***************************************************************** 10/05/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.235 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 29th Annual Nuclear Safety Research Conference To Be Held October 2 Ireland to challenge legality of Sellafield reprocessing plant 3 Fuel could make atomic bomb, warns expert 4 Terror fear over new plant at Sellafield 5 Opposition sceptical of Ahern's pledge to act on Sellafield plant 6 NRC to Send Special Inspection to Millstone 1 to Evaluate 7 Foes say terrorism makes Yucca dump plan riskier 8 Pa. Power Plant Workers OK Strike 9 Protest staged at federal hearing on Nevada nuclear dump 10 Nevada kicks DOE out of nuke dump hearing site 11 Reservoir shut down; water tested 12 Committed to Telling the Toxic Truth 13 Activists criticize truck transport of nuclear waste 14 World's spent fuel to be buried in Krasnoyarsk region 15 Berkley bill would study Yucca Mountain security 16 Protesters disrupt hearing on Yucca Mountain repository 17 UK Approves MOX Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing Plant 18 Berkley: Possible threats at Yucca a top priority 19 US House panel backs renewal of nuclear plant law 20 Protesters converge on Yucca hearing 21 Daily Events Report 22 Seanad told of Sellafield 'treachery' 23 Local pols: Nukes drastic but doable 24 Survivability of nuclear plants to be re-examined 25 Shaheen: Consider ban on planes near reactor 26 Sellafield poses a much greater risk than terrorism 27 Sellafield approval sparks outrage 28 Go-ahead for new Sellafield plant criticized 29 Ireland promises legal battle over Sellafield plan 30 Irish PM expected to contest BNFL recycling plan NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 ORNL to trim 93 more jobs 2 Reid eyes greater role for test site 3 Blair, Musharraf to discuss Kashmir, nuclear issues today 4 Reid pushes training program at Test Site 5 Pakistan Confident Its Nuclear Facilities Secure 6 ORNL cuts 93 people 7 Mock terrorists breached security at weapons plants 8 Scientist Awarded $250,000 From U.S. Nuclear Lab 9 Stamp honors Fermi 10 Blair, Musharraf to discuss Kashmir, nuclear issues today ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 29th Annual Nuclear Safety Research Conference To Be Held October 22 - 24 in Washington, D.C. Press Release - 2001 - 119 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA No. 01-119 October 4, 2001 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold its 29th Nuclear Safety Research Conference on October 22-24 at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C. The conference, formerly known as the "Water Reactor Safety Information Meeting," will feature presentations and discussions on a number of technical and communications topics. The name change more accurately reflects the wide range of issues that will be covered. The conference, which is open to the public, will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, from 8:15 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Marriott Metro Center is located at 775 Twelfth Street, N.W. , Washington, D.C., adjacent to the Metro Center subway station. NRC Chairman Richard A. Meserve will deliver the keynote address Monday morning. Commissioner Greta Dicus will be a plenary speaker , while Commissioners Edward McGaffigan, Jr. and Jeffrey Merrifield will moderate sessions on waste and decommissioning and advanced reactors, respectively. Commissioner Nils Diaz also will provide brief remarks. In addition to an overview of international and U.S. research programs, this year's agenda will include technical sessions on research in advanced reactors, storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry casks, nuclear fuel behavior, nuclear waste and reactor decommissioning issues. The conference also will explore nuclear power plant age-related issues and risk-informed regulation and will include a panel on how the agency can more effectively communicate with members of the public. A complete agenda is attached. Those who wish to attend the conference are encouraged to register in advance at www.bnl.gov/NSRC, or by contacting Sandra Nesmith at www.srn@nrc.gov Nuclear Safety Research Conference (NSRC) (formerly known as the Water Reactor Safety Meeting (WRSM) October 22-24, 2001 Marriott at Metro Center (775 12th St. NW, Washington DC) Monday, October 22, 2001 8:00-8:15am Opening Remarks - Ashok Thadani, Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research 8:15-9:00am Keynote Speaker - Richard Meserve, Chairman, NRC 9:00-9:30am Recent Accomplishments - Roy Zimmerman, Deputy Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research 9:45-11:30am Overview of International/U.S. Research Programs - Panel Discussion Moderator: A. Thadani) Objective: The panel will provide an overview of other safety research programs in the U.S. and overseas. Panel Members Include: M. Livolant (IPSN), W. Magwood (DOE), T. Marston (EPRI), and K. Soda (JAERI) 11:30-12:15pm Plenary - Commissioner Greta J. Dicus 12:15-1:45pm LUNCH 1:45-5:00pm Advanced Reactors Session Chair: T. King, NRC Co-Chair: S. Floyd, NEI Objective: To communicate specific research activities related to preparing the Agency to review an advanced design. Presentations 1. NRC Pre-application Activities on HTGR, J. Flack (NRC) 2. NRC Preparation for Future Reactor Licensing, J. Lyons (NRC) 3. A New Risk-Informed Design and Regulatory Process, M. Golay (MIT) 4. The Need for a New Regulatory Framework, S. Floyd (NEI) 5. HTGR Research Programs and Needs, T. King (NRC) 6. Industry View on R&D Needs for New Plants, E. Rodwell (EPRI) 7. Pre-application Activities for IRIS and Related Research Needs, M. Carelli, S, Ritterbusch (Westinghouse) Dry Cask Research Session Chair: M. Cunningham, NRC Co-Chair: J. Guttman, NRC Objective: To communicate recent accomplishments and future plans in the Office of Research's work to assess key safety and risk issues relating to the licensing of dry cask fuel storage devices. Presentations 1. The Package Performance Study - A Study of Spent Fuel Transportation, A. Murphy, R. Lewis (NRC), J. Sprung, K. Sorenson (SNL) 2. A Risk Analysis of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Dry Casks, C. Ryder, E. Rodrick, J. Guttman (NRC) 3. Seismic Behavior of Spent Fuel Storage Cask Systems, S. Khalid Shauket (NRC) 4. An Analysis of a Spent Fuel Transportation Cask Under Rail Tunnel Fire Conditions , C. Bajwa (NRC) Tuesday, October 23, 2001 8:15-10:30am Waste and Decommissioning - Panel Discussion Moderator: Commissioner Edward McGaffigan, Jr., Commissioner, NRC) Objective: The panel will discuss current research initiatives in addressing issues in human and environmental health risk assessment. Panel Members Include: A. Wallo (DOE), M. Boyd (EPA), T. Cardwell (CRCPD), C. Paperiello (NRC), and L. Baekelandt (Federal Agency for Nuclear Control in Belgium) 10:45-12:45pm Advanced Reactors - Panel Discussion Moderator: Jeffrey S. Merrifield, Commissioner, NRC Objective: The panel will give an overview of ongoing programs and discuss the following: safety attributes of advanced designs, key issues with respect to licensing, key issues with respect to development, research needs/priorities, and the outlook for the future. Panel Members Include: R. Simard (NEI), T. Marston (EPRI), W. Magwood (DOE), V. Asmolov (KI), E. Lyman (NCI), P. Lyons (U.S. Senate Staff (Senator Pete Domenici)) 12:45-2:15pm LUNCH 2:15-6:00pm Fuel Research Session Chair: R. Meyer, NRC Co-Chair: R. Yang, EPRI Objective: To communicate recent accomplishments in NRC's fuel research program and related programs that are used by NRC through cooperative agreements. Presentations 1. Study of High Burnup Fuel Behavior Under LOCA Conditions at JAERI - Hydrogen Effects on the Failure-bearing Capability of Cladding Tubes, F. Nagase, H. Uetsuka (JAERI) 2. Overview of Test Results on Mechanical Properties of Unirradiated and Irradiated Zr-1%Nb E110 Alloy Cladding, L. Yegorova, E. Kaplar, K. Lioutov (RRC), V. Smirnov, A. Goryachev (Russian State Research Center) 3. High Temperature Oxidation of Irradiated Limerick BWR Cladding, Y. Yan, R. Strain, M. Billone (ANL) 4. Status of the CABRI International Programme and Preparation for the CIP0 Test Series, J. Papin, C. Marguie, F. Lemoine, M. Faury, J. C. Melis (IPSN) 5. FRAPTRAN Fuel Rod Code and its Coupled Transient Analysis with the GENFLO Thermal Hydraulic Code, K. Valtonen (STUK), A. Hamalainen (VTT), M. Cunningham (PNNL) Age Related Issues and Research Session Chair: N. Chokshi, NRC Co-Chair: W. Bateman, NRC Objective: To provide information on NRC's current research activities related to aging and age related degradations, and how these activities relate to some of the current operating experiences and other emerging issues. In part, this session will also provide information on aging management activities in other industries. Presentations 1. Stress Corrosion Cracking and non-Destructive Examination of Dissimilar Metal Welds and Alloy 600, D. Jackson 2. Regulatory Activities Related to Circumferential Cracking of Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles, A. Hiser (NRC) 3. Aging Evaluation of Cables in Japan, A.Yamaguchi (Japan Power Engineering Corporation) 4. FAA Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Managing Aging in Airplane Systems, M. Sadeghi (FAA) 5. Methods to Integrate Aging Effects into Probabilistic Risk Assessments, A. Buslik (NRC) 6. Age-Related Degradation of Structures and Passive Components at Nuclear Power Plants, J. Braverman (BNL), B. Ellingwood (Georgia Inst. of Tech.), D. Naus (ORNL), T.Y, Chang (NRC) Wednesday, October 24, 2001 8:00-10:30am Communicating the RES Role and Program - Panel Discussion Moderator: Patricia Norry, Deputy Executive Director for Management Services, NRC Objective: The panel will explore and seek innovative ways to communicate the role and the scope and content of the RES program, with particular emphasis on objectives, products, and regulatory applications. Panel Members Include: D. Cates (Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives), M. Conley (Inside N.R.C.), A. Howard (NEI), A. Kadak (MIT), D. Lochbaum (Union of Concerned Scientists),T. Okkonen (STUK), and Margaret Federline (NRC) 10:45am-12noon Fuel Research Session (Cont'd) Presentations 6. Pulse Width Variations in a Rod Ejection Accident, D. Diamond (BNL) 7. The Industry-Proposed New RIA Criteria for Burnup Extension, N. Waeckel (Electricite de France), R.Montgomery (Anatech Corporation), R. Yang (EPRI) Poster Paper: Needs for Experimental Programmes on LOCA Issues Using High Burnup and MOX Fuels, A. Mailliat, M. Schwarz (IPSN) Risk Informing Regulatory Practices Session Chair: M. Cunningham, NRC Co-Chair: C. Carpenter, NRC Objective: To communicate recent accomplishments and future plans in the Office's work to risk-inform agency regulatory practices, showing the breadth and value of such activities as well as describe key technical issues. Presentations 1. An Overview of NRC Research Activities in PRA, S. Newberry, P. Baranowsky, M. Cunningham (NRC) 2. Pressurized Thermal Shock Risk Assessment, D. Whitehead, V. Dandini (SNL), A. Kolaczkowski (Science Applications International Corp.), E. Thornsbury, H. Woods (NRC) 12noon-1:15pm LUNCH 1:15-3:45pm Fuel Issues - Panel Discussion Chair: R. Meyer Objective: What issues should be addressed in an NRC safety research program, and is the current spectrum of research projects adequate? Panel Members Include: T. King (NRC), R. Yang (EPRI), R. Reynolds (Framatome), G. Holahan (NRC), W. Shack (ACRS) Risk Informing Regulatory Practices Session (Continued) 3. Circuit Analysis in Fire Risk Assessment , S. Nowlen, F. Wyant (SNL), N. Siu, H. Woods (NRC) 4. Risk-Based Performance Indicators and the Inspection Process, P. Baranowsky (NRC) 5. EPRI Strategic Action Plan for Risk Technology, J. Gaertner, J. Haugh (EPRI) 4:00pm Closing Remarks/Audience Feedback - Ashok Thadani, Director, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research ***************************************************************** 2 Ireland to challenge legality of Sellafield reprocessing plant © 2001 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd By Charles Arthur Technology Editor 05 October 2001 The Irish government will challenge the legality of the opening of British Nuclear Fuels' "mixed oxide" (Mox) reprocessing plant in Sellafield, citing safety concerns, it warned yesterday. The Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, said he would contact Tony Blair and fight "on every front" to stop the site from starting to reprocess plutonium and enriched uranium nuclear fuel from power plants. Mr Ahern said the main concern is fear that terrorists could attack nuclear cargoes, which will travel along the Irish Sea, and then potentially contaminate the shoreline and fishing grounds, which thousands rely on for their livelihoods. There are also concerns that unacceptable amounts of radioactive waste will be discharged into the sea. Ireland has complained repeatedly about marine pollution by British Nuclear Fuel (BNFL). Joe Jacob, the Irish minister of state responsible for nuclear safety matters, has previously complained that the British Government withheld data about the plant, citing commercial confidentiality, which could have helped the Irish government argue its legality. Irish government ministers are angry that Britain has ignored its opposition to the plant and its formal request – filed in June – that an international tribunal be set up to consider its complaints. However, government representatives from both sides are expected to meet for the first time today and the tribunal will set up by the end of the month. Mr Ahern attacked the fact that the decision allowing the plant to operate was made before today's meeting. "We had asked, and expected that it would be honoured, that no decision would be taken on the matter while arbitration was in progress," he said. Britain's Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs gave BNFL conditional approval on Wednesday to start using the "mixed oxide" plant. But a spokesman declined to say whether it would shut the plant down if the tribunal decides in the Irish government's favour. The "mixed oxide" plant will take used fuel, consisting of oxides of plutonium and uranium from nuclear reactors, and separate them to produce new fuel which can be exported and "burnt" in the reactors. But that means it will produce plutonium, which is highly poisonous and radioactive. Search this site: ***************************************************************** 3 Fuel could make atomic bomb, warns expert online.ie : News The Irish Examiner 05 Oct 2001 By Niall Murray A SMALL amount of the plutonium used in MOX fuel could provide enough power for a terrorist blast capable of killing thousands of people. According to scientific experts, the chemical knowledge needed to carry out a variety of processes is widely available on the internet or in publications such as scientific journals. BNFL bosses have argued that there is sufficient security at the Sellafield complex to keep out terrorists. However, fears have been expressed about the possibility of fuel being hijacked in transit. Dr Frank Barnaby warned the British government about the implications of the fuel getting into the wrong hands in a report earlier this year. "If terrorists intent on mass destruction obtained MOX fuel they would need no more technical knowledge than that used to make the Lockerbie bomb to build an atomic device," he said. He said just 13 kilos of pure plutonium could create an explosion 50 times bigger than that caused by the 4,800lb Oklahoma City bomb which killed 168 people in 1995. The nuclear expert said if someone could get their hands on the MOX fuel, it would be easy to separate the plutonium and build it into a bomb. "If they get enough for a fission reaction, they will get a very big explosion. If they don't get enough they could mix it with an incendiary and create a toxic fireball which would pollute a very large area." Dr Barnaby worked in a British atomic weapons laboratory in the 1950s, and later headed up the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. ***************************************************************** 4 Terror fear over new plant at Sellafield Irish Independent Online -Sunday Independent , Irish news, News Ireland THE Government last night warned that Britain's decision to go ahead with a second nuclear plant at Sellafield raised the threat of a major accident. The decision provoked outrage and fury on both sides of the Irish Sea amid warnings it increased the threat of a terrorist attack. The Government revealed it had specifically asked the UK administration not to sanction the move pending the outcome of a legal challenge to the MOX (mixed oxide fuel) reprocessing plant. And it pledged to step up the challenge. Concern centres on the belief that any explosion at Sellafield, just 60 miles from the Irish coast, could have devastating contamination consequences for the east coast of Ireland. Ministers in London said British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) is justified in making plutonium mixed oxide fuel at Sellafield on the grounds the plant would earn more than £150m over the course of its lifetime, despite its stg£473m build cost. The plant will make fuel for nuclear reactors out of a mixture of uranium and plutonium, the raw material for nuclear bombs, with the new mixed fuel then transported by ship to other countries. Environmental groups and scientists opposed to the production and shipping of Mox fuel, denounced the move. They claimed it would lead to an unacceptable risk of a terrorist attack as well as environmental pollution. Frank Barnaby, of the Oxford Research Group, a group of scientists who have warned about the terrorist risks of Mox fuel, said it would be relatively easy for terrorists to make crude nuclear devices from stolen Mox fuel by separating out its plutonium content. "The size of the nuclear explosion from such a crude device is impossible to predict. But even if it were only equivalent to the explosion of a few tens of tons of TNT it would completely devastate the centre of a large city," Dr Barnaby said. The manufacture of Mox fuel will mean transporting large quantities of plutonium around the world by ship, which could also become terrorist targets, said opponents of the British Government decision. Dr Tom O'Flaherty, chief executive of nuclear watchdog Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII), said he was disappointed the safety concerns about the plant were ignored. Green Party TD Trevor Sargent said it was "an act of sheer madness" in light of the appalling devastation visited on the citizens of America. The MOX plant has been lying idle for the past four years during which time BNFL was rocked by a scandal involving the falsification of MOX data. There were claims the plant will create another terror target and increase the risks of terrorists seizing the material to make nuclear bombs. Fine Gael's spokeswoman Deirdre Clune said the plant posed a significant new threat and called for the Taoiseach to immediately outline his plans to stop the development. Describing the decision as "inviting terrorists worldwide to go nuclear", Green MEP Nuala Ahern said the decision was "completely insane ... and the most dangerous decision imaginable". Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth said the dangers of the plant are now much greater because of the increased terrorist threat and are also to challenge the decision in the courts within days. Greenpeace said last night it was concerned about the transportation of the nuclear fuel to and from the plant as well as the potential uses to which the finished product might be put such as so-called "dirty bombs". Friends of the Earth said: "It beggars belief that the government can give the go-ahead to a process involving the use and transportation of plutonium that could be used to make weapons." Joe Jacob, Minister of State with responsibility for nuclear safety, said the decision was "extraordinary, incredible and deeply disappointing" and pledged the Government would fight the move in a legal challenge to the EU or UN. He said the decision "defied logic in the current climate of international terrorist threats". Two weeks ago experts at a Vienna conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned that nuclear reprocessing plants at Sellafield in Cumbria and Cap de la Hague in France could be prime terrorist targets. Treacy Hogan and Bernard Purcell © Copyright Unison ***************************************************************** 5 Opposition sceptical of Ahern's pledge to act on Sellafield plant online.ie : News The Irish Examiner 05 Oct 2001 By John Downing, Chief Political Correspondent OPPOSITION deputies last night expressed serious doubt about the Government's latest pledges to take tough action against Britain over the Sellafield MOX plant decision. Mr Ahern told the Dáil he would contact British Prime Minister Tony Blair to protest at the plan to import spent nuclear fuel and reprocess it into new fuel rods and radioactive waste for export. The controversial plant in Cumbria is just 60 miles from the greater Dublin area which has a population of 1.2m. But former energy minister, Emmet Stagg, accused the Government of inaction in tackling the British. He said the Minister responsible, Joe Jacob, had shown an inability to even understand the technicalities and the scale of the threat posed to Ireland and its people. "Before leaving the energy portfolio, I set up a team of international legal and scientific experts to take on BNFL and the British government over Sellafield," he said. "That expert team was abandoned by this Minister and this Government and the diplomatic offensive that was in place was also abandoned." Fine Gael environment spokeswoman, Deirdre Clune, said that up to now the Government had been long on rhetoric and short on action. "The very integrity of Ireland's clean environment, upon which our two main indigenous industries of agriculture and tourism are utterly dependent, is in danger of being seriously undermined by the British government's decision. It's time for Bertie Ahern to stop bluffing and start acting to halt this monstrous development," Ms Clune said. Trevor Sargent of the Green Party said the British decision to develop the MOX plant came at a time when the authorities there were legally and morally bound to decommission operations there. He also expressed doubt that the Government action would produce results. "It's all smoke and mirrors. We do not believe the Government will take effective action now any more than they have in the past," Mr Sargent said. The Taoiseach referred to fears that terrorists could attack nuclear cargoes on their way in or out of the new plant, which was approved by the British Government on Wednesday. "These cargoes will parade up and down the Irish Sea to this plant, be recycled, and then be paraded back down again," he said. In a hard-hitting statement he accused the British government of going back on a commitment to discuss the matter with Ireland before commissioning the £600m plant. "The announcement to go ahead with the commissioning of the MOX plant is difficult to comprehend on a number of grounds," Mr Ahern said. The Taoiseach made much of the terrorist threat throughout his speech as Government officials believe this considerably strengthens his hand in a new legal and political onslaught. "In the light of the tragic events of September 11 we would have expected a new look at safety and exposure to risk," he said. Mr Ahern added the Government would challenge the decision under European Union and United Nations law if necessary. He said he would also seek redress through the Ospar Convention, a group of North Atlantic countries concerned with maritime issues. Officials from both governments met on the issue yesterday. Three years ago, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott signed a treaty pledging that emissions would be reduced steadily. But this week, Greenpeace released leaked documents showing that Sellafield's owner, BNFL, plans to breach those promises. Dr Helen Wallace, spokesperson for Greenpeace UK said that BNFL is planning to increase its discharge of over 40 different radioactive substances. "We're talking about roughly double the quantities that were being discharged in 1998 when the UK made its promise to reduce or eliminate those discharges," she said. ***************************************************************** 6 NRC to Send Special Inspection to Millstone 1 to Evaluate Investigation into Missing Spent Fuel Press Release - Region I - 2001- 060 - UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 No. I-01-060 October 5, 2001 CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is sending a team to Millstone Unit 1 to evaluate the comprehensiveness of Northeast Utilites' investigation into the circumstances surrounding the loss of two fuel rods. The NRC team will arrive at the Millstone plant, in Waterford, Conn., on Tuesday. The four-member team will spend about two-weeks on site and also will evaluate the company's root cause analysis. Northeast Utilities (NU) had been the operator of the three nuclear units at Millstone Station until the plants were sold, and the operating license transferred to, Dominion Nuclear last spring. On December 15, of last year, Northeast Utilities informed the NRC in writing that it could not account for two spent fuel rods which had been stored in the Millstone Unit 1spent fuel pool. Records indicate the rods were last verified to be in the pool in 1980, however there was no documentation of their presence in the pool beyond that time. NU conducted an investigation to determine the whereabouts of the missing rods and provided it to Dominion. This week, a report was sent to the NRC by Dominion indicating that, although the exact location of the rods could not be determined, it's likely they're at one of four sites, including two low-level waste disposal sites and two spent fuel pools, one of which is at Millstone 1. Dominion also made a formal notification to the NRC Operations Center, as required by NRC regulations. Since receiving the notification from NU, the NRC has been closely following the company's efforts to find the missing rods through onsite inspections and routine conference calls. In addition, the agency has also maintained a liaison with the appropriate states. Neither the companies nor the NRC believe the material was stolen. There are significant radiological security controls at nuclear power plants such as Millstone that make theft dangerous, difficult and highly unlikely. The NRC does not believe that a public health and safety problem exists based on the likely locations of the spent fuel rods. Furthermore, the rods would not pose any risk of proliferating nuclear weapons due to their low uranium and plutonium content. The NRC team will issue an inspection report about 30 days of the completion of the inspection. ***************************************************************** 7 Foes say terrorism makes Yucca dump plan riskier By Elaine Goodman Reno Gazette-Journal Friday October 5th, 2001 Opponents of a proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain argued during a hearing in Reno on Thursday that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are even more reason why the repository shouldn’t be built. A single site with 77,000 tons of radioactive waste would make a tempting target for terrorists, they said. “I think Sept. 11 has changed the tone of our argument,” said Marge Sill, one of dozens of speakers at the hearing at the Washoe County complex. “Sending nuclear waste to a single site is completely wrong and the Department of Energy has to understand that.” But another speaker, who testified at a hearing in Carson City on Wednesday, said centralizing the nuclear waste would provide better protection from terrorists. Jim Roberts, a retired University of Nevada, Reno, professor who supports the Yucca Mountain project, said 77,000 tons of nuclear waste is now stored at about 70 sites around the country. These locations, he said, “are poorly protected against terrorism. A central storage of spent fuel rods would provide far fewer terrorist targets, and the central storage could be more easily protected.” Yucca Mountain is at the western edge of the Nevada Test Site, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It is the only site in the nation being studied as a nuclear dump. Thursday’s hearing was one in a series of 29 the DOE is holding throughout the state through Oct. 12. The deadline for public comment is Oct. 19. About 50 protesters on Thursday rallied outside the county building at 5:30 p.m., midway through the five-hour hearing. “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it,” said Bob Fulkerson, one of the organizers. Fulkerson told protesters to put emotion into their comments when they spoke at the hearing, and not worry about being polite. Protesters then filed into the county building, chanting “No dump, no way.” “The science is bad, the location is bad. I don’t think there’s any location that would be good,” said Reno resident Peggy Lear Bowen, when the hearing resumed after a break. Bowen also serves on the state school board. Before the group of protesters arrived, arguments were heard in favor of the nuclear dump. Henry Rhoden, a geologist, said no site is perfect for storing the nuclear waste but Yucca Mountain is an excellent location. “There is no population in that area, and therefore there is no immediate threat,” Rhoden said. Nevada’s congressional delegation, the Legislature, Gov. Kenny Guinn and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa oppose the Yucca Mountain project. U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Reno, who has a master’s degree in geology, submitted a letter that details what he calls flaws in the project. Gibbons said the DOE hasn’t verified how quickly the nuclear waste storage containers would corrode. Gibbons is concerned about transporting the nuclear waste over the nation’s highways. Officials also have criticized the public hearings. The governor said on Tuesday that public comment is being sought “when as of today the state has only been provided with preliminary reports that contain questionable findings regarding the safety and suitability of Yucca Mountain.” Wednesday’s hearing in Carson City was bumped from the Nevada Capitol by another state official who opposes the project. Scott Sisco, acting director of the state Cultural Affairs Department, has authority over the historic and tiny Nevada Supreme Court chambers located in the Capitol. After consulting with the governor’s office, Sisco said he was concerned about crowd control and safety issues. The hearing Wednesday was held instead at a meeting room in Carson City’s Nugget casino. Only a handful of people showed up. With Associated Press reports. © Reno Gazette-Journal ***************************************************************** 8 Pa. Power Plant Workers OK Strike Las Vegas SUN October 04, 2001 SHIPPINGPORT, Pa. (AP) - More than 400 workers at a Beaver County nuclear plant voted overwhelmingly to authorize their union to call a strike Thursday. Of about 460 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29, 411 voted in favor of authorizing a strike and 2 voted against, said spokesman Jeff Davis. All of the members work at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, owned by Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp. Davis said the union won't go on strike immediately. The affirmative vote merely gives union negotiators the option to call a strike if contract negotiations stalled. The worker's contract expired Sunday. FirstEnergy, which bought the plant from Duquesne Light Co. in December 1999, is working on its first contract with the union. The union reached a five-year contract with Duquesne Light in 1994 that was extended by two years before FirstEnergy bought the plant. FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Schneider said the company views the vote as "a procedural step" and plans to continue contract negotiations with the union. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 9 Protest staged at federal hearing on Nevada nuclear dump Las Vegas SUN October 04, 2001 RENO, Nev. (AP) - About 75 demonstrators marched into a meeting room Thursday to protest the latest round of federal hearings on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. Waving placards and chanting "no dump, no way," protesters entered the room during a short break of a U.S. Energy Department hearing on the proposed site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Protest organizer Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada climbed atop a table near the speaker's podium and addressed the crowd. "They (federal officials) haven't listened to us so far, so maybe they'll understand this," he said. "We give no credence to their sham hearings or their sham project. Dump your plan and not your waste." Shortly after protesters erupted in cheers, the hearing resumed and demonstrators and others were allowed to testify. Representatives of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn joined in the criticism against the new round of federal hearings and the Yucca Mountain site itself. They said the hearings shouldn't be held now because the DOE hasn't finalized an environmental impact statement on the dump, and the nation is still grieving from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. They also complained that Nevadans were given inadequate notice of the hearings. On Friday, the DOE announced plans to hold new hearings in all 17 Nevada counties. Most Reno-area residents who testified also spoke out against the dump, contending it poses safety hazards that haven't been addressed by DOE. Paul Harrington, the lone DOE official to preside over the hearing, declined comment on the criticism afterward. At an earlier rally outside the hearing room, Fulkerson urged protestors to "blow the walls off the hearing room" with comments against the dump. "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore," he said. "The time to be polite is over. There's a lot at stake." The DOE has been studying Yucca Mountain for more than 20 years to determine its suitability as a repository for the nation's high-level radioactive waste. With Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham expected to soon make a recommendation on the site to President Bush, Fulkerson said opponents plan to step up protests. "Whenever your back is against the wall, you utilize actions you kept as a final resort. I'm talking about civil disobedience and other acts," Fulkerson said. John Hadder of the Reno-based Citizen Alert environmental group agreed opponents are ready to take their protests "to the next level." "This whole thing is scandalous and immoral and unjust," he said. "We're hearing from people who are saying they're ready to get out there and block trucks." All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 10 Nevada kicks DOE out of nuke dump hearing site Las Vegas SUN October 04, 2001 CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - A state official who opposes the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump project barred the federal Department of Energy from holding a hearing on the dump at the Nevada Capitol. Scott Sisco, acting director of the state Cultural Affairs Department, which has authority over the historic and tiny Nevada Supreme Court chambers located in the Capitol. After consulting with Gov. Kenny Guinn's office, Sisco said he was concerned about crowd control and safety issues. The hearing Wednesday was instead held at a meeting room in Carson City's Nugget casino, and only a handful of people showed up. Jim Roberts, a retired University of Nevada, Reno professor, testified in favor of opening Yucca Mountain, saying that 77,000 tons of nuclear waste is now stored at about 70 sites around the country. These locations, he said, "are poorly protected against terrorism. A central storage of spent fuel rods would provide far fewer terrorist targets, and the central storage could be more easily protected. But Herman Mende of Carson City said the dump would become a major target for terrorists, adding that an explosion would mean the release of radiation that would be active for several centuries. Referring to nuclear waste, Mende, said, "It's the dirty little dog you can't clean up. You can't clean up after it." Ed Silsby of Carson City suggested that the nuclear waste be dumped on Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. He added he'd lie across the road to stop shipments of nuclear waste. Guinn and Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said Tuesday they're opposed to the latest round of federal hearings, scheduled to run through Oct. 12. The governor said public comment is being sought "when as of today the state has only been provided with preliminary reports that contain questionable findings regarding the safety and suitability of Yucca Mountain." The DOE last month hosted a marathon public hearing in Las Vegas on a scientific report that identifies no major obstacles to entombing the nation's 77,000 tons of radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain. The volcanic ridge is at the western edge of the Nevada Test Site, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. It is the only site in the nation being studied as a nuclear dump. On the Net: Yucca Mountain Project: www.ymp.gov All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 11 Reservoir shut down; water tested DemocratandChronicle.com - Friday, October 5, 2001 [Rochester News] Broken lock at Cobbs Hill triggers actions to check on safety of supply By Gary Craig Democrat and Chronicle (Friday, October 5, 2001) -- At any other time, a broken lock at the Cobbs Hill Reservoir might not have been the cause for much alarm. But yesterday, after a guard discovered a lock to the reservoir missing, city officials shut down the water flow from the reservoir, blocked the area to the public and quickly contacted county and state health officials to test for possible contamination. "We are on a heightened level of concern because of the terrorist events of early September," said Dr. Andrew Doniger, director of the Monroe County Health Department. The state Health Department now has samples of the water for testing. "Just as a precaution, the reservoir is offline until the results of the screening come back," said Health Department spokeswoman Claire Pospisil. The Cobbs Hill Reservoir, with its 144-million-gallon capacity, serves well over half of city households, particularly on the east side. But the city has backup water available from its own supply and from the Monroe County Water Authority. "We believe ... we can keep the reservoir out of operation without any problem," said City Environmental Services Commissioner Edward Doherty. A security guard making routine rounds at the reservoir early yesterday found a lock on the gate near the gatehouse missing. The city then shut off water from the reservoir. Authorities tested the water's chlorine levels yesterday and found them normal. But state officials are testing for possibly dangerous chemicals or for radioactive elements, health officials said. Those tests could be completed within days. While the prospect of a water supply tainted with hazardous pathogens is chilling, experts say it also is a very unlikely scenario. "You would have to dump such a large amount of chemicals into a reservoir for them to be enough to come out at the user's end and cause that individual some kind of harm," said Greg Evans, director of the Center for the Study of Bioterrorism and Emerging Diseases at St. Louis University. Also, Evans said, "chlorine is probably going to kill out most of the pathogens that are going to be biological pathogens." After Sept. 11, the FBI warned water supply systems to be on alert for possible terrorist assaults. Federal authorities have not indicated evidence of any plans to target water supplies, said Michael Arceneaux, spokesperson for the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. "We've become a clearinghouse for any information the FBI needs to get to the utility industry," he said. "There has been no information about direct threats." City water officials and the Monroe County Water Authority have been reviewing security measures at their reservoirs and treatment plants in recent weeks. The city confronts difficulties in securing its reservoirs. The reservoirs at Cobbs Hill and Highland Park were designed as parklike settings to be enjoyed by residents. The city has considered closing the reservoir areas off to the public but, thus far, has decided against doing so permanently. The city may install cameras at the reservoirs for constant monitoring. The water authority, before Sept. 11, had planned to install cameras at its reservoirs in Pittsford and Mendon and will likely soon do so. "The cameras were already on order," said Authority Executive Director John Stanwix. Stanwix said he doubts the reservoirs are at much risk. The larger of the authority's two reservoirs -- the Denise reservoir in Pittsford -- is fenced in and difficult to reach, he said. Plus, if authority officials saw via video monitoring that someone was trying to tamper with the reservoir, they could shut down the flow of water within minutes, he said. A bigger concern is the authority's Shoremont treatment plant in Greece. "If something were to happen to our water treatment plant, you've basically put 600,000 people out of water," he said. The authority is studying ways to bolster security there, he said. Doherty said that divers yesterday found the lock in the reservoir. It appears someone broke a metal hasp to remove the lock. He said he doesn't remember anyone breaking a lock to get into the reservoir before, but people have been caught scaling the fence to get in. "Most likely it was a warm day and somebody wanted to go wading in the water," he said. Copyright 2001 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. ***************************************************************** 12 Committed to Telling the Toxic Truth Friday, Oct. 5, 2001. Page I By Russell Working Four years ago, navy Captain Grigory Pasko -- then a military journalist -- was jailed on charges of high treason for allegedly selling state secrets to Japan, primarily concerning Russia's disposal of nuclear waste. Pasko, who was a stringer for Japanese news station NHK, had filmed the dumping of liquid radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan and documented other environmental hazards created by the Pacific Fleet. The charges against Pasko remained secret, but those leaked to the press by Pasko's supporters bordered on the ludicrous. He was accused, for example, of illegally covering a meeting at which top brass planned a military training exercise -- despite the fact that he had been specifically invited to cover the meeting for Boyevaya Vakhta, the Pacific Fleet newspaper. Amnesty International adopted Pasko as a prisoner of conscience, and a flood of letters arrived defending him as a second Alexander Nikitin, another former navy captain who was tried repeatedly for revealing environmental abuses by the Northern Fleet. Last year after 20 months in jail, Pasko was acquitted of treason charges and convicted on a minor charge of unmilitary conduct. He was sentenced to time served and released. Both the Federal Security Service, or FSB, and Pasko sought to overturn the decision. The FSB wanted Pasko behind bars. Pasko wanted to clear his name. Pasko spoke with The Moscow Times in Vladivostok about the case against him, his fight for vindication, and the environmental problems facing Russia's Far East. Q:Where does your case currently stand, and what verdict do you expect? A: I suspect the appeal is two-thirds done. On Sept. 28 the court declared a one-month recess. On Nov. 29 the court will announce the results of its review of all the documents. Then both sides will present arguments. And finally, the court will announce a verdict. Nov. 20 will mark four years since this whole thing started. Under the law, the court has no grounds for conviction. Our opponents are grasping at all sorts of charges. They're even trying to charge me under Article 283 -- divulging state secrets. It's nonsense. No crime has been committed. They leak information to the press, trying to convince the public that Pasko is a criminal. They failed to prove that I was a spy, so now they think any charge will do. Pasko must be convicted. But we think the verdict will be "not guilty." If not, we'll appeal to the international court in Strasbourg. Q:Do you think that with the press distracted by the terrorist attacks on America and the possible war against Afghanistan, the FSB might feel freer to pressure the court for a guilty verdict? A: In this country, anything can happen. But I'm ready. On May 25, I received word from Strasbourg that my case had been registered, and that the relevant documents were on file. The FSB knows about this, because all the mail I receive in Vladivostok is opened before it gets to me. Q: It is said that since you no longer work for the Pacific Fleet, no one covers its environmental problems anymore. What dangers are people not hearing about? A: I can't answer this concretely, because I have been out of the loop for four years. But judging from what Pacific Fleet officers tell me, and also from what I have learned during my closed military trial -- it was declared a "secret" proceeding only to prevent the public from learning about the lawlessness of the FSB and military officials in contaminated areas -- the biggest radiation threats in Primorye are the decommissioned nuclear submarines and nuclear waste storage sites. In the Far East nuclear submarines are located in two places: Krasheninnikova Bay in Kamchatka and near Sysoyeva Bay in Primorye. In these two spots there is potential for a disaster of enormous proportions. But the environmentalists say we suffer most from the garbage dump at Gornostai Bay, and from the huge number of cars that poison the air. And they are right. The local government can't even cope with a relatively small problem like a garbage dump within Vladivostok city limits on the shore of Peter the Great Bay. How do you expect them to deal with decommissioned submarines? Q: Have the authorities done anything right? A: Yes, some things have been done. In Bolshoi Kamen, they built a floating plant to purify radioactive waste. The construction order was issued in 1992, but the plant only came online this year. Thanks to American aid, they have the capacity to store nuclear fuel at Sysoyeva Bay and to store ballistic missiles from the submarines before they are processed. I suspect that the countries that might help solve these problems don't appreciate the truly horrific situation in our dangerous radioactive zones. And they don't know because Russia, following Soviet practice, classifies all information on nuclear waste storage. Last year all the decommissioned submarines and storage facilities were handed over to the Atomic Energy Ministry. Now the Pacific Fleet bears no responsibility for them. The ministry created a government-owned company, Dalrao, to handle the subs and storage facilities. And they appointed a former military man, Rear Admiral [Nikolai] Lysenko, to run it. Lysenko has demonstrated a crude adherence to the government line. When he was asked in court what he knew about Article 7 of the Official Secrets Act [which stipulates that information about environmental dangers cannot be classified], he replied: "I don't need to know anything about that. The Defense Ministry issued a contrary decree, No. 075." Until someone charges officials like Lysenko with criminal concealment of information affecting public health, he and his ilk will never have any cause to shake up their petrified military mindset. Q: Did you ever knowingly photocopy secret documents, as rumor has it? A: I never broke the law. First of all, military journalists are so restricted in their work that they can't do anything without someone else's participation. It would be impossible to get hold of secret documents containing evidence of Soviet dumping of thousands of barrels of [the poisonous chemicals] lewisite and yperite without anyone's knowledge. I knew, however, that such documents existed, and that they contained the exact amounts dumped and geographic coordinates for the dumping sites. But I had no access to them. Knowing that these documents existed, I exhausted every legal avenue demanding that they be declassified. And when I published articles about the environment I was protected by Article 7 of the Official Secrets Act. Many officers understood this and provided me with information. Strangely, after the articles came out, portions of this information were suddenly classified. Under Russian law, the FSB had no right to do this. They did so in order to build a criminal case against me. Q: There was talk in navy circles that some of your sources were later punished for providing you with classified information. A: That's nonsense. Fifty-three witnesses have been interrogated. None of my regular sources ever gave me classified documents. And none of them has been punished. Q: If your cause hadn't been taken up by human rights groups and the international press, is it possible that the judge in your first trial would have ruled to keep you in jail instead of releasing you? A: Had I been a Japanese spy, probably yes. The court received 24,000 letters from all over the world -- from Australia, America, all over Europe. If 48,000 letters had been delivered, but I had been guilty, they wouldn't have helped. Faced with my clear innocence and 24,000 letters, the court still found me guilty of a bizarre charge that doesn't apply to my case. When I talk to journalists from other countries, I always thank the people and organizations for their concern. For some reason, the biggest number of letters to the court and various government agencies came from Holland. So I thank all the countries that supported me -- we counted 98 of them -- and to the Dutch I bear a special debt of gratitude. Q: What are you doing now, and how will your life change when this trial is finally over? A:Currently, I am a correspondent for Novaya Gazeta and a co-founder of the Environment and Human Rights Coalition. I'm also head of the environmental committee of the Russian PEN Center. Those three jobs keep me busy enough that I don't think too much about the trial. ***************************************************************** 13 Activists criticize truck transport of nuclear waste [DesMoinesRegister.com] The government says no accidents have ever occurred during shipping. By WILLIAM PETROSKI Register Staff Writer 10/04/2001 About a dozen anti-nuclear activists stood within sight of Interstate Highway 35/80 in Des Moines Wednesday and warned of the dangers of shipping radioactive waste along the nation's highways and rail lines. The risks have become more serious since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Deb Katz of Rowe, Mass., executive director of Citizens Awareness Network. "The potential for devastation is very real," Katz said. The New England-based group is crossing the United States in a "Caravan of Conscience Tour." The members were joined at a news conference by several Iowa organizations opposed to shipping radioactive waste from Northeast reactors to proposed storage sites in Nevada and Utah. Katz said nuclear power plants such as the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Cedar Rapids are not built to withstand the crash of a large jet aircraft. "The truth is that nuclear reactor sites are targets," she said. Jane Magers of Des Moines, representing Earth Care, said it's time to give up on nuclear energy and to develop alternatives such as wind power. "There is no way to solve problems with nuclear power," Magers said. Joe Davis, deputy director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, said that in 40 years of shipping nuclear waste nationwide there has never been an accidental release of radiation. Such shipments are heavily guarded and carefully monitored, he said. Davis said U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has not made a determination whether a proposed nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is appropriate. The department has no position on the proposed Utah site, he said. Maureen Brown, a spokeswoman for Nuclear Management Co., which operates the Duane Arnold plant for Alliant Energy and other utilities, said the Iowa plant remains at its highest security level. Nuclear plants are hardened and designed to withstand extreme events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But the commission did not contemplate attacks by aircraft such as Boeing 757s or 767s, and nuclear plants were not designed to withstand such crashes, the commission said. Detailed engineering analyses of large airliner crashes have not been performed, officials said. Brown said federal scientists did ram an F-4 Phantom jet fighter into a simulated nuclear power structure at 480 mph, and the jet disintegrated, causing relatively little damage to the facility. Copyright © 2001, The Des Moines Register. Use of this site ***************************************************************** 14 World's spent fuel to be buried in Krasnoyarsk region Pravda.RU Oct, 03 2001 According to the information from the Moscow group Ecozashita (Ecoprotection), the burial ground for the nuclear wastes from the whole world will be built in the Krasnoyarsk region. Ecologists said, there were new documents found, which proved that the Ministry for Nuclear Power was conducting the research 30 kilometers far from the mining and chemical works (Zheleznogorsk) pertaining to the issue of creating the burial ground to store the nuclear wastes of high activity. This research started in 1998. The site itself is situated 25-30 kilometers from the mentioned factory. The research is being funded together with Finland, Japan and the USA – the countries that experience serious problems due to the saved volumes of the spent fuel on their territories. In the summer of the year 2001, despite the mass protest expressed from Greenpeace and from several political organizations, 3 bills came into effect in Russia and the spent fuel was allowed to be imported for storage or processing. However, the results show, the imported wastes are not going to be either processed or shipped back for the original owners after the processing. So, most likely, the burial ground is needed to simply bury the nuclear wastes. The Ministry for Nuclear Power believes the plan to import the spent fuel will bring about $20 billion to Russia within 10 years. Pursuant to the documents, exposed by the group Ecoprotection and by the anti-nuclear company of the social-ecological union in the spring of 2001, thousands of tons of spent fuel were going to be delivered to the mining and chemical works from Taiwan and other countries. The depot, which is disposed at the factory itself is only good for 6 thousand tons of nuclear wastes, it is half-filled and may solve the problem where to store the wastes only within a limited period of time. The works connected with building the nuclear burial ground have never been publicized in Russia, but the nuclear specialists used to make regular reports abroad regarding the work that had been done. Ecologists have the documents about the research of a certain area not really far from the city of Krasnoyarsk. The papers were prepared at St.Petersburg institute and presented at the 9th international radioactive wastes conference in Las Vegas. Reuters : Nuclear Waste Recyclers Target Consumer Products CBC : Putin signs nuclear waste bill Christian Science Monitor : Russias nuclear-waste gambit The Guardian (UK) : Russia closer to taking the worlds nuclear waste Washington Post : Duma Approves Plan to Import Nuclear Waste RIA 'Novosti' ***************************************************************** 15 Berkley bill would study Yucca Mountain security Friday, October 05, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said Thursday she is forming legislation that would require the incoming director of homeland security to develop plans to defend the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository against terrorist attacks. The bill also would direct a security study and development of an anti-terrorist plan covering spent fuel transportation from nuclear power plants to a Nevada facility being explored 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. "We want to have them explore the economic and security ramifications and come back with a report before this nation goes any further (on nuclear waste disposal)," Berkley said. President Bush has nominated former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge to head the Office of Homeland Security, with responsibilities to coordinate the government's preparation for terrorist attacks and to develop responses to them. Berkley's bill would direct Ridge to work with federal, state and local authorities on a plan "to prepare and defend against terrorist attacks on any aspect of the proposed Yucca Mountain Project," according to a draft of the legislation. An anti-terrorist plan would need to be completed before Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is able to recommend Yucca Mountain as a repository site, according to the draft. Abraham is expected to make a site recommendation within the next several months. Berkley said she expects to introduce the bill within two weeks and that she will try to attach it as an amendment to one of a number of terrorism-related bills moving through Congress. She said she has not yet taken her idea to other lawmakers. Berkley, among Nevada leaders strongly opposed to a Yucca Mountain repository, said her intent for the bill goes beyond making a point about nuclear waste safety. "I'm trying to get some very valid information," she said. "This nation's concerns have been raised when it comes to terrorist attacks." webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 16 Protesters disrupt hearing on Yucca Mountain repository LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: NEWS: Friday, October 05, 2001 By MARTIN GRIFFITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RENO -- About 75 demonstrators marched into a meeting room Thursday to protest the latest round of federal hearings on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. Waving placards and chanting "no dump, no way," protesters entered the room during a short break of a U.S. Energy Department hearing on the proposed site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Protest organizer Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada climbed atop a table near the speaker's podium and addressed the crowd. "They (federal officials) haven't listened to us so far, so maybe they'll understand this," he said. "We give no credence to their sham hearings or their sham project. Dump your plan and not your waste." Shortly after protesters erupted in cheers, the hearing resumed and demonstrators and others were allowed to testify. Representatives of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn joined in the criticism. They said the hearings shouldn't be conducted now because the DOE hasn't finalized an environmental impact statement on the dump. Most people who testified also spoke out against the dump. Paul Harrington, the lone DOE official to preside at the hearing, declined comment on the criticism. The DOE has been studying Yucca Mountain to determine its suitability as a repository for the nation's high-level radioactive waste. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is expected in the next several months to make a recommendation on the site to President Bush. , opponents plan to step up protests, Fulkerson said. "Whenever your back is against the wall, you utilize actions you kept as a final resort. I'm talking about civil disobedience and other acts," Fulkerson said. John Hadder of Citizen Alert agreed opponents are ready to take their protests "to the next level." "This whole thing is scandalous and immoral and unjust," he said. "We're hearing from people who are saying they're ready to get out there and block trucks." webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 17 UK Approves MOX Nuclear Fuel Manufacturing Plant Environment News Service: LONDON, United Kingdom, October 4, 2001 (ENS) - The UK government today approved operation of the controversial mixed oxide (MOX) nuclear fuel manufacturing plant at Sellafield, drawing immediate threats of legal action by environmental groups. Designed to turn uranium and plutonium from spent fuel into new reactor rods, the MOX plant was completed in 1996 but never started. Operator British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. has been fighting an increasingly bitter battle to win operating approval since its commercial reputation was savaged in 1999 by a data falsification scandal. [Beckett] Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett (Photo courtesy UK government) The government announced that the manufacture of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel is justified under European Community law. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, and the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Milburn, made this decision after considering all the relevant information, including the comments received in response to the five public consultations which have been carried out since 1997. Britain's environment and health ministries today concluded that operating the plant would produce a net financial benefit, as required under a 1996 Euratom directive. Over the plant's lifetime, they said, the "net present value" of this benefit would be over UK£150 million (US$221.6 million). The environment ministry added that "wider risks and benefits" had also been taken into account in reaching the decision. Regarding environmental impacts, radiation doses to the most exposed members of the public are put at 0.002 microsieverts per year for discharges to air and 0.00003 microsieverts per year for liquid discharges, or "around one-millionth of the dose from natural background radiation." [fuel] Roundness measurement being performed on an experimental MOX fuel pellet in a BNFL lab. (Photo courtesy BNFL) Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth both threatened legal action against the government today, calling the decision "dangerously irresponsible" and "outrageous." Stephen Tindale, executive director of Greenpeace in the UK said, "Expanding the global trade in plutonium is dangerously irresponsible, especially at a time of huge global insecurity. The Prime Minister recently acknowledged that terrorists might obtain and use nuclear weapons, which makes his move today to launch an export business in bomb-making materials both inconsistent and downright stupid." The approval of a new plutonium fuel facility at the Sellafield nuclear complex "will increase the risk of terrorists seizing weapons usable material," Greenpeace warns. Both groups also claim that the government had ignored hidden costs and commercial uncertainties in deciding that operating the MOX plant would bring a net financial benefit. Of the 9,000 or so responses received in total to the five consultations which have been carried out since 1997, around 7,000 were in favor of the MOX plant approval and around 2,000 were against the proposals from British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL), government officials said. BNFL's Chief Executive Norman Askew said, "I'm highly delighted with today's decision by the Government. I am especially grateful to all those dedicated people within BNFL who have worked for so long for this outcome. Our customers have been extremely patient with us and we can now get on with the business of manufacturing fuel for them and to repay the commitment that they have shown us." {Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: } Environmental Press Releases ***************************************************************** 18 Berkley: Possible threats at Yucca a top priority Las Vegas SUN October 05, 2001 Gibbons focuses on establishing new Office of Homeland Security By Benjamin Grove WASHINGTON -- The nation's new Office of Homeland Security should make one of its first jobs analyzing a terrorist threat at the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said Thursday. Berkley is drafting legislation that would require a study of terrorism threats by the office of the nation's first anti-terrorism czar, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. The office also should study possible threats to trucks and trains that would haul high-level radioactive material to Nevada if the Yucca project is approved, the congresswoman said. Meanwhile Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., is leading the charge in Congress to quickly establish the Office of Homeland Security as Bush envisioned it. Gibbons and Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., on Thursday unveiled the Office of Homeland Security Act at a press conference. Gibbons said Congress should give Ridge powerful budget authority and assure him a Cabinet-level position. Berkley's bill directs the Department of Energy to prove to Congress that Yucca Mountain, along with the waste transportation routes, would not be easy prey for terrorists. "We better figure out how to protect the nation's only nuclear waste repository," Berkley said. "How are we going to protect trucks and trains filled with nuclear waste that are hauling radioactive material to Yucca Mountain? I don't think we have a real plan that addresses that. I don't think anyone has ever considered it." Berkley's bill would further slow the 14-year-old federal plan to bury the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, a desert ridge 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Under the Berkley bill, the DOE would not be able to recommend Yucca as a suitable waste site until Ridge's Office of Homeland Security completed a Yucca terrorism analysis and Congress was assured terrorist risks were mitigated. The office is not yet even open and running; Ridge formally begins the job Monday. For now the DOE is preparing a site recommendation report for the president that could be released later this year. Berkley said she plans to introduce her legislation next week. She hopes to roll it into a package of counterterrorism bills now being assembled in Congress. Ridge will lead a council of agency and department leaders and supervise an estimated staff of 100. He has said he will streamline existing national security measures and develop longterm strategies. Lawmakers have said the nation's first anti-terrorism czar needs Congress to guarantee him his own budget along with the power to direct or reject the way other agencies spend money to address terrorism. Eighteen federal agencies have requested $11 billion for counterterrorism programs next year, according to the Congressional Research Service. "Without this legislation, Gov. Ridge cannot do the job that the president has tasked him to do and that the American people need him to do," Gibbons said. Gibbons is vice chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on terrorism and homeland security, a panel created last month after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Without the legislation, a future president could abolish the position without consulting Congress. Lawmakers said Congress needs to create a permanent anti-terrorism czar who will be at work when he is needed most -- years from now when the Sept. 11 attacks are no longer in the national spotlight. In other related action, the House energy committee approved legislation this week that would give armed guards wider discretion to use guns at facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including Yucca Mountain. The legislation sets a uniform federal standard that allows guards to use weapons to prevent theft or damage to nuclear materials. Some state laws currently restrict guards from using weapons unless their own lives are in danger. The legislation allows guards to make arrests without warrant in some cases. The legislation also sets stricter punishments for sabotage at a nuclear facility: a $1 million fine and up to life in prison without possibility for parole. Finally, the legislation requires that armed forces trained to repel a coordinated terrorist attack accompany nuclear waste shipments, including any future cross-country shipments to Yucca Mountain. However, key lawmakers oppose the way that provision was written, and it may be stripped from the final version of the legislation, lawmaker aides said. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the legislation Wednesday, and lawmakers plan to add it to the broader anti-terrorism legislation working its way through Congress. The Associated Press contributed to this article. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 19 US House panel backs renewal of nuclear plant law Planet Ark Environmental News: USA: October 5, 2001 WASHINGTON - Members of a House energy subcommittee yesterday voted to renew a federal law that insures U.S. nuclear power plants from huge legal damages in a major accident. The U.S. nuclear power industry says the measure, set to expire in August 2002, is crucial before any new plants can be built. The Price-Anderson law obligates the federal government to accept insurance liability to shield U.S. nuclear power plant owners from up to $9.4 billion in liability in the event of an accident. "Given Price-Anderson's necessary role in the development of the nuclear power industry, it is important to get this done in advance of the ... expiration date," said Louisiana Republican Billy Tauzin, chairman of the full energy committee. A House energy subcommittee, chaired by Texas Republican Joe Barton, approved legislation yesterday which would renew the law with few changes. The bill now goes to the full committee, where it may face some criticism from Democrats who oppose a provision to shield Department of Energy contractors from liability for accidents. The Democratic-controlled Senate has yet to draft a bill that would extend the law. With Congress aiming to adjourn in late October, it is unclear whether the nuclear power measure will be addressed by both chambers this session. The Bush administration's national energy plan emphasizes nuclear power as an important and clean energy source for the future, a view opposed by many environmental groups and some Democrats. Key regulatory agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Energy Department have already backed a renewal of the law without any substantial changes. Critics argue that no other U.S. industry receives such generous protection from financial risks. No new nuclear plants have been built in the United States since the 1979 accident at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant, where the failure of the plant's water cooling system led to the partial melting of a reactor's uranium core. Nuclear power currently produces about 20 percent of all U.S. electricity. Story by Chris Baltimore REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 20 Protesters converge on Yucca hearing Las Vegas SUN October 05, 2001 By Martin Griffith ASSOCIATED PRESS RENO -- About 75 demonstrators marched into a meeting room Thursday to protest the latest round of federal hearings on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. Waving placards and chanting "no dump, no way," protesters entered the room during a short break of a Energy Department hearing on the proposed site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Protest organizer Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada climbed atop a table near the speaker's podium and addressed the crowd. "They (federal officials) haven't listened to us so far, so maybe they'll understand this," he said. "We give no credence to their sham hearings or their sham project. Dump your plan and not your waste." Shortly after protesters erupted in cheers, the hearing resumed and demonstrators and others were allowed to testify. Representatives of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn joined in the criticism against the new round of federal hearings and the Yucca Mountain site itself. They said the hearings shouldn't be held now because the DOE hasn't finalized an environmental impact statement on the site, and the nation is still grieving from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast. They also complained that Nevadans were given inadequate notice of the hearings. On Friday, the DOE announced plans to hold new hearings in all 17 Nevada counties. Most Reno-area residents who testified also spoke out against the dump, contending it poses safety hazards that haven't been addressed by DOE. Paul Harrington, the lone DOE official to preside over the hearing, declined comment on the criticism afterward. At an earlier rally staged outside the hearing room by the Citizen Alert environmental group, Fulkerson urged protestors to "blow the walls off the hearing room" with comments against the dump. "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore," he said. "The time to be polite is over. There's a lot at stake." The DOE has been studying Yucca Mountain for more than 20 years to determine its suitability as a repository for the nation's high-level radioactive waste. With Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham expected to soon make a recommendation on the site to President Bush, opponents plan to step up protests, Fulkerson said. "Whenever your back is against the wall, you utilize actions you kept as a final resort. I'm talking about civil disobedience and other acts," Fulkerson said. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 21 Daily Events Report U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 10/04/2001 10/05/2001 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** 38346 38347 38348 38349 38350 38351 38352 General Information or Other Event Number: 38346 REP ORG: NV DIV OF RAD HEALTH NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 LICENSEE: LAS VALLEY WATER DISTRICT NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:11[EDT] CITY: LAS VEGAS REGION: 4 EVENT DATE: 10/04/2001 COUNTY: STATE: NV EVENT TIME: [PDT] LICENSE#: 00 11 0196 01 AGREEMENT: Y LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 DOCKET: PERSON ORGANIZATION CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 FRED BROWN NMSS NRC NOTIFIED BY: STAN MARSHALL HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR SECTION: NAGR AGREEMENT STATE EVENT TEXT AGREEMENT STATE REPORT DAMAGED GAUGE 1. Event Report ID No.: NV 01 006 2. License No.: 00 11 0196 01 3. Licensee: Las Valley Water District 4. Event time, date, location: Las Vegas, NV, October 1, 2001 5. Event type (e.g. misadministration, lost source, overexposure, etc.): Slightly damaged portable gauge. Cause of the incident was lack of attention to detail. 6. Any notifications i.e. other agencies, patient, press release, FBI, etc.: N/A 7. Event description: release, isotope, activity, exposure(s), dose, contamination level, equipment malfunction model, serial No., etc.: A portable gauge fell off the bed of a slow moving transporting pickup and was slightly damaged. The gauge was not carried in it's shipping container at the time of the incident, The source was in the safe, shielded position at the time of the incident. The gauge has been surveyed and leak tested and has been shipped to the manufacturer for repair. The gauge was a Troxler Model 3440, s/n 22284 containing 10 mCi of Cs 137 and 40 mCi of Am 241 :Be. 8. Transport vehicle description, if known: Company pickup. Power Reactor Event Number: 38347 FACILITY: LIMERICK REGION: 1 NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: PA NOTIFICATION TIME: 14:23[EDT] RXTYPE: [1] GE 4,[2] GE 4 EVENT DATE: 10/03/2001 EVENT TIME: 23:28[EDT] NRC NOTIFIED BY: PETER ORPHANOS LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 HQ OPS OFFICER: BOB STRANSKY PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY RICHARD CONTE R1 10 CFR SECTION: NONR OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT UNIT SCRAM CODERX CRITINIT PWR INIT RX MODE CURR PWR CURR RX MODE 2 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation EVENT TEXT 24 HOUR REPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OPERATING LICENSE DUE TO POTENTIAL MAXIMUM POWER LEVEL VIOLATION "This report is being made in accordance with Limerick Generating Station Unit 2 Operating License Condition 2.E. as a potential violation of License Condition 2.C(1), Maximum Power Level "GE Report titled 'Impact of Steam Carryover Fraction on Process Computer Heat Balance Calculations', September 2001, documents a non conservative assumption for the moisture carryover fraction used in the calculation of core thermal power. The assumed carryover fraction of 0.1% was discovered to be potentially closer to zero and therefore non conservative in later model GE BWRs. "A review of Limerick Unit 2 moisture carryover data from an ASME PTC 6 test performed in October of 1999 found a moisture carryover value of 0.0277%, inducing an estimated bias of approximately 2.8 MWth. Similar testing on Limerick Unit 1 found a value of greater than 0.1%. Based on this data Limerick Unit 1 is not considered affected at this time. "Based on this potential non conservatism on Unit 2, indicated Maximum Power Level shift average is being administratively controlled 3 MWth below the licensed power level of 3458 MWth. "Exelon staff is continuing to evaluate the effect of the moisture carryover term in the heat balance calculation." The NRC resident has been notified. Power Reactor Event Number: 38348 FACILITY: CRYSTAL RIVER REGION: 2 NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 UNIT: [3] [] [] STATE: FL NOTIFICATION TIME: 15:59[EDT] RXTYPE: [3] B L LP EVENT DATE: 10/04/2001 EVENT TIME: [EDT] NRC NOTIFIED BY: RICKY RAWLS LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY CHARLES CASTO R2DO 10 CFR SECTION: ADEG 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A) DEGRADED CONDITION UNIT SCRAM CODERX CRITINIT PWR INIT RX MODE CURR PWR CURR RX MODE 3 N N 0 Refueling 0 Refueling EVENT TEXT SMALL PRESSURE BOUNDARY LEAK IDENTIFIED WHILE SHUTDOWN "At 0809 on October 4, 2001, Crystal River Unit 3 (CR 3) was in MODE 6 shutdown for refueling operation. CR 3 has identified a small defect in the reactor coolant system (RCS) pressure boundary. An RCS leak was suspected due to elevated radioactivity levels detected in the nuclear services closed cycle cooling water (SW) system since June 2001. Testing was conducted on line in MODE 1 and could not determine the source of the leakage. Additional testing in MODE 6 has identified the seal area heat exchanger on the 1B reactor coolant pump (RCP 1B) as the most likely source of the leakage. The defect allowed a small amount of leakage to occur from the RCS to the SW system during the previous operating cycle. A definitive leak location could not be identified due to the extremely small size of the leak. However, since all components in the RCP heat exchanger are included as part of the class 1 RCS pressure boundary, this defect is reportable under 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A). CR 3 was shutdown in MODE 6 at the time of the discovery. The RCP heat exchanger will be repaired prior to returning to power operation." The leak rate has been determined to be 0.02 gpm which exceeds the Technical Specification limit of 'No Pressure Boundary Leakage' and it appears to be a long term development. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. Power Reactor Event Number: 38349 FACILITY: RIVER BEND REGION: 4 NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: LA NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:10[EDT] RXTYPE: [1] GE 6 EVENT DATE: 10/04/2001 EVENT TIME: 09:13[CDT] NRC NOTIFIED BY: DANNY WILLIAMSON LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 10 CFR SECTION: NONR OTHER UNSPEC REQMNT UNIT SCRAM CODERX CRITINIT PWR INIT RX MODE CURR PWR CURR RX MODE 1 N N 0 Refueling 0 Refueling EVENT TEXT OPERATING LICENSE CONDITION VIOLATION (POTENTIAL MAXIMUM POWER LEVEL VIOLATION) "This report is being made as required by River Bend Station license condition 2.E. River Bend is reporting a potential violation of the maximum power level as authorized in license condition 2.C.1. "This event is similar to event numbers 38337 and 38340 reported by two other BWR plants Based on the General Electric (GE) report titled, 'Impact of Steam Generator Carryover Fraction on Process Computer Heat Balance Calculations, September 2001.' It is possible that River Bend may have exceeded the maximum power level on some occasions in the past by approximately three megawatts thermal. "River Bend Station is currently in a refueling outage, so no immediate actions are necessary. This condition has been entered into the station's corrective action program to further evaluate the applicability of this condition and to develop an appropriate response before returning to power operations. "The licensee notified the NRC resident inspector." Hospital Event Number: 38350 REP ORG: RAPID CITY REGIONAL HOSPITAL NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 LICENSEE: RAPID CITY REGIONAL HOSPITAL NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:58[EDT] CITY: RAPID CITY REGION: 4 EVENT DATE: 10/04/2001 COUNTY: STATE: SD EVENT TIME: [MDT] LICENSE#: AGREEMENT: N LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 DOCKET: PERSON ORGANIZATION CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 PATRICIA HOLAHAN NMSS NRC NOTIFIED BY: ERIC HENDEE HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR SECTION: LADM 35.33(a) MED MISADMINISTRATION EVENT TEXT MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION UNDERDOSE Today, 10/4/01, when the dose for a second treatment was being prepared, it was discovered that the first dose was not as large as prescribed. The first dose administered on 9/27/01 should have been 750 centigray and was only 400 to 500 centigray. The attending physician has been notified and the patient will be notified. A correcting dose, an additional fraction, will be given to correct the underdose. No adverse affects are expected by this misadministration. The dosage is administered with a high dose rate machine, Nucletron Microselectron. The Radiation Safety Officer contacted NRC Region 4 (Richard Leonardi). Other Nuclear Material Event Number: 38351 REP ORG: US AIR FORCE NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/04/2001 LICENSEE: US AIR FORCE NOTIFICATION TIME: 18:09[EDT] CITY: CANNON AFB REGION: 4 EVENT DATE: 10/04/2001 COUNTY: STATE: NM EVENT TIME: [MDT] LICENSE#: 42 23539 01AF AGREEMENT: Y LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/04/2001 DOCKET: PERSON ORGANIZATION CLAUDE JOHNSON R4 PATRICIA HOLAHAN NMSS NRC NOTIFIED BY: CRAIG REFOSCO HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR SECTION: BAB2 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X EVENT TEXT REPORT OF 2 MISSING EXIT SIGNS CONTAINING TRITIUM AT CANNON AFB Two exit signs containing 20 curies of tritium each were discovered missing from building 1258 at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The signs were in place on 9/26/01 during a previous inspection. The signs are manufactured by SRB Technologies and the serial numbers are 192167 and 192168. There will be a formal investigation conducted. Power Reactor Event Number: 38352 FACILITY: BEAVER VALLEY REGION: 1 NOTIFICATION DATE: 10/05/2001 UNIT: [] [2] [] STATE: PA NOTIFICATION TIME: 04:30[EDT] RXTYPE: [1] W 3 LP,[2] W 3 LP EVENT DATE: 10/05/2001 EVENT TIME: 00:26[EDT] NRC NOTIFIED BY: J. A. WITTER LAST UPDATE DATE: 10/05/2001 HQ OPS OFFICER: STEVE SANDIN PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY RICHARD CONTE R1 10 CFR SECTION: AINB 50.72(b)(3)(v)(B) POT RHR INOP UNIT SCRAM CODERX CRITINIT PWR INIT RX MODE CURR PWR CURR RX MODE 2 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation EVENT TEXT UNIT 2 ENTERED TECH SPEC 3.0.3 DUE TO TWO TRAINS OF SERVICE WATER DECLARED INOPERABLE "At 0026 hrs on October 5, 2001, Beaver Valley Power Station Unit 2 experienced a trip of the 'A' Train Service Water (SWS) Pump. 2SWS P21 C was operating on the 'A' SWS header when the pump tripped on Motor Ground Over Current. Both A and B Train Emergency Service Water Pumps (SWE) auto started as designed and Service Water header pressure returned to normal values. Due to a piping class break, safety/non safety, between the SWS and SWE systems, the unit entered Technical Specification 3.0.3 due to two trains of Service Water being Inoperable. The unit entered and completed the Abnormal Operating Procedure for Loss of Service Water, and the Bravo Train of Service Water was restored Operable when 2SWE P21 B was secured and isolated from the 'B' SWS header. 25W5 P21 B continued to operate normally during this event. Technical Specification 3.0.3 was exited at 0037 hrs. The plant is currently stable and operating at 100% power. Technical Specification 3.7.4.1 for Service Water (72 hour action) is applicable, as the only operating pump on the 'A' SWS header is 2SWE P21A. The Alpha Service Water Pump, 2SWS P21 A is unavailable due to Intake Structure Bay cleaning. Currently efforts are under way to recover the Intake Bay and restore 2SWS P21A Operable. It is expected that both trains of Service Water will be Operable within 12 hours. The Non Safety Related Chiller units tripped due to the SWS low pressure conditions, and were recovered shortly there after. No additional failures or equipment challenges occurred as a result of this event." The licensee informed the NRC resident inspector. ***************************************************************** 22 Seanad told of Sellafield 'treachery' ireland.com - The Irish Times - IRELAND IRISH TIMES > Sellafield poses greater risk than terrorism Friday, October 5, 2001 By Jimmy Walsh A call for ministerial action to exert maximum pressure on the British government to reverse its decision to expand nuclear processing at Sellafield was made by Mr Liam Fitzgerald (FF) in the Seanad yesterday.

He believed the House would agree, in view of what had happened in the US recently, that the planned expansion constituted a potential act of treachery against a friendly neighbour.

Dr Maurice Manning, Fine Gael leader in the House, said members had been repeatedly assured over the last number of years by Minister of State for Energy, Mr Joe Jacob, that he was dealing with the issue and that the British were listening to what he was saying. Mr Jacob had also given assurances that the special relationship betweeen the British Prime Minister and the Taoiseach would ensure this kind of development would not take place. "Yesterday, we saw, in one short arrogant statement, the British minister Margaret Beckett dismiss all of the Irish claims and fears. This was a matter of minor provincial interest as far as she was concerned and all Irish considerations simply did not matter," added Mr Manning who called for an emergency debate.

Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind) accused the British Government of displaying an extraordinary, contemptuous attitude towards this country.

Mr Shane Ross (Ind) urged that the British ambassador be asked to come to the House to answer questions on the Sellafield controversy and to defend the position of his government, "which is, after all, meant to be a friendly nation."

Describing the British decision as astonishing, Mr David Norris (Ind) said the UN Secretary General had warned about the exposure to an increased risk of terrorism through the use of nuclear weapons.

Mr Fergus O'Dowd (FG) said the Irish Government should bring to the attention of the British ambassador the commitment that had been given by Mr Blair, during the last British general election campaign, that he would not expand the nuclear industry.

The leader of the House, Mr Donie Cassidy, said Fianna Fáil would forego its private members' time allocation next Wednesday to permit a full debate on the issue.

The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, rejected a claim by Mr Ross that the person appointed to be Pensions Ombudsman might be rendered unable to perform his or her duty. During a debate on the Pensions Amendment Bill, Mr Ross said he dreaded that the appointee might be caught up by the secrecy and the lack of transparency in that industry.

***************************************************************** 23 Local pols: Nukes drastic but doable The Trentonian LISA MEYER, Staff WriterOctober 05, 2001 They sought refuge. They squirmed. They sniffed. Greater Trenton officials, some of whom are based in Washington, D.C., stated yesterday that national defense was not really their problem. But when cornered for comment -- in particular on the propriety of a nuclear response to a biological or chemical attack against the United States -- some politicos echoed an Arizona senator's earlier remarks about the controversial contents of America's deadly arsenal: Nukes are drastic, but doable. "The U.S. has the capability of responding appropriately against any attacks against us, including weapons of mass destruction," said Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ-3). "We have many options available to us, and the value of deterrence cannot be overstated. Let our enemies worry about what weapons we'll use against them." Others tried to deflect the nasty nuke question away from their areas of operation and back up the chain of command, noting their unconditional confidence in the chief executive. "That decision will be left to the military and the President," said county spokesman Tom Rubino, whose boss could not be reached for comment. "Hopefully we won't be at the point where we have to use nuclear weapons. ... [The president] will make the appropriate response with the appropriate force deemed necessary." Trenton reps held views similar to their county cohorts, but used different rationales. "I'm no authority on it," said Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer. "It's for the federal government." Trenton councilman-at-large John Ungrady said "nuclear weapons would be very effective" but he would "go with any means short of something like it." "We don't know what these fanatics have on them," said Ungrady. "Nuclear is a little bit to the extreme right now." New Jersey and Pennsylvania state legislators didn't mince words, sort of. "As a nation we have to protect ourselves with the appropriate means," said N.J. state Sen. Peter Inverso. "It's unfortunate because it [terrorism] is not a nation with territorial and geographical divisions. That is what is frightening. Anything we did would have to be meted and measured." "I think it would be extraordinarily unlikely that [a bio-chemical attack] would occur," said Congressman James Greenwood (Pa.-8), adding that any perpetrator of a biological attack would most likely have his troops "obliterated quickly." "But you wouldn't need a nuclear weapon, which would kill potentially hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians and turn the entire world against us in the process," said Greenwood, adding that decisions emanating from the cabinet have been "absolutely flawless." "I doubt that you would find any general or admiral who would give an affirmative or a negative to such a hypothetical, so I won't either," said Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12). "The role of Congress is to declare war; it's the role of the President to execute it." ©The Trentonian 2001 Copyright © 1995 - 2001 PowerAdz.com LLC. All Rights Reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 Survivability of nuclear plants to be re-examined Keay Davidson, Chronicle Science Writer Friday, October 5, 2001 After initially playing down the chance that a falling jetliner could disable or destroy a nuclear power plant, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is now planning to study whether a plant could survive such a disaster. The agency's shift comes amid heightened concern about the vulnerability of nuclear facilities to terrorist attacks. A Chronicle review of recent NRC inspections shows that although nuclear plants serving California are generally secure, they may not be 100 percent safe. Immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the NRC issued a reassuring statement: "Although nuclear power plants are not explicitly designed to withstand the crash of a large commercial airliner, plants have inherent capability to provide for the protection of public health and safety. "Prestressed concrete containments -- typically 4 to 5 feet thick -- are so robust that it is unlikely that a jumbo jet could penetrate the containment structure. Furthermore, plant designs employ redundant safety equipment, along with highly trained operators, to limit potential consequences." But three weeks later, NRC officials are sounding less confident. "Back when these plants were designed, we . . . did not assume that a heavy, wide- bodied airliner would be used as a guided missile to attack a plant," NRC representative Breck Henderson acknowledged this week. Now, the agency is planning a study to determine whether a plant could survive an airliner crash. "I don't think it's going to be a real quick analysis -- it's going take some time," Henderson said. "We're being intentionally vague on this because we haven't decided how we're going to do it." Asked whether the NRC can assure the public that a nuclear plant would withstand an airliner crash, Henderson replied: "I don't think we can be that strong and specific. . . . Would it be a big mess? Of course, it would be a big mess. Would it lead to multiple tens of thousands of deaths? That's much less certain." The worst-case consequence of a reactor accident is a "meltdown," which could spew radioactive poisons into the environment. In 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor in Harrisburg, Pa., experienced a partial meltdown. The nuclear accident, the worst in American history, released what the plant owner characterized as a small amount of radioactivity into the atmosphere. In Congress, heightened concern about the vulnerability of nuclear plants to a terrorist attack is prompting legislative action. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved language this week that authorizes guards at NRC- licensed facilities to carry and use weapons to protect the facilities or prevent theft of special nuclear materials. Meanwhile, a Chronicle review of NRC inspection records offers a generally - - but not totally -- reassuring picture of security at three nuclear plants serving California. Despite generally high scores, the Diablo Canyon, San Onofre and Palo Verde (which is near Phoenix) nuclear plants were cited by the NRC for a variety of security screwups this year and last. The most dramatic inspections involve the NRC's simulated terrorist raids on the nuclear plants. In a mock raid on the San Onofre nuclear plant north of San Diego in November 2000, guards' response made NRC inspectors suspect that had the raid been real, it might have left vulnerable facilities or equipment that help to prevent a reactor accident. The raids are technically known as Operational Safeguards Response Evaluations. OSRE tests reportedly involve "terrorists" who "shoot" at guards, and vice versa, using laser "guns." If a laser beam hits a sensor on someone's body, he is recorded as disabled or killed. On Nov. 28 and 29, the NRC's OSRE team made a simulated raid on the San Onofre plant. Monitoring the plant operators' response, NRC officials spotted a problem that in a real-life raid might have had "a credible impact on safety, " according to their official report. Exactly what that "credible impact" was is classified. Both NRC and the plant's co-owner, Southern California Edison, refuse to give extensive details. The NRC report does acknowledge that "a vulnerability in the (plant's) protective strategy was identified that could have resulted in the simulated loss of a target set." In interviews, officials refused to specifically define "target set." However, they indicated it includes plant facilities and equipment that must be protected to prevent an accident up to and including the nightmare scenario: a reactor meltdown. "The issue was more than minor," the NRC report adds, "because the potential loss of a target set represents a credible impact on safety." If a target set is lost, then conceivably "significant (nuclear) core damage would be the result, which is tantamount to a meltdown," says Cornell University-trained physicist Edwin Lyman of the Nuclear Control Institute of Washington, D.C. The private group has criticized security standards at nuclear plants. In an interview, Southern California Edison spokesman Ray Golden stated that the simulated raid was terminated early for reasons he was unable to explain. Hence "we were never able to demonstrate our ability to stop the adversary, and they were never able to demonstrate their ability to penetrate our (plant). . . . We think we have a very good security program here." At the three plants since mid-2000, NRC inspectors have generally praised their security. However, they cited slipups that include: -- On Dec. 20, 2000, an NRC inspector managed to gain admittance to a Diablo Canyon power plant building when a plant employee opened the door to him without first checking a closed-circuit TV camera. -- During dismantling of a decommissioned reactor at San Onofre in 2000, a "breach" or opening was formed in plant equipment that no one noticed for six days. The NRC report concluded that the breach posed a "very low" safety risk because it was probably too small for a human to pass through. -- At the Palo Verde plant in July 2000, "significant safeguards information was stored in an unlocked safeguards container outside of the protected area. The safe contained numerous safeguards documents, including the (plant) protective strategy and the target set lists." Jim McDonald, a spokesman for the Palo Verde plant, said the safe was unlocked for a mundane reason: After a routine change in the lock's combination, a staff member did not "spin the (safe) dial when he completed his work." E-mail Keay Davidson at kdavidson@sfchronicle.com. ©2001 San Francisco Chronicle   Page A - 6 ***************************************************************** 25 Shaheen: Consider ban on planes near reactor [The Concord Monitor online edition] Friday, October 5, 2001 Gov. Jeanne Shaheen wants her new anti-terrorism task force to look into banning planes over the Seabrook and Vermont Yankee nuclear plants. Her spokeswoman said the group already is considering her request. Seabrook is next to the Atlantic Ocean and was built to withstand the crash of a bomber-sized plane. Vermont Yankee is in Vernon, Vt., just across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire. Vermont Gov. Howard Dean has asked the federal government to ban planes over Vermont Yankee and require all planes flying over Vermont to file flight plans. The requests come as officials try to prevent further terrorist attacks. Seabrook spokesman Alan Griffith said private planes have already been told not to fly over the nuclear station. "There is discussion about creating no-fly zones and, quite frankly, short of that I don't know what you can do to prevent a plane from getting too close," he said. Griffith said the station is taking every precaution necessary to protect it from attack. Security remains on high alert after the Sept. 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington. Guards stop every car that attempts to enter the plant, and people without identification badges are not allowed through the main gate. The reactor generates electricity for about 1 million New England homes. At Vermont Yankee, concerns have been raised because a small plane flew over the reactor on Sept. 13, two days after the attacks. The Air Force sent two fighter jets to intercept the plane, but it was never found. A Vermont emergency official says the plane made no threatening move toward the plant and that it was probably a "legitimate flight." © Concord Monitorand New Hampshire Patriot P.O. Box 1177, Concord NH 03302 603-224-5301 ***************************************************************** 26 Sellafield poses a much greater risk than terrorism ireland.com - The Irish Times - OPINION THE IRISH TIMES > EDITORIAL: More Radioactivity The Republic should campaign for the closure of Sellafield, not because of the risk of accident but because it pollutes our environment and is of no benefit to us, writes Dick Ahlstrom. What would happen to the Republic should terrorists attack the Sellafield reprocessing plant? Probably nothing unless we were very unlucky, despite the doomsday scenarios circulating in the media.

Some commentators are talking about thousands of deaths here if a passenger jet were flown into the plant although how these deaths might occur is usually less well described. All this does is frighten further a nervous public, already jittery following the horrific events of September 11th.

For its part, the British government's timing in sanctioning the scale-up of Sellafield's new MOX (mixed oxide) nuclear fuel production plant so soon after New York could hardly be described as sensitive. It allowed Sellafield's opponents to link the plant with the events of September 11th and fan a presumption that an attack there would be equally devastating.

Unfortunately there are a lot more tempting targets than Sellafield. Any of the dozens of working UK nuclear reactors, particularly the aging Welsh reactors which are equally close to our coastline, could produce a more damaging terrorist result. Canary Wharf in London or the Houses of Parliament would also make better targets, offering television access that would duplicate the horrible coverage we endured when the Twin Towers died.

Yet the public and the Government here should aim vigorously for Sellafield's closure, not because it might be a terrorist target but because for us it breaks the fundamental precept of radiological protection. It does not pass the ALARA test, a measure that allows the UK government to support Sellafield's existence.

ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is at the centre of nuclear safety. It says attempts to limit unwanted radiation exposure to the public should be tempered by any benefit the nuclear plant might bring.

Power plants might produce higher background radiation but they also deliver electricity. X-rays involve dangerous radiation but the benefits to the patient are undoubted.

Clearly, Sellafield passes the ALARA test for the UK government, given its decision to support the MOX plant. Equally clearly, it fails the test when applied here.

We face the risks of having such a plant 60 miles away, but gain no benefit from it. It provides no service to us yet we have to endure the pollution it pumps into the Irish Sea.

Its operator, British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL), constantly point to the falling radiation levels entering the Irish Sea from Sellafield, telling us the low levels will cause us no harm. The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland has tested these claims and found that yes, it is true levels are dropping and within safe limits.

The same institute, however, also argues correctly that what is discharged is nonetheless radioactive pollution, which taints our shared sea and washes up against our coast.

BNFL's logic would dictate that you could put a few tablespoons of urine in a glass of water and drink it without harm, but would you really want to?

Nor should we on this island trust BNFL given its record of mishaps, accidents and incidents that include downright falsification. If nothing else BNFL has been consistent.

Windscale, as Sellafield used to be known, caused widespread pollution to the English countryside in 1957. In 1999 employees were caught falsifying safety data on fuel pellets shipped to Japan from the new MOX plant, which has now formally been opened for business. In between, there has been a litany of spills, discharges and leaks.

These are all good enough reasons for the Government and the voters it represents to go after Sellafield with everything at their disposal. Why should any of us have to put up with this when there is nothing in it for us? The new MOX plant will add yet more pollution to the burden already carried, despite remaining within limits set by those who might gain some benefit from Sellafield's presence in Cumbria.

Yet we should back away from the doomsday claims being made that there is some special additional risk from Sellafield post September 11th. Sellafield is one place where security at least has been considered, particularly because of decades of tricky Anglo-Irish relations. It has always considered itself a target for terrorist interest, although usually to those much closer to home.

Any risk to us posed by Sellafield, its various plants and the huge stores of highly radioactive liquid waste is predicated on radiation being able to reach us. There are too few places at Sellafield where major explosions linked with subsequent fires involving radioactive materials could release radioactivity high or wide enough to reach us in concentrated form. This would be necessary if significant harm is to be caused here.

Thereare a few large targets there, the old Windscale reactor, the MOX plant, the Magnox fuel reprocessing facility, the new THORP plant that separates uranium and plutonium from spent fuel and the high-level liquid storage tanks.

Windscale happened when carbon meant to moderate the nuclear reactor overheated, caught fire and burned out of control. It spewed radioactivity into the air which was carried on the wind to settle on nearby farms. This could be a target but the carbon would have to be reignited, difficult given the external shielding to this plant.

The reprocessing and fuel manufacturing plants use acids and other chemicals to treat and refine spent fuel. All these activities take place in heavily reinforced buildings and so a significant impact would be required to breech them.

If this happened and aviation fuel caught fire, then there is potential for radioactive material to be carried upwards. Large stores of exposed radioactive material would need to be available to make this a significant threat, as at Chernobyl where an explosion ripped open the core, exposing tonnes of fuel to the fire that followed.

Two of the worst possibilities are the rupture of the high-level liquid storage tanks or a fire involving plutonium.

The latter is a dangerous substance even at low levels. A strong fire has the potential to spread radioactivity, but it would have to be a large fire and the wind would have to be blowing in our direction to cause us harm.

Dick Ahlstrom is Science Editor of The Irish Times ***************************************************************** 27 Sellafield approval sparks outrage Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Limited PUBLICATION DATE:Thursday, 4 October 2001 By David Gordon and Marie Foy THE DoE will be asked to spell out the implications for Northern Ireland of the controversial go-ahead for nuclear reprocessing at Sellafield, it was revealed today. The decision to grant permission for the mixed oxide (MOX) plant on the Cumbrian coast has been widely condemned, with the Dublin government vowing to intensify legal action against the operation. South Down SDLP MP Eddie McGrady is calling on the Assembly to declare its opposition, while Alliance MLA David Ford pledged to raise his concerns at Stormont's Environment Committee. "I will be asking the Committee to request an explanation from DoE officials on the implications," Mr Ford said today. "While the management of Sellafield is outside our area of responsibility, this is clearly a matter of concern in the community. I would expect people to bring their concerns to the Committee." Mr McGrady said he was extremely disappointed that the go-ahead had been given for the reprocessing plant. "There is no doubt that such a plant will increase the problem with the amassing of plutonium and high risk radioactive waste," the SDLP politician stated. He said the decision showed scant regard for the environment and the opinions of local and international communities. Referring to the attacks in the USA last month, Mr McGrady also claimed Sellafield was a "potential target" for terrorism. "Such a disaster, if it were to happen, would engulf the isles of Britain and Ireland," he warned. The MOX plant was completed in 1996 and was intended to create usable fuel from spent plutonium and uranium from nuclear power plants around the world. However, the commercial go-ahead was withheld, and no fewer than five public consultations were held. The British Government yesterday gave its approval, saying the MOX operation was "justified" in accordance with European law. The decision was welcomed by trade union leader Sir Ken Jackson of the AEEU, who said it was a "real boost" for the nuclear power industry and would end uncertainty for several hundred employees. But there were angry denunciations from environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. The Dublin minister with responsibility for nuclear safety, Joe Jacob, said his government would step up a legal challenge to the planned reprocessing facility. He claimed the plant approval "defied logic in the current climate of international terrorist threats". Sinn Fein environment spokesperson Mick Murphy also called for the decision to be reversed. Belfast Telegraph Newspapers Ltd. ***************************************************************** 28 Go-ahead for new Sellafield plant criticized The Norway Post - Doorway to Norway Monday, 8.10.2001 4. Oktober 2001 The British government's decicion to start production at the new section of the nuclear repossession plant at Sellafield, has caused severe criticism. The factory will produce fuel rods for nuclear power plants. Norway and other nations have earlier protested to Britain over the emissions of nuclear waste from the already existing plant at Sellafield, complaining that it pollutes the coastal waters around the North Sea. The Irish government has also launched a strong protest against the emission, and so has several environmental organizations. They are also worried about the freighting of nuclear waste over long distances to Sellafield by ship, pinting out that this could easily become a target for terrorists, to be used as a tool for blackmail. Norwegian MP Gunnar Kvassheim says he would have thought that rather than giving the go-ahead for a new plant, the British authorities would have concentrated on reducing the emissions from the first plant. (NRK) Rolleiv Solholm ***************************************************************** 29 Ireland promises legal battle over Sellafield plan Planet Ark Environmental News: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: October 5, 2001 DUBLIN - Irish fury at Britain's decision to go ahead with the expansion of the Sellafield nuclear plant showed no signs of abating yesterday, with prime minister Bertie Ahern calling the move "entirely unreasonable". As Ahern told the Irish parliament he would be raising the matter with British counterpart Tony Blair, his government said it would pursue "every legal avenue" to halt the commissioning of the mixed oxide (MOX) plant in Cumbria, northwest England. "Make no mistake, this is a battle we must win," said Joe Jacob, Irish minister with responsibility for nuclear safety. "The expansion of Sellafield and the development of the MOX plant flies in the face of reason, it is wrong and cannot be justified. We will exploit every legal avenue which will stop this disastrous development in its tracks." The British decision on Wednesday to give the go-ahead for the nuclear fuel manufacturing plant provoked a storm of protest in Ireland, which has long called for the closure of the existing Sellafield facilities just across the Irish Sea. An editorial in Yesterday's Irish Independent broadsheet called the move "one of the most irresponsible and harmful decisions made in any major democracy in many years". Ireland has longstanding fears of a nuclear accident at Sellafield, some 60 miles (96 km) from the Irish coast, and since the September 11 attacks on the U.S. using hijacked planes the threat of a similar assault on the plant has been raised. An Irish challenge to the MOX plant was launched in June, and is currently subject to arbitration under the OSPAR Convention for the protection of the marine environment in the northeast Atlantic. Jacob said Ireland was now drawing up a separate legal action under European Union law, and was considering a claim under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea. Britain first established nuclear facilities at Sellafield, formerly called Windscale, in the 1940s, and the world's first commercial nuclear power station was opened there in 1956. The MOX plant was completed five years ago, but its approval has been delayed by fears there were not enough customers for the fuel. Britain says the plant meets European Union laws which say the economic benefits of the project must outweigh any health or environmental detriments. Story by Alex Richardson REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 30 Irish PM expected to contest BNFL recycling plan By Matthew Jones Published: October 4 2001 17:51 | Last Updated: October 5 2001 18:14 Bertie Ahern, Irish prime minister, is expected to contact Tony Blair on Friday to protest at the UK government's approval of a controversial nuclear fuel recycling plant at Sellafield, northwest England. Mr Ahern said the two governments had planned to discuss the matter on Friday but British ministers had gone back on their word by taking the decision on Wednesday to open British Nuclear Fuels' mixed-oxide (Mox) plant. Dublin would now seek to overturn the approval through the Ospar Convention, a treaty signed by North Atlantic countries to protect the marine environment, or challenges under European Union and United Nations law. "We will continue to do everything we possibly can, both legally and politically on every front, to stop the British government from continuing with the proposals," he told the Irish parliament. Ireland and a number of anti-nuclear campaign groups believe more security checks should be carried out in the light of the September 11 terrorist attacks to assess the risks of the Mox fuel falling into criminal hands. The Oxford Research Group, an anti-proliferation think-tank, has warned that a second year chemistry undergraduate could extract plutonium from mox to make crude nuclear weapons. Dublin also questions whether the plant is economically viable, despite findings by an independent study that it would be better value to start producing mox than to abandon the plant, which has been standing idle for five years. An official from the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, confirmed that a meeting between Irish and British officials was planned for today. He added: "We took the decision on Wednesday because we had all the necessary information to justify the plant and considered there was no obligation to delay under the Ospar convention." Mr Ahern's comments are the latest in a series of Irish protests about the safety and environmental risks of the Sellafield site. UK: Financial Times ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 ORNL to trim 93 more jobs KnoxNews: Business By Amy Nolan, News-Sentinel business editor Ninety-three employees at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will learn today that they will lose their jobs by Oct. 19, officials announced Thursday. The involuntary staff reduction is a continuing effort "to eliminate positions and costs that do not support our core research mission," said Bill Madia, the lab's director, in a memo to employees. UT-Battelle, which received the contract to manage the lab in April 2000, last year set a goal of reducing the lab's indirect costs by $30 million over a two- to three-year period. About $20 million was cut shortly thereafter and 300 jobs eliminated. This year, rising utility costs and the replacement of a waste line pushed unplanned costs up to $7 million. Coupled with an effort to raise compensation of some workers to make them competitive with other labs, ORNL seeks to reduce costs this year by $8 million, Madia said. Employees who receive layoff notices today will be given the option of leaving immediately or by Oct. 19 with a normal severance package, plus pay equivalent to 60 days' salary minus the time between the notification date and termination date. ORNL will seek to cut its outlays by another $9 million to bring its general and administrative costs in line with other national labs. But lab spokesman Billy Stair said, "We do not anticipate any more large scale staff reductions, absent any unforeseen budgetary changes in Congress." Staff being eliminated include those who do not receive direct funding for their work and those in support positions whose work is redundant to staff in other divisions, according to Madia's memo. Last month the lab announced the elimination of an entire level of management, including 62 section heads. Some of those managers are expected to return to research or be transferred to other administrative jobs, and others are part of the staff reductions announced Thursday. The cuts are "spread literally throughout every division in the lab," Stair said. ORNL employs about 3,700 people and continues hiring staff in some of the more lucrative research areas, such as neutron sciences, genetics and computational science. Amy Nolan may be reached at 865-342-6342 or by e-mail, nolana@knews.com. Copyright 2001 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. October 5, 2001 ***************************************************************** 2 Reid eyes greater role for test site LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: NEWS: Friday, October 05, 2001 Senator wants more counterterrorism activities at range By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been lobbying President Bush, members of his Cabinet and other senators to expand the role of the Nevada Test Site in the nation's war on terrorism. Reid said he's pushing the idea of establishing a National Center for Combating Terrorism at the test range. Officials at such a center could coordinate anti-terrorism training for agencies across the government, he said in a statement Thursday night. Reid advanced the idea in a letter to Bush last weekend that the senator's office disclosed on Thursday. The Nevadan also brought up the topic during a Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and retired Gen. John Gordon, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration. The administration's reaction to the idea could not be determined on Thursday night. Reid said the initial response has been positive. The proposal also has been brought before Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and the panel's ranking Republican, Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama. Reid is waiting to see whether he will introduce legislation on the topic or whether the Bush administration might be persuaded to upgrade the test site on its own, spokesman Nathan Naylor said. "Winning this war on terrorism is going to require expert personnel skilled in a wide variety of counterterrorist activities, including chemical and biological weapons, high explosives, weapons of mass destruction and radiation attacks," Reid said. "No other location in the country is better than the Nevada Test Site for this kind of training," he said. Reid plans to speak with Tom Ridge when the president's nominee to head the new Office of Homeland Security begins work, Naylor said. The test site already receives about $7 million annually through the Energy Department to operate a test and training center for counterterrorism. No figures have been developed yet as to the cost of a major program expansion, Naylor said. Reid believes the test site's selling points include its size, 1,350 square miles, and its terrain, which approximates the ruggedness that U.S. forces might encounter in Afghanistan, Naylor said. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 3 Blair, Musharraf to discuss Kashmir, nuclear issues today The Frontier Post From Peshawar Pakistan ©The Frontier Publications (Pvt) Ltd. Address: 32 Stadium Road Peshawar Cantt P.O. Box No. 1161 Pakistan Phones: +92-91 287074-5-6 Fax: +92-91 278901 Naveed Miraj Updated on 10/5/2001 11:32:01 AM ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who arrives in Islamabad on Friday, will discuss Kashmir issue and matters relating to the safety of Pakistan's strategic assets with President Pervez Musharraf, The Frontier Post learnt late Thursday. While a foreign office spokesman Thursday confirmed that Premier visiting was arriving in Islamabad on Friday, he said the agenda of the meeting had no relevance in the prevailing situation. Well placed sources told The Frontier Post that during his four-hour visit, Blair will address Pakistan's concerns about Kashmir. It is likely that the Premier will present a formula for amicable resolution of the Kashmir problem. Pakistan during its contacts with USA and Britain has been able to convince the leadership there that there were causes of hatred against policies of the world powers that had to be removed. General Musharraf particularly took up Kashmir and Palestine issues. Other sources said Premier Blair will also discuss with President Musharraf issues involving command and control structure of nuclear and strategic arms of Pakistan. He will also offer Britain's help in making these more secure. Western powers are quite worried about the security of the nuclear assets of Pakistan, as these fear that some renegade elements may be able to lay hand on the nuclear and strategic weapons. He will also be sharing information on Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network. He is also likely to agree on some sort of understanding with Pakistan about its role in the coalition against terrorism. Officials say Premier Blair will meet President Musharraf. There are also unconfirmed reports that a high level envoy from Afghanistan may also meet him. Taliban Foreign Minister Mualvi Mutawakil is likely to be that envoy. However till late night this could not be confirmed. Officials insist that Pakistan has no official or diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan Embassy operative in Islamabad is to have contact with outer world. The presence of Taliban Embassy helped the British High Commissioner and the visiting Assistant Secretary General of the UN meetings with the Afghan Envoy. According to the other sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Blair is arriving in a special plane at about 5 p.m. and would remain in Islamabad for some hours. © Copyright 2001 The Frontier Post ***************************************************************** 4 Reid pushes training program at Test Site Las Vegas SUN October 05, 2001 By Benjamin Grove and Mary Manning WASHINGTON -- Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., this week hustled the plan to establish a permanent national counterterrorism training center at the nuclear bomb-scarred Nevada Test Site. Nevada lawmakers have advocated the proposal for years, but it has received renewed attention since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Reid pitched the plan in person to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham after an unrelated briefing for senators in the Capitol on Wednesday, Reid spokesman Nathan Naylor said. He lobbied other senators, including Intelligence Committee chairman Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla. Reid, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, also sent a letter last weekend to President Bush, urging him to consider the proposal. Bush has not responded, but Reid's staff has talked the plan over with administration aides, Naylor said. No specific blueprints, budgets or job studies or timelines have been drafted, Naylor said. The Test Site is already used several times a year for limited "weapons of mass destruction" training for emergency responders nationwide. "In this time of national crisis, a training facility expanding on these programs could be immediately established at the Nevada Test Site," Reid said in a written statement. The Test Site is larger than Rhode Island and uniquely remote, its border roughly 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Underground tunnels there served as laboratories for some of the 1,000 nuclear weapons tests at the site conducted between 1951 and 1992. The Test Site has been redefining itself since its workforce decreased after tests were banned in 1992. It has been the focus of proposals for windmill farms and spacecraft launch pads. Reid envisions diverse exercises, from special operations forces and military officers training to hunt terrorists to emergency workers training for a biological weapons attack. Officials with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the site, support the plan. They are aware of Reid's latest proposal, but a spokesman had no comment Thursday. Officials in other states also are angling for a national academy. A plan to create a $52 million Center for Anti-Terrorism and Security Training school at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland was proposed by the State Department last month. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 5 Pakistan Confident Its Nuclear Facilities Secure Sources: Reuters | AP | The New York Times | ABCNEWS.com Friday October 5 5:32 AM ET By Andy Soloman ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Friday it was confident its nuclear weapons facilities were secure in the event of military strikes on neighboring Afghanistan, and it had no word from Washington on possible plans to bolster protection. ``I think Pakistan is responsible for ensuring the security of its nuclear weapons, I don't think anyone else can do that,'' Major-General Rashid Qureshi, spokesman for military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, told Reuters. ``And I'm quite, quite confident that Pakistan is capable of doing that.'' U.S. officials say the issue of Islamabad's nuclear program is under active review as Washington moves toward military action in Afghanistan after the deadly September 11 hijack plane attacks on New York and Washington. Qureshi said he was unaware of any dialogue with Washington on the subject and that Islamabad had no details on what was being considered. ``One would have to look at what they mean by ensuring the security of nuclear weapons and I guess one can't comment until one knows what they are talking about,'' he said. Experts say help could include improving surveillance at sensitive sites, sharing devices to disable weapons and evaluating the reliability of essential personnel and security in the event weapons must be transported. But the issue is extremely sensitive. It involves the stability of Pakistan's government as it comes under pressure for siding with the United States and plays into already tense relations between Pakistan and its nuclear rival, India. Some U.S. officials are wary of being seen as taking any steps that might legitimize or advance Pakistan's nuclear program, which Washington for years has tried to thwart with diplomacy and sanctions. ``We're looking at (the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear program). We're studying it. We've not made any particular proposal. We haven't seen any need to make any proposal at this time,'' said one U.S. official in Washington. VOLATILE STEW The United States has identified fugitive millionaire Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network of Islamic militants, sheltered by the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan, as prime suspects in the attacks that left more than 5,700 people dead or missing. Pakistan, a Muslim nation bordering Afghanistan which is the only country to maintain any diplomatic ties with the Taliban, has backed the United States in the anti-terror war and on Thursday said it had seen sufficient U.S.-supplied evidence for an indictment. But the impoverished country has for years has been grappling with a rising tide of radical Islamic groups and soaring law and order problems. Political insecurity and years of friction with India over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir have added to the volatile stew. In May 1998, Pakistan followed India in testing nuclear weapons and experts estimate Islamabad has enough fissile material for two to three dozen nuclear weapons. Within Pakistan, there are strong pockets of support for the Taliban among hardline Islamic groups, several million Afghan refugees and other sections which view any attack on Muslim Afghanistan as an attack on Islam. The United States has already lifted some sanctions imposed on Pakistan for its nuclear program and a key congressional committee on Thursday went further, approving legislation to ease curbs on military and other aid imposed after the 1999 military coup that brought Musharraf to power. Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 ORNL cuts 93 people Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 1:06 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 2001 by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff UT-Battelle notified 93 employees today that they would be out of a job, as the company continues its efforts to reduce the cost of doing business at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Lab Director Bill Madia announced that the layoffs were coming in a memo he sent to ORNL employees Thursday. "Giving our customers more research and development for each dollar they spend at ORNL is one of the laboratory's enduring goals," Madia said. "The need to reduce the cost of doing business continues to be among the most frequent themes I hear from both staff and customers." Last year, UT-Battelle set a goal of reducing the laboratory's indirect costs by $30 million over a two- to three-year period. Initially, Madia says the company succeeded in cutting $20 million in costs and eliminated around 300 jobs in the process. "However, a number of unplanned events, including a steep rise in utility costs and the replacement of a failed process waste line, presented us with unanticipated costs of about $7 million," Madia said. "In addition, we continue to implement a compensation plan that is narrowing the salary gap between ORNL staff and our colleagues at other labs." ORNL employees who receive layoff notices today will have the choice to leave the laboratory immediately or they can stay until Oct. 19. Affected staff will receive the normal severance package plus "in-lieu-of notice" pay, which is the equivalent of 60 days' pay minus the time between the notification date and termination date. Billy Stair, a spokesman for ORNL, said this morning that UT-Battelle did not anticipate any more large-scale layoffs in the near future, pending any unforeseen budget-related issues. In addition to today's layoffs, UT-Battelle began operating under a new organizational structure last month, which eliminated a level of management and impacted around 62 positions. Some of those people were transferred to other areas of the lab, while others will be let go. All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 7 Mock terrorists breached security at weapons plants Chicago Tribune | By Stephen J. Hedges and Jeff Zeleny Washington Bureau Published October 5, 2001 WASHINGTON -- America's 10 nuclear weapons research and production facilities are vulnerable to terrorist attack and have failed about half of recent security drills, a non-government watchdog group has found. U.S. Army and Navy commando teams penetrated the plants and obtained nuclear material during exercises designed to test security, according to the Project on Government Oversight report, being released Friday. In a drill in October 2000 at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, "the mock terrorists gained control of sensitive nuclear material which, if detonated, would have endangered significant parts of New Mexico, Colorado and downwind areas," the report says. In an earlier test at the same lab, an Army Special Forces team used a household garden cart to haul away enough weapons-grade uranium to build several nuclear weapons. In another test at the Rocky Flats site near Denver, Navy SEALs cut a hole in a chain link fence as they escaped with enough plutonium for several nuclear bombs. They were discovered only as they left the facility. Government security rules require the nuclear facilities to defend themselves against the theft of nuclear materials by terrorists or through sabotage. A spokeswoman at the National Nuclear Security Administration, a branch of the Energy Department, declined Thursday to comment on the report. The report is based on information provided by 12 whistle-blowers, according to Danielle Brian, the non-government watchdog group's director, as well as declassified Energy Department material that describes the security exercises. The repeated security breaches are cause for serious concern, Brian said, because Energy Department employees were warned before each security exercise but still failed to stop would-be terrorists in more than half of the drills. "These are tests where the security forces are necessarily dumbed-down so that they know the tests are coming," Brian said. "They are very restrictive tests [but] they're still losing half of the time. "No one thought it really mattered, until two weeks ago," Brian added. The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon have raised alarms about security concerns, from local community responses to chemical and biological weapons to the security at nuclear power plants. Nine of the weapons facilities are within 100 miles of cities with more than 75,000 people. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is near the San Francisco metropolitan area, which has more than 7 million people. The Rocky Flats site is near Denver, home to 2.6 million people. Eight of the 10 weapons plants contained a total of 33.5 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium. Experts say it takes only a few pounds of plutonium to craft a nuclear bomb. The study has drawn the attention of the House Reform Committee, which has launched its own review of security measure at the nuclear weapons plants. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), chairman of a national security subcommittee in the House, declined to discuss the report. But he issued a statement indicating he was "deeply troubled" that the nuclear facilities failed security tests even though they had been alerted in advance. "We want to know what DOE is doing to resolve this deficiency, both in the short term and in the long term," Shays' statement said. Security tests at the nuclear weapons facilities are simulated on computers and run as drills between an invading terrorist force and the plant's security team. Participants strap on devices similar to those from a laser tag game. When someone is "killed" by an opposing force, they must lie down and end their participation in the exercise. Copyright © 2001, Chicago Tribune ***************************************************************** 8 Scientist Awarded $250,000 From U.S. Nuclear Lab Thursday October 4 9:05 PM ET LIVERMORE, Calif. (Reuters) - A former nuclear engineer at Livermore National Laboratory who said he was harassed for refusing to cover-up nuclear safety violations has settled his whistle-blower lawsuit against the lab for $250,000, a spokeswoman for the facility said on Thursday. Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman at the Department of Energy ( - )'s nuclear weapons lab, said the lab continues to deny David Lappa's allegations made in a 1998 whistle-blower lawsuit. ``It doesn't really mean anyone won,'' Houghton said, noting the lab operated by the University of California admitted no wrongdoing in the agreement. ``It was just a means of ending the case.'' Lappa, who currently lives in Australia, could not be reached for comment. But his attorney Tom Carpenter said in a statement that his client refused to cover up serious and repeated violations of plutonium safe-handling requirements at the facility. Lappa, who worked at the lab for 20 years, alleged he was forced to resign when harassment became so intolerable after he continued to raise safety concerns to his managers and federal authorities. ``David Lappa was a model employee until he refused to go along with a cover-up of serious safety and health issues involving plutonium handling at the Lab,'' Carpenter said in a statement. Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 Stamp honors Fermi Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 1:06 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 2001 by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff One of the preeminent physicists of the atomic age is now gracing a recently issued commemorative postage stamp. The 34-cent Enrico Fermi stamp was issued at the University of Chicago on Sept. 29 and went on sale at post offices across the country on Monday. It commemorates the 100th anniversary of Fermi's birth on Sept. 29, 1901, in Rome, Italy. The Fermi stamp features a photograph of the physicist that was taken on March 26, 1948, when Fermi was a professor at the University of Chicago's Institute for Nuclear Studies. In 1934, while experimenting with neutron bombardment of uranium, Fermi -- without realizing it at the time -- became the first physicist to split the atom. Fermi was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1938 for his discovery of nuclear reactions brought about by slow neutrons. After accepting the prize in Stockholm, Fermi immigrated to the United States with his wife, Laura, who was Jewish, and their two children, in order to escape anti-Semitic persecution in Italy. On Dec. 2, 1942, Enrico Fermi and his team of scientists harnessed the atom and opened the door to new scientific and technological realms. His achievement allowed the United States to produce the atomic bomb that helped end World War II. When a uranium-fueled atomic bomb devastated Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, it was powered by the output of Oak Ridge's Y-12 and K-25 plants. Fermi became a naturalized U.S. citizen on July 11, 1944. On Nov. 16, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower and the Atomic Energy Commission, a Department of Energy predecessor agency, gave Fermi an award for his "lifetime of accomplishments in physics and, in particular, for the development of atomic energy." Then, the Enrico Fermi Award was established in 1956 to perpetuate the memory of his brilliance as a scientist and to recognize others of his kind -- inspiring others by his example. Fermi's momentous accomplishments caused him to be recognized as one of the great scientists of the 20th century. Since his death on Nov. 28, 1954, a number of science institutions and awards have been named in his honor. All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 10 Blair, Musharraf to discuss Kashmir, nuclear issues today The Frontier Post From Peshawar Pakistan Naveed Miraj Updated on 10/5/2001 11:32:01 AM ISLAMABAD: British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who arrives in Islamabad on Friday, will discuss Kashmir issue and matters relating to the safety of Pakistan's strategic assets with President Pervez Musharraf, The Frontier Post learnt late Thursday. While a foreign office spokesman Thursday confirmed that Premier visiting was arriving in Islamabad on Friday, he said the agenda of the meeting had no relevance in the prevailing situation. Well placed sources told The Frontier Post that during his four-hour visit, Blair will address Pakistan's concerns about Kashmir. It is likely that the Premier will present a formula for amicable resolution of the Kashmir problem. Pakistan during its contacts with USA and Britain has been able to convince the leadership there that there were causes of hatred against policies of the world powers that had to be removed. General Musharraf particularly took up Kashmir and Palestine issues. Other sources said Premier Blair will also discuss with President Musharraf issues involving command and control structure of nuclear and strategic arms of Pakistan. He will also offer Britain's help in making these more secure. Western powers are quite worried about the security of the nuclear assets of Pakistan, as these fear that some renegade elements may be able to lay hand on the nuclear and strategic weapons. He will also be sharing information on Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network. He is also likely to agree on some sort of understanding with Pakistan about its role in the coalition against terrorism. Officials say Premier Blair will meet President Musharraf. There are also unconfirmed reports that a high level envoy from Afghanistan may also meet him. Taliban Foreign Minister Mualvi Mutawakil is likely to be that envoy. However till late night this could not be confirmed. Officials insist that Pakistan has no official or diplomatic presence in Afghanistan. However, the Afghan Embassy operative in Islamabad is to have contact with outer world. The presence of Taliban Embassy helped the British High Commissioner and the visiting Assistant Secretary General of the UN meetings with the Afghan Envoy. According to the other sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Blair is arriving in a special plane at about 5 p.m. and would remain in Islamabad for some hours. © Copyright 2001 The Frontier Post ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************