***************************************************************** 08/24/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.204 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 Nuclear protesters arrested in DuPage 2 NRC Daily Events Report 3 IAEA Daily Press Review 4 'Unusual Event' Ended at PPL's Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant; 5 Tehelka apologizes to minister 6 PPL stops man from breaking into Pennsylvania nuke 7 NRC Cites Exelon Nuclear Generation Company for Violation of Low 8 The Texas Solution (radioactive waste storage in the state, for a price) 9 Power plant is cited for a violation 10 S.C. utilities don't favor nuclear plants at SRS 11 NRC to Hold Public Meetings on Surry Nuclear Station License 12 NRC Proposes $8,800 Civil Penalty for Pittsburgh Medical Facility 13 EDITORIAL: Cracking down on whistle-blowers 14 Clinton: Look at nuke sites other than Yucca NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 Ending citizen panel irks folks at Fernald 2 Brown backs SRS as nuclear power plant site 3 Lester Raby's education into illness 4 Wildlife finds safe haven on dangerous acres 5 Official sees SRS as nuclear plant 6 Atomic tests payouts reach $5m 7 Russians Delay Nuke Sub Raising 8 DOE: Nuclear weapon cleanup will cost $147B ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Nuclear protesters arrested in DuPage [SuburbanChicagoNews.com] By Jim Faber STAFF WRITER WARRENVILLE — Inside an airconditioned conference room, men and women in business attire celebrated the opening of the new Exelon Nuclear headquarters at 4300 Winfield Road. Outside, dozens of protesters rallied against Exelon with signs, slogans and street puppets, urging the company to phase out its 17 nuclear power plants. While company employees gathered to hear remarks from their CEO, nine protesters crossed onto Exelon property and were arrested by the Warrenville Police Department. The demonstrators started the day in Yorkville, taking part in a weeklong "International Action Camp," run by the Nuclear-Free Great Lakes Campaign, that trains attendees how to protest against nuclear energy effectively. Among the protesters were people from 10 other countries, including Germany, Slovakia, Korea and Argentina. Dave Kraft of the Nuclear Energy Information Service in Evanston, said the protest remained peaceful, and each protester had the choice to be arrested. None of the international protesters were arrested. Of those arrested, two are from Illinois, one from Michigan, two from Indiana, one from Wisconsin, one from Virginia, one from Arizona and one from Maryland. The nine arrested had decided the day before, and the Campaign had set up support staff to bail out any arrested protesters. Warrenville police called the gathering a peaceful demonstration. Those arrested were charged with trespassing and were released on $100 bond each, police said. No court dates have been set yet, police said. "It was a success on a number of levels," Kraft said of the demonstration. "It showed the spirit of activism is still alive in the U.S., especially on this issue." This International Action Camp started in Chicago last weekend and will end this Sunday. It was the third such annual camp but the first to be held in Illinois, Kraft said. The previous two years, the camp had been held in southern Michigan to protest nuclear power there. The camp came to Illinois this year to protest the carting of nuclear waste through the state and to target Exelon's new headquarters and older plants — the Dresden nuclear station outside of Morris and the Braidwood station outside of Braidwood, Kraft said. Kraft said the groups protesting Thursday want nuclear power phased out and replaced with renewable and environmentally friendly power sources like solar and wind. The group decided to target the corporate headquarters instead of the plants themselves to take the message directly to the decisionmakers. "They are the problem," Kraft said. "We have nothing against the plant workers. In fact, we pray that they do their jobs right." Inside Exelon Nuclear's new 146,000-square-foot, 550 employee headquarters, executives called the protest familiar but misguided. "We can't ignore the demonstration outside," said Exelon co-CEO Corbin McNeill, "but a knowledgeable person, looking at our record of safety since Three Mile Island, can see the concerns of a small group of people obliviated by the performance over the past 20 years." Exelon has 11 nuclear power plants in Illinois, five in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey. The company, created by a merger of PECO Energy Company and Com Ed's parent company, Unicom Corp. in 1999, is the largest nuclear power provider in the U.S. Contact Jim Faber at (630) 844-5889 or jfaber@scn1.com. ***************************************************************** 2 NRC Daily Events Report Daily Events Report AND all after ), YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO REPLACE PARAMETER ENTITIES WITH THEIR ASCII EQUIVALENT. YOU MAY FIND SEARCH AND REPLACE HANDY TO DO THIS. THE SEARCH AND REPLACE PAIRS U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Operations Center Event Reports For 08/23/2001 - 08/24/2001 ** EVENT NUMBERS ** 38227 38228 38229 38230 + |Fuel Cycle Facility |Event Number: 38227 | + | FACILITY: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL, INC. |NOTIFICATION DATE: 08/22/2001| | RXTYPE: URANIUM HEXAFLUORIDE PRODUCTION |NOTIFICATION TIME: 11:43[EDT]| | COMMENTS: UF6 CONVERSION (DRY PROCESS) |EVENT DATE: 07/27/2001| | |EVENT TIME: [CDT]| | |LAST UPDATE DATE: 08/23/2001| CITY: METROPOLIS REGION: 3 COUNTY: MASSAC STATE: IL |PERSON ORGANIZATION LICENSE#: SUB-526 AGREEMENT: Y |RONALD GARDNER R3 DOCKET: 04003392 |JAMES CREED (R3) IAT +JOHN DAVIDSON (NMSS) IAT NRC NOTIFIED BY: HUGH ROBERTS |FRED BROWN NMSS HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES | EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY | 10 CFR SECTION: | BAB2 20.2201(a)(1)(ii) LOST/STOLEN LNM>10X | MISSING SHIPMENT OF CaF SETTLING POND CLEANUP WASTE A shipment of CaF settling pond waste left the site on July 25, 2001 and apparently did not arrive on July 27, 2001 at the Andrews County WCS in Texas. The shipment, one of several, consisted of 44,480 pounds of 80% CaF and 20% lime with less than 500 ppm natural uranium contained in it. The natural uranium is calculated at about 19 pounds total contained in the shipment. The driver reported that the shipment was delivered, but there is no paperwork to support the delivery. The licensee notified NRC Region 3 (Monte Phillips), the EPA, and the Illinois State Police, who are investigating. * * * UPDATE ON 8/23/01 @ 1425 BY ROBERTS TO GOULD * * * Wills Trucking found the material intact on the ground on 8/22/01 north of Dallas, Tx. and they are responding with the Texas EPA and other regulatory agencies. Notified Reg 3 RDO(Gardner), Brown(NMSS), Reg 3 IAT(Creed) and NMSS(Davidson) by e-mail Power Reactor |Event Number: 38228 | FACILITY: WATTS BAR REGION: 2 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 08/23/2001| | UNIT: [1] [] [] STATE: TN |NOTIFICATION TIME: 13:05[EDT]| | RXTYPE: [1] W-4-LP,[2] W-4-LP |EVENT DATE: 08/08/2001| EVENT TIME: 22:43[EDT]| | NRC NOTIFIED BY: TOUCHSTONE |LAST UPDATE DATE: 08/23/2001| | HQ OPS OFFICER: CHAUNCEY GOULD +PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |EDWARD MCALPINE R2 10 CFR SECTION: | AINV 50.73(a)(1) INVALID SPECIF SYSTEM A| | | | -----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+----------------- UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE -----+----------+-------+--------+-----------------+--------+----------------- 1 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation EVENT TEXT AUTOMATIC START OF AN EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR The following information is provided as a 60 day telephone notification to NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 50.73(a)(1) in lieu of submitting a written LER to report a condition that resulted in an invalid actuation of WBN Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) 2B-B. NUREG 1022, Rev 2, identifies the information that needs to be reported as discussed: (a)The specific train(s) and system(s) that were actuated. On August 8, 2001, at 2243 hours, Train B, Emergency Diesel Generator 2B-B (System 82) actuated (automatically started). The cause of the start is under evaluation, but was not in response to actual plant conditions or an ESF signal. No loss of essential board voltage was observed, no emergency start signal initiated (manually or automatically), and no other initiating signal such as an SI occurred. (b) Whether each train actuation was complete or partial. The actuation is considered complete. EDG 2B-B automatically started and accelerated to rated speed of 900 RPM. As there was no loss of essential board voltage, no load shedding occurred and the diesel generator output breaker remained disconnected from its respective shutdown board. (c) Whether or not the system started and functioned successfully. EDG 2B-B automatically started and functioned successfully. As discussed above, the EDG accelerated to rated speed of 900 RPM. Since there was no loss of essential board voltage, the diesel remained disconnected from its respective shutdown board and available to perform its safety function in the event of a loss of offsite power. No complications were observed. The NRC Resident Inspector was notified. |Power Reactor |Event Number: 38229 | | FACILITY: SUSQUEHANNA REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 08/23/2001| | UNIT: [1] [2] [] STATE: PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 16:53[EDT]| | RXTYPE: [1] GE-4,[2] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 08/23/2001| EVENT TIME: 16:21[EDT]| | NRC NOTIFIED BY: FITCH |LAST UPDATE DATE: 08/23/2001| | HQ OPS OFFICER: CHAUNCEY GOULD +PERSON ORGANIZATION EMERGENCY CLASS: UNUSUAL EVENT |JAMES NOGGLE R1 10 CFR SECTION: |ELINOR ADENSAM NRR AAEC 50.72(a) (1) (i) EMERGENCY DECLARED |RICHARD WESSMAN IRO DDDD 73.71 UNSPECIFIED PARAGRAPH |ROBERTA WARREN IAT |RICHARD ROSANO IAT |GREGORY SMITH IAT UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE 1 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation 2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation EVENT TEXT SUSPECTED INTRUSION ON THE SITE IMMEDIATE COMPENSATORY MEASURES TAKEN ON DISCOVERY THE LICENSEE NOTIFIED THE NRC RESIDENT INSPECTOR, STATE, LOCAL AND OTHER GOVT. AGENCIES A PRESS RELEASE WILL BE ISSUED. CONTACT HOO FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS * * * UPDATE ON 8/23/01 @ 2009 BY WOZINSKI TO GOULD * * * THE NOUE WAS TERMINATED AT 1952 THE RESIDENT INSPECTOR WAS NOTIFIED REG 1 RDO(NOGGLE), EO(ADENSAM), FEMA(CANUPP), IAT(ROSANO), IAT(WARREN) WERE INFORMED Power Reactor |Event Number: 38230 | FACILITY: PEACH BOTTOM REGION: 1 |NOTIFICATION DATE: 08/24/2001| | UNIT: [2] [3] [] STATE: PA |NOTIFICATION TIME: 02:29[EDT]| | RXTYPE: [2] GE-4,[3] GE-4 |EVENT DATE: 08/23/2001| EVENT TIME: 21:43[EDT]| | NRC NOTIFIED BY: NILS BAHLIN |LAST UPDATE DATE: 08/24/2001| | HQ OPS OFFICER: FANGIE JONES EMERGENCY CLASS: NON EMERGENCY |JAMES NOGGLE R1 10 CFR SECTION: | ACOM 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) LOSS COMM/ASMT/RESPONSE| UNIT |SCRAM CODE|RX CRIT|INIT PWR| INIT RX MODE |CURR PWR| CURR RX MODE 2 N Y 100 Power Operation |100 Power Operation 3 N Y 80 Power Operation |80 Power Operation EVENT TEXT LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT CENTER An unexpected electrical breaker trip has caused a loss of power to the Technical Support Center (TSC). On 08/23/01 at the main control room was notified that the TSC, which is located in a building adjacent to the protected area, was without power. Communications were verified available from the TSC. An investigation revealed that an offsite breaker controlled by the power system director had tripped. Further investigation is in progress to identify and repair any deficiencies. The station procedures for contingency actions were put in place if an event requiring the TSC were to occur during the loss of power. Power was restored to the TSC at 0130 EDT on 08/24/01 from an alternate offsite source. The licensee notified the NRC Resident Inspector. ***************************************************************** 3 IAEA Daily Press Review IAEA Daily Press Review Date 2001-08-24 Number 161 1. Non-proliferation President Bush confirms US withdrawal from ABM treaty, but promises to continue consultations with Russia. US, China discuss nonproliferation issues as relations warm. Russian missile lands accidentally in Kazakhstan during training exercises - nobody hurt. (BBC; R - 24/8) China; Kazakhstan; Russian Federation; United States of America 2. Illicit trafficking IAEA initiates new moves to stem nuclear smuggling. (R - 23/8) IAEA 3. Nuclear power Brazil's Energy Council ponders future of NPP Angra-3 project. Kazakhstan in talks to sell uranium to China. President of Dominican Republic orders study of Argentine NPPs to evaluate feasibility of nuclear power for his country. Czech NPP Temelin disconnected from grid again for balancing of rotor. (NUC; R - 23/8) Argentina; Brazil; China; Czech Republic; Dominican Republic; Kazakhstan 4. Nuclear safety DPRK's officials receive safeguards training in Australia; the course aims to assist DPRK to meet Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and IAEA obligations. (R - 23/8) Dem. P.R. of Korea 5. Radiation, health WHO studies links between depleted uranium and high incidence of certain diseases in Iraq. (BBC - 23/8) Iraq; WHO 6. Radwaste, fuel Hungary to build nuclear waste repository. (R - 23/8) Hungary 7. R Japanese and British physicists report about new way of achieving nuclear fusion - elusive goal of cheap and safe energy. (DAW - 24/8) Japan; United Kingdom 8. Miscellaneous Giant pontoon launched in Russia to help raise 'Kursk'. US tanker sunk in World War II has been leaking heavy fuel oil into Pacific Ocean since last week: one of world's largest and most unspoiled lagoons threatened. (BBC; IHT - 24/8) Pacific Islands; Russian Federation About the IAEA | Programmes | Documents | Press Center | Jobs at IAEA | Books | Meetings | Periodicals | Reference Center | Home | ***************************************************************** 4 'Unusual Event' Ended at PPL's Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant; Security Check Conducted to Assure Plant Remains Safe [PR Newswire] Thursday August 23, 8:41 pm Eastern Time Press Release SOURCE: PPL Corporation 'Unusual Event' Ended at PPL's Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant; Security Check Conducted to Assure Plant Remains Safe BERWICK, Pa., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- After a thorough security check at PPL's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, an ``unusual event'' at the plant ended at 7:52 p.m. (EDT) Thursday (8/23). ``The plant's security force completed a walkdown of the plant and has assured that the plant is safe,'' said Herb Woodeshick, PPL Corp. special assistant to the president for Susquehanna. An ``unusual event,'' the lowest of four emergency classifications at U.S. nuclear power plants, was declared at 4:21 p.m. (EDT) Thursday after plant security apprehended a man inside a vehicle access area at one of the plant's gates. The man scaled one security fence, but was caught before getting over a second fence and into the plant's protected area, Woodeshick said. The man was not armed. Plant security turned him over to the custody of the Pennsylvania State Police. ``Susquehanna's security system worked as designed to assure plant safety,'' Woodeshick said. ``The plant security force received immediate notification when the man climbed the first fence, and he was quickly apprehended.'' An unusual event means a minor problem has occurred at the plant that could reduce plant safety. No action by the general public is required. The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna. PPL has activated its Media Operations Center at the Susquehanna Energy Information Center along Route 11, seven miles north of Berwick. The phone number is 570-759-2285. PPL Susquehanna LLC is a member of the PPL family of companies. PPL Corporation is a global energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pa. SOURCE: PPL Corporation More Quotes and News: PPL Corp (NYSE:PPL - news) Related News Categories: oil/energy, utilities ***************************************************************** 5 Tehelka apologizes to minister -DAWN - International; 26 August, 2001 GUWAHATI, Aug 25: A controversial Indian news website on Saturday retracted its report that an Indian provincial minister had paid money to expose a bigamy scandal that forced resignations at the helm of a rival party. The website www.tehelka.com said its report that accused Sarat Borkotoky, a minister in the Congress party which rules the northeastern state of Assam, of paying a woman to make public news of her "second marriage" to politician Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was incorrect. "Through subsequent investigations, we find that the allegations cannot be entirely substantiated," a statement posted on the site said. Mahanta, who was chief minister of Assam until May, stepped down as head of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) party, a regional ally of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's federal coalition, when the reports of bigamy surfaced. Tehelka had earlier reported that Borkotoky had paid the second wife, Sanghamitra Bharali, 1.5 million rupees to break the news of Mahanta's second marriage to the media. Tehelka's statement said: "The item escaped editorial review and some discrepancies in the unedited version crept into the final edited copy as well. "We regret any inconvenience caused to anyone by this editorial mishap." The statement added the report was written on the basis of "allegations" made by supporters of Mahanta. The website had rocked Vajpayee's government in March when it exposed corruption in defence deals through a secretly filmed undercover operation.-AFP © The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2001 ***************************************************************** 6 PPL stops man from breaking into Pennsylvania nuke [Reuters] Friday August 24, 7:55 am Eastern Time NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters) - PPL Corp. (NYSE:PPL - news) said late Thursday a man scaled the fence at the Susquehanna nuclear power station in Pennsylvania and was quickly apprehended before causing any damage. Because of the security breach, PPL said in a statement it declared an ``unusual event'' at the plant at 4:21 p.m. EDT Thursday after plant security apprehended the man inside a vehicle access area at one of the plant's gates. An unusual event, the lowest of four emergency classifications at U.S. nuclear power plants, means a minor problem has occurred at the plant that could reduce plant safety. The unusual event ended at 7:52 p.m. on Thursday. ``The plant's security force completed a walkdown of the plant and has assured that the plant is safe,'' said Herb Woodeshick, a special assistant to the president for Susquehanna, in the statement. The man scaled one security fence, but was caught before getting over a second fence and into the plant's protected area, Woodeshick added. The man was not armed and plant security turned him over to the Pennsylvania State Police. ``Susquehanna's {DuDu DI`??signed to assure plant safety,'' Woodeshick said. ``The plant security force received immediate notification ???man climbed the first fence, and he was quickly apprehended.'' The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County, about seven miles north of Berwick, Pa., is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Co-op and is operated by PPL Susquehanna. PPL Susquehanna is a subsidiary of global energy giant PPL Corp. of Allentown, Pa. --Scott DiSavino, New York Power Desk, +646-223-6072, fax +646-223-6079, e-mail scott.disavino@reuters.com Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy ***************************************************************** 7 NRC Cites Exelon Nuclear Generation Company for Violation of Low to Moderate Risk Significance at Peach Bottom Press Release - Region I - 2001-053 - UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 No. I-01-053 August 23, 2001 CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: dps@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: nas@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has determined that a violation of NRC regulations at Exelon Generation Company's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, in Delta, Pa., should be characterized as "white," meaning that it is an issue of low to moderate importance to safety but one which may require additional NRC inspections. The violation concerned several occasions when the public address (PA) and evacuation alarm (EA) system was not maintained or did not function properly in accordance with the plant's emergency plan and implementing procedures. The issue has low to moderate safety significance because a failed or degraded emergency onsite communication system would prevent the license from properly informing and alerting onsite personnel of protective actions and could unnecessarily delay a site evacuation. Under the significance determination process, NRC officials classify certain conditions at nuclear power plants as being one of four colors which delineate increasing levels of severity, beginning with green and progressing in severity to white, yellow or red. A preliminary "white" finding was described in an inspection report dated August 3 of this year. The letter transmitting the report provided the company with an opportunity to either request a regulatory conference to discuss this issue or to respond in writing. Exelon sent a written response, indicating the company did not contest the characterization of the risk significance of this finding. In a letter transmitting the final significance determination and notice of violation, Region I Administrator Hubert J. Miller said, "This problem with the PA and EA system addressed in this letter is just one of a number of Emergency Preparedness (EP) related problems that have surfaced in the past several months." He said the company has informed him that it has "initiated actions to resolve these problems and strengthen EP performance in the Exelon MidAtlantic regional operating group." Because this violation falls into the regulatory response band of the NRC's oversight process, Peach Bottom may be subject to increased NRC oversight such as additional meetings or inspections. The agency will determine the most appropriate response and notify Exelon once that determination has been made. ***************************************************************** 8 The Texas Solution (radioactive waste storage in the state, for a price) "Mother Jones"> Peter Klebnikov 07/01/2001 - Page 17 Foundation for National Progress The federal government is facing a glut of radioactive waste--and a contract to bury some of it could be worth millions to one of George W. Bush's top fundraisers. There are no statues in the courthouse square of Andrews, Texas, only a squat metal monument commemorating the one-billionth barrel of oil pumped out of the sand. The "straightest road in Texas" leads out of town, past an abandoned gas station and a dessicated forest of scrub oaks. If you go far enough into the alkali desert, you'll reach a huge hole in the sand. This is where, if one of President Bush's premier Texas fundraisers has his way, the federal government could soon bury a substantial share of the radioactive waste accumulated in 50 years of nuclear weapons production. The site's owner is Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons, whose corporate empire embraces everything from sugar refineries to the controversial chemical manufacturing firm NL Industries. One of his less successful ventures is Waste Control Specialists, a hazardous-waste disposal company that has been dogged by fires, radioactive spills, and persistent financial losses. Simmons bought Waste Control in 1995 and soon launched a plan to revive the fortunes of the 16,000-acre desert site. He began reaching for the waste industry's biggest plum--a contract with the federal Department of Energy (DOE) to dispose of low-level nuclear waste, primarily radioactive soil, equipment, and building debris from military facilities. There were a few impediments: Critics warned that the Andrews site, which sits atop the nation's largest aquifer and abuts an earthquake fault, was ill suited for radioactive material. And Texas regulators opposed Simmons' plan, fearing a loss of control over what was buried in their backyard. But over the years, Simmons--with support from his onetime Dallas neighbor, then-Governor Bush--has managed to neutralize most of the objections. Now, with his allies controlling the nation's energy policy, he may finally be poised to win a federal contract that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Simmons, and a series of PACs he controls, contributed about $160,000 to Bush's Texas gubernatorial campaigns in the 1990s, and more than $550,000 to Republican soft-money accounts and Bush's presidential campaign in the last election cycle. Simmons also has been a significant donor to the Senate campaigns of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, and Bush's Interior Secretary, Gale Norton, once worked for him as a lobbyist. "Harold feels very comfortable with the people now in Washington," says Paul Bass, a Dallas businessman and close friend of Simmons. (Simmons declined to be interviewed for this article.) People close to Simmons are tight-lipped about his relationship with Bush. "They are friendly, but not friends" is all one former employee will say. "Simmons has no influence on Bush." Still, during Bush's governorship, his state agencies made several decisions that vastly improved Simmons' business prospects. In 1996, after the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission announced that it opposed any private disposal of out-of-state nuclear waste in Texas, Bush's chief lobbyist in Washington, Roy Coffee, met with the commission's director. The following week, the agency reversed its stance. And in 1997, Simmons hired several former Bush aides as lobbyists; not long afterward, the Texas Bureau of Radiation Control--which had previously found Waste Control's nuclear storage application "severely deficient"--granted the firm a license to bury waste from power companies and some federal agencies. As governor, Bush supported state efforts to build a nuclear waste site at Sierra Blanca in western Texas, but vowed to keep the state from becoming a nuclear "dumping ground." Now he must supervise the DOE's efforts to rid itself of 357 million cubic feet of low-level waste; the administration also wants utilities to build more nuclear plants, even though it lacks disposal sites for the waste from existing plants. Simmons began asking the federal government for a waste-disposal contract in 1996, but the Clinton administration refused to do business with Waste Control and successfully fought off a lawsuit from the company. "Our main concern was, was Waste Control a fly-by-night company?" says a senior DOE official. "They didn't have a track record." The department's stance soon attracted the attention of Simmons' allies. Numerous members of Congress urged then--Energy Secretary Federico Pena to accept the Waste Control proposal. Senators Phil Gramm (R-Texas), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), all of whom had received major contributions from Simmons, held up the appointment of a DOE general counsel who had opposed the application. "Waste Control played hardball," says L.G. Holstein, chief of staff under Pena. "It's highly unusual for a company to inject itself into the confirmation process of a nominee like that. They put a lot of pressure on us." Now, with Bush in power, strong-arm tactics may no longer be required. A recent DOE report recommended hiring private contractors to dispose of some 35 million cubic feet of the department's low-level waste, and officials say they are reviewing potential partners. Back in Texas, the state Senate recently passed a bill that would grant Waste Control a 20-year license to bury low-level DOE waste at Andrews. Leading the charge for Simmons' plan were Republican state Senators J.E. "Buster" Brown and Teel Bivins, both close Bush allies and recipients of substantial campaign contributions from Simmons. "The arrogance of the Simmons people is amazing, even by the standards of Texas, where big business gets what it wants," says Erin Rogers, outreach coordinator of the Texas Sierra Club . "The entire Texas political establishment is helping this one company." Friends describe the 71-year-old Simmons as polite, if reclusive. They speak in awe of a country boy who grew up in a shack without plumbing and electricity, began working as a soda jerk, and became a billionaire. "He's a clairvoyant investor," says Bass. Simmons' business acumen has manifested itself in a career as a corporate takeover artist with holdings in the metals, chemicals, oil, sugar, and real estate businesses--all industries that depend heavily on the goodwill of politicians and the laws they create. "That's why I participate in the political process," Simmons told the Dallas Morning News in 1997. In 1993, Simmons' unorthodox giving practices earned him the nation's highest Federal Elections Commission fine for violating contribution limits. Four years later, he settled a lawsuit brought by his daughters, admitting that he had siphoned $110,000 from their trust funds for political donations. His family, he remarked at the time, "apparently doesn't understand the value of political activity." Simmons' businesses have also been the focus of high-profile court challenges. NL Industries, once one of the nation's top manufacturers of lead paint additives, is the subject of 75 lawsuits charging that its products and factories had poisoned residents and workers in at least eight cities. And last year, five former employees of the DOE's Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky, filed a series of class-action suits against NL, claiming that the company had knowingly shipped 22.5 tons of plutonium-saturated ash without telling workers that the waste exceeded federal safety standards by as much as 700 times. In Andrews--a mostly Hispanic community impoverished by years of drought and falling oil prices--politicians have characterized Simmons' plan as an economic development project. The Waste Control site, notes company spokesman Tony Profitt, "has been endorsed by county officials at every level." But some residents question whether a businessman with Simmons' record should be trusted with radioactive waste. Just last year, Waste Control suffered two hazardous chemical fires; the year before, a pile of cesium spilled out of a container on a truck. Outside town, Bill Addington, a farmer who heads the Sierra Blanca Legal Defense Fund, surveys the pits Waste Control has dug in anticipation of a federal contract. Under the current plan, the firm's nuclear waste disposal license would expire in 20 years, with the state and federal governments responsible for the waste for centuries thereafter. "What a gift for President Bush to leave his home state," Addington says. © FOUNDATION FOR NATIONAL PROGRESS ***************************************************************** 9 Power plant is cited for a violation LancasterOnline.com Friday, August 24 By P.J. Reilly Intelligencer Journal Staff The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited Exelon Generating Co. for a violation at its Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station. According to an Aug. 3 NRC report, the station's public address and evacuation alarm system wasn't maintained or didn't function properly on several occasions in accordance with the plant's emergency plan. NRC characterized the violation as "an issue of low to moderate importance to safety, but one that may require additional inspections." If the communication system fails, NRC said, plant operators would be prevented from properly informing and alerting plant workers of protective actions. This could unnecessarily delay a site evacuation. Exelon has notified the commission that it has "initiated actions to resolve these problems and strengthen emergency preparedness in the Exelon Mid-Atlantic regional operating group," according to the NRC. Due to the violation, Peach Bottom could be subjected to increased NRC oversight. Copyright © 2001 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. All Rights ***************************************************************** 10 S.C. utilities don't favor nuclear plants at SRS 3 investor-owned utilities question locating plants on sites owned by Energy Department By DAVE L'HEUREUX Staff Writer South Carolina's three investor-owned utilities are questioning U.S. Rep. Henry Brown's interest in studying whether to build nuclear power plants at sites owned by the U.S. Energy Department. Such properties include the 200,000-acre Savannah River Site in parts of Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties. Brown, a freshman Republican representing the Charleston area, included the call for a study in the federal energy bill that the House approved in late July. "My amendment didn't name the Savannah River Site, but I hope the study will explore the possibility of using it for nuclear power plants," Brown said Thursday. Brown hopes to promote nuclear energy as the best means of meeting the nation's insatiable demand for energy without relying more heavily on imports. Yet the three utilities -- SCANA Corp., Progress Energy and Duke Energy -- believe SRS is hardly an ideal site for a nuclear power plant. "The most logical place for a new nuclear plant is next to an existing nuclear plant," said Becky McSwain, a spokeswoman for Charlotte-based Duke Energy. McSwain said existing nuclear plants already have access to trained personnel, storage, roads and transmission lines. "The Savannah River Site is a very different animal," she added. "It has never been used to produce power." The federal government created SRS in 1950 to produce atomic bombs. Now the U.S. Department of Energy stores nuclear waste on the 200,000-acre site. Most utilities throughout the Southeast, including those in South Carolina, already produce more energy than they use. "It's unnecessary for this part of the country," said Robin Montgomery, spokesman for SCANA Corp., the energy holding company based in Columbia. "We already have an adequate supply of energy." But Brown's idea has piqued the interest of the Bush administration and pro-nuclear groups, which support the expansion of nuclear power. "It's an interesting and thoughtful proposal," said Joe Davis, spokesman for the U.S. Energy Department. "We should discuss it in the context of a national energy policy." Brown said private utilities, not the federal government, should operate any future nuclear plants built on DOE properties, an idea that the Nuclear Energy Institute approves. "We're not necessarily for the federal government operating nuclear power plants," said Steve Kerekes, spokesman for NEI. "Nuclear power should be competitive in the marketplace." A local official said the potential construction of nuclear power plants at Savannah River would bring new jobs and investments. "I'd love to have a new plant in Barnwell County," said E. Timothy Moore Jr., chairman of Barnwell County Council. "And I'd like to have the taxes from it, too." But a spokesman for Progress Energy, parent company of Raleigh-based Carolina Power &Light Co., said the government still must resolve the ultimate disposal of spent nuclear fuels. "It will be very difficult for anyone to leverage the construction of more nuclear power plants until we solve the waste issue," said spokesman Mike Hughes. He also said he hopes that future nuclear power plants could use spent plutonium as a fuel source, but opposes any permanent storage of plutonium at the Savannah River Site. Gov. Jim Hodges opposes the shipment of more plutonium to the Savannah River Site. On Thursday, Hodges' senior adviser for environmental affairs, Hank Stallworth, discussed the plutonium issue with two key Energy Department officials in Washington, D.C. The discussions ended without a resolution, a DOE spokesman said Thursday afternoon. © Copyright 2001 The State-Record Company ***************************************************************** 11 NRC to Hold Public Meetings on Surry Nuclear Station License Renewal Press Release Region II - 2001 - 36 - UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA No. II-01-036 August 23, 2001 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416/e-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov Roger D. Hannah (404)562-4417/e-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold public meetings on September 19 in Surry, Virginia, on the environmental review related to the application of Virginia Electric & Power Company (Virginia Power) to renew the operating licenses for both units of the Surry nuclear power plant near Surry, Virginia. Members of the public are invited to attend and comment on environmental issues the NRC should consider in its review of the proposed license renewal. The meetings will be held in the Combined District Court Room in the Surry County Government Center, 45 School Street, Surry, Virginia. There will be two similar sessions, one in the afternoon from 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. and one in the evening from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. In addition, the NRC staff will host informal discussions one hour prior to each meeting. No comment submittals on environmental issues will be accepted during the informal discussions. For planning purposes, those who wish to attend or present oral comments at the meetings may register by contacting Andrew J. Kugler of the NRC by telephone at (800) 368-5642, extension 2828, or by e-mail at ajk1@nrc.govno later than September 11. Interested persons may also register to speak at the meeting 15 minutes before the start of each session. Individual comment time may be limited by the time available. The meetings will include an overview and NRC staff presentation on the environmental process related to license renewal, after which members of the public will be given the opportunity to present their comments on what environmental issues the NRC should consider during its review. Under NRC regulations, the original operating license for a nuclear power plant is issued for up to 40 years. The license may be renewed for up to an additional 20 years if NRC requirements are met. The current operating licenses for Surry Units 1 and 2 will expire on May 25, 2012, and January 29, 2013, respectively. Virginia Power submitted its application for license renewal on May 29, 2001. As part of its application, Virginia Power submitted an environmental report. That report is available for public review in the NRC Public Document Room at NRC headquarters, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. In addition, the Gregg Earl Swem Library at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg has agreed to make the report available for public inspection. The application is also available on the NRC Web page at www.nrc.gov/NRC/REACTOR/LR/dominion/index.html. An existing NRC document, "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants," (NUREG-1437), assesses the scope and impact of environmental effects that would be associated with license renewal at any nuclear power plant site. The NRC staff is gathering information at the September meeting for a supplement to the generic environmental impact statement that will be specific to the Surry plant. It will contain a recommendation regarding the environmental acceptability of the license renewal action. At the conclusion of the information-gathering process, the NRC staff will prepare a summary of conclusions and significant issues and will send a copy to interested persons who participated in the scoping process. The summary will also be available for public review at the Gregg Earl Swem Library at the College of William and Mary and will be accessible electronically through the NRC Public Electronic Reading Room at www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. Assistance in using the electronic reading room is available by calling the NRC Public Document Room at 301-415-4737 or (800) 368-5642, extension 4737. The NRC staff will then prepare a draft environmental impact statement supplement for public comment and will hold a public meeting to solicit comments. After consideration of comments received on the draft, the NRC will prepare a final EIS supplement. Members of the public may also submit written comments on the scope of the Surry-specific supplement to the generic environmental impact statement. Comments should be submitted by October 15, either by mail to the Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administrative Services, Mail Stop T-6-D-59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 or by Internet to: SurryEIS@nrc.gov. ***************************************************************** 12 NRC Proposes $8,800 Civil Penalty for Pittsburgh Medical Facility Press Release - Region I - 2001-054 - UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 No. I-01-054 August 24, 2001 CONTACT: Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: dps@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: nas@nrc.gov The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed an $8,800 fine against a Pittsburgh, Pa., medical facility for deliberately violating agency regulations pertaining to the possession and disposal of radioactive material. Based on an inquiry conducted by the NRC's Office of Investigations, the agency has determined that the South Pittsburgh Cancer Center, located on Clairton Boulevard, possessed depleted uranium from January 1994 to December 1, 2000. The center did so even though the material, which was in the form of bricks used for shielding for two linear accelerators, was not listed on an NRC license, as required. Further, the NRC has found that the center tried to dispose of the depleted uranium in April 1998 and October 2000 by transferring it to persons who did not have an NRC license authorizing them to possess radioactive material. For example, in the case of the April 1998 transfer, the material was handed over to a handyman. That individual attempted to dispose of the depleted uranium but was unable to do so after a radiation monitor alarmed at a disposal facility. The material was subsequently returned to the center. In a letter to center owner/radiation safety officer Dr. Antonio J. Ambrad announcing the enforcement decision, NRC Region I Administrator Hubert J. Miller said the agency was particularly concerned that Ambrad had deliberately violated NRC requirements. "It is essential for the NRC to maintain the highest confidence that licensees and their employees will abide by requirements designed to protect the health and safety of the public," Mr. Miller wrote. South Pittsburgh Cancer Center is required to submit a written response to the NRC within 30 days. ***************************************************************** 13 EDITORIAL: Cracking down on whistle-blowers [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Friday, August 24, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Measure toughening 'official secrets act' again rears its ugly head Last fall, President Clinton vetoed a measure, supported by Janet Reno's Justice Department, that would have made it a felony -- carrying a penalty of as much as three years in prison -- for current or former government workers to leak "properly classified" information to the press. Backers of the measure say it was needed to prevent security breaches and protect confidential informants. But media organizations, civil libertarians and a number of intelligence experts prevailed, arguing that the measure would lead to the harassment of whistle-blowers and prevent the timely disclosure of wrongdoing by government agencies. The veto was a welcome defense of the First Amendment, but the measure refuses to die. Sen. Richard Shelby, the Alabama Republican who championed the proposal last year, wants to again wrap it into a bill funding intelligence agencies. Current law prohibits leaking information related to national defense. Yet before the government can obtain a conviction, prosecutors must prove that a leaker intended to injure the United States. The new law, by contrast, would allow convictions for the disclosure of any classified information, whether the person revealing the information intended to damage national security or not. A number of high-profile opponents came out against the bill last year. Former CIA Director James Woolsey said it would discourage the disclosure of legitimate information about the government. Reps. Henry Hyde and John Conyers, the top-ranking Republican and Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, also weighed in, citing their concerns about the measure's likely impact on the First Amendment and the barriers it would impose on individuals who wish to expose government abuses. Other critics claim that current law is sufficient to punish people who leak damaging information; the statute just isn't vigorously enforced. Still others note that the bill could lead to selective prosecution of individuals by bureaucrats who want to punish whistle-blowers ... or criminal penalties against journalists wishing to protect the sources of their leaks. The current chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Florida Democrat Bob Graham, has scheduled a public hearing for Sept. 5. The Bush administration has not stated whether it will support the measure, but has hinted it may consider new criminal penalties unnecessary. That would be the correct stance. This story is located at: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2001/Aug-24-Fri-2001/opinion/16841027.html ***************************************************************** 14 Clinton: Look at nuke sites other than Yucca Las Vegas SUN August 24, 2001 By Jeff German and Ed Koch Former President Bill Clinton said today the country should consider alternatives to burying nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. The former president, in an exclusive interview with the Las Vegas Sun, questioned whether Yucca Mountain is the best and most remote site to store the waste. "The last time I looked at the map, the Texas site was farther away from any populated area than the Nevada site," Clinton said. Deaf Smith County, Texas, and Hanford, Wash., were the other two sites under consideration for the dump when Yucca Mountain was selected by Congress in 1987. Clinton said Congress should think about revisiting whether other sites may be safer. "If the administration believes so strongly that it ought to be done, why not put it in a place that's farthest from a populated area," he said. "I just think it's a good talking point." Nevada's "strongest and best chance" of derailing efforts to make Yucca Mountain the site of the nation's nuclear waste dump rests with the opposition mounted by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate's majority whip, Clinton said. "I'm not in Washington now. I'm not up on all of the latest developments," Clinton told the Sun this morning. "But I think if there is a chance to avoid this being done now it lies with whatever Sen. Reid can do. He's your strongest and best hope." Reid, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, is leading the fight in Washington against Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Clinton, who has been a friend to Nevada in the nuclear waste battle, said Reid has a lot of influence on Capitol Hill. "Certainly he might be able to delay it until the latest inquiries about what alternatives exist are fully exhausted," Clinton said. A preliminary report released this week by the Department of Energy, which is overseeing the scientific studies at Yucca Mountain, said the burial of 77,000 tons of nuclear waste there would pose no public health threat for at least 10,000 years. The report is considered a major step in the DOE's efforts to recommend Yucca Mountain to President Bush. Nevada officials, preparing to spend up to $4 million to fight efforts to bring the deadly waste here, have criticized the DOE for showing bias in favor of Yucca Mountain, even though the federal agency now insists its decision will be based on science. Clinton was given a tour this morning of the new Las Vegas Sun building and state-of the art newsroom at 2275 Corporate Circle Drive in Henderson. He posed for photos with Greenspun Media Group executives and chatted with Sun reporters and editors. Clinton and his 21-year-old daughter, Chelsea, who is headed to Oxford University for graduate work, spent five days in Las Vegas this week doing what his good friend Sun Editor Brian Greenspun called "stuff typical tourists do." The Clintons stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Strip. Clinton also spoke of his longtime and ailing friend Dr. Elias Ghanem, saying, "If everyone followed his lead (in health care management) in the '80s, we would have saved billions of dollars." Clinton visited Ghanem at MountainView Hospital during his Las Vegas stay, and was impressed at how the cancer-stricken physician and preferred provider organizations innovator talked as if everything was all right. "It was a wonderful visit -- he did not say a word about himself or his condition," Clinton said. "He is one of the most generous, loving, good people I have ever known." Outside Ghanem's room, Clinton said he ran into a crying nurse and asked if she knew Ghanem, and she told him that Ghanem helped put her and many others in town through nursing school. When Ghanem, who is chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, was diagnosed with cancer in 1998, Clinton invited his longtime friend to the White House. "Since 1992 he has given much of his time to talk with me about health issues ... (and) how to minimize costs and maximize care," Clinton said. "He has a legion of friends who love him very much." All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Ending citizen panel irks folks at Fernald 08/24/01 Associated Press Cincinnati The Associated Press "> Friday, August 24, 2001 Story last updated at 1:23 p.m. on Friday, August 24, 2001 by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff EDITOR'S NOTE: The Oak Ridger first introduced readers to Lester Raby in June. This story details more of his quest to get changes made in the Department of Energy's Occupational Medicine program. In Monday's paper, state Sen. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall, shares his thoughts on Lester Raby. Multiple myeloma, platelets and lymphocytes -- what does it all mean? That's what Lester Raby thought when his wife, Mary Raby, was diagnosed with refractory multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, in March 1991. To figure it all out, the Roane County resident decided to educate himself. He said he started by borrowing books from his wife's oncologist. "You have to know what the doctor is talking about," Lester Raby said. "You have to get yourself educated." That he did. Lester Raby learned that lymphocytes are small white blood cells that play a large role in defending the body against disease and that platelets are a component of the blood that play an important role in clotting. He says it then got to the point where he would ask to see his wife's medical chart when a doctor or nurse made a notation. However, Lester Raby's life changed forever in 1994 when his wife died. She had worked as a secretary in the Safeguards and Security Division at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Operations office prior to her illness. Lester Raby says his wife would probably still be alive today if not for the "inadequate care" she received at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's medical clinic, where she received her annual physical examinations. Despite significant decreases in his wife's red blood cell and platelet counts between 1986 to 1990, he said the staff at ORNL's medical clinic did not inform Mary Raby that something might be wrong until 1991. Following his wife's death, Lester Raby embarked on a mission to get changes made to the Department of Energy's Occupational Medicine program. He began contacting DOE and elected officials, then started compiling the correspondence in large, white three-ring notebooks along with his wife's medical records and research on her illness. Next, Lester Raby issued DOE a series of recommendations for improving the federal agency's Occupational Medicine program. One of those improvements would be to stop allowing a contractor to operate both a DOE facility and the medical program associated with that site, which is the situation in Oak Ridge. Lester Raby's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. In February, state Sen. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall, and state Rep. Dennis Ferguson, D-Midtown, introduced bills in the Legislature that would amend a portion of Tennessee Code Annotated and require DOE to award separate contracts for medical services. A spokesman for Davis' office said it would be January before any action on the bill could be taken. And, even though he's already talked with numerous DOE officials, Lester Raby says he's been promised a meeting with another one. Geoffrey Judge, acting deputy assistant secretary for Health Studies at DOE headquarters, sent a letter to Lester Raby on Aug. 15 stating, "As soon as a new assistant secretary for Environment, Safety and Health is confirmed, I will be pleased to arrange a meeting between you and the new assistant secretary where your concerns may be discussed." Joe Davis, a spokesman for DOE headquarters, said a date has not been set regarding the confirmation of a new assistant secretary for Environment, Safety and Health. All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 4 Wildlife finds safe haven on dangerous acres 08/23/2001 - Updated 10:56 PM ET By Tom Kenworthy, USA TODAY SAVANNAH RIVER SITE, S.C. — Whit Gibbons opens the throttle on his small skiff and races across the Savannah River, slamming to a stop in a tangle of tree branches hanging over the south bank. In the bow, Cameron Young stabs at a branch and comes up triumphantly with a squirming — and very large — brown water snake. DOE: Nuclear weapon cleanup will cost $147 billion For Gibbons, a University of Georgia ecologist, and Young, a graduate student, it's just another critter-rich day in one of the nation's most unusual outdoor labs. The two herpetologists are among dozens of scientists attached to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, a research facility in the middle of a 300-square-mile federal property carved out as a nuclear weapons plant site a half-century ago. For much of the Cold War, the Savannah River Site, 20 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga., produced plutonium and tritium for atomic bombs. As a result, it is one of the most heavily polluted places on earth. By Mary Ann Chastain, AP "Stumpy" the gator lives at the site, now a wildlife-research area. Savannah River Site Location: Southeast of Augusta, Ga. Size: 300 square miles Wildlife: Alligators, bass, wood storks, red-cockaded woodpeckers Produced: Plutonium and tritium Estimated cost of cleanup: $50.3 billion But in a grand irony, this facility — along with a handful of other large weapons plants in Colorado, Washington state, Idaho and Tennessee that were walled off from the outside world for decades — also is a treasure-trove of biological diversity. One unintended benefit of the race to produce weapons of mass destruction has been the protection of huge islands of wildlife habitat. With the arms race largely over, these sites, for all their ghastly contaminants, are increasingly being recognized as key refuges for wildlife largely unaffected by the nuclear and chemical pollution. Ninety percent of the Savannah River site has been virtually undisturbed for decades. It contains a rich mix of ecosystems: hardwood and pine forests, Carolina bay wetlands, cypress-tupelo swamps. The plant and animal life is breathtaking — and has been documented by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory since the early 1950s, with most research conducted outside of highly contaminated areas. Here, there are more than 240 species of birds, more than 100 species of reptiles and amphibians, nearly 100 species of freshwater fish. A creek running through the site has the greatest diversity of invertebrates of any in the Western Hemisphere. The largest alligator ever found in South Carolina — more than 13 feet long — came from here, and the largemouth bass are an angler's dream. These are not nuclear mutants, simply specimens grown large because they are not hunted or fished. "It's a pretty simple formula," Gibbons says. "The best protection for the environment is no people." What about having all this surrounding a plant struggling to deal with 35 million gallons of high-level nuclear waste and a devil's brew of toxic chemicals? "It's ironical, it's paradoxical," he says. But hardly unique. On the outskirts of Denver, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was built by the Army during World War II to produce mustard gas and incendiary weapons. Later, agricultural chemicals were produced there, and at the height of the Cold War, nerve gas. Now, even as a $2 billion environmental cleanup proceeds, the 27-square-mile arsenal has been transformed into a national wildlife refuge. Undisturbed prairie A fabulous example of largely undisturbed short-grass prairie, the arsenal is visited by up to 100 bald eagles in the winter and has thriving colonies of prairie dogs. Bird life abounds, including ferruginous hawks, burrowing owls and mountain plovers. Other attractions: mule deer with trophy-size racks and some of the best pond fishing in Colorado (catch-and-release only, because of the threat of contamination). AP Rocky Flats nuclear Site Location: Northwest of Denver Size: 10 square miles Wildlife: Cougar, deer, Preble's meadow jumping mouse Produced: Nuclear weapons components using plutonium and uranium Estimated cost of cleanup: $6.3 billion As the Army oversees the cleanup — including disposal of a handful of nerve gas canisters found recently — the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is restoring thousands of acres of native grasslands, giving escorted tours to tens of thousands of visitors and monitoring wildlife for contamination. On a recent tour, refuge manager Dean Rundle pauses by a lake and marvels as two Swainson's hawks engage in a courtship ritual, locking their talons in the air and tumbling toward the ground. A short drive to the west lies the Rocky Flats nuclear site, where plutonium components were produced until the mid-1990s. Contaminated by thousands of cubic meters of radioactive and hazardous wastes, Rocky Flats is, like the other weapons sites, on the federal government's Superfund list of priority cleanups (see sidebar). The estimated price for restoration: nearly $7 billion. But Rocky Flats' location, where the plains meet the Rocky Mountains, provides habitat for numerous species, including cougar, deer and the threatened Preble's meadow jumping mouse. To preserve those resources, Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard, a Republican, and Rep. Mark Udall, a Democrat, have proposed that Rocky Flats be designated a federal wildlife refuge once the cleanup is completed. The story is similar at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington. Created during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, which developed the first atomic bomb, the 586-square-mile site on the Columbia River housed reactors for producing plutonium. Hanford contains some of the best undisturbed "shrub-steppe" habitat in the Columbia River basin. In addition, the only undammed stretch of that mighty river — the Hanford Reach — flows by, providing spawning habitat for the Columbia's healthiest population of wild chinook salmon, the famed "upriver brights." Late last year, President Clinton set aside more than half of Hanford's property, nearly 200,000 acres including the Hanford Reach, as a national monument. Misguided cleanup? Some believe that the Department of Energy's cleanup program for its many nuclear sites could threaten these extraordinary wildlife resources by eventually opening the areas to far greater public access and even development. The effort is estimated to cost $147 billion through 2070. By Ed Ankrieski, AP A bald eagle is displayed during a tour of the area. Rocky Mountain Arsenal Location: Northeast of Denver, adjacent to Denver International Airport Size: 27 square miles Wildlife: Bald eagles, deer, prairie dogs, burrowing owls Produced: Mustard gas, incendiary weapons, nerve gas and pesticides Estimated cost of cleanup: $2.5 billion It would be better to adopt a "waste to wilderness" policy that would permit a less thorough cleanup and manage these areas as wildlife refuges, wrote Robert Nelson, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a conservative public policy institute. He projects savings up to $50 billion. While it is unlikely the public would endorse scaling back the cleanup strategy, excluding the public from these sites has been the key to their success as havens for wildlife. At Savannah River, for example, the public is kept away except for an annual deer hunt As with other nuclear sites where secrecy was paramount, Savannah River is a vast property with only a small portion devoted to nuclear production facilities. "Only 10% of it was ever used for industrial purposes," says Paul Bertsch, director of the ecology lab. Fish, wildlife and human visitors are largely unaffected by the pollution because high-level contamination is localized in waste tanks and other isolated structures, and lower level wastes are "inaccessible to fish and wildlife" because they are in groundwater and beneath the surface. Some of the most important research at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, where scientists have produced more than 2,500 academic publications, involves monitoring for radiation effects on wildlife. At Savannah's Par Pond — named for the P and R reactors — researchers have done exhaustive studies on bass and alligators to determine whether the animals are affected by radiation or the release of hot water from the plant's nuclear reactors. Despite jokes about "glowing frogs," Gibbons says there is no evidence to date of genetic damage to wildlife. With the reactors shut down, Par Pond is home to more wintering ruddy ducks than the rest of South Carolina combined. Because of its long isolation, the Savannah River Site also provides unparalleled opportunities to examine plants and animals in a habitat as close to natural as almost anywhere in the world. The forests, fields and swamps here provide sanctuary for threatened and endangered species, including red-cockaded woodpeckers, wood storks and the smooth purple coneflower. Leading a visitor on a tour of the site, Gibbons points out an unremarkable looking patch of forest and notes that it harbors one of the few coral snake populations in South Carolina. "Many, many species are localized like that," he says. "Put a parking lot in there, and they're gone." © Copyright 2001 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. ***************************************************************** 5 Official sees SRS as nuclear plant 08/24/01 August 24, 2001 COLUMBIA - Nuclear power plants should be built at Savannah River Site to supply areas across the Southeast with electricity, a South Carolina Republican congressman said. The reactors could supply power to the Carolinas, Georgia and Florida using weapons-grade plutonium as fuel, which Rep. Henry Brown said would solve the problem on how to get rid of surpluses of the radioactive metal. The idea fits within President Bush's national energy policy and the administration probably would support the proposal, Mr. Brown said Wednesday. The idea has been discussed with U.S. Department of Energy officials but has not been formally considered, spokesman Joe Davis said. ''It is an interesting and thoughtful proposal that, in general, certainly seems to help address the energy challenges the country faces over the next several years,'' Mr. Davis said. ''We will be happy to review Congressman Brown's proposal and meet with his office to discuss his ideas.'' The idea received sharp criticism from South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges, who thinks the Energy Department already is trying to go back on a 1997 deal to send plutonium to SRS only to be immobilized or converted into fuel for nuclear reactors. A member of Mr. Hodges' staff headed to Washington on Thursday to talk with DOE officials about South Carolina's concerns that the plutonium might be stored at SRS permanently. All contents 1996 - 2001 The Augusta Chronicle. All rights ***************************************************************** 6 Atomic tests payouts reach $5m The Advertiser: 25 August 2001 By COLIN JAMES THE Federal Government has spent more than $5 million on court cases and compensation involving veterans of the British atomic tests, it has emerged. Industry Science and Resources Minister Nick Minchin has revealed 79 court cases have been started since the program finished in SA in the early 1960s but only four have gone to trial. The remaining cases either had been withdrawn or confidentially settled out of court, with only one resulting in a $867,100 payout ordered by a judge in 1989. Senator Minchin said the total cost of defending the cases – and paying compensation – had reached $5.13 million. More than 350 compensation claims had been lodged by servicemen, public servants or civilians over the past 20 years, of which 27 had been successful. Senator Minchin said 342 claims from servicemen had been rejected, including some where the Commonwealth "accepted liability for conditions arising from a member's service" but would not pay compensation. Of the successful compensation claims, only nine payments had been paid to Australian servicemen since 1981, with seven cases still under consideration. A further five payments had been made to Aboriginal people, three to civilians and 10 to families of veterans who had died. Three of the payments, which averaged $126,561, had been made this year. The Australian Democrats spokeswoman on nuclear affairs, Lyn Allison, said the Federal Government's treatment of the nuclear test veterans was "no better" than its Labor predecessors. "It is tragic and heartless that Australian governments have knocked back 96 per cent of compensation claims by servicemen and civilians," she said. © 2001 Advertiser Newspapers Ltd ***************************************************************** 7 Russians Delay Nuke Sub Raising Las Vegas SUN August 24, 2001 MOSCOW (AP) - Storms have forced the Russians to temporarily suspend the operation to raise the Kursk nuclear submarine from the floor of the Barents Sea, but the work was still expected to be completed on schedule, officials said Friday. The 18,000-ton vessel sank during naval exercises Aug. 12 last year, killing the entire 118-member crew. It is to be brought to the surface Sept. 15 by steel cables connected to 26 computer-controlled hydraulic lifting devices, anchored to a giant barge. But winds of up to 45 mph and high waves were rocking the Norwegian diving support ship Mayo, which is serving as a base for the salvage operation in the Barents Sea, and Vice Adm. Michail Motsak decided late Thursday to halt work until the situation was calmer, a spokesman said. "Divers' work was temporarily halted because of the weather," Northern Fleet spokesman Igor Bobenko told reporters. "The list of Mayo vessel now exceeds four degrees and this is already dangerous for the helicopters landing aboard the vessel." An international team of divers has so far made 16 of 26 holes in the Kursk's double hull. Once that is completed, they will prepare to sever the submarine's mangled fore section, which is to be left behind when the Kursk is lifted - for fear it could contain unexploded torpedoes. After the Kursk's bow is sawed off, the divers will attach steel cables. Towing the submarine to harbor is expected to take up to two weeks, depending on the weather. Russian officials, who hope a close look at the submarine will shed light on the cause of the disaster and comfort family members of the victims, said they still planned to complete the operation on schedule. "The deadline for the operation will not change," Ilya Klebanov, a deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency Interfax. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 8 DOE: Nuclear weapon cleanup will cost $147B By Tom Kenworthy The Department of Energy characterizes cleanup of its nuclear weapons sites as ''the largest environmental-management program in the world'' and estimates it will cost $147 billion to accomplish from 1997 to 2070. Restoration of the large sites, including Savannah River, Rocky Flats, and Hanford, are among the most complex and costly projects on the National Priorities List -- known as the Superfund list. Created by Congress in 1980, the Superfund program is the government's principal means of cleaning up hazardous waste sites to protect the environment and human health. The Superfund list includes some, but not all, of DOE's 53 nuclear cleanup sites, as well as more conventional industrial facilities. More than 1,400 sites have been placed on the Superfund list since 1980, and slightly more than half of those have reached what the government terms the ''construction completion'' phase. Yet many of those remain on the Superfund list because groundwater and surface water are still being treated. Because of radiation risks, the cleanup of nuclear weapons sites presents special problems and often daunting technical challenges. Though each site is different, cleanup can involve everything from tearing down and disposing of contaminated structures to removing vast quantities of dirt to treating contaminated water left in temporary storage tanks. Some low-level wastes from these sites are being deposited at a federal facility in New Mexico. The final disposition of high-level wastes such as spent reactor fuel remains uncertain, however, until a repository is selected. DOE's plan for cleaning up the Savannah River site -- where plutonium and tritium were produced -- illustrates the scope and complexity of the task. It is divided into 84 separate projects that are projected to cost nearly $30 billion. As is the case with all of its sites, the amount of nuclear materials such as plutonium on the site is classified. The job includes: * Dealing with 16,000 cubic meters of what is known as transuranic waste, such as contaminated laboratory tools, sludge and materials from production facilities. * Stabilizing and enclosing nearly 50 tanks containing high-level liquid wastes. * Disposing 20 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel at a permanent repository. * Treating and disposing of more than 130,000 cubic meters of high-level wastes. © Copyright 2001 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************