***************************************************************** 02/28/01 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 9.54 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER CONTENTS 1 Guinn warns state ready to fight Yucca Mountain 2 Buffalo News - Town demands answers on toxic waste 3 Officials make pitch for Piketon plant funds 4 Eurotech Co-Sponsors 'Viktory for Kids' a CBS Broadcasting 5 U.S. District Court Judge Babcock Enters Orders Granting U.S. 6 FACTBOX - Wide-ranging Senate bill aims to cut oil imports 7 01: Yachts join trans-Tasman anti-nuclear protest 8 Hansen to push for nuclear waste site 9 Lawmakers Sit on Anti-Nuke Bills, Leavitt has one more day to 10 Envirocare Lobbyists Scramble After House Passes Waste-Tax Bill 11 Declare War on PFS 12 Power rates could get more unstable NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONTENTS 1 Weldon Spring site neighbors press officials about safety 2 Great opportunity for Mason and ORNL 3 Detroit Edison Breaks Ground on Fermi 2 Training Center 4 Cancer link with uranium-tipped weapons worries NATO 5 Vieques bombing again under fire 6 Nuclear victim Myers dies 7 Groundwater Said Safe in Vieques 8 France admits nuclear tests damaged Mururoa 9 Concerns expressed over plutonium stocks 10 'India getting aid for nuclear programme' 11 Nuclear Submarines, Tritium Release and Plymouth 12 Las Vegas SUN: Putin Remarks on Nuke Treaty 13 Putin Praises 1972 Nuclear Treaty 14 Prescribed fire debate re-ignited 15 9 firms vie to join Hanford glassification work ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POWER ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Guinn warns state ready to fight Yucca Mountain "I didn't want (Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham) to hear it through the back door." KENNY GUINN -- NEVADA GOVERNOR Wednesday, February 28, 2001 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Bush administration informed of Nevada's position By STEVE TETREAULT DONREY WASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Gov. Kenny Guinn informed the Bush administration this week that Nevada is gearing up for a legal fight over siting a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Guinn said he told Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham of his proposal for the state Legislature to establish a fund to fight nuclear waste burial in Nevada and to persuade other states to reject shipments of radioactive materials on their way to Yucca Mountain northwest of Las Vegas. "I wanted to apprise him -- I wanted him to hear it from us -- that for the first time in the history of our state, and we've been arguing over this for the last 18 years or so, I've asked our legislative body to put in $5 million for litigation fees so that if we thought (Yucca Mountain) scientific data had discrepancies in it, we would do what we had to do for the people of Nevada," Guinn said. "I didn't want him to hear it through the back door," Guinn said. The two met on Monday. Guinn said Abraham already had heard of the proposed legal fund and that he understood the state's position. Abraham repeated promises made by President Bush that there will be no attempt to place a temporary repository in Nevada and decisions on permanent nuclear waste storage will be made on "sound science and not politics." The Nevada governor made the rounds among President Bush's Cabinet members during a three-day meeting of the National Governors Association that concluded Tuesday. With other governors, Guinn attended a White House session on Monday where Bush pitched his budget and tax cut plans, and promised to streamline the process for states to obtain waivers from federal health and education programs. "There's going to be more local control for us," Guinn said. "Education dollars would come in grant money and if we want to put it in specific areas that would be some of our decisions. Anything else that we're doing, they want to put decision-making down at the lower level. "And if the last two days is any indication, certainly we will have an open-door policy to the secretaries in the Cabinet. This time I actually had sit-down meetings. With Bruce Babbitt I never had a chance to sit down," he said referring to President Clinton's Interior secretary. Guinn did not bring up nuclear waste during the meeting with the president, for the same reason he did not lobby the president on the state's fight against the National Collegiate Athletic Association on college sports gambling, aide Victoria Soberinsky said. "They don't normally talk about state-specific issues when they're together with a whole group of governors," she said. "It's not really appropriate." Besides Abraham, Guinn met with Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, and Curt Hebert, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 2 Buffalo News - Town demands answers on toxic waste CHEEKTOWAGA MARK MULVILLE/Buffalo News Environmental activist Donna Hosmer talks Monday evening about the death of a neighbor's child from cancer as the Cheektowaga Town Board heard comments about possible radioactive debris in the Indian Road landfill. By DICK DAWSON Before an audience that is all too familiar with sickness, the Cheektowaga Town Board Monday night demanded that the state investigate whether building rubble secretly dumped in a Cheektowaga landfill two years ago was radioactive. The board also called for the "temporary or permanent closure" of one of Western New York's biggest and busiest stone quarries until it can be determined if blasting causes leachate from hazardous waste buried in three nearby landfills to seep off site into the water table and streams. "We're putting babies in caskets and burying them - it's intolerable," said Council Member Patricia A. Jaworowicz, telling the audience of about 80 residents from the town's Bellevue neighborhood that she is frustrated that town government so far has been unable to help. A few minutes earlier, Bellevue environmental activist Donna Hosmer dramatized her neighbors' plight by holding up the newspaper obituary of an 18-month-old child who died of cancer last week. "This can't happen anymore - for God's sake, this is a baby," Hosmer said, her voice breaking. A door-to-door survey of about 250 homes in the Bellevue area off Como Park Boulevard, between Union and Borden roads, last year turned up about 70 cases of cancer in recent years as well as respiratory ailments and autoimmune diseases. It also triggered two ongoing health studies. Many residents blame the landfills or the Buffalo Crushed Stone quarry, or both, for the area's health problems. The dumps and quarry are located about a half-mile apart, with Cayuga Creek flowing through the area in between. The catalyst for the board's action Monday was the recent disclosure that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumped construction debris from a radioactive waste cleanup site in Tonawanda at the Schultz landfill at Indian Road and Broadway in 1998. "Tonight, we are upping the ante as to what we feel the agencies above us must do to rectify the situation," said Council Member Thomas M. Johnson Jr., who sponsored the two resolutions approved by the Town Board. The corps claimed the material was safe for disposal in the dump, but neighbors and some town officials are skeptical. "They don't trust anyone anymore," Douglas Hlavaty of Bellevue told the board about his neighbors. "It's totally wrong that they can come in to Cheektowaga and dump radioactive material without anyone's knowledge. Clean 'em up and close 'em down," he said to applause. The board unanimously approved two resolutions on the issue. The first calls for the Schultz dump to be capped and sealed after an investigation is conducted to see if there is radioactive material there. If radioactive material is found, it must be removed, the measure states. The board's other action was aimed at the state Department of Environmental Conservation, state Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It calls for studies on "the effects of blasting at the quarry on the migration of materials deposited in the landfills on Indian Road." State and federal agencies must "take whatever action is necessary, including temporary or permanent closure of the quarry . . . (until studies show) that the blasting . . . has no effect on the health of nearby residents," the resolution said. In other business Monday, the board - as scheduled - approved plans for a $70 million expansion at the Walden Galleria. Work slated to get under way this spring will add about 650,000 square feet in a new three-level building to what is already Western New York's largest shopping mall. Copyright © 1999 - 2001 The Buffalo News ***************************************************************** 3 Officials make pitch for Piketon plant funds Decision deadline looms Thursday *Wednesday, February 28, 2001* Katherine Rizzo *Associated Press* WASHINGTON -- Ohio political leaders asked the Energy Department yesterday for the funds needed to avoid large-scale layoffs at the Piketon uranium-enrichment plant. About 500 layoffs at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant are expected after production ends in June. Hundreds more layoffs appear to be inevitable if the federal government fails to make good on a Clinton administration promise to put the plant in a standby condition. The company that runs the plant has said it needs to know by Thursday what the plant's future will be. Gov. Bob Taft, Republican Sens. Mike DeWine and George Voinoivch, and Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Ohio, whose district includes the plant, met yesterday with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. After the meeting, Taft said Abraham had not yet been able to free up funds to get the standby plan started. "He knows that this is extremely urgent, that the time frame is short,'' Taft said. "I think we're going to get some announcement soon,'' DeWine said. To pay for the standby expenses, the Clinton administration had proposed to tap a $725 million fund dedicated to expenses related to converting the government's uranium- enrichment operations to an investor-owned company. The General Accounting Office and some members of Congress raised questions about legality, so Abraham froze the funds. Strickland said he asked Abraham to reconsider using the Clinton administration financing program. "He did promise me he would review that again,'' he said. The financially ailing USEC, which runs the nation's two uranium-processing plants, wants to consolidate production of power-plant uranium in a facility at Paducah, Ky. USEC told its Piketon work force that if financing is obtained for the standby plan, there would be jobs after June 1 for about 1,200 of the 1,730 people employed there. The company has not said what it will do if money for the plan doesn't become available until after March 1, but USEC spokeswoman Elizabeth Stuckle said a delay would make the process more expensive. A large part of the standby plan involves winterizing the plant, which never was needed while the production lines were moving. USEC said it will announce today which jobs were likely to need filling after production ends. The company said it would tell individual workers by mid-April whether they would be filling those remaining jobs. Copyright © 2001, The Columbus Dispatch ***************************************************************** 4 Eurotech Co-Sponsors 'Viktory for Kids' a CBS Broadcasting Affiliate Event For 'The Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund' Tuesday February 27, 11:48 am Eastern Time Press Release *SOURCE: EUROTECH, Ltd.* FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- EUROTECH, Ltd, (Amex: EUO- news) will be a co-sponsor of the ``Viktory for Kids'' event to benefit the ``Children of Chernobyl Relief Fund.'' World Olympic champion figure skater, Viktor Petrenko, will star with special guest Brian Boitano and an impressive array of other ice-skating performers at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, CT. Other event supporters include The Hartford Courant and WSFB, Channel 3. The occasion will be covered by local CBS affiliate WSFB, Channel 3, one of New England's most influential TV stations, which plans to air the coverage on Easter Sunday evening directly after ``60 Minutes.'' Eurotech's name and logo will be on the shirts of 50 or more children that will open the televised event with a theme song. Eurotech will also have a banner displayed and an insert in all programs that will be given out at the already sold-out event. During intermission, Eurotech's Chairman, Chad A. Verdi, and the Company's CEO, Don Hahnfeldt, will present an enlarged stock certificate symbolizing its gift of 10,000 shares of company stock. The ice show seeks to raise funds for the Viktor Petrenko Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Odessa Ukraine. In addition to specifically helping procure supplies such as cardio-respiratory monitors, infant warmers and intensive care respirators, this show will expand awareness of the plight of these children. Eurotech's connection to the event relates to its EKOR(TM) technology, the only product ever to successfully encapsulate one of Chernobyl's most critical radioactive fuel containing masses. A spokesperson for Eurotech stated that ``The public should know this remarkable technology now exists to contain and help remedy nuclear waste problems, not just the ones at Chernobyl, which so sadly have affected these children, but other such problems which threaten kids all around the world.'' The month of March marks the one-year anniversary of the application that took place at Chernobyl and the company is more than eager to support this wonderful event. The company went on to say that EKOR(TM) is now being manufactured in California and is available in the U.S. We have certification in the Ukraine and are bidding on DOE projects in the U.S. This marks the first time the company is in a position to sell EKOR to the end user and bring greater awareness to Eurotech's EKOR technology. EUROTECH, Ltd. works with scientists and research institutes in Russia, Israel and other countries to develop and commercialize innovative technologies that have widespread or critical application. For more information, visit www.eurotechltd.comon the Internet. Certain information and statements included in this press release constitute ``forward looking statements'' within the meaning of the Federal Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievement of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Investor Relations, Dawn Van Zant, 800-665-0411, or dvanzant@investorideas.com, for EUROTECH, Ltd. *SOURCE: EUROTECH, Ltd.* Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy ***************************************************************** 5 U.S. District Court Judge Babcock Enters Orders Granting U.S. Energy Corp. And Crested Corp.'s Motion Seeking an Accounting and Further Relief Monday February 26, 12:30 pm Eastern Time Press Release *SOURCE: U.S. Energy Corp.* RIVERTON, Wyo., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Energy Corp. (Nasdaq: - news) and Crested Corp. (OTC Bulletin Board: - news), d/b/a USECC, reported today that U.S. District Judge Lewis T. Babcock entered orders on the motion of U.S. Energy Corp. and Crested Corp., plaintiffs in the case, granting USECC's motion and appointing a special master to conduct a further accounting and related discovery of assets from Nukem, Inc. of Danbury, Connecticut. In their motion, U.S. Energy and Crested Corp. were seeking an order from the Court, authorizing plaintiffs to submit interrogatories and requests for production of documents from Nukem. The Court's Order entered on the docket on February 20, 2001, granted the plaintiffs' motion for discovery to be implemented by a special master. In a separate Order docketed the same day, the Court appointed a Special Master with powers to conduct and regulate all proceedings necessary to obtain an accounting of all Nukem's transactions in uranium acquired from the CIS republics of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kirgistan, with supporting documentation from 1993 and 1994 during which time Nukem reportedly made a $12 million profit. The Court further ordered that Nukem account for the profits realized since December 31, 1994, the location and poundage of such CIS uranium and the status of such CIS purchase rights. ``An order is expected from the Special Master setting a time and place for the first meeting of the parties or their attorneys. This meeting should take place sometime before the end of the first full week in March,'' said Keith Larsen, president of U.S. Energy Corp. ``The Special Master is to file a status report on or before May 25, 2001, on the progress of the accounting from 1994, to the present and into the future. A further hearing is scheduled for June 1, 2001 when the Court will set the date for filing a final report by the Special Master. After almost ten long years since the litigation was filed in July 1991, it appears the balance of the issues may finally be resolved. When the accounting is complete, we look forward to working with our partner Nukem well into the future in maintaining an orderly uranium market worldwide,`` concluded Keith G. Larsen. This press release includes statements which may constitute ``forward-looking'' statements, usually containing the words ``believe,'' ``estimate,'' ``project,'' ``expect,'' or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, future trends in uranium, gold and other minerals prices, the availability of capital for development of mining and other projects, acceptance of the Company's products and services in the marketplace, competitive factors, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic report filings with the ``Securities and Exchange Commission.'' By making these forward-looking statements, the Companies undertake no obligation to update these statements for revision or changes after the date of this release. *SOURCE: U.S. Energy Corp.* - - Copyright © 2001 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of ***************************************************************** 6 FACTBOX - Wide-ranging Senate bill aims to cut oil imports February 27, 2001 WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans yesterday introduced a wide-ranging bill to boost domestic oil and gas drilling, promote clean coal technology and improve energy efficiency. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Frank Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who heads the Senate Energy Committee, and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. Other co-sponsors included Republicans Pete Domenici of New Mexico, George Voinovich of Ohio, Larry Craig of Idaho, Conrad Burns of Montana, Craig Thomas of Wyoming, and Richard Shelby of Alabama. One Democrat, Sen. John Breaux of Louisiana, also co-sponsored the bill. The plan includes a proposal about drilling in Alaska which faces stiff opposition from Democrats. The following are key provisions of the Senate bill. OIL/GAS * Reduce dependence on foreign oil, from the current level of 55 percent of domestic supplies to 50 percent by 2011. * Open 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling, with tracts leased to energy firms within 20 months of the bill's enactment into law. Each lease would be for 10 years, with drilling tracts no larger than 5,670 acres each. * Provide a break for big oil companies by reducing their cash royalty payments to the government when oil prices fall below $18 a barrel and natural gas prices drop below $2.30 per thousand cubic feet for 90 consecutive days. * Provide a $3 per barrel tax credit to owners of wells producing less than 25 barrels per day when crude oil prices fall below $18 a barrel, for the first 1,095 barrels of oil equivalent produced. * Provide a 50-cent tax credit on each 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas produced from low-volume wells when gas prices fall below $2.00 per thousand cubic feet. * Reduce royalty payments to the government on oil and natural gas drilled in water depth of more than 200 meters, when crude oil prices are below $28 per barrel and natural gas is below $3.50 per million Btus. * Reduce time and cost of obtaining federal permits to build natural gas pipelines that cross state borders. * Require federal agencies to review existing pipeline rights-of-way across federal lands and evaluate whether more pipeline capacity could be added. * Require the Energy Department to submit an annual report on Congress on the condition of the US refining industry beginning in January 2002. * Require Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to submit within six months an analysis of its regulations for natural gas pipeline certificates and recommendations for legislative changes. ELECTRICITY * Require Energy Department to submit annual report to Congress evaluating regional reliability of US electric grid and power supplies, plus a benefit/cost analysis for possible improvements. * Expand existing tax credits for electricity generated by renewable resources to include biomass, agricultural and animal waste, incremental hydropower, geothermal, landfill gas and steel co-generation. * Offer tax credits for certain distributed power and combined heat and power systems used by businesses. * Require Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to create within six months an electric reliability organization to oversee utilities, power generators and transmission lines. * Require Energy Department to study "innovative financing techniques" to encourage construction of electricity generation plants, including federal loan guarantees, federal price guarantees, special tax considerations and federal investment. * Require Interior Department and Army Corps of Engineers to assess whether existing dams can produce more hydroelectric power, and lease power privileges to private companies. NUCLEAR * Create new office within the Energy Department to research treatment, recycling and disposal of high-level nuclear waste and nuclear fuel. * Create a research, development and demonstration program at the Energy Department to show how clean coal technology can be used on a commercial scale. The program should achieve a "significant improvement" in controlling emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and mercury. * Reevaluate the Energy Department's proposal to construct a permanent nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain for utilities. * Offer greater depreciation and expensing of fuel storage costs for nuclear power plants. * Offer tax deductions for nuclear plant decommissioning costs. * Require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue within six months an analysis of ways to increase nuclear generating capacity. COAL * Offer tax credits of up to $100 million for clean coal technology to generate electricity with reduced air emissions. The technology would also exempt a qualifying system from any stricter emission control requirements for 10 years under the Clean Air Act. * Require Energy Department to launch a rulemaking within four months with draft coast and performance goals for clean coal technology. * Exempt qualified clean coal technology for 10 years from any new or stricter emissions requirements under the federal Clean Air Act. CONSUMERS, SCHOOLS * Offer consumer tax credits of $50 for an energy efficient refrigerator and $100 for a more efficient clothes washers. * Offer $200 million in annual grants to schools to improve energy efficiency through renovations or modifications. * Create program to award grants to homeowners who install renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind energy, biomass, agricultural waste products or geothermal systems to power lights, heat and other home electricity uses. * Boost annual funding for federal weatherization program that helps pay for home and building improvements to $250 million annually, from a current $200 million. TRANSPORTATION * Offer tax credits ranging from $500 to $2,000 for hybrid vehicles. * Offer tax deductions for installing equipment to reduce energy used by commercial buildings. * Offer a retail sales credit of 25 cents per gallon of alternative fuels. * Require Energy Department to launch a $180 million three-year railroad research initiative to increase fuel economy and reduce emissions. REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 7 01: Yachts join trans-Tasman anti-nuclear protest Radio Australia News - 27/02/ Yachts from both sides of the Tasman are joining a mid-ocean protest against a pair of nuclear fuel-carrying ships. The four yachts left New Zealand on February 18 to meet three more from Sydney near Lord Howe Island. Spokesman, Henk Haazen, said the 39 people aboard the yachts forming the Nuclear-Free Tasman Flotilla were ready to face the two British-flagged ships, Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal, which were expected "any day now". The flotilla plans to come alongside the British ships and hoist anti-nuclear banners. Environmental group, Greenpeace, has said the cargo of 230 kilograms of MOX, which combines plutonium and uranium oxides recycled from spent nuclear fuel, contains enough plutonium to make 20 atomic bombs. The fuel is destined for a Japanese nuclear reactor. (19:08:44 AEST) [Top] This service includes material from Pacnews, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Reuters which is copyright and cannot be ***************************************************************** 8 Hansen to push for nuclear waste site w w w . s t a n d a r d . n e t He still favors Nevada location *Tuesday, February 27, 2001* By RALPH WAKLEY Standard-Examiner Capitol Bureau SALT LAKE CITY -- Trying to help bring back legislation to set up a national high-level nuclear waste burial site in Nevada will be one of his priorities, U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen told the Utah Legislature Monday. Similar legislation to move forward on the proposed national repository site at southern Nevada's Yucca Mountain was vetoed by President Clinton. However, with a new administration, Hansen said, the bill will be rejuvenated. But he told the legislators one way to help the bill's success would be for Utah to do nothing about interstate shipments of spent nuclear reactor fuel rods. Gov. Mike Leavitt has been trying everything possible to prevent temporary storage of the nuclear waste in the Great Salt Lake Desert. "I would suggest strongly," Hansen said, that the Legislature not enact a transportation ban. If Utah placed blanket restrictions on nuclear waste shipments, he said, "I guarantee I won't get that bill through," because other Western states would then follow Utah's lead. Private Fuel Storage, a consortium of eight utilities, proposes to temporarily store 40,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel rods on Goshute tribal lands in Tooele County's Skull Valley, until the proposed permanent national waste dump at Yucca Mountain is opened. And, while Utah is trying to fight that temporary storage proposal, Private Fuel Storage is in the midst of the licensing application process before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its agencies. Once in Utah, Gov. Mike Leavitt has said he believes it is possible the nuclear fuel rods would never find their way to southern Nevada. Yucca Mountain has a serious problem in Utah's view, because its capacity already has been limited to a maximum of 63,000 tons of nuclear waste. Based on license provisions for existing U.S. nuclear power plants, that leaves about 40,000 tons of the toxic waste sitting somewhere else. And 40,000 tons is the amount Private Fuel Storage wants to put in Utah. A Utah citizens group called No! The Coalition Opposed to High Level Nuclear Waste also believes above-ground storage of high-level nuclear waste on the Goshute's Skull Valley Reservation would impact the use of the adjacent Utah Test and Training Range, which would harm Hill Air Force Base operations. If he ran bombing and weapons testing at the West Desert range, and 40,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste were stored just east of the range, Hansen said, "just to be safe, I would cut off 40 percent of the range" to prevent any nuclear accident. ***************************************************************** 9 Lawmakers Sit on Anti-Nuke Bills, Leavitt has one more day to get Legislature to ban Goshutes' waste storage Lawmakers Sit on Anti-Nuke Bills, Leavitt has one more day to get Legislature to ban Goshutes' waste storage ** *Wednesday, February 28, 2001* BY JUDY FAHYS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Gov. Mike Leavitt's legislative effort to stop high-level nuclear waste storage in Utah fumbled late Tuesday with a storage problem of its own. The House Rules Committee kept his trio of anti-nuke bills locked up, preventing House lawmakers from voting on the measures and leaving them only a day to settle the matter. Leavitt and his top lieutenants spent much of the afternoon rushing between his second-floor Capitol office and the House and Senate chambers in an 11th-hour push to free the bills. He has only until the end of today, the 2001 Legislature's final day, to get legislative approval for a ban on spent nuclear fuel and for money to defend that ban. "We're feeling pretty confident about this," said Vicki Varela, the governor's spokeswoman. "We know the citizens of Utah are behind us. We know a majority of the Legislature is behind us. We will not consider the business of this Legislature complete until we have bills to stop nuclear waste from coming to Utah." But the Governor's Office conceded Tuesday that one of the bills already was dead, a proposal to pump $2 million into economic development at the Skull Valley Goshute Indian Reservation, about 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. The tribe has entered into an agreement with a consortium of eight utilities to store spent nuclear fuel on the reservation for as long as 40 years. The consortium, called Private Fuel Storage, wants the $3.1 billion project to stow the steel- and-concrete casks until the federal government can open a permanent disposal facility. The consortium, the tribe, the Tooele County commission and their supporters insist the storage would pose no threat to Utahns or the environment, while solving a national energy policy problem and providing local economic development. But Leavitt has the public's support, along with that of the state's congressional delegation, in opposing the storage. The anti-nuke opposition says the risk of an accident is too great, as is the likelihood Utah will become the final resting place of the highly radioactive waste. Oddly, it was comments U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen made Monday that may have tripped up Leavitt's two remaining anti-nuke bills, Senate Bill 81 and Senate Bill 198. "Of course, people will panic all over the place" if Utah bars the waste transportation and inspires other states to do the same, said Hansen. The effect would be to block spent fuel from going to Nevada, where the federal government is trying to open a permanent disposal site at Yucca Mountain, he said. SB81 would ban high-level nuclear waste and, if the federal government overrides the state, require $150 billion cash as accident insurance and a 75 percent tax on any individual or company providing goods or services to the project. SB198 would devote $1.1 million to the state's legal fight, or about $500,000 less than Leavitt originally requested. Many lawmakers interpreted Hansen's comments warning them against legislation to block nuclear waste traveling through Utah as a critique of Leavitt's bills. On Tuesday, Frank Suitter, a leader of the anti-nuke effort and former Republican Party chairman, could be seen in the Capitol halls handing lawmakers a clarification he had worked up with Leavitt and Hansen. "As a follow-up to my Feb. 26 statement about nuclear waste, I want to ask for your affirmative vote on SB81 and SB198 this legislative session," said Hansen in the brief clarification. "These bills oppose storage of nuclear waste in Utah. These bills do not affect transportation to Yucca Mountain." But much damage already had been done. "It was very influential," said Rep. A. Lamont Tyler, a Holladay Republican and member of the Rules Committee who had opposed releasing the bills. Tyler said the governor had changed his mind, but the legislator knew the statement had made other lawmakers wary of Leavitt's bills. Rep. Margaret Dayton, an Orem Republican and Rules member, had not heard from the governor by the time House lawmakers adjourned Tuesday, leaving Leavitt's bills languishing in committee. She said she would continue to resist the governor's effort to get the bills onto the floor because the Goshutes have a right to explore their economic development options. "Everything I have sat through has been emotion v s. science," said Dayton, adding that Leavitt's bills were based on emotion. She also said she worries about SB81's threat to ordinary businesspeople who would face government sanctions for serving anyone who builds or operates the storage site. "We are jeopardizing innocent people all across the state," she said. © Copyright 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune All material found on ***************************************************************** 10 Envirocare Lobbyists Scramble After House Passes Waste-Tax Bill February 28, 2001* BY JUDY FAHYS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE It was only minutes after House lawmakers voted to begin taxing low-level radioactive waste Tuesday that lobbyists for the two affected companies flocked to the Capitol hallway outside the Senate. Both lawmakers and the companies have just one pressure-packed day left to hold the ground staked out in negotiating the new tax, which passed 57 to 15. Having passed the bill, House lawmakers were pleased to finally tax the waste accepted by Envirocare of Utah, the only one of three such landfills in the nation that does not face state taxation and a company that has dodged similar efforts at least one other time. The legislators estimated the tax would total about $3.1 million in the first two years -- much less than the $37 million they originally sought. "If people want to bring their waste to Utah, they ought to pay to be able to do it," said Rep. Jeff Alexander, the Lindon Republican who sponsored House Bill 370 and navigated it through fierce resistance in recent weeks. Envirocare of Utah President Charles Judd lamented the new tax but noted it would not put his company out of business as the original one would have done. "We are certainly not happy with the situation," said Judd, whose company accepts about 12 million cubic feet of radioactive waste at its Tooele County landfill, about 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The measure would also impose a first-time-ever tax on the ore processed by International Uranium Corp. outside Blanding in southeastern Utah. Shortly after the House vote, about a dozen lobbyists representing the two companies could be seen sending notes seeking meetings with senators. Some senators will be a tough sell. At least a few insist Utah deserves more revenue than the House-passed bill raises, partly because of Envirocare's limited competition and partly because other states tax the waste more heavily -- South Carolina receives as much as $100 million a year from an Envirocare competitor. Senate Majority Leader Steve Poulton predicted senators would also agree to impose a waste tax but probably push for higher ones. "I don't know if it will happen, but it should happen." © Copyright 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune All material found on ***************************************************************** 11 Declare War on PFS The Salt Lake Tribune -- Utah's Statewide Newspaper February 28, 2001 Utah legislators are busy throwing up legal and regulatory barricades to a temporary storage facility for highly radioactive waste on the Goshute Reservation in Tooele County. Good for them. There's no reason why Utah should store spent fuel rods from nuclear-powered electric generating plants in other parts of the nation. The utilities proposing the Private Fuel Storage facility that would be built in Skull Valley claim that the transportation and temporary storage of these highly radioactive wastes would be perfectly safe. Fine. Then store the stuff near the generating plants. Let the people who benefit most directly from the power plants bear the burden of storing the waste. PFS claims that is impossible, since some of the reactor sites cannot develop dry-cask storage facilities or do not have enough room. One reason for that, in the words of a PFS report, is that "state restrictions . . . prevent building enough dry cask storage." How ironic. The reason PFS is proposing to build its facility on a sovereign Indian reservation is so that it can do an end run around "state restrictions" in Utah. The latest tactical move in Utah's uphill battle against PFS is Senate Bill 81, which would prohibit the storage of highly radioactive wastes in the state. If, however, the federal government authorizes a storage facility, SB81 would subject it to a lengthy state licensing process and stringent financial requirements. Under SB81, PFS could not apply for a state license to transport, transfer or store the waste until the courts had given a final ruling on state provisions governing the facility. Tooele and private contractors could not provide services to the proposed site until a state license is authorized. Penalties for violations would be $10,000 a day. The law also could require PFS to put up billions of dollars for a Nuclear Accident and Hazard Compensation Account if the state determined that the project's insurance was not adequate to address potential liability from a reasonably foreseeable accidental release of waste. In addition to providing oversight of the PFS project beyond that of federal agencies, the state regulatory process could delay approval for years. In that time, the federal government could open a permanent waste repository in Nevada, and the Utah project, which is designed to provide interim storage up to 40 years, would become unnecessary. Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But it is worth a shot. Of course, there's no reason why Nevada should be stuck with the nation's nuclear garbage either. The same goes for Idaho and Washington. For too long, the rest of the nation has looked upon the West and parts of the South as nuclear sacrifice zones. The Legislature should pass SB81 for no other reason than to declare that Utah will not submit to this treatment any longer. The odds against the state prevailing may be long, but Utah should not go down without a fight. © Copyright 2001, The Salt Lake Tribune All material found on ***************************************************************** 12 Power rates could get more unstable This story was published 2/28/2001 By Chris Mulick Herald staff writer Newly structured power contracts could subject consumers more directly to the volatility of West Coast electricity markets, especially when the new deals first take effect Oct. 1. In the meantime, power managers are trying to reduce the expensive market purchases the Bonneville Power Administration will have to make to meet its commitments. BPA, which sells the energy generated at 29 federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers and the nuclear power plant north of Richland, has about 8,000 megawatts to sell. But it already has committed to sell 11,000 megawatts to utilities and large industrial companies it serves directly. The prospect of buying the extra 3,000 megawatts on the market is driving anticipated rates up markedly. The agency announced in January that it would need to increase wholesale rates by more than 60 percent over the next five years. That would equate to a near 30 percent retail increase for most consumers of public utilities and rural electric cooperatives, like the ones serving the Tri-Cities. But such estimates have been moving targets for months, worsening with each update. No increase estimate has remained current for long. "The actual rates are no more clear today than they were a month ago," said Benton REA Manager Chuck Dawsey. So rather than sign five- or 10-year contracts at fixed rates, BPA now plans to allow for rate revisions every six months, a freedom not provided for in existing contracts set to expire Sept. 30. "In a perfect world, you get a five-year rate," said Franklin PUD Manager Ken Sugden. "But it's not a perfect world. Now, you've got markets that are jumping all over the place." Utilities, which want to offer predictable rates to consumers, would have to decide whether to change their rates every six months to reflect the revisions or build reserves that could be used to flatten the peaks and valleys. Even if they choose the latter, utilities may be unable to level the initial spikes. Rates are expected to be highest when the contracts take effect this fall, and Mid-Columbia utilities may not have the financial wherewithal to swallow a doubling of rates if they needed to. "Our preference would be to provide some certainty to our customers," said Benton PUD Manager Jim Sanders. "In the first couple of years, that would be problematic." The only way to lower those spikes is to reduce the 3,000 megawatts BPA has to buy off the spot market. Already, the agency has made some purchases on the cheaper forward markets, though prices there haven't been cheap, either. "The forward prices are a little higher than people were hoping they would be," said BPA spokesman Mike Hansen. BPA also has begun negotiating power buyback deals with energy-guzzling aluminum companies, though most expire before the new contracts take effect. BPA has committed to providing 1,000 megawatts to those companies in the next five years, already cutting back from what those companies get now. But some argue BPA shouldn't sell to the aluminum companies, which don't have a legal entitlement to the federal power, pushing costs of market purchases onto public utilities that do. That's why it's imperative BPA effectively buy the so-called "direct service industries" off the system, Sanders said. "If Bonneville can't buy off the (aluminum companies) ... there's going to be significant economic dislocation," he said. BPA is doing a bit of a balancing act. If it simply chooses not to serve the companies, market power prices could force them to close, permanently putting as many as 10,000 workers on the streets. On the other hand, it has no goal of buying back all 1,000 megawatts from the direct service industries at a mark-up, bumping them off the system. "That is not a stated policy," Hansen said. "That may end up happening, but it's not a policy." Though most buyback deals are temporary, two have been arranged with companies that could permanently reduce some of their BPA take. An agreement with Columbia Falls Aluminum of Montana calls for the company to relinquish 165 megawatts beginning in October. Another deal with Golden Northwest, which operates smelters in The Dalles, Ore., and Goldendale forces the company to acknowledge it has no legal right to any BPA power after new contracts expire in 2006. Pickings only get slimmer after that. The agency also has proposed buyback plans for irrigators, but there's not nearly as much electricity to be gained. The agency might not get any nibbles anyway, considering its offer has proved to be less than popular with growers. BPA also has proposed new incentives for consumer conservation. On the generation side, it is hoping to add to its resource base by soliciting requests for proposals for new wind farms. "Those are all different legs of the stool," Hansen said. Back to top stories ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2000 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARTICLES ***************************************************************** 1 Weldon Spring site neighbors press officials about safety postnet.com | News | Good morning, St. Louis | Thursday, March 1, 2001 Posted: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 | 1:12 a.m. By Shane Anthony Of The St. Charles County Post St. Charles County residents continued last week a long tradition of questioning government officials about a former ordnance works and uranium processing plant and its affect on their health. For years, folks who live here have questioned the safety of what is now known as the Weldon Spring cleanup site. Concern by residents helped bring about Thursday night's meeting and may have sparked the cleanup effort the Department of Energy began in the mid-1980s. Residents and state and local officials attracted the attention of presidential candidate Walter Mondale and then-President Ronald Reagan, whose administration announced plans to begin the cleanup project. To date, the Department of Energy has spent more than $800 million cleaning up the site. The meeting at the Columns Conference and Banquet Center in St. Charles came about because of an agreement reached by the Department of Energy, the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. After pressure from residents and state officials, the Energy Department agreed in September to test a method of pumping and treating contaminated groundwater at the site. Thursday's meeting was to give government officials a chance to explain how they intend to treat one contaminant and how they will test the feasibility of pulling groundwater out to treat contaminants. The current agreement notes four contaminants in groundwater on the site - uranium, nitrates, nitroaromatics and trichloroethylene. Trichloroethylene, also called TCE, will be cleaned up through an oxidation process. Chemicals will be injected into the contaminated groundwater. Steve Warren, deputy project director for MK Ferguson, the Energy Department's major contractor for the cleanup project, said TCE was the biggest concern. He said there was no chance that water leaving the site could have enough uranium in it to surpass permissible levels set by the government. Environmental activist Kay Drey argued with him, saying she didn't believe some radioactive contaminants could be easily detected. Warren said they could. Drey, who lives in University City, said she intended to focus on fighting nuclear power and leave the Weldon Spring questions to residents who would continue to ask questions. One of those people was Mike Garvey, an orthodontist who used to be president of St. Charles Countians Against Hazardous Waste and past president of the Greenway Network. Garvey took issue with government officials who have said there is no connection between the cleanup site and infant deaths, cancer and other health problems. He said officials should start with former Mallinckrodt workers, whom the government has agreed to compensate. Their health problems and their families' health problems could provide an excellent link, he said. "You can't say there's no relationship unless you aren't looking for one," Garvey said. Chuck Hooper, an environmental specialist for the state Department of Health, said officials were studying health problems in the county. Preliminary results should be available in the next couple of weeks, he said. Mike Duvall, director of the county Division of Environmental Services, said he knew state health officials were contacting the families of seven babies from the Immaculate Conception Church of Dardenne parish who died in a 12-month period. Those deaths, along with stories of pockets of cancer and birth defects, prompted a group to form at Immaculate Conception. Marty Unterreiner, a member of that group, said Thursday that he wasn't interested in countywide studies that showed no higher incidence of cancer or birth defects. "Look at where people are dying," he said. Pam Thompson, who recently was named the Energy Department's director for the Weldon Spring site, thanked the government officials and residents who attended. She invited residents to learn more about the site. The department made mistakes in the past by being secretive, she said. "One of the things we're not going to do is ever close our books again," Thompson said. *Reporter Shane Anthony: E-mail: santhony@post-dispatch.com Phone: 636-946-3903, ext. 223* ***************************************************************** 2 Great opportunity for Mason and ORNL [Frank Munger] Great opportunity for Mason and ORNL February 28, 2001 By Frank Munger News-Sentinel senior writer Great opportunity for Mason and ORNL I don't pretend to know a lot about neutron science. Enough said. Ignorance acknowledged. But I'm still allowed to have opinions, and I think it was a good decision to name Thom Mason as leader of the Spallation Neutron Source. The 36-year-old scientist has great credentials and -- according to those who should know -- a fabulous career ahead of him. Too many budding stars have left Oak Ridge National Laboratory in recent years, taking their talents to other research institutions. Rick Woychik comes quickly to mind. The dynamic geneticist was given considerable leeway in the mid-1990s to revive ORNL's genetics research program and make the lab a special player in functional genomics. His sudden departure in 1997 stilled the momentum, at least temporarily, and may have set back the program's development by a couple of years. Even now, with a new Mouse House finally approaching construction at ORNL, some of the excitement Woychik brought to the program is missing. Mason, meanwhile, has an extraordinary opportunity at the Oak Ridge laboratory. He came to Oak Ridge because he wanted to be associated with the best neutron research facility that money ($1.4 billion) could buy, and now he's got a chance to guide the project to completion. Moreover, he has a clear vision of the SNS after completion. "One of the reasons I'm excited about working on the SNS is, I want to use it when it's finished," Mason said. "I have a good feeling for the tremendous capabilities." David Moncton, the departing SNS chief who deserves much credit for putting the project on a successful track, was never going to direct the SNS once it became operational. Moncton's research background is with X-rays, and that's why he is returning to his beloved Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Lab. Mason, however, is a neutron scientist, and if the SNS becomes a world-class reality, there's every reason to believe he'll remain at the helm for many years to come. "That's the expectation," said Bill Madia, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It seems like a perfect fit. Let's hope it works out that way. * KEEPING UP WITH: Al Trivelpiece, ex-director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is busy as always. "No time to play golf," he noted in a recent message. Trivelpiece just got back from a two-week trip to Antarctica, where he donned his explorer's suit and shared space with penguins and other inhabitants of the land down south. Meanwhile, besides consulting for Sandia National Laboratories, Trivelpiece has spent considerable time on a National Academy of Sciences committee on Technical Issues Related to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. * SCARBORO: One of the complaints regarding the recently issued draft environmental impact statement at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant concerned environmental justice. In a summary of its comments to the Department of Energy on the draft EIS, the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance wrote: "DOE asserts that there is no community of color or low-income community disproportionately impacted by Y-12 operations. This is untrue and smacks of environmental racism. The Scarboro community, located half a mile from Y-12, has been the victim of contamination from past activities and continues to bear the first and heaviest load of all off-site releases from Y-12 activities." Scarboro, of course, is the historically black community in Oak Ridge, located just across Pine Ridge from the nuclear defense facilities. Based on my observations in recent years, the community is divided on most issues regarding DOE and Y-12 and environmental pollution. Three different viewpoints: 1. Those members of the community who feel victimized not by contamination but by continuing reports about pollution and other issues they feel downgrade Scarboro and hurt property values. 2. Those who feel certain that toxic releases at Y-12 have damaged the health and well-being of local residents. 3. Those who have some concerns and welcome scientific and medical studies to determine if there are noteworthy problems. Senior Writer Frank Munger covers the Department of Energy for the News-Sentinel. He can be reached at 865-482-9213 or at twig1@knoxnews.infi.net. This column is also available on the Web at www.knoxnews.com/editorsview/munger/ ***************************************************************** 3 Detroit Edison Breaks Ground on Fermi 2 Training Center [PR Newswire] Story Filed: Wednesday, February 28, 2001 9:11 AM EST NEWPORT, Mich., Feb 28, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Detroit Edison broke ground Friday on a $10 million nuclear operations training center at its Fermi 2 Power Plant. The Fermi 2 Nuclear Training Center will consolidate existing training facilities at the plant and will provide areas for hands-on training on large equipment. William T. O'Connor, vice president, Nuclear Generation, said the new training center will "enhance our ability to provide our employees with the best training available and thus maintain the highest level of professionalism in our operations and safety at the plant." The Training Center will include four "high bays" where employees will train on full-scale mockups of plant equipment, some of which stand more than 25-feet tall. It also will include four "laboratories" for hands-on training on smaller equipment. "The ability to reinforce skills and provide training for both scheduled and unscheduled work in the plant, will help guide our workforce in complex maintenance and operations activities," O'Connor said. The 60,000-square-foot facility will be built adjacent to the plant's Nuclear Operations Center, which currently houses the Nuclear Training staff, a full-scale control room simulator and 10 classrooms. The new building will add another 14 classrooms and a meeting room that will accommodate up to 400 people. The building, which is scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2002, was designed by Harley Ellis of Southfield, Mich. The building's main corridors and common spaces take advantage of the site's natural features with views of a quarry lake and stand of mature trees. Dynamic Contracting Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, is the construction manager for the project and Rudolph|Libbe of Canton, Mich., is the general contractor. Fermi 2 is a 1,130-megawatt nuclear power plant owned and operated by Detroit Edison Co., an electric utility that serves 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan. Detroit Edison is the principal operating subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. SOURCE Detroit Edison CONTACT: Guy D. Cerullo, 734-586-4167, or John J. Austerberry, 734-586-4308, both of Detroit Edison URL: (C) 2001 PR Newswire. All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 4 Cancer link with uranium-tipped weapons worries NATO Tuesday 27 February 2001 Mike Blanchfield Southam Newspapers; Ottawa Citizen NATO officials are concerned that "a legacy of doubt" could weaken the alliance if it does not properly address the controversy over whether depleted uranium poses a cancer risk to its troops. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization fears some of its 19 member countries might opt out of military missions if depleted uranium is, or has been, used in proposed areas of operation. "This could have profound impacts on future coalition operations and Alliance cohesion," warns a NATO briefing document recently tabled at the alliance's Brussels headquarters, a copy of which was obtained by the Ottawa Citizen. The document, intended primarily for the eyes of NATO member countries, including Canada, summarizes the controversy that flared in Europe last month over depleted uranium, and whether it is responsible for a so-called "Balkans Syndrome," a label that has been given to unexplained deaths and illness among some alliance troops. The leukemia deaths of about 20 peacekeepers from Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain and elsewhere raised concerns about whether the 40,000 anti-tank missiles used during the Kosovo and Bosnia bombing campaigns might be posing a health risk. The weapons were tipped with radioactive depleted uranium. Since the flare-up of the controversy, NATO health officials have presented a calm and confident public response. At two Brussels press briefings they restated the fact that there is no proven scientific link between exposure to depleted uranium and increased cancer rates, but added that because of the concerns raised, the alliance favours further studies of the issue. While NATO might have science on its side, the internal document expresses concern that political fallout in some countries over the depleted uranium scare could undermine the strength and solidarity of the alliance. Copyright 2001 Edmonton Journal Group Inc. ***************************************************************** 5 Vieques bombing again under fire [www.TheDailyCamera.com] By Pauline Jelinek *Associated Press* WASHINGTON — Puerto Ricans and their supporters Tuesday launched a new push for an "immediate and permanent end" to Navy bombing practice on the island of Vieques. Asserting military training has destroyed people's health, the economy and the island's environment, representatives in Congress began circulating a letter urging President Bush to halt the practice. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico Gov. Sila Calderon met senators on Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld at the Pentagon and other officials in her quest to evict the Navy from the range it has used for some 60 years. "This is not a national security issue, it's a health and human rights issue," said Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico's Democratic delegate to the House of Representatives. "What you are seeing on the island of Vieques is abuse," Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., said in a news conference before about 60 people from Vieques, Chicago and Pennsylvania who are lobbying lawmakers this week. The representatives signed a letter to Bush suggesting toxins from the ammunition used by the Navy are responsible for a mortality rate among island residents that is 40 percent higher, a cancer rate 27 percent higher and diabetes rate 70 percent higher than Puerto Rico as a whole. "The undersigned urge you to order an immediate and permanent end of the bombing in Vieques," said the letter, asserting that the majority of Puerto Ricans favor the idea. The Navy calls Vieques the "crown jewel" of its Atlantic training sites. Officials say exercises there are vital to national defense since they uniquely combine air, sea and land maneuvers. Because of the bombing, residents "live in fear ... their children's security has been jeopardized" and they are "prisoners in their own homes," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., who also signed the letter with Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Ill. The Navy owns two-thirds of Vieques, and its bombing range covers 900 acres on the eastern tip — less than 3 percent of the island. It used live bombs until two went astray in a 1999 practice and killed a civilian guard on the bombing range. The bombing was halted and protesters occupied the range for more than a year before the Navy swept through and kicked them off in May. Under an agreement between then-President Clinton and then-Gov. Pedro Rossello, training with inert bombs instead of live ones resumed and Vieques' 9,400 resident will decide in a November referendum whether the Navy should stay or leave. The agreement, which Calderon opposes, says that if islanders vote to expel the Navy, it would have to leave by May 2003. If they vote to let the Navy resume full-scale training with live ammunition, the administration will ask Congress to provide an extra $50 million in aid to Vieques for housing and infrastructure improvements — on top of $40 million paid when the training with inert bombs resumed. *February 28, 2001* Copyright 2001 The Daily Camera. All rights reserved. Any ***************************************************************** 6 Nuclear victim Myers dies Today: February 28, 2001 at 9:24:00 PST By Ed Koch LAS VEGAS SUN When Kathren Myers was growing up in Mesquite and Las Vegas, she and her family would go to the courthouse steps or other strategic but apparently safe sites to watch the mushroom clouds bloom from above-ground nuclear tests. Though above-ground nuclear testing later was banned, the foreboding cloud followed Myers her entire life. She was a breast cancer survivor for nine years and became one of more than 3,100 claimants approved for government compensation from radioactive fallout. Myers died Saturday of cancer at her Mesquite home. She was 53. Services for the Southern Nevada resident of 50 years will be 1 p.m. Friday at the Mesquite Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "My daughter was open, pleasant, outgoing and otherwise healthy," said her father, Lee Walker, an attorney who served in the state Senate in the 1970s as a Democrat from North Las Vegas. "Kathy was part of that big government settlement, but unfortunately she did not live to see any money from it." Walker was referring to the 1994 Congress-approved compensation for so-called "down-winders," those who could prove they were exposed to radioactive fallout and later got cancer. Myers is one of 3,135 claimants who have been approved by the State Department for $232 million in compensation. She had not yet received her check. No other member of Myers' immediate family has been diagnosed with cancer, Walker said. Born Kathren Walker on Nov. 30, 1947, in St. George, Utah, she came to Southern Nevada with her family in 1951 when she was 4. She graduated from Western High School and later attended what is now the Community College of Southern Nevada. Myers ran a credit union in Mesquite before taking a job at the Oasis hotel in the rural community 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. In addition to her father and stepmother, Kate Walker, Myers is survived by her husband, Richard Myers; two daughters, Tracy Myers and Courtney Myers; and two sons, Christopher Myers and Gregory Myers, all of Mesquite; three sisters, Merrilee Horrt and Lizbeth Hefner, both of Henderson, and Michele Heron of Claremore, Okla.; and three brothers, Marc Walker of Henderson, Brooke Walker of San Francisco and Darrel Walker of Las Vegas. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 7 Groundwater Said Safe in Vieques February 27, 2001 ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A U.S. health agency has announced that the water supply on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques is safe to drink and has not been contaminated by U.S. Navy bombing exercises. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released the finding Tuesday as the first step in its assessment of whether any health effects might be associated with potential releases of hazardous substances on the Navy's firing range. "Our findings are that the public water supply is safe to drink and that the available data leads us to believe that in the past, the drinking water supplied by wells was also safe to drink," said W. Mark Weber, an environmental health scientist leading the study. Gov. Sila Calderon, along with other Puerto Rican leaders, is urging the U.S. government to halt the bombing exercises, claiming the training harms the environment and the health of islanders. The Navy vehemently denies the claims, saying its training on one end of the island has caused no harm and is vital for national defense. The Atlanta-based agency -- part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services -- analyzed environmental data supplied by other U.S. and Puerto Rican government agencies. Vieques residents mostly receive their water through a pipeline to the main island of Puerto Rico that was built in 1977 after a well field was closed due to the incursion of salt water, officials said. The agency report said a small number of wells still exist on Vieques and are largely used when the public water supply is interrupted. With the exception of one private well contaminated by nitrates and nitrites -- most likely from agricultural pollution - the wells are safe to use in emergencies, the agency said. The agency will accept public comments on its assessment through May 4, then will consider the comments and publish a final document. Its scientists next plan to assess whether potential contamination carried in air or the food chain could be affecting islanders' health. Weber said he hopes the studies will be completed this year. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 8 France admits nuclear tests damaged Mururoa The Scotsman Online - Scotland's best selling quality national newspaper Susan Bell In Paris PARTS of Mururoa, the South Pacific atoll which has been subjected to nearly 200 French nuclear tests, are in danger of sinking as a result, the French authorities admitted for the first time yesterday. The admission is a change of direction for the French authorities, which until now have categorically denied the existence of cracks and faults on Mururoa. In 1995, the French foreign minister threatened Le Monde newspaper with legal action after the newspaper reported huge cracks and published a military map showing faults criss-crossings the atoll. The map appeared to confirm the concern of independent French scientific missions to the Pacific atoll in 1982, 1983 and 1987. The last, led by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, warned the island was in danger of breaking up and releasing radioactivity. France has carried out 193 nuclear tests on its Polynesian possession since 1962. Of these, 137 were detonated underground between 1975 and 1996. Experts are worried about the north-eastern part of the atoll known as Colette, where 28 underground tests were carried out during this period. Large stretches of land are now threatened with subsidence. "We are now witnessing an acceleration of the natural movement towards the ocean of certain outer areas in the north-eastern zone of Mururoa, in addition to subsidence on the surface," admitted a spokesman for nuclear safety at France’s Atomic Energy Commission. "A certain fragility of the atoll has been amplified by nuclear tests," he added. The statement, published yesterday in France-Soir, is a first for the French authorities. As early as 1979 there were two instances of land collapsing into the sea in the north-east of Mururoa after a nuclear test exploded too soon, injuring several people. The population of the atoll has not forgotten their fear when they witnessed the mini-tidal wave produced by the explosion. "Today, everything is monitored in real time," the Atomic Energy Commission spokesman told France-Soir yesterday. Seismic sensors have been installed at strategic sites on the atoll to warn Paris directly in case of subsidence. "The problem is that the Polynesians will be the last to know," said Bruno Barillot of the Observatory of French Nuclear Arms. "And despite all the good intentions, anxiety is increasing here among the local population." In 1998, a government-ordered report from the International Atomic Energy Agency into the health hazards of nuclear tests shows Paris was aware of subsidence three years ago. While the agency reported that "no effect on health, no corrective measures are necessary on the atolls", it also found that "underground nuclear tests have caused a destabilisation in the atoll of Mururoa." "Depending on the site of the subsidence, a certain level of radioactivity may be released into the ocean," it said. ***************************************************************** 9 Concerns expressed over plutonium stocks Wednesday, February 28, 2001 The Atomic Energy Commission expressed concern Tuesday that further delay in the use of uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel at Japanese nuclear power reactors could create large stockpiles of surplus plutonium. The government body made the remarks one day after Fukushima Gov. Eisaku Sato refused to sanction the use of MOX fuel at a reactor run by Tokyo Electric Power Co. Tetsuya Endo, a member of the commission, said MOX is important because the key issue in preventing nuclear proliferation is how to deal with plutonium. "If such use of plutonium (as MOX fuel) is abandoned, plutonium with no specific purpose will be stored in Japan, affecting the country's atomic energy policy," Endo said. The MOX fuel program constitutes a key part of the national nuclear fuel cycle policy, which aims to prevent plutonium from piling up. MOX, which is made up of pellets of uranium dioxide and plutonium dioxide, is designed to be burned in light-water reactors. Plutonium is obtained by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants. Panel member Noriko Kimoto said, "The fundamental problem is public distrust and anxiety toward the atomic energy policy." Other members emphasized the need to foster greater understanding of nuclear energy and its background. "We can recognize what we should do with atomic energy in consideration of environmental issues and limited resources," said Tetsuo Takeuchi, another member. "Since the silent majority does not view the issue as something that affects their lives, we need to do more to appeal to them," he said. Fukushima Gov. Sato told the prefectural assembly Monday that he will not permit MOX fuel to be used at Tepco's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Sato's announcement is likely to derail Tepco's plans to start using MOX in the reactor as early as in April. It may also delay introduction of the fuel at other nuclear plants in Japan. The Japan Times: Feb. 28, 2001 ***************************************************************** 10 'India getting aid for nuclear programme' The Hindu on indiaserver.com : Wednesday, February 28, 2001 WASHINGTON, FEB. 27. India continues to produce and develop sophisticated nuclear weapons and relies on foreign entities for key missile and dual-use technologies, says a Central Intelligence Agency report. The agency, in its report submitted to the U.S. Congress, said there was evidence that New Delhi obtained foreign assistance for its civilian nuclear power programme during the first half of 2000, primarily from Russia. The U.S. State Department had recently criticised Russia for providing assistance to India's nuclear programme. The report said the entities in Russia and western Europe remained the primary conduits of missile-related technology transfers to India since the domestic industry lacked engineering or production expertise in ballistic missile development. On purchase of conventional weapons, the CIA report says India continues across-the-board modernisation of its armed forces mostly from Russia, although many of its key programmes have been plagued by delays. India has also received its first delivery of Russian Krasnopol laser-guided artillery rounds to be used in Swedish- built Fh-77 155 mm howitzers. China's aid to Pak. Chinese entities continued to provide assistance to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme during the first half of 2000, the report said adding that with the Chinese assistance, Pakistan is rapidly moving towards serial production of solid- propellant long-range ballistic missiles. - UNI Copyrights © 2001 The Hindu & indiaserver.com, Inc. ***************************************************************** 11 Nuclear Submarines, Tritium Release and Plymouth Red Pepper February 2001 by Jim Carey *"You can't see it, you can't hear it, you can't feel it. But it can be very dangerous and, if I were in the neighbourhood, I would certainly be concerned."* In May 2000, the huge US corporation which now manages Britain's primary nuclear submarine base at Devonport in Plymouth applied to the Environment Agency for a licence to increase emissions of radioactive tritium into the River Tamar. The increase was a staggering 700 per cent. Furthermore, the British navy has decided that nuclear reactor chambers from decommissioned nuclear submarines should now be stored on land. When this work commences, Plymouth looks set to acquire a nuclear waste dump that will turn the city into what one local resident describes as, the "Sellafield of the south." Nuclear physicist Frank Barnaby is one of a number of experts issuing strong words of warning: "I am not a campaigner. My interest is in researching the thing and publishing the results. My view is that the people of Plymouth and those around the River Tamar should be making the effort to get information about the consequences." At a public meeting in the city last June, around 300 angry residents told representatives of the MoD, the Environment Agency and the US-based corporation which runs Plymouth's naval dock, that further nuclear developments weren't welcome. However, although a currently ongoing consultation process purports to be taking the views of the locality into consideration, the US corporation has the full backing of both the British navy and the UK government. "Nothing I say here is intended to prejudice the Environment AgencyÕs independent review of the issues," claimed the Minister of the Armed Forces, John Spellar in January, "although I and my colleagues in the Department are wholly convinced of the benefits of continuing to develop the arrangements at Devonport." An unpublished report, written by a Ministry of Defence agency and seen by Red Pepper, confirms his dismissive approach: "Disapproval of the local population would be manageable," it states. Not surprisingly, the consultation process is viewed with scorn by local residents: "Whatever is economically expedient to do they will do, regardless of population," says Dr Sandy Mathews, an active local campaigner. Plymouth's association with, and dependence on, the British Navy stretches back centuries. The ships which defeated the Spanish Armada sailed from the mouth of the River Plym in 1588, Sir Francis Drake was the city's mayor, and the first naval base at Plymouth was established in 1691. So when facilities to deal with nuclear-powered submarines were first installed in the 1970's, environmental concerns were engulfed by an overwhelming sense of loyalty to the navy. "To be against nuclear weapons in Plymouth is like being against snow in Alaska," says local resident and ex-dockyard employee, Ian Avent. In 1985, management of the naval dockyard was privatised and control passed from the MoD to , a subsidiary of a huge Texas-based transnational corporation called Halliburton. Over the course of the next seven years, employment in the docks fell from 13,500 to 5,500. The figure now stands at just below 4,000. When the Queen launched the first nuclear-powered submarine, HMS Dreadnought, in 1960, no one devoted much thought to what would be done with them when they were too old to operate. "Until 1992, the navy's approach to decommissioning nuclear submarines was to take these boats to sea and dump them in the mid-Atlantic," says nuclear consultant John Large. Taken out of active service in 1982, HMS Dreadnought now wallows in a nuclear knackers yard with six other subs at Rosyth in Scotland. Another four languish in Plymouth at an average storage cost of £50,000 a year each. The fuel rods from these decommissioned subs have all been removed and taken to Sellafield but the highly radioactive reactor chambers which housed the rods, remain locked inside their floating coffins. The problem the navy faces is that the graveyard is getting full and, with more nuclear submarines due for decommissioning, storage space will run out by 2012. Furthermore, the cost of ensuring old submarines do not rust in their watery graves and leak radioactivity is bottomless. Every 10 years, the subs are dry-docked and repainted at the cost of £3 million each; a process necessary to maintain the integrity of their ageing hulks. So, in May 2000, the MoD announced proposals to dismantle decommissioned subs and store their reactor chambers on land. Back in the early 1990's, the government decided to concentrate nuclear refitting and decommissioning in one location. The aging Vanguard-class nuclear submarines, which carry Britain's Trident nuclear warheads, are in desperate need of a refit. The government went through the motions of tendering a bid which would decide whether the operations would concentrate in Scotland or in Plymouth. With Halliburton lobbying hard on behalf of its DML subsidiary, Plymouth was the surprising choice. "If you were to undertake a similar venture for a civil nuclear plant then very certainly the accepted siting criteria just would not allow you to locate in a city with over 250,000 people," observes John Large. If recently revealed problems with the navy's nuclear submarine cooling systems are as structurally profound as they appear to be, the number of vessels queueing up for decommissioning could increase sooner than expected. To the embarrassment of the British navy, a Trafalgar-class nuclear sub, HMS Tireless, currently languishes amid much diplomatic protest in Gibraltar after a major leak in the reactor coolant system forced the crew to shut down its nuclear reactor. Thanks to a carefully worded MoD press release, the media reported that HMS Tireless had dumped 90 litres of radioactive water coolant at sea before coming into harbour. Red Pepper Investigations has been reliably informed that in reality it was leaking 60 litres an hour for a whole day and only had its reactor shut down when the leak increased to 90 litres an hour for two to three hours. Britain's Trident-carrying Vanguard-class submarines need at least one Trafalgar class sub like Tireless in order to communicate with the UK when out at sea. Belatedly, the navy admitted that all Britain's Trafalgar-class submarines now have cracks in the coolant system and are in desperate need of repair. The work, which has never been done before, is being pioneered at Plymouth. Without a Trafalgar-class submarine to accompany the bigger nuclear warhead-carrying subs, Britain has no nuclear deterrent. Desperate to get one out to sea, the navy took the risk of sending out HMS Triumph from Plymouth without repairs to the cracks. However, it was forced to return almost immediately for crash repairs after it grounded itself on the way out of port. Such brazen disregard for nuclear safety is sending a shudder through those Plymouth residents aware of what is happening. Nuclear reactor compartments constitute intermediate-level nuclear waste. If stored on land, they represent a highly hazardous material requiring multiple risk assessments covering terrorist access, radioactive leakage and aircraft crash. The top and tail process of carving up an old submarine and removing its reactor chamber in the first place is also fraught with the danger of fire. The most common cause of submarine sinkage is fire. As John Large, presently employed by the government in Gibraltar to oversee HMS Tireless's repair, told Red Pepper: "There's no point the navy saying there is no danger in decommissioning. That is flatulence to say the least. The risk is quite significant." Local MP Colin Breed was assured by the Minister for the Armed Forces, John Spellar, in early January that "no specific sites had been recommended" for onland storage. Contrary to this emphatic denial, the Ship's Support Agency, an MoD unit responsible for determining and directing provision of material support to the navy, has surveyed specific sites for onland storage. In an unpublished report seen by Red Pepper - called the Isolus Investigation - the Agency examined four locations for onland storage and every one of them is within Plymouth itself. Two of the sites, Western Mill and Southyard, are within a few hundred yards of housing estates, while a third site at Bull Point is just 400 yards from a local school. Once onland storage is commenced, there could be as many as 30 reactor units stored for between 60-100 years in any of these four locations. There is no plan for what happens to them after that. The other radioactive threat which Plymouth residents are imminently to be exposed to, is a massive increase in the emission of tritium into the River Tamar, which runs through the city. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and binds easily with oxygen to form tritiated water. It is a radionuclide copiously present in waste produced by the nuclear industry and builds up in water used in reactor coolant systems on nuclear submarines. In older nuclear submarines, this tritiated water was flushed into the ocean. However, in the newer Vanguard-class nuclear submarines, which carry Britain's Trident nuclear warheads, the water is reused again and again in the coolant system and not flushed out at sea. It is thought this is to avoid leaving what is termed a "nuclear footprint," a detectable radioactive trace revealing the submarine's location. As such the water is even more tritiated than usual by the time the vessel comes into port. When DML begins refitting Vanguard-class nuclear subs at the beginning of 2002, the company wants to increase the amount of tritiated coolant water it's permitted to flush into the River Tamar by 700 per cent. Tritium waste could be one of the great social disasters of our century if an increasing body of scientific evidence is to be believed. Dr Chris Busby is a chemical physics researcher and one of the UK's most learned experts on the effects of low level radiation. Most recently he highlighted the hazards of the depleted uranium used in the bombs dropped on Yugoslavia. "The problem with tritium is that it is underestimated as a hazard," Busby told Red Pepper. "As a form of hydrogen it becomes very easily incorporated into biological molecules. The whole of life works on exchangeable hydrogens. But when tritium decays it becomes helium so any molecule the tritium was located in would just collapse. This is a method of amplifying its affect within the body which is absolutely monumental." And here lies the potential for a failure of radiological protection which could indeed be of monumental proportions. The biohazard rating of radioactive material is based solely on external exposure to the energy of radioactive decay. It is the standard mechanism by which the National Radiological Protection Board determines whether nuclear pollution will affect human beings and the ecosystem. However, the danger of tritium is in its propensity to bind with organic material when ingested, inhaled or absorbed and so produce an internal radiation. "[The assessment of radioactive material] is all about someone standing in front of a fire and warming themselves - but as soon as you eat a hot coal the model falls down," says Busby. Increasing amounts of evidence suggests this method of risk assessment is fundamentally flawed. Tritium doesn't have much energy. When an electron is thrown out during its radioactive decay it doesn't travel far. As such, all the usual ways of measuring its potential as a biohazard register it as a low radioactive substance without much bio-consequence. Using such criteria the nuclear industry and its political apologists dismiss the implications of tritium by saying "you canÕt detect it, therefore its not harmful". When the Minister for the Armed Forces, John Spellar, defended DML's application to increase emissions into the River Tamar, he claimed there was nothing to worry about because "the resulting radiation exposure will be virtually indistinguishable from natural background radiation levels". But as nuclear physicist Frank Barnaby points out, "It's a wee bit of a meaningless statement really because background radiation goes into your body from the outside -- it's external radiation. The problem with tritium is that it may get into the body through ingestion or inhalation and when in the body the consequence may be quite serious É more serious than the authorities admit." What now seems clear from research on tritium is that its low energy decay could in fact magnify rather than diminish its potential as a biohazard. "The entire energy of the electron given off when tritium decays is absorbed in a very short distance," explains Barnaby. "Less distance than the diameter of a DNA molecule. Tritium, being hydrogen, may be taken up the DNA and then the radiation it gives off could age the DNA molecule and produce either a cancer in the individual or a genetic effect." "You could argue that high energy radioactive decays are better because they kill the cell outright and you don't get cancer," concurs Dr Chris Busby. "Tritium has this tiny energy which will damage rather than kill the cell. We have been arguing for a very long time that the way in which the consequence of radiation exposure is assessed is wrong." Dr Busby and his research associates at the independent nuclear research organisation GreenAudit, conducted a study comparing the predicted and actual incidence of leukaemia in children exposed to Chernobyl fallout while in their mother's womb. In a paper published in scientific journal Energy and Environment in June 2000, they revealed that the predictions made using the current criteria to assess biohazard proved wrong by a phenomenally significant factor of one to a hundred. This research was enough to persuade the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Meacher, to endure consternation in Europe by opposing moves to raise the threshold at which tritium emissions require official permission. The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 requires permission to be sought by the nuclear industry if it intends to release more than 400 beckerels per kg into the environment. However, an appendix to the Euroatom directive signed in 1996 and due to become law for European member states in May 2001, proposed to raise the tritium emission threshold from 400 to a massive 10 million beckerels per kg; a 25,000 per cent increase in the amount of tritium the nuclear industry would be able to push out into the environment without requiring an environmental licence or official permission. "The nuclear industry managed to get their stooges into the European Commission and slip a really dodgy appendix into this Euratom basic safety standard," says Busby. "We had a go at Meacher and persuaded him that it was extremely dangerous to do this, and he has decided to stick with the 400 beckerel per kg. Now the nuclear industry is moaning like hell about this because its nuclear stuff is saturated with tritium and it can't get rid of it." The lengths to which the nuclear industry will go to cover up the health consequences of its disposal mechanisms know few bounds and the increasing privatisation of the UK's nuclear submarine fleet is a further step along the road to loosening the requirement for public accountability. "I would argue that the whole thing is driven by economics rather than public safety," says Frank Barnaby, who was once a nuclear physicist at Aldermaston. In order to defend their city from imminent nuclear threat, a group of actively concerned Plymouth residents have formed themselves into a group calling itself CANSAR (Campaign Against Nuclear Storage and Radiation). "It's not so much for me as for my daughters and the future of Plymouth," says Ian Avent, one of CANSAR's prime movers. But in a city still blindly loyal to the navy, with a docks managed by a huge US corporation with influential economic clout and the full backing of the MoD, CANSAR has its work cut out. However, it does have a weapon of its own as its lawyer, Phil Shiner, explained to Red Pepper: "We require a public inquiry which complies with the right to be heard under the European convention on human rights. That means it must be fair, public, independent and impartial. At the moment what we will get is the Environment Agency making a decision behind closed doors and then putting that decision in writing." If there is no public enquiry a judicial review will be sought which, if successful, could revolutionise the entire concept of public consultation. "I don't really think there is an answer to our case," says Shiner. If the legal action fails, however, the US corporation and the British Navy will recklessly collude in exposing Plymouth to significant risks of radioactive contamination. "You have to make sure that a future generation and its policy and regimes can handle what we are going to pass on to them," says John Large. "I haven't seen anything in the thinking and the approach of the MoD so far to indicate that this is being done." *If you have comments on this issue or tip-offs/suggestions for future investigations please send them into to "Red Pepper Investigations", 1B Waterlow Road, London N19 5NJ or e-mail: * Thank you to those who have already sent material into our backroom beavers and to the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust for their financial support. ***************************************************************** 12 Las Vegas SUN: Putin Remarks on Nuke Treaty Return to the referring page. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Las Vegas SUN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today: February 28, 2001 at 8:20:32 PST Putin Remarks on Nuke Treaty ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Signaling displeasure over U.S. plans for a missile defense system, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday described a 1972 nuclear arms treaty as the "root and trunk" of world security. Russia has said a U.S. missile defense program would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which bans such systems under the belief that a country would not launch a nuclear strike if it were unable to protect itself against retaliation. "Any attempts to change the treaty will shake the strategic root and trunk of world peace and security," Putin said in an address to legislators at the domed National Assembly building. In Washington, however, President Bush indicated he would push ahead with the missile defense plan, which is designed to thwart any attacks by perceived "rogue nations" such as communist North Korea. "To protect our own people, our allies and friends, we must develop and we must deploy effective missile defenses," Bush said in an address to Congress on Tuesday night. He spoke minutes after Putin's speech in South Korea, which is several time zones ahead. During his trip this week to Seoul, Putin also pledged to support the reconciliation process between the two Koreas and appealed for more trade with the South. Putin, who is trying to expand Russia's role in Northeast Asia as well as Europe, departed later Wednesday for Vietnam. In another reference to U.S. missile defense plans, Putin said: "Like many people in South Korea, Russia has concerns about attempts to deploy weapons in space." South Korea -- a close ally of Washington and host to 37,000 U.S. soldiers -- has not taken a public position on the U.S. project. Some Seoul officials privately worry that it could disrupt its fragile rapprochement with the North, a fierce critic of Washington's plan. Reflecting the sensitivity of the issue, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade denied that a joint statement released Tuesday by President Kim Dae-jung and Putin revealed a stand on missile defense. The joint statement described the 1972 anti-nuclear treaty as "the cornerstone of strategic stability and an important foundation of international efforts on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation." The South Korean ministry said some news reports incorrectly interpreted the statement as an indirect criticism of U.S. missile defense. It said similar language had been used at U.S.-backed international meetings, including the G-8 summit last year at Okinawa, Japan. China, a major trading partner of South Korea and a traditional ally of North Korea, is also a critic of U.S. missile defense. Washington's European allies are concerned, and Russia last week presented NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson with an outline for a non-strategic missile defense proposal for Europe to counter the American initiative. Russia has also said that if the United States were to withdraw from the 1972 treaty, Moscow would feel compelled to abandon agreements that limit numbers of long-range nuclear weapons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to the referring page. Las Vegas SUN main page ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions or problems? Click here. * All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. * ***************************************************************** 13 Putin Praises 1972 Nuclear Treaty Today: February 28, 2001 at 8:46:01 PST ASSOCIATED PRESS SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Signaling displeasure over U.S. plans for a missile defense system, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday described a 1972 nuclear arms treaty as the "root and trunk" of world security. Russia has said a U.S. missile defense program would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which bans such systems under the belief that a country would not launch a nuclear strike if it were unable to protect itself against retaliation. "Any attempts to change the treaty will shake the strategic root and trunk of world peace and security," Putin said in an address to legislators at the domed National Assembly building. In Washington, however, President Bush indicated he would push ahead with the missile defense plan, designed to thwart any attacks by perceived "rogue nations" such as communist North Korea. "To protect our own people, our allies and friends, we must develop and we must deploy effective missile defenses," Bush said in an address to Congress on Tuesday night. He spoke minutes after Putin's speech in South Korea, which is several time zones ahead. A senior Russian general also accused the United States on Wednesday of violating the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty and threatened retaliatory measures if the nation withdraws from the ABM treaty. "If we run into facts of unilateral violations of the ABM treaty, Russia may review other international treaties concerning strategic weapons," Lt. Gen. Vyacheslav Romanov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. In particular, Romanov said Russia may review provisions of the START-1 and START-2 treaties. He did not elaborate. Romanov also strongly objected to U.S. testing of the Hera missile, a modified Minuteman 2 that is the U.S. Army's latest Patriot interceptor missile. He said it violated the 1987 INF treaty on short- and medium-range nuclear missiles. Putin, in a reference to U.S. missile defense plans, said: "Like many people in South Korea, Russia has concerns about attempts to deploy weapons in space." South Korea -- a close ally of Washington and host to 37,000 U.S. soldiers -- has not taken a public position on the U.S. project. Some Seoul officials privately worry that it could disrupt its fragile rapprochement with the North, a fierce critic of Washington's plan. Reflecting the sensitivity of the issue, Seoul's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade denied that a joint statement released Tuesday by President Kim Dae-jung and Putin revealed a stand on missile defense. The statement described the 1972 treaty as "the cornerstone of strategic stability and an important foundation of international efforts on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation." The South Korean ministry said some news reports incorrectly interpreted the statement as an indirect criticism of U.S. missile defense. It said similar language had been used at U.S.-backed international meetings, including the G-8 summit last year at Okinawa, Japan. Washington's European allies are concerned, and Russia last week presented NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson with an outline for a non-strategic missile defense proposal for Europe to counter the American initiative. During his trip to Seoul, Putin also pledged to support the reconciliation process between the two Koreas and appealed for more trade with the South. Putin, who is trying to expand Russia's role in Northeast Asia as well as Europe, departed later Wednesday for Vietnam. All contents copyright 2001 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 14 Prescribed fire debate re-ignited www.TheDailyCamera.com] By Beth Wohlberg *Camera Staff Writer* Debate over whether to conduct controlled burns on the prairie at Rocky Flats re-ignited Monday, even though no prescribed fires are planned this year. More than 20 students from the University of Colorado, a CU professor and several activists from local organizations told the Rocky Flats Coalition of Local Governments and the Department of Energy they wanted more information on alternatives to prescribed burning and risks of contamination to the public from controlled burns. Many people said they worried the fires release contamination into the air. Radioactive contamination is found at very low levels in most of the buffer area around the former nuclear weapons plant, but some areas contain contamination much higher than average background levels. "We want a panel of independent scientists and citizens to look at this from all different perspectives," said Judith Mohling of Boulder's Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center. "That would go a long way in reassuring the public. I think the public is scared." The Department of Energy burned 50 acres in April south of the Rocky Flats industrial area. Site managers said air sampling before the prescribed burn, as well as monitoring after the burn, showed no danger of release of contamination to workers or the public. Officials want to use the controlled burns to reduce the fuel load to prevent natural wildfires and restore the native prairie. "We conclude that, with the appropriate controls, prescribed burning is a safe and effective means of reducing fire danger and enhancing habitat at Rocky Flats," said John Rampe of DOE. But many people at Monday's meeting wanted alternatives such as herbicides, grazing and mowing to be considered. "Our city feels like we have not been given adequate information to say to the public with a straight face, 'There is no public risk here,'" said Boulder City Councilwoman Lisa Morzel. "I think it may turn out that it's a combination of things in order to address the problems, but I feel as an elected official one of my charges is public safety. I have to be able to look at people and say there is no risk." Morzel introduced a motion to require a public hearing with the Environmental Protection Agency and require DOE to organize a panel of independent scientists to recommend a management plan for the vegetation. The Coalition rejected the motion citing a need for more information, but will address the issue at the next meeting. "I don't think there is a good solution to this problem," said Boulder County commissioner Paul Danish, the coalition's chairperson. "But if ever there was a case where you measure 10 times before you cut, this is it." *Contact Beth Wohlberg at (303) 473-1364 or wohlbergb@thedailycamera.com. Copyright 2001 The Daily Camera. All rights reserved. Any ***************************************************************** 15 9 firms vie to join Hanford glassification work Team expected to pick subcontractor in April This story was published Tue, Feb 27, 2001 By John Stang Herald staff writer Nine companies want to join Bechtel-Washington's Hanford waste glassification venture as the project's "operability" subcontractor. That list includes the Richland-based usual suspects -- BNFL Inc., CH2M Hill Hanford Group, Cogema Engineering Corp. and Duratek Federal Services. The other five companies are General Physics Corp. of Aiken, S.C., BXW Technologies of Lynchburg, Va., Technical & Field Engineering Services Inc. of Aiken, Onsite Companies Inc. of San Jose, Calif., and Bartlett Services Inc. of Plymouth, Mass. Bechtel-Washington expects to pick an operability subcontractor in mid-April and keep it on Hanford's glassification team until sometime between 2007 and 2011. In December, the team of Bechtel National Inc., and Washington Group International won a contract to design, build and test plants by 2011 to convert 10 percent of Hanford's 53 million gallons of radioactive tank wastes into glass. Then in 2011, a new team is expected to take over operating the plants. December's winning bid was missing one component -- an operability subcontractor to look after the interests of that 2011 operating team during the design, construction and test phases. Earlier this month, nine companies submitted bids for that role. Information was unavailable Monday on if and how the nine propose merging as teams or on the details of their proposals. Some of the nine have obvious expertise to be the main sub- contractor, while some appear capable of only supporting roles. Some could fill either role. Here is a rundown of the nine: -- BNFL led Hanford's original glassification design-and-construction team that included Bechtel. But BNFL's cost estimate skyrocketed from $6.9 billion to $15.2 billion in the spring of 2000. That led DOE to fire BNFL. DOE then terminated Bechtel so it would not have an unfair advantage on rebidding on the project. BNFL always indicated it wanted to rejoin the project and focus solely on operations aspects. -- CH2M Hill currently manages Hanford's tank farms, including preparing the wastes to send to the glassification project. When BNFL was fired, CH2M Hill was the glassification project's caretaker until Bechtel-Washington was picked in December. -- Cogema Engineering is a subsidiary of the French corporate giant Cogema, which manages massive glassification plants in France. Cogema lost out twice in 1998 and 2000 on becoming the lead design-and-construction contractor on this project. Four-year-old Cogema Engineering is one of Hanford's more successful spin-off subcontractors, handling various types of engineering work. -- Duratek Federal Services is a subsidiary of Duratek Inc., which has built glassification melters at DOE's sites at Savannah River, S.C., and West Valley, N.Y. Duratek also was the melter subcontractor on the original BNFL-Bechtel team. -- Technical & Field Engineering Services and General Physics Corp. handle technical training at various DOE sites. Both have Richland offices. -- No information was available Monday evening on BXW Technologies, Onsite Companies and Bartlett Services. 2001 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not ***************************************************************** 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. 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