***************************************************************** 10/28/02 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 10.278 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POLICY 1 NUCLEAR FIRM NEEDS MORE CASH 2 Conservatives pull the plug on nuclear power 3 NZ: No case for changing nuke law - PM 4 PM confirms money given to North Korea for energy alternative 5 British Energy seeks chief 6 Government seeks board changes at British Energy in return for rescu 7 What's the rush? 8 Former Iran president blasts "double standards" on terror* 9 N. Korea a nuclear menace 10 Diplomacy seen best for N. Korea 11 SECRET PERSONAL REASONS OF GEORGE BUSH?S WAR AGAINST IRAQ /* 12 Nukes seen as check to 'U.S. imperialists' -- 13 Japan: No North Korea Ties if Nukes Being Developed 14 *3 leaders bid North dismantle program* 15 North store put at 3-5 bombs* NUCLEAR REACTORS 16 US: Kucinich Investigates Near-Nuclear Accident NUCLEAR SAFETY 17 Clearer picture of radiation effects NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 18 US: DOE ships 15,000th drum of waste from INEEL 19 NRC Announces Extension of Opportunity to Comment on Louisiana 20 UK: Sellafield owners may sue for £100m bill 21 US: Yucca Mountain center of debate by candidates 22 *LES to provide grant to visit overseas plant* NUCLEAR WEAPONS 23 [FOUNTAIN]A concise history of the bomb* 24 US: 'Al-Qaeda may have nuclear capabilities' 25 Divided UN Security Council resumes talks on new Iraq resolution 26 *S.Korean spy chief warns North has 3 nukes* US DEPT. OF ENERGY 27 ORNL working on global climate change without a national strategy 28 ORNL Awards Night honors David for science, technology 29 Paducah Celebrates Plant's 50th Anniversary 30 DOE Completes Key Milestone in Cleaning Up Idaho Facility Last of 31 DOE ships 15,000th drum of waste from INEEL OTHER NUCLEAR 32 Senate to ask energy regulators if Calif. due refunds 33 Fellow Senators Honor Wellstone ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 NUCLEAR FIRM NEEDS MORE CASH 10:30 - 28 October 2002 British Energy is seeking further government cash to keep it afloat. Company may stay afloat The ailing nuclear generator, which employs 900 people at Barnwood, is currently being sustained by a £650 million government loan but that will expire on November 29. The cash was granted last month when the firm appeared close to collapse. It needs to secure annual savings of £280 million to survive. British Energy is hoping the Department of Trade and Industry will allow it to cut costs by renegotiating contracts with British Nuclear Fuels, which reprocesses its nuclear waste. At the moment, the power generator must pay BNFL a fixed charge, which does not take the price of electricity into account. British Energy claims that if the two prices were linked this would protect it from swings in electricity prices and save millions. British Energy currently owes the reprocessor £70 million. It is believed Whitehall has demanded management changes in return for further assistance and handouts. The electricity generator has confirmed that it has appointed headhunters Heidrick & Struggles to find a new chief executive to replace executive chairman Robin Jeffrey. The company could still go into administration or be renationalised but this now seems unlikely. British Energy provides one fifth of the country's electricity but has lost 96 per cent of its market value this year. It plans to hold an investor meeting on November 4 to increase its borrowing limit. By Geoffrey Lean and Andy McSmith 27 October 2002 Nuclear power has lost its oldest and most loyal political champion after a dramatic U-turn by the Conservative Party. The Opposition has in effect abandoned the controversial energy source by taking up a new position under which no more reactors could be built in Britain. The shift in policy is designed to put Tony Blair and his energy ministers on the spot by isolating them in their support for nuclear power as they put the final touches to a White Paper, to be published around the turn of the year. Now both opposition parties and many Labour MPs believe that no nuclear power stations should be built for the foreseeable future. But Mr Blair still wants to press ahead and construct new reactors. The new Conservative policy is the result of months of argument and negotiation between pro- and anti-nuclear members of the Shadow Cabinet. The compromise is a victory for the sceptics, buried under a layer of obfuscation. The policy was slipped out last week in a delicately balanced speech in a House of Commons debate by Tim Yeo, the shadow Trade and Industry Secretary. He insisted that a "responsible government" would want to keep the nuclear option "open", while laying down conditions that would certainly kill it off. These are that the price of electricity from nuclear power should in future reflect the "environmental costs" of generating it, including the massive sums that will be needed for decommissioning disused reactors and disposing of nuclear waste. As a sweetener to the industry's supporters in the Conservative Party, nuclear power would be exempt from the climate change levy the Government imposes on it, along with fossil fuels, even though it emits none of the gases causing global warming. Mr Yeo told The Independent on Sunday: "I am not ideologically pro- or anti-nuclear power, but the market must take account of the different environmental impacts of fuel generation. In the case of nuclear power that means the decommissioning and environmental costs." The change comes at a most sensitive time for the Government, which is reaching the climax of an internal battle over the future of nuclear power. Recently the balance has shifted in favour of nuclear power after the Treasury, which had opposed it on cost grounds, changed sides because it believed it would offer greater security of supply at a time of increased instability in the Middle Eastern oil fields. Last night Brian Wilson, the Energy minister, said: "My position is not to get engaged in a policy auction with the Tories but to meet the three criteria for energy policy ? security of supply, affordability and meeting our environmental objectives." By Nigel Cope, City Editor 28 October 2002 British Energy, the ailing nuclear generator, will this week step up its pressure on the Government to organise a financial rescue of the company, though the Government is understood to be seeking key management changes in return. British Energy is only being kept afloat by a £650m loan from the Government but the group wants to cut its costs by renegotiating contracts with British Nuclear Fuels, which reprocesses nuclear waste for the company. The current contracts commit British Energy to paying BNFL a fixed price for the reprocessing work, regardless of the prevailing electricity price. This means that if the wholesale price of electricity collapses, as has happened, British Energy is left trading at a loss. Instead, it wants to link the prices it pays BNFL to the wholesale electricity price. However, BNFL denied at the weekend that it is considering legal action over unpaid reprocessing bills which amount to about £70m. "British Energy has indicated they will pay and that is sufficient," a spokeswoman said. "British Energy is a key customer for us and we'd rather be part of the solution than part of the problem." British Energy would not confirm it is in talks with the Department of Trade and Industry over reprocessing charges. "The contract clearly needs to be addressed, but there are no new initiatives about to take place," the company insisted. British Energy confirmed that it had appointed the headhunters Heidrick & Struggles to find a new chief executive to succeed Robin Jeffrey, who is executive chairman. The company has said it would like to name a new chief executive before the end of its financial year in March. It played down suggestions the Government was trying to force Mr Jeffrey out, saying he might stay on as non-executive chairman. But industry sources say any stay of execution might be temporary and Mr Jeffrey might well leave the group within the next few months. Possible candidates for the job include David Gilchrist, the director of generation, Keith Lough, the finance director, and Duncan Hawthorne, who runs the Canadian subsidiary, Bruce Power. Reports at the weekend suggested British Energy's board has become ridden with factions and a poisonous atmosphere. British Energy needs to secure annual savings of £280m to survive. It had hoped to cut costs by winning exemption from the climate change levy, which is a cost levied against produces of fuels which are not environmentally friendly. This would save British energy £80m a year but Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, has ruled this out. In theory British Energy could still go into administration or be renationalised but both these outcomes are long-shots. Closing the company now would crystallise huge decommissioning costs while renationalisation would be seen as a retrogade step. British Energy is Britain's largest provider of low-carbon energy giving it an important role in meeting the country's targets to reduce the emission of carbon gases. British Energy has lost 96 per cent of its market value this year, and the Government has given it a loan until 29 November. The company plans to hold an investor meeting on 4 November to vote on a proposal to boost its borrowing limit to £1.6bn. Nuclear power is the subject of a Department of Trade and Industry review and a White Paper on the subject was supposed to be published before the end of the year. However, it may now be delayed until the spring. | Main News Monday, October 28, 2002 - 2002 IranMania.com TEHRAN, Oct 28 (AFP) - Iran's powerful former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has hit out at what he described as "double standards" in tackling terrorism, IRNA reported on Monday. *©2002 IranMania & AFP "While the Zionist regime (Israel) is ignoring United Nations resolutions and continues its occupation of Palestine without any objection from the big powers and is proud of stockpiling nuclear arms, the slogans of the so-called advocates of peace and justice cannot be trusted," he was quoted as saying. "As long as the world powers are exercising double standards in the international campaign against terrorism, the world will fail to put an end to the ominous phenomenon of terrorism," he was quoted as telling visiting Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss. The former president pointed to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's use of chemical weapons during his 1980-1988 war against Tehran, and accused European nations and the United States of hosting "Iranian terrorists." *©2002 IranMania & AFP* Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Rafsanjani served as Iran's president from 1989 to 1997 but has since carved out a powerful role for himself as head of the Expediency Council -- a supreme political arbitration body -- and as a close ally of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. ©1999-2002 IranMania Copyrights ***************************************************************** 9 N. Korea a nuclear menace Daily Yomiuri On-Line Yomiuri Shimbun The international community is set to make concerted efforts in urging North Korea to immediately end its nuclear weapons development program, which is seen as a breach of global trust. Leaders of Japan, the United States and South Korea issued a joint statement calling on North Korea to dismantle its nuclear weapons development program while keeping intact the 1994 Agreed Framework between Washington and Pyongyang, an accord aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons program. In the recent summit meeting between the United States and China as well as the meeting between Japanese and Russian prime ministers, China and Russia agreed to cooperate with Japan, South Korea and the United States in a joint effort to halt Pyongyang's nuclear arms development program. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which began Saturday in Los Cabos, Mexico, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sought member countries' cooperation in eliminating security threats including Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. A similar pledge is expected to be incorporated in the APEC leaders' declaration, which is to be issued after the two-day meeting. === Pyongyang predictably recalcitrant North Korea is urged to promptly respond to such concerns and warnings of the international community. The country must halt its nuclear development program unconditionally and immediately. However, North Korea, in response, refused to unconditionally dismantle the arms program. Moreover, its ambassador to the United Nations is repeating threatening remarks, claiming that the country reserves the right to possess powerful weapons other than nuclear weapons. But North Korea's brinksmanship, in which it attempts to win concessions in such fields as energy and financial assistance by flaunting its "nuclear card," is no longer effective. In his meeting with Japanese and South Korean leaders, U.S. President George W. Bush revealed his intention to deal with the issue through diplomatic channels. The U.S. administration is apparently placing top priority on its possible military attack on Iraq. Also, the United States is acting out of consideration to the South Korean government, which is particularly cautious about taking drastic measures against North Korea. However, in a press conference after the trilateral meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell indicated the possibility of taking drastic action against Pyongyang, saying that the U.S. administration will make a final decision after closely monitoring how North Korea acts in the next few weeks, including during the Tokyo-Pyongyang talks on normalization of diplomatic ties. If North Korea continues to ignore warnings, the international community must force the country to dismantle its nuclear development program through every possible measure, including the freezing of projects by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO). === Japan takes center stage In this regard, Japan bears a heavy responsibility. The international community is paying close attention to the outcome of the normalization talks set to open Tuesday. So far, the United States has been the sole nation to negotiate directly with North Korea on security issues, including the nuclear development program. However, North Korea has already deployed 100 Rodong missiles that have every town and island of Japan within their range. Pyongyang's nuclear development program, linked with the missiles, is an immediate threat to this nation. The Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration, which was issued by Koizumi and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il at their historic summit meeting on Sept. 17, promised compliance with all international commitments, including dismantling of the nuclear weapons development program. At the three-country summit meeting on Saturday, Koizumi declared that Japan would not conclude the normalization talks without North Korea's full compliance with the declaration. The Japanese government is urged to negotiate with North Korea in a resolute manner. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 28) Copyright 2002 The Yomiuri Shimbun ***************************************************************** 10 Diplomacy seen best for N. Korea Daily Yomiuri On-Line By Takayuki Tanaka Yomiuri Shimbun Corresopndent Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, U.S. President George W. Bush and South Korean President Kim Dae Jung said Saturday they will jointly pursue a diplomatic solution to North Korea's nuclear weapons development program. During tripartite talks held on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Bush said the United States would keep to the 1994 Agreed Framework between the United States and North Korea for an indefinite period, Japanese officials present at the meeting said. The framework commits North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons development program. In return, the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) would supply 500,000 tons of oil to North Korea for its energy needs until KEDO finishes building it two light-water reactors. A joint statement issued by the leaders after the talks said the three countries will urge North Korea to stop its nuclear arms program "in a prompt and verifiable manner" and show "full compliance" with all international agreements it has concluded. During the talks, the officials said, Koizumi called for a peaceful solution to Pyongyang's nuclear program. "It's imperative that the three countries form a united front and seek a peaceful solution (to North Korea's nuclear weapons development program) through persistent pressure," the officials quoted him as saying. He then explained to his U.S. and South Korean counterparts Japan's basic policy on the upcoming normalization talks with North Korea, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur, the officials said. According to the officials, Koizumi called the arms issue one of the most urgent items on the agenda, and said Tokyo will make normalization of ties contingent upon full compliance with the Sept. 17 Japan-North Korea Pyongyang Declaration, which calls in part for Pyongyang to meet the terms of its 1994 accord with Washington. In response, Bush reportedly said the United States had no intention of invading North Korea and was committed in the long term to resolving the arms issue without the threat of aggression, adding he was confident the issue would be settled in a satisfactory manner. According to the officials, Kim backed Koizumi's calls for a peaceful solution to the nuclear arms issue, and said Seoul could be counted on to lend a hand in long-term negotiations. Kim then urged the United States not to renege on the 1994 U.S.-North Korea accord, the officials said, quoting him as saying: "It's a fact that from its inception, the accord has indeed prevented North Korea from producing plutonium. We shouldn't help create a new crisis in which the North is allowed to produce weapons-grade plutonium for nuclear weapons." Bush reportedly agreed, and said the United States would keep a close eye on North Korea for the time being. At a separate press conference in Los Cabos on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced he will visit all nations concerned, including Japan and South Korea, in mid-November. Copyright 2002 The Yomiuri Shimbun ***************************************************************** 11 SECRET PERSONAL REASONS OF GEORGE BUSH?S WAR AGAINST IRAQ /* When I listened to the address of President Jacques Chirac to the Ninth Francophone Summit in Beirut, and recalled the press conference he held together with President Hosni Mubarak at the opening of the Alexandria Library, I understood how exceptional the man is in his stands, his vision and political philosophy, above all when he said, ?The Middle East has no need of new wars, but of peace and development?. This logic is in radical contradiction with the logic of the American Administration, so enamored of war. If President Chirac?s speech was historic in the full sense of the term, the positions of ordinary French people are no less clear and realistic. During my last stay in Paris, I discovered how far French public opinion doubts the credibility of American arguments in regard to war against Iraq. I?m not speaking of articles appearing in Le Monde, Le Figaro or Libération criticizing the obsession of the American cowboy -- an expression used by one commentator --, but the sound vision of the ordinary citizen, be he a newsagent, a florist or a habitué of a café on the Place Victor Hugo. So, someone may say to you, the explanations of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and even Colin Powell lack even a minimum of coherence or persuasion. A civil servant found strange the US focus on Iraq while Bin Laden is striking at vacationers in Bali, ?isle of the gods?, killing almost 200 persons, most of them Australians; exploding a bomb against the French supertanker Limburg off the Yemeni port of Mukalla; and attacking US Marines as they trained on the Kuwaiti island of Falaika. These facts must be seen in the context of the controversy among members of the US and European intelligence communities concerning the fate of Bin Laden and his associates, with some reports saying he is still alive and that his organization is recovering from the blows dealt to it in Kandahar, Khost and the caverns of Tora Bora. In its turn, the French media has raised tough questions: Jean-François Revel, the well-known commentator writing in Le Point: George W. Bush inscribed three states as members of the ?axis of evil?: Iran, Iraq and North Korea, on the basis of the fact that they were dangers to their neighbors and the world because of the arsenals of arms of mass destruction they possessed. Subsequently, North Korea has publicly acknowledged that it possesses nuclear weapons, despite an agreement with the United States that it would not make them. As for the Iranian nuclear program, all reports indicate that it is going forward and that the reactor at Bushehr, on the Gulf coast, will soon be operational. The weakest link in this chain is Iraq, after giving up its nuclear program following the destruction of the Ozirak reactor in 1981. Then ?Desert Storm? by Bush Sr. put out of use the country?s strategic infrastructure, which has subsequently been worn down by 12 years of sanctions. Why, therefore, is it necessary, the French writer wonders, to launch a fierce attack on a non-nuclear Iraq, threatened by a war whose electronic ?smart? bombs will take thousands of lives and erase the country from the map, while at the same time dealing diplomatically with a North Korea armed to the teeth, while Teheran makes no secret of its desire to possess its own nuclear weapon, like Pakistan, India and Israel? The answer to this question, must be sought in the following motivations: Personal vengeance: George W. Bush has never forgotten the attempt made to assassinate his father on April 1993, when the Kuwait police intercepted a booby-trapped car which had been set to explode on the road along which Bush père, his wife Barbara, his son Neil and his daughter-in-law Laura -- now America?s first lady -- were to travel. According to investigations by the CIA and the FBI, the Iraqi president was the instigator of the operation. Naturally, members of the current Administration deny that this incident has been taken into account in the decision to wage a war. However, Bush Jr. has recalled it on two occasions recently: once before the UN General Assembly last September 12, without citing the name of his father, saying, ?Among Saddam Hussein?s crimes [is] an attempt to assassinate a former American president?. Then, at the beginning of this month, during a Republican Party fundraiser, he said, ?This man tried to assassinate my dad?. Commenting on Bush?s statement, Bruce Buchanan remarked, ?The desire for vengeance is inflamed in the president?, and he noted that Bush had embarked on the election campaign in 2000 in the same frame of mind, setting out to fight Al Gore because he was the candidate of Bill Clinton, who had defeated his father in the presidential election of 1992. Lou Dubose knows Bush Jr. very well and has written a book about him which has sold millions of copies since it was published two years ago. ?Oil flows in his veins, not vengeance?. He notes the fact that the president and his second, Dick Cheney, are ?old oilmen?, and that a fixed objective of theirs since they were installed in the White House has been the discovery of new deposits of petroleum which can be exploited by American companies. In unleashing ?Desert Storm?, Bush Sr. did not hide the fact that oil was one of his strategic bets. And the focus on oil is no less evident in the present Administration, with its haste to build a pipeline from Baku to the Turkish port of Ceyhan while trying to block another intended to link Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan with the Gulf via Iran. Meanwhile, US oilmen are out and about throughout Central Asia, and when and if the US lays hands on the vast reserves of Iraq, it will bestride the area like a colossus, from the Gulf to the frontiers of China. Invoking ?divine inspiration?, Bush denounced the ?axis of evil? in his State of the Union message early this year. ?Many recognize God in misfortune?, he said. ?I have learned, in ?a state of divine inspiration?, that we are moving into a decisive decade in regard to the history of freedom, and I feel that I am called to play a role unique of its kind in human development?. Europeans wonder with sarcasm whether Divine Providence has confided to Bush Jr. the mission of liberating the world from Saddam Hussein and his weapons. Tactical calculations: But none of this cancels out the small political calculations made by Bush and his coterie, as the French commentator Claude Julien, observes: ?The Iraq issue and the psychological war have the objective of hiding domestic failures, such as the slide of stock market prices, the damaging strike of West Coast longshoremen, the rising unemployment, the economic stagnation, the scandals in corporate America. Thus, the Democrats are clamoring for an end to the Iraq hysteria so that domestic problems can be dealt with?. But Bush and his Administration have become the hostages of the ?Iraqi trap?. That is why there is need to make clearly heard the voice of reason, pragmatism on a scene where ears have been deafened by the sound of jackboots. ***************************************************************** 12 Nukes seen as check to 'U.S. imperialists' -- The Washington Times October 28, 2002      SEOUL (AP) — North Korea, under fire from the United States, Japan and South Korea for breaking its promise to give up nuclear weapons, said yesterday that it needed its weapons to fight the "U.S. imperialists."      The blast of vintage Cold War rhetoric from the isolated Stalinist state came one day after U.S., Japanese and South Korean leaders demanded North Korea stop trying to make fuel for atom bombs.      It was not clear whether the statement in North Korea's official Rodong Sinmun newspaper was a response to leaders from the three nations, who met during the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Mexico.      Another North Korean paper said yesterday that the Pyongyang government was willing to talk with the United States to allay fears about the nuclear weapons program, but only under certain conditions.      President Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung demanded Saturday that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program "in a prompt and verifiable manner."      The statement said, "U.S. imperialism looks down upon those countries weak in military power, forces them to accept its brigandish demands and makes them a target of its military intervention and aggression."      "As a stick is the best to beat a wolf, so are arms to fight with the imperialists," said the paper. "It is essential to readily cope with the moves of the reactionaries all the time."      It also said that victory does not depend on weapons, but on "political and ideological readiness."      Meanwhile, North Korea's Minju Josun newspaper reiterated the North's willingness to talk about its nuclear weapons program if Washington promises not to invade and takes other conciliatory steps.      "If the U.S. gives legal assurances of nonaggression, including no use of nukes against [North Korea] through the nonaggression treaty, [North Korea] will be ready to clear the U.S. of its security concerns," said Minju Josun.      The two reports were carried by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency.      The North's appeal for a "nonaggression treaty" with the United States came as U.S. officials tried to muster international pressure on the communist state to drop its nuclear program.      Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said Washington has no plans to open negotiations.      Earlier this month, North Korea admitted it had a secret program to manufacture weapons-grade uranium, violating a 1994 deal in which it gave up efforts to make atom bombs in exchange for fuel oil and two modern nuclear power plants.      The United States spends $100 billion annually on fuel oil for North Korea, while South Korea and Japan have agreed to pay about $4.5 billion for the power plants.      Both North Korea and the United States have declared the deal "nullified," though the Bush administration has not decided whether to keep sending shipments of fuel oil. ***************************************************************** 13 Japan: No North Korea Ties if Nukes Being Developed October 28, 2002 02:03 AM ET By Linda Sieg TOKYO (Reuters) - Showing solidarity with Washington, Japan's foreign minister said on Monday that Tokyo would not normalize ties with North Korea or give it economic aid unless Pyongyang scrapped its nuclear weapons program. But Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi added that Japan -- which is eager for progress on the emotional issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea -- would do its best to keep Pyongyang engaged in dialogue. "We are asking them to dismantle the program promptly and also in a verifiable manner," Kawaguchi said in an interview. "Unless they do it quickly, we are saying that our talks will not move forward," she told Reuters, a day before Japan and North Korea were set to resume talks for the first time in two years on establishing diplomatic ties. Japan has not, however, set a specific deadline for Pyongyang to respond to the demand to abandon its nuclear arms program, Kawaguchi said. She also acknowledged that talking tough with Pyongyang carried risks, including the possibility of endangering discussions on the fate of five surviving abductees now visiting Japan and of their families back in North Korea. "Of course, there is concern on the part of many people that, depending on the way that the negotiations go, we may have to incur some risk," said Kawaguchi, speaking in English. "We do not know what sort of response North Korea will give, and that's a great uncertainty," she said. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi laid the groundwork in September for a resumption of normalization talks when he won an unprecedented admission from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il that Pyongyang's agents had kidnapped Japanese citizens decades ago to help train spies. North Korea later admitted to U.S. officials that it had violated a 1994 agreement to abandon its nuclear weapons program, raising regional tensions and complicating the outlook for Japan's talks on normalizing ties with its former colony. TAKING THE CONSEQUENCES Japanese, U.S. and South Korean leaders agreed in talks on Saturday to demand that Pyongyang dismantle its nuclear weapons program in a "prompt and verifiable manner." President Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung did not spell out the consequences of inaction at their meeting, which took place on the sidelines of an Asian-Pacific leaders summit. One day later, though, they joined other Pacific Rim leaders in a statement warning Pyongyang that it could miss out on the economic benefits of regional cooperation if it failed to comply. Echoing that sentiment, Kawaguchi said it was in North Korea's own interest to comply with the demand to scrap the nuclear weapons program. "We feel that it's important for them to participate, and they will gain much by participating in the international community, and we would like them to do that," she said. Kawaguchi steered clear of predicting whether Japan would break off talks if there was no clear response to Japan's demand during two days of meetings in Kuala Lumpur starting on Tuesday. But she made it clear that Japan would not provide aid until the nuclear issue was resolved. "We will not normalize our relations unless they dismantle their nuclear weapons development program and we will not give any economic assistance before we normalize, so that means we will not give any economic assistance unless they dismantle the program," Kawaguchi said. HARMONISING STANCES Kawaguchi denied that Koizumi and Kim Dae-jung, an ardent advocate of a "sunshine policy" of engagement with the North, might be out of tune with Bush on how tough a stance to take. "We are standing together. There is no difference. We coordinate our actions. We exchange our views often, and we move together," she said. But she said the abduction issue remained a top priority for Japan in its talks with North Korea -- in tandem with the nuclear arms program. Tokyo is pressing for more information on eight Japanese kidnapped in the 1970s and 1980s who Pyongyang says are dead -- from suicide, illness or accident. Many Japanese believe that they are either still alive or the victims or foul play. "What they (North Korea) have disclosed is not enough to make us feel they are telling the truth," Kawaguchi said. Tokyo will also press for the seven children of five surviving abductees now visiting their homeland for the first time in a quarter century to be brought to Japan "so they can decide their future in a free environment," she said. Japan decided not to send the five -- two couples and a woman, Hitomi Soga, whose husband is a former U.S. soldier who defected to North Korea in 1965 -- back to North Korea, as tentatively scheduled on October 28, after their families in Japan demanded that they stay. The decision has put the abductees, worried about their families in North Korea, in a tough spot. ***************************************************************** 14 *3 leaders bid North dismantle program* *by Kim Chong-hyuk * Octorber 28, 2002 LOS CABOS, Mexico -- Leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan pledged to work together for a "peaceful Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons." Meeting on the sidelines of the two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering here, South Korean president Kim Dae-jung, U.S. President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi called upon North Korea to dismantle its nuclear program in "a prompt and verifiable manner." The joint statement issued Saturday by the three countries echoed the agreement between Mr. Bush and Chinese President Jiang Zemin reached in Texas on Friday. China, long the major ally of North Korea, supports "a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and wants peace and stability there," Mr. Jiang said after his meeting with Mr. Bush. China has been "completely in the dark" on the recent developments revolving the nuclear program, he said. In what the nearest reference to Pyeongyang's Friday proposal for a nonaggression pact, Mr. Bush reiterated the statement he made in Seoul earlier in the year that the United States has no intention of invading North Korea. The Blue House presidential aide for national security and foreign affairs, Yim Sung-joon, said there was no specific discussion by the three leaders about the nonaggression pact. Pyeongyang's Foreign Ministry asserted Friday that the United States had made a "declaration of war" by describing it as part of an "axis of evil" and by targeting the North for a nuclear attack. North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations, Pak Gil-yon, repeated in a press conference Saturday that Pyeongyang is ready to seek a negotiated settlement of the issue provided that Washington recognized its sovereignty and assured nonaggression. Asked to clarify a reference to a "weapon more powerful than nuclear weapons" made in Friday's statement, Mr. Pak said it was "entitled" to have a weapon "more powerful than that based on enriched uranium." In Mexico, the leaders expressed support for Japan's plan to normalize relations with North Korea, saying, "The talks can serve as important channels to call upon the North to respond quickly and convincingly" to international demands for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. Mr. Koizumi said that the normalization talks "would not be concluded" unless Pyeongyang moves to comply with its commitments on the nuclear issue. Continuation of dialogue between Pyeongyang and Seoul was also an important way to urge the North to scrap the nuclear program, the leaders said. By repeating Washington and Seoul's call for immediate dismantling of the North's uranium enrichment program, the three leaders said Pyeongyang's relations with the international community "now rest" on its actions. Relaying the 40-minute discussions by the leaders, Mr. Yim, the national security aide, said there was no discussion of possible actions to pressure the North, including economic sanctions. The United States is not expected to propose dialogue unless there is change in the North's position. ¨Ï 2002 JoongAng Ilbo , Joins.com . All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 15 North store put at 3-5 bombs* *by Ser Myo-ja * Octorber 28, 2002 China has warned the United States that North Korea may possess between three and five working nuclear weapons, twice the estimate of the U.S. intelligence community, a British newspaper reported yesterday. Quoting unnamed diplomatic sources, the Sunday Times reported that the figure was based on Chinese intelligence reports. The information was passed to American officials last week with a warning that "a confrontation with North Korea's erratic dictator, Kim Jong-il, would spell disaster," the newspaper said. The Central Intelligence Agency of the United States has long suggested that North Korea had obtained enough plutonium to build one or two weapons before the 1994 Geneva Agreed Framework froze Pyeongyang's program. According to the daily, China appeared to have concluded that Pyeongyang acquired enough uranium from a new program to make several more devices. Experts were quoted as believing that the North has miniaturized nuclear warheads to place on ballistic missiles. The missiles are capable of reaching Alaska, the newspaper said, but the Untied States worries that 37,000 troops in South Korea and bases in Japan would become targets. ¨Ï 2002 JoongAng Ilbo , Joins.com . All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 16 Kucinich Investigates Near-Nuclear Accident Yahoo! News - Oct 25, 8:55 AM ET The Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant near Toledo, Ohio, came narrowly close to having a nuclear accident, and U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich wants to know why. Kucinich held a congressional field briefing Thursday with First Energy Corp. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A gaping acid hole was discovered in March, and that forced the plant to close. Scientists said there were obvious signs of trouble missed by First Energy and the NRC for years. "It was a failure on our part to integrate all information. Nobody put the data together and connected the dots," said George Edgar, of First Energy. The NRC said First Energy must show significant changes before it's allowed to restart the Davis-Besse Plant. Copyright © 2002 NewsNet5.com. ***************************************************************** 17 Clearer picture of radiation effects BBC NEWS | Health | Monday, 28 October, 2002, 12:32 GMT [Scanner (VT grab)] The images are based on MRI and CT scans Virtual images are giving scientists a better view of how radiation exposure affects the body. The new 3D models allow physicists to calculate how much radioactivity accumulates in different parts of the body, when it is ingested or breathed in. The organ distances are exactly the same as in a real person Dr Maria Zankl They are known as "voxel phantoms", from the word voxel meaning volume element. Dr Maria Zankl of the Institute of Radiation Protection in Neuherberg, Germany, says the virtual models provide a clearer picture of the radioactive energy taken up by the internal organs. "The new voxel phantoms are a clear improvement over previous ones, since they have a very realistic internal anatomy," she said. "The organ distances are exactly the same as in a real person." Radiation sickness When a radioactive substance enters the body, it accumulates in bones and organs. This can lead to tissue damage, cancer or radiation sickness, depending on how much radiation someone is exposed to. The new method makes it easier for scientists to estimate how much radioactive energy is absorbed and released by different organs. It will be presented at a conference in London organised by the Society for Radiological Protection. © MMII | News Sources | Privacy ***************************************************************** 18 DOE ships 15,000th drum of waste from INEEL IDAHO FALLS ? The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it has shipped the 15,000th drum of plutonium- contaminated waste out of eastern Idaho. That meets a major cleanup deadline set for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in the state´s 1995 agreement with the federal government. After seeing shipments lag ever since the government´s underground dump in New Mexico opened in March 1999, the department dramatically increased waste shipments this spring. The DOE was required to ship 15,000 drums by the end of this year, and had set a target of mid-November for complying with that mandate. It finished three weeks early. Weather severely restricts waste shipments in the winter. The agreement now requires the government to move 9,700 drums of waste a year to New Mexico so the plutonium-contaminated waste will be gone by 2019. The Bush administration announced earlier this year plans to complete the work six years earlier. That could be affected, however, by a federal judge, who must decide whether the state is correct in demanding that buried waste, as well as waste stored above ground, be removed from INEEL under terms of the agreement. While the DOE had four shipping seasons to move the 15,000 drums, 9,900 of those barrels were shipped since Jan. 1, more than required each year in the future. ?Given the dedication, technical expertise and teamwork exhibited by everyone involved, I´m optimistic we´ll meet the goals of accelerating INEEL cleanup,? Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said. The 15,000th shipment left INEEL on Monday and reached the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., on Wednesday. Had the shipment requirement not been met, the court-enforced agreement gives the state the ability to block new shipments of high-level Energy Department waste to INEEL for temporary storage until the government gets back on schedule. Edition Date: 10-25-2002 ***************************************************************** 19 NRC Announces Extension of Opportunity to Comment on Louisiana Energy Services' White Papers NRC: News Release - 2002-125 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov [opa@nrc.gov] www.nrc.gov No. 02-125 October 25, 2002 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended the comment period on a series of white papers presented to the NRC by Louisiana Energy Services (LES), which address licensing issues for a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment facility proposed to be located in Hartsville, Tennessee. The comment period is extended to November 13 as a result of comments received at a recent public information forum sponsored by Trousedale County, Tennessee. On October 2, NRC published an opportunity for public comment on six LES pre-application policy issues, or white papers: 1) analysis of need for the facility; 2) environmental justice - addressing disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of the proposed facility on minority populations and low-income populations in the area; 3) financial qualifications; 4) antitrust review; 5) foreign ownership; and 6) disposition of depleted uranium. A public meeting was held on April 30 - prior to LES selection of the Hartsville site - to discuss these papers. Comments were submitted by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC). The LES white papers, the NRC meeting summary, as well as the DOE and USEC comments are available from the NRC Agency-wide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). Help in using ADAMS is available by contacting the NRC Public Document Room staff by telephone at 301-415-4737 or 1-800-397-4209, or by e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov [pdr@nrc.gov] . Single copies of the documents are also available for inspection and/or copying for a fee in the NRC Public Document Room, located at 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland. Interested persons are invited to submit comments by November 13, as announced in a Federal Register notice today. Comments should be submitted to Michael Lesar, Chief, Rules and Directives Branch, Division of Administration Services, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555. For further information, contact Timothy C. Johnson, Project Manager, Special Projects and Inspection Branch, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards (Mail Stop T-8A33), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555; or by telephone at 301-415-7299; or by e-mail at TCJ@nrc.gov [TCJ@nrc.gov] . Wednesday, October 30, 2002 ***************************************************************** 20 UK: Sellafield owners may sue for £100m bill Examiner [Sellafield nuclear plant] 28/10/02 By Mark Potter SELLAFIELD owner British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) is threatening to sue ailing nuclear power producer British Energy over stg£100 million (€158.7m) in unpaid bills according to industry sources. The bills are for reprocessing carried out by BNFL for British Energy, which is Britain's power producer, supplying about a quarter of the country's energy needs. British Energy warned in September it could go bust because of a steep fall in power prices that followed liberalisation of the energy market, prompting a stg£650 million bail-out by the British government. The company now has until November 29 to hammer out a recovery plan with the government and creditors such as BNFL. "There's a short-term issue, which is the stg£100 million and there's a long-term issue, which is the nature of the reprocessing contract between BNFL and British Energy. The two things have got rather caught up together which is why the money hasn't been paid," said the industry source. A spokesman for British Energy declined to comment on the threat of legal action. The industry source said British Energy could pay the money out of the funds provided by the British government, but that it was hoping for the debt to be recalculated as part of a more favourable new deal. The dispute was likely to be resolved, not least because BNFL is owned by the government which is deeply involved in trying to rescue British Energy, the source added. But for the time being, there were no signs of agreement. British Energy is currently selling power for less than it costs to generate it. Unlike other large producers, it has no retail customer base to balance the effect, and unlike other types of generator its reactors cannot be shut off when prices are low. © Irish Examiner, 2002, Thomas Crosbie Media, TCH ***************************************************************** 21 Yucca Mountain center of debate by candidates Las Vegas SUN October 28, 2002 By Erin Neff < [erin@lasvegassun.com] > Rep. Shelley Berkley said Sunday night in a live televised debate that if Democrats took over the leadership reins in the House of Representatives, Yucca Mountain would be dead. Berkley, D-Nev., said if Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., becomes speaker of the House, "he will stand up as he has with the state of Nevada and will cut all funding and gut the project." But Berkley's Republican challenger, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, shook her head negatively during Berkley's answer to a panelist in the KLAS Channel 8 debate in the 1st Congressional District race. Boggs McDonald said Democrats were in charge when Yucca was first narrowed to one of three potential sites for the nation's nuclear waste, and added said: "It was the Democrats who made it one site, Yucca Mountain." The two women also sparred over Social Security, prescription drugs, veterans affairs, school vouchers and Berkley's small business record. In response to Berkley's question about the Bush energy plan, Boggs McDonald said she supported drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWAR) in Alaska. Berkley said the environmental site needs to be protected and that alternative energies were a better solution to lessening America's dependence on foreign oil. Answering a question about the Bush education plan, Boggs McDonald said she didn't understand Berkley's sudden unhappiness with the No Child Left Behind Act because the congresswoman had voted for it and "it was put together by (Sen.) Edward Kennedy, (D-Mass.), who is another person you consider a hero." Boggs McDonald later derisively mentioned an ergonomics bill small businesses fought by saying "she worked with (James) Trafficant, (D-Ohio), on that one." Berkley, seeking her third term, said she was absolutely opposed to Boggs McDonald's plan to allow those under 50 to invest a portion of their Social Security taxes in savings bonds or the market. She said establishing such a program would cost billions and would take money away from current recipients. "I am not willing to sacrifice my parents' Social Security," Berkley said. Boggs McDonald said she thought her idea made sense to examine today given the fund's planned insolvency in an estimated 35 years. "I don't think waiting 35 years until I'm in my 70s is prudent," she said. Boggs McDonald also disputed Berkley's push to build a new veteran's medical clinic on 61 acres of downtown land seen as critical to city redevelopment efforts. She said a city building inspector found no structural problems at the Guy Ambulatory Clinic, and said vacating the building would only create a "white elephant" in the heart of the urban area. Berkley said she did not find it odd that her opponent could be the first black Republican woman elected to the House. "There aren't more in office because the positions and policies of the Republican Party are an anathema to the African Americans," Berkley said. "It doesn't matter if you're going to be the first at anything. You have to be the best." Boggs McDonald said she's been pleased with the level of support she has gotten from Republicans and she relishes the role "to make American history." Photo: Shelley Berkley and Lynette Boggs McDonald Las Vegas SUN main page All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 22 *LES to provide grant to visit overseas plant* Louisiana Energy Services (LES) last week announced it will provide an educational grant to the Four Lakes Regional Industrial Development Authority. The grant will allow area leaders to travel to Europe to see the prototype of the uranium enrichment plant LES has proposed to build in Hartsville, Tenn. The end product of the uranium enrichment process is used in the manufacturing operations of nuclear power plants. George Dials, LES chief executive officer, announced the grant would be used to defray expenses of the trip to Amelo, the Netherlands. LES information office manager Doyle Gaines said said the specific amount of the grant will be determined as the trip is organized and a budget finalized. ?Our goal is to provide as much information as we can to local officials and citizens of the region about the environmental and safety features of the state-of-the-art technology we will be using in our plant,? Dials said. ?The best way to demonstrate that is to visit an operating plant.? Gaines said the timing of the visit will be determined in conversations with Four Lakes officials. Four Lakes currently owns the land in Trousdale County on which LES wants to build the $1.1 billion plant. Four Lakes officials are currently considering whether or not to sell the land to LES. ***************************************************************** 23 [FOUNTAIN]A concise history of the bomb* *by Noh Jae-hyun * Octorber 27, 2002 The first country that tried to fulfill the dream of nuclear weapons was Nazi Germany. The leader of the nuclear weapons project was Werner Karl Heisenberg (1901-1976), one of the most excellent physicists of the times. Mr. Heisenberg was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1932 for his theory of quantum mechanics. He was also famous for his uncertainty principle. In his teens, Mr. Heisenberg was devoted to finding the origins of the German fatherland. He would hike through waste lands for weeks in his search. During such hiking, he would discuss the future of Germany with his companions. In September 1939, when Nazi Germany launched its nuclear weapons development program, Mr. Heisenberg applied for the research team. The research team progressed smoothly on the bomb's development. But the team soon ran into a problem. They needed heavy water to reduce the speed of neutrons, which were produced through the nuclear fission of Uranium 235. Mr. Heisenberg decided to get supplies from a heavy water plant in Norway, which was under the influence of Nazi Germany. When British leaders obtained that information, they sent 30 commandos to Norway to destroy the heavy-water plant. But they were wiped out by the German military. Britain sent a second special attack unit to Norway in February, 1943, which sabotaged the plant. Thanks to their success, the United States became the first country to develop atomic bombs. During the period leading up to the Second World War, Japan's army and navy also began to develop atomic bombs. But the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima crushed Japan's ambitions. Syngman Rhee, the first president of South Korea, also was interested in the development of atomic bombs in 1951. But he allegedly was duped by a Japanese scientist who said that he had participated in Japan's atomic bomb project. But later it was realized he was a mere battery technician and he was deported from Korea. In the 1970s, Park Chung Hee, the president of South Korea and Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, competed in developing nuclear weapons. The dream of nuclear weapons in South Korea ended the moment Mr. Park was assassinated. But the dream is still in progress in North Korea. Some South Korean politicians are neglecting the seriousness of the situation. The writer is a deputy international news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo. ¨Ï 2002 JoongAng Ilbo , Joins.com . All rights reserved. ***************************************************************** 24 'Al-Qaeda may have nuclear capabilities' Online edition of India's National Newspaper Monday, October 28, 2002 Washington, Oct. 28. (PTI): US security experts believe that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network may have some nuclear materials although its supposed stash, assumed to be hidden in Afghanistan, has not been found. According to the experts, the first clue came during last Christmas when low-grade Uranium-238 was discovered in tunnels near a former al-Qaeda base in Kandahar which was enough to make one "dirty" radiological bomb. The uranimum found in Kandahar is in theory suitable for a radiological weapon, but not a fission bomb, experts told The Washington Times. The fact that the retreating fighters from al-Qaeda and Afghanistan's Taliban regime chose to leave this behind when they took to the mountains has fueled suspicion that their nuclear crown jewels went with them, the report said. Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Energy Secretary for Non- Proliferation in the Clinton administration, said the al-Qaeda "may have acquired some nuclear materials, but here the range could be very wide: from depleted uranium or low-level radioactive sources (such as those used in smoke detectors), all the way up to weapons-usable material-highly enriched uranium or plutonium". [http://www.hinduonline.com/] | ***************************************************************** 25 Divided UN Security Council resumes talks on new Iraq resolution UN-Iraq 01:32 AM EST Oct 31 EDITH M. LEDERER UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The UN Security Council begins critical negotiations on a new Iraq resolution this week, still sharply divided over language that could trigger military action against Saddam Hussein. France, Russia and China - all veto-wielding council members - want the resolution to give Iraq a chance to co-operate with UN weapons inspectors. If Baghdad fails to comply, they want the Security Council to meet and only then consider military action in a second document. But the United States and Britain, the other two veto-wielding members, are demanding a single resolution. Secretary of State Colin Powell stressed Saturday that it must include "the threat of force and the threat of consequences . . . or we know that Iraq will not respond." The Security Council starts consultations Monday with a briefing from chief weapons inspector Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is in charge of nuclear inspections. Washington says it wants a vote this week on its tough resolution. Blix and ElBaradei are expected to be asked during the closed-door meeting about new rules to strengthen inspections in the U.S. draft. France's UN Ambassador Jean-David Levitte has said their assessment will be "very important." While the inspection rules are a key element of the resolution, the issue of authorizing military force is critical. In a surprise move Friday, Russia and France introduced their own proposals to challenge the U.S. draft resolution. Both eliminated two U.S. references to Iraq being in "material breach" of its obligations, which they view as a hidden trigger for military action. Russia, Iraq's closest council ally, wants to stick closely to current inspection rules. Its draft also eliminates a U.S. reference to the council repeatedly warning that Iraq will face "serious consequences" if it keeps violating its obligations to dismantle its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs. France, which sees itself as a potential broker between Washington and Moscow, wants to water down some U.S. inspection proposals. Its proposal would recall the council's warning of "serious consequences" - but only if the council convened to consider a report from inspectors that Iraq had failed to comply with the United Nations. The 15 Security Council members discussed the three proposals behind closed doors Friday. France said afterward that eight countries supported its two-stage approach: Mexico, Cameroon, Guinea, Ireland, Mauritius, France, China and Russia. Syria opposes any new resolution. An American official countered that the U.S. draft had equal backing - if not more - but did not identify supporters. For a resolution to be adopted, it needs at least nine "yes" votes and no veto by one of the five permanent members. U.S. Deputy Ambassador James Cunningham said Friday that the briefing by Blix and ElBaradei would help. But Powell said Saturday that prospects for a tough resolution may be slipping away and a compromise "may evade us." Bush spurred the resolution debate with his Sept. 12 address to the UN General Assembly warning that if the Security Council did not act decisively to disarm Saddam Hussein, the United States would take action on its own. Days later, Iraq announced it would allow UN weapons inspectors to return after nearly four years. Bush renewed his pledge over the weekend to mobilize a coalition against the Iraqi leader - without the United Nations, if necessary. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said it would be "not very hard at all" to assemble an alliance to confront Saddam without the United Nations. © The Canadian Press, 2002 ***************************************************************** 26 *S.Korean spy chief warns North has 3 nukes* United Press International By Jong-Heon Lee UPI Correspondent Published 10/28/2002 10:40 AM SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- South Korea's intelligence chief warned that North Korea built as many as three nuclear weapons in a plutonium program under way before a 1994 accord with the United States, officials said Monday. North Korea is believed to have extracted up to 48 pounds of plutonium and built from one to three crude nuclear weapons before it shut down its Soviet-designed weapon-grade plutonium producing graphite-moderated reactors, National Intelligence Service Director Shin Kuhn said in a report to Parliament. Under the 1994 Agreed Framework, North Korea pledged to freeze its nuclear weapons program in return for a U.S. promise to build safer light-water nuclear power plants for the nation. However, North Korea recently admitted that it has been pursuing a clandestine program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. "North Korea is suspected to have already secured 7-22 kilograms (15-48 pounds) of plutonium before the inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency in May 1992, and produced one to three primitive nuclear bombs," Shin said in the report. Previously, South Korea had estimated that North Korea had one or two nuclear bombs produced with up to 27 pounds of plutonium, a figure reiterated by Defense Minister Lee Jun. In a rare news release, the spy agency said Shin noted "uranium-based nuclear bombs are built in three stages -- research, test and production." South Korea is trying to figure out what stage the North Korean program has reached, Shin was quoted as saying. The release also said that U.S. and South Korean intelligence were investigating whether any bombs resulted from the North's second nuclear program that involves uranium enrichment. The South Korean government is trying to determine whether North Korea has conducted nuclear tests and if it has succeeded in reducing the weapons' size to fit onto missiles, Lee said. Despite rising demands of tougher actions against North Korea, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung stated he is opposed to any sanctions against the North, calling for international cooperation to seek a peaceful resolution to Pyongyang's nuclear issue. Opposition presidential candidate Lee Hoi-chang, who is the front-runner in public polls for upcoming elections, asked Kim's government to readjust the pace and size of economic assistance to the North until it halts its weapons programs. Copyright © 2002 United Press International ***************************************************************** 27 ORNL working on global climate change without a national strategy The Oak Ridger Online -- Area News -- Monday, October 28, 2002 by R. Cathey Daniels Oak Ridger staff As international global climate change talks wind down today in New Delhi, Tom Wilbanks is jetting toward Cochin, India, to affect that issue in a down-to-earth way. But his eye is definitely on the broader target. "The first priority of the United States should be to come up with a coherent plan for making a contribution to the global effort," said Wilbanks in a phone interview Friday. Wilbanks is head of the corporate research fellows at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and is on staff with the Environmental Sciences division. "If we're not (going to sign) the Kyoto Protocol, then we should state what we are going to do. That strategy has not come forward yet," he noted of the Bush administration's opposition to ratification of the 1997 international agreement to reduce climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions to below levels of the 1990s. Though most of the world's developed countries have endorsed the agreement, without the United States, the largest producer of greenhouse emissions, many say the treaty is severely weakened. Wilbanks said that though he thinks the treaty is "without much scientific basis" and "would not do much to reduce climate change," still, "joining would show the U.S. cares about the problem and wants to be part of the solution." But that hasn't happened, and scientists are still awaiting a better plan. "The president gave a speech in June of 2001 where he said that the U.S. does agree that climate change is a problem and that it needs to be addressed, and that we would come up with something better than Kyoto," said Wilbanks. "We are still waiting to see what that's going to be." So progress is made on different fronts, minus a national strategy. "Global climate change can seem pretty far off," said Wilbanks. "So it makes sense to take adaptation actions that relate to other agendas." Such as looking at how cities in developing countries deal with drought and heavy precipitation through better management of river systems, or changes in building codes to make houses more resilient in coastal areas and floodplains. Cochin, a coastal city that could see significant economic and social suffering due to changes in precipitation and rises in sea level, is the first developing city assessed for climate change impacts. And ORNL is doing the assessing. "This is the first time anybody's ever done a climate change assessment on a city in a developing country, and looked at what they can do to reduce their vulnerabilities," said Wilbanks. "This project is being featured at New Delhi by the U.S. government to show that the U.S. really does care about this issue." The Cochin project is expected to generate in the next six to nine months a self-assessment Internet tool to help developing countries evaluate their own vulnerabilities. Also ORNL drafted the strategic plan for an initiative through a Senate bill now in conference committee. The Clean Energy Technology Exports program is wrapped in the bill which has trade, security and environmental implications. "It would commit the U.S. government to a very large effort in improving technology for energy markets," said Wilbanks. "The Department of Energy is saying it is assuming that the bill will become law and that it will spend $100 million per year from 2003 to 2011." In addition, "it's important what we do to reduce our own emissions without a national government commitment," said Wilbanks. "And a lot is happening in a decentralized way." For example, Wilbanks noted, cities in Oregon are committing to reducing greenhouse emissions and becoming part of climate protocol programs. "I think as we do more in a decentralized way, it's just a matter of time before that broader concern feeds back into our national policy." And don't rule out progress being made at the international level. At the New Delhi conference delegates from several developing countries, such as India and Mexico, are expected to announce their commitment to becoming part of a solution. "That's news," said Wilbanks. "That's significant, and I think if a few more are willing to talk about this I believe it would have a significant influence for the U.S. to join in also." The Cochin project is funded by ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program. Besides Wilbanks, other researchers on the project are Paul Leiby, Bob Perlack, Tim Ensminger, Sherry Wright and Stan Hadley. R. Cathey Daniels can be contacted at (865) 220-5515 or danielsrcd@oakridger.com. [http://www.oakridger.com/contact/index.html] [http://www.oakridger.com] All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 28 ORNL Awards Night honors David for science, technology accomplishments The Oak Ridger Online -- Area News -- Monday, October 28, 2002 Stan David was honored for his accomplishments in science and technology during Oak Ridge National Laboratory's annual Awards Night presentation held Oct. 25. David was presented the Director's Award for Individual Accomplishment in Science and Technology. A 25-year veteran of ORNL, he is a UT-Battelle corporate fellow and leader of the Materials Joining and Nondestructive Testing Group in ORNL's Metals and Ceramics Division. David was recognized for his research into weld solidification behavior and the impact it has had on engineering problems related to weld cracking. The research has led to ORNL's performing collaborating work with international petrochemical and aerospace companies. David also was cited for his research in the area of intermetallic alloys with companies such as Bethlehem Steel, his work in helping to develop neutron scattering facilities for residual stress measurements, and his service on various panels that have studied welding-related problems. Young Soo Kwon of the Research Reactors Division was presented the Director's Award for Individual Accomplishment in Laboratory Operations for his leadership role in planning and resolving environmental, safety, health and quality issues during and after an accidental tritium release at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. Kwon was recognized for overseeing operations related to identification, mitigation and recovery following the release. The Director's Award for Outstanding Team Accomplishment went to a group from the Engineering Science and Technology Division that developed ORNL's automated image retrieval technology used in semiconductor research. The team is composed of Kenneth W. Tobin, Regina Ferrell, Shaun S. Gleason, W. Bruce Jatko, Thomas P. Karnowski and Bobby R. Whitus. William Eugene Comings of ORNL's Operational Safety Services earned the Director's Award for Individual Accomplishment in Community Service. Comings utilizes his dog to bring joy and comfort to seniors in assisted living who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Comings also works through the University of Tennessee's Human Animal Bond in Tennessee program. Charles C. Coutant of the Environmental Sciences Division earned the Distinguished Scientist Award for his extraordinary scientific contributions over a 32-year career at ORNL, which include publications in the area of thermal effects of power production on aquatic ecosystems that have influenced two generations of policy makers, and leadership in restoring river systems affected by hydropower development. Michelle V. Buchanan of the Chemical Sciences Division earned the award for R leadership by a division or program director. She was recognized for sustained R leadership and management of the Chemical Sciences Division and outstanding support of the laboratory's scientific missions. John C. Wagner of Nuclear Science and Technology earned the Early Career Award for Engineering Accomplishment. The award was for excellence in engineering research that has led to the application of enhanced analysis methods to improve utilization of Monte Carlo radiation transport and has provided a technical basis for regulatory decision-making. Jian Shen of the Solid State Division earned the Early Career Award for Scientific Accomplishment for his pioneering approach to the study of magnetism in nanostructured materials. Steven J. Zinkle of Metals and Ceramics won the award for R leadership by a front-line manager. He was honored for his outstanding leadership of ORNL's fusion materials program and the Radiation Materials Science and Technology group in the Metals and Ceramics Division. Recipients of the award for scientific research by a team were Bennett C. Larson of Solid State and Gene E. Ice of Metals and Ceramics for the development of submicron-resolution, three-dimensional X-ray structural microscopy using polychromatic X-ray microbeams. Other awards presented included: Christina M. Poole of the Environmental Sciences Division won the award for exceptional volunteerism within ORNL by an individual. She was recognized for her initiative, leadership and personal commitment to programs that make the Environmental Sciences Division a better place: language classes for staff whose native language is not English; exemplary award nomination packages for staff members; and volunteer efforts for Veterans Day, Coats for the Cold, Ronald McDonald House and the Thanksgiving food drive. The award for exceptional volunteerism by a team was presented to a group that included Wendell G. Ely, Nina Jean Roberts, Sherry E. Brown, Nancy C. Getsi, Robin Lambert Graham, Deborah W. Knox, S. Kaye McGinty, Ron Parr, Myra J. Rose and Swati Wilson. Representing a cross-section of ORNL divisions, the group organized and publicized Team UT-Battelle's participation in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's Race for the Cure that raises money for breast cancer research. Jeffrey E. Christian of the Engineering Science and Technology Division earned the Science Communicator Award for extraordinary ability to effectively communicate his knowledge of his division's research capabilities and successes. He was described as "the ultimate science communicator." In the area of administrative support (exempt payroll), J. Kyle Johnson of Staffing Management and Diversity Programs earned an award, and in the category of administrative support (nonexempt payroll), Sharon D. Curd of Engineering Science and Technology was honored. Steve Cline of Environmental Sciences was recognized in the area of integrated safeguards and security management for his contributions to the development of Facility Protection Agreements for his division's facilities and for his full commitment to the ISSM theme, "Science and Security Working Together." Martin Schweitzer of Environmental Sciences received an award in the workforce diversity category for outstanding coordination and leadership of the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering Program, a minority pre-college student program with Oak Ridge High School. In the secretarial support category, Kathy McIntyre of Engineering Science and Technology was honored. For administrative and operational leadership by a front-line manager, the recipient was Mike B. Farrar of Research Reactors. For bargaining unit support by a team, the award went to the Craft Resources and Facilities Management group that included Norm Kurtz, John Q. Bui, Larry DeLoach, Timothy E. Golden, John H. Johnson, Anthony McBee, John G. McCarter and D.B. Valentine. Two awards for operations support by a team were presented. One was to a multi-division group that included Robert Baird, Angela Calloway, Lisa A. Copeland, Roy L. Etheridge, Ronald J. Geouque, Al Guidry, Susan G. Hiser, M. Jack Liles, Barry R. Miller, Virginia L. Miller, Will Minter, Joel E. Pearman, Nicole E. Porter and William Thornton III. This group was honored for its outstanding and influential achievements and contributions to the Spallation Neutron Source Project, the Department of Energy, ORNL and the East Tennessee procurement community through innovative procurement strategies, standardized procurement activities and incentive plan initiatives. The other award went to the multi-divisional team of Tim Myrick, Arthur S. Bland, William R. Emanuel, Richard C. Griffin and Mahendra Lakumb for their groundbreaking roles in interacting with the state of Tennessee in addressing issues relating to the transfer of DOE land to the state and in managing ORNL-state relationships that led to the planning and construction of the Joint Institute for Computational Sciences and the Oak Ridge Center for Advanced Studies. For technical support, the award was presented to Tonia L. Mehlhorn of Environmental Sciences for her breadth of knowledge and skill in supporting all aspects of hydrological and geochemical transport research in the Environmental Sciences Division. [http://www.oakridger.com] All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 29 Paducah Celebrates Plant's 50th Anniversary energy.gov - Headquarters' Press Release RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2002 PADUCAH, KY. -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham traveled to Kentucky today to participate in the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant's 50th anniversary celebration. "To the employees of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, past and present, to the people of Paducah and surrounding communities, to the management and employees of the nearby plants that make the uranium enrichment process work, I thank you for the 50 years of dedicated, essential work and support for our national security," Energy Secretary Abraham said. The community event recognized the workforce and the facilities built to support the mission of the plant, including the Tennessee Valley Authority's Shawnee Steam Plant, Electric Energy Inc.'s Joppa Steam Plant and Honeywell's Metropolis Uranium Hexafluoride Conversion Works. Each of these facilities has played a large part in the plant's success over the past 50 years. In 1952, the Atomic Energy Commission built it's second uranium enrichment facility, the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The plant's role was important then and remains so today as nuclear fuel enriched there by USEC, Inc. helps supply electricity for homes and businesses in the U.S. and around the world. "The uranium enriched here at the "Atomic Plant" and at our Portsmouth and Oak Ridge facilities went to make the weapons that protected our nation during a critical time in our national history. You made the fuel that powered our nuclear navy, helped fulfill our requirements for enriched uranium for defense purposes, and at the same time produced the fuel for civilian nuclear power plants that today supply 20 percent of America's electricity B and 17 percent of the electricity used in the world," Abraham said. The celebration's central event was the official unveiling of a new three-panel floodwall mural by artist Robert Dafford commemorating the plant. U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, Congressman Ed Whitfield and Kentucky Governor Paul Patton were among the elected officials in attendance. The celebration was arranged by a committee whose goals are to engage the region in celebrating the positive impacts the plant has made in the Paducah area for the past 50 years and to demonstrate the successful long-term relationship between the Paducah Plant and the community. Media Contact: Jill Schroeder Vieth, 202/586-4940 Dolline Hatchett, 202/586-5806 Walter Perry, 865/576-0885 Release No. PR-02-226 ***************************************************************** 30 DOE Completes Key Milestone in Cleaning Up Idaho Facility Last of 3,100 Cubic Meters of Transuranic Waste Leaves State Two Months Ahead of Schedule, Arrives at WIPP Disposal Facility energy.gov - Headquarters' Press Release RELEASE DATE: October 24, 2002 WASHINGTON, DC — The final shipment of transuranic waste to meet a 3,100 cubic meters project milestone, agreed to by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the state of Idaho, was shipped from DOE's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and has safely arrived at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico—two months ahead of schedule. "Moving waste out of Idaho is an important step forward for INEEL employees and the citizens of Idaho, but also for the department. We could not have achieved this very important milestone without the strong support of the Governor and the entire Idaho congressional delegation. It proves that working together we can meet our commitments and cleanup goals," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said. "There is more work to be done and more goals to reach and we can accomplish these objectives by moving forward with our accelerated cleanup programs in Idaho and other states." "Jessie Roberson, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, her staff and contractors deserve special credit for reaching this important goal," Secretary Abraham added. Removal of the 3,100 cubic meters of transuranic waste—roughly 15,000 55-gallon drums—was a commitment in the court-ordered Idaho Settlement Agreement signed by DOE, the state of Idaho and the U.S. Navy in 1995. That agreement laid out commitments for DOE to manage and remove waste from the state of Idaho. Completion of this milestone maintains 100 percent compliance with the requirements of the 1995 court order. The shipment left INEEL on Oct. 21, arrived at the repository on Oct. 23, and was downloaded into the underground at the repository on Oct. 24, beating the Dec. 31, 2002, completion date. INEEL has been shipping transuranic waste to the repository at a rate of 14 to 17 shipments per week since mid-July to meet the milestone. The department's New Mexico based National Transuranic Program, which facilitates shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, was an important partner in assisting INEEL to accomplish this milestone. Program management designated INEEL as the priority-shipping site and has ensured that INEEL had enough shipping containers, trucks, trailers and drivers to move the waste. A project history can be found at www.inel.gov/environment/3100.shtml [http://www.inel.gov/environment/3100.shtml] . INEEL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting DOE's missions in environment, energy, science and national security. Media Contact: Tom Welch, 202/586-5806 Tim Jackson (INEEL), 208/526-8484 Release No. PR-02-227 ***************************************************************** 31 DOE ships 15,000th drum of waste from INEEL The Idaho Statesman - Always Idaho 10-25-2002 [http://www.idahostatesman.com/] IDAHO FALLS — The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it has shipped the 15,000th drum of plutonium- contaminated waste out of eastern Idaho. That meets a major cleanup deadline set for the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory in the state´s 1995 agreement with the federal government. After seeing shipments lag ever since the government´s underground dump in New Mexico opened in March 1999, the department dramatically increased waste shipments this spring. The DOE was required to ship 15,000 drums by the end of this year, and had set a target of mid-November for complying with that mandate. It finished three weeks early. Weather severely restricts waste shipments in the winter. The agreement now requires the government to move 9,700 drums of waste a year to New Mexico so the plutonium-contaminated waste will be gone by 2019. The Bush administration announced earlier this year plans to complete the work six years earlier. That could be affected, however, by a federal judge, who must decide whether the state is correct in demanding that buried waste, as well as waste stored above ground, be removed from INEEL under terms of the agreement. While the DOE had four shipping seasons to move the 15,000 drums, 9,900 of those barrels were shipped since Jan. 1, more than required each year in the future. “Given the dedication, technical expertise and teamwork exhibited by everyone involved, I´m optimistic we´ll meet the goals of accelerating INEEL cleanup,” Gov. Dirk Kempthorne said. The 15,000th shipment left INEEL on Monday and reached the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., on Wednesday. Had the shipment requirement not been met, the court-enforced agreement gives the state the ability to block new shipments of high-level Energy Department waste to INEEL for temporary storage until the government gets back on schedule. Edition Date: 10-25-2002 ***************************************************************** 32 Senate to ask energy regulators if Calif. due refunds The Oakland Tribune Monday, October 28, 2002 - 2:59:03 AM MST By Lisa FriedmanWASHINGTON BUREAU WASHINGTON -- Pat Wood III, chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, will tell the U.S. Senate this week whether his agency was "asleep at the switch" in its oversight of the Enron Corp. The Tuesday hearing before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee was in the works long before former Enron trader Timothy Belden pleaded guilty on Oct. 17 in connection with market manipulation in California. But Senate aides said questioning of Wood -- along with commissioners Linda Breathitt, Nora Brownell and William Massey, also scheduled to testify -- would zero in on California and whether the state is due the $8.9 billion in refunds as Gov. Gray Davis claims. In the meantime House Energy Committee spokesman Ken Johnson downplayed chances that Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La., would hold a similar hearing. Noting that the committee is in the midst of several investigations -- of Qwest, Global Crossing and ImClone, to name a few -- Johnson said the committee has limited resources. "Clearly there's a limit to what we can do and how fast," he said. Johnson also claimed credit on behalf of the committee for mitigating energy prices in California. "That calls for a pat on the back, not a kick in the butt," he said, referring to California Democrats who have assailed Tauzin and the committee for failing to hold hearings on the role market manipulation played in power crisis. Johnson said Tauzin instead is focused on ways to prevent "round trip" trading -- a practice perfected by Enron in California, by which one company sells power to another and then simultaneously buys it back at the same price. With midterm elections just over a week away, congressional scorecards have been shooting out left and right. Well, mostly from the left. And the results are, as ever, predictable. High marks went to Bay Area Democrats this week from both the Alliance for Retired Americans (affiliated with the AFL-CIO) as well as the League of Conservation Voters. Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, George Miller, D-Martinez, and Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, received 100 percent marks from both liberal groups. The Alliance for Retired Americans, which blasted Congress for failing to pass a prescription drug benefit this term and accused lawmakers of using the Social Security surplus to support deficit spending, also gave flawless scores to Reps. Lynn Woolsey, D-Marin, Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, Pete Stark, D-Fremont, and Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose. The group criticized Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Napa, and Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, both of whom describe themselves as moderate Democrats, with an 80 and 70 percent score respectively. Both incurred the displeasure of the senior citizens' group for voting to lower the estate tax and in favor of a GOP pension plan that allowed workers to be advised by people with a vested interest in the securities recommended. The League's environmental group also criticized the two "Blue Dog" Democrats. Thompson earned a 91 percent rating for voting to move the Farm Bill forward without caps on subsidies and additional government compensation programs, as many environmental groups wanted. The group gave Tauscher an 86 percent because of her vote to give President Bush sweeping trade authority and to create a radioactive waste repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Sen. Barbara Boxer received a 100 percent rating from the Alliance and 96 percent from the League. The Alliance gave Sen. Dianne Feinstein 90 percent, detracting points for voting to pass the FY02 budget resolution that included President Bush's $1.3 trillion tax cut. The League gave Feinstein an 80 percent rating for voting in favor of the "fast track" trade bill and in favor of an energy bill that defined garbage incinerators as a source of renewable energy. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, the region's only Republican, received expected low marks from both groups -- a 0 from the Alliance and 9 percent from the League. He earned those few enviro-friendly points for voting against creating a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain -- a vote Pombo said at the time was based on his belief in states' rights. You can contact Lisa Friedman at (202) 662-8731 or email her at lisafriedman@angnewspapers.net [lisafriedman@angnewspapers.net] The Oakland Tribune [http://www.oaklandtribune.com ***************************************************************** 33 Fellow Senators Honor Wellstone Las Vegas SUN October 28, 2002 ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON- Fellow senators remembered Paul Wellstone Monday as a man who always followed his conscience, even if it meant taking the unpopular view or being on the losing side. "He was respected by people who didn't agree with him because they knew that he was speaking from his heart, speaking from his soul, speaking what he truly believed," said fellow Minnesota Sen. Mark Dayton of Wellstone, who was killed Friday in a plane crash in northern Minnesota. Dayton and three other Democratic senators gathered on the Senate floor to eulogize Wellstone and approve a resolution expressing the Senate's "profound sorrow and deep regret" on the deaths of Wellstone, his wife and daughter, three staff members and two pilots in the crash. It noted that Wellstone, one of the Senate's most liberal members, "worked tirelessly on behalf of America's veterans and the less fortunate, particularly children and families living in poverty and those with mental illness." The Senate is in recess and few senators are in Washington. Some, including Wellstone, have been campaigning for re-election. Wellstone's desk in the back row of the Senate chamber was draped in black felt with a fresh flower arrangement on top. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., noted that Wellstone "rubbed some people the wrong way" when he first came to Washington in 1991 because he was determined to change the world. "These very people became the people who cared most about him in many ways in the final analysis because they realized that everything he said and everything he did was not about himself but about the people he wanted to represent." "He had courage," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "Paul Wellstone could not vote against his conscience." Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also spoke of the deep affection people working in the Capitol had for the late senator. The resolution is S. Res. 354. All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: *****************************************************************