***************************************************************** 03/23/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.75 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** Make sure to read #19 nuclear power article!!!!!!! NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 Testimony of Robert Halstead Before the Nevada State Senate 2 Energy NW to study Plant 1 revival 3 Senators to consider permanent waste site 4 EPA whistle-blower praised in Marion 5 Yucca measure loses backing of lawmakers 6 Tokasz seeks private landfill investigation 7 Residents don’t buy Schultz explanation 8 Democrats charge Bush using energy as excuse to damage environment - 9 Monroe Evening News 10 Rio Tinto casts doubt over Jabiluka's future 11 Kiwis near uranium 12 YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Legislator pushes for nuclear waste route 13 Injunction on MOX fuel loading denied!! 14 Review of nuclear plant to be held 15 Cogema Confirms Nuclear Transport for Monday 16 New Emergency Glitch at Disputed Czech Nuclear Plant 17 Activists Win Reprieve in Nuclear Fight 18 NUCLEAR POWER IN RUSSIA IS SURROUNDED WITH MYTHS 19 SA grants nuclear contract 20 RWANDA DENIES USING PRISONERS FOR MINING IN CONGO 21 Rwanda Denies Prisoners Used to Mine NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 AG May Take Feds to Court Over Hanford Cleanup 2 Judge delays decision on engineer's lawsuit 3 Budget stalls plutonium plant project 4 Rep. Hastings requests boost in DOE cleanup 5 Property managers say many new tenants working on vitrification 6 Compensation program a hot potato 7 Nuclear plant workers sue over overtime 8 Labor Dept. balks at starting new sick worker program 9 Officials monitor SRS leak 10 Thurmond criticizes secretary 11 Plutonium Disposition Roundtable 12 NKorea Might Have Nuke Bomb Skills 13 An uncertain future 14 Russia Said Planning Kursk Recovery 15 REID CALLS ON ADMINISTRATION TO SWIFTLY COMPENSATE NEVADA'S SICK 16 Editorial: No more delays for ill workers 17 NUCLEAR WORKERS: Chao move stalls benefits program 18 Chao Wants Program (sick workers) Moved to Justice Dept. 19 AILING MINERS WHO DUG URANIUM LEFT ONLY WITH GOVERNMENT IOUS 20 Energy report lists handling plans for old nuclear sites ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Testimony of Robert Halstead Before the Nevada State Senate Transportation Committee on Senate Joint Resolution No. 4 (March 22, 2001) TESTIMONY OF ROBERT J. HALSTEAD TRANSPORTATION ADVISOR TO THE STATE OF NEVADA AGENCY FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS BEFORE THE NEVADA LEGISLATURE'S SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION REGARDING SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4 MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TESTIFY TODAY. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS ROBERT HALSTEAD. I AM THE HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TRANSPORTATION ADVISOR FOR THE NEVADA AGENCY FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS. IN THAT CAPACITY, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE STUDY OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES FOR OVER 13 YEARS. BETWEEN 1978 AND 1988, I WAS EMPLOYED IN A SIMILAR CAPACITY BY THE STATE OF WISCONSIN WHEN CANDIDATE SITES IN THAT STATE WERE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR A GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY. I HAVE ALSO SERVED AS A CONSULTANT FOR THE STATES OF MINNESOTA, TENNESSEE, AND TEXAS. I AM HERE TODAY AT THE REQUEST OF CHAIRMAN O'DONNELL. I HAVE ORGANIZED MY PREPARED TESTIMONY IN RESPONSE TO THE THREE QUESTIONS POSED IN CHAIRMAN O'DONNELL'S LETTER DATED MARCH 8, 2001. LET ME PREFACE MY REMARKS BY NOTING THAT, FROM A TRANSPORTATION STANDPOINT, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE PROPOSED A MORE PROBLEMATIC SITE FOR A REPOSITORY THAN YUCCA MOUNTAIN. THE SITE LACKS RAIL ACCESS, HAS LIMITED HIGHWAY ACCESS, AND IS AFFECTED BY UNIQUE LOCAL CONDITIONS THAT INCREASE BOTH THE RADIOLOGICAL RISKS AND PERCEIVED RISKS OF NUCLEAR WASTE TRANSPORTATION. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) WAS FULLY AWARE OF THESE FACTS IN 1986. THE DECISION TO STUDY YUCCA MOUNTAIN AT ALL, GIVEN THE MAJOR TRANSPORTATION SHORTCOMINGS OF THE SITE, TYPIFIES THE SHORT-SIGHTED APPROACH THE DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN WITH RESPECT TO SPENT FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL WASTE SHIPMENT ISSUES, BOTH NATIONALLY AND IN NEVADA. *ANALYSIS OF THE HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ROUTES WITHIN THE STATE OF NEVADA THAT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HAS CONSIDERED FOR TRANSPORTATION OF SNF AND HLW TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN*** DOE IDENTIFIED AND EVALUATED POTENTIAL HIGHWAY AND RAIL ROUTES WITHIN THE STATE OF NEVADA IN 1986. DOE'S 1986 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN AND CANDIDATE SITES IN FOUR OTHER STATES CONCLUDED THAT YUCCA MOUNTAIN WAS THE WORST POSSIBLE LOCATION FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE. DOE DOCUMENTED THAT YUCCA MOUNTAIN HAD THE POOREST ACCESS TO THE NATIONAL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND MAINLINE RAILROAD NETWORKS, AND THE MOST DIFFICULT RAIL ACCESS CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS. AND THAT WAS IN 1986 WHEN DOE STILL CONSIDERED IT FEASIBLE TO CONSTRUCT A RAIL SPUR THROUGH THE LAS VEGAS VALLEY AND TO SHIP WASTE BY TRUCK OVER HOOVER DAM AND THROUGH THE SPAGHETTI BOWL. DOE'S 1986 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ALSO SHOWED THAT SELECTION OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN WOULD RESULT IN THE HIGHEST CROSS-COUNTRY TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS (MEASURED IN SHIPMENT-MILES), HIGHEST TOTAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS, AND THE HIGHEST PROJECTED NUMBER OF TRANSPORTATION ACCIDENT INJURIES AND FATALITIES. DOE'S 1986 EA IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY HIGHWAY ROUTES TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN VIA LAS VEGAS: (1) I-15 SOUTHBOUND FROM THE ARIZONA-NEVADA STATE LINE TO US 95 IN LAS VEGAS; (2) US 93 NORTHBOUND FROM THE ARIZONA-NEVADA STATE LINE TO US 95 IN LAS VEGAS; (3) I-15 NORTHBOUND FROM THE CALIFORNIA-NEVADA STATE LINE TO US 95 IN LAS VEGAS; AND (4) US 95 NORTHBOUND FROM LAS VEGAS TO AMARGOSA VALLEY. DOE'S 1986 EA ALSO IDENTIFIED THREE HIGHWAY ROUTES WHICH AVOIDED THE LAS VEGAS AREA: (5) I-80 BETWEEN THE CALIFORNIA-NEVADA STATE LINE AND WINNEMUCCA; (6) VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF US 95, US 95A, SR 305, US 50, SR 376, AND US 6, BETWEEN I-80 AND AMARGOSA VALLEY; AND (7) SR 373 FROM THE CALIFORNIA-NEVADA STATE LINE TO AMARGOSA VALLEY. DOE'S 1986 EA ASSUMED CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW, 100-MILE LONG RAIL ACCESS SPUR ORIGINATING AT DIKE SIDING, NORTH OF LAS VEGAS, TRAVELING NORTH OF, AND ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO US 95, THROUGH INDIAN SPRINGS AND MERCURY TO AMARGOSA VALLEY. DOE IDENTIFIED TWO EXISTING RAIL ROUTES TO DIKE SIDING: THE UNION PACIFIC MAINLINE WESTBOUND FROM UTAH, AND THE UNION PACIFIC MAINLINE EASTBOUND FROM CALIFORNIA. DOE CONDUCTED A NUMBER OF HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ROUTING STUDIES BETWEEN 1988 AND 1998. THE RESULTS OF THESE STUDIES WERE CONSIDERED IN SELECTING THE ROUTES LISTED IN DOE'S 1999 DRAFT YUCCA MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS). [PAGES 6-41 TO 6-43] THE 1999 DEIS IDENTIFIED A PREFERRED NEVADA HIGHWAY ROUTE FOR LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK [LWT] SHIPMENTS TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN: "DOE HAS ASSUMED THAT SHIPMENTS OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE WOULD ENTER NEVADA ON I-15 FROM EITHER THE NORTHEAST OR SOUTHWEST. THE ANALYSIS ASSUMED THAT SHIPMENTS TRAVELING ON I-15 FROM THE NORTHEAST WOULD USE THE NORTHERN LAS VEGAS BELTWAY TO CONNECT TO U.S. 95 AND CONTINUE TO THE NEVADA TEST SITE. SHIPMENTS FROM THE SOUTHWEST ON I-15 WOULD USE THE SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LAS VEGAS BELTWAY TO CONNECT TO U.S. 95 AND CONTINUE TO THE NEVADA TEST SITE."[PAGES J-93 TO J-95] THE DEIS ALSO IDENTIFIED SEVEN POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN, BASED ON A 1989 STUDY BY THE NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: ROUTE A - SOUTHBOUND FROM UTAH, LEAVING I-80 AT WEST WENDOVER ON U.S. 93A, U.S. 93, U.S. 6, SR 318, U.S. 93, I-15, CRAIG ROAD, AND U.S. 95; ROUTE B - SOUTHBOUND FROM UTAH, LEAVING I-80 AT WEST WENDOVER ON U.S. 93A, U.S. 93, U.S. 6, AND U.S. 95; ROUTE C - NORTHBOUND FROM BAKER, CALIFORNIA, ON SR 127, SR 373 AND U.S. 95; ROUTE D - NORTHBOUND FROM BAKER, CALIFORNIA, ON I-15 TO SR160 AND U.S. 95; ROUTE E - NORTHBOUND FROM NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, ON U.S. 95, SR 164, I-15, SR 127, SR 373, AND U.S. 95; ROUTE E VARIATION - NORTHBOUND FROM NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, ON U.S. 95, SR 164, I-15, SR 160 AND U.S. 95; AND ROUTE F - NORTHBOUND FROM NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, ON I-40, I-15, SR 160, AND U.S. 95. THE DEIS IDENTIFIED FIVE POTENTIAL CORRIDORS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW RAIL ACCESS SPUR TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN. FOUR OF THESE CORRIDORS WOULD ORIGINATE FROM LOCATIONS ALONG THE UNION PACIFIC'S LOS ANGELES-SALT LAKE CITY MAINLINE THROUGH SOUTHERN NEVADA: JEAN, VALLEY SIDING [MODIFIED], CALIENTE, AND CALIENTE-CHALK MOUNTAIN. THE FIFTH CORRIDOR, IDENTIFIED AS THE CARLIN OPTION, WOULD ORIGINATE AT BEOWAWE IN EUREKA COUNTY ON THE UNION PACIFIC'S SAN FRANCISCO-SALT LAKE CITY MAINLINE THROUGH NORTHERN NEVADA. THE DEIS ALSO IDENTIFIED FIVE POTENTIAL HIGHWAY ROUTES FOR HEAVY HAUL TRUCK (HHT) TRANSPORT OF LARGE RAIL CASKS FROM THREE PROPOSED INTERMODAL TRANSFER STATIONS IN SOUTHERN NEVADA. DOE'S PROPOSED LARGE-SCALE USE OF HHTS FOR LONG-DISTANCE SNF TRANSPORT ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS IS ENTIRELY UNPRECEDENTED. THE AGENCY SUBMITTED DETAILED, CRITICAL COMMENTS ON HHT TRANSPORT AS PART OF THE DEIS REVIEW PROCESS. STATE REVIEWERS OF THE DRAFT EIS CONSIDERED THE HHT PROPOSAL TO BE OPERATIONALLY INFEASIBLE AND WITHOUT CREDIBILITY, GIVEN THE MASSIVE IMPACTS SUCH SHIPMENTS WOULD HAVE ON STATE HIGHWAYS. *ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES* THE NEVADA AGENCY FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS HAS STUDIED DOE'S POTENTIAL HIGHWAY AND RAIL ROUTES FOR SHIPPING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TO A PROPOSED REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN. ALL OF THE ROUTES STUDIED HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS AND DRAWBACKS. THE AGENCY BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO TECHNICALLY DEFENSIBLE BASIS FOR SUPPORTING ANY POTENTIAL HIGHWAY OR RAIL ROUTE AT THE PRESENT TIME. SEVERAL OF THE POSSIBLE HIGHWAY ROUTES IDENTIFIED BY DOE PRIOR TO 1999 (US 93 ACROSS HOOVER DAM, AND I-80, US 95, US 95A, SR 305, US 50, AND SR 376 IN NORTHERN NEVADA) WERE DROPPED FROM CONSIDERATION IN THE DEIS. TWO OTHER ROUTES (NDOT ROUTES C AND E) CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT APPROVAL BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND/OR SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED DESIGNATION OF SR 127 AND NIPTON ROAD AS ALTERNATIVE ROUTES. NDOT ROUTE A, WHICH PROPOSED USE OF CRAIG ROAD IN CLARK COUNTY, WAS UNREALISTIC IN 1989 AND IS EVEN MORE UNREALISTIC IN 2001. THIS LEAVES FOUR POTENTIAL HIGHWAY ROUTES UNDER CONSIDERATION: DOE'S PREFERRED ROUTE (I-15, LAS VEGAS BELTWAY, AND US 95); I-15 AND US 95 VIA THE SPAGHETTI BOWL (THE ONLY ROUTE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE UNDER US DOT REGULATIONS); I-15, SR 160, AND US 95; AND NDOT ROUTE B SOUTH AND WEST FROM I-80 AT WEST WENDOVER . THE AGENCY SUBMITTED DETAILED COMMENTS TO DOE REGARDING THE DISADVANTAGES OF USING ANY PORTION OF I-15 OR US 95 THROUGH LAS VEGAS FOR SHIPMENTS OF SNF OR HLW. USE OF THESE ROUTES WOULD RESULT IN UNACCEPTABLE ROUTINE RISKS, ACCIDENT RISKS, TERRORISM RISKS, AND STIGMA-INDUCED SOCIOECONOMIC RISKS. THE STATE AND CLARK COUNTY HAVE ALSO QUESTIONED WHETHER DOE CAN LEGALLY USE THE YET-TO-BE- COMPLETED LAS VEGAS BELTWAY (I-215). HOWEVER, DOE'S PREFERRED ROUTE (I-15, LAS VEGAS BELTWAY, AND US 95) WAS IDENTIFIED FOLLOWING THE US DOT HIGHWAY ROUTING GUIDELINES BECAUSE IT MAXIMIZES USE OF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM; MAXIMIZES USE OF MULTIPLE-LANE, DIVIDED HIGHWAYS; UTILIZES AN AVAILABLE INTERSTATE URBAN BYPASS; AND MINIMIZES TIME AND DISTANCE. MOREOVER, DOE'S DEIS INCLUDES A COMPARATIVE SAFETY ANALYSIS, USING THE RADTRAN MODEL, WHICH SUPPORTS USE OF THE PREFERRED ROUTE BY CALCULATING LOWER NATIONAL RADIOLOGICAL AND NON-RADIOLOGICAL IMPACTS COMPARED TO THE OTHER AVAILABLE ROUTES. THE AGENCY HAS CHALLENGED DOE'S APPLICATION OF THE US DOT ROUTING GUIDELINES AND THE METHODOLOGY OF DOE'S SAFETY ANALYSIS IN ITS COMMENTS ON THE DEIS, AND HAS PRIORITIZED THESE ISSUES FOR POSSIBLE LITIGATION UNDER N.E.P.A. THE AGENCY HAS ALSO EVALUATED POTENTIAL SNF AND HLW SHIPMENTS ON NDOT ROUTE D, I-15 AND SR 160 (BLUE DIAMOND ROAD) THROUGH THE RAPIDLY GROWING ENTERPRISE-ARDEN AREA OF CLARK COUNTY AND THROUGH THE CITY OF PAHRUMP IN NYE COUNTY. THIS ROUTE HAS MANY OF THE SAME DISADVANTAGES AS SHIPMENTS THROUGH LAS VEGAS. RADIOLOGICAL RISKS AND ADVERSE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS WOULD BE MAJOR CONCERNS. CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THIS ROUTE, INCLUDING THE MOUNTAIN SPRINGS PASS AND FLASH FLOOD AREAS BETWEEN THE SPRING MOUNTAINS AND PAHRUMP, ARE ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS DURING SEVERE WEATHER. RECREATIONAL USE OF RED ROCK CANYON AND OTHER AREAS WITHIN THE TOIYABE NATIONAL FOREST WOULD LIKELY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. SR 160 IS CURRENTLY BEING UPGRADED, BUT VEHICLE TRAFFIC APPEARS TO BE GROWING FASTER THAN THE CAPACITY INCREASES. THE AGENCY HAS ALSO EVALUATED NDOT ROUTE B, WHICH ENTERS NEVADA FROM I-80 AT WEST WENDOVER. THE NDOT B ROUTE IS NOT, IN OUR OPINION, AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE TO ROUTES THROUGH CLARK COUNTY. EVEN IF THIS ROUTE WERE DESIGNATED FOR TRUCK SHIPMENTS FROM EASTERN REACTORS, TRUCK SHIPMENTS FROM 12 REACTORS IN 7 STATES (AL, AR, AZ, CA, LA, MS, & TX) COULD STILL BE ROUTED THROUGH CLARK COUNTY. THESE 12 REACTORS COULD ACCOUNT FOR UP TO 12,870 SHIPMENTS OVER 38 YEARS, AN AVERAGE OF ALMOST ONE SHIPMENT PER DAY. MOREOVER, THE AGENCY'S EVALUATION OF THE 'B' ROUTE HAS IDENTIFIED SERIOUS DISADVANTAGES. THE MOST COMPELLING DISADVANTAGE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT RADIOLOGICAL RISKS AND ADVERSE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS ON CITIES AND TOWNS ALONG THE ROUTE, INCLUDING WEST WENDOVER, MCGILL, ELY, TONOPAH, GOLDFIELD, AND BEATTY. RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND DOWNTOWN AND SUBURBAN BUSINESS DISTRICTS WOULD BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED. IN NUMEROUS INSTANCES, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, DWELLINGS, AND SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED WITHIN 40 METERS (130 FEET) OF THE ROUTE. IN ELY, TONOPAH, BEATTY, AND GOLDFIELD, SOME BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED ONLY 6 TO 10 METERS (20 TO 33 FEET) FROM THE ROUTE. THIS EXTRAORDINARY PROXIMITY TO A HEAVILY USED SPENT FUEL SHIPPING ROUTE COULD EXPOSE INDIVIDUALS AT SOME LOCATIONS TO ANNUAL DOSES OF 150 MREM TO 260 MREM, EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 40% TO 60% OF THE AVERAGE ANNUAL BACKGROUND RADIATION DOSE. WHILE THE PRECISE HEALTH EFFECTS OF SUCH REPEATED EXPOSURES ARE NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THESE ROUTINE EXPOSURES WOULD IMPOSE SIGNIFICANT AND PROBABLY UNMITIGABLE ADVERSE SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS ON INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES. RURAL SEGMENTS OF THE NDOT B ROUTE ARE ALSO DISADVANTAGEOUS. THE ROUTE IS ABOUT 400 MILES LONG, MAINLY TWO-LANE, AND FREQUENTLY CHARACTERIZED BY SHARP CURVES, STEEP GRADES, NARROW ROAD SHOULDERS, AND ABSENCE OF GUARD RAILS. MOUNTAIN PASSES ALONG THE ROUTE, SUCH AS MURRAY SUMMIT (ELEVATION 7,300) IN WHITE PINE COUNTY, CAN BECOME TREACHEROUS OR IMPASSIBLE DURING WINTER STORMS. LONG STRETCHES OF THIS ROUTE (UP TO 60 MILES IN LENGTH) FAIL TO MEET THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) ROUTE APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR SAFEGUARDING SHIPMENTS FROM SABOTAGE AND TERRORISM, INCLUDING MARGINAL SAFETY DESIGN FEATURES, LIMITED REST AND REFUELING AREAS, LIMITED LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE CAPABILITIES, AND RECURRENT ROUTE FEATURES WHICH PLACE SHIPMENTS AND ESCORT VEHICLES IN A SIGNIFICANTLY TACTICALLY DISADVANTAGEOUS POSITION, INCREASING THE RISKS OF SABOTAGE AND TERRORIST ACTION. THE DEIS IDENTIFIED FOUR POTENTIAL RAIL ACCESS CORRIDORS ORIGINATING FROM LOCATIONS ALONG THE UNION PACIFIC'S LOS ANGELES- SALT LAKE CITY MAINLINE THROUGH SOUTHERN NEVADA: JEAN, VALLEY MODIFIED, CALIENTE, AND CALIENTE-CHALK MOUNTAIN. ALL FOUR ROUTES SHARE ONE MAJOR DISADVANTAGE: POTENTIAL LARGE-SCALE RAIL SHIPMENTS OF SNF AND HLW (BETWEEN 7% AND 87% OF THE TOTAL) THROUGH DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS ON THE UP MAINLINE BETWEEN TROPICANA AVENUE AND LAKE MEADE BOULEVARD. THE ENTIRE LAS VEGAS STRIP NORTH OF FLAMINGO AVENUE IS WITHIN ONE MILE OF THE UP MAIN LINE. SOUTH OF FLAMINGO, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE STRIP AND THE RAILROAD IS LESS THAN ONE AND ONE-HALF MILES. LARGE AREAS OF NORTH LAS VEGAS, AND VAST SUBURBAN AREAS NORTH AND SOUTH OF LAS VEGAS, ARE WITHIN TWO MILES OF THE RAILROAD. THE ONE RAIL SPUR ROUTE WHICH AVOIDS LAS VEGAS, THE CARLIN CORRIDOR, WOULD RESULT IN LARGE-SCALE RAIL SHIPMENTS OF SNF AND HLW THROUGH CITIES AND TOWNS ALONG THE NORTHERN UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, INCLUDING RENO, SPARKS, LOVELOCK, WINNEMUCCA, BATTLE MOUNTAIN, CARLIN, ELKO, AND WELLS. DOE'S PROPOSED CARLIN ROUTE ORIGINATES AT BEOWAWE (ABOUT 23 MILES WEST OF CARLIN) IN EUREKA COUNTY, TRAVELS SOUTH THROUGH CRESCENT, GRASS, AND BIG SMOKEY VALLEYS, CROSSES US 95 BETWEEN TONOPAH AND GOLDFIELD, FOLLOWS US 95 AND THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE NELLIS AIR FORCE RANGE THROUGH OASIS VALLEY, BEATTY WASH, AND FORTYNINE MILE WASH TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN. MAJOR UNRESOLVED ISSUES INCLUDE POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS ON PRIVATE LANDS (RESIDENCES, RANCHES, AND MINING CLAIMS), CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITATS (BIGHORN SHEEP, ELK, PRONGHORN, AND MULE DEER), GROUNDWATER RESOURCES, AND WETLANDS. POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH AIR FORCE ACTIVITIES ARE ALSO AT ISSUE. DOE'S 1986 EA IDENTIFIED PROXIMITY TO AIR FORCE BOMBING RANGES AS A UNIQUE LOCAL CONDITION THAT COULD THREATEN RADIOLOGICAL SAFETY. FIFTEEN YEARS LATER, DOE HAS STILL NOT ADDRESSED NEVADA'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF SNF SHIPPING CASKS TO MILITARY AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS INVOLVING LIVE MUNITIONS AND DUMMY BOMBS. DOE HAS CONSISTENTLY UNDERESTIMATED THE DIFFICULTY AND COST OF CONSTRUCTING A NEW RAIL LINE TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN. SELECTION OF THE CARLIN ROUTE (323 MILES IN LENGTH) OR EITHER OF THE CALIENTE ROUTES (319 AND 214 MILES LONG) WOULD CONSTITUTE THE LONGEST NEW RAIL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE WORLD WAR I. CONSTRUCTION WOULD LIKELY REQUIRE 5 TO 7 YEARS, RATHER THAN THE 2.5 YEARS ESTIMATED BY DOE. LEGAL CHALLENGES COULD DELAY CONSTRUCTION FOR ANOTHER 5 TO 10 YEARS, CONSIDERING THE DIFFICULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND APPROVALS, LAND ACQUISITION, AND NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS ISSUES. DOE"S DEIS ESTIMATED THE TOTAL LIFE-CYCLE COST OF THE CARLIN ROUTE AT $753 MILLION (1997 DOLLARS), COMPARED TO $801 MILLION FOR THE CALIENTE ROUTE AND $566 MILLION FOR THE CALIENTE-CHALK MOUNTAIN ROUTE. AN INDEPENDENT COST ASSESSMENT OF THE CALIENTE ROUTE PREPARED FOR THE AGENCY FOUND THAT CONSTRUCTION ALONE WOULD COST ABOUT $1.9 BILLION (1996 DOLLARS), WITH TOTAL LIFE-CYCLE COSTS EXCEEDING $2.7 BILLION. *COMPARISON OF POSSIBLE MODAL MIXES AND ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SHIPMENTS* DOE'S DEIS CONSIDERED 2 SCENARIOS FOR TOTAL SHIPMENTS TO THE PROPOSED REPOSITORY. UNDER THE FIRST SCENARIO, SHIPMENTS OCCUR OVER 24 YEARS (2010 - 2034), AND TOTAL RECEIPTS ARE LIMITED TO 70,000 MTU ( 63,000 MTU OF CIVILIAN SNF AND 7,000 MTU OF DEFENSE HLW, DOE SNF, NAVAL SNF, AND CIVILIAN HLW). UNDER THE SECOND SCENARIO, SHIPMENTS OCCUR OVER 38 YEARS (2010 - 2048), AND TOTAL RECEIPTS ARE THE ENTIRE PROJECTED NATIONAL INVENTORY SNF AND HLW, 120,000 MTU ( 105,000 MTU OF CIVILIAN SNF AND 15,000 MTU OF DEFENSE HLW, DOE SNF, NAVAL SNF, AND CIVILIAN HLW). THE AGENCY HAS USED DOE'S 38 YEAR SCENARIO FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ASSESSMENT PURPOSES, ASSUMING THAT ALL PROJECTED SNF AND HLW WOULD BE SHIPPED TO THE PROPOSED YUCCA MOUNTAIN REPOSITORY. THE AGENCY HAS DECIDED TO USE DOE'S ESTIMATES OF PROJECTED SNF AND HLW INVENTORIES, ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DEFENSE HLW REQUIRING GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL COULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. DOE'S DEIS ALSO CONSIDERED TWO DIFFERENT MODAL MIX SCENARIOS FOR NATIONAL SHIPMENTS TO THE PROPOSED REPOSITORY. UNDER THE FIRST SCENARIO, DOE'S MOSTLY TRUCK SCENARIO, 77 CIVILIAN AND DOE SITES SHIP ALL SNF AND HLW BY LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK, EXCEPT FOR 300 RAIL SHIPMENTS OF NAVAL REACTOR SNF FROM IDAHO. UNDER THE SECOND SCENARIO, DOE'S MOSTLY RAIL SCENARIO, ALL 5 DOE SITES AND 63 CIVILIAN REACTOR SITES SHIP ALL SNF AND HLW BY RAIL IN NEWLY DESIGNED, HIGH-CAPACITY CASKS. ONLY 9 CIVILIAN REACTOR SITES SHIP SNF BY LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK. THE AGENCY PUBLISHED AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF CIVILIAN REACTOR AND DOE SHIPPING SITE CAPABILITIES PREPARED BY PLANNING INFORMATION CORPORATION (PIC) IN 1996. BASED ON THE 1996 PIC REPORT, THE AGENCY CONCLUDED THAT DOE'S MOSTLY TRUCK SCENARIO IS CREDIBLE. ALL 77 SITES ARE CAPABLE OF SHIPPING SNF AND HLW IN LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK CASKS, ALTHOUGH SOME OLDER REACTOR SITES MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE NEWLY-DESIGNED, HIGHER-CAPACITY (GA/4 & GA/9) TRUCK CASKS. HOWEVER, THE AGENCY CONCLUDED THAT DOE'S MOSTLY RAIL SCENARIO IS NOT CREDIBLE AT THE CURRENT TIME. THERE ARE PRESENTLY 32 CIVILIAN REACTOR SITES WHICH EITHER CANNOT SHIP BY RAIL, OR CAN ONLY SHIP BY RAIL UNDER THE MOST OPTIMISTIC ASSUMPTIONS, AND IN SOME CASES ONLY UNDER TOTALLY UNREALISTIC ASSUMPTIONS. THE AGENCY HAS THEREFORE DEVELOPED AN ADDITIONAL MODAL MIX SCENARIO, THE STATE OF NEVADA CURRENT CAPABILITIES SCENARIO. UNDER DOE'S MOSTLY TRUCK SCENARIO, 99% OF TOTAL SNF AND HLW WOULD BE SHIPPED TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN BY LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK (LWT). DOE HAS ESTIMATED A TOTAL OF 96,000 LWT SHIPMENTS, AN AVERAGE OF 2,534 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER YEAR, OR ABOUT 7 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER DAY, OVER 38 YEARS. THERE WOULD ALSO BE AN AVERAGE OF 8 RAIL SHIPMENTS PER YEAR. UNDER DOE'S MOSTLY RAIL SCENARIO, LESS THAN 10% OF TOTAL SNF AND HLW WOULD BE SHIPPED TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN BY LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK (LWT). DOE HAS ESTIMATED A TOTAL OF 3,700 LWT SHIPMENTS, AN AVERAGE OF 97 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER YEAR, OR ABOUT 2 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER WEEK, OVER 38 YEARS. THERE WOULD ALSO BE 19,800 RAIL SHIPMENTS, AN AVERAGE OF 521 RAIL SHIPMENTS PER YEAR. UNDER THE STATE OF NEVADA CURRENT CAPABILITIES SCENARIO, 40% OF CIVILIAN SNF WOULD BE SHIPPED TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN BY LEGAL-WEIGHT TRUCK (LWT). THE REMAINING 60% OF CIVILIAN SNF AND ALL OTHER SNF AND HLW WOULD BE SHIPPED BY RAIL. THE AGENCY HAS ESTIMATED A TOTAL OF 26,400 LWT SHIPMENTS, AN AVERAGE OF 694 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER YEAR, OR ABOUT 2 TRUCK SHIPMENTS PER DAY, OVER 38 YEARS. THERE WOULD ALSO BE 14,100 RAIL SHIPMENTS, AN AVERAGE OF 371 RAIL SHIPMENTS PER YEAR. THE AGENCY'S ANALYSIS CONCLUDED THAT DOE'S MOSTLY RAIL SCENARIO IS NOT CREDIBLE. IF DOE IS ABLE TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE A NEW RAIL SPUR TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN, THE AGENCY BELIEVES THAT THE MOST PROBABLE MODAL MIX WOULD BE 26,400 TRUCK SHIPMENTS AND 14,100 RAIL SHIPMENTS. IF DOE IS NOT ABLE TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE A NEW RAIL SPUR TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN, THE AGENCY BELIEVES THAT THE MOST PROBABLE MODAL MIX WOULD 96,000 TRUCK SHIPMENTS. *CONCLUSIONS* THE NEVADA AGENCY FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS HAS STUDIED DOE'S POTENTIAL HIGHWAY AND RAIL ROUTES FOR SHIPPING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TO A PROPOSED REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN. ALL OF THE DOE ROUTES STUDIED BY THE AGENCY HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS AND DRAWBACKS. THE AGENCY BELIEVES THAT THERE IS NO TECHNICALLY DEFENSIBLE BASIS FOR SUPPORTING ANY POTENTIAL HIGHWAY OR RAIL ROUTE AT THE PRESENT TIME. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COMMITTEE. I WOULD BE PLEASED TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTION YOU MAY HAVE. ***************************************************************** 2 Energy NW to study Plant 1 revival This story was published Thu, Mar 22, 2001 By Chris Mulick Herald staff writer Energy Northwest has decided to study the feasibility of finishing Plant No. 1 at Hanford. That after U.S. Reps. Doc Hastings and George Nethercutt sent a joint letter to chief executive officer Vic Parrish this week urging the public utility consortium to do so. Plant No. 1, which was two-thirds complete when construction was halted in 1982, would produce 1,250 megawatts, enough energy to serve 1.2 million homes. But even in an energy crisis, it's a controversial and expensive proposition. Hastings and Nethercutt, both Washington Republicans, want to find out how expensive. "Let's get a study and get something conclusive," Hastings said Wednesday in a phone interview from Washington, D.C. Energy Northwest's executive board, which toured the facility Wednesday, also gave preliminary approval to its 2001-02 budget that includes using money left in the Plant No. 1 construction account to pay for the study. The Bonneville Power Administration is expected to approve that budget next month. But Parrish said he hopes to have the study conducted within 100 days. The executive board is expected to discuss how the study is to be done at its meeting today in Richland, though it may take several weeks to reach a resolution. Energy Northwest spokesman Don McManman said the consortium wants to pursue the study as a matter of "examining all options" for building sorely needed power plants in the region. The plant was one of five projects the former Washington Public Power Supply System began building in the 1970s. Only the Columbia Generating Station at Hanford ever was finished. Of the four never completed, two of which are at the Satsop site west of Olympia, Plant No. 1 was the furthest along. Hastings said it would be irresponsible not to study the feasibility of finishing it, despite the possibility its power would cost more than other alternatives. "The cost of generating (at Plant No. 1) is a whole lot less than the spot market is," Hastings said. Parrish earlier this year estimated the cost somewhere between $3 billion to $4 billion, a jarring order of magnitude. By comparison, a gas-fired power plant Energy Northwest has plans to operate with Duke Energy North America at Satsop will produce half as much energy, but at a cost of about $250 million. "This picture doesn't compute," said Sara Patton, executive director of the Northwest Energy Coalition, an environmental advocacy group. "Why would we do this?" It's also believed it would take too long to finish construction on Plant No. 1 to attract customers willing to commit to buying its power before work begins. "There are a lot of questions regarding the completion of Plant No. 1 that make it seem a bit of a long shot," said Bonneville spokesman Ed Mosey, who noted there's enough gas-fired projects in the works to provide the resources the Northwest needs. "Even under an optimistic scenario, getting it online within three or four years would be moving. When you start to reach out that far, there's a high risk you won't need it." McManman said the consortium is not advocating the project be finished, just studied. "Energy Northwest has always thought it's important to examine every possible source," he said. Patton said the money would be better spent furthering the development of fuel cell technology or investing in conservation. "I'd rather spend the money studying things that are more realistic," she said. Dave Danner, who advises Gov. Gary Locke on energy issues, said everything he's seen suggests finishing the project would not be cost-effective. Even so, he doesn't object to the study, so long as it's credible. "If the study is objective and provides us with some good information, I'd like to see it," Danner said. "If it's going to be boosterism, it's probably going to be less valuable." Parrish said maintaining the credibility of the study will be a top priority, realizing the difficult political climate for the nuclear industry. Power plants fired by natural gas are the most popular form of generators among builders these days. They're relatively cheap to build and cleaner than they used to be. But the cost of their power largely is driven by fluctuating gas prices, making their costs more volatile. Gas-fired plants also won't last as long as nuclear projects do. Energy Northwest believes Plant No. 1 could be licensed to run for 60 years. Nuclear projects also don't produce the environmentally threatening air emissions gas plants do. But massive construction costs and indecision about what to do with radioactive spent nuclear fuel continue to hold the industry back. Energy Northwest managers were convinced even as little as 15 months ago that finishing the project wouldn't be worth considering. It took mathematically astonishing increases on wholesale power markets to change that. Costs that seemed ridiculously high for some generators before suddenly don't look so bad. "I thought it would be prudent for us to look at everything," Hastings said. "Nuclear ought to be part of that mix." Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 3 Senators to consider permanent waste site 03/22/01 Amarillo Globe-News: By DEON DAUGHERTY Morris News Service AUSTIN - A bill to allow Texas to establish a permanent low-level radioactive waste storage site is planned to be heard by Senate lawmakers today. Senate Bill 1541 by Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, would allow a "host" county that meets criteria enumerated within the bill to contract with a private contractor to set up the project. The state would own the land and the waste. The contractor would be paid by fees charged to producers of the waste. State Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, has filed the House version of the bill. Duncan said the state lacks the expertise of the private sector in handling low-level radioactive waste. The measure calls upon a contractor to build the facility, but the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission would be the sole licensing and management agency, a step designed to ensure efficiency and safety for the state, he said. But the bill isn't without its detractors. The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club has issued at least two news releases charging the bill will make Texas "the nation's largest nuclear waste dump." Fred Richardson, communications director for the group, said on Wednesday, "This bill opens the floodgates to the dumping of radioactive waste in Texas" and called the measure an economic development bill for West Texas. Duncan said the legislation is needed to enable Texas to meet its obligations under a compact agreement with Maine and Vermont - approved by Congress in the late 1990s - to contain the waste. The compact is part of a national plan to encourage regional management of low-level radioactive waste. The compact protects the states included from having to take on additional states' radioactive waste. Maine and Vermont are nearing capacity and Texas has no permanent storage site. Estimates show that the three states in Texas' compact combined could generate between two to three million cubic feet of waste inside the 35 to 50 years anticipated for the project's duration. Inside the same period, the Department of Energy could produce between 100 million to 300 million cubic feet of the waste, according to estimates. ***************************************************************** 4 EPA whistle-blower praised in Marion Army representatives said they could not report yet what was found because results aren't complete. *Friday, March 23, 2001* Tom Sheehan *Dispatch Staff Reporter* MARION, Ohio -- Last night was a homecoming of sorts for Paul Jayko. But there were no balloons, confetti or brass bands. Instead, there were just some congratulatory handshakes and well wishes for the man who was removed by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency as its chief investigator of toxic contamination at River Valley schools and who just last month was reinstated after a long legal battle. Jayko sat in the audience during a meeting of the Restoration Advisory Board, a group of citizens and government officials who are reviewing contamination issues at River Valley and elsewhere in Marion. Before the meeting, Jayko said he has been spending time catching up on the investigation. "I've been doing that for the past couple of weeks,'' he said. "I'll need a few more weeks to get up to speed. "I do have other projects I'm working on in northern Ohio. The Marion issues will be added to my workload,'' he said. Jayko said he didn't want to talk about how the River Valley investigation has progressed during his absence. His run-in with state EPA officials began in 1998 when he criticized the agency in memos and in his daily journal for its lax approach to the River Valley contamination. An investigation had been started in 1997 at the high school and middle school because of an unusually high number of leukemia cases among graduates. The schools were built on a former military depot where chemical waste was dumped for years. Jayko had called for more testing to ensure the safety of the 800 students, but then the investigation began to stall. When one of his more scathing memos became public, Jayko was suspended on charges that he had been drinking before a meeting, and he was pulled off the River Valley assignment. Jayko had filed for federal whistle-blower protection before his suspension, and a legal battle ensued, with three court rulings saying that the EPA broke employment laws involving Jayko and that the agency had retaliated against him. Last month, the agency and Jayko reached a settlement, which included putting him back on the River Valley investigation. "What we're doing right now is bringing Paul back into the team,'' Graham Mitchell, chief of the EPA's Office of Federal Facilities Oversight, told the board. "He's in the process of reviewing documents.'' River Valley resident Mike Griffith, speaking at the end of the meeting, praised Jayko. "I first wanted to recognize Paul Jayko for the long arduous path he had to take'' to get back into the River Valley investigation, Griffith said. "There are people here that recognize you for that.'' Earlier in the meeting, the board was told that 51 areas were tested late last year on the 127-acre U.S. Army Reserve training site adjacent to the two schools and that the results are being evaluated. Several members of the board questioned why the process is taking so long, particularly in areas that already were identified as dump sites and that might have significant TCE, or chemical trichloroethylene contamination. "What are you pulling out of these primary dump sites?'' asked board co-chairman Don Millard. Army representatives said they could not report yet what was found because results aren't complete. They also said the process of releasing information would come after they finish a draft study and submit it to the state EPA for review. River Valley, a 1,700-student district east of Marion, plans to build a new high school and middle school on a different site by August 2003 with a combination of state, federal and local money. tsheehan@dispatch.com Copyright © 2001, The Columbus Dispatch ***************************************************************** 5 Yucca measure loses backing of lawmakers March 23, 2001 Yucca measure loses backing of lawmakers By Mary Manning LAS VEGAS SUN A Senate resolution lost support Thursday when 22 speakers voiced fears that it would send a signal to Washington that Nevada is ready to negotiate on harboring deadly nuclear waste. Senate Joint Resolution 4, sponsored by Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas, was dealt its heaviest blow when two Southern Nevada lawmakers withdrew their signatures. Sens. Maggie Carlton and Terry Care, both D-Las Vegas, said they had doubts about the intent of the resolution and did not want any hint of implied consent for bringing 77,000 tons of nuclear waste to Nevada. Thursday's testimony took place before the Senate Transportation Committee, which O'Donnell chairs. As drafted by O'Donnell, the resolution urges the Energy Department to pay for building a rail line around the Las Vegas Valley to take highly radioactive waste 90 miles northwest of the city to the proposed Yucca Mountain site. O'Donnell argues that Nevada needs to have an agreement in place if Yucca Mountain is designated as the nation's official repository for waste from the nation's nuclear power plants. He says he has not wavered in his opposition to bury waste at Yucca, but it is in the state's best interest to have a plan to guard the public health if Yucca is chosen. He says a rail system designated for the transportation of nuclear waste would be far safer than hauling the radioactive material on public roads. Critics say, however, that any hint of negotiating for mitigating infrastructure would send a message to Washington that Nevada has resigned itself to the inevitable, that the state is implying its consent. Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams, a former legislator and a vocal opponent of a Yucca Mountain repository, didn't see anything reasonable in O'Donnell's resolution. "This resolution is inaccurate and misleading," Williams said, as O'Donnell interrupted her testimony three times. At one point, O'Donnell warned Williams on her comments, "If they are true and factual, I will accept them. If they are not, I will call you on them." The DOE could recommend a Yucca Mountain repository to President Bush and Congress at the end of this year. At the earliest, it would open in 2010. O'Donnell asked each of 22 speakers whether they would choose trucks or trains. Most, from Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa to residents of Pahrump, 25 miles southwest of Yucca Mountain, responded that they did not want to see nuclear waste anywhere in the state. Robert Loux, executive director of the state Agency for Nuclear Projects, and his transportation coordinator Robert Halstead, warned O'Donnell that Nevada could sacrifice its legal defense if the resolution passed. The state is prepared to sue the government on several issues, Loux said. "I do not believe the nuclear waste will come here," Las Vegas resort businessman Steve Cloobeck said. "Do you know of any federal project that the federal government suggested and a community vehemently opposed, that the federal government shoved it down their throat?" Kalynda Tilges, nuclear issues coordinator for Citizen Alert, a statewide environmental watchdog organization, urged O'Donnell to join the fight against a repository instead of seeking a compromise. "The waste will not come here," she said at the end of a four-hour hearing, "and if it does, it will be over my dead body." All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 6 Tokasz seeks private landfill investigation Cheektowaga Times State Assemblyman Paul A. Tokasz will seek a private investigation of the Schultz Landfill to determine if any toxic or radioactive substances are contained at the Indian Road site. In a March 9 letter to Supervisor Dennis H. Gabryszak, Tokasz said he is trying to secure $100,000 in the 2001-2002 State Budget for the private investigation. Tokasz said if hazardous material is found during the investigation, it will be necessary to arrange for the "proper disposal of these materials and the closing and capping of the Schultz Landfill." He added that a newly refinanced Superfund program could pave the way for funding. Tokasz’s letter was in response to a resolution passed by the Town Board February 26 regarding the testing and potential closing of the landfill. The Town Board met this news with enthusiasm and supports the efforts of Tokasz to secure the funding. The Board petitioned the State Assembly, State Senate and Governor George Pataki to approve funding in the budget for testing at the landfill. Tokasz’s move is the latest development in the ongoing struggle of Bellevue residents who want to know if toxic materials in the landfill — if they exist — are making them sick. Several residents in the neighborhood filed a $400 million lawsuit March 9 in State Supreme Court against 22 defendants, claiming contents in the landfill, and the activities at a nearby quarry, have compromised their quality of life. ***************************************************************** 7 Residents don’t buy Schultz explanation Cheektowaga Times For the second consecutive week, Bellevue Fire Hall was the site of an emotionally-charged meeting as residents of the Bellevue neighborhood gathered March 15 to listen to the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) discuss the debris they dumped in the Schultz Landfill in September 1998. Eight days earlier, many of the same residents grilled officials from Buffalo Crushed Stone and their consultant, Vibra-Tech, about the effects blasting at a nearby quarry has on the neighborhood. Representatives of the ACOE, led by Lieutenant Colonel Glen DeWillie, claimed that 5.72 tons of "clean" material was dumped into the landfill, not 24.92 tons of radioactive material as originally reported. Their statements were confirmed by State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials. However, during the question-and-answer session that followed, several residents appeared skeptical. Kevin Nowak of Indian Road, who works in construction, asked what size dumpsters were used in debris removal. He said the size of the dumpsters that took the majority of "clean" material to an out-of-state landfill would give an indication to how much material actually was sent to Schultz. ACOE officials did not have an immediate answer for him. Sandy Jezierski, who lives in a $250 thousand house on Brookedge Road, says she suffers from cancer, lupus and respiratory ailments. The mother of four said her symptoms have appeared in the last five years and asked DeWillie if he and his family would live in her home knowing her ailments. The public meeting was hosted by the Depew/Cheektowaga Taxpayers Association. The group’s President, Jane Wiercioch, often had to drown out speakers with her gavel. Jezierski and Donna Hosmer, an environmental activist and Bellevue resident, each had heated exchanges with Wiercioch. Overall, residents didn’t seem convinced that the ACOE didn’t dump hazardous/radioactive materials in the landfill. However, the ACOE is not listed as a defendant in a $400 million lawsuit filed by Hosmer and others March 9 in State Supreme Court. The Times reported February 8 that nearly 25 tons of low-level radioactive waste had been deposited by the ACOE into the landfill, according to documents filed with the DEC. However, Corps officials said mistakes were made in the report filed with the DEC in February 2000, and amended the figure to 5.72 tons of "clean" material. The debris was the product of the ACOE’s dismantling of the Linde Air Building 30 and its North Bay in Tonawanda. The original building was used by the Manhattan Engineering District in the early 1940’s. The North Bay was a 1966 addition. DeWillie said most of the material from the North Bay went to the Lakeview Landfill near Erie, PA while the remainder went to the Schultz Landfill. Material from Building 30 was delivered to permitted landfills in California and Utah. DeWillie added that before demolition began, the Corps conducted radiological surveys of "over 300 points of the North Bay addition and determined the material was free to be released as non-radiological, nonhazardous debris." Three of the samples came back with low-level readings of uranium and radium. However, DeWillie said these samples came from a common wall shared by the original structure and the addition which was not sent to the Schultz landfill. To support his statement, DeWillie showed the audience two pictures of the dismantling process, including one of the North Bay tear-down in progress and one showing the original building still standing, minus the North Bay. The common wall, where the radioactive samples were taken, was still standing. However, the original report filed with the DEC in February 2000 stated these samples were from the North Bay and that all debris from the addition was sent to the Schultz Landfill. Since the radioactive levels were well below established guidelines, the DEC concluded the debris did not cause concern for public health or environmental contamination, said Barbara Youngberg, Albany Section Chief of the DEC’s Bureau of Radiation. When DeWillie was alerted to concerns from the DEC, he checked the records and found mistakes in sample labels and the amount of material dumped in the landfill. The three samples were labeled "North Bay Wood" and "North Bay Concrete." DeWillie noted the original building was constructed out of wood and concrete but the North Bay was made entirely of metal. The other mistake was a "transposed error" in reading weight tickets given to drivers that transport the debris. DeWillie notified the DEC that amendments would be made to the original report. Youngberg told the audience she inspected the weight tickets in her review of the case, and verified only 5.72 tons were delivered to the landfill. Youngberg pieced the Schultz and Lakeview tickets together and came up with the correct total. "It was a mistake made in preparing the chart that was included in the report," she said. "We have no reason to believe that more than 5.72 tons went into the Schultz Landfill." Members of the audience disputed the terminology of doorways in the common wall as "holes." Someone shouted "Was this another mistake?" ACOE officials said the "holes" referred to in the report were indeed doors. DeWillie told residents if they had further questions regarding the ACOE’s involvement, they could call their toll free number at 1-800-833-6390 or e-mail them at fusrap@usace.army.mil. Questions may also be sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1776 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14207. ***************************************************************** 8 Democrats charge Bush using energy as excuse to damage environment - March 22, 2001 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate's top Democrat accused President Bush on Thursday of using the country's energy problems "as justification for an all-out assault on the environment." Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, made his strongest criticism of the Bush administration's energy proposals to date as he and other Democrats unveiled proposed energy legislation that would focus heavily on conservation efforts as well as incentives for energy development, mostly on private lands. "We cannot drill our way out of this problem," said Daschle, "and we cannot use our coming energy challenges as justification for an all-out assault on the environment." Bush has made clear that the energy proposals being developed by a special task force, will focus heavily on incentives for production, easing regulatory barriers for energy development and opening more public lands to drilling including national monuments and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Last week, Bush announced that he no longer wants to regulate carbon dioxide from power plants, a leading heat-trapping "greenhouse" gas linked to global warming, because he said to do so would aggravate the country's energy problems. "Drilling in our national monuments would be a monumental mistake," declared Daschle, who added that the Democratic energy blueprint would reduce carbon dioxide levels over the next decade by relying less on fossil fuels. The Democratic energy package would provide tax incentives and other measures aimed at promoting energy efficiency and development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. It also calls for streamlining approval for gas pipelines and power transmission lines, and would give industry a tax incentive to build a natural gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope. But it also includes a measure, expected to be highly controversial, that would cap the amount of petroleum that could be used for transportation. The broad restriction is aimed at getting the auto industry to produce more fuel efficient vehicles, especially sport utility vehicles and light trucks. The Democrats' bill joins one already unveiled by Senate Republicans. The GOP measure focuses more heavily on production, including incentives for nuclear energy development, wider use of coal for electricity generation and drilling in the Arctic refuge -- a step strongly opposed by environmentalists. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, has said he will not consider an energy bill until after the White House sends its proposal to Capitol Hill. No floor action on energy legislation is expected until late summer at the earliest., After receiving an interim report from his energy task force, Bush said this week that there is "no quick fix" to dealing with what he and his top aides repeatedly have called an energy crisis. He has said the issue is one of too little supply amid growing demand and has voiced strong support for finding ways to boost supplies, including expanded production on federal lands including protected federal monuments and the Arctic refuge. "We do believe more can be done on the supply side," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. But he said it is "foolhardy" to largely ignore conservation and efficiency programs and incentives for renewable energy sources. "Republicans seem to believe the only way we can solve our energy crisis is by soiling our environment," complained Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York. Unlike the GOP energy legislation introduced by Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, last month, the Democrats' bill has little in it to promote nuclear power, nor any provisions to squeeze more electricity production from coal burning power plants. Both are expected be major parts of Bush's energy package to be unveiled in the coming weeks. The Democratic plan "will increase domestic production of energy, reduce demand by improving energy efficiency and promote the use of clean, renewable sources of energy, bringing our energy system into balance in a way that protects our environment," said Daschle. Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 9 Monroe Evening News Small fire prompts Fermi plant alert BY CHARLES SLAT Evening News staff writer March 22, 2001 Paint on a bearing cover on an emergency diesel generation started burning but was extinguished in less than a minute. A small fire on an equipment cover prompted Detroit Edison Co. to declare a low-level emergency at its Fermi 2 nuclear power plant late Wednesday. Paint on a bearing cover on one of the plant’s emergency diesel generators started burning shortly after 10 p.m., but the flames were extinguished in less than a minute by plant personnel using a portable fire extinguisher. Under its operating rules, the plant had to notify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and declare an “alert” at the power plant. An alert is the second lowest of four federal nuclear plant emergency classifications and is meant to warn utility and emergency personnel that plant safety may be compromised. The alert was declared shortly after the fire was put out and canceled almost immediately. All emergency equipment remained operable and the plant continued to run at 100 percent power during the incident. Plant officials notified the NRC resident inspector, emergency preparedness officials in Monroe and Wayne Counties, the Province of Ontario and the state of Michigan. The fire’s cause is being investigated and the plant was continuing to operate at 100 percent power today. Edison spokesman Guy D. Cerullo said the generator was in the midst of an annual test in which it must run continuously for 24 hours. An operator noticed a high bearing temperature reading shortly before the fire began. It is one of four generators that would provide emergency and back-up emergency power if electrical power to the plant failed. The generators are tested briefly each week but federal rules require each to run for 24 hours once a year. Though the affected generator is considered inoperable due to the fire, the three other generators are in working order, Mr. Cerullo said. Built over 20 years, the Fermi plant began operating in January, 1988. The plant is capable of generating about 1,138 megawatts of electricity or approximately 10 percent of Edison’s total system capacity. The plant has been generating power continuously for 302 days. *©Monroe Evening News 2001* Copyright © 1995-2000 PowerAdz.com, LLC. Zwire!, AdQuest, ***************************************************************** 10 Rio Tinto casts doubt over Jabiluka's future ABC News - The future of the Jabiluka uranium mine in the Northern Territory is in doubt after comments from the mining company Rio Tinto. The company says it is unlikely to fund the development of the mine, surrounded by Kakadu National Park. Rio Tinto is the major shareholder in Energy Resources of Australia (ERA), which owns Jabiluka. Rio's chief executive told a Sydney lunch it would be hard for Rio to support the development of Jabiluka in the short-term, given the opposition to the mine, and the low price for uranium. ERA says it is still committed to project, and is in no rush, with a decade of operations still to go at its nearby Ranger mine. But the Greens Senator, Bob Brown, says it is the death of the controversial project. "It's going to be very difficult for ERA to recover from this position, pour the necessary millions into proceeding with the mine or to find a buyer at a time when the world uranium market is so bleak," he said. ***************************************************************** 11 Kiwis near uranium The Otago Daily Times Wellington: Defence Minister Mark Burton has confirmed some New Zealand military personnel were near debris from depleted uranium munitions, fired by Nato forces in Yugoslavia in 1995, but is seeking further information about potential health hazards. In reply to written questions in Parliament, Mr Burton said responses to a survey of staff in Yugoslavia had been slow to come in but he had been informed of progress to date by Army Land Command. Defence forces were interviewing those who could have been exposed to see if they had contact with depleted uranium residue or were in an affected area at some later time. "We are seeking further information from Nato to assess if the potential hazard is time-limited." - NZPA *Wednesday, 21-March 2001* This material is published in the Otago Daily TimesOnline Edition. All ***************************************************************** 12 YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Legislator pushes for nuclear waste route Legislature Session 2001 Friday, March 23, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Commissioner, attorney general oppose transportation plan By SEAN WHALEY DONREY CAPITAL BUREAU CARSON CITY -- A lawmaker argued Thursday that the state should negotiate with the federal government to build a railroad around urban Las Vegas to safely haul high-level nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain. "It is the intent of (Senate Joint Resolution 4) to be proactive, to plan ahead and to protect the most populated region in Nevada if the repository is forced upon us," said Sen. Bill O'Donnell, R-Las Vegas. "I have introduced this legislation to try to provide a transportation alternative to the residents of Clark County so that we do not have to stand at the side of Interstate 15 and watch as shipments of nuclear waste go through our community, potentially causing a disaster in Las Vegas neighborhoods," he said. But O'Donnell's resolution was opposed by Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams, who said such a move would imply that Nevada was willing to accept the nation's radioactive waste and doom the efforts to fight the construction of the repository at Yucca Mountain. "The message conveyed in the resolution is that Yucca Mountain's opening is inevitable," she said. "This is simply not true." Williams, a member of the state Commission on Nuclear Projects, a group opposed to the selection of Yucca Mountain, said Nevadans should not give the false impression to others that Yucca Mountain is a certainty. "Mixed messages need to be avoided," she said. Bob Loux, executive director of the Agency for Nuclear Projects, said the transportation issue is a long way off, even if the U.S. Department of Energy does designate Yucca Mountain as the repository. "We just believe this is premature," he said. Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa submitted prepared remarks in opposition to the resolution. "It sends the wrong message to those in Congress and the nuclear power industry," she said. "The wrong message is that Nevada is willing to accept a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain as long as transportation of deadly radioactive waste avoids Las Vegas and is accomplished by rail." O'Donnell, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee that heard his resolution, frequently debated the opponents, saying the measure was a realistic response to the inevitable decision by Congress to locate the dump in Nevada. But it does not offer implied consent to the dump, he said. Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, a member of the committee, agreed that O'Donnell's bill was in the best interests of the state, but only a few others who testified at the hearing endorsed the measure. One who did was Ely Mayor Bob Miller, who agreed the measure was not implied consent and who offered a railroad line that runs in White Pine County as a transportation alternative. "We request the Northern Nevada Railroad be looked at as a route, if they decide to ship the waste to Nevada," he said. "I am speaking in favor of the resolution." Neighboring Eureka County opposed the resolution, however. No action was taken on the measure after four hours of testimony. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 13 Injunction on MOX fuel loading denied!! CNICcnic.jca.apc.orgCitizens' Nuclear Information Center but court finds no justifiable reason for not releasing the data 23 March 2001 Citizens' plead for a provisional injunction against the use of Belgonucleaire's mixed plutonium-uranium oxide (MOX) fuel at Fukushima I-3 was denied today by the judge of the Fukushima District Court. The judge did not rule for an injunction though in his ruling he fully supported the plaintiffs' argument that Belgonucleaire must release all data concerning the manufacturing of the fuel. In particular, concerning the argument of the defendant (Tokyo Electric Power Company) that "data on the outer diameters of MOX pellets is commercially confidential," the judge argued that"there is no justifiable reason for not releasing the data on the outer diameters of MOX pellets since the data cannot be considered commercially confidential." This ruling has denied the rationale of the defendant's refusal against the plaintiffs' demand to release data on MOX fuel ongrounds that Belgonucleaire's data is commercially confidential. Clearly, the court has ruled that the safety of the fuel can be discussed only after all data is released. The ruling is in fact calling on Tokyo Electric Power Company to immediately release all data concerning the manufacturing of MOX fuel pellets and urges the defendant to qualify its assertion on the safety of the fuel based on the releaseddata. *For a Nuclear Free World - http://www.cnic.or.jp/* 3F Kotobuki Bldg., 1-58-15 Higashi-nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003 Japan Tel: 81-3-5330-9520; Fax: 81-3-5330-9530 http://www.cnic.or.jp/
cnic-jp@po.iijnet.or.jp (C) Citizens' Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) ***************************************************************** 14 Review of nuclear plant to be held FT.com | News and Analysis | World Article By Robert Shrimsley and Matthew Jones in London Published: March 22 2001 21:52GMT | Last Updated: March 22 2001 22:24GMT A public consultation on the future of British Nuclear Fuels' controversial Mox plant is to be announced by ministers in the next few weeks in a move which spells further uncertainty for the troubled state-owned company. The consultation, due to be announced by Michael Meacher, the environment minister, will be the fourth such review of the £460m ($658m) mixed oxide processing plant at Sellafield, north-west England, which was completed in 1996 but is still awaiting authorisation to start operations. Such authorisation is crucial to BNFL winning vital fuel supply contracts from Japan. Those orders were put in jeopardy last year after a scandal in which it was revealed that BNFL had falsified safety records on fuel shipments to Japan. BNFL has been working hard to secure new business ever since. Until authorisation is granted, new contracts are unlikely to be forthcoming. But Mr Meacher has been insisting on new orders before approving the plant. Last month, local government officials in Japan, BNFL's largest potential market for Mox, signalled a further delay on contracts. The governor of Fukushima prefecture, which was expected to be the first Japanese region to allow the use of Mox fuel, called for a re-think on nuclear energy policy and caution in using the fuel. Mox was developed as a way of recycling spent fuel by combining plutonium recovered during reprocessing with fresh uranium. Environmental groups argue that it presents an unacceptable risk to society by perpetuating the manufacture of plutonium, which is used in nuclear warheads. Officials said the consultation will last at least three months and will cover the business case for the plant as well as the environmental and health considerations. In January, BNFL submitted a re-appraisal of the viability of the plant three years after an independent economic review commissioned by the government found it should go ahead. The future of the plant has been a source of tension between Mr Meacher and ministers at the department of trade and industry. On Thursday, Stephen Byers, trade and industry secretary, said he hoped an announcement would be made "in the very near future". About 1,800 jobs are dependent on the Mox plant. Failure to secure authorisation would also cast doubt on the future of Thorp, the group's thermal oxide reprocessing plant. A BNFL official declined to comment on the decision before an official announcement from the environment department. ***************************************************************** 15 Cogema Confirms Nuclear Transport for Monday F.A.Z. - English Version [Frankfurter Allgemeine] F.A.Z. BERLIN_PARIS. The first Castor transport of nuclear waste in four years from France to Gorleben in Germany will take place on Monday, officials at the French nuclear energy firm Cogema said on Thursday. Cogema's director in La Hague said the train would leave Valognes in northwestern France at 6:30 a.m. and arrive in Lauterborg on the German-French border at 11 p.m. The transports have been the source of controversy ever since France and Germany agreed to resume them on Jan. 31. Protests were expected to be staged all along the train's route in Germany and France, and police promised to deal harshly with those who attempted to block the train's passage. In Germany, Alliance 90_The Greens coleaders Claudia Roth and Fritz Kuhn reportedly planned to participate in demonstrations. Vandals early on Thursday sprayed anti-nuclear slogans urging people to protest the transports on five cars belonging to a television station, police said. A day earlier, vandals smashed windows at a Deutsche Bahn office in Berlin and sprayed graffiti criticizing the national railroad for transporting radioactive waste. Mar. 22, 2001 © Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 2000 All ***************************************************************** 16 New Emergency Glitch at Disputed Czech Nuclear Plant Central Europe Online - TEMELIN, Mar 23, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Managers of a disputed Czech nuclear plant powered it down urgently after an oil leak, the latest glitch to hit the Soviet-built reactor, a spokesman said Friday. The Temelin plant, which has protests in neighboring Austria, was reduced to four percent of its output Thursday evening after the leak, in which "several dozens liters" of oil escaped. The plant, which was initially fired up last October, had been producing power at 40 percent of its capacity of 1,000 megawatts before the incident, and had been linked up to the national power grid. The reactor at the Temelin plant, some 60 kilometers (35 miles) from the Austrian border, has been repeatedly stopped due to technical faults, including a month-long shutdown last month to modify equipment. Construction of the Temelin plant began in the 1980s, but was only finished in the 1990s after extensive modifications and additions following the 1989 collapse of the Soviet bloc. Austria at one stage threatened to block Prague's EU membership negotiations over the Temelin plant, but signed an accord last December agreeing to allow the plant to start up, but not before safety and environmental studies had been carried out. The second reactor is due to begin the process of powering up in November this year, and experts have already successfully carried out tests on its air-tight seals, according to experts. *((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) ***************************************************************** 17 Activists Win Reprieve in Nuclear Fight Friday, Mar. 23, 2001. Page 1 By Yevgenia Borisova Environmental activists raising a banner reading "Duma: Change Your Mind" above the entrance to the Duma on Thursday. Parliament's security tore it down within minutes. Opponents who have been fiercely protesting a plan to import 20,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel to Russia won a reprieve Thursday when the State Duma decided to delay a vote on the bill until at least early April. Duma deputies, who had overwhelmingly approved the bill in first reading in December, agreed that too many uncertainties remained about the proposal from the Nuclear Power Ministry and called for at least two weeks to review its feasibility. About 200 demonstrators — 100 from each camp — had gathered outside the Duma building in freezing weather before the scheduled vote Thursday morning. Environmentalists stood beside the Duma, cajoling lawmakers as they arrived at work, while nuclear power workers protested across the street near the Moskva hotel. The environmentalists' protests may have paid off. Hearings on the bill, which the Nuclear Power Ministry says would earn Russia $20 billion over 12 years, were tentatively postponed to April 4 or April 5. The delay comes as a welcome respite to opponents, who had feared that it would be rushed through both second and third readings Thursday. The decision was "a good result," said Sergei Mitrokhin, a deputy with the Yabloko faction and one of the fiercest opponents of the project. "A better result, of course, would have been the ultimate rejection of the project," he added. Even if the bill passes, the U.S. could block Russia from getting imports. Nuclear Power Minister Yevgeny Adamov kept a brave face. "It is an absolutely correct decision. If questions appear, they must be discussed so that no doubts are left," he said. While only 38 deputies voted against the bill in December, 339 deputies on Thursday demanded the postponement of the second hearing in lieu of more information about how revenues from the project would be spent. They also asked for a report from government environmental experts about the project's risks, paperwork required by law for ecologically risky projects that had not been submitted with the proposed legislation. "I think the Duma needs additional consultations," said Unity faction head Boris Gryzlov. "The issue hasn't been prepared for the hearing." Speaker Gennady Seleznyov said that lawmakers will "weigh all the pros and cons and the bills may be returned to the first reading again. If needed, additional investigations must be made." Communists and Agrarians — who almost unanimously backed the bill in December — will base their next vote "on the additional information that we receive from parliamentary hearings," said Agrarian faction chief Nikolai Kharitonov. Other government officials blasted the delay. Liberal Democratic Party Deputy Alexei Mitrofanov said opponents of the legislation were "enemies of the people" because they "oppose making decisions that would bring Russia many billions of dollars." Presidential representative Alexander Kotenkov said failure to pass the bill was "favorable for our rivals," hinting that opponents of the legislation were getting hefty financing from foreign countries that didn't want to lose their corner on the spent nuclear fuel market. However even if the bill passes into law, the Nuclear Power Ministry will probably not be able to gain the 10 percent of the market that it is aiming for due to pressure from the United States, according to a letter from the U.S. State Department that was released by the Ecodefense environmental group Thursday. The letter was written in response to a query from environmental organizations about the Nuclear Power Ministry's planned project. "Any transfer to Russia of power reactor spent fuel subject to U.S. consent rights could only take place if the United States were to conclude an agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation with the Russian Federation," reads the letter signed by Richard Stratford, director of the Office of Nuclear Energy Affairs. No such cooperation will be signed until Russia stops cooperating with Iran in its nuclear programs, the letter said. The letter effectively blocks the ministry's hopes of importing spent nuclear fuel from a number of countries with which it has already entered into negotiations including Taiwan, where fuel is provided from the United States, said Vladimir Kuznetsov, a former inspection head in Gosatomnadzor, the governmental nuclear safety watchdog. Currently, about 90 percent of the world market of about 200,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel is controlled by the United States, while another 6 percent is controlled by France and Britain, he said. Russia controls only 4 percent. The Washington-based environmental group Nuclear Information and Resource Service said that the United States has the power to halt the movement of most of the world's spent fuel. "The U.S. supplied much of the enriched uranium that powered the reactors in the first place, and it is nearly impossible for any nuclear country to differentiate between the enriched uranium supplied by the U.S. and that supplied by other nations," NIRS executive director Michael Mariotte wrote in an article posted on his organization's web site (www.nirs.org). "This letter significantly adds to ecologists' argument that the Nuclear Power Ministry's projects are not properly thought out," added Vladimir Slivyak, co-head of Ecodefense. A Nuclear Power Ministry source, who did not want to be named, would only say: "The project is not going to start tomorrow. In a few years things may change." Meanwhile, the Supreme Court dealt environmentalists a bitter blow Thursday by ruining their hopes for a national referendum against the import of spent fuel. The court upheld a decision by the Central Elections Commission last year to throw out about 600 signatures out of the 2.5 million gathered across Russia to conduct the referendum, thus voiding the petition. Environmentalists said they will lodge an appeal. The Moscow Times ***************************************************************** 18 NUCLEAR POWER IN RUSSIA IS SURROUNDED WITH MYTHS Pravda.RU:Main Mar, 23 2001 Robert Nigmatulin is an author of one of three draft laws on storage and utilisation of activated nuclear fuel. The bills were to be discussed today, in the course of the State Duma sitting. However they were removed from the agenda. “Such countries as France and England are engaged in utilisation of activated nuclear fuel”, Robert Nigmatulin said to PRAVDA.Ru journalist. “Japan is planning to go in for such kind of business, too. When turning uranium 238 into plutonium, we get raw materials as a result. Assume that we will be run of uranium and other kinds of fuel in 80 or 100 years. But utilising it we will guarantee the energy future of the world for a few thousand years forward. We have everything we need for it: advanced technologies, intellectual and material basis, skilled workers. This project may bring about 1 billion dollars a year. We can spend this money for rehabilitation of radiationally polluted regions. USA spend for its “ecology” about 10 billion dollars every year. We can’t afford it: our budget makes up only 40 milliard dollars. Therefore there is no another alternative for us. It will be added that prominent Russian scientists, experts in this subject, support this draft law. But in out country the attitude to the nuclear power is rather strange: it is surrounded with myths.” Today’s removing of this matter from the Duma agenda is evidence of this statement. Copyright ©1999 by "Pravda.RU". When reproducing our materials ***************************************************************** 19 SA grants nuclear contract business.iafrica.com | *today's news | Posted Fri, 23 Mar 2001 South Africa has awarded a UK-German-South African consortium a contract to design a plant for providing fuel for the country's Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) project. NUKEM Nuklear GmbH of Germany, British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) and local firm Engineering Management Services will design a fuel fabrication plant to produce the praphite spheres or "pebbles" used in the PBMR reactors, PBMR said in a statement. "This should greatly reduce the risk of having sufficient qualified fuel available when our demonstration plant starts operations in 2005," said PBMR chief executive Dave Nicholls. No further details of the contract are available. The project to develop a commercial PBMR is being led by a consortium involving Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation, BNFL and the US Exelon Corporation. PBMR is a design for a new generation mini-nuclear reactor with a capacity of 110 megawatts against the 1 000 or so megawatt capacity of most modern nuclear power stations. ***************************************************************** 20 RWANDA DENIES USING PRISONERS FOR MINING IN CONGO anc nw20010323/45: RWANDA-PRISONERS RWANDA-PRISONERS KIGALI, Rwanda 22 March 2001 Sapa-AP Rwanda strongly denied allegations Thursday that it was using prisoners as forced labor for mining activities in neighboring Congo. Interior Minister Jean de Dieu Ntiruhungwa said the allegations were "completely untrue," adding that the government never sent prisoners out of the central African country. He also said the government had no mining interests abroad. Earlier, the Rome-based Roman Catholic missionary news agency, MISNA, reported that 1,500 Hutu prisoners, wearing pink prison uniforms were being forced to work under armed guard in a coltan mine in South Kivu province in eastern Congo. Coltan - short for columbite-tantalite - sells at dlrs 50 per kilogram on the international market and is used in the manufacture of computer chips and other high-tech gadgets. MISNA also said there were numerous concentration camps in the region that provided labor for other mines. "The report is completely untrue. Our prisoners are in jails inside Rwanda and not in the Congo," Ntiruhungwa told The Associated Press. "If at all Rwanda wanted to use prisoners for mining in another country, it wouldn't make sense to send them in prison uniforms. ... We have never known the hidden agenda behind these slanderous allegations by this Catholic agency." Rwanda backs one of two main Congolese rebel movements that took up arms in August 1998 to overthrow Congo's government and has deployed thousands of troops in the neighboring country. Along with the rebels, it controls a large swathe of eastern Congo. It has justified its military presence by saying its forces are there to protect Rwanda from attack by insurgents. Rwanda is concerned about remnants of the Interahamwe militia and former Hutu soldiers who fled into Congo after taking part in their country's 1994 genocide that left than more than 500,000 people dead. "We are in Congo for the security of our country and our people, and not for production," Ntiruhungwa said. "No one can ship out prisoners when there are numerous international organizations keeping track of the number of prisoners in our jails as they help us feed them and supply other humanitarian services." The financing of the war in the Congo - which involves at least five foreign countries - as well as the plunder of the country's vast resources, has been a subject of international concern and investigations. Uganda backs another rebel faction while Namibia, Zimbabwe and Angola support the government. Congo holds more than half the world's copper reserves, the world's second-largest reserves of industrial diamonds and huge deposits of uranium. The country also has 65 percent of the world's cobalt and is home to some of the richest coltan deposits in the world. Ntiruhungwa said the Rwandan government was not involved in mining ventures abroad. http://www.anc.org.za/anc/newsbrief/2001/news0323--> processed Fri 23 Mar 2001 06:03 EST by Omar C. Jadwat (). ***************************************************************** 21 Rwanda Denies Prisoners Used to Mine Las Vegas SUN March 22, 2001 KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) - Rwanda on Thursday strongly denied allegations that it was using prisoners as forced labor for mining activities in neighboring Congo. Interior Minister Jean de Dieu Ntiruhungwa said the charges were "completely untrue," adding that the government never sent prisoners out of the central African country. He also said the government had no mining interests abroad. Earlier, the Rome-based Roman Catholic missionary news agency, MISNA, reported that 1,500 Hutu prisoners wearing pink prison uniforms were being forced to work under armed guard in a coltan mine in South Kivu province in eastern Congo. Coltan - short for columbite-tantalite - sells at $23 a pound on the international market and is used in the manufacture of computer chips and other high-tech gadgets. MISNA also said there were numerous concentration camps in the region that provided labor for other mines. "The report is completely untrue. Our prisoners are in jails inside Rwanda and not in the Congo," Ntiruhungwa said. "If at all Rwanda wanted to use prisoners for mining in another country, it wouldn't make sense to send them in prison uniforms." Ntiruhungwa added that it couldn't ship out prisoners clandestinely because numerous international groups keep track of the number of inmates in its prisons in order to provide aid. Rwanda backs one of two main Congolese rebel movements fighting to overthrow Congo's government and has deployed thousands of troops in the neighboring country. Along with the rebels, it controls a large swathe of eastern Congo. It has justified its military presence by saying its forces are there to protect Rwanda from attack by Congo-based insurgents. After taking part in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda that killed 500,000 people, mainly minority Tutsis, the remnants of the Interahamwe militia and former Hutu soldiers fled to Congo. Congo holds more than half the world's copper reserves, the world's second-largest reserves of industrial diamonds and huge deposits of uranium. The country also has some of the richest coltan deposits in the world. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 AG May Take Feds to Court Over Hanford Cleanup Summary: OLYMPIA, Wash., Mar 23, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today called for the preparation of legal action in the event the federal government breaks its promise to begin construction this summer on a facility to treat radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.* Story Filed: Friday, March 23, 2001 2:03 PM EST OLYMPIA, Wash., Mar 23, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Attorney General Christine Gregoire today called for the preparation of legal action in the event the federal government breaks its promise to begin construction this summer on a facility to treat radioactive waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Reported cuts in the Department of Energy (DOE) budget could slash funding for cleanups nationwide by an estimated $425 million. To meet its obligations at Hanford, DOE would need an estimated increase of several hundred million dollars. Gregoire said the DOE has a legally binding commitment to begin construction by July 31, 2001 on a facility that will convert liquid radioactive waste into more easily stored glass. While DOE has issued a contract for the work, it has not completed design of the facility and is unlikely to start construction on time with this budget scenario. Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney General Gregoire have written letters to President Bush and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham urging them to raise budget requests to accurately reflect cleanup costs. In addition, Gregoire circulated a letter that has been signed by attorneys general of 11 Western states, expressing their concern to Secretary Abraham about the budget situation. "If we are going to clean up this waste in our lifetime, we must move forward now," Gregoire said. "We cannot and we will not allow the legacy of untreated nuclear waste to be left for yet another generation to cope with." "The federal government has made commitments to timelines for the cleanup and it is irresponsible for the President to suggest cutting the funding needed to meet them," Locke said. "These wastes must be turned into glass and stored where they will pose no threat to the environment for the thousands of years during which they will remain radioactive." Gregoire and Locke are most concerned about the likely delay in cleaning up 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste now stored in underground tanks, many of which are decades past their planned useful life. About 1 million gallons already have leaked into the soil and contaminated groundwater that flows toward the Columbia River. The DOE signed an agreement in 1989 with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington Department of Ecology to clean up the dangerous waste at Hanford. Under the agreement, the state has the right to sue the federal government to force compliance with the cleanup timetable. CONTACT: Attorney General of Washington State Senior Assistant Attorney General David Mears, 360/586-6743 or AGO Public Affairs Cheryl Reid, 360/586-4802 URL: http://www.businesswire.com *Copyright © 2001, Business Wire, all rights reserved.* ***************************************************************** 2 Judge delays decision on engineer's lawsuit This story was published 3/23/2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer SPOKANE -- A federal judge will soon decide whether an engineer can take his lawsuit -- alleging he was fired for pointing out legal problems to his superiors -- to trial against his former Hanford employer. U.S. District Judge Fred Van Sickle heard arguments Thursday from attorneys of the former employee, G. Thomas Clark of Spokane, and of Science Applications International Corp., an engineering firm that does extensive subcontracting work at Hanford. SAIC's attorney Randall Steichen of Seattle sought dismissal of Clark's lawsuit before it is scheduled to go to trial on April 30. Van Sickle made no ruling Thursday. Clark is seeking at least $500,000 in compensatory damages and at least $1 million in punitive damages. His lawsuit, filed by attorney Louis Byrd of Vancouver, Wash., charges that SAIC wrongfully fired him for complaining to his superiors about SAIC not complying with Washington's law about having the proper licensed engineers in key positions. Clark joined SAIC's Richland office in 1988. In 1993, SAIC asked him to be its "corporate engineer" -- being the company's official licensed engineer responsible for SAIC complying with Washington's engineering regulations. His lawsuit alleges that Clark told his superiors that nonengineers were doing work that licensed engineers should be doing, and that no licensed engineers were on staff at SAIC's Olympia and Bothell offices in 1993 as legally required. His lawsuit alleges that SAIC downplayed his concerns, harassed him and pressured him to ignore the state's engineering regulations. Clark's lawsuit alleges the harassment consisted of threats of being laid off because of a lack of work; being left out of new engineering work, which "effectively dried up (his) billable time;" and being criticized for taking his job too seriously. Clark received a layoff warning notice in March 1996 and put on an involuntary leave with pay on May 3, 1996. He filed complaints in June 1996 on the engineering issues to the Department of Energy and the state's Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors. SAIC terminated him in September 1996. In December, DOE found three SAIC engineering documents were not properly done, according to Clark's complaint. Steichen argued Clark was laid off during Hanford's massive mid-1990s cutting of about 6,000 jobs. SAIC's Richland office's revenue dropped from $10 million in 1996 to $5 million in 1997. The sole reason for Clark's termination was there was not enough work for him to do, Steichen said. Byrd argued that SAIC kept another engineer at that time who had accumulated less billable hours than Clark. Byrd contended SAIC terminated Clark because of his complaints. In 1997, the state's Board of Registration for Professional Engineers ruled that some, but not all, of Clark's complaints were valid. But the board also said it lacked jurisdiction in most of this matter, mainly because the disputes involved SAIC's work for federal contractors at Hanford. The board concluded the state's regulations are vague on a "corporate engineer's" legal duties; SAIC had some unlicensed, but experienced people do engineering work for it; and Clark was terminated for a lack of available billable engineering work. The board's 1997 ruling also concluded SAIC did not have the proper licensed engineers at its offices in Olympia, Bellevue, Bothell and Poulsbo and SAIC did not have a required corporate engineer in Washington from May 31 to Aug. 7, 1996, after it had put Clark on involuntary leave. The state board did not discipline SAIC on any of its 1997 findings. On Thursday, Steichen argued that Clark would have to prove public health and safety were immediately threatened to win at a trial -- and that Clark has not provided any evidence on that. Also, he argued Clark cannot prove his complaints led to his termination. Byrd argued that threats to public health and safety are not a legal requirement in proving Clark's case. He cited the timing and atmosphere surrounding Clark's termination as evidence of retaliation. Contacted Tuesday, Clark declined to comment much on his case, saying he wants to wait until the trial takes place. "I feel no professional should have to sacrifice his professional ethics to keep his job," he said. Back to top stories Copyright 2000 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 3 Budget stalls plutonium plant project This story was published Thu, Mar 22, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer Budget problems in South Carolina could stall Hanford's long-term efforts to get rid of its plutonium, a newspaper in Georgia reported. Design work on a plutonium processing plant at DOE's Savannah River site has been put on hold because of budget cuts, according to Tuesday's Augusta Chronicle newspaper. The newspaper quoted a DOE official saying plans for the $1.2 billion facility -- which would bake surplus plutonium into ceramic pucks for safer storage -- could be revived "in possible future budget cycles." That Savannah River facility was to be the eventual destination of 4.4 tons of Hanford's plutonium that is now at the Plutonium Finishing Plant. If construction of the South Carolina plant is delayed by more than two years, that could force Hanford to look for other ways to take care of the PFP's plutonium, said Pete Knollmeyer, DOE's assistant manager for nuclear materials and facilities stabilization at Hanford. Right now, the PFP's workers are converting its 4.4 tons of plutonium mixed within 19.6 tons of scrap into safer forms -- mostly powders. That conversion work is supposed to be done in 2004. Savannah River's plutonium facility was supposed to start functioning between 2008 and 2010, and Hanford was supposed to ship its plutonium to Savannah River between 2010 and 2014, Knollmeyer said. The PFP is supposed to be cleaned out and demolished by 2016. If delays continue at Savannah River, DOE could build a small vault at Hanford to temporarily store the plutonium. Another possibility would be to use central Hanford's underground vault in that is accepting the spent nuclear fuel removed from the K Basins. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights ***************************************************************** 4 Rep. Hastings requests boost in DOE cleanup This story was published Thu, Mar 22, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings wants Congress to increase the Department of Energy's nationwide cleanup money by $400 million above the original budget request for fiscal 2002. That's no guarantee such an increase would take place. But the move opens the door for discussing recent concerns that DOE has not asked for enough money to meet cleanup obligations. "Work still must be done to make this a reality," Hastings, R-Wash., said in a news release. Hastings is asking that at most $6.65 billion be spent on cleanup work. So far, DOE submitting a total 2002 budget request of $19 billion, without giving a specific number on how much will go for cleanup projects nationwide. However, the overall budget request is $700 million less than the agency's current year budget. As a result, it's not clear where those cuts will come. But Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham recently told Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire that possibly $425 million in cleanup money could be cut. If that happens, DOE's nationwide cleanup budget would hover around $5.8 billion in 2002. In the mean time, Hanford officials say they need more money than the current budget to meet state requirements for cleaning up nuclear waste. In 2001, Hanford's cleanup budget is about $1.5 billion. DOE officials at Hanford believe that needs to increase to about $1.85 billion in 2002. And almost $1.9 billion is needed for Hanford to accelerate cleanup along the Columbia River. At the same time, other DOE sites also are seeking more cleanup money. The bulk of Hanford's sought-after budget increase is an extra $350 million to keep the site's radioactive waste glassification project on its legal timetable. DOE in Washington, D.C., expects to unveil how it wants to allocate its $19 billion request for 2002 during the first week of April. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 5 Property managers say many new tenants working on vitrification project at Hanford This story was published Thu, Mar 22, 2001 By Wendy Culverwell Herald staff writer Hanford is hiring, and it's showing in the rental offices at Tri-City apartment complexes. The annual Coldwell Banker Commercial Realty winter survey of local apartment complexes shows occupancy rates are on an upswing. The change is especially pronounced in Richland, where hundreds of new workers have been hired to work on the Hanford waste vitrification project turning nuclear waste into glass. The Coldwell Banker survey showed 95 percent of apartments in Richland have tenants. The rate for Pasco is 94 percent, and Kennewick is at 88 percent. Kennewick's actual occupancy rate may be higher. Sylvia Erickson, property management director for Coldwell Banker Commercial, said surveyors talked to Kennewick managers first, possibly before the upswing took hold. Erickson said she was delighted when, midway through the survey, property managers started telling her they were filling up because of a hiring spree inspired by the vitrification project. "The last two to three weeks have been unbelievable," said Erickson. "A lot of what's happening is Hanford vitrification." Bechtel National Inc., the prime contractor on the $4 billion tank waste project, has about 800 workers at the moment, said spokesman John Britten. Of those, 350 transferred from the interim contractor, CH2M Hill Hanford Group Inc., and the remaining 450 are new hires. The positions are largely professional and technical in nature -- engineers, technical writers, training coordinators, architects and so forth. What's more, Bechtel and its main subcontractor, Washington Group International, still are hiring. Britten said the project will employ about 1,400 by the year's end. Right now, Bechtel National and Washington Group list more than 400 job titles on a recruitment Web site, and many of those jobs will be filled by more than one person. The educated nature of the cleanup workforce, which will hit 4,500 at the height of construction in 2004, is good news for apartment owners, especially those in the upper end of the market, said Erickson. She said the Hanford effect isn't just confined to Richland. Since apartments there are filling up, other would-be tenants are spilling into the neighboring cities. She couldn't account for Kennewick's lower rate but speculated it was underreported since some of those complexes were surveyed before Bechtel's hiring juggernaut. What is good news for landlords may be bad news for prospective tenants. Erickson predicted managers will cut back on move-in deals meant to entice renters. "I foresee very few move-in specials," she said. Coldwell Banker manages five apartment communities in Kennewick. Bob Young, who owns six complexes with about 760 apartment units in Kennewick and Richland, concurred. "With higher occupancy, you're less apt to give away any freebies," said Young The Coldwell Banker survey showed move-in specials were most prevalent in Kennewick, where there were more apartments available for rent. More than half the apartments in Kennewick offered some sort of move-in special, compared with just a quarter of those in Richland and a little less than half in Pasco. Young said he has watched the occupancy rates of his properties rise and fall in tandem with the glassification project's fortunes. His units were 95 percent occupied until last fall, when the Department of Energy fired its original contractor and some people were let go. Occupancy dipped to 90 percent but climbed back to 95 percent when hiring resumed, he said. Young said 95 percent is a healthy figure and, in normal circumstances, would induce developers to build new apartment complexes. He said he doubts that will happen here, though. "In the Tri-Cities, we're up and down, too," he explained. Erickson said she also has wondered if the upswing in occupancy might lead to a round of new construction. "I hope people go slow and see what is happening," she said. Local building departments report they have not received applications for any new apartment projects. Not everyone is convinced an occupancy rate in the mid-90s is good for landlords. Bobbie Littrell, executive director of the Housing Authority for Pasco and Franklin County, said rising occupancy rates typically lead to rising rents, and she hasn't heard much of that in Pasco, where rents overall are generally affordable. "It's still not a very good market," she said. The Housing Authority has 44 housing units for migrant and homeless people and 280 units of public housing. It has a waiting list of people who want to move in. Copyright 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights ***************************************************************** 6 Compensation program a hot potato *Thursday, March 22, 2001* Jonathan Riskind *Dispatch Washington Bureau Chief* WASHINGTON -- Deciding which department will run a federal compensation program benefiting Cold War-era nuclear workers in southern Ohio and nationwide might seem like a game of bureaucratic baseball. But a bid by President Bush's secretary of labor to shift responsibility for the program to the Department of Justice from the Department of Labor should worry anyone wanting to compensate effectively the nation's "Cold War heroes,'' say lawmakers from Ohio and other states. GOP Sens. Mike DeWine and George V. Voinovich of Ohio are among those upset that Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, a fellow Republican, wants to abdicate responsibility for administering the landmark Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act of 2000. The legislation signed into law last fall grants $150,000 payments and lifetime health care to workers stricken by cancer as a result of Cold War-era workplace radiation exposures. About 4,000 workers nationwide -- possibly including several hundred at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon -- could be eligible, along with family members of deceased workers. The law was viewed as a historic admission by the federal government that it owed a debt to workers in the nuclear industry because for years the government was more concerned about producing atomic weapons than providing workplace safeguards. For instance, the Piketon plant produced weapons-grade enriched uranium, and the workers there regularly were exposed to radiation. Chao is recommending that a Clinton administration order giving the Labor Department the responsibility for running the program be "rescinded and replaced with a new executive order that assigns administration of this act to the Department of Justice.'' In a March 9 memo to Mitch Daniels, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Chao went on to say that the Justice Department is equipped to carry out the compensation program. But it wasn't a capricious decision by Clinton to place the program in the Labor Department, say DeWine, Voinovich, and Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville, as well as lawmakers from other states with nuclear sites. The three Ohioans and six other House members sent letters yesterday to Daniels opposing Chao's recommendation. DeWine and Voinovich also wrote letters to Chao. Congress clearly intended the Labor Department to administer the program and backed up Clinton's executive order with $60 million in funding this year for Chao's agency to begin implementing the program, the lawmakers said. The program is to go into effect by July 31. "The Department of Labor has an expertise in helping injured workers,'' DeWine and Voinovich said in their letter. Chao's office did not return phone calls yesterday seeking comment. Chao called Voinovich late yesterday afternoon but promised only to give the issue more consideration, said Voinovich spokesman Scott Milburn. The lawmakers had not heard from Daniels. One advocate for keeping the program in the Labor Department is David Michaels, a former assistant secretary of energy for safety, health and environment. "The Labor Department was conceived of as being the best place for the program from the very beginning because of their vast experience in workers' compensation,'' said Michaels, one of the architects of the initiative. jriskind@dispatch.com Copyright © 2001, The Columbus Dispatch ***************************************************************** 7 Nuclear plant workers sue over overtime Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 3:11 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2001 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Thirty-three workers from Sequoyah Nuclear Plant have gone to court against the Tennessee Valley Authority, claiming the utility improperly denied them overtime pay. Their trial began Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Leon Jordan and was expected to last at least a week. TVA attorneys argued the workers were managers who were exempt from overtime. Some of the workers testified that they did oversee others but had no decision-making authority. "Where does a task supervisor stand in the chain of command in the modifications department?" attorney Charles Van Beke asked one of his clients, Robert Mason. "The bottom of the list," answered Mason, who retired in May after a 26-year career with TVA. Several workers testified they all received overtime until TVA changed policies in 1996 to eliminate overtime during power outages or shutdowns at the plant near Chattanooga. Maintenance outages can occur every 18 months and last up to four weeks, during which employees said they have worked roughly 12 hours a day, every day until the plant is back in operation. U.S. Magistrate Robert Murrian ruled against TVA in 1999 in an overtime case affecting security workers at Sequoyah and the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. Two similar lawsuits, including a class-action claim, are pending against TVA in federal court. All Contents.©Copyright *The Oak Ridger * ***************************************************************** 8 Labor Dept. balks at starting new sick worker program Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 3:08 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2001 from staff and wire reports WASHINGTON -- In just four months, the government is supposed to start taking applications from job-sickened nuclear workers eligible for special federal compensation. Congress gave the Department of Labor $60.4 million to set up the program. But Labor Secretary Elaine Chao doesn't want to do it, and lawmakers with ailing constituents said Wednesday they're worried about people with incurable illnesses having to wait too long for compensation if Chao gets her way. "Cancer is killing my constituents right now," said U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio. "This will, in my judgment, inevitably result in a delay." A bipartisan group of House members with constituents suffering from serious lung diseases or cancer as a result of their nuclear weapons-related work also weighed in. The Department of Labor "was selected to run this program because this agency has administered a number of other federal worker compensation programs for as long as 90 years," wrote the lawmakers from districts with beryllium- radiation- or silica-sickened workers. "We want to underscore that this proposed change is at odds with congressional intent and would assign a massive set of responsibilities to an agency that lacks the infrastructure to manage these claims." That letter, circulated by Strickland and fellow congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, was signed by Republicans Jim Gibbons of Nevada and Zack Wamp of Tennessee, plus Democrats Mark Udall of Colorado; John LaFalce of New York; Tom Udall of New Mexico; Ken Lucas of Kentucky; Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania. The Department of Labor got the $60.4 million appropriation because it was viewed as the government's expert on occupational illness and compensation programs. It handles worker compensation claims for federal employees, overseas employees of U.S. military bases, coal miners seeking compensation for black lung disease, harbor workers and outer continental shelf workers. The nuclear workers program was created by Congress last year. It was approved as an entitlement, or mandatory spending program -- with guaranteed payouts, just like Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, veteran pensions and student loans. In a letter to the White House, Chao suggested that the Department of Justice be put in charge of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. Chao's letter said that the department has the experience to do the job because it handles a small program giving one-time payments to uranium miners, millers and people who lived downwind of nuclear test sites. "To create a new infrastructure when Department of Justice already has the tools to effectively implement and administer this program is duplicative," she wrote. Department of Labor spokesman Stuart Roy said Chao wants to take advantage of special expertise at the Justice Department. "It's a very complex issue dealing with long-term exposure to radiation," he said. "She believes it can be handled more efficiently at Department of Justice because they have the infrastructure." Ohio Sens. George Voinovich and Mike DeWine sent the White House a letter explaining that the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act payments handled by the Justice Department are one-time apology payments, not a medical claims reimbursement program. The Department of Labor, they noted, reviews medical benefit claims for federal workers, and also has a network of regional offices staffed with claims-takers. "The Department of Justice does not have the necessary infrastructure or expertise to administer this program effectively," the two Republicans wrote. "In fact, at a congressional hearing last year, Department of Justice officials testified that they were not equipped to administer this program." The Justice Department has three attorneys, two supervisors and 14 payment clerks running the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act program. Its staff has received about 9,000 claims over the past decade. In contrast, the Department of Labor runs a worker compensation program for government employees that has a staff of more than 900 and considered more than 19,000 wage-loss claims in 1999, the latest year for which figures were available. "Giving this new responsibility to the folks at Radiation Exposure Compensation Act would clearly overwhelm the system and lead to a lot of dissatisfaction with the program," said Rep. Jeff Bingamon, D-N.M. "They don't have a good record in administering the [Radiation Exposure Compensation Act] program. There have been a lot of complaints -- well-founded complaints, in my opinion." All Contents.©Copyright *The Oak Ridger * ***************************************************************** 9 Officials monitor SRS leak Augusta Georgia: Metro: *Workers discover crack in vessel that allowed radioactive material to seep from tank at weapons site * *Web posted Friday, March 23, 2001 By Brandon Haddock *Staff Writer* A leaky tank of radioactive waste at Savannah River Site will remain in use, but will be closely monitored, officials at the nuclear-weapons site announced Thursday. Engineers believe that Tank 6 leaked from two small cracks near the top of the vessel, said Dean Campbell, a spokesman for Westinghouse Savannah River Co. Westinghouse operates SRS for the Department of Energy. To prevent the tank from leaking again, engineers will pump about 40,000 gallons of waste to another tank, lowering the level in Tank 6 below the two cracks, Mr. Campbell said. The tank, which has maximum capacity of 750,000 gallons, now holds about 662,000 gallons, he said. Site workers discovered that the tank had leaked Jan. 12, when they found about 90 gallons of waste puddled in a saucerlike steel vessel beneath the tank. The waste was made up of water containing a small amount of tritium, Mr. Campbell said. Tritium is a radioactive gas used in nuclear weapons. The waste did not reach the soil or ground water, SRS officials said. During an inspection, engineers discovered four other leaks in the tank, but those have stopped seeping and are not believed to have contributed to the puddle of waste beneath the vessel, Mr. Campbell said. Engineers used a ventilation system to dry much of the puddle, but an unknown amount of liquid remains, Mr. Campbell said. The site has 51 radioactive-waste tanks, two of which are no longer used. Nine of the tanks have developed leaks over the years, Mr. Campbell said. In 1960, one leak, of less than 100 gallons, leached into the soil, he said. Reach Brandon Haddockat (706) 823-3409. All contents © 1996 - 2001 *The Augusta Chronicle*. All rights ***************************************************************** 10 Thurmond criticizes secretary *Web posted Friday, March 23, 2001 By Brandon Haddock *Staff Writer* U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond has rebuked Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham for a decision to suspend work on a proposed plutonium-treatment plant at Savannah River Site. ``While I recognize that you face a daunting task at the Department of Energy, I hope that in the future you will extend me the courtesy of a consultation before finalizing your position on projects scheduled for my state or in my areas of interest,'' Mr. Thurmond, R-S.C., wrote in a letter sent Thursday to Mr. Abraham. Energy Department officials confirmed Monday that the agency's proposed budget for fiscal year 2002 eliminated construction money to build the $1.2 billion ``plutonium immobilization'' plant, and that design work on the facility had been halted. A spokesman said the department would concentrate its efforts on another planned plutonium plant at SRS - the mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel fabrication facility - and delay the immobilization plant until future budget years. Mr. Thurmond will seek to have funding restored, a spokeswoman for the senator said. ``This is definitely an issue that the senator is very concerned about,'' said Genevieve Erny, a spokeswoman for Mr. Thurmond. ``Funding for this is a priority.'' A spokesman for Mr. Abraham did not return a telephone call late Thursday afternoon. In his letter, Mr. Thurmond raised concerns that the decision to suspend the immobilization effort would endanger agreements with Russia to dispose of surplus plutonium, a radioactive metal used in nuclear weapons. Mr. Thurmond also questioned whether the suspension would delay the removal of radioactive materials from South Carolina. ``Currently, South Carolina allows shipments of nuclear materials with the understanding that projects such as the immobilization plant will provide a pathway out of the state to a permanent storage facility,'' the senator wrote. ``What steps are you taking to assure my constituents that the Department of Energy plans to keep this commitment?'' The immobilization plant, the only option favored by many nuclear watchdogs, would dispose of about 19 tons of surplus plutonium by baking it into ceramic pucks. The pucks would be encased in stainless-steel canisters filled with radioactive glass, then buried in an off-site repository. The canisters' radioactivity would make it dangerous and difficult for anyone to retrieve the plutonium inside for reuse in nuclear weapons, Energy Department officials have said. Reach Brandon Haddockat (706) 823-3409. All contents © 1996 - 2001 *The Augusta Chronicle*. All rights ***************************************************************** 11 Plutonium Disposition Roundtable Wednesday, March 14, 2001 Speakers: Alex Flint, partner with Johnston &Associates, LLC; formerly the Clerk of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Laura Holgate, Vice President for Russia and the FSU Nuclear Programs at the Nuclear Threat Initiative Foundation; formerly the Assistant Deputy Administrator for Fissile Materials Disposition at the Department of Energy John Tuck, Senior Public Policy Advisor at Baker, Donelson, Bearman &Caldwell; from 1989 to 1992, Mr. Tuck served as Under Secretary of the Department of Energy in President Bush's Administration Co-Chairs: Rose Gottemoeller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Leonard Spector, Monterey Institute for International Studies The Carnegie Non-Proliferation Project and the Monterey Institute for International Studies co-sponsored a roundtable to discuss the challenges facing the international effort to dispose of excess weapons plutonium in the United States and Russia at the Carnegie Endowment on March 14, 2001. Speakers Alex Flint, Laura Holgate, and John Tuck discussed the history of these initiatives, their current status, obstacles to success, and recommendations for the future. While disposing of excess Russian and U.S. plutonium remains an important strategic goal, the disposition of weapons-grade plutonium has proven to be one of the most difficult tasks facing the two countries. The panelists pointed to plutonium disposition as a key initiative in the overall set of U.S. non-proliferation programs with Russia, and voiced their hope that the new administration would recognize the need to dispose of this material as a high priority. They expressed their concerns, however, that initial moves by the administration were not giving this project the emphasis needed to deal with the threat posed by these materials. The speakers noted several obstacles to the continued success of plutonium disposition. Disposal of excess plutonium in the United States is reaching a critical stage, moving from the drawing board to the actual construction of facilities. At a time when budget increases are essential to the physical implementation of this effort, funding appears to be shrinking beyond current levels, and is falling hundreds of millions of dollars below program requests. This not only reduces the likelihood of successful implementation, but also calls the U.S. commitment to plutonium disposition into question. Moreover, the speakers noted that the failure of European governments to view disposition as a top national security interest and to commit significant funds has further exacerbated the funding issue. The lack of Russian personnel, infrastructure, and industrial involvement is also complicating the process. The panelists also offered recommendations for maintaining this vital program. They called for a strong domestic political commitment, both in fighting for increased funding and in obtaining stronger international support from European countries and Japan for the Russian plutonium disposition effort. They suggested that lackluster European involvement signals a need for a larger role to be taken by the United States. The speakers also suggested that creative alternatives to supplement, but not interfere with plutonium disposition, such as the purchase of plutonium, need to be examined. Fissile Material Resources Proliferation News and Resources 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036 202-483-7600 Fax: 202-483-1840 info@ceip.org ***************************************************************** 12 NKorea Might Have Nuke Bomb Skills March 23, 2001 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea is believed to be capable of making one or two nuclear bombs and may have about 3,000 nuclear experts trained in Russia and China, a South Korean government think tank said Friday. The Education Center of Unification said in a report that communist North Korea is believed to be able to make bombs with plutonium extracted from its Soviet-designed reactors. "Verification on whether the North has fully given up its suspected nuclear weapons program should be pushed," said the center, which is part of the government's Unification Ministry. North Korea began training nuclear specialists in the Soviet Union and China in the 1960s, and their number is now believed to reach 3,000, the report said. Under a 1994 deal with the United States, North Korea suspended its suspected nuclear weapons program. But some experts say there should be a system to verify the freeze. In return for the suspension, a consortium led by the United States, Japan and South Korea is building two light-water reactors in North Korea worth $4.6 billion. The Korean Peninsula was divided into the communist North and pro-Western South in 1945. Their 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, and the two sides are technically still at war. Inter-Korean relations improved significantly following a historic summit of their leaders in June. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 13 An uncertain future BBC News | New Scientist Thursday March 22, 07:35 PM *By Rob Edwards* RADIOACTIVE waste dumped by the Sellafield nuclear plant in north-west England will expose populations to a thousand times more radiation than British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) admits, according to a report commissioned by the environmental group Greenpeace. The scientists who wrote the report say that this could cause hundreds of deaths over thousands of years. The conflict raises the question of how you judge the risks from this kind of contamination. BNFL plans to offload 510 terabecquerels of technetium-99 into the Irish Sea over the next six years. The radioactive isotope is a by-product of the reprocessing of spent fuel from Britain's first generation of Magnox reactors. In a consultation exercise completed this month, England's Environment Agency said that its "preferred option" was to let the discharge go ahead. According to BNFL's calculations, it would only mean a collective radiation dose of 2.7 person sieverts--enough, statistically, to cause 0.1 deaths. The company argues that this tiny risk does not justify spending up to £700 million to cut the discharges. But now the radiation scientists who produced the report, Ian Fairlie and David Sumner, say that the real radiation dose is nearer 5000 person sieverts and could cause many more deaths. They point out that BNFL's calculations only take into account exposure to technetium-99 over the next 500 years, although it has a half-life of 213,000 years. "Truncating doses at 500 years just doesn't make sense for technetium-99," Fairlie told New Scientist . His calculations assume that millions of people around the world will be exposed to the isotope over hundreds of thousands of years, so many more risk developing fatal cancers. It may be worth spending money now to reduce that risk, he says. BNFL, however, highlights the enormous problems of making predictions many thousands of years into the future, and points out that the company agreed their methodology with the Environment Agency. The annual doses people receive from emissions of technetium-99 are "tiny" compared to those from natural radioactivity, the company maintains. More at: Journal of Environmental Radioactivity (vol 54, p 311) Click Here to visit the New Scientist Web Site Comments to: news-admin@yahoo.co.uk Copyright © 2001 New Scientist. All rights reserved. Republication or ***************************************************************** 14 Russia Said Planning Kursk Recovery March 22, 2001 MOSCOW (AP) - Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov denied Thursday that the government had changed its plans to raise the nuclear submarine Kursk, saying it would be brought up from the Barents Sea bottom in August. "Neither the president nor the government has canceled the operation, which will take place this year," Russian news agencies quoted Klebanov as saying. Klebanov spokeswoman Oksana Onishchenko said his comments came in response to an article Thursday in the Izvestia newspaper that questioned whether Russia would follow through with announced plans to raise the Kursk. The submarine sank, along with its 118-member crew, after exploding during military maneuvers in August. "Within the Russian leadership, there is not a unified opinion about the efficacy of conducting" the operation, Izvestia wrote in the latest round of speculation that the government might put off the submarine raising for good. Izvestia said some representatives of Russian military industries objected to raising it. "It's said that this would cost a lot, while all the same the drowned reactor does not pose a danger to the environment," the newspaper wrote. The Russian government is supposed to share the cost of raising the Kursk, estimated at $70 million, with the Kursk Foundation, an international fund-raising group. But Russia has so far failed to pay its part. The current plan is to use cranes to raise the 14,000-ton Kursk and tow it to the Russian port of Murmansk under a giant barge. The operation is expected to take several months. The government has not yet determined the cause of the sinking, saying it could have been triggered by an internal malfunction, a collision with a Western submarine or a World War II mine. Most Russian and foreign experts believe that the explosion of a practice torpedo was the most probable cause. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 15 REID CALLS ON ADMINISTRATION TO SWIFTLY COMPENSATE NEVADA'S SICK NUCLEAR WORKERS [Sen. Reid Press Release] March 22, 2001 Washington, D.C. - Today, in response to changes proposed by the Bush Administration, NevadaSenator Harry Reidvowed to ensure that Nevadans exposed to dangerous radiation and other deadly substances during the cold war are swiftly compensated for their sacrifice. Earlier this week Department of LaborSecretary Elaine Chaoasked the White Houseto pass her responsibility for this program to the Justice Department, which will further delay the process. "Many of Nevada's Cold War heroes are sick and dying right now," said Harry Reid. "We should treat these men and womenwith dignity, and honor their service without further delay. As one of the authors of the legislation that created this program, I was closely involved in the debate over which agency should administer this program. Not only would it be ill-advised to move this program to the Department of Justice, but it would create unnecessary delays for these sick Cold War veterans, many of whom do not have the luxury of time." Last year, Congressauthorized more than $60 million for the Department of Labor to establish the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program to compensate nuclear weapons laborers for their work-related cancers. This program is critical to the thousands of men and women who worked at nuclear facilities around the country during the Cold War, including the Nevada Test Site. Within four months, the Labor Department is supposed to start taking applications from sick nuclear workers who are eligible for federal compensation under the new program. This afternoon Senator Reid and Senator Ensignsent a letter to President George W. Bushasking for his quick intervention in this matter. "Clearly the President has no intention of delaying justice or prolonging the suffering of Nevada's Cold War veterans. I urge President Bush to work with Secretary Chao and fulfill our commitment to these workers in a timely manner," Said Senator Reid. ***************************************************************** 16 Editorial: No more delays for ill workers Las Vegas SUN March 23, 2001 It would be terrible if the Labor Department is allowed to relinquish to the Justice Department the handling of applications from sick nuclear workers who are eligible for federal compensation. The new labor secretary, Elaine Chao, in a recent letter to the White House, wrote that the Justice Department should take on this responsibility since it already runs a program that provides one-time payments to uranium miners, millers and people who lived downwind from nuclear test sites. But when Congress created this program last year it set aside $60.4 million to the Labor Department for good reason, which was that it believed that agency was better equipped to do so. As the Associated Press noted in a story this week, the Justice Department has just three attorneys, two supervisors and 14 payment clerks to handle claims under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. That small staff has had to process about 9,000 claims during the past 10 years. Some members of Congress, who oppose Chao's suggested transfer, also say that there have been substantiated complaints that this program isn't run well. The Labor Department, which oversees a worker compensation program for government employees, has more than 900 workers and receives about 19,000 wage-loss claims annually. The White House should listen to the growing bipartisan chorus that doesn't want any more delays. It was a struggle just to get this compensation program passed over the opposition of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. Congress intended for this program to be administered swiftly -- and Chao's recommended changes would only serve to delay payments needlessly. President Bush should instead listen to Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio: "Cancer is killing my constituents right now. This will, in my judgment, inevitably result in a delay." These men and women have fought, in some cases for decades, to get what is due them -- compensation for illnesses they acquired while working on behalf of the federal government. They were lied to in the past when the government refused to acknowledge that their illnesses were tied to exposure to radiation and other harmful subst ances. The White House shouldn't allow a bad situation to become even worse by heeding Chao's poor advice. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 17 NUCLEAR WORKERS: Chao move stalls benefits program Friday, March 23, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Lawmakers critical of effort to shift oversight to Justice Department By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers from Nevada and other states where people got sick from building and testing nuclear weapons are scrambling after learning the Labor Department is balking at running a new compensation program for the workers. In a March 9 letter to the White House made public this week, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao urged that the Justice Department be put in charge of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. That has set off alarms on Capitol Hill. Senators and congressmen who fought for worker benefits said the Justice Department isn't equipped to handle payments to thousands of people. There could be delays in getting the program set up and checks processed for victims, many of whom are dying of cancer or lung disease, they said. Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said people are dying while Bush administration bureaucrats are "passing the buck." "There is absolutely no reason for this other than to delay the implementation of this law passed by Congress," she said. "You delay it long enough, you lose enough people and it costs less money." An aide to one lawmaker who spoke to Chao this week said it appeared the Labor secretary may not have a good grasp of the problem. "We think this is just a learning curve issue," the aide said. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and eight other lawmakers wrote to Chao on Wednesday. Gibbons said he did not believe the Bush administration is trying to deny or delay assistance to ill workers. "I see it as an interagency action," he said. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., after speaking to Chao on Thursday, said, "Her first concern is the victims. Her people are telling her they don't feel they can get the checks out on time." Ensign and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., sent a letter of complaint to President Bush on Thursday. Ensign said he plans to talk to Justice Department officials, as well. "I don't care which bureaucracy does this, just get the checks out as quickly as possible," Ensign said. The program, created by Congress last year, established a fund to grant $150,000 and medical benefits to defense industry workers who developed illnesses years after handling toxic metals or being exposed to radiation while manufacturing or testing nuclear weapons for the Energy Department. Hundreds of former miners, laborers and engineers who worked in underground tunnels at the Nevada Test Site may qualify if they suffer from silicosis, a lung disease developed from inhaling microscopic particles. The Energy Department also is examining former test site workers for possible exposure to beryllium, a toxic metal. Many more former workers are expected to qualify who worked at Cold War nuclear weapons factories in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. In an executive order in December, President Clinton directed the Labor Department to begin setting up the program, which could begin accepting applications for assistance this summer. But Chao said rather than add to the Labor Department, nuclear workers' compensation should be run by the Justice Department. Justice already distributes checks to uranium miners and downwind victims of radiation from atmospheric tests. "For the Department of Labor to create a new infrastructure when DOJ already has the tools to effectively implement and administer this program is duplicative," Chao wrote. A Chao spokesman did not respond to a call seeking comment. Lawmakers who wrote the bill say they thought they made it clear the program should be handled by the Labor Department, which already runs workers' compensation for federal employees through a staff of 900. The Justice Department, they said, has only 19 employees in its program, which tends to dispense one-time checks rather than ongoing benefits. "The Department of Labor has administered a number of other federal worker compensation programs for up to 90 years. It has the expertise and a network of regional offices across the country where claims personnel administer payments and medical benefits," said Gibbons and eight other congressmen in a letter sent Wednesday to the White House Office of Management of Budget. Ohio Republican Sens. George Voinovich and Michael DeWine also sent a letter to Chao, as did Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 18 Chao Wants Program (sick workers) Moved to Justice Dept. By Ben White Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, March 23, 2001; Page A23 Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao has asked the White House to shift the responsibility for a new program to compensate sick nuclear workers from her agency to the Justice Department, eliciting a bipartisan round of criticism from lawmakers who say such a move could badly delay disbursement of the funds. In her March 9 letter to the White House, Chao said the Labor Department does not have the infrastructure to administer the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, passed by Congress last year with an initial appropriation of $60.4 million. She argued that Justice should run it because the department already makes payments to uranium miners and people who live downwind from nuclear test sites. But members from both parties argued this week they intended Labor to run the program because it has administered similar workers' compensation programs for nearly a century, including the Longshore and Harbor Workers Act and the Coal Miners Black Lung Disease Act. "I think the inevitable result will be that victims will have a significant delay in receiving compensation," said Rep. Ted Strickland (D-Ohio), whose district includes many people who could be aided by the program. "And some of these people, quite frankly, are in the process of dying." On Wednesday he sent to the White House a letter signed by eight other members, both Republicans and Democrats, asking that Labor run the program. Republican Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinovich of Ohio also sent a letter to the White House protesting Chao's attempt to shift responsibility to Justice. Congress passed the program, intended to assist Cold War-era workers suffering from cancer and other diseases, without specifying which department should run it. But Strickland said yesterday that members had made clear their intentions. The Clinton administration gave Labor jurisdiction over the program in an executive order issued in December. Under the program, workers deemed to have illnesses related to exposure to nuclear weapons material at Energy Department and privately owned facilities would receive payments of $150,000 and full medical coverage for life. The initial appropriation was $60.4 million, but the program could cost almost $2 billion. The payments are supposed to start going out July 31. A spokesman said yesterday that Voinovich spoke with Chao on the phone Wednesday. The spokesman said members of their staffs would try to iron out their differences within the next few days. Labor Department spokesman Stuart Roy said there is room for negotiation but added that nothing has swayed Chao from her belief that Justice should run the program. "It seems fairly straightforward that this is a program that ought to be administered by the Department of Justice," Roy said. Roy said the Labor Department has no capacity for making complicated judgments regarding workers' claims that exposure to nuclear material caused their illnesses. In her letter to White House budget director Mitchell E. Daniels Jr., Chao cautioned that several issues still must be resolved surrounding "dose reconstruction" -- the process of determining who is entitled to payments under the program. "Whichever organization is given primary responsibility for claims processing," Chao wrote, "the design of the dose reconstruction process will be critical to ensuring that the program is administrable and that it avoids a morass of litigation, uncertainty, and frustration." The White House declined to comment on the dispute. © 2001 The Washington Post Company ***************************************************************** 19 AILING MINERS WHO DUG URANIUM LEFT ONLY WITH GOVERNMENT IOUS [Chicago Tribune] Tuesday, March 27, 2001 By Judith Graham Tribune staff reporter *March 23, 2001* GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. The Atomic Age was made possible by men in this area who did the dirty work of blowing up mountains with dynamite, shoveling rocks out of dusty mines and driving them to mills where uranium was extracted. Now the U.S. is breaking promises to these workers as they sit incapacitated, disheartened and dying. A fund created by Congress in 1990 to compensate sick uranium miners has periodically run dry over the past 10 months, sparking embarrassment in Washington and outrage in the region where most of the mining for the Cold War's most precious ore took place. Instead of paying claims, the government is handing IOUs to some of these workers, many of whom are dying of incurable lung diseases caused by their exposure to high radiation levels underground. The government apologized to the miners more than a decade ago, officially acknowledging responsibility for involuntarily subjecting them to "increased risk of injury and disease" while they were serving the nation's security interests in the 1940s, '50s and '60s. As partial compensation, Washington promised $100,000 to those who became sick, or to their surviving relatives, under the 1990 Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. Also covered by the fund are people who worked at the government's nuclear test sites and those who lived downwind from where tests were conducted. Payments began in 1992 but stopped last spring, when money in the compensation trust fund unexpectedly ran out. When this year's appropriations were received in January, 96 claims were paid, using most of the available funds. The government has 179 outstanding IOUs; another 2,121 claims are awaiting action. Officials estimate more than 20,000 people worked in mines and related jobs in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Robert Key, 63, got his letter from the Justice Department in August. The news initially was good: His claim for $100,000 had been approved. Then came the bad news. "Regretfully, because the money available to pay claims has been exhausted, we are unable to send a compensation payment to you at this time," the letter explained. "When Congress provides additional funds, we will contact you." Key, who has severe pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung disease that requires him to live on oxygen pumped through a hole in his neck 24 hours a day, was stunned. Seven months later, he hasn't received a cent. "We've got this huge surplus. We're talking about a $1.6 trillion tax cut, and we can't pay our debts to people who did the dirty work for the Cold War," he said at his home in Grand Junction, a center of uranium mining during the Cold War. "I think it stinks." The problem is getting attention in Congress. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) this month introduced legislation calling for $84 million in emergency appropriations for the program. Program may be expanded Another bill sponsored by the two senators would turn the radiation compensation program into an entitlement program, immune from the vagaries of Congress' budgetary process. Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) last week brought a companion bill before the House. Hatch also has called for a General Accounting Office investigation of the Justice Department, focusing on the program's administration. Hatch aides say no one expects the extra money to become available before late summer or early fall. Some miners and other uranium workers aren't sure they will live long enough to get what they believe they are owed. Since October, according to Becky Rockwell, a private investigator in Durango who helps miners prepare claims, eight of her clients with IOUs have died empty-handed. Lawyer Keith Killian of Grand Junction has seen two clients with claims awaiting approval die since the new year; three more died before they could gather the documentation needed to file a claim. Congress relaxed requirements for the radiation compensation program last year--just after the fund ran out of money. It also extended payments to sick uranium mill workers and ore haulers, based on new scientific studies of illnesses in these groups. Both actions ensured that hundreds of claims that had been denied would be resubmitted along with a large number of new claims. Last October around 600 claims were outstanding, and now that number has risen more than threefold. Instead of appropriating a substantially larger amount, Congress authorized $10.8 million. According to Hatch's aides, a request for extra funding from the Justice Department came too late for action. "If the money is going to be coming, I would like to see it come before it's too late for me," said Paul Wayne Hill, 69, who used to load trucks with uranium ore and drive them over unpaved mountain roads to the mills. On his 49th wedding anniversary in January 2000, Hill was diagnosed with a rapidly advancing form of lung cancer. His claim for compensation hasn't been processed. Of the 100 people who worked with him at the old Lumsden mine in Colorado, he figures all but two are dead. Like him, they used to drink the water that trickled down the side of the mine, unaware that it was contaminated. During deer hunting season, the workers would hang a carcass in a cool spot inside the mine and cut off pieces of the venison at mealtime, not knowing it, too, had soaked up radiation. "If I had known the radiation was going to get to me, I wouldn't have done it," Hill said. Report: Government negligent A 1995 report from the nation's Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiment concluded that the federal government did virtually nothing for two decades to lessen the risks for miners, despite definitive evidence from Europe that uranium miners got lung cancer and other illnesses from their work. Warnings that conditions in the mines were bad and could be helped by mandating ventilation went unheeded. When the U.S. Public Health Service mounted a major epidemiological study of the miners' health, it was on the condition that miners not be told what illnesses were being tracked or why. Key is among the many miners who were struck later in life. When he worked in Colorado's mines from 1959 to 1963, the money was good. But the air was stale and the noise deafening; every night he would come home with a pounding headache. After four years, Key quit for easier work, never imaging that 35 years later he would find it hard to walk up the stairs or bend over to pick up the morning paper. He lives tied to a 50-foot hose that delivers oxygen from a nearby tank. "That feeling that you can't get air, and that there is nothing you can do, is tough, really tough," Key said. "And now, this situation with the government, I guess I have just lost faith." ***************************************************************** 20 Energy report lists handling plans for old nuclear sites *March 20, 2001* By Glenn Roberts Jr. STAFF WRITER A report on long-term management plans at Energy Department sites details monitoring plans and access restrictions at former nuclear weapons and explosives test areas. On Amchitka Island in Alaska, the site of three underground nuclear weapons tests conducted by Lawrence Livermore Laboratory from 1965-71, the Energy Department is planning to begin long-term soil and groundwater monitoring in 2004. Cannikin, the largest U.S. nuclear test, was detonated at the site in 1971. The underground blast was measured at five megatons, the equivalent of five million tons of TNT explosives. A major cleanup effort will begin this year on the remote island, which is at the outer reaches of the Aleutian Islands chain. The Energy Department's report on management plans for polluted sites, titled, "Report to Congress: Long-Term Stewardship," lists the expected costs and duration of efforts to maintain, monitor and contain contamination following cleanup activities. These long-term management efforts are expected to continue indefinitely at nuclear test sites, the report states. Soil and groundwater monitoring and the enforcement of access restrictions to underground radioactive contamination will be the major long-term aims of the Energy Department at the Amchitka site, according to the report. Underground radioactive contamination will be left in place and monitored. These activities will cost an estimated $2.87 million through 2070, and an additional $1.4 million after 2070, the report states. The report also notes that contamination at some nuclear test areas has not been fully assessed, and long-term management costs are subject to change. Underground radioactive contamination is expected to be left in place, and the Energy Department "will maintain institutional controls over the subsurface to prevent access to the test cavities, groundwater, and associated subsurface contamination in perpetuity," the report states. The Energy Department anticipates that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to manage the island as a wildlife refuge, the report states. Several contaminated test areas included in the report were ground zero to nuclear blasts conducted for the Plowshare Program, a Livermore Lab effort to test the feasibility of using nuclear explosives for peaceful, earth-moving projects. Gnome, the first nuclear experiment conducted for the Plowshare Program, was detonated in 1961 about 31 miles southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Cleanup of radiation at the surface of the site and other pollution from drilling equipment is expected to be completed by 2005, the report states, and underground radioactive contamination is expected to be left in place and monitored. Long-term management costs at the site, which will pay for groundwater monitoring and access restrictions, will cost an estimated $4.1 million through 2070 and an estimated $2.7 million after 2070, the report states. Gasbuggy, another Plowshare underground test site in New Mexico that will be similarly managed, will cost an estimated $5.8 million through 2070 and $4.3 million after 2070. Rulison, an underground Plowshare test site in Colorado, will cost an estimated $4.3 million for long-term stewardship through 2070, and $2.6 million thereafter. Unlike several other Plowshare sites, which are under the authority of the Interior or Energy departments, the Rulison site is under private ownership, though an Energy Department deed restriction bans digging and drilling activities at the site. Rio Blanco, another Plowshare test site in Colorado, will cost an estimated $3.7 million through 2070 and $2 million thereafter. The report lists the anticipated future of these Plowshare test sites as "open space." NewsChoice.com ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************