***************************************************************** 09/19/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.220 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Send News Stories to news@energy-net.org with title on subject line and first line of body NUCLEAR POLICY 1 US: Seattle Times: Gregoire approves wind-power project | 2 US: WTN: `Republicans aren't alone in ignoring or distorting science 3 UN Atomic Agency Can Help Eliminate World UN Agriculture Chief Says NUCLEAR REACTORS 4 The Hindu: U.S. is pressurising us, say Left parties 5 The Hindu: Sci Tech: Fungi that live off radiation at Chernobyl 6 Bangkok Post: Some nuclear questions 7 US: Charlotte Observer: Power companies gear up for nuclear 8 The Calgary Sun: Nuclear power 'saviour' 9 The Hindu: Left parties flay Mulford's open call 10 US: Platts: Exelon investigating 'assertion' of lax security at Peac 11 US: Platts: Wisconsin PSC OKs $998-mil Point Beach nuclear plant sal 12 US: Platts: High nuclear plant capital costs may discourage new plan 13 US: NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meetings on Draft Envornmental Impact 14 Energy Bangla: IAEA Assures Technical Support N-energy to Bangladesh 15 US: Green Bay Press-Gazette: Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant sold fo 16 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Public comment period extended for Indian Point's 17 US: recordonline.com: Residents concerned NRC review too limiting 18 US: NRC: Telephone Bridge Line Established for Public Meeting Betwee 19 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Nuclear plant to be explored 20 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS); Notice of 21 Reuters: Suez keen to build new generation reactors in Europe | 22 US: NRC: NRC to Co-Sponsor Workshop for Minority Serving Iinstitutio 23 Prague Daily Monitor: Urban: Temelín safety cannot be assessed from 24 US: MSNBC.com: Plans move forward for new nuclear plants - Oil & Ene 25 Prague Daily Monitor: Czech-Austrian Temelín commission settles hal 26 US: JS Online: Point Beach sale gets green light 27 CBC News: Sask. should have nuclear reactors, former Greenpeace acti 28 US: Post-Standard: Update: Alert canceled at Nine Mile 2 - 29 US: NRC: Remarks Prepared for NRC Chairman Dale E. Klein IAEA Genera 30 AU ABC: Privatisation, Nuclear or the status quo?. 19 Sep 2007. 31 IAEA: Scientific Forum Opens with Session on Nuclear Energy 32 US: Bradenton.com: Wis approves $1B We Energies nuclear plant sale t 33 US: Deseret Morning News: Standing-room crowd hears legislative 34 US: Deseret Morning News: Nuclear energy foes to urge scrapping of p NUCLEAR SECURITY 35 US: Philadelphia Inquirer: Security probe at nuke site | 36 US: Reuters: Experts say U.S. nuke cargo scan rules unworkable | NUCLEAR SAFETY 37 US: Platts: Worker seriously injured in fall from turbine platform 38 US: CDC: Dose reconstruction board meeting 39 US: NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeti 40 Countercurrents.org: Depleted Uranium - A Way Out? By Felicity Arbut 41 US: UPI: Ex-workers at nuke plant may get payment NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 42 ENS: U.S. Would Turn Nine Tons of Weapons Plutonium Into MOX Fuel 43 US: Vail Daily News: Study: Risks of drilling at old nuke site minim 44 US: Daily News Journal: Landfill owner asks state to remove it from 45 US: Rutland Herald: Who pays for nuclear waste? 46 US: US EPA: EPA Adds Seven Sites and Proposes 12 Sites to the Superf 47 US: Newsday.com: Plan set for West Valley nuclear waste cleanup -- 48 US: Brandon Sun: Trigon Uranium paying nearly US$100K for Utah minin PEACE 49 ElBaradei warns of drift into Iran war 19 Sep 2007 50 [NYTr] Missile Shield: US Reply to Russia Drags on US DEPT. OF ENERGY 51 Seattle Times: Work scales up at Hanford waste plant | 52 Yakima Herald Republic: Reservoir could spread Hanford pollution 53 DOE: DOE Launches New Online Search Tool for Patents, 1940s to Prese 54 DOE: DOE Commits to Energy Efficiency in U.S. Data Centers 55 SF New Mexican: Groups say theyre shut out of Sandia Labs decision 56 Tri-City Herald: Black Rock may hinder cleanup at Hanford 57 Tri-City Herald: Hanford vit plant construction resumes 58 Columbian.com: Proposed reservoir could seep toward Hanford- 59 Knoxville News Sentinel: Weapons-usable uranium removed from South K 60 lamonitor.com: Budget action taking shape 61 lamonitor.com: 'Save Our Science' rally set for Friday 62 Knoxville News Sentinel: ORNL reactor schedule is irregular by desig 63 Oak Ridger: Solar experts gathering at ORNL for summit - ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Seattle Times: Gregoire approves wind-power project | seattletimes.com Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - Page updated at 02:10 AM By Warren Cornwall Seattle Times environment reporter Citing the growing importance of clean energy, Gov. Christine Gregoire on Tuesday took the unprecedented step of overruling local opposition to a wind-power project near Ellensburg. Gregoire's decision to allow the Kittitas Valley Wind Power project means as many as 65 towering wind turbines could line hillsides northwest of Ellensburg, despite a vote against the project by the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners. The case was closely watched by environmentalists, energy companies and local governments as a sign of whether wind projects near populated areas would be allowed in Washington, and whether the state would flex its muscles to force a project past local objections. "The concern was renewable-energy developers would just throw up their hands and say, 'Washington is making it tough.' Thankfully, this long saga appears to be at an end," said Marc Krasnowsky, spokesman for the environmental group NW Energy Coalition. However, both Kittitas County officials and a citizen group said they might appeal Gregoire's decision to the state Supreme Court. This is the first time a governor has overturned a local decision about a power plant, using a 1970 law to clear the way for controversial nuclear-power projects. Now wind has replaced uranium as the hot new Northwest energy source. In 2006, Washington voters approved an initiative requiring that 15 percent of all electricity used by major utilities come from renewable sources by 2020. Most of that is expected to come from wind turbines. To meet that demand, Gregoire wrote, "we will have to build infrastructure that broadly benefits our citizens, and may impose burdens on some." But critics said Gregoire's decision tramples local control of land-use decisions. "I fear this precedent will embolden energy companies to bypass local leaders and go to the governor to have projects imposed on communities," U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, whose district includes Kittitas County, said in a statement issued Tuesday. The turbines, with poles as tall as old-growth Douglas firs topped by massive, rotating blades, would stand on ridgelines on either side of Highway 97. The project by Horizon Wind Energy, a Houston-based firm, would produce roughly enough power to light 40,000 homes. The proposal drew protests from some nearby landowners, who said the turbines were out of place in a rural area dotted with homes. To ease concerns, the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, which oversees where power plants are built, required the developer try to keep wind turbines far from neighbors. That led to Gregoire's approval Tuesday. But it was too vague to satisfy Linda Schantz, a spokeswoman for the citizen group Residents Opposed to Kittitas Turbines. "It's not really there to protect us. It's just a feel-good thing," she said. Dana Peck, a project manager for Horizon Wind, said they hope to finish the project in 2008. Meanwhile, California-based enXco has asked the state to allow its 82-turbine Desert Claim project on land near the Horizon Wind turbines, despite opposition from the county commission. Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or Copyright 2007 The Seattle Times Company ***************************************************************** 2 WTN: `Republicans aren't alone in ignoring or distorting science for political gain | Tom Still • Published 09/19/07 Madison, Wis. - It has been six years since President Bush imitated Pope Urban VII and all but crippled federal support for human embryonic stem cell research, a 21st century version of the Vatican's gagging of Galileo for claiming the Earth revolved around the Sun. Bush was wrong about stem cell science then and he's wrong now - and the nation may someday pay a price for ceding the high ground in this ground-breaking field to medical researchers around the world. Just as Galileo wasn't the first scientist to come under scrutiny or be muzzled, however, neither is Bush the only politician at home or abroad guilty of shunning science and technology that conflicts with personal beliefs. In fact, entire political movements have been built on little more than that. Going anti-nuclear Consider the political left's stubborn refusal to re-examine nuclear energy as a potential antidote to global warming. Yes, the slow but steady conversion to biofuels, wind energy, and solar energy will combat climate change and replace waning supplies of some carbon-based fuels. But it will be years before many of those renewable technologies are commercially scaled, even if federal research funding grows at a Manhattan project pace. Nuclear energy technology - now in its safe and efficient third generation - is available today, leaves no carbon footprint and could help reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil. Here's the answer to your next question: Storing nuclear waste is not a scientific problem, but a political dilemma perpetuated by decades of fear-mongering. The repository at Yucca Mountain would be infinitely safer than leaving nuclear waste in above-ground casks, which is the status quo. When Bjorn Lomborg wrote The Skeptical Environmentalist in 2001, he turned the environmental community on its head by noting that many apocalyptic predictions had proven false. Opponents of animal testing, crop biotechnology, and forest-management practices have been cornered by the facts on many occasions, yet their political friends continue to shout down the science as if it really doesn't matter. Again, none of this is new. The left still lionizes Rachel Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, as one of the literary anthems of environmentalism. But the underpinnings of Carson's book were refuted almost instantly by scientists such as UW-Madison's Dr. Ira L. Baldwin, a professor of agricultural bacteriology who questioned her hypothesis that the pesticide DDT was linked to cancer in humans. Carson claimed (incorrectly) that few carcinogens exist naturally, and that manmade substances such as pesticides are elixirs of death - even in tiny quantities - because humans have evolved no protection against them. To Carson, there was no `safe' dose. In a scientific review of Silent Spring, Baldwin acknowledged that some pesticides could be harmful, especially if misused, but added that dosage matters a great deal. He also noted that mankind has been engaged in the process of upsetting the balance of nature since the dawn of civilization. Society must measure costs versus benefits, Baldwin wrote, as scientists, doctors, and farmers combine to fight an unrelenting war against insects, parasites, and disease. Historical lens Time has confirmed that Baldwin, not Carson, was right. Recent studies indicate most human carcinogens are natural, and the dosage of any carcinogen is far more important than whether it's natural or manmade. Meanwhile, how many people have suffered and died from malaria because even the emergency use of DDT was banned? As former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona testified earlier this year when asked about the Bush administration's sneering at science, Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological, or political agenda is often ignored, marginalized, or simply buried. That's a statement that could apply to liberals and conservatives today as in the time of Galileo. 2002-2007 Wisconsin Technology Network LLC. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 3 UN Atomic Agency Can Help Eliminate World UN Agriculture Chief Says Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:00:25 -0400 UN ATOMIC AGENCY CAN HELP ELIMINATE WORLD HUNGER, AGRICULTURE CHIEF SAYS New York, Sep 19 2007 1:00PM The United Nations atomic watchdog agency, best known seeking to combat nuclear proliferation and terrorism, has a major role to play in feeding the worlds burgeoning population, the top UN agricultural official said today. We believe in the peaceful use of nuclear technology as applied to areas such as agriculture, crops, fighting disease, and soil and water management, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) Director-General Jacques Diouf said, citing his agencys 40 years of cooperation with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (<"http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2007/foodagriculture.html">IAEA). Addressing the IAEAs Scientific Forum in Vienna, Mr. Diouf described the millions of hectares of higher-yielding and disease-resistant crops gained through radiation-induced mutations, the improvement of livestock and agriculture by eradicating insect pests such as the screwworm, tsetse fly and the fruit fly with the sterile insect technique (SIT), and isotopic techniques to enhance water use efficiency and crop productivity. With SIT, radiation is used to sterilize otherwise healthy insects, which are then released to mate without producing offspring, thus controlling and gradually eradicating the pest population. The tsetse fly carries trypanosomosis, also known as sleeping sickness, a parasitic disease that is a major constraint to sustainable development, affecting both humans and livestock. We obviously need to grow more food, and to do so in a sustainable manner and in full respect of plant and animal biodiversity, Mr. Diouf said, noting that with less than 10 years to go until the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to slash global hunger and other social ills, the problems facing the world in the areas of food and agriculture remain enormous. There are 854 millions of hungry people presently in a world population of 6 billion, expected to reach 9 billion persons by 2050, he added, hailing the joint FAO/IAEA programme, Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, as one of the best examples of inter-agency cooperation in the UN family. He said the MDGs could still be reached, but only if we redouble our efforts and focus them in locations and on actions where they can make a concrete and significant difference in a relatively short period of time. The two-day Forum coincides with IAEAs 51st General Conference. Wheat from Peru, tsetse fly traps from South Africa, and a sediment corer from the Caribbean were among the many hands-on-items at an exhibit showcasing the varied work of IAEA technical cooperation with countries and regions around the world. The exhibit Technical Cooperation: Delivering Results for Peace and Development focuses on concrete and tangible results that Agency projects have delivered to people around the world, IAEA Technical Cooperation Head Ana Maria Cetto said. It offers a snapshot of IAEA projects at both the national and regional level projects which are making a difference in peoples lives on a daily basis. 2007-09-19 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/ ***************************************************************** 4 The Hindu: U.S. is pressurising us, say Left parties Wednesday, September 19, 2007 : 1530 Hrs New Delhi, Sept. 19 (PTI): Ahead of the UPA-Left Committee meeting this evening, top Left leaders today met here to chalk out their strategy, with the CPI accusing the United States of putting pressure on India on the nuclear deal. "They (US) are pressurising us. You know it very well. They have set a timetable and they want India to work under the timetable," CPI leader A B Bardhan said when asked to comment on US Ambassador David Mulford's statement that time was running out for India on the deal. Asked the same question, RSP's Abani Roy said, "US is in a hurry. Let our government decide. We are meeting in the evening in which we will convey our feelings to them. Left has always been saying not to go ahead without proper consultation. If they go ahead, lets see what will happen". Besides Roy, the meeting is being attended by six members of the 15-member UPA-Left panel on the nuclear deal. Earlier, CPI's D Raja told PTI that it would be a "breach of trust" if the government went ahead with negotiations on the India-specific safeguards agreement at the ongoing IAEA meet in Vienna. The UPA-Left Committee was formed to go into the Left's concerns on the nuclear deal and the government had agreed that it would not operationalise the deal till the panel came out with its findings, he said. The leaders of the Committee are expected to discuss the Hyde Act and its impact on the 123 Agreement and India's foreign and security policy in today's meeting. Copyright 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the ***************************************************************** 5 The Hindu: Sci Tech: Fungi that live off radiation at Chernobyl Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 It was shown how ionising radiation encourages growth of melanised fungi Like chlorophyll, melanin uses a part of the electromagnetic spectrum to benefit the fungi The phenomenon may be useful to astronauts, who may harvest the fungi as a food source ====================================================================== Occasionally, the lowliest of the lowly beings get global attention by being at the most unexpected places. This was what happened to some microorganisms including Cladosporium sphaerospermum (CS). This tongue-twisting name belongs to a type of humble fungus. Five years ago, Dr. Arturo Casadevall, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, U.S., read in the web that a robot sent into the still highly radioactive damaged reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, returned with samples of black fungi, which were growing on the reactors walls. (PhysOrg.com, May 23, 2007). Habits revealed It appeared that these fungi were feeding on radiation. They can no longer keep their radiation feasting habits away from the prying eyes of researchers. These fungi contain melanin, a high molecular weight pigment, the same colouring agent in our skin. Until now, the biological role of melanin has been a mystery (PHYSICS.ORG, 2007). In a 13-page paper in the Public Library of Science Journal (PLoS ONE, May 23, 2007) Dr Casadevall and other researchers explained the physico-chemical tests and in vivo experiments with three genetically diverse fungi and four measures of cell growth; they demonstrated lucidly how ionising radiation brings about changes in melanin and encourages the growth of melanised fungi. An elegant and simple hypothesis may explain the behaviour of melanised fungi. Just as the pigment chlorophyll converts sunlight into chemical energy that allows green plants to live and grow, our research suggests that melanin uses a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum to benefit the fungi containing it, Dr Ekaterina Dadachova, one of the co-authors of the paper, explained. Providing energy Dr Casadevall admitted that it is pure speculation but not outside the realm of possibility that melanin could be providing energy to skin cells. They grew some melanised fungi and others without the pigment and exposed them to gamma radiation. The dark fungi grew better when irradiated (The New Zealand Herald May 27, 2007). Certain types of fungi grew significantly faster when scientists exposed them to ionising radiation levels nearly 500 times more than the background; they gained more dry weight biomass. People despise fungi because they assume that the main job of fungi is to decompose matter into other chemicals! The melanin-containing microorganisms are often the dominating species in certain extreme environments (PLoS ONE 2007) such as the abandoned contaminated regions at Unit 4, the stricken reactor at Chernobyl. Living happily They live happily in soil contaminated with radionuclides, at high altitudes and in hostile Arctic and Antarctic regions! There are indications that melanins are ancient pigments that have probably been selected as they enhance the survival of melanised fungi in diverse environments and, perhaps incidentally in many hosts (PLoS ONE, 2007). Casadevall and his co-workers believe that despite the high prevalence of melanotic microorganisms in radioactive environments, it is unlikely that they synthesise melanin for the purposes of protection (shielding) from ionising radiation. They noted that in the high altitude regions inhabited by melanotic fungi, the background radiation levels are about 500-1,000 times higher than at sea level. Since most fungi, whether melanised or not, can withstand 17,000 times more energy, the authors consider that there is apparently no need for melanin to remain as a radio-protective agent. But biological pigments play a major role in photosynthesis; they convert light energy to chemical energy. Properties changed Since melanin can absorb visible and UV light of all wavelengths, the authors suggested that exposure to ionising radiation would change the properties of melanin and affect the growth of melanized microorganisms. They could convincingly demonstrate their expectations. The capability of fungi to live off radiation and make biomass may be useful to astronauts, who may be able to harvest the fungi as a food source. The fungi can produce food by using enhanced levels of ionising radiation present in outer space. Natures capriciousness Nature is very capricious in revealing its resourcefulness. Lowly beings such as fungi can teach enterprising humanity a lesson or two in harnessing energy while surviving in unendurable environments. K.S. PARTHASARATHY Former Secretary, AERB ksparth@yahoo.co.uk Comments to : thehindu@vsnl.com Copyright 2007, The Hindu ***************************************************************** 6 Bangkok Post: Some nuclear questions Thursday September 20, 2007 EDITORIAL More than 20 years on, the word Chernobyl is still the single greatest threat to the global nuclear power industry's plans to set up reactors in a growing list of countries, Thailand being the latest. Governments are falling in line with nuclear energy largely because it offers a sure and steady _ and non-carbon dioxide-emitting _ energy source. Looked at in one way, the fact that there has only been one accident of the magnitude of Chernobyl can be seen as a testament to the safety of the nuclear energy industry. It also should be stressed that, in the words of the World Nuclear Association, ''The disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine was the product of a flawed Soviet reactor design coupled with serious mistakes made by the plant operators in the context of a system where training was minimal. It was a direct consequence of Cold War isolation and the resulting lack of any safety culture.'' The association also stresses that in recent years there have been many technological advancements in design and function. It was announced this week that the contract to build a huge containment cover over the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster has been awarded to a French company, which will erect a giant arch-shaped structure of solid steel, 190 metres wide and 200 metres long at a cost of 48 billion baht, to replace the concrete casing put over the reactor after the 1986 accident. The project will take five years to complete. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said, ''Today is probably the first time that we can openly look into the eyes of the national and international community and say that a solution to the problem that has long been called the Chernobyl problem was formally found.'' Unfortunately, the statement is far from accurate. The containing arch will last for at most 300-400 years; the reactor and nuclear fuel will be highly radioactive for thousands of years. Around 95% of the fuel remains where it was in 1986. Construction of the arch will allow the decommissioning of the other three nuclear reactors that were not damaged in the accident. But here, too, the great unanswered question of the nuclear age rears its ugly head: How and where can the radioactive material be safely stored for so long? No matter where one stands on the question of nuclear power in Thailand, everyone should be able to agree that it is a very important decision which should be considered carefully. Therefore, certain Democrat party politicians are wise not to commit to a policy decided on by the present interim government which will be out of power in a few months. Past and present experience shows that there is nothing as effective in mobilising public opposition in Thailand as power development projects. True, the government has spoken well of the real need to find new sources of energy to feed the continued growth of the country, of educating the public and taking steps to assuage public fears on the matter, and carefully considering the best locations for any plants. However, this is not the same as allowing public participation in the actual choice, which is a cornerstone of the new constitution. The decision to go nuclear has been presented as a fait accompli _ a sure recipe for discontent. Perhaps there is no better option for Thailand than nuclear power, and certainly there are some good arguments to be made that this is the case. But why does such an important issue have to be decided so hastily? In the 2007 Power Development Plan, the Energy Policy and Planning Office calls for nuclear power to contribute just 5% of the country's energy by 2020. So clearly there is no need for an immediate decision. At the very least, proponents of nuclear power should be able to present a proper plan for (very) long-term disposal of the waste before any decision is reached. On the other hand, opponents should be able to show that there are good alternatives. Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2007 ***************************************************************** 7 Charlotte Observer: Power companies gear up for nuclear 09/19/2007 | NEARLY 30 YEARS AFTER THREE MILE ISLAND Credit-market turmoil seen as unlikely to derail envisioned plants JOHN WILEN Associated Press NEW YORK -- The turmoil in credit markets is unlikely to derail plans by power companies to begin ordering the first new nuclear plants since cost overruns and opposition virtually killed the industry three decades ago. Nearly 30 years after Three Mile Island, Entergy Corp., Dominion Resources Inc., Exelon Corp. and the Tennessee Valley Authority are expected to be among the first to seek regulatory approval to build new plants. Constellation Energy Group has already filed a partial application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which expects up to seven requests this year and 28 by 2009. The first plants could be online by 2014. TVA's plans to expand its nuclear capacity have already begun, with the recent restart of a reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala. The nation's largest public utility is also a partner in a consortium to resume construction at the unfinished Bellefonte plant site in Hollywood, Ala. It is also looking to finish a second reactor at the Watts Bar nuclear plant in Spring City, Tenn. "I think investors are relatively positive on companies ... planning the next round of nuclear plants," said Barry Abramson, portfolio manager at GAMCO Investors Inc., in Rye, N.Y. "The numbers seem to work." Utilities see in nuclear plants an opportunity to affordably meet demand for electricity, which the Energy Information Administration forecasts will grow 42 percent by 2030. High natural gas prices and the prospect of taxes or constraints on greenhouse gases are making gas- or coal-fired plants less attractive. New modular designs and a streamlined regulatory process further strengthen the argument for nuclear power. But this nuclear renaissance faces challenges. No company has lined up financing, and the ability to borrow affordably will depend on federal loan guarantees and state rules about when utilities can hike rates to pay for construction. Construction costs are rising due to growing global demand for raw materials. And activism, an accident or terrorist attack could stoke opposition. Still, reactor vendors, such as General Electric Co., Toshiba Corp.-owned Westinghouse Electric Co. and France's Areva Group, in a new joint venture with Constellation, are positioning themselves to profit. GE, in a joint venture with Japan's Hitachi Ltd., sees its annual reactor business growing from $1.1 billion to $8 billion over the next decade. To strengthen its hand, the industry is pushing legislation to expand federal loan guarantees, available for 80 percent of plant costs. Utilities are also lobbying state lawmakers to let them raise rates to recover construction costs. Florida and Louisiana, for example, have passed such measures. Some Mississippi officials are reluctant. "I just don't want to ... give them a blank check and say, build a plant and we can talk about the cost later," said Nielsen Cochran, Mississippi Public Service Commission chairman. The Energy Department is also helping, paying half the cost of three early applications, including $5.5 million of the $11 million Entergy has spent so far preparing an application for a new reactor in Port Gibson, Miss., site of its existing Grand Gulf plant. GE has received $46 million in incentives since 2004, and expects a total of $250 million by 2010. Experts doubt the current credit market dislocations will affect nuclear plant financing. They say lenders will view reactors as safe investments because of the federal guarantees and state cost-recovery rules, and because they'll be built by utilities with long track records of operating power plants. ***************************************************************** 8 The Calgary Sun: Nuclear power 'saviour' Wed, September 19, 2007 Proposed atomic plant would provide protection from enviro-carbon taxes By CP A businessman who wants to build Western Canada's first nuclear power plant raised the spectre of the eastern bogeyman yesterday, warning that nuclear energy is required in Alberta to protect oil and gas resources from being raided by a federal carbon tax. Wayne Henuset, president of Energy Alberta, says that with Ontario and Quebec relying heavily on nuclear and hydro electricity, there will be a move to apply the tax and come after Alberta's oil and gas resources now. "I think we have to keep this in mind, that we've got Quebec and Ontario both where the majority of their power is from nuclear or hydro," Henuset told the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. "So if they want a transfer of wealth -- they can call it whatever they want -- they're going to come after our wealth in Alberta. And hopefully we can keep it down by looking like responsible citizens and bringing in something that doesn't have CO2." A carbon tax is a tax on energy sources, including oil, gas and coal, which emit carbon dioxide. Alberta has become Canada's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, Henuset said, and needs to safeguard its energy wealth and take a big step forward by embracing nuclear energy. "This does protect Alberta because we do look to Canada as we are trying to clean up the environment and we are responsible," he said. "Not only does it protect our wealth but it gives stability (to electricity pricing)." The concept of a carbon tax hearkens back to the national energy program, which was brought in by former prime minister Pierre Trudeau in the 1980s. Copyright 2006, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 The Hindu: Left parties flay Mulford's open call Wednesday, September 19, 2007 : 1955 Hrs New Delhi, Sept. 19 (PTI): U S Ambassador David Mulford's open call for early conclusion of the Indo-US nuclear deal came under strong attack from the Left parties who asked the government whether it would adhere to the US "time frame" or address their concerns. Leaders of the Left parties, who met senior Ministers in a committee formed to address their concerns on the deal, felt that Mulford's statement yesterday that "time is of the essence" for concluding the deal, apparently before this year, drew the Left parties ire. The committee, which met for the second time today, agreed to meet again on October five, its Convenor and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said in a statement without giving details of the discussions. The talks were "constructive", he added. CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said on the discussions that "we have covered some ground". The Left parties, which had rejected the government's note given to them earlier saying "we are not convinced about even a single contention of the government", gave a 12-page rejoinder to the government on their concerns on the deal. As reports came from Vienna of US convening a meeting of Nuclear Suppliers' Group tomorrow on the Indo-US deal, Left parties reacted sharply but did not take up with the government the issue after they were told Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar would not attend the meeting. Copyright 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the ***************************************************************** 10 Platts: Exelon investigating 'assertion' of lax security at Peach Botton 2007-09-18 Washington (Platts)--18Sep2007 Exelon Nuclear on Tuesday said it is investigating "an assertion" that one or more station security officers at its Peach Bottom nuclear plant in Pennsylvania were "inattentive to duties." The company would not say who made the allegation. Wackenhut, which provides security services to Exelon Nuclear, is "participating in the inquiry," Exelon Nuclear said. "We are investigating this fully," and "if we learn that there was inappropriate behavior, we will ensure the necessary corrective actions are taken," Ron DeGregorio, senior vice president for mid-Atlantic operations at Exelon, said in a statement. --Steven Dolley, steven_dolley@platts.com Copyright 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 11 Platts: Wisconsin PSC OKs $998-mil Point Beach nuclear plant sale to FPL 2007-09-18 Portland, Maine (Platts)--18Sep2007 The Wisconsin Public Service Commission on Tuesday approved the sale of Wisconsin Energy's 1,036-MW Point Beach nuclear power plant to FPL Energy for nearly $1 billion. Wisconsin Energy's We Energies subsidiary will receive about $998 million for the plant. Not counting fuel, inventory and other items, Juno Beach, Florida-based FPL is paying $783 million, or $758/kW, for the plant. The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission have approved the sale. The Michigan PSC must still vote on the transaction. We Energies expects the deal to close by the end of September. PSC Chairman Dan Ebert said the sale price compared favorably to other recent nuclear power plant sales. It made sense for the Milwaukee utility to sell its plant in Two Creeks, Wisconsin, in part because the nuclear generating business is consolidating, Ebert said. We Energies launched a bidding process for the plant in mid-2006 to see if it made sense to sell it. The utility will buy the plant's output under a power purchase agreement with FPL. A key area of discussion among the three-member PSC was how potential "green" credits would be handled by the plant's owner. If federal regulators decide to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, credits from the nuclear plant may become valuable. Under the proposed deal, We Energies would get all the "green" credits for the first seven years that FPL owns the plant and then the credits would be split between FPL and the utility. FPL plans to increase the plant's capacity by 134 MW and the PSC voted to give the parties the option of giving We Energies all the green credits for the plant's current capacity, but splitting credits connected to any capacity increase. The parties can also adopt their proposed plan, but they must return to the commission within six years to show that a 50/50 split of credits after seven years makes sense. If the commission found a split did not make sense, all the credits would go to the utility. For more news, request a free trial to Platts Electric Power Daily at http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/index.xml?src=story Copyright 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 12 Platts: High nuclear plant capital costs may discourage new plant builds 2007-09-19 London (Platts)--19Sep2007 High nuclear plant capital costs may discourage even developed countries from building new plants, the head of the China Atomic Energy Authority, Sun Qin, told an IAEA-organized meeting in Vienna September 18. Sun said that based on China's experience, a 1,000-MW "Generation II" nuclear power unit -- of the type China has built at Daya Bay and Ling Ao -- has a total capital cost of $1.5 billion to $2 billion, or $1,500 to $2,000 per installed kilowatt. "The figures are even higher for Generation III" plants that were the subject of a bid won by Westinghouse early this year, he said. He said CAEA believes that "the cost of a nuclear power plant should be about $1,500/kW" and the cost of power should be 5 US cents per kWh. He said that once a plant is operating, the power is competitive, but "we must resolve the problem of initial investment." The Chinese government has used a variety of tax breaks, preferential credits and other incentives to encourage nuclear power plant construction, he told the IAEA's Scientific Forum in Vienna. For more news, request a free trial to Platts Nucleonics Week at http://www.platts.com/Request%20More%20Information/index.xml?story or subscribe now at http://www.platts.com/infostore/product_info.php?cPath=22_41&products_id=67 Copyright 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 13 NRC: NRC to Hold Public Meetings on Draft Envornmental Impact Statement for Wolf Creek License Renewal Application News Release - Region IV - 2007-036 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Victor Dricks Phone: 817-860-8128 E-mail: opa4@nrc.gov Members of the public will have an opportunity on Nov. 8, to comment on a draft report that assesses the environmental impact of extending the operating license for the Wolf Creek nuclear plant in Burlington, Kan. On Oct. 4, 2006, the NRC received an application from Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp., which operates the plant, to renew the license for an additional 20 years. The NRC report, known as the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, was issued on Sept. 18. 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 the environmental scoping process, and held two public meetings on Dec. 19, 2006, in Burlington. Based on its review, the NRC staff has prepared and issued its draft environmental impact statement, which preliminarily recommends that the Commission determine the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for the Wolf Creek Generating Station plant are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. This recommendation is based on: 1) the analysis and findings in the Generic Environmental Impact Statement used for license renewal reviews; 2) the plant-specific environmental report submitted by Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Co.; 3) NRC consultation with other federal, state and local agencies; 4) the NRC staff’s own independent review; and 5) the NRC staff’s consideration of public comments received during the environmental scoping process. The NRC will hold two meetings on Nov. 8, to accept comments on the report. The first session will begin at 1:30 p.m. A second session will get under way at 7 p.m. Both meetings will take place at the Coffey County Library, Burlington Branch, 410 Juanita St., Burlington. NRC staff will be available for an hour prior to the start of each meeting for informal, one-on-one discussions of the report. Those interested may pre-register to attend or speak at the meetings by contacting Christian Jacobs, the NRC Environmental Project Manager, by telephone at 1-800-368-5642, extension 3874, or by e-mail at WolfCreekEIS@nrc.gov no later than Nov. 1. Members of the public may also register 15 minutes before each session to provide oral comments. The duration of individual comments may be limited by the time available, depending on the number of speakers who register. Written comments on the draft report submitted before Dec. 26 will also be considered by the NRC staff. Comments can be submitted by mail to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Christian Jacobs, Environmental Branch B, Division of License Renewal, Mail Stop 0-11F1, Washington, DC 20555-0001, or by e-mail to WolfCreekEIS@nrc.gov. 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 Wolf C-reek is due to expire on March 11, 2025. The draft report is posted on the NRC web page at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1437/supp lement32/. The Wolf Creek license renewal application is posted at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/w olf-creek.html . Additional information about the license renewal process is available at: www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal.html. NRC news releases are available through a free listserv 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, September 19, 2007 ***************************************************************** 14 Energy Bangla: IAEA Assures Technical Support N-energy to Bangladesh EB Report , published 19/9/2007 Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has assured Bangladesh of technical support for peaceful use of nuclear energy. A mission of IAEA officers would soon be dispatched to Bangladesh to assist the government on technical issues. El Baradei gave the assurance during a meeting with Adviser for Science and ICT Tapan Chowdhury held Tuesday on the sidelines of the 51st General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna. The Adviser requested El Baradei to provide technical guidance to Bangladesh for setting up nuclear power plants. Chowdhury, who is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the conference, briefed El Baradei on steps taken by the Bangladesh government for setting up a nuclear power plant for electricity production. Pointing to fast growing demand for electricity for economic development as well as depletion of fossil fuel reserve, Chowdhury stressed the need for alternative sources of electricity, including nuclear power. The DG was impressed to know about the success of the present government in increasing electricity production by stressing on efficient management. The meeting was attended, among others, by Charg d'Affairs of Bangladesh Permanent Mission in Geneva and the Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission. The Adviser invited El Baradei to visit Bangladesh, which he gladly accepted. Copy right Energy Bangla 2006. ***************************************************************** 15 Green Bay Press-Gazette: Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant sold for $1B Posted September 19, 2007 Florida company buys Manitowoc County facility By Karen Lincoln Michel Press-Gazette Madison bureau kmichel@greenbaypressgazette.com MADISON Customers served by the Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant will soon get their electric power from a Florida-based company now that the state Public Service Commission has tentatively approved the plant's sale to FPL Energy. On a 2-1 vote Tuesday, the commission approved the $1 billion sale of the 1,033-megawatt facility in Manitowoc County town of Two Creeks, pending some language revisions and details to be worked out by the commission by 4 p.m. today. Eric Callisto, executive assistant to the PSC chairman, said the commission will issue an order "in the next week or two" that will include an appended document with the language revisions. Although the actual dollar figure of the sale at closing will vary, Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Electric Power Co., doing business as We Energies, will sell the plant for $783 million and its nuclear fuel and other inventories for $215 million. "Those numbers are going to change on the very day of the closing because a lot of things are very fluid, but that is the rough value of the transaction between the parties," Callisto said. Under the agreement, FPL Energy will sell the entire output of the plant to We Energies. Point Beach's first generating unit went into commercial service in 1970 and is licensed to operate until 2030. Its second unit came online in 1973 and is licensed to operate until 2033. We Energies has said the plant provides almost a quarter of its needs. FPL Energy, based in Juno Beach, Fla., will be responsible for decommissioning the facility and the cost of that decommissioning. After the transaction closes, We Energies has said it will receive approximately $300 million from a trust fund established to pay for the plant's decommissioning. The PSC will determine how the net proceeds from the sale and the decommissioning will benefit customers. Commissioner Lauren Azar voted against the sale because she said the state needed to have a greater level of authority in enforcement. She proposed a plan rejected by the other two PSC members which would have allowed the state to enter into a contract with We Energies and FPL Energy to address security issues and dividend provisions. "Had I gotten the contract, I would not have dissented on the sale," Azar told the commission. She voted with the other members, however, to prepare the written order for the sale. The Citizens Utility Board and Clean Wisconsin Madison-based advocacy groups opposed the sale. They said it would threaten the interests of state residents and businesses by allowing "an unregulated company" to own the plant. "The sale will lead to higher energy costs for We Energies' customers, more nuclear pollution, and loss of control over Wisconsin's nuclear future," Charlie Higley, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, said in a statement. The Associated Press Contact us at 920-435-4411. greenbaypressgazette.com is a ***************************************************************** 16 JOURNAL NEWS: Public comment period extended for Indian Point's request to renew license Wednesday, September 19, 2007 By JORGE FITZ-GIBBON BUCHANAN - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will allow an extra 60 days for the public to get involved in the license renewal requests filed by the Indian Point nuclear reactors. Responding to a request from a Lower Hudson Valley congressional delegation, the federal commission announced yesterday that it would extend the deadline for comments from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30. Entergy Nuclear has applied for 20-year license extensions for two reactors that it operates at the Buchanan site. The NRC has received numerous requests to extend the deadline, including from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, environmental groups, and local members of Congress. U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-Bronx, said in a statement yesterday that the NRC "did the right thing." "This will give the many concerned residents of the area the time to make their voices heard on this vitally important question," he said. The plants have seen several unplanned shutdowns this year of Indian Point 3, one of its two reactors. Entergy also continues to work on having a new emergency alert system certified. Reach Jorge Fitz-Gibbon at jfitzgib@lohud.com or 914-694-5016. Here are the numbers of a current local poll DO YOU TRUST THE NRC TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION ABOUT THE RELICENSING OF INDIAN POINT? NO..................78% YES.................22% Copyright 2007 The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper ***************************************************************** 17 recordonline.com: Residents concerned NRC review too limiting Thursday September 20, 2007 By John Doherty Times Herald-Record September 19, 2007 Cortlandt Manor Opponents of the Indian Point nuclear power plant think the feds aren't looking at all the right issues. That was one of the strong sentiments at a public hearing yesterday about Indian Point's license renewal application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC-sponsored hearings one this afternoon, and one tonight are part of the agency's review of Indian Point and Entergy, the company that runs the two reactors in Buchanan. But the hearings concern only the environmental concerns at the plant. "There are a lot of other concerns about whether Indian Point should exist that just do not fall under the review," complained Elizabeth Seagel, a Tarrytown resident. The highway network around the plant was built before the lower Hudson Valley experienced the explosive growth of recent years. Could those same roads accommodate an evacuation if there was an emergency at Indian Point, residents wondered? Gary Shaw, a resident who lives six miles from Indian Point recalled that on the day in 2003 when the federal government approved Entergy's updated evacuation plan, a car crash on the George Washington Bridge turned all of Westchester County's major roads into a parking lot. "Whenever I'm in one of those jams, I picture those roads jammed as Indian Point's sirens wail," he said. But the NRC review of Indian Point is limited to whether the aging equipment there at the plant can "reasonably assure" safety for the next 40 years of licensing. And the NRC offered no answers yesterday just a chance for citizens to be heard. Residents also voiced concerns about the store nuclear waste at Indian Point, which has built up for years while a permanent dump is constructed and approved at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. The licenses for the two reactors expire in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The public comment heard yesterday will be part of the NRC's draft environmental impact study due out next July. Public hearings will again be held after that report is issued. A final environmental report is to be issued in April, 2009. Residents unable to attend the public hearing who would like their concerns considered by the NRC still have options. The NRC is taking comments until October 12, at Indian Point EIS@nrc.org, or in written form at Chief, Rules and Directives Branch; Division of Administrative Services; Mailstop T-6D59; US Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Washington, DC, 20555 Record Online is brought to you by the Times Herald-Record, serving New York"s Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Phone: (845) 341-1100 ***************************************************************** 18 NRC: Telephone Bridge Line Established for Public Meeting Between NRC and Farley Nuclear Power Plant News Release - Region II - 2007-046 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov EDITORS/NEWS EDITORS Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have established a telephone bridge line for news media representatives or interested citizens to call in and listen to a public meeting between the NRC and Farley nuclear power plant officials on September 20 at 5:30 p.m. (CDT). The NRC will conduct a public meeting with Farley officials in the County Commissioners Chambers on the Third Floor of the Houston County Administration Building at 462 Oats Street at that time. (See News Release II-07-045 dated Sept. 17) Ten lines are available for this purpose. Media representatives from outside the Dothan area will be given priority. NRC officials will discuss with Farley officials the preliminary results of a five-member inspection team’s review of component cooling water system breaker failures. NRC news releases are available through a free listserv 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. September 19, 2007 ***************************************************************** 19 Salt Lake Tribune: Nuclear plant to be explored Lawmakers meet Critics say proposal would limit public's say in energy development Article Last Updated: 09/19/2007 01:16:15 AM MDT Roger Ball, right, with Mary Ellen Navas, of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah board, voices opposition to a possible nuclear power plant Tuesday. Lawmakers will be exploring the proposal today. Lawmakers are exploring how to make it easier to build Utah's first nuclear power plant. Supporters and opponents are taking their respective places behind a bill that the Legislature's Interim Public Utilities and Technology Committee is considering today. "This bill will affect our pocketbooks," said Vanessa Pierce, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah (HEAL). The environmental group joined forces Tuesday with the Utah Ratepayers Association in a news conference that described the bill as a gift to industry to be paid for by consumers. Meanwhile, the Utah Mining Association said it backs mining, whether for the coal that Utah relies on now or the uranium that might be used in a nuclear plant. Legislators have been eyeing nuclear power for a couple of years. They kept it on the back burner while the state fought plans to operate a high-level nuclear waste storage site on the Skull Valley Goshutes Reservation in Tooele County, but the storage plan's defeat has opened the door for the idea to be reconsidered, lawmakers say. In July, the interim committee directed its attorneys to develop a legislation modeled after a similar Florida law. The proposal, "Recovery of Costs for Nuclear Power Facilities," largely tilts the financial burdens and risks of nuclear plant development from utility companies and their investors to ratepayers. One provision would allow nuclear companies to charge ratepayers for construction-related costs long before they receive any power from a nuclear plant. Another would allow the utility to have ratepayers pick up the costs for a nuclear plant that never goes into operation under certain conditions. Pierce, flanked by Roger Ball, said the law, if passed, would limit the public's say in energy development and cut the funding available for developing renewable energy resources. "This is truly a boondoggle," she said. Ball, who leads the ratepayer group, previously directed the state's Consumer Protection Committee. Noting that the only utility in the state that would qualify under the new legislation would be the parent company of Rocky Mountain Power, he said the bill "socializes the costs and privatizes the profits" of nuclear development. The state's two-year energy policy advisory committee put a lower priority on nuclear power, as did the Governor's Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee on Climate Change. And, while a 2006 energy policy bill said nuclear power should be studied as an option, no such study has been undertaken. Utah Energy Adviser Dianne Nielson said Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has not taken a position on nuclear power aside from insisting that other states should not be permitted to dump their waste in Utah and that high-level waste should be stored instead where it is produced. She also noted, however, that the state has traditionally focused on finding ways to burn coal, the state's most abundant resource, cleanly. Nuclear, she said, "just doesn't fit our business plan." David Litvin, executive director of the Utah Mining Association, said his organization supports removing obstacles to safe energy production. "Uranium and coal are both mining, and we support mining," he said. "We need all of the energy sources we can get to meet our demands." fahys@sltrib.com Meeting The Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee meets in Room W015 of the House Building at 9 a.m. today and is scheduled to consider the draft bill at about 10:30 a.m. ***************************************************************** 20 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS); Notice of Meeting of the Subcommittee on ESBWR Design Certification FR Doc E7-18404 [Federal Register: September 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 181)] [Notices] [Page 53608] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr19se07-123] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION The ACRS Subcommittee on ESBWR Design Certification will hold a meeting on October 2 and 3, 2007, Room T-2B3, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance, with the exception of a portion that may be closed to discuss unclassified safeguards and proprietary information pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(3) and (4). The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Tuesday, October 2, 2007--1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 3, 2007--8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Subcommittee will review and discuss the Draft Safety Evaluation with Open Items for several chapters of the ESBWR Design Certification and make a recommendation to the full Committee. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC, and other interested persons regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Charles G. Hammer (telephone 301/415-7363) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 6:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (ET). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes to the agenda. Dated: September 12, 2007. Cayetano Santos, Branch Chief, ACRS. [FR Doc. E7-18404 Filed 9-18-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 21 Reuters: Suez keen to build new generation reactors in Europe | Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:09pm BST PARIS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Suez (LYOE.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Wednesday the group -- which is to merge with GDF (GAZ.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) in 2008 -- is interested in building new generation nuclear reactors in Europe in the years to come. "We have taken no decision on implementation yet, but our decision is to take part in building EPRs (European Pressurized Reactor) in Europe," Gerard Mestrallet told a parliamentary hearing on the GDF/Suez merger. Next generation EPR reactors are developed by Areva (CEPFi.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) and Siemens (SIEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research). One reactor is being built in Finland and EDF plans to build one at Flamanville in Nortwest France. Mestrallet said the group was due to take a decision in 2009 as it would be looking for new electricity capacity for the 2015-2020 period. "We are candidate for projects in Romania, Bulgaria and the UK," he said. France is Europe's top producer of nuclear power with 80 percent of its electricity nuclear-generated. All of the 58 reactors are run by French utility giant EDF (EDF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research). Ealier this year, French newspaper Les Echos reported the uitilty had sought permission to build a nuclear plant in France near the Tricastin site where EDF already operates a 3,600-megawatt plant. Reuters 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 22 NRC: NRC to Co-Sponsor Workshop for Minority Serving Iinstitutions, September 24-27 in Dallas, Texas News Release - 2007-120 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov www.nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has teamed up with the Department of Commerce to sponsor a workshop Sept. 24-27 in Dallas, Texas, to provide academic communities that serve minorities information about various partnership opportunities with federal agencies through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and internships. Minority serving institutions include Alaskan Native Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Hawaiian Native Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Special presentations will be given by the executive leaders from the White House Initiatives for Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities; and Tribal Colleges and Universities. “Federal agencies are collaborating to conduct a technical assistance and capacity building workshop to assist these institutions to expand their participation in federally-funded programs and to provide an opportunity to interact directly with federal agencies,” said Tuwanda Smith, Esq., Program Manager for the NRC’s Minority Serving Institutions Program. The Minority Serving Institutions Technical Assistance Workshop will be held at the Dallas Renaissance Hotel, 2222 Stemmons Freeway. There will be a kickoff reception on Monday evening followed by two-and-a half days of concurrent sessions. Detailed workshop information and registration forms are available on the Web at: http://www.osec.doc.gov/ocr/msi.html . There is no cost to attend, but participants are asked to register in advance. For more information please contact Bruce Currie at blc3@nrc.gov, phone: (301) 415-5988 or Senora Coggs at scoggs@doc.gov NRC news releases are available through a free listserv 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. September 19, 2007 ***************************************************************** 23 Prague Daily Monitor: Urban: Temelín safety cannot be assessed from distance - By CTK / Published 19 September 2007 Vienna/Prague, Sept 18 (CTK) - Milan Urban (senior opposition Social Democrats, CSSD) who represents the Czech Republic in the Czech-Austrian parliamentary commission dealing with the question of safety of the south Bohemian Temelin nuclear power plant is not attending the current commission meeting. After some Austrian members of the commission refused to visit Temelin, Urban, CSSD shadow industry and trade minister, announced that he would not go to Vienna. In a statement today, Urban said Temelin's safety could not be assessed from a distance. "The fact that the Austrian commission members refused to visit Temelin and become convinced on the spot whether international standards for the operation of the nuclear facility are being met and whether the Melk agreement is being respected means for me that they are not seeking any agreement," Urban said. Temelin, situated some 60 kilometres from the Austrian border, is criticised by some Austrian and Czech environmentalists as well as some Austrian politicians as unsafe. They say that the Czech Republic is not fulfilling the Melk agreement from 2000 in which the Czech side pledged to constantly upgrade Temelin's safety and regularly provide information on Temelin to Austria. Urban said that the establishment of the commission was a mistake of the current Czech government because the Austrians only use committee meetings to criticise the Czech Republic and not for actual talks. The only solution lies in a general debate on the future of the nuclear programme within the European Union, Urban said. Two members of the Austrian part of the commission left its meeting on Monday. Deputies Norbert Hofer and Werner Neubauer are both representatives of the far right Austrian Free Party (FPOe) and their departure from the commission was the result of the stepping-up dispute between the FPOe members and Albrecht Konecny, chairman of the Austrian part of the commission. Konecny, an Upper Austrian parliament deputy for the Austrian Social Democrats (SPOe), excluded an FPOe alleged expert Roland Egger, a leading anti-Temelin activists, from the commission meeting before it started on Monday, by which he caused indignation of the FPOe's representtives. Konecny pointed out that the roles of organiser of anti-Temelin protests and experts were incompatible. At the weekend, Neubauer described Egger's expulsion as an "unbelievable scandal and the capitulation before Czechs." The two-day commission meeting ends today. It is discussing reports of Czech and Austrian nuclear energy experts on the Temelin technical condition. Chairman of the Czech part of the commission Jan Kasal (junior governing Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) told CTK on Monday that he would consider it great progress if one or two of the seven technical points on the agenda were closed. This story is from the Czech News Agency (CTK). The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content. Copyright 2007 by the Czech News Agency (CTK). All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 MSNBC.com: Plans move forward for new nuclear plants - Oil & Energy - Nuclear industry stirs with plans for new plants As demand grows, utilities say designs are safer; financing remains an issue Carolyn Kaster / AP file Entergy Corp., Dominion Resources Inc., Exelon Corp. and the Tennessee Valley Authority are expected to be among the first to seek regulatory approval to build new plants after the nuclear industry was nearly wiped out decades ago. NEW YORK - The current turmoil in credit markets is unlikely to derail plans by power companies to begin ordering the first new nuclear plants since cost overruns and public opposition virtually killed the industry three decades ago. Nearly 30 years after the disastrous partial meltdown at Three Mile Island, Pa., several companies are planning to seek regulatory approval to build new plants, including Entergy Corp., Dominion Resources Inc., Exelon Corp. and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Constellation Energy Group has already filed a partial application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which expects up to seven requests this year and 28 by 2009. The first plants could be online by 2014 or 2015. TVA’s plans to expand its nuclear capacity have already begun, with the recent restart of a reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala. The nation’s largest public utility is also a partner in a consortium to resume construction at the unfinished Bellefonte plant site in Hollywood, Ala. It is also looking to finish a second reactor at the Watts Bar nuclear plant in Spring City, Tenn. “I think investors are relatively positive on companies that are ... planning the next round of nuclear plants,” said Barry Abramson, analyst and portfolio manager at GAMCO Investors Inc., in Rye, N.Y. “The numbers seem to work.” Utilities see in nuclear plants an opportunity to affordably meet demand for electricity, which the Energy Information Administration is forecasting will grow by 42 percent by 2030. High natural gas prices and the prospect of taxes or constraints on greenhouse gases are making gas- or coal-fired plants less attractive. New modular designs and a streamlined regulatory process further strengthen the argument for nuclear power. “At the end of the day, we believe ... nuclear will be cost-competitive,” said Randy Hutchinson, senior vice president of nuclear business development at New Orleans-based Entergy. But this nuclear renaissance faces challenges. No company has lined up financing, and their ability to borrow affordably will depend on federal loan guarantees and state rules about when utilities can hike rates to pay for construction. Construction costs are rising due to growing global demand for raw materials. And activism, an accident or terrorist attack could stoke public opposition. Still, reactor vendors, such as General Electric Co., Toshiba Corp.-owned Westinghouse Electric Co. and France’s Areva Group, in a new joint venture with Constellation, are positioning themselves to profit. GE, in joint venture with Japan’s Hitachi Ltd., sees its annual reactor business growing from $1.1 billion to $8 billion over the next decade. (MSNBC.com is a joint venture between GE's NBC Universal and Microsoft.) To strengthen its hand, the industry is pushing legislation to expand federal loan guarantees, available for 80 percent of plant costs. Utilities are also lobbying state lawmakers to let them raise rates to recover construction costs. Florida and Louisiana, for example, have passed such measures. State officials are reluctant. “I just don’t want to ... give them a blank check and say, build a plant and we can talk about the cost later,” said Nielsen Cochran, chairman of the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Some states are allowing such rules subject to “prudence reviews,” said Diane Munns, executive director of the Edison Electric Institute’s retail energy services group. The Energy Department is also helping, paying half the cost of three early applications, including $5.5 million of the $11 million Entergy has spent so far preparing an application for a new reactor in Port Gibson, Miss., site of its existing Grand Gulf plant. GE has received $46 million in incentives since 2004, and expects a total of $250 million by 2010. Experts doubt the current credit market dislocations will affect nuclear plant financing. Lenders will view reactors as safe and desirable investments because of the federal guarantees and state cost recovery rules, and because they’ll be built by established utilities with long track records of operating power plants. Most utilities will invest some of their own equity in the projects, and many will finance the plants on their balance sheets — paying for them out of cash flows and borrowings not tied directly to any one project. “I would argue that you’re investing in an entire company,” said Standard & Poor’s analyst Dimitri Nikas. “The issue will not be tied to a specific asset.” •Nuclear milestones From the discovery of nuclear fission to the development of awesome weapons of destruction and the peaceful generation of electricity, scientists around the globe have been harnessing the power of the atom for decades. All the while, anti-nuclear activists have protested their work, accidents have marred it and Hollywood has chronicled it. Nuclear plants still use low-grade nuclear reactions to generate heat and create steam or pressurized water to spin turbines. But instead of the one-of-a-kind designs the new plants will use interchangeable modular designs. Gravity, instead of pumps, will move water in an emergency and new alloys and digital controls will also improve operations and safety. The 1979 accident at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant began when cooling system pumps and valves failed. The NRC has already approved two Westinghouse designs. One GE-Hitachi design has been approved, another is pending. Areva plans to submit a design for approval soon. Nuclear plants cost more than conventional plants, but are cheaper to operate. A new 1,000-megawatt reactor would cost $2.1 billion in 2006 dollars, compared to $1.3 billion and $600 million, respectively, for comparable coal and natural-gas plants, according to EIA estimates. But the average cost of nuclear-produced electricity was 1.72 cents per kilowatt hour in 2005, versus 2.21 cents for coal-fired plants and 7.51 cents for natural gas plants, says the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group. Weighing in nuclear power's favor is utilities' belief that the government will constrain or tax greenhouse gases, which would significantly increase operating costs at conventional plants. Nuclear plants emit greenhouse gasses, but far less than conventional plants. Also pushing utilities toward nuclear power are new regulations that let companies apply for a single construction and operating license. In the past, the licenses were separate. "You might spend a few billion dollars, and then you're at risk of not getting an operating license," said NRC Chairman Dale Klein. Long Island's Shoreham Nuclear Power Station, for instance, was completed in 1984 for $6 billion but never opened due to community opposition. Licensing isn't cheap, either. Hutchinson estimated the process can cost $50 million to $100 million. "Bottom line, in developing a nuclear project, you could be spending several hundred million dollars just to keep the option open," Hutchinson said. Critics say the industry is overstating the new plants' advantages, and ignoring the unresolved issue of spent nuclear fuel. "There clearly are some benefits to relying on gravity over electric motors and pumps," said Paul Gunter, director of the reactor watchdog project at the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, which opposes nuclear power plants. "But there are no guarantees that terrorism or an accident won't penetrate one of these new designs." Indeed, radioactive water leaked into the Sea of Japan from buildings housing reactors built to one of GE's newer designs after July's magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant. Community opposition could stop projects. Steel parts could cause another potential bottleneck: Most necessary large forgings can only be made at Japan Steel Works, which can supply only 7 to 8 plants a year, Hutchinson said. Still, GAMCO's Abramson says investors are comfortable the industry and NRC have addressed the problems that caused cost overruns last time. "I think investors know that you can't find anything with zero risk," he said. c 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 2007 MSNBC.com ***************************************************************** 25 Prague Daily Monitor: Czech-Austrian Temelín commission settles half of problem issues - By CTK / Published 19 September 2007 ČTK Some Austrian politicians and Czech environmentalists say Temelín is unsafe. Vienna, Sept 18 (CTK) - The Czech-Austrian parliamentary commission dealing with safety issues of the Czech nuclear power plant of Temelin has solved half of the controversial points at its two-day meeting that ended in Vienna Tuesday, the commission chairpersons told journalists. The chairmen, Jan Kasal for the Czech Republic (junior governing Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL) and Albrecht Konecny for Austria, said this result meant a significant progress and confirmed that the intention to link political and expert talks concerning Temelin was right. The commission meeting focused on technical issues. Both countries' experts presented their opinions and then answered questions raised by politicians. Both Kasal and Konecny agreed the negotiations had been hard. On Monday they still indicated that only one of the points on the agenda would probably be resolved during the present meeting. The talks were the second meeting of the Czech-Austrian parliamentary commission set up earlier this year. At its first meeting in Prague on July 11 the commission outlined the future programme of its talks. Another meeting is to take place in Ceske Budejovice, south Bohemia, on December 17. Kasal told CTK he expected further meetings to be held next year. Temelin, situated some 60 kilometres from the Austrian border, is criticised by some Austrian and Czech environmentalists as well as some Austrian politicians as allegedly unsafe. The critics say the Czech Republic is not fulfilling the Melk agreement from 2000 in which the Czech side pledged to constantly upgrade Temelin's safety and regularly provide information on Temelin to Austria. This story is from the Czech News Agency (CTK). The Prague Daily Monitor and Monitor CE are not responsible for its content. Copyright 2007 by the Czech News Agency (CTK). All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 26 JS Online: Point Beach sale gets green light PSC votes 2-1 to endorse deal that would benefit We Energies customers By THOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com Posted: Sept. 18, 2007 We Energies received the go-ahead from state regulators Tuesday to sell the Point Beach nuclear plant for nearly $1 billion. The sale would result in the plant being owned by FPL Group Inc. of Juno Beach, Fla., which operates six nuclear reactors in Florida, Iowa and New Hampshire. The decision to sell Point Beach was endorsed on a 2-to-1 vote by the state Public Service Commission. If the sale is completed, hundreds of millions of dollars would be returned to customers as credits that would offset some of the $650 million in rate increases that We Energies has proposed for 2008 and 2009. The deal also could see Wisconsin ratepayers receive the financial gains that could come from action by Congress to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. FPL is part of a handful of companies that are buying up nuclear reactors around the country. Wisconsin's other reactor, Kewaunee, was sold to Dominion Resources Inc. of Richmond, Va., two years ago. Commission Chairman Dan Ebert said the commission recognized that nuclear plants are being run more efficiently by companies that own multiple plants than those that are run by companies that own one plant. The commission made several changes to the deal, none of which appeared to be deal-breakers. "We still expect to complete the transaction by the end of this month," said We Energies spokesman Barry McNulty. Steve Stengel, spokesman for FPL Energy, said the company was pleased that the commission endorsed the sale but was still reviewing the changes made by the regulators "so that we can fully understand the implications." The key change would give Wisconsin ratepayers more of the financial gains that could become available because the plant generates zero emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading greenhouse gas. FPL Energy and We Energies had proposed to share the "green credits," but the commission said We Energies should receive the credits, unless the companies can prove to the commission why a split is justified. If FPL Energy expands the power output at the plant, the companies would share any credits linked to the extra power generated, the commission found. Todd Stuart, executive director of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, said the deal was better for customers in many respects than the Kewaunee transaction, in part because of the commission's action on the green credits. Green credits are hard to quantify, but could be worth $24 million to $240 million a year, based on the price of carbon dioxide credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange and in the European Union, the energy efficiency group E4 testified in the proceedings. The credits would gain financial value if the United States government enacts a plan that would require utilities and industries to reduce emissions of gases linked to global warming. "Who knows? They may be worthless," Stuart said. "But they also might be worth a real windfall for the ratepayers." Funds could offset rate increases McNulty said the decision ensures that Wisconsin customers would continue to rely on nuclear power for a portion of their electricity needs for the next quarter-century. The commission authorized We Energies to buy power from FPL for the electricity generated at Point Beach until the plant's operating licenses expire in the early 2030s. One reactor is licensed to run until 2030, while the other is licensed to operate until 2033. The sale means that hundreds of millions of dollars would be returned to customers over the next two years from decommissioning funds. How those funds would be distributed will be decided later this year when the commission votes on a We Energies proposal to raise electric prices over the next two years. Those bill credits are "very much needed," Stuart said. "When you're looking at the biggest rate hike in state history, every penny counts." Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens' Utility Board, said the customer group was disappointed that the commission endorsed the deal because CUB believes nuclear plants are best operated with more state oversight. Commissioner Lauren Azar said she reluctantly voted against the deal. She said she agreed with CUB that the commission was overstepping its legal authority and doesn't have the power to enforce the conditions it's attached to the deal. the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Journal Sentinel Inc. is a subsidiary of Journal Communications. ***************************************************************** 27 CBC News: Sask. should have nuclear reactors, former Greenpeace activist says Last Updated: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 | 3:34 PM CT A well-known former Greenpeace activist and nuclear power advocate says Saskatchewan should have its own nuclear power generators. Patrick Moore, a B.C.-based consultant who spoke at a Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, spent 15 years with Greenpeace, but he now rejects the modern environmental movement. He thinks nuclear power can reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and calls the Saskatchewan government's policy hypocritical. "Well, it seems to be actually rather ridiculous to have a province which is exporting uranium to the rest of the world … for the operation of nuclear power technology that then has an anti-nuclear stance against having its own nuclear technology," said Moore. Glen Viekle, deputy minister of the Industry and Resources Department, took issue with Moore's comments, saying the government has, in fact, invited companies to find new ways of expanding the uranium industry. When the province introduced its "green plan" earlier this year, it proposed expanding wind and solar energy, and other alternative energy sources. The plan said Saskatchewan's uranium industry plays a role in helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world, but did not propose a nuclear power plant for Saskatchewan. Moore, who runs a consulting company in B.C. called Greenspirit Strategies, was hired last year as co-chair of the pro-nuclear public relations campaign, the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition. The U.S.-based coalition is funded by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the trade association for companies that operate nuclear reactors. Scores: CFL MLB MLS Copyright © CBC 2007 ***************************************************************** 28 Post-Standard: Update: Alert canceled at Nine Mile 2 - on Syracuse.com Posted by John Doherty September 19, 2007 10:45PM Categories: Breaking News, Oswego County Operators have canceled an alert at the Nine Mile 2 nuclear power plant outside Oswego. The alert was declared shortly after 3 p.m. today when carbon dioxide gas was detected in one of the plant's electrical switchgear rooms. The station's fire suppression system uses carbon dioxide, but no fire was found. Investigators are still looking for the source of the carbon dioxide. The "alert" status is the second-lowest of four nuclear plant emergency classifications. The plant remained open throughout the alert, its 1,148-megawatt reactor continued power production and no off-site evacuations were ordered, plant officials said. No release of radiation occurred and no injuries were reported, plant officials said. The two Nine Mile Point nuclear power plants are operated by Constellation Energy. 2007 Syracuse Online, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site ***************************************************************** 29 NRC: Remarks Prepared for NRC Chairman Dale E. Klein IAEA General Conference Vienna, Austria September 19, 2007 Speech - 07-042 - OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov Web Site: Public Affairs Web Site Thank you. I am very pleased to be participating in this meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Before I begin, let me note that this is a somewhat somber time for us at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. As you may know, Commissioner Ed McGaffigan died on September 2, after a long battle with cancer. He was a dedicated public servant and believed deeply in the mission of the NRC. His integrity, his forthrightness, and his experience as the longest-serving commissioner in our agency’s history, will be greatly missed. But while it is appropriate to grieve the loss of our friend and colleague, Ed himself would have told us that we need to get back to work. So let me turn now to the topic of this panel. Today, the global community of nuclear regulators has an unprecedented opportunity to influence the safety and security of new and innovative reactors and other fuel cycle facilities. By working together, we can provide clear, concise, and internationally accepted guidance to the designers and architects of these new facilities on safety and security requirements. This will help ensure that safety and security are fully integrated into all aspects of a facility’s design and operational characteristics. We know that the balance of safety and security will be important no matter what designs countries are selecting. So by thinking through these issues now, we have the opportunity to assess this issue in a methodical way. To foster this type of international cooperation, we will need to re-examine our current regulatory structures and incorporate the lessons learned from our oversight of the current fleet of plants. We need to determine what to keep, what to discard, what to adopt, where to redouble our efforts, and where to intensify our focus. As part of this broad objective, we should seek specifically to: * Ensure that regulatory activities are effective, efficient, realistic, and timely. * Ensure that the regulatory process provides sufficient oversight over the entire plant lifecycle, including design, construction, operation, and the initial stages of decommissioning. * Ensure that we develop appropriate safety, security and preparedness expectations that maintain a defense-in-depth strategy, and address risk-significant accidents and intentional events. * Ensure that—while taking advantage of new technology elements such as Digital Instrumentation and Control—plants maintain the critical safety elements of diversity, redundancy, and independence. One proposal for greater international cooperation, of course, is President Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, which proposes enhanced mechanisms for non-proliferation, while also expanding the use of nuclear power. GNEP is built on the recognition that advanced reactors will make spent fuel an energy resource, and seeks to build the structures to manage this commerce in a safe and secure way. The architects of GNEP at the U.S. Department of Energy certainly recognize that many details still need to be worked out. Obviously, the regulatory structure that would guide the implementation of GNEP is one of the key areas that would require further consideration. The GNEP proposal recognizes that there are significant challenges involved in building an advanced reactor—including capital outlay costs, security, ongoing personnel requirements, fuel acquisition and disposition; not to mention the elaborate regulatory structure required before construction can even be considered. Some nations may conclude that advanced reactors are not appropriate for their circumstances. For nations that are contemplating these plants, however, the regulatory infrastructure cannot be established too soon. In other words, we need to start now. In this regard, I think the IAEA can provide a critical function in helping to encourage strong regulatory structures for nuclear power in nations where they do not already exist. In cooperation with the Nuclear Energy Agency, it can also continue to provide a forum for those nations with substantial experience with nuclear energy to work together. Indeed, collaboration on the next generation of nuclear technology will be greatly facilitated if we continue and even enhance cooperation on current technologies. For example, the IAEA could provide guidance to regulators to help them adapt already-completed safety reviews into their country’s unique regulatory framework. I have also suggested in previous conversations with my international colleagues that we establish more extensive channels of communication to share information about any nuclear components that are discovered to be substandard, counterfeit, inadequate or inappropriate to a nuclear power plant. Under a U.S. regulation called Part 21, my agency already shares this information with industry, and even makes it publicly available. It seems to me that nuclear safety could be enhanced world-wide if other nations adopted the same practice, and information of this type were shared across national borders. An important ongoing effort focused on existing technology is the Multinational Design Evaluation Program, or MDEP. Over the last year, the U.S. and nine other nations have been working to leverage knowledge and experience on power plant design, and promote global convergence in associated codes, standards, and regulations. This is important not only because of the safety benefits that such standardization could bring, but also because the extra effort required to develop several designs to satisfy different national standards and requirements can substantially increase the cost of nuclear power plants, making them potentially unaffordable for many countries. We have learned, however, that it may be difficult to achieve complete convergence from these disparate, pre-existing codes and standards. We have also learned the importance of starting this work early in order to avoid divergent regulatory approaches. With advanced nuclear reactors and facilities we have the opportunity to work collaboratively right from the beginning. We can avoid the need to “harmonize” disparate programs if we act in concert now. Although each of us will retain our own cultures and political systems, I believe that we can construct a set of mutually acceptable safety standards, based upon a common set of internationally endorsed safety goals, that would govern the design of Generation IV reactors. Let me take this opportunity, then, to propose that we take MDEP to a new level, with a project for developing multinational regulatory standards that would delineate the regulatory design requirements for innovative reactors and other fuel cycle facilities. I believe that such an activity should be led by the regulators of countries that are involved in the design and selling of nuclear power plants, with active participation from other regulators interested in building advanced reactors, and in coordination with the IAEA and NEA. Before I offer any details, let me emphasize that this is not a plan for imposing U.S. programs or standards on the world. We know that other nations have been leaders in developing new nuclear technology for at least the last two decades, and their experiences are important if we are to embark on a multinational regulatory framework. This is a suggestion for mutual collaboration—recognizing that each country is responsible for applying and enforcing those standards and requirements it determines to be necessary for safety and security. With that understanding, let me outline how the U.S. might contribute to the proposal I have just mentioned. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is now developing an approach to establish a comprehensive set of risk-informed and performance-based requirements applicable to all nuclear power reactor technologies as an alternative to our current requirements that are focused on light-water reactors. These new alternative requirements would integrate safety, security, and preparedness to ensure that reactor regulation, processes, and programs are built on unified safety principals. We would offer this draft framework as a starting point for achieving multinational regulatory standards since it sets forth a comprehensive and rational set of principles that we can all use in licensing and regulating nuclear power plants. It is a hierarchical approach to safety, one that assures that safety, security, and preparedness are maintained in balance throughout design, construction, and operations. As a parallel effort, we regulators already know that we need to plan now for the technical staff necessary to license and oversee innovative reactors and facilities. This will require a long-term effort to cultivate not one, but several, generations of scientists and engineers. While it takes many years of schooling to educate and train an individual scientist or engineer, it takes an even longer timeframe to build an adequate educational infrastructure to support oversight activities associated with a new set of advanced technologies. So, in a sense, the crisis of insufficient numbers of inspectors and technical staff for advanced reactors is already here. Clearly, we must begin addressing this need immediately. What I am suggesting is that, given the increasingly international character of the nuclear fuel cycle, it seems sensible to plan for inspectors who can also operate in an international role. This might be similar to the standards for commercial airline pilots today, who may, for instance, live in Vienna, but are certified to fly anywhere—from Venezuela to Vietnam. Let me close by mentioning one more consideration that will shape our ability to license and oversee advanced nuclear facilities. This is not a technical or scientific matter, yet it may ultimately be the most important step for ensuring safe nuclear power. I am referring to the role played by dedicated public servants in a strong, independent regulatory body. Of course we must ensure that the men and women who regulate nuclear safety and security around the world are properly educated and trained, as I just mentioned. But it is equally important that these experts devote their technical and scientific talents to the common good. A regulatory agency that is built upon and promotes public confidence must be committed to sound science. But it must also display qualities that are not merely scientific: professional integrity and intellectual honesty; the ability to withstand criticism from the outside, and even engage in constructive self-criticism; and the willingness to speak unpleasant but necessary truths and refute inflammatory rhetoric. This statement is an example of the kind of blunt honesty I mean: “It is the job of nuclear regulators to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection, not absolute assurance of perfect protection. When they change the law to require absolute assurance of perfect protection, there won’t be a lot of nuclear reactors in this country. Also, there won’t be a lot of cars or McDonald’s.” My late colleague Ed McGaffigan said that. It is the kind of remark he made often, because he displayed in abundance the qualities I think must guide our common enterprise. They are the qualities that all regulatory bodies must have to build public confidence—which, in turn, provides the authority for strong and independent oversight. Ladies and gentlemen, to meet the challenge of ensuring the safety and security of making advanced reactors an integral part of the world’s civilian nuclear power supply will demand comprehensive, energetic, and focused planning. * We must begin now to prepare the science, math and engineering education and training for the inspectors and regulators of Generation IV reactors. * We must ensure that national governments are actively engaged in building the legal and regulatory infrastructure to support safety and security * And we must build more robust international partnerships to guide the design, construction, and operation of the next generation of nuclear power—beginning with existing commonalities, but with an eye to an international framework for all stages of the fuel cycle. This work is too important to be left for a later day. I hope that this conference will mark a significant first step toward planning and implementing these important goals. NRC speeches are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when speeches are posted to NRC's Web site. Wednesday, September 19, 2007 ***************************************************************** 30 AU ABC: Privatisation, Nuclear or the status quo?. 19 Sep 2007. ABC Western Plains NSW. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) The power supply to ABC Western Plains quietly humming away in the control room | Andrew Dunkley Privatisation, Nuclear or the status quo? Last Update: Wednesday, September 19, 2007. 10:35am AEST By Andrew Dunkley So what is the future for electricity services in Australia? The Managing Director of Country Energy, Craig Murray has been touring the west this week and he had some thoughts on the issue. Country Energy is responsible for 95% of the supply to the residents of NSW and Mr. Murray spends at least three days a week on the road, as do the other Country Energy Executives. Recently there's been a lot of discussion about the privatisation of the Electricity Industry but Mr. Murray doesn't believe it will have much of an impact on the consumer. He says the NSW Government is looking into the sale of retail licences and the lease of power stations, which will in no way affect the delivery of supply to households and business. It's certainly not a definite development though. News reports are suggesting that the NSW Government is facing increasing opposition from green groups in regard to the proposal. We asked Mr. Murray about another supply factor that has been in the news of late, the fact that Prime Minister John Howard is talking about nuclear energy as a future possibility. Mr. Murray agrees that it is most certainly a cleaner form of energy in terms of atmospheric output but he has reservations. He says for too long people have made decisions and left the next generation to solve the problems created and that may well be the case with nuclear energy. He wonders about the long-term impact of nuclear power stations and the disposal of nuclear waste. Mr. Murray believes that the nuclear question shouldn't be one that is answered without consideration for the long-term effects. ***************************************************************** 31 IAEA: Scientific Forum Opens with Session on Nuclear Energy Industrys Future is in International Cooperation, Experts Say Staff Report 18 September 2007 Gareth Evans addressing delegates at the Scientific Forum. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA) * Story Resources * Audio: Luis Echávarri, Director General, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency * Audio: Nikolai Spasskiy, Deputy Head, Rosatom * Audio: Dennis Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy * Scientific Forum * IAEA Director General Statement to the Scientific Forum The Scientific Forum opened today with a session dedicated to the future of nuclear energy. A wide array of issues relating to nuclear power, such as technology transfer, project financing and fuel cycle issues, including the management of spent fuel and waste, were addressed by an international panel of eight experts. The overall theme emerging from the session was that a drive in international cooperation projects is currently under way within the worlds nuclear sector. This is the 10th edition of the Scientific Forum, which was first held during the 1998 General Conference. In a statement officially opening the forum, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei described the event as one of the main features of the Agencys General Conference. "With the Scientific Forum we are turning our vision to the future," he remarked. In the following statement, Gareth Evans, Chairman of the Scientific Forum, said that he hoped the two-day event would address technically complex policy issues in terms that can be clearly understood and debated by policy-makers and the public alike. Mr. Evans also said he was looking forward to having some conclusions and recommendations to report back to the main Conference which are just a little bit meaty, and a little bit juicy. "Lets try in these sessions to not just observe and analyse the world, but to see what we can do to make it a little bit better," he said. Luis Echvarri, OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Director General, outlined the worlds energy outlook for the next 25 years: with electricity demand predicted to double to 34TWh (103) by 2030, nuclear energy can play a significant role in energy supply during the 21st century. While challenges remain in areas such as policy issues and infrastructure and financing, Echvarri said that Research and Development (R&D) and international cooperation can prove to be crucial factors in enhancing the effectiveness of national efforts. [Listen to audio]. Nikolai Spasskiy, Deputy Head of Rosatom, illustrated the latest developments in Russias International Uranium Enrichment Centre (IUEC) due to be created in Angrsk. "On 5 September, a legal entity for the IUEC was officially registered. The IUEC is now a living creature with a skeleton; what it needs is the flesh around it," he colourfully said. Mr. Spasskiy said that despite the fact that the Russian Government will retain a controlling share in the project, it remains committed to make this a truly international project. [Listen to audio]. Sun Qin, Chairman of Chinas Atomic Commission, described the countrys plans to expand its nuclear capacity, saying that the target is to install 40GWe of capacity and construct another 18GWe of capacity by 2020. "Nuclear power is an important component of Chinas energy plan," he commented. Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of Indias Atomic Energy Commission, described nuclear energy as an inevitable option for sustainable development and said that Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) are needed to maximise the use of nuclear resources. However, he warned that a reformation of global thinking is necessary. "We cannot put the worlds future security at risk because we cannot solve todays security risks," he stressed. Khaled Toukan, Jordans Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said that nuclear power offers an insurance to the uncertainty of energy supply and increasing costs even to a fossil fuel-rich region such as the Middle East though he was keen to highlight the fact that not all Middle Eastern countries can rely on the same energy resources. However, high investment costs, human resources and the international and regional political climate remain a barrier to the development of nuclear power in the region. Jukka Laaksonen, Director General of STUK, explained how, to date, the ultimate responsibility for managing the residues of nuclear remains with waste producing countries. Dennis Spurgeon, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy for the US Department of Energy, gave an overview of the major trends in technological innovation, R&D for the next 25 years, expounding on international cooperative projects such as the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). [Listen to audio]. Finally, Kaname Ikeda, Nominee Director General of the ITER Organisation, explained how most of the ITER components will be procured and fabricated through in kind contributions, demanding a very high level of international cooperation. See Story Resources for more information. Copyright , International Atomic Energy Agency, P.O. Box 100, Wagramer Strasse 5, A-1400 Vienna, Austria Telephone (+431) 2600-0; Facsimilie (+431) 2600-7; E-mail: ***************************************************************** 32 Bradenton.com: Wis approves $1B We Energies nuclear plant sale to FPL Energy 09/19/2007 | By EMILY FREDRIX AP Business Writer MILWAUKEE -- A state commission has given preliminary approval to Wisconsin Energy Corp.'s sale of a nuclear power plant to Florida-based FPL Energy in a deal worth about $1 billion. Verbal approval was given Tuesday by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, said Barry McNulty, a spokesman for Wisconsin Energy subsidiary Wisconsin Electric Power Co. A final decision on the sale of the Point Beach plant is expected Monday, he said. The agreement with FPL, a subsidiary of FPL Group Inc., was announced in late December and includes $783 million for the plant and $215 million for its nuclear fuel and other inventories. Under the agreement, FPL Energy will sell the entire output of the plant in Two Rivers, Wis., to Wisconsin Electric Power, which does business as We Energies based in Milwaukee. McNulty said the transaction ensures We Energies' customers will be able to continue using nuclear power. FPL Energy, based in Juno Beach, Fla., will be responsible for decommissioning the facility and the cost of that decommissioning. After the transaction closes, We Energies has said that it will receive approximately $300 million from a trust fund established to pay for the plant's decommissioning. The Public Service Commission will determine how the net proceeds from the sale, and the decommissioning, will benefit customers. All of that will be disclosed in the final agreement next week, McNulty said. Point Beach, a 1,033-megawatt facility, put its first unit into commercial service in 1970 and is licensed to operate it until 2030. A second unit was brought into service in 1973 and is licensed to operate until 2033. We Energies has said the plant provides nearly a quarter of its needs. FPL Energy and its parent company, FPL Group, operate nuclear plants in Florida, Iowa and New England. FPL Energy is considered the largest wind energy producer in the country. It owns and operates 47 wind energy facilities, including the Montfort Wind Energy Center in Montfort, Wis. Shares of Wisconsin Energy rose 67 cents, or 1.53 percent, to close at $44.55 Tuesday, while shares of FPL Group rose $1.50, or 2.45 percent, to close at $62.76. ***************************************************************** 33 Deseret Morning News: Standing-room crowd hears legislative discussion on nuclear power for Utah Wednesday, September 19, 2007 By Jasen Lee Deseret Morning News A standing-room audience of about 60 people crowded into a state Legislature committee meeting today to hear debate on a proposed bill that would allow a utility to recoup the cost of constructing a nuclear power plant, even if the facility never produces any electricity. Critics of the proposal told the Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee that they believe the measure could result in taxpayers footing the bill for plants that may not produce the power they would be built to generate. Supporters said nuclear power could be a source of energy needed as the state's population grows in the coming years. "We have to continue to see development of energy, and the base of our energy policy should be that we use a broad spectrum," said the committee's chairman, Rep. Michael Noel, R-Kanab. "We think in order to meet the base loads that we need in the next 30 years, nuclear has got to be part of that portfolio." But S. David Freeman, president of Western Hydrogen Storage and former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, told the committee that he questioned the wisdom of any state government allowing a company to build a power plant with the promise of recovering all the company's costs. He said it would be a dream scenario for the utility company. "If I had that deal, I'd feel like I'd died and gone to utility heaven," he said. "The idea that you could get a return on every dollar you spend, no matter how much you spend, without any ceiling on it ? it's writing a blank check to the guys that know how to spend money." David Schissel with Synapse Energy Economics said the cost to build nuclear power facilities has historically been far more expensive than the proposed costs that planners have provided, and he cited examples in Japan and France. Schissel said he believes that measures like the draft bill under consideration in Utah would probably be a big mistake. E-mail: jlee@desnews.com deseretnews.com: ***************************************************************** 34 Deseret Morning News: Nuclear energy foes to urge scrapping of power-plant bill Wednesday, September 19, 2007 By Jasen Lee and Joe Bauman Deseret Morning News Protesters worried about nuclear power plants in Utah have promised to make their voices heard today in a legislative interim committee meeting. The Legislature's Public Utilities and Technology Interim Committee meeting at the Capitol will consider draft legislation on recovering costs for nuclear power facilities. The measure would allow a utility to recoup the cost of constructing a nuclear power plant even if the facility never produces electricity. The bill is fashioned after similar legislation passed in Florida and eight other states. Critics argue such a law could potentially be very expensive for taxpayers. Supporters believe the state should carefully research the potential benefits of developing nuclear power, considering the abundance of natural resources available within the Beehive State and neighboring states like Arizona. In July, the committee unanimously approved a motion to proceed with legislation concerning the generation of nuclear power. On Tuesday, about 25 supporters and members of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah gathered in the Capitol Plaza to call upon Utahns to speak out against the draft bill. They urged residents to attend the interim meeting, which starts at 9 a.m. in Room W015 of the House Building. The legislation is on the committee's agenda for 10:30 a.m. The bill would allow a power utility to raise its rates soon, "before one kilowatt is generated," in anticipation of its costs in building a nuclear power plant, said Vanessa Pierce, executive director of the alliance, which goes by the abbreviation HEAL Utah. "You might not see those kilowatts coming to your house for 10 or 15 years in the future." Pierce called investing in nuclear power a high risk "because of the surprisingly high number of failed and abandoned nuclear reactor projects." Altogether, America has 104 working nuclear generating plants, but another 120 have been abandoned at a total cost of billions of dollars, Pierce said. Also, the Public Service Commission and Utah residents would not have as much input into the process as they should because the bill would create a fast track for nuclear plants, according to HEAL. Pierce said the legislation would take money that otherwise could be invested in clean, home-grown power processes. So far, she added, about 1,700 Utahns have filed a petition against the bill. The more money the project costs, the more Utahns will be charged, said Roger Ball, former director of the Utah Committee of Consumer Service and a founder of the Utah Ratepayers Association. "It socializes costs and privatizes profit," Ball said. "It's an incredibly bad bill for Utah electricity ratepayers." Also on the docket today, the committee is expected to hear reports on the use of technology in public school classrooms, including plans for enhancing the role of technology and the role of network-delivered services. E-mail: jlee@desnews.com; bau@desnews.com deseretnews.com: ***************************************************************** 35 Philadelphia Inquirer: Security probe at nuke site | 09/19/2007 Was a guard napping at Peach Bottom reactor? By Jeff Gelles Inquirer Staff Writer Exelon Corp. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission say they are investigating reports that a security officer or officers at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station had been caught on videotape "inattentive to duties." The Chicago company, owner of Philadelphia's Peco Energy, took the unusual step yesterday of announcing the inquiry prior to any action by regulators. Peach Bottom is in York County, Pa., on the Susquehanna River at the Maryland border. "Inattentive" is often used as a euphemism for "asleep" in reports on nuclear-plant operations. However, Craig Nesbit, a spokesman for Exelon Nuclear, said the exact allegation was unclear in this case, because Exelon officials had heard about the video from WCBS, a New York television station, but not yet seen it. Nesbit said company officials learned of the videotape's existence last week after a WCBS reporter contacted Wackenhut Corp., which provides security services to Exelon power plants. Exelon, which operates the nation's largest fleet of nuclear power plants, said it immediately launched an inquiry. WCBS did not reply to requests for comment. In a statement, Exelon Nuclear said preventing inattentiveness among security officers was a priority for Exelon and its contractors. "Work hours are carefully monitored to prevent fatigue. In addition, officers are regularly rotated among stations and must check in with a supervisor regularly," the company said. A spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which regulates operations and security at nuclear power plants, said the agency was "aware of the issue" but had not received a formal complaint. "We are following up on Exelon's actions, and we are doing increased inspections to better understand the extent of the condition," said the spokesman, Neil Sheehan. The NRC has periodically cited nuclear plant operators for lapses in security, especially since the Sept. 11 attacks, and sets minimum staffing and training requirements for plant guards, which Exelon describes as "heavily armed, highly trained paramilitary forces." Contact staff writer Jeff Gelles at 215-854-2776 or jgelles@phillynews.com. About Philly.com ***************************************************************** 36 Reuters: Experts say U.S. nuke cargo scan rules unworkable | Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:39am EDT By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - New rules that will require the scanning of all cargo containers imported to the United States, a move to stop nuclear weapons being shipped in, are expensive, unnecessary and misguided, industry and security experts said. The law, approved by U.S. President George W. Bush last month, requires that by 2012, all seaborne containers must be screened for radiation before they leave port for the United States to check they do not contain weapons. Congress backed the bill, which implements recommendations following the September 11, 2001 attacks, despite objections from the Department of Homeland Security, the European Commission, shipping organizations and many U.S. trading partners. "We know that al Qaeda's aim is to obtain a nuclear weapon and detonate it in our country," U.S. Democratic Rep. Edward Markey, a leading advocate of the law, said on his Web site. "Failure to screen and seal all cargo overseas doesn't just ‘miss the boat' -- it also could miss the bomb, with devastating consequences for our country." While the White House has doubts over the law's feasibility, such that the Homeland Security secretary can extend the 2012 deadline every two years if necessary, it shares the same fears. "Our greatest concern with respect to a cargo-borne threat is a terrorist attempting to smuggle a weapon of mass destruction into our country," U.S. Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff told a Senate Committee last week. Whilst happy to improve cargo security, the industry is bitterly opposed to the plans. The U.S.-based World Shipping Council (WSC) said about $500 billion of annual U.S. commerce would be affected. UNWORKABLE It said global trade bodies objected "because the legislation is not only unworkable but that the Congress failed to even try to address fundamentally critical questions about how such a system would actually operate". Unanswered questions range from who would pay for and maintain the necessary equipment at more than 600 ports worldwide, to who would actually carry out the scanning. Markey has said he opposed allowing shippers do the screening. Adhering to the measure would cost "billions and billions", necessitating massively expanded port capacity, said Simon Bennett of the International Chamber of Shipping. "It's not possible to do 100 percent scanning in the way they suggest," he told Reuters. "At least, not possible to do it without disrupting world trade as we know it." In the meantime, shipping groups hoped other governments would put pressure on the United States. The European Union has already voiced its opposition, saying experts saw little security whilst legitimate EU and U.S. businesses would suffer. Analysts also argue the nuclear threat is unrealistic and say the risk of maritime terrorism has been overstated. "A big bang, a nuclear weapon sailing into a harbor and being detonated there -- that is highly unlikely, that's very improbable," said Dr Peter Lehr, an expert in maritime terrorism at Scotland's St Andrews University. Trying to detect a nuclear warhead amongst the thousands of containers being shipped to the United States everyday would be like "looking for a needle in a haystack", he told Reuters. On the other hand, there would be false alarms as products ranging from ceramic tiles to cat litter give off radiation. "This is ridiculous. The chances of al Qaeda getting their hands on a nuclear weapon are nil," another senior maritime terrorism expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters. ***************************************************************** 37 Platts: Worker seriously injured in fall from turbine platform 2007-09-18 Stockholm (Platts)--18Sep2007 A worker who fell eight meters from the Olkiluoto-3 turbine platform at the plant construction site September 17 is in serious condition, site manager Hannu-Heikki Manninen, said in a interview September 18. Teollisuuden Voima Oy, police and occupational safety authorities are investigating the accident. The cause has not yet been determined. The worker, who is English, was either cleaning the platform or removing concreting forms when he fell to the ground. Manninen said more information should become available after investigators talk with the worker's supervisor who saw the accident happen. The 1,600-MW EPR is being delivered to TVO under a turnkey contract with Areva and Siemens. Copyright 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 38 CDC: Dose reconstruction board meeting FR Doc E7-18417 [Federal Register: September 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 181)] [Notices] [Page 53589] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr19se07-92] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Subcommittee for Dose Reconstruction Reviews (SDRR), Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (ABRWH, or Advisory Board), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) In accordance with section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the following meeting for the aforementioned committee and subcommittee: Subcommittee Meeting Time and Date: 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m., October 3, 2007. Board Meeting Times and Dates: 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m., October 3, 2007. 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., October 4, 2007. 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., October 5, 2007. Public Comment Times and Dates: 5 p.m.-6 p.m., October 3, 2007. 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., October 4, 2007. Place: Holiday Inn Select, 1801 N. Naper Blvd, Naperville, Illinois 60563. Telephone 630.505.4900, Fax 630.505.1984. Status: Open to the public, limited only by the space available. The meeting space accommodates approximately 75 to 100 people. Background: The Advisory Board was established under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program (EEOICP) Act of 2000 to advise the President on a variety of policy and technical functions required to implement and effectively manage the new compensation program. Key functions of the Advisory Board include providing advice on the development of probability of causation guidelines which have been promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a final rule, advice on methods of dose reconstruction which have also been promulgated by HHS as a final rule, advice on the scientific validity and quality of dose estimation and reconstruction efforts being performed for purposes of the compensation program, and advice on petitions to add classes of workers to the Special Exposure Cohort (SEC). In December 2000, the President delegated responsibility for funding, staffing, and operating the Advisory Board to HHS, which subsequently delegated this authority to the CDC. NIOSH implements this responsibility for CDC. The charter was issued on August 3, 2001, renewed at appropriate intervals, and will expire on August 3, 2009. Purpose: This Advisory Board is charged with (a) Providing advice to the Secretary, HHS, on the development of guidelines under Executive Order 13179; (b) providing advice to the Secretary, HHS, on the scientific validity and quality of dose reconstruction efforts performed for this program; and (c) upon request by the Secretary, HHS, advise the Secretary on whether there is a class of employees at any Department of Energy facility who were exposed to radiation but for whom it is not feasible to estimate their radiation dose, and on whether there is reasonable likelihood that such radiation doses may have endangered the health of members of this class. Matters To Be Discussed: The topics for the Subcommittee meeting will be to Review the Dose Reconstruction and Future Subcommittee Plan Actions. The agenda for the Advisory Board meeting includes Discussion on NIOSH Web site; Update on Science Issues; Discussion of Board Procedures; Discussion of the overall tracking system for Board activities; SEC Petitions to be considered for Y-12, Hanford, Sandia National Lab-Livermore, Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC); Work Group Updates; Planning for Board Future Activities; SEC Petitions Updates including Blockson Chemical, Fernald, Chapman Valve, Dow Chemical, and Bethlehem Steel; Update on Rocky Flats Follow Up Actions; Plans to Procure Board Contractors for FY09, and Agency Updates. The agenda is subject to change as priorities dictate. In the event an individual cannot attend, written comments may be submitted. Any written comments received will be provided at the meeting and should be submitted to the contact person below well in advance of the meeting. For Further Information Contact: Dr. Lewis V. Wade, Executive Secretary, NIOSH, CDC, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226, Telephone 513.533.6825, Fax 513.533.6826. The Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, has been delegated the authority to sign Federal Register notices pertaining to announcements of meetings and other committee management activities, for both CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Dated: September 12, 2007. Elaine L. Baker, Acting Director, Management Analysis and Services Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR Doc. E7-18417 Filed 9-18-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4163-18-P ***************************************************************** 39 NRC: Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and Procedures; FR Doc E7-18419 [Federal Register: September 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 181)] [Notices] [Page 53608] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr19se07-124] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting The ACRS Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures will hold a meeting on October 3, 2007, Room T-2B1, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. The entire meeting will be open to public attendance, with the exception of a portion that may be closed pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552b(c) (2) and (6) to discuss organizational and personnel matters that relate solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of the ACRS, and information the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 8 a.m.-9:30 a.m. The Subcommittee will discuss proposed ACRS activities and related matters. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Sam Duraiswamy (telephone: 301-415-7364) between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (ET) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted only during those portions of the meeting that are open to the public. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (ET). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes in the agenda. Dated: September 12, 2007. Cayetano Santos, Branch Chief, ACRS. [FR Doc. E7-18419 Filed 9-18-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 40 Countercurrents.org: Depleted Uranium - A Way Out? By Felicity Arbuthnot By Felicity Arbuthnot 19 September, 2007 The term "Gulf War Syndrome" is now known world-wide but - after the 1991 Iraq war, as formerly A1 fit soldiers fell ill with debilitating symptoms, in their thousands, the cause was, for two years, a "mystery". It was in 1993, when a group of twenty-four affected soldiers approached Professor Asav Durakovic, one of the world's leading experts in the effects of radiation, that a cause came to light. They had many times the "safe" level of chemically toxic and radioactive depleted uranium (DU) in their bodies. Duracovic, although a senior officer in the US army during the first Gulf war, had been unaware that the weapons used had contained depleted uranium. "I was horrified", he said: "I was a soldier, but above all I am a doctor." By 1997, it was estimated that ninety thousand US veterans were suffering from Gulf War Syndrome. Durakovic, who is also medical consultant for the Children of Chernobyl project at Hadassah University, Jerusalem, lost his job as Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the Veteran's Administration Medical Facility at Wilmington, Delaware, as a direct result of his work with Gulf war veterans contaminated with radiation, he states. Two other physicians, Dr Burroughs and Dr Slingerland of Boston VA also lost their jobs when they asked for more sensitive equipment to better diagnose the soldiers referred to them by Professor Durakovic. Oddly, all the records pertaining to the sick soldiers at the Delaware VA went missing, a syndrome of another kind which has become familiar, both sides of the Atlantic. Two years before Durakovic's discovery, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) "self initiated" a Report warning the government that if fifty tonnes of the residual dust, from the explosions of the weapons on impact, was left "in the region", they estimated it would generate "half a million" extra cancer deaths by the end of the century (2000.) Iraq's cancers and birth deformities have become an anomaly, compared to those in the Pacific Islands and amongst British troops after the nuclear testing in the 1950's. Further, "depleted" is a misnomer. These weapons are made from waste from the nuclear fuel cycle and thus contain the whole lethal nuclear cocktail. DU weapons (sold to seventeen countries that are known and possibly others - why let poisoning the planet and its population get in the way of numerous millions of quick bucks) are equivalent to spreading the contents of a nuclear reactor around the globe. And far from fifty tonnes and that chilling warning, in Iraq several thousand tonnes now cover this ancient, Biblical land and with the bombs raining daily, the audit rises nearly hour by hour. The US is currently by far the largest user of DU weapons. Over the past decade, they have brought more than sixteen million DU shells and bullets from Alliant Tech Systems alone. (Source: Janes.) Strangely, this time, there have been few reports of soldiers with the terrible effects of 1991, where they were only in the region for a few weeks. Although troops now remain for months or a year, Gulf War Syndrome mark 2 seems not an issue. Perhaps it is because, reportedly, doctors treating returning troops have been threatened with jail and or hefty fines if they say anything regarding DU-related symptoms. The implication regarding compensation to countries affected by this poisoned legacy (DU's lethality lasts for four and a half billion years) and troops is financially stratospheric. Since the 2003 invasion, US troops are denied entry to the International Atomic Energy Authority or any radiation experts to test ground and air levels. In Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia where DU weapons were used (with missiles also dropped accidentally in neighbouring countries, by the US, to whom all the world's lives are seemingly cheap) the "Iraq Syndrome" became quickly apparent. Even European peacekeepers on relatively short tours of duty became ill, developed leukaemias and other cancers and a number died. A five man film crew from BBC Scotland all tested DU positive after filming for less than a week there. Afghanistan too was "liberated" in 2001, by uranium weapons, which continue to be routinely used, condemning generations yet to be born to deformities and the living - the new born and under fives the most susceptible - to cancers and other horrific DU-related conditions. Durakovic also found high levels of uranium in hospital patients there, as there will undoubtedly be in the occupying forces. He also found identical conditions to Iraq amongst the young: "Children born with no limbs, no eyes, or with tumours protruding from their mouths and eyes." The latest country to fall victim to uranium weapons is Lebanon - but with a Difference; it transpires. Dr Chris Busby*, founder of the Low Level Radiation Campaign and Green Audit, is Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk and also sits on the (UK) Ministry of Defence Uranium Oversight Board. Israel is one of the countries with uranium weapons and: "The first evidence that the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) were using them" (in the July-August 2006 Israeli bombardment) "was a Getty Picture Library image of an Israeli soldier carrying a DU anti-tank shell", says Busby. He then noted a report in Lebanon's Daily Star, that Dr Khobeisi, a scientist, had measured gamma radiation in a bomb crater at Khiam in the south of the country, at ten to twenty times higher (samples taken from different locations in crater) than naturally occurring background radiation. The following month, Dai Williams,** an independent researcher went to Lebanon on behalf of Green Audit, to investigate and bring back samples to the UK for testing. He also brought back an air filter from an ambulance. Tested at the Harwell UKAEA laboratory: "The results were astonishing." Both soil and filter contained enriched uranium with the soil sample containing uranium about nine times higher than the natural background. (Remember how threatening the West has become towards Iran's efforts to enrich uranium?) The soil sample was also sent to the School of Ocean Sciences, in North Wales for a second test by a different method for certainty. The results were the same. Busby asks: "Why use enriched uranium? It is a bit like shooting your enemy with diamonds." He contends it is possible that it is a "smokestream" for the wider use of depleted uranium, as the final contamination "when all gets mixed up after the war has a natural isotopic signature". (ie: can be read as uranium which occurs naturally in nature.) There are two other chilling possibilities says Busby: a fusion bomb or a thermobaric bomb, both of which would need enriched uranium. Certainly, doctors were reporting bodies in conditions they could find in no medical manuals, as in the attack on Falluja, Iraq. Lebanese authorities denied the presence of enriched uranium; Israel denied using it. The bombardment had ended on the agreement that UN peacekeepers went in. Given their debilitation and mortality rate in the Balkans, this lethal presence might well have deterred them. To be certain the incident was not in isolation. Williams returned to Lebanon and brought back soil and water samples from Khiam and other sites. Enriched uranium was found in water samples from two separate craters in Khiam and in one of the soil samples. Then the money ran out. The samples tested had already cost 2,000. Donations from an Arab friend and Swiss supporters totalled 850 - and Dai Williams had paid the rest out of his own money. More work is needed, but it is now known that the IDF used enriched uranium in Lebanon. And: "Since it is in the ambulance air filter, it is also in the lungs of the inhabitants ... the Lebanese people have been sacrificed to cancers, leukaemias, birth defects, like the people of the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq", says Busby, adding "and it may be worse: since we still do not know what the weapon was." And have these weapons been used on the people of Gaza and the West Bank? Further, Israel is not alone decimating those she perceives as her enemies, but her own people, neighbouring countries and even those further afield. In context, Green Audit studied airborne uranium at sites in the UK, between 1998 and 2004. There was only one period in which uranium in the air "significantly" exceeded the naturally occurring background presence: during the bombing of Iraq, in March and April, 2003. As with the radionuclides from Chernobyl which affected Europe and the globe, and still contaminates agricultural land, the potentially deadly wave of invisible particles travelled on the wind from Iraq. "We are all Gulf war victims now", commented Busby's colleague, Richard Bramhill. Can anything be done to halt the use of these genocidal weapons? Francis Boyle, Professor of International Law at the University of Illinois and author of The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence, thinks so. He has launched a campaign for a global pact against uranium weapons. Boyle points out that the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibits: "the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices". Clearly he says, DU is "analogous" to poison gas. The Government of France is the official depository for the 1925 Geneva Protocol. Boyle contends that rather than aiming for an international treaty prohibiting the use of DU, which would probably take years, pressure should be put on every state to submit a letter to the French government to enforce a ban. "All that needs to be done is for anti-DU citizens, activists and NGO's in every country to pressure their Foreign Minister to write to their French counterpart, drawing attention to the "Protocol for the Prohibition of the use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare", of 17th June 1925, prohibiting uses as above. The letter should add that this Protocol is believed to: "already prohibit the use in war of depleted uranium ammunition, uranium armour plate and all other uranium weapons". A request should be made that the letter is circulated to all other High Contracting Parties to the 1925 Protocol and addressed to: His Excellency, The Foreign Minister, Republic of France, 37, Quai d'Orsay, 75351 Paris, France. Or Fax: 33-1-43-17-4275 Professor Boyle points out that: "As the Land Mines Treaty demonstrates, it is possible for a coalition of determined activists and NGO's, acting in concert with at least one sympathetic state, to bring into being an international treaty to address humanitarian concerns." Such a sympathetic state exists: Belgium, last month, outlawed uranium weapons. If the rest of the world does not follow, what will happen is what Richard Bramhill calls "a DU-locaust" - of the children of the countries where these weapons have been used, of soldiers, of the uranium miners and of the munitions workers, as the living, dead and deformed prove. * Author of Wings of Death and of Wolves of Water (2007) essential reading on radiation's horrors, published by Green Audit, available direct from admin@greenaudit.org Busby is also involved in Radioactive Times, the journal of the Low Level Radiation Campaign, a detailed quarterly update on nuclear industry shenanigans ( http://www.llrc.org ) ** http://www.eoslifework.co.uk for a wealth of DU related material. ***************************************************************** 41 UPI: Ex-workers at nuke plant may get payment United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Published: 18, 2007 at 11:14 PM APOLLO, Pa., 18 (UPI) -- A federal agency has designated employees at a Western Pennsylvania nuclear plant a special exposure designation, moving them closer to getting compensation. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is expected to release its report on the former Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corp. plant in Apollo this week, The Valley News Dispatch reported. The NIOSH finding must be approved by other federal agencies and Congress. The special designation, if it wins final approval, would mean NUMEC employees would not have to prove certain types of disease were linked to exposure to nuclear radiation. Former employees who worked at the nuclear-processing plant for at least 250 days between 1957 and 1983 would be eligible for almost automatic approval of claims. Those with any of 22 types of cancer or with beryllium disease, or their survivors, would be eligible for $150,000 plus additional payment for medical bills. Copyright United Press International. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 42 ENS: U.S. Would Turn Nine Tons of Weapons Plutonium Into MOX Fuel Environment News Service (ENS) VIENNA, Austria Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced here Monday that the United States will remove nine metric tons of plutonium from further use as fissile material in U.S. nuclear weapons. Nine metric tons is enough plutonium to make over 1,000 nuclear weapons, said Bodman, stressing that the move signifies the Bush administrations ongoing commitment to nuclear nonproliferation. Speaking at the International Atomic Energy Agency's annual general conference, Bodman said, The United States is leading by example and furthering our commitment to nonproliferation and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty by safely reducing the amount of weapons-usable nuclear material in the world." The nine tons of plutonium will be removed over "coming decades" from retired, dismantled nuclear weapons. It will be eliminated by fabrication into mixed uranium and plutonium oxide, MOX, fuel that can be burned in commercial nuclear reactors to produce electricity, Bodman said. The first MOX fuel fabrication facility is now under construction at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site at the Georgia-South Carolina border. In 2004, President George W. Bush directed that the size of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile be reduced by almost half from its size in 2001 when he entered office. This move is consistent with the presidents commitment to maintaining the lowest number of nuclear weapons while providing for national security, Bodman said. By 2012, the U.S. nuclear arsenal will be at its lowest level since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s, he said. The plutonium announcement follows Secretary Bodmans 2005 announcement that the United States will remove from further use in U.S. nuclear weapons up to 200 metric tons of highly enriched uranium from retired nuclear warheads. Secretary Bodman said. "As the United States continues to reduce the size of its nuclear weapons stockpile, we will be able to dispose of even more nuclear material while increasing energy and national security." Critics have attacked the MOX program as unsafe and likely to create new proliferation hazards. They argue that the use of MOX fuel will make reactors more difficult to control, reducing safety margins, and that the increase in the quantity of actinides in the core would result in more deaths in the event of a catastrophic reactor meltdown and containment failure. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 43 Vail Daily News: Study: Risks of drilling at old nuke site minimal for Vail and Beaver Creek Colorado - News Associated Press Vail, CO Colorado September 19, 2007 Comments Print Email DENVER A new federal study says the risk of radioactivity being released is minimal if natural gas wells are drilled near the site of an old underground nuclear blast. The Department of Energy study was released Wednesday. Energy companies are expressing interest in drilling near the old Project Rulison site, about 100 miles west of Vail. A weapon was detonated underground in September 1969 in an attempt to free up natural gas. It was part of a program trying to put nuclear devices to peaceful use. None of the gas produced was sold because it was too radioactive. The Energy Department and state regulators have imposed some restrictions on drilling in the area but landowners dont think theyre tough enough. All contents Copyright 2007 vaildaily.com Vail Daily - 40780 US Hwy 6 & 24 - Avon, CO 81620 ***************************************************************** 44 Daily News Journal: Landfill owner asks state to remove it from BSFR list Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, Tennessee news from Allied Waste has asked the state to take Middle Point Landfill off the list of landfills which can accept low-level radioactive waste under the Bulk Survey for Release program according to a statement released by the company today. On Aug. 20, 2007, Middle Point Landfill, which is owned by Allied, announced it would voluntarily discontinue participation in the Bulk Survey for Release (BSFR) program under which low-level radioactive materials have been deposited at the landfill on Jefferson Pike since at least the 1990s. The Middle Point facility has subsequently sent a letter to the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation requesting that the special waste approval for BSFR material be rescinded for the facility, according to the statement by Jim Zeumer, spokesman for Allied Waste. By taking this action to rescind the special waste approval for BSFR material, this material can no longer be accepted into the landfill, the statement reads. Copyright 2007 The Daily News Journal. All rights reserved. Users ***************************************************************** 45 Rutland Herald: Who pays for nuclear waste? September 19, 2007 Several weeks ago I wrote Gov. James Douglas a letter asking who will pay to guard the nuclear waste stored at the nuclear plant in Vernon after the plant closes. To date I have no answer. I think it is obvious that the taxpayer will have to pay to guard that waste for probably at least 1,000 years. It probably will be the Vermont taxpayer. I want to leave my children assets not liabilities. Our federal government has been talking about storing this waste in Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for 40 years, and the completion date is still far in the future. Now I read that people are saying, I do not want that stuff transported through my town. So we are stuck with it. We have agreed to let the plant run until 2012. We surely do not need to extend the license after that date until we actually see this toxic waste removed from the site. From what I have read there are cracks in the steam dryer and recently the cooling tower problem. Where are the inspectors? Is the plant safe now? FRED THURLOW Wallingford 2007 Rutland Herald ***************************************************************** 46 US EPA: EPA Adds Seven Sites and Proposes 12 Sites to the Superfund List Release date: 09/19/2007 Contact Information: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov (Washington, D.C. - Sept. 19, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding seven new hazardous waste sites that pose risks to human health and the environment to the list for investigation and clean-up. The list, known as National Priorities List (NPL), sets priorities under the federal Superfund program that addresses complex uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country. Contaminants found at the final and proposed sites include arsenic, barium, benzene, beryllium, cadmium, cesium-137, chromium, copper, 1,1-dichloroethane, dioxins, lead, mercury, naphthalene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans silver, tetrachloroethene (PCE), thorium-230, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene (TCE), and zinc, and other metals. To date, there have been 1,569 sites listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 320 sites have been deleted resulting in 1,249 sites currently on the NPL. EPA is also proposing to add 12 other sites to the list. With the proposal of the 12 new sites, there are 66 proposed sites awaiting final agency action: 61 in the general Superfund section and five in the federal facilities section. There are 1,315 final and proposed sites. With all Superfund sites, EPA tries to identify and locate the parties potentially responsible for the contamination. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several years before significant cleanup funding is required for these sites. Sites may be placed on the list through various mechanisms: Numeric ranking established by EPAs Hazard Ranking System. Designation by states or territories of one top-priority site. Meeting all three of the following requirements: < The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Public Health Service has issued a health advisory that recommends removing people from the site; < EPA determines the site poses a significant threat to public health; and < EPA anticipates it will be more cost-effective to use its remedial authority than to use its emergency removal authority to respond to the site. For Federal Register notices and supporting documents for these final and proposed sites, visit: The following seven sites have been added to the National Priorities List: Halaco Engineering Company (Oxnard, Calif.) Eagle Zinc Co Div T L Diamond (Hillsboro, Ill,) South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination (Minneapolis, Minn.) Standard Chlorine (Kearny, N.J.) Eagle Picher Carefree Battery (Socorro, N.M.) Formosa Mine (Douglas County, Ore.) Five Points PCE Plume (Woods Cross/Bountiful, Utah) The following 12 sites have been proposed to the National Priorities List: Lusher Street Ground Water Contamination (Elkhart, Ind.) Plating Inc. (Great Bend, Kan.) Washington County Lead District - Old Mines (Old Mines, Mo.) Washington County Lead District Potosi (Potosi, Mo.) Washington County Lead District Richwoods (Richwoods, Mo.) East Troy Contaminated Aquifer (Troy, Ohio) Chem-Fab (Doylestown, Penn.) San German Ground Water Contamination (San German, Puerto Rico) Donna Reservoir and Canal System (Donna, Texas) Midessa Ground Water Plume (Odessa, Texas) San Jacinto River Waste Pits (Houston, Texas) Hidden Lane Landfill (Sterling, Va.) Information about the proposed and final NPL sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm Last updated on 09/19/2007 12:06:54 PM URL: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/names/hq_2007-9-19_seven ***************************************************************** 47 Newsday.com: Plan set for West Valley nuclear waste cleanup -- By CAROLYN THOMPSON | Associated Press Writer 4:54 PM EDT, September 19, 2007 WEST VALLEY, N.Y. - The next phase of cleanup at the former site of the nation's only commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing operation will focus on several short-term projects while federal and state officials work out thornier long-term issues. With the last of about 20,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste expected to be shipped to a Nevada disposal site in the next few weeks, federal officials this week outlined a plan called the "Way Ahead" that will chart the cleanup's future. "We have some very finite things established," said James Rispoli, the U.S. Department of Energy's assistant secretary of energy for environmental management. "Just as important," he said during a visit to the Cattaraugus County site Tuesday, "we have a framework ... to address the remaining issues and we have all of the agencies participating." Work over the next four years will concentrate on drying out underground tanks that once held high-level waste, capping a landfill and containing a contaminated groundwater plume that environmentalists fear could eventually seep into Lake Erie, the region's source of drinking water. Plans also include transferring 275 canisters of solidified high-level waste out of what was the main processing plant so that the 41-year-old facility _ the source of the groundwater plume _ can be demolished. The canisters would be stored inside another structure on site until the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada, or another federal disposal site, opens. Meanwhile, a "core team" of representatives from several state and federal agencies will try to achieve a consensus on how to complete the cleanup and who will be responsible for future monitoring of the site 35 miles south of Buffalo. Over a 20-year period beginning in the early 1980s, a partnership between the DOE and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority achieved significant milestones in the cleanup, including solidifying more than 600,000 gallons of high-level liquid radioactive waste into glass and knocking down numerous buildings. In recent years, however, the state and federal agencies have been at odds over what the site's end state will be and its long-term stewardship. A lawsuit filed by the state against the federal government last December remains pending in U.S. District Court. The Way Ahead represents a new spirit of cooperation, said Alan Steinberg, the Environmental Protection Agency's regional administrator. The plan has the support of NYSERDA, said Tom Attridge, a senior project manager, though he cautioned there is still much that needs to be worked out. "There are still some difficult issues out there but we're encouraged by it," he said. "We have four years of work that can be planned out and done." The core team _ including representatives of DOE, EPA, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NYSERDA and the state departments of Health and Environmental Conservation _ was established a year ago and has been meeting monthly. Members are expected to outline a preferred closing alternative in a draft environmental impact statement in 2009. From 1966 to 1972, spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants and Energy Department sites was chopped, dissolved and its uranium and plutonium extracted at West Valley. The commercial operation shut down for upgrades in 1972 but remained closed after stricter regulatory requirements that were passed during the closure made the prospect of reopening too expensive. NYSERDA now holds title to the 3,300-acre site, while the DOE leads the cleanup. The 1980 West Valley Demonstration Project Act passed by Congress directed DOE to use the site to demonstrate a method for solidifying high-level liquid waste, and to decontaminate and decommission facilities used in the effort. The law made the state responsible for 10 percent of the costs, and the DOE responsible for the rest. Steinberg said the success of West Valley could be "a model for the nation." As nuclear power remains an energy source, he said, "the issue of nuclear waste is going to be there." ______ On the Net: www.wv.doe.gov Copyright 2007, The Associated Press ***************************************************************** 48 Brandon Sun: Trigon Uranium paying nearly US$100K for Utah mining claims Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 Canadian Press KELOWNA, B.C. - Trigon Uranium Corp. (TSXV:TEL) is paying nearly US$100,000 in stock and cash to acquire 11 mining claims in the White Canyon district of southeastern Utah. Kelowna-based Trigon said Wednesday it will issue about 137,500 shares and pay US$45,000 to obtain the claims, which host a former operating uranium mine, the Green Lizard. "This acquisition continues Trigon's strategy to establish a portfolio of mines in the Colorado Plateau," the firm said in a release. "Trigon believes significant uranium resources can be developed by re-entering historical Colorado Plateau mines with the intention of following previously defined ore zones and exploring land contiguous to these mines." Trigon now controls 170 mining claims and three Utah state leases totalling about 1,800 hectares in the White Canyon district, hosting seven former operating uranium mines. Wednesday afternoon on the TSX Venture Exchange, Trigon Uranium stock was up 3.5 cents, or about nine per cent, to 42.5 cents in trading of nearly 71,000 shares. © Copyright 2007 Brandon Sun All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 49 ElBaradei warns of drift into Iran war 19 Sep 2007 Resent-Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:26:59 -0500 (CDT) Breaking News and Commentary from Citizens For Legitimate Government 19 Sep 2007 http://www.legitgov.org/ http://www.legitgov.org/index.html#breaking_news Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes 'Oddities' 17 Sep 2007 Updated! ElBaradei warns of drift into Iran war 19 Sep 2007 The UN's chief nuclear weapons inspector has warned against the use of force against Iran, in what he said was an attempt to halt an "out of control" drift to war. Mohamed ElBaradei's outspoken remarks on Monday, which drew a parallel between Iran and Iraq, appeared to be aimed at the US and Britain. Rice swipes at IAEA, urges bold action on Iran 19 Sep 2007 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice scolded the U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency on Wednesday over its Iran strategy and called for diplomacy with "teeth" to end Tehran's nuclear plans. Russia fears talk of Iran 'war' 19 Sep 2007 Russia's Foreign Minister says he is concerned about talk of war with Iran after a meeting with his French counterpart. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia is worried by reports that serious consideration is being given to military action against Iran. Military intervention in Iran would be "catastrophic": Moscow 18 Sep 2007 Any US military intervention in Iran would be a "political error" that would have "catastrophic" consequences, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyukov said in an interview published Tuesday. Iran Draws Up Plans to Bomb Israel Iran if Israel attacks --Draws Up Plans to Retaliate in Case of Attack by Israel, Says Air Force Chief 19 Sep 2007 The deputy commander of Iran's air force said Wednesday that plans have been drawn up to bomb Israel if Israel attacks Iran, according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Israel declares Gaza 'hostile entity' 19 Sep 2007 Israel on Wednesday branded the Gaza Strip a "hostile entity," clearing the way for it to shut off basic supplies to the Hamas-run territory in revenge for rocket fire, a senior official told AFP. Syria blast 'linked to chemical weapons': report 19 Sep 2007 Iranian engineers were among those killed in a blast at a secret Syrian military installation two months ago, defence group Jane's said Wednesday after claiming that the base was being used to develop chemical weapons. U.S. Officials Seek to Ease Strain With Britain Over Iraq 19 Sep 2007 The top two American military and diplomatic officials in Iraq sought to play down differences over Iraq policy as they met with senior British officials on Tuesday, at a time of mounting pressure here for the withdrawal of Britains remaining 5,200 soldiers from southern Iraq. U.S. suspends official Green Zone travel 18 Sep 2007 The United States on Tuesday suspended all land travel by U.S. diplomats and other civilian officials in Iraq outside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, amid mounting public outrage over the alleged killing of civilians by the U.S. Embassy's mercenaries, Blackwater USA. Soldiers sold weapons from Iraq for cocaine, court martial hears 19 Sep 2007 Two soldiers [Lance Corporals Michael White and Anthony Creswick] who smuggled guns and ammunition out of Iraq to sell to other members of their unit accepted cocaine as payment for a pair of pistols, a court martial heard yesterday. Al-Maliki Says Blackwater Should Be Replaced for 'Criminal Act' 19 Sep 2007 Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on the U.S. to replace Blackwater, the security company that protects State Department staff in Iraq, after the firm was involved in a shooting incident he called a "criminal act". Iraqis round on Blackwater 'dogs' after shooting 18 Sep 2007 Hated by Iraqis who refer to them as "Mossad," Blackwater mercenaries are also mistrusted by fellow private security guards operating in Iraq who say they are arrogant, rude and dangerous. "They kill innocent people in the street," Hameed Hussein, a pensioner in west Baghdad's Al-Maamoun neighbourhood said on Tuesday, two days after guards from the US mercenaries opened fire on civilians, killing 10 people and wounding 13. "Where else in the world does this happen?" asked 60-year-old Hussein. "These are not security forces but rather forces to kill Iraqis. They are frenzied dogs." War means a windfall for CEOs By Michael Brush 19 Sep 2007 While policymakers in Washington wrangle over how much progress we've made in Iraq, one thing is clear: The war on terror is making some people rich. President [sic] Bush's military buildup has caused defense-contractor revenue to double, triple and even more during the past five years, and their executives have reaped huge bonuses and stock windfalls as the companies' share prices have jumped. U.S. Working to Brainwash Iraqi Prisoners --Moderate Muslims Enlisted to Steer Adults and Children Away From 'Insurgency' 10 Sep 2007 The U.S. military has introduced "religious enlightenment" [*puke*] and other education programs for Iraqi prisoners, some of whom are as young as 11, Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas M. Stone, the commander of U.S. detention facilities in Iraq, said yesterday. Marine Corps Exonerates Captain in Haditha Killings 19 Sep 2007 A U.S. Marine company commander who led the unit that killed as many as 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has had all criminal charges against him dismissed nearly two years after the murders occurred. Marine Corps officials announced yesterday that Capt. Lucas M. McConnell no longer faces two counts of dereliction of duty in allegedly not investigating the Nov. 19, 2005, shootings [war crimes] and not reporting up his chain of command. Baghdad bombs kill 12 18 Sep 2007 At least 12 people were killed and 37 wounded today after Baghdad was hit by two parked car bombs and two roadside bombs, police said. Pew Poll: Petraeus Report Doesn't Change Americans' Minds 18 Sep 2007 Gen. David Petraeus' report to Congress and President Bush's nationally televised address have had little impact on Americans' distaste for the Iraq war and their desire to withdraw U.S. troops, polls show. Jail for soldier who paid to be shot to avoid Iraq 18 Sep 2007 A 20-year-old soldier who paid someone to shoot him in the leg to avoid being redeployed to Iraq will serve one year in jail, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Russia calls arms move serious signal to West 19 Sep 2007 Russia said on Wednesday its decision to suspend the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty later this year was a serious sign to the West, but stressed Moscow was not seeking confrontation. "Our aim today is to give a signal, a serious signal, to our Western partners that things cannot go on like this," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak told parliamentary hearings on the CFE. US Air Force sets up Cyber Command 18 Sep 2007 The US Air Force established a provisional Cyber Command Tuesday as part of an expanding mission to prepare for wars in cyberspace, officials said. Call Congress: Don't Let Freedom Fall Through the Cracks (ACLU) With a vote on restoring habeas corpus today, September 19 and three hearings on NSA spying this week, Congress needs to hear from you. Tell Congress not to permanently change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until Congress and the public get answers about what surveillance activities have been conducted over the last six years. Ask your Members of Congress to restore habeas corpus and co-sponsor the Restoring the Constitution Act. Spy czar urges extension of warrantless wiretap law 18 Sep 2007 Under grilling from congressional Democrats on Tuesday, the nation's intelligence chief said he doesn't know how many Americans' phone and e-mail conversations have been inadvertently overheard in the process of foreign-oriented snooping. Spy chief seeks more eavesdropping power --McConnell says aggressive China and Russia spying near Cold War levels 18 Sep 2007 The top U.S. intelligence official asked Congress Tuesday for even more changes to a law that he says has limited the government's ability to eavesdrop - not just on terrorists but also on more traditional potential adversaries. Warrantless Wiretaps Not Used, Official Says 19 Sep 2007 The National Security Agency has not conducted wiretapping without warrants on the telephones of any Americans since at least February, the nations top intelligence officer told Congress [testilied] on Tuesday. Searching Passengers' Faces For Subtle Cues to Terror 19 Sep 2007 A popular tactic in the government's effort to 'fight' terrorism: detecting lawbreakers or potential terrorists by their behavior. The TSA has embraced the strategy, training 600 of its screeners in detection techniques. Such screeners patrol the Washington region's three airports, and by year's end, 1,000 screeners at more than 40 airports will be trained. The TSA also plans to train screeners in the art of observing slight facial movements that indicate a person is lying. [Oh, I guess the entire Bush regime won't be able to fly any more.] Clock to tick down U.S. privacy 18 Sep 2007 A "Surveillance Society Clock" created by the American Civil Liberties Union will symbolize the encroachment of government spying on private citizens as part of the war against [of] terrorism and the ticktock is fast approaching midnight. APEC violence reports go to Ombudsman 19 Sep 2007 Complaints about police violence during the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation summit have been lodged with the NSW Ombudsman. Seven protests about police conduct during APEC, ranging from "rudeness to excessive force", were received, the Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, said yesterday. Furor Ends in Deanship for Liberal Scholar 18 Sep 2007 After backing out of a deal last week, the University of California, Irvine, reversed course yesterday and announced that it was hiring Erwin Chemerinsky, a liberal law professor, to be dean of its new law school after all. Ebola Error in Wisconsin Shows Lax Federal Biodefense Oversight --Similar Violations May be Undetected Elsewhere (The Sunshine Project) 19 Sep 2007 In 2005 and into the summer of 2006, researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison (UW) made and manipulated copies of the entire Ebola virus genome without proper safety precautions. Although federal safety rules required a maximum protection Biosafety Level Four (BSL-4) lab for the research, UW allowed it to proceed at the much less safe and secure BSL-3 level... They prohibit working at BSL-3 with Ebola (and similarly dangerous) virus material that has not been rendered irreversibly incapable of reproducing. UW does not have a BSL-4 lab suitable for handling Ebola virus, which is one of the most dangerous pathogens in the world. [See also: Flu 'Oddities'.] Angry UF students march on campus 18 Sep 2007 (Gainesville, FL) Nearly 200 angry students marched on the campus of the University of Florida tonight, demanding justice for a student who was Tasered and arrested by campus police. The student, 21-year old Andrew Meyer was arrested after loudly and repeatedly trying to ask U.S. Sen. John Kerry questions during a campus forum. Student arrested, Tasered at Kerry event 18 Sep 2007 A university student with a history of taping his own practical jokes was Tasered by campus police and arrested after loudly and repeatedly trying to ask U.S. Sen. John Kerry questions during a campus forum. CREW releases "Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch)" (CREW) 18 Sep 2007 This encyclopedic report on corruption in the 110th Congress documents the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted members of Congress. CREW has compiled the members transgressions and analyzed them in light of federal laws and congressional rules. In bold stroke, Fed cuts base rate half point to 4.75 percent 18 Sep 2007 The Federal Reserve slashed its base federal funds rate by a half point Tuesday to 4.75 percent, in what analysts called a bold move to stimulate an economy imperiled by housing and credit market stress. N.C. foreclosure rate up 83% in August 18 Sep 2007 North Carolina's mortgage foreclosure rate jumped 83 percent from July to August, according to RealtyTrac Inc. The state had one foreclosure filing for every 1,131 households, the tracking firm reports New York oil price hits record high of 81.80 dollars 18 Sep 2007 The price of New York crude surged to a new record high of 81.80 dollars a barrel on Tuesday ahead of a US interest rate call [?] and as traders fretted over tight energy supplies in the United States [corpora-terrorists' greed]. Successful vaccine may come with a price: 'superbug' ear infections, doctors report 18 Sep 2007 A vaccine that has dramatically curbed pneumonia and other serious illnesses in children is also having an unfortunate effect: promoting new superbugs that cause ear infections. CLGers, we need your support. http://www.legitgov.org/#contribute Or, please mail a check or money order to the CLG: Citizens for Legitimate Government (CLG) P.O. Box 1142 Bristol, CT 06011-1142 Contributions to CLG are not tax deductible. [Previous lead stories:] UN nuclear chief warns warmongers over Iran --Heed lessons from Iraq, ElBaradei says 17 Sep 2007 The head of the UN's nuclear agency today warned against any increase in "hype" about war with Iran, saying countries should heed the lessons of the build-up to the Iraq conflict. The strongly worded comments by Mohamed ElBaradei, who runs the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), followed a warning by the French foreign minister that the world should brace itself for a possible war with Iran. Abizaid: World could abide nuclear Iran 17 Sep 2007 Every effort should be made to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, but failing that, the world could live with a nuclear-armed government in Tehran, a recently retired commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East said Monday. Speculation flourishes over Israel's strike on Syria --PM Ehud Olmert enforces news blackout on air raid --Target believed to have been nuclear project 17 Sep 2007 Israel has enforced a news blackout on what may be its air force's most audacious raid since its jets destroyed Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor in 1981. The Israeli government has made no comment about the raid on what is believed to be a nuclear installation in Syria and Israeli newspapers have been forbidden to write anything on the subject. Please forward this newsletter to anyone you think might be interested. Those who'd like to be added to the list can go here: http://www.legitgov.org/#subscribe_clg and add your name. Those who would like to be removed from the list can access the same link and remove your name. Please write to: signup@legitgov.org for inquiries/issues/concerns with your subscription. CLG Newsletter editor: Lori Price, Manager. Copyright ) 2007, Citizens For Legitimate Government . All rights reserved. CLG Founder and Chair is Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D. ***************************************************************** 50 [NYTr] Missile Shield: US Reply to Russia Drags on Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:49:59 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit Prensa Latina, Havana http://www.plenglish.com Missile Shield: US Reply to Russia Drags on Moscow, Sep 19 (Prensa Latina) The US has asked for further time to study the Russian proposal to jointly use the radar in Gabala, Azerbaijan, which Washington considers an additional alternative to the projected installation of its anti-missile shield in Europe. Brigadier General Patrick J. O Reilly, the Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency Office of the Secretary of Defense, pointed out they need to assess how the Gabala station can interact with the rest of their related facilities, and study the possibility of including it in the anti-missile defense system. O'Reilly heads a mission of US experts who, along with others from Russia and Azerbaijan, toured the station, leased by Moscow since 2002. At the Kremlin initiative, military representatives from the three States are holding a new consultation on Gabala's joint use, so that the US abandons the anti-missile project in Europe, which Russia considers a threat. sus dig oda mf PL-10 * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr ================================================================= ***************************************************************** 51 Seattle Times: Work scales up at Hanford waste plant | seattletimes.com Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - Page updated at 11:29 AM By The Associated Press RICHLAND Construction on a massive nuclear waste treatment plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation is ramping up again. U.S. Department of Energy spokesman Erik Olds says more than 500 workers are at the south-central Washington site to build the plant, and more are expected soon. The $12.2 billion vitrification plant is the cornerstone of Hanford cleanup. It will convert highly toxic radioactive waste to glasslike logs for long-term storage. Workers have encountered seismic concerns and construction problems, stalling work on the plant's pretreatment and high-level waste buildings for nearly two years. State and federal officials are negotiating new cleanup deadlines for the plant, which is eight years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. Copyright 2007 The Seattle Times Company ***************************************************************** 52 Yakima Herald Republic: Reservoir could spread Hanford pollution Published on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 By DAVID LESTER YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC The list of concerns about the proposed Black Rock reservoir, east of Yakima, just got longer -- and more serious. The item added Tuesday could scuttle the whole idea of a better water supply for farmers and communities and improved fish runs in the Yakima Valley by drawing water from the Columbia River. The Bureau of Reclamation and the state Ecology Department released a study Tuesday concluding that water seeping through the bottom of the huge lake would raise the water table at Hanford, spread existing contamination and further threaten the Columbia River. Bureau officials said the seepage could be reduced by building underground barriers. And Black Rock supporters, hoping to keep the project alive, said they believe the seepage water could be pumped out before it reaches the nuclear reservation boundary and put to use and even reduce existing groundwater flows beneath Hanford. But opponents of the reservoir called the study results unacceptable and a deal-killer for Black Rock. Rachael Paschal Osborn of Spokane, director of the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, said the reservoir, which would be located five miles from the Hanford reservation boundary, poses too great a risk. "How are you going to guarantee you will be able to prevent the downward and lateral movement (of water)?" she asked. "You are talking about a risk factor that is very high. You can't afford mistakes. This study speaks to getting this off the list and stop wasting money and spend the money on solutions that will work." Several business and agriculture leaders from Yakima and the Tri-Cities remain steadfast supporters of the reservoir. Sid Morrison of Zillah, a former congressman and state transportation secretary, chairs their grass-roots organization, the Yakima Basin Storage Alliance. Active in the group are Yakima auto dealer Bob Hall, labor organizer Rockey Marshall, former county commissioner Chuck Klarich and longtime farmers. Black Rock would be constructed as a 1.6 million acre-foot reservoir behind a 600-foot-high dam about 30 miles east of Yakima. The lake, filled with water from behind Priest Rapids Dam, would include 300,000 acre-feet of water that could not be withdrawn. Beyond the daunting price tag -- at least $6 billion in current dollars -- and speculative benefits, the contamination issue poses a grave concern to public safety and environmental harm, according to officials responsible for managing and cleaning up Hanford, the most polluted place in the United States. Jane Hedges, nuclear waste program manager for the state Ecology Department, told reporters at a news conference that adding water to the subsurface flow could make existing contaminants more soluble and spread them further. The contaminants in the ground are remnants of Hanford's production of plutonium during World War II and the Cold War. An estimated 1 million gallons of water containing radioactive and toxic materials, some of them cancer-causing agents, have leached into the ground. Some contaminants have reached the Columbia River. "We want to make sure that Hanford cleanup is a priority. No one in the agency wants to see something that causes problems for the cleanup or the Columbia River," Hedges said. The Ecology Department is involved in the cleanup under an agreement with the federal Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the site. Colleen French, director of Organizational Effectiveness and Communication for the U.S. Energy Department in Richland, issued a statement Tuesday that the reservoir could significantly affect movement of contaminants beneath Hanford. Contamination issues would have to be fully addressed in an environmental impact statement under way on Black Rock and due out in January. The Energy Department said it wants to participate in development of that statement. The Bureau of Reclamation has spent more than $12 million in state and federal funds studying storage options for the Yakima River Basin under a 2003 congressional authorization. The study, due for completion at the end of next year, also is looking at the proposed Wymer Dam, a pump storage reservoir in the Yakima River Canyon, 15 miles north of Yakima. Another component involves pumping water from near the mouth of the Yakima River into Wymer, located on Lmuma Creek. Separately, the state Ecology Department is studying adding a reservoir on the main stem Columbia River at Crab Creek. Derek Sandison, Ecology regional director in Yakima, said officials are committed to completing the storage study. He said it is possible that Yakima Valley water needs could be met from a new Columbia River reservoir. But he added that no other elements would provide the same benefits as Black Rock -- 800,000 acre-feet of water to ensure irrigators a 70 percent supply and water for municipal and industrial uses. Using Columbia River water would free up Yakima River water to be used to enhance habitat for fish and more closely mirror the natural conditions in the river. Two basin fish species are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act: steelhead trout and bull trout. Gerald Kelso, Upper Columbia Area manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, said the agency's assessment of potential seepage is in line with what the bureau has found with other reservoirs -- a range of 1 percent to 3 percent. He said he was surprised by the amount of the porous sediment layer near the surface east of Black Rock. The study concluded that the seepage would amount to 121,000 acre-feet of water in the lake's first 13 months. After the lake is filled and seepage fills the subsurface areas beneath the lake, the seepage would decline to an average of 44,900 acre-feet per year in the fifth year and an average of 41,300 acre-feet after 100 years. An acre-foot of water is the amount needed to cover an acre of land with a foot of water, about 325,800 gallons. Kelso said the flow of groundwater could be reduced through physical features such as pumping wells, drainage systems, installing concrete walls in a deep trench and other means. But there is no guarantee those measures would work to slow flows, and they would be costly, Kelso said. No estimate has been developed. Morrison, chairman of the grass-roots group supporting the reservoir, said he realizes the report could be viewed negatively. He said the mitigation measures include putting the seepage water to good use to irrigate lands in the area and provide water for new industries. Pumping could also reduce the amount of underground flow, which puts pressure that is pushing contamination to the east, Morrison said. "Our idea is we can lower the amount even with the additional water that is flowing and use it for beneficial purposes," Morrison said. U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, issued a statement urging government agencies and the public not to jump to conclusions based on the latest report from the Bureau of Reclamation. "This analysis only forecasts what seepage could occur if nothing was done to stop or contain it. Possible ways to prevent and capture seepage will be coming in the months ahead," Hastings said. * David Lester can be reached at 577-7674 or dlester@yakimaherald.com. #i "Read the Black Rock seepage report":http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=1 8841 Sponsors 2007 - Yakima Herald-Republic www.yakimaherald.com Copyright/Terms of Service | Privacy Policy ***************************************************************** 53 DOE: DOE Launches New Online Search Tool for Patents, 1940s to Present September 18, 2007 Database Showcases Robust DOE R&D Investments WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the launch of a website, atents, which allows search and retrieval of information from a collection of more than 20,000 patent records. The database represents a growing collection of patents resulting from R&D supported by DOE and demonstrates the Departments considerable contribution to scientific progress from the 1940s to the present. From helping the blind to see again to identifying hidden weapons through holographic computerized imaging technology, the U.S. Department of Energy has supported and will continue to support research addressing some of the worlds most pressing scientific challenges, Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach said. Content within DOepatents represents a truly impressive demonstration of DOE research and development and technological innovation. Highlighted at DOepatents is a compilation of noteworthy DOE innovations from the past few decades. These technologies have improved quality of life and provided national economic, health and environmental benefits. One such invention is the Artificial Retina, a collaborative research project between DOE national laboratories, universities and the private sector aimed at restoring vision to millions of people blinded by retinal disease. Another invention is the DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratorys pioneering multi-junction solar cell. A cell based on this design set a world efficiency record in converting sunlight to electricity. The DOepatents database also includes inventions of Nobel Laureates associated with DOE or its predecessors such as Enrico Fermi, Glenn Seaborg and Luis Alvarez, along with other distinguished scientists. DOepatents consists of bibliographic records, with full text where available via either a PDF file or an HTML link to the record at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The DOepatents database is updated quarterly with new patent records. The website is updated on a regular basis with news and information about significant and recent inventions. Resource links for inventors are included at the site, as well as Recent Inventions and Patent News pages. DOepatents was developed by the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) and may be viewed at http://www.osti.gov/doepatents/. OSTI, a part of the DOE Office of Science, accelerates discovery by making research results rapidly available to scientists and to the public. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the nation. Media contact(s): Jeff Sherwood, DOE, (202) 586-5806 Cathey Daniels, OSTI, (865) 576-9539 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 54 DOE: DOE Commits to Energy Efficiency in U.S. Data Centers September 18, 2007 DOE and The Green Grid Sign Memorandum of Understanding NEW YORK, NY U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Green Grid, to increase energy efficiency in the ever-growing information technology sector. The Green Grid is a consortium of information technology companies seeking to lower the overall consumption of power in data centers around the globe. Assistant Secretary Karsner and John Tuccillo, director of The Green Grid, signed the MOU at the New York Stock Exchange, kicking off a day of in-depth discussions with operators of financial services data centers. The agreement signed today with The Green Grid builds on the Departments continued effort to improve energy efficiency in the private sector, Assistant Secretary Karsner said. Data centers represent an important part of the information economy, and joining forces with The Green Grid puts us on a path to identify and build the necessary tools for thousands of data centers to more easily capture energy savings. The DOE-Green Grid MOU intends to focus on assisting data center operators and facilities to initiate and implement an energy management program and adopt clean energy and efficiency technologies. Specifically, the MOU identifies future activities DOE and The Green Grid may collaborate on to: develop a common set of metrics and tools; develop a website so data centers can easily access tools and resources to initiate and implement an energy management program; encourage data centers to obtain energy savings assessments; train company personnel in conducting energy savings assessments and in using tools to identify energy efficiency enhancements; and define areas of pre-competitive research and development for data center operations. As part of Assistant Secretary Karsners discussions today, DOE and The Green Grid have also set a common goal of improving overall energy efficiency in data centers by 10 percent by 2011, factoring in current projected data center use. Approximately 10 billion kilowatt-hours would be saved, equivalent to electricity consumed by 1 million U.S. households annually. These energy savings would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 6.5 million tons per year equivalent to removing nearly 1.3 million cars from the road annually. Because data centers are among the fastest growing industries in the United States, DOE has identified them as key to increasing energy efficiency, reducing load on the electricity grid, and enhancing data center reliability. Last year, data centers were estimated to have used 61 billion kilowatt-hours, or 1.5 percent of electricity in the United States, and it is projected to grow 12 percent per year through 2011. In an effort to evaluate, reduce, and more efficiently use energy in data centers, this MOU complements DOEs strong record of working collaboratively with industry. Since 2005, DOE has completed 344 energy savings assessments in some of the Nations most energy-intensive companies. These energy savings assessments have identified over $585 million in potential savings. If fully implemented, these energy improvements would yield CO2 emission reductions equivalent to removing nearly 850,000 cars from the road each year. DOEs energy savings assessments directly work toward goals outlined in President Bushs Advanced Energy Initiative, which seeks to change the way we power our cars, homes and businesses. View the MOU, more information on DOEs energy savings assessments, and more about DOE Partnering with Computer Data Centers. Media contact(s): Julie Ruggiero, (202) 586-4940 U.S. Department of Energy | 1000 Independence Ave., SW | Washington, DC 20585 1-800-dial-DOE | f/202-586-4403 ***************************************************************** 55 SF New Mexican: Groups say theyre shut out of Sandia Labs decisions By SUE MAJOR HOLMES | Associated Press September 18, 2007 ALBUQUERQUE — A coalition of activist groups and individuals has complained to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the public is being shut out of decisions on Sandia National Laboratories’ mixed waste landfill. The coalition, in a formal complaint sent Tuesday to the EPA’s regional office in Dallas, said the state Environment Department and Sandia have failed to give the public a chance for review and comment on issues surrounding the Cold War-era landfill, where Sandia buried chemical, hazardous and radioactive waste from the late 1950s through the late 1980s. The complaint said the department and the lab are developing “a piecemeal long-term monitoring plan” that creates numerous documents and plans before the public has a chance to comment. The coalition contends the Environment Department has not done timely postings or allowed public participation on long-term monitoring and maintenance plans, characterization of the site or major documents under consideration by the department and the lab. The letter to the EPA cited Sandia’s plans to replace three monitoring wells that represent 42 percent of the monitoring network at the landfill. The coalition said water samples from the wells that are being replaced — with wells that will be drilled elsewhere — have exceeded the EPA’s level for chromium. The groups asked the EPA to review the state’s “duty to provide public review and comment previous to approval of well replacement plans that constitute, in fact, a considerable portion of the long-term monitoring network required” by the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Sandia, in a statement Tuesday, said it’s working closely with the Environment Department on landfill issues, including replacing the three monitoring wells. The long-term monitoring and maintenance plan will undergo public review, Sandia said. Privacy Policy / Terms of Use | 2007, Santa Fe New Mexican, all ***************************************************************** 56 Tri-City Herald: Black Rock may hinder cleanup at Hanford Published Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 ANNETTE CARY HERALD STAFF WRITER The proposed Black Rock reservoir could undermine efforts to clean up the Hanford nuclear reservation by pushing more radioactive and hazardous chemical contamination toward the Columbia River, a new study indicates. Most of the seepage from the proposed reservoir would head downhill toward Hanford, raising the water table there, according to a federal Bureau of Reclamation study released Tuesday. That could wash contamination now clinging to soil deep in the ground into ground water and could increase the rate at which contaminated ground water moves toward the Columbia River. "We have a high level of concern on its effect on remediation activities," said Jane Hedges, manager of the Washington State Department of Ecology's Nuclear Waste Program. However, a detailed, extensive study has not been done to quantify the extent of the effect on Hanford's 80 square miles of contaminated ground water, she added. The Department of Energy also is concerned. It's spending about $2 billion a year to clean up contamination left from the past production of plutonium for the nation's nuclear weapons program. "It's clear to us that the proposed reservoir could significantly affect the movement of contaminants through the vadose zone and in the ground water beneath the Hanford Site," Colleen French, spokeswoman for DOE, said in a statement. The vadose zone includes the soil between the ground surface and ground water. That water would seep from the proposed Black Rock reservoir at a rate of 1 percent to 3 percent and move toward Hanford is no surprise, said Jerry Kelso, area manager for the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Reclamation. The reservoir, proposed to be built about five miles west of Hanford, would be several hundred feet higher than the nuclear reservation and its deep end would be on the Hanford side. The seepage is projected to raise the water table beneath the 200 Area in central Hanford about 20 feet long term, but in a worst-case scenario could raise it 40 feet. The ground water there now is an average of about 250 feet below the ground. Central Hanford includes underground tanks that have leaked or spilled an estimated 1 million gallons of high level radioactive waste into the soil and many heavily contaminated sites where liquids were dumped into the ground after they were left from processing irradiated fuel to remove plutonium. Of particular concern is radioactive technetium, which has a half life of about 400,000 years and easily mobilizes with water, and a 12-square-mile plume of carbon tetrachloride, Hedges said. However, Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said more information is needed on the seepage issue. "I'd caution everyone against jumping to conclusions with just half the facts," he said in a statement. "This analysis only forecasts what seepage could occur if nothing was done to stop or contain it." Possible mitigation measures include wells to pull water out of the ground before it reaches Hanford, drainage channels to funnel water or a clay or cement wall that could be trenched in the ground to block the flow. Such measures could intercept "a fair amount" of the seepage from the reservoir depending on how much money was spent, but not all of it, Kelso said. "The Yakima Basin needs more water storage and we need a full, accurate study to make informed decisions on how to best achieve it," Hastings said. The reservoir would hold 1.3 million acre-feet of water -- enough to supply three Yakima Valley irrigation districts -- and would relieve water demands on the Yakima River to allow it to rebuid its historic runs of salmon. The Bureau of Reclamation is working on an environmental impact study for the proposed reservoir and DOE has asked to be a cooperating agency in the study to provide technical expertise. DOE also plans to include possible impacts of the reservoir in its Tank Closure and Waste Management environmental impact study, French said. As an alternative to building the Black Rock reservoir, the federal government also is looking at building Wymer Dam in the Lmuma Canyon north of Yakima. However, it would be smaller and provide less water. The cost of building Black Rock reservoir was estimated to be about $5 billion to $6 billion in 2004, which would not include additional mitigation measures to limit water seepage toward Hanford. © 2007 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 57 Tri-City Herald: Hanford vit plant construction resumes Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 19:00 PDT Full construction resumes at Hanford vit plant (w/ video) By Annette Cary, Herald staff writer Thirty-five truckloads of concrete will be poured at the High Level Waste Facility at Hanford's vitrification plant Thursday. It marks the first major building work there since the Department of Energy halted construction on that building and the Pretreatment Facility in November 2005. Both will handle high level radioactive waste, and questions were raised about whether they could withstand a severe earthquake. A month ago Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman accepted study results confirming that revised earthquake design standards are adequate, clearing the way for construction to resume. Construction has continued on other parts of the $12.2 billion plant over the last 18 months. But to ramp up construction now, the work force has been increased from 250 construction workers to more than 600 workers. Including support staff and subcontractors, nearly 1,300 workers are at the construction site. For more information, see Thursday's Herald. © 2007 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 58 Columbian.com: Proposed reservoir could seep toward Hanford- Serving Clark County, Washington | Sep 18, 7:22 PM EDT By SHANNON DININNY Associated Press Writer YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- A massive reservoir intended to provide a more reliable water supply for Washington farmers could seep so much it would significantly raise the water table at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site, increasing the risk of those contaminants reaching the Columbia River, a new report concludes. The analysis released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is a setback for plans to improve irrigation in central Washington's drought-prone Yakima Valley, which is home to hops, wine grapes, tree fruit and other crops. At the same time, it raises concerns about radioactive contamination at the nearby Hanford nuclear reservation flowing more easily to the Pacific Northwest's largest river. The Black Rock reservoir, which would be about five miles west of Hanford, is one of six proposals for increasing water storage and easing chronic shortages in Eastern Washington. Water would be pumped from the Columbia from the pool behind Priest Rapids Dam to the reservoir about 30 miles east of Yakima to provide water for Yakima Valley irrigators and improve streamflows for fish in the Yakima River. The reservoir would hold an estimated 1.6 million acre-feet of water. An acre foot is the amount of water needed to cover an acre one foot deep. In the first 13 months, the annual rate of seepage from the reservoir could be as low as 72,900 acre-feet or as high as 121,000 acre-feet, or about 39 billion gallons, according to the report. After five years, when the ground beneath the river is likely saturated and an equilibrium is reached, the seepage rate would fall to between 32,100 and 54,300 acre-feet and continues to gradually decline over time. Generally, off-channel reservoirs that are not located directly on rivers have a seepage rate of between 1 percent and 3 percent, said Gerald Kelso, manager of the Upper Columbia area for the Bureau of Reclamation. Black Rock falls into that range, and the seepage findings were not a surprise, Kelso said. But the flow direction of that seepage is east toward the Hanford site, where the federal government has been working to clean up radioactive contamination in the soil and groundwater from Cold War-era nuclear weapons production. "Our major concerns with the information we have received is that it would raise the water table and rewet, remobilize contaminants," said Jane Hedges, Hanford program manager for the state Department of Ecology. The U.S. Department of Energy, which manages Hanford cleanup, also expressed concern about the findings and asked to participate in future studies to provide technical expertise. "It's clear to us that the proposed reservoir could significantly affect the movement of contaminants through the vadose zone and in the groundwater beneath the Hanford site," spokeswoman Colleen French said in a statement. Already, groundwater at an estimated 80 square miles of the 586-square-mile site is contaminated above drinking water standards. According to the study, the water table could be raised between 20 to 40 feet at Hanford's 200 East and 200 West areas, where some 53 million gallons of radioactive waste are stored in 177 underground tanks, some of which are known to have leaked. A previous study released in March examined the impact of raising the water table 60 feet, the historical high in that part of the Hanford Site, on four known radioactive contaminants: tritium, iodine-129, technetium-99 and uranium-238. That study found that transport of these contaminants was slightly accelerated, but the increased amount of water also diluted them. However, the earlier study only reviewed the impact on contaminants already in groundwater, not on contaminants in the soil that could be captured by raising the water table. It also did not look at any cumulative impacts over time and the impact on aquatic life, said Vicky Freedman, senior research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which conducted the study. "It's not to say we wouldn't come to the same conclusion, but that's not what we studied. That study was done with the intent of revisiting it once more data had been gathered," she said. An environmental impact statement on the project is expected to be completed in January. Sid Morrison, chairman of the board of the Yakima Basin Storage Alliance, also wasn't surprised by the results. But he said water that does leak from the dam could be captured or pumped out of the ground before it reaches Hanford. "Every dam that's ever been built leaks," he said. "We could look at that water in a different location as an asset. If you pump in the right places, you can mitigate the negative impacts and create some very positive ones." The latest study results aren't the first stumbling blocks for Black Rock. Estimates to build and operate Black Rock have been as high as $6.3 billion. An earlier analysis of the proposed reservoir showed a national benefit of 28 cents for every dollar spent to build and operate it. That analysis did not review local benefits, such as recreation. In addition, federal officials have said the reservoir likely would only serve Yakima Valley needs, and would not address other water needs in the larger Columbia Basin where several other storage options are under review. Rachael Paschal Osborn, director of the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, called the findings "alarming." "I'm not sure this is the total death knell, but it should be," she said. "We're spending an awful lot of money to try to clean up the mess at Hanford, and to even consider building a reservoir that cold have an adverse effect on that cleanup is unthinkable." So far, about $14 million has been spent to study the two Yakima Valley proposals. The other proposal is Wymer Dam, which would hold an estimated 175,000 acre-feet of water about 15 miles north of Yakima. 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may ©2007 Columbian.com. All Rights Reserved - Use of this site ***************************************************************** 59 Knoxville News Sentinel: Weapons-usable uranium removed from South Korea, shipped to Y-12 Frank Munger, News Sentinel Originally published 11:19 a.m., September 19, 2007 About four pounds of highly enriched uranium fuel — of potential use in a nuclear weapon — has been removed from a reactor complex in South Korea and transported to the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, federal officials announced today. According to a press statement issued by the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, the enriched uranium was contained in about 11 fuel assemblies for research reactors at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejon, South Korea. The nuclear material will be stored at Y-12 for safekeeping, the NNSA said. The Oak Ridge plant is home to most of the nation’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The project is part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative designed to remove weapons-usable materials from potentially vulnerable sites. In a prepared statement, William Tobey, the NNSA’s head of nuclear nonproliferation programs, said securing civilian sites and removing material of potential use by terrorists is a top priority. “NNSA was able to remove completely all such material from the South Korean civil facilities,” Tobey said. Steven Wyatt, a federal spokesman at Y-12, said Oak Ridge personnel “played an important role in this mission, both in planning prior to the movement as well as repackaging that was necessary before this material could be shipped.” More details as they develop online and in Thursday’s News Sentinel. 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 60 lamonitor.com: Budget action taking shape The Online News Source for Los Alamos ROGER SNODGRASS Monitor Assistant Editor New Mexico's U.S. senators both see the range of possibilities for the LANL budget to be narrowing slightly, two weeks into their fall work calendar. In an interview with New Mexico radio reporters Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said that a continuing resolution was likely, adding that he thought it would extend funding at current levels for a month or more. Then, an energy and water bill would be folded into an omnibus funding measure that Congress would try to pass "in late October or early November." There has been uncertainty about whether a continuing resolution to keep the department in business after the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 would use the House version of the bill, the Senate appropriation committee version, the administration's request or some other arithmetic. Current levels might enable the laboratory to avoid the deep cuts threatened in the House bill, although a number of policy disagreements would have to be resolved some other way. Notably, the itemized funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead program is zeroed out in the House Bill and reduced by a third in the unfinished Senate bill. As he has said before, Bingaman did not rule out cuts. "I think there'll be cuts," he said. "I don't think they'll be as dramatic or drastic as the House of Representatives has proposed." A spokesperson for Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said his understanding was that the continuing resolution at current levels was not finalized. "The senator has not gone so far as to say that would be rolled into an omnibus bill for all of '08," noted Domenici's press secretary, Chris Gallegos. "He (Domenici) is still working to get the Senate to take up their energy and water bill in early October, which would then set the stage for getting a conference agreement out of the Senate and House bills." He added that with four of the 12 appropriations bills now passed there was still hope that a negotiated agreement between House and Senate conferees would be preferable to an omnibus bill at current levels. 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 61 lamonitor.com: 'Save Our Science' rally set for Friday The Online News Source for Los Alamos CAROL A. CLARK Monitor County Editor SANTA FE - Concerned citizens of New Mexico have organized a non-partisan "Save Our Science" rally to take place at noon Friday on the steps of the Capitol. "We seek to impress our political leadership on the importance of Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories to both the world's science and our state's economy," said LANL scientists Ron Dolin and Srinivasan Srivilliputhur. In a letter to elected officials throughout New Mexico, Dolin and Srivilliputhur ask for support of LANL and Sandia. "We, a non-partisan group of concerned citizens including Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, are dismayed by the projected cuts in the Los Alamos and Sandia National laboratories' budgets proposed for FY2008 by the United States House of Representative Committee on Appropriations," their letter stated. "This Committee's disappointing budget proposal undermines our national and homeland security during a crucial time in our nation's history when we are locked in a global struggle against extremism, terror, and nuclear weapons proliferation. Effective defense against aggression requires continued investment in the world class science and technology being developed at Los Alamos and Sandia." The scientists praised those members of New Mexico's federal congressional delegation who have joined in a bipartisan effort to help preserve national and homeland security. They have circulated a petition locally and to the rest of the federal delegation to unequivocally support the continued mission of the nation's premier national laboratories. "We thank those members of the New Mexico state congressional delegation who support the science, mission, and people at Los Alamos and Sandia laboratories and petition you to draft a bipartisan resolution supporting our state's premier national laboratories," the scientists said. They thanked elected officials in northern New Mexico who support Los Alamos and Sandia and who appreciate "the intellectual, cultural, and economic impact the laboratories have within area communities." "We petition you to draft bipartisan resolutions in your councils supporting our laboratories and the people who provide so much pride, prestige and promise to our communities," the scientists said in the letter. Dolin said Santa Fe County and the City of Espanola have issued resolutions supporting LANL and he has approached members of the Los Alamos County Council requesting they do the same. It has been somewhat difficult for the scientists to gain nonpartisan momentum for Friday's rally because Dolin is chairman of the Republican Party of Los Alamos and ran against Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., in the last election and Srivilliputhur is on the board of the Republican Party of Los Alamos. Dolin said this morning that one city councilor and one county councilor from Santa Fe, both Democrats, have agreed to speak at the rally, adding the he also has received many e-mails from LANL employees expressing their support for the rally. "As young officers of the Republican Party, we are learning a lot about grassroots politics and party politics," Dolin said. "The citizens of Albuquerque all come together every time there is a threat of closing Kirtland AFB. We chose the Capitol as a symbol of our great Democracy and naively thought Democrats and Independents would join us in this effort - how could they not support the lab?" Srivilliputhur explained that what they hope to accomplish at the rally is to raise awareness. "We want people in decision making positions to know we care," he said. "This is a great laboratory to work for and I just want to raise my voice." Dolin agreed, adding, "If you feel powerless, here is something you can do. Scientists aren't generally known for rallies and this is a little outside our comfort zone but it's something we can do." The scientists are still accepting sponsors and encourage individuals and groups of any political persuasion to participate in the rally. The rally will be held on the Old Santa Fe Trail side of the Capitol, with free parking across the street. For information, call 695-0149 or 695-0677 or e-mail SOSLANL@gmail.com. 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 62 Knoxville News Sentinel: ORNL reactor schedule is irregular by design By Frank Munger (Contact) Wednesday, September 19, 2007 Since its ballyhooed 18-month makeover and restart in mid-May, the High Flux Isotope Reactor has operated on an erratic schedule. At least that's been the appearance of things. But, according to those in the know at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the up-and-down operations are all in the plans. Most recently, the world's most powerful research reactor was shut down Sept. 3 - just four days before the end of its normal operating cycle and the time for fuel reloading. John Bumgardner, the reactor manager, said the late-cycle shutdown was done to install instruments for "line-of-flight" testing. When the reactor is restarted Sept. 26, it will be operated for four or five days to carry out those tests, he said. The testing will provide a detailed characterization of neutron beams as they're enhanced by the reactor's new cold source, which slows the movement of neutrons and allows for special experiments. The information from those tests reportedly will allow scientists to adjust their research equipment and perform experiments with greater accuracy. "It was planned all along," Bumgardner said of the test period at the end of the reactor's September fuel cycle. Once those tests are completed, the reactor will be shut down again - this time for about six weeks - to remove the test instruments and to reinstall the normal neutron guides. The guides, which carry neutrons from the reactor core to the experimental stations, will be upgraded during this process, Bumgardner said. The extended outage is needed to perform maintenance and to make sure the beams are properly aligned, he said. "The neutrons as they pass through the glass will tolerate only a slight angle diffraction," he said. ORNL plans to restart the reactor again Nov. 14, Bumgardner said. The 40-year-old High Flux Isotope Reactor was shut down for almost a year and half before being restarted last spring. The lab spent about $70 million to refurbish the reactor systems and install the cold source and other research equipment. --- Earlier this week, the National Nuclear Security Administration announced that a reactor in Vietnam had been successfully converted to use low-enriched uranium as fuel. The research reactor at Dalat, Vietnam, previously operated on highly enriched fuel that potentially could be used in an atomic weapon. Specialists from ORNL were involved in the international project, which removed about 10 pounds of enriched uranium from the site and transported it to a safeguarded location in Russia. The U.S. government provided assistance and about $2.4 million in funds for the project, which was touted as part of the Bush administration's Global Threat Reduction Initiative. The program's mission is to remove weapons-usable materials from vulnerable locations and take other steps to keep the materials out of terrorist hands. --- Ted Sherry, the federal manager at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, recently acknowledged that maintenance problems had interfered with the Oak Ridge plant's ability to meet its production goals. In a follow-up response to questions, Sherry said, "We have missed some monthly deliverables this year, but BWXT (the government's managing contractor) expects to catch up by the end of the fiscal year." He added: "We are operating an old, inefficient facility that is sized for a much larger Cold War-era mission … . When something breaks, it frequently requires considerably longer to repair, and often manufacturers no longer make spare parts and some are no longer in business." The "inefficiencies" will be eliminated when new production facilities come on line, Sherry said. 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. ***************************************************************** 63 Oak Ridger: Solar experts gathering at ORNL for summit - Story last updated at 12:01 am on 9/19/2007 Solar energy will be in the spotlight as researchers, engineers, architects and other renewable energy experts from the region convene at Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oct. 24-25 for the first Southeast Solar Summit. Among the displays will be an Arizona Public Service 5-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array that will be providing electricity to one of the laboratory buildings. The array uses Memphis-based Sharp Solar’s photovoltaic modules. A concentrator photovoltaic system from JX Crystals will also be on display. Others participating include Lakeland Electric, Georgia Institute of Technology, Solar Energy Industries Association, Solar Electric Power Association, Lightwave Solar Electric, Sterling Planet, Tennessee Valley Authority, North Carolina Solar Center and Florida Solar Energy Center. The event is co-hosted by Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and co-sponsored by the Department of Energy, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the state of Tennessee and Solar Energy Industries Association. Solar energy use is increasing worldwide. In fact, Germany is the fastest growing market for solar cells producing photovoltaic energy, adding significantly more electricity to its electric grid than what has been added in the United States. “In the Southeast, the average amount of sunlight available for producing electricity is twice that available in Germany,” said Lapsa, who noted that the time is ripe for a solar summit. Attendees will include energy managers, policy advocates, executives from industry, utilities and the public sector; educators, researchers, economic development specialists, community action agencies, builders, legislators, students and community planners. One of the highlights will be an address by Chris O’Brien, chairman of the board of Solar Energy Industries Association and vice president of Strategy and Government Relations for Sharp Solar. Sessions will focus on all aspects of solar research and development and strategies to bring technologies to the market. Tours of the near-zero energy homes in Lenoir City, the Buffalo Mountain Wind Farm near Oliver Springs, and the Spallation Neutron Source will be offered. The near-zero energy Habitat for Humanity homes boast electric bills as low as 41 cents per day while the wind farm features 15 1.8-megawatt turbines atop Windrock. A workshop on hybrid solar lighting will also be offered. Also scheduled is the unveiling of ORNL’s Center for Advanced Thin Film Solar Cells, a new user center consisting of four adjacent laboratories that will be focused on photovoltaics research and development and will include a variety of diagnostic capabilities. Solid-state lighting research will also be conducted in the facility, dubbed CATS. Registration and additional information about the summit is available at http://www.ornl.gov/solarsummit/. UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy. | © 2004 The Oak Ridger | Conditions of Use ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************