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NUCLEAR POLICY
1 US: Nuclear plant ruling under fire
2 Americans Help Turn Russian Warheads Into Fuel
3 Moscow believes Russia-USA coming business summit on energy to be
4 Bulgaria to resume suspended nuclear plant project
5 au: Senate inquiry head clarifies comments on access to information.
6 US: Warren Buffett Moves to Help Group Trying to Reduce Nuclear and
NUCLEAR REACTORS
7 US: South Carolina Electric and Gas Co., Virgil C. Summer
8 US: NRC Staff Issues Confirmatory Order to Exelon Nuclear in Employe
9 US: Violations Found at Ohio Nuke Plant
10 US: Nuclear watchdogs say Ohio plant shutdown delay was cost-related
11 US: Davis-Besse bosses broke rules, NRC finds
12 US: Small fire quickly put out in transformer at nuclear power
13 US: Susquehanna nuclear plant restart is delayed
14 JAPAN: TEPCO confirms cracks at Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant
NUCLEAR SAFETY
15 US: Iodide pills snapped up at local sites
16 US: Georgia Power to Pay Whistleblower
17 US: S.C. weighs whether to give pills
18 US: Help for nuke test workers expedited
19 US: Editorial: Widows wait while feds fiddle
20 Asteroid explosions may be confused with nuclear attacks, Air
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
21 US: Ward Valley Issue Dead *
22 Taipower uncertain about waste site
23 US: Hanford's glassification project price tag likely to be $5.6 bil
24 US: MOX fuel plan sends waste West, causes some alarm
25 US: Water level not declining at Yucca
26 US: SA mine operator to allow Senate to see mine spill report.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
27 More on leaked US plan to use inspection as patrh to Iraq
28 Bush's war plans move closer
29 United Voice on Iraq Eludes Majority Leader
30 Hans Blix Ready to Return to Iraq
31 US: Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed
32 US: A dangerous trade --
33 Iraqi's response to Blair's dossier: Full text
34 New coalition (OF COUNTRIES) targets nuclear states
35 Pakistan test fires medium range nuclear-capable missile
36 Russian atomic city builds future on nuclear dreams -
37 History of Pakistan Missile Program
38 Small Asteroid Could Be Mistaken for Nuclear Bomb
39 Pak not afraid of Indian army or its nuclear arsenals: Moin
US DEPT. OF ENERGY
40 Fluor almost done moving spent fuel out of 300 Area
41 Russian 'secret city' turns to OR experience
42 DOE seeks radionuclide limit increase (DUMPING IT INTO RIVER)
OTHER NUCLEAR
43 Green power to light up PNNL
44 Boeing reviving work on nuclear converter*
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FULL NEWS STORIES
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1 Nuclear plant ruling under fire
» The Plain Dealer
10/04/02 John Mangels and John Funk Plain Dealer Reporters
A top Nuclear Regulatory Commission official let the Davis-Besse
nuclear plant postpone a vital safety inspection last fall
because the utility complained the early shutdown to do the work
would hurt it financially, three watchdog groups say.
The decision by Samuel Collins, the NRC's senior safety
officer, to let the plant keep running even though his staff
strongly suspected the reactor's lid was cracked and leaking
coolant "was based on what would cause the least pain to the
company, not on what's the least safety risk," said Paul Gunter
of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service.
In safety decisions, the NRC is not supposed to consider
the financial impact on nuclear plants.
Gunter's organization, along with the Union of Concerned
Scientists and Greenpeace, made the charge yesterday based on
newly released NRC documents obtained through the Freedom of
Information Act.
Collins, through a spokeswoman, said yesterday that
FirstEnergy's cost concerns did not come into play, although the
"availability of equipment and personnel to do the inspections"
was a factor.
He said the NRC believed the Davis-Besse plant was safe
to operate until Feb. 16, the compromise shutdown date the agency
and the company negotiated.
During the inspection that followed, Davis-Besse workers
found not only cracks, but also a large rust hole in the
reactor's lid, the result of coolant leaking undetected for
years.
The plant has remained shut down and is under intense NRC
scrutiny, including a criminal investigation.
The agency also is reviewing its own actions,
particularly its decision last fall to let Davis-Besse delay the
shutdown and inspection.
The document that the three watchdog groups say casts
doubt on Collins' account is an e-mail from Nov. 21, 2001,
between two technical advisers to the NRC commissioners. It
recounts a conversation Collins had with Robert Saunders,
president of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., the owner of the
Toledo-area plant.
At the time, FirstEnergy was in the midst of an
aggressive campaign to convince the NRC that Davis-Besse should
not have to shut down by Dec. 31 to check for cracks and leaks in
the reactor lid. Operators of 10 similar reactors had already
found such cracks, and Davis-Besse had not done a thorough
inspection of the vulnerable area in five years.
FirstEnergy wanted to keep Davis-Besse running until
March 31. It had long-standing plans to shut down the reactor for
refueling then, with arrangements for inspectors, contractors and
replacement fuel to be on site at that time. The company told the
NRC that a 21- to 24-day shutdown for the lid inspection would
cost $35 million.
On the day in late November when Collins and Saunders
spoke, Collins' boss, the NRC executive director, had informed
the agency's board of the plans to issue the Davis-Besse shutdown
order in the next week.
FirstEnergy "does not want an order," the document
summarizes from the Collins/Saunders conversation, citing the
company's concerns about public perception, its inability to get
its fuel delivered any sooner than February and the shutdown
order's impact on "financial markets."
The Feb. 16 shutdown compromise that FirstEnergy was now
pushing would give the company time to arrange contracts to buy
replacement power for customers while Davis-Besse was idle.
"If February, would have fuel and contracts in place,
minimum impact" the e-mail recounts from Saunders' conversation.
"If January, significant."
While the document does not indicate Collins' response,
the watchdog groups say the financial argument must have swayed
him. No other explanation can account for his decision, they say,
which was contrary to the NRC staff's strong concerns and went
against four of the five guidelines the agency uses for making
safety decisions.
"It's a strong circumstantial case," Union of Concerned
Scientists nuclear safety engineer David Lochbaum said. "Just as
FirstEnergy placed production ahead of safety, the NRC put
production ahead of safety to prolong the operation of the
plant."
Lochbaum said he gave a copy of the e-mail to the NRC's
inspector general, who is reviewing the agency's actions
regarding Davis-Besse.
To reach these reporters:
jmangels@plaind.com, 216-999-4842
jfunk@plaind.com, 216-999-4138
© 2002 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
© 2002 cleveland.com. All Rights Reserved.
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2 Americans Help Turn Russian Warheads Into Fuel
[NewsMax.com]
Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 WASHINGTON – A program between a Russian and
an American company, under the auspices of their respective
governments, has transformed the equivalent of 6,000 nuclear
warheads into power plant fuel, officials said Thursday at a news
conference.
The "Megatons to Megawatts" program is entering the mature phase
of its 20-year expected lifetime, said Vladimir Smirnov, general
director of Tenex, the Russian half of the partnership. The key
to success has been creating the proper economic climate to
support the program, he said.
"It takes more money to beat a sword into a plowshare than it
does to build a new plow," Smirnov said through an interpreter.
The coordination between U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
and Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyanstev has
helped the program make great strides, Smirnov said.
Although governmental approvals are necessary to transfer the
materials, the program's funding is entirely private, as the
American partner, USEC, buys the transformed material to handle
about half of its annual nuclear fuel needs. USEC signed a
20-year contract with Tenex in 1994, and has spent more than $2.5
billion on Russian fuel shipments, the company said in a
statement.
The warhead material is transformed at four Russian facilities,
in a "blend-down" process that reduces the percentage of U-235,
the isotope of uranium necessary for a chain reaction.
Weapons-grade material contains more than 20 percent U-235, with
older weapons having higher percentages. The process adds the
less volatile U-238 isotope to bring the material down to power
plant fuel levels, less than 5 percent U-235.
The program's design ensures neither nation's budget is
affected, and that the world uranium market remains stable,
Smirnov said. More than 170 metric tons of weapons-grade material
will be converted during the course of this year, he said. By the
time the program wraps up in 2013, it will have provided about
15,000 metric tons of power plant fuel, enough to cover the
entire U.S. electricity demand for two years, USEC said.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said the program's success helps
highlight how well Russian and American efforts have safeguarded
weapons-grade material left over from the Cold War. While
Megatons to Megawatts has eliminated tons of material, reports in
the press about intercepted smuggling attempts describe no more
than a few pounds of uranium, he said at the news conference.
"At the end of the day, by far the best remedy is the one that's
being demonstrated here," Lugar said. "That literally takes the
highly enriched uranium out of the picture completely, as opposed
to it being in some storage where fallible human beings might
permit it to go into proliferation" of nuclear weapons.
Policymakers in both countries should weigh the program's
achievements when considering similar efforts to take excess
plutonium off the market, because it can also be worked into
power plant fuel, Lugar said. Worries about possible
proliferation, however, mean it's too soon to look for concrete
action in this area, he said.
Copyright 2002 by United Press International.
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3 Moscow believes Russia-USA coming business summit on energy to be
very important
Pravda.RU
Sep, 27 2002
Moscow hopes the coming Russia-USA business summit on energy,
scheduled for October 1-2 in Houston will be very crucial, said
Russia's Minister for Foreign Affairs at the meeting with the
delegation of the board of directors of the American corporation
Chevron Texaco. He also stressed that the summit was aimed at
putting new joint large-scale projects in the fuel and energy
sector into practice.
During the meeting, which was held on Thursday, the parties
discussed a number of topical issues of bilateral economic and
investment cooperation, first of all in the context of the
Russia-America new energy dialogue started by the Russian and US
at the May summit in Moscow, said the Russian Foreign Ministry's
Information and Press Department.
The parties noted that this perspective direction of bilateral
cooperation "was significantly important for giving a positive
impetus to the whole complex of the Russian-American trade and
economic relationship and part of the process of developing
strategic partnership between these two countries".
It was also aimed at making the world energy markets more steady
and predictable and prices for hydrocarbon raw materials more
stable as well as observing the interests balance of its
producers and consumers.
The members of the delegation informed Russia's Foreign Minister
about the corporation's plans to increase its work in Russia, the
ministry reported.
© RIAN
Copyright ©1999 by " [http://www.pravda.ru/] ".
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4 Bulgaria to resume suspended nuclear plant project
Oct 04, 2002
SOFIA, Bulgaria - Bulgaria, which has agreed to shut down several
reactors at its only nuclear plant due to EU safety concerns,
said Friday it would restart construction of another nuclear
reactor mothballed in 1990.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lyubomir Todorov said that work would
resume within weeks near the Danube port of Belene, 250
kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Sofia.
Bulgaria invested $1.2 billion in the project before construction
was frozen 12 years ago after pressure from environmentalists.
Todorov gave no other details.
A Czech-built 1,000-megawatt reactor is in place at the Belene
site. Canada's state nuclear energy company, Atomic Energy of
Canada Ltd., and SNC-Lavalin Inc., a Canadian engineering and
construction company, have displayed interest in building the
plant. There is also Russian and Czech interest. It was unclear
how the European Union would react to Bulgaria's plans, but the
Czech-built reactor is believed safe enough to meet EU standards.
Under an agreement with the European Union, Bulgaria has agreed
to close the oldest two units at its only operating nuclear plant
near Kozlodui, 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Sofia by the
end of this year. The shutdown of two other Kozlodui reactors by
2006 is also being discussed with the European Union.
The Kozlodui plant provides 45 percent of the country's
electricity. It has four 440-megawatt pressurized water units
without safety encasements installed between 1974 till 1982 and
two newer 1,000-megawatt encased reactors. The European Union
says the older reactors pose safety risk and wants Bulgaria to
shut them down permanently if it wants EU membership.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The
*****************************************************************
5 au: Senate inquiry head clarifies comments on access to information.
4/10/2002. ABC News Online
The head of the Senate inquiry into the environmental regulation
of uranium mining has clarified statements attributed to her over
the refusal of access to hundreds of requested documents.
Senator Lyn Allison says uranium mining companies, including
Energy Resources of Australia, have promised to make available
those documents requested by the committee.
But documents considered commercial in-confidence will not be
included.
She says in the past, community organisations, such as
conservation and green groups, have had difficulty in obtaining
similar documents.
She says this means much of the information is not in the public
domain.
© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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6 Warren Buffett Moves to Help Group Trying to Reduce Nuclear and
Biological Threats
The New York Times
*October 4, 2002*
*By JUDITH MILLER*
In a small but significant philanthropic gesture, Warren E.
Buffett is opening his huge wallet to help support a group
founded by Ted Turner and former Senator Sam Nunn whose aim is to
reduce the threat of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
Calling the threat posed by nuclear and other unconventional
weapons "the ultimate problem" confronting mankind, Mr. Buffett
said yesterday that he had decided to give the group, the
Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative, $2.5 million over
five years and become an adviser to its board. His commitment to
the group is to be announced on Friday.
"It's not that much money," said Mr. Buffett, American's second
wealthiest man, who runs the investment company Berkshire
Hathaway. But he said he hoped it would "encourage other
businessmen to get involved" in confronting a challenge that
"boggles the mind."
"The genie was let out of the bottle in the 1940's," he said,
referring to the creation of the atomic bomb. While there was no
"putting it back into the bottle," Mr. Buffett said, the "best
answer is what Sam Nunn is doing."
The initiative was founded almost two years ago with a pledge of
stock that Mr. Turner held in AOL Time Warner that was then worth
about $250 million. Since January 2001, the group has spent
roughly $37 million on projects such as helping secure nuclear
material stored in Russia, helping create a revolving fund to
respond quickly to infectious disease outbreaksand, most
recently, removing highly enriched uranium from a poorly secured
reactor in Belgrade to a safer site.
But the group has been hard pressed by the 77.9 percent decline
in the price of AOL Time Warner stock. Mr. Turner has told the
foundation that he would "do what he can to meet the $250 million
commitment." But Mr. Nunn said in an interview, "There is no
binding commitment beyond the number of shares." As a result, Mr.
Nunn said, although the group was not cutting its staff of 32 and
still planned to spend $30 million on projects this year and $25
million in 2003, it would be unable to undertake any expensive
new projects. He said he would raise more money.
Given the fragile state of the stock market, Mr. Nunn said,
"Warren Buffett's commitment is even more important than it would
normally be at this stage."
Mr. Buffett said he had long been concerned about the danger
posed by weapons of mass destruction but had not gotten involved
because he did not initially believe the danger could be
mitigated by money. As he came to know of the tive's work through
his friendship with Mr. Nunn on the Coca-Cola board, he said he
became convinced that the group's projects could make a
difference.
"You don't want an Einstein or a Russian biological warrior to be
starving," Mr. Buffett said, referring to American and
international efforts to ensure that scientists with such deadly
expertise are gainfully and peacefully employed. Investments in
keeping such people and material out of harm's way, he said, "may
increase the probability of getting through the next 50 years."
Mr. Buffett also supported President Bush's stance on Iraq,
arguing that limiting the threat of Saddam Hussein's
unconventional weapons might limit the danger he posed.
"If I thought the probability was high that a nation of some
resources was developing really potent weapons to use against me,
and that there was a high probability that he would use them, I
think you have to act pre-emptively," Mr. Buffett said.
He declined to discuss what impact a war against Iraq would have
on the economy. "People think I know what I'm talking about," he
said. "So I have to be careful."
He said he looked forward to being consulted by Mr. Nunn and Mr.
Turner as they saw fit. Mr. Nunn said Mr. Buffett's involvement
with the initiative would be particularly valuable not only in
fund-raising, but also in persuading pharmaceutical companies and
other biotech concerns that it is worth investing in research and
development efforts that rely on skills of former Soviet
scientists.
Mr. Turner called Mr. Buffett to thank him for his gift to the
initiative. "Ted comes in technicolor," Mr. Buffett said, adding
that he admired him for thinking in terms of "big causes" and
committing large sums to them.
Copyright The New York Times Company
*****************************************************************
7 South Carolina Electric and Gas Co., Virgil C. Summer
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 14:13:59 -0400 (EDT)
http://www.epa.gov/fedreg/
======================================================
[Federal Register: October 4, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 193)]
[Notices]
[Page 62272-62273]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04oc02-89]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. 50-395]
South Carolina Electric and Gas Co., Virgil C. Summer Nuclear
Station; Notice of Acceptance for Docketing of the Application and
Notice of Opportunity for a Hearing Regarding Renewal of Facility
Operating License No. NPF-12 for an Additional 20-Year Period
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the Commission) is
considering an application for the renewal of Operating License No.
NPF-12, which authorizes South Carolina Electric & Gas Company to
operate Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, at 2900 megawatts thermal.
The renewed license would authorize the applicant to operate the Virgil
C. Summer Nuclear Station for an additional 20 years beyond the period
specified in the current license. The current operating license for
Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station expires on August 6, 2022.
On August 6, 2002, the Commission received an application from
South Carolina Electric & Gas Company to renew the operating license
for the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station. A Notice of Receipt of
Application, ``Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station; Notice of Receipt of
Application for Renewal of Facility Operating License No. NPF-12 for an
Additional 20-year Period,'' was published in the Federal Register on
September 3, 2002, (67 FR 56316).
The Commission's staff (the staff) has determined that South
Carolina Electric & Gas Company has submitted information in accordance
with 10 CFR 54.19, 54.21, 54.22, 54.23, and 51.53(c) that is complete
and acceptable for docketing. The current Docket No. 50-395 for
Operating License No. NPF-12 will be retained. The docketing of the
renewal application does not preclude requesting additional information
as the review proceeds, nor does it predict whether the Commission will
grant or deny the application.
Before issuance of each requested renewed license, the Commission
will have made the findings required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954,
as amended (the Act), and the Commission's rules and regulations. In
accordance with 10 CFR 54.29, the Commission will issue a renewed
license on the basis of its review if it finds that actions have been
identified and have been or will be taken with respect to (1) managing
the effects of aging during the period of extended operation on the
functionality of structures and components that have been identified as
requiring aging management review, and (2) time-limited aging analyses
that have been identified as requiring review, such that there is
reasonable assurance that the activities authorized by the renewed
license will continue to be conducted in accordance with the current
licensing basis (CLB) and that any changes made to the plant's CLB
comply with the Act and the Commission's regulations.
Additionally, in accordance with 10 CFR 51.95(c), the Commission
will prepare an environmental impact statement that is a supplement to
NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License
Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants'' (May 1996). Pursuant to 10 CFR 51.26,
and as part of the environmental scoping process, the staff intends to
hold a public scoping meeting. Detailed information regarding this
meeting will be included in a future Federal Register notice. The
Commission also intends to hold public meetings to discuss the license
renewal process and the schedule for conducting the review. The
Commission will provide prior notice of these meetings. As discussed
further herein, in the event that a hearing is held, issues that may be
litigated will be confined to those pertinent to the foregoing.
Within 30 days from the date of publication of this Federal
Register notice, the applicant may file a request for a hearing, and
any person whose interest may be affected by this proceeding and who
wishes to participate as a party in the proceeding must file a written
request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene with
respect to the renewal of the licenses in accordance with the
provisions of 10 CFR 2.714.
[[Page 62273]]
Interested persons should consult a current copy of 10 CFR
2.714,\1\ which is available at the Commission's Public Document Room
(PDR), 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor) Rockville, Maryland, and on
the Commission's Web site at http://www.nrc.gov (the Public Electronic
Reading Room). If a request for a hearing or a petition for leave to
intervene is filed by the above date, the Commission or an Atomic
Safety and Licensing Board designated by the Commission or by the
Chairman of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel will rule on
the request(s) and/or petition(s), and the Secretary or the designated
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will issue a notice of hearing or an
appropriate order. In the event that no request for a hearing or
petition for leave to intervene is filed by the above date, the
Commission may, upon completion of its evaluations and upon making the
findings required under 10 CFR parts 51 and 54, renew the licenses
without further notice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The most recent version of Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, published January 1, 2002, inadvertently omitted the
last sentence of 10 CFR 2.714(d) and paragraphs (d)(1) and (2),
regarding petitions to intervene and contentions. Those provisions
are extant and still applicable to petitions to intervene. Those
provisions are as follows:
In all other circumstances, such ruling body or officer shall,
in ruling on--
(1) A petition for leave to intervene or a request for hearing,
consider the following factors, among other things: (i) The nature
of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to the
proceeding. (ii) The nature and extent of the petitioner's property,
financial, or other interest in the proceeding. (iii) The possible
effect of any order that may be entered in the proceeding on the
petitioner's interest.
(2) The admissibility of a contention, refuse to admit a
contention if: (i) The contention and supporting material fail to
satisfy the requirements of paragraph (b)(2) of this section; or
(ii) The contention, if proven, would be of no consequence in the
proceeding because it would not entitle petitioner to relief.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As required by 10 CFR 2.714, a petition for leave to intervene
shall set forth, with particularity, the interest of the petitioner in
the proceeding and how that interest may be affected by the results of
the proceeding, taking into consideration the limited scope of matters
that may be considered pursuant to 10 CFR parts 51 and 54. The petition
must specifically explain the reasons why intervention should be
permitted with particular reference to the following factors: (1) The
nature of the petitioner's right under the Act to be made a party to
the proceeding, (2) the nature and extent of the petitioner's property,
financial, or other interest in the proceeding, and (3) the possible
effect of any order that may be entered in the proceeding on the
petitioner's interest. The petition must also identify the specific
aspect(s) of the subject matter of the proceeding as to which
petitioner wishes to intervene. Any person who has filed a petition for
leave to intervene or who has been admitted as a party may amend the
petition without requesting leave of the board up to 15 days before the
first prehearing conference scheduled in the proceeding, but such an
amended petition must satisfy the specific requirements described
above.
Not later than 15 days before the first prehearing conference
scheduled in the proceeding, a petitioner shall file a supplement to
the petition to intervene that must include a list of the contentions
that the petitioner seeks to have litigated in the hearing. Each
contention must consist of a specific statement of the issue of law or
fact to be raised or controverted. In addition, the petitioner shall
provide a brief explanation of the bases of each contention and a
concise statement of the alleged facts or the expert opinion that
supports the contention and on which the petitioner intends to rely in
proving the contention at the hearing. The petitioner must also provide
references to those specific sources and documents of which the
petitioner is aware and on which the petitioner intends to rely to
establish those facts or expert opinion. The petitioner must provide
sufficient information to show that a genuine dispute exists with the
applicant on a material issue of law or fact. Contentions shall be
limited to matters within the scope of the action under consideration.
The contention must be one that, if proven, would entitle the
petitioner to relief. A petitioner who fails to file such a supplement
that satisfies these requirements with respect to at least one
contention will not be permitted to participate as a party.
Those permitted to intervene become parties to the proceeding,
subject to any limitations in the order granting leave to intervene,
and have the opportunity to participate fully in the conduct of the
hearing, including the opportunity to present evidence and cross-
examine witnesses.
Requests for a hearing and petitions for leave to intervene must be
filed with the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, Attention: Rulemakings and
Adjudications Staff, or may be delivered to the Commission's PDR,
located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland, by the above date. Because of the continuing
disruptions in delivery of mail to United States Government offices, it
is requested that petitions for leave to intervene and requests for
hearing be transmitted to the Secretary of the Commission either by
means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-1101 or by e-mail to
hearingdocket@nrc.gov. A copy of the request for leave to intervene and
request for hearing should also be sent to the Office of the General
Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001,
and, because of continuing disruptions in delivery of mail to United
States Government offices, it is requested that copies be transmitted
either by means of facsimile transmission to 301-415-3725 or by e-mail
to OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov. A copy of the request for hearing and
petition for leave to intervene should also be sent to Mr. Stephen A.
Byrne, Sr. Vice President--Nuclear Operations, South Carolina Electric
& Gas Company, Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, PO Box 88,
Jenkinsville, SC 29065.
Nontimely filings of petitions for leave to intervene, amended
petitions, supplemental petitions, and/or requests for a hearing will
not be entertained absent a determination by the Commission, the
presiding officer, or the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board that the
petition and/or request should be granted based upon a balancing of the
factors specified in 10 CFR 2.714(a)(1)(i)-(v) and 2.714(d).
Detailed information about the license renewal process can be found
on the Commission's Web page at http://www.nrc.gov. A copy of the
application is available for public inspection at the Commission's PDR,
located at One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor),
Rockville, Maryland, or on the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/
reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications/summer.html, while
the application is under review. The staff has verified that a copy of
the license renewal application for the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear
Station is also available to local residents at the Fairfield County
Library, in Winnsboro, South Carolina, and at the Thomas Cooper
Library, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South
Carolina.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 27th day of September, 2002.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Pao-Tsin Kuo,
Program Director, License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Division
of Regulatory Improvement Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor
Regulation.
[FR Doc. 02-25245 Filed 10-3-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
*****************************************************************
8 NRC Staff Issues Confirmatory Order to Exelon Nuclear in Employee
Discrimination Case at Illinois Nuclear Plant
NRC: News Release - Region III - 2002-054 -
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs,
Region III 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532 www.nrc.gov
No. III-02-054 October 4, 2002
CONTACT: Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663 Viktoria Mitlyng (630)
829-9662 E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov [opa3@nrc.gov]
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued a
Confirmatory Order to Exelon Nuclear Generation Company
documenting the utilitys corrective actions being taken as a
result of discrimination against a former employee at the
companys Byron Nuclear Power Station in Byron, Illinois. NRC
regulations prohibit companies licensed by the agency to
discriminate against a worker for raising safety issues involving
the facility.
An investigation by the NRCs Office of Investigations determined
that an Exelon corporate manager deliberately discriminated
against the former employee on August 25, 2000, by not selecting
the employee for a new position which he was seeking. The
investigation found that the manager had based the hiring
decision on the employees raising an internal safety issue.
The employee had raised an issue concerning the working
environment in a department at the Byron station. He was
concerned that a chilled environment existed which might
discourage employees from raising safety issues because of
concerns of possible discrimination by plant management.
Following review of the investigation findings, the NRC staff
contacted Exelon on June 17 to schedule a predecisional
enforcement conference to discuss possible violations of NRC
regulations dealing with employee protection and deliberate
misconduct. The company then requested the opportunity to present
a settlement proposal prior to the conference.
After several meetings between the NRC staff and Exelon, the
utility agreed to the issuance of a confirmatory order to resolve
this matter.
Exelon agreed to admit the violation of NRC employment protection
regulations as a non-willful violation and to undertake extensive
corrective actions at all 21 of its licensed nuclear power
reactors and within its corporate organization.
The corrective actions include, among others, counseling all
management personnel involved with the discrimination incident,
training of all vice-president and plant managers throughout the
Exelon organization on employee protection regulations, review
and revision of the companys training program on preventing
discrimination against employees who raise safety issues, and
notifying all Exelon nuclear employees of the companys
commitment to foster a safety-conscious work environment which
encourages employees to raise issues without fear of retaliation.
As a result of the utilitys admission of the employee protection
violation and its extensive corrective actions at all its
facilities, the NRC staff has agreed not to issue a notice of
violation to the company or to any individual. No fine will be
proposed. The Confirmatory Order contains the terms of the
company's agreement, which are legally enforceable as NRC
requirements.
The Confirmatory Order will be available on the NRCs web site
at:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/actions/reactors/
and from the NRCs Region III Office of Public Affairs. It will
also be available in the agencys ADAMS electronic reading room:
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
As part of the settlement agreement, the Exelon has agreed not to
contest the Order. Any person adversely affected by the action
may request a hearing before an NRC Administrative Judge with in
20 days of the Order being issued.
The Confirmatory Order affects the following facilities operated
by Exelon, including plants which are in the process of
decommissioning:
Illinois: Braidwood 1 & 2; Byron 1 & 2; Clinton; Dresden 1, 2, &
3; LaSalle 1 & 2; Quad Cities 1 & 2; Zion 1 & 2.
Pennsylvania: Limerick 1 & 2; Peach Bottom 1, 2, & 3; Three Mile
Island 1. New Jersey: Oyster Creek.
Privacy Statement | Site Disclaimer Last revised Friday,
October 04, 2002
*****************************************************************
9 Violations Found at Ohio Nuke Plant
Las Vegas SUN:
October 03, 2002 By JOHN SEEWER ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOLEDO, Ohio- The government said Thursday it had found 10
violations at a nuclear plant where an acid leak nearly ate
through a 6-inch-thick steel reactor cap.
The plant's operator, FirstEnergy Corp., failed to take action to
correct safety concerns and violated rules for operating the
reactor, the report said. The boric acid leak at the Davis-Besse
plant was the most extensive corrosion ever found on a U.S.
nuclear reactor and led to a nationwide review of all 69 similar
plants. A second, smaller hole was found later at Davis-Besse.
Inspectors found the leak in March, during a maintenance shutdown
at the plant near Toledo. The Nuclear Regulator Commission has
said it should have been spotted as many as four years ago.
The latest report from the NRC inspectors said the violations
included failure to remove large amounts of acid on the reactor
head, which led to nozzle cracking, and failure to notice acid
deposits on air coolers.
FirstEnergy spokesman Richard Wilkins said the findings were
consistent with the company's investigations. He said the company
already has fixed some of the problems.
"We weren't really surprised by anything in that report," Wilkins
said. He said, however, that the company expects to be fined.
FirstEnergy is spending about $200 million to repair the plant,
install a new cap and buy replacement power until it is
restarted. It has been shut down since Feb. 16.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
10 Nuclear watchdogs say Ohio plant shutdown delay was cost-related
Las Vegas SUN:
Today: October 04, 2002 at 6:15:31 PDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
OAK HARBOR, Ohio (AP) - Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff
members may have let a power company's cost concern influence a
decision to put off a shutdown of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant,
according to a published report Friday.
The NRC and FirstEnergy Corp. denied the allegation. Akron-based
FirstEnergy is paying about $200 million to repair the plant,
install a new lid and buy replacement power until it is
restarted. The reactor, about 20 miles east of Toledo, has been
shut down since Feb. 16. Inspectors found violations of 10
federal regulations at Davis-Besse, where acid nearly ate through
a 6-inch-thick steel reactor cap. An NRC report released Thursday
said FirstEnergy failed to take action to correct multiple safety
concerns and violated rules for operating the reactor.
Workers have removed a damaged reactor head and are replacing it.
The company wants to restart the plant by the end of the year,
but regulators have given no indication when they will allow it
to operate again.
The NRC is not supposed to consider the financial impact on
nuclear plants when making safety decisions. The (Cleveland)
Plain Dealer reported that three nuclear power watchdog groups -
the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, the Union of
Concerned Scientists and Greenpeace - made the cost consideration
charge Thursday based on newly released NRC documents obtained
through the Freedom of Information Act.
The information included an e-mail dated last Nov. 21 between two
technical advisers to the NRC commissioners recounting a
conversation that Samuel Collins, the NRC's senior safety
officer, had with Robert Saunders, president of FirstEnergy
Nuclear Operating Co., which runs Davis-Besse.
At the time, FirstEnergy was in the midst of a campaign to
convince the NRC that Davis-Besse should not have to shut down by
Dec. 31 for an inspection. FirstEnergy wanted to keep Davis-Besse
running until March 31 for refueling. FirstEnergy "does not want
an order," the document summarizes from the Collins/Saunders
conversation, citing the company's concerns about public
perception, its inability to get its fuel delivered any sooner
than February and the shutdown order's impact on "financial
markets."
Collins, through a spokeswoman, told The Plain Dealer that
FirstEnergy's cost concerns did not come into play, although the
"availability of equipment and personnel to do the inspections"
was a factor.
He said the NRC believed Davis-Besse was safe to operate until
Feb. 16, the compromise shutdown date the agency and the company
negotiated.
FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Scneider said Thursday night that late
last year Saunders "certainly wasn't aware there was a cavity in
the reactor head. He was operating with the best knowledge he had
at the time."
Schneider said that Saunders recalls making remarks at a public
meeting that if FirstEnergy had to shut down Davis-Besse in
December, that "the company wasn't prepared to do that because
fuel was not on site."
Schneider said Saunders' other concern was that one shutdown for
inspection and another later for refueling might "double the
(radiation) exposure rate to employees."
Schneider said Saunders "doesn't know about any private
conversation or e-mail" that may have sought to influence the NRC
through cost considerations.
On The Net: http://www.nrc.gov [http://www.nrc.gov]
http://www.firstenergycorp.com [http://www.firstenergycorp.com]
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
11 Davis-Besse bosses broke rules, NRC finds
» The Plain Dealer
10/04/02 John Funk and John Mangels Plain Dealer Reporters
The Davis-Besse nuclear power plant's managers repeatedly
violated federal rules when they created inaccurate and
incomplete reports about the condition of the reactor over the
last decade, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission concluded
yesterday.
The determination makes FirstEnergy Corp., owner and operator of the power
plant, vulnerable to heavy fines.
An NRC spokesman said the agency will not set specific
fines until its staff completes a complicated analysis to
determine how dangerous to the public the reactor has been. Fines
must also wait until a separate criminal investigation is wrapped
up into the company's intent when it created and filed inaccurate
records.
The highest fine the NRC has levied against other
utilities in recent years has been $2.1 million, levied in 1997
against the operators of the Millstone nuclear power plant in
Connecticut.
FirstEnergy spokesman Todd Schneider said the company
expects to be fined because of the number and severity of the
infractions. He said the company still believes it will be ready
to restart the plant by year's end, if the NRC approves.
The NRC said that FirstEnergy submitted inaccurate
documents to the agency in the fall of 2001 when the company was
arguing that it should not have to shut down by year's end for a
special inspection.
The NRC in September 2001 asked FirstEnergy and operators
of 68 other reactors similar to Davis-Besse to inspect for
dangerous cracks in the alloy tubes carrying the reactor control
rods through the reactor lid into the nuclear core.
The tubes, known as nozzles, had in fact been cracked at
Davis-Besse for at least five years, allowing the reactor's
coolant, laced with boric acid, to eat a large hole in the solid
steel lid. Only a thin stainless steel liner, also beginning to
crack, kept the radioactive coolant contained.
But the company argued that Davis-Besse had no cracks and
added that it had kept the reactor lid clear of boric acid.
In its report yesterday, the special NRC inspection team,
which spent weeks at the plant and months analyzing Davis-Besse's
records, said that had the plant's documents been complete and
accurate the company most likely would have seen rust problems
earlier. And the NRC would have seen the urgency of shutting down
the plant last fall.
In a deal cut in late November, the NRC agreed to allow
Davis-Besse to operate until Feb. 16 instead of shutting it by
Dec. 31.
In addition to the poor document-keeping, Davis-Besse is
also violated nine other federal rules, the special inspection
team concluded. Some of the rules were violated repeatedly, the
team said.
Major violations included:
Operating the reactor with cracked control rod nozzles,
technically a breach of one of the reactor's three barriers
crucial to keeping radioactivity out of the environment.
Failing - for years - to clean dry boric acid from the
top of the dome-shaped reactor lid. The buildup of the residue
helped devour the steel head while hiding the damage from
inspectors.
Failing to find and fix the source - the rust hole - of
the rusty boric acid powder that repeatedly clogged the filters
of radiation monitors in the reactor's containment building.
Managers eventually decided not to use filters.
Failing to find and fix the source - again, the rust hole
- of the boric acid crud that fouled the fins of the containment
building air coolers.
Failing to account for unidentified coolant leaks that
the NRC and the company now know were from the cracks in the
control rod nozzles.
"There are no surprises here," Schneider of FirstEnergy
said of the violations.
"We recognize that we made mistakes," he said.
"We have already addressed many of the issues identified
by this report and will address those remaining before the plant
is restarted."
One citation that could affect reactors across the
country is the inspection team's conclusion that the cracked
nozzle qualifies as a formal violation, which would require an
immediate shutdown, said David Lochbaum, nuclear engineer with
the Union of Concerned Scientists.
UCS has in recent months argued without success that the
cracks, now believed to be inevitable in older reactors, must be
seen as a dangerous breach of a safety barrier.
"It's good that the NRC is citing them. I am just curious
why they did not cite all the others," he said of the half-dozen
other utilities that have so far repaired leaking nozzle cracks.
To reach these Plain Dealer reporters:
jfunk@plaind.com, 216-999-4138
jmangels@plaind.com, 216-999-4842
© 2002 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.
© 2002 cleveland.com. All Rights Reserved.
*****************************************************************
12 Small fire quickly put out in transformer at nuclear power plant in
Pennsylvania
bostonherald.com
Associated Press Thursday, October 3, 2002
BERWICK, Pa. - A fire broke out early Thursday at PPL's
Susquehanna nuclear power plant and was quickly put out,
officials said.
The fire, detected at around 2:30 a.m., was confined to a
startup transformer on Unit 2, according to a company news
release. An automatic system extinguished the flames, and the
transformer will be replaced with a spare on site, PPL said. The
fire apparently was caused by an internal failure, company
spokesman Herbert Woodeshick said. He could not give a monetary
estimate of the damage. The incident was classified as an
``unusual event,'' the least serious of four federal
classifications of power plant emergencies. PPL Corp. is a global
energy company based in Allentown. The plant is in east-central
Pennsylvania.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
*****************************************************************
13 Susquehanna nuclear plant restart is delayed
A transformer fire hampers repair of Unit 2 at the PPL plant.
Lehigh Valley News
The Morning Call -- October 4, 2002
By Christian Berg Of The Morning Call
A transformer fire at PPL Corp.'s Susquehanna nuclear plant in
Luzerne County has delayed efforts to restart the facility's Unit
2 reactor, which shut down Monday night after another equipment
failure.
PPL said a transformer used to restart the reactor caught fire
around 2:30 a.m. Thursday and was quickly extinguished by an
automatic fire suppression system. As a precaution, PPL's own
fire brigade and fire companies from Salem Township, East Berwick
and Mocanaqua responded to the scene.
No one was injured.
PPL spokesman Joe Scopelliti said the company has a replacement
for the burned-out transformer, but he declined to say how soon
Unit 2 would resume power production.
PPL disclosed the fire as an ''unusual event,'' the lowest of the
four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants.
Unit 2 shut down automatically Monday night after a condenser
vacuum temporarily lost power. The condenser, which turns steam
from the reactor back into water, has been repaired.
The shutdown ended Unit 2's record 526 days of continuous
operation. It was last turned off for refueling and inspection in
spring 2001.
PPL said Susquehanna's Unit 1 reactor remains operating at full
capacity. The two reactors produce 2,216 megawatts of
electricity.
The Susquehanna plant, northwest of Hazleton, is owned jointly by
PPL (90 percent) and Allegheny Electric Cooperative (10 percent).
It is operated by PPL.
The problems at Susquehanna come as energy supplies are tight in
the Mid-Atlantic region. Unseasonably warm weather has spiked
power demand in recent days. Meanwhile, many local power plant
operators have shut down generators for maintenance because
October is traditionally a time of reduced power consumption.
Wholesale power prices in the Mid-Atlantic region hit $55.96 a
megawatt-hour this week, the highest price since Aug. 15,
according to Bloomberg data. Wholesale prices have more than
doubled since last week.
Higher wholesale prices increase the amount of money utilities
have to spend to purchase electricity for their customers, but
the increases will have no impact on Pennsylvania consumers.
Retail power prices are capped through 2009 as part of the
state's effort to deregulate the power industry.
christian.berg@mcall.com
610-820-6517
Bloomberg News contributed to this story.
Copyright © 2002, The Morning Call
*****************************************************************
14 JAPAN: TEPCO confirms cracks at Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant
Send to a friend Print
Friday, October 4, 2002 at 09:30 JST
FUKUSHIMA ?
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) said Thursday it has confirmed
five new cracks in the core shroud at the No. 2 reactor of the
Fukushima No. 2 nuclear plant.
The cracks are up to 3 centimeters long, but their depth is not
immediately known. It is the second time this week TEPCO has
found cracks in a shroud at the nuclear plant site. On Monday, it
found signs of one crack in the shroud at the No. 4 reactor of
the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
(Kyodo News)
Japan Today Discussion
*****************************************************************
15 Iodide pills snapped up at local sites
Asbury Park Press | Story
Published in the Asbury Park Press 10/04/02By ERIK LARSEN
MANAHAWKIN BUREAU
So many people within 10 miles of the Oyster Creek nuclear power
plant want their free potassium iodide pills that the Ocean
County Health Department asked the public yesterday to leave
their families at home when they come to crowded local
distribution centers.
"The one we did in Barnegat (on Sept. 21), we had about 1,100
permission slips for 3,400 pills," said Joseph J. Przywara, the
county's public health coordinator. A permission slip is a form
the health department requires recipients fill out, listing
names, addresses and the number of tablets distributed for the
family or business.
"In reality, yeah (we were surprised)," Przywara said. "People
have found these local sites to be far more convenient. We had no
real sense of what would happen. It really was an unknown.
Obviously, it's never been done before."
Przywara said the distribution process would be made more
efficient if each family selected just one representative to pick
up the tablets so as not to crowd sites like town halls, schools,
firehouses and community centers. In coordination with the state
Department of Health and Senior Services and various municipal
officials, the county Health Department is distributing the pills
in at least 13 municipalities from now to November. Sites and
dates are listed at www.ochd.org on the Web.
Yesterday, the department announced another new date and
location. The potassium iodide pills, also known simply by the
chemical symbol KI, also can be picked up at its Toms River
offices at 175 Sunset Ave. between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Nov. 8.
The 130-milligram pills protect the thyroid gland from the
intrusion of radioactive iodide, which could cause thyroid
cancer. That dose could protect an adult's thyroid from
radioactive iodide for at least 24 hours.
New Jersey had received 722,000 pills from the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission to be distributed to those who live or work
within 10 miles of the state's four nuclear plants. In addition
to Oyster Creek in Ocean County, there are three plants in Lower
Alloways Creek in Salem County: Salem I, Salem II and Hope Creek.
The zone surrounding Oyster Creek includes people from Barnegat,
Barnegat Light, Beachwood, Berkeley, Dover Township, Harvey
Cedars, Island Heights, Lacey, Long Beach Township, Pine Beach,
Waretown (Ocean Township), Ocean Gate, Seaside Park, Ship Bottom,
South Toms River, Stafford and Surf City.
In July, the state handed out the pills at two Ocean County
sites outside the 10-mile zone and considered emergency reception
centers -- areas where residents can take shelter in the event of
an emergency. Those sites -- Manchester Township High School and
Pinelands Regional High School in Little Egg Harbor -- were
chosen because state officials wanted residents to familiarize
themselves with the reception centers so they would know exactly
where to go in the event of an emergency.
But state officials soon realized that many people were
unwilling to drive long distances to get the pills.
At a recent Stafford Township Council meeting, Councilwoman
Virginia Alman Boerner said that when she picked up the pills for
her family, officials were moving with such speed they weren't
even checking for identification. Erik Larsen: (609) 978-4582 or
elarsen@app.com
*****************************************************************
16 Georgia Power to Pay Whistleblower
Las Vegas SUN:
October 03, 2002
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA- A federal court has ordered Georgia Power Co. to pay $4
million to a whistleblower executive fired 12 years ago after he
raised questions about the company's management of nuclear power
plants.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ordered the power
company to pay former executive Marvin B. Hobby $4 million in
back pay. Georgia Power also will have to send a letter to every
employee welcoming Hobby back to the company.
Hobby was manager of Georgia Power's nuclear operations division.
In 1989, Hobby wrote an internal memo suggesting Georgia Power
wasn't following government policy as it turned over control of a
nuclear plant in Waynesboro, Ga. Hobby also complained that he
was asked to lie in testimony against a company employee involved
in a separate whistleblower case.
A few months after Hobby wrote the memo, he was dismissed.
Hobby's attorney, Michael Kohn, said Georgia Power told Hobby the
reason for his firing was downsizing. For years, Hobby could not
find work in the power industry.
The company hasn't decided whether to appeal the ruling, Georgia
Power spokesman John Sell said.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
17 S.C. weighs whether to give pills
Charlotte Observer | 10/04/2002 |
Officials worry people wouldn't evacuate after nuclear accident
JENNIFER TALHELM Staff Writer
ROCK HILL - S.C. residents in York County and other areas near
nuclear power plants will have to wait a little longer to find
out whether the state will distribute potassium iodide pills that
could help save their lives in a nuclear disaster.
N.C. officials decided this week to take advantage of a federal
offer to make free potassium iodide pills available to anyone
living within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. The pills, which
are taken only in the event of a mishap, can prevent thyroid
cancer caused by radiation.
But S.C. officials are still studying the pros and cons and
aren't sure when they will reach a decision, said Jan Easterling,
spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Environmental
Control.
One of their biggest concerns is that people will misunderstand
and think they don't need to evacuate if they take potassium
iodide. But the pill protects against only one specific kind of
harm in a nuclear accident.
"If there's an incident, people need to get out of there,"
Easterling said. "If there's a distribution, we want to have an
education plan in place."
South Carolina has four nuclear plants. Tens of thousands of York
County residents live within 10 miles of Duke Power's Catawba
nuclear plant.
Some residents said they don't understand why the state is taking
so long.
Rita Ross of Rock Hill would definitely accept the pill if the
government offered it and thinks South Carolina should follow
North Carolina's lead. She said Sept. 11 has made her think more
about a potential nuclear accident.
"It's better to be safe than sorry," she said. "It's an added
precaution that's not very expensive."
But others feel they will have no control in the event of a
disaster anyway.
"I'm close enough that if something does happen, I can't say that
it's really going to help me that much," said Jean Brown of Tega
Cay, who has lived on Lake Wylie for 27 years and watched the
Catawba plant being built.
"If it goes," Brown said, "then I'm a goner anyway."
Even if South Carolina doesn't distribute the pills, they can be
purchased over the counter at drugstores for about $1 a tablet or
via the Internet, including a locally owned site,
www.NukePills.com [http://www.NukePills.com] .
Nuclear activists advocate distributing potassium iodide as an
extra layer of protection, saying people are smart enough to
understand the need to evacuate in an emergency.
Edwin Lyman, a physicist and president of the Nuclear Control
Institute, said he thinks the pill should be given to people who
live at least 50 miles from a power plant.
Taking the pill would be particularly helpful for children, who
are especially vulnerable to thyroid cancer from radiation, Lyman
said.
"Certainly for children and young adults and pregnant women, it's
a really good idea," he said.
Better known by its chemical symbol KI, potassium iodide can be
given to people of all ages, although newborns younger than 1
month should take only an eighth of a pill. KI can cause some
side effects, such as rashes, in some people. It also has a shelf
life of about five years.
Many states, including South Carolina, spend thousands every five
years to stockpile the pill for emergency workers. After Sept.
11, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission offered KI free of
charge for states to distribute to residents.
So far, 16 of the 34 eligible states have requested it.
Both Carolinas initially rejected the NRC's offer. But that
changed after N.C. officials received hundreds of complaints from
citizens and reviewed studies from the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in
the former Soviet Union.
Studies show that people who took the pill avoided an increase in
thyroid cancer. Those who did not take the pill saw a 100-fold
increase.
S.C. officials also decided to study the issue after they
received public pressure.
A panel of experts from the Department of Health and
Environmental Control, emergency management and homeland security
is examining all the specifics. Questions include how to
replenish the public supply when it expires in five years and how
best to explain all the issues to recipients, said DHEC spokesman
Thom Berry.
"We don't want people to think this is the magic silver bullet
that's going to protect them from radiation," Berry said. "We
want to make sure that whatever decision South Carolina makes, it
is something people can understand." -- STAFF WRITER CHERAINE
STANFORD CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE.
-- JENNIFER TALHELM: (803) 327-8507;
JTALHELM@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM [JTALHELM@CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM] .
*****************************************************************
18 Help for nuke test workers expedited
Las Vegas SUN:
October 03, 2002
By Mary Manning
Dorothy Clayton, widow of a Nevada Test Site worker, has been
waiting two years to receive benefits promised by the Energy and
Labor departments.
She's still waiting.
Clayton's claim is one of nine filed by the families of former
or deceased Test Site workers. While conducting nuclear weapons
experiments 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the employees were
possibly exposed to radiation dust and beryllium, a metal.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has taken steps to speed things up.
After inquiring with the Labor Department, which is
investigating the claims, Reid's office found that 8,000 claims
are backlogged, because the National Institutes of Occupational
Safety and Health had only three workers to review them.
In the 2003 Labor Department appropriations bill, Reid inserted
language that ensures at least 75 employees are hired to review
the claims, the senator's spokeswoman Tessa Hafen said. All of
the claims are expected to be reviewed in less than a year.
"It's a bureaucratic process and it is taking longer than
expected," Hafen said.
Glenn Clayton died in June 1999 after suffering from six forms
of cancer. The government said in a letter Dorothy received this
week that his lung cancer and his bladder cancer could have been
caused by radiation exposure.
Another widow, Alma Mosley, has also been waiting since the
compensation program was approved by Congress in 2000.
"We are deeply disappointed with the process because she has
been waiting for over 23 years for this to be done," said her son
Leonard Mosley. "My mother is very frustrated. She really doesn't
know what to do next."
Nationwide the department has approved more than 34,000 claims
and paid out $353 million to nuclear industry workers and their
families from a $1.7 billion federal fund.
The claims that have been approved in Tennessee, Ohio and
Kentucky for former Energy Department workers were processed
because their exposure records had been destroyed, Hafen
explained. Under the compensation bill those federal employees
who could not prove their exposure receive a lump sum payment of
$150,000 and medical screening.
In the case of Test Site workers who wore badges that detected
some radiation, records have to be reviewed, she said.
The DOE, under the Clinton administration, admitted
responsibility for exposing nuclear workers to dangerous
substances.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
19 Editorial: Widows wait while feds fiddle
Las Vegas SUN
Today: October 04, 2002 at 9:39:31 PDT
It was bad enough that Congress waited until two years ago to
pass legislation providing compensation for Nevada Test Site
workers and other federal employees diagnosed with job-related
radiation sicknesses. So much time had elapsed by then -- many of
the exposures took place in the 1940s, '50s and '60s -- that many
of the workers themselves had died and any compensation would be
collected by surviving spouses. Now it turns out that instead of
acting quickly to cut these long-overdue compensation checks, the
Labor Department considered the workers to be such a low priority
that only three people were assigned to process their claims.
This, of course, led to claims stacking up and workers and
widows waiting nervously for checks that never came. Three weeks
ago, in response to innumerable calls and letters from frustrated
claimants, the Labor Department finally assigned a total of 75
people to review the backlogged claims, which by then amounted to
8,000. Complaints were also made to Sen. Harry Reid, who has
inserted language into the 2003 Labor Department appropriations
bill that requires at least 75 people to remain assigned until
all of the claims have been reviewed.
We thoroughly support Reid's action, but we have to ask: Why
does it take action by a U.S. senator to ensure that a bill
affecting so many people receives the proper priority? Federal
employees who put their health and their lives at risk in service
of their country should have been receiving top priority all
along, particularly after money had at long last been
appropriated. The affected workers or their surviving spouses
were each to receive $150,000 plus medical expenses.
After President Clinton signed the compensation bill in December
2000, the Labor Department spent valuable time trying to shift
administrative responsibility to the Justice Department. When
that didn't work, it sat on the claims while beneficiaries
suffered. We hope that now, finally, the Labor Department will
take its responsibility seriously and speed help to those who
helped us win the Cold War.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
20 Asteroid explosions may be confused with nuclear attacks, Air
Force general says
Oct 3, 9:26 PM ET
By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON - Asteroids regularly explode over the Earth with the
intensity of a nuclear bomb and there is a chance the explosions
could be mistaken for a nuclear attack, possibly triggering an
atomic war, an Air Force general said Thursday.
At least 30 times a year, a space rock measuring a few yards
across slashes into the atmosphere and explodes, releasing energy
equal to that of an atomic bomb, Air Force Brig. Gen. Simon P.
Worden told members of a House Science subcommittee.
Worden, deputy director for operations of the U.S. Strategic
Command, said the United States has satellite instruments that
determine within a minute if the explosion is a nuclear weapon or
a natural explosion from an asteroid. But no one else has such
technology, he said, and without it, some countries could
conclude the explosions came from a nuclear bomb and could launch
an atomic attack against an enemy.
For instance, Worden said Pakistan and India, both of which have
the atomic bomb, were at full alert in August, poised for war.
Not far away, a few weeks before, Worden said, U.S. satellites
detected over the Mediterranean an atmospheric flash that
indicated "an energy release comparable to the Hiroshima burst."
Air Force instruments quickly determined it was caused by an
asteroid 15 feet to 30 feet (4.5 meters to 9 meters) wide.
"Had you been situated on a vessel directly underneath, the
intensely bright flash would have been followed by a shock wave
that would have rattled the entire ship, and possibly caused
minor damage," Worden said in his testimony. The explosion
received little or no notice, the general said, but it possibly
could have caused a major human conflict had it occurred over
India or Pakistan while those countries were on high alert.
"The resulting panic in the nuclear-armed and hair-triggered
opposing forces could have been the spark that ignited a nuclear
horror we have avoided for over a half-century," he said.
Worden said the Air Force's early warning satellites in 1996
detected an asteroid burst over Greenland that released energy
equal to about 100,000 tons of explosives. He said similar events
are thought to have occurred in 1908 over Siberia, in the 1940s
over Central Asia and over the Amazon basin in the 1930s.
"Had any of these struck over a populated area, thousands and
perhaps hundreds of thousands might have perished," he said.
Worden said the current generation of early warning satellites do
a good job of detecting asteroid bursts in the atmosphere and
that new equipment will be even better. He said the Air Force is
working on an asteroid alert program that would quickly send
information from the satellites to interested nations.
He said the Air Force is studying the establishment of what he
called a Natural Impact Warning Clearinghouse that would be part
of the North American Aerospace Defense Command communications
center in Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colo. NASA is
in the midst of a 10-year program to find and assess of every
asteroid one kilometer (0.6 miles) or more in size that could
pass close to the Earth and might pose a danger to the planet.
Such asteroids or comets are called near earth objects. If an
asteroid 1 kilometer in size struck the planet it could wipe out
whole countries. An asteroid 1 mile across could snuff out
civilizations, while one that is 3 miles across could cause human
extinction, experts say.
Edward Weiler, head of NASA's office of space science, told the
House committee that his agency has detected 619 near earth
objects and is finding about 100 new ones each year. None poses a
danger to the Earth.
One kilometer asteroids are relatively rare, but Worden and
others said that smaller asteroids also can be destructive. For
instance, if an asteroid the size of a cruise ship smashed into
the ocean it could cause huge waves, called tsunamis, capable of
drowning coastal cities on two continents.
Worden called for a system of instruments and telescopes on land
and in space that could scan the sky to find asteroids down to
the size of 300 feet (90 meters). He said telescopes and
instruments weighing less than 150 pounds (67.5 kilograms) could
easily be launched to establish an observing network.
On the Net: Near Earth Objects: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo.html
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
21 Ward Valley Issue Dead *
Needles Desert Star
Oct. 2, 2002
By ROBIN RICHARDS News West
Dump dead
Legislation forbids radioactive repository in Ward Valley
NEEDLES ? At least one group from each side of the Ward Valley
issue is pronouncing the proposed radioactive waste dump dead.
California Assembly Bill 2214, which prohibits development of a
four-state repository for low-level radioactive waste in the
valley west of Needles, has been signed by Governor Gray Davis.
The California Radioactive Materials Management Forum, a
collection of radioactive waste generators that supported the
proposed repository, were quick to complain of the bill?s
passage. ?It is regrettable that California is without a means,
and now not even a plan, for disposal of low-level radioactive
waste produced by beneficial activities in research, medicine and
energy production,? said Terese Ghio, chair of Cal Rad Forum.
Ghio is senior director of governmental affairs and environmental
health and safety at a San Diego-based biotechnology company.
The Committee to Bridge the Gap, a collection of entities opposed
to the repository, celebrated the bill?s passage. ?It is the
final victory on Ward Valley,? said Dan Hirsch, president of the
committee. ?By statute, the Ward Valley controversy has now been
declared over.?
Ward Valley was chosen in the late 1980s as the host site at
which to dispose low-level radioactive waste generated in the
Southwestern Compact states of Arizona, California, North and
South Dakota, in accordance with enabling federal legislation
approved in 1987. California was to serve as the host state for
the first 30 years of operation; Arizona was to take its turn
following California.
California?s Department of Health Services issued a license for
the repository, adjacent Interstate 40 at Water Road, in 1993.
The proposal mobilized environmental activists from around the
globe. They alleged, among other things, possible migration of
radionuclides to the Colorado River. The Fort Mojave and
Chemehuevi Indian Tribes declared the land was sacred and a
radioactive dump would not be considered. Virtually every local
government along the lower Colorado River joined in opposing the
siting. The city of Needles spent hundreds of thousands of
dollars on legal challenges to the repository.
Demonstrations, litigation and a litany of declarations from both
sides of the controversy escalated steadily through the 90s. A
special panel of the National Academy of Sciences convened in
Needles to take testimony from both sides. ?Every federal and
state agency with regulatory jurisdiction has approved the Ward
Valley project as safe and environmentally acceptable,? Ghio
continued. ?
In addition, California?s courts upheld the Ward Valley license
against a challenge by some of the same organizations that
sponsored AB 2214. A special panel appointed by the National
Academy of Sciences studied the Ward Valley site. The panel?s
report, issued in 1995, also found the proposed project to be
safe and environmentally acceptable.? Hirsch disagreed. That
panel, he recalled, ?said additional studies were necessary to
determine if it would be safe.
The nuclear industry and (then-Governor Pete Wilson) resisted
having those studies made.? They weren?t the only ones doing the
resisting. When plans for further testing were announced in
February of 1998, elders of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe led
representatives of the five tribes along the Colorado River,
assorted activists and environmentalists in a 113 day occupation
of the site. Said one elder lady at the time: ?This is our land.
We?re not going anywhere.?
On May 29, the Department of the Interior halted processing of
California?s application of the site. Said Hirsch: ?The people of
Needles should be proud of the fight they put up. They beat back
powerful interests and have protected generations to come from
radioactivity leaking into the Colorado River.? ?Nineteen years
of governmental planning and hundreds of millions of dollars have
been committed to the badly needed Ward Valley disposal project,?
Ghio said after AB 2214 was signed. ?These costs will most likely
be passed on to the taxpayers because of a pending lawsuit filed
by the company that invested its own time and money in site
characterization and preparation of the license application.
In addition, California will be liable for failure to meet its
obligations under the compact, and it is not reasonable to expect
that another private company will invest in any future low-level
radioactive waste disposal project in California.?
*****************************************************************
22 Taipower uncertain about waste site
The Taipei Times Online: 2002-10-04
RADIOACTIVE ISSUE: The utility company reportedly is considering
building its final waste repository in Taitung County, but its
first choice is in Kinmen County
By Chiu Yu-tzu STAFF REPORTER
Where to build Taiwan's first final repository of low-level
radioactive waste remains uncertain, according to Taiwan Power
Comp (Taipower) officials yesterday.
According to local media reports, Taipower now sees Tajen
Township (¹F¤¯¶m), Taitung County, as one prospective site for
building a final repository after encountering difficulties in
processing an original plan to build a storage facility in Wuchiu
(¯QËú), Kinmen County.
However, officials at Taipower's Nuclear Backend Management
Department told the Taipei Times yesterday that the company's
proposal to build a waste repository in Wuchiu was still in the
works.
Officials stressed that the Ministry of Economic Affairs'
Commission of National Corporations did not return a feasibility
evaluation on the project.
Meanwhile, officials said, the Environmental Protection
Administration (EPA) was still processing Taipower's
environmental impact assessment for the site.
"Although having alternative proposals in mind, we have not
officially taken action to pursue any new site," said a Taipower
official who declined to be identified.
The EPA has not approved Taipower's environmental impact
assessment for the site because of environmental and national
security concerns. The islet's proximity to China's Fujian
Province has threatened to put the brakes on the project.
Furthermore, in May, the Atomic Energy Council said it would not
back Taipower's initiative to build a final repository for
low-level radioactive waste in Wuchiu because difficulties
pertaining to logistics and supervision made the site
impractical.
Reportedly, the idea that the company is reviewing alternatives
could be attributed to the pressure from the Cabinet, which
formed a special committee to handle the relocation of
radioactive waste stored on Orchid Island. The committee promised
the island's residents that a practical solution would be reached
by Sept. 4. That promise was not kept.
Last week, Tatung County Commissioner Hsu Ching-yuan (®}¼y¤¸)
expressed locals' willingness to take radioactive waste. Taipower
reportedly listed the township as its top priority for the
proposed site.
Tajen, which has about 5,700 residents, is a mountainous
township where most of the population belong to the Paiwan
people. According to Tajen Township Office, non-Aboriginal people
account for only 5 percent of registered residents. Due to the
lack of employment opportunities, officials said, young people
often leave the area to get jobs, leaving the elderly and
children at home.
Township Office Secretary Wang Kuang-ching (¤ý¥ú²M) said that
annual budget for the township is only about NT$120 million.
Once the township was chosen as the proposed site for
radioactive waste, Wang said, NT$3 billion in compensation would
be available immediately for local infrastructure.
"It's a chance for Tajen to change its fate," Wang told the
Central News Agency on Tuesday.
Wang said that about 70 percent of the residents would agree to
take the radioactive waste as long as their safety could be
ensured.
Officials said the proposed site for building a the storage
facility is about 2km from Nantien Village («n¥Ð§ø), home to
about 300 residents. Few people live in areas adjacent to the
proposed site, officials said.
On Wednesday, Minister Without Portfolio Yeh Jiunn-rong (¸«Tºa)
said the Cabinet would propose the establishment of related laws.
These laws would provide the legal basis by which the Executive
Yuan could smoothly process policies pertaining to both the
phasing out nuclear power generation and the building of final
repositories for radioactive waste.
This story has been viewed 176 times.
URL=[http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/10/04/story/0000170605]
Copyright © 1999-2002 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
23 Hanford's glassification project price tag likely to be $5.6 billion
This story was published Thu, Oct 3, 2002
By John Stang Herald staff writer
A $5.6 billion price tag appears likely to build and test run
Hanford's tank waste glassification complex.
In an apples-to-apples comparison, that figure is about $800
million more than DOE wanted to spend on the project a few months
ago.
The estimate still has to be scrubbed by a team of outside
experts before Roy Schepens, manager of the Department of
Energy's Office of River Protection, presents it to DOE's cleanup
czar Jesse Roberson on Oct. 17.
Schepens still wants to see if that target could be trimmed
before then.
What Hanford would get for that price, Schepens said, would be a
glassification complex operating at full speed by 2009 and all of
Hanford's 53 million gallons of radioactive tank waste glassified
or otherwise neutralized by 2028.
"My plan all along is to beat that (2028 target)," Schepens said
Wednesday.
Right now, the Tri-Party Agreement sets a 2011 deadline to get
the glassification complex fully operational and finish
glassification by 2028. DOE originally had expected to finish
glassification by 2048. But it changed that target to 2028
earlier this year as part of a massive nationwide acceleration of
its nuclear cleanup efforts.
Originally, DOE planned to spend almost $4 billion in basic costs
plus several hundred million dollars in fees and contingency
funds to build and ramp up the glassification equipment by 2011.
But last spring, glassification contractor Bechtel National began
saying that the basic costs to speed up the project would be
greater than $4 billion. Meanwhile, figures began to crystallize
for Bechtel's fees and for the project's contingency allocations
to handle unexpected costs.
In May, Schepens' predecessor Harry Boston told Roberson that the
total price tag might reach $5.3 billion. In June, Roberson told
Boston that $5.3 billion was too high.
Then last month, an independent panel told DOE that the total
price tag would be $5.6 billion to $5.8 billion, including
contingency money and Bechtel's fees.
DOE's latest $5.6 billion estimate consists of $4.8 billion for
the basic cost and the rest to cover contingency money and
Bechtel's fees.
Acceleration efforts, more complete designs and discovery of some
omissions and errors in previous plans all contributed to the
latest cost estimate, Schepens said.
He plans to renegotiate Bechtel's contract soon to encourage the
company to accomplish its tasks for less.
The $5.6 billion estimate would put two high-level radioactive
waste melters and two low-activity waste melters into operation
by 2009. Plus it would prepare the complex to get some
yet-to-be-selected ways running by 2010 to neutralize wastes
without conventional melters. Those supplemental methods are
being studied to see if time and costs could be trimmed through
2028.
The new estimate and accelerated schedule can still get under way
with the $690 million that DOE has sought for the glassification
project in fiscal 2003, which began Sept. 24. However, budget
increases in subsequent years appear likely, Schepens said.
Right now, DOE, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House appear to agree to
allocate $690 million to the glassification project in fiscal
2003.
But Washington, D.C., budget battles on other topics have stalled
congressional approval of that budget.
Also, the federal Office of Management and Budget has not said
yet if it support DOE's request for some extra Hanford money,
which might affect the $690 million earmarked for the
glassification project in 2003.
Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald.
*****************************************************************
24 MOX fuel plan sends waste West, causes some alarm
GreenvilleOnline.com - News
By Tim Smith STAFF WRITER tsmith@greenvillenews.com
[tsmith@greenvillenews.com]
COLUMBIA -- The private group that will build a plant to turn
nuclear bomb material into reactor fuel plans to dispose of the
most dangerous waste from the process by mixing it with cement
and shipping it to New Mexico, government records show.
But environmental groups and those opposed to the project
say the plans contain serious flaws and will only add to the
environmental burden that plagues the Savannah River Site near
Aiken.
Georgians Against Nuclear Energy, an environmental group
challenging the licensing of the mixed-oxide, or MOX, fuel plant,
earlier this month told the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
that the federal government and the private consortium hired for
the MOX project have thus far released insufficient information
about their waste plans.
That's important, GANE argued, because the government's
past poor planning has led to a series of environmental
catastrophes at the 310-square-mile site during the last 50
years.
"At the moment the Savannah River Site is host to 35
million gallons of high-level liquid radioactive waste generated
in manufacturing plutonium over a period of 50 years without any
firm plan, or any concern, as to how it would be ultimately
disposed," GANE told the NRC. "Now it sits in decaying
underground tanks which are beginning to leak and which pose an
ever-increasing risk to the environment."
Duke Cogema Stone &Webster, the consortium which will
build and operate the MOX project, told the NRC the impact from
the waste will be minimal.
"Although the proposed action does have environmental
impacts, the impacts are small and consequently acceptable," the
consortium wrote the NRC. "The environmental impacts are
outweighed by the benefit of enhancing nuclear weapons
reductions."
The consortium has outlined its waste plans to the NRC in
hundreds of pages of documents, copies of which were obtained by
The Greenville News. The plans answer questions by the NRC staff,
as well as provide updated information on what impact the group
thinks the project will have on the environment.
In its filing, GANE alleges that the U.S. Energy
Department has not yet made a commitment to build a waste
facility for the MOX plant nor has it produced an environmental
impact statement on the process. In addition, state and federal
regulations may bar, or at least postpone, the shipment of the
waste to the intended federal site in New Mexico, GANE said. And
DCS has failed to adequately address the risks of explosion from
using a substance known as "red oil" in the waste building, the
organization contends.
Duke Cogema officials deny GANE's contentions.
DOE plans to convert 34 tons of weapons-grade plutonium
into MOX fuel at SRS, which produced much of the plutonium in the
nation's nuclear arsenal before the last of its reactors shut
down in 1989. The MOX facility is scheduled to be running in
2007.
The MOX project is tied to a disarmament agreement with
Russia in which both sides have agreed to dispose of surplus
military plutonium. MOX supporters have argued the project could
help keep nuclear weapons material in Russia out of terrorists'
hands.
The U.S. plutonium destined for MOX will be shipped to
SRS from federal weapons sites around the nation and will come in
different forms. Some will be oxide, a powder. Some will be in
"pits," the triggers in nuclear weapons. And some will be impure.
The MOX process blends plutonium and uranium oxides into
fuel pellets, which are then loaded into rods and bundled into
fuel assemblies. The fuel is scheduled to be used in two
Charlotte-area nuclear power plants operated by Duke Energy
Corporation.
Much of the liquid waste, according to government
documents, will come from a process called "aqueous polishing" to
remove impurities in the plutonium.
The most dangerous waste in the project, according to
environmentalists, will be that containing americium-241, a
highly radioactive material that decays much faster than
plutonium but which, in solid form, is more dangerous because its
radioactivity can penetrate the skin.
"People should care about this because this is more
dangerous stuff," said Don Moniac, an environmental consultant
who monitors SRS issues for the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League.
Americium-241 is used in smoke detectors in tiny amounts
and loses half of its radioactive energy in 470 years, compared
with 24,360 years for plutonium-239, said Mary Birch, who helped
prepare Duke Cogema's environmental report. Like plutonium, she
said, americium emits alpha radiation, which can be blocked by
plastic or the skin. But unlike plutonium, it also emits gamma
radiation, which Moniac said makes it more toxic.
Birch said DCS has designed features to contain the
radiation in the MOX facilities and protect the workers and the
public.
Permanent storage
The MOX processing will produce up to 24 kilograms of
americium a year, according to DCS records, totaling about 84,000
curies, a measurement of radioactivity. Moniac said smoke
detectors using americium use one-millionth of a curie.
The MOX project overall will expose the public to an
increase in radiation of about 2.6 percent, the consortium has
told the NRC.
DCS says the americium-tainted waste is to be treated,
then mixed with cement and shipped to the government's Waste
Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico, which stores low-level,
transuranic waste from defense plants in geologic repositories.
The Energy Department plans to build a "Waste
Solidification Building" to handle the MOX waste, DCS has told
the NRC. Pipes would transfer the radioactive liquid from the MOX
facilities to the 75,000-square foot waste building, which will
be built next to a planned plutonium pit disassembly plant.
Making the MOX will produce up to 338,000 gallons of
low-level waste a year, DCS says, which will be sent to SRS
treatment facilities. Another 14,000-22,000 gallons each year
will contain the americium, which will be mixed with cement and
poured into 20-gallon drums.
Also produced will be 42,000 to 46,000 gallons of uranium
waste, according to DCS' filings.
GANE, in its NRC challenge, argues that regulations for
the WIPP site in New Mexico do not address MOX waste. Duke Cogema
officials say they know of no obstacle that will prevent the
government from using WIPP.
Don Hancock, nuclear waste manager for Southwest Resource
and Information Center, a non-profit group based in New Mexico
which monitors WIPP, said MOX was not a potential waste when WIPP
was built in 1992.
He said a more critical question may be whether the waste
is considered defense or commercial, since only defense waste is
permitted at WIPP and the SRS project is producing fuel for
commercial power. Yucca Mountain, the government's planned
repository for nuclear waste, is not likely a possibility for the
MOX waste, he said, because space there has already been reserved
for spent nuclear fuel.
"Where that leaves you, in my view, is that waste
generated from MOX fabrication is going to stay where it's
generated," he said.
Ed Lyman, president of the Nuclear Control Institute, a
Washington-based group which monitors the worldwide spread of
nuclear weapons, said the MOX program "will increase the volume
and hazard of wastes being generated" at SRS.
Georgia watching
Bert Langley, emergency response manager for Georgia's
Environmental Protection Division, said his state is keeping a
close eye on the MOX waste issue because of past SRS
contamination issues and the proximity of SRS to Georgia and the
Savannah River.
"It is definitely a major item on our radar at this
point," he said.
The NRC is reviewing Duke Cogema's waste plans in order
to issue its environmental conclusions on the MOX project next
year.
The MOX waste is only the latest in a string of
environmental challenges at SRS confronting federal officials.
Since 1989, officials have struggled with a plan to
dispose of 35 million gallons of highly toxic and radioactive
sludge and salt-cake waste in 49 underground storage tanks.
Two weeks ago, the Energy Department's inspector general
issued a controversial recommendation to bury millions of gallons
of the radioactive and salt-laden waste in vaults at SRS after
mixing it with cement. Officials announced last year they planned
to process the waste to extract certain potent elements, which
would then be turned into glass logs and shipped out of state.
The Natural Resources Defense Council, a private
environmental group, has sued the government over the way in
which it has sealed two of the tanks. SRS left some residue in
the two tanks and filled them with concrete before sealing them.
The NRDC alleges the government illegally reclassified
the residue to speed up closing the tanks and to save money.
Copyright 2001 The Greenville News
*****************************************************************
25 Water level not declining at Yucca
Las Vegas SUN
Today: October 04, 2002 at 11:10:56 PDT By Cy Ryan
SUN CAPITAL BUREAU
CARSON CITY -- A study by the U.S. Geological Survey of the
level of underground water in the Yucca Mountain region shows
there has been little decline.
The study, released Thursday, analyzed trends in ground-water
levels and spring discharges from a network of sites in the Yucca
region where the U.S. Department of Energy is working on a high
level nuclear dump.
Joseph Fenelon, a hydrologist for the survey and lead author of
the report, said "Most changes in water levels over the last 10
years were small, generally less than a couple of feet.
"The largest declines in water levels occurred in the area of
Amargosa Farms, where water is used for irrigation farming," said
Fenelon. "We were somewhat surprised to find no noticeable
water-level declines that could be attributed to pumping for
activities at Yucca Mountain.
"Not only did water levels not decline near the area of pumping
but, in some wells, water levels actually rose over the past 10
years," he said.
Trends were analyzed for the period 1960-2000, although the
emphasis was from 1992 to 2000.
The study examined 43 wells and springs that covered 1,500
square miles primarily south of Yucca Mountain. Sites are located
in the southern part of the Nevada Test Site, Ash Meadows, Devils
Hole, Amargosa Valley and Death Valley.
The study was done in cooperation with the Energy Department to
identify potential adverse effects on ground-water levels
resulting from the work being done at Yucca Mountain.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
26 SA mine operator to allow Senate to see mine spill report.
4/10/2002. ABC News Online
The operator of the Beverley uranium mine in South Australia's
north-east has agreed to allow a Senate inquiry to see a report
on the environmental impact of a major mine spill in January this
year.
Heathgate Resources had refused to give a copy of the report to
the inquiry into the environmental regulation of uranium mining
to protect commercial information in it.
The inquiry's chair, Democrats Senator Lyn Allison, told
Heathgate Resources their refusal was hindering the inquiry's
investigation.
The company's chief executive officer James Graham then agreed to
allow the inquiry to see the report, but requested parts of it be
kept secret.
"Do I understand from the committee that if our company agrees to
make a copy available in Canberra or in South Australia, that you
will assure us that this is held in the confidential domain and
not released in public, or made accessible to the public other
than this committee?" he said.
The inquiry is yet to decide if it will agree to Mr Graham's
request.
© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
*****************************************************************
27 More on leaked US plan to use inspection as patrh to Iraq
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 01:20:19 -0500 (CDT)
URL: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,803471,00.html
The Guardian (London) Thursday October 3, 2002
Julian Borger in Washington, Ewen MacAskill, and Ian Black in Brussels
Washington last night revealed its intention to use UN weapons
inspections as a possible first step towards a military occupation of Iraq
by sending in troops, sealing off "exclusion zones" and creating secure
corridors throughout the country.
In a leaked proposal for a UN resolution drafted by the US with help
from British officials, the Bush administration is seeking to transform
the inspections process into a coercive operation. The resolution would
place a full-scale invasion of Iraq on a hair trigger, authorising UN
member states "to use all necessary means to restore international peace
and security" if Iraq does so much as make an omission in the weapons
inventories it presents to the security council.
Weapons inspectors would operate out of bases inside Iraq, where they
would be under the protection of UN troops. UN forces or the forces of a
member state would enforce no-fly and no-drive zones around a suspected
weapons site, preventing anything being removed before inspection.
Diplomats at the UN said there was no doubt that US troops would play a
leading role in any such enforcement, allowing the Pentagon to deploy
forces inside Iraq even before hostilities got under way.
The release of the draft helped Washington regain momentum in security
council talks a day after Iraq took the initiative by agreeing to
inspections under existing UN guidelines. That agreement was welcomed by
France and Russia, but dismissed as empty by the US and Britain. Jack
Straw, the foreign secretary, called the existing guidelines "defective".
The resolution will be debated over the next few days among th
permanent five security council members. President George Bush's
negotiating position was bolstered yesterday when the House of
Representatives agreed to a war powers resolution handing him open-ended
authority to take military action against Iraq.
The Senate, where there was tougher opposition to such a blanket
authorisation, was reported to be moving towards support of the White
House line.
Under the US draft, security council member states could send their own
inspectors into Iraq to operate alongside the official UN teams and these
extra inspectors would have the "same rights and protections accorded
other members of the team". Member states could also "recommend" to the
UN teams which sites to search and how to do it. Iraqi officials could be
taken out of the country, along with their families, for questioning, in
order to remove the fear of Iraqi government reprisals.
The Iraqi deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, said there was no need for
a new resolution and that the existing resolutions were good enough for
inspectors to do their job.
John Pike, the head of GlobalSecurity.org, a Washington military
thinktank, said the resolution was worded in such a way that Iraq was
almost certain to reject it, even if the alternative was invasion.
"I could never imagine Iraq agreeing to this. If you're going to be
invaded you might as well make the invading force shoot their way in.
It's the sort of proposal meant to be rejected," Mr Pike said.
British officials said the draft represented more of a discussion paper
for the five permanent members than a formal document to be circulated
within the full security council. British experts worked alongside their
US counterparts at the state department in the early stages of its
drafting, but it was then handed to the White House and the Pentagon, who
added some of its tougher elements.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "We are not going to comment until
final resolutions are published."
But it was clear that London was uneasy with some items in the draft,
particularly the use of troops to quarantine suspect sites and to guard
the inspectors' routes to the sites. One British official pointed out
that it was put within square brackets and could be jettisoned later.
The intention behind the clause, the official said, was to avoid the
situation under earlier inspection regimes whereby "inspectors were coming
in the front door and kit was moving out the back."
Further anxiety about the US position came from Chris Patten, the EU's
commissioner for external relations. In a speech in Chicago today hewill
say: "If the US were to fall prey to the temptation to act alone and
outside the framework of international order, even for the best of
motives, it would be setting off down a very dangerous path."
Diplomats in New York and Washington said it was clear there was a
split between the state department and the Bush administration's hawks
over how far the US should compromise, particularly over the threat of
force.
The French have proposed an alternative resolution, which would make
inspections tougher, but omits the authorisation of military action in the
event of Iraqi intransigence or evasion, deferring such a decision to a
later resolution.
Resolution main points:
* The US (as a permanent member of the UN security council) can ask to
be present in any inspection team and thus gain access to any part of
the country
* The inspectors can set up bases throughout the country. They will be
accompanied at those bases by soldiers under the UN banner sufficient
to protect them
* The UN will have the right to declare no-fly, no-drive and exclusion
zones, ground and air transit corridors, to be enforced either by the
UN or by member states which could include the US
* Iraq must agree to free and unrestricted landing of aircraft,
including unmanned spy planes
* The UN can take anyone it wishes to interview out of Iraq, along
with his or her family
* Any false information provided by Iraq or any failure to comply with
the resolution would automatically entitle member states to use all
necessary means to restore international peace
======================
*** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material
is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the included information for research and educational
purposes. Feel free to distribute widely but PLEASE acknowledge the
original source. ***
*****************************************************************
28 [southnews] Bush's war plans move closer
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 2002 09:29:50 -0500 (CDT)
Sell a Home for Top $
http://us.click.yahoo.com/RrPZMC/jTmEAA/MVfIAA/7gSolB/TM
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----------
Bush's war plans move closer
By Marian Wilkinson, Herald Correspondent in Washington
October 4 2002
The Bush Administration has edged closer to war with Iraq after
it won vital political backing at home and set the stage for a
showdown in the United Nations over a new resolution that would
create a "hair trigger" for military strikes.
With the chief UN weapons inspector, Hans Blix, due to report to
the Security Council yesterday on his successful negotiations
with Iraq for the return of his inspectors, President George Bush
on Wednesday secured bipartisan congressional support for
authority to go to war without UN backing if the UN failed to
agree on a new resolution making drastic new demands of Iraq.
The draft resolution would require Iraq to open every aspect of
its military, government and bureaucracy to any inspector
nominated by the United States and turn over any Iraqi government
officer for questioning that the US demanded.
It completely overturns the current inspection regime on which Dr
Blix and the Iraqis reached agreement, making it not only much
tougher but stripping it of its previous independence.
Adoption by the UN of the new resolution would force Dr Blix to
dump any agreements reached in Vienna with the Iraqis this week.
Negotiations on the draft resolution will continue after Dr
Blix's report on his Vienna meetings to the Security Council.
As Democrats and Republicans began to fall into line behind Mr
Bush on Iraq, the White House insisted it did not want to
compromise on its proposed Security Council resolution. This was
despite intense lobbying by the French, who want a two-step plan
that would remove the automatic trigger for military action.
Russia's Foreign Minister, Igor Ivanov, said Moscow was ready to
consider a new resolution on Iraq to toughen the inspection
system, but it is not clear yet whether the Russians will try to
support the French proposal.
While Mr Bush promised to continue to work with other nations on
Iraq, he once again stated that the US was ready to go to war to
remove Saddam Hussein. If Saddam persists in his defiance, the
use of force may become unavoidable, Mr Bush said.
The President's comments came as he appeared on the White House
steps with Democrat and Republican leaders who pledged their
support for a congressional resolution giving him the right to
use military force against Iraq.
The House of Representatives is expected to pass the measure
quickly. Some moderate Democrat and Republican senators were
still trying to curb the President's powers in an amendment to
the resolution, but conceded Mr Bush would get the support he
wanted.
The new congressional resolution does call on the President to
pursue a diplomatic solution, but supports him staging a
pre-emptive strike against Iraq, with or without UN backing.
Leaked copies of the draft of America's proposed new UN Security
Council resolution on Iraq would in effect put Dr Blix, and
inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
under much tighter direct control by Washington and London,
rather than the UN.
The new resolution, backed by Britain, would give the Iraqis
seven days to agree to:
US military teams accompanying weapons inspectors from UNMOVIC
(the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission).
The right of the US, Britain and any permanent member of the
Security Council to put its own officials on the ground in Iraq
as part of the inspection team.
The right of the US, Britain or any other permanent member to
recommend which Iraqi sites are visited and which Iraqi officials
are interviewed, including the right to remove any Iraqi official
from the country for questioning.
Any permanent member of the Security Council could recommend to
UNMOVIC and IAEA sites to be inspected, people to be interviewed,
the conditions of such interviews and data to be collected, and
receive a report on the results, the draft leaked to the news
agency Reuters says.
If Iraq blocked any such demand, Dr Blix would have to notify the
Security Council immediately, triggering a US-led strike.
This story was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/10/03/1033538721626.html
*****************************************************************
29 United Voice on Iraq Eludes Majority Leader
The New York Times
*October 4, 2002*
*THE DEMOCRATS*
*By DAVID E. ROSENBAUM*
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 ? Like his party, Senator Tom Daschle, the
Democratic leader, seems to be struggling to find his voice as
the Senate begins its debate on Iraq.
As a crucial election approaches that will determine whether
Democrats maintain control of the Senate and he keeps his job as
majority leader, Mr. Daschle is facing an uncomfortable reality:
The Iraq debate is so dominating the political landscape that it
is hard for his party's candidates to be heard on the
bread-and-butter issues that work to their advantage.
Further complicating the situation, Mr. Daschle's party in the
Senate is divided. Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut,
the 2000 vice-presidential nominee, and many other prominent
Democratic senators are supporting President Bush without
reservation. Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, still
the party's liberal standard-bearer, argues that the president
has not made the case for a pre-emptive strike against Iraq. And
Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, perhaps the Democrats' most
respected intellect in the Senate, holds that military
intervention in Iraq should not be authorized until the United
Nations approves it.
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee and thus the Democrats' ex officio
spokesman in the Senate on foreign policy, stands somewhere
between the hawks and the doves.
Mr. Biden and Senator Richard G. Lugar, Republican of Indiana,
are offering a proposal that would authorize military action, but
only against Iraq and not any other country, and only to rid Iraq
of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
Mr. Daschle came under increased pressure on Wednesday when the
president and Representative Richard A. Gephardt, the House
Democratic leader, announced they had reached agreement on a
resolution that would give Mr. Bush wide latitude to decide when
and under what circumstances to begin a war.
Normally a sure-footed politician, Mr. Daschle seemed off-balance
on Wednesday. He was conspicuously absent when Mr. Bush and Mr.
Gephardt announced their agreement at the White House. He
canceled a scheduled news conference and avoided questions all
day about Iraq.
But this morning, Mr. Daschle seemed back in stride. At a news
conference, he said he had reservations about the agreement Mr.
Bush and Mr. Gephardt had cut, but he emphasized that he was
"confident that at the end of the day, we're going to be able to
develop a broad bipartisan consensus."
Mr. Daschle said his view was that the president should be
authorized to launch a strike unilaterally only after all efforts
to work through the United Nations had been exhausted. He also
said the only ground for a pre-emptive strike should be to disarm
Iraq ? not, for instance, to overthrow Saddam Hussein or protect
oil fields.
In that vein, Mr. Daschle said he would vote for the Biden-Lugar
proposal. But that measure is sure to be rejected. Mr. Daschle
said he did not know whether he would then support the Bush
resolution, which the House is expected to approve next week. If
he concludes "there is no way additional improvements are
possible," Mr. Daschle said, "I'll have to reassess the
circumstances"
In any event, Mr. Daschle said the votes on Iraq were not a
matter on which Democratic senators were expected to exercise
party loyalty. "Every senator has to make his or her own
judgment," he said.
The divisions among Democratic senators today are not unlike
those during the Vietnam War.
Then, there were prominent hawks like John C. Stennis and Henry
M. Jackson and equally prominent doves like J. W. Fulbright and
George S. McGovern. Another similarity is that several Democratic
senators (including Mr. Jackson and Mr. McGovern) were
considering running for president.
The majority leader at the time, Mike Mansfield, was solidly on
the side of the doves. But unlike Mr. Daschle, Mr. Mansfield was
an authority on foreign affairs with a freedom to speak his mind
that Mr. Daschle does not enjoy.
Ever since Vietnam, Republicans have made political hay by
portraying Democrats as soft on defense, and polls usually show
that the public has more confidence in Republicans to handle
foreign and military policy. With that in mind, many Democrats,
especially those in tough election campaigns, have been wary
about being seen as against war.
Many Democrats say the divisions in the party could work against
them in the election next month. But one prominent Democratic
lawmaker said the events this week could be advantageous. In his
view, Mr. Gephardt, by supporting the president, has inoculated
Democrats against the charge that they are antiwar and
obstructionist. And Mr. Daschle is responding to the sense of
many Americans that questions still need to be asked about policy
on Iraq.
Mr. Daschle and Mr. Gephardt expressed admiration for each other
today and said their disagreement on Iraq did not reflect a
fundamental split in the party's leadership.
At his own news conference, Mr. Gephardt said he was conflicted
in a way politicians rarely acknowledge after they have taken a
stand. "I wish I knew enough to know the absolute right thing to
do," he said. "Does anyone know the right thing to do or the
successful thing that will work here? I doubt it."
With Mr. Gephardt's endorsement, the Bush resolution is sure to
pass the House with strong Democratic support. But one who will
not vote for it is Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the
Democratic whip. "I do not believe we have exhausted all
diplomatic remedies," she declared.
Copyright The New York Times Company
*****************************************************************
30 Hans Blix Ready to Return to Iraq
Las Vegas SUN:
October 03, 2002 By EDITH M. LEDERER ASSOCIATED PRESS
UNITED NATIONS- The chief U.N. weapons inspector said Thursday he
hoped Security Council members would move quickly on whether to
adopt a tough new resolution before his team travels to Iraq to
look for weapons of mass destruction.
If the rules changed while he was in Iraq, Hans Blix said, "it
would be awkward."
Blix spoke to reporters after briefing the Security Council on
the agreement he reached with Iraq earlier this week on logistics
for resuming inspections after nearly four years.
The 15-member council is divided over whether to adopt a new
resolution. The United States says a new mandate is critical to
the disarmament of Saddam Hussein, but Russia says it is not
needed and would cause unnecessary delay to a resumption of
inspections.
Council members also disagree over whether Blix could go to
Baghdad before a decision is made on a new resolution. The United
States and Britain, which are pushing a new resolution aimed at
improving access for inspectors, are demanding that Blix wait.
Blix said that many issues had been solved during his talks with
the Iraqis in Vienna, "but there are some minor matters and some
loose ends before we go to Baghdad."
The United States leaped on Blix's reference to "loose ends" to
say this reinforced the need for a resolution.
Blix said he recognized the council was debating the issue, but
he was going ahead with preparations to go to Iraq "at the
earliest possible opportunity." "It would be awkward if we were
doing inspections and a new mandate with new, changed directives
arrived," Blix said. "It would be better to have those early."
President Bush, meanwhile, stepped up his pressure on the United
Nations to stand with the United States against Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein.
"The choice is up (to) the United Nations to show its resolve.
The choice is up to Saddam Hussein to fulfill his word," Bush
said. "And if neither of them acts, the United States in
deliberate fashion will lead a coalition to take away the worlds
worst weapons from one of the world's worst leader."
Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters it is "up to the
council today or in the coming week to determine what the next
stage would be."
"Of course, they are discussing a new resolution which may be
passed. But Blix, in the meantime, continues his preparations,"
Annan said.
Washington wants one resolution that would include approval for
military action if Iraq fails to comply. Russia, China and France
- all veto-wielding members of the council - oppose the U.S.
demand that any new resolution authorize the use of force if Iraq
fails to comply with inspectors.
France has proposed a middle ground which would strengthen
inspections but give Iraq a chance to cooperate before
authorizing any military action.
Blix said the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
Commission which he heads already has the legal authority to
return to Iraq under a series of resolutions adopted since the
end of the Gulf War in 1991. The inspection regime was designed
to uncover and dismantle Saddam's arsenal of chemical and
biological weapons and his program to develop nuclear arms and
ballistic missiles
"The question was whether one should solve every practical
arrangement (beforehand)," Blix said. "We solved a good deal in
Vienna and went over a good deal, but there are some minor
matters and some loose ends before we go to Baghdad."
Those loose ends, he said, included the key issue of whether
Saddam's network of presidential palaces would remain off-limits
to surprise inspections. Also unresolved were security
arrangements for inspectors and flights within Iraq to reach
suspected weapons sites.
"We have not purchased the air tickets yet, but we have plans.
... We hope it won't be a long delay," Blix said.
Britain's U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said Blix should wait
for the council to act.
"It would be practically - and I would say politically - wise for
those discussions to finish so that he (Blix) is 100 percent
clear across the full range of his business, tight ends and loose
ends, what are his rights and what are his powers," Greenstock
said.
U.S. deputy ambassador James Cunningham said the existing
Security Council resolutions "aren't good enough to get the job
done."
Washington wants a complete overhaul of the rules under which the
inspections would be carried out, including immediate and
unfettered access to the eight presidential complexes which cover
about 12 square miles.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said there was no point sending
inspectors without access to Saddam Hussein's palaces.
"It is no good allowing inspectors access to 99 percent of Iraq,
if the weapons of mass destruction are actually located and
stored and worked on in the remaining 1 percent of Iraq," Blair
said at a news conference Thursday after his Labor Party's annual
gathering in Blackpool, England.
In its first reaction to the U.S. draft, Russia, which is Iraq's
closest council ally, said there was no need to strengthen
inspections.
Russian officials had studied the American draft, which "only
strengthened our belief in the correctness of our position in
favor of the soonest resumption of inspection activities in
Iraq," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said, according
to the Interfax news agency.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer played down Russia's
reaction. "It's not going to surprise anybody that from day to
day you're going to see different statements from different
leaders."
Before the council meeting, Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, head of
the International Atomic Energy Agency which is in charge of
nuclear inspections, met Annan.
All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc.
*****************************************************************
31 Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed
Forces Against Iraq
[President George W. Bush and Laura Bush light a candle at St.
John Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., during a private
service of prayer and remembrance Wednesday morning, September
11, 2002. ]
For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 2,
2002
Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq's war of aggression against
and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United States forged a
coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait and its people in order
to defend the national security of the United States and enforce
United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to Iraq;
Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered into
a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement pursuant to which
Iraq unequivocally agreed, among other things, to eliminate its
nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs and the means
to deliver and develop them, and to end its support for
international terrorism;
Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, United
States intelligence agencies, and Iraqi defectors led to the
discovery that Iraq had large stockpiles of chemical weapons and
a large scale biological weapons program, and that Iraq had an
advanced nuclear weapons development program that was much closer
to producing a nuclear weapon than intelligence reporting had
previously indicated;
Whereas Iraq, in direct and flagrant violation of the cease-fire,
attempted to thwart the efforts of weapons inspectors to identify
and destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction stockpiles and
development capabilities, which finally resulted in the
withdrawal of inspectors from Iraq on October 31, 1998;
Whereas in 1998 Congress concluded that Iraq's continuing weapons
of mass destruction programs threatened vital United States
interests and international peace and security, declared Iraq to
be in "material and unacceptable breach of its international
obligations" and urged the President "to take appropriate action,
in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws of the
United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its
international obligations" (Public Law 105-235);
Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national
security of the United States and international peace and
security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and
unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among
other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant
chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a
nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring
terrorist organizations;
Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolutions of the United
Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal
repression of its civilian population thereby threatening
international peace and security in the region, by refusing to
release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully
detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by
failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait;
Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its capability
and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against other
nations and its own people;
Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing
hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the United States,
including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President
Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on United
States and Coalition Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the
resolutions of the United Nations Security Council;
Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing
responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens,
and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September
11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq; Whereas Iraq continues to aid
and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including
organizations that threaten the lives and safety of American
citizens;
Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001
underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the acquisition of
weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist
organizations;
Whereas Iraq's demonstrated capability and willingness to use
weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the current Iraqi
regime will either employ those weapons to launch a surprise
attack against the United States or its Armed Forces or provide
them to international terrorists who would do so, and the extreme
magnitude of harm that would result to the United States and its
citizens from such an attack, combine to justify action by the
United States to defend itself;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 authorizes
the use of all necessary means to enforce United Nations Security
Council Resolution 660 and subsequent relevant resolutions and to
compel Iraq to cease certain activities that threaten
international peace and security, including the development of
weapons of mass destruction and refusal or obstruction of United
Nations weapons inspections in violation of United Nations
Security Council Resolution 687, repression of its civilian
population in violation of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 688, and threatening its neighbors or United Nations
operations in Iraq in violation of United Nations Security
Council Resolution 949;
Whereas Congress in the Authorization for Use of Military Force
Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1) has authorized the
President "to use United States Armed Forces pursuant to United
Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) in order to
achieve implementation of Security Council Resolutions 660, 661,
662, 664, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 674, and 677";
Whereas in December 1991, Congress expressed its sense that it
"supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of
United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 as being
consistent with the Authorization of Use of Military Force
Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1)," that Iraq's
repression of its civilian population violates United Nations
Security Council Resolution 688 and "constitutes a continuing
threat to the peace, security, and stability of the Persian Gulf
region," and that Congress, "supports the use of all necessary
means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 688";
Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act (Public Law 105-338) expressed
the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United
States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi
regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to
replace that regime;
Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the
United States to "work with the United Nations Security Council
to meet our common challenge" posed by Iraq and to "work for the
necessary resolutions," while also making clear that "the
Security Council resolutions will be enforced, and the just
demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be
unavoidable";
Whereas the United States is determined to prosecute the war on
terrorism and Iraq's ongoing support for international terrorist
groups combined with its development of weapons of mass
destruction in direct violation of its obligations under the 1991
cease-fire and other United Nations Security Council resolutions
make clear that it is in the national security interests of the
United States and in furtherance of the war on terrorism that all
relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions be enforced,
including through the use of force if necessary;
Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on
terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding
requested by the President to take the necessary actions against
international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including
those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized,
committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on
September 11, 2001 or harbored such persons or organizations;
Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to
take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and
terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations
or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the
terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or
harbored such persons or organizations;
Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to
take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international
terrorism against the United States, as Congress recognized in
the joint resolution on Authorization for Use of Military Force
(Public Law 107-40); and Whereas it is in the national security
of the United States to restore international peace and security
to the Persian Gulf region;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America in Congress
assembled,
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.
This joint resolution may be cited as the "Authorization for the
Use of Military Force Against Iraq".
SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS
The Congress of the United States supports the efforts by the
President to-- (a) strictly enforce through the United Nations
Security Council all relevant Security Council resolutions
applicable to Iraq and encourages him in those efforts; and
(b) obtain prompt and decisive action by the Security Council to
ensure that Iraq abandons its strategy of delay, evasion and
noncompliance and promptly and strictly complies with all
relevant Security Council resolutions. SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR
USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.
(a) AUTHORIZATION. The President is authorized to use the Armed
Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and
appropriate in order to
(1) defend the national security of the United States against the
continuing threat posed by Iraq; and
(2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council
Resolutions regarding Iraq.
(b) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION.
In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in
subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such
exercise or as soon there after as may be feasible, but no later
than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to
the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro
tempore of the Senate his determination that
(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other
peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the
national security of the United States against the continuing
threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement
of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions
regarding Iraq, and
(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the
United States and other countries continuing to take the
necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist
organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons
who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists
attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS. --
(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION. -- Consistent with section
8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that
this section is intended to constitute specific statutory
authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War
Powers Resolution.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS. -- Nothing in this
resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers
Resolution. SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS
(a) The President shall, at least once every 60 days, submit to
the Congress a report on matters relevant to this joint
resolution, including actions taken pursuant to the exercise of
authority granted in section 2 and the status of planning for
efforts that are expected to be required after such actions are
completed, including those actions described in section 7 of
Public Law 105-338 (the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998).
(b) To the extent that the submission of any report described in
subsection
(a) coincides with the submission of any other report on matters
relevant to this joint resolution otherwise required to be
submitted to Congress pursuant to the reporting requirements of
Public Law 93-148 (the War Powers Resolution), all such reports
may be submitted as a single consolidated report to the Congress.
(c) To the extent that the information required by section 3 of
Public Law 102-1 is included in the report required by this
section, such report shall be considered as meeting the
requirements of section 3 of Public Law 102-1.
###
*****************************************************************
32 A dangerous trade --
The Washington Times
October 4, 2002
Jesse Helms, Jon Kyl, John McCain, Richard Shelby, Bob Smith and
Fred Thompson
Just as Congress is poised to authorize the use of force
against Iraq because of its continued development of weapons of
mass destruction, the House is about to consider legislation that
will make it far easier for rogue regimes to acquire technology
to build such weapons.
Passage of this bill, the Export Administration Act, would
seriously hamper the president's ability to carry out his new
national security strategy aimed at pre-emptively dealing with
threats to the United States. Yet, some in Congress — and,
remarkably enough, in the administration — are determined to push
the bill through at the end of the congressional session.
The Senate passed the Export Administration Act just five
days before the September 11 attacks. The bill was troubling
enough then. But today, it is astonishing: It clearly does not
reflect the fact that the world in which we live has changed
dramatically over the past year.
The September 11 attacks made it obvious that those who
hate freedom and democracy are willing to use any means to
inflict mass casualties upon innocent civilian populations. And
these terrorists would like nothing more than to obtain weapons
of mass destruction to murder more innocent people. These
unfortunate realities are the main impetus behind President
Bush's strategy of pre-emption. It seems to us that 3,000
civilian deaths, a radical new national security strategy and an
impending war are cause to rethink a bill that passed before
September 11.
In addition, the U.S. government has released a number of
recent reports that document how deficiencies in the U.S. export
control system are exacerbating the problem of the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction. In fact, the bipartisan
U.S.-China Security Review Commission concluded that the United
States is a contributor to the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction due in part to the relaxation of its export-control
policies.
The pending Export Administration Act would only make
matters worse. Administration officials recently confirmed that
Iraq has sought to acquire thousands of specially designed
aluminum tubes, which they believe were intended for use in
Baghdad's nuclear weapons program, as components of centrifuges
to enrich uranium. Under the bill, these aluminum tubes meet the
criteria for "mass market" status and would be decontrolled. U.S.
companies would thus be free to sell them without an export
license.
Essentially, the bill requires the secretary of commerce to
decontrol these "mass market" items (items that are available in
large quantities in the United States). The president can make a
determination that the item should remain controlled, but he must
do so every six months. Items supposedly available from foreign
sources are similarly decontrolled. For these technologies with
"foreign availability" status, the president can maintain
controls only for 18 months, after which the item is free for
export without a license
The long list of items that meet one or both of these
standards includes maraging steel, which serves a purpose similar
to that of the aluminum tubes, nuclear weapon triggers, and glass
and carbon fibers used in ballistic and cruise missiles.
As Gary Milhollin, director of the Wisconsin Project on
Nuclear Arms Control, recently informed the House Armed Services
Committee, "It is manifestly absurd to decontrol the same
technologies that we are worried about Saddam Hussein importing."
The danger in weakening our export-control system is also
illustrated by another recent case. Last year, press reports
surfaced that the Chinese firm, Huawei Technologies, assisted
Iraq with fiberoptics to improve its air defense system. This is
the same fiberoptic network that allied pilots in the no-fly
zones have been bombing since last year.
During the 1990s, Huawei bought a number of dual-use items
from the United States, such as high-performance computers and
telecommunications equipment, including switches, chips and
digital signal processing technologies. In other words, U.S.
pilots are threatened by an Iraqi air defense network that could
very well contain U.S. technology.
It is important that we develop a new export-control regime
to regulate the flow of dual-use technologies from American
companies to foreign sources in view of the new realities. A new
Export Administration Act must find the appropriate balance
between national security and trade. But it is clear that the
bill currently being pushed through Congress is not the right
vehicle to do so. Though it was crafted just over a year ago, it
was, nonetheless, designed for a different era. Our country is
now at war, and prudence demands that national security not be
sacrificed for potential commercial gain.
• Sens. Jesse Helms (North Carolina), Jon Kyl (Arizona),
John McCain (Arizona), Richard Shelby (Alabama), and Bob Smith
(New Hampshire) and Fred Thompson (Tennessee) are all
Republicans.
*****************************************************************
33 Iraqi's response to Blair's dossier: Full text
BBC NEWS | Middle East |
Friday, 4 October, 2002, 15:09 GMT 16:09 UK
Iraqi's response
Iraq has published a report in English entitled "Iraq's reply on
Blair's report" in which it rejects statements made in UK Prime
Minister Tony Blair's dossier published on 24 September 2002.
The 5,000-word report gives lengthy technical details in response
to the dossier and says that "Blair's assumptions are
groundless".
It quotes from UN Special Commission UNSCOM) and International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) documents which appeared to comment
favourably on Iraqi cooperation with inspectors.
It concludes by saying that it was "quite clear" that Blair did
not accept an Iraqi invitation to allow a team of British
inspectors into Iraq since he would then not have been able to
promote his "lies and fabrications". The following is the text of
the report published with original sub-headings by Iraqi news
agency INA web site; all ellipses as published:
Nuclear activity Chemical activity Biological activity
Ballistic Missiles Iraq's imports Facts about Iraq's
cooperation Nuclear activity after 1998 Chemical activity after
1998 Biological activity after 1998 Missile activity after 1998
Baghdad, 2 Oct:
UK Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair on 24 Sep 2002 released a report
on the so-called acquisition by Iraq of weapons of mass
destruction (nuclear, chemical and biological).
The report was disputed by many governments as well as British
sources for being a list of unsubstantiated assumptions and
allegations or merely a propaganda sheet.
Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs present this report to clarify
the points misleadingly addressed in Mr Blair's report:
Blair's report, long awaited by the world opinion, contains not
so much but a series of lies and empty propaganda which are
totally inconsistent with the facts and reports made by the
Special Commission (UNSCOM) and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) teams.
What asserts Blair's lies and fabrications is the fact that he
has lost sight of Iraq's cooperation with these two international
institutions (UNSCOM and IAEA). Indeed he failed to consider the
events and activities which confirmed Iraq's full cooperation in
the implementation of paragraphs 8,9,10,11,12 and 13 of SCR [UN
Security Council Resolution] 687.
Iraq's cooperation with UNSCOM and IAEA from 1991 to 1998:
Following is a statement of the intensive effort made by Iraq in
the fulfilment of its obligation as defined by SCR 687.
Nuclear activity
What Iraq has achieved in this field, in application of SCR 687,
is the product of the on-site operations which continued until an
earlier time of the current year, through the annual periodic
inspection carried out by the IAEA under the safeguards system
(NPT), Document (QE / 002/009) dated 15 March 2002.
According to the well known facts, Iraq submitted all technical
and scientific details about the sites involved the previous
programme together with the quantities and types of nuclear
materials, equipment and devices which were involved in the
previous nuclear activity with full and precise details. The
nuclear file was officially closed by the IAEA in July 1995 and
then reopened in Aug 1995.
In Oct 1997, the Agency submitted its semi-annual report in which
it indicated Iraq's implementation of its obligations as regards
section (C) of SCR 687 of the nuclear file.
The agency empowered the Security Council to take a resolution to
move to the on-going monitoring of nuclear programme, Document
(S/ 1997 / 779).
In April 1998, IAEA submitted another report in which it
confirmed once again Iraq's commitments to this file, Document
(S/1998/312).
According to the realities and facts contained in the agency's
reports, Iraq undertook to destroy all the buildings and
laboratories at Al-Atheer, Al-Tarmiya, Al-Shirqat and Al-Tuwatha
sites.
Iraq also destroyed all machines and equipment involved in the
previous nuclear programme including the dual use equipment. In
addition other buildings and laboratories with areas of 270,000
square metres were destroyed. Between 1993 and 1994, Iraq handed
over to IAEA 127 kgs of enriched uranium used as nuclear fuel for
the peaceful research reactor. The Agency transported this
quantity outside Iraq. As for the remaining nuclear materials
they are at present in the possession of IAEA.
According to IAEA reports, Iraq's declarations about its nuclear
activity are correct, precise and credible. Iraq also submitted
its Full, Final and Comprehensive Disclosure (FFCD), supported by
documents.
Chemical activity
As regards the question of chemical weapons, Iraq, after the
adoption of resolution SCR 687, made declarations about the
quantities, types and the geographical sites of the filled and
empty ammunitions, the produced chemical agents, the raw
materials, the production facilities and the supporting
facilities.
In September 1991, the UNSCOM supervised the destruction of all
empty chemical ammunitions at Al-Muthana Establishment which
included 12,500 pieces of artillery ammunitions and aerial bombs.
In February 1992, the UNSCOM destroyed the chemical ammunitions
at Al-Khamissiya area which included 400 (122mm) rockets filled
with Sarin. From June 1992 to June 1994, the UNSCOM destroyed the
empty and filled ammunitions, the production equipment,
production sites, stores, liquid and solid materials at
Al-Muthana Establishment which included 690 tons of the produced
final agents and 38500 ammunition pieces, filled and empty,
liquid amounted to 1,800 000 litres, solid intermediate
materials, amounted to 1000 tons as well as 150 production
equipment and four production sites and stores. Iraq was
cooperative in this matter. It provided all assistance for the
destruction work at the shortest possible time and under the
UNSCOM supervision which appreciated Iraq's cooperation.
Iraq also submitted its FFCD in line with the forms prepared by
the UNSCOM itself which contained full details of the chemical
weapons programme.
Biological activity
Iraq, in June 1991, ratified the Biological Weapons Ban Treaty
and asserted its commitments under Geneva protocol of 1925 under
paragraph 7, section (C) of SCR 687.
In 1995, Iraq submitted to UNSCOM the draft FFCD of the
biological programme in the hope of submitting the final version
in June 1996 which contained full information about the programme
in all its details (date of programme, sites involved in the
programme, research and development, production, weaponization,
destruction damaging, material balance, procurements).
In this context Iraq fully cooperated with the UNSCOM in its work
for the verification and destroying biological weapons, all
remaining biological agents stock piles, equipment, devices,
materials and culture media which were used in the process of
research, development, production and storage, together with the
destruction of equipment and material used for pure civilian
purpose.
The destruction also included the furniture, desks, cooling
systems, refrigerators, science book and journals under the
UNSCOM supervision. The UNSCOM teams which undertook to follow up
the biological file have used highly advanced scientific methods
for the detection of any trace of a previous or present
biological activity.
Moreover, the active and strict monitoring system covered a very
wide network of sites and through the surprise and daily
inspections the UNSCOM did not find anything that ran contrary to
SCRs 687 and 715.
While Iraq reiterates this information in response to Blair's
lies and fabrications, it asserts such information on the
strength of the inspectors reports and the briefings presented to
the Security Council as well as on the facts which have become
well known to the international public opinion.
Ballistic missiles
Iraq had submitted all detailed information about the sites,
quantities and types of missiles, launchers, key parts, missiles
supporting devices, production and repair sites to UNSCOM.
In the light of this information UNSCOM undertook to verify the
destruction of missiles and launchers which were in possession of
Iraq after 1991. It included 133 missiles and 14 combat
launchers.
The UNSCOM also verified their full destruction and the full
accounting of the material balance through the documentary and
material proofs.
The UNSCOM admitted this fact in its report to the Security
Council, Document (S/1997/774). In addition, 75 warheads of the
missiles were destroyed, 30 of which were destroyed under the
UNSCOM supervision and 45 were destroyed unilaterally by Iraq.
The UNSCOM was able to verify their destruction and admitted that
in its report to the Security Council, Document (S/1998/920).
The missile file was officially closed by UNSCOM in June 1995
(UNSCOM report to Security Council S/1995/para. 30) and was
reopened in Aug 1995 when Iraq submitted its FFCD in accordance
with the forms prepared by the UNSCOM in June 1996.
It took three years for the UNSCOM to carry out its additional
verification which eventually proved that Iraq's previous
declarations were true, accurate and credible (UNSCOM report to
Security Council S/1997/774).
A legal and objective reading of the procedures undertook by Iraq
in its cooperation with the UNSCOM in implementing its
obligations under SCR 687 relating to the question of disarmament
in the missile field proves undoubtedly that Iraq has fall of its
commitments under paragraph 8, 9 and 10 of SCR 687.
Iraq's imports
The claim that Iraq has imported some materials proscribed by the
Security Council resolutions and the allegation that Iraq has
developed its programme of proscribed weapons through smuggling
with foreign countries and companies is a claim not supported by
any fact.
The truth of the matter is that Iraq, when it agreed to SCR 715,
it started the application of a mechanism within the context of
the resolution which put the country's imports and exports of
dual use materials as defined by the Security Council to the
monitoring mechanism by the IAEA and UNSCOM.
Both of them were assigned to specify materials covered by this
mechanism. In Feb 1995 Iraq received the draft of import-export
monitoring mechanism plan and implemented it despite remarks made
by Iraq about them.
Iraq's imports were subject to the UNSCOM monitoring system
through checking Iraqi customs measures, visits to all entry
points to the country (land, air and sea), as well as checking
all documents and correspondence relating to this.
The inspection teams made visits by helicopters and vehicles
which covered Iraq from the north to the south and from the east
to the west.
On its part, Iraq gave every possible assistance in the
performance of the tasks of those teams and in answering the
questions relating to the commercial mechanism.
The task of those teams was to collect information about the
import to oversee Iraq's implementation of relative Security
Council resolution and no violation was recorded against Iraq in
this context whether from IAEA or UNSCOM.
So, from where about does Blair gets such deceiving information
which says that Iraq has imported some prohibited materials? How
did he include countries in this file when he knows that Iraq has
not imported any material prohibited by the Security Council
resolution?
The UNSCOM, from 1991 until its withdrawal on 15 Dec 1998 has
sent dozens of teams but they were not able to observe a
violation in this regard. Similarly, the import monitoring
mechanism, which is in operation since June 1996 under SCR 1051
up to its halting on 15 Dec. 1998 did not indicate any single
violation of the resolution.
Facts about Iraq's cooperation
The essential question which must be asked is that why have the
work of UNSCOM and IAEA is ignored what Iraq has so far achieved
[sentence as published]? Iraq, since 1994, and as Rolf Ekeus
admitted, has implemented 95 per cent of its due obligations
under the proscribed weapons file.
Another question that has to be posed is that what the inspection
teams had done from 1991 up to 15 Dec 1998 [sentence as
published]?
The total number of the inspection teams was 276 distributed
according to the following table:
+ 83 Missile inspection teams.
+ 62 Chemical inspection teams.
+ 74 Biological inspection teams.
+ 40 Nuclear inspection teams.
+ 5 Import / Export inspection teams.
As for the special missions, 12 teams were assigned to them. The
number of inspectors was 3845 and the number of inspections
carried out by those teams for the sites, covered and uncovered
by the monitoring system, was 3392.
Iraq extended full cooperation to the discussion and verification
teams whose number amounted to 94 out of the total number of the
inspection teams. They interviewed 1378 persons. In addition,
Iraq worked and cooperated with the monitoring groups whose
number was 192 and whose inspectors were 1232. They carried out
10,256 inspections.
As regards the aerial reconnaissance, transportation and logistic
affairs, 1306 sites, covered and uncovered by the monitoring
system, were surveyed while the number of sorties was 908. In
addition, US spy planes (U-2) carried out 434 sorties with a
total flying hours amounted to 1800 hours.
The above mentioned facts can never be called in question. They
are solid facts contained in the UNSCOM and IAEA reports.
The number of the reports written by the UNSCOM from 1991 to 1998
was 24 and the number of the reports made by IAEA from 1991 to
1995 was eight.
After 1995 and up to 1998, the IAEA reports were incorporated
with the UNSCOM reports within the framework of the unified
semi-annual reports issued by the UNSCOM.
It is important that we refer here to the information contained
in a number of the documents of the UNSCOM, and of its reports to
the Security Council Document (S/1993/26910) issued on December
1993 states:
"The Iraqi authorities were keen to ensure that the inspection
proceeded without incident: Iraq provided all the support
requested by the inspection teams, access to all sites and areas
to be inspected was guaranteed; no problems were encountered by
the team in execution of its operational plan" Document
S/1994/490 issued by the IAEA states:
"A marked improvement has occurred in the working relationship
with the Iraqi side. An evident effort is now deployed by the
Iraqi authorities to provide promptly the information needed to
fulfil the requirements of the different resolutions to remove
remaining gabs or uncertainties ".
(Document S/1994/1138) states:
"The Commission has received considerable assistance and support
from Iraq in its efforts to install sensor and tags."
(Document S/1994/1151) issued by the IAEA states:
"The Iraqi attitude has enabled the inspector's work to be
conducted effectively and has contributed significantly to
expediting the process of establishing ongoing monitoring and
verification, as called for in the Security Council Resolutions."
(Document S/1995/494) the UNSCOM Executive Chairman says:
"Much had been achieved in the implementation of paragraphs 8 -10
of Security Council Resolution 687(1991) - indeed, the bulk of
what was required."
The same document also says that "Iraq, at the commission's
request, has provided accurate information about the VX project
and has fulfilled its promise as required by the commission."
The document also says: "The commission is satisfied that Iraqi's
cooperation in carrying out the monitoring plan has been of a
degree that satisfies the provisions of paragraph 5 of Scrutiny
Council Resolution 715."
(Document S/1995/844) of IAEA says:
"The level of practical cooperation by Iraqi counterparts in
facilitating and expediting IAEA field work continues to be
high."
(Document S/1995/864) states that:
"Iraq has continued to provide the support requested by the
Commission in the conduct of inspection and verification."
The Commission Chairman welcomes this approach by Iraq and of
providing the necessary documents.
(Document S/1995/1038) says:
"The Iraqi side accepted all the comments and recommendations
made by the commission experts concerning the additional
information to be included in the final version of the Full,
Final and Complete Disclosures."
Claims about alleged activities after 1998:
Proceeding from above and in order to put before the British and
world public opinion all the facts that refute the file of lies
contained in Blair's report, we shall tackle this in detail
through our reply supported by facts.
Nuclear activity
Blair, in paragraph 19 and 21 of his report claimed that Iraq
tries to acquire a local capability for uranium enrichment by
centrifuge. In fact the centrifuge constituents consist of dozens
of parts including pumps, rotaries and maraging steel but they
exclude aluminium.
Blair in his file attempted to misrepresent this paragraph by
saying that there is information which indicates that the purpose
of this aluminium is for a nuclear programme.
The aluminium pipes exist in Iraq and the IAEA and UNSCOM check
them and they are subject to the monitoring under SCR 715.
As for Blair's allegation that Iraq tried to acquire quantities
of uranium from South Africa, this is basically a bogus lie...
what indicates this is that he attributed it to intelligence
information without even giving a proof that supports his claim.
If we add to this South Africa's denial of Blair's claims in this
regard, Iraq's credibility has thus been asserted. IAEA stated
that all nuclear materials in South Africa are subject to its
safeguards and inventory system and it has never found any
shortage in their number.
In the same way, nuclear (?material) in Iraq are also subject to
the same safeguards conditions and are checked every year and
this could invalidate Blair's claim. IAEA's Document (QE/002/009)
of 15 Feb 2002 substantiates our argument.
Blair concluded, according to his own assumptions, that Iraq
needs (5) years to produce a nuclear weapon if sanctions remained
imposed on it.
As a consequence Blair went on his fabricated assumption, stating
that if Iraq manages to acquire fissile material and other
necessary materials from foreign sources, it can produce a
nuclear weapon in a course of one or two years.
Blair assumptions are groundless due to the monitoring imposed on
importations according to Security Council Resolution (1051) and
the strict monitoring on importations implemented through the
MOU, and due to periodical inspection implemented by IAEA
annually under the safeguards system.
Chemical activity
Blair has repeated flimsy and deceptive claims in this area, and
for the sake of truth we state the following:
1 - There are no toxic chemical agents, precursors or chemical
weapons. All that stated by Blair were destroyed by the Iraqi
side under the supervision of the Special Commission. In
addition, there is a protocol signed by both parties in this
concern (protocol of handing over Al-Muthana site to the Iraqi
side in June 1994) and as stated in the Special Commission
semi-annual report, the seventh report of the Special Commission
executive chairman in June 1994 Doc S/1994/750.
Since 1991, the Special Commissions recovered all that related to
the past chemical programme. The Special Commission inspection
team (UNSCOM-17) had made a full inventory at the toxic chemical
agents, precursors, chemical, raw materials, filled and empty
munitions.
All the above mentioned items and all materials related to
chemical weapons were destroyed during the period 1991 - 1994.
2 - There are no capabilities to produce chemical or biological
agents since the specialized equipment required for the
production of chemical and biological agents are not available.
Iraq's capabilities to produce biological and chemical agents
were destroyed during the aggression of 1991.
The destruction was extended by the Special Commission inspection
teams, to cover all Iraq's stock of toxic agents, filled and
empty munitions, precursors and production equipment.
The Iraqi declarations concerning dual use materials, equipment
and various chemical sites, in addition to the activities of the
monitoring teams which operated since 1994 till the end of 1998,
prove that there are no any prohibited items at these sites,
which is a certain evidence that there are no capabilities to
produce these materials whatsoever.
VX agent production requires an advanced technology which is not
available in Iraq.... All the production equipment possessed by
Iraq to develop the VX agent were tested by the Special
Commission before destruction in 1997 and it found that those
equipment were never used.
This confirms that Iraq was not able to use them, and
subsequently it did not obtain any large scale or significant
production of VX agent.
3 - The Special Commission is fully aware that the chemical
agents production was in crude form and there was no chemical
agent produced by distillation and purity more than 90 per cent.
This aspect was clarified in chemical weapons "Full and Final and
Comprehensive Declaration" submitted to the Special Commission in
June 1996. That means these agents will be expired and disposed
of after a short course of time.
4 - Al-Muthana Establishment was destroyed totally during the
thirty state aggression in 1991, then the Special Commission
completed this destruction. The site is now abandoned, and the
commission is fully aware of that. The chlorine and phenol plant
at Falluja /2 site was reconstructed after the aggression to
produce the chlorine which is used for civil purposes (water
treatment).
This site was covered by monitoring since 1994. After UNSCOM
departure in December 1998 the site was raided and destroyed. The
aerial bombing had also destroyed the monitoring system's cameras
and sensors.
It is worth mentioning that the phenol is not a dual use material
and was not stated in the second annex which is covered by the
chemical monitoring plan. On the other hand, Iraq had included
chlorine in its semi-annual declarations, but lately the Special
Commission omitted the chlorine from the dual use materials in
June 2001, (Doc S/2001/860) enabling Iraq of using chlorine
without being subject to export - import monitoring.
5 - Ibn Sina company has no relation whatsoever to the past
chemical programme and it's absolutely not specialized in
producing any chemical agent.
The reconstruction of Ibn-Sina company was carried out according
to the IAEA's approval as an industrial site for the production
of researches of primary chemical materials which enter in
civilian industries, and there are no sites constructed with
forgone assistance.
Ibn-Sina site is well known for IAEA and UNSCOM. It was subject
to the on going monitoring since 1994. The site was periodically
visited by monitoring groups to be acquainted with its activities
since it contains equipment tagged by UNSCOM.
The site, also presenting semi-annual declarations according to
the monitoring system. Blair's claim on this site is nothing but
exaggeration and distortion of world community opinion against
Iraq.
6 - Al-Qaqa state company was reconstructed after the destruction
caused by the 1991 aggression. This company is specialized in the
production of chemical materials and conventional explosives
unrelated to the chemical programme, and it has no plant to
produce phosgene.
The Special Commission had investigated this issue and monitoring
groups were inspecting this company on systematic basis.
Moreover, Al-Qaqa company has tagged equipment and submitting
semi-annual declarations.
Hence, Blair's claim that this company was dismantled by UNSCOM
is only a false claim because it was under monitoring and had
never been dismantled. Blair has referred to the experts and
staff working in the chemical industries claiming that Iraq can
re-collect them to restore the chemical programme.
Actually those Iraqis are working in civilian industries ... and
if we put in consideration that Iraq has no raw material or sites
specialized in chemical weapons production, how it could then be
possible for Iraq to utilize the expertise of those people in
such field?
Biological activity
With reference to what Blair has stated concerning the biological
area, Iraq is completely clear of all biological weapons and
agents since 1991. Iraq does not keep any quantity of those
agents.
Furthermore, all the biological experts are sure of the fact that
the biological agents, being of a limited shelf life, could not
be effective or of high toxicity or effect after such a long
period. For instance the botulinum protein converted to non toxic
substance after three years even if it stored in ideal storing
conditions.
The anthrax spores converted within two years to ineffective
vegetative cells also even if it stored under ideal storing
conditions, particularly the biological agents produced by Iraq
were in slurry state and Iraqi production method made the final
product containing a lot of impurities and of a short shelf life.
This fact is clearly known by UNSCOM and its experts.
The Special Commission, in addition, had severely investigated
the issue of biological agents and weapons destruction and
disposal by taking samples and swaps and through the supporting
documents presented by the Iraqi side. The Special Commission had
also destroyed the remaining quantities of culture media imported
for the past programme purposes, that the destroyed quantities
were totalled to (30 tonnes).
The claim contained in Blair's report that UNSCOM had destroyed
only the equipment which directly connected to the biological
agents production is untrue, because UNSCOM destroyed in addition
to the production equipment others which were not directly
related to the past programme that the destroyed equipment were
totalled to 926 [as published].
The produced quantities which Blair claims that they are more
than what Iraqi side had declared by two times because he
constructed his account on the Special Commission's assumptions
that there are undeclared importations of culture media without
having any evidence of practical proof [as published].
For example, the yeast extract which UNSCOM claimed that there
are some undeclared importations of this material, but, factually
that quantity was imported for the drugs production plant, later
on UNSCOM acknowledged that the other quantity was not imported
for the past biological programme after verifying the issue with
full cooperation from the Iraqi side.
The Iraqi side had illustrated the full material balance for the
culture media including the imported quantities, and that which
were obtained locally and the consumed quantity in addition to
the remaining media destroyed by UNSCOM in 1996.
The allegation stated in the report which indicated according to
intelligence information, that Iraq has started producing
biological agents using mobile production sites is much to
anybody's astonishment.
It seems that those who prepare Blair's report seek to mislead
the world community opinion, simply because the production
process requirement and complicated services are not available.
Claiming that planning for a project for a mobile biological
production site started in 1995 (during the presence of the
Special Commission). If it is so, then the Special Commission
should have raised this issue at that time and not Blair in 2002.
The allegations that Iraq has reconstructed and renewed the sites
which were previously used in producing biological agents is a
groundless and false claim. Because the Special Commission
supervised in 1996 on the destruction at Al-Hakam site totally
and turned it to a desolate land.
The site is currently abandoned as it is, and there is no
construction took place in it whatsoever.
The FMD site [no further clarification] is also abandoned since
1996, when UNSCOM destroyed some of its equipment and the
ventilation system. The site was visited many times by Arab and
foreign press delegations who witnessed that the site is not
renewed or rehabilitated or annexed by any new building.
Al-Falluja site (brake fluid production plant) is designated to
produce brake fluid and definitely not raisin as the report
claims. Vaccine and sera institute which Blair's reports referred
as a store for biological agents and its storing capacity had
been increased.
This statement is also a lie because the vaccine and sera
institute never used for storing biological agents and it's a
site for the production of human vaccines in addition to be a
storing site for imported human vaccine through MEMO.
The site was visited by press media delegations and saw the
vaccine stores, noting that the site is regularly visited by UN
representatives to check the vaccines. The site also visited by
UNICEF and WHO organizations representatives.
Missile activity
The missile area is what Blair has beaten the drum for it.
Actually Iraq does not possess any missile with a range more than
150 km, since summer 1991. Because all remaining missiles were
destroyed either by UNSCOM or unilaterally by Iraq according to
SCR 687 requirements.
The Special Commission itself reached this fact through verifying
the total quantity of missile imported from former USSR and those
which consumed during the Iraq - Iran war, the aggression of
1991, and R and D [research and development] activity and tests.
Accordingly, UNSCOM reached what so-called material balance of
missiles, depending on a long strict and concentrated
investigation. Finally UNSCOM admitted to the Security Council in
its report (S/1997/774) the fact which indicate that 817 of 819
missiles have been accounted for "The Commission is now in a
position to be able to account for practically all, except two,
imported combat missiles that were once the core of Iraq's
proscribed missiles force".
The Commission has also accounted for all declared operational
missile launchers, both imported and indigenously produced.
Actually Iraq also had behaved in high transparency in dealing
with the
Special Commission concerning missiles permitted under the SCRs
687 and 715 and any claims which state that Iraq is exceeding the
permitted limitation according to these resolutions are
misleading aim fallacies.
Since the effective and efficient operation of monitoring system
in 1994 UNSCOM inspection were verifying the missiles which were
under research and development through inspection, the cameras
installed at the key sites for 24 hr monitoring, the sites
concerned with missile activity including key and supporting
sites, monthly status for the produced parts at those sites
(parts of the produced missiles).
Moreover, UNSCOM inspectors were always present at the flight
test and static tests for the missiles under development to make
sure that none is exceeding the permitted range through recording
the coordinates for the firing site and falling site, calculating
the range accordingly.
The strict monitoring continued at increasing levels until 16
December 1998 when the UNSCOM left Iraq. The sites involved in
missile activity were targeted, among other sites, during the
aggression which took place on same day.
As regards Blair's claim that Iraq has built a new test station
for the development of missiles that could reach areas indicated
by site (A), they are used for the purpose of Al-Sumud missile
within the range allowed by SCR 715 and which followed up by the
Special Commission to meet the requirements of engine static
tests.
The strong technical evidence that could not be called in
question is that the station is not for the purposes of engines
larger than Al-Sumud engine. It is a station for horizontal
testing, that is, it is so designed to embrace the horizontally
tested engine.
Experts who are well grounded in this field know that this kind
of connection can not be used for engines larger than Al-Sumud
engine with its known size, and unlike the vertical test stations
which can be used for the testing of missile engine of larger
sizes.
As regard the issue of the RPV (remotely piloted vehicle) project
raised by Blair, it is clear that he does not depend on his
intelligence but on information disclosed by Iraq with
transparency to the Special Commission in the fulfilment of the
requirements of SCR 715 related to the ongoing monitoring.
The aim of this essential project is to maintain the scientific
and research activity through the reliance on local capabilities
for the purpose of aerial reconnaissance. The UNSCOM had carried
out intensive and strict inspection for this project through a
specialized inspection team.
That process was accompanied by checking all documents relating
to that project... The team concluded that the purpose of the
project was an aerial reconnaissance and had nothing to do with
the requirements of SCRs 687 and 715.
As for Al Mamun plant, this plant, like other sites concerned
with missile activities, was covered by the ongoing monitoring.
Cameras were installed to transmit pictures for 24 hours for
several workshops in plant.
The (APC) project was declared to UNSCOM since its design stages
and was followed up by the Commission in a strict manner up to
its departure on 16 December 1998.
The item relative to the previous activity and which were not
destroyed during the aerial bombardment of 1991 aggression were
destroyed under UNSCOM supervision and were not dismantled as
Blair claims.
The sever damage done to the equipment has made it impossible for
their reconstruction to carry out the manufacturing purposes for
which they are made, specially that the solid missile fuel
industry requires higher degrees of accuracy.
In addition, Iraq was keen to apply the so called import-export
mechanism by providing the necessary notifications about the
importation of dual use items that is those contained in the
technical annexes of SCR 715 until the departure of UNSCOM on 16
Dec 1998.
Now Tony Blair has released his report, which is full of lies,
fabrications and fallacies, it has become quite clear why has the
British prime minister turned down Iraq's invitation to send a
delegation of British experts whose number, timing of entry into
Iraq and the sites to be inspected, may be chosen by him, so that
the British media and other international opinion get acquainted
themselves with the facts as they really are.
Should Blair had accepted Iraq's offer he could have entangled
himself in a big political and procedural trap and then those who
wrote the report for him could not promote those lies and
fabrications.
This also applies to the offer presented by Iraq's National
Assembly to the US Congress and the US administration which may
fall in it.
Source: INA news agency web site, Baghdad, in English 2 Oct 02
© MMII | News Sources | Privacy
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34 New coalition (OF COUNTRIES) targets nuclear states
Asia Times
By Haider Rizvi
NEW YORK - A group of nations is taking the United States and
seven other nuclear powers to task at the United Nations General
Assembly for not paying closer attention to the issue of nuclear
disarmament.
Last week, the Coalition for a New Agenda - Ireland, Mexico,
Brazil, Egypt, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden - adopted a
unanimous resolution expressing its "deep concern" over the
existence of thousands of nuclear weapons and the continuing
possibility of their use.
The coalition says that it is particularly concerned over the
development of new types of nuclear weapons, a reference to US
policy to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons that are
perceived to be more useable, so more likely to be used.
Recent reports indicate that the administration of President
George W Bush has already directed the US military to prepare
contingency plans to use nuclear weapons against at least seven
countries, and to build smaller weapons for use in warfare.
Critics say these plans break US promises made 30 years ago when
the country signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and
agreed to negotiate the elimination of its nuclear weapons. Like
other nuclear-armed countries, the United States renewed that
promise in 2000, giving an "unequivocal undertaking" to
accomplish the "total elimination" of its nuclear arsenals.
Bush also continues to oppose the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT), which the United States has signed but refused to ratify.
The treaty will be effective three months only after all 44
designated countries have ratified it. France and Britain are the
only two of the five original nuclear powers to have ratified the
CTBT. The US Senate rejected ratification in 1999.
It is widely believed that if the United States fails to ratify
the treaty in the next few years, Russia and China are unlikely
to do so. If they do not, India and Pakistan will almost surely
not ratify the CTBT.
"At a time when the people of our planet desperately seeks ways
to create a safer, more secure world, the US strikes nuclear
terror into all of our hearts," says Abolition 2000, a global
network of more than 2,000 citizen groups in more than 90
countries. "The US shows it will use nuclear weapons against
countries that do not have them. That is a complete reversal of
previous agreements."
The resolution of the UN coalition, which is currently being
discussed at the General Assembly's first committee, says, "The
indefinite possession of nuclear weapons is incompatible with the
non-proliferation regime and with the broader goal of promoting
international peace and security".
Philomena Murnaghan, a senior diplomat from Ireland, the
coalition's current coordinating country, says, "We would like to
have speedy progress towards nuclear disarmament. There is a need
for international momentum."
The world's eight nuclear powers maintain over 17,000 nuclear
warheads, with the United States and Russia accounting for 93
percent, according to Sipri, a Sweden-based think-tank that
tracks weapon production and export.
China has nearly 400 warheads, France 348, and Israel and Britain
about 200 each. India is believed to have more than 30 and
Pakistan about 40 nuclear weapons.
The coalition resolution demands that all nuclear weapons states
increase the "transparency and accountability" of their nuclear
weapons arsenals and their implementation of disarmament
measures. "Formalization by nuclear weapon states of their
unilateral declarations in a legally binding agreement including
provisions ensuring transparency, verification and
irreversibility is essential", it says. "They should bear in mind
that reductions of deployments are a positive signal but no
replacement for the actual elimination of nuclear weapons."
The New Agenda countries are equally worried about the role of
new nuclear states, such as India, Pakistan and Israel, who have
refused to sign the treaty on non-proliferation. They urge those
three nations to accede to the Treaty as "non-nuclear weapons
states" and to place their facilities under comprehensive
international safeguards.
India and Pakistan have gone to war three times in the past 50
years, and have recently only narrowly averted a possible war
over the disputed territory of Kashmir.
"We are concerned by the continued retention of the nuclear
weapons option by those three states that operate unsafe guarded
nuclear facilities and have not acceded to the NPT, as well as
their failure to renounce that option," says the coalition.
Without naming the United States, the coalition warned that
development of strategic missile defenses "could impact
negatively on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, and lead
to a new arms race on earth and outer space".
The US Department of Defense has put total spending on missile
defense systems at more than US$100 billion, while continuing
with plans to build weapons in outer space. "No steps should be
taken which would lead to the weaponization of space," the
resolution said.
The General Assembly is likely to vote on the coalition
resolution by the end of this month.
(Inter Press Service)
*****************************************************************
35 Pakistan test fires medium range nuclear-capable missile
Friday, 04-Oct-2002 9:00AM Story from AFP / Sami
Zubeiri Copyright 2002 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
ISLAMABAD, Oct 4 (AFP) - Pakistan and India launched apparently
tit-for-tat missile tests Friday, following a resurgence of
high-stake tensions over Kashmir and less than a week before
elections in Pakistan.
Shortly before 11:00 am (0500 GMT) Pakistan announced it had
test-fired a the home-grown Hatf-IV or Shaheen missile, a
medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear
warhead deep into Indian territory.
Some six hours later at 4:30 pm Indian time (1100 GMT), India
tested an Akash surface-to-air missile from a remote testing
range on the country's east coast.
Both governments called their respective tests "routine."
"User trials have been taking place," Indian defence ministry
spokesman P. K. Bandopadhyay told AFP.
Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said the
Shaheen test had no connection to the dispute with India.
"Countries which have missiles keep testing them for technical
data," he told AFP.
The test of the Shaheen missile, with a range of up to 800
kilometres (500 miles), is Pakistan's fourth missile test since
May, when it test-fired three missiles whilst on the brink of war
with India.
Friday's test, the second of a Shaheen since April 1999, comes
amid renewed tensions between the South Asian arch-rivals over a
spate of killings blamed on Pakistani-based militants during
elections in the Indian-run half of Kashmir.
A defence ministry spokesman told AFP "neighbours as well as some
friendly countries" were informed in advance. The missile was
launched just six days before Pakistan's first parliamentary
elections under military ruler President Pervez Musharraf's
three-year regime.
Politial analyst Mohammad Afzal Niazi said the test was a play
for domestic support ahead of the polls.
"It is perhaps not without significance that the test has come
six days before an election in which the opposition is accusing
the president of buckling under American and Indian pressure over
Afghanistan and Kashmir," he said.
"It plays to the gallery at home."
India branded it an "election gimmick."
Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal told a press conference in New
Delhi that Musharraf had "timed" the missile test to try and
shore up his popularity before the vote.
"The Pakistan missile test is nothing but an election gimmick --
an antic or performance put on to sway voters," said Sibal.
Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes told AFP that New Delhi
was not perturbed.
"It is a routine test. It need not worry us. They have their
missiles and they are testing them. We have our missiles and we
also do tests. We do not see a reason why we should be worried,"
said Fernandes.
On September 24 India tested its most sophisticated a short-range
missile, a Trident (Trishul) which can carry a 15 kilogramme (33
pound) nuclear or conventional warhead and can fly nine
kilometers (5.5 miles).
Ayaz Ahmed, a senior Pakistani defence analyst, interpreted
Pakistan's latest test as a message to India "not to indulge in
any misadventure."
"It will deter India from carrying out a nuclear or conventional
attack."
Tensions between Pakistan and India have been on a knife edge
since last December, when a deadly attack on India's parliament
was blamed on the Pakistan-based Islamic militant groups
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
The arch-rivals have had around a million troops deployed eyeball
to eyeball across their common border ever since.
A resurgence of bloody attacks, blamed on Islamic militants,
during legislative elections in Kashmir has seen Indian leaders
renew heated accusations against Pakistan of backing the
militants.
In May, when Kashmir tensions hit a flashpoint, Pakistan test
fired three missiles in quick succession, including two
short-range missiles named Abdali and Hatf III (Ghaznavi), which
can respectively travel 180 to 290 kilometres (110 to 180 miles).
The Ghaznavi is capable of great accuracy.
It also fired the medium-range Hatf-V (Ghauri II) missile, which
can fly up to 1,500 kilometres (940 miles) and strike deep inside
India.
Abdali, Ghaznavi and Ghauri were the names of Muslim conquerors
of Hindus in the sub-continent over the past nine centuries.
On June 21 India twice test-fired a home-grown heat-seeking
anti-tank missile from its eastern coast. Officials said the
tests were routine.
India and Pakistan both carried out tit-for-tat nuclear tests in
May of 1998.
[http://www.ptd.net
*****************************************************************
36 Russian atomic city builds future on nuclear dreams -
10/4/2002 - ENN.com
Friday, October 04, 2002 By Larisa Sayenko, Reuters
ZHELEZNOGORSK, Russia — The streets of this Siberian city are
eerily clean and uniform, free of the buzz of commerce and jumble
of billboards found even in the smallest and poorest of Russian
provincial cities.
The few visitors who enter the city through the miles of pine
forest and the rings of barbed wire are met instead by a banner
reading, "Honor and homeland above all."
It is not easy to get into Zheleznogorsk, one of Russia's nine
'closed cities,' a well-preserved bastion of the Soviet defense
complex where satellites are built and the plutonium stuffing of
nuclear warheads was produced.
With the country scrapping, not building, nuclear weapons and
Russian space programs chronically under-funded, the big business
in this city is the burial of spent nuclear fuel from Russian
reactors and former Soviet satellite states of Eastern Europe.
"You think the city sighs with joy when the country sends up a
new satellite?" asked one Zheleznogorsk resident. "No, only when
a train arrives with spent nuclear fuel. That means salaries will
probably be paid for the next six months."
Zheleznogorsk's hopes for prosperity rest on a storage facility
that holds 6,000 tons of spent fuel from Russian and foreign
nuclear power plants. Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry has said
the storage facility earns $50 from each 2.2 pounds of Russian
spent fuel, $200 from that sent from former members of the Soviet
bloc, and hopes to earn $1,000 from the unwanted fuel of
developed countries.
HOLES IN THE FENCE
At the nuclear cemetery, 3,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel already
lie cooling in containers under several yards of clear water.
Many residents of Zheleznogorsk would happily take more. Some
worry that with the pools more than half full, space is running
out.
As it is, there is often not enough in the state coffers to pay
the scientists, most of whom say they survive on the produce from
their vegetable gardens. "I know of some holes in the fence
(surrounding Zheleznogorsk)," a local journalist said. "People
with cottages make them to get to their vegetable patches
quicker."
A local engineer said the city had tried plans to convert
military plants to civilian use, but they had not worked out.
"This is how we live: We look forward to each trainload of
somebody else's crap," said the engineer, who like other sources,
declined to be identified.
NUCLEAR COMPETITION
For more trains carrying spent fuel to roll into Zheleznogorsk,
Moscow needs to cut a deal with the United States, which has made
Russia's nuclear ambitions a bone of contention. Washington says
Russia's contract to build civilian nuclear reactors in Iran
could end up helping Tehran acquire nuclear weapons and that
without proper security, Russia's own nuclear materials could end
up in a 'dirty bomb.'
Washington has the power to influence Russia's access to 90
percent of the world's spent fuel, according to the Natural
Resources Defense Council, a U.S. nongovernmental organization.
"Russia has two options: One, act alone and lose the market, or
two, enter into a cooperative agreement with the United States,"
Tom Cochran, director of the NRDC's Nuclear Program, said in
Moscow.
Residents, however, say they see a 'great game' unfolding between
the United States and Russia for an international market in spent
nuclear fuel. Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry plans to build a
new facility to hold 20,000 tons of nuclear waste in
Zheleznogorsk, nearly one-eighth of the world's total.
President Vladimir Putin signed a law last year allowing the
import of foreign spent fuel into Russia despite opinion polls
that showed a vast majority of Russians opposed it. The
government, however, has yet to sign a series of decrees needed
to bring fuel in from further abroad than former Soviet
satellites such as Bulgaria. Soviet-era reprocessing agreements
with those countries are still in effect, allowing them to ship
fuel to Russia.
'LIFE IS GOOD THERE'
Russia's environmentalists have rallied to oppose nuclear waste
imports. A national environmental group, Ekozashchita, set up a
tent camp on the road to the Krasnoyarsk nuclear camp earlier
this year to protest spent fuel import plans.
But in Zheleznogorsk itself, even the local environmental
newspaper, Citizen Initiative, writes about spent fuel in
economic terms. "In our rich region, it is a crime to live in
poverty. We should put the situation to rights as far as payment
for spent fuel storage is concerned and get full payment, not the
crumbs that the Atomic Energy Ministry throws us," Citizen
Initiative wrote recently.
Its pages are also full of obituaries. "People don't live so long
there," said a Krasnoyarsk taxi driver. "What's worse, radiation
can wreck a man below the belt.' But life in the closed cities is
good. The bus is free, and they get free coupons to the
cafeterias. Everything is good, like it was before."
Copyright 2002, Reuters
*****************************************************************
37 History of Pakistan Missile Program
WorldNews: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 The Associated Press
Chronology of Pakistan's missile program:
1980 — Pakistan begins its surface-to-surface missile program.
1989 — Pakistan tests both the short-range Hatf-1 and Hatf-2
ballistic missiles developed in Pakistan but with the technical
assistance of China.
1990 — United States ends military and humanitarian assistance to
Pakistan to punish it for its alleged nuclear program.
1996 — Pakistan says its Hatf-2 has been inducted into its
arsenal and is operational. It is capable of carrying both a
nuclear and conventional warhead.
1997 — Pakistan announces it has developed a Ghauri long-range
missile capable of hitting most targets in India.
1998 — Pakistan conducts underground nuclear tests in reply to
India's tests.
1999 — Pakistan conducts flight tests of second-generation Ghauri
missile.
2002 — Pakistan test-fires three ballistic missiles of varying
ranges, all capable of carrying conventional and nuclear
warheads.
Oct. 4, 2002 — Pakistan test-fires a medium-range
surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of about 380
miles.
[http://www.wn.com/]
*****************************************************************
38 Small Asteroid Could Be Mistaken for Nuclear Bomb
Fri, Oct 04, 2002
By Deborah Zabarenko
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even small asteroids that never hit Earth
could have deadly consequences, because they might be mistaken
for nuclear blasts by nations that lack the equipment to tell the
difference, scientists said on Thursday.
One such asteroid event occurred on June 6, when U.S. early
warning satellites detected a flash over the Mediterranean that
indicated an energy release comparable to the atomic bomb dropped
on Hiroshima, Japan, U.S. Brig. Gen. Simon Worden told a U.S.
House of Representatives panel on space and aeronautics.
The flash occurred when an asteroid perhaps 10 yards in diameter
slammed into Earth's atmosphere, producing a shock wave that
would have rattled any vessels in the area and might have caused
minor damage, Worden said. Little notice was taken of the event
at the time, but Worden suggested that if it had occurred a few
hours earlier and taken place over India and Pakistan, the
outcome might have been horrifying.
"To our knowledge, neither of those nations have the
sophisticated sensors that can determine the difference between a
natural NEO (Near Earth Object, such as an asteroid) and a
nuclear detonation," Worden said.
"The resulting panic in the nuclear-armed and hair-triggered
opposing forces could have been the spark that ignited a nuclear
horror we have avoided for over half a century," he told a
committee investigating the risk posed by asteroids and other
objects that might collide with Earth.
SHOCK WAVES AND TSUNAMIS
"At a time when the Capitol is all abuzz about (Iraqi President)
Saddam Hussein and the potential threat of Iraqis getting their
hands on weapons of mass destruction, let us note that there are
objects out in space that could be heading toward the Earth that
contain so much destructive power as to make Saddam Hussein look
like a benign factor in our lives," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, the
California Republican who chairs the panel, told the hearing.
Astronomers have long been concerned about damage from asteroids,
meteors and comets, and since 1998 NASA has worked to identify 90
percent of all large near-Earth objects -- those with a diameter
of 0.6 miles or more -- by 2008.
NASA's head of space science, Ed Weiler, told the committee that
scientists had identified 619 of the suspected big, dangerous
asteroids, which is about half the number astronomers believe are
out there.
That kind of large asteroid hits Earth a few times every million
years, and when it does, causes regional calamity. By contrast, a
so-called doomsday asteroid 3 miles across -- like the one
believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs -- hits once every 10
million years or so.
The one that caused the flash over the Mediterranean in June was
probably about the size of a car, and was harmless to Earth. Such
asteroids hit the atmosphere twice a month.
But asteroids ranging from about 100 feet to hundreds of yards
can cause serious damage, including spawning a powerful shock
wave or a tsunami if it lands in an ocean, causing widespread
catastrophe if the tsunami occurs near a populated shore.
Those smaller bodies are not part of NASA's survey, and Worden
suggested there might be an Air Force role in tracking the
smaller objects, and also the potential for sharing early warning
of incoming celestial objects with other countries that lack the
technology.
Worden said the United States was unique in the world in being
able to determine in less than a minute whether an incoming
object was an asteroid or a bomb.
The United States spends about $4 million a year to track
asteroids and comets, but very little on strategies to get them
out of Earth's way, scientists said last month.
Copyright © 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
*****************************************************************
39 Pak not afraid of Indian army or its nuclear arsenals: Moin
/ Updated on 2002-06-01 12:30:48/
*ISLAMABAD, june 01 (PNS): Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider on
Friday stated that Pakistan was not afraid of Indian Army or its
nuclear weapons saying if India wants war then it should keep in
mind one thing that battle would be a long one. *
Talking to journalists after inaugurating the Major Aziz Bhati
Shaheed Block here at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the
minister said that Pakistan army was ready to accept the
challenge of India, however, he warned that if war breaks out
between two countries it would not be a short battle.
Commenting on the issue of terrorism, "he regretted that today
world is calling us as terrorists, therefore, we have to change
this perception in abroad and tell the world that Pakistan is a
peace-loving country."
The interior Minister urged the Muslim countries to follow the
teachings of Islam in order to eliminate erroneous impression
created against it in the world.
He maintained that there was a dire need to provide better
atmosphere to the people within Pakistan to stop their exit from
the country.
Earlier the Interior Minister inaugurated Major Aziz Bhatti
Shaheed block in Allama Iqbal Open University.
The block has been completed in a two years time at a cost of ten
million rupees.
Speaking on the occasion, the Interior Minister remarked that
AIOU has played a very important role in imparting education in
various fields.
He assured government fullest support for further development and
up gradation of the university.
He praised the efforts of the university for imparting distant
education.
The Interior Minister said that Pakistan is proud of this
university, as this unique education institution has also brought
good names for the country at the international level.
He appreciated the performance of the University under the
limited budgetary resources. He said that this is the only
university in Pakistan that is providing cheaper education to the
masses.
Vice Chancellor of the university Doctor Altaf Hussain
highlighted the role of University and also appreciated the role
of Capital development Authority (CDA) in providing the facility
of streetlights in university campus.
*****************************************************************
40 Fluor almost done moving spent fuel out of 300 Area
This story was published Thu, Oct 3, 2002
By John Stang Herald staff writer
Fluor Hanford is entering the final stage of moving some leftover
highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel out of the 300 Area just
north of Richland.
The fifth of six fuel shipments was to leave Hanford's 324
Building on Wednesday evening. The fuel is being moved to storage
on a pad outside the central Hanford underground vault that holds
spent fuel removed from the K Basins.
Fluor hopes to move the sixth and final cask of spent fuel by
Nov. 20, which would be four months ahead of the Department of
Energy's internal timetable to accomplish the task, said Tim
Erickson, Fluor's manager for the 324 Building spent fuel
project.
The 324 Building, slightly more than one mile north of Richland,
had been the most contaminated spot in the 300 Area.
It was used as a lab to experiment with commercial nuclear fuel
and for radioactive waste glassification tests.
The building's main work area consisted of four "hot cells"
clustered around a huge airlock. Scientists and technicians used
remote-controlled devices to perform tests inside the cells.
The biggest chamber -- the three-story-tall B Cell -- at one time
was so radioactive that an unprotected person walking inside
would get a fatal dose of radiation in less than two seconds.
Even today, chances of a worker catching a dose of radiation are
greater in the 324 Building than at most places at Hanford.
The cleanup of the B Cell and moving the spent fuel are the
hardest parts of the 324 Building cleanup, said Mal Wright,
director of the 324 Building programs for Fluor.
Work remaining includes cleaning up radioactive crusts in eight
tanks beneath the hot cell area that held high-level and
low-activity radioactive wastes. And workers must remove the
radioactive residue on the concrete inside the four hot cells.
One reason Fluor wants to remove all the fuel pins by November is
that's the month when DOE is expected to announce its new lead
contractor for Hanford's river shore cleanup.
Responsibility for the 300 Area, including Building 324, will
transfer to the new river shore corridor contractor.
Fluor is on one of three teams bidding for that contract.
Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This
*****************************************************************
41 Russian 'secret city' turns to OR experience
The Oak Ridger Online -- Area News --
Thursday, October 3, 2002
Russian visitor Sergey Usoltsev, from left, Oak Ridge
translator Victor Rashkovsky, and visitors Pavel Yakushin and
Ludmila Teplykh learn how DTS makes parts Wednesday from owner
Mike Walker.
-- Staff photo by Marie Moffitt
by R. Cathey Daniels Oak Ridger staff
In the heart of Siberia, a six-hour plane flight from Moscow,
sits the "secret city" Zheleznogorsk, a producer of a material
highly valuable to so-called "rogue" states.
Zheleznogorsk makes plutonium.
In four years the city's plutonium plant is scheduled to shut
down, leaving almost 5,000 people unemployed and creating an
attractive target for those looking to insert themselves into the
nuclear weapons market.
But the city's mayor, Andrey Katargin, a 41-year-old physicist,
is staring adversity down with optimism and action.
"We are working very hard to attract new business to town," said
Katargin through an interpreter, Avigail Rashkovsky of Oak Ridge.
"We are working to build industry, and the government is building
a plant for silicon production that could hire 2,000 people.
"If all of this works, the problems won't be so bad."
The mayor and other officials are in town this week with a
particular interest in Oak Ridge's efforts to deal with federal
downsizing and with the draining of the primary funding source of
a city historically critical to and relied on for national
security.
While there are many similarities between the two "nuclear"
cities, the differences are a world apart.
"These people are isolated, and they have what rogue nations
want," says Donna Burrell, program manager for the Oak Ridge
Center for International Threat Reduction.
"If we can help these people find employment that's meaningful Š
if we can help these families feed their children, then they will
not be as likely to sell what they have."
Burrell is part of a team huddling with the Russian officials in
just such an effort.
The center works though BWXT Y-12 with support from Oak Ridge
National Laboratory on issues of nonproliferation.
The Russian delegates toured the K-25 site Wednesday for a taste
of the Department of Energy's reindustrialization program. There
they saw how 13 million square feet of aging facilities could be
used to spur industrial development.
About 45 percent of the buildings at K-25, or East Tennessee
Technology Park, have been leased, mostly for cleanup through
BNFL. About 1.3 million square feet have been leased to 35
companies looking to grow locally.
Katargin and other Russian officials talked with those
industrial workers to get an idea of the market and technology
available here. The delegation also toured the Oak Ridge National
Laboratory , Technology 2020's Center for Economic Growth, the
Radiation Emergency Assistance Center Training Site, the Oak
Ridge Center for Manufacturing &Materials Science and other
economic development and technology transfer initiatives.
Besides Katargin, other Russian delegates included Gennadi
Melnikov, head of the Zheleznogorsk medical center, Pavel
Yakushin, deputy mayor, Sergey Usoltsev, director of the
International Development Center, and Ludmila Teplykh, leader of
the sister-city program and tourism project.
Zheleznogorsk, population 102,000, is sister city to Blount
County. About 9,500 of its residents are federally employed.
R. Cathey Daniels can be contacted at (865) 220-5515 or
danielsrcd@oakridger.com.
All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger
*****************************************************************
42 DOE seeks radionuclide limit increase (DUMPING IT INTO RIVER)
The Oak Ridger Online -- Area News --
Friday, October 4, 2002
by R. Cathey Daniels Oak Ridger staff
The city's environmental advisors want more time to review an
environmental assessment on a proposal to increase the city's
capacity to accept radionuclides into its wastewater treatment
process.
The proposal would also add treated discharges from the West End
Treatment Facility located at Y-12 Plant to the city's and Y-12's
sanitary sewer systems, rather than to East Fork Poplar Creek.
"Although we've heard that the state has bought into the
increase to 10 millirems per year, there is no precedent Š it's a
value judgment," said Ellen Smith, Environmental Quality Advisory
Board chairwoman.
"We need to do a thorough job because we are probably setting
the precedent for ourselves and for other communities," she said.
A millirem is a unit of radioactivity. The board met at 7:30
Thursday at the Municipal Building.
Lacking federal regulations for radionuclides, the city
currently works under a Department of Energy self-imposed limit
of 4 millirems per year.
"Four millirems per year is minuscule," said Joe Burchfield,
senior compliance specialist for Alliant Corp. which
sub-contracts with the DOE to handle wastewater issues. "Just
walking around, folks are getting about 300 millirems per year.
"The city is working under an ultraconservative limit."
Now there's a need for the DOE to increase that limit,
Burchfield said. While the Energy Department can save money by
using the city's wastewater treatment system, at the same time
that use cuts down the city's capacity to offer services to other
businesses.
"A big piece of our allowable loading was absorbed by our
acceptance of periodic sludges from ORNL," Public Works Director
Gary Cinder said this morning. A contract for dealing with the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory sludge was negotiated with the city
in the late 1990s.
"So what we told DOE was that either ORNL has to go some place
else or they (the DOE) have to increase the size of the pie that
can be allocated," Cinder said. "We want to protect our ability
to accept businesses into the community that might have
radioactive material in their discharges."
Both Cinder and Burchfield noted that Oak Ridge is likely the
most educated and well-equipped cities in the nation in dealing
with radioactive waste through the wastewater treatment system.
The dry sludge that results from the treatment process is "Class
A," which is clean to the point of being a commercially-viable
material, said Burchfield.
Currently the city "slings" the sludge on sites at the Oak Ridge
Reservation as fertilizer.
"We don't want to turn businesses away," Cinder said. "We're not
going to put the city's interest in harm's way for the sole
benefit of saving the DOE some money.
"As long as it's not too over-complicated for us, we're happy to
do what DOE wants us to do which is to keep it (the sludge) on
DOE lands," continued Cinder. "But if the no action alternative
is taken (the limit is not increased) all bets are off for
allowing the West End Treatment Facility into the system or the
continuation of ORNL sludges (through the city system)."
According to DOE's Mark Belvin, the only other choice for the
ORNL sludge is to ship it to Envirocare in Utah. Envirocare is a
low-level radioactive waste disposal and mixed waste treatment
facility.
As to sending the West End waste to the city and Y-12 sewer
systems, Burchfield said the DOE would be saving about $133,000,
with "negligible" impacts to those sewer systems. Burchfield said
that results from the environmental assessment show decreased
risk with discharging to the sewer systems rather than to the
creek.
The proposal has been in the works for years, with the state
signing off on the limit increase in 1999. The environmental
assessment was recently released on the project, and the public
has until Nov. 5 to comment. The EQAB voted to ask the DOE for an
extension of three weeks, which would allow the board another
meeting to comment and to submit that report to the Oak Ridge
City Council.
R. Cathey Daniels can be contacted at (865) 220-5515 or
danielsrcd@oakridger.com.
All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger
*****************************************************************
43 Green power to light up PNNL
This story was published Wed, Oct 2, 2002
By Annette Cary Herald staff writer
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory began buying slightly more
than 10 percent of its power from a Mid-Columbia wind farm
Tuesday, which could open the way for others in Richland to buy
"green energy."
The power purchase from the Stateline Wind Power Project between
Pasco and Walla Walla was arranged through the city of Richland.
Next, the city will survey its utility customers to see if others
are interested in buying wind power -- an option made easier by
PNNL's big purchase.
"What this really signifies for Richland is an opportunity for
choice," said Richland Mayor Bob Thompson.
But that choice could come with a price tag until wind power
costs drop, which is expected as the industry matures.
The 8.8 million kilowatt-hours the lab has agreed to buy will
cost about $96,000 more than it would have spent on power from
traditional sources.
Lab officials are hoping the purchase will jump-start the use of
clean wind power in the region -- diversifying its electricity
portfolio and stimulating a new energy economy.
"We think it's a good investment," said lab Director Lura Powell.
"When you have a major buyer it makes it more cost competitive."
The lab is leading by example and helping develop and promote the
use of renewable energy sources, said Richard Moorer, the
Department of Energy's deputy assistant secretary of renewable
energy.
With the Mid-Columbia's growing population, the region will not
be able to depend so heavily on power generated at major
Columbia-Snake river dams, Powell said. "We want something that's
green, safe, good for the environment and is always going to be
there," she said.
About two-thirds of the Northwest's power comes from hydropower,
which is not classified as renewable if it interferes with
salmon. Less than 1 percent of the Northwest's power comes from
wind. Most of the rest comes from coal plants and natural gas.
But the Mid-Columbia has the resources -- wind, sunshine and
biomass or agricultural leftovers -- that could be used to
generate renewable energy.
A prime example is the Stateline project, which started producing
power in July 2001. When complete later this decade, its 400
turbines will be able to generate about 270 megawatts at peak
capacity, with an average yield of about 100 megawatts.
Part of the impetus for the Richland lab to buy the green power
comes from DOE. "President Bush has called for a balance of
renewable energy and energy conservation" in his energy plan,
said Raymond Orbach, director of DOE's Office of Science, who is
in Richland this week for the lab's annual review.
Last spring DOE moved to buy 17 percent of the electricity at
agency headquarters from renewable sources.
"At the time, DOE issued a challenge to its laboratories and
other sites to step up and join them -- even surpass them -- in
incorporating the use of green power in their facilities," Powell
said.
DOE set a goal of each site purchasing 7.5 percent of its power
from green sources by 2010.
Before Tuesday, the Richland lab was far from that goal, buying
approximately 2 percent or 3 percent of its power from renewable
resources through the city. But the wind power purchase brings
its total to 13.7 percent, making it a leader among DOE
facilities.
Increased costs will be paid by savings from an aggressive energy
conservation program in the lab's research and office buildings.
Last year, it spent $250,000 less for energy than the year
before, freeing up money for renewable investments.
The lab has cut energy consumption per square foot by 25 percent
since 1990, said Mike Moran Jr., facility energy program manager.
Part of that has come from $13 million in energy-related building
improvements. The company also has emphasized energy savings when
awarding utility contracts.
And it has educated employees on ways to reduce energy, including
holding an energy reduction contest in eight buildings that led
to a savings of $1,000 per week. Those savings have been
sustained as employees continue to do things such as shut off
computers at the end of the workday, Moran said.
The purchase also is appropriate for the lab, which does about
$30 million of energy research each year. That includes work on
fuel cells and ways to make buildings more energy efficient.
Thompson expects Richland residents eventually to have more
choices in their power purchases, possibly through metering that
gives them price breaks for using power at low-demand times or
choosing alternatives such as green power.
But he expects the city to be cautious about green power
purchases that would raise power rates for everyone. More than a
third of residents are older than 65, and many are on fixed
incomes.
Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.
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44 Boeing reviving work on nuclear converter*
United Press International
Published 10/3/2002 11:45 PM
CANOGA PARK, Calif., Oct. 3 (UPI) -- With new funding from NASA,
Boeing is poised to restart development of a proposed
nuclear-powered electrical converter the agency is eyeing for
future robotic probes and human spacecraft, company officials
said Thursday.
"With nuclear power, you're moving all the time and you can slow
down when you want, achieve orbit and have tens of kilowatts of
power to do science," Richard Rovang, with Boeing's Rocketdyne
division, told United Press International.
"You could stay in orbit around another planet for tens of years
or you could do a tour of a number of different bodies," he said.
The Boeing proposal is being developed in an elaborate
partnership with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
Calif., and the agency's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, as
well as Honeywell Aerospace of Phoenix, Swales Aerospace of
Beltsville, Md., Auburn University of Montgomery, Ala., and Texas
A&M University of College Station. Also, the Department of Energy
is overseeing development of nuclear reactors for space systems,
while NASA is looking at electrical power converters and
propulsion systems.
The Boeing project is among three power conversion systems that
will be receiving NASA funds as soon as federal budget issues are
resolved for fiscal year 2003, which began Oct. 1.
"There are several different technologies for power conversion,"
said project manager Steven Johnson, with the Glenn Research
Center. For example, last year NASA unveiled plans to restart
nuclear research to power spacecraft dispatched beyond Earth for
scientific studies. Not only would the spacecraft have more power
and shave off years of travel time, but nuclear-powered craft can
be maneuvered more easily to handle a variety of missions, said
Johnson.
NASA officials said the agency has no plans to develop
nuclear-powered launch systems, however. That possibility is
being avoided because nuclear power has been controversial on
Earth for decades, with critics questioning the safety of the
systems. Nuclear's role in space also is questionable,
particularly regarding the subject of military systems.
Boeing's project, which is based on a technology called the
Brayton Power Conversion System, originally was designed in the
late 1980s under the first Bush administration, which launched a
program called the Space Exploration Initiative. That program was
aborted and the converter mothballed until this year.
"Using BPCS technology as a baseline concept will satisfy all
design requirements and minimize cost, development time and risk
to the program," said Rovang.
Key features of the technology already have been demonstrated in
jet aircraft and terrestrial power plants. Among the challenges
the team faces is designing a system that is small and
lightweight, yet able to operate at temperatures that surpass
1,600 degrees Fahrenheit.
The overall value of the contract is $7 million, with initial
funding of $1 million for a six-month study, said Rovang.
Separate contracts also will be awarded to teams led by the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in
Oak Ridge, Tenn., said Johnson.
(Reported by Irene Brown, UPI Science News, at Cape Canaveral,
Fla.)
Copyright © 2002 United Press International
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