***************************************************************** 09/20/07 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 15.221 ***************************************************************** 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: AFP: Gates asks for outside probe into nuke transfer - Pentagon NUCLEAR REACTORS 2 The Hindu: Do not succumb to US pressure: Left to govt. 3 US: Deseret Morning News: Blank check for nuclear power? 4 Bangkok Post: Some nuclear questions 5 US: MiamiHerald.com: Climate change favors nuclear energy - 6 BBC NEWS: Fire at Japan's quake-hit plant 7 BBC NEWS: Inquiry team make Dounreay visit 8 US: Platts: Constellation to seek Nine Mile Point-2 uprate 9 US: NRC: NRC to Solicit Public Input Sept. 27 in Waynesboro as Part 10 RIA Novosti: Belarus supports IAEA in nuclear energy programs - offi 11 Platts: Baltics to plug nuclear loss with fossil fuels after 2010 - 12 US: Rutland Herald Online: Nuclear neglect 13 US: JOURNAL NEWS: Water, air, overall safety dominate Indian Point m 14 US: PoughkeepsieJournal.com: Nuke plant relicensing hearing draws 40 15 US: NRC: NRC Monitoring “Alert” at Nine Mile Point Unit 2 16 US: recordonline: Critics bash Indian Point: NRC opens hearings on n 17 US: Salt Lake Tribune: Lawmakers balk on nuclear proposal for now 18 US: NRC: In the Matter of Westinghouse Electric Company, General Ele 19 AFP: Saudi Arabia joins UN atomic agency board 20 US: JS Online: Changes OK'd in plant's sale 21 US: MHNN: Air security over Indian Point to be “addressed” by House 22 AFP: Japan nuclear body can't say when damaged plant to restart - 23 The Prague Post: Ministry signs atomic pact 24 US: Newsday.com: Electrical work likely caused Nine Mile Point nucle 25 AFP: Small fire at Japan nuclear plant - 26 Greenpeace UK: Nukes consultation: it's a stitch up | 27 Guardian Unlimited: Fire at Japan Nuke Plant, No Leak 28 Guardian Unlimited: Public fed biased information on nuclear power, 29 US: Seattle PI: Nuclear Renaissance: Far from a Sure Thing NUCLEAR SECURITY NUCLEAR SAFETY 30 US: Tri-City Herald: 4 PNNL workers exposed to low-level plutonium t NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 31 US: Buffalo News: Other WNY: Radioactive waste shipped to Nevada 32 US: Deseret Morning News: Nuclear waste deal raises eyebrows 33 Dutch news: Netherlands Wants to Supply Nuclear Fuel to the World 34 US: Daily News Journal: Middle Point Landfill asks off state list 35 US: Denver Post: Study: risks of drilling at old nuke site minimal 36 US: Gallup Independent: Miners: We?re still getting the shaft 37 US: Times Union: $190M turns toxic site into field 38 US: WSTM.com: Plan set for West Valley nuclear waste cleanup 39 US: Rocky Mountain News: Study: Nuke site drilling 95% safe PEACE 40 Comment is free: The nuclear culprits 41 US: Guardian Unlimited: Ret. General Leads Nuclear Missile Probe US DEPT. OF ENERGY 42 Seattle Times: Proposed reservoir could taint Columbia River 43 Tri-City Herald: Full construction resumes at Hanford vit plant (w/v 44 Knoxville News Sentinel: Two companies protest contract 45 Knoxville News Sentinel: Nuclear material from S. Korea brought to Y 46 lamonitor.com: The great dust-up 47 LocalNews8.com: INL's Hot Shop to be demolished this week ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 AFP: Gates asks for outside probe into nuke transfer - Pentagon - Thu Sep 20, 3:54 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked a former air force chief of staff to conduct an independent investigation into the unauthorized transfer of nuclear weapons aboard a B-52 bomber last month, his spokesman said Thursday. The assessment by retired general Larry Welch is in addition to an ongoing investigation that the air force is conducting with assistance from the Defense Department's inspector general, said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary. "I don't want to leave the impression at all that he is dissatisfied with how the air force has handled this," Morrell told reporters. "But I think he believes that (in) an incident of this nature, it's important to get to the bottom of it, and an outside set of eyes may be additionally helpful to find out what went wrong and avoid similar mistakes in the future," he said. Defense officials have said that at least six nuclear armed cruise missiles were mistakenly flown from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base on August 30 under the wings of a B-52 bombers. The munitions squadron commander at Minot was relieved of his duties after the transfer was discovered, and other airmen were decertified from duties involving munitions. But the Pentagon has not explained what happened, or even officially confirmed that nuclear weapons were involved. Morrell, who referred to it only as the "munitions transfer incident," said Gates has received regular updates on the air force investigation. But he would not say what caused the security breach. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne last week visited the bases involved in the incident, Morrell said. "I think one of those visits had been planned beforehand but he went to see for himself how things are going out there," he said. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 2 The Hindu: Do not succumb to US pressure: Left to govt. Thursday, September 20, 2007 : 1925 Hrs New Delhi, Sept. 20 (PTI): Left parties today asked the government to consider the "grave consequences" of US "pressures" to change India's policy direction on various fronts before operationalising the Indo-US nuclear deal. "These instances of reconfirmation of the concerns expressed by us on the grave consequences to India's sovereignty by this deal must be considered in right earnest by the UPA government before it proceeds to operationalise it," CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury said. Quoting the statements of US Ambassador David Mulford and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher about rushing up the operationalisation of the 123 agreement, both Yechury and the CPI asked the government not to succumb to American "pressures" and put the deal on hold. Observing that Boucher wanted India not to overlook the political timetable and asked the government to come clean on Iran, Yechury said this was precisely what the Left has been saying all along. "It is such arm twisting of India to change the direction of its policy that will increase as the nuclear deal anchored within the Hyde Act gets implemented," the CPI(M) leader said in an editorial in the forthcoming issue of 'People's Democracy'. "Such pressures will not be confined to foreign policy positions alone. It will extend to vital areas such as defence cooperation, security and intelligence collaboration etc.," Yechury said. In a statement, the CPI Central Secretariat said "those in India who defend 123 agreement should now understand the impact of Hyde Act and US efforts to drag India into its global strategy." Yechury said the Left-UPA Committee set up to consider Left objections and make evaluations on these aspects was already at work. "The UPA must stick to the common understanding arrived at with Left parties that the Committee's findings will be taken into account before the government proceeds to operationalise this deal," he said in the editorial titled 'Nuclear Deal - Larger Gameplan Unveiled'. On Mulford's statement that US was engaging with India in various fields like defence, space research, counter-terrorism, health and education, he said this was "nothing but a blueprint" for the emerging strategic alliance. "It is precisely the implications and the consequences of such a strategic alliance with US imperialism in the present juncture of world politics that the CPI(M) has been opposing as being disastrous for our sovereignty and independent foreign policy," Yechury said. "The Hyde Act graphically details the changes in India's independent foreign policy that need to be made to be 'congruent' with US foreign policy positions," he said. Maintaining that the "neo-liberal" economic reform agenda had led to a growing hiatus between the 'shining' and 'suffering' India, he said the gap has accentuated precisely due to these reforms and the government's withdrawal from its social obligations. Quoting the US envoy as suggesting commercial use of water or imposition of user charges on it, the CPI(M) leader said such steps recommended by Mulford would "mount greater misery on the already groaning millions of Indians who are not even empowered to access even the existing meagre civic facilities. Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the ***************************************************************** 3 Deseret Morning News: Blank check for nuclear power? Thursday, September 20, 2007 Proposed bill would let utility recoup full cost By Jasen Lee Deseret Morning News A standing-room-only audience of about 60 people crowded into a state legislative committee meeting Wednesday to hear debate on a proposed bill that would allow a utility to recoup the cost of constructing a nuclear power plant from ratepayers, 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 ratepayers 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 Hydrogen Car Co. 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. Regarding the draft legislation being considered in Utah, Schissel said the bill seems overly broad. "There needs to be public oversight of all nuclear energy options, and I don't think nuclear should get a benefit over the other options. It should be a level playing field," he said. The committee agreed to continue studying the concerns of the draft bill before making any substantive changes to the legislation. However, Noel said he thinks offering incentives to utilities to develop energy is the way the state should proceed. Few companies would be willing to risk the time and money to obtain a permit, find a site for a plant and obtain the water rights needed for nuclear power, he said, "unless they know that they've got some kind of an opportunity to come back to the ratepayer." Noel said lawmakers believe they can protect ratepayers by keeping costs down and having a wide array of energy sources, so that Utah isn't too heavily reliant upon one source of energy. He said in preparation for the October interim meeting, the committee will spend the next few weeks reviewing data and gathering more feedback from the public, as well as conferring with the Public Service Commission. Noel said the committee also will look at how other states use incentives to attract companies that produce non-nuclear types of energy. Later Wednesday, Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, said on the Senate floor that nuclear power would benefit the state economically. Stowell also predicted new activity at several uranium mines in the state. "Nuclear is going to be a big deal in Utah. There's going to be a lot of development," Stowell said. "We're going to see a big, huge increase in the future in uranium mining." Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche. E-mail: jlee@desnews.com ***************************************************************** 4 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 ***************************************************************** 5 MiamiHerald.com: Climate change favors nuclear energy - 09/20/2007 - OUR OPINION: MORE CAPACITY NEEDED TO MEET FLORIDA'S GROWING DEMANDS Florida Power & Light Co. is riding favorable winds -- political, economic and social -- with its recent request to expand nuclear facilities at Turkey Point and St. Lucie County. Climate change and a growing awareness among Americans of the benefits of nuclear energy create a positive environment for FPL to pitch its request to increase generating capacity at the two sites. Approval, which would be sensible, could mean cheaper electricity and less air pollution. Impact on wetlands The process is just getting started. FPL will have to negotiate numerous state and federal regulatory agencies and, even then, upgrading the four power units at Turkey Point and St. Lucie will take years. Adding two more nuclear facilities at Turkey Point, which FPL also plans to ask for, will take 10 to 12 years. The Sierra Club and other groups are well-justified in their concerns about the safety, security and environmental impact of expanding the facilities and adding new ones. ''I think there is going to be quite a fight,'' Mark Oncavage of the Sierra Club told a Miami Herald reporter. Critics are right to worry about the negative impact on wetlands and the high demand for water for cooling the turbines. These concerns must be reconciled against the fact that Florida's rapid pace of growth shows few signs of abating and, in fact, is aggressively encouraged as official state policy. Also, public attitudes have changed dramatically since the 1970s when accidents such as the breakdown at the Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania caused alarm and worry about a nuclear disaster. U.S. nuclear facilities have operated safely for decades now, including at FPL and, so, there is greater acceptance of nuclear power. A 2006 poll by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates showed that 59 percent of Americans view nuclear energy favorably. Those numbers increase as people become aware that nuclear energy can be produced without releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and that it can reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Clean energy Politically, Gov. Charlie Crist is pushing a clean-energy agenda that is focused on reducing greenhouse gases and diversifying fuels used by the state's electric utilities. The Public Service Commission, which will review FPL's requests for more nuclear capacity, appears to be on the same page. PSC commissioners recently rejected FPL's request to build a large coal-burning plant near Lake Okeechobee, in part, because of concerns about noxious emissions that fuel global warming. For consumers, the bottom line is whether the monthly electric bill will be lower. The chances of that happening get better with nuclear energy. Join the discussion The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts. * Copyright 1996-2007 The Miami Herald Media Company| ***************************************************************** 6 BBC NEWS: Fire at Japan's quake-hit plant Thursday, 20 September 2007, 04:09 GMT 05:09 UK The plant suffered damage in July's strong earthquake A fire broke out at a Japanese nuclear plant that has been closed since it was damaged by an earthquake in July. The fire at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in Niigata prefecture was sparked by a fault in a cooler on the roof of the plant, a spokesman said. Workers extinguished the flames and there was no danger of a radioactive leak, the spokesman said. Shogo Fukuda, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Company, which owns the plant, said that no-one was injured by the fire. Experts were assessing the extent of the damage and the cause of the fire, he said. Safety fears The plant suffered some 50 malfunctions in the July quake, which also left 11 people dead and hundreds injured in the surrounding area. A team from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was called in after it emerged that leakages of radioactive material had been much bigger than initially estimated. But in a report released last month, the team found that the damage was not as extensive as previously thought. It said that the power station had operated safely both during and after the quake, but that further investigations were needed in case of hidden damage. The closure of the plant triggered concern about power shortages. It is not yet clear when it will reopen. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 7 BBC NEWS: Inquiry team make Dounreay visit Last Updated: Thursday, 20 September 2007, 09:12 GMT 10:12 UK Dounreay's operators are assisting the inquiry team An inquiry team investigating concerns that tissue samples could have been removed from 65 deceased nuclear workers has visited Dounreay. Operators of the plant in Caithness previously revealed that post mortem examination samples of two employees were sent to its headquarters. Members of the independent Redfern Inquiry were at Dounreay on Wednesday. The inquiry was sparked by claims that samples were taken from former Sellafield employees who died in the 1960s. There have been concerns expressed that proper consent was not sought from relatives. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) confirmed earlier this year that samples from two employees who worked at the Caithness plant between 1962 and 1991 were sent to its headquarters in Harwell. * BBC Copyright Notice ***************************************************************** 8 Platts: Constellation to seek Nine Mile Point-2 uprate 2007-09-19 Washington (Platts)--19Sep2007 Constellation Energy will request a power uprate for Nine Mile Point-2 in an application it plans to submit to NRC in 2008, Constellation Energy spokeswoman Maria Hudson said September 19. Nine Mile Point-2 is a 1,205-MW BWR. The uprate could add as much as 158 MW to the unit, said GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The company said in a September 19 statement that it has been awarded a $50 million contract by Constellation to provide equipment and services in support of the uprate. Under the contract, GE-Hitachi said it will perform engineering evaluations and help prepare the uprate request submittal. Completion of the uprate is targeted for 2012, GE-Hitachi said. Hudson said "many modifications" needed for the uprate will be performed during the unit's spring 2010 refueling outage. Copyright © 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 9 NRC: NRC to Solicit Public Input Sept. 27 in Waynesboro as Part of Vogtle Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application Review News Release - Region II - 2007-047 - 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 Public comments on any potential environmental impacts from license renewal at the Vogtle nuclear power plant near Waynesboro, Ga., will be accepted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff during two meetings on Thursday, Sept. 27. The meetings are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium at Augusta Technical College’s Waynesboro campus on Highway 24 South. There will be an “open house” one hour before each meeting to allow interested people to ask questions or talk informally with NRC staff. However, formal comments on environmental issues the NRC should consider during its review should be expressed during the transcribed meetings. Southern Nuclear Operating Company submitted an application to the NRC in June this year seeking an additional 20 years of operation for both units at the Vogtle plant. The current operating licenses for Vogtle Units 1 and 2 expire on Jan. 16, 2027, and Feb. 9, 2029, respectively. During its review of the application, the NRC staff will prepare a draft environmental impact statement (EIS). The comments provided at the meetings on Sept. 27 will be considered as that report is being developed. When the draft version of the report is completed, the NRC staff will once again meet with the public to solicit comments on that document. Following consideration of those comments, a final EIS will be prepared. More information on the Vogtle license renewal application and review is available on the NRC’s web site at: www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/vogtle.h tml 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 20, 2007 ***************************************************************** 10 RIA Novosti: Belarus supports IAEA in nuclear energy programs - official 19:40 | 20/ 09/ 2007 MINSK, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - Belarus believes nuclear energy is a possible way of developing its energy production and supports IAEA efforts to assist member states' nuclear programs, the Foreign Ministry press service said Thursday. The press service quoted Viktor Gaisenok, deputy foreign minister, as saying at the 51st General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency: "Belarus is among the states interested in concrete dialogue on issues related to launching their national nuclear energy programs under the auspices of the IAEA." Gaisenok spoke in favor of unrestricted access to nuclear energy for any country committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. He said Belarus intended to continue cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog to enhance international non-proliferation guarantees. RIA Novosti ***************************************************************** 11 Platts: Baltics to plug nuclear loss with fossil fuels after 2010 - Etso 2007-09-20 Brussels (Platts)--20Sep2007 The Baltic countries are still facing a power generation squeeze in 2010, according to an update to the European Transmission System Operators' 2008- 2015 generation adequacy report Thursday. Etso notes that the planned decommissioning of Lithuania's 1.3-GW Ignalina-2 nuclear plant in 2009 would leave Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with generation capacity margins below Etso's recommended levels for system stability in 2010. But the planned expansion of fossil fuel generation in all Baltic countries from 2010-2015 would bring them back above the recommended levels, said Etso. Etso published its first annual generation adequacy report in 2005 for 2007-2015, based on data and forecasts from grid associations UCTE (mainland Europe), Nordel (Nordic countries), ATSOI (Ireland) and UKTSOA (UK). Data from the Baltic TSOs was included in 2006 for the 2008-2015 report, and this latest update is based on the Baltic TSOs' August 2007 Baltic Grid 2025 study, said Etso. Etso is a trade association for Europe's power TSOs. Copyright © 2007 - Platts, All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 12 Rutland Herald Online: Nuclear neglect September 20, 2007 Policymakers in Vermont ought to be paying attention to a dispute in New Jersey about extending the license of the nation's oldest nuclear power plant. The owner of the Oyster Creek plant near Toms River, N.J., is seeking a 20-year extension of its operating license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But an engineer for the commission has reported that the steel radiation barrier around the plant has rusted so badly that it does not meet the national engineering code. Meeting the engineering code apparently is not a requirement for a license extension, however. The NRC staff has recommended that AmerGen Energy Co. receive a 20-year extension of its license, which is due to expire in 2009. The battle over Oyster Creek has become "the most bitter in the history of the nuclear industry," according to a report in The New York Times. Critics of nuclear power say that AmerGen and the NRC are gambling with the safety of the public. Vermont is in for a battle of its own over the future of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, whose license is due to expire in 2012. The owner of the plant, Entergy Nuclear, has applied for a 20-year license extension. Then last month a cooling tower at the plant collapsed, and state officials have castigated Yankee for the failure of its inspectors to spot the problem. In New Jersey the metal barrier with the rust problem is there to contain the emission of radioactive material in the event of an accident. In Vermont the cooling tower is meant to cool water used at the plant before returning it to the Connecticut River. Neither structure is involved in the actual nuclear reaction within the plant, though both have roles to play in safeguarding the environment. In both cases, the evident problems raise questions about the company's diligence in maintenance and operation. And in both cases there is a lot of money involved. When Entergy purchased the plant, it had plans to boost output of power production by 20 percent and to seek the 20-year license extension. It has also sought approval for raising the temperature of the water it returns to the Connecticut River so that it can save money on the cooling process, though opponents have blocked that action in court. In both cases, regulators need to consider whether the plant owners are cutting corners on maintenance. The collapse of the highway bridge in Minneapolis showed what happens when adequate maintenance of the nation's infrastructure is neglected. That would include the infrastructure of privately owned facilities, such as power plants, that represent potential dangers to the public. There is dispute in New Jersey about whether the radiation barrier does or does not meet the engineering code and, if it doesn't, whether the NRC ought to allow the plant to operate anyway. We'd like to think that the big profits at stake play no role in the decisions of policymakers. The question is whether the watchdog agencies that are supposed to be protecting us have what it takes to shut down a nuclear plant, whatever its potential profits, if the owners have established a record of carelessness and neglect. © 2007 Rutland Herald ***************************************************************** 13 JOURNAL NEWS: Water, air, overall safety dominate Indian Point meeting Thursday, September 20, 2007 By GREG CLARY CORTLANDT - Even if the federal regulators of Indian Point don't consider evacuation plans or local population density, they will have plenty to examine before deciding whether to extend the nuclear plants' right to operate through 2035. At two public meetings yesterday, nearly 400 people turned out to hear and voice environmental issues they want the government to evaluate as the relicensing process of Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 proceeds. "This is a great opportunity … to ask, 'Is this really the best thing to do?'" said Elizabeth Segal, a Tarrytown resident who opposes the recertification. "A lot of the concerns that people have just don't fit into this process." Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials held the meetings to listen to residents - proponents and opponents - in order to refine their review of plant owner Entergy Nuclear's request to operate the two working reactors for an extra 20 years. The company applied for extensions for both plants in a package deal that began in late April and will take the better part of two years to complete. Yesterday's meetings - held at a catering hall next to the offices of the town of Cortlandt - were limited by federal regulation to environmental issues facing the site in Buchanan. About 50 speakers broached everything from regulatory philosophy and radiation leaks to the number of fish killed because the plant uses Hudson River water to help cool its electricity-producing operation. NRC officials reiterated to those people who attended either the afternoon or the evening meeting that the agency monitors all facets of Indian Point, but for the purposes of the extra 20 years will be reviewing primarily how well the plant will age by the time it hits 60 years old and the possible impacts on the local environment. Opponent Gary Shaw questioned how well the NRC could evaluate that, given that large segments of the piping running under the site are hidden and can't be accessed easily. Supporter Lloyd Douglas said if the electricity produced by Indian Point were taken out of the region's supply, it likely would be replaced by a fossil fuel plant that would increase respiratory illness and increase dependency on the resources of other countries. John Kelly, a retired Entergy engineer, followed up Douglas' point, citing statistics about the amount of carbon-based pollutants coming from fossil-fuel plants. "We already have a pollution problem in the atmosphere," he said. Riverkeeper policy analyst Philip Musegaas said the plant is responsible for killing 1 billion fish a year, and he noted his environmental organization's concern about spent fuel. "Nuclear waste is piling up at Indian Point because Yucca Mountain likely won't open for decades," Musegaas said. "How long will nuclear waste be stored (at Indian Point)? That's a question that has to be answered." The evening's sessions proved to be more crowded and contentious than the afternoon's, with letters from congressional representatives read via proxy and more seasoned advocates taking stronger stands. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace and now a consultant to N.Y. Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance, said environmental activists have missed the difference between nuclear proliferation in the arms race and the need for nuclear technology to meet the world's increasing need for energy. "Solar energy is simply too expensive," he said. "Wind and solar power are too intermittent. The wind doesn't blow all the time, and sun doesn't shine at night." He added that if humans had outlawed everything that could be turned into a weapon, no one would have been able to harness fire. Mannajo Greene, however, noted that the future of nuclear power and its potential dangers shouldn't be part of an open-air lab. "We cannot afford to allow a 20-year extension to be a human experiment in how long an aging structure can go," said Greene, an environmental expert with Clearwater and an elected official from Dutchess County. Charlie Donaldson, a representative of state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, asked that the NRC provide answers in its report to all the questions raised, to ensure "greater transparency," and include "rigorous validations of all the impacts." Comments will be accepted via e-mail at IndianPointEIS@nrc.gov. Reach Greg Clary at 914-696-8566 or gclary@lohud.com. Copyright © 2007 The Journal News, a Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam Counties in New York. ***************************************************************** 14 PoughkeepsieJournal.com: Nuke plant relicensing hearing draws 400 Thursday, September 20, 2007 Gannett News Service CORTLANDT — Even if the federal regulators of Indian Point don’t consider evacuation plans or local population density, they will have plenty to examine before deciding whether to extend the nuclear plants’ right to operate through 2035. At two public meetings Wednesday, nearly 400 people turned out to hear and voice environmental issues they want the government to evaluate as the relicensing of Indian Point 2 and Indian Point 3 goes forward. “This is a great opportunity … to ask is this really the best thing to do,” said Elizabeth Segal, a Tarrytown resident who opposes the recertification. Officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission held the meetings to listen to residents, proponents and opponents, in order to refine their review of plant owner Entergy Nuclear’s request to operate the two working reactors for an extra 20 years. The company applied for extensions for both plants in a package deal that began in late April and will take the better part of two years to complete. Wednesday’s meetings — held at a catering hall in the Town of Cortlandt — were limited by federal regulation to environmental issues facing the Buchanan site. Wide-ranging topics About 50 speakers broached everything from regulatory philosophy and radiation leaks to the number of fish killed because the plant uses Hudson River water to help cool its electricity-producing operation. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace and now a consultant to NY Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance, said environmental activists have missed the difference between nuclear proliferation in the arms race and the need for nuclear technology to meet the world’s increasing need for energy. Manna Jo Greene said the future of nuclear power and its potential dangers shouldn’t be part of an open-air lab. “We cannot afford to allow a 20-year extension to be a human experiment in how long an aging structure can go,” said Greene, an environmental expert with Clearwater. Copyright © 2007 PoughkeepsieJournal.com ***************************************************************** 15 NRC: NRC Monitoring “Alert” at Nine Mile Point Unit 2 News Release - Region I - 2007-048 - Region I - 2007-048 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 www.nrc.gov CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610) 337-5330 Neil A. Sheehan (610) 337-5331 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is monitoring closely activities at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant in Scriba, N.Y. following the declaration of an alert at the plant shortly after 3:00 p.m. today (9/19). The plant is operated by Constellation Energy. Operators declared the alert – the second lowest of the emergency classifications – after a fire suppression system inadvertently discharged carbon dioxide into a room housing electrical equipment for safety systems. There was no fire and no injuries were reported. The plant continues to operate normally at 100 percent power. All safety equipment remains available. 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. Thursday, September 20, 2007 ***************************************************************** 16 recordonline: Critics bash Indian Point: NRC opens hearings on nuke plant license Gary Shaw of Croton speaks yesterday during a public hearing held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Cortlandt Manor.Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON By John Doherty Times Herald-Record September 20, 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 yesterday — one in the afternoon and one at night — are part of the agency's review of Indian Point and Entergy, the company that runs the two reactors in Buchanan. But the hearings cover 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 of Croton, 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 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 stored 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 plant's two reactors expire in 2013 and 2015. The public comment heard yesterday will be part of the NRC's draft environmental impact study, which is 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 can still submit comments. The NRC is taking comments until Oct. 12. You can e-mail IndianPointEIS@nrc.gov, or write to: Chief, Rules and Directives Branch; Division of Administrative Services; Mailstop T-6D59; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Washington, DC 20555 Save, Share & RecommendWhat's This? Record Online is brought to you by the Times Herald-Record, serving New York"s Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Phone: (845) 341-1100 ***************************************************************** 17 Salt Lake Tribune: Lawmakers balk on nuclear proposal for now Article Last Updated: 09/19/2007 09:07:45 PM MDT Posted: 9:09 PM- Lawmakers on Wednesday slowed the rush toward Utah's first nuclear power plant. The Interim Public Utilities and Technology Committee backed off a proposal to cut the financial risks faced by a utility company building a nuclear reactor. Instead, committee members want to study the costs ratepayers might have to bear if a proposal went forward and how those costs might compare to development of other energy sources. "I would like to see some comparisons on a chart in front of me," said Rep. Janice M. Fisher, a West Valley Democrat and one of the panel members who voiced general support for nuclear power. After its July meeting, the panel requested legislation modeled on Florida's that provides incentives for new plants. At Wednesday's meeting, committee members heard two energy industry experts say that no new nuclear plants have been built for more than two decades; not because of environmental problems but because reactors are financially risky. "It was basically, Wall Street, said, 'Hell, no, we won't give our money,' " said David Schlissel, of Synapse Energy Economics, a Massachusetts-based consulting firm. He offered some devastating statistics to back up this view. One was a U.S. Department of Energy review that showed that 75 of the nation's 103 nuclear plants were estimated to cost $45 billion in 1990 dollars but actually ended up costing more than three times as much - $145 billion in 1990 dollars - not including interest. He said that, while the nuclear industry currently projects it can build plants for about $1,200 to $2,000 per kilowatt, those estimates are very likely optimistic, considering construction costs are rising and new designs have not been proven at full scale. S. David Freeman, president of a hydrogen car company, offered a similar assessment, based on a 50-year career in the utility industry. He told about his time running the Tennessee Valley Authority's nuclear program, where 8 of 11 plants were cancelled after cost overruns drove up electric rates and the utilities decided the costs were too high. "Nuclear power cannot be advertised as something that's cheap," he said. "If somebody's trying to tell you that, then they are trying to sell you a bill of goods." Both Freeman and Schlissel said concerns about disposing of nuclear waste and avoiding terrorism continue to be concerns about the expansion of nuclear power. Members of the committee said they had another harsh reality to address: how to secure enough energy for a state when coal - which provides nearly all of Utah's electricity now - has mounting environmental costs and demand is expected to grow by about 3 percent a year. The lawmakers declined to act on a Utah version of the Florida legislation. "I think we require more study," said Sen. Scott Jenkins, a Plain City Republican and co-chairman of the panel. Although he said the committee had devoted most of its past few meetings to the subject, he agreed to still more discussion at the October meeting. fahys@sltrib.com Return to Top Sponsored Links Moving Companies Patio & Deck Covers Nanny Agency Great AuPair 1 Carat Diamond Pendants Gift Ideas Moving World Travel Guide Si-Mexico Hotels Resorts Cell Phone Plans FREE Myspace Layouts,MYSPACE Compare Prices Information Network Gift Baskets & Gourmet Food Isagenix Kars4Kids Moving Companies Privacy Policy | MNG Corporate Site Map | Copyright ***************************************************************** 18 NRC: In the Matter of Westinghouse Electric Company, General Electric- Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc., AREVA NP, and All Other Persons Who Seek or Obtain Access to Safeguards Information Described Herein; Order Imposing Safeguards Information Protection Requirements and Fingerprinting and Criminal History Records Check Requirements for Access to Safeguards Information (Effective Immediately) FR Doc E7-18564 [Federal Register: September 20, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 182)] [Notices] [Page 53797-53801] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr20se07-69] [[Page 53797]] NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [EA-07-231 Docket Nos. 52-001, 52-003, 52-006, 52-010, and Project Nos. 0733 and 0751] I Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC. (WEC), holds certificates for the AP600 and AP1000 reactor designs issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA). General Electric-Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) holds a certificate for the ABWR reactor designed and has submitted an application for design certification for the Economic and Simplified Boiling Water Reactor design in accordance with the AEA and Title 10, Part 52, ``Early Site Permits; Standard Design Certifications; and Combined Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants,'' of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 52), which the NRC staff is currently considering. Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc. (Mitsubishi), and AREVA NP (AREVA) have both indicated to the NRC that they plan to submit applications for design certifications in the near future. WEC, GEH, Mitsubishi, and AREVA will be referred to herein as ``the affected vendors.'' The Commission has decided to require, through rulemaking, that nuclear power plant designers perform a rigorous assessment of design features that could provide additional inherent protection to avoid or mitigate the effects of a large commercial aircraft impact, while reducing or eliminating the need for operator actions, where practicable. In anticipation of this requirement, and to assist designers in completing this assessment, the Commission has decided to provide the detailed aircraft impact characteristics that should be used as reasonable inputs for reactor vendors and architect/engineers who have the need to know and who meet the NRC's requirements for the disclosure of such information to use in studies of the inherent capabilities of their designs. The NRC derived these characteristics from agency analyses performed on operating reactors to support, in part, the development of a broadly effective set of mitigation strategies to combat fires and explosions from a spectrum of hypothetical aircraft impacts. Although these detailed characteristics were not selected as a basis for designing new reactors, the staff is suggesting them as a starting point for aircraft impact assessments. As proposed by the Commission, the Commission would specify in a Safeguards Information guidance document the detailed aircraft impact characteristics that should be used in a required assessment of the new reactor designs. The agency will finalize the form and values of those detailed characteristics when completing the associated rulemaking. In addition, the staff recognizes that no national or international consensus has been reached on the selection of appropriate characteristics for such analyses. Therefore, the information should be considered preliminary and subject to authorized stakeholder comment. The detailed aircraft characteristics that are the subject of this Order are hereby designated as Safeguards Information (SGI),\1\ in accordance with Section 147 of the AEA. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ SGI is a form of sensitive, unclassified, security-related information that the Commission has the authority to designate and protect under Section 147 of the AEA. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The NRC is issuing this Order to the affected vendors to impose requirements for the protection of SGI, as well as for the fingerprinting of all persons who have or seek access to this SGI. This Order supercedes EA-07-154, issued to WEC on June 8, 2007, and EA-07- 159, issued to GEH, formerly General Electric Company (GE), on June 15, 2007. Except for the restrictions on storage of SGI and access to SGI by certain individuals, this Order is identical to the Orders previously issued to WEC and GEH. Therefore, since both vendors have already complied with those orders, WEC and GEH need only respond to this Order with an answer consenting to the Order pursuant to Section IV. On August 8, 2005, Congress enacted the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct). Section 652 of the EPAct amended Section 149 of the AEA to require fingerprinting and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identification and criminal history records check of any person who is permitted to have access to SGI. The NRC's implementation of this requirement cannot await the completion of the SGI rulemaking, which is underway, because the EPAct fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements for access to SGI were effective immediately upon enactment of the EPAct. Therefore, in accordance with Section 149 of the AEA, as amended by the EPAct, the Commission is imposing additional requirements for access to SGI, as set forth by this Order, so that the affected vendors can obtain and grant access to SGI. This Order also requires compliance with the safeguards protection measures set forth in 10 CFR 73.21, ``Requirements for the Protection of Safeguards Information,'' and imposes requirements for access to and protection of SGI by any person,\2\ whether or not they are a licensee, applicant, or certificate holder of the Commission or an Agreement State. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ Person means (1) any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, government agency other than the Commission or the Department of Energy, (except that the Department of Energy shall be considered a person with respect to those facilities of the Department of Energy specified in Section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (88 Stat. 1244)), any State or any political subdivision of, or any political entity within a State, any foreign government or nation or any political subdivision of any such government or nation, or other entity; and (2) any legal successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- To implement this Order, the affected vendors must nominate an individual who will review the results of the FBI criminal history records check to make SGI access determinations. This individual, referred to as the ``reviewing official,'' must be someone who seeks access to SGI. Based on the results of the FBI criminal history records check, the NRC staff will determine whether this individual may have access to SGI. If the NRC determines that the individual may not be granted access to SGI, the enclosed Order prohibits that individual from obtaining access to any SGI. Once the NRC approves a reviewing official, that reviewing official, and only that reviewing official, can make SGI access determinations for other individuals who have been identified by the affected vendors as having a need to know SGI, and who have been fingerprinted and have had a criminal history records check in accordance with this Order. The reviewing official can only make SGI access determinations for other individuals, but cannot approve other individuals to act as reviewing officials. Only the NRC can approve a reviewing official. Therefore, if the affected vendors wish to have a new or additional reviewing official, the NRC must approve that individual before he or she can act in the capacity of a reviewing official. [[Page 53798]] Certain categories of individuals are relieved by rule from the fingerprinting requirements pursuant to 10 CFR 73.59, ``Relief from Fingerprinting and Criminal History Records Check for Designated Categories of Individuals.'' Those individuals include: Federal, State, and local law enforcement personnel; Agreement State inspectors who conduct security inspections on behalf of the NRC; members of Congress; certain employees of members of Congress or congressional committees who have undergone fingerprinting for a prior U.S. Government criminal history check; and representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency or certain foreign government organizations. In addition, individuals who have had a favorably-decided U.S. Government criminal history check within the last 5 years, or individuals who have active Federal security clearances (provided in either case that they make available the appropriate documentation), have already been subjected to fingerprinting and criminal history checks and, thus, have satisfied the EPAct fingerprinting requirement. II The Commission has broad statutory authority to protect and prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of SGI. Section 147 of the AEA grants the Commission explicit authority to issue such Orders, as necessary, to prohibit the unauthorized disclosure of SGI. Furthermore, as discussed above, Section 652 of the EPAct amended Section 149 of the AEA to require fingerprinting and an FBI identification and a criminal history records check of each individual who seeks access to SGI. In addition, no person may have access to SGI unless the person has an established need to know. To provide assurance that the affected vendors are continuing to implement appropriate measures to ensure a consistent level of protection to prohibit unauthorized disclosure of SGI, and to comply with the fingerprinting and criminal history records check requirements for access to SGI, the affected vendors shall implement the requirements for the protection of SGI as set forth in 10 CFR 73.21 and this Order. In addition, pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202, ``Orders,'' I find that in light of the matters identified above, which warrant the issuance of this Order, the public health, safety, and interest require that this Order be effective immediately. III Accordingly, pursuant to Sections 147, 149, 161b, 161i, 161o, 182, and 186 of the AEA of 1954 as amended, and the Commission's regulations in 10 CFR 2.202 and 10 CFR Part 73, ``Physical Protection of Plants and Materials,'' it is hereby ordered, effective immediately, that the affected vendors and all other persons who seek or obtain access to safeguards information as described herein shall comply with the requirements set forth in 10 CFR 73.21 and this order. A. 1. No person may have access to SGI unless that person has a need to know the SGI, has been fingerprinted and undergone an FBI identification and criminal history records check, and satisfies all other applicable requirements for access to SGI. Fingerprinting and the FBI identification and criminal history records check are not required, however, for any person who is relieved from the requirement by 10 CFR 73.59, who has had a favorably decided U.S. Government criminal history check within the last 5 years, or who has an active Federal security clearance, provided in the latter two cases that the affected vendor's NRC-approved reviewing official has documented the existence of an active clearance or the basis for relief. 2. No person may have access to any SGI if the NRC, when making an SGI access determination for a nominated reviewing official, has determined, based on fingerprinting and an FBI identification and criminal history records check, that the person nominated may not have access to SGI. 3. The affected vendor shall store SGI designated by this Order only in the facility or facilities specifically approved in writing by the NRC for storage of SGI designated by this Order. The affected vendor may request, in writing, NRC approval of additional facilities for the storage of the SGI designated by this Order that the NRC will consider on a case-by-case basis. 4. The affected vendor may provide SGI designated by this Order to individuals (such as foreign nationals, U.S. citizens living in foreign countries, or individuals under the age of 18) for whom fingerprinting and an FBI criminal history records check is not reasonably expected to yield sufficient criminal history information to form the basis of an informed decision on granting access to SGI, provided that the individual satisfies the requirements of this Order, and that the affected vendor has implemented measures, in addition to those set forth in this Order, to ensure that the individual is suitable for access to the SGI designated by this Order. Such additional measures must include, but are not limited to, equivalent criminal history records checks conducted by a local, State, or foreign governmental agency, and/or enhanced background checks including employment and credit history. The NRC must review these additional measures and approve them in writing. B. No person may provide SGI to any other person except in accordance with Condition III.A. above. Before providing SGI to any person, a copy of this Order shall be provided to that person. C. Each of the affected vendors shall comply with the following requirements: 1. The affected vendor shall, within 20 days of the date of this Order, establish and maintain a fingerprinting program that meets the requirements of 10 CFR 73.21 and the attachment to this Order. 2. The affected vendor shall, within 20 days of the date of this Order, submit the fingerprints of one individual whom (a) the affected vendor nominates as the ``reviewing official'' for determining access to SGI by other individuals and (b) has an established need to know the information. The NRC will determine whether this individual (or any subsequent reviewing official) may have access to SGI and, therefore, will be permitted to serve as the affected vendor's reviewing official.\3\ The affected vendor may, at the same time or later, submit the fingerprints of other individuals to whom the affected vendor seeks to grant access to SGI. Fingerprints shall be submitted and reviewed in accordance with the procedures described in the attachment to this Order. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \3\ The NRC's determination of this individual's access to SGI in accordance with the process described in Enclosure 3 to the transmittal letter of this Order is an administrative determination that is outside the scope of this Order. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. The affected vendor may allow any individual who currently has access to SGI to continue to have access to previously-designated SGI without being fingerprinted, pending a decision by the NRC-approved reviewing official (based on fingerprinting and an FBI criminal history records check) that the individual may continue to have access to SGI. The affected vendor shall make determinations on continued access to SGI within 90 days of the date of this Order, in part, based on the results of the fingerprinting and criminal history check, for those individuals who were previously granted access to SGI before the issuance of this Order. 4. The affected vendor shall, in writing, within 20 days of the date of this Order, notify the Commission: (1) If it is unable to comply with any of the requirements described in the Order, including the attachment; or (2) if [[Page 53799]] compliance with any of the requirements is unnecessary in its specific circumstances. The notification shall provide the affected vendor's justification for seeking relief from, or variation of, any specific requirement. The affected vendors shall submit responses to C.1., C.2., C.3, and C.4 above to the Director, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. In addition, the affected vendors shall mark their responses as ``Security-Related Information-- Withhold Under 10 CFR 2.390.'' The Director, Office of New Reactors, may, in writing, relax or rescind any of the above conditions upon demonstration of good cause by the affected vendor. IV In accordance with 10 CFR 2.202, the affected vendor must, and any other person adversely affected by this Order may, submit an answer to this Order and may request a hearing with regard to this Order, within 20 days of the date of this Order. Where good cause is shown, the NRC will consider extending the time to request a hearing. A request for extension of time in which to submit an answer or request a hearing must be made in writing to the Director, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, and include a statement of good cause for the extension. The answer may consent to this Order. Unless the answer consents to this Order, the answer shall, in writing and under oath or affirmation, specifically set forth the matters of fact and law by which the affected vendor or other entities adversely affected rely, and the reasons as to why the NRC should not have issued this Order. Any answer or request for a hearing shall be submitted to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ATTN: Rulemakings and Adjudications Staff, Washington, DC 20555. Copies shall also be sent to the Director, Office of New Reactors, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, to the Assistant General Counsel for Materials Litigation and Enforcement at the same address, and to the affected vendor, if the answer or hearing request is by an entity other than the affected vendor. Because of possible delays in delivery of mail to U.S. Government offices, the agency asks that answers and requests for hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission, either by means of facsimile transmission to (301) 415-1101 or via e-mail to hearingdocket@nrc.gov, and also to the Office of the General Counsel either by means of facsimile transmission to (301) 415-3725 or via e- mail to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. If an entity other than the affected vendor requests a hearing, that entity shall set forth, with particularity, the manner in which this Order adversely affects its interest and shall address the criteria set forth in 10 CFR 2.309, ``Hearing Requests, Petitions to Intervene, Requirements for Standing, and Contentions.'' If the affected vendor, or a person whose interest is adversely affected, requests a hearing, the Commission will issue an Order designating the time and place of any hearing. If a hearing is held, the issue to be considered at such hearing shall be whether this Order should be sustained. Pursuant to 10 CFR 2.202(c)(2)(i), the affected vendor may, in addition to demanding a hearing, at the time the answer is filed or sooner, move the presiding officer to set aside the immediate effectiveness of the Order on the grounds that the Order, including the need for immediate effectiveness, is not based on adequate evidence, but on mere suspicion, unfounded allegations, or error. In the absence of any request for hearing, or written approval of an extension of time in which to request a hearing, the provisions as specified above in Section III shall be final 20 days from the date of this Order without, further order or proceedings. If the agency approves an extension of time for requesting a hearing, the provisions, as specified above in Section III, shall be final when the extension expires, if a hearing request has not been received. An answer or a request for hearing shall not stay the immediate effectiveness of this order. Dated this 12th day of September, 2007. * * * * * For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. R.W. Borchardt, Director, Office of New Reactors. Enclosure 3--Process To Challenge NRC Denials or Revocations of Access to Safeguards Information 1. Policy This policy establishes a process for individuals whom the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees or other person \1\ nominate as reviewing officials to challenge and appeal NRC denials or revocations of access to Safeguards Information (SGI). Any individual nominated as a licensee reviewing official whom the NRC has determined may not have access to SGI shall, to the extent provided below, be afforded an opportunity to challenge and appeal the NRC's determination. This policy shall not be construed to require the disclosure of SGI to any person, nor shall it be construed to create a liberty or property interest of any kind in the access of any individual to SGI. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ As used herein, ``licensee'' means any licensee or other person who is required to conduct fingerprinting. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Applicability This policy applies solely to those employees of licensees who are nominated as a reviewing official, and who are thus considered, by the NRC, for initial or continued access to SGI in that position. 3. SGI Access Determination Criteria Determinations for granting a nominated reviewing official access to SGI will be made by the NRC staff. Access to SGI shall be denied or revoked whenever it is determined that an individual does not meet the applicable standards. Any doubt about an individual's eligibility for initial or continued access to SGI shall be resolved in favor of the national security and access will be denied or revoked. 4. Procedures To Challenge the Contents of Records Obtained From the FBI a. Prior to a determination by the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief that an individual nominated as a reviewing official is denied or revoked access to SGI, the individual shall: (i) Be provided the contents of records obtained from the FBI for the purpose of assuring correct and complete information. If, after reviewing the record, an individual believes that it is incorrect or incomplete in any respect and wishes to change, correct, or update the alleged deficiency, or to explain any matter in the record, the individual may initiate challenge procedures. These procedures include either direct application by the individual challenging the record to the agency (i.e., law enforcement agency) that contributed the questioned information, or direct challenge as to the accuracy or completeness of any entry on the criminal history record to the Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Identification Division, Washington, DC 20537-9700 (as set forth in 28 CFR 16.30 through 16.34). In the latter case, the FBI will forward the challenge to the agency that submitted the data and request that agency to verify or correct the challenged entry. Upon receipt of an official communication directly from the agency that contributed the original [[Page 53800]] information, the FBI Identification Division makes any necessary changes in accordance with the information supplied by that agency. (ii) Be afforded ten (10) days to initiate an action challenging the results of an FBI criminal history records check (described in (I), above) after the record is made available for the individual's review. If such a challenge is initiated, the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief may make a determination based upon the criminal history record only upon receipt of the FBI's ultimate confirmation or correction of the record. 5. Procedures To Provide Additional Information a. Prior to a determination by the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief that an individual nominated as a reviewing official is denied or revoked access to SGI, the individual shall: (i) Be afforded an opportunity to submit information relevant to the individual's trustworthiness and reliability. The NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief shall, in writing, notify the individual of this opportunity, and any deadlines for submitting this information. The NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief may make a determination of access to SGI only upon receipt of the additional information submitted by the individual, or, if no such information is submitted, when the deadline to submit such information has passed. 6. Procedures To Notify an Individual of the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief Determination To Deny or Revoke Access to SGI a. Upon a determination by the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief that an individual nominated as a reviewing official is denied or revoked access to SGI, the individual shall be provided a written explanation of the basis for this determination. 7. Procedures To Appeal an NRC Determination To Deny or Revoke Access to SGI a. Upon a determination by the NRC Facilities Security Branch Chief that an individual nominated as a reviewing official is denied or revoked access to SGI, the individual shall be afforded an opportunity to appeal this determination to the Director, Division of Facilities and Security. The determination must be appealed within twenty (20) days of receipt of the written notice of the determination by the Facilities Security Branch Chief, and may either be in writing or in person. Any appeal made in person shall take place at the NRC's headquarters, and shall be at the individual's own expense. The determination by the Director, Division of Facilities and Security, shall be rendered within sixty (60) days after receipt of the appeal. 8. Procedures To Notify an Individual of the Determination by the Director, Division of Facilities and Security, Upon an Appeal a. A determination by the Director, Division of Facilities and Security, shall be provided to the individual in writing, and include an explanation of the basis for this determination. A determination by the Director, Division of Facilities and Security, to affirm the Facilities Branch Chief's determination to deny or revoke an individual's access to SGI is final and not subject to further administrative appeals. Attachment--Requirements for Fingerprinting and Criminal History Records Checks of Individuals When a Reviewing Official Is Determining Access to Safeguards Information General Requirements Licensees and other persons who are required to conduct fingerprinting shall comply with the requirements of this attachment.\2\ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \2\ As used herein, ``licensee'' means any licensee or other person who is required to conduct fingerprinting in accordance with these requirements. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A. 1. Each licensee subject to the provisions of this attachment shall fingerprint each individual who is seeking or permitted access to Safeguards Information (SGI). The licensee shall review and use the information received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and ensure that the provisions contained in the subject Order and this attachment are satisfied. 2. The licensee shall notify each affected individual that the fingerprints will be used to secure a review of his/her criminal history record and inform the individual of the procedures for revising the record or including an explanation in the record, as specified in the ``Right to Correct and Complete Information'' section of this attachment. 3. Fingerprints need not be taken if an employed individual (e.g., a licensee employee, contractor, manufacturer, or supplier) is relieved from the fingerprinting requirement by 10 CFR 73.59, has a favorably- decided U.S. Government criminal history records check within the last five (5) years, or has an active federal security clearance. Written confirmation from the Agency/employer which granted the federal security clearance or reviewed the criminal history records check must be provided. The licensee must retain this documentation for a period of three (3) years from the date the individual no longer requires access to SGI associated with the licensee's activities. 4. All fingerprints obtained by the licensee pursuant to this Order must be submitted to the Commission for transmission to the FBI. 5. The licensee shall review the information received from the FBI and consider it, in conjunction with the trustworthiness and reliability requirements included in Attachment 2 to this Order, in making a determination whether to grant access to SGI to individuals who have a need-to-know the SGI. 6. The licensee shall use any information obtained as part of a criminal history records check solely for the purpose of determining an individual's suitability for access to SGI. 7. The licensee shall document the basis for its determination whether to grant access to SGI. B. The licensee shall notify the NRC of any desired change in reviewing officials, in compliance with C.2 of the subject Order. The NRC will determine whether the individual nominated as the new reviewing official may have access to SGI based on a previously- obtained or new criminal history check and, therefore, will be permitted to serve as the licensee's reviewing official. Prohibitions A licensee shall not base a final determination to deny an individual access to SGI solely on the basis of information received from the FBI involving: An arrest more than one (1) year old for which there is no information of the disposition of the case, or an arrest that resulted in dismissal of the charge or an acquittal. A licensee shall not use information received from a criminal history check obtained pursuant to this Order in a manner that would infringe upon the rights of any individual under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, nor shall the licensee use the information in any way which would discriminate among individuals on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, or age. Procedures for Processing Fingerprint Checks For the purpose of complying with this Order, licensees shall, using an appropriate method listed in 10 CFR 73.4, submit to the NRC's Division of Facilities and Security, Mail Stop T-6E46, one completed, legible standard [[Page 53801]] fingerprint card (Form FD-258, ORIMDNRCOOOZ) or, where practicable, other fingerprint records for each individual seeking access to SGI, to the Director of the Division of Facilities and Security, marked for the attention of the Division's Criminal History Check Section. Copies of these forms may be obtained by writing the Office of Information Services, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555- 0001, by calling (301) 415-5877, or by e-mail to forms@nrc.gov. Practicable alternative formats are set forth in 10 CFR 73.4. The licensee shall establish procedures to ensure that the quality of the fingerprints taken results in minimizing the rejection rate of fingerprint cards due to illegible or incomplete cards. The NRC will review submitted fingerprint cards for completeness. Any Form FD-258 fingerprint record containing omissions or evident errors will be returned to the licensee for corrections. The fee for processing fingerprint checks includes one re-submission if the initial submission is returned by the FBI because the fingerprint impressions cannot be classified. The one free re-submission must have the FBI Transaction Control Number reflected on the re-submission. If additional submissions are necessary, they will be treated as initial submittals and will require a second payment of the processing fee. Fees for processing fingerprint checks are due upon application. Licensees shall submit payment with the application for processing fingerprints by corporate check, certified check, cashier's check, money order, or electronic payment, made payable to ``U.S. NRC.'' [For guidance on making electronic payments, contact the Facilities Security Branch, Division of Facilities and Security, at (301) 415-7404]. Combined payment for multiple applications is acceptable. The application fee (currently $27) is the sum of the user fee charged by the FBI for each fingerprint card or other fingerprint record submitted by the NRC on behalf of a licensee, and an NRC processing fee, which covers administrative costs associated with NRC handling of licensee fingerprint submissions. The Commission will directly notify licensees who are subject to this regulation of any fee changes. The Commission will forward to the submitting licensee all data received from the FBI as a result of the licensee's application(s) for criminal history records checks, including the FBI fingerprint record. Right To Correct and Complete Information Prior to any final adverse determination, the licensee shall make available to the individual the contents of any criminal records obtained from the FBI for the purpose of assuring correct and complete information. Written confirmation by the individual of receipt of this notification must be maintained by the licensee for a period of one (1) year from the date of the notification. If, after reviewing the record, an individual believes that it is incorrect or incomplete in any respect and wishes to change, correct, or update the alleged deficiency, or to explain any matter in the record, the individual may initiate challenge procedures. These procedures include either direct application by the individual challenging the record to the agency (i.e., law enforcement agency) that contributed the questioned information, or direct challenge as to the accuracy or completeness of any entry on the criminal history record to the Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Identification Division, Washington, DC 20537-9700 (as set forth in 28 CFR 16.30 through 16.34). In the latter case, the FBI forwards the challenge to the agency that submitted the data and requests that agency to verify or correct the challenged entry. Upon receipt of an official communication directly from the agency that contributed the original information, the FBI Identification Division makes any changes necessary in accordance with the information supplied by that agency. The licensee must provide at least ten (10) days for an individual to initiate an action challenging the results of an FBI criminal history records check after the record is made available for his/her review. The licensee may make a final SGI access determination based upon the criminal history record only upon receipt of the FBI's ultimate confirmation or correction of the record. Upon a final adverse determination on access to SGI, the licensee shall provide the individual its documented basis for denial. Access to SGI shall not be granted to an individual during the review process. Protection of Information 1. Each licensee who obtains a criminal history record on an individual pursuant to this Order shall establish and maintain a system of files and procedures for protecting the record and the personal information from unauthorized disclosure. 2. The licensee may not disclose the record or personal information collected and maintained to persons other than the subject individual, his/her representative, or to those who have a need to access the information in performing assigned duties in the process of determining access to Safeguards Information. No individual authorized to have access to the information may re-disseminate the information to any other individual who does not have a need-to-know. 3. The personal information obtained on an individual from a criminal history record check may be transferred to another licensee if the licensee holding the criminal history record check receives the individual's written request to re-disseminate the information contained in his/her file, and the current licensee verifies information such as the individual's name, date of birth, social security number, sex, and other applicable physical characteristics for identification purposes. 4. The licensee shall make criminal history records, obtained under this section, available for examination by an authorized representative of the NRC to determine compliance with the regulations and laws. 5. The licensee shall retain all fingerprint and criminal history records received from the FBI, or a copy if the individual's file has been transferred, for three (3) years after termination of employment or determination of access to SGI (whether access was approved or denied). After the required three (3) year period, these documents shall be destroyed by a method that will prevent reconstruction of the information in whole or in part. [FR Doc. E7-18564 Filed 9-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590-01-P ***************************************************************** 19 AFP: Saudi Arabia joins UN atomic agency board Thu Sep 20, 1:52 PM ET VIENNA (AFP) - Saudi Arabia and other US allies were among 11 countries named to the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation board of governors on Thursday. US allies like Ireland and the Philippines were among the incoming 11 while US adversaries Cuba and Syria were among the outgoing states, part of a regular rotation of board members. This could make things easier for the United States on the IAEA board, which rules on Iranian compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), diplomats said. Cuba has been vocal in condemning Western states for criticizing an IAEA deal with Iran for a new round of inspections. The United States is worried the deal could help Iran avoid new UN Security Council sanctions for its refusal to stop enriching uranium, a process that makes nuclear power reactor fuel but also atom bomb material. The board, which determines policy for the IAEA, is renewed in part annually with a regular rotation of members, although key nuclear states such as the United States and Russia remain permanently on the board, which always has a majority of Western states. The new board will meet for the first time next Monday at IAEA headquarters in Vienna. Its members are Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russian, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The ***************************************************************** 20 JS Online: Changes OK'd in plant's sale We Energies, FPL agree to Point Beach terms By THOMAS CONTENT tcontent@journalsentinel.com Posted: Sept. 19, 2007 FPL Energy Inc. and We Energies have signed off on changes regulators made to terms of the Point Beach nuclear plant sale, according to documents filed with state regulators Wednesday. The companies expect to complete their $1 billion transaction by the end of the month, according to We Energies spokesman Barry McNulty. The Public Service Commission is expected to vote early next week to approve a final order that would spell out all the terms it's agreeing to, including a change in how so-called "green credits" would be handled, said Eric Callisto, the top aide to commission Chairman Dan Ebert. Green credits refer to financial gains that Point Beach and other nuclear plants could see because they generate no gases linked to global warming, if Congress moves to regulate those emissions. The commission has proposed that We Energies retain all the credits, while FPL had earlier sought to retain some of the credits. The credits could be worth $24 million to $240 million, according to the energy efficiency advocacy group E4. In one key area, the commission didn't make any changes: As approved, the deal still calls for We Energies customers to pay taxes twice on the sale of electricity generated at the plant. Under the deal, We Energies will pay the taxes when the electricity is generated by FPL and sold to We Energies. Then, We Energies and its customers will pay the gross-receipts tax again when the power is sold by the Milwaukee utility to its customers. A legislative change pending as part of the state budget would reduce the financial impact of that double tax for We Energies customers. Under the change, customers' double tax tally would be $67 million rather than $125 million. The Citizens' Utility Board, a utility watchdog group, had protested the double taxation as one of its objections to the nuclear plant sale. Ebert called on the state Legislature to consider a change to state law to bar the gross-receipts tax from being collected twice when utilities buy power from other power generators. But Ebert and the other two commissioners didn't change the financial terms of the deal to address the watchdog group's concerns. The utilities said those concerns were offset by other financial benefits customers will see from the transaction, including hundreds of millions of dollars of credits on customers' bills that We Energies has proposed to be issued over the next two years. Those credits would partially offset the company's planned $650 million electric rate increase, which We Energies projected would result in price increases averaging 7.5% in 2008 and another 7.5% in 2009. The $1 billion plant sale means that the plant would be owned and operated by Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL, which owns nuclear plants in Florida, New Hampshire and Iowa. The power would be sold to We Energies and its customers under a long-term contract. From the Sept. 20, 2007 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ***************************************************************** 21 MHNN: Air security over Indian Point to be “addressed” by House September 20, 2007 © 2007 Mid-Hudson News Network, a division of Statewide News Network, Inc. Washington – Hudson Valley House Members Nita Lowey and John Hall Thursday secured the commitment of House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-MN) to address air security over the Indian Point nuclear facility. “On September 11, American Airlines Flight 11 flew directly over Indian Point on its way to the World Trade Center, and al Qaeda has expressed a desire to target nuclear facilities,” said Lowey. “Knowing this, we should be doing all we can to protect residents from any potential terrorist threat. A no-fly zone around this nuclear facility is essential to fulfilling this responsibility.” “Indian Point is located within the most densely populated region in the country,” said Hall. “It is critical that we take every step to secure the plant and protect residents of the area.” The commitment of Chairman Oberstar to work with the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security on a bipartisan basis to address air security in the region was secured through a colloquy on the House floor during consideration of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007. Lowey has introduced legislation with the support of Hall that would authorize the DHS to designate a no-fly zone in the vicinity of any nuclear power plant within 50 miles of which there reside more than 15 million people – a criterion met by Indian Point. HEAR today's news on MidHudsonRadio.com, the Hudson Valley's only Internet radio news report. ***************************************************************** 22 AFP: Japan nuclear body can't say when damaged plant to restart - Thu Sep 20, 2:53 PM ET VIENNA (AFP) - The Japanese nuclear safety body examining the damage at the world's largest nuclear plant in Japan, hit by a powerful earthquake in July, declined to say Thursday when the plant might re-open. "At this moment, we can't say when the reactor could be restarted," said Akira Fukushima, a top official at Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA). "What I can say now is that we have to be careful to do our investigations and our research," Fukushima told journalists. The comments came as NISA presented a report on the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant on the sidelines of the UN nuclear watchdog's general conference here. Asked whether an estimate by UN experts that it might be at least a year before the plant could be restarted, Fukushima -- NISA's deputy director-general for safety examination -- refused to be pinned down. "The geological survey, for example, will be done by the end of March next year," he said. "We'll then establish the judgement criteria. After that, we have to do things step by step." In August, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, had said that the damage to Kashikawazki-Kariwa appeared to be less than expected. An IAEA mission comprising six experts had spent four days inspecting the plant. An IAEA spokesman said Thursday that talks were underway for a second IAEA-led mission to be dispatched at some point between November and January. Fukushima also said it was still too early to say whether there had been any hidden damage to the plant but that indications so far were that there was no damage to the fuel. "We are still doing the investigations. We have to be very careful, but we're doing the necessary studies," he said. "There are no changes in the iodine concentration in the reactor coolant and spent pool water" from before and after the quake, he said. "That appears to indicate that the fuels of all units are intact. It indicates that there was no big damage inside the reactor ... Of course, we have to complete our inspections first." The plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the world's biggest private power company, would open up the reactors by the end of October and the beginning of November, he added. A clear picture of the situation inside the reactor would therefore be available by the end of this year, he said. Following the July 16 earthquake that measured 6.8 on the Richter scale and whose epicentre was just 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the giant facility northwest of Tokyo caught fire and leaked a small amount of radiation. Despite its propensity for earthquakes, Japan relies on nuclear plants for nearly one-third of its power needs as it has virtually no natural energy resources. Copyright © 2007 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 23 The Prague Post: Ministry signs atomic pact Energy agreement will send nuclear fuel to Russia By Victor Velek Staff Writer, The Prague Post September 19th, 2007 Two tons of nuclear fuel and related construction parts stored at the Nuclear Research Institute in Rež, central Bohemia, will return to Russia, thanks to an agreement signed between the Industry and Trade Ministry and the U.S. Department of Energy Sept. 17. The agreement, part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), should prevent the institute’s spent nuclear fuel from falling into terrorist hands by shipping it to a secure facility. The program’s costs, amounting to $35 million (694 million Kc), will be covered by the United States, which launched the GTRI in 2004. The agreement was signed by Richard Graber, U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Industry and Trade Minister Martin Ríman. Apart from the fuel relocation, the pact also provides a legal framework for other GTRI projects in the country. Nuclear fuel stored in Rež “could become a security threat, should it fall into the wrong hands,” Ríman said. “In Russia, the fuel will be processed in such a way that it will be impossible to use for constructing a weapon of mass destruction. Then, after 20 or 30 years, the fuel will be sent back to the Czech Republic.” “This is the kind of concrete international action that increases security around the world,” Graber said after the signing ceremony. The nuclear cargo will be placed in a high-security facility built with financial support from the United States. The first shipment should be dispatched later this year, according to Graber. The pact will only affect fuel from research reactors, which are more vulnerable to theft and abuse than nuclear fuel used in power plants, since research reactors use highly enriched uranium fuel, said František Sviták, a researcher at Rež. Enriched uranium can be used to create nuclear weaponry. The spent nuclear fuel at the country’s two nuclear power plants in Dukovany and Temelín will remain stored at the stations, Sviták added. This is not the first time the country has gotten rid of radioactive material through the GTRI program: At the end of 2005, the Czech Technical University swapped its research reactor’s 20 rods — each filled with highly enriched uranium — for ones with lower-enriched uranium. The United States spent $2 million on the replacement. The Czech Republic is one of 10 countries that have sent some or all of their highly enriched uranium deposits to Russia. So far, more than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of fuel have been sent there. The GTRI program is run by the National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. It is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN body dedicated to atomic energy cooperation. Victor Velek can be reached at vvelek@praguepost.com ***************************************************************** 24 Newsday.com: Electrical work likely caused Nine Mile Point nuclear plant alert -- 5:56 PM EDT, September 20, 2007 SCRIBA, N.Y. (AP) _ Electrical work elsewhere in the building likely caused an inadvertent discharge of fire-suppressing gas in an equipment room at Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, officials said. The discharge of carbon dioxide at around 3 p.m. Wednesday triggered an alert at the plant on Lake Ontario about 50 miles north of Syracuse. The alert was canceled Wednesday night. According to a preliminary investigation, "something associated with that electrical wiring work triggered the event," plant spokesperson Jill Lyon said Thursday. No one was in the equipment room when the carbon dioxide discharged, Lyon said. "There was never any danger to public safety, health or the environment," she said. ___ Information from: The Post-Standard, http://www.syracuse.com Copyright © 2007, The Associated Press ***************************************************************** 25 AFP: Small fire at Japan nuclear plant - AFP - Thursday, September 20 TOKYO (AFP) - - A small fire broke out Thursday at the world's largest nuclear plant, which was damaged by a powerful quake in July, but no radiation leak at the Japanese complex was reported, its operator said. The fire broke out at an air conditioning power cable on the roof of one of the seven reactor facilities that remain shut since the quake, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said. "Plant workers who spotted the fire tried extinguishing it and reported it to the fire department," said TEPCO spokesman Yoshinori Mori. "Firefighters confirmed it was put out completely soon later, and no radiation leak or injuries were reported," he said. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, some 250 kilometres (150 miles) northwest of Tokyo, was damaged in a quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, which also caused a fire in the section generating electricity for the facility. TEPCO reported after the quake that radioactive water leaked into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and radioactive particles blew out of an exhaust pipe filter. The operator, which is the world's largest private power company, said the radiation was far below amounts that would be dangerous. Despite the earthquakes and nuclear sensitivities, Japan has tried to step up its reliance on nuclear power as it has virtually no natural energy resources. Nuclear power now accounts for nearly one-third of Japan's electricity, higher than in any other of the Group of Eight industrial nations except France. ***************************************************************** 26 Greenpeace UK: Nukes consultation: it's a stitch up | The technology to stop climate change exists - and it's not nuclear power: Watch our film, The Convenient Solution » Posted by nathan on 20 September 2007. Dear, oh dear, oh dear. Who would have guessed it? Gordon Brown's public consultation on nuclear power is being fixed by his favorite market research company who has been charged with carrying out the polling? And the sad thing is that it all sounds so familiar. Not so long ago, when he accepted the role to lead this country, he said that he wanted to ring in a new era of politics – to listen to the British people. He boldly stated that the "best way of drawing up policies will not be discussions in government departments, but listening and learning – and involving and engaging the voices" of you and I. He wanted to build "trust in our democracy" by embracing a "more open form of dialogue for citizens and politicians to genuinely debate problems and solutions". And, as those words still echo through Westminster, the truth is that this government is no different from the one that was so badly tarnished with dodgy dossiers and spin. However, last night Channel 4 News reported (you'll be able to watch it online for the next seven days) that twenty "senior academics" will be writing to the government as they believe that the process was "deliberately skewed" and participants were "misled". Dr Paul Dorfman, a senior research fellow at the University of Warwick, said that questions put to the public were "framed in a particularly ambiguous way in order to get a particular answer". And someone involved in the process, who wished to remain anonymous, said they felt the government's view was "bludgeoned" into the heads of the participants. Pretty strong stuff. When we, along with Friends of the Earth, WWF and other members of the Green Alliance pulled out of the consultation, the good people at The Sun and The Times hailed Greenpeace's withdrawal from the government's ongoing nuclear "consultation" as a further proof of the green movement's visceral hatred of the so-called nuclear renaissance, suggesting that our actions were a thinly-veiled attempt to get us all "huddled round wood fires, eking out a living by candle-light". Now it's come to light that professional observers of the consultation are similarly displeased with the government's increasingly desperate attempts to spin us into accepting new nuclear power plants. For some reason, the fact that a new fleet of reactors in the UK could only cut our carbon emissions by a measly 4 per cent was buried at the back of a huge pile of information that consultation attendees had to plough through in a day. Positive messages about nuclear were made as statements of fact – "Nuclear power stations could make an important contribution to reducing the UK's CO2 emissions" - while negative issues for nuclear power required answers by degree, with the loaded term 'satisfied' included in the question: "How satisfied are you with the government's proposal to manage new nuclear waste in the same way as existing waste?" According to Dr. Dorfman, "partial information was rammed down the public's throat. It was totally impractical for people to make a rational decision based on the information they were fed. The way it was put together was designed so that a particular view would emerge." Some participants apparently saw through the spin. One contacted Greenpeace (pdf) to say that she "left the event in Edinburgh feeling furious with the government's blatant marketing of nuclear power", adding that the "participants of 'Talking Energy' were pushed up against a wall so they had no choice but to support a new generation of nuclear power plants". Others left comments on our blog about their experiences of the consultation. Despite entering into this consultation (which don’t forget a High Court judge ordered to the government to do after their first attempt was exposed as a total sham) with the intention of engaging as fully as possible, it soon became clear to us that the whole thing was little more than a pro-nuclear rubber-stamping exercise. And the longer it goes on the more we discover just what a grubby and seedy little process it really is. That's why Greenpeace has issued a formal complaint to the Market Research Standards Board about the role of Opinion Leader Research (OLR), the pollsters employed by the government to run the show. We think OLR, who have pocketed millions of pounds worth of contracts from the government, has broken its industry's own code of conduct by designing questions and materials for the public that are deliberately misleading and factually inaccurate. Designed, you might say, to get the answer on nuclear power that the government wants rather than allowing people to make up their own minds. An investigation could derail the government's consultation on nuclear power, a process which they're legally obliged to carry out before building new nuclear power stations. For more on why nuclear power can't stop climate change (and what can), watch our film, The Convenient Solution. ***************************************************************** 27 Guardian Unlimited: Fire at Japan Nuke Plant, No Leak From the Associated Press Thursday September 20, 2007 7:01 AM TOKYO (AP) - A fire broke out Thursday at a major nuclear power plant that was damaged in a July earthquake in northwestern Japan, but no radioactive material was leaked, plant officials said. The fire was extinguished by a worker at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, according to Shogo Fukuda, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the facility. The plant is the world's largest in terms of power output capacity. The blaze started from a power cable of an air conditioner on the roof of a building at the plant, Fukuda said. It occurred outside the restricted area, and there was no danger of a radiation leak, he said. Firefighters later confirmed that the fire was extinguished in about half an hour. Nobody was injured in the fire, but the extent of damage to the plant was not immediately known, the spokesman said. The cause of the fire was under investigation, he said. The plant suffered a long list of radioactive leaks and malfunctions during the magnitude 6.8 quake on July 16, which killed 11 people and injured more than 1,000. It was undergoing repairs and a series of tests following the quake damage. The plant is located about 125 miles northwest of Tokyo. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 28 Guardian Unlimited: Public fed biased information on nuclear power, says academic John Vidal, environment editor Thursday September 20, 2007 An academic observer of Britain's nuclear consultation has said that information given to the public was biased and incomplete, casting fresh doubt on whether the the government has followed a court ruling to present both sides of the argument. Paul Dorfman, senior research fellow at the National Centre for Involvement at the University of Warwick, said the exercise 12 days ago in nine cities around Britain was designed to come up with a popular mandate to proceed with nuclear power. "Partial information was rammed down the public's throat. It was totally impractical for people to make a rational decision based on the information they were fed. The way it was put together was designed so that a particular view would emerge," said Dr Dorfman, who has convened an academic group who will report next month on the process. The consultation suggested that 45% of the public is in favour of nuclear power, and 23% against - very different from most polls in the last 20 years. A professional marketeer on the consultation said yesterday: "The whole setup was loaded towards nuclear. The government's position was put consistently but the opposition points were not. The overall impact of the questions was was very narrow." The person asked to remain anonymous but claims to have no link to any environment group, and was employed by Opinion Leader Research (OLR) to help run one of nine meetings. Yesterday several people invited to take part said they were angry about how questions were posed. "We were provided with a limited amount of background, only very occasionally including alternative viewpoints of Greenpeace and other groups, and then the government's viewpoint was given," said Jackie Turpin who attended one meeting. Yesterday Greenpeace said it had made a formal complaint to the market research industry's governing body that OLR had broken its code of conduct. The firm was last night unavailable for comment. Useful links British Energy Department of Trade and Industry British Nuclear Fuels Ltd Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Greenpeace Come Clean WMD awareness programme UK atomic energy authority National Radiological Protection Board Friends of the Earth World Nuclear Association World Nuclear Transport Institute Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 29 Seattle PI: Nuclear Renaissance: Far from a Sure Thing Energy: Strategies, Policy & Best Practices for the Northwest Editor's note: P-I Reader Blogs are not written or edited by the P-I. They are written by readers, for readers. The authors are solely responsible for content. If you see any posts you consider inappropriate, please send us a note at newmedia@seattlepi.com. · Want to blog for the P-I? « Governor Approves 65 Wind Turbines for WA Site | Main Nuclear Renaissance: Far from a Sure Thing World leaders are saying there is no solution to global warming that does not include nuclear power. The administration has had six years and the Energy Policy Act to reinvigorate the fission industry. No company, however, has broken ground -- or committed to break ground -- on a new nuke plant in the U.S. What's holding things up? Nuclear proponents speak publicly with confidence about a renaissance in nuclear power. Among themselves, however, the tone is much more guarded. Participants in the American Nuclear Society's 2007 Annual Meeting pointed out that a nuclear renaissance is far from a sure thing, reports Teresa Hansen in "The Nuclear Renaissance's Future" (Power Engineering magazine). Art Stall, the meeting's co-host and utility FP&L's chief nuclear officer, said the realities involved in building nuclear power plants are dampening the euphoria around the nuclear renaissance. Speakers at the meeting referred to the main challenges -- including radioactive waste disposal, public opposition, supply chain constraints. Supply chain constraints? That's right. Nuclear plant construction is not a domestic business. Everything (but the concrete) is imported from other countries, noted Tom Sanders, manager of Sandia National Laboratory's Nuclear Initiative. Domestic suppliers to nuclear plants must carry a government "N-stamp," or their components can't go into a nuke facility. Since the Three Mile Island mishap, 400 of the 500 U.S. companies with N-stamps have let them lapse. I've read that the cost of N-stamp reinstatement is in the millions. As a result, foreign companies rule the supply of critical components -- and heavy forgings are available only from Japan. Does that mean the U.S. has nothing to offer the world's emerging nuclear power markets? "The United States and its national security interests hardly have a seat at the table," said Sandia's Sanders, "when it comes to providing anything to the emerging markets." Contrast this with renewable energy, where research and scientific leadership in the U.S. can be exported to developing nations to help them leapfrog carbon-emitting power sources and grow up on clean energy. Hansen notes that a few companies have recently submitted orders for nuclear components, in anticipation of constructing plants. Entergy ordered reactor components from GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy. Amren UE ordered a second set of heavy forgings from Areva. Forgings aren't the only component for which the supply is constrained. Concrete, reinforced steel, piping, and conduit are also likely to be in short supply by 2013. Predictably, shortage of supply drives up construction costs for plants notorious for cost overruns. Hansen's article goes on to discuss the fragility of public support and the competition nuclear faces from other sources of energy. It's worthwhile reading, whether or not you share the glowing euphoria. Posted by Denis DuBois at September 20, 2007 6:00 a.m. 101 Elliott Ave. W. Seattle, WA 98119 (206) 448-8000 Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com ©1996-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer ***************************************************************** 30 Tri-City Herald: 4 PNNL workers exposed to low-level plutonium this summer Published Thursday, September 20th, 2007 JOHN TRUMBO, HERALD STAFF WRITER Four employees at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory were exposed to very low levels of plutonium 238 this summer, an official said Wednesday. The radiation was from a sealed disc that leaked because it was exposed to minus 40-degrees Celsius for a series of experiments. The workers were contaminated in Building 326, but their movements also introduced the contamination into Building 329. Greg Koller, spokesman for PNNL, said testing showed three employees had low levels of skin contamination and a fourth worker's clothing was contaminated. The contamination also was traced to a few places in the Applied Process Engineering Laboratory, and homes and cars of two staff members who "directly handled the sealed source." Koller said "cars, clothing and other articles" found to be contaminated were removed. Fecal and urine samples taken from the employees were analyzed for several weeks. The results showed one staff member received about 6 percent of the annual regulatory limit established by the Department of Energy for radiation workers, Koller said. The three others had considerably less exposure, he added. Tests conducted on family of the workers exposed to radiation show from 3 percent to 9 percent of "what a member of the public would expect to receive annually from natural and other sources," Koller said. The investigation determined that the sealed source of Plutonium 238 began leaking June 7. Koller said workers in Building 326 normally would have had a radiation survey done before leaving the building. However, that may not have happened between June 7 and June 14, which could explain why the contamination was spread to Building 329 and APEL and at the employee's homes and cars. Koller said corrective actions including improved training, and new procedures for handling sources of sealed radiation have been taken. All sealed sources of radiation at the lab are under review, he said. Tri-City Herald ***************************************************************** 31 Buffalo News: Other WNY: Radioactive waste shipped to Nevada Cleanup continues over next 4 years Updated: 09/19/07 7:04 AM ASHFORD — Federal officials were on hand at the West Valley Demonstration Project site Tuesday to mark one of many milestones in the cleanup of the 41-year-old former nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. The occasion: shipment to the Nevada Test Site of some of the last of 20,000 drums, each containing 1,000 pounds of cemented low-level radioactive wastes, created in a proces ending in 2002. The event served as a thank-you to West Valley Environmental Services workers who helped remove or prepare high-level wastes and other wastes for off-site disposal. A trimmed-down work force of fewer than 200, under a $159.3 million contract, will spend the next four years decontaminating, dismantling and securing portions of the site, guided by tasks outlined in the twopart “Way Ahead” plan. The plan was developed with cooperation of federal and state agencies and incorporates the DOE’s accelerated goal of securing the less-contaminated portions of the site into an “interim end state.” It also will result in a preferred closing alternative in the final environmental impact study targeted for public release in 2009. James Rispoli, the DOE’s assistant secretary of energy for environmental management, described stabiliza - tion efforts contained in the “Way Forward” plan. A new interim cap and underground barrier wall will prevent more water from entering the fiveacre radioactive waste-disposal area on the North Plateau. Other tasks include drying the liquids remaining in underground high-level radioactive waste tanks, while containing and eventually eliminating a plume of groundwater contaminated with Strontium 90 leaking from the Main Plant Process Building and relocating about 275 high-level waste canisters stored there and demolition of the building. Rispoli said Alan Steinberg, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 2 administrator, was a catalyst in finding the “Way Ahead.” Steinberg said nuclear power will continue to be an energy source of the future. “We need to show we can handle the challenge of nuclear power,” he said. “We can do something here in West Valley that can be the model for the nation.” The plan’s second goal of setting a “preferred alternative” for the final environmental impact study, and working out some cleanup policy issues, has fallen to a group known as the “Core Team,” made up of representatives from the EPA, DOE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the state departments of Health and Environmental Conservation. Negotiations on the preferred closing method were halted several years ago when the DOE and NYSERDA deadlocked on responsibilities for disposal costs, long-term site management and other issues. But Steinberg said Tuesday the team has reached a consensus and is committed to moving forward despite unresolved issues. © 2007 The Buffalo News. The information you receive online from The ***************************************************************** 32 Deseret Morning News: Nuclear waste deal raises eyebrows Thursday, September 20, 2007 By Joe Bauman Deseret Morning News State regulators have reached an agreement with EnergySolutions about paying for perpetual care of the nuclear-waste disposal facility in Tooele County ? but one lawmaker said the agreement seemed to bypass the Legislature. The exchange between Rep. James R. Gowans, D-Tooele, and Kent Bradford, chairman of the state's Radiation Control Board, came Tuesday afternoon at a meeting of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee. Bradford said the board had reached an agreement with EnergySolutions on a fund to provide perpetual care of the disposal site near Clive, Tooele County. This fund is separate from one to take care of "closure" responsibilities, which would start about the time the facility closed and extend for 100 years. The perpetual care would begin at the end of the century and continue ensuring that radiation is not released from the site. Last year, the board recommended that the perpetual-care fund payments be increased, to make sure it amounted to $13.6 million by the time EnergySolutions stopped using the site. With interest, the actual amount available starting a century later would be more than $90 million. However, the 2006 Legislature did not approve the board's recommendation. Since no action was taken, Bradford said, the board reached agreement with EnergySolutions to cover that amount. EnergySolutions proposed to add a line item in its surety line of credit, which originally was set up to cover closure costs. The line item would guarantee payment of the $13.6 million for the perpetual-care fund whenever the facility closed. The company would continue adding $400,000 yearly to the perpetual-care fund, which now amounts to $2.6 million. The surety, or letter of credit, would cover the amount between the cash and $13.6 million. Bradford said that as the $400,000 yearly contributions continue, the amount of the letter of credit would be reduced commensurately. "This is deemed to be a low-risk item for the state," he said. When Rep. Glenn A. Donnelson, R-North Ogden, asked if the board had a date in mind for the site going out of business, Bradford replied, "We anticipate them to be in business for the foreseeable future." Gowans told Bradford, "I still have some concerns." He said the letter of credit to cover closure has been in existence for quite a while. This surety, of $66 million, is "really separate from the $400,000" set aside each year for perpetual care. "One of the concerns that I would express is, that $400,000 was put there by the Legislature. It seems that in striking a deal, or whatever's happened in this, you're probably OK legally because you didn't change the amount of money. But you've shifted it from the intent of the Legislature, in a sense." It bothers him that a deal was cut, Gowans added. Last year, the committee rejected such an idea, he said. "Who's got the power to make the deal," Gowans said, "and who's the guy that's on the losing end?" E-mail: bau@desnews.com ***************************************************************** 33 Dutch news: Netherlands Wants to Supply Nuclear Fuel to the World THE HAGUE, 21/09/07 - The Netherlands, along with Germany and the UK, wants to supply nuclear fuel to other countries. In this way, governments can avail of alternatives to fossil fuel without the risk of them developing nuclear weapons, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen argued yesterday in an open letter to Het Financieele Dagblad. "The Netherlands is working in partnership with Germany and the UK in Urenco, the biggest and most advanced commercial provider of nuclear fuel in the world," according to Verhagen. "I want to make agreements within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that combat the spread of nuclear weapons via the controlled supply of nuclear fuel via Urenco." "All countries have the fullest right to opt for peaceful use of nuclear energy." (...) But "nuclear technology can also be used for less peaceful purposes. The anti-proliferation treaty for nuclear weapons does not always offer sufficient security. The fact that Iran continues to duck out of international agreements and checkups by the IAEA is an example of this. That behaviour causes growing instability in a part of the world that is after all already characterised by tensions and conflicts." "Urenco is an example of safe use of nuclear energy in line with the most modern standards, but also of joint international supervision. (...) Making agreements to ensure the supply of nuclear fuel to other countries at the same time has the advantage of providing an alternative to the high costs of their own development and production of nuclear fuel." "Via the guaranteed supply of nuclear fuel, countries without nuclear technology do not have to be afraid that their energy supply would be endangered due to political circumstances. It is thus more attractive for these countries to acquire nuclear energy via Urenco and it reduces the need to develop nuclear expertise themselves. (...) Additionally, the security (of supply) reduces the feeling of discrimination between the 'haves' and have-nots' of nuclear energy." The IAEA is holding its annual meeting this week in Vienna. "The debate within the IAEA has to date been difficult due to the lack of trust of certain countries. They are afraid that they will lose the right to develop nuclear energy. We say plainly for the first time that this is not our intention. The Netherlands, Germany and the UK are in fact making an advantageous offer, an 'offer you can't refuse'." Close www.nisnews.nl ***************************************************************** 34 Daily News Journal: Middle Point Landfill asks off state list Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, Tennessee news from The By TURNER HUTCHENS trhutchens@dnj.com Middle Point Landfill will probably no longer be approved to receive low-level radioactive materials. Allied Waste, the owner of the Rutherford County landfill, has asked the state to take Middle Point off the list of landfills that can accept low-level radioactive waste under the Bulk Survey for Release program, according to a statement released by the company Wednesday. Company officials sent a letter to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation requesting that the special waste approval for BSFR materials be rescinded Sept. 12 — the day before the Rutherford County Commission approved a resolution asking Allied to make its discontinuation of the program permanent and legally binding. "By taking this action to rescind the special waste approval for BSFR material, this material can no longer be accepted into the landfill," according to the statement by Jim Zeumer, a spokesman for Allied Waste. Commissioner Jack Black, who represents the district where the landfill is located, said he considers the company's move a step in the right direction, but he wants them to go further. "I want a binding contract that they're never going to take it no more, because I don't want to deal with it in the future," Black said. TDEC spokeswoman Tisha Calabrese-Benton said department officials have informally communicated with Allied officials that they would honor the company's request, and plan to send an official confirmation soon. As to whether Middle Point might ever but put back on the list of landfills which can accept materials under the program, Calabrese-Benton said, "That, of course, would be up to Allied to request." She said if such a request came in the future it would be considered as other such requests. On Aug. 20, Allied announced it would voluntarily discontinue its participation in the program under which low-level radioactive materials have been deposited at the landfill on Jefferson Pike in the Walter Hill community since the 1990s. Since a moratorium was initially instated on the BSFR dumping at Middle Point in July, such waste has been disposed at four other Tennessee landfills which take such waste. They are located in Shelby, Anderson and Hawkins counties. The percentage of BSFR waste in a landfill can't be more than 5 percent of the total waste. Middle Point is the state's largest municipal waste landfill. Several public hearings and meetings on the program were held by the Tennessee Solid Waste Advisory Committee, which ultimately concluded the program was safe and should continue with only minor modifications. The committee recommended that TDEC establish a public liaison for the program to address public awareness and concerns. The committee gave TDEC officials until Jan. 31 to implement its recommendations and report back to the committee. — Turner Hutchens, (615) 278-5161 Copyright ©2007 The Daily News Journal. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 35 Denver Post: Study: risks of drilling at old nuke site minimal By JUDITH KOHLER Associated Press Writer Article Last Updated: 09/19/2007 07:15:46 PM MDT DENVER—Chances are minimal of radioactivity being released if a natural gas well is drilled near the site of an old underground nuclear blast in western Colorado, a new federal study says. The Department of Energy's report, released Wednesday, comes as companies are drilling closer to Project Rulison, where a nuclear weapon was detonated 8,426 feet below the surface in 1969 to free up gas. Two years ago, a company proposed drilling within a half-mile state buffer around the site, which triggers an automatic hearing. The company backed out after Garfield County and residents raised concerns. No applications are pending to drill within the buffer now, but the area is in the heart of western Colorado's energy boom. Nearby landowners and residents fear that drilling near the site could release contamination, possibly harming groundwater and streams that feed into the Colorado River. Luke Danielson, an attorney representing three families opposed to drilling within the buffer, said the DOE report was based on a mathematical model rather than data. He also questioned the timing of the release of the study, about two weeks before Colorado regulators hold a public hearing on the Rulison site. "It has all the appearances of being a very political act," he said. Tom Pauling of DOE's Office of Legacy Management in Grand Junction said no radioactive contamination above naturally occurring levels reached the gas well in 95 percent of the computer simulations in the study. In the other 5 percent, the radioactivity was extremely low, Pauling said. The study focused on tritium because it is the radioactive byproduct most likely to migrate. "Based on the mathematical model, it's very unlikely for tritium to migrate to a production well based on the current restrictions," Pauling said. The report's conclusions are also based on years of monitoring the site. Although federal officials "can't know everything about the subsurface," Pauling said they are confident the study was thorough. "But we think there's room to raise questions," Pauling added. "We don't propose resting entirely on this study." The DOE is discussing the report with state oil and gas regulators and health officials. The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a regulatory body, has scheduled an Oct. 2 public hearing in Grand Junction to discuss the Rulison site. Rulison, about 190 miles west of Denver, was part of the federal government's Plowshare Project, which sought peaceful uses for nuclear devices. The former Atomic Energy Commission detonated the 43-kiloton bomb to free gas in the Williams Fork Formation. A well drilled by DOE produced gas, but it was considered too radioactive to be sold commercially. The agency began deactivating and cleaning the area in the 1970s. Long-term management of the blast site was recently turned over to the DOE's Office of Legacy Management, but the state approves drilling permits. The federal government prohibits drilling below 6,000 feet within a 40-acre zone around the blast site. The state oil and gas commission has set boundaries that trigger more scrutiny but no outright bans. The commission notifies the DOE when a company wants to drill within a three-mile radius of the site. DOE has said most of the radioactivity from the 1969 explosion was trapped in a glass dome formed when melted and vaporized rock collected in a puddle with a diameter of about 160 feet and cooled. All contents Copyright 2007 The Denver Post or other copyright ***************************************************************** 36 Gallup Independent: Miners: We?re still getting the shaft September 19, 2007: By Kathy Helms Staff writer MILAN ? When Congress enacted the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990 and amended it in 2000, it failed to include workers employed after 1971 who were exposed to radiation from activities related to uranium mining. Further expansion of RECA in November 2002 also disregarded Post-71 miners. But as of Aug. 1, the legislation is back on the table, and this time, if a group of radiation victims in Grants and Milan have anything to do with it, the federal government will no longer be able to exclude them with the stroke of a pen. Linda Evers of Milan, a Post-71 uranium miller who formerly worked for Kerr-McGee, has been designated as spokeswoman for the Post-71 Uranium Exposure Committee when the group travels to Washington in November with members of the Navajo Nation to lobby for changes in RECA. ?I worked in the crusher department and at 32 was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease that can only be connected to overexposure to radiation,? Evers said. She was living in Kansas at the time. ?My orthopedic surgeon said there are only three things that cause this kind of destruction on bones. He said, ?age,? which was not a factor, I was 32; ?family history? ? I have a 96-year-old grandmother that barely has arthritis, let alone anything degenerative; or ?overexposure to radiation.? ?I used to work in the crusher, right out of high school at 18, and worked in the field until I was 24, and then went on and did something else because they shut everything down here. I worked for Kerr-McGee. We had showers, but we didn?t have hot water. After you stand in a freezing crusher all night, the last thing you want is a frozen shower ? if there was any water at all,? Evers said. ?Our safety meetings consisted of CPR, burns, cuts, general first-aid. We never had any on radiation exposure.? Evers started out on the labor gang, spending her first 90 days working all over the mill. ?I worked in yellowcake, I worked in the acid plant, I worked in a lot of places on the labor gang, but then when my 90 days there were up, they put me in the crusher. ?My partner that was working in the crusher with me, I guess he was eight or nine years older than me and was just out of the service. Now, he has just a plethora of health problems. The medical bills are chewing him up and spitting him out because we don?t have any compensation, and general insurance and Medicare do not cover this stuff,? she said. In 2004, professors at Utah State University published a report in the Journal of Health & Social Policy entitled ?Unfinished Business: Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) for Post-1971 U.S. Uranium Underground Miners.? The report examined the regulatory history and scientific evidence used for the passage of RECA and presented evidence supporting the inclusion of Post-71 miners. In October 2005 at a presentation on the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act in Grants, former Kerr-McGee mine workers Antonio Sena and Margarito Martinez presented a copy of the report to representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Justice. ?These are real finds by the people that were handling the RECA program back in Washington. They were supposed to release this to the public, and apparently it was not done. It was blocked by the federal government,? Sena said. The report questioned why company exposure records were significantly lower than federal records. It also stated that the RECA legislation date of eligibility was based entirely on the federal government?s uranium procurement program, rather than on scientific evidence of the relationship between exposures and health outcomes. Gary E. Madsen, PhD, and Susan E. Dawson, PhD, authors of the report, argued that the federal government should include Post-71 miners in RECA since it did not develop ore stringent standards as suggested by its own health and safety agencies. ?To exclude the post-1971 workers based on the procurement date is untenable,? they said. Sena said the Mine Enforcement and Safety Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, and various other groups did a lot of research in the mines and mills. ?They turned the report in to the federal government but it was never printed,? he said. Evers said she has been fighting to get compensation for a Post-71 miner who was diagnosed with sinus cancer. ?He has had most of his face removed. They won?t compensate him because the government, in its infinite wisdom, has determined that the sinuses are not part of the respiratory system. But every medical doctor in the country says, ?Are you nuts?? ?It?s stupid! And the more we learn, the more stupid it gets. How can you not acknowledge that sinus cancer is a respiratory problem? My heart just goes out to him.? Even if the victim and his family received the $100,000 RECA compensation allocated for uranium workers, right now, Evers said, ?they still wouldn?t see any of it because they owe it all to the medical bills. They?re old folks. They pay their bills before they treat themselves right.? The companies could have solved the problem, Evers said, ?by issuing radon-qualified respirators to all of us. I know that they?re kind of expensive and you have to change the filters every day. But that still seems like it would have been cheaper, to me, than paying $125,000 to $200,000 per person. Wednesday September 19, 2007 Selected Stories: Please send the Gallup Independent feedback on this website and the Send questions or comments to gallpind@cia-g.com ***************************************************************** 37 Times Union: $190M turns toxic site into field Albany NY A car passes the former National Lead Industries plant on Central Ave in Colonie, now free of contaminants. (Philip Kamrass / Times Union) Army Corps of Engineers says removal of tainted soil from NL Industries plant is complete By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Thursday, September 20, 2007 COLONIE -- After more than two decades and $190 million, the federal government says its cleanup of soil tainted with uranium and lead at the former NL Industries munitions plant on Central Avenue is complete. This month, the last trainload of contaminated dirt was hauled out, ending major work in the colossal cleanup that began in 1984, when state regulators shuttered the facility for spewing radioactive metal dust. "It's big," said James Moore, who oversaw the project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "This is the point where everyone wants to be. We're crossing the finish on a really big milestone." The end comes as scientists continue to probe what, if any, measurable effects the pollution had on nearby neighborhoods. A number of current and former residents and people who worked at the plant blame the contamination for illnesses that afflicted them and their families. Researchers continue to view NL's remains as a unique opportunity to study the environmental and health effects of long-term exposure to depleted uranium. No government study has conclusively linked the pollution to illness. With the last of 149,000 cubic yards of soil and debris disposed of, work on the 11.2-acre site just west of the Albany city line has turned toward the removal of equipment and the laying of topsoil and seed, Moore said. "The next two years, it's going to look like a grassy field," Moore said. "No mounds, no tarps." The Army Corps is monitoring groundwater on the site for contamination. In the coming months, it will present its findings to state environmental regulators and, possibly this winter, to the public, Moore said. With the soil -- the most likely source of water pollution -- gone, it is possible that contamination levels in the groundwater may be so low that the government need not address it, Moore said. "All the data that we have to date is very promising," he said. Once the Army Corps has closed the book on the cleanup, the Department of Energy, which now owns the property, must hold it for two years. The Army Corps took control of the operation in 1997 under a program designed to clean the radioactive mess left by the United States' development of nuclear weapons. The program is known as FUSRAP, or the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. Work in Colonie was periodically delayed, a source of frustration in the community, and even halted briefly this year after the discovery that contamination ran deeper than thought and cleanup costs outstripped funds budgeted. "It's great really to see the soil cleanup completed," said Tom Ellis, a member of the activist group Community Concerned About NL Industries who has followed the issue for 25 years. Ellis insisted the group is "not folding up our tent." "There are still many people who live in the neighborhood, who used to live in the neighborhood or who used to work at NL who are still concerned about their health," he said, adding that his group has consulted a New York City law firm about the possibility of a lawsuit against the Houston-based company, formerly called National Lead Co., and continues to pursue health testing that the community members believe could link health problems to the pollution. Colonie Supervisor Mary Brizzell was briefed Wednesday by the Army Corps. While the property's future remains unclear, she acknowledged that it may carry a stigma that could make some suggested uses -- such as ballfields -- problematic. In two years, federal agencies will be given the first opportunity to make use of the land. Should they pass on it, state government will get a chance, followed by local governments. Some have suggested building a ramp to connect Central Avenue to Route 85, but Brizzell, a Republican, said the property seems best suited for commercial development. Despite people's lingering concerns, she said "I think they should have a comfort level with what the Department of Energy has done." This summer, a Ph.D. student from England disclosed that his research had detected small amounts of depleted uranium oxide contamination -- the byproduct of the production of armor-piercing bullets and counterweights produced at the plant -- still remained in soil and dust nearby -- though the levels were within safety guidelines. Uranium oxide can be inhaled deep into the lungs, which is why some researchers believe the surrounding neighborhoods can be a laboratory to answer questions about the health effects of exposure to depleted uranium weapons the U.S. military is now using in Iraq. Assemblyman Robert Reilly, a Colonie Democrat, said he remains cautious of the motives behind some of the research and is willing to lend what assistance he can to the redevelopment of the property. "I think there has been a very sizable body of data collected and analyzed, and I think the experts pretty much declared the site (safe)," Reilly said. "If the experts have declared it (safe), that's adequate for me." -Evangelist can be reached at 454-5445 or by e-mail at jcarleo-evangelist@ timesunion.com. ***************************************************************** 38 WSTM.com: Plan set for West Valley nuclear waste cleanup Associated Press - September 20, 2007 3:15 AM ET WEST VALLEY, N.Y. (AP) - 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 long-term issues. The last of about 20,000 drums of low-level radioactive waste are 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. 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. 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 can be demolished. The canisters would be stored inside another structure on site until the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada opens. West Valley is 35 miles south of Buffalo. All content © Copyright 2000 - 2007 WorldNow and WSTM LLC, a Barrington Broadcasting Group LLC. ***************************************************************** 39 Rocky Mountain News: Study: Nuke site drilling 95% safe Rulison residents still fear presence of radioactive gas By Gargi Chakrabarty, Rocky Mountain News September 20, 2007 A federal study released Wednesday says drilling for natural gas in an area in Garfield County where an underground nuclear test took place in 1969 is relatively safe. The much-awaited Department of Energy study based on computer-simulated models suggests that a gas well drilled within 900 feet of the blast site has a 95 percent probability of not encountering radioactive gas. But homeowners who live near the site aren't convinced. "We need a 100 percent assurance that a well would not encounter radioactive gas - 95 percent is not good enough," said Rulison resident Wesley Kent. "More experts need to weigh in on the study and review it." Kent lives within a half-mile radius of the nuclear blast site at Project Rulison, eight miles southwest of Rifle. The nonmilitary nuclear explosion nearly 40 years ago by the government was intended to break shale and release natural gas trapped in the rock. A well at Rulison produced gas, but it was determined to be too radioactive. Oil and gas companies don't drill within the half-mile radius of the blast site, a buffer made official by regulators after local residents protested drilling because of safety concerns. State regulators will review the study, said Brian Macke, director of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. "Any information that the commissioners and staff can gather regarding Project Rulison is very helpful in our decision-making process that includes this DOE model," Macke said. The commission will hold an informational hearing in Grand Junction on Oct. 2 to discuss the history of the Rulison Project site and monitoring that is in place. Drilling near Project Rulison grabbed headlines this year when Woodlands, Texas-based Presco Inc. sold its properties in the area, leaving a string of environmental violations. Presco began drilling outside the buffer in 2005. Earlier this year, Presco Vice President Kim Bennetts said the company would request a commission hearing to drill within the half-mile radius. Then in May, Presco sold its properties and wells to Noble Energy, even as the commission issued eight notices "of alleged violations" against the company. Noble is paying to correct those violations. chakrabartyg@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2976 © 2007 The E.W. Scripps Co. ***************************************************************** 40 Comment is free: The nuclear culprits guardian.co.uk/commentisfree > John Gittings By continuing to thumb its nose at the comprehensive test-ban treaty, the Bush administration is letting other countries off the hook. John Gittings September 20, 2007 7:30 PM | Printable version Can there possibly be a current global issue on which the United States and North Korea, plus Iran and China and just six other countries, line up against the rest of the world? Even professionals in international affairs might rack their brains, but the answer can be found this week at an under-reported conference in Vienna. More than 100 countries are attending the meeting of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) organisation, the fifth held since it was signed in 1996. They are trying to persuade 10 countries whose refusal to sign and/or to ratify the treaty means that it cannot take effect. These are China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the US. The Bush administration is in company with one fellow permanent security council member, four other nuclear powers, two alleged "rogue states", and two or three odd allies, all thumbing their noses at the 140 countries which have already ratified the treaty. The US and North Korea plus India did not even bother to send a delegation to Vienna. Signing and ratifying the treaty should hardly be controversial: an international agreement to ban all tests will impose an additional constraint on any country tempted to go down the nuclear path. It would create a sense of optimism which is badly needed for the future of other disarmament negotiations. A verification system for spotting tests is already in place and when fully implemented it will be able to detect explosions down to 500-ton yield with 90% accuracy, and those with much lower yields at all known test sites. (Though not yet fully operational, it picked up North Korea's low-yield test last year.) Signatory states will also be obliged to allow on-site inspections. President Clinton called the treaty the "longest-sought, hardest-fought prize in the history of arms control", but that was before the Republican-led senate snubbed him by refusing to ratify it. Even Henry Kissinger joined a call this year for a bipartisan effort to achieve US ratification. What is now needed is far more intense public scrutiny and media focus: the current meeting in Vienna has been reported mostly, if at all, by using agency wires. We need to name and shame, in particular, the US and China who as permanent security council members and also as nuclear-power members of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have especially high visibility and authority in this field. "Whenever the Bush administration speaks or votes against the CTBT," says Rebecca Johnson (head of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy), "it lets North Korea, China, India and the others off the hook." Chinese diplomats claim that they support the treaty but that the National People's Congress is still deliberating over it. If Beijing really is the mature, responsible world power which it now claims to be, it should stop making this feeble excuse. The National People's Congress will ratify the treaty the moment that it is told to do so. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007. Registered in England and Wales. No. 908396 Registered office: Number 1 Scott Place, Manchester M3 3GG ***************************************************************** 41 Guardian Unlimited: Ret. General Leads Nuclear Missile Probe From the Associated Press Thursday September 20, 2007 10:31 PM By ROBERT BURNS AP Military Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Three weeks after the Air Force began investigating the mistaken arming of a B-52 bomber with nuclear weapons, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked for an outside inquiry led by a retired general who once commanded the strategic bomber fleet, an official said Thursday. In the embarrassing incident, a B-52 mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles flew from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., on Aug. 30. The missiles were mounted onto pylons under the bomber's wings, but the Air Force said there was never any danger to the public. The mistake, revealed publicly by the Military Times newspapers, was so serious that President Bush and Gates were quickly informed and Gates has received regular updates from the Air Force on progress in its investigation. Gates's press secretary, Geoff Morrell, told reporters that the defense chief asked Larry Welch, a former Air Force chief of staff, to lead an inquiry into the implications of the incident. That is in addition to the existing Air Force probe headed by Maj. Gen. Douglas Raaberg, director of air and space operations at Air Combat Command, which is responsible for all Air Force bombers and fighters. Morrell said Welch will lead a Defense Science Board task force to determine whether the B-52 incident has wider implications for the military. ``Does this incident reflect a larger problem with regard to the security and transfer of munitions?'' is the question that Welch's group will attempt to answer, Morrell said. The Defense Science Board is a standing committee of outside experts, including retired military officers and former government officials, that advises the secretary of defense on a wide range of national security issues. Asked why Gates felt it necessary to launch another inquiry into the matter, Morrell said it did not reflect any dissatisfaction with the way the Air Force is conducting its investigation. ``But I think he believes that in an incident of this nature, it's important to get to the bottom of it,'' Morrell said. ``And he believes an outside set of eyes may be additionally helpful to, sort of, get a better sense of what went wrong and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.'' An Air Force spokesman, Lt. Col. Edward Thomas, said his service's probe should be done within several weeks. ``Our response has been swift and focused,'' Thomas said. The weapon involved in the Aug. 30 incident was the Advanced Cruise Missile, a ``stealth'' weapon developed in the 1980s with the ability to evade detection by Soviet radars. The Air Force said in March that it had decided to retire the Advanced Cruise Missile fleet in the near future. Welch is president and chief executive officer of the Institute for Defense Analysis, which administers three federally funded research centers that do analytical work for the Defense Department. Welch retired from the Air Force in 1990 after serving as its chief of staff. He previously was commander of Strategic Air Command, which operated the bomber fleet and was dissolved when an Air Force reorganization created Air Combat Command to operate all of its combat aircraft. ^--- On the Net: Defense Science Board at http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/ B-52 bomber at http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=83 Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 ***************************************************************** 42 Seattle Times: Proposed reservoir could taint Columbia River seattletimes.com Thursday, September 20, 2007 - Page updated at 02:07 AM By SHANNON DININNY The Associated Press YAKIMA — 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 this week 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 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 1 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 continue to gradually decline. 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. Seepage flow 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 the 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 [above the permanent groundwater level] and in the groundwater beneath the Hanford site," spokeswoman Colleen French said in a statement. Already, groundwater from 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 reviewed only 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. Impact statement 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 serve only 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. Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company ***************************************************************** 43 Tri-City Herald: Full construction resumes at Hanford vit plant (w/video) Hanford vit plant construction resumes Published Thursday, September 20th, 2007 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 today. The pour marks the resumption of full construction after concerns about earthquake design standards halted construction on two key buildings 20 months ago. It puts the Waste Treatment, or vitrification, plant back on a revised schedule to begin turning millions of gallons of radioactive waste into a stable glass form in 2019 for disposal. Today will mark the first major structural construction completed on the High Level Waste Facility since late 2005. Major structural construction on the Pretreatment Facility, the second building affected by earthquake design questions, is expected to begin in January. Together, the two buildings have a footprint the size of six football fields. "Resuming construction on a facility of this magnitude and complexity is no a simple task," Shirley Olinger, acting manager for DOE's Hanford Office of River Protection, said Wednesday as she watched workers prepare for the concrete pour. Contractor Bechtel National has been preparing since spring to be ready to restart construction on the two buildings. It got a green light a month ago when Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman confirmed that earthquake design standards were adequate. Workers have been rehired to increase the construction staff from 250 to more than 600. With support staff and field engineers, Bechtel has about 1,300 people working at the construction site and a total of 2,500 employees assigned to the project. Those numbers will continue to increase as Bechtel builds up to a projected 3,500 employees at the peak of construction employment in 2009 to 2010. That includes about 1,100 construction workers. "We've got a very good plan to allow us to ramp up," said Larry Simmons, Bechtel National deputy project manager for the vitrification plant. "Our job is to keep a nice steady flow for manual and nonmanual workers." On Wednesday, construction workers were checking forms and tying off rebar to prepare for the concrete pour. They have to "make sure every single commodity that is going to be embedded in the concrete is in the correct location and anchored so it doesn't move," Simmons said. Today's pour required months of training workers, arranging electrical power, pulling and staging construction materials, allocating tools and planning traffic before full construction could resume. "We're not running a Ferrari here," said John Eschenberg, DOE program manager. "It's slow. It's deliberate. We have to be very methodical and not miss anything." Among changes at the project is a three-day orientation for construction workers, which replaces a one-day session, to discuss safety standards and other expectations before workers set foot on the work site. The High Level Waste Facility also has undergone a readiness assessment to check for safety, quality, training and materials before construction resumed. "It's like deja vu all over again," Simmons said Wednesday. In summer 2002, the vitrification plant's first structural concrete was poured at the High Level Waste Facility, and today structural construction will restart with a concrete pour of 350 cubic yards. Once the six-story building is complete, it will have 88,000 cubic yards of rebar-reinforced concrete walls and floors. By the end of 2008, the vitrification plant should be about 50 percent complete, Simmons said. Although construction halted on key parts of the plant for about 20 months, building has continued on facilities that will not handle large quantities of high-level radioactive waste, including the Low Level Waste Facility and the Analytical Laboratory. Workers have been walking around the site grinning like Cheshire cats at the prospect of getting back to the work they signed on for at key buildings, Simmons said. "These are high-performing people who came to work on a world-class project," he said. -- On the Net: www.waste2glass.com © 2007 Tri-City Herald, Associated Press & Other Wire Services ***************************************************************** 44 Knoxville News Sentinel: Two companies protest contract DOE maintenance on equipment, roads held up By Frank Munger (Contact) Thursday, September 20, 2007 ES&H Inc., a Knoxville-based company, earlier this month won a contract to provide roadwork and maintenance services for the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge. The federal contract, which has a two-year base with three one-year options, has a potential value of $10.9 million. However, implementation of the contract has been delayed because two other bidders filed protests over the award. John Shewairy, DOE’s public affairs chief in Oak Ridge, said he was limited in what he could say about the small-business competition because of the protest situation. According to the Government Accountability Office’s Web site, protests were filed by GEM Technologies Inc. of Knoxville and Engineering Construction Services Inc. of Oliver Springs. The contract involves maintenance of heavy equipment and work on roads and grounds on DOE’s 33,000-acre reservation in Oak Ridge. Shewairy said the work currently is being done by East Tennessee Mechanical Contractors. He said he couldn’t discuss the contract transition until the protests are resolved. Officials at ES&H Inc., which has its headquarters on Dutchtown Road, were unavailable for comment Wednesday. Warren Thomas, manager of projects for GEM Technologies, said the company filed a protest because not enough information was available during its debriefing with the Department of Energy. “We invest a lot of time and effort and money in responding to these (contract) proposals. We were pretty disappointed we didn’t win. Obviously, we felt we had the best proposal,” Thomas said. Although the contract is relatively small by federal standards, it would be a big deal for GEM Technologies, he said. The company has annual revenues of $10 million to $12 million, he said. Thomas said company officials want more specifics on how the contract winner was determined. Asked if there was concern that filing a protest might brand the company or affect future procurement opportunities, he said, “Certainly, we thought about that.” No one was available for comment at Engineering Construction Services. Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 45 Knoxville News Sentinel: Nuclear material from S. Korea brought to Y-12 By Frank Munger (Contact) Thursday, September 20, 2007 OAK RIDGE — About 4 pounds of highly enriched uranium — of potential use in a nuclear weapon — arrived here Wednesday after it was removed from a reactor complex in South Korea and airlifted to the United States. The material will be safeguarded at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, which houses the U.S. stockpile of highly enriched uranium, and later will be “down-blended” to remove its weapons potential. According to a press statement issued by the National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington, the highly enriched uranium was contained in 11 fresh fuel assemblies for research reactors at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute in Daejon, South Korea. The uranium was repackaged and shipped to the United States as part of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative — a program that’s 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 materials 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 in Oak Ridge, said Y-12 personnel “played an important role in the mission, both in planning prior to the movement as well as repackaging that was necessary before this material could be shipped.” Four Y-12 employees traveled to South Korea during the project, which took six months to plan and a week to execute, Wyatt said. He confirmed that the nuclear material arrived at Y-12 Wednesday but would not discuss the travel arrangements, except to say that it involved “air and ground transport.” Although 4 pounds is a relatively small quantity, Wyatt said, “Every little bit counts when you’re talking about highly enriched uranium and the potential threat of it falling into terrorist hands.” Senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 865-342-6329. © 2007, Knoxville News Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 46 lamonitor.com: The great dust-up The Online News Source for Los Alamos Group pursues more investigation of accumulated particles ROGER SNODGRASS Monitor Assistant Editor PICURIS PUEBLO, N.M. - The New Mexico Environment Department is organizing a follow-up project on a watchdog report last July that found radioactive dust particles outside Los Alamos National Laboratory. Bill Bartels of the state bureau that provides oversight of the Department of Energy said he had consulted with LANL officials to begin developing "data quality objectives" for distinguishing between natural occurring radon levels and reported lab-related radioactive particles in dust samples from homes, businesses and environmental sources adjacent to the laboratory and in the surrounding communities. Bartels discussed the early steps of the project at a meeting of the Community Radiation Monitoring Group Wednesday held in the "Big Room" of the Picuris Tribal government building. Some two-dozen people, including a number of representatives from tribal environmental departments and groups, were present. The main purpose of the meeting was to hear from Marco Kaltofen of Boston Chemical Data, the author of the study conducted late last year and released July 10. He was joined in the teleconference by Tom Carpenter, nuclear oversight director for the Government Accountability Project and publisher of the report. The unresolved status of the report continues to raise concerns outside the perimeter of the laboratory and a number of strong feelings and alarms were expressed at the meeting. Kaltofen reviewed the study and reiterated some of its key findings. He highlighted his analysis that of approximately 80 samples several indoor dust samples had higher radiation levels than surrounding soils. Six or seven of the highest radiation levels were found in dusts, and "significant" plutonium 239/240 detections were found, he said, adding, "just background doesn't account for the findings." Responding at the time, DOE and laboratory officials said the claims in the report did not match the data. They attributed the radioactivity to fallout from atmospheric testing and naturally occurring background. In a two-page reply, the laboratory welcomed input on ways for improving its "extensive monitoring regimen," that currently includes radiation sampling from soil, groundwater and vegetation. While not disputing the data, the lab's response expressed "concerns that the conclusions drawn or implied are erroneous." When Kaltofen was asked about his results in July, he said he was disappointed by the laboratory. "I would have expected some new testing and new data from them prior to releasing conclusions," he said in an e-mail to the Monitor. "The point of the study is that these particulate vectors remain unexplored by LANL." Among other comments, Kaltofen acknowledged that NMED had said a larger number of samples was needed, a point with which he agreed. He and Carpenter both emphasized the budgetary limitations under which they worked on the original screening project and the uncertainty of future funding. During the meeting Wednesday, Kaltofen said he would share his samples with the laboratory and agreed to consult on the follow-up work. He outlined needs for a follow-up report, if another visit were possible, but encouraged LANL and NMED to conduct routine indoor dust sampling as part of their routine responsibilities. Bartels said his proposed dust study would depend on what question needed to be answered. Sheri Kotowski of the Embudo Valley Environmental Monitoring Group said, "What I'm seeing already happening is the citizen's excluded from the conversation." Bartels said, "You have to let us think and do some work and then we'll come to the public." The Community Radiation Monitoring Group meets monthly for the purpose of understanding and communicating public health issues related to radiation from airborne materials that result from activities at LANL. © 2003 Los Alamos Monitor All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 47 LocalNews8.com: INL's Hot Shop to be demolished this week Idaho Falls, Pocatello - Associated Press - September 20, 2007 12:14 PM ET IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) - Demolition teams will blasting the "Hot Shop" at the Idaho National Laboratory over the next few days as part of an ongoing cleanup project. the building is the last major facility at INL's Test Area North to be demolished as part of the Department of Energy's cleanup effort. The crews will be detonating a series of explosions at the shop over the next few days. The building was built in 1954 to support research related to the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion project. It was originally designed to handle remote work on radioactive engine components. But it was used for several other research projects on nuclear safety and accidents as well. All content © Copyright 2000 - 2007 WorldNow and KIFI. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************