the environment and in our homes? What steps are they going to take? Are they going to accept full responsibility? DOE and LANL have a trust responsibility to Native people and I pray that these issues are discussed fully with our tribal leaders and members of the public." J. Gilbert Sanchez, former governor of the Pueblo of San Ildefonso (1986 -1987), and the creator of the Pueblo's Environmental, Cultural Preservation and Economic Development Offices, stated "The Pueblo of San Ildefonso made its first official visit to sites within LANL/DOE in the summer of 1986 and found indications of our food path being impacted by LANL/DOE activities. My staff revealed to DOE officials that LANL and the University of California were signing off on the annual LANL Environmental Surveillance Reports that were incorrect and misleading. LANL/DOE never responded to these findings, which indicates that LANL/DOE would rather cover up any negative findings, even by a Sovereign Nation." Sheri Kotowski, Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group, located in Dixon, New Mexico, 35 miles downwind of LANL, stated "It is significant that Strontium-90 has been detected 42 miles downwind of LANL in dust in people's homes. This tells us that it is possible to gather significant data using relatively low-tech and inexpensive methods. LANL uses SUV monitoring systems that have not disclosed the information found in this independent, citizen-based economy monitoring. We need more independent citizen-based monitoring throughout the region that can establish a link between the environment and the health of the people." Joni Arends, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, stated, "These findings indicate that the mission at LANL must be changed so that cleanup is the priority, not expanded nuclear weapons production." Jean Nichols, a property owner from whom GAP acquired a sample stated, "We are outraged that a way of life that has been around for centuries is now threatened by pollution from a culture of greed and fear. Nuclear scientists and others at the labs need to turn to our native elders for guidance." Copyright © 2007 YubaNet.com, all rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 44 DOE: BP and LLNL sign technical cooperation agreement on underground coal gasification Public release date: 11-Jul-2007 Contact: Anne Stark stark8@llnl.gov 925-422-9799 DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory BP and LLNL sign technical cooperation agreement on underground coal gasification LIVERMORE, Calif. -- British Petroleum (BP) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) today announced they have signed a technical agreement to work cooperatively on the development of underground coal gasification (UCG) technology - the in-situ conversion of coal deposits into fuels and other products. UCG offers the potential to produce fuels and hydrocarbon feedstock from coal deposits, which may otherwise be unrecoverable. By introducing a carefully controlled supply of air or oxygen through wells into a coal seam, the coal can be reacted in situ to produce mixtures of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and other gases. These can be recovered to the surface through wells and used as fuel for power generation or as feedstock for the production of chemicals and other hydrocarbon products. The initial two-year technical agreement with LLNL will address three broad areas of UCG technology: carbon management to evaluate the feasibility of carbon dioxide storage underground; environmental risk assessment and management; and numerical modeling of the UCG processes to understand and history match pilot test results. The technical objective based on BP's in-house data is for LLNL to provide BP with expertise, model results, new capabilities and insights into the operation and environmental management of UCG. LLNL has been an international leader in UCG technology development and field deployment for more than 30 years and will provide its unique experience and capabilities in advanced computation, engineering, environmental management, and carbon management (including carbon sequestration). ### BP has long experience and extensive activities managing and producing coal bed methane and other gas resources, using world-leading technologies and expertise in seismic interpretation, directional drilling and fracturing techniques. In addition to the company's global reach, BP has extensive major project management experience. Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has a mission to ensure national security and to apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by the University of California for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Laboratory news releases and photos are also available at http://www.llnl.gov/PAO and on UC Newswire. ***************************************************************** 45 Knoxville News Sentinel: Erwin uranium spill cloaked in secrecy Federal regulators looking into NRC policy that kept details from being public By Andrew Eder (Contact) Wednesday, July 11, 2007 Federal regulators are reviewing a policy that has kept details on an East Tennessee nuclear facility — including a potentially deadly spill of highly enriched uranium last year — hidden from the public. Since August 2004, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has designated most correspondence with Nuclear Fuel Services Inc. as “official use only,” which has prevented inspection reports and other materials on the nuclear fuel producer from being publicly released. That policy kept a March 2006 uranium spill at the company’s Erwin, Tenn., plant out of public view for more than a year, until the incident was disclosed in May in a required annual report to Congress. Local authorities weren’t even informed of the spill. The disclosure drew attention from a Congressional committee, prompting the NRC to re-examine the “official use only” tag, an administrative designation that allows the commission to withhold sensitive documents without technically classifying them. NRC spokesman Roger Hannah said commission staffers were reviewing the designation for documents on Nuclear Fuel Services, and possibly other licensees as well. “I would assume that’s something they’re looking at across the board,” Hannah said. The March 2006 incident prompted a change to the company’s Special Nuclear Materials License, but the February order detailing the change was kept from the public, which would have had a right to request a hearing on the changes. Hannah said the NRC has decided to reissue the order publicly, possibly within the week. “The changes were an affirmation that NFS should establish a program to create a more robust safety culture within the plant among its employees and supervisors,” said Nuclear Fuel Services spokesman Tony Treadway. The spill last year involved about 35 liters of highly enriched uranium solution that leaked into a protected glovebox, then onto the floor in a facility where highly enriched uranium is “downblended” to a lower enrichment for use in commercial reactors, including TVA’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama. According to the NRC’s report, there were two chances for a “criticality” accident, where a nuclear chain reaction releases radiation. If such an incident occurred, “it is likely that at least one worker would have received an exposure high enough to cause acute health effects or death,” according to the report. More information on the event came to light last week in a letter sent to the NRC by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The NRC had provided the committee with inspection reports on the Erwin facility, which have not been publicly released. “NRC inspection reports suggest that it was merely a matter of luck that a criticality accident did not occur,” reads the letter, signed by U.S. Reps. John Dingell, the committee’s chair, and Bart Stupak, a subcommittee chair, both Michigan Democrats. The letter revealed that the NRC implemented its “official use only” policy in August 2004 after a request from the Department of Energy’s Office of Naval Reactors, which was concerned that sensitive national security information could be found on the NRC’s public records system. The memo that established the policy was itself kept from the public. “Thus, the public and Congress have been kept in the dark regarding NRC’s decision to withhold all documents regarding the NFS plant from public view,” the congressmen wrote. The policy was supposed to cover only documents related to Nuclear Fuel Services’ and another contractor’s program to make nuclear fuel for Navy submarines. Treadway said last year’s spill was not related to the company’s production of naval fuel. The NRC’s Hannah said he did not know why the spill was kept secret given the limited scope of the “official use only” policy. “Unfortunately, we’re in a position in this case where it seems the public has been denied the right to know what’s going on there,” said Linda Modica, a Jonesborough resident who chairs the Sierra Club’s national radiation committee. Modica said she lives downwind of the Erwin facility and drinks groundwater from the same watershed. “We have no idea what, if anything, was released to the air or water at the time of that spill,” she said. Yet the NRC has to walk a “delicate line” between giving citizens information about nuclear accidents and preventing terrorists from learning too much about bomb-grade materials, U.S. Rep David Davis said. Davis, a Republican who hails from Unicoi County, said he has a personal stake in making sure his constituents are safe — his mother-in-law lives a half-mile from the Erwin facility. “I want to make sure we use common sense on this issue,” Davis said. “We don’t want too much information out, but we don’t want to withhold information either.” With about 715 employees, Nuclear Fuel Services, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is the largest employer in Unicoi County. The private company has a history of fines and enforcement actions by the NRC, which regulates commercial reactors and other uses of nuclear materials. Erwin Mayor Don Lewis worked at the Nuclear Fuel Services plant for 43 years before retiring in 2002. Lewis said he had “heard rumors” about the spill but ultimately learned about it through media reports, the same way as the general public. But he said he had no concerns about the incident or the fact that local authorities were not notified after it happened. “I didn’t have any complaint whatsoever with the way it was handled,” Lewis said. “We can always ‘what if’ this, or ‘what if’ that, but really you got to look at the facts about the thing.” Treadway said the spill did not injure anyone or cause harm to the environment. He said Nuclear Fuel Services reported the incident promptly to the NRC’s two resident inspectors at the Erwin facility. The NRC later notified the state of the spill, but not local authorities. “We would have gone against (NRC) regulations should we have shared it with the public,” Treadway said. For Modica, that’s precisely the problem. “How can you trust that your government is duking it out for the public with respect to these polluters if they don’t tell you what they’re doing?” Modica asked. Business writer Andrew Eder may be reached at 865-342-6318. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 46 Knoxville News Sentinel: Mason not a Democrat— or a Republican By Frank Munger (Contact) Wednesday, July 11, 2007 Thom Mason said he’s politically independent, and that could be construed as being politically correct — and job friendly. As the new director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, he’ll be asking for help (and money) from Washington, D.C., regardless of which political party is in power. Mason, however, said he’s always been an Independent. “I’m not a member of either political party and I’ve always voted based on the individual, not the party,” he said. The ORNL director has only had an opportunity to vote one time in the United States since becoming a naturalized citizen last fall, but he’s had experience dealing with the power base in Washington. “Even in my previous job (as director of the Spallation Neutron Source), if you’re looking for funding a billion-dollar project, you better be able to engage in policy debate and that sort of thing,” Mason said. “We’re a federally funded institution, so we better be able to justify what we do to our political masters.” Mason said becoming a U.S. citizen, a virtual requirement for his new job, was not a difficult decision. No one in his native Canada tried to talk him out of it, he said. “Canada and the U.S. are fairly similar in a lot of ways. The differences where I grew up in Nova Scotia and Tennessee are not as great as the difference between Tennessee and Arizona. So I don’t see it as a particularly big deal. I’m not walking away from anything. I still have family (in Canada).” n There reportedly was tremendous pressure on ORNL managers to win one of the three biofuels research centers awarded recently by the Department of Energy. The award comes with a commitment for $125 million in funding over five years and establishes Oak Ridge as an important place for that work. Mason said it was a big win for the ORNL-led team, but with more than 20 teams submitting proposals, he said, “It was not at all obvious that ORNL would win.” The state’s support, including the commitment for a pilot biorefinery, was critical, Mason said. The broad proposal ranged from fundamental science — research on ways to modify plants and enzymes to break down the cellulose — to a refinery that can demonstrate the commercial viability of alternative fuels, he said. “This was only possible because the partnership of the state of Tennessee and the University of Tennessee made it viable,” he said. Winning the biofuels competition could have long-term benefits for Oak Ridge, Mason said. “Even though this is a five-year grant, this is not a problem that’s going to go away. I think it’s going to be pretty durable. If we can demonstrate some impact over the initial (period), we’ll be well positioned to go beyond that,” he said. n In an interview shortly before departing as ORNL director, Jeff Wadsworth suggested some research staffers are longing too much for the past — when there was tons of money available for basic research and not nearly as much paperwork needed to acquire it. Wadsworth said he studied the funding issues some years back when he was at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and tracked the decline of what he called “free energy” for research. “Not only did it come down, but it’s also become more fractionated; it’s become far more compartmentalized,” he said. “So it’s not only much less but more complicated and messy to deal with, and there’s more competition and oversight. That’s the way the world is . Congress wants to know what they’re getting for their investment. People scrutinize the (lab-directed research funds). They want to know why we’re doing things — accountability. It’s quite different than it was 30 years ago. So we have new phrases, like ‘use-inspired research.’ ” 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. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 47 Knoxville News Sentinel: Nuke plant has a 'big, big day' Y-12 visitors center,office facility readyon time, below cost By Frank Munger (Contact) Wednesday, July 11, 2007 J. Miles Cary From left, Robert Gowan, adviser to Gov. Phil Bredesen, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp and John Fees, CEO of the Babcock & Wilcox companies, stand for the singing of the national anthem during a site dedication ceremony for the New Hope and Jack Case centers Tuesday at the Y-12 Nuclear Security Complex. The two privately financed facilities, one a visitors center and one an office facility, were completed ahead of time and under budget. J. Miles Cary Longtime Oak Ridge photographer Ed Westcott, center, looks at a book of his photos with his daughter, Emily Hunnicutt, and her husband, Don, during a site dedication ceremony for the New Hope and Jack Case centers on Tuesday at the Y-12 Nuclear Security Complex in Oak Ridge. OAK RIDGE — Calling it a first step toward modernization of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., hailed the ahead-of-time, under-budget completion of two privately financed facilities. “This is a big, big day,” the congressman said Tuesday at the dedication of the New Hope Center, the plant’s new visitor center, and the Jack Case Center, an enormous office facility that will house about a third of the Y-12 work force. Wamp compared the two Oak Ridge facilities, which total 550,000 square feet and cost about $150 million to build, to the new visitors center at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. — a project of similar size and scope, but still uncompleted after six years of work and a taxpayer investment of nearly $600 million. The comparison underscores the difference between innovation in private industry and the sluggish process often associated with government projects, he said. Tom D’Agostino, the deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said the federal agency plans to apply the Oak Ridge model to other sites in the nuclear weapons complex. “I really want to copycat what you’ve done here,” said D’Agostino, the nominee to become _administrator of the NNSA, a semi-independent part of the U.S. Department of Energy that runs the weapons program. Lawler-Wood of Knoxville was developer of the successful Oak Ridge project and will lease the two facilities to BWXT Y-12, the contractor that manages Y-12 for federal government. Turner Universal was the construction chief for New Hope and Jack Case. While praising the cost control and tight schedule on the privately financed facilities, Wamp acknowledged the price tag for federal projects at Y-12 has escalated. The Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility is now projected to cost about $549 million, more than double the original estimate. Construction of the high-security storage facility, which will house the nation’s stockpile of weapons-grade uranium, is about 60 percent complete. The cost of the Uranium Processing Facility, a proposed facility that is supposed to replace the plant’s main production center, is now expected to cost about $2 billion — double the initial estimate — and construction has not yet begun. The rising costs have been mostly blamed on security changes needed to meet the evolving threat of terrorism. In an interview before Tuesday’s ceremony, Wamp was asked if federal agencies are using national security and homeland security as an excuse to spend carte blanche. “I’m constantly asking the question you just asked,” he said. “You can’t just spend regardless of cost. You have to weigh it and balance it.” Wamp said he believes the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, after earlier problems, is now under control. It’s “on track and responsibly managed,” he said. He said the Uranium Processing Facility is only going to be built if the HEUMF is successfully completed. The congressman said there might be other, more creative ways to procure such federal projects — even a high-security facility such as the UPF, where Y-12 would process uranium and build warhead parts. Wamp said the new facilities at Y-12 are critical to the nation’s security, but he warned: “We have to make sure that it’s not a bottomless pit You can’t just go haywire. There’s got to be some cost control and containment.” Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 48 lamonitor.com: Elevated radiation levels monitored by citizens' group The Online News Source for Los Alamos LANL cites natural and background sources ROGER SNODGRASS Monitor Assistant Editor A study by a national watchdog and whistleblower group calls for further independent investigation of contaminants in the environment around Los Alamos National Laboratory. The report by the Government Accountability Project (GAP) released Tuesday said some of the dust samples they collected last November from homes and offices around the nuclear weapons laboratory showed the highest radiation levels. At a press conference in Santa Fe Tuesday, the investigators stopped short of saying there was an immediate health risk, but said their results warranted additional surveillance. Tom Carpenter, director of nuclear oversight programs for GAP, said his group has double-checked a number of nuclear facilities to see if laws are being followed and public health protected. In a prepared reply to the report, the laboratory said there was nothing new or surprising about radioactivity in Los Alamos and attributed "most of the radioactivity these researchers found" to natural sources, especially radon, and global fallout from atmospheric testing. Marco Kalofen of Boston Chemical Data Inc., a civil engineer specializing in environmental studies, said the study had focused on contamination pathways that are not regulated and therefore are normally unexplored by the laboratory. The laboratory statement said the data was "consistent with our data and calculations," but that the signature radiation, the characteristic ratio of radionuclides specifically associated with the laboratory, was not evident in the information provided by the report. Mike McNaughten, an environmental scientist involved in monitoring programs at the laboratory, said this morning that the laboratory has not specifically studied indoor dust but would like to do so. "We will continue to review this report for any ways in which we might improve our extensive monitoring system," the lab's prepared response stated. One of the locations with elevated dust levels was the New Mexico Environment Department's office in White Rock, with the highest measured activity of the study, collected from a bathroom fan. The New Mexico Environment Department responded that their employees wear radiation dosimeter badges as a part of their work that have never shown elevated exposures. Environment Secretary Curry said in a prepared statement, "We need to learn more about the results of radiation in the dust and we plan to conduct further tests relating to this finding." Laboratory officials pointed out several numerical discrepancies between the datasheet and the numbers in the report. The point of gathering dust from bathroom fans, refrigerator coils and vacuum-cleaner bags, Marco said is that fine dust accumulates and can be easily re-suspended and wafted long distances. Data was collected as well from gardens, parking lots, interiors of offices and homes, vegetation and sediment in Los Alamos town site, White Rock, San Ildefonso, Picuris and Santa Fe. Additional samples were taken from Los Alamos canyons and watersheds. Dust from a refrigerator coil in Picuris Pueblo, more than 40 miles from Los Alamos, had the second highest readings for alpha and beta radiation, the report noted. Picuris Pueblo Governor Craig Quanchello, who introduced the press conference, said the study had opened his eyes. "Just because you have money and power doesn't mean you can hurt the people who live here," he said. The lab officials said the strontium-90 count for the pueblo was not out of line for a location with elevated rainfall. A sample taken from a vacuum cleaner at the Los Alamos Monitor yielded one of the highest radiation counts, according to the report. Monitor Publisher/Editor Ralph Damiani said health safety was a concern for everybody. "We will consult with the state environmental department and follow their advice," he said. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 49 Oak Ridger: New buildings, new era for Y-12 - Story last updated at 12:01 am on 7/11/2007 By: John Huotari | john.huotari@oakridger.com Scott Fraker/Staff A moment of prayer was held during the New Hope and Jack Case centers dedication ceremony. Pictured from left are BWXT Y-12 President and General Manager George Dials, National Nuclear Security Administration Y-12 Site Office Manager Ted Sherry, U.S. Rep. Lincoln Davis, NNSA Deputy Administrator Tom D’Agostino, and LaCrechia Lyons of BWXT Y-12. Two new privately financed buildings at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge will generate more than $1 million annually in city and county property tax revenues, officials said at a Tuesday morning ribbon-cutting ceremony. According to City Manager Jim O’Connor, Oak Ridge will collect about half of the new revenues — or roughly $530,000 in city property taxes. The Y-12 event, held at the recently completed New Hope facility, was one of two very well-attended building ceremonies held in Oak Ridge on Tuesday. The other was at Oak Ridge Associated Universities later in the day. Officials at the Y-12 ceremony said the two new buildings, which had a combined cost of $150 million, will help transform Y-12, saving lots of money and allowing employees to move out of older, dilapidated buildings into newer consolidated ones. Y-12 was built in the 1940s to help enrich uranium for atomic weapons. “These two facilities change the face of Y-12,” said U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn. Wamp attended both the Y-12 and the ORAU ceremonies, making additional appearances throughout the day in Oak Ridge as well. Many other local, state and federal officials also attended Tuesday’s events. Tom D’Agostino, deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said the new Y-12 buildings herald a new era. NNSA oversees the Y-12 site. “The future will be quite a bit different than the past,” D’Agostino said. About one-third of Y-12’s 7,633 employees will move into the New Hope and Jack Case centers, which have a total of about 550,000 square feet of space. The two-story, 137,000-square foot New Hope building on Scarboro Road will contain office space for 300 people, a 400-seat auditorium, a visitor’s center and a history display area. Meanwhile, the three-story, 410,000-square foot Jack Case Center off East Bear Creek Road will be the largest office complex ever at Y-12. It will have more than 1,000 offices, as well as a new cafeteria, and conference and occupational health center laboratory space. After 18 months of construction, employees are expected to begin moving into the new buildings this month. Lawler-Wood LLC was the developer of the two buildings, which were completed ahead of schedule and under budget. Officials cited the new privately financed buildings as a possible model to be used elsewhere. Wamp said other steps to transform Y-12 include completion of the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, now about 60 percent complete, and completion of the Uranium Processing Facility. 2004 The Oak Ridger | Conditions of Use ***************************************************************** 50 news @ nature.com: Government-funded labs have their perks, and their challenges - Published online: 11 July 2007; | doi:10.1038/nj7150-219a Gene Russo Life in a government laboratory can be pretty good. For a start, the money tends to be above average, and job security is usually fairly assured. On top of that, employees are free from the everyday administrative and teaching duties that they are saddled with at universities. All of this makes a career at a government lab sound quite appealing — but the institutions do vary from country to country, and even those with a high profile can sometimes find themselves on the back foot. Over the next two weeks, Naturejobs takes a look at two government labs — the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico (see page 220) and the institutes run by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC; see next week's issue). Although there are many similarities between the labs, including a strong history of landmark discoveries, there are also significant differences. The size of research groups tends to be smaller in Britain, for example, and national security concerns have had serious repercussions at Los Alamos. Indeed, as well as the need to adapt to the changing face of nuclear-weapons research, Los Alamos has found itself embarrassed by a series of security lapses. These, in turn, have led to changes in management, revamped procedures and, ultimately, a degree of staff attrition. Researchers at the lab may not have teaching duties, but they do have a veritable mountain of forms to fill out. But despite its recent problems, Los Alamos is still lauded for its interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research, high number of potential collaborators and ample resources — so it should be possible for the management and staff to restore its lost lustre. But perhaps the major challenge facing both Los Alamos and the MRC is the quest for talent. Although government labs offer good salaries, the private sector — whether pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms or Internet companies — often offers even better. Prestigious labs such as Los Alamos or those run by the MRC have their perks and attractions, but even they must strive constantly to find the people and research that will keep their decades-old reputations intact. ISSN: 1744-7933 Home | News | Features | Columns and blogs | ©2007 Nature Publishing Group | Privacy policy ***************************************************************** 51 KOB.com: Contaminated dust found in homes, offices near LANL Posted at: 07/10/2007 04:37:51 PM By: The Associated Press SANTA FE (AP) - A government watchdog group says dust samples it took last year from homes and workplaces near Los Alamos National Laboratory showed elevated levels of radioactivity. The Government Accountability Project took 79 samples last November of dust, dirt, plants and ash from areas near the nuclear weapons lab. None of the sites was on lab property. Project officials say seven of the eight samples with the highest radiation levels were from homes or offices. They say the results are troubling because fine dust is easily breathed into the lungs. The worst contamination was found in dust from a bathroom fan at a state Environment Department office in White Rock, near Los Alamos. Contaminated dust also was found at homes in Picuris and San Ildefonso pueblos. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************