***************************************************************** 04/10/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.89 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 More Yucca funds allotted 2 Allocations advance work on Yucca site 3 Calif. crisis alters outlook for Rock Hill 4 Data hard to come by in study of radioactive wells 5 Anti-Nuclear Protests in Germany 6 Activists: German Nuke Waste Train to Skirt Paris 7 NO NUCLEAR WASTE TO FRANCE! TRUCK FOR TRAIN STOPPED IN GREENPEACE 8 EU Raps Russia on Nuclear Cleanup, Frets About NTV 9 Risk Factor Growing in Russian Atomic Energy Industry 10 Out of Control 11 Chernobyl Legacy: Insightful Book Reveals True Heritage of 12 U.N. Nuke Inspectors Ready for Work 13 'Whistle-blower' claim filed NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 In Bush's budget: Salmon, forests OK; Hanford, energy trimmed 2 Budget fully funds Spallation Neutron Source 3 Budget cuts nuclear cleanup funds 4 Budget threatens to cut cleanup 5 Lawmakers say Bush's cleanup budget not enough 6 Cuts proposed in money for uranium-plant cleanup 7 DOE's Hanford budget comes up short 8 Senator told Justice won't handle money for Cold War workers 9 Proposed Budget Protested 10 Veteran's family questions role toxins played in his death 11 Cheap, Safe Storage for Radioactive 12 Spy plane investigating planned weapons test 13 Pataki Tours Vieques, Asking for Halt to Navy Bomb Runs 14 China Set for Underground Nuclear Test 15 Depleted uranium is safe, says EU - 16 Southern Nevada dodges BLM cuts 17 IAEA chief arrives in S.Africa 18 IAEA And South Africa Talk Nuclear Non-Proliferation 19 BACKGROUND ON THE ROLE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY 20 FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR AGE 21 Beryllium screening for former lab workers 22 U.S. to make nuke triggers 23 Wild West faced by rollin', rollin' radiation ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 More Yucca funds allotted April 10, 2001 By Benjamin Grove LAS VEGAS SUN WASHINGTON -- The $1.96 trillion budget proposal President Bush sent to Congress Monday includes a 14 percent increase in federal spending on Yucca Mountain. The appropriation apparently marks an effort to spur the nuclear waste project toward completion. The budget also included $2.5 million for Nevada oversight of the Yucca project. However, no money was earmarked for controversial transmutation research, a possible alternative to long-term nuclear waste storage in Nevada. Bush asked Congress for nearly $445 million for projects at Yucca during the 2002 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, up from about $390 million appropriated during the current fiscal year. "The budget provides sufficient funds to allow the (Energy) Department to keep on schedule and continue its science-based approach to obtaining a national depository site," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said at a news conference outlining the department's $19.2 billion share of the Bush budget. The money has been requested at a critical time during Yucca's development. Congress in 1987 chose Yucca to be the only site studied to become the nation's nuclear waste repository -- a permanent burial ground for 77,000 tons of high-level waste now stored at nuclear power plants and defense sites nationwide. The Department of Energy has been studying Yucca for years and is expected later this year to recommend the site to Congress, despite the objections of many Nevadans. The $445 million would be used to gather data and assemble Abraham's formal recommendation to Bush about Yucca's future and to begin drafting a license application for submission to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC must approve a DOE license to store waste at the site, which could take up to four years. The money also would be used for additional scientific tests inside Yucca. Scientists are still developing a design for the repository and will use the additional funds next year to shift from a conceptual to preliminary design stage. Nevada lawmakers argue that Yucca is not a safe site and object to the DOE launching new phases of the project before Congress, the president, the NRC and the state of Nevada have a formal say in the approval process. "If we are having cutbacks in the budget, I have no concept of how you justify spending more at Yucca Mountain, while at the same time cutting back on other important programs in Nevada, like nuclear cleanup," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said. He said Bush had trimmed about $4 million out of cleanup funds at the Nevada Test Site. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said he opposed any Yucca funding. "We'll do what we can as a delegation to scale back that amount," Gibbons said. "If we could scale it back to zero, that would be one cut I could live with." There is one particular sentence in the DOE budget that made it clear the Bush administration "has been misleading the state of Nevada" into believing that its concerns mattered, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said. It reads, "The FY 2002 budget is based on the presumption that the Secretary will decide, based on information obtained from site characterization and after considering the views and comments of the public, the State of Nevada and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; to recommend the site to the President in FY 2002." Republican leaders, including Vice President Cheney and Abraham, in the past month have said publicly that nuclear power should be a bigger part of the "energy mix" in America, which relies heavily on coal and natural gas. Nuclear power accounts for nearly 20 percent of electricity generated in the United States. Cheney is leading a task force that is assembling an energy strategy due in the next month or so. On a Sunday morning talk show Cheney said the nation should be building more power plants every year and "some of those ought to be nuclear." Nevada lawmakers have opposed the growth of nuclear power until a waste solution is discovered. They oppose tax breaks and research money for nuclear power utilities that are tucked into the Bush budget. Bush's budget included no money for transmutation research, part of what the DOE calls its advanced accelerator applications program. Transmutation is an expensive, experimental technology that promises to decrease the toxicity of nuclear waste by bombarding it with subatomic particles until it is less dangerous, a process that, once developed, could replace the need to store waste. The Bush administration plans to review the research before funding it again, the DOE budget says. That's disappointing to Nevada lawmakers, among them Gibbons, who called transmutation the "science of tomorrow." "It deserves to be funded even more than that hole in the ground they call Yucca Mountain," Gibbons said. Sen. John Ensign,R-Nev., has been lobbying fellow senators, such as John McCain, R-Ariz, and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., to include money for transmutation in the final budget. "Joe Lieberman looked at me and said, 'No wonder you got elected to the Senate,'¢thº" Ensign said. "Nobody (in Washington) understands the issue. It's an educational process with them." The Bush budget also called for a decrease in renewable energy programs, such as research for solar and wind power initiatives. Abraham said that even with a pending energy crisis the Bush administration could not justify costly Clinton-era renewable energy programs that yielded few results. "We decided it made little sense to continue forward with programs that have not helped us avert the energy crisis," Abraham said at his budget briefing. Reid said tax credits that would help establish a planned privately funded wind farm in Nevada were not in danger. Reid said it was "senseless" to cut back on renewable programs now, but said the Senate likely would put money back into the budget for those programs. "I would almost guarantee that those numbers will change," Reid said. "That's not something Bush will be able to get away with." Congress, out of session for a two-week break, will likely resume budget battles when members return later this month. Lawmakers sometimes dramatically change presidential budget requests, and Democrats were quick to criticize pieces of Bush's budget Monday. Last year the DOE requested $437.5 million for Yucca studies; the House approved $413 million; the Senate approved $351 million; and the final agreement was roughly $390 million. Bush's overall budget analysis reported that his proposals would: increase federal education spending in Nevada by more than $169 million; give 730,000 Nevada residents tax relief (a family of four making $75,000 in the state would receive a 25 percent tax cut, according to Bush figures); provide $206 million in federal highway money for Nevada. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 2 Allocations advance work on Yucca site LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: NEWS: Shelley Berkley Criticizes presumptions about Yucca Mountain FEDERAL SPENDING: Southern Nevada dodges BLM cuts Tuesday, April 10, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Allocations advance work on Yucca site By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department's budget contains a 14 percent increase in its nuclear waste program, enough to largely complete studies in the coming year and begin writing a license application to open a repository at Yucca Mountain. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham requested Congress allocate $445 million for nuclear waste disposal in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Most of the funding would be spent to complete site characterization, begin writing a license application and initiate preliminary designs for a repository at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Abraham said the budget would enable him to recommend to President Bush whether the Nevada ridge can safely hold tens of thousands of tons of radioactive waste for 10,000 years. If the site is declared suitable, the project could move beyond the study stage and into licensing and design leading to operation by 2010, the department forecasts. Nevada leaders have said they will file multiple lawsuits to delay or kill the project. "We are committed to moving forward with the siting and construction of a safe final disposal site for our nuclear waste," Abraham said at a presentation. "The budget provides sufficient funds to allow the department to keep on schedule and continue its science-based approach to approaching a national depository site." Acting program director Lake Barrett said scientists hope to have work completed by the end of the year, leading to a decision by Abraham. Some work has been delayed by an ongoing investigation of the program's management. "This budget does contain an increase," Barrett said. "We've got a lot of work to do." In Las Vegas, Victor Trebules, director of Yucca Mountain project control, explained the need for an additional $55 million on top of the $390 million currently appropriated for the project. "Basically we're trying to recover as much as we can in the schedule for the license application," Trebules said. He said funding during the past three or four years lacked money to meet the initial target date of March 2002 to submit a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Among the aspects of the project hardest hit by the string of $30 million shortfalls has been the repository's final design. "Because of this reduced funding over the past three or four years, it looked like it was going to slip on the order of two years. We hope to be able to deliver the license application by the end of '03," he said. The nuclear waste budget also contains $2.5 million to fund Nevada reviews of the Energy Department's work. The amount is half of what Gov. Kenny Guinn requested from Abraham but more than what the state was given by the Clinton administration the past several years. "Considering that two years ago we were only funded at $250,000, I think we're doing all right," Guinn spokesman Jack Finn said. "We did want $5 million, and we're not giving up that fight," adding that state officials plan to revisit that issue with Congress. Nevada and California counties affected by the project will divide $5.88 million in federal funding, Barrett said. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., criticized the budget's presumption that Yucca Mountain will be found suitable. "I don't think you have to be a Rhodes scholar to figure out this budget is akin to putting nuclear waste on the loading dock," she said. The figures were contained in the Energy Department's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Budget numbers indicate a $1.7 million drop in funding for Nevada Test Site operations, to $43.6 million. Other figures, however, suggest a possible increase in program activity at the test site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Department officials said they could not provide more information or explanation on Monday. The Bush administration seeks a $231 million increase for maintenance of the nuclear weapons stockpile, including programs run at the test site. Key accounts for readiness and directed stockpile work tapped by the Nevada facility saw substantial hikes, a department official said. Additionally, the work force for Energy Department activities in Southern Nevada is expected to stay stable at about 5,976, officials said. Federal employees number 377 with the remainder employed by contractors. Overall, the Bush administration seeks a $5.3 billion budget for nuclear weapons activities, a 4.6 percent increase on the current year. But the administration is cutting the department's nonproliferation programs -- including those aimed at helping Russia stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction -- by $100 million from $874 million in the current year. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., an influential senator on nuclear matters, said last week he will work to boost the nuclear weapons budget further. He sponsored an amendment to the Senate's budget resolution adding $800 million to the Energy Department's request for nuclear weapons programs. Review-Journal staff writer Keith Rogers contributed to this ***************************************************************** 3 Calif. crisis alters outlook for Rock Hill [charlotte.com] April 10, 2001 By PETER SMOLOWITZ ROCK HILL -- One City Council member has said electric deregulation "scares me to death." That's why California's energy crisis is a mixed blessing for Rock Hill, a power agency official told the council Monday. Maxine Gill and others fear what will happen if South Carolina's electric industry is opened to competition. They worry because Rock Hill is one of 10 cities in the Piedmont Municipal Power Agency, a group that could be stuck with debts totaling about $700 million. But blackouts in California earlier this year, after lawmakers there approved deregulation, have derailed similar efforts in South Carolina, said Don Ouchley, general manager of PMPA. That gives Rock Hill and other PMPA cities more time to pay their debts, Ouchley said. And it also kills a plan that would have lessened the loans. "Every year that passes, we're paying one more year on that mortgage," Ouchley said. The delay deflates momentum, though, on a deregulation proposal that called for customers in other parts of South Carolina to help pay PMPA's debt. "Had California not occurred, the bill would have been passed," Ouchley said. The threat of electric deregulation has long loomed over Rock Hill. PMPA owes $1.3 billion because it helped pay for one of the two reactors at the Catawba Nuclear Station on Lake Wylie. Rock Hill is PMPA's largest member, and it owes 28 percent of that debt. The debts were part of the reason why the city's bond rating was lowered two notches in October 1999 - when councilwoman Gill said she was scared to death. Bond ratings help investors gauge a city's financial health in much the same way as a credit rating tells a lender about an individual. Rock Hill's ranking fell from one with "many favorable investment attributes," to one that lacks "outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well." "For every bond we have, we have to buy insurance, so it's costly," to have a weaker rating, Gill said Monday. In the coming weeks, the city will begin debating next year's budget, and electric costs again are stretching city coffers. Officials have had to spend $1.5 million more than expected to install power lines to new developments. That has forced them to leave some jobs unfilled in the police and planning departments. And officials have been absorbing PMPA rate increases, earning less on the city's power system but keeping customers' rates unchanged. PMPA held rates steady this year, but some city officials are considering putting aside as much as $1.5 million - what it would have cost to absorb another rate hike. The money could be added to a rainy-day account already established that includes about $2.5 million from selling land for Manchester Village, said Mayor Pro Tem Rob Herron. A larger reserve fund could also help the city's bond rating and cushion against rate hikes or deregulation. Given PMPA's uncertainty, Herron said a reserve fund of more than $4 million might be prudent: "It's obvious this industry is changing in warp speed." *Reach Peter Smolowitz at (803) 327-8509 or psmolowitz@charlotteobserver.com* ***************************************************************** 4 Data hard to come by in study of radioactive wells The Addison County Independent - Middlebury, Vermont - radioactive wells 4-9-01 Geologist seeks test results to map problem areas 4-9-01 By TRAVIS FAHEY MIDDLEBURY - In the months following the discovery of high amounts of naturally occurring radioactive elements in drinking water in and around the Chittenden County area, including one sample from Weybridge, geologist Jon Kim has been trying to peg where and how these elements are getting into the drinking water, and he's run into a snag. Kim, who works with the Vermont Geological Survey, is butting heads with the state health department, which tests water samples for the radioactive elements, which include radium, radon and uranium. At a presentation to geology students at Middlebury College on Thursday, Kim said to specifically target danger zones he needs access to samples from both private and public wells. The health department is tight-lipped about private wells, however, because that information could lower property values if commonly known. "The health department has been very reluctant to give out any information on private wells, and I can't blame them. Right now, I can only map the test results by zip code, and it's hard to make a correlation between the radiation levels and the rock formations," he said. The issue at hand involves identifying the culprit responsible for the high levels of radiation. Initially, state geologists suspected that radioactive elements in the Clarendon Springs rock formation - which extends along the western edge of the state from Highgate Springs in the north to Bennington in the south - were responsible. But Kim is certain that the answer isn't as cut and dry. Numerous tests by geologists dating back as far as the 1950s have shown uranium-rich strips of bedrock running throughout the state. Those deposits, several of which have been found extending underneath the towns of Starksboro, Granville and Lincoln, can't be attributed to one formation, said Kim. Currently, Kim and others are studying the likelihood that a combination of conditions are to blame, including fault lines and rock formation composition. Tests on wells in St. George and Monkton, which both yielded high amounts of radiation, came from different rock formations. Studies of the water in the Monkton well - which yielded radiation levels that were 200 times as high as the acceptable level - were attributed to a fault line, which Kim suspects pushed the radioactive elements toward the surface as the earth shifted. Kim said the elements can make a person sick if ingested over a long period of time. Cancer risks are very real, he said. If people are concerned about the level of radioactive elements found in their water, they can send samples to the health department for testing, said Kim. But testing on private wells isn't required by the state, which could lead to people drinking contaminated water unknowingly, he added. To ensure people have an idea of the potential danger of being exposed to radioactive contaminants, Kim said access to water samples is that much more important. "We're trying to develop the capacity to study the state's wells and rock formations," he said, "and we're just getting started. I think already we know what we're up against." Copyright © 1997-2000 The Addison County Independent adin@together.net. ***************************************************************** 5 Anti-Nuclear Protests in Germany April 09, 2001 FRANKFURT, Germany- Anti-nuclear activists on Monday chained themselves to a railroad car due to carry nuclear waste to France, just as police announced they would take a tougher line with protesters. Four activists from Greenpeace attached themselves to the car near the southern town of Wurzburg, police spokesman Hans Miesbeck said. Others climbed onto the car and unfurled banners calling for an end to the shipments. The rail car was to be loaded with a container of spent nuclear fuel at the nearby Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant and sent with containers from two other plants to a reprocessing plant in the French port of La Hague. With the shipment expected to depart as early as Tuesday, protesters have threatened a repeat of the massive demonstrations last month at the return of reprocessed waste to the Gorleben dump in northern Germany - the traditional focus of anti-nuclear protests. That transport was delayed 18 hours by protesters who defied a huge police operation to attach themselves to the track using an elaborate system of pipes and chains. Police had to clear many more from sit-down protests. Police in southern Germany said Monday they would fine anyone blocking the tracks $70. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 6 Activists: German Nuke Waste Train to Skirt Paris Monday April 9 4:06 PM ET STRASBOURG, France (Reuters) - A freight train carrying nuclear waste from Germany to a reprocessing plant in northern France this week will pass through the suburbs of Paris, French anti-nuclear groups said Monday. The train, due to traverse France in the early hours of Wednesday, will pass through Bobigny, a suburb so close to the capital that it is on the Paris metro network, they said. German anti-nuclear activists have announced they will try to block the train coming from Philippsburg in southwestern Germany before it crosses into France Tuesday evening. Some protests were expected on the French side, but it was not clear whether anti-nuclear groups would mobilize many. France's Green Party, a partner in the left-wing coalition government, Monday reiterated its opposition to transporting nuclear waste through the country. ``France is not supposed to be the world's nuclear rubbish tip,'' a party statement said. ``The reprocessing of nuclear waste is a pretext to relieve Germany's incapacity to stock its own waste in the short term.'' Germany two weeks ago took back the first cargo of reprocessed waste from France since Berlin banned the shipments in 1998 over concerns about radioactive leaks and huge anti-nuclear protests. In Karlsruhe, Germany, police Monday said protesters blocking nuclear shipments would have to pay for police time spent hauling them off the tracks and for custody costs. ``Anyone who we must carry off the tracks will have to cover the costs,'' said Erwin Hetger, police chief in Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Protecting Germany's first rail shipment of reprocessed waste from France, which protesters halted temporarily by chaining themselves to the tracks, required 20,000 police costing the state around $50 million. Hetger said he expected about 1,000 protesters to rally against Tuesday's shipment. Any obstructing the train would be fined at least 62 marks ($28.60) per policeman per hour involved in clearing the tracks and would have to pay for the cost of time in custody, he said. Copyright © 2001 ., and Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 7 NO NUCLEAR WASTE TO FRANCE! TRUCK FOR TRAIN STOPPED IN GREENPEACE ACTION AGAINST NUCLEAR SHIPMENTS 9 April 2001 Würzburg, Germany - Greenpeace this evening protested new deliveries of nuclear waste from Germany to France at railway sidings in Würzburg. Some eleven environmental activists have chained themselves with steel pipes to a special railway truck which is today supposed to travel to Grafenrheinfeld for loading with nuclear containers intended for reprocessing in France. Another group of activists are displaying banners reading, "no nuclear waste to France" in German and French. Normal rail operations are not being disrupted. Greenpeace is calling for the planned nuclear shipments to be stopped. The nuclear shipment from the Grafenrheinfeld power plant should not, on legal grounds, be made. An objection by Greenpeace filed with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, the BfS, still has to be heard and so has had a delaying effect. The immediate enforcement which would be needed for the shipment to be made has not been ordered. Spent fuel rods from German nuclear power plants are now being taken to France again for the first time since shipments were stopped in 1998. Tomorrow, at the latest, casks of nuclear waste from Biblis, Philippsburg and Grafenrheinfeld are due to form a train at Wörth in North-Rhine Westphalia and be taken to the reprocessing plant at La Hague. Some 1,250 tonnes of German nuclear waste - about 280 shipments - are supposed to be delivered to La Hague alone. "The public must feel they've been taken for a ride," says Greenpeace's energy expert, Veit Bürger, "with the German government two weeks ago justifying the shipment to Gorleben by saying Germany ought not to be allowed to simply dump its nuclear waste on France's doorstep. Because this is precisely what's happening now. So much radioactive waste irretrievably enters the environment with reprocessing that any talk of national responsibility is absurd." The reprocessing plant at La Hague is one of the largest sources of radioactive emissions into the environment in the whole of Europe. Even in normal operations the operating company Cogema pumps about 1.4 million litres of radioactive effluent a day down a pipeline directly into the English Channel/La Manche. Greenpeace has in the last few years repeatedly proven that the nuclear factory at La Hague fails to meet French environmental requirements, and these are much more lax than those in Germany. "With every gram of nuclear waste that leaves Germany for La Hague," says Veit Bürger, "the English Channel/La Manche becomes a bit more heavily radioactively contaminated." Nuclear shipments to La Hague clearly violate current law. The German nuclear energy act stipulates that nuclear waste must be recycled without causing harm. As long ago as 1991 the SPD Social Democrats and Greens demonstrated in a number of studies and reports that reprocessing is not harmless recycling. A press release by the environment ministers in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and Hesse stated that the La Hague plant would never be permitted in Germany because of the level of radioactive discharges. German electricity companies are La Hague's largest foreign customers. Since the beginning of the 1970s they have sent some 4,500 tonnes, 60 per cent of German nuclear waste, to France. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Beta SP footage and photos of the action are available free of charge. Please contact press officer Stefan Schurig, tel. +49 (0)40 30618342. For general queries and further information contact our energy expert, Karsten Smid, tel. +49 (0)171 8780834 or Jean Luc Thierry, Greenpeace France, tel. +33 673895502. Web sites of Greenpeace in Germany: www.greenpeace.deand international: www.greenpeace.org ***************************************************************** 8 EU Raps Russia on Nuclear Cleanup, Frets About NTV Sources: Reuters | AP | The New York Times | ABCNEWS.com Tuesday April 10 8:24 AM ET By Gareth Jones LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - The European Union accused Russia on Tuesday of dragging its feet over plans to clean up its environment and said Moscow must work much harder to attract sorely needed foreign investment. During talks in Luxembourg with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko, senior EU officials also expressed concerns about press freedom amid a fierce ownership row over Russia's sole independent TV channel, NTV. European Commissioner for External Affairs, Chris Patten, said Moscow was holding up plans to release European, U.S. and Japanese money to tackle some of its environmental problems, especially at nuclear facilities in northern Russia. ``We are profoundly disappointed by the discussions last week (in Berlin), which actually went backwards,'' Patten told a news conference also attended by Khristenko and Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. Patten was referring to the so-called Multilateral Nuclear Environmental Program in Russia (MNEPR), which aims to tap foreign capital to tackle problems like rusting hulks of Russian nuclear submarines in the Barents Sea. Diplomats said the main problems centered on taxation and liability for the foreign firms involved. The EU had hoped to wrap up the issue by the time of an EU-Russia summit in Moscow in May but diplomats said that now looked unlikely. They said Russia appeared unhappy about some of the conditions donors had attached to the future investments. Luring Investors Patten said Moscow had to do more to persuade all investors that Russia was a safe and reliable place to do business in. ``If we are to see an increase in EU investment, Russia has to work harder in the energy sector and others,'' he said. Patten added that the EU had been heartened by comments in favor of market reforms by President Vladimir Putin in his recent state-of-the-nation address. The EU wants Russia to liberalize its tax regime for foreign investors, to simplify customs procedures, enforce contractual rights and introduce international accounting standards. Despite the criticisms, Khristenko gave an upbeat assessment of EU-Russia relations, saying they had ``never been so intense.'' ``This pragmatic spirit should be the basis of our future relations,'' he said. The Russian side raised some concerns about the EU's plans to take in new members from ex-communist central and eastern Europe but said that, handled correctly, enlargement could provide new economic opportunities for Moscow too. Khristenko said the EU accounted for 35 percent of all Russian trade and the 12 candidate countries a further 16 percent, making the region by far its biggest market. Ntv, Chechnya Lindh, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, repeated European worries about media freedom in Russia and about the human rights situation in Chechnya. State-dominated gas giant Gazprom recently ousted the founder of independent television channel NTV and his key aides in a boardroom coup branded illegal by the network's staff. Thousands have protested against the takeover in the biggest street protests of Putin's year-old presidency. ``On NTV, we have called for pluralist laws of ownership. We fear this (latest) development will decrease pluralism for owners,'' Lindh told Reuters. She also accused Russia of continuing to block humanitarian aid for civilians in war-devastated Chechnya, where Moscow says it is fighting radical Islamic separatists. ``We had lots of promising answers (on Chechnya), but we responded that unfortunately we have heard these promises before and have not seen any improvement on the ground,'' she said. Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights ***************************************************************** 9 Risk Factor Growing in Russian Atomic Energy Industry Russia Today - MOSCOW, Apr 10, 2001 -- (Military News Agency) The Russian Atomic Energy Ministry has been violating the division of powers principle since 1998, trying to take over the State Atomic Inspection's functions related to licensing activities and expert examination in the sphere of atomic energy use, inspection chairman Yuri Vishnevsky said on Monday. Vishnevsky spoke at parliamentary hearings on the state of the government system of nuclear and radiation security control and related legal issues. The country that attaches so much importance to atomic energy industry, possesses such huge stocks of nuclear weapons and has an enormous number of military installations fitted with nuclear reactors, should stick to the division of powers principle, Vishnevsky stressed. Federal inspection of the country's nuclear and radiation security should be carried out by a federal body directly subordinate to the Russian president, he stressed. Viktor Ilyukhin, chairman of the parliamentary subcommittee for security, told the hearings that many installations of the industry are time-expired, and their equipment modernization progresses very slowly. Those problems are further complicated by poor guarantees of security in the sphere of weapons-grate plutonium scrapping, and as a result, the risk factor in the Russian atomic energy application sphere is very high. Participants of the hearings agreed over the necessity to develop methods of risk assessment on the basis of an objective criteria system. For this matter, it is necessary to speed up consideration and adoption of the bills "Concerning Radioactive Waste Treatiment", "Concerning Legal and Administrative Responsibility for Causing Nuclear Damage and its Financial Backing" and "Concerning Special Environmental Programs of Radiation-Contaminated Territories Rehabilitation", the participants said. (C) 2001 Military News Agency --> ***************************************************************** 2 Budget fully funds Spallation Neutron Source Recommendation is $291.4 million April 10, 2001 By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel senior writer OAK RIDGE -- President Bush's fiscal 2002 budget recommends full funding -- $291.4 million -- to keep construction of the Spallation Neutron Source on schedule and supports modernization of the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant. Some other Oak Ridge projects, however, may not fare so well. Based on budget-highlight documents released Monday by the U.S. Department of Energy, it appears the environmental cleanup program in Oak Ridge would take a significant hit under the proposed plan. One budget scenario shows the Oak Ridge cleanup budget dropping by more than $30 million from the 2001 spending level. DOE's Oak Ridge office did not hold its traditional budget briefing for reporters, and federal officials declined to break down the proposal according to plants. U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., issued a statement saying the Bush budget is good news for Oak Ridge. "It fully funds the Spallation Neutron Source, puts us one step closer to having a new Mouse House (at Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and begins the process of modernizing Y-12 to make it a 21st-century facility," Thompson said. "I applaud President Bush for looking out for Tennessee." ORNL Director Bill Madia was pleased by the budget recommendation on the Spallation Neutron Source and support for other research activities, such as computational science and the lab's revitalized biology program. Overall, the lab's budget would decline by a few percent if the Bush proposal were approved as presented Monday, although Madia said he expects the 2002 budget will be about the same as this year's when a final bill is passed by Congress and signed by the president. "I'm optimistic, by the time all is said and done, things will be essentially flat," Madia said. "Nobody is ecstatic. It's a tight budget, but when we looked at the key areas of our research emphasis, they came through nicely." Next year is considered a crucial one for the Spallation Neutron Source, the $1.4 billion research complex under construction on Chestnut Ridge near ORNL. The funding will reach its peak in 2002, then gradually taper off. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2006. Officials at BWXT, the contractor at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, declined to comment on the proposed budget, but Thompson said the request for Y-12 is up $23.5 million over the current level. The senator said the budget includes money for two modernization projects at Y-12 -- a new storage facility for highly enriched uranium and a "special materials" complex. He also said additional funds for infrastructure upgrades may be available because of a budget resolution introduced by U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., last week. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Monday that DOE plans to do a complete revaluation of the environmental cleanup program, which involves old nuclear sites around the nation. He said the Bush administration wants to speed up the timetable for cleanup and take another look at ways to save money. In the short term, DOE will do what's necessary to meet its regulatory commitments and minimize health risks, Abraham said. Dr. Susan Gawarecki, executive director of the Local Oversight Committee, which reviews environmental programs for local governments, has been pessimistic about the Bush plans, and she said Monday she didn't see anything to ease her worries. "I'm still quite concerned," Gawarecki said. "I think we're going to be hit pretty hard. I suppose things could change before everything is finalized, but I'm worried that Oak Ridge is going to barely be able to meet its compliance requirements, much less make the progress we need." Frank Munger can be reached at 865-482-9213 or twig1@knoxnews.infi.net. ***************************************************************** 3 Budget cuts nuclear cleanup funds Published Tuesday, April 10, 2001, in the Akron Beacon Journal. *From Beacon Journal wire services* WASHINGTON: President Bush's $1.96 trillion budget seeks to cut $32 million from an account that pays for cleanup at a variety of former nuclear sites, including Fernald and Mound in Ohio. That cleanup account contains $1.08 billion this year, and the Bush administration is asking Congress to appropriate $1.05 billion for fiscal 2002, which begins Oct. 1. In the plus column for Ohio, the Bush budget makes good on a promise to seek $125 million to put the Piketon Gaseous Diffusion Plant in a cold standby status. Bush's budget also calls for cutting $35 million from a present $235 million in funding for the training of pediatricians and researchers. The money represents the only permanent source of public funding for the training of children's doctors, said Dr. Robert Felter, chairman of pediatrics at Tod Children's Hospital in Youngstown. A total of seven children's hospitals in Ohio will receive somewhere between $22 million and $27 million in funding this year, according to the National Association of Children's Hospitals. Last week, the Senate approved a measure by Sen. Kit Bond, R Missouri, and co-sponsored by Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, to ensure funding will not fall from current levels in next year's spending plan. The office of Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said the Bush budget also calls for millions of special projects spending for the state, including: + $1.2 million for facility construction at Port Columbus International Airport. + $28 million to make repairs on the Howard H. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse in Cleveland. + $23 million for repairs on the Anthony Celebrezze Federal Building in Cleveland. Other stories currently appearing on Ohio.com ***************************************************************** 4 Budget threatens to cut cleanup *Web posted Tuesday, April 10, 2001 Programs affected By Brandon Haddock *Staff Writer* Funding for cleanup projects at Savannah River Site would be reduced by more than $150 million under the Bush administration's proposed budget for fiscal year 2002. The proposed cuts are part of what U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham called a move toward ``major reform'' in the U.S. Department of Energy. ``This budget begins to reflect our intention of serious reform in important programs,'' Mr. Abraham said during a news conference in Washington. ``Make no mistake: Change is coming.'' The secretary announced that he had ordered a ``sweeping assessment'' of his agency's environmental-management program. The division funds between 85 and 90 percent of SRS activities. During his remarks, Mr. Abraham noted that cleanup of pollution and radioactive waste at the nation's nuclear-weapons sites will take an estimated 70 years and cost as much as $300 billion. ``In my judgment, that's not good enough,'' he said. ``The question is, do we follow that course or do we seek change? I seek change, and that requires some very serious study.'' The Energy Department released the figures Monday during its rollout of its proposed $19.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2002, which begins Oct. 1. Congress still could raise or lower the budget. Some members of the local delegation expressed concern Monday about the proposed reductions at SRS. ``There are some problems with the president's proposal and its treatment of cleanup efforts at Savannah River Site,'' said U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in a statement. ``A reduction of this magnitude would be very harmful to the Site's cleanup efforts. ``I expect they're going to hear from quite a few members of Congress about this issue. Putting together the federal budget is a long and drawn-out process. We've got a long way to go.'' Energy Department officials at SRS said they had not begun to analyze whether the budget reductions would lead to job losses at the federal nuclear-weapons site. The proposed budget does include a slight increase in funding for the planned mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel fabrication facility at SRS. That plant, which would manufacture nuclear-reactor fuel using surplus weapons-grade plutonium, could cost more than $1 billion and create more than 400 long-term jobs at SRS. But the budget plan includes no money for an ``immobilization'' plant at SRS, another option for disposing of weapons-grade plutonium that many observers regard to be a safer, more prudent course than the MOX plant. ``If the immobilization funding is gone, that means they have once again wasted a tremendous amount of money on a project that was once a sure thing,'' said Don Moniak, an Aiken resident and community organizer for the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. ``How many times do they have to back off from something before people realize that the Energy Department is totally unreliable?'' Programs affected The following is a look at how some Savannah River Site programs would be affected by the Energy Department's proposed budget for fiscal year 2002: Defense Site/Project Completion account: Received $430.9 million in fiscal 2001; proposed 2002 reduction of $39.5 million, to $391.4 million. Funds environmental-cleanup projects scheduled for completion before 2006. The proposed 2002 budget concentrates on stabilizing some volatile radioactive materials stored at the site and also building a plant to turn liquids containing radioactive americium and curium into a glass suitable for long-term burial. Post-2006 completion account: Received $702.7 million in 2001; proposed 2002 reduction of $116.7 million, to $586 million. Funds environmental cleanup projects scheduled for completion after 2006. The proposed 2002 budget calls for completion of design, and the start of construction, for a replacement to the failed $500 million In-Tank Precipitation Facility at SRS. The budget supports operation of a demonstration facility for a ``melt-and-dilute'' plant to treat spent nuclear-reactor fuel, and continued operation at the site's Defense Waste Processing Facility. Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility account: Received $25.9 million in fiscal 2001; proposed 2002 increase of $37.1 million, to $63 million. Funds design of the plant, which would manufacture nuclear-reactor fuel using surplus weapons-grade plutonium. But the budget would not fund design, research and construction of another plutonium-treatment plant that would bake the radioactive metal into ceramic pucks suitable for long-term storage. Reach Brandon Haddockat (706) 823-3409 or bhaddock@augustachronicle.com. All contents © 1996 - 2001 *The Augusta Chronicle*. All rights ***************************************************************** 5 Lawmakers say Bush's cleanup budget not enough Paducah, Kentucky Tuesday, April 10, 2001 *Kentucky also is upset at the reduction, and the state could wind up suing the Department of Energy for falling behind.* By Bill Bartleman bbartleman@paducahsun.com--*270.575.8650* President Bush's plan to reduce Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant cleanup funds by $13.7 million next year isn't sitting well with Kentucky's congressional delegation or state environmental regulators. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham on Monday released details of a Department of Energy budget that was effectively dead on arrival in Congress. The Senate on Friday approved a cleanup budget containing $1 billion more systemwide than Bush's proposal. The Senate action is the first of many steps before the budget is finalized and before funding priorities are set at each plant. Kentucky's congressional delegation also will try to increase funding for the new lock at Kentucky Dam from the $14.4 million recommended by Bush to $55 million. They also will work to increase funding for the Olmsted Lock and Dam on the Ohio River from $34 million to about $70 million, and to include almost $500,000 in the budget to dredge the Hickman Harbor. U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Hopkinsville, wants at least $100 million for cleanup at the Paducah plant, according to Anthony Hulen, his press secretary. "Bush is proposing $62.2 million, and we're going to ask for at least $100 million," Hulen said. The $62.2 million is slightly above the amount proposed last year by President Clinton. However, Congress increased the figure then to almost $76 million. State environmental regulators say the proposed cut, if approved by Congress, would jeopardize DOE's 2010 deadline for completing cleanup at the Paducah plant and increase the possibility that the state would go to court to force DOE to meet the deadline. The work involves removing thousands of tons of contaminated scrap material, cleaning the groundwater, cleaning contaminated soil and cleaning contamination in buildings. To meet the deadline, a minimum of $100 million needs to be spent each year, Gov. Paul Patton has said. The governor was disappointed by the Bush recommendation, said Jack Conway, an executive cabinet deputy secretary speaking for Patton Monday. Conway said one report estimates that cleanup will cost $2 billion. "If they only spend $62 million next year, that's not going to get the job done by 2010," Conway said. The first step will be to "continue a positive working relationship with the congressional delegation" to increase funding during the budget process, which will take several months, Conway said. If that effort fails, he said, legal remedies could force an increase. The state is resolute about the 2010 deadline, said Matt Hackatorn, director of environmental management for the Cabinet for Natural Resources. "We are disappointed in the proposed cut and consider it detrimental to the cleanup work," he said. "It will only result in them asking for more delays." Hulen said other parts of the Bush budget face congressional changes. Bush called for spending $10 million on recycling plants in Paducah and Portsmouth, Ohio, to convert depleted uranium into a usable material. Hulen said at least $30 million is needed to complete the design phase of the plants. Congress probably will also consider more money for a fund that helps communities cope with reduced employment at DOE plants. Bush included just over $10 million nationwide. "We are going to push for $10 million just for Paducah," Hulen said. Hulen said Whitfield will ask for at least $4 million to continue an aggressive health monitoring and testing program for current and former workers at the enrichment plants in Paducah and Portsmouth. ***************************************************************** 6 Cuts proposed in money for uranium-plant cleanup courier-journal.com » The Courier-Journal » Louisville, KY » Local and April 10, 2001 By James R. Carroll, The Courier-Journal WASHINGTON -- Environmental cleanup spending for the Paducah uranium plant and other nuclear sites around the nation faces cuts under President Bush's proposed fiscal 2002 budget, putting him on a collision course with Kentuckians in Congress who want to boost that spending. And the administration is vague about which U.S. agency will write compensation checks for workers at the sites suffering from job-related illnesses. Those are just two features among the details of the proposed budget released yesterday, which is certain to undergo a lot of rewriting by Congress before October. Also in the spending blueprint is money for a host of Kentucky and Indiana projects, though in some cases lawmakers say the administration isn't proposing enough and they're likely to add money. Cleanup at the contaminated Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant has been a continuing struggle between the Department of Energy, which says its resources are limited, and Kentucky lawmakers and state officials, who say the federal government isn't giving the Western Kentucky facility enough attention. The Bush spending plan isn't likely to improve the dialogue. The Energy Department's environmental cleanup program nationwide is slated to be reduced by more than $400 million in fiscal 2002, and an early read by Kentucky lawmakers is that that would mean at least a $13.7 million cut at Paducah. Anticipating that cut, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and senators from other states with contaminated nuclear facilities last week proposed increasing environmental spending by $1 billion nationwide. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District, intends to seek $100 million for the uranium plant cleanup, according to spokesman Anthony Hulen. The department now spends almost $90 million on addressing radioactive and chemical contamination at the plant, which includes $75.9 million for actual cleanup and $10.6 million for the maintenance of cylinders of spent uranium. The administration proposal would cut the cleanup amount to $62.2 million. Congressional staffers late yesterday were still attempting to learn the figure for the cylinder maintenance. In addition, the Bush budget seeks $10 million to build two plants, one at Paducah and one at its sister plant in Piketon, Ohio, to convert the spent uranium to a more stable form. Hulen said Whitfield will seek $30 million. Spending for medical testing of current and former Paducah workers will remain about the same, at $4 million split among Paducah, Piketon and a third plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. A new worker compensation plan established by Congress last fall has been a recent source of friction between some members of Congress and the Bush White House. Last month, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao proposed moving the program to the Department of Justice, rather than keeping it in the Department of Labor. Chao's proposed move is opposed by most of the lawmakers who fought to create the program. On Friday, the White House's congressional liaison, Nicholas Calio, said no decision on a final move had been made. In the budget proposal, the administration keeps its options open, stating that the labor secretary ''is authorized to transfer to any executive agency'' the $136 million for the compensation program. The Energy Department budget had good news for the coal industry, with Bush expanding spending for cleancoal technology initiatives. Bush anticipates spending $2 billion on that effort over the next 10 years to boost the use of coal while trying to protect the environment. Kentucky is a top coal-producing state. But the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, an agency within the Interior Department charged with protecting the environment during coal mining and reclamation, is facing cuts. Bush requested $269 million for the agency, down from $315.4 million this year. Details of the budget plan were still being sifted by congressional aides and federal agencies yesterday, but other known spending items included the following: + $420 million in programs for Kentucky and $474 million for Indiana under the Department of Housing and Urban Development. + $603 million to Kentucky and $725 million to Indiana in aid to schools. + $101.5 million to Kentucky and $87 million to Indiana for Head Start programs. + $511 million to Kentucky and $705 million to Indiana in highway aid. + $41 million to Kentucky and $55 million to Indiana to help state environmental programs. + $6.6 million for Kentucky and $7.9 million for Indiana to purchase land for conservation, a dramatic increase from previous years. + $2.4 million for the Ohio River Greenway on the Indiana side of the river near Louisville. + $12 million for the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, the same as Congress appropriated for the current year. + $13.6 million for the McAlpine Locks and Dam on the Ohio River at Louisville. Construction and engineering work totals $18 million this year. + $14.4 million for continued construction of a new 1,000foot-long lock at the Kentucky Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River at Gilbertsville. About $27 million will be spent this year, and Whitfield will seek $55 million in the next budget, Hulen said. + $34 million for continued reconstruction of a lock at Olmsted Locks and Dam on the Ohio River downstream from Paducah. This year's spending totaled $56 million, and Whitfield wants $60 million to $70 million in the new budget, Hulen said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Copyright 2001 The Courier-Journal. ***************************************************************** 7 DOE's Hanford budget comes up short This story was published Tue, Apr 10, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer The Department of Energy plans to cut Hanford's cleanup budget by $56 million -- leaving the site at least $400 million short of meeting its fiscal 2002 legal obligations. The proposed cut "just blows a hole" in Hanford's legally mandated long-range cleanup efforts, said Sheryl Hutchison, Washington Department of Ecology spokeswoman. That increases the odds the state will sue DOE for dodging its legal obligations. "It's a devastating blow if we can't get these figures reversed," said Sam Volpentest, executive vice president of the Tri-City Industrial Development Council. Local DOE officials declined to comment on the budget figures released Monday in Washington, D.C., saying they were trying to figure out what President Bush's budget actually means to Hanford. On Monday, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham unveiled the broad strokes of DOE's $19.2 billion budget request to Congress. Here are what those figures show: n The Bush administration wants to shrink DOE's overall budget to $19.2 billion in 2000 from $19.7 billion in 2001. -- DOE wants to shrink its nationwide environmental cleanup budget to $5.913 billion in 2002 from $6.267 billion in 2001. That means DOE's cleanup programs must absorb $354 million of the $500 million total budget cut. -- Hanford's total 2001 budget of $1.456 billion is supposed to be cut to $1.4 billion in 2002. The site needs $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion in 2002 to meet its legal obligations. -- DOE's Office of River Protection, which manages Hanford's tank farms, received $757 million in 2001, but needs roughly $1.1 billion in 2002. Instead, DOE is requesting $814 million. The office's tank waste glassification project received $377 million in 2001, and needs $690 million in 2002. Instead, DOE is asking for $500 million. The Office of River Protection has $380 million to handle the rest of the tank farm waste issues in 2001. That would drop to $314 million in 2002. -- DOE's Richland office, which manages everything else at Hanford, received $699 million in 2001. This is to drop to $585 million in 2002 so the vitrification budget can increase to $500 million, said DOE's master budget document. DOE Richland office legal budget obligations in 2002 could exceed $800 million. Also, the office's plan to speed waste cleanup along the Columbia River -- which is not a legal obligation -- has a hazy future. At a Washington, D.C., press conference, Abraham cited DOE's calculations that it will take 70 years and $300 billion to clean up its Cold War legacy sites. "That is not good enough. And I share the frustration of those living near these sites," Abraham said. He said DOE will study its entire cleanup program and revamp it to become more efficient. No timetable is set for that study, said Joe Davis, a DOE spokesman in Washington, D.C. Abraham said DOE's priorities are to clean up its sites at Rocky Flats, Colo., and Fernald, Ohio, by their 2006 deadlines. For other sites, such as Hanford, the priorities are basic health, safety and environmental concerns. DOE's budget request drew heavy Northwest criticism. "The government has no intention of obeying the law," said Paige Knight of Portland-based Hanford Watch. Washington Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire have threatened to file a lawsuit against DOE if it falls behind on the legal timetable set by the Tri-Party Agreement. "If approved, this budget could leave the state with no choice but to engage in lengthy and expensive litigation over DOE's missed cleanup deadlines. I am troubled that the administration does not seem to understand its obligations to meet its contract commitments," Gregoire said. Gregoire was not sure when a lawsuit might be filed, but indicated it might be this summer or fall. She wants to see if Congress will increase DOE's proposed budget -- a wait that could last until fall. That wait irritates her. "I don't want to rely on Congress. It's the administration's responsibility to ask for enough money," she said. Another possible trigger for a lawsuit is the Tri-Party Agreement's July 30 deadline for DOE to start building the glassification plant. Last year's firing of BNFL Inc. and hiring of Bechtel National delayed the construction start-up to an undetermined time in 2002. Unhappy state officials, including Gregoire, appeared inclined to cut DOE some slack if it could still meet a 2007 deadline to convert the first wastes into glass. But Gregoire said Monday that slack might disappear if DOE does not fully fund the project. She said the state has legal grounds to sue DOE -- violations of the Tri-Party Agreement, of federal court decrees, of the federal Clean Water Act and of other federal and state environmental laws. Gregoire and several other state attorneys general want to meet with Abraham this spring to discuss DOE's nationwide cleanup budget shortfalls. "I can't say if (other states) would join us in a lawsuit," she said. U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., also are upset. Murray noted that several weeks ago White House budget director Mitch Daniels told her Hanford's budget would not be cut. "As it turns out, nothing could have been further from the truth," she said in a news release. Murray's press aide, Todd Webster, said, "She is furious about it." Hastings, a steadfast Bush supporter, said in a press release: "The dramatic cut proposed in (DOE's cleanup) program shows a fundamental lack of understanding on the part of the administration regarding the government's legal, contractual and moral cleanup obligations." Hastings and Murray helped create House and Senate caucuses representing states with DOE cleanup sites. Those caucuses recently got both chambers to approve nonbinding declarations that DOE's nationwide cleanup budget should be roughly $6.6 billion in 2002. That sets the stage for Congress and the Bush administration to haggle over nuclear cleanup this year. TRIDEC's Volpentest and Todd Martin, chairman of the Hanford Advisory Board, noted DOE's cuts hit many sites. That means a sizable bipartisan group of congressional members will fight to increase funding. The proposed budget cuts also cloud Hanford's cleanup contracts. In the past six months, DOE has signed or extended three major contracts with Fluor Hanford, Bechtel National and CH2M Hill. Fluor's contract says it is to receive up to $665 million for its required work in 2002. That's more than Hanford's entire proposed non-tank farm budget of $585 million. And part of that $585 million has to cover Bechtel Hanford's environmental restoration contract, which expires June 30, 2002. In November, Bechtel National signed an 11-year glassification contract with the Office of River Protection that is based on tackling $690 million worth of work in 2002 -- not $500 million. CH2M Hill's new contract requires it to do $2.5 billion worth of work by 2006 for $2.2 billion. That was before DOE decided to cut $66 million from the 2002 tank farms budget. DOE officials in Richland and Washington, D.C., don't know how those contracts will be revised. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. ***************************************************************** 8 Senator told Justice won't handle money for Cold War workers This story was published Sat, Apr 7, 2001 By The Associated Press and the Herald staff WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has decided against giving the Justice Department control of a benefit program for sick nuclear workers at Hanford and other Department of Energy sites, a senator who represents some of the ailing workers said Friday. "We got an assurance from the White House that they are not going to transfer it there," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. Bingaman was one of the authors of the new entitlement program, which later this year is supposed to start offering money and lifetime medical care to Cold War-era workers exposed to health-robbing levels of radiation, silica or beryllium. He was among many worker advocates on Capitol Hill who strenuously objected when the White House circulated a proposed executive order transferring the new program from the Labor Department to the Justice Department. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote a letter opposing the transfer of the program, and U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said he was concerned a switch to the Justice Department would cause a delay. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao insisted her department was not the one best suited for the job. She got backing from three influential congressmen, House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who heads the committee that oversees the Labor Department. But Bingaman also played some quiet hardball. Without publicly revealing his strategy, he used his right under Senate rules to block pending nominations to Labor Department posts. The senator said he didn't even know the names of the nominees whose confirmation he threatened to sidetrack, but let the White House know he "didn't want to go forward with any nominations there in the Department of Labor until we got some assurance that this wouldn't be going to Justice, where the history of efforts like this has been miserable." "We take that as wonderful news," said Lowell "Pete" Strader, legislative director for the union that represents workers at 11 sites in the nuclear weapons complex. "We knew Justice wasn't prepared to handle the program." Bingaman said discussions had not been completed and the administration had not decided whether the Labor Department or some other agency would head the new program. "They are still uncertain what exactly will be done with the program to make it work, but they are committed to making it work," the senator said. "They will meet with us here when Congress returns after this recess to let us know what their plan is." The new program is for workers who contracted cancer or lung disease because of exposure while on the payrolls of private companies that did work for the bomb program. Some worked on federal property, others at factories that had government contracts. The Energy Department preliminarily identified 317 sites in 37 states where exposed workers might qualify for benefits. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 9 Proposed Budget Protested Tuesday, April 10, 2001 Albuquerque Journal--> By Jennifer McKee *Journal Staff Writer* The White House's proposed federal budget ignited both head scratching and criticism in northern New Mexico on Monday as officials and activists waded through the tome to see what President Bush wants to spend on federal projects here. "The budget request is wholly inadequate," said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., referring to a cut in funding for plutonium pits at Los Alamos National Laboratory. "Quite frankly, I'll work to see that it does not stand. It simply does not come close to supporting the requirements for pit production and certification work at LANL." Domenici estimated the program needs another $150 million above the Bush administration's proposal. Bush sent his $1.96 trillion budget spending plan to Congress on Monday. The document outlines his administration's proposed spending for every federal agency. In northern New Mexico, that means funding for everything from the Santa Fe Indian School to Los Alamos lab. The document is far from written in stone. Both houses of Congress will likely produce compromise budget resolutions after the spring recess. Nonetheless, Bush's plan attracted much attention in northern New Mexico. On the less contentious side, the plan calls for $4.5 million for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, $375,000 more than last year. The plan also allocates money to purchase 860 acres on the Taos Valley Overlook as part of the Bureau of Land Management's $4 million Land Acquisition Program. It slates $23.2 million for the first phase of rebuilding the Santa Fe Indian School, a boarding and day school for about 1,000 Native American students run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The plan also calls for transferring the existing school — a smattering of historic adobe buildings on Cerrillos Road — to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico, according to Hal Schultz, assistant superintendent of the Indian school. An independent study finished last spring showed that fixing up the aging building would cost more than $50 million, while building the campus anew would cost roughly $38 million. Bush's proposed spending for the school falls far short of that, but according to Domenici, this is only the first phase of rebuilding. "We've built plenty of schools for this kind of money and they're pretty good schools," said Nedra Darling, a BIA spokeswoman. Perhaps the most heated part of the budget was the Department of Energy's roll-out. New Mexico's senators attacked the proposal, which calls for an estimated $312 million less spending in New Mexico than last year and cuts at various programs throughout the agency. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said the budget "sends a very disturbing message about how the president views" the labs. Domenici said the budget has "some serious deficiencies" and has already co-sponsored two amendments to the Senate budget resolution that would tack on an additional $900 million for DOE defense program spending and $469 million for science research at national labs. The budget calls for little over $1.4 billion for Los Alamos lab, a decrease of $281 million from last year. That number may be deceiving. The budget also beefs up funding of the National Nuclear Security Administration by $281 million. The administration is a semiautonomous arm of the DOE that now oversees some work at the Los Alamos lab. Lab spokesman John Gustafson said it's too early in the budget process and too soon after Bush's enormous budget volume was released to say exactly how the lab might end up financially next year. "There's a long process ahead and it's too premature to speculate on any of that," he said. Activists didn't hesitate. According to Jay Coghlan of Nuclear Watch of New Mexico, the budget is long on weapons and short on environmental cleanup. "It's basically a budget for the weaponeers of Los Alamos," he said, pointing out that DOE calls for spending an extra $230 million for weapons with almost half of that to be spent at Los Alamos, while the lab's environmental cleanup budget was cut by $15 million to just over $75 million. In explaining the cut, the DOE's budget reads, the "net decrease reflects a shift toward higher priority activities." "To me. that's weapons," Coghlan said. Joni Arends, waste program manager for Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, also zeroed in on the cleanup cuts. "For every dollar increase in stockpile stewardship, there should be a similar dollar for cleanup," she said. "What is national security if we don't have our health." Similarly, Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group said the budget focuses sharply on weapons. "More weapons, less science," he said. Copyright 2001 Albuquerque Journal ***************************************************************** 10 Veteran's family questions role toxins played in his death Island Packet Online: BY PETE NARDI Packet staff writer *(Published April 8, 2001)* Glenn Turner never thought of himself as a hero. He was just doing his job. But Turner's death March 31 at his Hilton Head Island home has left his family, friends and doctors feeling his exposure to toxins during his service as a Green Beret during the Gulf War may have given him lung cancer. "You cannot rule out what he was exposed to as a soldier," said Patrick Jordan, M.D., of Bluffton, one of the doctors who treated Turner, 49. "He couldn't avoid the environmental aspects of his job." Turner's wife, Susan, said her husband felt exposure to a substance called depleted uranium may have caused his lung cancer. "His surgeon in Charleston said it looked like he may have breathed something in," Susan Turner said. According to the Department of Defense, Gulf War troops were exposed to depleted uranium in several ways: in smoke from burning vehicles and munitions; as residue inside vehicles that had been hit by 120-millimeter rounds; and on the ground, when the substance was stirred up by vehicle and troop traffic. Of the nearly 700,000 U.S. troops who served in the Gulf War, more than 100,000 have reported health problems to the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense, according to the government. Most of those troops have been diagnosed with a variety of conditions, but more than 15,000 have undiagnosed health problems, such as fatigue, skin rash, sleep disturbances, memory loss, diarrhea, headaches and joint pain, according to VA documents. The government has spent more than $115 million on more than 120 research projects related to Gulf War illnesses, according to the VA. But there remains no direct link between exposure to depleted uranium and any Gulf War illnesses, according to Department of Defense documents. "There's no relationship between depleted uranium and cancer," Susan Turner said. "But in 20 years they'll probably tell us there is." A soldier's life Jordan said war-related factors other than exposure to toxins may have led to Turner getting lung cancer. "The stress in warfare predisposed him to cancer," Jordan said. "In our life, everyone is under stress. Over time, it predisposes us to illness. That type of warfare experience predisposed him to illness." Turner's military career spanned two branches and 22 years, during which he served as a forward observer for a Marine Corps mortar platoon during the Vietnam War, and as an Army drill sergeant, recruiter and airborne school instructor at Fort Benning, Ga., and with Special Forces, based in Fort Bragg, N.C. But neither Turner's family nor 1st Sgt. Patrick O'Brien, his former brother-in-arms from the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), blame the military for Turner's death. "He was doing what he loved," said Turner's son, Eric, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "He never looked to blame the government, nor do we." O'Brien agreed. "I had skin cancer taken off the top of my head earlier this year. I was down visiting Glenn, and he told me not to bother trying to figure out where it came from, or why it was there, not to waste time doing that," O'Brien said. "Is the potential there (for the illness to be war-related)? Yeah, the potential's probably there. But then again, it could be just about anything." Cancer discovered Susan Turner said her husband was a "light smoker" during his years in the military, and had quit smoking two years before being diagnosed with lung cancer. Turner, who retired as a master sergeant in 1991 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor during the Gulf War, was diagnosed with cancer in fall 1999. He underwent surgery in February 2000 at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to remove the cancer. Turner underwent radiation treatment and chemotherapy and "was feeling very strong," Jordan said. Turner even had gone back to work for a company that develops optical systems for the military and law enforcement. But by November 2000 the cancer had spread to his adrenal gland and liver. A family recovering Now, the family still is getting over "a tough year," Susan Turner said. The memories of a courageous soldier and compassionate friend are there to help the living, O'Brien said. "Glenn was full of life," he said. "He lived more in his 49 years than most of us ever will." Indeed, the adventures Turner and his comrades shared -- his Special Forces missions in Africa in the 1980s during the Cold War remain top secret, along with many other assignments he completed -- are the stuff of legend. And Susan Turner said she hopes the safety of U.S. troops in the face of possible exposure to toxins will be a focal point for the military and the nation. "He loved the Army," Eric Turner said of his father. "He would never discourage anyone from joining it, whether it took his life or not." *Staff writer Pete Nardi can be reached at 706-8134 or pnardi@islandpacket.com.* Copyright © 2001 The Island Packet, Hilton Head, South Carolina ***************************************************************** 11 Cheap, Safe Storage for Radioactive Scientific American: News In Brief: April 6, 2001 CHEMISTRY Cheap, Safe Storage for Radioactive Materials The storage of uranium, plutonium and other radioactive materials has given government officials and scientists headaches for decades, but researchers from the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) may have found an easier way to render them harmless. Actinide metals like uranium, and especially plutonium, pose both an environmental threat and a security risk—if stolen, they could be used to build nuclear weapons. Researchers have known for a while that one way of safely disposing of surplus plutonium is to combine it with boron, turning it into the very stable and insoluble compound, plutonium boride. Combining the two elements, however, has proved difficult. Traditionally the process has involved heating the two materials to more than 3000 degrees centigrade, cooling them off and grinding them to a powder, which is then mixed and heated again. In some cases this process had to be repeated several times. Anthony Lupinetti and his colleagues at LANL thus decided to look for other, less energy-intensive ways to combine actinides and boron. "We're using reactive compounds to overcome the problems of working these very complex reactions," Lupinetti notes. Instead of using elementary uranium and boron, they tried the compounds uranium tetra-chloride and magnesium-diboride. What resulted were the desired uranium boride and the by-product magnesium chloride, which washed out easily. "By combining actinide metal halides, like uranium tetra- and tri-chlorides with molecular boron precursors like magnesium diboride or calcium hexaboride, we've been able to do reactions at much lower temperatures, in the 500 to 800 degrees centigrade range," Lupinetti explains. Although their initial experiment was conducted on a very small scale, using only about 100 milligrams of material in a small quartz tube, the researchers are optimistic. "It's a very young field. We're still discovering what the rules are in combining these things—using the entire periodic chart and wide variations of temperature with unusual materials like high-temperature solvents," Lupinetti observes. "There are so many variables, we're all really learning this together, so it's very exciting science." —*Harald Franzen* ***************************************************************** 12 Spy plane investigating planned weapons test Independent News By Mary Dejevsky 10 April 2001 A new theory has surfaced in Washington yesterday about the purpose of the US surveillance flight and why the Chinese were so sensitive about it. Citing unidentified "intelligence sources", the conservative *Washington Times* reported that the US plane was gathering electronic data relating to an impending underground nuclear test that China was believed to be preparing. The report, by the paper's well-connected investigative reporter, Bill Gertz, said that the US had detected possible test preparations two weeks before at the Lop Nur test range in China's western Xinjiang province. A small "subcritical" test without any nuclear yield would not violate any treaties, but the paper pointed out that such tests could be used to mask a test that would violate the international ban on underground testing. China signed the test ban treaty in 1996, but has not ratified it; the US Senate rejected ratification of the same treaty in 1999. The newspaper noted that China detonated a small explosion in June 1999, just days before the US delivered its formal apology to Beijing for the bombing of China's embassy in Belgrade during Nato's intervention in Kosovo. The timing of that test was widely seen as a deliberate signal from Beijing, reinforcing the war of words it had launched shortly after the bombing. This time, test preparations could be interpreted as signalling China's opposition to Taiwan's request to buy new weapons from the US. The request is due to be considered by President Bush in coming weeks. Any move to accelerate the test now could also be used to send a diplomatic warning in the new tension over the downed Chinese plane and the crew of the US spy plane who are still being held in China. One of the main functions of the EP-3 surveillance plane is to collect electronic data. Its sophisticated listening equipment is believed to be capable of detecting communications thousands of miles inland, including from Lop Nur, even when flying in international air space off the Chinese coast. According to US intelligence officials, suspicions about the secret Chinese nuclear testing programme were confirmed after agents from Beijing purchased special nuclear containment equipment from Russia several years ago. It also emerged yesterday that the US spy plane was forced to land by the Chinese fighter after requests to shoot it down were rejected by ground control. Also from the Asia China section Journalist is wounded in Sri Lanka £40bn of war treasure sets off Thai gold rush Spy flights to resume as China talks begin Pilot enters the ranks of martyrs to Maoism US spy-plane pilot recalls fight for survival ***************************************************************** 13 Pataki Tours Vieques, Asking for Halt to Navy Bomb Runs April 10, 2001 By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. [G] ov. George E. Pataki toured the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico yesterday to press his campaign to stop the Navy's bombing exercises there. "Having been here, it just reinforced my belief that Vieques is beautiful and full of potential, but that potential cannot be reached unless the bombing stops," Mr. Pataki told The Associated Press. Mr. Pataki went to a state dinner last night at La Fortaleza, the residence of Gov. Sila M. Calderón of Puerto Rico. Today, he plans to visit a pediatric hospital to discuss health care issues, and then he is to attend a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser at the home of a political consultant with ties to both Governor Calderón and the Republican Party. He will stay an extra day to relax, his staff said. State taxpayers are footing the bill for Mr. Pataki and four of his aides to make the trip, although Mr. Pataki's aides could not provide a figure for the cost last night. The delegation is staying at El San Juan Hotel, a beach resort where room prices range from $395 to $795 a night. When he announced his trip last week, Mr. Pataki said he wanted to see firsthand the devastation that he said the bombing on Vieques (pronounced v'YAY-case) had caused. As the governor of New York, Mr. Pataki has no official authority over whether the bombing continues. Still, he has been using his influence with President Bush, a fellow Republican, to urge a halt to the practice. Mr. Pataki's visit is also smart politics. There are 1.3 million Puerto Rican voters in New York, most of them Democrats, and many feel passionately that the Navy should leave the island. By standing with them, Mr. Pataki stands a good chance of winning some of their votes, Puerto Rican leaders say. At the start of his tour, the governor spent nearly an hour and a half with Rear Adm. Kevin Green, the commander of Navy forces in the Caribbean. For six decades the Navy has used Vieques, a small island east of Puerto Rico, for bombing and gunning exercises, which critics say endanger the island's 9,400 residents. Some residents attribute an elevated cancer rate on the island on the use of radioactive ordnance. The Navy, however, maintains that no scientific evidence has linked the bombing to health problems, and points out that the bombing range on the eastern tip of the island is at least nine miles from the town of Vieques. In November, Governor Calderón rode to victory on a wave of anti- American sentiment over the bombing. Yesterday, Ms. Calderón — a close friend of Dennis Rivera, the New York City labor leader and Democratic power broker — accompanied Mr. Pataki as he visited a local school, where children presented him with pictures depicting their island and a polluted place under bombardment. One child drew a picture of weeping trees. "It's not the kind of drawing you want an 8-year-old to do," Mr. Pataki said. Later, Mr. Pataki and Ms. Cal derón held a news conference in a community center in Vieques, while demonstrators for and against the naval base clashed outside. Mr. Pataki declined to meet with a prominent Puerto Rican senator, Miriam Ramirez, who was leading the pro- Navy demonstration and is active in the Republican Party. Senator Ramirez said the police roughed her up and denied her entry to the hall. "I came out here trying to get Governor Pataki to meet with a Republican," Senator Ramirez said, referring to herself. "He's courting the Democratic vote with Hispanics in New York, but he's turning his back on Republicans." Michael McKeon, Governor Pataki's spokesman, said Mr. Pataki had met with Navy officers to hear their side. He called Senator Ramirez's attempt to meet Governor Pataki a stunt. NY Times ***************************************************************** 14 China Set for Underground Nuclear Test *NewsMax.com Wires* *Monday, April 9, 2001* WASHINGTON – China is preparing to conduct a small underground nuclear test in the midst of a standoff with the United States over the detention of 24 American military personnel, the Washington Times reported Monday. The test preparations were detected two weeks ago at China's Lop Nur testing facility in western Xinjiang province, the newspaper said. They were based on U.S. spy satellite photographs that showed activity related to nuclear testing at one location of the testing site. A U.S. defense official said the testing activity at the current time is a sign that China's leader, President Jiang Zemin, may not be fully in control. "Some say Jiang is a moderate who wants good relations with the United States," the official said. "If that's the case, this test during a difficult period with the United States indicates he is not in control of China." One official said the underground blast could be another in a series of "subcritical" nuclear tests – small explosions that do not produce an actual nuclear yield but are useful in weapons development and maintenance. However, other officials familiar with intelligence reports said the Chinese are known to have a covert testing program that relies on small, or low-yield, nuclear explosions. Although the test preparations were spotted before the showdown between China and the United States began, officials did not rule out a connection between China's stepped-up aggressive harassment of U.S. intelligence and plans for the test. China is opposing Bush administration plans for U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and plans for deployment of a national missile defense, and it has been engaged in a concerted effort to influence U.S. policies, said defense and intelligence officials. A test during the current standoff would signal China's growing nuclear power, officials told the Times. Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights ***************************************************************** 15 Depleted uranium is safe, says EU - CNN.com - April 9, 2001 LUXEMBOURG -- The use of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition in the Bosnia and Kosovo wars of the 1990s did not pose any health risks, the European Union has concluded. In a statement, EU foreign ministers said neither NATO soldiers handling the weapons nor the general population had been at risk. However, citing "apparent health and environmental problems in the region", they said they would remain alert to any scientific evidence suggesting that the use of the armour-piercing ammunition had negative effects on human health. The EU statement noted that "detailed and objective examinations" had shown no scientific evidence linking the use of DU with various illnesses. Several European countries expressed concern earlier this year when Italy started studying the illnesses of 30 veterans of Balkans peacekeeping missions -- seven of whom died of cancer, including five from leukaemia. Cases of cancer were also reported among soldiers from France, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and Portugal. A United Nations report in March found that DU ammunition buried in the soil could contaminate ground water in Kosovo and posed risks to people in the area. However, it said levels of DU contamination left in the vicinity of NATO-allied bombing targets in 1999 were low following tests by a U.N. team at 11 sites last November. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ***************************************************************** 16 Southern Nevada dodges BLM cuts Tuesday, April 10, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal CORRECTION: Because of a reporting error, a story about the Bureau of Land Management budget in Tuesday¹s Review-Journal incorrectly stated the percentage of money from land sales that goes to the state Education Department and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. The water authority gets 10 percent while 5 percent goes for education. The story also misdescribed the cap on annual expenditures from the special fund set up by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The BLM is only allowed to spend 25 percent of the fund on capital improvements in any given year. Spending on land acquisition is not limited. Millions of dollars from federal land sales to be allocated in the area By CHRISTINE DORSEY DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Despite cuts proposed Monday to the Bureau of Land Management, Southern Nevada will make out well in the agency's 2002 budget thanks to the recent law that earmarks millions of dollars from land sales to buy sensitive land and improve four popular recreation sites, agency officials said. The Bush administration estimates BLM will bring in $51 million from land sales in Clark County next year, the same as this year, and up from $16 million in 2000. Under the 1998 Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, more than $43 million, or 85 percent, of next year's revenue must go into a special fund for land acquisition in the state and capital improvement projects at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the Desert National Wildlife Reserve, Spring Mountain National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. BLM spokeswoman Jo Simpson said the agency this year plans to earmark $27.6 million to buy environmentally sensitive land in Clark County, including purchasing the Torino Ranch, a 165-acre in-holding in Spring Mountain National Recreation Area, and the 391-acre Perkins Ranch along the Muddy River near Moapa. Both parcels contain important habitat for threatened species, Simpson said. Updated exhibits at the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area visitor's center, and new fencing and water wells for wild horses are likely projects that also would be funded with Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act money, Simpson said. "It certainly has enhanced our capabilities to provide improvements," Simpson said. She noted that the agency is only allowed to tap into 25 percent of the trust fund in any given year. Simpson said a board comprised of statewide officers from BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service will meet on Friday to discuss priorities for the funding. The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act stipulates that BLM revenue from Clark County land sales be spent in the state. While 85 percent goes to BLM, 10 percent, or $5.1 million, will be set aside for Nevada public schools while 5 percent, or $2.5 million, is earmarked for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. BLM also expects to bring in $5 million in land sales in Lincoln County. BLM will use $4.2 million to inventory archeological and cultural treasures and implement a multiple species management plan for the county. The rest goes to the state and to Lincoln County. Overall, BLM's national budget will be reduced by $375 million, Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced. Most of the cut is from eliminating a $318.7 million Wildland Fire Management account. Norton said emergency fire suppression funds are being redirected to a new National Emergency Reserve that incorporates funds from a variety of federal agencies that have a hand in wildfire management. Some BLM programs are being beefed up, including a $15 million boost for energy and mineral activities. About $5 million of that is being set aside for oil and gas planning, studies, exploration and development in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. Another $5 million will be used to address the increased workload in coal leasing, oil and gas inspections and rights-of-way processing. Norton said the department is reviewing mining regulations suspended last month, and the budget reflects a new emphasis on finding ways to make public lands more accessible for mining development. About $50,000 has been added to address a sharp increase in geothermal exploration permit requests, mostly in Nevada, said BLM budget director Larry Benna. "That will allow us to get more permits processed," said Simpson, adding she was uncertain if the agency would contract the work out or increase staff. Partly because of California's energy crisis, dozens of prospectors have applied for permits to look for steam in Nevada. Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, applauded the increase for processing permits. Aside from that, Gawell said, the president's budget does little to help the renewable energy industry. "We have a fight on our hands," said Gawell, noting that Bush's energy budget cuts virtually every renewable energy research program in half. Overall, the Interior Department's 2002 budget is being cut by 3.4 percent to $10 billion. Norton said increases in 2001 were above normal, and that the 2002 budget reflects increases over 1999 and 2000 levels. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 17 IAEA chief arrives in S.Africa 10 April 2001 : The Times of India Africa JOHANNESBURG: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammad El-Baradei arrived Monday in South Africa for talks on cooperation and nuclear non-proliferation, a government official said. Basetsana Thokoane, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said El-Baradei will meet senior government officials, tour the country's nuclear research facilities at Pelindaba, northwest of Pretoria, and visit the country's only nuclear power reactor at Koeberg, north of Cape Town. South Africa receives more than $1 million (1.1 million euros) a year in assistance from the agency through its technical cooperation (TC) programme. "The technical cooperation programme the IAEA is running in member state countries has been significantly increased in South Africa due to a number of successful project proposals for the 1999/2000 cycle," Thokoane said in a statement. South African projects included screening of newborn babies, breeding pigs resistant to African swine fever, and the use of molecular techniques to diagnose drug resistance in tuberculosis patients. Non-proliferation will also be an important point to be discussed, Thokoane said. "South Africa is the only country that has unilaterally destroyed its nuclear weapons," she pointed out, adding that "the country attaches great value to the role the IAEA plays as the trustee of the safeguards system." South Africa was readmitted to the IAEA's board of governors in 1995 after the country's first democratic elections the year before. South Africa was a founder member of the IAEA in 1957 and served on its board until 1977, when it was expelled because of its apartheid policies. During apartheid, it developed nuclear weapons but the regime dismantled them shortly before handing over power to the democratically elected government of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1994. In 1996, the country signed the Comprehensive Nuclear Ban Treaty. El-Baradei is expected to leave the country for Namibia on April 15. (AFP) ***************************************************************** 18 IAEA And South Africa Talk Nuclear Non-Proliferation allAfrica.com: Panafrican News Agency (Dakar) April 9, 2001 Posted to the web April 9, 2001 Cape Town, South Africa The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Dr Mohamed El Baradei, arrived in South Africa Monday at the start of a four-day official visit. El Baradei is to meet with senior government officials and policy-makers to discuss issues related to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as well as technical cooperation projects between the Agency and the government of South Africa. He would also visit some of the technical cooperation projects in South Africa the IAEA is involved in. The IAEA is a UN body tasked to assist countries in, and disseminate information on, the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, and to develop a system of controls to prevent the diversion of atomic materials for military use. The Agency's programme and the three pillars that constitute its mandates are technology, safety and verification. South Africa was a founder member of the IAEA in 1957 and it served on its Board of Governors until 1977. The long and protracted campaigns by the national liberation movements in the fight against apartheid in conjunction with the anti-apartheid movement, contributed to the expulsion of South Africa from its seat. The nuclear policies of the then apartheid regime were deemed incompatible with the objectives of the Agency to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. Following the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa was readmitted to the Board and regained its seat in 1995. Since its readmission the country has played a leading role in both key areas of the Agency's mandate, namely nuclear non- proliferation and peaceful application of nuclear techniques. Copyright © 2001 *Panafrican News Agency*. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ***************************************************************** 19 BACKGROUND ON THE ROLE AND ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) anc nw20010410/14: BACKGROUND ON T... ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) [ ASMAL-CHRISTIANS < by subject > BER-CONSUMER ] [ FAO-AFRICA < by length > COURT-YOUTHKILLERS ] 9 April 2001 Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs There exists a strong partnership between the IAEA and the international community, embodied within the Agency's programme and the three pillars that constitute its mandate: technology, safety and verification. With the splitting of the atom, almost universal optimism existed that the world's energy problems would be solved and that the peaceful uses of nuclear energy would become the magic key that could unlock new doors to a better future for all. Since that time, nuclear technology applications have moved from research laboratories to routine use in hospitals, agriculture, industrial enterprises and universities. Isotopes and radiation applications have come to play an important role in providing humanity with basic requirements for their well being, such as food and water and a satisfactory standard of health. The Technical Co-operation (TC) programme the IAEA is running in Member States countries, has been significantly increased in South Africa due to a number of successful project proposals for the 1999/2000 cycle. South Africa currently enjoys the highest implementation rate in Africa for its TC projects. Some of the highlights of projects include the pilot project in neonatal screening at the Johannesburg Hospital - -where two health workers have performed the mammoth task of taking blood samples from 3 000 babies in just a few months, the breeding of pigs resistant to African Swine Fever and the usage of molecular techniques to diagnose drug resistance in Tuberculosis. In the field of education, South Africa is proud of the initiative to provide education in Radiation Protection to Member States in Africa. This initiative resulted in the establishment of a Centre for Postgraduate Education in Radiation Protection at the University of the Witwatersrand with assistance from the IAEA. A total of nineteen (19) students from thirteen (13) African countries successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Science at the University, specialising in Radiation Protection. During the last 6 months of 2000, eighteen (18) students from sixteen (16) African countries attended the second course that was presented at the University. Taking into account the key role that education plays in economic development, and in particular the vital necessity to create a proper infrastructure for the development of nuclear technology, this is an important contribution to the economic growth of the African continent. In view of the vitally important role of education and the capacity that South Africa is able to offer in this regard, the country is confident that this will prove to be a way in which the resources of the IAEA can contribute successfully to our goal of an African Renaissance. It is important to note that during 1999, thirty-four (34) fellows/ scientific visitors from developing countries completed their training in South Africa. During the same period, thirteen (13) South African fellows/scientific visitors were placed for training in institutions overseas. The effective usage of water resources remains one of the greatest challenges for Africa. The Regional Centre for Isotope Studies in Ground Water established at the University of the Witwatersrand with the assistance of the IAEA, continues to make a major contribution to many projects. These include the origins of salinity in, and sustainability of, ground water resources in southern Madagascar, water balance and vulnerability of aquifers in the village of Wobulenzi in Uganda and the sustainability of ground water in the Save River valley in Zimbabwe. These are only a few of the projects that are supported through this facility. A study is also taking place for a major project, under the auspices of the IAEA, to establish a ground water scheme designed to supply water to twenty (20) villages in South Africa from a number of well fields. This could provide a model for many other regions in the continent. These studies are making a major contribution to the alleviation of one of Africa's greatest problems: the scarcity of water. On the African continent, the application of nuclear technology has in many instances, brought viable solutions to some of the problems we are confronted with. Africa has greatly succeeded in tailoring a communal approach to the utilisation of the peaceful uses of nuclear science through the work and activities of the African Regional Co-operative Agreement for Research, Development and Training related to Science and Technology (AFRA). This organisation functions under the auspices of the IAEA. During the past year a large number of South African experts participated in AFRA Specialised Teams which dealt with, inter alia, the conditioning and safe storage of spent radium sources, dam leakage detection, and the auditing of radiotherapy and nuclear medicine facilities. A number of South African scientists also participated in and contributed to the success of the first AFRA Conference on Research Reactors. Three South African facilities: the SA Institute of Welding (for NDT), Tygerberg Hospital (Radiotherapy) and NECSA (Waste Management) have been pre-selected and audited to serve as Centres of Excellence through their acceptance as AFRA Regional Designated Centres. South Africa has been active during the past years in activities related to nuclear safety. Not only has revised nuclear legislation dealing with nuclear safety regulation been implemented in February 2000, but extensive periodic safety reviews have also been completed at the Koeberg nuclear power plant. Attention has furthermore been focused on safety indicators as one of the tools that can provide an ongoing assurance of safety arrangement!s. Significant effort was expended to ensure that both the Koeberg nuclear power station as well as the national electricity network were unaffected by the Y2K phenomenon. Environmental considerations and waste management practices in particular are issues that are growing in stature and are increasingly becoming a people's issue, a business imperative, a sensitive government debate and a technological challenge. South Africa is addressing this challenge in a holistic way. A draft national radioactive waste management policy and strategy has been completed. This will pave the way for signature and ratification of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The Agency provides valuable guidance in developing standards for the management of such wastes. The third pillar of the Agency's work relates to verification and the security of nuclear material. South Africa, the only country that has unilaterally destroyed its nuclear weapons capability, attaches great value to the Agency's safeguards regime. After having succeeded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 10 September 1991, the country signed a Fullscope Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA on 16 September that year. The country has played a leading role ever since in international nuclear Non-Proliferation and disarmament matters and has a proud record in this regard. One of South Africa's most successful efforts was the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the NPT where South Africa contributed significantly to the eventual decision to extend the treaty indefinitely. The proposal by South Africa initiated a set of Principles and Objectives that included a commitment to concluding negotiations for a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) no later than 1996. South Africa participated actively in negotiations with regard to the conclusion of such a treaty and on 24 September 1996, the country signed the CTBT. South Africa's commitment to nuclear disarmament extends also to our own continent. South Africa played an active role in the negotiations of the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, the so-called Pelindaba Treaty together with its African partners. The Treaty will fulfil the function of preventing a nuclear arms race on the continent and will also prevent the introduction of nuclear explosive devices into Africa by any state. The Treaty will also promote African co-operation in the various uses of nuclear technology for economic and social development. South Africa welcomes the outcome of the 2000 NPT Review Conference with particular reference to the importance of the Agency's safeguards system in strengthening the Non-Proliferation regime and in providing assurance of compliance with Non-Proliferation undertakings. The recognition of the role of Agency Safeguards and support for the universal implementation thereof, emphasises the "strategic partnership" that exists between the IAEA as the trustee of the safeguards system on the one hand, and the international community on the other. International efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to achieve nuclear disarmament are shared responsibilities that cannot be accomplished by any single organisation or State on its own. South Africa firmly believes that the strengthened safeguards system is a vital mechanism in the achievement of the ultimate goals of nuclear Non-Proliferation and nuclear disarmament. The three elements it contains - namely increased access to information about a State's nuclear activities, broader access to sites and locations within a State and lastly, the maximum use of new and available technologies to increase detection and ultimately reduce the frequency of on-site inspection - will provide added security, assurance and transparency. The last decade has seen significant advances in the quest for global peace and security, but serious challenges are still faced. The IAEA remains pivotal, not only for the advancement of the uses of "Atoms for Peace", but also in the furtherance of Non-Proliferation as a critical means along the road towards ridding the world of nuclear weapons. For enquiries contact Basetsana Thokoane Cell no. 083 443 7740 Office no. 012 351 0174 http://www.anc.org.za/anc/newsbrief/2001/news0410--> processed Tue 10 Apr 2001 06:03 EDT by Omar C. Jadwat (newswire@bibim.com). ***************************************************************** 20 FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR AGE Chicago Tribune Traditional Version - McHenry *U.S. EXPANDS TESTING OF FORMER WEAPONS WORKERS* By Ted Gregory Tribune staff reporter *April 10, 2001* More than 1,000 former Chicago-area U.S. Department of Energy employees will be tested in an expansion of the federal government's health screening for employees who may have been exposed to beryllium dust or fumes in their work in the nuclear weapons program. During the next two weeks, department officials said, former workers are to be contacted by mail. They include 461 from Argonne National Laboratory near Darien, 226 from Site B Metallurgical Laboratory that was part of the World War II-era Manhattan Engineer District program at the University of Chicago and 53 from Fermilab near Batavia. In addition, 325 former employees of the Department of Energy and predecessor agencies, most of whom worked at Argonne, and 18 former workers from the department's Argonne site in Idaho will be contacted for testing. The screening is an extension of a program begun about seven years ago, when the department started screening former employees at its Rocky Flats plant in Colorado, Oak Ridge facilities in Tennessee, and Hanford facility in Washington state. Other medical screenings were undertaken at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and more than 15 other sites. The workers may have been exposed to harmful levels of beryllium, a metallic element used in nuclear reactors primarily for its ability to reflect neutrons. The affliction associated with exposure, chronic beryllium disease, brings about scarring in the lungs and restricts breathing. In some cases, it can be fatal. Chronic beryllium disease is incurable but can be treated. Most of the former employees probably were exposed to the metal dust of beryllium in machine shops, where the metal was drilled, ground and similarly manipulated, Department of Energy spokesman Brian Quirk said Monday. The federal law to compensate those who contacted chronic beryllium disease was passed in 2000. The program calls for providing diagnosis, medical treatment and up $150,000 in compensation to each former employee or their heirs. The cost of the program remains uncertain, but estimates have ranged as high as $1 billion. The employees who were exposed to the metal dust or fumes will be given blood tests starting July 31, Quirk said. Those who test positive will receive a second blood test and more extensive diagnostic examinations, Quirk said. Current employees who work with beryllium are routinely screened for harmful effects. Former employees may call 877-447-9756 to receive more information. ***************************************************************** 21 Beryllium screening for former lab workers *April 10, 2001* BY JIM RITTER SCIENCE REPORTER * The federal government is seeking more than 1,000 former employees of Argonne National Laboratory, the University of Chicago and Fermilab who might have been exposed to toxic beryllium dust. Beryllium is a metal that, though not dangerous in its solid form, can be hazardous when it's machined. Particles can scar lungs, causing an irreversible disease. Workers who are screened and test positive for the disease are eligible for a program that pays medical bills and $150,000. Beryllium is lighter than aluminum and stiffer than steel. It has many industrial and scientific applications, ranging from X-ray windows to nuclear bomb components. Between 1 percent and 3 percent of all people exposed to beryllium dust or fumes develop chronic beryllium disease. The rate is as high as 14 percent among beryllium machinists. Symptoms, including persistent cough, shortness of breath and fatigue, take an average of 10 to 15 years to develop. The Energy Department will contact 479 former Argonne employees; 325 former government employees, most of whom worked at Argonne; 53 former Fermilab employees, and 226 former employees of the U. of. C. Metallurgical Laboratory, which helped develop the atom bomb in the 1940s. Larry Kelman, 81, of Naperville said he was exposed to beryllium dust while working as a senior scientist at the Metallurgical Lab from 1944 to 1948. "Everyone was exposed," he said. "The building was filthy." Kelman first noticed symptoms in 1979, when shoveling snow left him gasping for breath. Now, he uses inhalers. He walks slowly, and going up steps leaves him exhausted. But he's not on oxygen. "I'm one of the lucky ones," he said. "I'm so much better off than most of the people." An Argonne spokeswoman said 10 former workers are known to have beryllium disease, and more might show up in the screening. Argonne closed its beryllium machine shop in the late 1970s, and no current workers have been diagnosed. A Fermilab spokeswoman said no current or former workers have been diagnosed. By the time Fermilab began operating in 1972, she said, the hazards of working with the metal were better known and more precautions were taken. On the Web:* www.orau.gov/cer/de* *fault.htm*. Copyright 2000, Digital Chicago Inc. ***************************************************************** 22 U.S. to make nuke triggers Denver Rocky Mountain News: Local However, Rocky Flats won't be involved this time, spokesman says By Ann Imse, News Staff Writer Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said Monday that the nation will resume production of plutonium pits -- the nuclear weapon triggers once manufactured at Rocky Flats. A spokesman for Rocky Flats said production won't happen here. "We are past the point of no return" on cleaning up the nuclear weapons plant, spokesman Jeremy Karpatkin said. "Pit production will not resume at Rocky Flats." Abraham gave no details on the plutonium plan. He said only that it is part of the department's responsibility to ensure that the nation's nuclear weapons remain ready for use. "No new pits have been produced for our stockpile since the closing of Rocky Flats in 1989, and we consider that unacceptable," Abraham said. He did not say when, where or how many pits would be produced. Possible sites are weapons facilities at Los Alamos, N.M., and Savannah River, S.C. Plutonium production stopped at Rocky Flats in 1989 for safety reasons. The first Bush administration decided to close it permanently in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Karpatkin said it's too late to resume production at Rocky Flats because several of the key buildings used in plutonium pit production have been demolished and others are well into the cleanup phase. The Department of Energy has a clear policy of decontaminating and closing Rocky Flats by 2006, he said. Abraham said Monday that the Rocky Flats cleanup is a priority in the department's new budget, which was unveiled Monday. Funding for the cleanup rises slightly from $619 million to $628 million. Sean Conway, spokesman for Sen. Wayne Allard, said the senator has been assured that funding also remains for the nuclear waste disposal sites critical for the cleanup. National shipments to the one in New Mexico are expected to double, Abraham said. April 10, 2001 2001 © The E.W. Scripps Co. ***************************************************************** 23 Wild West faced by rollin', rollin' radiation The Times APRIL 10 2001 FROM LAURA PEEK IN WASHINGTON TUMBLEWEED, one of the enduring symbols of America’s Wild West, is spreading radiation across the country. The most contaminated nuclear reservation in the United States has started a huge clean-up after discovering that the roots of the thistle reach deep into underground burial sites for radioactive waste and suck up dangerous pollutants, such as strontium and caesium. When the roots of the thistle decay and the spiny, dry skeleton on the surface breaks off and rolls away, it contaminates everything it brushes over, scientists found. The cost of cleaning the trails of radiation from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State, which made the plutonium for the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War, could run into millions of dollars, experts say. "Our dream is that we have this place tumbleweed-free," Ray Johnson, a biological control manager for radiation protection at Fluor Hanford, the contractor managing the US Department of Energy site, said. A stiff winter wind can push the tumbleweed miles and then "we’ve lost control of our contamination", he said. Radiation-control specialists are sweeping the 560-square-mile reservation, using Geiger counters that click when radioactivity is present. When radioactive tumbleweeds are located, they are pitchforked into a lorry. The bushes are compacted and disposed of at an on-site waste dump. The area where they were found is cleaned and covered with 6in of clean soil or gravel. The radiation in a large, 3lb contaminated tumbleweed might measure 150 millirads, about one hundredth of the allowable annual dose of radiation per person at Hanford. Uncontaminated tumbleweeds are dumped in an open pit to prevent them from straying into polluted areas. Preventative measures to control the growth and spread of the tumbleweeds have been introduced and include backpack, roadside and aerial spraying of herbicide. A bio-barrier, an expensive engineered textile, can also be laid down to block the formation of thistle roots. Workers at the site are reluctant to purge the area of tumbleweeds completely. "If we didn’t have them, the West wouldn’t be the West," Mr Johnson said — this despite the fact that tumbleweed is not, in fact, American at all, but was introduced to the country from Russia. Hanford was built in 1943 for the secret Manhattan Project. For 40 years it made plutonium for the country’s nuclear arsenal. The last reactor was shut down in 1986. Two years ago $2.5 million was spent on a clean-up of contamination spread by fruit flies. The flies had been attracted to a soil fixative containing saccharin being sprayed on a contaminated area. The flies flew to an eating area and spread the radiation to rubbish bins, which later polluted a landfill site. Copyright 2001 Times Newspapers Ltd. This service is provided ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************