***************************************************************** 11/22/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.276 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 DOE to hold more public meetings on Yucca Mountain planDOE to 2 UN tribunal hopes to rule on Sellafield early December 3 Uranium mill neighbors net $41 million 4 Union says ATG owes severance pay 5 Group: Energy Bill Raises Terrorist Concerns 6 DOE to hold more public meetings on Yucca Mountain plan 7 Hillary's Nuke Safety Scheme Would Evacuate 20 Million 8 Nine more nuclear waste hearings set 9 Czech n-plant receives second fuel train - CTK 10 US Concerned About Russia-Iran Nuclear Project 11 Japanese-Made Complex For Reprocessing Liquid Radioactive Waste 12 New nuclear-fuel shipment reaches Poland en route to Czech 13 EDITORIAL: Miyama plant referendum shows need for better system 14 News: PDA signs long-term water deal with Duke 15 Environmentalists angry over unranium mine approval. 16 Conservationists question timing of uranium mine announcement 17 Go-ahead for Honeymoon uranium mine 18 Trade group rebuts effort to shut NY nuke plants 19 Alarm goes off at Japan radioactive waste facility 20 British attacked for nuclear routes site 21 Dounreay operators criticised in clear-up NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 SNS construction contracts totaling $100M up for bid 2 Nuclear Folly 3 Writ against handing over scientists to United States 4 Weapons of mass destruction and international law's principle 5 NUCLEAR FALLOUT 6 Dust off those reports on nuclear threats 7 Kursk reactors to be towed for storage in Sayda Bay 8 Secret Soviet Atomic Cities Fuel Nuclear Nightmares 9 Pakistan concerned at landmines 10 US must lead nuclear disarmament ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 DOE to hold more public meetings on Yucca Mountain planDOE to hold more public meetings on Yucca Mountain plan Associated Press November 22nd, 2001 LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Energy Department will hold nine additional public hearings in December so Nevada residents can comment on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the DOE announced Wednesday. “I committed to actively seek increased opportunities for public involvement in the consideration of the Yucca Mountain project as a possible geological repository,” Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in a statement. The department extended the public comment period for 30 days on Nov. 14. The additional hearings and extended comment period will provide residents an opportunity to register their comments on issues that have emerged since the public comment period closed on Oct. 16, said Joe Davis, DOE spokesman. Congress has set Feb. 28 as Abraham’s deadline for recommending whether Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is suitable for housing 77,000 tons of radioactive waste. It is the only site being studied to become the nation’s nuclear waste repository. The added hearings will be Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, Pahrump and Battle Mountain; Dec. 8 in Las Vegas, Reno and Ely; and Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley and Caliente. The Energy Department has been exploring the mountain, studying its geology, designing the repository and engineering containment tunnels since the 1980s. The agency has been collecting public comment on the proposal since May. Formal hearings were in North Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley and Pahrump. Less formal hearings were in each county in Nevada and in Inyo County, the California county closest to the site. About 450 people commented during those sessions, the DOE said. The DOE plan is to ship the nation’s radioactive waste from more than 100 commercial, industrial and military sites around the country to Yucca Mountain beginning in 2010. The nuclear waste would be entombed in a maze of tunnels beneath the mountain for 10,000 years. © 2001 Reno Gazette-Journal ***************************************************************** 2 UN tribunal hopes to rule on Sellafield early December UK: November 22, 2001 LONDON - A United Nations tribunal hopes to rule in early December on whether Ireland should be granted an injunction to prevent Britain opening a controversial 472 million pound ($669 million) nuclear fuel manufacturing plant, a tribunal official said yesterday. "December 3 is a tentative date for the judges to make a ruling," a spokeswoman for the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea told Reuters. The Irish government argued on Monday and Tuesday for the tribunal to issue injunctions to prevent the start of operations at British Nuclear Fuels' (BNFL) mixed oxide (MOX) fuel plant and to stop ships transporting nuclear material to and from it. The Irish legal action is based on what it says are contraventions of the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea Convention. Ireland is worried about maritime pollution from the plant, which is located at the Sellafield facility in Cumbria, and which would discharge radioactive material into the Irish Sea. Britain's rebuttal was to say the tribunal has no jurisdication over the matter and any move to stop the Sellafield MOX Plant from opening would have costly economic consequences for state-owned BNFL. Ireland's legal action was triggered by Britain's decision in September to approve the start of operations at the plant, which has lain idle since 1996 because regulatory approval to start up was witheld over fears it would not make any money. In November environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth challenged the start-up decision in Britain's High Court, saying it was unlawful because sufficient economic justification for the plant, as required by EU law, was not evident. But, on November 15 a British judge ruled the government had acted within the law when granting start-up approval. BNFL has said it is aiming to get the plant operational in late December, pending a decision by the U.N. body and the outcome of an appeal launched by the green groups. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 3 Uranium mill neighbors net $41 million Rocky Mountain News: Local By Karen Abbott, News Staff Writer Twenty-six property owners near the Cotter Corp. uranium mill in Canon City will share more than $41 million and seven other people will receive medical monitoring under a federal court judgment entered Tuesday by Denver U.S. District Judge Zita Wienshienk. Cotter is expected to appeal the judgment to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where another multimillion-dollar judgment in a similar civil suit also is pending. The plaintiffs contended uranium from the Cotter mill contaminated their neighborhood and damaged their health. The Environmental Protection Agency declared the mill a Superfund cleanup site in 1984 after radioactive contamination was found in the drinking water wells of the nearby Lincoln Park neighborhood and in the dust and soil around the mill site. Cotter, based in Lakewood, began operating the Canon City mill in 1958. The mill crushes ore then leaches out radioactive uranium. Declining orders closed the plant in 1987, but it reopened recently. Cotter now is a subsidiary of General Atomics. Wienshienk's judgment follows a jury trial last summer. November 22, 2001 2001 © The E.W. Scripps Co. ***************************************************************** 4 Union says ATG owes severance pay This story was published Wed, Nov 21, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer The union for about 120 terminated Allied Technology Group workers contends Monday's mass dismissal cheated its members out of two weeks' severance pay. Operating Engineers Local No. 280 plans to field a grievance on this issue soon with ATG, said Debbie Hendrick, the local's business representative. If ATG declares bankruptcy, the local will seek the severance money during those proceedings, she added. Federal Securities Exchange Commission records said ATG is consulting with bankruptcy attorneys. Hendrick said the local's contract with ATG requires that any layofflike termination requires two weeks' advance notice. Employees were told Monday that they were "terminated," effectively that day, she said. Termination with no advance warning or severance pay is allowed only for "wrongdoing" and "just cause" under the contract, Hendrick said. A Herald phone call Tuesday to ATG's corporate leaders -- including founders and owners Doreen and Frank Chiu -- in Hayward, Calif., was not returned. On Monday, ATG dismissed almost all its employees at its plants in Richland and Oak Ridge, Tenn., because of the company's massive debt problems. Nine employees remain at the shutdown Richland plant. Monday's mass dismissal came with no warning -- not even through company grapevines, according to several accounts told to the Herald on Monday and Tuesday. One terminated worker, Dave Milton of Richland, said employees last Friday were talking about whether they would pull a holiday shift this coming Friday. ATG shut down its plant because it was more than $23 million in debt to several banks, with at least $9 million being long overdue for repayment, according to a document ATG filed Tuesday with the SEC. ATG also has about $2.8 million in unpaid bills with regional and Tri-City contractors. The banks that lent money to ATG are very skittish about getting it back, SEC documents said. The banks -- using First Bank of California as their spearhead -- are demanding that ATG pay its debts. "ATG's operations will not generate sufficient cash flow to allow the company to meet its past due obligations under the bank loan. If it cannot immediately modify or refinance this debt, it may be required to seek bankruptcy relief or to otherwise reorganize or sell substantially all of its assets," said ATG's Tuesday filing with the SEC. Friday, the banks sent a final $1 million to ATG to pay off bounced checks and meet payroll obligations, the SEC document said. Milton's last ATG paycheck, dated Nov. 8, bounced, he said. Hendrick said Local 280 had not received any complaints about bounced paychecks as of early Tuesday afternoon. ATG's business has been taking low-level radioactive and hazardous wastes, then filtering, crushing, incinerating or glassifying them into safer forms and smaller volumes. ATG has not filed its required routine detailed financial statement with the SEC by a Sept. 30 deadline. ATG told the SEC that it does not know when it will be ready. Meanwhile, the NASDAQ stopped trading ATG stock Monday pending ATG providing required information to the securities exchange. ATG's SEC filings Tuesday said two of six members of its board of directors resigned in October and have been replaced. Also, ATG's chief operations manager, Vik Mani, resigned a week ago but remains as an adviser to ATG President Doreen Chiu. And ATG terminated its chief financial officer, Phillip Jordan, in October. Frank Chiu, ATG's executive vice president, is temporarily holding that post. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 5 Group: Energy Bill Raises Terrorist Concerns U.S. Newswire 21 Nov 8:00 Energy Legislation Raises Serious Terrorist Concerns, Group Says To: National Desk Contact: Mark Helm, 202 -783-7400, ext. 102 or Gawain Kripke, 202-783-7400 ext. 212, both of Friends of the Earth; http://www.foe.org [http://www.foe.org] WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a letter delivered to Homeland Security Director, Governor Tom Ridge, Friends of the Earth (FoE) today urged a thorough national security analysis of pending energy legislation. Citing attractive terrorist targets like nuclear plants and oil pipelines called for in the House Energy Bill (HR-4), the group called upon Ridge to implement a basic security screen that asks: does a proposed measure or action make our energy system more or less vulnerable to terrorism, war, natural disasters, and accidents? "The energy proposals put forth by the Administration and the House are a terrorist's delight," said FoE President, Dr. Brent Blackwelder. "Governor Ridge cannot ensure our homeland security if our leaders continue to propose and subsidize energy sources that will make us a nation of sitting ducks." A 1980 FoE/Environmental Policy Institute report to the Federal Emergency Management Agency entitled "Energy, Vulnerability and War" contains recommendations that are still startlingly relevant today. The group points to recent revelations in The Washington Post that known terrorists have publicly urged their followers to target nuclear power plants as evidence of their claim. Further, they cite a recent admission by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it had not considered the consequences of large passenger aircraft crashes into nuclear plants, and that 47 percent of all operating facilities failed in mock terrorist attack exercises, even though operators of the reactors had advance warning. "One drunk with a rifle disabled the Trans Alaska Pipeline last year," said Blackwelder. "It is high time that our leaders begin to aggressively explore energy sources that are safe, resilient, and don't have a bull's-eye painted on them for terrorists." To view a copy of the letter and read the executive summary to "Energy, Vulnerability and War," visit http://www.foe.org [http://www.foe.org] Copyright 2001, U.S. Newswire ***************************************************************** 6 DOE to hold more public meetings on Yucca Mountain plan Las Vegas SUN November 21, 2001 LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Energy Department will hold nine additional public hearings in December so Nevada residents can comment on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, the DOE announced Wednesday. "I committed to actively seek increased opportunities for public involvement in the consideration of the Yucca Mountain project as a possible geological repository," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in a statement. The department extended the public comment period for 30 days on Nov. 14. The additional hearings and extended comment period will provide residents an opportunity to register their comments on issues that have emerged since the public comment period closed on Oct. 16, said Joe Davis, DOE spokesman. Congress has set Feb. 28 as Abraham's deadline for recommending whether Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is suitable for housing 77,000 tons of radioactive waste. It is the only site being studied to become the nation's nuclear waste repository. The added hearings will be held Dec.5 in Las Vegas, Pahrump and Battle Mountain; Dec. 8 in Las Vegas, Reno and Ely; and Dec. 12 in Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley and Caliente. The Energy Department has been exploring the mountain, studying its geology, designing the repository and engineering containment tunnels since the 1980s. The agency has been collecting public comment on the proposal since May. Formal hearings were held in North Las Vegas, Amargosa Valley and Pahrump. Less formal hearings were held in each county in Nevada and in Inyo County, the California county closest to the site. About 450 people commented during those sessions, the DOE said. The DOE plan is to ship the nation's radioactive waste from more than 100 commercial, industrial and military sites around the country to Yucca Mountain beginning in 2010. The nuclear waste would be entombed in a maze of tunnels beneath the mountain for 10,000 years. On the Net: Yucca Mountain Project Web site: http://www.ymp.gov [http://www.ymp.gov] Yucca Mountain Education Project Web site: http://library.nevada.edu/+yucca+/ [http://library.nevada.edu/+yucca+/] All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 7 Hillary's Nuke Safety Scheme Would Evacuate 20 Million Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001 Not content with adding thousands of airport workers to the federal payroll – and union membership – Sen. Hillary Clinton now wants even more new federal hirings to keep an eye on the nation's nuclear plants, now protected by the plant owners' security forces. According to New York Times reporter Robert Worth, Clinton, D-N.Y., told reporters at the Indian Point nuclear facility that she would introduce legislation to make the feds responsible for nuclear plant security. But that's not all. Clinton is also pushing for an expansion of the evacuation zone from the present 10 miles to 50 miles, putting New York City, 30 miles away, and its 8 million residents within the zone. This would require the evacuation of all 20 million people in that zone in the event of an emergency at Indian Point. The senator did not explain how the nightmarish evacuation of the city's 8 million people plus the other 12 million people living within the 50-mile perimeter could be accomplished without creating unmanageable chaos. She told reporters that the bill she'll co-sponsor with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., would: + Put the feds in charge of plant security at the nation's 103 nuclear power plants. + Toughen the simulated terrorist attack exercises the feds already conduct from time to time on nuclear plants to check on their safety precautions. + Stockpile potassium iodide, which helps to prevent cancer and other diseases among people exposed to radiation. The Times noted that Clinton failed to address any details of how the evacuation would be conducted other than to say "the direction and force of the wind" would be the major determinant of where an evacuation would be needed. According to the Times, the evacuation plan has become a sore point for many people in Westchester County who believe that it would not work in a serious accident. NewsMax.com Privacy Statement ***************************************************************** 8 Nine more nuclear waste hearings set [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Thursday, November 22, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Yucca Mountain decision to be made soon By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department on Wednesday announced that nine more nuclear waste hearings will be held in Nevada before Secretary Spencer Abraham decides whether to recommend that a waste repository be built at Yucca Mountain. Hearings are scheduled on Dec. 5, 8 and 12 at Cashman Field Center in Las Vegas. Meetings also will held Dec. 5 in Pahrump and Battle Mountain; Dec. 8 in Reno and Ely; and Dec. 12 in Caliente and Amargosa Valley. In a statement, Abraham said the hearings would allow additional opportunities for Nevadans to be heard on the government's efforts on spent fuel storage. On Nov. 14, the Energy Department opened a new 30-day period for the public to submit comments on the site characterization process the government has been conducting at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. A Nevada official said state leaders continue to believe that public hearings should be held after the completion of a Yucca Mountain environmental report, presumably late this year. "Any opportunity for the public to comment is a welcome thing. However, we really think they need to postpone and delay these until the environmental impact statement is out," said Bob Loux, head of the Nevada Nuclear Projects Agency. "The DOE is crying and gnashing teeth over budget cuts and lack of money but they have money to do unnecessary hearings that will have to be done again at a later time," Loux said. Energy Department officials have not said whether more hearings would be scheduled beyond the ones announced Wednesday. The department held 39 field hearings around Nevada in September and October, and took public comment for 18 days at its Yucca Mountain Science Center in Las Vegas, said DOE spokesman Allen Benson. Benson said 494 people have spoken at public events, and the department has received an additional 4,641 written submissions containing a total of 14,869 different comments about Yucca Mountain. Benson said the December meetings will be full public hearings, attended by a court reporter, a facilitator, and a hearing officer from the Energy Department in either Las Vegas or Washington. Other officials with specialized scientific knowledge also will attend, he said. At a Nov. 12 briefing to a National Academy of Sciences panel, acting Yucca Mountain Program Director Lake Barrett said there have been "no surprises" among the public comments received so far, and no points have been raised that would cause the department to reconsider the work performed at Yucca Mountain. A decision by the secretary is expected sometime before the end of winter, Barrett said. This story is located at: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Nov-22-Thu-2001/news/17509137.html [http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Nov-22-Thu-2001/news/17509137.html] ***************************************************************** 9 Czech n-plant receives second fuel train - CTK CZECH REPUBLIC: November 22, 2001 TEMELIN, Czech Republic - A train carrying nuclear fuel has arrived safely at the controversial Temelin nuclear power plant in the southern Czech Republic, the CTK news agency reported yesterday. Under tight security including a police helicopter escort, the fuel arrived early in the afternoon after making the long journey from the northern Polish seaport of Szczecin, CTK said. No incidents were reported along the way. It was the second fuel delivery to the plant. Plant officials were not immediately available to confirm the CTK report. The $2.6 billion station, built just over 50 km (30 miles) from the border of neighbouring Austria, has had a rocky start. It has suffered several shutdowns during testing because of vibrations and a crack in steam piping in Temelin's turbine in the non-nuclear, power-generating part of the station. Austrian protesters have staged border blockades demanding its closure, and a series of minor failures have forced repeated shutdowns since it was first launched in October 2000. Austria says the station, which combines a Russian VVER-1,000 reactor with a U.S.-made control system by Westinghouse, is unsafe and has threatened to block the Czech drive toward EU membership. Its operator, the government-controlled power company CEZ, insists it is a state-of-the-art project. The EU has said Temelin in not an accession issue. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 10 US Concerned About Russia-Iran Nuclear Project [http://www.middleeastwire.com/iran] By David Gollust Posted Sunday November 18, 2001 - 12:33:24 PM EST State Department - The United States is again expressing concern about Russian nuclear cooperation with Iran - this as a Russian company shipped to Iran Friday a key component for a nuclear power plant under construction on the Persian Gulf. The U.S. comments followed a ceremony Friday in St. Petersburg in which a Russian company officially sent off to Iran a 300-ton steel reactor body for the Bushehr power plant being built, largely by Russian technicians, along the Persian Gulf coast. Though both Russian and Iranian officials insist the plant will be used only for civilian purposes under international inspections, State Department spokesman Philip Reeker reiterated U.S. concerns that the plant will give Iran both technical know-how and fissionable material to advance a secret nuclear weapons effort. "We believe Iran uses Bushehr as a cover for obtaining sensitive technologies to advance its nuclear weapons program," he said. Mr. Reeker said he did not know if the issue was raised during President Bush's summit talks this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but said the United States has many channels through which to make its objections to the nuclear project known to Moscow. © 2001 VOA News. This news item is distributed via Middle East News Online ***************************************************************** 11 Japanese-Made Complex For Reprocessing Liquid Radioactive Waste Handed Over To Russia Pravda.RU Nov, 22 2001 At a ceremony staged at the Zvezda military plant in Bolshoi Kamen, Primorye, on Thursday, Japanese officials handed over to the Russian side the floating complex Landysh, which is designed to reprocess radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear submarines belonging to the Pacific Fleet. Among those attending was Akira Takamatsu, the Japanese Consul General to Vladivostok /the center of Primorye/. According to sources in the directorate of the plant, the forty-million-dollar Landysh was built with Japanese money in the Amur shipyard, Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The project was realized under a Russian-Japanese intergovernmental agreement on safe disposal of nuclear waste from Pacific Fleet submarines. The Landysh comes complete with a unique technology allowing safe reprocessing of liquid nuclear agents, when purified water goes overboard and radioactive waste is pressed into briquettes. In August, a complex for reprocessing low-radioactivity radioactive waste was put into operation at Zvezda. The project was designed and built by order of the US government. Now that it has acquired the Landysh, Zvezda possesses a full technological complex allowing it to reprocess all types of nuclear waste from Pacific Fleet submarines. RIA 'Novosti' ***************************************************************** 12 New nuclear-fuel shipment reaches Poland en route to Czech Republic's Temelin plant - 11/21/2001 - ENN.com Wednesday, November 21, 2001 By Andrzej Stylinski, Associated Press WARSAW, Poland — A shipment of uranium fuel bound for a Czech plant that is a source of friction with nuclear-free Austria was transferred to a train Tuesday in the Polish port of Szczecin, a city official said. It is believed to be the second shipment of fuel from the United States to be transported across Poland to the new Temelin plant, 60 kilometers (35 miles) north of the Austrian border. A similar shipment last April drew protests from Polish environmentalists. It was disclosed only after it was under way, and the route across Poland was kept secret. Poland has no nuclear power plants. Szczecin authorities were informed of the current shipment by the governor of Zachodniopomorskie province in northwestern Poland, said Sylwia Kalwaryjska, a spokeswoman for the city. Witold Lada, deputy president of the Polish Atomic Agency, said the fuel rods were packed in special containers and posed no environmental threat. The shipment was expected to leave Poland by late Wednesday, traveling with special police protection. Lada said its route wouldn't be disclosed. The state rail company, PKP, confirmed in a statement that it was transporting a shipment of 20 containers, weighing about 33 tons. The Temelin plant is a Soviet-type facility upgraded with Western technology. Testing started last year, but the plant has been shut down several times because of technical problems. It currently is undergoing a weeklong inspection under the direction of the International Atomic Energy Agency. A spokesman for the Czech energy concern CEZ, Ladislav Kriz, said any information on a possible shipment of nuclear rods for Temelin would be classified. He acknowledged, however, that any such shipment would be coming from the United States. The environmental group Greenpeace said Tuesday that the shipment left the port of Norfolk, Va., Nov. 2 aboard the vessel Capricorn, the Austria News Agency reported. Copyright 2001, Associated Press ***************************************************************** 13 EDITORIAL: Miyama plant referendum shows need for better system asahi.com : ENGLISH No nuclear power plant, please. That was the message, loud and clear, sent by voters in Miyama, Mie Prefecture, in a recent referendum on whether to let a regional electric utility build a nuclear power plant in their small coastal town. The residents ignored the advocates who control the town assembly, which backed the referendum in hopes that popular support would encourage lobbying for a nuclear power plant in the struggling fisheries-and-forestry community. The circumstances of the Mie referendum were, however, baffling. The process breaks the tradition of a referendum as the last hope for people against a nuclear power plant backed by powerful local interests. In Miyama, petitions from foes and proponents prompted the assembly, dominated by plant supporters, to take the unusual step of calling a referendum without having voted on the petitions. It was obviously a political ploy by the pro-plant assembly members, who considered that adopting a petition favoring plant construction would have opponents up in arms and add to pressure for a vote. Better to make the pre-emptive move of letting voters express their will before they started mobilizing the opposition, the proponents reasoned. The assembly's disastrous gamble was based on the fact that the petition favoring the project bore the signatures of 64 percent of the town's voters, including Mayor Tatsuo Shioya. We consider it unforgivably irresponsibly for an assembly to avoid taking its own position on such an important issue, leaving it up to the voters. The unexpected rejection of the project, partly an effect of the accident at Chubu Electric Power Co.'s nuclear plant at Hamaoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, just before the referendum, was an indictment of the plotting of the assembly and town officials, which provoked distrust within the community. Shiyoya had proposed the referendum at the assembly's prodding. The vote came just two months after his motion. And the municipal government made little effort to stir local interest in the poll. Even more disturbing is the fact that the town offered little information one way or the other about the merit and demerit of a nuclear power plant, calling that ``neutrality.'' In Mitake, Gifu Prefecture, where voters rejected an industrial waste disposal plant, the mayor attended more than 40 meetings in which problems involved in such plants were discussed. Accountability and information disclosure are two essential elements for a successful referendum. The town of Miyama and its assembly are, of course, under pressure to stem the declining population and rev up the local economy, which depends heavily upon the waning fisheries and forestry industries. But Chubu Electric Power has not even suggested it is interested in building a nuclear power plant at Miyama. It is impossible to present a meaningful argument on such an uncertain premise. Whether a referendum was needed at all at this point was questionable. Fortunately, the referendum did stir interest in nuclear power plants among the people of Miyama, upsetting the program of proponents. The result forced the mayor to declare that debate on the nuclear power plant was over. The mayor's conclusion saved the referendum from degenerating into irrelevance. In Japan, unlike Western democracies, the referendum is not yet a well-established political tool. Only 13 referendums, including that in Miyama, have been held in Japan since 1995, although more than 100 have been proposed in local assemblies, and often rejected by those who argue that such a vote could undermine representative democracy. Now, some opposition political parties and citizen groups advocate a system in which a petition signed by a certain proportion of voters would mandate a referendum, making it impossible for a local assembly to deny it. More people want direct participation in decisions on important issues. Their enhanced political awareness deserves a positive policy response leading to a better referendum system. (The Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 20) (11/21) [Copyright Asahi Shimbun. ***************************************************************** 14 News: PDA signs long-term water deal with Duke By David Wilkins - Daily World Writer SATSOP - One of the benefits of owning a site that was intended as a nuclear power plant is that you have access to water. Lots of water. "We have water rights that translate to 14 or 15 million gallons a day," Tami Garrow, CEO of the Public Development Authority, noted Tuesday. By comparison, the City of Aberdeen uses about 3.25 million gallons a day. As a happy coincidence, Duke Energy, currently building the first phase of an anticipated $600 million gas - turbine power plant complex on Fuller Hill near the former WPPSS nuclear site, needs lots of water to cool its turbines. So on Tuesday, the PDA and Duke signed an agreement that gives Duke access to about 40 percent of the nuclear site's mammoth water supply on an "as - needed" basis. Duke already has water rights of its own for the site, but needed the PDA water as a backup in case of low flow conditions. "And they'll pay a fee for that, whether they use it or not," Garrow said. "The fee will amount to about $300,000 per year." The benefits to the PDA don't stop with a little cash, however. Because Duke needs the water to operate the turbines, the company wasn't comfortable with leaving the water supply system in the hands of someone else - so it agreed to lease the industrial water system from the Development Park and maintain it at their own expense, in addition to paying the PDA $200,000 up front and an additional $1,000 per year lease fees. "They're going to add about $3 million in improvements, maintain and operate the system themselves and deliver to us 1,000 gallons per minute that we can then sell to other tenants of the park," said Garrow. "So for us it's a wonderful deal. We get our system upgraded and maintained by the folks who need it the most. It's a win - win for everybody." The agreement is for 30 years, and includes the option for Duke to purchase up to about 40 percent of the PDA water supply as the generation project is expanded to include a second turbine. "They have the option to buy some of it or all of it," said Garrow. "So the revenue to the PDA is never going to be less than $300,000 (per year), and could be more than $1 million a year. And it's a 30 - year contract, with price escalators built in. "It's very good business for the PDA, and very good business for the county because it secures the business here," the CEO said. "I look at the Boise lease we have, and the Duke deal, and those are two legs of the stool that is going to make this park successful no matter what. We've got a lot of work to do, but those are anchor deals for us." In other business Tuesday: The PDA board passed the authority's 2002 budget, a $3.4 million measure Garrow calls "realistic." "It doesn't anticipate any additional revenue coming in," she said. "In fact, it anticipates slightly less." After spending most of her first three months in office straightening out the PDA's books, Garrow said she has a real handle on revenue vs. expenses now, and the new budget reflects that. "I believe it's realistic, given the uncertainties facing our regional and national economy, as well as our budget performance over the last six months," Garrow said. The budget anticipates $3.4 million in income and $3.3 million in expenses, with a greatly reduced capital spending budget of just $530,000 - compared to $1.2 million in 2001, the authority's smallest capital outlay year since its inception in 1998. According to PDA accounting consultant Michael O'Day, who has been the authority's de facto chief financial officer since shortly after Garrow took over in June, the PDA is on target to have a reserve of slightly more than $2 million at the end of 2001, and with a projected profit of about $128,000 for 2002, the reserve should go up slightly at the end of next year. "That's if everything goes perfect, and you know how that goes," O'Day said. "But we are looking at a little over $2 million this year, and that should effectively increase by the net cash balance at the end of next year." Garrow said she was happy to have the budget and expenditures under control. "Budgets are, by necessity, a management tool," she said. "I'm comfortable recommending passage of this one." David Wilkins, a Daily World writer, can be reached at 532 - 4000, ext. 123, or by e - mail at dwilkins@thedailyworld.com If you have any questions or comments about this Web site, pleace e-mail the webmaster at webmaster@thedailyworld.com [webmaster@thedailyworld.com] ***************************************************************** 15 Environmentalists angry over unranium mine approval. 21/11/01. ABC News Online Green groups are angry the Federal Government has given final environmental approval for the Honeymoon uranium mine, in South Australia's north. The Environment Minister, Robert Hill, has given the go-ahead for the project, which plans to use acid to remove uranium from groundwater, re-injecting the waste into the aquifer. Dave Sweeney from the Australian Conservation Foundation has accused Senator Hill of holding a controversial decision off until after the federal election. And he is concerned that the mining company is not being required to rehabilitate the groundwater. "There's no requirement to do this in Senator Hill's approval and so that means he is sacrificing Australian ground water reserves and future uses of that groundwater resource for the interests of a small time Canadian mining company which is engaged in a speculative venture," he said. The Chief Executive Officer of Honeymoon's proponent, Southern Cross Resources, is expecting uranium production to begin by the end of next year. Martin Ackland says the next steps involve the Federal Resources Minister approving a mining licence and export permits and the South Australian Government giving its approval. "And once those three steps take place, which should take place relatively quickly, we'll be in a position to start spending around development getting it into production," he said. © 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation ***************************************************************** 16 Conservationists question timing of uranium mine announcement Radio Australia News - 22/11/01: The Australian Conservation Foundation is accusing the Federal Government of deliberately delaying its decision on a controversial uranium mine until after the election last month. As David Curnow reports, the Australia's Environment Minister Robert Hill has just given the go-ahead for the Honeymoon mine in South Australia's north-east. "Earlier this year, Senator Hill asked for more information from the mine's owners, Southern Cross Resources, on the proposed disposal of potentially contaminated waste liquid. The company's response was submitted in August, but no decision had been made by the time the election was called which meant it had to be deferred. ACF anti-nuclear campaigner, Dave Sweeney, says the government delibrately held off. "They have withheld a range of issues they know will cause people concern." Senator Hill says there are no environmental reasons the mine should not go ahead. The proposal now goes to the Federal Resources Minister and the South Australian Minerals and Energy Minister." This service includes material from Pacnews, Agence France-Presse (AFP) ***************************************************************** 17 Go-ahead for Honeymoon uranium mine The West Australian November 22, 2001 ADEALIDE THE South Australian Government expects to help pave the way for the Honeymoon uranium mine following environmental approvals for the project. Federal Environment Minister Robert Hill yesterday gave final environmental approvals for the mine, located in SA's mid-north. Industry Minister Nick Minchin will now consult the State Government to allow the mine to operate. A spokeswoman for SA Minerals and Energy Minister Wayne Matthew said today the SA Government expected to grant a mining licence, provided the environmental conditions set by the Commonwealth and native title commitments were fulfilled. -AAP © 2001 West Australian Newspapers Limited ***************************************************************** 18 Trade group rebuts effort to shut NY nuke plants USA: November 22, 2001 NEW YORK - Arguing that customer costs would increase, an electric trade association in New York opposed a recent effort by environmental groups and local elected officials to shut nuclear power plants due to security concerns, the group said in a statement this week. The Independent Power Producers of New York Inc. (IPPNY), which represents electric generators and marketers in New York, said shutting the plants would "immediately increase the cost of electricity to consumers, cost thousands of jobs, and threaten the reliability of New York's electric system. "While we understand the issue of plant security is on the minds of everyone who lives and works near a nuclear power plant, prudent steps have been taken to ensure the security of nuclear facilities in New York," IPPNY Executive Director Gavin Donohue said in response to a petition filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to close the Indian Point power plant indefinitely. About two weeks ago, Riverkeeper, an environmental group that seeks to protect the Hudson River, filed a petition with the NRC calling on the federal nuclear watchdog to immediately shut the Indian Point facility pending a full review of the plant's vulnerabilities and safety systems. Indian Point's two operating nuclear reactors are located on the Hudson River in Buchanan, N.Y., about 40 miles north of New York City. The facility, owned by a unit of energy giant Entergy Corp. of New Orleans, provides about 10 percent of the city's power supply. The petition by Riverkeeper, which is represented by environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., stated that the events of Sept. 11, "clearly demonstrate that the plant's status needs to be reexamined." Pointing out that 20 million people live within a 50-mile radius of Indian Point, Riverkeeper warned an attack on the facility could have devastating consequences, rendering much of the Hudson River Valley, including New York City, uninhabitable. IPPNY RESPONSE The environmental groups are, "taking advantage of recent national security concerns," said IPPNY. "The NRC already has strict security standards that must be met by nuclear facilities across the country and is currently reviewing those standards to determine if there is room for improvement." "Calling for plants to shut down is the sort of knee-jerk reaction that won't help security and will certainly have a negative impact on electricity markets and the economy," IPPNY's Donohue said. Officials at the NRC said they have a well established process for handling petitions and will form a panel to look at the Riverkeeper's filing. "We just got it, so we are not even close to giving them a response yet," said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman at the NRC. Utilities depend on nuclear power to maintain a reliable, inexpensive supply of electricity. There are more than 80 nuclear facilities in the U.S. In New York, nuclear power supplies about 20 percent of the electricity consumed. "If nuclear plants are shut down, electricity prices will increase significantly," said IPPNY's Donohue. "This campaign is nothing more than a self-serving attempt to take advantage of the tragedies of Sept. 11 to permanently shut down these facilities," Donohue said. CLINTON INVOLVEMENT Earlier this week, New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at Indian Point about a plan to improve the safety of the nation's nuclear power plants. Last week, Sens. Clinton and Assistant Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced plans for legislation that would station federal agents at nuclear power plants to guard against security threats. The NRC said the bill would also likely seek the expansion of the emergency planning zone from 10 miles to 50 miles. The emergency planning zone is the area surrounding a nuclear plant where most of the emergency response drilling and radiation testing occurs. Increasing the zone around Indian Point to 50 miles would be very costly since it would include New York City. Senators Clinton and Reid said they intend to introduce the bill after the Thanksgiving recess. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 19 Alarm goes off at Japan radioactive waste facility JAPAN: November 22, 2001 TOKYO - A fire alarm went off yesterday at a radioactive waste processing facility at Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo, but there was no fire and no radiation leaked to the outside, an official at the facility said. "A fire alarm was triggered at 2:58 p.m. (0558 GMT). We are investigating the cause... But we have confirmed that there was no fire," said Masao Osawa, an official at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute's Tokai research centre. Although the exact cause was being investigated, Osawa said the alarm was apparently triggered when dust, a residue left behind after waste processing, rose in the air and filled an underground room in the facility. Osawa said the dust contained some radiation, but added that radiation did not leak outside the facility. JAERI, an institute affiliated with Japan's Education, Science and Technology ministry, conducts research on nuclear energy technology. Tokaimura was the site of Japan's worst nuclear accident in September 1999, when an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction was triggered at a uranium processing plant operated by JCO Co, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd. Hundreds of Tokaimura residents, plant workers and emergency personnel were exposed to radiation when an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction was triggered at the plant. Two workers died. Japan, heavily reliant on nuclear power, has seen a number of accidents over the past decade that have undermined public support for its nuclear programme, which meets a third of the country's electricity needs. Most recently, a steam leak earlier this month led to the shut down of Chubu Electric Power Co Inc's 540,000 kilowatt No.1 reactor at its Hamaoka nuclear plant. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 20 British attacked for nuclear routes site online.ie : News The Irish Examiner 22 Nov 2001 By Fionnuala Quinlan THE British defence department has come under fire for publishing a full list of the routes used to transport nuclear bombs and waste through the UK and the security involved. The Green Party last night called on the Government to press for the website to be shut down, describing the list as the perfect tool for terrorists planning a strike. The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) website lists the cities, towns and counties through which bombs and highly toxic nuclear waste are carried by road and rail. It details the security measures in place for nuclear convoys and lists Britain's military nuclear reactor factories and test sites and the areas through which "special nuclear materials" such as uranium and plutonium are transported. "It is incredible to see information, which would normally be classified, being disseminated in such a casual fashion on the web. This site should be shut down. It really does offer an opportunity to terrorists of the type we are trying so hard not to give them. "I will be raising this with Mary O'Rourke and the Taoiseach," Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said last night. The MoD decision appears to be in direct contrast to Home Secretary David Blunkett's proposed anti-terrorist measures, which would make it an offence punishable by seven years in jail to disclose information jeopardising the security of a nuclear site or nuclear material. Responding to critics, Mr Blunkett said the continuing threat from British elements who are sympathetic to Osama bin Laden's cause. However, Greenpeace has accused the British Government of drafting the bill in an attempt to gag anti-nuclear protesters. Spokesman John Bowler said the legislation, if implemented, would stop the organisation from highlighting the passage of nuclear shipments through the Irish Sea to Sellafield. "It would mean that we couldn't warn people in villages and towns that a nuclear shipment was passing right by them. Basically it is an infringement of civil liberties. They are trying to gag anti-nuclear activists," he said. He dismissed fears that terrorists could use the MoD site as a blueprint for planning an attack: "These people would know all that information anyway. Greenpeace was always able to get information on shipments and routes in the past and they would be able to do the same. It is readily available to those who know how to look for it," he said. However, Greenpeace fears that Irish protesters who comment on nuclear shipments could be extradited to Britain were dismissed by the Department of Justice. For Britain to apply for extradition under the new legislation, speaking about nuclear shipments would also have to be a crime in Ireland, a spokesman said. A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Enterprise was unavailable for comment last night. ***************************************************************** 21 Dounreay operators criticised in clear-up The Scotsman Online - John Ross DOUNREAY'S operators yesterday faced a barrage of criticism over the handling of the clear-up of radioactive particles. A group set up to examine the response to the problem indicated it has still to be convinced about the UK Atomic Energy Authority's view on where the particles are coming from and if they are still being produced. The authority was also taken to task for not supplying information to the group on time, while its system of monitoring the particles on a public beach was called into question. The Dounreay Particles Advisory Group (DPAG), set up by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in March 2000, held its first meeting in public to discuss the operation to clear up the contamination. Dr Campbell Gemmell, DPAG's chairman, said the situation is still unclear. "We need to rule out whether it is a continuing source," he said. "It will be difficult to make progress unless we get that. These remain live questions." Lorraine Mann, an anti-nuclear campaigner, said the group's first open meeting was "very encouraging". Colin Punler, a spokesman for Dounreay, said : "There is no question of anything being withheld." ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 SNS construction contracts totaling $100M up for bid Audit contends scope of SNS reduced to stay on budget, on time SNS bid information KnoxNews: Business By Frank Munger, News-Sentinel senior writer OAK RIDGE - With about $100 million in construction contracts coming up for bid on the Spallation Neutron Source, project officials are trying to get the best price possible, and that means drumming up bidders. "Competition is good,'' said Ralph Helton, a procurement specialist for Knight/Jacobs Joint Venture, construction manager on the SNS. A pre-bid conference will be held Dec. 13 in Oak Ridge, and Knight/Jacobs is trying to attract major companies from around the region to join the construction effort. Helton said the SNS team is putting out the word in numerous cities, including Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati and Birmingham. The team has sent direct mail and followed up with about 70 individual companies, and has contacted chambers of commerce and news organizations. The $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source is the nation's biggest science project, and when completed in 2006 it's supposed to make Oak Ridge the world's leading center for neutron research - enhancing existing facilities such as the High Flux Isotope Reactor. The exploratory research helps scientists learn more about materials and how to make them lighter, stronger and cheaper. Dr. Thom Mason, the SNS director, said getting good bids on the construction contracts is directly related to Oak Ridge National Laboratory's ability to bring the big project to completion on time and within budget. "Absolutely,'' he said. "Competition matters.'' Not only are low bids important, Mason said, but it's imperative to attract good companies to do high-quality work and to perform that work safely. Knight/Jacobs soon will seek bids on prime contracts to build two major SNS facilities - the Target Building and the Central Laboratory and Office Building. The construction manager also is seeking bids on a nearby facility to house the Center for Nanonphase Materials Science, a related project. The collective value of the three prime contracts is about $100 million, Helton said. Ultimately, however, there will dozens of subcontracts available under these big construction agreements, with specific requirements for electrical work, concrete, mechanical and heating, air and ventilation. Fiscal 2002 is the peak funding year for the Spallation Neutron Source, and the size of the construction contracts has been rising gradually from about $1 million to about $13 million. "We've been ramping up pretty fast,'' Mason said. But the upcoming work will involve contracts as big as $40 million, and that may supersede the resources of many local companies, according to Helton. "The product requires bonding, and most of the firms in this area are not equipped to bond a $40 million project,'' Helton said. That's one of the reasons for reaching out to large companies in the region. Mason said the SNS project has gotten good returns on early construction bids. "The awards, compared to estimates, have been tracking fairly well,'' he said. But there have been limited bids in some instances, and officials want to make sure the upcoming construction projects get maximum exposure in the construction industry. Companies interested in attending the pre-bid conference must register by Dec. 5. For information, contact Bekki Griffin, Knight/Jacobs, at 865-241-3673 or griffinrp@sns.gov. News-Sentinel senior writer Frank Munger may be reached at 423-482-9213 or by e-mail, twig1@knoxnews.infi. Copyright 2001 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. ***************************************************************** 2 Nuclear Folly The Salt Lake Tribune -- Thursday, November 22, 2001 I read an article yesterday (Tribune, Nov. 7) about the "debut" of the nuclear waste container at Yucca Mountain. Apparently, some people think it's a foregone conclusion that these poisons, which will be lethally radioactive for longer than mankind has been civilized, are going to be shipped from all over the country and dumped in Nevada (or Utah, if Private Fuel Storage gets its way). We cannot let this happen! Shipping only increases the number of people who will be exposed to the extreme hazards these materials present. Allowing them to be stored (dumped) at locations remote from where they are created also enables their creators to make even more. It's a vicious cycle which must be broken, now, before the Great Western Desert becomes The Great Western Wasteland. MIKE CROOKSTON Lehi © Copyright 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune All material found on ***************************************************************** 3 Writ against handing over scientists to United States The Frontier Post From Peshawar Pakistan Updated on 11/22/2001 10:46:40 AM LAHORE (PPI): Lahore High Court has directed petitioner M D Tahir to inform the Deputy Attorney General of Pakistan to appear in the court in connection with Writ petition pertaining to direction to Pakistan government not to hand over seven scientists to America.He has prayed that Pakistan came into being in 1947 with the hectic efforts of Muslims of Indo-Pak spreading over more than a century. The preamble of Constitution of Islamic Public of Pakistan, 1973’ provides as under: “Whereas sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone and the Authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust. Wherein the state shall exercise its powers and authority through the chosen representatives of the people; Wherein the principles of democracy, freedom, equality tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam shall be fully observed; Wherein the Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings and requirements of Islam as set out in the Holy Quran and Sunnah. Article 2 of the Constitution ordaints that Islam shall be the State religion of Pakistan. He further submitted that under the constitution, the government is bound to maintain good relations with Islamic States but the present military government is acting entirely in violation of the said constitutional provisions. That similarly the present government has taken some more steps, which has close nexus with the Afghan issue. For example two renowned scientists of Pakistan namely Dr. Bashirud Din Mahmood and Ch. Abdul Majeed, who played key role in the Atomic Explosions have since been arrested alongwith a renowned industrialist of Pakistan namely Irza Yousaf Beg and Arshad Ali Chaudhri, Humayun Naz, S.M.Tufail and Mohammed Hanif. They are being interrogated by the agencies. It is being said that all these seven persons have been arrested on the demand of American government and will soon be handed over to them. Hearts of poor Muslim of this country are burning on these activities of the Pakistan government but are unable to face the force of Pakistan Army. Cutting from the newspapers i.e. ‘Nawa-I-Waqt’ dated 26.10.2001, 28.10.2001, 1.11.2001, which contain the aforesaid news items are being enclosed as Annexures-A, B and C with this petition. It is extremely sad and astonishing that if any citizen of America is killed, steps are taken on war basis for tracing the accused and the whole official machinery comes into action. American government takes aggressive measures and demands physical custody of the so called accused. Various citizens of Pakistan including Aimal Kansi have already been handed over to USA government. The question is whether lives of American citizens are more previous than the lives of Pakistani citizens and Muslims of other Muslim countries, who are Ummat of the Holy prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and are more sacred and pious than Americans. That interrogation of the above mentioned seven persons by the Pakistani and American Agencies are highly shameful and a black spot on the fact of the whole nation. Like many other NGOs working in Afghanistan, they aforesaid persons were also helping their brothers in Afghans for their development, betterment and were in search of resources for them. This is not a sin nor an illegal act. The real object behind all this saga is to punish Pakistani Scientists for developing nuclear weapons and to prevent them further to work in this field. The aforesaid renowned patriotic citizens have served this country whole of their lives. They are national heroes and are entitled to protection and shelter rather than handing them over to America. The conduct of the respondents in this regard is highly un-Islamic against the sovereignty of Pakistan. It may be submitted here that Sultan Bashirud Din Mahmood is son of a poor farmer. He was born in a small village near Lahore after his family migrated to Pakistan at the time of partition. He was an exceptionally bright child who pursued his education in an environment of total ignorance and deprivation. His father was so poor that he could not buy him a pair of shoes till he was in class 10th. This boy continued his studies through government scholarships and part time jobs. He stood firs in whole Punjab in F.Sc and also first in Engineering from UET Lahore. After graduation in electrical engineering, he joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in early 1960. He did his masters in control system and then in nuclear engineering form UK. He volunteered to abandon his higher studies in 1965 to join the armed forces in Pakistan. Despite lucrative offers from UK this young engineer devoted himself to serve his own country. In early Seventies he invented a very sophisticated device called SBM probe which is utilized to detect heavy water leaks in nuclear plant - a problem that was being faced all over the world. In 1973 when India exploded first nuclear device, Sultan Bashirud Din Mahmood shut himself in his room and cried for two days. He came out and vowed to make Pakistan as well an Atomic Power. He reiterated his vow when Mr. Z. A. Bhutto called a conference of Nuclear Scientists in Multan in 1974.Thus he embarked upon to set up famous Kahuta project as its Project Director under the guidance fo Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan. He handed over the project to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan in 1976 to continue his work in PAEC for setting up the country fuel factory and then in 1980s and 90s built Nuclear Reacter at Khushab. Later when the government was ready to sign CTBT treaty, he resigned in protest and established an NGO namely “Ummah Tameer-e-Nau” with the motto of “Help to build - build to help”. To alleviate the sufferings of poor Afghans he undertook industrialization up the war roughed country by gathering funds from industrialist and investors on profit and loss sharing. He himself put all the money of his commutation in this course. The NGO was able to successfully install and operate a flour millls at Kandhar and was presently working on arid land recalculation project and hydropower project wen war was imposed in Afghanistan. To treat this hero of the nation in the manner in which he is being targetted is highly cruel on the part of the respondents. He also submitted that the present government has left no stone unturned to make relations of Pakistan with other Muslim countries strained in that, the government is openly helping America against Afghanistan, which is a Muslim country. An Arab student namely Jameel Qasim who was student of Micro Biology at Karachi University has been handed over to America. Various other people have already been handed over to America on their demand. Such activities of the government are causing unrest for the muslims of Pakistan as the same are against the sovereignty; integrity, interest of Muslim Ummah. That if the people of the government do not want to help the muslims of Afghanistan then they have absolutely no right to prevent the muslims of Pakistan to help their brothers in Afghanistan and infact it is their religious duty to do so. That George Bush and Tony Blair are responsible for illegal killings of innocent Muslims, including the innocent small children and causing of serious injuries not only in Afghanistan but also in Bosnia and Israel though they are involved in worst type of terrorist activities against the muslims, as they are using worst kinds of weapons like missile, chemical weapons, cluster bombs, carpet bomb but neither anybody calls them terrorist not has demanded their custody in order to try and punish them. That the aforesaid acts of the respondent - government are unislamic, unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary, against the sovereignty of Pakistan and unreasonable and the same is liable to be set aside. That in these circumstances, the petitioner is left with no other efficacious remedy available to him under the law, except to invoke the constitutional prerogative of this honourble court. It is prayed that arrest of all the scientists; Mirza Yusaf beg and six others and that of Jameel Qasim (Arab student) may also be declared illegal, unconstitutional, unislamic, unreasonable and arbitrary and a direction may kindly be issued to the respondents to forthwith release the above mentioned arrested persons. Had to demand back the custody of Arab Student from the American government, in the interest of justice. Any other relief which this honourable court may deem fit and appropriate may also be awarded in favour of the etitiner, in the interest of justice. © Copyright 2001 The Frontier Post ***************************************************************** 4 Weapons of mass destruction and international law's principle that civilians cannot be targeted By Joanne Mariner FindLaw Columnist Special to CNN.com (FindLaw) -- At the core of international humanitarian law -- better known as the laws of war -- is the principle of distinction: the idea that civilians are not legitimate targets of armed force. If, after Bosnia, Kosovo, and a host of other brutal conflicts, that basic principle already seemed distressingly fragile, recent events have called it even more deeply into question. A defining characteristic of terrorism is, of course, its willingness to target the innocent. That is why, in the wake of September 11, there has been a newly urgent concern about the spread of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. Anthrax, smallpox, botulism, sarin gas and suitcase nuclear devices: the list goes on. These weapons of mass destruction, by their very nature indiscriminate, threaten to wipe out entire populations. They do not simply ignore the distinction between civilians and combatants, they annihilate it. Bin Laden's arsenal Fears that terrorists will employ weapons of mass destruction have not, as yet, been confirmed. Only a handful of people have died from anthrax, and there is little indication of who is responsible for their deaths. Osama bin Laden, in an interview last week with a Pakistani journalist, denied any involvement in the killings. But bin Laden was far less categorical when asked about the possible use of other weapons of mass destruction. "If American used chemical or nuclear weapons against us," he warned, "then we may retort with chemical and nuclear weapons. We have the weapons as a deterrent." Bush administration officials immediately dismissed the possibility that bin Laden has nuclear weapons, but they did refer to "credible indications" that bin Laden has sought to obtain them. Indeed, bin Laden's strenuous efforts to obtain nuclear material were known of long before the September 11 attacks. In its November 1998 indictment against him, the Justice Department specifically mentioned bin Laden's attempts to procure nuclear components. On Saturday, during his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, President Bush alluded to nuclear fears, although without mentioning bin Laden by name. Terrorists, he said, are "searching for weapons of mass destruction, the tools to turn their hatred into holocaust. They can be expected to use chemical, biological and nuclear weapons the moment they are capable of doing so." The same day, U.S. intelligence officials reported that the United States had identified possible chemical weapons sites in Afghanistan. One of the sites, in Derunta, a small village in eastern Afghanistan, is suspected of having already produced cyanide gas. Mass killings of civilians v. civilian casualties in wartime Bin Laden's interview with a Pakistani journalist last week gave a glimpse into how he rationalizes the mass killing of civilians. Questioned as to whether killing innocent civilians could be justified under Islamic law, bin Laden responded that it could. Bin Laden cited killings of Palestinians, Chechens, and other Muslims, claiming that America was guilty of their deaths. Pointedly, he referred to the American democracy, stating that because Congress and the President are popularly elected, "the entire America" is responsible for the government's acts. U.S. authorities have made it quite clear, in contrast, that their war is not against the Afghan people generally but on the Taliban and al Qaeda in particular. They have tried to underscore this point by making airdrops of food and medicine to the Afghan populace, even at the risk of inadvertently supplying the Taliban. Yet, as in any war, civilians are being killed. The number of civilian deaths is greatly disputed and, since the Taliban do not permit journalists to work freely in the country, is unlikely to be ascertained for some time. What is already clear, unfortunately, is that not all of the weapons used by the U.S. forces are designed to minimize civilian casualties. Cluster bombs, in particular, are likely to lead to unnecessary and unjustified civilian deaths. During the first week of the bombing campaign, it is thought that Air Force bombers dropped 50 CBU-87 cluster bombs in some five missions. Since that date, some 300 more cluster bombs are believed to have been used. Cluster bombs are a far cry from weapons of mass destruction, yet they too tend to be indiscriminate. Since each one is made up of over 200 little "bomblets," they have a wide dispersal pattern and cannot be targeted precisely, and are especially dangerous when used near civilian areas. And because the bomblets have a high initial failure rate, they leave numerous explosive "duds" that pose the same post-conflict problems as antipersonnel landmines. Choice of weapons It should be clear that the choice of weapons in an armed conflict is not a morally neutral affair. What weapons are used, to no small extent, determines the impact of the war on the civilian population. A few commentators have already made grotesque references to waging a "total war" against America's enemies, a war that ignores the basic distinction between civilians and combatants. At least one has even made explicit reference to the use of nuclear bombs, albeit as a retaliatory measure. Terrorists don't worry about civilian casualties, but a government trying to fight a just war should. In responding to the horrific attacks of September 11, it is important that we keep this principle in mind. Halting the use of cluster bombs would prove just how much our "war on terrorism" differs from their war on us. Joanne Mariner, a FindLaw [http://findlaw.com] columnist, works as a human rights lawyer in New York. Her previous columns about human rights issues can be found in FindLaw.com's archive. The views expressed in her columns are her own. Copyright © 1994-2001 FindLaw [http://findlaw.com] ***************************************************************** 5 NUCLEAR FALLOUT Ottawa Sun: Thursday, November 22, 2001 Agency to rehire fired engineer By [greg.weston@tor.sunpub.com] IN WHAT MAY be the worst botch of Canada's anti-terrorism campaign since Sept. 11, the federal government's nuclear agency is apparently admitting someone made a huge mistake in firing an Egyptian-born project engineer for having terrorist ties that didn't exist. High-ranking federal sources say Atomic Energy of Canada will be offering to rehire Mohamed Attiah today, two months after his security clearance was suddenly revoked, his contract terminated and his life virtually ruined -- all within minutes of his being interviewed by two federal intelligence agents. That was on Friday, Sept. 21, the last time Attiah heard from either the nuclear agency or the police. He was never charged with any crime, nor accused of anything. And no one has given him any explanations. (At press time last night, Attiah still had not heard from AECL with any offer to rehire him.) WANTS LIFE BACK "Of course, I would take my job back," he said during a lengthy interview yesterday. Choking back tears, he said he is mostly praying to have his life back. Attiah's story is a chilling chronicle of how a Canadian citizen and his family were terrorized by the anti-terrorist fervour following Sept. 11. The case is certain to become powerful ammunition for the growing army of critics who fear the government's new anti-terrorism legislation is a licence for police harassment of Arabs, and a general abuse of power. Attiah doesn't fit any known terrorist profile. He is 54 with a master's degree in engineering; has been a Canadian citizen for 27 years; has four children aged seven to 15; and previously worked for Ontario Hydro. He has no criminal record, happens to be a Muslim and has a common Egyptian name. Shortly after noon on Sept. 21, Attiah left his office at the Atomic Energy facility at Chalk River, northwest of Ottawa, to go home for lunch. He got as far as the parking lot when he was intercepted by two men flashing police identification -- one was RCMP, the other a member of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). At the request of the officers, Attiah went with them to the Ontario Provincial Police station in Pembroke, about a half-hour's drive away. "At first, I really didn't think anything of it," Attiah recalls. "I was thinking maybe they needed some help from me." Five minutes into the interrogation, he realized "it wasn't at all friendly, that they had some mission to destroy my credibility and my work (record)." Their first line of questioning was about his relationship to the leader of a Toronto mosque allegedly attended by at least one other person suspected of terrorist ties. "I explained (the mosque leader) was a professional colleague from Ontario Hydro, and had acted as a mediator to help in a matrimonial problem. I don't attend his mosque. Then they moved on to my religious habits. Why wasn't I bowing down at work and praying five times a day? What was I trying to hide? At that point I remember thinking: 'My God, are we in a free country? Are we in Canada or the old Soviet Union?' " Then came the toughest questioning of all, about his connection to a Toronto travel agency, the owner of which has apparently been interviewed by the intelligence service in the past. "They kept insisting I was connected to this travel agency, that I had been interviewed by them (CSIS) many times ... It was obvious at this point they were just making things up." Not exactly. While the Mounties apparently thought they had their man, the man they were after -- the owner of the travel agency whom they had been interrogating and watching on and off for years -- had in fact died three years before. Turns out the deceased travel executive was also named Attiah, a name akin to "Smith" in Egypt. It was a case of mistaken identity -- but the two spooks didn't give up. SECURITY CLEARANCE REVOKED "They accused me of getting a job at AECL just so I could get nuclear secrets." In fact, Attiah says, he got the job through an employment agency to whom he had given a copy of his resume more than three years before he was hired 10 months ago. The interrogation lasted about 90 minutes, after which the dogged intelligence officers searched his car and found nothing of interest. Then an odd thing happened. "The RCMP guy said I shouldn't tell anyone about the interview." Attiah arrived back at his office thinking that was the end of it, that it had all been a mistake, that they must have thought he was someone else. But his nightmare was just beginning. During the three hours he was gone for the interrogation, his office security access card had been deactivated. When he finally got into the building by the main entrance, an AECL security official told him his security clearance had been revoked, and he was no longer employed. No reasons. No evidence. Not even an accusation. Since then, for the past two months, Attiah says he and his family have been living with rumours of his being everything from a terrorist to the uncle of Osama bin Laden. "The hardest part has been trying to explain all this to my kids. They are Canadian children taught that this is the best country in the world, a free society, with fair process. "Instead, it destroyed me." Last week, Attiah filed a $5.5-million lawsuit against AECL, the RCMP and the intelligence service. Canadian taxpayers, it seems, may be the next victims of this tragic tale. 2001, Canoe Limited Partnership. All ***************************************************************** 6 Dust off those reports on nuclear threats | csmonitor.com Commentary > Daniel Schorr WASHINGTON - In my somewhat chaotic filing system, I have a collection of documents labeled WMD for "weapons of mass destruction." They are mostly reports by official and scholarly panels on the looming threats of chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare. It is remarkable how little attention these reports have received until lately. To pick a few off the pile, there is the 1998 report of the Harvard-Stanford Preventive Defense Project against Catastrophic Terrorism led by former Defense Secretary William Perry and former Assistant Secretary Ashton Carter. It calls for mobilization in anticipation of an emergency resulting from an act of terrorism. There is a booklet compiled by the McCormick Tribune Foundation last year titled "Catastrophic Terrorism: Uncertain Response." Then, a 1998 report of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, warning that some college students have designed workable models of atomic bombs. On the more official side, the January report of an Energy Department task force chaired by former Sen. Howard Baker and former White House counsel Lloyd Cutler, stressing the need to control "loose nukes," especially in Russia. A 1998 report of the US Commission on National Security, headed by former Sens. Gary Hart and Warren Rudman, calls for more attention to terrorist dangers. All these and more are being dusted off now that Osama bin Laden has claimed to have nuclear weapons, and especially now that he may be feeling increasingly besieged. There is new attention to the testimony of an Al Qaeda member last winter in federal court in New York about meetings aimed at acquiring nuclear fuel on the black market, probably from a former Soviet state. Now, in The Economist magazine, Harvard's Graham Allison, former assistant secretary of Defense, reports on terrorist groups trying to break into Russian nuclear storage sites and the possibility that up to 40 KGB suitcase nuclear bombs are not accounted for. Last year, says Mr. Allison, the CIA intercepted a message in which a member of the Al Qaeda group boasted of plans for an American Hiroshima. Now, perhaps, the Bush administration will consider restoring some of the funds cut from the Nunn-Lugar Program, which in 10 years has paid for defusing 5,000 nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union. Maybe we needed Osama bin Laden to prod the United States government to take the nuclear threat seriously. • Daniel Schorr is a senior news analyst for NPR. For further information: • Bin Laden is looking for a nuclear weapon. How close has he come? [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,589183,00.html] Guardian • The Nuclear Threat Can't Be Ignored [http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vppal192470350nov19.story?coll=ny%2 Dviewpoints%2Dheadlines] Newsday • Taliban nuclear documents mirror spoof article [http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991584] New Scientist • Nuclear Terror [http://www.iht.com/articles/39354.html] International Herald Tribune Please Note: The Monitor does not endorse the sites behind these links. We offer them for your additional research. Following these links will open a new browser window. Copyright © 2001 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights ***************************************************************** 7 Kursk reactors to be towed for storage in Sayda Bay Viktor Khabarov, 2001-11-21 20:14 Since the beginning of the works on the Kursk, it was found more than 400 kg fragments of the unexploded torpedoes in submarine’s hull. No intact torpedoes were found, the commander of the Northern Fleet, Vyacheslav Popov, said. The dangerous cargo was mostly placed in the second and third compartments, and this hampered the works. “Safety of the people who work there is the most important for us,” the admiral said. According to Vyacheslav Popov, the investigators have almost finished the work in the second compartment, two to three meters are left to enter the third compartment. It will take not less than two months to complete the work there. About ten days is scheduled to finish the works in the fourth compartment. The investigators finished with compartment no. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Now the experts from the Design Bureau Rubin work there. Soon the final documents on completion of the works in these compartments will be ready. The submarine is being prepared for decommissioning, which was designed by the Rubin experts. According to Rubin deputy general designer, Vladimir Koloskov, some of the project documentation has been already handed over to Nerpa shipyard, where the Kursk will be decommissioned. "Nothing can happen to the reactor. They will unload the nuclear fuel at the Nerpa. We have experience with such process,” Vyacheslav Popov said. Unloading will take place not in the ordinary way. The fuel will be unloaded in the dock, although before it was carried out on the surface with the help of Northern Fleet service ships or Murmansk Shipping Company service ships. After unloading fuel and cutting out the reactor compartment, the new construction consisting of three sections will be created: reactor compartment in the middle, and two sections on the sides, which will provide the floating capacity. The reactors will be towed to Sayda Bay. At present, more than 30 empty reactor compartments are kept afloat there. While searching through the debris in the central compartments, five recorders were found, but the information was found only on three of them, the remaining two are empty. According to the Northern Fleet military prosecutor, Vladimir Mulov, they all have to be deciphered. After drying the logbooks it turned out that they contained information, which could be read by the investigators. “But it does not mean that they contain information, which could help to reveal the mystery of submarine’s accident,” the prosecutor added. Publisher: Bellona Foundation, President: Frederic Hauge Information: info@bellona.no, Technical contact: webmaster@bellona.no Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway ***************************************************************** 8 Secret Soviet Atomic Cities Fuel Nuclear Nightmares Wednesday November 21 10:43 AM ET By Clara Ferreira-Marques MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's nuclear cities were once elite centers of military research hidden in dark corners of the Soviet Union, fenced off from the outside world and painted out of ordinary road maps. Now, their underpaid specialists fuel Western nightmares of nuclear leaks, thefts and terrorism. Tales of suitcases filled with weapons-grade uranium are more often fiction than fact, experts say. But the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan has boosted demand for weapons of mass destruction -- and the marketability of the brain power to operate them. ``One of our biggest problems is the brain-drain, and we know many scientists have left the closed cities,'' defense analyst Alexander Pikayev told Reuters. ``Fortunately we know they left for the West and Israel, but if the (global) situation continues to develop in this way, we cannot rule out that they will move to other states.'' Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in September's hijacked airliner attacks on America, says he possesses nuclear and chemical weapons, a claim Russian leader Vladimir Putin has cast doubt on. Moreover, analysts argue, drastic cuts to programs funding the cities' conversion to civilian life could upset an already delicate balance. ``How could a group or a country fabricate a nuclear or radiological device out of materials they have acquired?'' asked Jon Wolfstahl, a Washington-based associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ``I don't think they can produce a very small compact nuclear weapon without a lot of assistance, which raises the important question: are we doing enough to protect or prevent Russian nuclear experts from providing that assistance?'' POST COLD WAR CHALLENGES The Nuclear Cities Initiative, announced in March 1998, was a concrete step toward addressing Russia's post-Cold War nuclear challenges, and intended to promote conversion in the dozen or so nuclear cities through private investment and development. In its three pilot cities, the initiative opened business development and computer centers, and funded training on career changes and city leadership. But the cash attributed to the initiative by the U.S. government has dwindled, sliding to an all-time low of around $6 million planned for 2002 from a peak of $30 million. ``The risk of a brain-drain is quite real and unfortunately it can grow, given that some U.S. programs like the Nuclear Cities Initiative have been cut back,'' Pikayev said. During Soviet rule, security concerns kept the closed cities off the map, hiding them under the names of postboxes in nearby towns -- Cheliabinsk-70, Tomsk-7 -- their interior unknown even to neighboring villages. In return, their inhabitants lived lives of relative luxury. The sealed enclaves tucked away in Russia's most remote regions were home not only to the heart of Russia's nuclear weapons industry, but also chemical and biological research. The closed cities are still out of bounds for foreigners, but many are slowly beginning fresh, civilian lives with new names, new purposes and the right to a spot on the map. And some say life in these cities -- showered with privileges at the height of the Soviet arms drive, but forgotten in the breakup of the Soviet Union -- is now little different from that in the rest of Russia. SIBERIAN CITY ``The situation in our closed cities, particularly in MinAtom (Atomic Energy Ministry) cities, is getting better,'' Dmitry Kovchegin, an analyst with the Moscow-based Center for Policy Studies in Russia said. ``I was in (the Siberian city of) Tomsk and I spoke to people from the chemical combine just one day after Sept. 11 and they said there is no human leakage from their city,'' he said. Instead of leaving for better-paid jobs abroad, students were competing to get positions at the plant, he said. But others say there is still little to celebrate. Valentin Tikhonov, a sociologist affiliated to the Russian Academy of Sciences, published a survey of five nuclear cities showing that 62 percent of employees earn less than $50 a month. Unofficial figures place the wages of top nuclear workers at between $100-$300. The lifeline, experts say, is private initiative and foreign investment. Wolfstahl quotes Intel as an example. The world's largest computer chip maker has a software and microchip design center in Sarov (formerly Arzamas-16). ``You no longer need to have large factories or mass migration of individuals to take advantage of their talent,'' he said. But there is little to keep foreign investors interested: obtaining a simple authorization to visit any of the closed cities (military or otherwise) can take up to two months. And security following the Sept. 11 attacks has only increased the obstacles. ``The Russian government could do more -- maybe one thing is to give (the cities) a more open status,'' Kovchegin said, adding regional leaders keen to cash in taxes from the cities, which still enjoy tax perks, are stepping up pressure on Moscow. Will the closer friendship between Russia and the West lead to a brighter outlook for these cities? ``I would like to believe the good relationship between Russia and the West would help us decide what to do with these cities,'' Pikayev said. ``But at the same time it would help if the Americans raised their assistance.'' Copyright © 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 9 Pakistan concerned at landmines -DAWN - UNITED NATIONS, Nov 22: Pakistan on Wednesday expressed concern about the situation in Afghanistan where millions of externally displaced persons were reluctant to return because of the threat of mines and unexploded ordinance. The primarily agrarian economy of Afghanistan cannot be rehabilitated until contaminated land is cleared. Similarly, casualties as a result of landmines place an enormous strain on the already overburdened hospital system, and vital emergency and assistance aid is hindered by the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, Masood Khalid, deputy permanent representative of Pakistan, told the 56th session of the General Assembly. Mr Khalid said that for the last one decade, "We have been discussing the consequences of the indiscriminate use of landmines which continue to haunt the civilian population in various parts of the world. It is alarming to note that over 60 developing countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are suffering because of the irresponsible use of landmines as a result of foreign occupation or internal conflicts." The delegate pointed out that in Afghanistan alone there were over 10 million landmines scattered all over the country, which was perhaps the largest mine-strewn land in the world. Most of the landmine victims were civilians. He said Pakistan was particularly concerned because of the casualties resulting due to landmines. The victims were being treated in hospitals in Pakistan, which were already burdened due to the presence of three million Afghan refugees in the country. The Pakistani delegate invited the General Assembly's attention to the fact that Pakistan had declared a moratorium on the export of landmines.-APP © The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2001 ***************************************************************** 10 US must lead nuclear disarmament online.ie : News: World News online.ie 21 Nov 2001 Former United Nations weapons inspector Richard Butler today called on the US to lead the way in eliminating nuclear weapons. The former Australian diplomat said the United States was the only nation that could successfully encourage other countries around the world to disarm. "Just imagine September 11 if it had been done with a nuclear weapon - and that is not fanciful. Some small suitcase size nuclear weapons have gone missing in the former Soviet Union," he said. Butler headed the UN weapons inspection team to Iraq in the 1990s. ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************