***************************************************************** 04/13/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.92 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 Clinton wary of Yucca safety 2 ENERGY CRISIS SOLUTION? NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS 3 Moab Tailings Job at Standstill 4 Impact of nuke waste routes sought 5 Hagel backs nuclear power option 6 Bush appointee calls for more nuclear plants 7 Critics sour on call for more nuclear power plants 8 Clay may clean nuclear waste - 9 TVA considers clean-burn coal plant on idle nuke site 10 NRC Braces for New Nuclear Plant Applications 11 Letter: State needs unity against dump 12 Study: Normal Numbers Of Cancer in BNL Workers 13 Traditional owners reject Jabiluka moratorium 14 Nuclear agency approves MOX fuel for Niigata plant 15 Atomic board wants more clout 16 Iraq and WHO agree to explore effects of radiation 17 Sellafield to process Germany's atom waste 18 Germans will restart Sellafield shipments 19 Radioactive Waste on Plymouth Sound 20 Two nuclear reactors restarted after repairs in Ukraine 21 Africa's Success in Using Nuclear Science Highlighted 22 Case for Yucca Mountain 23 Nature reclaims lakefront rights 24 KIRK SAYS TOP GOAL IS MOVING NUCLEAR WASTE NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 Exposed Workers to receive compensation 2 DOE should give FFTF one more year 3 Fluor trims 141 workers 4 DOE offering 10 Hanford site tours 5 Oak Ridge budget picture still a bit fuzzy 6 Chao shifts uranium aid plan 7 Labor to handle ill workers 8 Our View: Sick worker law may be getting on track, again 9 *Issues unresolved in providing aid to nuclear workers * 10 INEEL unveils early retirement incentives 11 Chao To Handle Nuclear Benefits 12 Nuclear workers to get help ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Clinton wary of Yucca safety April 13, 2001 By Mary Manning LAS VEGAS SUN FALLON -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., said she is concerned about health and safety standards for a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, but added that she does not oppose the project 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Clinton, who has nuclear power plants in her state, made her remarks during a media conference Thursday after a Senate committee hearing in this rural and military town 60 miles east of Reno that brought politicians, parents and experts to a panel led by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. "I am going to follow closely any standard for Yucca Mountain," Clinton said after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works concluded a 4-hour field hearing on a dozen childhood leukemias in Fallon. No common environmental exposure has been linked to the leukemias. There have been two radiation exposure limits set for ground water at Yucca Mountain if 77,000 tons of highly radioactive waste are ever buried there. The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a standard of 15 millirems of total radiation exposure and 4 millirem for ground water. Chest X-rays average roughly 10 millirems. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has suggested a 25 millirem limit on radiation exposure with no standard for ground water. "Whether we talk about Yucca Mountain or anywhere else, we have to stick to scientifically based standards," Clinton said. Earlier Clinton said that funding for clean drinking water and treatment of sewage was "woefully underfunded." America's cities and small towns such as Fallon will have to spend millions of dollars to build treatment plants in the next 25 years, Clinton said. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 2 ENERGY CRISIS SOLUTION? NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS PHILIP TERZIAN: The Wichita Eagle newspaper 825 E. Douglas Wichita, Kan. 67202 316.268.6000 April 13, 2001 When he took office in January 1999, Gov. Gray Davis of California did not expect that a major achievement of his term would be a multibillion-dollar deal to keep Southern California Edison from falling into bankruptcy. But less than a week after Pacific Gas &Electric filed for Chapter 11 protection, the governor announced that the Golden State would purchase Southern California Edison's network of power transmission lines for $2.7 billion, granting the company some desperately needed cash. Southern California Edison, the state's second-largest utility, is $5 billion in debt, and unable to purchase electricity from suppliers because its credit is so poor. Will this save Southern California Edison from insolvency? Maybe. Because while the utility has agreed to provide low-cost power from its generating plants for the next decade, and to drop lawsuits against the state demanding rate increases, California's energy crisis continues to deepen. As is often the case in these instances, public anger, fed by the press and politicians, has been directed at the utilities. Corporate America is an easy target when blame is being assessed and, it must be admitted, Pacific Gas &Electric did little to strengthen its case when it paid $50 million in bonuses to senior managers on the day before it declared bankruptcy. But we have been down this road before. Five years ago, when the cost of gasoline reached $2 per gallon in California, the Clinton Justice Department investigated what was widely thought to be an industry conspiracy to raise prices and increase profits. Instead, Attorney General Janet Reno rediscovered an elementary lesson of economics: Demand for gasoline had risen faster than the supply. Now, those same rules are governing the supply of power. As part of what was described as a "deregulation" of the energy supply, the California Legislature in the mid-1990s imposed an artificial ceiling on the retail price of electricity. As a consequence, utilities have been forbidden by law to pass the higher wholesale costs of power on to consumers. The result was inevitable. Prices could not restrain demand for energy, and so demand increased beyond the capacity of California's utilities to obtain power. The Golden State is not exempt from the laws of supply and demand. There is, however, another element in the equation. In the past 10 years, the economy of California has grown 34 percent, a colossal increase. But even more astonishing is the fact that, in those same 10 years, California did not build a single plant to satisfy the state's growing appetite for power. In the past five years, by contrast, Texas has built 22 new power plants, and within the next 12 months, will construct an additional 15. Not surprisingly, energy costs are comparatively low in Texas, and no rolling blackouts are expected this summer. The lesson, of course, is obvious: California cannot grow at the rate it would wish to grow unless it builds the utility plants such growth requires. Which leads us to a further paradox: The more Americans seem to enjoy the material perquisites of prosperity -- the Internet, SUVs, huge houses, electronic gadgets, more books and magazines, more frequent travel by air -- the less inclined they are to pay the price for such luxuries. That price is not measured in dollars, but in the mining, drilling, extracting, refining and shipping of energy. And that means power plants. Americans want power; they just don't want the big, grimy, aesthetically challenged factories that produce it. For which, of course, no one can blame them: Who wants to live next door to a power plant? But that raises a further question: How much longer can we wonder about the rising cost of energy for the way we live without mentioning nuclear power? Nuclear power not only supplies one-fifth of the nation's electricity, but it operates at a considerably higher "capacity factor" (90 percent) than coal (69 percent), oil and gas generators (30 percent) or hydroelectric dams (40 percent). Improvements in safety and operating procedures have added huge advances in capacity at existing plants, and the costs of operating nuclear power plants are at historic lows, approximately half what they were a decade ago, and considerably cheaper than oil, gas and coal. Nuclear power plants don't pollute the air we breathe and don't contribute to greenhouse gases. Their waste is concentrated in one place, not spewed into the atmosphere. And yet no new plants have been started in the decades since "The China Syndrome" spooked American moviegoers. Jane Fonda, meet Gov. Gray Davis. Philip Terzian is the associate editor of The Providence (R.I.) Journal. © The Wichita Eagle ***************************************************************** 3 Moab Tailings Job at Standstill The Salt Lake Tribune Friday, April 13, 2001 BY JUDY FAHYS MOAB -- Exasperated it is taking so long to stabilize a uranium waste pile here and fearful radioactive dust might be wafting into town, the state may try to enlist someone new to take on the job. "We are to the point we cannot wait any longer," said Bill Sinclair, director of the Utah Division of Radiation Control. "My patience is wearing thin." But it will be next week before there is any decision by PricewaterhouseCoopers, trustee of bankrupt Atlas Corp. and the party responsible for containing the 130-acre uranium waste heap that has been contaminating the Colorado River just outside of Moab. The trustee abandoned work on the site three months ago, saying it had run out of money. And, since then, it has balked because of possible legal snags. "We want to do a good job," said Jim Langley, project director for PricewaterhouseCoopers. "We want to do the right thing." His company met this week in Washington, D.C., with officials of the U.S. Interior Department, the parent agency of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The trustee wanted reassurance it will not be sued by one government agency for carrying out a stabilization plan approved by three other government agencies. "We are still getting mixed messages from Fish and Wildlife," said Langley. "They are very good at nodding their heads and saying, 'We don't think that's a problem,' but they are not very good at saying, 'You don't have a problem.' " Officials at PricewaterhouseCoopers say they have feared running afoul of the federal Endangered Species Act ever since the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service withdrew its support for the Atlas work in February. Even if the three other government agencies approve of the job Langley's contractor does on the tailings pile, disapproval by the the wildlife agency means Langley's company could be liable for fines of up to $25,000 and jail time. The other three agencies do not understand the delay, and they have lined up in the past month behind a new timetable that would finish the stabilization in two months. The work basically involves drying the tailings, the waste by-product of nearly three decades of uranium processing, and making sure the 10.5-million-ton pile is covered with enough dirt so the tainted dust does not take wind. The U.S. Department of Energy, once it takes over the site next fall, will look for the best long-term solution so that the tailings pile no longer leaches ammonia into the flood plain and radiation into the surrounding sandstone. That work is expected to cost between $100 million and $300 million and would take more than a decade. The federal wildlife agency is involved because both the contamination and the proposed remedies may impact five species under its protection: the Colorado pike minnow, the razorback sucker, the humpback chub and boneytail, all fish species, as well as the southwestern willow flycatcher, a bird species. FWS officials withdrew their "biological opinion" of the original stabilization plans two months ago. But last week the agency assured the other government agencies involved that the trustees are free to go forward with the work as planned. The interim work plan was the subject of a telephone conference call last month between the Utah radiation-control office, the DOE and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. They agreed, with a check promised soon from the Energy Department, the trustee would have the money needed to catch the pollutants in a retaining pond, stop erosion with hay bales, remove the moisture from the pile and otherwise finish the stabilization -- all by May 31. Sinclair said the state and one other interested party, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, will try to stop payment of that $400,000 Energy Department check until PricewaterhouseCoopers commits to resuming the work. Meanwhile, residents here have been eager for solutions and for the sort of monitoring that might tell them what sort of risk they face. State Rep. Max Young has been hearing from them. "There have been some dust storms . . . and people are concerned about that," said the Moab Democrat, noting that the problem has been around for at least 15 years. "Definitely, something should be done." © Copyright 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune All material found on ***************************************************************** 4 Impact of nuke waste routes sought April 12, 2001 By Cy Ryan <> SUN CAPITAL BUREAU CARSON CITY -- The health and safety of residents in 43 states could be seriously harmed if Congress decides to locate a high-level nuclear waste dump in Nevada, according to a resolution up for consideration today by the Senate Transportation Committee. Senate Joint Resolution 11 asks Congress to order federal agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement on the transportation of radioactive materials from sites across the nation to Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Sen. Jon Porter, R-Henderson, sponsor of the resolution, said transportation has been left out of the general environmental impact study, because the government fears people in other states would raise concerns about safety. The government doesn't want to delay the "accelerated process" that would designate Yucca Mountain as the burial site, he said. According to the resolution, co-sponsored by Assembly Speaker Richard Perkins, D-Henderson, and 12 senators, an environmental study of the routes for waste shipments would show by a "preponderance of evidence" that there would be "significantly more harm to the nation's health and welfare than any benefits derived from the proposed Yucca Mountain repository." The Legislature has already passed a resolution informing Congress the state will veto any designation of Yucca Mountain as the nuclear dumpsite. Other resolutions and bills also are before the Senate Transportation Committee urging Congress to reroute the shipments outside of Las Vegas and to require specific safety measures at Yucca Mountain. But those resolutions and bills have run into stiff criticism. Opponents complain the measures suggest Nevada would be willing to accept the nuclear waste under certain conditions. Critics say the measures would weaken Nevada's opposition. Those bills and resolutions appear to be stuck in committee. SJR11 is supported by critics of the other legislation. Testimony backing the measure is expected from representatives of Gov. Kenny Guinn; Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa; Mayors Oscar Goodman of Las Vegas, Bob Ferraro of Boulder City, Mike Montandon of North Las Vegas and Jim Gibson of Henderson; Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams; Bob Loux, executive director of the state Agency for Nuclear Projects; and Stephen Cloobeck, head of a citizens task force against Yucca Mountain. The resolution asks Congress to order the Energy Department to study the effect on people who live near highways, rail routes and on schools and water systems. The resolution also calls for public hearings at sites across the nation that would be affected by the high-level waste shipments. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 5 Hagel backs nuclear power option Journalstar.com: Nebraska BY DON WALTON Lincoln Journal Star The United States needs to turn to renewed development of nuclear power as one of the answers to its growing energy needs, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel said Thursday. "Energy is the most pressing challenge this country faces," Hagel said. "We need the nuclear option to help meet demand. If we don't fix this, we'll experience a downturn in the economy such as we have not seen since the Depression." Hagel, a member of the Senate Energy Committee, toured Omaha Public Power District's nuclear plant at Fort Calhoun before offering his observations in a telephone interview. No new nuclear power plants have been constructed in the United States since 1978. Nuclear power offers "the cleanest form of energy," he said. Lack of carbon emissions makes that energy option "very, very environmentally sound" and nuclear power production has proved to be very safe, he said. "Waste is the biggest problem" that needs to be addressed, Hagel said. "We must step up to this issue." Congress should approve transportation of nuclear waste to a mountain depository in Nevada, he said. The process for approval of nuclear power plant construction should be "streamlined without weakening the very significant safety and health regulations that are needed," Hagel said. "We need to cut away a lot of the underbrush that gets wrapped under the axle of nuclear regulatory activity." Failure to meet energy needs would be "very dangerous to our economy and our national security," Hagel said. *Don Walton can be reached at 473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. * Copyright © 2001, Lincoln Journal Star. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 6 Bush appointee calls for more nuclear plants CJ Online | Kansas News | 04/13/01 Topeka Capital-Journal By ROXANA HEGEMAN *The Associated Press * WICHITA -- More nuclear power plants are needed to meet the nation's electrical demands, a top official of President Bush's energy task force told Kansas business and farm leaders. Andrew Lundquist, staff director of the panel appointed to develop the administration's energy policy, said Thursday in a telephone link to a Kansas energy forum meeting in Wichita that the task force is looking at the possibility of building more nuclear power plants -- something not done in this country since 1973. Existing nuclear plants should also be relicensed because they have been running safely and are getting safer, he said. The task force, formally called the National Energy Policy Development Group, consists of Vice President Dick Cheney, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and the secretaries of Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce and Transportation. Kansas oilmen attending the forum were disappointed to learn from Karen Knutson, assistant director of the task force, that tax credits to spur drilling of marginal oil and gas wells wouldn't likely be a part of the task force's recommendations. About 98 percent of all wells in Kansas are marginal wells, producing fewer than 15 barrels per day. "We are not anticipating tax credits in this report," she said. But Lundquist later added that such tax credits were still being considered. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, who hosted the forum, told the Kansas group that he didn't understand why the task force wouldn't consider incentives to boost its domestic production and promised to look into it. Mark Shreve, president of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, also expressed his displeasure. "Some would question, 'Why provide incentives when the market is overproducing?' " Brownback said. But Brownback noted the decline in U.S. oil production. The U.S. imports about 60 percent of the oil it consumes. "Energy is not like any other product we trade for -- it is a driver of the economy," he said. Boeing Co. officials in Seattle have concerns about the availability of enough electricity this summer after watching the effects the California blackouts and brownouts had on some of its California operations, said Terry Keller, resources manager for Boeing Wichita. He told the forum that on any given day, the Wichita plant has about $2 million worth of parts fuselages or metal being processed. If that process is interrupted by an electrical brownout, all that metal must be scrapped, he said. "People in Seattle are very concerned about this issue as a corporation," he said. Boeing uses so much power to cool and heat its 13 million-square-foot facility in Wichita that a one-tenth of a cent increase in the cost of an electric kilowatt hour costs the company $500,000. Boeing also is one of the top five natural gas consumers in Kansas. Bruce Carselowey, a board member for Kansas Farm Bureau, said renewable fuels such as ethanol should be part of national energy policy. Ethanol adds about 30 cents of value to a bushel of corn, he said. @Topeka.net ***************************************************************** 7 Critics sour on call for more nuclear power plants Lawrence Journal-World: By Kevin Bates, Staff writer Friday, April 13, 2001 The United States needs more nuclear power plants to meet electrical demands, a top official of President Bush's energy task force told Kansas business and farm leaders Thursday. Andrew Lundquist, staff director of the panel appointed to develop the administration's energy policy, said in a telephone link to a Kansas energy forum meeting in Wichita that the task force is looking at the possibility of building more nuclear power plants — something not done in this country since 1973. Existing nuclear plants should also be re-licensed because they have been running safely and are getting safer, he said. But no matter what Bush administration officials say, every other possibility should be explored before Kansas considers another nuclear power plant, a consumer advocate said. "We need to look at the whole range of options before we look to another" nuclear plant, said Walker Hendrix, consumer counsel for the Citizens' Utility Ratepayer Board. "Because Kansas doesn't have a huge population, building another plant would substantially increase our rates. CURB wouldn't be terribly excited about the idea, but if it came down to not having power, we'd probably reluctantly accept it." Better for Kansas would be wind power, Hendrix said, noting the state has been listed third-best in the United States for wind-farm locations. "There's also another movement afoot for more decentralized sources of energy," Hendrix said. "I think more people will be relying on generators at their houses." Environmental lawyer Bob Eye of Lawrence, a longtime opponent of Wolf Creek, the state's sole nuclear generator, also said more such plants is a bad idea. "The age of commercial nuclear power taught us that these things take a lot of time to build, are very expensive and have an adverse impact on the environment and public health," Eye said. "I daresay there's not a single place in this country that won't oppose one being built in their area. Gathering political support isn't a very likely outcome, and I think it has only a slim chance." – The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright © 2001, the Lawrence Journal-World. All rights reserved. Please see ***************************************************************** 8 Clay may clean nuclear waste - 4/12/2001 - ENN.com Thursday, April 12, 2001 By United Press International In a finding that could help improve radioactive and hazardous waste disposal, researchers from Pennsylvania State University demonstrated that a synthetic clay can separate ions of radium, a radioactive metal, from water. A research team led by Sridhar Komarneni, professor of clay mineralogy, used x-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to evaluate the chemical properties of Na4, one of a group of clays called "swelling micas" not found in nature. "These clays are created specifically for water treatment purposes," Komarneni told United Press International. "Swelling micas expand as they absorb metal ions, reach capacity, then collapse and seal the contaminants inside." The swelling micas, he explained, are being examined for use in separating heavy metal ions such as lead and other radioactive materials, including strontium, from waste streams. In this recent experiment, Komarneni claims he synthesized a fine Na-4 powder more useful for practical applications than the larger crystals presently available. James Amonette, a senior research scientist at the Hanford nuclear waste site in Washington state, told UPI he is familiar with Komarneni's work. But radium, he said, is not a major problem at nuclear sites such as Hanford. "Strontium is a much bigger problem," Amonette said in a telephone interview. "It comes from cooling water that goes through nuclear reactors." While swelling mica may remove certain hazardous materials from water, Amonette said the nature of the water itself will affect the clay's efficiency. "Mica has a negative charge, so you have to know what other positive ions, besides the ones you want to remove, are competing for the mica in the solution." Sodium, Amonette explained, will compete with strontium in wastewater. If the mica clay is not specific enough for strontium, it will become saturated with sodium and lose its efficacy. "I'm not sure how useful these swelling micas will be with tank wastes because they are often contaminated with all kinds of ions," Amonette said. Komarneni and his team report their results in the April 12 issue of Nature. Copyright 2001, United Press International All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2001 Environmental News Network Inc. ***************************************************************** 9 TVA considers clean-burn coal plant on idle nuke site April 13, 2001 By The Associated Press The Tennessee Valley Authority will study the environmental impact of building a clean-burning coal plant at the site of an unfinished nuclear station in Alabama, the federal utility said. TVA filed notice in the Federal Register that it's considering building a combined-cycle plant, which would convert coal to gas for cleaner emissions, at its idled Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Hollywood, Ala. The proposed plant, fueled by coal and petroleum coke, would generate 1,500 megawatts of baseload electricity to meet growing energy demand in TVA's seven-state region. It could begin operation in four to six years. Texaco Inc., which developed the technology, may be a partner in the project. TVA, the country's largest public utility, considered a similar plan in 1997 in which the nuclear plant would be converted to coal. Nothing came of it. Under the new plan, Bellefonte's two unfinished reactors would not be affected. TVA would build the coal plant separately, but share the site's raw water intake system, cooling facilities and its electrical switchyard. TVA began building Bellefonte in 1974. At one point, one of the reactors was judged to be 90 percent complete. But construction was suspended in 1988 after TVA determined it didn't have the electric demand to support it. After investing $4 billion on Bellefonte, TVA decided in 1996 it couldn't afford to spend another $2 billion to finish the nuclear station. "The whole town is thrilled that TVA is even thinking about some way to activate this plant," Hollywood Mayor Bill McClendon told The Chattanooga Times Free Press last week. Stephen Smith, director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said he had mixed feelings about the project because while "there are advantages to these clean-coal technologies," the nuclear option remains open. But Rick Roden, executive director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in Scottsboro, Ala., said the issue isn't complicated for economic development leaders. Officials say the plant will require about 1,000 workers to build it and about 100 workers to run it. TVA provides electricity to 8 million people in Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Copyright © 2000, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 10 NRC Braces for New Nuclear Plant Applications + LCG, April 12, 2001—The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is getting ready for a spate of applications from companies wanting to build new nuclear power plants in the United States, a spokesman for an industry association said yesterday. + "We do expect you may begin to see some applications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for early site permits perhaps as soon as next year," said Steve Kerekes, a spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute. + Under NRC procedures, an application can be made in two or more phases. A developer can ask the commission rule only on environmental and siting issues and not return to those matter when proceeding further into the permitting process. + While the NRC has not issued a new license since 1973, looming electricity shortages coupled with continued concern about emissions from conventional power plants have rekindled interest in the clean- running nukes. + A spokesman for the NRC said "We are taking some steps to prepare for the possibility of new applications," adding that application procedures have also been streamlined. "Before, you had to apply for a construction permit and then an operating permit, those two procedures have now been consolidated." Copyright © 2001 LCG ***************************************************************** 11 Letter: State needs unity against dump April 13, 2001 In the fight against Yucca Mountain we should remember that politicians and citizens who think we should negotiate with Washington have the same free speech guarantee as we do. Their opposite views are an opportunity for debates. In the 1970s and '80s there were many politicians and citizens who were pro-nuclear. Given the small population then in Nevada, it is understandable. We now need a bipartisan effort, North and South, with less argument and more debate to make certain Congress doesn't force the Yucca Mountain nuclear dump on us. "United we win." Divided they dump. FRANK PERNA All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 12 Study: Normal Numbers Of Cancer in BNL Workers Newsday.com | News April 13, 2001 by Katie Thomas Staff Writer Cancer among Brookhaven National Laboratory employees is distributed in proportions similar to the rest of Long Island and New York State, a study has found. But the report, released yesterday by the lab and the U.S. Department of Energy, drew immediate criticism from environmental and community groups, which charged that its limited scope meant the results were ill-fated from the start. "The design of the study isn't credible, therefore the results of the study aren't credible," said Adrienne Esposito, associate executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, which has been critical of the facility. But researchers and lab officials countered that, while preliminary, the results were not meaningless. If workers were at a high risk of radiation-related cancer, "we would expect to see a higher proportion of those cancers as a group," said Maria Schymura, director of the New York State Cancer Registry and author of the report. "I do not think it's possible that there could be great risk." The study, conducted at the request of the Department of Energy, which oversees the facility, compared a database of more than 21,000 lab employees with names in the state cancer registry from 1976 to 1996. But because of the relatively small number of people involved and because the study did not track employees who had moved out of state, even those who conducted it cautioned yesterday against drawing too many conclusions. Lab employees and outside community groups asked for a worker health assessment in 1997 after a radioactive tritium leak and other contamination was discovered at the facility. They had asked lab officials to conduct a more thorough investigation of the health risks to employees, one that would single out those who worked at one of the three now-closed nuclear reactors. Researchers focused on cancers linked to radioactive exposure but did not single out reactor workers, dividing the group only by sex and whether they were salaried or paid by the hour. To further subdivide the group wouldn't be feasible, Schymura said, given the small number of employees, 804, who were on the cancer registry. Except for a heightened level of leukemia among women, the study found the distribution of so-called "radiosensitive cancer" to be within normal range. Because of the study's small scale, it's unclear how significant the occurrence of leukemia is, researchers said. Joe Buscemi, business manager of Local 2230 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the lab's largest union, said despite some reservations he was satisfied. And with heightened safety measures at the lab, "I think people feel more safe," he said. Whether more in-depth surveys will follow is now up to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which conducts health studies on Department of Energy employees around the country. Lab director John Marburger said he was relieved that the results showed no immediate warning signs. Although he said he advocated further study, "I'm going to sleep well tonight," he said. Copyright © Newsday, Inc. Produced by Newsday Electronic ***************************************************************** 13 Traditional owners reject Jabiluka moratorium ABC News - The mining company Rio Tinto has confirmed it has no short term plans to mine uranium at the Northern Territory's Jabiluka mine, and has placed a 10-year moratorium on the project. The chair of Rio Tinto, Sir Robert Wilson, has made the announcement at the company's annual general meeting in London. But traditional Aboriginal owners of Kakadu National Park say the moratorium does not go far enough. Spokesperson for the Mirrar people Jacqui Katona says uranium mining at Jabiluka should never go ahead. "There has been a lot of ambiguity surrounding Rio's position as to whether they would sell the property and frankly we haven't had any of that ambiguity cleared up by this statement of a 10-year moratorium," she said. "It is still possible for Rio Tinto to sell it. They haven't committed themselves to follow through on handing the project back." "All they are prepared to do is undertake mining company rhetoric." Ms Katona adds that traditional owners will continue to withhold their consent. "Rio admits that the project cannot go ahead without Aboriginal consent. "Aboriginal people are going to campaign wherever Rio is, ensuring that controversy follows Rio in regards to Jabiluka wherever they operate." © 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ***************************************************************** 14 Nuclear agency approves MOX fuel for Niigata plant [The Japan Times Online] April 14, 2001 NIIGATA (Kyodo) The Agency for Nuclear and Industrial Safety issued a certificate on Friday to Tokyo Electric Power Co. stating that the company's plutonium-uranium mixed oxide fuel imports have passed safety inspection. The agency issued the certificate for the 28 containers of MOX fuel imported from Britain for use in the No. 3 reactor of TEPCO's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, located on the Sea of Japan coast. Although TEPCO submitted to the central government a plan for periodic plant inspections, expected to begin Tuesday, it did not state whether it plans to use the MOX fuel in its thermal reactor or continue using uranium fuel. The utility had planned to begin using MOX fuel from Tuesday, but the Niigata Prefectural Government has been reluctant to allow Japan's first nuclear plant to use the controversial fuel. "The company will continue to make efforts to obtain understanding from local residents and will decide whether to use the MOX fuel in the inspection after analyzing the situation with regard to the locals," reads the plan. The inspection is to finish July 13. The company said it hopes to decide by June whether it will begin using the MOX fuel in the reactor. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, which comprises seven reactors, has an output of 8,212,000 kilowatts, the largest in the world. The company's move follows its decision in late March to postpone implementation of a similar project at its Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. MOX, a pellet mixture of uranium dioxide and plutonium dioxide, is designed to be burned in light-water reactors, a process known as plutonium thermal use. Plutonium is obtained by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants. The electricity industry plans to implement the use of MOX fuel in 16 to 18 reactors by 2010. The project was originally scheduled to be launched in 1999. The Japan Times: Apr. 14, 2001 (C) All rights reserved ***************************************************************** 15 Atomic board wants more clout April 13, 2001 By Sira Habibu and Zarinah Daud PENANG: The Atomic Energy Licensing Board wants more clout to protect the public from activities such as tantalum digging which involved exposure to radioactive rays. Its director-general Dr Syed Abdul Malik Syed Zain said yesterday the power of execution was vital for the board to play a more effective role in ensuring public safety was not compromised. "We will advise the Science, Technology and Environment Ministry on the matter as more people are risking their lives and health digging for tantalum for short-term gains,'' he said. On Wednesday, three illegal diggers were buried alive when a tunnel they dug to prospect for tantalum under a car showroom in Taman Selat collapsed at about 7pm. Fire and Rescue Department personnel broke through the showroom floor of Proton Edar Sdn Bhd to reach the trio, whose bodies were recovered about three hours later. Tantalum, a tin smelting by-product which may contain radioactive material such as radium and uranium, can fetch from RM4 to RM9 per kg. According to earlier reports, the area around Taman Selat and the whole stretch of Jalan Pantai were used as a dumping ground for tin slags. Dr Syed Abdul Malik said under the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984, the board was entrusted with the responsibility to protect workers and the public from radioactive rays. "But we can't take action against those who prospect for radioactive materials. "Action can only be taken under the National Land Code. We will submit a proposal to the ministry to help control such activities,'' he said. Seberang Perai Utara OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Wahab Ahmad said police would continue to patrol the area. He said police had to compromise some of their priorities in other areas since the diggings started. © 1995-2001 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D) Managed by I.STAR Sdn Bhd (Co No 422871-T). ***************************************************************** 16 Iraq and WHO agree to explore effects of radiation 13 April 2001 : The Times of India GENEVA: Iraq and the WHO have agreed a plan for working together to explore the connection between Depleted Uranium (DU) and diseases found among the Iraqi people following the 1991 Gulf War, the WHO said . A delegation from Iraq and experts of the World Health Organisation drew up a framework for future collaboration and action during talks here from April 9 until 11, who spokeswoman Melinda Henry said. Although they will concentrate on DU, they also plan to look at all the different environmental health risks to see if other factors are at work as a result of the conflict, she said. It represents the start of"a process where we can expore health effects and depleted uranium and also look at other factors which may be responsible for any increase an ce@tain diseases," she said. The framework covers three areas -- surveillance especially cancers and congenital malformations, as well as DU measurements in affected people, plus prevention and research, she said. (AFP) ***************************************************************** 17 Sellafield to process Germany's atom waste ISSUE 2149 Friday 13 April 2001 GERMAN nuclear safety authorities said yesterday that they will allow nuclear waste to be shipped to Britain for treatment at the Sellafield reprocessing centre. The authorisation, which covers waste from the Biblis plant in the central Hesse province, is valid until July 31, a statement from the Office for Protection Against Radiation said. The exact date for the shipment will be determined by the interior ministries of the regional states concerned. The Office for Protection Against Radiation has already authorised the transport of waste from another German nuclear power station to Sellafield. The Berliner Zeitung newspaper reported yesterday that such convoys to Britain would resume this month, after similar shipments were resumed this week to France. Three containers containing 21 spent fuel rods from the Neckarwestheim power station in the south-west of the country are to be shipped to Sellafield on April 23 or 24, the newspaper said. British Nuclear Fuels Ltd was criticised last year in an official reportfor deficient security standards at Sellafield, but a German Environment Ministry spokesman, said the British authorities wrote to the ministry on Dec 19 last year to say that the required conditions were now met. Germany has no facilities for treating waste from its nuclear power stations. ***************************************************************** 18 Germans will restart Sellafield shipments Independent By Steve Connor, Science Editor 13 April 2001 Spent nuclear fuel from Germany is to be sent to Britain and reprocessed at the Sellafield plant in Cumbria for the first time in three years, German nuclear authorities announced yesterday. The shipment of five flasks containing spent uranium fuel will be sent at the end of the month for reprocessing at Sellafield's giant Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (Thorp). It would be the first time since 1998, when shipments were suspended over safety fears, that German spent fuel would be sent to Sellafield, Bill Anderton, a spokesman for British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL), said. The fuel will be transported by train from the German reactors at Biblis and Neckarwestheim. Another shipment was taken earlier this week to a reprocessing plant at Cap La Hague in France, which was also subject to the moratorium. Mr Anderton said that permits for transporting the fuel from the two German reactors were issued yesterday morning after a review of safety. "Fuel has been transported from Germany for the last 20 years but this is the first load since May 1998," he said. German authorities banned the movement because of the "sweating" of the flasks during transport. This was caused by temperature changes resulting in small increases in radioactivity to the outside of the flasks. Mr Anderton said the problem had been identified as resulting from small radioactive particles being deposited on the walls of the flasks during the loading, which is done in underwater ponds. Radioactive readings from swabs wiped on the outside of the flasks have to be below a certain level before they can be shipped. Those readings could sometimes increase during transport, though, because particles migrated to the surface of the flask's wall, Mr Anderton said. Changes in reporting procedures and improved monitoring during transport have now satisfied Germany that it is safe to resume shipments. Once the fuel is reprocessed, BNFL hopes to recycle it as mixed oxide fuel (Mox) which can be sold back to the Germans. The company has yet to receive a licence from the British Government to open its new Mox plant. The issue has been plagued by a scandal over falsified data, revealed by *The Independent* 18 months ago, which resulted in the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate demanding that the company implement 22 recommendations to prevent further safety lapses. The Government has ordered a fourth review of the commercial viability of the new Mox plant, which is expected to end in 10 weeks. Japan, BNFL's biggest potential customer, has yet to confirm any orders and is unlikely to do so until the company receives a licence to open its £450m plant. ***************************************************************** 19 Radioactive Waste on Plymouth Sound SURFmagic - Article By Elinor Slatford (SAS) Surfers Against Sewage are backing local Plymouth residents in their call for a Public Inquiry into the expansion of nuclear submarine facilities at Devonport Dockyard and the inevitable increase in radioactivity that will result. American based company DML have applied to the Environment Agency to increase the amounts of radioactive waste they can discharge into the environment by what SAS say is "a worryingly large amount". Tritium discharges into the River Tamar are set to increase by 700% as MOD submarines are brought into the dockyard for refitting. With a half-life of just over 12 years, discharged Tritium is set to disperse within the river and along the coast. DML believe that their proposals will not result in a health risk to local Plymouth residents or water users, yet scientists and campaigners are warning that Tritium can cause genetic abnormalities and cancers. The matter is currently subject to public consultation, before the E.A. make a decision on whether or not they let the development go ahead as proposed. If you would like to express opposition to the scheme click on the following links, print off the letters, sign and send them to the addresses that appear top left. DETR Dept of Health © 2000 Magicalia Ltd. ***************************************************************** 20 Two nuclear reactors restarted after repairs in Ukraine The Associated Press KPnews.com -- News about Ukraine 13 Apr 2001 KYIV, Apr. 13 (AP) - Two nuclear reactors at Ukraine's Rivne atomic power plant were restarted Friday after repairs following a fire earlier in the week, nuclear officials said. The No. 2 and 3 nuclear reactors were shut down Wednesday by a safety system after the fire broke out. No radiation leaks or injuries were reported, the State nuclear company Energoatom said. Rivne is one of two plants where Ukraine has been pressing ahead with construction of reactors to make up for the electricity lost when the Chernobyl plant was shut down for good in December, 14 years after a reactor there exploded in the world's worst nuclear disaster. Nuclear officials launched the No. 2 reactor Friday before dawn, while another reactor was restarted later in the day, Energoatom said. Ukraine's nuclear power plants provide about 40 percent of the country's electricity. © 2000 SputnikMedia.net ***************************************************************** 21 Africa's Success in Using Nuclear Science Highlighted allAfrica.com: Panafrican News Agency (Dakar) April 10, 2001 Cape Town, South Africa An official of the South African foreign affairs ministry said the application of nuclear technology in Africa has in many instances, brought viable solutions to some of the problems the continent faces. Basetsana Thokoane made the statement Monday when he welcomed Dr. Mohamed El Baradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who is on a four-day official visit to South Africa Thokoane said 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). El Baradei will meet with senior officials and policy-makers to discuss issues related to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as well as technical co-operation projects between the Agency and the South African government. He is expected to visit some of the technical co-operation projects in South Africa the IAEA is involved in. The AFRA functions under the auspices of the IAEA. The IAEA was established in 1956 and its Board of Governors is the principal decision-making body of the Agency. 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. 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 that year. 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 re-admitted to the Board and regained its seat in 1995. Copyright © 2001 *Panafrican News Agency*. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ***************************************************************** 22 Case for Yucca Mountain Congressman drums for Nevada site for Zion nuclear fuel By Ralph Zahorik STAFF WRITER ZION — Radioactive waste stored at the shut-down ComEd nuclear power plant should be moved to Nevada, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Wilmette, said Thursday after touring the plant with state Rep. Tim Osmond, R-Antioch, and more than 20 reporters and photographers. Kirk called on fellow congressmen to support designating a site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the permanent repository for the nation's high-level nuclear waste. "One hundred and twenty yards from Lake Michigan is not an appropriate place for the storage of nuclear waste," said Kirk. "In a decade or two, it could become a threat to the environment and the entire Great Lakes region." The Zion plant, located on prime land along Lake Michigan, was shut down in 1998, but the property won't be available for other uses unless a place is found to move the plant's radioactive waste. Environmental groups like the Sierra Club oppose Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste storage. Congress approved the site in 1999, but former President Clinton vetoed the legislation, citing concerns about inadequate radiation protection standards in Nevada. "The safe storage of nuclear waste is not just a Nevada issue," said Kirk, who visited Yucca Mountain recently. "Congressional opposition to a permanent storage plan means that this waste will be left ... close to America's largest fresh water lake." Redevelopment on hold The Zion facility "was never designed to be a permanent storage facility," said Kirk. "Until the nuclear waste is moved, the Zion plant cannot be dismantled and this lakefront property cannot be developed." The Yucca Mountain legislation may come up for a vote in Congress again early next year, Kirk said. The U.S. Department of Energy has been studying Yucca Mountain, where nuclear weapons were tested from 1945 to 1992, for years, noted Kirk. The site is about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. "Yucca Mountain appears to be a good site for long-term storage of nuclear waste," Kirk said. "One hundred miles from the nearest city, little likelihood of volcanic or earthquake activity and sparse rainfall." A draft plan would bury nuclear waste "in the middle of the mountain, 1,000 feet below the surface but still 800 feet above the water table," he said. "A single, remote desert location is far more appropriate for permanent disposal of nuclear waste than the situation we face today," said Kirk. "Nationwide, 34 states store close to 40,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel in 77 separate locations." With 104 reactors still operating, nuclear waste will total more than 100,000 tons by 2035, he said. "Clearly, the safe transportation and storage of this waste at one site suited for long-term security offers a better option for our communities," he said. It is not known if Yucca Mountain is a safe place to store nuclear waste, said David Kraft, a nuclear power critic and director of the Nuclear Energy Information Service in Evanston. "Despite all the chest-thumping about 'Send it to Nevada,' Yucca Mountain has not yet demonstrated its suitability to hold high-level radioactive waste," he said. ComEd officials have said, repeatedly, that radioactive waste can be stored safely in Zion, Kraft noted. Three "major problems" exist at Yucca Mountain, Kraft said: evidence of upswelling of hot water "at some time in the recent geologic past," discovery of an isotope created by nuclear testing "deep inside the mountain," and a report that "high levels of moisture" destroyed monitoring equipment. 'Hasty, premature' In a statement, the Sierra Club called Kirk's plan "hasty" and "premature." The organization warned that Kirk's proposal, if Congress and President Bush support it, "could throw open the doors of Illinois to convoys of trucks traveling through Illinois carrying radioactive waste from other states." Nuclear waste "can and must be safely and securely stored at the Zion reactor where it was generated," said the Ann Mesnikoff, a Sierra representative in Washington, D.C. Kirk "is right to be concerned about nuclear waste," she said. "But his proposal poses greater risks to the people of Illinois than does ensuring safe storage at the reactor site ... The problems raised by today's call for moving nuclear waste highlight the irresponsible nature of President George W. Bush's proposals to reinvest in nuclear power. The president's plan will only generate more waste, put more Americans at risk and increase costs without significantly affecting our power supply." 1,600 tons of uranium pellets About 1,600 tons of radioactive waste uranium pellets in 2,226 bundles of nuclear fuel rods are resting in a 66-foot-long, 60-foot-deep pool of water between the Zion plant's two domed reactor containment buildings. Because of the lack of a permanent waste storage facility, ComEd officials have said they plan to maintain the Zion plant in a "dormant" state for 15 to 20 years, when they expect a repository, perhaps Yucca Mountain, will be ready. Dismantling and site restoration at Zion will take another 12 years, they have said. If radioactive waste is too dangerous to remain in Illinois "maybe it's also too hazardous to continue producing in Illinois," Kraft said. "I'm not advocating a nuclear future for the United States," Kirk said. "The windpower machine you see out front (of the Zion plant) is the future." Kirk said he supported the use of "clean-burning fuels like natural gas," energy conservation and "research and development of renewable sources of energy" like wind, solar and hydro power. Osmond said he would add "Illinois coal" and corn ethanol to the list of acceptable energy sources. Zion area residents should "assume the responsibilities of adulthood," Kraft said. "The people around Zion did not do whatever was needed to prevent the construction of the Zion nuclear power station, which produced these wastes," he said. "For years, these people and their representatives gladly accepted the tax monies, jobs and other economic benefits that went along with allowing the plant to create these wastes. The people of Nevada received no such benefits yet are being asked — forced — to accept your wastes. Regrettably, it's now time to pay the piper." ***************************************************************** 23 Nature reclaims lakefront rights www.SuburbanChicagoNews.com)] By STAFF WRITER ZION — With the shutdown of the Zion nuclear plant three years ago, more wildlife has started to move in, according to plant workers. "We see deer come right up to the building now," said Mike Peterson. "There aren't as many people around. The deer come through the gate and feed on the grass." Petersen said he has seen falcons, a coyote or two and, along the lakeshore, a snowy owl. He described watching the unsuccessful attempt of a peregrine falcon to catch a bat. At its peak, the Zion nuclear plant had about 900 full-time employees and up to 2,000 men and women, counting outside contractors, worked in and around the facility. Just 50 work there today, and the deer, apparently, are no longer intimidated. The principal job of the handful of workers left is maintaining the plant's spent fuel storage area, an auditorium-size room with a 66-foot long, 50-foot-deep pool of water. Resting in the pool are 2,226 spent, but still highly radioactive, uranium fuel rod assemblies that once powered the plant's two reactors. When the reactors were running and freshly used rods were deposited in the pool, the water had a shimmering, deep, brilliant aquamarine color. The vivid hue impressed many visitors as one of the plant's most striking features. Today, the water is a rich but dullish green. It isn't blue anymore because "the rods are old," said Ron Shuster, a plant manager. "Shrink-off radiation gives off the pretty blue color," said another plant official. "A month after refueling, it's gone." ComEd officials assured visitors that the 1,500 tons of radioactive waste, shielded by the water, are safe in Zion, and will be for the foreseeable future. "We can store fuel here safely until a permanent storage facility is established," said Gene Stanley, ComEd vice president of nuclear operations. The spent-fuel room, isolated from the rest of the plant, is called an "island" by ComEd. Visitors must go through a half-dozen detectors and monitors before entering the island. Electricity from outside the plant is used to cool water in the pool. Last January, an "unusual event" was recorded in the island. Power was lost for about 15 minutes and the pool's temperature increased one degree, from 91 to 92. An alarm would have been triggered if the temperature had hit 120 degrees. When the plant was operating between 1973 and 1998, the interior was occasionally described by visitors as immaculate as a hospital or a Navy ship, which it somewhat resembles inside. It appeared somewhat shabby Thursday, with plaster peeling from walls in some areas. ***************************************************************** 24 KIRK SAYS TOP GOAL IS MOVING NUCLEAR WASTE [Chicago Tribune] By Susan Kuczka Tribune Staff Writer *April 13, 2001* Images of truck convoys transporting steel- and concrete-encased rods of spent nuclear fuel across Illinois were evoked Thursday as a Republican congressman called for the removal of radioactive waste stored in an inactive nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan in Zion. With George W. Bush in the White House, Rep. Mark Kirk of Wilmette said, the plan is closer to reality than a year ago, when it was blocked by Democrats concerned about the safety of storing the radioactive material at a permanent site in Nevada. "I bent [Bush's] ear on this issue," said Kirk, who, as a freshman congressman, recently attended a White House luncheon with the president. "He knows where Zion is now." Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), who also supports depositing radioactive waste stored at former Commonwealth Edison Co. nuclear power plants throughout Illinois at a single permanent site in Nevada, said Kirk might be right. But Durbin said he is concerned that Bush may sign a bill compromising the radiation safety standards that sank last year's attempts to create a single storage site for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. "One cannot observe the first 10 weeks of this presidential administration's sorry environmental record and not have some concerns about this radiation standard," Durbin said. Environmental groups expressed alarm Thursday about the prospect of spent nuclear fuel rods being transported across the country to Nevada by trucks or railroad cars. "Rep. Kirk is right to be concerned about nuclear waste, but his proposal poses greater risks to the people of Illinois than does ensuring safe storage at the reactor site," said Ann Mesnikoff, a representative of the Sierra Club. Dave Kraft, director of the Chicago-based Nuclear Energy Information Service, said, "Premature shipments to Yucca Mountain would do nothing to solve the nuclear waste problem but would merely transfer liability to people living in Nevada and along transportation routes targeted for large-scale shipments of nuclear waste." The criticism of the Yucca plan came while Kirk was leading a tour of the storage site for more than 2.7 million pounds of spent fuel rods at Zion. The 14-foot rods, which accumulated at the plant over more than 20 years when its twin nuclear reactors were operating, are contained in a 60-by-33-foot pool that's 23 feet deep and holds 250,000 gallons of water. The plant, which once employed about 800 workers, now has about 50 people whose primary job is to provide security. Security was tight Thursday as visitors were processed through a series of screening devices designed to detect weapons. Leaving the containment area was just as intense as each visitor was asked to stand in a radiation-measuring device for safety. Kirk, who said having the nuclear waste removed from Zion is his top priority, said his main concerns are the safety of the thousands of residents living near the plant and the potential for contamination of Lake Michigan, 120 yards away. Kirk represents the 10th Congressional District, which includes lakefront suburbs from Wilmette to the Wisconsin line and as far west as Arlington Heights and Mundelein. "There is no better way for me to celebrate my 100th day in office than to highlight the No. 1 environmental concern that we have for this region and begin to move Congress and the president toward a final solution that protects Illinois families over the long term," he said. Kirk said he was sympathetic to environmentalists' concerns about having a single storage site at Yucca Mountain for all of the nation's nuclear waste. But he said he doesn't support endless studies. The proposed site, about 100 miles from Las Vegas, is under study by the Department of Energy. "If you looked at Deerfield, Ill., and said what's going to happen there 100 years from now, 5,000 years from now and 5 million years from now, you could spend almost an unlimited amount of time studying that," Kirk said. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Exposed Workers to receive compensation MySanAntonio: Express-News: Metro and State By Nicole Foy Express-News Medical Writer Defense Department workers who may have become ill as a result of exposure to nuclear materials could receive compensation from the federal government under a proposal unveiled Thursday by U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez. The program would be modeled after one already in place for Energy Department workers or contractors who handled radioactive materials or the deadly metal beryllium. The former Medina Base in San Antonio was one of 317 sites the Energy Department recently listed where workers would be eligible for compensation. But since that announcement, there have been calls for Defense Department employees to receive similar consideration. There is evidence Kelly AFB workers handled beryllium, and Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, predicted the numbers in that group could exceed the count of former Medina Base workers exposed to the disease-causing metal. So far, only about 60 people from the San Antonio area have called a toll-free hot line set up by the Energy Department about the occupational illness program, Gonzalez said. Most of the contacts were from military workers looking for information, he said. "We need to take that into consideration — that there's a real need out there," he said during a briefing with local health, military and community officials. "Where do we direct them and what do we tell them to do?" Under Gonzalez's legislation, to be filed soon, Kelly workers could be eligible for compensation for future medical care, in addition to a possible financial stipend. Those who contracted a lung disease from beryllium or certain cancers linked to radiation exposure would fall under the program. San Antonio Express-News columnist Roddy Stinson first revealed the existence of a mysterious "Beryllium Room" in Building 1420 on Kelly AFB. A point paper from Kelly officials recently obtained by Stinson said the room once was used for the machining of hatch covers made of the metal, which is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel. "The machining involved drilling two holes that were approximately one-tenth-inch in diameter in each cover," the paper said. Such drilling would create dust that, if inhaled, could cause berylliosis, a disease of the lungs that can be fatal, said Kate Kimpan, a senior policy adviser in the Energy Department's Office of Environment, Safety and Health. Kimpan, of Washington, helped lead the briefing requested by Gonzalez at the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus. According to Kelly officials, samples taken in 1966 in the Beryllium Room indicated levels of airborne beryllium particles were well below current-day occupational safety levels. Presently, there is no special program to handle special occupational illness claims of Defense Department workers, Kimpan said. The only recourse is through the Federal Employees Compensation Act, or FECA, a program run by the Labor Department. FECA provides compensation for lost wages and covers medical costs. The occupational illness or injury must be reported within three years of learning of the condition, regardless of how long ago the exposure occurred. But FECA provides poor protection for employees who suffer job-related illnesses, Kimpan said. Nationally, illnesses account for only 1 percent to 3 percent of compensation claims with the remainder resulting from on-the-job injuries, she said. That's because proving a cause-and-effect relationship between a potential toxic exposure and an illness can be extremely difficult. But beryllium is different. Within the past decade, because of improving medical technology, a blood test has been developed to determine if a person has been exposed to beryllium, which is easily linked to work exposure. "Beryllium is clearly an occupational illness," Kimpan said. "We're not getting that in our garages or along the River Walk." The beryllium screening tests will be conducted on Energy Department workers or contractors who report handling nuclear materials, she said. The program also will include follow-up tests. The number to call for more information is (877) 447-9756. Pending the outcome of Gonzalez's legislation, Defense Department workers can contact the Labor Department or their former employer. The Labor Department's Texas regional office is at (214) 767-4707 and the Kelly AFB civilian personnel office has moved to Tinker AFB at (877) 684-6537. *nfoy@express-news.net .cgi/www.mysanantonio.com/LocalNews/Metro_State/Stories@BottomLeft"> Portions © 2001 KENS 5 and the San Antonio Express-News. © 2001 MyWay. All ***************************************************************** 2 DOE should give FFTF one more year Published April 12, 2001 Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has nothing to lose by suspending the decision to shut down permanently Hanford's Fast Flux Test Reactor, which many experts believe can help alleviate the nation's need for medical isotopes. The decision, hastily made in the waning days of the Clinton administration, was based on a study that barely probed the market interest in the reactor. And during a tough budget year with higher priorities, such as cleanup, allocating $28 million for FFTF closure, doesn't make sense. A suspension of former Energy Secretary Bill Richardson's "record of decision" would preserve FFTF in a state so it can be restarted and would give a Tri-City-based coalition the chance to make a stronger case for FFTF. Led by Benton County, the coalition of local government and private agencies argues that the Energy Department inadequately studied whether private companies, federal programs and other countries would be willing to commit financially to FFTF programs. The group has committed $101,000 to the effort to overturn the decision and has hired former three-term U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, a Republican, to help. Another longtime group, Citizens for Medical Isotopes, argues persuasively that the United States can ill afford to be left behind in medical isotopes production. Already, the U.S. imports more than 90 percent of the isotopes used in diagnostic tests and medical treatments, and demand is expected to grow at three times the rate assumed by the Energy Department's study. Additionally, the reactor also could fill a need for nuclear energy production research - something that can not be ignored during the present energy crisis. Although out of use for almost 10 years, FFTF is an amazing asset that should be discarded only as a last resort. To replace it, taxpayers would have to pay an estimated $2.5 billion. There is enough concern that the Clinton administration's decision was made too hastily and without proper study to warrant another look. Abraham should not pass up this opportunity. What's your opinon? Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 3 Fluor trims 141 workers This story was published Thu, Apr 12, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer Fluor Hanford is trimming 141 employees -- 82 through involuntary layoffs and 59 through voluntary measures. The 82 received two-week layoff warning notices Tuesday. The other roughly 4,200 workers in Fluor's team were told Wednesday. Most of the laid-off employees work for Fluor Hanford, while a few work for Fluor subcontractor DynCorp Tri-Cities Services Inc., said Fluor spokesman Michael Turner. The layoffs have been expected since January, when Fluor announced plans to revamp its work force to shift more people to high-priority projects in the field. Fluor said then that the layoffs could reach up to 300 people. Since January, Fluor tried to find work for some of the workers with other Hanford companies. And 59 employees took early retirements or volunteered to leave. Turner said layoffs are being spread over a cross-section of job skills and ages. Age did not determine a worker's likelihood for being laid off, but time of service at Hanford did, he said. That meant when all else was equal in picking between two workers, the senior employee was kept on the job. The layoffs are prompted by Fluor switching from predominantly preparatory work to mostly actual cleanup work. The Department of Energy now is grading and paying Fluor more based on how it meets specific quantifiable cleanup goals. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 4 DOE offering 10 Hanford site tours This story was published Thu, Apr 12, 2001 By the Herald staff The Department of Energy is holding 10 Saturday public road tours of the Hanford site this summer. Tour participants will see the shutdown nuclear reactors and the old townsites of Hanford and White Bluffs and ride through the Hanford central plateau where chemical separations facilities and underground waste storage tanks are located. Tours are scheduled April 21, May 5 and 19, June 2 and 23, July 14 and 28, Aug. 11 and 25 and Sept. 25. Tours are from 8 a.m. to noon and begin in the parking lot north of the Federal Building, 825 Jadwin Ave., Richland. The July 28 and Aug. 25 tours will not include a visit to the B Reactor. Participants must be at least 18 for the tours that include the B Reactor and at least 16 in the tours that don't, must be a U.S. citizen and must bring legal photo identification. The tours are free, but preregistration is required. To register, call Jacquie Lewis at 376-0213. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. ***************************************************************** 5 Oak Ridge budget picture still a bit fuzzy [Frank Munger's Column] April 11, 2001 By Frank Munger News-Sentinel senior writer Heading toward mid-spring, we know less than usual about next year's proposed budget for the federal operations in Oak Ridge. That's partly because the Bush administration got a late start in preparations, partly because the Bush administration likes it that way. From my vantage point, it appears the administration -- in this instance, the Department of Energy -- is struggling with the transition from campaigning to governing, a thought that came to mind time and again during Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham's budget briefings this week for members of the news media and DOE employees. The transition, of course, is difficult in almost any change of political administrations, as new folks grapple with the reins of power, try to figure out how to run the place and control everything as much as possible. But this one may be a little extreme. DOE canceled its traditional budget briefing in Oak Ridge, apparently on orders from Washington, and local officials were told to refer all media requests to agency headquarters. Unfortunately, the extent of help there was to provide the URL for the Energy Department's Web site, where one could scroll the budget highlights to heart's content. If you haven't read a lot of budget documents, suffice it to say it's hard get a complete picture there without a tour guide. Anyway, the obvious good news for Oak Ridge and East Tennessee is full funding ($291.4 million) for the Spallation Neutron Source in fiscal 2002 -- although the overall science budget for Oak Ridge National Laboratory appears to be just so-so. There appears to be strong support for the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, including some money for modernization projects. It's not clear yet whether that '02 proposal is enough to put the Y-12 refurbishment on the preferred schedule, but U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., said the proposed budget for the warhead plant is up over this year's spending level. The bad news for Oak Ridge looks to be reduced funding for environmental cleanup, perhaps a severe decline, although that situation is far from clear at this point. Abraham said the agency's emphasis would be completing cleanup as quickly as possible at shutdown nuclear facilities, such as the Rocky Flats Plant in Colorado and Fernald in Ohio. For active sites with long-term cleanup needs, such as DOE's Oak Ridge complex, the plan apparently is to meet regulatory requirement and take other must-do actions to protect health and environment while conducting a complete top-to-bottom evaluation of the cleanup program. Abraham, not surprisingly, suggested there has to be a way to do the job quicker and cheaper. That's a slogan used in some variation by all his predecessors, dating to the late 1980s, and yet no one has come up with a response that saves money and satisfies critics in Congress and in the field. The concern among environmental activists is that the Bush administration will simply declare some of the cleanup goals to be unnecessary and leave the job unfinished. Time will tell, although this time it may be later than usual. * THE GAP: From an outside perspective, it looked like everybody got something from the recent announcement regarding pension adjustments for Oak Ridge contractor employees -- retired and active. Actually, however, that wasn't the case. Those people who retired after April 1, 1998, were left out in the cold. While other retirees got a lump-sum adjustment -- with the percentage based on when they retired -- and active employees got a 15 percent boost in their pension multiplier, the "gap" retirees got nothing. In fact, it's worse than that because those recent retirees who aren't 65 years old also were saddled with an increase in their insurance co-payments -- which doubled in some instances. Carol Grametbauer, a spokeswoman for BWXT, the administrator of the pension fund, said adjustments typically are not awarded to recent retirees because they haven't been affected much by cost-of-living changes. "This is the way we've done it historically," she said, noting the same situation in 1992 -- when the last pension adjustment was made. The difference this time, however, is that recent retirees are also missing out on the enhancement of the pension formula given to active contractor employees. Senior Writer Frank Munger covers the Department of Energy for the News-Sentinel. He can be reached at 865-482-9213 or at twig1@knoxnews.infi.net. This column is also available on the Web at www.knoxnews.com/editorsview/munger/ [E.W. Scripps] Copyright © 1999-2001, The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 6 Chao shifts uranium aid plan courier-journal.com » The Courier-Journal » Louisville, KY » Local and April 13, 2001 Justice won't get benefits program for ill workers By JAMES R. CARROLL, The Courier-Journal WASHINGTON -- Partially reversing course, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao told members of Congress yesterday that she would not give the Justice Department control over a new program to compensate nuclear workers with job-related illnesses. Among an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 Department of Energy employees nationwide, the program will serve eligible former workers from the contaminated Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Kentucky, which has processed uranium since the 1950s. Chao, in San Diego on government business, called lawmakers with major Energy Department facilities in their states and districts to tell them of her decision. However, Chao is considering a new idea: putting the administration of compensation under the Department of Health and Human Services, which already has responsibility under the program for reconstructing radiation doses for sick workers. Labor Department spokesman Stuart Roy confirmed the move is being discussed but added that no decision had been reached late yesterday. In addition, the office of Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said Chao is discussing with lawmakers a possible extension of the May 31 deadline for completing the program's administrative regulations -- although payments to workers would be retroactive to account for such a delay. The latest twists were greeted by Kentuckians in Congress with caution and silence. "Once again, we're hearing things. We want to see it on paper," said Anthony Hulen, spokesman for Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-1st District, which includes Paducah. Sens. Jim Bunning and Mitch McConnell, both Kentucky Republicans, had no comment. McConnell is Chao's husband and has taken no position on her various proposals. Except for McConnell, nearly all of the other lawmakers who were key in creating the program objected to Chao's earlier plan to shift responsibility for compensation payments to Justice, saying the change would result in unnecessary delays in financial help to Energy Department workers suffering from exposure to radiation and hazardous chemicals. The program will pay as much as $150,000 and lifetime medical coverage to workers with cancer and lung disease caused by working around radioactive materials like uranium and plutonium and hazardous substances like beryllium and silica. Chao's decision yesterday capped a month and a half of confusion about whether the Labor Department would take on the program. In December, then-President Bill Clinton directed that the Labor Department would run the program. Congress subsequently endorsed the move and appropriated $60 million to make administrative preparations for processing applications, starting July 31. During her confirmation hearing in January and in a letter to senators, Chao said her department saw no problem meeting regulatory deadlines to begin the program. But in a March 9 letter to the White House's Office of Management and Budget, Chao said the program should be transferred to the Justice Department, saying that because that agency already ran a compensation program for uranium miners, it would be better suited to handle the new compensation program. Surprised and in some cases angered, Republicans and Democrats in Congress called on Chao to reconsider her plan, saying that the Labor Department was far better equipped than the Justice Department to take on the program. They cited statistics for their case: The Labor Department has 14,000 employees working on various compensation programs, compared with the Justice Department's 19. In 11 years of handling the miners' program, Justice Department officials have reviewed about 6,000 claims and have paid benefits on a little more than half of those. At Labor, more than 181,000 new claims came in just during fiscal 1999, and the agency writes tens of thousands of benefit checks monthly. Some miners in the Justice Department program have said the claims process drags on too long. Last Friday, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said the White House had told him that the Justice Department would not run the Energy program after all. But the White House's chief liaison to Capitol Hill, Nicholas Calio, disputed that, saying then that no decision had been made on which agency would run the program. Yesterday, Voinovich's office said Labor was going to run the program. But Roy said the only decision made yesterday was that the Justice Department would not be involved. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Copyright 2001 The Courier-Journal. ***************************************************************** 7 Labor to handle ill workers Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 3:22 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2001 by Katherine Rizzo Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Labor Secretary Elaine Chao changed her mind and is willing to take charge of distributing compensation to nuclear weapons workers disabled or killed by Cold War-era exposure, a spokesman for Sen. George Voinovich said Thursday. Chao, however, is seeking an extension on a July 31 deadline for getting the program started, said Scott Milburn, the senator's press secretary. She also wants some changes in how rejected claims would be appealed, he said. Labor Department officials spent much of Thursday on the phone with senators and Senate aides trying to build support for the proposed changes. Officially, the department was not discussing those efforts. "No decision has yet been made," said department spokesman Stuart Roy. "The options include keeping it at Labor and moving the program to another agency." Congress gave the Labor Department $60.4 million to initiate the new entitlement program, reasoning it was well-prepared because Labor already runs three worker compensation programs. Chao had insisted her department lacked the resources needed to set up the program and said the Justice Department was better equipped. Lawmakers who worked hardest to get the program enacted quickly told the White House they opposed moving it. Ten House members introduced a bill to force the Labor Department to run the program for workers who became ill from being exposed to uranium dust, beryllium particles or lung-clogging silica. Nuclear workers in Paducah, Ky., also turned their union hall into an impromptu phone bank. They repeatedly contacted the offices of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urging him to persuade Chao to run the program. McConnell is married to Chao. The new program offers lifetime medical care and $150,000 to ailing workers who were employed in the nuclear weapons complex, at factories that worked for the Energy Department, or at nuclear test sites in Alaska and Nevada. By law, the government should be prepared to accept benefit applications on July 31. The new program is limited to those with radiation-related cancer, silicosis or chronic beryllium disease. Eligibility rules for some workers have been set by law, and the Labor Department must work out qualification guidelines for the rest. About 600,000 people worked in the weapons complex during the Cold War. The Energy Department initially estimated that 3,000 to 4,000 people might be eligible for compensation, but there's a lot of uncertainty about that number because of decades of poor recordkeeping. For instance, after former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant employee Joe Harding died, his bones were found to contain 1,700 to 34,000 times the expected concentration of uranium Yet while he lived, Harding was denied compensation because official records showed he was exposed to small levels of radiation. Harding also suffered from sores that wouldn't heal and sproutings of fingernail- and toenail-like growths on his palms, the bottoms of his feet, and his kneecaps, knuckles, wrists and elbows. The testimony of his widow, Clara Harding, helped build support for compensation. The Energy Department preliminarily identified 317 sites in 37 states where exposed workers might qualify for benefits. A toll-free number set up by that department to field requests has logged more than 19,000 calls. The toll-free information line is 1-877-447-9756. On the Net: Text of compensation law and preliminary list of sites prepared by Department of Energy: http://tis.eh.doe.gov/advocacy/index.html All Contents.©Copyright *The Oak Ridger * ***************************************************************** 8 Our View: Sick worker law may be getting on track, again Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 12:16 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2001 Labor Secretary Elaine Chao has apparently agreed after all to have her department take charge of a congressionally approved sick-worker program. Obviously Secretary Chao has done so reluctantly, and after heavy pressure upon the White House by key Republican congressional leaders in states like Tennessee and Ohio. In fact, announcement that Labor had reconsidered and would take charge of distributing compensation to nuclear weapons workers disabled or killed by Cold War-era exposure came not from the Labor Department, but rather a spokesman for Sen. George Voinovich, Republican of Ohio. We noted here previously that it was rather brazen of Labor to reject congressional intent, and notably politically foolish for the Bush White House to do so. But if the matter is being resolved as sick workers can only hope that it is, they will be able to chalk up this latest episode to the delays they have become accustomed to in receiving their due. By law, the government is supposed to begin receiving benefit applications on July 31, and that is not especially far off. The new sick-worker program is limited to those with radiation-related cancer, silicosis or chronic beryllium disease. About 600,000 people worked in the weapons complex during the Cold War. Eligibility rules for some workers have been set by law, and the Labor Department must work out qualification guidelines for the rest. Labor reportedly is asking for changes in how the program is administered, claims appealed, and other provisions. All those matters can and should be considered, and decided in a manner that weighs the best interests of sick workers and taxpayers alike. There is legitimate concern raised by many in Washington and beyond that this not become a massive, and massively costly, entitlement program for virtually anybody who worked at or lived near Cold War nuclear weapons plants. We share that concern. But the overriding concern right now is that there are deserving sick workers out there now, including a number of them who worked in Oak Ridge. It is an aging population which deserves the assistance deemed appropriate by Congress, if the evidence so merits. It is time to get on with this assistance, and Secretary Chao has apparently lowered one more hurdle to that reality. All Contents ©Copyright* The Oak Ridger * ***************************************************************** 9 *Issues unresolved in providing aid to nuclear workers * [The Columbus Dispatch] LABOR PUTS CONDITIONS ON RUNNING PROGRAM Friday, April 13, 2001 NEWS 08A By Jonathan Riskind *Dispatch Washington Bureau Chief * WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Labor now willing to run a federal compensation program for nuclear-plant workers -- with some conditions. "We're glad that Labor has demonstrated a willingness to consider receiving'' the program, said Scott Milburn, spokesman for Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio. Still, Voinovich and other compensation proponents must examine the details, Milburn said. The Labor Department wants to expedite the benefits-appeals process and delay putting the program into effect beyond a July 31 deadline, he said. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao has been trying to shift the program to the Justice Department, but compensation proponents contend that the Labor Department is best suited to helping Cold War-era nuclear-plant workers gain the benefits they deserve. But Labor Department officials told Voinovich's office yesterday that Chao apparently will change her mind if some conditions are met. The compensation program approved in the fall grants $150,000 in lump-sum payments and lifetime health care to potentially thousands of workers made ill by exposure to radiation.Several hundred workers at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon could be covered by the program. Proponents were angered recently when Chao asked the White House Office of Management and Budget to give the program to Justice. Voinovich; Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville; and other lawmakers from states that housed components of the atomic-defense program said the intent of the legislation was to have the Labor Department operate the program. Milburn said proponents need to know more about the Labor Department's desire to speed up the process by which a worker could appeal a decision on benefits and the department's wish to delay putting the program into effect. Department officials indicated that benefits would be retroactive to July 31 if there were a delay, he said. "We're going to wait and take a look at that and talk to some other folks about what that could mean,'' Milburn said. However, a Capitol Hill source called an expedited appeals process a "code word'' for getting rid of a worker's ability to go to court over a rejected benefits claim. jriskind@dispatch.com 2001 The Columbus Dispatch and may not be republished ***************************************************************** 10 INEEL unveils early retirement incentives IdahoStatesman.com April 13, 2001 The Associated Press IDAHO FALLS -- The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory has announced details of incentives it hopes will entice at least 400 employees to retire early. The offer, released Wednesday, would sweeten monthly retirement checks, but the contractor is not offering cash payments. Bechtel BWXT Idaho will add three years of age and three years of service when calculating benefits paid from the retirement plan. The amount fluctuates for each person, but on average would add $279 to a monthly retirement check. The average monthly salary among those who are eligible is $5,344; the median retirement payment with the incentives would be $1,154. Employees 55 or older who have worked at the INEEL for more than five years are eligible to sign up for early retirement. Bechtel recently announced plans to trim up to 1,200 jobs, almost 20 percent of its work force. Site managers assume future budgets will be flat, while the costs of cleanup projects are rising. Numbers released Wednesday, however, show the Bush administration budget would actually cut INEEL's funding by 15 percent next year. The contractor also wants to adjust its work force as the nature of the work changes. Certain jobs to move spent fuel and package plutonium-contaminated waste are scheduled to end, reducing the need for those workers. There will be as many planners needed to write schedules. But Bechtel wants to hire more experts to study how pollution moves through the ground. INEEL ***************************************************************** 11 Chao To Handle Nuclear Benefits April 12, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) - Labor Secretary Elaine Chao changed her mind and is willing to supervise compensation for nuclear weapons workers disabled or killed by Cold War-era exposure, a spokesman for Sen. George Voinovich said Thursday. Labor Department officials spent much of Thursday on the phone with senators and Senate aides trying to build support for changes Chao wants as a condition for taking on the new entitlement program. The department would not discuss its efforts nor confirm the comment by Voinovich's office that she is ready to take over. "No decision has yet been made," Labor spokesman Stuart Roy said. "The options include keeping it at Labor and moving the program to another agency." Voinovich's spokesman, Scott Milburn, said Chao wants to extend a July 31 deadline for getting the program started and wants to change the appeal process for rejected claims. Congress gave the Labor Department $60.4 million to initiate the program, reasoning it was well-prepared because Labor already runs three worker compensation programs. But the new Labor secretary insisted the Justice Department was better equipped to run the program for workers who became ill from being exposed to uranium dust, beryllium particles or lung-clogging silica. Lawmakers who worked hardest to get the program enacted quickly told the White House they opposed moving it. Ten House members introduced a bill to force the Labor Department to run it, and uranium plant workers in Paducah, Ky., turned their union hall into an impromptu phone bank. They repeatedly contacted the offices of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urging him to persuade Chao, his wife, to handle the program. The new program offers lifetime medical care and $150,000 to ailing workers who were employed in the nuclear weapons complex, at factories that worked for the Energy Department, or at nuclear test sites in Alaska and Nevada. By law, the government should be prepared to accept benefit applications on July 31. The new program is limited to those with cancer associated with radiation, silicosis or chronic beryllium disease. Eligibility rules for some workers have been set by law, and the Labor Department must work out qualification guidelines for the rest. About 600,000 people worked in the weapons complex during the Cold War. The Energy Department initially estimated 3,000 to 4,000 might be eligible for compensation, but there's a lot of uncertainty because of poor record-keeping over the decades. For instance, after former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant employee Joe Harding died, his bones were found to contain 1,700 times to 34,000 times the expected concentration of uranium Yet while he lived, Harding was denied worker compensation because official records showed he was exposed to paltry levels of radiation. Harding also suffered from sores that wouldn't heal and sprouting of fingernail- and toenail-like growths on his palms, the bottoms of his feet, his knee caps, knuckles, wrists and elbows. The testimony of his widow, Clara Harding, helped build support for compensation. The Energy Department preliminarily identified 317 sites in 37 states where exposed workers might qualify for benefits. A toll-free number set up by Energy to field requests, 1-877-447-9756, has logged more than 19,000 calls. --- On the Net: Text of compensation law, preliminary list of sites prepared by Department of Energy: http://tis.eh.doe.gov/advocacy/index.html All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 12 Nuclear workers to get help [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Friday, April 13, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal But Labor secretary wants to exclude silicosis victims By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Labor Secretary Elaine Chao has changed her mind and will agree to operate a health compensation program for nuclear weapons workers, but was seeking approval this week to drop Nevada Test Site workers suffering from lung disease, congressional officials said Thursday. In calls to key lawmakers, Chao proposed removing silicosis from the list of ailments that would qualify victims for $150,000 and ongoing medical care. The reasoning was not clear Thursday. When the program was being negotiated in Congress last year, some argued that including silicosis might open the door for broader claims against the government by victims of other lung diseases. As it was, X-ray criteria was made more difficult for victims of the degenerative lung-scarring to claim payments. Chao was seeking several other changes as well, including a six-month delay, until January, to get the program started. Beneficiaries would receive back payments to cover the delay, officials said. The Labor secretary also proposed changes in how rejected claims could be appealed, preferring an administrative review rather than allowing workers to go to court. "Labor is calling around and if they can work out details, they will take this program," said an aide to a Midwest lawmaker working on the issue. Initially the Labor secretary argued her department was ill-equipped to handle the program, which is likely to field thousands of claims. The compensation program would mostly benefit diseased government contract workers who were exposed to radiation and toxic beryllium while working in nuclear weapons factories during the Cold War. The Energy Department has identified 317 sites in 37 states where workers might have been exposed. Chao was traveling to California on Thursday. Department spokesmen said it was unclear when an announcement might be made. Earlier in the day, White House officials called Republicans in Congress to let them know an announcement was due soon. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., called officials at the White House Office of Management and Budget, trying to ensure that silicosis remains a covered ailment, spokesman Mark Schuermann said. Schuermann and aides to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said the issue remained unresolved Thursday. Others more directly involved said it appears silicosis victims will remain in the program. "They're not talking about silicosis anymore," said Scott Milburn, spokesman for Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio. An aide to a second senator close to the issue said Chao was warned that removing silicosis victims "is not going to work with Harry Reid, so don't even bother." "I believe that's off the table altogether," said the aide, who asked not to be identified. Mike Dayton, chief of staff to Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the congressman has been assured all along that test site victims will gain benefits. Gibbons said his office was notified earlier in the day that Labor was going to run the program. There was no mention of silicosis, he said. "That would go absolutely against what I would recommend," he said. As for possible delays, "it's frustrating because we have injured families that certainly are looking forward to help," he said. "Each day that passes is another frustration. We passed this bill last year and we want to see it go through." ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************