***************************************************************** 01/15/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.13 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 Goodman's threat of nuclear waste lawsuit treated different than Russo's 2 Court: Taiwan Premier Made Mistakes 3 Nuclear plant's future in doubt 4 Nuclear plant ruling may solve little 5 Chelyabinsk court to examine Mayak plant 6 N-plant ruling could force cabinet reshuffle 7 Reactor in Temelin Nuclear Plant to be Shut Down 8 Worker safety rating lowered at Callaway nuclear plant 9 Taiwan leader loses decision on N-plant NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 France Casts Doubt on Uranium Claim 2 BAN DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS 3 Bosnian doctor says mortality up in town hit by DU bullets 4 Uranium tests for Serbs 5 NUCLEAR ADVISER ISSUED SHELLS ALERT 6 SPELLAR ADMITS GAPS IN DU TRAINING 7 ENERGY HOT SEAT AWAITS ABRAHAM 8 WARNING COMES TOO LATE FOR KOSOVO'S DEADLY PLAYGROUND 9 MINISTRY IGNORED TESTIMONY OF ALLIES 10 FOUR NATIONS TOOK BRUNT OF TOXIC SHELLS 11 MPs press Hoon on uranium risk 12 Troops were warned about DU shell sites 13 NEW PRESSURE OVER URANIUM 14 Let us go home, say Greeks in Nato scare 15 CER | UK media shocker: depleted uranium not safe 16 Du Shells - 'Blanket Ban On Use' Plea 17 Norway, Finland support banning of depleted uranium weapons 18 Beryllium disease expert to lecture in Mid-Columbia 19 Britain Says to Take Action if Depleted Uranium Cause Illness 20 Use of DU weapons could be war crime - 21 Uranium missile health fears deepen - 22 Flak jackets made from recycled shells linked to Serb deaths 23 Ukrainian Nuclear Reactor Halted Due to Defect 24 Russians to Discuss Peaceful Plutonium Use with Canadians 25 British Nuclear Watchdog Issued Alert on DU Shells in 1991 Report 26 Depleted uranium caused cancer, scientist says - 27 War crimes tribunal may probe DU 28 Russia Requires Financial Aid to Dispose of Weapons-Grade 29 Mini-nuke tests go virtual 30 Coolant to get cold shoulder when Y-12 resumes depleted uranium 31 Government will review SRS drum **************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Goodman's threat of nuclear waste lawsuit treated different than Russo's Monday, January 15, 2001 Copyright c Las Vegas Review-Journal REVIEW-JOURNAL When Hollywood producer Aaron Russo said in 1997 he was going to sue to stop nuclear waste from coming to Nevada, the would-be governor's vow wasn't taken too seriously. Legal experts said if suing were that easy, officials would have already done it. State officials said there have already been a number of lawsuits in that area and asked why his would succeed. Fast forward three years and when Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says he's thinking about suing, it's a banner news story. Other than one's a candidate and one's an elected official, what's changed? U.S. Sen. Harry Reid has an answer: "To begin with, Oscar is one of the premiere lawyers and Aaron Russo is one of the premiere movie producers. When Oscar talks things legal, your ears should pick up." Las Vegas attorney Jon Wellinghoff, the state's first Consumer Advocate, thinks a lawsuit can make a difference. He said it's not a bad idea to take a couple of million dollars, "and hire three attorneys and tie up the DOE (Department of Energy) for 20 years." Although the state of Nevada has sued and sued and sued over various aspects of the nuclear waste fight, Wellinghoff said, "The state never put real money into it, and now we're at a more critical point." He said depositions of Department of Energy officials could flush out concrete information and show that the choice of where to store nuclear waste "isn't about science anymore." Smith-Kincaid II Culinary Union Local 226 will be there this spring to help defend North Las Vegas Councilwoman Stephanie Smith from an anticipated challenge by Mark Kincaid, son of Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid. In 2000, it was Smith trying to unseat Mary Kincaid. This go round, Mark Kincaid will be trying to unseat Smith. And some issues will parallel the 2000 race. Culinary Union political director Glen Arnodo said he sees the race as being between Station Casinos and the unions. Smith voted with the union and against Station Casinos when they sought a gaming and liquor license for their acquisition of the Fiesta hotel last November. The union wanted Station to retain the Fiesta workers instead of making them reapply for their jobs. Arnodo said it's the only municipal race the Culinary union expects to show a deep involvement in. Presumably Station Casinos may take an interest as well. Two-for-one special Nevadans who visit Washington, D.C., and want to see their senators can now enjoy a two-for-one breakfast special. For years, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid has offered a Thursday breakfast meeting for Nevadans, a chance for people to have their photo taken with him and snag a continental breakfast. Now, the Democratic whip has invited Republican Sen. John Ensign to join with him, and the 8:30 a.m. breakfasts will be moved to Wednesday. "I don't mean to be maudlin, but Ensign and I have to set an example (of bipartisanship)," Reid said, since the Senate is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. The breakfasts are a way of meeting visitors in one fell swoop. "It was getting hard to see all the people who come here," Reid said. "Sometimes it was 2, sometimes it was 42." If the spirit of bipartisanship dissolves, it could always provide a venue for a food fight between the Nevada senators. Promises, promises During the 2000 election, House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Miss., promised Rep. Shelley Berkley a seat on Ways and Means if the Democrats took over the House. Well, they didn't. But there's a slim chance she might snag it and here's what has to happen: If Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., decides to run for mayor of Los Angeles, that leaves a vacancy and Berkley said she's next in line for the plum post. The only Democratic vacancy was filled by Rep. Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, who was also promised a seat by Gephardt. But committee candidates needed to take a number for Gephardt's promises. Gephardt promised Pomeroy before Berkley. Reid downsizing One way to discourage unwanted house guests: Move into a one-bedroom condo like U.S. Sen. Harry Reid will do in a few months. Reid has had a second home in the Washington area since he was first elected to the House in 1982. Three of his five children grew up there. But he and his wife, Landra, have decided to sell their home in McLean, Va., and downsize to a condo near the Capitol, where he'll be able to get to work in 15 minutes. Their five children are all adults and married and now that Landra can accompany him on his travels, Reid said, "We decided we didn't need the lawn." Since one daughter and one son live in the area and have big homes, family members can stay with them, Reid said. ***************************************************************** 2 Court: Taiwan Premier Made Mistakes January 15, 2001 ASSOCIATED PRESS TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)--Taiwan's highest court ruled on Monday that the premier should have won the legislature's support before scrapping a nuclear project, a landmark legal decision that could force the Taiwanese leader to resign. Many hoped the decision by the Grand Justices would end political feuding that has already threatened to topple the minority government and has played a major role in the stock market's 44 percent drop last year. After weeks of deliberation, the 15-judge panel ruled that Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, Taiwan's No. 3 ranking leader, should have consulted with the legislature before he canceled the $5.4-billion nuclear plant, which was one-third complete. "The legislature should make the final decision on the issue," Yang Ren-shou, secretary-general of the Judicial Yuan, told reporters while explaining the court's decision. The president and premier did not immediately comment. President Chen Shui-bian insisted that finishing the plant, approved in 1980, would be irresponsible because Taiwan cannot safely store the waste. The plant decision infuriated opposition parties, which control the legislature and said they must first approve termination of the project. The court said that if the premier did not want to confer with the legislature, he should resign. The premier is appointed by the president and responsible for selling the government's policies to the legislature. Shortly after the court announced its decision, the government said it would honor the ruling. "We hope the report will allow the premier to make his report to lawmakers," Vice Premier Lai Ing-jaw told reporters. "We hope that this decision will calm the people and stabilize the political situation." The president of the legislature, Wang Jin-pyng, told reporters that the government should immediately restore the nuclear project or request lawmakers' approval for canceling the plant. "We should seek a resolution to help bring political stability," said Wang, whose once-ruling Nationalist Party won the legislature's approval of the project in 1980. Many expected that the Nationalists, who control the legislature, would demand that the premier resign and form a coalition cabinet with the powerful opposition. Scrapping the nuclear plant was a campaign promise of Chen, whose March election victory made him Taiwan's first president from an opposition party. Chen's first premier, Tang Fei, was widely criticized by the president's Democratic Progressive Party because he supported the plant. Tang resigned four months after taking office, and many blamed his demise on the nuclear issue. The opposition, led by the Nationalists, launched a campaign to recall the president, but backed away after polls showed the public did not support the move, which would likely threaten the sputtering economy. ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2001 LAS VEGAS SUN, INC. ***************************************************************** 3 Nuclear plant's future in doubt "Future domestic political stability will depend on whether President Chen has political wisdom to make a wise choice" - Parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng Taiwan is awaiting a judicial ruling on a controversial decision to scrap a $5.5 billion nuclear power plant likely to spark a new storm in the island's deeply divided political landscape. The country's Council of Grand Justices is about to rule on the constitutionality of the Cabinet's October decision to scuttle construction of the fourth nuclear power plant, now already one-third complete. The opposition-dominated legislature challenged the decision, saying it had already approved the budget for the project and the Cabinet's move was unconstitutional. The Cabinet cited safety concerns for its cancellation, saying it was not an obligation to continue the project. Local media is speculating on whether the nine-member council will rule the Cabinet's decision was constitutional, but citing "procedural flaws" and leaving open the possibility for more disputes. A two-thirds majority is required before the judicial body hands down a ruling. Parliamentary speaker Wang Jin-pyng said revival of the project was the only way to ensure political stability. "Future domestic political stability will depend on whether President Chen has political wisdom to make a wise choice" he said. "If President Chen can make a decision wisely, political situation can stabilise; if President Chen decides to go another way, which is not so wise, the political situation can become more chaotic." Chang took office in October after the abrupt resignation of Tang Fei, a Nationalist stalwart who quit apparently after a row over whether to end the fourth nuclear power plant project. The hostile parliament has barred Chang from entering parliament to deliver his administrative reports. A bitter partisan feud had taken a heavy toll on Taiwan's edgy financial markets in 2000, with share prices plummeting and local currency weakening. Taiwan's benchmark index fell 44 percent last year, while the Taiwan dollar lost nearly five percent. Many business leaders favour the nuclear plant, fearing power shortages in the future. [I][*]CNN: Taiwan political background Background The political numbersPresident Chen's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has traditionally opposed nuclear power, and he initiated a review of the nuclear plant that had been a pet project of the long- ruling Nationalist Party. The cancellation crushed budding multi-partisan co-operation and led the opposition Nationalist Party, the People First Party, and the New Party to form a loose coalition and call for Chen's dismissal. The three opposition parties hold 141 seats in the 220-member legislature. Chen's DPP has 66 seats. The rest are independents. If the council ruled against the cabinet, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, a DPP member, could be forced to step down to take responsibility. ***************************************************************** 4 Nuclear plant ruling may solve little The Taipei Times Online: 2001-01-14 SUNDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2001 BY STEPHANIE LOW STAFF REPORTER The political struggle stirred up by the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant dispute is unlikely to end with the issuance of a constitutional interpretation, analysts predicted yesterday. New Party Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (¿à¤h¸¶) said that if the Council of Grand Justices is going to announce an interpretation that does not specify whether the Executive Yuan's decision to scrap the project was constitutional or unconstitutional, it will not resolve the dispute. "If the interpretation is so vague that all sides can claim victory, I will feel sorry for the nation," Lai said. The Council of Grand Justices is set to issue its interpretation of the dispute tomorrow. A preliminary ruling made by the majority of Grand Justices on Friday stated that the Executive Yuan's decision to scrap the project was a major constitutional issue, and the Executive Yuan should have obtained the Legislative Yuan's approval before making the policy change. While political instability will continue until the legislative election at the end of this year, it will not end unless President Chen Shui- bian (³¯¤ô«ó) agrees to form a coalition government after the election, Lai added. It is widely believed that none of the political parties will seize over 50 percent of legislative seats at the next election. "A Cabinet that isn't supported by over 50 percent of lawmakers is bound to be unstable," Lai said. With speculation that the issuance of a constitutional interpretation may lead to the replacement of Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (±i«T¶¯) and a government reshuffle, Chen spelled out his support for Chang's Cabinet on Friday. Chen said he has not considered forming a coalition government. Chang has not indicated he will step down. Yeh Yao-peng (¸­Ä£ÄP), a former DPP Control Yuan member, criticized Chen and Chang for being irresponsible. He said even if the Grand Justices' interpretation does not specify the Executive Yuan's decision was unconstitutional, Chang should step down to mollify the opposition. Yeh said the incident was an opportunity to examine Taiwan's constitutional system--whether it is a presidential or semi-presidential system. Yeh also said if it is a presidential system, Chen should step down to take the responsibility for the improper way the decision to scrap the plant was made. If it is a semi-presidential system, then the premier should step down. "The attitudes of the president and the premier show that they don't intend to take any responsibility, and are treating the Constitution like a toy," Yeh said. The opposition-controlled legislature has made Chang a persona non grata and refused to let him attend Legislative Yuan sittings since Chang announced the government's decision to scrap the power plant project on Oct. 27. The legislature has also requested the Control Yuan impeach Chang over what it claims was an unconstitutional decision. Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (¤ýª÷¥­) yesterday said the legislature will forward a copy of the constitutional interpretation to the Control Yuan after the ruling is released. This story has been viewed 294 times. Copyright c 1999, 2000, 2001 The Taipei Times. All rights ***************************************************************** 5 Chelyabinsk court to examine Mayak plant MAYAK This section mainly focuses on the Mayak plant (South Urals) that reprocesses fuel deriving from civilian and naval PWR type reactors. The information on nuclear waste handling at this site and the plutonium producing reactors, which are no longer in operation, is also available. Russia’s only reprocessing plant’s right to dump radwaste into lake is questioned by local envirogroups. Court accepts suite against the dumping practice. Edward Meilakh, Vladislav Nikiforov, 2001-01-15 00:00 On January 4, the Arbitration court of Ural county agreed with the appeal of the local greens to examine the legality radwaste discharges from Mayak plant at Chelyabinsk court of arbitration. The court hearing on this case should take place not later than in one month. Chelyabinsk environmental groups, among them Movement for Nuclear Safety, filed a suit against the Mayak reprocessing plant to Chelyabinsk regional court of arbitration in October 2000. Courts of arbitration in Russia deal with cases related to economical disputes. The groups wanted the court to acknowledge that radioactive discharges from the Mayak plant into the Lake Karachai and other reservoirs are illegal. The main argument of the greens was the lack of appropriate licence for such activity of the reprocessing plant from the Russian State Nuclear Regulatory. The court turned down the suit arguing that the claims are not of economic character and thus the case should be examined by the courts of common jurisdiction. A note prepared by Committee on Radiation and Environmental Safety of Chelyabinsk county in 1998 said, however, that activity of the Mayak plant, including the discharge of liquid radioactive waste, caused a damage to the region equal to $9 billion. On January 4th, the Ural county court of arbitration in Ekaterinburg agreed with the appeal of the greens and obliged the Chelyabinsk regional court of arbitration to examine the case anyway. According to the Russian legislation, the decision of Ural county court of arbitration is final and is not a subject for appeal. The new hearing should take place within a month from the date of the decision announcement. Mayak plant’s press-spokesman, Yevgeny Ryzhkov, said to RIA News the suit filed by the groups is “politically motivated”. Ryzhkov also added that the current Russian legislation does not prohibit dumping of radioactive waste into closed reservoirs, f. ex. lakes. “We have never had licence [for dumping radwaste into the Lake Karachai] because it is not required by the current laws or regulations,” Ryzhkov said. The administration of the Mayak plant, Ryzhkov added, wants to stress that banning the dumping practice would lead to the closure of the Mayak plant, which employs around 15,000 people. Mayak Chemical Combine (MCC) used to operate six reactors for the production of weapons-grade plutonium. Five of them were graphite- moderated while the sixth was originally a heavy water reactor. These reactors have now been shut down. The heavy water reactor was later modified to a light water reactor, which remains in operation today. An additional light water reactor produces isotopes for civilian use. The plant has a reprocessing facility (RT-1) in use and about 100 storage tanks containing high level radioactive waste. From 1949 until November, 1951, all liquid waste from reprocessing activities were discharged into the Techa River. Since these discharges led to the contamination of large areas, the most highly radioactive waste was dumped into Lake Karachai instead. The waste was discharged directly into the lake until 1953, when a temporary storage facility was taken into use, however, low and medium level waste still continue to be dumped into the lake. [I][*]www.bellona.no Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway Reuse and reprint recommended ***************************************************************** 6 N-plant ruling could force cabinet reshuffle HKiMail --- iNews A NEW round of political upheaval can be expected after Taiwan's highest court delivers its ruling today on the controversial decision to scrap a nuclear power plant, according to analysts. The upheaval could also trigger a cabinet reshuffle. The nine-member bench of the Council of Grand Justices is to announce a ruling this afternoon on whether the government violated the constitution by scrapping a partially-built nuclear plant. Much hangs on the ruling because it could determine whether President Chen Shui-bian can continue with a minority government or bow to opposition demands to form a coalition. But the judges' ruling is expected to be vague. Most newspapers on the island said yesterday it was widely believed that the court would rule that the government made ``procedural errors'' in its handling of the issue. The government had hoped to solve the issue by legal means but that did not seem possible now, said Professor Chu Hsin-min of National Chengchi University. Avague ruling would open the way for differing interpretations of the issue that has fuelled bickering between the government and opposition parties, Professor Chu said. Mr Chen's Democratic Progressive Party has consistently opposed nuclear power. He initiated a review of the plant, a pet project of the long-ruling Kuomintang (KMT), when he came to power. Its cancellation crushed budding cross-partisan co-operation and led the KMT, the People First Party, and the New Party to form a loose coalition working for Mr Chen's dismissal. ``It [the political dispute] will return to where it started. It was the president who has to decide whether or not to make compromise to the opposition,'' Professor Chu said. It was likely that Mr Chen would reshuffle the cabinet in a goodwill gesture aimed at underlining his willingness to co-operate with opposition parties in the Legislative Yuan. Under those circumstances, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung would be likely to step down as a political sacrifice, Professor Chu said. ***************************************************************** 7 Reactor in Temelin Nuclear Plant to be Shut Down Central Europe Online Daily News - PRAGUE, Jan 15, 2001--(Agence France Presse) A reactor at the Czech Republic's controversial Temelin nuclear power plant will be shut down on Wednesday because of technical problems, the plant's director said Sunday. The reactor's turbine was vibrating and it failed to operate above 30 percent of its nominal capacity. The reactor was due to be powered up to 45 percent. It will be the sixth shutdown for the Soviet-built plant--which has led to a fierce row between the Czech Republic and neighboring Austria--since it first went on-line in October last year. Plant director Frantisek Hezoucky said further tests would be conducted before the reactor is shut down on Wednesday for about two weeks. "We are certain we will find a way of solving the problem," said Hezoucky. An oil leak occurred in a secondary circuit of the Temelin plant on Friday, sparking a fire which was quickly extinguished. The simmering row over the plant, some 60 kilometers (40 miles) from the Austrian border in southern Bohemia, came to a head in October when Prague approved its firing up despite fierce opposition from Vienna. Austria, which rejected nuclear energy in a 1978 referendum, threatened to stall Czech EU membership talks over the row, and anti-nuclear protestors repeatedly blocked the Austro-Czech border last year to press for the plant to be turned off. Construction of the station--originally designed to comprise four Russian-style VVER-1000 megawatt reactors--was started in the 1980s, but plans were totally reviewed after the collapse of communism. The first reactor includes extensive safety modifications and additions, with much of the new equipment provided by U.S. giant Westinghouse. ((C) 2001 AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE) ***************************************************************** 8 Worker safety rating lowered at Callaway nuclear plant Hannibal Courier-Post Community Story --> Web posted MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2001 FULTON (AP)--The Callaway nuclear power plant will be more closely monitored for worker safety by federal inspectors. The move follows the loss of its all-green safety status by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. AmerenUE's plant near Fulton has been downgraded to ''white''-- moderate safety risk--from ''green''--low safety risk--in the area of worker safety. The commission rates nuclear plants in seven main areas covering reactor safety, radiation safety and safeguards. The ''white'' designation in an area means the commission will monitor conditions there more closely during inspections. Last week, the commission cited the plant for three violations of worker safety, stemming from a refueling procedure in October 1999. The violations resulted in workers being exposed to higher amounts of radiation than expected. The exposures were not above the maximum limits, but violated the commission's principle of keeping radiation exposure ''as low as reasonably achievable.'' The violations are not expected to result in a fine. The commission's inspectors found several procedures that unnecessarily increased workers' exposure. Most of those involved were contract workers in the plant for the refueling. The inspection letter said plant management needed to do more ''mock-up'' training to familiarize contract workers with plant equipment, tools and procedures. ''It's fairly important,'' said Mike Cleary, Ameren spokesman. ''Callaway has consistently had an outstanding safety record. People tend to become complacent. This serves as a wake-up call that no matter how well you do, there's still room for improvement.'' Cleary said the plant has already corrected some of the conditions cited by inspectors. [*][I] All Contents [*]©Copyright 2000 Hannibal Courier-Post ***************************************************************** 9 Taiwan leader loses decision on N-plant Monday, January 15, 2001 Should have got legislative OK, highest court rules ASSOCIATED PRESS TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's highest court ruled on Monday that the premier should have won the legislature's support before scrapping a nuclear project, a landmark legal decision that could force the Taiwanese leader to resign. Yang Ren-shou, secretary-general of Judicial Yuan, explains the decision. Reuters Many hoped the decision by the Grand Justices would end political feuding that has already threatened to topple the minority government and has played a major role in the stock market's 44 percent drop last year. After weeks of deliberation, the 15-judge panel ruled that Premier Chang Chun-hsiung, Taiwan's No. 3 ranking leader, should have consulted with the legislature before he canceled the $5.4 billion nuclear plant, which was one-third complete. "The legislature should make the final decision on the issue," Yang Ren-shou, secretary-general of the Judicial Yuan, told reporters while explaining the court's decision. The president and premier did not immediately comment. President Chen Shui-bian insisted that finishing the plant, approved in 1980, would be irresponsible because Taiwan cannot safely store the waste. The plant decision infuriated opposition parties, which control the legislature and said they must first approve termination of the project. The court said that if the premier did not want to confer with the legislature, he should resign. The premier is appointed by the president and responsible for selling the government's policies to the legislature. Shortly after the court announced its decision, the government said it would honor the ruling. "We hope the report will allow the premier to make his report to lawmakers," Vice Premier Lai Ing-jaw told reporters. "We hope that this decision will calm the people and stabilize the political situation." The president of the legislature, Wang Jin-pyng, told reporters that the government should immediately restore the nuclear project or request lawmakers' approval for canceling the plant. "We should seek a resolution to help bring political stability," said Wang, whose once-ruling Nationalist Party won the legislature's approval of the project in 1980. Many expected that the Nationalists, who control the legislature, would demand that the premier resign and form a coalition cabinet with the powerful opposition. Scrapping the nuclear plant was a campaign promise of Chen, whose March election victory made him Taiwan's first president from an opposition party. Chen's first premier, Tang Fei, was widely criticized by the president's Democratic Progressive Party because he supported the plant. Tang resigned four months after taking office, and many blamed his demise on the nuclear issue. The opposition, led by the Nationalists, launched a campaign to recall the president, but backed away after polls showed the public did not support the move, which would likely threaten the sputtering economy. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 France Casts Doubt on Uranium Claim January 15, 2001 ASSOCIATED PRESS PARIS (AP)--France cast doubt Monday on claims that exposure to armor-piercing ammunition containing depleted uranium may have triggered cancer in French troops who served in the Balkans. The fear that depleted uranium ammunition might be a health risk has swept Europe in recent weeks as various nations have reported cancer cases among their troops, and NATO medical experts are studying the possible health risks. But the Defense Ministry in Paris said tests on five French soldiers who served in the Balkans and who now have cancer did not reveal any traces of depleted uranium. Tests on a sixth ill soldier were continuing. The findings mirrored similar research from neighboring Germany. Last week, German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping said tests on soldiers sent to Kosovo and those never deployed there showed no differences. He said the incidence of two cancers--leukemia and lymphoma--among German soldiers was no higher than among the general population in 1999. Depleted uranium, a slightly radioactive heavy metal, is used in anti-armor munitions because of its high penetrating power. U.S. forces fired weapons containing depleted uranium in Bosnia in 1994 and 1995, and in 1999, NATO fired such weapons during its 78-day bombing campaign in Yugoslavia. Depleted uranium has not been widely studied, and experts say they don't know exactly how much must be consumed to be harmful. The lack of conclusive scientific evidence has only served to feed public concern, which emerged when Italy said it was investigating illnesses in 30 Balkan veterans and then exploded as tales of sick or dying soldiers poured in from local media across Europe. One European minister described the uproar as media-generated "hysteria, " and NATO has said there is no evidence that remains of depleted uranium rounds pose a health risk. But in the face of mounting public anxiety, the alliance's highest medical advisory body met in Brussels on Monday to discuss the reports. Several European countries have introduced screening programs for Balkan veterans. And to be safe, Italy and Germany have called for a moratorium on use of depleted uranium weapons until health experts can study possible risks, but last week NATO turned down that recommendation. On Monday, a Swiss ammunition company said it would investigate its own testing of depleted uranium ammunition on a company-owned range in the late 1960s. Oerlikon Contraves Pyrotec said it used the foreign-made ammunition on a range near Studen, in central Switzerland. It was not immediately clear how much was used or whether the company had permission. Swiss authorities said they would investigate the possibility of long-term pollution at the site. In Greece, where public opposition to the NATO strikes in Kosovo was widespread, Defense Minister Akis Tsochadzopoulos said Monday that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright asked him to muffle complaints about possible health risks linked to the munitions. In Washington, State Department officials who asked not to be identified said they hadn't heard about any such request from Albright. ALL CONTENTS COPYRIGHT 2001 LAS VEGAS SUN, INC. ***************************************************************** 2 BAN DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS | The Progressive magazine Editor Matthew Rothschild comments on the news of the day. The United States used weapons containing depleted uranium in the Balkans. More than 40,000 of them, in fact, if you count both the Bosnia bombing and the war in Kosovo. At least fifteen European soldiers have died from leukemia that may be linked to exposure to these weapons, and the remnants of these weapons are still lying around in villages where children are playing or in fields where dairy cows are grazing, Marlise Simons of the The New York Times reports. Gina Kolata of The New York Times cast doubt on the dangers of depleted uranium in a front page story on January 13. But a 1999 document issued by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff warned of health risks surrounding depleted uranium weapons, Simons reported earlier in the week. And Robert Fisk of the London Independent noted that in training exercises with these weapons, the British government goes to extraordinary lengths to capture and then bury the radioactive dust that they release. Why would it do so if they aren't hazardous? Even if there is some doubt about the safety of these weapons, the sensible, safe, and moral thing to do would be to suspend their use until a thorough investigation could be done on them. But in a show of hubris rare even for NATO, the alliance "quickly shot down an Italian plea Tuesday for a moratorium on tank-busting weapons that contain depleted uranium," the A.P. reported. (Italy, by the way, has lost six soldiers who fought in the Balkans to leukemia.) "Several NATO members opposed any moratorium, some quite strongly." Hmmm, wonder who they might be? Simons confirmed my suspicion when she wrote on January 11 that the United States "has been the main proponent of the weapons." The issue of weapons tipped with depleted uranium is not new. Freelancer Bill Mesler reported on this problem in The Progressive back in August 1999 in an article entitled, "The Mess NATO Left Behind." Mesler wrote: "The use of depleted uranium in Yugoslavia could have put at risk many of the region's civilians." He spoke to Dr. Hari Sharma, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, who was conducting a study of Gulf War vets for the Military Toxics Project. Sharma said the full scope of the danger might not become clear for at least another decade. Afew lonely activists and journalists, especially Voices of the Wilderness, Mesler, and Fisk, have been trying to draw attention to the widespread use of these weapons during the Gulf War. "I revisited the old battlefields around the Iraqi city of Basra, " Fisk recalled in an Independent piece on Jan. 10. "Each time, I came across terrifying new cancers among those who lived there. Babies were being born with no arms or no noses or no eyes. Children were bleeding internally or suddenly developing grotesque tumors." NATO--and especially the United States--has a lot of explaining to do. --MATTHEW ROTHSCHILD ***************************************************************** 3 Bosnian doctor says mortality up in town hit by DU bullets MONDAY JANUARY 15, 04:39 PM By Zeljko Debelnogic BRATUNAC, Bosnia (Reuters) - A doctor in the Bosnian Serb town of Bratunac said she had noticed higher mortality among refugees from a town thought to have been hit by depleted uranium (DU) bullets, but could not say if there was any link. Slavica Jovanovic said she had begun gathering data when she saw that more people were dying among those who had moved to Bratunac from Hadzici, a town east of Sarajevo where NATO had bombed arms stores and an armoured vehicle repair centre. NATO experts confirmed recently that the remains of three bullets found in Hadzici contained depleted uranium. Asked if they were the depleted uranium bullets which NATO said it used in Bosnia in 1994 and 1995, a spokesman said on Monday: "We suspect they are," while adding that a map showing exactly where the bullets were used was still being drawn up. Jovanovic told Reuters Television at the weekend: "When we analyse data on the mortality rate of the whole town's population and of the Hadzici population as a target group, we see that the mortality rate of the whole population has increased, but that the mortality rate of the Hadzici population was 1.5-2 times higher than that of the whole Bratunac population in the period from 1996-98. "I really did not suspect anything at that moment, and for any suspicions about the external causes of these more frequent illnesses--we don't have any proof for now." HIGHER MORTALITY AMONG REFUGEES Jovanovic said she had no specific information on the causes of death. She added that it was important to bear in mind that the mortality rate of refugees was normally higher than that of local people, and that of refugees from the Sarajevo region was higher still, due to a whole range of possible factors. "I did not have any specific thoughts about it, but there are several factors to be taken into account: external environment, poor food, poor living conditions, suffering and nostalgia for home and property, " she said. She said she had stopped her research because of lack of funding, adding: "We need an analysis of the last two years as well, in order to have systematic data." Yugoslav pathologist Zoran Stankovic told Reuters on Saturday in Belgrade that 400 people from Hadzici had died of various forms of cancer in the five years since the Bosnian war. Speaking by telephone on Monday, he conceded that some might have died from other diseases, and he called for autopsies to be performed to fully ascertain the cause of death. "Four hundred people have died. There are those who have died of malignant diseases, and other diseases. This deserves an examination, it opens a dilemma," he said. "Autopsies need to be performed to establish the cause of death in order not to accuse anyone without any grounds." FLAK JACKETS FROM AMMUNITION He said Jovanovic was one of his sources of information, and that a resident of Bratunac and the director of the vehicle repair plant in Hadzici, Colonel Ratko Savic, were others. Stankovic, who also said some of the dead had worn flak jackets made from the remains of ammunition found in Hadzici, said Savic did not want to speak now because he was afraid. Bosnia's central authorities, reacting to a storm in some Western capitals over the deaths of some peacekeepers in the Balkans from leukaemia, say they have found no proven link between local deaths and the use of depleted uranium by NATO. The statistics agency of Bosnia's Muslim-Croat federation said on Monday that the mortality rate from tumours, both benign and malign, in the federation was at the same level as it had been in 1990 across Bosnia. The country was divided into two highly autonomous entities after the 1992-5 war that followed its declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. The other is the Serb Republic. The agency put the rate at 1.2 deaths per 1,000 citizens. The mortality rate from tumours around Sarajevo in 1999 was 1.5 per 1,000, compared with 1.4 per 1,000 in 1990, it said. The 1999 mortality rate in newborn babies in the federation--11.2 per 1,000--compared with 15.3 per 1,000 in 1990 across Bosnia. (with additional reporting by Gordana Filipovic and Beti Bilandzic in Belgrade and Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo) Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 Uranium tests for Serbs BBC News | EUROPE | Monday, 15 January, 2001, 20:24 GMT [I] Experts say that checking for radiation is not sufficient BY JACKY ROWLAND IN BELGRADE A team of German doctors and scientists is expected in Serbia this week to carry out tests in the southern region of Vranje where Nato used depleted uranium weapons during its bombing campaign in 1999. The team will collect urine samples from 500 people living in the area and take them to Germany and Canada for analysis. [I] Many weapons that used uranium are just lying around The visit, organised by the local public health institute, is part of the response by the Yugoslav authorities to the depleted uranium scare, which has caused uproar in a number of western capitals. According to the Yugoslav army, Nato warplanes dropped some 1.5 tons of depleted uranium onto the territory of Yugoslavia, excluding Kosovo. A Yugoslav army spokesman, Colonel Milenko Rilak, said analyses of the soil from four locations in the vicinity of Vranje showed radioactivity levels of up to 1,000 times higher than the norm. "All necessary measures are being taken to protect the population and the environment," Colonel Rilak said. GEIGER COUNTERS NOT EFFECTIVE But environmental groups in Yugoslavia are dissatisfied with the official response to the depleted uranium issue. They argue that Geiger counters cannot measure radiation from depleted uranium, and want experts to examine samples of water, plant and animal life. They are also pressing the government to publish detailed maps of the areas where the contentious missiles were used. "Studies into the effects of depleted uranium started only after a sufficient number of European soldiers died," said Radoje Lausevic, a Yugoslav environmentalist. "No-one in the west cares how many Serbs or Albanians died of radiation in Kosovo." CHEMICAL DANGER Detailed tests have already been carried out in the north of Serbia, where scientists said their analysis of soil, air, rain-water and foodstuffs showed no indication of increased radiation. But oncologists from the Belgrade Medical Centre warned that radioactivity was not the only cause for concern. They said that chemical contamination was probably a greater risk, and its effects would only be seen in a year's time. "According to our projections, the number of cancer cases will increase by 30% over the next five years," said an oncologist, Danica Bozovic. "The first victims will be children, we will see leukaemia and other malignant diseases," she added. CHILDREN AT RISK Serb doctors in Kosovo maintain that they are already witnessing the impact of the bombing campaign on the health of local people. Doctors at the Serb-run hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica say the number of patients suffering from malignant diseases has increased by 200% since 1998. They say they have witnessed a rise in the number of premature births, miscarriages and babies born with severe head deformities. ***************************************************************** 5 NUCLEAR ADVISER ISSUED SHELLS ALERT The Times More than 500 British veterans of the Gulf War have died since 1991 and more than 5,000 are suffering from illnesses including leukaemia MONDAY JANUARY 15 2001 Depleted Uranium BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE EDITOR THE Government was warned by its own nuclear safety adviser a decade ago that depleted uranium shells fired during the Gulf War would be a health risk to British troops and would lead to “political problems”. Years before depleted uranium (DU) weapons were used by Nato in the Balkans, a confidential paper written by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) made clear that the shells left in Kuwait after the Gulf War were a potential source of radioactive contamination. Yesterday Shaun Rusling, chairman of the National Gulf Veterans’ and Families’ Association, said that 521 Gulf veterans had died since the 1991 conflict and more than 5,000 were suffering illnesses including leukaemia. He said that successive ministers had failed to take responsibility for these “victims of the war”. The report by the AEA, the Government’s adviser on nuclear safety, said: “Handling heavy metal munitions does pose some potential hazards, as does the possibility of the spread of radioactive and toxic contamination as a result of firing in battle . . . and can become a long-term problem if not dealt with . . . and (pose) a risk to both the military and civilian population.” The tank ammunition alone fired by both American and British vehicles in the Gulf War amounted to “50,000lb of DU”. If that quantity of DU were inhaled it could kill 500,000 people, the paper said, although it added: “Obviously this theoretical figure is not realistic; however, it does indicate the significant problem.” The report was revealed as Carla Del Ponte, the Chief UN War Crimes Prosecutor, said yesterday that her tribunal could open an investigation into the use of DU ammunition by Nato, which many blame for cancer among soldiers who served in the Balkan campaign. The disclosure that the first warning about the shells came under the previous Government may explain why the Tories have not sought to make political capital out of the issue. Their criticism has concentrated on the way in which the Government has responded to the health fears. The AEA warning came to light as Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, dismissed any idea of stopping the Army from using DU rounds in Challenger 2 tanks. Although the Royal Navy is withdrawing DU ammunition from its Phalanx “point defence” Gatling guns by 2003, Mr Hoon said there was no intention of doing the same with the Army’s tank shells. They were “extraordinarily effective” and helped to save British lives, he told Sky News. However, the paper written by AEA Industrial Technology, the AEA’s trading name, gave warning of the urgent need to clear up the DU shells in Kuwait because of the risks of radioactive contamination. Today those same fears are being expressed in relation to the Nato bombing campaign over Kosovo in 1999. A team from the United Nations Environment Programme that examined 11 of 112 sites in the Yugoslav province affected by DU attacks urged the authorities to cordon off the areas to prevent local people, particularly children, from coming into contact with Serb armoured vehicles damaged by depleted uranium weapons. The eight sites found with “slightly higher” radiation levels were only now being fenced off, UN sources said. The AEA paper, sent to Royal Ordnance, which manufactures DU tank shells, said: “The whole subject of contamination in Kuwait is emotive and thus must be dealt with in a sensitive manner. It is necessary to inform the Kuwait Government of the problem in a useful way.” It was suggested that the matter be raised by the British Ambassador in Kuwait. “It’s in the Kuwaiti and UK interests that this is not left to rear its head in the years to come. . . The DU will be spread around the battlefield in varying sizes and quantities, from dust particles to full-size penetrators (tank shells and air-launched systems) and it would be unwise for people to stay close to large quantities of DU for long periods.” The AEA said that there would be specific areas in which many DU rounds had been fired where the localised contamination would have “exceeded permissible limits and this could be hazardous”. The document concluded: “The problem will not go away and should be tackled before it becomes a political problem created by the environmental lobby.” Yesterday Mr Hoon said: “There is no scientific evidence to support claims that the use of radioactive material caused illness, including leukaemia, with military personnel exposed to it. We’ve always recognised that there was a limited risk to the use of depleted uranium weapons and we have always instructed members of the Forces accordingly.” He added: “Beyond that specified limited risk there are no risks associated with DU and certainly no proven link between its use and illness.” However, he promised that if “clear evidence” could be found “to lead us to suspect there is a link between its use and illness, then we would take the appropriate decision”. He said: “In the absence of such evidence, it would not be appropriate to put British lives at risk.” The National Gulf Veterans’ and Families’ Association launched an appeal yesterday for funds to provide sick members with medical care. Copyright 2001 TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD. This service is ***************************************************************** 6 SPELLAR ADMITS GAPS IN DU TRAINING The Times John Spellar, the Armed Forces Minister, admitted to MPs today that ;munitions during the Gulf War did not get information on their handling in time. Mr Spellar made the admission after MPs questioned the training given to armed forces personnel in handling the substance. Joan Walley (Lab, Stoke-on-Trent N) said: "There is concern about the extent of training in respect of health and safety relating to DU." Ian Bruce (C, Dorset) called for details of the training given in handling DU to be made available. Mr Spellar said DU weapons were used in combat for the first time in the Gulf War. He said that despite the lack of information that some units received on their handling, there was no evidence of a higher level of illness. But Plaid Cymru's Dafydd Wigley (Caernarfon) accusing the Government of a "cover up" in the light of parliamentary answers he said were given to him in the past. John McFall (Lab, Dumbarton) said: "The burden of proof should be on the Ministry of Defence and other Government departments rather than on individuals who are ill having to prove that their illness is a direct result of this DU?" Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said the Government did not believe there was any significant risk associated with the use of DU. Copyright 2001 TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD. This service is ***************************************************************** 7 ENERGY HOT SEAT AWAITS ABRAHAM [I] [*]Monday, January 15, 2001 The Detroit News. Rocketing gas prices, California power crisis will nag post[I] ASSOCIATED PRESSSPENCER ABRAHAM, IF CONFIRMED AS SECRETARY OF ENERGY, WOULD LEAD AN AGENCY HE PREVIOUSLY WANTED TO DISBAND.[I] BY LISA ZAGAROLI / DETROIT NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU[I] WASHINGTON--Unseated U.S. Sen. Spencer Abraham, who landed on his feet with a Cabinet appointment, now may find himself standing knee-deep in nuclear waste, an inadequate energy supply and a disorganized Energy Department. First, though, he needs to see through power blackouts in California. Even admirers admit the Michigan Republican, tapped by President-elect George W. Bush as energy secretary, will step into one of the most challenging and least pleasant top federal jobs. He is expected to pass muster before a Senate committee Thursday and later win Senate confirmation, ushering him into the leadership of an agency he previously wanted to disband. "Sen. Abraham has all the talent necessary to do the job. It's just that he's going to be moving into a very unforgiving kind of environment and you have to learn very, very fast," said Jim Duderstadt, former president of the University of Michigan and chairman of the agency's Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee. He believes the energy post will be one of the most critical in the Bush White House. If confirmed, Abraham will take over at a time when the most populous state, California, struggles to avoid the collapse of its electric system; the security of U.S. nuclear weapons laboratories has been undermined; and gasoline prices have skyrocketed while foreign producers threaten to cut output. To solve the shortage, local producers want access to protected areas like Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- a highly controversial solution. One of Abraham's first tasks will be to make a recommendation to the White House this summer on the suitability of Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a site for storing nuclear waste. Now, the waste is kept in temporary facilities at plants nationwide. All of the issues are enormously polarizing--with no easy consensus likely--particularly between environmentalists who want more of an emphasis on renewable energies and producers of traditional power who want to continue supplying lights and heat to the growing economy. "We can't have a policy that promotes increased use, but doesn't allow us to produce it," said John Felmy, chief economist for the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group. "This is a real conflict we need to resolve very quickly." Abraham comes into the job with little expertise on the issues. In his six-year Senate term, his pet projects included trying to balance the budget, taming the GOP immigration policy and allowing more high-technology visas. NO INTERVIEWS As is fairly typical of cabinet nominees, Abraham has declined interviews since George W. Bush selected him. But the president-elect's team insists Abraham has had plenty of experience with a range of applicable topics such as alternative fuels and the impact of oil shortages and supply changes. "Because he represented Michigan, he was very familiar with energy issues, particularly as they affected the automotive industry," said Angela Flood, a transition team aide assigned to Abraham's nomination. "It is a state with industrial, high-technology and small businesses that are affected by weather conditions, changes in energy supply and production. His experience as a senator from Michigan gave him an understanding of how energy issues affect manufacturers, businesses, workers and consumers." The Harvard-educated lawyer is widely seen as bright and up to the task of taking over an agency former President Jimmy Carter created. "I like him and I wish him well, but he is not embarking on an easy task," said Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, who has closely monitored the agency as ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "It is not a job I would seek." Dingell described the agency as "a mess," and many other industry observers concurred. He said the weapons and defense components of the agency are in "very large disarray" and have "functioned in vast secrecy, in total disregard of the health of employees and complete disregard of the environment." "He's also got an agency which stays pretty well demoralized because they're under constant attack, their problems are big and they're not given enough support," Dingell added. ABOUT-FACE? Abraham himself several times tried to disband the department. "I can't imagine morale would be very good at the agency since he has been in favor of doing away with it," said Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's energy and environment program. Though Abraham has managed a Senate office, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Michigan Republican Party, administering the Energy Department will be a much larger responsibility. It has a $20-billion budget and 15,000 employees, not counting contract workers. Perhaps a bigger albatross is his standing in the environmental community. The League of Conservation Voters spent $700,000 to defeat him, more than on any other member of Congress last year. "With such a consistent record of opposition to environmental concerns, he was certainly worthy of the effort," said Lisa Wade Raasch, spokeswoman for the group that gave him a "zero" for the past two years on a scorecard of votes it deems environmentally friendly. Any effort to allow drilling in protected areas in Alaska, the Mountain West and offshore promise "a big, bloody fight," said Daniel Becker of the Sierra Club. "And we will win," Becker predicted. "Putting aside whether the American people actually elected George W. Bush, the American people didn't elect George W. Bush so he could pillage the environment. If he tries to do so, they will put a stop to it." Fortunately for Abraham, the environmental community has decided to focus on defeating the nomination of a Cabinet choice they find even more objectionable--Gale Norton, picked for secretary of interior. Her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee also is scheduled Thursday. And thanks to current challenges, Abraham may be able to overcome the neglected stepchild syndrome often associated with the Energy Department in past cabinets. "You have the California situation, a record cold winter, you've got rising gas prices, and you've got the OPEC group looking at trying to restrict production--all these things come together and are going to combine to make energy a first-tier issue in the new administration," said John Kane, vice-president of government affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, which represents all aspects of that industry. "How do you put together a framework that meets our energy needs and balances environmental concerns at the same time? That's the real challenge." [I] You can reach Lisa Zagaroli ***************************************************************** 8 WARNING COMES TOO LATE FOR KOSOVO'S DEADLY PLAYGROUND The Times MONDAY JANUARY 15 2001 Depleted Uranium BY JOHN PHILLIPS AND JAMES ROBSON IN KLINA, YUGOSLAVIA IN THE past week, children running amid the bombed-out Yugoslav tanks abandoned at a wrecked bus station in southern Kosovo have had to share their radioactive playground with a lot of visitors. The next batch of officials will be carrying a warning sign. It will read: “Caution. Area may contain residual heavy metal toxicity. Entry not advised.” The United Nations administration in Kosovo has decided that the residents of sites such as the one in Klina, which US jets peppered with uranium-enhanced anti-tank ammunition, need the advice. But the message will be next to meaningless to the ethnic Albanian families who have lived by the smashed battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers for the past 18 months and stripped the vehicles for souvenirs and scrap metal immediately after Serb forces left. A Western doctor working in Pristina said: “If depleted uranium (DU) dust is toxic, if it does cause leukaemia, and if the youngsters have the heavy metal dust left by the shells in their systems, then the damage is probably done and will become tragically clear in the years ahead.” The warning sign is evidently not aimed at the local population but is more of a message to the wider world, put up by an administration that, while largely convinced that the DU uproar is groundless, feels it needs to be seen to do something, Western diplomats say. Beqir Rraci lives yards from one of Klina’s wrecked tanks, in a row of dilapidated detached houses, some of which still bear scars from the conflict. Recently he watched white-suited Italian nuclear, chemical and biological warfare specialists checking the tanks for radiation. Last week he watched them return for the benefit of the world’s television cameras. Also present was Bernard Kouchner, who, as a medical doctor and former French Health Minister before becoming the UN chief administrator in Kosovo, should be ideally placed to pronounce on the dangers of depleted uranium. But he left office last week. “There is no real risk,” he declared — but his visit and the face masks worn by the Italian troops around him were enough to sow fear in 74-year-old Mr Rraci’s mind. “The kids play on the tanks. Local people took what they need from them. They’ve been here for 18 months. If they’re dangerous, maybe they should move them,” he said as M Kouchner’s motorcade headed back to his waiting helicopter. A team of UN Environment Programme scientists came to Kosovo in November after finally dragging out of Nato the details of where US A10 Warthog jets fired DU-tipped “tankbusting” shells during the Western alliance’s 1999 air war against Yugoslavia. Choosing 11 from 112 strike sites, they found eight with low-level traces of radiation. An Italian inquiry belatedly learnt from the Pentagon that DU had also been fired in Bosnia. Nato insisted that the shell debris was safe, but promised to set up a commission to look into the matter. M Kouchner told Kosovo politicians that the panic was “hysteria, a wave of irrationality”, but decided to put up the warning signs and call in World Health Organisation experts to help his officials to run a voluntary screening programme. The day after M Kouchner’s visit to Klina, the Portuguese foreign, defence and science ministers gave yet another press conference in the tiny, rundown town. They were almost sure it was safe, they said, but, all the same, they were going to take samples of soldiers’ urine, local food, water and air back with them to Lisbon for further tests, just to be “on the safe side”. Copyright 2001 TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD. This service is ***************************************************************** 9 MINISTRY IGNORED TESTIMONY OF ALLIES The Times MONDAY JANUARY 15 2001 Depleted Uranium DESPITE mounting pressure from servicemen, and evidence about soldiers reporting sick from other allies in the Kosovo conflicts, until last Thursday the Ministry of Defence had refused to conduct tests on British servicemen. ÿJANUARY 4: MoD rejects claims of risk, despite tests being conducted ÿin Italy. ÿJANUARY 5: France to test soldiers for uranium link. MoD does not ÿjoin in calls for investigation because it says it has not had ÿany Bosnian and Kosovo veterans alleging ill health due to service ÿin the region. ÿJANUARY 6: British troops said to be living in fear of Balkans ÿcancer. MoD still refuses to test. Veterans say Iraqi prisoners ÿof war are treated better. ÿJANUARY 9: MoD says the Army and Royal Navy do hold stocks of depleted ÿuranium shells for use by Challenger tanks and Navy’s Type 42 ÿdestroyers. One aircraft carrier is equipped with the Phalanx ÿGatling gun, which fired depleted uranium shells. Senior MOD officials insist the Government still does not accept there is any connection between the use of DU weapons and either the so-called Balkans syndrome or the earlier Gulf War syndrome. ÿJANUARY 10: MoD makes its first U-turn when it announces that voluntary ÿtests will conducted — but not until Spring. In a statement, the MoD says: “We are clear about the potential hazards of DU and believe that although it was possible that small quantities of DU dust may have been inhaled or ingested by those taking part in the Gulf conflict, we believe the health risks, both radiological and toxic, to have been small.” ÿJANUARY 11: MoD says that no uranium tests will be conducted for ÿat least a year. ÿJANUARY 12: Geoff Hoon, Defence Secretary, says: “What we are saying ÿis that the risks are very small, and that they have not led in ÿany case that we have so far been able to establish by the best ÿscientific advice to any illness for any soldier.” Copyright 2001 TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD. This service is ***************************************************************** 10 FOUR NATIONS TOOK BRUNT OF TOXIC SHELLS The Times Peter Nicholls Freshly dug graves at Bratunac mark the last resting places of refugees from Hadzici thought to have died from cancer caused by DU shells MONDAY JANUARY 15 2001 Depleted Uranium BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE EDITOR FOUR countries now share the dubious distinction of having been attacked by depleted uranium weapons over the past ten years — Kuwait, Iraq, Bosnia and Yugoslavia. All the weapons, either in the form of tank shells or air-dropped cannon shells, were fired exclusively by American and British forces. The Gulf War had the biggest use of DU weapons, principally because the United States-led coalition was facing a huge number of Iraqi tanks which were lined up, row after row, in entrenched positions along the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia border and in southern Iraq. Many of the tanks, however, were old Russian T54s and T55s, which presented only a limited resistance to advanced Western weapons as their armour could be breached easily with ordinary tank shells. The main threat was posed by the more sophisticated, better-armoured T72s which were driven by members of the Revolutionary Guard divisions. DU shells, principally fired by American M1 Abrams tanks, were used against the T72s to guarantee sufficient penetration of the armour to kill the occupants. The Americans fired an estimated 5,000 DU tank rounds against Iraqi tanks in Kuwait and southern Iraq. But the low-flying American A10 Warthog “tank-busting” aircraft fired “tens of thousands” of DU shells, according to a paper produced by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority after the 1991 war. Britain had DU shells for its Challenger 1 tanks in the Gulf War, but since the British tank regiments fought battles mainly with Iraqi T54s and T55s, they fired a limited number — only about 100. The T72s of the Republican Guards were left to the M1 Abrams, which are also armoured with depleted uranium to provide maximum protection. After the ceasefire that ended the war with Iraq, huge numbers of destroyed Iraqi tanks and other armoured vehicles were scattered across the Kuwait desert and in southern Iraq, many of them hit by DU rounds. The highest radioactive concentrations were recorded in special dump yards filled with destroyed armour that had been extracted from the desert and placed behind fencing for eventual disposal. In Bosnia the use of DU shells was limited because Nato’s military aggressive action was restricted to relatively minor operations. Towards the end of the Bosnian war, in 1994 and 1995, prior to the Dayton accords that resolved the brutal ethnic conflict between Bosnian Serbs, Muslims and Croats, Nato launched attacks on Serb armour. Only the Americans used DU weapons, firing about 10,800 shells. With most of the Serb tanks hidden in forests and mountains, the Nato attacks were generally focused on individual armoured vehicles that appeared in the open. At the time of the attacks, the use of DU weapons to destroy Serb tanks did not provoke the level of public questioning that is now being raised over the 1999 Kosovo campaign. During the 78-day Nato bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, and in particular against Serbian tanks and other armoured vehicles in Kosovo, American A10s fired 31,000 DU rounds. They landed on 112 sites in Kosovo, mainly in the south, and on ten sites in southern Serbia in the Presevo Valley area. No other Nato country fired DU rounds during the campaign. Tank shells were not fired because Nato tanks entered Kosovo only as part of a peacekeeping force once the air campaign was over. From 1991 to 1999 Nato forces would have fired a total of between 70,000 and 100,000 DU shells, covering a huge expanse of territory across Kuwait, southern Iraq, Bosnia and Yugoslavia. The results have still to be properly assessed in relation to the possible long- term health effects for the local populations and for the Nato troops who had the job of clearing up. Copyright 2001 TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD. This service is ***************************************************************** 11 MPs press Hoon on uranium risk RICHARD NORTON-TAYLOR MONDAY JANUARY 15, 2001 THE GUARDIAN Defence ministers will come under renewed pressure today to reveal what they know about the medical risks posed by depleted uranium in the face of fresh evidence of its potentially serious dangers to health. Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, who will be questioned by MPs today, admitted yesterday there was a "limited risk" associated with DU ammunition but insisted there was no proof it had actually caused illnesses. "We've always recognised that there was a limited risk to the use of depleted uranium weapons and we have always instructed members of the armed forces accordingly," he said. "But beyond that particular specified risk there are no risks associated with the use of depleted uranium, and certainly no proven link between its use and any illness", he told Sky television. Lord Morris, parliamentary adviser to the British Legion, which wants a public inquiry into the handling of health problems faced by Gulf war veterans, will raise the issue in the Lords. He said: "The Gulf veterans feel provoked to say it is shameful that Britain can stand by and watch other countries taking the lead in this issue when we were among the first to use depleted uranium." On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the conflict, Shaun Rusling, of the Gulf War Veterans and Families Association, also called for an inquiry and appealed for public support to help fund "proper testing and proper medical care". More than 450 British service personnel have died since the war, more than 130 of them from cancer, including leukaemia. A high incidence of the illness among Italian Balkan veterans has led to demands for special screening among Britain's European allies. The navy knew 10 years ago of the dangers when it warned firefighters tackling a fire in a DU store to use nuclear, biological and chemical warfare protective suits. In a separate report it emerged yesterday that a report by the UK Atomic Energy Authority in 1991 warned of a "significant problem" of DU radioactivity. Referring to use of the weapons in Kuwait, it said: "The problem will not go away and should be tackled before it becomes a political problem created by the environmental lobby." The shadow defence secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, said: "It is necessary now for the government to make a clear statement about the position of depleted uranium, given all the evidence that has been coming out in dribs and drabs." Guardian Unlimited c Guardian Newspapers Limited 2001 ***************************************************************** 12 Troops were warned about DU shell sites IAN BRUCE BRITISH troops serving in Kosovo were warned to avoid more than 100 sites attacked with depleted uranium ammunition and told to "brush up" their nuclear warfare decontamination techniques while the Ministry of Defence was still denying any risk to their health. Maps showing the areas where US air force Warthog tank-buster aircraft used DU cannon shells to strafe Serb military convoys were made available in 1999 within months of Nato's occupation of the province. The Americans fired more than 31,000 of the rounds, which weigh 2lbs and are the size of milk bottles, during the campaign. A further 10,000 were fired in Bosnia. The SNP will today demand that Geoff Hoon, the defence secretary, give details of exactly when precautions were ordered for the UK's Kosovo Force contingent and ask why the MoD appears unwilling or unable to quantify the dangers involved in dealing with the toxic dust created by the impact of the shells. A number of officers and other ranks from both the Royal Marines and the army have contacted The Herald claiming that they were told to stay away from affected areas if possible and to use respirators and decontamination pads containing fuller's earth, an absorbent aluminium silicate, to dab themselves "clean" if that proved unavoidable. One officer said: "We were issued with maps identifying the hot zones and told to get our guys to brush up on the nuclear, chemical and biological warfare techniques taught to every serviceman and woman." SNP defence spokesman Colin Campbell said: "The MoD has so far shown a disgraceful disregard for the welfare of British service personnel in both the Gulf and the Balkans. But if soldiers are being given limited warnings, then why is the department continuing to insist that there is no serious health risk? "All soldiers accept that they might be killed or wounded on operations. It is only right, however, that they should be fully aware of the risks they must run. It's time Geoff Hoon owned up to his department's responsibilities." The Herald can also reveal that DU tank rounds were fired secretly by British troops training in Saudi Arabia more than a month before the start of the Gulf War ground campaign in defiance of a Saudi ban. The shells were tried out on the Devil Dog Dragoon Range, a replica of an Iraqi defensive position created by the US Marines and British royal engineers near Abu Hadriya on the Gulf coast. The range was used by both the UK's 4th and 7th armoured brigades. An officer who was part of the British contingent told The Herald: "We had never used DU before. But the Saudis refused permission on the grounds that they did not want to risk even relatively minor radioactive contamination on their soil. "It was then decided that, since we would be doing the fighting and possibly the dying, and that the Saudis effectively would not, some practice with the new ammo was justified on the quiet. "The disturbing aspect is that we ourselves were unaware of the full spectrum of potential health hazards. Targets hit by DU shells were repaired by British troops on the spot. It seems highly likely they were exposed to toxic dust in the process." Only 80 British DU shells were fired in action, all by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Another 650 tungsten-cored shells and 850 conventional high-explosive anti-tank rounds were expended during 1st British Armoured Division's advance into Kuwait. Hari Sharman, an American radiation expert who has been studying Gulf War syndrome in US veterans, says exploding DU rounds produce a potent radioactive aerosol which persists in the environment for years. A hit by DU on a tank produces an intense fire. The core of the round burns away to a mixture of uranium dioxide and uranium trioxide, both lethal in the long-term if inhaled. It can also be wind-borne for 20 to 30 miles. Sharman adds: "Nato went into Kosovo to save its ethnic population. Instead, they may be poisoning those people slowly. "If you're going to use DU in warfare, you'd be better dropping a couple of nuclear warheads and killing the victims instantaneously rather than having them suffer over 20 to 30 years." The MoD says it has "always known there were dangers associated with DU, although there is still no evidence of a link between its use and an increased risk of contracting cancer." In Berlin, Rudolf Scharping, the German defence minister, said yesterday that public concern about DU munitions was tinged with hysteria and that the issue was being used to undermine the legitimacy of Nato's role in the Balkans. The chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunal has said she cannot rule out an investigation of Nato's use of DU as a possible war crime. "We'll wait for the result of the numerous inquests" by various Nato nations, said Carla del Ponte in an interview shown on Italian state TV yesterday. -Jan 15th ***************************************************************** 13 NEW PRESSURE OVER URANIUM by Jo Revill Defence ministers will come under renewed pressure today to reveal when they were first warned that depleted uranium might posea health risk to British troops. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon will be questioned by MPs on what he knew about the risks associated with depleted uranium (DU) ammunition, following reports that the UK Atomic Energy Authority warned nine years ago that there was a "significant problem" with its radioactivity. A special debate is also being held in the House of Lords, on the 10th anniversary of the outbreak of the Gulf War, which will focus on the way the Government has handled the issue. [I][*]EMAIL THIS ARTICLE TO A FRIEND c Associated Newspapers Ltd., 15 January 2001 ***************************************************************** 14 Let us go home, say Greeks in Nato scare ISSUE 2061 Monday 15 JANUARY 2001 BY PAUL ANAST IN ATHENS OVER a quarter of the 1,400-strong Greek military contingent in the Nato-led Kosovo peacekeeping force has asked to leave because of the alleged cancer risk. Akis Tsochadzopoulos, the Greek Defence Minister, speaking in Kosovo of the potential threat from depleted Uranium, said that the applications to leave would be considered, but added: "We must first wait for the official results of the radiation tests. If there is a general problem then Nato forces will take a joint decision and leave together. We cannot leave alone. We are not here for a picnic. We are here to protect lives." Greek troops in Kosovo are volunteers. Half the 400 men and women due to join the contingent on the next rotation have already withdrawn after claims that the shells have caused cancer in soldiers and civilians. Greek government tests have so far provided no evidence of uranium contamination anywhere near the Greek forces, who are stationed in Urosevac. ÿThe United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague may investigate ÿthe use of depleted uranium ammunition by Nato. "If coherent results ÿemerge directly linking the use of depleted uranium ammunition ÿwith health problems, we will proceed immediately," , the chief ÿprosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, said yesterday. uranium poisoning uranium report ago over tests exposure tests on UK ranges ***************************************************************** 15 CER | UK media shocker: depleted uranium not safe Vol 3, No 2 15 January 2001 [I] Great Britain: Depleted Coverage Depleted uranium contamination: the UK press shows little concern for its effects on local populations —NATO soldiers take precedence. Oliver Craske Press coverage of the issue of depleted uranium-tipped ammunition this week was most notable for what it left out: any substantial reference to the local civilian populations affected in Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq. Not until 13 January did a major article appear considering the effect on "the other side." Instead the press focused on the possible effects of the controversial weapons on NATO peacekeeping soldiers who served in areas where the weapons were fired. The media found politicians and civil servants to be sitting duck targets. Easy week for headline writers Headline-writers were stuck on one theme. The favourite adjective of the week was, without a doubt, "depleted." A leading article in The Independent on 12 January was the third in a week on the subject—a measure of how the issue has hogged the limelight. This article criticised the British government's messy handling of the affair for displaying "depleted logic." Similarly "depleted confidence" was the front-cover verdict of The Editor, The Guardian's weekly news supplement. NATO itself came under fire from the Financial Times which recorded its "depleted credibility, " while The Economist went for plain old "depleted NATO." Meanwhile, Mark Steel accused the Americans of displaying "depleted imagination" in its Hollywood propaganda (The Independent, 11 January). After steadfastly rejecting all previous suggestions that there might be anything wrong with depleted uranium (DU) weapons, on 9 January Downing Street insisted on over-ruling the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Downing Street announced an unsatisfactory compromise of voluntary screening for soldiers who had served in Kosovo or Bosnia, though not, perplexingly, in the Gulf. This followed similar decisions by several other European governments. But it was not an admission of anything. Voluntary screening was being offered... well, just in case. This was described as "the MoD's embarrassing u-turn" by The Guardian (11 January) and "a dramatic about-turn in government policy" by The Times (10 January). Not a new controversy It is not as though fears about DU sprang from nowhere. There were reports following the Gulf War of the apparent DU legacy in Iraq: birth defects, cancers, perhaps Gulf War syndrome. The Independent's Robert Fisk has written a number of articles over the years since. This week on 8 January he referred to "a government report detailing the extraordinary lengths to which the authorities went at DU shell- test-firing ranges in the UK—the shells are fired into a tunnel in Cumbria and the resulting dust sealed into concrete containers which are buried." Yet, until this week official responses have always played down the risk. Defending DU One or two tried to defend DU this week on the basis that it has been used in tiny amounts as balancing weights in commercial aircraft and yacht keels because of its density. Paul Brown, The Guardian's Environment Correspondent, noted on 12 January that "this is being phased out on safety grounds because of the radioactivity and toxic dangers in case of accident." One of the most awkward revelations this week in Britain was this: In 1997 an internal report by British army doctors (and approved by senior officers) warned of the dangers of exposure to DU. During the Kosovo conflict there were already articles being published on the use of DU weapons by NATO forces (for example , Nick Cohen in The Guardian, 9 May 1999). Shortly after the cease-fire, Mikhail Gorbachev wrote an article in The Guardian (18 June 1999) condemning the use of DU weapons in Kosovo and calling for them to be banned. Yet NATO powers have until now been guilty of avoiding the issue. In July 1999 a UN team was sent in to investigate environmental damage in Kosovo. Despite their requests, it was not until the following spring that NATO passed on to the UN the details of 112 sites in Kosovo alone where DU shells were used and which it believes may be contaminated (The Guardian, 11 January). However, another letter writer, AB Morris, in The Guardian noted on the same day that there must be DU-contaminated sites in Serbia proper too: "most of the Tomahawk cruise missiles contained approximately 3kg of depleted uranium and these weapons were used against all parts of Serbia—not just Kosovo." "Never mind the locals" Yet all this sudden attention on NATO forces has almost entirely failed to consider the effect on the local population living in the countries where the DU-tipped shells exploded. Apart from one or two passing references (such as the leading articles in The Independent on 6 January and The Guardian on 12 January), the press seemed almost entirely concerned with the dangers to which NATO servicemen might have been exposed. TV and radio coverage was, if anything, even worse. It took a letter to The Guardian on 11 January from one Julian Pack, resident in Skopje, to crystallise the issue being avoided: "Never mind the soldiers, what about the millions of people that have to live here? Recently NATO soldiers held live firing exercises of depleted uranium rounds at the military training ground of Krivolak in central Macedonia. This follows the revelation that as bombs fell in Macedonia, unprotected Macedonian policemen investigated, whilst NATO soldiers turned up in protective suits. NATO must therefore have known of possible risks." Certainly NATO troops who have been on peacekeeping duty in Kosovo since the conflict (and indeed those in Bosnia too) have reason to feel concerned. How much more worried should the local population then be? The Kosovo war was famously fought by NATO from 15,000 feet up in the air, from American A-10 "Warthog" tank-busters, or from warships in the Adriatic. The concerns of NATO soldiers are with regards to the period when ground troops were deployed in Kosovo after the 78-day bombing campaign ended. British fair play? The reason there has been such a political fuss now is that some new circumstantial evidence suggests there might have been harmful effects on NATO soldiers. Italian peacekeepers, who control the southwestern zone of Kosovo, where the greatest concentration of DU ammunition was fired, reported unusual levels of serious illness, including leukemia. Several European states have called for a ban or at least a major reassessment of these weapons. But this public outrage has not been generated by concern about the effects of the weapons over the past months and years on Serbs or Kosovars, or Bosnians or Iraqis for that matter. This suggests some uncomfortable things about public and official attitudes towards civilian populations in these foreign countries. Why does our media not seem to care about them? Is it because we were at war and the Serbs were our enemies? What about the Kosovars and Bosnians whom we were supposed to be helping: is this poisoned legacy a price they must continue to pay for kicking the Serbs out? Or do we not really care about them either, at the end of the day? If this is the case, why did we go to war in 1999? Much was made during the Kosovo conflict of America's apparent preference for inflicting higher civilian casualties through bombing from 15, 000 feet rather than risk a single US pilot by flying lower. It was commented by some (mainly British) reporters that Britain, with its legendary sense of fair play, had a different concept of modern warfare and was uncomfortable with these tactics. That is not the message we have been given this week. At last It was only at the week's end, on Saturday 13 January, that a major article appeared exploring the possible effects of DU weapons on local populations. "Up to 300 out of 5000 Serb refugees whose suburb of Sarajevo was heavily bombed by Nato jets in the late summer of 1995 have died of cancer," reported Robert Fisk from Bratunac in Bosnia, whence all the surviving Serb refugees from Hadjici had fled. These victims were not just military personnel, but civilians too. This front-page piece in The Independent suggested there was overwhelming evidence of a connection between DU-tipped munitions and cancer levels, concluding: "it will be difficult for Nato to get away with this one." MOVING ON: ÿ ÿCER ***************************************************************** 16 Du Shells - 'Blanket Ban On Use' Plea www.alliance-leicester.co.uk - Click Here! SUNDAY JANUARY 14, 12:40 AM A FRESH WAVE OF CONTROVERSY HAS ERUPTED OVER THE DECISION BY UK MILITARY CHIEFS TO PHASE OUT THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS BY THE ROYAL NAVY. The American manufacturer of depleted uranium shells used on British warships is halting production because of fears the weapons are a cause of cancer among troops. But the decision to phase out the weapons use by the Navy has led to calls for their removal from all of Britain's armed forces. CONTAMINATION Tony Flint of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association said the British army should also be allowed to stop using the controversial shells. What we strongly believe is that the Navy should not just run down its stocks of DU shells but stop using them altogether and the same goes for the Army, he warned. Until they do they will just be contaminating more areas and putting more people at risk, he added. PHALANX The ammunition is used aboard the Navy's Type 42 destroyers and three other vessels but the US maker of the shells for the Phalanx missile system has been phasing them out over for about a decade. The weapons are being replaced with tungsten-tipped ammunition which is not radioactive and far less toxic. The switch to tungsten weapons was revealed in a US Naval Sea Systems Command history written in 1989 which said such shells improved effectiveness while eliminating safety and environmental concerns. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the American's decision to stop manufacturing the munitions meant the Navy had no choice but to phase them out. COVER UP The UK Ministry of Defence has been accused of covering up safety fears over the depleted uranium weapons which are being blamed for cases of cancer among troops who served in Kosovo. An MoD spokesman said officials had always known there were dangers associated with depleted uranium ammunition, but maintained there was still no evidence of a link between that and an increased risk of cancer. Confusion over the impact of the weapons on health has been further fuelled by Belgiums Federal Nuclear Control Agency which has ruled out the likelihood of a link. The clinical symptoms described in connection with the Balkans Syndrome do not match the harmful effects of uranium that are presently known in the scientific world. In addition such symptoms have been reported by people who did not spend any time in the firing area, the agency said. 'LEAVE THE BALKANS' Meanwhile, Russia has demanded a summit on the dangers of the ammunition. Greece told its troops to leave the Balkans if they feared for their health. The World Health Organisation has said it is unlikely that exposure to DU weapons could have led to a higher risk of cancer among soldiers in the Balkans but that it will study the issue. Several NATO countries have already launched inquiries following a string of deaths among servicemen. Copyright © 2001 BSkyB. All rights reserved. Republication or Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 17 Norway, Finland support banning of depleted uranium weapons Story Filed: Monday, January 15, 2001 6:20 AM EST JAN 15, 2001, M2 Communications - Norwegian and Finnish foreign ministers have expressed their support for banning the use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions. At the Social Democratic Meeting of Northern European Countries, held in Oslo on 12 December, Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland said that despite the fact that NATO was not currently involved in any military action and DU was not in service, Norway would still be prepared to carry out action against the official use of DU. Erkki Tuomioja, Jagland's Finnish counterpart, said that serious consideration should be given the banning of DU. nbr.feedback@nordicbusinessreport.com)) Copyright c 1998-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com Portions of above Copyright c 1997-2001, Northern Light Technology ***************************************************************** 18 Beryllium disease expert to lecture in Mid-Columbia This story was published 1/15/2001 HERALD STAFF WRITER Mid-Columbia doctors should be better prepared to treat chronic beryllium disease after this week. It's a respiratory illness caused by exposure to the exotic metal beryllium--making nuclear sites such as Hanford one of the relatively few places in the world where it's seen. Consequently, few doctors know much about the disease. However, the Hanford Environmental Health Foundation is bringing the doctor who has written much of the medical literature on the disease to the Tri-Cities this week. "Our goal is to provide as much current information as possible and to establish resources for the local providers," said Dr. William Brady, Hanford medical director. Dr. Lee Newman of Denver will meet with the Benton-Franklin County Medical Society, other health groups, Hanford management, Hanford's Beryllium Awareness Group and concerned Hanford workers and their families Tuesday through Friday. He'll be discussing detection, diagnosis and prevention. In the early stages of the illness, patients may not have symptoms, and as it progresses, symptoms may be similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, Brady said. But early diagnosis and treatment may help patients preserve their health. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, weight loss and excessive phlegm. Beryllium was used at Hanford in an alloy developed to close the ends of uranium fuel rods. It hasn't been used at the site since 1986, and more recently, Hanford officials have taken steps to ensure current workers aren't contaminated with any small amounts of beryllium left behind in dust. Only people with an allergylike reaction to breathing in beryllium particles are believed to be affected. A blood test identifies whether a person has been exposed to the metal and developed a sensitivity that may lead to chronic beryllium disease, which is characterized by scarring of the lungs. Only about 1 percent to 6 percent of workers exposed to beryllium will develop the disease, according to HEHF. However, it may progress slowly, and symptoms may not appear for up to 40 years. About 800 Hanford workers have begun the testing process to check for beryllium exposure, and 20 have been identified as sensitized to the metal, according to HEHF. Three Hanford workers have been diagnosed with chronic beryllium disease. In addition, a building trades program has identified 32 people who are sensitized, and an additional screening program for former production workers has identified 14 with beryllium sensitivity. Although none of Newman's talks is open to former workers, HEHF officials hope this is only his first visit to the Tri-Cities. Retired workers also can expect their doctors may be more knowledgeable about the illness after Newman's visit, HEHF officials said. Newman is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and head of the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. He is recognized internationally as an expert on beryllium lung disease and the effects of metals on human health. He has published 68 peer- reviewed papers. Current workers may contact HEHF for more information. Retired workers may be eligible for screening for beryllium sensitization and other work-related health problems. Building trade workers may call 543-2090. Former production workers may call 800-419-9691. In addition, the federal government is progressing with plans to compensate nuclear site workers or their survivors who may have gotten ill because of exposure to beryllium or radiation. For more information, call 877-447-9756. ***************************************************************** 19 Britain Says to Take Action if Depleted Uranium Cause Illness Monday, January 15, 2001, updated at 08:31(GMT+8) Britain will take appropriate action if it finds clear evidence of a link between depleted uranium (DU) ammunition and illness, Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon said on Sunday. "The reason why we will continue to use these weapons is that they are astonishingly effective and in that sense are protecting British forces in time of war. If we do find clear scientific evidence that leads us to suspect there is a link between their use and illness, then we would take an appropriate decision," Hoon told Sky News television. He insisted it would "not be appropriate" to put British lives at risk "in the absence of such evidence". British Ministry of Defense agreed last week to screen voluntary veteran soldiers who served in the Balkans to see whether they were in danger of risking their lives after using depleted uranium ammunition. The ministry also announced on Friday that the British Royal Navy was phasing out DU ammunition after the U.S. manufacturers stopped producing the shells because of concern over the safety of the uranium ammunition, linked by ex-military personnel to certain types of cancer. "We've always recognized that there was a limited risk to the use of depleted uranium weapons. We have always instructed the members of the armed forces accordingly," Hoon said earlier. "Beyond that specified, limited risk, there are no risks associated with depleted uranium and certainly no proven link between its use and any illness. The best scientific evidence we have been able to secure indicates that there is no link between the consequences of the use of depleted uranium and any specific illness," he said. Depleted uranium can penetrate enemy armor better than conventional munitions and can therefore be fired from a greater distance, sometimes beyond enemy range. Veterans groups and families of soldiers are blaming the use of DU munitions by NATO troops for a spate of cancer cases among former Balkan peacekeepers. But both Washington and London maintain that there is no scientific evidence to prove DU cause cancer. British Defense Secretary Say DU Has "Limited Risk" British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said on Sunday that there was a "limited risk" associated with depleted uranium (DU) ammunition, but he insisted at the same time that there was no proof that it had actually caused illness. of NATO air attacks over in the Balkans in 1999, has been blamed in Britain and some other NATO countries for leukaemia deaths among Balkan peacekeepers. "We've always recognized that there was a limited risk to the use of depleted uranium weapons and we have always instructed members of the armed forces accordingly," Hoon told the Sky Television here. "But beyond that particular specified risk...there are no risks associated with the use of depleted uranium, and certainly no proven link between its use and any illness," he said. The defense secretary also said Britain would continue to use DU weapons because they were "astonishingly effective" and protected British forces in war. He said Britain had, since the Gulf War, consistently instructed troops not to go into places where they knew depleted uranium shells had been used without appropriate protective clothing. Britain agreed last week to screen soldiers who had served in the Balkans, after repeatedly saying for a long period of time that DU ammunition had no danger to soldiers. The Ministry of Defense had insisted that extensive research including large-scale studies of Gulf War veterans in the United States had not established any health risk to troops. NATO and the United States had also insisted that there is no evidence of a link between the use of DU weapons and the cases of leukaemia in troops who have served in the Balkans. But British media reported several cases of veteran soldiers who found themselves feel uneasy and had the so-called "Balkans Syndrome" after tours of duty in Kosovo and Bosnia. The soldiers had demanded the ministry of defense to investigate the cases and publish the results. and other NATO member countries. In This Section Britain will take appropriate action if it finds clear evidence of a link between depleted uranium (DU) ammunition and illness, Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon said on Sunday. Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 20 Use of DU weapons could be war crime - January 14, 2001 CNN.com - ITALY, Rome--NATO's use of depleted uranium could be investigated as a possible war crime, the chief prosecutor for the international war crimes tribunal has said. Carla del Pronte told Italian state TV on Sunday: "If we have sufficient elements we will be obliged to investigate" as to whether the use of the heavy metal in the Balkans conflicts constituted a war crime. Numerous NATO member states, including Italy, are currently carrying out their own health and scientific investigations into a possible link between the use of the radioactive weapons used during the Balkan wars and cancer-related deaths among servicemen serving in the region. The latest country to embark on an investigation is Switzerland. Its defence ministry said on Sunday it planned to check the health implications of DU weapons test-fired in central Switzerland 30 years ago. Del Pronte added in another interview, published by Corriere della Sera on Sunday, that the tribunal had already looked into the use of the controversial ammunition during NATO's 1999 campaign in Kosovo "but we didn't have enough elements to proceed." DU, used in the tips of missiles, shells and bullets to boost their ability to penetrate armour can be turned on impact into a toxic radioactive dust, defence experts say. Doctor Zoran Stankovic, head of the department of forensic medicine of the Yugoslav Military-Medical Academy in Belgrade, said he has discovered a connection between the weapons and 400 cancer deaths among Bosnian Serbs. Many of the Serbs from Hadzici had worked in a factory repairing tanks and armoured vehicles that were heavily bombed by NATO in 1994. At the time, DU shells found on the ground were recycled and used to produce flack jackets. He said no organised study had been launched to establish links between DU and health hazards, but added he strongly felt the link existed. Switzerland is to investigate an old testing ground, now a golf course Russia has called for an international conference of specialists to look at the problem within the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE), the Interfax news agency quoted Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev as saying. Switzerland's defence ministry spokesman Oswald Sigg was quoted in SonntasgBlick newspaper on Sunday as saying it would have to "investigate immediately" the results of test firing by a weapons company in the 1970s. Sigg said the government was aware of only one test at one Swiss firing range. "We're checking to see if other places were used," he said. "We fired uranium ammunition at our Ochsenboden firing range near Studen," in the canton (state) of Schwyz, the paper quoted Heinrich Meier, former head of the Oerlikon Contraves munitions factory that conducted the test, as saying. The firing range is now a golf course. The paper cited a local environmental official as saying the area was tested for heavy metals but not for radioactivity before the course opened. Swiss military officials have played down the health risk of DU ammunition for peacekeeping troops who served in the former Yugoslavia, but have offered blood tests to any soldiers or civilian aid workers who want them. One Swiss officer who served in Bosnia in 1998 has died of leukaemia, but the army surgeon general has said it would be practically impossible to establish that radiation from DU ammunition had caused or contributed to the illness. NATO says the ammunition poses a negligible health hazard, and the World Health Organisation, says it is unlikely that exposure to DU ammunition could have led to a higher risk of cancer among soldiers in the Balkans. But deaths from leukaemia among peacekeepers are under the spotlight after reports that six Italian soldiers who served in the Balkans had developed the illness. U.S. attack jets fired 31,000 rounds of DU ammunition against Serbian targets during NATO's 1999 campaign to drive the Yugoslav army out of Kosovo. Some 10,000 rounds were fired in neighbouring Bosnia in 1994-95. ***************************************************************** 21 Uranium missile health fears deepen - January 15, 2001 CNN.com - DU tests could pave the way for war crime charges against NATO BRUSSELS, Belgium--The political fall-out over concerns over the potential health risks to NATO troops exposed to uranium-tipped weapons looks set to intensify. As Germany's defence minister dismissed the health concerns on Monday, it was reported that Britain was warned a decade ago about the risks to troops of using depleted uranium missiles in combat. The developments came the day after the chief prosecutor for the International War Crimes Tribunal said NATO's use of depleted uranium could be investigated as a possible war crime. Carla del Ponte said "if we have sufficient elements we will be obliged to investigate" whether the use of the heavy metal in the Balkans conflicts constituted a war crime. Depleted uranium (DU) weapons were used in the Balkans by U.S. Air Force A-10 aircraft against Serb armoured vehicles. DU, used in the tips of missiles, shells and bullets to boost their ability to penetrate armour can be turned on impact into a toxic radioactive dust, some defence experts say. The Pentagon says 31,000 rounds were fired during the 1999 war over Kosovo. In U.S.-led airstrikes in Bosnia in 1994 and 1995, about 10,800 rounds were fired around Sarajevo. Several NATO member states, including Italy, are now carrying out their own health and scientific investigations into a possible link between the use of the weapons in the Balkan wars and cancer-related deaths among servicemen serving in the region. The latest country to embark on an investigation is Switzerland. Its defence ministry said on Sunday it planned to check the health implications of DU weapons test-fired in central Switzerland 30 years ago. Russia, meanwhile, is calling for an international conference of specialists to look at the problem within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Switzerland is the latest country to launch an investigation into the health claims Rudolf Scharping, the German defence minister, said he sees no link between reported leukaemia cases among German soldiers and the deployment of German peacekeepers to Kosovo. After consultations with health experts and military staff, Scharping said he was standing by the finding of independent examinations in 1999 of German troops returning from Kosovo. Health tests on soldiers sent to Kosovo and those not deployed there showed no differences, he said. The Defence Ministry says the incidence of two cancers--leukaemia and lymphoma--among German soldiers was no higher than among the general population in 1999. Scharping has called for a moratorium on using depleted uranium weapons so more research can be carried out, but he also has criticised media- generated "hysteria" on the issue. A newspaper reported that a second German soldier is now blaming his leukaemia on his service in the Balkans. The soldier was stationed in Bosnia in 1996, Welt am Sonntag reported. Meanwhile, in Britain, a newspaper says the government was warned by its nuclear safety adviser a decade ago about the risks to its own troops of using depleted uranium missiles. A confidential report written in 1991 by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) made clear that the shells left in Kuwait after the Gulf War were a potential source of radioactive contamination. The Times said. The Times quoted the AEA report, as saying DU could "become a long- term problem if not dealt with." The AEA concluded, according to The Times report: "The problem will not go away and should be tackled before it becomes a political problem created by the environmental lobby." On Sunday, British Defence Minister Geoff Hoon defended the use of depleted uranium arms, which he described as "astonishingly effective." ***************************************************************** 22 Flak jackets made from recycled shells linked to Serb deaths - smh.com.au - Monday, January 15, 2001 A Yugoslav military pathologist has linked the cancer-related deaths of about 400 Bosnian Serbs near Sarajevo to 1994 NATO bombardments that used depleted uranium (DU) shells. "Four hundred people died of various forms of cancer in the past five years. They were part of a community of some 4,000 Serbs from Hadzici [near Sarajevo] who moved to Bratunac north-east of Sarajevo, " said Dr Zoran Stankovic, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Yugoslav Military-Medical Academy in Belgrade. "The death pattern was easy to follow in an isolated population, particularly with an increased occurrence of malignant diseases and deaths," he said. Many of the Serbs from Hadzici had worked in a factory repairing tanks and armoured vehicles that was heavily bombed by NATO in 1994. At the time, DU shells found on the ground were recycled and used to produce flak jackets. "Some of these Serbs wore the jackets and died," Dr Stankovic said. The announcement came at the weekend as leaked British Defence Ministry documents revealed that London was secretly testing for radiation poisoning among British soldiers just months before it sent troops to Kosovo with suspect depleted uranium weapons. Internal documents show that scientists at the military research centre in Porton Down were carrying out tests in November 1998, well before the start of the Balkans conflict. They show that the secret research had been going on for at least six months before then, with references to classified files on the depleted uranium held at the Ministry dating back to May that year. Dr Stankovic's comments follow denials from some Western countries of links between radioactive weaponry and cancers after a renewed DU scare swept many European states whose soldiers served in Kosovo, where NATO fired thousands of missiles containing the radioactive substance. Cancer cases have been reported among Italian, Belgian, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese soldiers who served a peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo. ÿBritain announced at the weekend that the Royal Navy was phasing ÿout depleted uranium ammunition used on 14 of its warships after ÿthe manufacturers in the United States stopped producing the projectiles ÿbecause of concerns over their safety. ***************************************************************** 23 Ukrainian Nuclear Reactor Halted Due to Defect Monday, Jan. 15, 2001, 5:05 PM Moscow Time Halted Due to Defect The Associated Press KIEV, Ukraine - A reactor at the Yuzhna nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine was stopped to allow the repair of a leak in its turbine, atomic energy officials said Monday. The No. 1 reactor was halted late Sunday and was scheduled to be restarted Thursday, the state company Energoatom said in a statement. The malfunction occurred six days after the reactor had been restarted following planned repairs. Radiation levels at the plant were reported to be normal. Also Sunday, the No. 5 reactor at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant was restarted after a defect in its turbine was fixed, Energoatom said. Ukraine was the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in April 1986, when a reactor exploded and caught fire at the Chernobyl plant. The country shut down the last working reactor at Chernobyl in December, but concerns remain about the safety of other plants. Currently, Ukraine operates 10 out of a total of 13 nuclear reactors at four atomic power plants. ( ***************************************************************** 24 Russians to Discuss Peaceful Plutonium Use with Canadians Monday, January 15, 2001, updated at 09:11(GMT+8) A [*]Russian delegation will fly to [*]Canada on Monday to discuss ways of peacefully using arms-grade plutonium, withdrawn by Russia under a nuclear weapons reduction pact with the US, Tass reported Sunday. During the trip, the delegation, consisting of experts form the Russian Nuclear Energy Ministry and the All-Russian Non-Organic Materials Institute, will study progress in experiments on the use for energy production of arms-grade plutonium, the ministry press center was quoted as saying. Aprogram titled "The Parallex Project" provides for burning experimental uranium-plutonium fuel in a Canada reactor, using heavy water as a moderator and coolant. The experimental fuel was made by the Russian research institute and by the US Los Alamos National Laboratory. It is expected that the experiment will result in receiving unique data on burning the fuel as well as on the behavior of and interaction between fuel and the reactor's shell, according to the press center. The Russian ministry reported that implementation of the Parallex Project will help to realize a joint Russian-American agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of arms-grade plutonium. Russia's Parallex is being implemented with financial support from the U.S. Energy Department and organizational support from the Canadian Ministry for External Affairs. Russia and the U.S. signed an agreement on September 1, 2000 to reprocess 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium each into nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes. The Western countries promised to provide funds and technical support for implementing this program. A Russian delegation will fly to Canada on Monday to discuss ways of peacefully using arms-grade plutonium, withdrawn by Russia under a nuclear weapons reduction pact with the US, Tass reported Sunday. Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 25 British Nuclear Watchdog Issued Alert on DU Shells in 1991 Report Monday, January 15, 2001, updated at 10:45(GMT+8) The British government was warned by its own nuclear safety adviser a decade ago that depleted uranium (DU) shells used in the Gulf War in 1990 would be a health risk to British troops and would cause "political problems", The Times newspaper reported on Monday. Years before DU weapons were used by NATO in the Balkans, a confidential paper written by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) of radioactive contamination, the newspaper said. "Handling heavy metal munitions does pose some potential hazards, as does the possibility of the spread of radioactive and toxic contamination as a result of firing in battle," the report quoted the AEA as saying in an confidential report to the government. The paper said there was an urgent need to clear up the DU shells in Kuwait because of the risks of radioactive contamination. The Times also quoted Shaun Rusling, who heads Britain's Gulf War veterans' body, as saying that 521 veterans of the 1991 war had died since the end of the conflict and more than 5,000 were suffering illnesses such as leukaemia. But British government has repeatedly denied the risks soldiers had taken by using or exposing to the DU ammunition. "There is no scientific evidence to support claims that the use of radioactive material caused illness, including leukaemia, with military personnel exposed to it," Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon told the Sky news television on Sunday. Hoon said that DU shells only pose a limited risk to soldiers if they enter a tank knocked out by the weapons immediately after it has been hit. "Beyond that specified, limited risk, there are no risks associated with DU and certainly no proven link between its use and illness, " he added. He said British army would continue to use armor-piercing DU shells because they were "extraordinarily effective". if it finds clear evidence of a link between depleted uranium (DU) munitions and illness. Depleted uranium is used in shells and bullets to increase their ability to pierce armor and can be pulverized on impact into a toxic radioactive dust, according to defense experts. Britain last week agreed to test veterans who are worried they may be suffering health problems as a result of exposure to depleted uranium. The British government was warned by its own nuclear safety adviser a decade ago that depleted uranium (DU) shells used in the Gulf War in 1990 would be a health risk to British troops and would cause "political problems", The Times newspaper reported on Monday. Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved ***************************************************************** 26 Depleted uranium caused cancer, scientist says - 1/ 14/2001 - ENN.com Sunday, January 14, 2001 By Gordana Filipovic [I] A Yugoslav pathologist said on Saturday about 400 Bosnian Serbs from an area bombarded by NATO with depleted uranium shells in 1994 later died of various forms of cancer. Zoran Stankovic, head of the Department of Forensic Medicine of the Yugoslav Military-Medical Academy in Belgrade, linked the deaths - which totalled about 10 percent of the community - to radioactive weapons. Some of the victims had worn flak jackets made from shells with depleted uranium (DU), he told Reuters in an interview. "Four hundred people died of various forms of cancer in the past five years. They were part of a community of some 4,000 Serbs from Hadzici (near Sarajevo) who moved to Bratunac north-east of Sarajevo, " Stankovic said. "The death pattern was easy to follow in an isolated population, particularly with an increased occurrence of malignant diseases and deaths," Stankovic, who performed some 4,000 autopsies, said. Many of the Serbs from Hadzici had worked in a factory repairing tanks and armoured vehicles that was heavily bombed by NATO in 1994. At the time, DU shells found on the ground were recycled and used to produce flack jackets. "Some of these Serbs wore the jackets and died," Stankovic said. He said no organised multi-disciplinary study had been launched to establish links between DU and health hazards. But he said he strongly felt the link existed. He was commenting on reports by experts from some Western countries that denied any link between radioactive weaponry and cancers after a renewed DU scare swept many European states whose soldiers serve in Kosovo, where NATO fired thousands of missiles containing the radioactive substance. "If it is so harmless as some people say, I would like them to collect all the remainders of the DU shells, take them to a nice house somewhere in Brussels, store the shells in the cellar and have their children playing in the house," Stankovic said. Cases of cancer have been reported among Italian, Belgian, French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese soldiers who served a peacekeepers in Bosnia and Kosovo. NATO faces a potential split over the long-lasting health impact of using the armor-piercing depleted uranium shells which critics blame for cancer among the troops. Britain, NATO and the United States insist there is no evidence of a link between DU weapons and cases of leukemia among Italian soldiers. But Italy has demanded a probe into the deaths of at least seven of its soldiers from leukemia after duty in Bosnia and Kosovo. Stankovic said DU munitions were inflicting physical and thermal damage on human beings, while exposure to their ionising radiation was seen as affecting bone marrow and the reproductive tract and causing congenital anomalies. Particles from DU explosions were contaminating the soil and underground waters, posing threat to plants and animals, he added. "The Americans have studied effects of the Gulf war on their soldiers. Their study showed that 76 percent of their descendants were born with physical anomalies. Some were born with six fingers, some without an arm or a leg," he said. Stankovic said the United Nations had to organise a study of possible links between DU weapons and health hazards, as the world organization was directly responsible for the use of the depleted uranium weapons. But the study should take time because an illness takes time to develop, he said. "NATO will have to finance the research. NATO will have to pay for regular medical screening of the local population. If we want to help the people, they must be screened every six months. NATO must also send its experts to collect the leftover DU shells, because we don't need them," Stankovic said. NATO says it had fired 31,000 shells containing DU during its 1999 three-month bombing of Yugoslavia to halt Belgrade's repression in Kosovo. Most hit Kosovo, southern Serbia and Montenegro. The Yugoslav Army has so far reported no cases of cancer among its members who served in Kosovo during the air strikes. It says screening of 1,000 soldiers had negative results. But Stankovic said the 1,000 soldiers represented less than one percent of some 150,000 troops deployed in Kosovo. He also said he had received reports of two cases of eyeball cancers. "These two soldiers had served in the area where thousands of shells fell. My question to international medical experts is how does the surface of the eye-ball reacts when exposed to the DU dust and does the dust causes the cancer." Copyright 2001, Reuters All Rights Reserved ***************************************************************** 27 War crimes tribunal may probe DU BBC News | EUROPE | Sunday, 14 January, 2001, 22:01 GMT [I] The extent of contamination is being assessed Chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte says her tribunal could open an investigation into Nato's use of weapons containing depleted uranium. Uranium-tipped ammunition has been blamed for cases of cancer among peacekeeping soldiers, Nato troops and civilians. If results emerge directly linking the use of depleted uranium ammunition with health problems... we will proceed immediately[I] Carla del Ponte Speaking to the Italian press, Mrs del Ponte said she had unsuccessfully examined similar allegations during the bombing of Kosovo, but new facts had now emerged. She gave no details, saying she would await the results of scientific studies being carried out by the European Union and several of its member countries. Seven Italians, five Belgians, two Dutch nationals, two Spaniards, a Portuguese and a Czech national have died after serving in the Balkans. Four French soldiers have also contracted leukaemia. "If coherent results emerge directly linking the use of depleted uranium ammunition with health problems suffered by soldiers and civilians, we will proceed immediately," Mrs del Ponte told the newspaper la Repubblica. However, correspondents say it is doubtful that the tribunal could prosecute unless it emerged that depleted uranium had been deliberately used to cause cancer. It would therefore be classed as a prohibited chemical weapon - rather than as a means of enhancing the amour-piercing performance of shells. DU RISKS Nato, which used depleted uranium weapons in the Balkans, insists there is no evidence linking their use with higher incidences of cancer and leukaemia. [I] Nato targeted Yugoslav tanks with DU-tipped weapons But the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Gro Harlem Brundtland, told the BBC that she could not rule out the possibility of a link, and said more research was needed. On Sunday, Britain conceded that there was a "limited risk", but repeated that there was no proven link between DU and any illness. But following the deaths from leukaemia of at least seven of its Balkan veterans, Italy has asked Nato to start an an investigation. MORE RESEARCH NEEDED Several other EU countries have also started their own inquiries, and the European Commission has set up a working group of medical and scientific experts that is due to report next month. [I] A researcher tests for the effects of DU On Friday, the German Government said it could not establish a link between possible DU contamination and a blood related illness suffered by six German soldiers. But a study commissioned by the German Ministry of Defence warned that steps should be taken to prevent potential danger to the local population, particularly children, who may play in areas where DU weapons exploded, releasing toxic chemicals. ***************************************************************** 28 Russia Requires Financial Aid to Dispose of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Russia Today - MOSCOW, Jan 13, 2001--(Agence France Presse) It will cost two billion dollars for Russia to meet its international obligations on disposing of weapons-grade plutonium, and international aid is vital, nuclear energy ministry officials said Friday. Russia cannot even start on the disposal program unless the U.S. administration provides the 200 million dollars which Washington has promised to finance the program, the officials were quoted as saying by the AVN military news agency. The disposal process, which should be completed by 2020, could continue only if Britain, France and Japan also fulfill their promises and provide a further 300 million dollar. The nuclear energy ministry was confident that Russia would be able to come up with the rest of the money and fund the program out of its own state budget in a couple of years. Industrial scale plants will be needed to convert the plutonium into usable nuclear fuel, a process that is set to begin in 2007 with a minimum disposal rate of two tons a year. The United States has been urging the international community, especially wealthy G7 members, to stump up funds to help Russia meet the bill for the 20-year operation. ((C) 2001 AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE) ***************************************************************** 29 Mini-nuke tests go virtual SF Examiner BY MICHAEL STOLL OF THE EXAMINER STAFF Sometime around 2008, physicists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory plan to spark a fusion reaction in a large dome, using the world's most powerful laser array to heat a BB-sized pellet to 100 million degrees--hotter than the core of the sun. This will be no academic exercise: the data could lead them someday to a source of clean and plentiful power. But it will also demonstrate what happens the instant a thermonuclear bomb ignites, which the Department of Defense hopes will aid the design of miniature, ground-penetrating nuclear weapons that can take out an underground bunker without also killing everyone for miles around. Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden beware: America is looking at ways to make small- scale nuclear "smart bombs" practical. One hurdle for our military had been the end of testing. The United States has not exploded a nuclear bomb since 1992, and the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed by United States and 159 other countries, would, if ratified, prohibit nuclear testing forever. So government scientists are trying to show, through elaborate physics experiments and computer simulations, that new weapons and new uses for old weapons will work. As long as those bombs do not actually exist, the military can avoid running afoul of the test ban or Congressional prohibitions on building "low-yield" nuclear warheads. Anti-nuclear activists angrily object, saying that smaller nuclear weapons would be more likely to be used in battle. But defense officials justify this line of research by saying they need a new generation of weapons to maintain a technical edge over rogue nations and terrorists. Though the experiments at the half-finished $3.9 billion National Ignition Facility at Livermore will be the most ambitious, they are just a small part of this effort. Similar research is happening right now at more than a dozen other national labs, as computer programmers and technicians piece together an elaborate model of the damage hypothetical new munitions could do to tunnels, buried command-and-control centers and other so-called "hard targets." The Livermore lab, 35 miles east of San Francisco, is also home to the world's fastest supercomputer, IBM's ASCI White, which can produce 12 trillion calculations per second and will be used to simulate three-dimensional models of nuclear explosions of any size. At the Nevada Test Site, where 928 nuclear bombs were exploded above and below ground over 41 years, scientists are carving tunnels into the desert to test nuclear shock patterns using high-yield conventional explosives. And at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee they use the Decade Radiation Test Facility to expose bomb parts to levels of x-rays found only in a nuclear blast. All this research is being done in the name of the Science-Based Stockpile-Stewardship program, the $5.1 billion- per-year Department of Energy effort to ensure that the U.S. nuclear weapons remains "safe, secure and reliable." Proponents of the program say its goal is merely to make sure existing weapons work and are refurbished when they age. But internal Defense Department documents, released to the Western States Legal Foundation, an Oakland-based anti-nuclear group, show that the military's view of future uses of the program includes the creation of new weapons systems. "Precision engagement requires development of more discriminate weapons that have the lethality needed to hold difficult-to-kill targets at risk with minimized collateral effects, " defense officials wrote in the Defense Technology Area Plan, dated February 2000. Testifying before Congress this fall in hearings on funding for the Stockpile Stewardship program, Brig. Gen. Thomas F. Gioconda, acting deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, said the Department of Energy has so far dismantled 12,000 nuclear weapons. And he insisted that Army and Navy are not creating any new weapons, nor have they done so for 11 years. In 1994, Congress specifically prohibited research and development on low-yield nuclear weapons, which produce a blast of five kilotons or less--about a third the power of the bomb that devastated Hiroshima in 1945. But another senior defense official familiar with nuclear strategy said part of stockpile stewardship is the ability to design new weapons quickly if the United States were to change policy and authorize low-yield weapons development. "It's really a 'what-if,'" the defense official said on the condition his name not be used. "We'd be prepared to have the answer, if and only if we were given permission in the future to proceed on such a course. They're only concepts and we don't have any permission to ask the Department of Energy to build new weapons." Andrew Lichterman, a researcher at Western States, said that while this research does not seem to violate any law, it treads close to the line that Congress drew in 1994. He also said it undercuts efforts to achieve a viable non-proliferation treaty, which calls on existing nuclear powers to de-emphasize, and eventually eliminate, nuclear weapons. "The broad representation to the U.S. public of the Stockpile Stewardship program is that it is merely to maintain the existing stockpile as we move toward their elimination," Lichterman said. "This is the clearest and most specific evidence we have found that they are using this program to make nuclear weapons more usable." The Defense Technology Area Plan, an annual internal policy review, became restricted as of three years ago. Lichterman filed a request with the Defense Department through the Freedom of Information Act last July. The documents also discuss other weapons, such as the B61-11 gravity bomb, which has been modified to work as a ground penetrator. The senior defense official said that was permitted because it was not a "new" weapon. "The nuclear part of the B61 was unchanged, " the official said. "So the fact that we put a new case on an existing weapon, I don't consider that a new weapon. I think it's permissible to create a capability with an existing weapon." Pentagon critics say this contradicts public statements about what Stockpile Stewardship is all about. "If we were just maintaining the existing stockpile until such time as we could eliminate nuclear weapons pursuant to an international agreement, would we need the current Stockpile Stewardship program?" said Christopher Paine, who has researched the program for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The answer is no. We would want something that is far smaller and simpler. It was sold to a cadre of Democrats and liberals who supported the test ban as an essential ingredient of the U.S. capability to maintain weapons under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The truth is the stockpile program is the capacity to maintain weapons--and a lot more." Greg Mello, director of the Los Alamos Study Group in Santa Fe, N.M., said the Department of Energy is misleading the public about the work of the program. "There is definitely active deception going on with respect to Congress and ordinary folks and employees," he said. "The lab people know what to do to sell their bombs. They've adopted an industrial paradigm, and they have an industrial culture that searches for new niches for nuclear bombs." The Department of Energy, which runs the National Laboratories and builds nuclear weapons for the military, says it has no plans to build new bombs anytime soon. "We are not developing any new nuclear weapons, " said Floyd Thomas, a spokesman for the department's National Nuclear Security Administration. "If somebody's up in some other agency thinking of new weapons, we wouldn't know about it." Some scientists, while sympathizing with activists' political complaints, dismiss their attacks on experimental and computational modeling of nuclear explosions. Wolfgang Panofsky, the retired director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Palo Alto, said that even though he and other physicists are opposed to producing low-yield nuclear bombs, he sees nothing wrong with basic research short of designing new weapons for production. Raymond Jeanloz, a professor of Earth and planetary science at the University of California at Berkeley and a Stockpile Stewardship consultant for the Energy Department, said the program is also necessary to train a new generation of nuclear scientists. In the next 10 years, most government physicists with experience in nuclear testing and design will retire, so a large part of nuclear weapons research is meant to keep that nuclear know- how alive. U.S. scientists must practice their skills, he said, lest they forget how to maintain and build new weapons systems in a time of need. "If we as a nation have nuclear weapons, the scariest thing would be to let the weapons decay and the expertise of the people who are handling them decay," he said. Yet he questions whether secrecy about the research is the best policy for the long term. "This is a fact of our country and we have to keep examining this," Jeanloz said. "We are participants as taxpayers. The worst thing would be for the public to forget that we have nuclear weapons." The San Francisco Examiner 988 Market St. San Francisco, Calif., 94102 Main: 415.359.2600 Fax: 415.359.2766 Home delivery: 1.866.733.7323 ***************************************************************** 30 Coolant to get cold shoulder when Y-12 resumes depleted uranium work TO GET COLD SHOULDER WHEN Y-12 RESUMES DEPLETED URANIUM WORK More than a year after the chemical explosion at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, Oak Ridge workers are still cleaning up the mess in the Alpha-5 facility. "We have cleaned up all the exterior surfaces in the building ... and we're in the process of cleaning up any freestanding NaK (sodium- potassium liquid metal alloy) that is within the process system," said David Wall, senior nuclear engineer with the National Nuclear Security Administration in Oak Ridge. The NNSA is the quasi-independent agency within the U.S. Department of Energy that oversees the nuclear weapons operations at Oak Ridge and other sites. The explosion occurred Dec. 8, 1999, about a week after a spill of the sodium-potassium mixture and after various conditions helped transform the spilled material into a shock-sensitive compound called potassium superoxide. The accident injured 11 workers involved in the spill cleanup. Three of the men were hospitalized, one with severe burns. For decades, Y-12 used NaK as a coolant for furnace crucibles in melting operations required to make a depleted uranium-niobium alloy for bomb casings. Depleted uranium operations in Building 9201-5 (Alpha-5) have been suspended since the 1999 accident, and the target date for resumption is Aug. 1 or thereabouts, Wall said. Once restarted, however, the Y-12 melting operations will not use NaK as a coolant. Nor will they take place in Alpha-5. Wall said the plan is to consolidate the Alpha-5 work with the other depleted-uranium casting operations housed in what's known as the H-1 Foundry. Moving the work out of Alpha-5 has been a long-term goal, and some related activities were underway even before the chemical explosion, the federal official said. That's why cleanup of the accident site was not "terribly urgent," he said. Most of the cleanup activities in Alpha-5 should be finished later this month, Wall said. That will be followed by a flushing of reservoir tanks, tubes and other parts of the furnace system to make sure all potentially hazardous materials are removed--a project that should be completed by the end of March. The new operations in the H-1 Foundry will use arc-melting furnace equipment that is water-cooled, Wall said. "We've come to the conclusion here that we don't want to handle NaK, " he said, although noting the sodium-potassium mix offers some thermal properties that can't be matched with water. Because of NaK's hazards, some have questioned why it took Y-12 so long to make the changeover. According to Wall, some components for the upgraded melting operation were purchased years ago, but Y-12 did not have the money to install the equipment or consolidate the uranium activities. There were other funding priorities, he said. "You never have quite enough (money)," he said. A DOE investigation team was highly critical of Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, the Y-12 contractor, and some observers believe that the 1999 accident essentially sealed Lockheed Martin's fate as an Oak Ridge contractor. Investigators concluded that Lockheed Martin had not effectively incorporated lessons learned from previous events and accidents, "thereby missing a number of opportunities to prevent this accident." The accident report's authors took the unusual step of identifying Lockheed Martin deficiencies at other sites as well, and it appeared that DOE was building a case against Lockheed Martin--even at the time Lockheed Martin and other corporations were preparing proposals for the new contract to manage Y-12. In fact, most of the bidders emphasized the need to install a new safety culture at the Oak Ridge. DOE ultimately chose BWXT--a joint venture of Bechtel National and BWX Technologies--to manage Y-12, and the new contractor replaced Lockheed Martin, effective Nov. 1. Senior writer Frank Munger can be reached at 482-9213 or by e-mail at twig1@knoxnews.infi.net. This weekly column on science and technology also is available on our Web site at http://www.knoxnews.com/science/ munger/. Copyright c 1999-2001, The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. All Rights ***************************************************************** 31 Government will review SRS drum Web posted Monday, January 15, 2001 Augusta Forums. Staff Writer It passed the physical challenges, such as being submerged in 30 feet of water, subjected to fires of 1,475 degrees Fahrenheit and dropped from heights of up to 30 feet - although that test took a couple of tries. Now, a shipping container that could bring tons of surplus plutonium to Savannah River Site faces one last hurdle: passing muster with the federal bureaucracy. The U.S. Department of Energy is expected to decide by Wednesday whether to certify the container, dubbed the ``9975'' in federal jargon. The date could be the most important one in the nuclear-weapons site's four-year, multimillion-dollar effort to design the container. The drum is integral to SRS' plans to treat more than 55 tons of surplus U.S. plutonium for disposal elsewhere. ``We feel that we have answered all the questions that the regulators have,'' said Allen Gunter, the plutonium program manager for the Energy Department's nuclear-materials program division at SRS. ``We've dropped it. We've submersed it. We've fire-tested it. The real bulk of certification, in our opinion, is through.'' The site has traveled a circuitous and expensive path to create the 9975, which, when the last of a planned 2,000 are produced, will have drained an estimated $14 million from the Energy Department's coffers. SRS officials had to re-engineer the container's lid last year after it failed a 30-foot drop test. The setback was one reason why the site's top contractor, Westinghouse Savannah River Co., did not receive $1 million in bonus money it could have earned. Most recently, the Energy Department's inspector general - an internal watchdog for the agency - blasted the department's efforts to design shipping containers for plutonium, the 9975 among them. ``As a result of not adequately integrating and managing its shipping container activities, the Energy Department has spent millions without having a shipping container suitable for some of its surplus fissile materials,'' inspectors stated in a report issued in November. Plutonium is a fissile material. Inspectors blamed SRS delays in certifying the 9975 for the Energy Department's decision to skip treating some plutonium residues at SRS. Instead, the agency now plans to send the residues directly to a New Mexico repository from Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado. Mr. Gunter said the change was the result of financial concerns. Although the shift will cost the Energy Department at least $9.8 million during the next two years, it makes better sense to send the wastes directly to New Mexico, rather than treating them first at SRS, he said. ``When you look at it, it makes more sense to have direct disposal of the material,'' Mr. Gunter said. ``It's a cheaper, more direct route that doesn't create additional waste at SRS.'' But the changes worry observers already alarmed by the frequent delays in the Energy Department's shipping programs. ``They keep spending a lot of money on this, but they don't come up with any solutions or they change their minds too often,'' said Don Moniak, an Aiken resident and community organizer for Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, a group that monitors SRS activities. ``The Energy Department is way ahead of itself. It hasn't done the basic things necessary for its programs. ``If you can't ship materials, then you can't process them. These are the real fundamental things that have to be done right.'' ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************