***************************************************************** 01/29/02 **** RADIATION BULLETIN(RADBULL) **** VOL 10.25 ***************************************************************** RADBULL IS PRODUCED BY THE ABALONE ALLIANCE CLEARINGHOUSE ***************************************************************** NUCLEAR POLICY 1 Spain power cos to receive 482 mln eur in 2002 to offset nuclear 2 Bulgarian premier says "no need" for ministers to quit over 3 Bulgarian premier says concerns over Kozloduy nuclear plant 4 UK: The true costs of cheap energy: We have change our wasteful 5 US: Reid, Ensign, Guinn, Rhoads received contributions from Enron 6 Bulgaria: Opposition to protest during premier's visit to nuclear 7 Bulgarian president stresses "regional importance" of nuclear 8 Bulgaria: Former Speaker says premier's nuclear policy "verges on 9 US: White House, GAO May Go to Court 10 US: Won't ID Execs in Energy Talks 11 US: Editorial: Defense of secrecy a losing bet NUCLEAR REACTORS 12 Nuclear power unit repaired at Russia's Balakovo station 13 US: NRC to Revise Meeting Policy to Enhance Public Participation 14 US: Millstone won't have nuclear around its neck anymore 15 Kakrapar atomic power station to be upgraded NUCLEAR SAFETY 16 Dubai: New section planned for radiation protection 17 Radioactive containers in Georgia still dangerous NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE 18 Sellafield tour raises TDs' terror fears 19 Politicians visit Sellafield 20 US: Nuclear Waste Battle Heats Up 21 US: Frequent spills plague Australian uranium mines 22 Radioactive metal melting plant planned launch halted 23 Russia: Siberian environmentalists urge referendum on nuclear 24 US: Cal. Junkets to Yucca waste site come under scrutiny 25 US: NRC Issues Final Policy Statement on Decommissioning Criteria fo 26 Nuclear Fuel Deal Stalls Over Prices 27 US: Letter: Yucca Waste route 28 US: Four-year experiment on Yucca Mountain rock temperatures conclud 29 US: Mayor reports mixed success on anti-Yucca efforts 30 ANOTHER SAFETY SCANDAL SHAMES EUROPE'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY 31 US: Independent Review Questions Approval of Yucca Mountain 32 US: Nuclear Waste Battle Heats Up 33 US: Letter: The 'right party' has work to do in Yucca fight 34 US: Letter: Focus on how nuke dump can help Nevadans 35 US: Spent-Fuel Foes Turn To Blumenthal 36 Calls for further meetings over Sellafield 37 US: Perma-Fix Completes Successful Treatment of First Shipment of 38 MOX security defended as Irish politicians visit plant NUCLEAR WEAPONS 39 US experts arrive in Russia to study submarine-scrapping 40 Kazakhstan contributes to thermonuclear reactor project 41 India planning to build 2 nuclear subs 42 US for pact with Pakistan, India on nuclear devices 43 Czech Debt Deal (with russia) Gets Even Murkier US DEPT. OF ENERGY 44 [BATN] Letter: DOE must close Livermore's East Avenue 45 Composite Power Signs Long-Term Lease With DOE for Power Plant 46 Vit spending bill could get tanked 47 Activists Allege Local Lab Emits Tritium Pollution 48 Livermore Lab names new engineering head 49 DOE will assess risks to wetlands 50 Questions from disabled worker from Piketon plant OTHER NUCLEAR 51 Irradiation of Food and Mail 52 IAEA Daily Press Review Date 2002-01-28 Number 13 ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** FULL NEWS STORIES ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** 1 Spain power cos to receive 482 mln eur in 2002 to offset nuclear moratorium AFX Europe; Jan 29, 2002 MADRID (AFX) - Iberdrola SA, Union Electrica Fenosa SA and Endesa SA are to receive 482 mln eur from the government in 2002 to offset the impact of the nuclear moratorium, El Pais reported, citing a new sector regulation. According to El Pais, the power companies are still owed 2.752 bln eur in compensation for having to shelve their nuclear energy projects due to the moratorium. Citing comments by sector regulator La Comision Nacional de la Energia (CMT) chairman Pedro Merono, El Pais said the CMT plans to analyse power supply and demand levels every two months with the aim of ensuring future requirements are met. tr/jdy/cml World Reporter All Material Subject to Copyright ***************************************************************** 2 Bulgarian premier says "no need" for ministers to quit over nuclear plant BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 29, 2002 Text of report in English by Bulgarian news agency BTA web site Kozloduy, 28 January: "There is no need for ministers' resignations," Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg said on Monday [28 January], replying to a journalist's question as he was touring the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The PM also said he was surprised to find that newspaper headlines are a far cry from what is actually happening. The press has detected a "mood" for replacement of some cabinet members. Source: BTA web site, Sofia, in English 28 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 3 Bulgarian premier says concerns over Kozloduy nuclear plant ungrounded BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 29, 2002 Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, who paid his first-ever visit to the disputed Kozloduy nuclear power station, has said that neighbours' concerns over the plant's safety are ungrounded and that he is impressed with the measures aimed at ensuring the plant's safety. Speaking about his attitude to the European Commission's recommendation that the units three and four be closed, which is resisted by Bulgarian politicians and experts, the prime minister said: "Efforts are going that way." The following is the text of report in English by Bulgarian news agency BTA web site Kozloduy (northern Bulgaria), 28 January: During the talks with the EU on the future of Kozloduy nuclear plant's units three and four a balance will be sought between the two sides' interests, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg said at a meeting with the plant's power engineers. The prime minister paid his first visit to the plant Monday [28 January]. The prime minister thanked the power engineers for their efforts to ensure the plant's safety. "Now that I have seen all this, I think that our neighbours' concerns are ungrounded." "With admiration and gratitude for this visit of mine, which will remain unforgettable," Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg wrote in the visitors' book of Kozloduy nuclear plant at the end of his visit. "This is a unique plant of which any country would be proud. I am impressed with the people's morale and the high qualification of the power engineers," the prime minister told journalists at a briefing. The issue of the plant's safety is the most discussed one and the most important one not only for the staff, but for Kozloduy, for the country and for Europe, he added. The prime minister said he was very pleased with the words of the plant's executive director, Yordan Kostadinov, that 60 important technical problems have already been settled and that another two are soon to be resolved. Taking up a question what decision he will take on the future of units three and four, the prime minister said he shares the fears they might have to be closed early, adding that any decision will be taken after consultations and will be in the best interests of this country. Energy Minister Milko Kovachev added that any hasty decisions would be unwise. "Emotions are not the best of advisers. Let's not overreact, let's be nationally responsible," the energy minister appealed. Kovachev pointed out that the forthcoming mission by the International Atomic Energy Agency in late June is extremely important as it will give an assessment of the design and operational safety of units three and four. The energy minister announced that he will move to cabinet by 31 January a concept for national energy strategy. It is to be presented for public discussion by 15 March. The EU, including on the future of Kozloduy's units three and four, will be based on the final draft, said Kovachev. [Sentence as received] The international circles believe that Bulgaria is playing a stabilizing role in the Balkans and that one of the prerequisites for this is its energy network, said the prime minister. He, however, added that energy consumption per unit of GDP is much higher in this country than in the EU members and applicants, and this makes Bulgarian produce incompetitive. Saxe-Coburg assured the 5,000-plus staffers of the plant and the residents of Kozloduy that the government will prepare a programme for the region's economic and social development. "We will seek the best solution which will protect the country's strategic interests, and this means your and my personal interests, l [as received]" said the prime minister. Responding to a question whether a referendum on the future of the four older units is necessary, the prime minister said that the public is united in its opinion on this matter, but that a referendum would leave Europe unaffected. "Negotiations are to be held but we have still not discussed any specific time-frames," said Saxe-Coburg, adding that "it is normal that we should stick by our commitments to Europe". The plant's executive director, Kostadinov, presented the PM a model of a 440-MW reactor. Tight security measures were introduced in connection with the visit, which started 20 minutes ahead of schedule, attracting great media interest. Media reports about mass protests en route to the plant proved wrong. At a road junction near the village of Hurlets the prime minister ordered the motorcade to halt to meet with a group of representatives of VMRO - Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization. They were carrying slogans reading: "Kozloduy N-Plant: A Guarantee for Bulgaria's Security", "Your Highness, Stay Away from Kozloduy" and "Belene - Future for Bulgaria". The prime minister told the VMRO people: "Europe is very insistent, Europe will help us a lot, Europe will give us a lot. A referendum will not offer a solution to the problem. We have to pay this high price because Europe will compensate us." The prime minister was welcomed in Vratsa and the nearby visit of Borovan by a group of representatives of the national youth union for the protection of the nuclear plant. They insisted on a strong national stand in protection of the plant's four older units. Saxe-Coburg visit comes after less than a week ago [when] he said [that] Bulgaria should stick by its commitments to the European Commission concerning the older units of the plant. Responding to a question whether the country will take into consideration the European Commission's recommendation for the closure of three and four, he said, "Efforts are going that way." His answer triggered a wave of negative reactions by politicians and experts. Under a memorandum with the European Commission Bulgaria must close units one and two by 2003. By the end of 2002 Bulgaria and the European Commission must reach an agreement on the deadline for the closure of units three and four. The European Commission's recommendation is 2006, while Bulgaria's wish is for 2008 and 2010, respectively. Source: BTA web site, Sofia, in English 1742 gmt 28 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 4 UK: The true costs of cheap energy: We have change our wasteful ways now, or else . . . The Guardian - United Kingdom; Jan 29, 2002 FOUR YEARS ago, a colleague decided to change in one go all the lightbulbs in his house to long-life, energy- efficient ones. When the first bill came, he saw that he had saved at least pounds 30 and was delighted. But within days the electricity company had sent an investigator round because they believed he had been fiddling the meter. To be fair, the inspector understood immediately why the bill had gone down and didn't even bother to test the meter, but energy saving is still regarded by many people with suspicion. The culture goes right back to the industrial revolution, and until very recently the official attitude has been that Britain has limitless supplies of coal (or oil, or nuclear power). As anyone in the energy savings business knows, getting people to use less, switch off, insulate, leave their car behind or think about the full costs of energy production can be like trying to wean Dracula off blood. The British are addicted to energy, specifically that generated by fossil fuels. Any major city at night tells the same story. Giant offices lit like Christmas with no-one in them, shops ablaze and shut, thousands of street lights lit over empty streets and houses and businesses heated like the tropics. The present problems of energy profligacy go back to the 1980s when Britain began privatising electricity companies. The sell-off was based on what is now considered the old-fashioned free market idea that selling more and more was a good thing. The idea of conservation was never written into the legislation because it never occurred to Mrs Thatcher's government, or the companies, that it might be beneficial. The regulators were in turn charged mainly with keeping the price down and the consumer was encouraged to think that energy had no environmental or social costs attached. As expected, our electricity consumption continued to soar. But government should not take all the blame. Industry and consumers have fought against energy taxes and even the smallest measures to improve efficiency. The proposed European carbon tax was bitterly fought and became politically unviable and the oil companies, including Shell and BP together with coal-mining companies, were all members of the Global Climate Coalition which spent millions of pounds denying global warming and lobbying against action on the climate front. They have since left the coalition as the scientific evidence of global warming becomes irrefutable, but the world's biggest oil company Esso (Exxon) remains deeply sceptical that man's activities are in any way responsible. Meanwhile, most car-makers spent years refusing to improve engine efficiency, even though it is more than possible to double it. Housebuilders have always tried to water down legislation forcing them to instal more insulation or use better materials. The truckers managed to drive a hole through the fuel escalator legislation which automatically raises petrol prices each year to try to enourage people to use less, the roadbuilders have always fought hard for more roads, the renewables industries have long been denied funds to help them grow. Even getting high-efficiency lightbulbs onto the market took years. In the past few years there have been significant changes and distinct signs of a culture change, says the Association for the Conservation of Energy. The electricity companies have all worked closely with local authorities, housing associations and others to develop small energy-efficiency schemes, and the Labour government, spurred by international obligations to reduce emissions, has now ratcheted up weak legislation. From April, energy providers will have to demonstrate they have saved significant amounts of energy, probabaly about 6% over three years. It is expected that this in turn will be increased after 2005. Meanwhile the climate change levy, initially rejected by industry, has come into force and is expected to save 2.5m tons of carbon emissions by getting companies to save energy. The warm home bills will force authorities to insulate and save energy in the 5-6m households which suffer what is known as "fuel poverty", officially spending more than 10% of their disposable income on keeping warm, and all electricity suppliers must get 10% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Regulation, rather than enlightened self-interest has forced the changes, but several are now moving towards becoming energy service providers rather than just electricity sellers. It's a major culture change, and exactly what is needed to address the problems. John Vidal ***************************************************************** 5 Reid, Ensign, Guinn, Rhoads received contributions from Enron Elko Online News By ADELLA HARDING, Staff Writer WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said Monday he believes a continued investigation is necessary into Enron Corp.'s financial failing. Enron's troubles sent shock waves around the country and cost Nevada's public employees $22 million. "It is critical that Congress and the federal government take the necessary actions to safeguard investors and employees from such future travesties," Gibbons said. The congressman also said he was "deeply disappointed to learn t hat hard-working Neva dans who invested in the PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) lost an estimated $22 million because of the financial scandal." "Other Nevadans may have also lost thousands of dollars due to the actions of officials employed at this once well-respected corporation," Gibbons said. Locally, reports from two investment advisers indicate, however, that at least their clients didn't lose big money on Enron, an energy trader that was the seventh largest corporation in the United States. Shaw n Bledsoe of Edward Jones said today that her office "didn't have anyone in Enron. Our analysts warned us away from Enron." She said Edward Jones started "shying away about a year ago so our exposure was minimal." Still, she said everybody has been affected by the Enron disaster "since the debacle makes people more nervous about investing." On the brighter side, she said the Enron disaster will lead people to scrutinize investments more closely, and there will be more research on companies . The auditing industry also will be shaken up, Bledsoe said, referring to the scandal that now includes the firm of Arthur Andersen LLP, which was Enron's auditor. Kurt Neddenriep at the Elko Morgan Stanley office said that other than through mutual funds that may have held Enron, Morgan Stanley clients weren't much affected. Most mutual funds only hold 3 to 4 percent of any one company in their portfolios, however, so the hit would be minimal to those who hold mutual funds with Enron sh ares, he said. Neddenriep said he had discouraged clients from Enron for the past couple of years because the company "had such lofty ratios" of price to earnings. In other words, the stock was overpriced. Enron peaked in August of 2000 at $90.75 per share, he said. It was 41 cents today, now that the company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Neddenriep said he doubted Enron will make it out of Chapter 11, however, and will end up bankrupt. He said he had one client wit h 10 shares of Enron and two who bought shares at $2 in hopes the proposed merger with Dynergy Inc. would go through. Hearings are under way in Congress on Enron, even as campaign contributions from the corporation are being disclosed. Gibbons' office reported Monday he never received any contributions from Enron or Andersen. Nevada's two senators, however, did receive Enron contributions. Republican John Ensign received $7,500 and Democrat Harry Reid received $1,000. Reid spokesman Tessa Hafen confirmed this morning that the senator received $1,000 and "plans to donate the money to charity, a Nevada charity." He hasn't decided which one yet, however, she said. Ensign spokesman Traci Scott said today that Ensign did receive money, "and we're still trying to figure out what to do." Gov. Kenny Guinn also received money from Houston-based Enron, $5,000, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Guinn was looking at giving the money b ack, but wasn't sure how to do so. A number of state legislators also received Enron contributions since 1998, including Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, who wasn't available for comment. Seven Republican assemblymen and 17 Democrats are on the list, while four other Republican senators besides Rhoads received the contributions and three Democratic senators. Assemblyman John Carpenter, R-Elko, and Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain, aren't on the list of those receiving Enro n money, however. Campaign consultant Mik e Slanker told the Review-Journal those receiving contributions got them before there was any trouble with Enron. Republican state senators receiving money in addition to Rhoads included Bill Raggio, Ray Rawson, Ann O'Connell and Mike McGuinness. Republican assemblymen included Dawn Gibbons, Lynn Hettrick, David Brown, Greg Bower, Merle Berman, Sandra Tiffany and Barbara Cegavski. Democratic senators on the list are Dina Titus, Mike Schneider and Ray Shaffer. Democratic assemblymen receiving Enron contributions include Richard Perkins, Barbara Buckley, Joe Dini, Wendell Williams, Roy Neighbors, Harry Mortenson, Kathy McClain, Genie Ohrenschall, Mark Manendo, David Goldwater, Chris Giunchigliani, Tom Collins, Doug Bache, Bernie Anderson, Jerry Claborn, Sheila Leslie and John Lee. The Review-Journal compiled the names from two national groups, the Center for Responsive Politics and National Institute on Money in State Politics. ***************************************************************** 6 Bulgaria: Opposition to protest during premier's visit to nuclear plant BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 27, 2002 Sofia, 27 January: Deputy National Assembly Chairman Asen Agov MP of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) demanded the resignation of the management of the Kozloduy N-plant for not having officially distanced itself from the statement of Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha on an early closure of generating units three and four of the N-plant. The prime minister's statement takes Bulgaria further away from Europe and verges on betrayal, Agov told reporters in Vratsa (northwestern Bulgaria) Sunday [27 January]... The leader of the SDS organization in Kozloduy, Ivo Simeonov, said the SDS will hold a protest rally on Monday when the prime minister is expected to visit the N-plant... Source: BTA web site, Sofia, in English 27 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter All Material Subject to ***************************************************************** 7 Bulgarian president stresses "regional importance" of nuclear plant BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 27, 2002 Sofia, 27 January: The formulation of Bulgaria's stand on the future of the Kozloduy N-plant should take into account the opinions of Bulgarian and European experts, as well as of civil associations, President Georgi Purvanov told representatives of the National Civil Committee for the Kozloduy N-Plant at a meeting on their request Sunday [27 January]. Bulgaria should carefully consider the social and economic dimensions of the future of the N-plant, Purvanov said. The process of formulating Bulgaria's stand should not be accompanied by euroscepticism and negativism as some may avail themselves of this, Purvanov said. According to the Bulgarian head of state, Bulgaria's stand should consider the great regional importance of the Kozloduy N-plant. Purvanov and the members of the civil committee agreed that the updated Government Strategy on the Development of Power Engineering should take into account the opinion of civil structures as well. The representatives of the committee presented the head of state with their solutions to technical problems of the plant and a legal analysis of documents signed between Bulgaria and international organizations on the future of the N-plant, the chairman of the committee, Stefan Vodenicharov, said... Source: BTA web site, Sofia, in English 27 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 8 Bulgaria: Former Speaker says premier's nuclear policy "verges on treason" BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 27, 2002 Text of report in English by Bulgarian news agency BTA web site Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg's statement on the closure of generating units of the Kozloduy N-plant is irresponsible and verges on treason, the former National Assembly chairman, Yordan Sokolov, MP of the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) told reporters in Pleven (northern Bulgaria). Sokolov said that if the "government of the Simeon II National Movement continues in the same spirit, the SDS would be fully justified to move a no-confidence vote." Electricity prices will soar by at least 40 per cent if the first four generating units of the Kozloduy nuclear plant are closed, former Energy Committee chairman Nikita Shervashidze said on Darik Radio [on] Saturday [26 January]. Electricity generation costs at the Maritsa-East thermoelectric power station are twice as high as those at the N-plant - 4 cents, he added. Rumen Ovcharov, deputy chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and former energy minister said that the closure of the first two generating units will be compensated by the Varna and Bobov Dol thermoelectric power plants which use imported coal. The closure of the first two generating units will increase electricity prices between 8 and 28 per cent, Ovcharov added. Source: BTA web site, Sofia, in English 26 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 9 White House, GAO May Go to Court Las Vegas SUN January 28, 2002 WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney says the Bush administration's refusal to identify business executives who met with him and his aides concerning energy policy probably will end up in court. Amid the Enron Corp. scandal, Cheney on Sunday defended President Bush's right to withhold the information, prompting accusations by some Democrats of White House stonewalling. The head of the General Accounting Office, Congress' investigative arm, said he will decide this week whether to sue to force the White House to turn over documents on the meetings last year with representatives of energy companies. They included the now-collapsed Enron, a Houston-based concern with deep ties to Bush. On television interview shows, Cheney acknowledged that the dispute "probably will get resolved in court." Last week, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer had left open the possibility of a compromise, but he said Monday that Bush was determined to maintain the right of a president to seek advice without fear of the talks becoming public. "I think it is to stop the decline of the power of the presidency that have taken place the last 35 years or so," Fleischer said. The stance cemented a standoff between Bush and the GAO. Asked directly whether the administration is taking any steps to avert the lawsuit, Fleischer offered none. He seemed to firmly close the door on negotiations by repeating the White House stance on the issue and declaring: "Only GAO can decide if they're going to sue." "The ball is in the White House's court," Comptroller General David Walker, who heads the GAO, said Sunday in a telephone interview. The White House said recently that representatives of Enron, an energy trader that was ranked as the seventh-largest U.S. corporation, met six times on energy issues last year with Cheney or his aides. "Who were these Enron officials? What did they discuss? And what role did they have in shaping national energy policy?," asked Scott Harshbarger, president of the private group Common Cause. "The public deserves answers to these questions. Keeping this information secret only fosters suspicion and cynicism." In a letter, Harshbarger urged Walker to sue if necessary to persuade the administration to disclose the identities of all participants in the energy task force meetings. "Disclosure of this information has become even more crucial to the public interest in the light of the Enron scandal," he wrote. Thousands of employees and big and small investors nationwide lost fortunes in Enron's plunging stock as the company spiraled into the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history on Dec. 2. The Justice Department is pursuing a criminal investigation of Enron and its longtime auditor, the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating since Oct. 31. Eleven congressional panels also have opened inquiries. Asked whether anything in the energy plan was included specifically for Enron or at its urging, Cheney replied: "I can't say. I'm sure they supported many parts of it. ... I can't say a particular proposal came from them." Cheney also defended the conduct of Army Secretary Thomas White, a former vice chairman of Enron's energy services division, which reportedly was one of the units used to conceal the company's huge losses. Enron overstated its total profits by more than $580 million since 1997. White has "always conducted himself in an ethically fine manner," Cheney said. "There's no evidence to indicate anybody did anything wrong in the administration." The vice president's comments raised the prospect of a battle over presidential privilege reminiscent of the Clinton administration's bitter Whitewater disputes with Republican lawmakers. Democratic leaders said the White House is making a serious mistake, and they predicted Enron would be a looming issue in this year's election campaigns. "The American people have a right to know what the facts are," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. "I think the administration needs to open up, to be willing to be forthcoming with all the information regarding these circumstances." Cheney insisted that providing the list of industry executives would harm his ability to receive advice in the future. "Now that would be unprecedented ... in the sense that it would make it virtually impossible for me to have confidential conversations with anybody," he said on "Fox News Sunday." "You just cannot accept that proposition without putting a chill over the ability of the president and vice president to receive unvarnished advice." Cheney's comments escalated the months-old dispute between the White House and Congress' GAO over documents related to his task force that formulated a pro-industry national energy policy last May - including expanding oil and gas drilling on public land. The administration has refused to fully disclose its contacts with the energy industry, but Cheney said his office already has given congressional investigators numerous documents. Cheney spoke as a New York Times/CBS News Poll said a majority of Americans believe the administration is hiding something or lying about its dealings with Enron. On ABC's "This Week," Cheney said, "Now the fact is, Enron didn't get any special deals. Enron's been treated appropriately by this administration." --- On the Net: The Cheney task force's energy plan: http://www.fe.doe.gov/general/energypolicy.shtml [http://www.fe.doe.gov/general/energypolicy.shtml] All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 10 Won't ID Execs in Energy Talks Las Vegas SUN Today: January 29, 2002 at 3:20:12 PST WASHINGTON- President Bush says he won't identify to congressional investigators the business executives with whom he discussed energy policy. Bush said that as president he reserves the right to hold private consultations. "In order for me to be able to get good, sound opinions, those who offer me opinions, or offer the vice president opinions, must know that every word they say is not going to be put into the public record," Bush said Monday. "It's an encroachment on the executive branch's ability to conduct business." The head of the General Accounting Office, Congress' investigative arm, said he would decide this week whether to sue to force the White House to turn over documents on the meetings Vice President Dick Cheney held with business executives as he crafted a national energy policy last year. The companies included the now-collapsed Enron Corp., a Houston-based energy broker with deep ties to Bush. The White House has said representatives of Enron met six times last year with Cheney or his aides to discuss energy issues. In an interview with CNN, Cheney said Monday the administration made these same arguments against disclosure with the GAO last summer, and the agency backed off at that time. "I think because they know they've got a weak case," he said. "What's happened now, since Enron's collapse, is the suggestion that somehow now the GAO ought to come back and get this information," Cheney said. "The collapse of Enron in no way, shape or form affects the basic principles we're trying to protect here. This is about the ability of future presidents and vice presidents to do their job." Congressional Democrats, however, accused the White House of stonewalling. Philip Schiliro, chief of staff to Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., senior Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, said the GAO is not seeking the records of internal deliberations within the administration, as the White House says; investigators want only the names of the company officials or lobbyists and the subjects they brought up. Bush dismissed the political implications. "This is not a political issue. This is a business issue that this nation must deal with," Bush said. "Enron made contributions to a lot of people around Washington, D.C. If they came to this administration looking for help, they didn't find any." The Justice Department is pursuing a criminal investigation of Enron and its longtime auditor, the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been investigating since Oct. 31. Eleven congressional panels also have opened inquiries. --- On the Net: The Cheney task force's energy plan: http://www.fe.doe.gov/general/energypolicy.shtml [http://www.fe.doe.gov/general/energypolicy.shtml] All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 11 Editorial: Defense of secrecy a losing bet Las Vegas SUN Today: January 29, 2002 at 8:42:59 PST In May 2001 the Bush administration unveiled its national energy strategy, a plan that tilted heavily in favor of the energy industry at the expense of the environment. A month later the General Accounting Office told Vice President Dick Cheney that he would have to comply with a congressional request to release the names of lobbyists and business executives who met with his energy task force, which played a large role in drafting the administration's plan. But more than a half-year later, Cheney and the Bush administration still have refused to turn over the names to the GAO, the investigative arm of Congress. Over the weekend Cheney showed no signs of backing down, based on the comments he made during appearances on the Sunday morning television news programs. The vice president insists that the White House is ready to go to court to block the release of the records, a fight that is hard to see the president winning. Cheney contends that if he is ordered to release the names, future vice presidents would be unable to have a conversation in confidence with anyone because of the possibility that what was talked about ultimately would have to be disclosed to Congress. But Cheney is muddying the waters, as has been pointed out by David Walker, the head of the GAO. The fact is that a governmental task force has to abide by federal open meeting laws, which would include the release of the names of those people who met with the group. "It's about his capacity as chairman of the national energy policy development group," Walker told the New York Times. "From day one, this has not had anything to do with the constitutional position of the vice president." Indeed, Walker believes that the White House intentionally put the vice president in charge of the task force so that a clai m of executive privilege could be made in an effort to duck oversight. In light of the collapse of Enron, one of the nation's largest companies and a big contributor to George W. Bush, there is an effort by members of Congress to find out what influence the former energy giant might have played in setting public policy. Nevadans have more than a passing interest in whether the records are released, but for a different reason: Yucca Mountain. One of the key components of the Bush-Cheney energy plan was a renewed emphasis on nuclear power and the need to build a nuclear waste dump. President Bush soon will have to make a decision on Yucca Mountain now that Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has recommended that 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste be buried just 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Just which executives of the nuclear power industry met with members of the task force and the vice president? Exactly what kind of favorable treatment did the nuclear power industry ask for? Before the president makes his decision on Yucca Mountain, Neva! dans should know just how much influence the nuclear power industry had with the task force, especially since the Bush administration has placed a nuclear waste dump on a fast track. In order for government to maintain the confidence of its citizens, it has to operate in the open. The White House's refusal to let the public know exactly which industry executives played a role in setting the administration's energy policy does nothing to improve confidence in government. It only serves to reinforce the impression that big campaign contributors will have the most access and will be able to shape policy. The electric, gas and nuclear power industries got just about everything they wanted in the Bush administration's energy plan, a strategy developed by a task force that didn't hold public meetings. It could take years to decide the court case, which certainly isn't in the public's interest. Unless the president wants public confidence in his energy policy to drop even lower than it currently is, he should end the stonewalling and agree to the GAO's request for the names of people who met with Cheney's task force. All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 12 Nuclear power unit repaired at Russia's Balakovo station BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 28, 2002 Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 28 January: The capacity of the third power unit at the Balakovo nuclear power station [in Russia's Saratov Region on the central Volga] was lowered to 670 megawatt at 1410 [presumably local time] on Monday [28 January] as a result of the circulator shutdown, the press centre of the Rosenergoatom concern has announced. The capacity was increased to the normal level at 1707 [presumably local time], after the malfunction was fixed. No departures from safety standards were registered. The second, third and fourth power generating units of the nuclear power plant are currently in operation. The first energy unit is under scheduled repairs. The radiation levels inside and outside the Balakovo nuclear power station are normal and do not exceed natural background levels. Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1824 gmt 28 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 13 NRC to Revise Meeting Policy to Enhance Public Participation NRC: Press Release - 2002 - 10 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov [opa@nrc.gov] Public Affairs Web Site No. 02-010 January 28, 2002 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has decided to revise its meeting policy to encourage and enhance the opportunity for participation by members of the public, as well as their ability to interact with the NRC in a timely manner. The revised policy, the result of an ongoing initiative by the agency to improve communications with the public, will identify three categories of NRC meetings and outline public participation opportunities for each. It also will enable people to listen and participate by telephone in NRC-sponsored public meetings, when requested and feasible. In public meeting notices and other appropriate documents, the NRC will encourage the public to provide comments or questions in writing as a means of facilitating public participation and staff follow-up. The first category of NRC meetings under the revised policy involves those typically held with one licensee, vendor, applicant or potential applicant or petitioner to discuss regulatory issues addressing their specific facility, certificate of compliance, license or license application. The intended objective for the public at this type of meeting is to observe NRC's interactions with licensees, and to obtain factual information to assist in understanding regulatory issues. At such meetings the public will be afforded an opportunity to communicate with the NRC before the session is adjourned. A licensee may respond to questions, if it chooses. For those meetings of substantial length -- those of more than two hours duration-- the policy will encourage providing one or more opportunities for the public to speak with the NRC staff, before the meeting concludes. Examples of meetings in this category could include annual public meetings under the reactor oversight process, regulatory conferences, pre-decisional enforcement conferences, reactor re-start meetings, as well as those held on licensing actions (or applications), renewals and amendments. The second category of meetings involves those usually held with a group of industry representatives, licensees, vendors or non-governmental organizations. The objective at these meetings is for the NRC to solicit feedback from the groups on issues that could potentially affect more than one licensee. At this type of meeting, the public will be encouraged to discuss regulatory issues with agency officials at designated points on the agenda. Generally, there will be more opportunities provided for the public to ask questions and offer comments than in the first category of meetings. The NRC staff will answer questions at these meetings, with those that cannot be answered assigned to a designated staff person for prompt follow-up. Examples of this category of meeting could include task force groups, industry groups, such as the Nuclear Energy Institute or owners' groups, public interest and citizen group discussions that focus on issues that could apply to several facilities, such as plant system aging, license renewal, decommissioning, or spent fuel storage. The third and final category of meetings consists of those conducted for the general public, representatives of non-government organizations, private citizens or interested parties, or various businesses or industries. These meetings allow the NRC to work directly with members of the public to ensure their issues and concerns are understood and considered. Such meetings provide the most comprehensive participation opportunities for members of the public to comment and ask questions. NRC staffers will be on hand and will be assigned follow up on specific public inquiries. Examples of meetings in this category could include town hall or roundtable discussions, Environmental Impact Statement scoping meetings, workshops, the Regulatory Information Conference, the Nuclear Safety Research Conference, or proposed rulemaking meetings. A new brochure will describe the public meeting process, levels of participation and follow-up responsibilities by NRC. The brochure will note that meeting summaries will be made publicly available to ensure that public concerns were heard. Further, the brochure will reflect NRC's commitment to consider issues raised at public meetings in its oversight role, or in a particular rulemaking or licensing matter. Feedback forms also will be provided to attendees to identify any planned improvements. Under the revised policy, members of the public may continue to send their concerns in letters to NRC for consideration. The agency's ongoing efforts to enhance public participation will include seeking public comment on the policy after one year of implementation. ***************************************************************** 14 Millstone won't have nuclear around its neck anymore TheDay.com: Tuesday | January 29 Dominion dropping n-word from name of Waterford site of three nuclear reactors By Paul Choiniere - More Articles Published on 01/29/2002 “What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet Waterford — What Shakespeare certainly never considered was whether a nuclear plant by any other name would prove as controversial. Millstone Nuclear Power Station, for example, has had its share. Shut down in the mid-1990s for regulatory violations, hit with $10 million in fines and penalties in 1999 for breaking environmental laws, it has more recently been working to improve its performance and public image. But it looks like critics will no longer have Millstone Nuclear Power Station to kick around anymore. It is now Millstone Power Station, thanks to a decision by its latest owner, Dominion, to drop the n-word from the name. In fact, the new owner stopped using nuclear in the name soon after taking over operations from Northeast Utilities last April. The change could soon become official with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission processing a request to remove nuclear from the Millstone Nuclear Power Station name every time it appears in the licenses to operate the, if you'll excuse the phrase, nuclear station. There are three nuclear reactors at Millstone, although one is shut down permanently. Pete Hyde, a spokesman for Millstone Power Station, said the power company is just being consistent. Its nuclear stations in Virginia — North Anna Power Station and Surry Power Station — have never included the word nuclear in their titles. None of Dominion's seven coal- or oil-fired plants includes the source of its power generation in its name either. “I don't think there is any agenda there,” said Hyde of the decision to take the nuclear out of nuclear power at Millstone. “It's a very straight-forward name.” Dominion doesn't leave the generation source out of all its power plant names, however. There is, for example, the Gaston Hydro Station, that produces electricity in Thelma, N.C., using hydropower. (It should be pointed out that the PossumPoint Plant in Virginia burns coal, not possums, to produce electricity.) And the Bath County Pumped Storage Station in Virginia's Allegheny Mountains is an engineering wonder, apparently well worth having the source of its generation in the name. Two reservoirs were built separated by 1,262 feet in elevation. When there is a low demand for electricity water is pumped up to the higher reservoir. When electricity is needed water is released, flowing at a rate of 14.5 million gallons of water per minute. The water spins turbine generators to produce electricity. Substantial paperwork must be submitted to the NRC to make the Millstone name change official. Hyde said it could not calculate the administrative costs of the paper changes. And protocol must be followed, regardless of how irrelevant. The NRC dutifully issued an environmental impact statement on the proposed name change earlier this month. “On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment,” concluded the agency's environmental experts. “The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability or consequences of accidents ... and there is no significant increase in occupational or public radiation exposure.” That's certainly good to know. But Joe Besade, a town resident living two miles from the plant and a long-time Millstone critic, feels it is downright deceitful. “If they're so ashamed to be in the nuclear profiteering business, they should get out of it, not try to fool the public about what they do,” he said. “Let them drop nuclear from the name when they've gone out of the nuclear business.” Hyde said Dominion has no plans to do that. © 1998-2002 The Day Publishing Co. ***************************************************************** 15 Kakrapar atomic power station to be upgraded The Times of India; Jan 29, 2002 SURAT: The atomic power stations at Kakrapar, located 85 kms from here, and Kundakulum in Tamil Nadu would be fully exploited and their power generation capacity upgraded during the Tenth Five-Year Plan to narrow the gap between demand and supply. "The Planning Commission has planned an additional power generation of 3,000 MW to 4,000 MW from these atomic power stations by the middle of the Tenth Plan. To achieve this, two light water reactor-based units will produce 1,000 MW of power each, while two heavy water reactor-based units will generate up to 1,000 MW each," said V K Chaturvedi, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited's (NPCIL) chairman and managing director. He is also a member of the Atomic Energy Commission, government of India. Chaturvedi was in the city on his way to Mumbai after a short visit to Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS), located near Vyara taluka in the district. And by the end of the Tenth Plan or in the beginning of the Eleventh Plan, the country would have atomic power generation capacity of around 10,000 MW, said Chaturvedi. For setting up additional plants, the possibilities of joint ventures are being explored not only with the respective state governments and public sector undertakings, but also with private players like Larsen & Toubro, he said. Talking about the overall scenario in the atomic power sector in the country and the urgency for capacity addition in the existing units or by setting up new ones, Chaturvedi said the Kakrapar station, with a present capacity of 440 MW, has the potential of additional two units of up to 1,000 MW each. Negotiations are on with the Gujarat government for making the required water available, among other things, for the envisaged addition in KAPS. Chaturvedi said the Kakrapar station has been adjudged among the best three atomic power stations in the country, by a set of parameters based on optimum utilisation of installed capacity, safe from radiation and minimum loss of heavy water, among others. About Kakrapar being located on a seismic zone, Chaturvedi said studies carried out after the January 26 quake last year ruled out any threat to the station. However, the plants here have been designed to be quake-proof. He said the state government has been very co-operative and all related matters are being studied thoroughly. The availability of water from Ukai dam and other places required for the natural cooling towers in the proposed units at KPAS is being examined, Chaturvedi said. Highly-placed sources told TNN that during Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's recent visit to Russia, Chief Minister Narendra Modi had enquired about the scope of expansion of KPAS from Chaturvedi, both of whom were part of the Indian delegation. Chaturvedi was there to sign some bilateral agreements related to the atomic power sector with the Russian delegation. It was learnt that Modi extended all possible assistance to NPCIL for the proposed expansion or addition of units at KAPS. Presently, work on eight units in different parts of the country for an additional power generation capacity of 3,900 MW is underway. At Tarapur, two units with 540 MW capacity each are being added. They are being funded by the Centre and through internal and external sources of NPCIL, Chaturvedi said. In Tamil Nadu, two 1,000 MW light water reactor-based units are being developed in collaboration with Russia. Half of the estimated project cost of Rs 14,000 crore is being financed by Russia on credit basis, while the rest is being sourced through internal avenues, he said, adding that excavation for the plant at Kundakulum is on and is scheduled to be over by March-end. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 16 Dubai: New section planned for radiation protection GN Online: Dubai:Monday, January 28, 2002 Abu Dhabi |By A Staff Reporter | 28-01-2002 The Ministry of Health plans to set up a new department for radiation protection and control in the new organisational structure, with the Preventive Medicine Department tasked with preparing a plan for the new department. Dr Mahmoud Fikri, the Ministry's Assistant Under-secretary for Preventive Medicine Affairs, explained that the aim of the new department is to protect the public and the environment from the dangers posed by radiation, in particular those working in the radiology field. According to Dr Fikri, the proposed department will include a radiation protection section and a radiation control section. The radiation protection section is tasked with measuring the quantity of radiation in the soil, air and water, in coordination with the Federal Environmental Agency (FEA), and other agencies concerned. The Environmental Radiation Exposure Unit (EREU) of the Section will set up a project to detect radioactive pollution resulting from nuclear activities that take place outside the UAE. Dr Fikri said the Section's Radiant Waste Unit will be tasked with measuring levels of radiation in medical waste that requires special handling, dumping or stocking. The tasks of the Radial Systems Standardisation Section will be to ensure that the radiation systems used for diagnosing, such as X-rays and nuclear medicine, are safe and efficient. ***************************************************************** 17 Radioactive containers in Georgia still dangerous - The Times of India AFP [ SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2002 9:04:55 PM ] BILISI: Radioactive containers, whose emissions seriously injured several villagers in western Georgia a month ago, remain unsafe as experts have been unable to reach them, the Georgian ecology ministry has admitted. The ministry's experts have not been able to get close to the radiation sources because of deep snow, and though the local authorities are paving a road to the location, the work has stalled due to lack of funds. Three local farmworkers were hospitalized after they discovered the containers in a forest in the Tselenzhikhi region and decided to carry them home and use them for the heat they were emitting. One of the victims was released from hospital earlier this week. his companions remain in stable conditions, officials said Saturday, adding that over 700 locals had been examined by doctors after the incident. The small cases apparently contained strontium-90, experts said. Their origin remains a mystery. Authorities have assured residents that the containers, lying deep in the forest some 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the nearest population centre, pose no danger beyond a radius of 500 meters (yards). Copyright © 2002 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved. | ***************************************************************** 18 Sellafield tour raises TDs' terror fears Irish Online SAFETY concerns about an accident or terrorist attack on tanks storing liquid radioactive waste at Sellafield were raised again by Irish politicians after a fact-finding tour of the plant yesterday. The delegation of Irish and British politicians later decided to request a meeting with the British Government and the UK nuclear inspectorate next month on safety procedures at the Cumbrian plant. The British-Irish inter-parliamentary group said they wanted to know more about the measures put in place to prevent terrorist attacks post-September 11. Fianna Fail TD Conor Lenihan, who was accompanied by party colleague Marian McGennis and FG TD Brian Hayes, said the visit had increased his concerns about the plant. Mr Lenihan said there appeared to be no effort to widen the no-fly zone around the plant, which he said was just 80 miles from a very busy trans-Atlantic air route. He added: "I'm not convinced that Sellafield is safe. In 1999, data on the plant was falsified, so we were sceptical before going there. I have not seen anything to reassure me of its safety." However, he said BNFL had responded positively to the suggestion that scientists from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland be allowed to visit the plant regularly under a formal arrangement with the UK nuclear regulator. The group was permitted to inspect the controversial MOX (mixed oxide fuel) plant where operations will involve armed ships transporting deadly plutonium via the Irish sea and close to the Irish coast later this year, despite strenuous Irish Government objections. Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent © Copyright Unison ***************************************************************** 19 Politicians visit Sellafield MONDAY 28/01/02 11:51:55 Members of the Irish Parliament are taking their campaign to shut Sellafield to the Cumbrian nuclear power plant. Three deputies in the Dail, joined members of the British Parliament for a fact-finding mission to the site. But hopes that the Irish politicians would be able to visit the newly-opened and controversial MOX nuclear re-processing facility seemed to be dashed. The itinerary for the visit did not include a trip to the new facility, which provoked angry reactions from many who feared radioactive pollution and a terrorist strike on the deadly nuclear waste. The representatives from Ireland were Marian McGennis and Conor Lenihan, from Fianna Fail and Brian Hayes, from the opposition Fine Gael party. They were joined by their British counterparts, Labour members Kevin McNamara, Jean Corston and Jeff Ennis. The trip was planned following a summit of the British-Irish Inter Parliamentary Body, of which all six are members, in Bournemouth in December. Ms McGennis said: ``Ultimately what we want to achieve, and certainly what the Irish people want to see, is the cessation of the operations at Sellafield.`` The politicians were holding talks with management at the plant this morning and planned to meet with workers this afternoon. ``We know Sellafield is a huge employer here and we want to meet with the workers to convince them that there is an alternative,`` Ms McGennis said. ``This plant actually acts as a deterrent to other industries who said they would be interested in coming here. Tourism is also a big industry in this part of the country,`` she added. Last night the Irish contingent met with members of the local pressure group CORE (Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment). Ms McGennis said: ``If Sellafield made some sense to me before it makes no sense after the meeting we had last night.`` She added: ``We will be requesting to visit the MOX plant but it does not seem to be on our itinerary, which is not terribly surprising given what we were told by the environmental campaigners.`` Sellafield has been a constant sticking point between the British and Irish governments and has threatened otherwise good relations. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has promised to work for the closure of the plant, which he points out is closer to Dublin than London. But in a meeting of the British-Irish Council, held in Dublin Castle at the end of last year, Britain`s Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would not allow the plant to continue operating if it posed a health risk to people in either country. British Nuclear Fuel website Earthwatch - Friends of the Earth Ireland ***************************************************************** 20 Nuclear Waste Battle Heats Up Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com Monday, Jan. 28, 2002 During Campaign 2000 George W. Bush declared that as president he would decide the suitability of the controversial Yucca Mountain, Nev. nuclear waste burial ground based on "sound science.” With Energy Secretary Spenser Abraham on the cusp of sending a positive recommendation to his boss on what would be the nation’s long awaited repository for the detritus of nuclear power generation, some, including the General Accounting Office are questioning the adequacy of that science. Others say that consolidating and safeguarding radioactive waste that could wind up in an enemy’s "dirty nuke,” is an imperative of national security. More than 40,000 tons of highly radioactive reactor waste percolate in storage tanks at nuclear power plants in 31 states -- with the amount growing by 2,000 tons annually. When, and if, waste ever arrives at Yucca Mountain, it would be placed in tall chambers carved from the side of a five-mile underground tunnel. Designs call for the chambers to be filled with 70,000 metric tons of waste over 24 years before being plugged up with concrete. Last month, the GAO noted in a report that once Bush considers the site qualified for a license application and recommends the site to the Congress, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Department of Energy to submit a license application to NRC within about five to eight months. According to the GOA report, however, DOE will not be able to submit an acceptable application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within the express statutory time frames for several years because it will take that long to resolve many technical issues. "Specifically, DOE is currently gathering and analyzing technical information required to satisfy 293 agreements that it made with NRC.” "According to NRC,” said the report, "completing this ongoing technical work is essential for it to accept a license application from DOE. Some of these agreements, for example, provide for the additional study of how water would flow through the repository area to the underlying groundwater and the durability of waste containers to last for thousands of years.” Public Relations Battle In the meantime, a fierce public relations battle rages over the desolate mountain site. Nevadans believe their state was chosen because it is sparsely populated and lacked the clout to fight back. Furthermore, there are no nuclear plants in the state, making the issue of waste a foreign problem. Opponents point to the hazards attendant to 143,000 over-the-road shipments hauling 77,000 tons of nuclear waste through hundreds of major cities and thousands of communities across the nation en route to Yucca Mountain. But former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro said she joined the proponents because the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks convinced her nuclear wastes should be consolidated in one place. Ferraro and former Republican New Hampshire governor John Sununu are heading a public campaign in favor of building the facility. Last week, Ferraro was sent a letter endorsed by 19 groups opposing Nevada nuclear waste burial and urging her to resign as spokeswoman for the pro-Yucca campaign headed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In the letter, the environmental organizations cited outstanding health, safety and transportation questions involved in moving highly radioactive waste to Nevada and keeping it safely stored for more than 10,000 years. "You say that as a mother and a grandmother you are sensitive to the legacies we leave our children. Residents of Nevada are deeply concerned about the legacy of contamination that the proposed repository would leave future generations,” the groups said. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is on record as pronouncing, "As long as we’re in the majority, it’s [Yucca] dead.” But Whip Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., also a strong opponent conceded, "It’s going to be a tough deal’’ to overturn Bush if he goes along with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Abraham disclosed recently that he would advise the president that the Yucca Mountain site, 90 miles from Las Vegas, is a "scientifically sound and suitable’’ site to bury the nation’s nuclear waste. Abraham unexpectedly showed up at a Las Vegas hearing on Yukka last month. The federal government started out studying a handful of possible repositories in Washington, Texas and Kansas. Several years ago, however, Congress told the Department of Energy to put all its efforts into Yucca Mountain. Yucca Mountain, adjacent to the Nevada Test Site of Cold War fame, has already been the subject of a dozen years of study, costing more than $6.8 billion. Despite it’s national defense implications, so far Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge has stayed out of the Yukka controversy, focusing on buttressing security at the nation’s nuclear facilities. NewsMax.com Privacy Statement ***************************************************************** 21 Frequent spills plague Australian uranium mines AUSTRALIA: January 28, 2002 SYDNEY - Hundreds of thousands of litres of potentially harmful uranium solution spilled in the Australian outback since December is alarming environmentalists, although the companies responsible insist the accidents pose no threats. Mining house WMC Ltd confirmed on Friday it had told South Australia state government officials that more than 420,000 litres of mining slurry containing uranium accidentally spilled from a tank at its Olympic Dam mine on December 12. The spill - which would fill almost a third of an Olympic size swimming pool - was one of seven such incidents last year at the mine, 500 km (310 miles) north of Adelaide. Uranium exposure has been linked to a variety of cancers and other life-threatening medical problems. But a WMC spokesman said the low uranium content of the solution, 0.1 percent, rendered the spill harmless. "It was mainly a copper stream, and was contained," the spokesman told Reuters. "And besides, the spilled material was returned to the mine's process circuit." Environmental groups assert that any spill is dangerous and that mining companies are benefiting from weak regulations on how to handle accidents. "It may be within legal constraints but like any exposure, it is is an unnecessary health hazard," said David Noonan of the Australian Conservation Foundation. "How is it possible to lose track of 420,000 litres of uranium slurry, equivalent to eight tonnes of uranium?" ELECTION LOOMING The South Australian state government - which is heading into a tight election on February 9 - agrees spills are occurring with alarming frequency. State officials recently ordered urgent changes to rules on reporting leaks after revelations that another mine, owned by U.S. firm General Atomics, recorded 24 spills over two years. The General Atomics spills came to light after 62,000 litres of radioactive uranium solution spewed from a ruptured pipe at the Beverley mine in remote South Australia on January 12. Officials from the Beverley mine maintain the spills posed no dangers to employees or an Aboriginal settlement 60 km (37 miles) away, but agreed to store any contaminated soil in sealed drums until it can be disposed of safely. Critics of the way miners notify the public of accidents said they fear that after the state election, the fresh push to raise reporting standards may fade away. WMC's Yeels doubts news of the latest spills would have even been brought to the attention of local media in a non-election year. "We'd like to be able to say that these spills will never occur, but that is not the case," Yeels said. Uranium mining has long been a political hot potato in Australia. In 1996, the newly-elected conservative government repealed the "three-mines only" policy of its Labor predecessor, put in place to appease environment groups. There are currently three mines operating in Australia, with around a half dozen more proposed. A mountain of uranium accumulated during the Cold War has taken years to whittle down, reducing the need for fresh supply. But with stockpiles held by operators of the world's 440 commercial nuclear reactors falling, demand for yellowcake was set to rise, commodities analysts said. Australia has no nuclear industry of its own, exporting its uranium to North America, Asia and Europe. Story by James Regan REUTERS NEWS SERVICE ***************************************************************** 22 Radioactive metal melting plant planned launch halted (St Petersburg:) Public protests made Leningrad County Governor, Valery Serdyukov, claim that private radioactive metal melting plant Ecomet-S, illegally built at the territory of Leningrad nuclear power plant (LNPP), can not be launched without required environmental evaluation. The building of radioactive metal melting plant Ecomet-S. photo: GreenWorld Rashid Alimov, 2002-01-28 05:41 Public protests made Leningrad County Governor, Valery Serdyukov, claim that private radioactive metal melting plant Ecomet-S, illegally built at the territory of Leningrad nuclear power plant (LNPP), can not be launched without required environmental evaluation. "Nobody has the right to sign documents commissioning any industrial site before an expert evaluation has been made, and when we are talking about operations with radioactive substances, it is also necessary to listen to the local people attentively," the governor said. He stressed that the Law On Environmental Protection, which nobody is authorized to repeal or violate, regulates those requirements. The governor said, no State acceptance inspection could be created, until all the demands mentioned would be met. Meanwhile, only several days ago Ecomet-S kept on cherishing hopes, the State Acceptance Inspection would permit to put into operation the plant, which has been actually in operation for a while. This commission was set up in December 2001 by an order of Valery Lebedev, deputy minister for nuclear energy. Ecomet-S representatives kept on answering to the questions of Bellona Web, that the decision had not been signed yet, but the inspection was still working at the complex. But even this Minatom-created inspection desisted from launching the plant. Mayor of Sosnovy Bor makes a protest A short while before the Acceptance Inspection went to the complex, the mayor of Sosnovy Bor, the town, where LNPP is situated, sent a letter to the Ministry for Nuclear Energy (Minatom), saying that local administration would go to court, in case the plant is put into operation. This installation for radioactive metal waste processing has been built by a private joint stock company Ecomet-S without getting required state environmental evaluation. The plant will melt up to 8,000 tonnes of scrap metal per year. The metal is contaminated by such radionuclides as Mn-54, Co-60, Zn-65, Ru-106, Cs-134, Cs-137, Ce-144, Sr-90. The building of the plant is an infringement of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the territory of a nuclear hazardous object - LNPP. The mayor points out that Ecomet-S violates the Laws On Use of Nuclear Energy, On Environmental Protection and On Environmental Impact Study. In his letter, the mayor stresses, the plant has not passed the required environmental evaluation. In this situation the role of the Office of Public Prosecutor seems to be doubtful. Answering, for example, to letters of inquiry from Duma members, they said, no violation of the Russian laws can be seen in plant's activities. Meanwhile, in particular, the lack of the environmental impact study is not denied even by Ecomet-S official representatives. The documents, handed over to the town administration by the plant, say that its main purpose is reprocessing of the metal radioactive waste, produced by LNNP. But, in fact, the melting facility has been receiving radioactive waste from different edges of the country, and the complex is looking forward to the profits from its reprocessing and pure metal sales. It seems, that the radioactive waste, generated during reprocessing, is stored in the LNNP's premises. It means, the plant does not solve the problems of storing radioactive waste at LNNP, but causes additional difficulties, aggravated by the private status of the plant, actually supported by Minatom. Radioactive wagon "In August-October, 2001 low-active metal scrap from Glazov, Udmurtia, was brought for melting to Sosnovy Bor. The local administration and nuclear regulatory departments were not informed about the shipments," writes the mayor in his letter. As Bellona Web reported earlier, a train car with radioactive metal waste from Chepetsk mechanical plant in Udmurtia, arrived at Sosnovy Bor on October 16th. There were 10 casks filled with 20 tonnes of radioactive waste in the car. The maximum radiation level at the car surface exceeded the natural background radioactivity in 1000 times. Neither the car, nor the casks had the required danger marking, while parked at the passenger terminal. According to the information of Green World envirogroup, which monitors the situation closely, in 2001 such shipments were regular. About 160 tonnes of radioactive metal were brought to the plant from Udmurtia. LNNP's security guards protesting In the turn of 2001, the security guards of the LNNP checkpoints issued an open letter. Since the melting installation actually started, they are exposed to radioactivity, while their contracts do not stipulate unhealthy working conditions. "Our attempts to learn the radioactive background level at the checkpoints meets counteraction. The radioactivity of the departing automobiles is measured by an Ecomet-S worker, who in fact represents an interested party. The arriving autos are not checked at all," the guards wrote. The letter is signed by 89 persons. The hope is that Leningrad County Governor's statement was not a mere propaganda step, but a rare case, when the authority recognizes public concern about a hazardous object. But enviroactivists stress that governor keeps on lobbying other environmentally vulnerable projects, arousing public anxiety. In particular, project for building an aluminium plant in Vsevolozhsk is already started up. Krasny Bor, where hazardous industrial waste are stored, is planned to be a site for an underground NPP, oil terminal is being built on the Baltic shore, and an oil-refinery is being designed for Ermilovo, near the health resort zone. The radioactive waste melting plant was built only few hundred meters away from the Baltic Sea, four kilometres from Sosnovy Bor with population of 60,000 inhabitants, 13km from the swan nature reserve, Lebiazhie, protected by the International Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 80km from St Petersburg, 70km from Estonia, and 100km from Finland. Publisher: Bellona Foundation, President: Frederic Hauge Information: info@bellona.no, Technical contact: webmaster@bellona.no Telephone: +47 23 23 46 00 Telefax: +47 22 38 38 62 * P.O.Box 2141 Grunerlokka, 0505 Oslo, Norway Menu ***************************************************************** 23 Russia: Siberian environmentalists urge referendum on nuclear waste BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 28, 2002 [Presenter Aleksey Sukhanov] Local environmentalists are doing their utmost to stop the import of spent nuclear fuel to Krasnoyarsk Territory. Today they should hand in [to the authorities] 100,000 signatures in support of their demand. Our correspondent Vitaliy Kalugin reports from Krasnoyarsk. [Correspondent] Krasnoyarsk environmentalists are doing their final checks of the authenticity of signatures in support of a local referendum. They collected 100,000 signatures in the last month. [Omitted: details of signatures' collection] The oldest activist in the campaign to hold a referendum is a lady born in 1908. Residents were asked to answer the following question: Do you consider it necessary to prohibit the construction of new facilities for storage, reprocessing and burying spent nuclear fuel in Krasnoyarsk Territory? The activists believe that the referendum would help to change radically the environmental situation in the Territory. [Maksim Shingarkin, captioned as head of the anti-nuclear campaigners Greenpeace-Russia, speaking to camera in the Krasnoyarsk office of Greenpeace] No spent nuclear fuel should be brought to Krasnoyarsk Territory over the limit set by the capacity of existing facilities for liquid [waste]. The work on rehabilitation [of lands] must start. [Correspondent] Local environmentalists cannot ask citizens about their attitude towards the [Russian] Atomic Industry Ministry's decision to dispatch trainloads of spent nuclear fuel to the Zheleznogorsk mining and chemical plant [which already exists]. This decision has been taken at federal level. [Omitted: delivery of spent nuclear fuel from abroad is impossible without the construction of new storage facilities - but this construction can be banned by local authorities within the Russian Federation; the Greenpeace lists of signatures will be passed to the territorial electoral commission in the next few days.] [Video shows local Greenpeace headquarters] Source: NTV, Moscow, in Russian 0700 gmt 28 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 24 Cal. Junkets to Yucca waste site come under scrutiny Daily Review Sunday, January 27, 2002 - 3:57:13 AM MST By Lisa Friedman WASHINGTON BUREAU Sunday, January 27, 2002 - --> WASHINGTON -- The nuclear power industry, eager to store tons of radioactive waste in the Nevada desert, spent tens of thousands of dollars last year stashing away support for its controversial plan. According to travel records, the Nuclear Energy Institute paid nearly $50,000 treating 44 key House and Senate aides to Las Vegas weekends during 2001. The trade association provided meals, round-trip flights and a two-night stay at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. "That's a payola if I've ever seen it," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said of the Las Vegas weekends. Energy institute officials, however, describe the trips as no-frills educational weekends designed to teach congressional staff about Yucca Mountain. The desolate mountain ridge, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is where the federal government intends to build a hotly contested dump for 77,000 tons of the nation's nuclear waste. NEI, based in Washington, D.C., lobbies to promote the use of nuclear power and favors building the Yucca Mountain dump. "It's not exactly a picnic. It's a pretty intense day," institute spokesman Mitch Singer said of weekends, which included a daylong trip to Yucca Mountain. Reid, along with the entire Nevada congressional delegation and most Democrats, fiercely opposes the $50 billion project. This month Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham authorized construction there, setting off what promises to be a brutal election-year battle. Environmentalists argue that squirreling away tons of radioactive waste in the desert threatens the groundwater. They also believe the Energy Department has turned a blind eye to the risks of transporting toxic waste through 43 states. No disqualifying evidence Energy Department scientists say they have found no evidence to disqualify the Yucca Mountain site. Industry supporters believe it is safer to create a central repository for waste rather than allow it to remain scattered at nuclear power plants and other facilities in 39 states. If Yucca Mountain ever becomes a reality, California's nuclear waste will be shipped there from three places: Diablo Canyon, an operating power plant near San Luis Obispo; San Onofre, a plant midway between Los Angeles and San Diego; and the shuttered Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant. According to the state of Nevada's Nuclear Waste Project, 44 casks of radioactive waste likely would travel down Interstate 5, bypassing the Bay Area and heading through the Central Valley. Waste from San Onofre and Diablo Canyon would be transported through San Bernardino County. Bay Area opposition The majority of Bay Area lawmakers, including Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, Lynn Woolsey, D-Marin, and Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, oppose the dump. Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, a strong supporter of state's rights, also objects to the project. Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, whose district includes Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a contractor to the Yucca Mountain project and a member of NEI, has not taken a position, her spokeswoman said. If, as expected, Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn vetoes a federal mandate to build the nuclear burial site, Congress ultimately will be called upon to be the project's final arbiter. So it is no accident, critics contend, that NEI's trips were targeted to aides whose bosses sit on key committees overseeing federal funding, transportation and energy policy. Institute director of outreach Chandler Van Orman said it is critical those staff members understand the issue. "Congress will be voting in the final analysis whether to approve Yucca Mountain, and it is important for these people to have the best information available," he said. Van Orman described the weekends as "intense." According to itineraries provided by congressional aides, guests arrived in Las Vegas on a Friday and attended a reception that evening. The Saturday trip to Yucca Mountain, Van Orman said, begins with a 7 a.m. presentation at the Department of Energy science center in Las Vegas. Aides then head out to Yucca Mountain by van. Once there the group boards a train car two miles into the tunnel where "it's dirty and dusty and reasonably warm" to witness simulated nuclear safety tasks. Box lunches follow, as does another round of presentations by DOE scientists. The group returns to Las Vegas about 4 p.m. "It's a long, tiring day, and it's filled with more information than the normal human can compute," Van Orman said. "(Aides learn) hundreds of facts about the geology of the area, the hydrology, water movement, tests that have been done. People come away with the feeling that this is the most studied piece of land in the history of the world." The weekend, NEI officials contend, leaves little time for playing the slots, enjoying Mandalay Bay's 11-acre tropical beach or dining at its four-story wine tower. "The guys are whipped," Van Orman said. "It's a long, tiring day ... only the young survive it well and go back to Vegas and do what they do." The average cost of an NEI-sponsored Las Vegas weekend for each guest, according to public documents, was $1,046, including airfare, meals, hotel stay and incidentals. Nevada officials said the Las Vegas weekends were pure junkets. Bob Loux, executive director for nuclear projects under Guinn, said he has no doubt the day at Yucca Mountain is work-intensive. But, he noted, the nuclear lobby also offers "a weekend in fabulous Las Vegas as a door prize." "There's not a way in the world we could compete with that," he said. Added Reid spokesman Nathan Naylor, "These guys are amazing. They have a bottomless pit of money to go to. "They're organizing these junkets where they bring people out to Las Vegas, spend a lot of money on them, get them all liquored up, send them out to Yucca Mountain and probably also say 'we'll be glad to make contributions to your war chest.'" NEI officials bristle at allegations, such as Reid's, that the Las Vegas weekends amount to "payolas." "Somebody ought to talk to the senator about all the trips that are taken by members of Congress and billed as fact-finding tours," Van Orman said. Added institute spokesman Mitch Singer, "It's not exactly a weeklong sojourn to Europe." NEI also pays for weeklong sojourns to Europe and other overseas locations. Many of the politicians and aides who accepted 27 trips to France, England and Japan billed them as fact-finding tours. Foreign travel paid for by the institute last year totaled $151,953, according to records. Only one California lawmaker, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas of Bakersfield accepted a trip from NEI last year. Among other members of Congress who signed off on Las Vegas weekends or European tours for themselves and their aides were: House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, House Majority Whip Tom Delay of Texas and Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska, who chaired the Senate Energy Committee before Democrats regained the majority in April. NEI long has been one of Washington's top sponsors of congressional travel. According to a 1997 database compiled by the campaign finance watchdog Center for Responsive Politics, the trade association underwrote 95 trips -- more than any other group except the Aspen Institute and George Mason University. Of those, 72 were Las Vegas weekends to learn about Yucca Mountain. Center for Responsive Politics spokesman Steven Weiss said, "It's arguably a much more effective form of lobbying than giving campaign contributions. "For a group that can afford to take a large number of members of Congress to the site where they would like development to take place is very valuable." ©1999-2002 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers ***************************************************************** 25 NRC Issues Final Policy Statement on Decommissioning Criteria for West Valley NRC: Press Release - 2002 - 11 - U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov [opa@nrc.gov] Public Affairs Web Site No. 02-011 January 28, 2002 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing a final policy statement establishing the criteria of its existing license termination rule (LTR) as the decommissioning criteria for the West Valley Demonstration Project at the West Valley site in New York. This reflects the fact that the applicable decommissioning goal for the entire NRC-licensed site is compliance with the requirements of the LTR. The Demonstration Project will be decommissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., formerly operated a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facility at the site from 1966 to 1972. It was the only commercial reprocessing plant that has operated in the United States. Reprocessing involves extracting usable uranium or plutonium from irradiated fuel. The West Valley Demonstration Project Act authorizes DOE, in cooperation with NYSERDA, the owner of the site and the holder of a NRC license, to carry out a high-level-waste-management demonstration project at the site that includes decommissioning. NRC responsibilities under the Act include prescribing decommissioning criteria for the Demonstration Project. Application of NRC's existing license termination rule as the applicable decommissioning goal for the Demonstration Project will ensure that public health and safety and the environment will be protected. However, the Commission also recognizes that health and safety and cost-benefit considerations may justify the evaluation of alternatives that do not fully comply with the license termination criteria. The Commission is prepared to provide flexibility to ensure cleanup to the maximum extent technically and economically possible, provided protection of public health and the environment can be maintained. The draft policy statement on decommissioning criteria for West Valley was published in the Federal Register on December 3, 1999. A public meeting, to solicit public comments on the draft, was held on January 5, 2000. The Commission approved an extension of the public comment period until April 1, 2000. During the comment period, the NRC received 28 letters, raising about 200 individual comments, and identified an additional 70 individual comments from the transcript of the January 5 public meeting. The final policy statement, to be published shortly in the Federal Register, reflects consideration of these comments. Copies of the policy statement will also be available at the NRC's Public Electronic Reading Room link at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/public-release.html [http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/public-release.html] and at the NRC Public Document Room in Rockville, Maryland. ***************************************************************** 26 Nuclear Fuel Deal Stalls Over Prices Monday, Jan. 28, 2002. Page 6 By Nancy Zuckerbrod The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- A U.S. company that sells nuclear fuel taken from old Soviet weapons is at loggerheads with Russian negotiators over the purchase price. The dispute has some U.S. government officials worried about the future of the "megatons-to-megawatts" program that serves the dual purpose of keeping nuclear weapons away from terrorists and supplying fuel to commercial U.S. reactors. The latest round of talks between USEC Inc. of Bethesda, Maryland, and its Russian counterpart, Tenex, ended Friday in Moscow without a deal. USEC executives say the negotiations are progressing normally, and there is no threat to the U.S. government-backed program. But Russian officials have grown impatient and asked the U.S. government to intervene. USEC is a former government entity that was privatized in 1998. It is the government-appointed middleman that buys the Russian nuclear fuel and sells it to U.S. utilities. The recycled fuel accounts for about half the low-enriched uranium used in the nation's nuclear plants. A five-year fixed pricing agreement between USEC and Tenex expired at the end of last year. USEC says the fixed rate was too high. It wants a 10-year agreement with a lower price that will fluctuate with the uranium market. Gaining a lower price is key for USEC, which has seen its stock price drop by about half in the last four years. The company made a $41 million profit in the fiscal year that ended in June, but that was down more than 60 percent from the previous year. USEC operates the nation's only uranium enrichment plant, in Paducah, Kentucky. U.S. government officials have said they want to ensure a domestic supplier of enriched uranium exists, so USEC's financial viability is important. USEC's initial proposal to Tenex has changed little since it was offered in May 2000, and Russian officials are growing impatient. The lack of progress also has U.S. officials worried. In a Jan. 8 letter to USEC, Undersecretary of Energy Robert Card said he fears "if the outstanding issues in the negotiation are not resolved expeditiously, the United States could find itself with a nuclear power fuel shortage." In an unusually tart response, USEC president and CEO William Timbers replied that such concerns are "unwarranted and disingenuous." USEC has not placed an order with the Russians for the current year. Normally, orders would have been placed in October for deliveries in March. USEC spokesman Charles Yulish said Friday the company has an inventory of low-enriched uranium, so U.S. power plants will not be left without a supply. Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev sent U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham a letter Jan. 15 recommending government-to-government negotiations. Rumyantsev complained USEC was trying to secure an artificially low price. "USEC's proposals aim to create a price-setting mechanism, which would help the company solve its financial difficulties at the expense of the Russian party," Rumyantsev wrote. Abraham turned down the request. Meantime, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Alexander Vershbow, sent Russia's finance minister a letter urging the Russian government "to encourage Tenex to work to resolve the remaining differences, which in our view do not lend themselves to resolution by governments." National security analysts say they are troubled by the back and forth because so much is at stake. "This deal is critical to the future of international security. To see it fail would be an enormous tragedy," said Bill Hoehn, a director at the Russian American Nuclear Security Advisory Council, a nonprofit research organization. Russia gets roughly $500 million annually from the megatons-to-megawatts program, which has destroyed 5,600 warheads. http://www.moscowtimes.ru ***************************************************************** 27 Letter: Yucca Waste route [Las Vegas Review-Journal] Monday, January 28, 2002 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal To the editor: In his Jan 20 essay, "Fighting nuclear waste," Sherman Frederick asked the questions: "So, in the year 2025, the first shipment arrives. Will Las Vegas then cease to exist as a community? Will groundwater instantly begin to glow? Are we really all going to die at the hands of Yucca Mountain?" He then answered with: "Well, to be intellectually honest, no." I agree. He was absolutely correct in both the way he answered (honestly) and the conclusion that the transportation and storage of used nuclear fuel will not endanger any citizen of Las Vegas for the foreseeable future. But if he was so careful to be "intellectually honest" in that portion of his commentary, why wasn't he in his earlier statements that followed the sentence, "Consider for example the most logical route ... "? Was it because he's been reading the anti-nuclear propaganda and factually erroneous statements in his own paper? It certainly wasn't because his "most logical route" was even remotely close to the truth. According to federal law, Gov. Kenny Guinn can require alternative routes for this waste that completely avoid Las Vegas -- and for that matter all of Clark County (other governors do this routinely). And only a fool would believe that any administration would send a massive tractor-trailer loaded with a hundred tons of shielding and a couple of tons of used nuclear fuel across the Hoover Dam. I doubt those tractors and extra-long trailers could even navigate the twisties on the way down from the Arizona side. During the late 1990s, the Department of Energy built a four-lane divided highway around Santa Fe. It did this so many fewer shipments of much smaller quantities of low-level radioactive waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory could bypass Santa Fe. If that smaller community in another politically weak state was able to get a beautiful new freeway, why can't state and local politicians acquire some new Nevada freeways and railroads as compensation for Nevada storing billions of dollars worth of high-level, used nuclear fuel until it is needed by our great-grandchildren (to make hydrogen for our clean automobiles)? DENIS E. BELLER HENDERSON This story is located at: http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jan-28-Mon-2002/opinion/17938345.html [http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jan-28-Mon-2002/opinion/17938345.html] ***************************************************************** 28 Four-year experiment on Yucca Mountain rock temperatures concludes A temperature gauge for the heater experiment on Yucca Mountain reads 350 degrees on Jan. 17, a drop of roughly 50 degrees after electric rods were turned off three days earlier. *Credit* Monday, January 28, 2002 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Government scientists this month switched off the electric rods they had used for more than four years to heat up rock deep inside Yucca Mountain to temperatures hot enough to cook a pizza. The experiment, which began Dec. 3, 1997, to mimic temperatures that rock surrounding radioactive-waste storage tunnels would reach from decaying nuclear fuel, entered its cooling phase when the electrical heaters were turned off Jan. 14. Yucca Mountain Project officials said the 400-degree temperature of the volcanic-rock walls in a 50-yard-long cavern off a tunnel that loops through the mountain cooled down to about 350 degrees within a few days. They said scientists found that the data collected during the heating phase were generally consistent with predictions made using computer models before the test began. The mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is where the Department of Energy wants to entomb 77,000 tons of highly radioactive waste, most of which consists of rods of spent nuclear fuel pellets stored at reactor sites across the United States. A repository that includes engineered barriers in a maze of tunnels inside the mountain is being designed to contain the waste for at least 10,000 years. But Nevada officials opposed to the plan question how effectively the barriers -- such as metals used in waste packages and shields to deflect water moving through the mountain -- will withstand corrosion. They fear the containers will corrode faster than federal scientists predict, allowing potentially deadly nuclear materials to mix with water that will spread them into the environment beyond the mountain. Federal scientists found that water and gases in the rock were mobilized during the heat test. Rock walls in the cavern dried out to a depth of about 20 feet from the 50 electric rods that were inserted into the walls. The cavern also holds nine "dummy" waste packages that were rigged with electric heaters to simulate decaying waste. Studies will continue for about four years to help the scientists understand how the system of natural and engineered barriers performs as the surrounding rock cools. For the heating phase, 147 boreholes were drilled to house sensors and heating elements, similar to curling irons. The sensors monitored the thermal, mechanical, hydrological and chemical responses to the heat loading. In all, 125 miles of wiring were used in the experiment, which continues to record sensor measurement hourly, project officials said. In a September interview at Yucca Mountain, Mark Peters, a geologist from the Los Alamos, N.M., national laboratory who oversees more than a dozen tests scientists are conducting in the ridge, said the heater experiment will help them understand how far apart waste-storage tunnels should be spaced. Heat from the decaying waste will be used to drive away moisture by vaporizing it. This will keep the surrounding walls dry enough to prevent rapid corrosion of the cannisters, Peters said. Scientists on a government panel, the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, have asked Yucca Mountain Project scientists to consider a design for the repository to operate at relatively colder temperatures, on the order of 180 degrees, with the hotter design for up to 300 degrees that they have been pursuing. The panel's concern is that water would be more mobile inside the mountain at hotter temperatures, possibly increasing the rate of corrosion of waste packages. -- KEITH ROGERS Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - 2002 ***************************************************************** 29 Mayor reports mixed success on anti-Yucca efforts Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal Goodman says he did raise interest when he talked about real estate values along routes By JAN MOLLER REVIEW-JOURNAL Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said Monday he had mixed success in convincing his fellow mayors to oppose the shipment of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, but vowed to continue his high-decibel attacks on the project. The mayor said he probably didn't change anyone's mind about the repository during his visit to Washington, D.C., and New York to attend a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. But several mayors appeared interested to learn more about the possibility that real estate prices could suffer in communities along the waste routes, Goodman said. "When you deal with local governments, that's what it's all about," Goodman said, arguing that local officials will only become interested in the issue if they think it will affect their own communities. Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is the only site under consideration for the permanent storage of 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said earlier this month that he plans to recommend to President Bush that the site is suitable. Goodman raised administration eyebrows when he referred to Abraham as a "piece of garbage" after the recommendation was announced. He later called former White House Chief of Staff John Sununu a "prostitute" for suggesting that Nevadans would be unpatriotic if they did not support the project. The mayor said his strident rhetoric has helped him get the message out, whereas more careful denunciations of the project sometimes fall on deaf ears. "With my hyperbole, I'm the only one that's being heard back there (in Washington)," Goodman said. That's why Goodman plans to keep up the rhetorical heat, despite criticism that his language won't win Nevada many allies in its fight against the repository. "Nobody is going to be convinced overnight," said Goodman, adding that he wasn't surprised by the fact that just 20 to 30 mayors attended a reception he hosted in an effort to recruit grass-roots support against the project. Las Vegas officials had sent invitations to more than 100 mayors whose cities abut the waste routes. Goodman cited Denver Mayor Wellington Webb as one official who wanted to learn more about the issue. Other mayors, such as Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Patrick McCrory, represent cities near where such waste is currently stored and remain committed to shipping it somewhere else. The mayor did score one victory: The group's 2006 meeting will be held in Las Vegas. webmaster@lvrj.com Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1997 - ***************************************************************** 30 ANOTHER SAFETY SCANDAL SHAMES EUROPE'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY 28 January 2001 Paris, France: Europe’s nuclear industry may be on the brink of yet another humiliating crisis, after it was revealed that more substandard shipments of nuclear fuel have been rejected by Japan. Details on why two shipments of Mixed Oxide fuel (MOX) (1) sent in the last two years by a consortium led by the French state sponsored nuclear company COGEMA are to be returned to France have not been made public yet. However, even before the MOX fuel left France there were doubts over its quality and safety. Greenpeace is today demanding immediate clarification from COGEMA and the French Government over the issue of the defective MOX export. Two years ago British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL) finally admitted it had falsified safety data on a MOX shipment to Japan. The return of that consignment will cost the company and ultimately British tax payers over 200 million euros in compensation and return costs. If this most recent French scandal is confirmed, it will be yet another devastating blow to the future of MOX shipments from Europe, as well as the industry in Japan. Late last year, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that MOX fuel in production at COGEMA’s plant in France was to be scrapped due to non-compliance with new nuclear fuel guidelines. “For over two years Greenpeace has insisted that COGEMA’s MOX fuel technology is fundamentally flawed and it is highly dangerous to use the fuel in Japanese reactors. If it is now abandoned it will be a complete vindication of those who have consistently challenged COGEMA over its MOX fuel quality and safety,” said Shaun Burnie of Greenpeace International.(2) Despite claims in Japan that MOX fuel is essential for its energy program, not one gram of plutonium shipped to Japan in the last 17 years has generated any electricity. All of it remains stockpiled at nuclear sites around the country. Greenpeace believes that plans to ship all the MOX fuel back from Japan are an attempt by the utilities and Japanese Government to start the program over again by trying to remove the clouds of suspicion that have enveloped their plutonium plans for the last three years. However, instead of placating the opposition it will only encourage those seeking to change Japanese energy policy and to abandon its expensive but failed plutonium program. “COGEMA, and for that matter BNFL, can no longer ignore the fact that their core business makes no economic, environmental or political sense. Instead of concentrating their efforts on shipping plutonium around the world, threatening nations along the entire route, the Japanese government and utilities must change direction and cancel all plans for MOX use,” said Kazue Suzuki of Greenpeace Japan. Contact: Shaun Burnie – Greenpeace International - +44 1557 814 288 Kazue Suzuki – Greenpeace Japan - +81 90 2249 1502 Yannick Rousselet – Greenpeace France ++ 33 (0) 6850 6559 Mhairi Dunlop – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaign Media Officer - +31 20 523 6608 Video and photographs of the sea shipments, Greenpeace protests and local Japanese opposition are available from Greenpeace Communications John Novis – Picture Editor - +31 (0) 653 819121 Lucy Clayton – Assistant Video Producer - +31 (0) 20 5249 509 Notes: Background briefings on COGEMA and BNFL shipments to Japan and plutonium MOX fuel are available a http://www.greenpeace.org/~nuclear/transport/mox00/documents.html [http://www.greenpeace.org/%7Enuclear/transport/mox00/documents.html] (1) – In 1999, a shipment of 32 assemblies of MOX fuel consisting of approximately, 225kg of plutonium plus several tons of uranium, were shipped on the UK-flagged vessel, Pacific Teal from Cherbourg to the nuclear power plant, Fukushima-1-3 operated by Tokyo Electric on the Pacific east coast of Japan. The Pacific Teal was accompanied by the Pacific Pintail with its cargo of 8 MOX assemblies, with 255kg of plutonium, produced by British Nuclear Fuels. This MOX was delivered to the Takahama-4 reactor operated by Kansai Electric in Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast. Greenpeace along with Green Action Japan and Mihama-no Kai charged BNFL of falsifying QC data for the Takahama fuel. Despite denials for three months, BNFL and Kansai Electric finally admitted that the fuel was falsified. In 2001, a second shipment of Cogema/Belgonucleaire MOX was delivered to the Japanese reactor, Kashiwazaki-kariwa-3, operated by Tokyo Electric in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast. The MOX fuel contained approximately 220kg of plutonium. 2 - In August 2000 a legal challenge in Japan was mounted by citizens and NGO’s, including Greenpeace, against plans to load Belgonucleaire/Cogema MOX fuel in the Fukushima power plant. In an unprecedented case lasting 7 months, it was charged that vital Quality Control data had been manipulated, that European MOX fuel production standards were fundamentally flawed, and that its use in Japanese reactors would risk catastrophic accident. The Fukushima District Court did not support the NGO’s claims, but supported their demand for the release of all quality control data by COMMOX. Cogema and Belgonucleaire have failed to comply with the Courts request and the data has never been released. Both the Fukushima MOX and the Kashiwazaki MOX provoked strong local opposition. Following the court case in Fukushima, the Governor of the Prefecture announced that the fuel would not be loaded pending an overall review of Japanese energy policy including MOX fuel use which he would oversee. That review is still on-going, and the MOX remains unused, nearly 2 ˝ years after delivery. In Kariwa village, next to the Kashiwazaki reactor, prompted by evidence of safety problems with the MOX fuel, a local referendum was held in late March 2001. By a majority it was voted to oppose the loading of the MOX fuel. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Contact: Shaun Burnie – Greenpeace International - +44 1557 814 288 Kazue Suzuki – Greenpeace Japan - +81 90 2249 1502 Yannick Rousselet – Greenpeace France ++ 33 (0) 6850 6559 Mhairi Dunlop – Greenpeace International Nuclear Campaign Media Officer - +31 20 523 6608 Video and photographs of the sea shipments, Greenpeace protests and local Japanese opposition are available from Greenpeace Communications John Novis – Picture Editor - +31 (0) 653 819121 Lucy Clayton – Assistant Video Producer - +31 (0) 20 5249 509 Notes: Background briefings on COGEMA and BNFL shipments to Japan and plutonium MOX fuel are available a http://www.greenpeace.org/~nuclear/transport/mox00/documents.html [http://www.greenpeace.org/%7Enuclear/transport/mox00/documents.html] (1) – In 1999, a shipment of 32 assemblies of MOX fuel consisting of approximately, 225kg of plutonium plus several tons of uranium, were shipped on the UK-flagged vessel, Pacific Teal from Cherbourg to the nuclear power plant, Fukushima-1-3 operated by Tokyo Electric on the Pacific east coast of Japan. The Pacific Teal was accompanied by the Pacific Pintail with its cargo of 8 MOX assemblies, with 255kg of plutonium, produced by British Nuclear Fuels. This MOX was delivered to the Takahama-4 reactor operated by Kansai Electric in Fukui Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast. Greenpeace along with Green Action Japan and Mihama-no Kai charged BNFL of falsifying QC data for the Takahama fuel. Despite denials for three months, BNFL and Kansai Electric finally admitted that the fuel was falsified. In 2001, a second shipment of Cogema/Belgonucleaire MOX was delivered to the Japanese reactor, Kashiwazaki-kariwa-3, operated by Tokyo Electric in Niigata Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast. The MOX fuel contained approximately 220kg of plutonium. 2 - In August 2000 a legal challenge in Japan was mounted by citizens and NGO’s, including Greenpeace, against plans to load Belgonucleaire/Cogema MOX fuel in the Fukushima power plant. In an unprecedented case lasting 7 months, it was charged that vital Quality Control data had been manipulated, that European MOX fuel production standards were fundamentally flawed, and that its use in Japanese reactors would risk catastrophic accident. The Fukushima District Court did not support the NGO’s claims, but supported their demand for the release of all quality control data by COMMOX. Cogema and Belgonucleaire have failed to comply with the Courts request and the data has never been released. Both the Fukushima MOX and the Kashiwazaki MOX provoked strong local opposition. Following the court case in Fukushima, the Governor of the Prefecture announced that the fuel would not be loaded pending an overall review of Japanese energy policy including MOX fuel use which he would oversee. That review is still on-going, and the MOX remains unused, nearly 2 ˝ years after delivery. In Kariwa village, next to the Kashiwazaki reactor, prompted by evidence of safety problems with the MOX fuel, a local referendum was held in late March 2001. By a majority it was voted to oppose the loading of the MOX fuel. ***************************************************************** 31 Independent Review Questions Approval of Yucca Mountain Environment News Service: By Cat Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2002 (ENS) - Scientific uncertainties make it impossible to ensure that a proposed nuclear waste dump in Nevada would remain safe for the thousands of years necessary to protect the environment, suggests a review by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. [Yucca] Yucca Mountain, Nevada (Four photos courtesy DOE [http://www.energy.gov] ) While the board (NWTRB) has found "no individual technical or scientific factor has been identified that would automatically eliminate Yucca Mountain from consideration as the site of a permanent repository" for the nation's nuclear waste, the review found a variety of problems with the studies that aim to ensure the safety of the site. The NWTRB study questions the adequacy of the computer models used to project how the site's natural features, including geological and hydrologic formations, will protect the stored wastes. The report also raises concerns about how well casks designed to contain the wastes for the 10,000 years required by lawmakers will hold up to the potential tests of time, natural and manmade disasters. "Gaps in data and basic understanding cause important uncertainties in the concepts and assumptions on which the DOE's performance estimates are now based," NWTRB concludes. "Because of these uncertainties, the Board has limited confidence in current performance estimates generated by the DOE's performance assessment model." "The Board's view is that the technical basis for the DOE's repository performance estimates is weak to moderate at this time," the NWTRB concluded. [cores] Geologist studies cores from Yucca Mountain to determine its ability to contain radioactive waste. However, "the Board makes no judgment on the question of whether the Yucca Mountain site should be recommended or approved for repository development," the report says. The Department of Energy (DOE) says the NWTRB report provides "valuable independent confirmation of a critical conclusion" reached by the DOE after 24 years and $4 billion of research: that Yucca Mountain would make a suitable repository. Earlier this month, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced that the agency intends to recommend to President George W. Bush that the Yucca Mountain site is scientifically sound and suitable to hold radioactive waste. Yucca Mountain is the only site now under consideration as a permanent repository for high level radioactive wastes, including spent fuel from the nation's 103 nuclear power plants. Nevada itself has no nuclear reactors. The NWTRB says that "eliminating all uncertainty associated with estimates of repository performance would never be possible at any repository site." Therefore, government officials and policymakers will have to determine "how much scientific uncertainty is acceptable," the board wrote. The Board recommended that the DOE "continue a vigorous, well integrated scientific investigation to increase its fundamental understanding of the potential behavior of the repository system." Under Secretary of Energy Robert Card said Thursday that the DOE is committed to reducing uncertainties about the safety of the Yucca Mountain site by using estimates of its performance projecting thousands of years in the future. [Abraham] Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham "The [Energy] Secretary is committed to ensuring the safety of citizens of Nevada and of the nation, a timely recommendation on a repository, and an ongoing course of research that would last so long as the repository is in its operating and monitoring period," Card said, noting that research could continue "as much as 100-300 years after its opening." Card pointed out that the NWTRB did not disagree with the DOE that a repository at Yucca Mountain "would be safe throughout its operating and monitoring period, hundreds of years into the future." Card said there is no legitimate scientific organization that disagrees on this issue. If President Bush decides to recommend the site, the state of Nevada will have the opportunity to disapprove the recommendation. If Nevada disagrees with Bush's recommendation, Congress will be responsible for designating a repository site for development. "The Board's review of the 24 years of scientific study at Yucca Mountain is important, as is the decision on whether or not to address the country's nuclear waste problem at this time," Card said, "given the impacts to national security, environmental protection, and continued clean up of nuclear waste." Spent nuclear fuel and high level radioactive waste is now scattered across 131 sites in 39 states, Card noted. [Yucca] Yucca Mountain looking west into Crater Flat with volcanic cones in the background Many Nevada officials oppose the planned repository. On January 24, the city of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada filed court documents charging that DOE approval of the Yucca Mountain site will cause "immediate and irreparable harm" to Las Vegas. "Today's legal action represents our continued commitment to working with the governor and other elected officials as we pursue every option to keep Nevada from becoming the nation's nuclear waste dump," wrote Clark County Commission chair Dario Herrera in a written statement. The petition, filed in a federal appeals court, asks the court to delay the DOE's official recommendation that the site be approved. By law, Energy Secretary Richardson must wait until February 10 to recommend the site - 30 days after he gave official notice to Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn of his intentions. The state of Nevada filed a lawsuit on December 17, 2001 to halt the Yucca Mountain Project The state alleges that Energy Department's ground rules for judging whether the site is suitable for nuclear waste storage are contrary to what Congress intended. [Guinn] Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn (Photo courtesy Office of the Governor) If President Bush does approve a nuclear dump at Yucca Mountain, Governor Guinn plans to continue his opposition. "I can veto a decision by the President of the United States, and then within 90 days it has to go to both houses of Congress, the Senate and the House, and they have to overrule with at least a simple majority veto," Guinn said earlier this month. More information about the Yucca Mountain Project is online at: http://www.ymp.gov [http://www.ymp.gov] Email the Environment Editor [news@ens-news.com] ***************************************************************** 32 Nuclear Waste Battle Heats Up January 29, 2002 Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com Monday, Jan. 28, 2002 During Campaign 2000 George W. Bush declared that as president he would decide the suitability of the controversial Yucca Mountain, Nev. nuclear waste burial ground based on "sound science.” With Energy Secretary Spenser Abraham on the cusp of sending a positive recommendation to his boss on what would be the nation’s long awaited repository for the detritus of nuclear power generation, some, including the General Accounting Office are questioning the adequacy of that science. Others say that consolidating and safeguarding radioactive waste that could wind up in an enemy’s "dirty nuke,” is an imperative of national security. More than 40,000 tons of highly radioactive reactor waste percolate in storage tanks at nuclear power plants in 31 states -- with the amount growing by 2,000 tons annually. When, and if, waste ever arrives at Yucca Mountain, it would be placed in tall chambers carved from the side of a five-mile underground tunnel. Designs call for the chambers to be filled with 70,000 metric tons of waste over 24 years before being plugged up with concrete. Last month, the GAO noted in a report that once Bush considers the site qualified for a license application and recommends the site to the Congress, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Department of Energy to submit a license application to NRC within about five to eight months. According to the GOA report, however, DOE will not be able to submit an acceptable application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within the express statutory time frames for several years because it will take that long to resolve many technical issues. "Specifically, DOE is currently gathering and analyzing technical information required to satisfy 293 agreements that it made with NRC.” "According to NRC,” said the report, "completing this ongoing technical work is essential for it to accept a license application from DOE. Some of these agreements, for example, provide for the additional study of how water would flow through the repository area to the underlying groundwater and the durability of waste containers to last for thousands of years.” Public Relations Battle In the meantime, a fierce public relations battle rages over the desolate mountain site. Nevadans believe their state was chosen because it is sparsely populated and lacked the clout to fight back. Furthermore, there are no nuclear plants in the state, making the issue of waste a foreign problem. Opponents point to the hazards attendant to 143,000 over-the-road shipments hauling 77,000 tons of nuclear waste through hundreds of major cities and thousands of communities across the nation en route to Yucca Mountain. But former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro said she joined the proponents because the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks convinced her nuclear wastes should be consolidated in one place. Ferraro and former Republican New Hampshire governor John Sununu are heading a public campaign in favor of building the facility. Last week, Ferraro was sent a letter endorsed by 19 groups opposing Nevada nuclear waste burial and urging her to resign as spokeswoman for the pro-Yucca campaign headed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In the letter, the environmental organizations cited outstanding health, safety and transportation questions involved in moving highly radioactive waste to Nevada and keeping it safely stored for more than 10,000 years. "You say that as a mother and a grandmother you are sensitive to the legacies we leave our children. Residents of Nevada are deeply concerned about the legacy of contamination that the proposed repository would leave future generations,” the groups said. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is on record as pronouncing, "As long as we’re in the majority, it’s [Yucca] dead.” But Whip Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., also a strong opponent conceded, "It’s going to be a tough deal’’ to overturn Bush if he goes along with Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. Abraham disclosed recently that he would advise the president that the Yucca Mountain site, 90 miles from Las Vegas, is a "scientifically sound and suitable’’ site to bury the nation’s nuclear waste. Abraham unexpectedly showed up at a Las Vegas hearing on Yukka last month. The federal government started out studying a handful of possible repositories in Washington, Texas and Kansas. Several years ago, however, Congress told the Department of Energy to put all its efforts into Yucca Mountain. Yucca Mountain, adjacent to the Nevada Test Site of Cold War fame, has already been the subject of a dozen years of study, costing more than $6.8 billion. Despite it’s national defense implications, so far Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge has stayed out of the Yukka controversy, focusing on buttressing security at the nation’s nuclear facilities. All Rights Reserved © NewsMax.com ***************************************************************** 33 Letter: The 'right party' has work to do in Yucca fight Las Vegas SUN January 25, 2002 Dick Armey was in Summerlin back-slapping with Republicans and told the media that it's the political party that will make the final decision on Yucca Mountain, it's all about being with the right party. Armey made it perfectly clear the Democratic opposition will fall on deaf ears. An editorial in the Review-Journal blames Sen. Harry Reid for not pushing the governor and attorney general to file a 10th Amendment suit to stop Yucca Mountain. Is Reid the only one who can or didn't? Why didn't the R-J point out Ensign's or Gibbons' heroic efforts? The R-J should call on Ensign and Gibbons to push the issue since they belong to the "right party." Gov. Guinn campaigned for Bush and was honored to hand over Nevada's electoral votes to Bush, so he and his party need to face the music. Did anyone fall for that phoney-baloney letter Guinn was waving around before the election, where Dubya gave his word that he wouldn't screw Nevada? Ha, what a load of nuclear waste that was. The government can, will and has always manipulated "scientific evidence-science" to produce the results it wants. Those who voted the GOP into office; you asked for it, you got it. Unfortunately, the rest of us did, too. Members of the "right party" need to stop feigning surprise and disgust and get off their rich behinds and start fighting. NANCY RIVERA All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 34 Letter: Focus on how nuke dump can help Nevadans Las Vegas SUN January 28, 2002 A repository at Yucca Mountain is inevitable, like it or not. Our elected officials are now talking about ways to reprocess the waste and scientific things, like transmutation, but all those things don't eliminate the need for a repository. It's just an attempt to make our politicians look good. Let's let science decide the issue. I urge everyone to take a tour of the site and get your questions answered by the scientists working on the project. I urge our legal eagle mayor to stop the name calling. Calling the secretary of energy a jerk and piece of garbage doesn't do any good and is just another example of how he sometimes speaks before he thinks about what he is saying. In fact, the name calling does no good in our state's fight against the project -- it only damages our already weak credibility back in the Beltway. I just wonder who is playing the devil's advocate and looking at ways to make this project benefit all of us -- Yucca Mountain could be used to diversify our economy. It was reported our schools will be short $15 million, so let's let the federal government pay for our schools and roads and even look at things like transferring federal lands to state ownership. I've even heard about how we could be an exporter of energy with power plants at the Test Site. All these things can be negotiated, but some dialogue needs to start soon. That's how I see it, and once the smoke and mirrors clear I think that is the way our elected officials will see it. It's just a question of whether it will be too late. REBECCA WAMSLEY All contents copyright 2002 Las Vegas SUN, Inc. ***************************************************************** 35 Spent-Fuel Foes Turn To Blumenthal ctnow.com: CONNECTICUT January 29, 2002 By GARY LIBOW, Courant Staff Writer HADDAM -- The state attorney general said he will consider reviewing the legality of the town's recent decision to allow a spent nuclear fuel storage facility on residential property in Haddam Neck. In a letter, former state Sen. Ed Munster and resident Ed Schwing have asked Attorney General Richard Blumenthal to review and, if necessary, invalidate the pact with the Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Co. before it's finalized in federal court. Blumenthal, noting that his office normally doesn't have authority or jurisdiction over local land-use issues, said he may contact Schwing to help determine if there is sufficient rationale for his office to intercede. "We will certainly review closely the points he made," Blumenthal said Monday. The selectmen voted 2-1 on Jan. 23 to grant Connecticut Yankee a building permit to construct the nuclear waste storage facility at its preferred site, in exchange for a payment of about $13 million over a decade and various safety and security enhancements. Munster and Schwing, both of whom believe the selectmen overstepped their statutory bounds, asked Blumenthal to "take the necessary steps to protect once again Haddam and Connecticut land use laws." Munster and Schwing charge that the selectmen lacked the authority to grant Connecticut Yankee a building permit to construct a dry cask storage facility the size of a football field on 15 acres. The two contend that the vote by selectmen Keith Ainsworth and Phil Pessina to approve the pact is an attempt to circumvent a unanimous planning and zoning commission vote. That vote opposed Connecticut Yankee's desire to build the nuclear waste storage facility outside the footprint, or specific area, of the decommissioned plant. "We believe this recent action by the majority of our board of selectmen violates our established zoning laws and should be stopped," the two wrote. While town statutes specifically do not empower the selectmen to issue a building permit or to override a planning and zoning commission decision, the selectmen have the power to settle litigation filed against Haddam. Connecticut Yankee sued Haddam in federal court, charging that the town was violating its rights to locate the nuclear storage site anywhere on the company's 500 acres. Planning and zoning decisions during the 1960s limited any activity to within the plant footprint. Munster and Schwing also argue that the selectmen's agreement with Connecticut Yankee is against the wishes of many residents. They pointed out that at least 380 people sent back a postcard indicating they were opposed to the selectmen's decision. Schwing argues that the board of selectmen's decision to approve the storage of high-level nuclear waste in a residential area sets a dangerous precedent for the town and the state as a whole. Munster challenged the board of selectmen to bring the controversy to a public vote to learn what the majority of Haddam residents think. Ainsworth, an environmental attorney and former first selectman, defended the selectmen's vote sanctioning the agreement. "The simple legality is that we are settling a lawsuit," Ainsworth said, noting that the board of selectmen has the power under town charter to defend, compromise and settle all legal actions. First Selectman Tony Bondi, the only one on the panel to vote against the Connecticut Yankee agreement, said he resents that a federal court judge put pressure on both sides to settle the controversy. Bondi said federal courts have no business "meddling" in local land-use regulations and issues. Of the attempt by Munster and Schwing to void the board of selectmen's vote, Bondi said the two are free to enlist Blumenthal if they so choose. ctnow.com is Copyright © 2002 by The Hartford Courant ***************************************************************** 36 Calls for further meetings over Sellafield THE IRISH TIMES Last updated: 28-01-02, 21:16 The Sellafield nuclear plant in Cumbria Three TDs are to request a meeting with British government officials to raise their concerns over safety measures at the Sellafield nuclear power plant, it emerged tonight. The three were part of a delegation from the British-Irish parliamentary body that visited Sellafield in north-west England today on a fact-finding mission. The trip was planned amid fears the site produced radioactive pollution and that nuclear waste was a potential terrorist target. The delegation included Fianna Fáil’s Ms Marian McGennis and Mr Conor Lenihan; Fine Gael’s Mr Brian Hayes along with British Labour members Mr Kevin McNamara; Ms Jean Corston; and Mr Jeff Ennis. The trip was planned after a summit of the British-Irish inter parliamentary body in Bournemouth in December. After a tour of the site and discussions with management Mr Lenihan said tonight: "We would require more reassurance that this is a secure site in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks. "We would want further discussions and meetings with British Government officials with regard to the specific issues which we have raised with the management." Mr Hayes said the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland should be allowed to make an inspection of the site. While Ms McGennis said: "Ultimately what we want to achieve, and certainly what the Irish people want to see, is the cessation of the operations at Sellafield." Mr Norman Askew, the Chief Executive of British Nuclear Fuels LTD, which operates Sellafield, tonight defended the plant. He told RTE News: "There are a number of structures on this site and those (MOX) structures are the most robust." But he could not discuss exact details regarding security measures at Sellafield. PA © 2002 The Irish Times/ireland.com ***************************************************************** 37 Perma-Fix Completes Successful Treatment of First Shipment of Hazardous Nuclear Waste at K-25 Plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee PR Newswire - USA; Jan 29, 2002 Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. (Germany: PES.BE) announced today that its subsidiary, East Tennessee Materials and Energy Corporation ("M&EC"), successfully treated hazardous radioactive waste from its advanced mixed waste treatment facility at the Department of Energy ("DOE") K-25 plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. A total of 1,100 drums of processed waste have now been shipped for final disposal. Perma-Fix and its subsidiaries have received five multi-year subcontracts from the DOE and other federal agencies valued at approximately $120 million for the treatment of mixed waste stored at DOE sites, as well as wastes from other governmental agencies. Bechtel-Jacobs Company, LLC, DOE's site manager, awarded M&EC three subcontracts to treat DOE mixed waste in 1998, which cover treatment of millions of cubic feet of legacy, operational and remediation nuclear waste, including both solids and liquids. UT-Battelle, operator of the Oak Ridge National Labs, has awarded the Company a contract for treatment of uranium and thorium chips at various DOE sites, and Kaiser-Hill Company, LLC, awarded Perma-Fix a contract to treat aqueous waste generated at the DOE Rocky Flats site. M&EC's 150,000-square-foot facility, located on the grounds of the Oak Ridge K-25 weapons facility of the Department of Energy, utilizes proprietary technologies to process radioactive and hazardous waste, eliminating the harmful impact on the environment. Output from the plant consists of encapsulated radioactive waste ready for long-term, safe disposal. Besides servicing DOE contracts, the facility is able to treat other governmental, institutional and commercially generated mixed waste now held in storage nationwide. Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, President and CEO of Perma-Fix, commented, "We are elated at the success of our processes, which have safely and successfully treated hazardous nuclear waste and produced an encapsulated radioactive material that will be disposed of safely. This first shipment is a significant milestone in providing a solution for the nuclear waste problem. The nation has been struggling with the problem of nuclear/hazardous waste for years and its solution is important to the expansion of the nuclear power industry and to President Bush's energy program. Perma-Fix plans to be part of that solution. The K-25 facility demonstrates that the government and private industry can now effectively dispose of nuclear/hazardous waste in an environmentally friendly process, using Perma-Fix's expertise and technology." Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. is a national environmental services company, providing unique mixed waste and industrial waste management services. The industrial services segment provides hazardous and non- hazardous waste treatment services for a diverse group of customers including Fortune 500 companies, numerous federal, state and local agencies and thousands of smaller clients. The nuclear services segment provides radioactive and mixed waste treatment services to hospitals, research laboratories and institutions, numerous federal agencies including the Departments of Energy and Defense and nuclear utilities. The company operates 10 major waste treatment facilities across the country. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" which are based largely on the company's expectations and are subject to various business risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the company's control. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the information concerning the expected value of contracts awarded Perma-Fix and its subsidiaries and the period over which the contracts would apply. These forward-looking statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While the Company believes the expectations reflected in this news release are reasonable, it can give no assurance such expectations will prove to be correct. There are a variety of factors which could cause future outcomes to differ materially from those described in this release, including without limitation, future economic conditions, industry conditions, competitive pressures, failure by the parties awarding the contracts to abide by or comply with the terms of the contracts or to deliver the quantity of waste as anticipated during the term of the contracts, or the government exercising its right to terminate the general contracts, under which the Company was awarded subcontracts, at anytime during the term of the contract. The Company makes no commitment to disclose any revisions to forward-looking statements, or any facts, events or circumstances after the date hereof that bear upon forward- looking statements. Please visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.perma-fix.com. http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X86736525 Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. Contact: Dr. Louis F. Centofanti, President of Perma-Fix, +1-404-847-9990; or investor relations, Stan Altschuler of Strategic Growth International, Inc., +1-516-829-7111, or saltschuler@sgi-ir.com, for Perma- Fix; or european investor relations, Herbert Strauss, +43-664-412-7733, or herbert@eu-ir.com; or media relations, Stephanie Stern, sstern@sternco.com, or Stan Froelich, sfroelich@sternco.com, both for Perma-Fix, +1-212-888-0044 Website: http://www.perma-fix.com/ World Reporter ***************************************************************** 38 MOX security defended as Irish politicians visit plant online.ie : News The Irish Examiner 29 Jan 2002 By Michael O' Farrell IRISH politicians gained access for the first time yesterday to Sellafield's controversial nuclear fuel reprocessing plant as authorities attempted to allay safety fears. The Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) plant at Sellafield was commissioned last October despite numerous protests and legal challenges on the part of the government, the Green Party and anti-nuclear groups. "Having seen in reality how the plant operates it becomes really really imperative we win the case against it," said Fine Fáil's Marian McGennis, co-chairing a committee of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary body. "It's an extremely crude process for something as technical as nuclear reprocessing, and it is kind of scary to see the guts of a nuclear reactor there before you." Fine Gael's Brian Hayes said British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) chief executive Norman Askew agreed in principle to a permanent presence of Irish Radiological Protection Institute inspectors at Sellafield. "It's important to allow our regulator to be given automatic rights to be in there and report back to the Irish government. I do think we need an individual third-party scrutiny of what is going on there on a daily basis," said Deputy Hayes. Earlier this month, Ireland's radiation watchdog appealed to the operators of Sellafield to show how storage tanks holding high-level radioactive waste would be capable of withstanding a terrorist attack. But the Radiological Protection Institute complained BNFL had only imparted some limited information, citing security concerns, and then demanded the Irish public not be told the details of this limited disclosure. But despite persistent concern over Sellafield as a terrorist target, management again refused to outline details of anti-terrorist security measures. "We are all aware of the effects of a nuclear accident. We need to ensure such an accident never happens close to our shores, which is why I am travelling to Sellafield to raise our worries about the security of the plant with the British authorities, and call on them to support our efforts," said Ms McGennis. BNFL chief Askew defended the plant's security, saying safety at Sellafield had been reviewed and every possible precaution had been taken to guard against terrorist attack. But he refused to go into specifics other than to say vessels containing high-level radioactive liquid waste were among the most robust civilian structures. ***************************************************************** 39 US experts arrive in Russia to study submarine-scrapping facilities BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 29, 2002 Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, 29 January: A group of experts from the US Energy Department have arrived in Kamchatka on Tuesday [29 January] to familiarize themselves with the experience and possibilities of scrapping nuclear submarines at a ship-repair plant on the closed administrative territory of Viluchinsk. During the visit to Kamchatka the US experts will have consultations on problems of interest with Russian experts from troops deployed in the northeast of Russia. Source: ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in English 0752 gmt 29 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 40 Kazakhstan contributes to thermonuclear reactor project BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Jan 29, 2002 [Presenter] Another round of tests has been completed as part of the ITER [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor] project. Specialists from the Kazakh National Nuclear Centre and their counterparts in European Union countries, Canada and Japan have pooled their efforts to set up a historic thermonuclear energy reactor. The project is well ahead of its time in the thermonuclear sector. Experts say that thermonuclear power engineering will actively develop in the future, when the world's coal reserves are exhausted. Kazakhstan is playing an important part in the project. Our scientists are working on the safety of the future reactor. Grigoriy Bedenko reports: [Passage omitted: correspondent explains what thermonuclear synthesis means, over video of nuclear facilities] Tests of the construction material for the thermonuclear reactor have been conducted on the former [eastern Kazakh] Semipalatinsk test range for almost eight years. Kazakhstan was invited to join the project because of its rich experience in surveying thermonuclear synthesis. This is one of the most advanced branches of international science. European Union countries, Canada and Japan are now participating in the project, which is costing 4.5bn dollars. The USA is expected to join the project this year. According to Irina Tazhibayeva, the possibility of launching the next stage of the project, the actual construction of the reactor, is now being looked at. Kazakhstan's long-term prospects are quite favourable. [Irina Tazhibayeva, captioned as deputy director general of the National Nuclear Centre] What else can Kazakhstan do in the future? A big order will be placed with the Ulba metallurgical plant, since the first layer of the coating of the thermonuclear reactor will be made of the beryllium produced at the Ulba plant. [Correspondent] The first thermonuclear energy reactor will be built in 2010. At the moment, Canada is the only country to have offered a site for installing the reactor. However, Japan, Spain and France are also interested in having the future power engineering sector start working on their territory. [Passage to end omitted: correspondent praises the advantages of the future thermonuclear power stations] Source: Khabar Television, Almaty, in Russian 1500 gmt 28 Jan 02 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC. World Reporter ***************************************************************** 41 India planning to build 2 nuclear subs UPI hears ... Zawya.com | Jan 28, 2002 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Insider notes from United Press International for Jan. 28 ... Although formal approval has yet to come from the Indian government, Indian naval sources claim to be confident that they will get the go-ahead for an agreement to take over two of Russia's state-of-the-art nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarines. Construction of the two Type 971 subs, known as Akula (Shark), began in the 1990s but was then frozen for budgetary reasons. Once New Delhi makes the first $100 million payment, says Russia's Rosoboronexport arms sales agency, the fitting-out resumes and India will be able to deploy the subs in 2004 and then lease them for the rest of the decade. The original Akula carried SS-16 missiles with a range of up to 100 miles, but the Indian version is to be fitted with the Brahmos cruise missile, a joint Russian-Indian development with a range of 150 miles and carrying conventional warhead of up to 400 pounds. Copyright 2002 by United Press International. Copyright © 2002 Zawya.com Ltd. All rights reserved. Please read ***************************************************************** 42 US for pact with Pakistan, India on nuclear devices Updated on 2002-01-28 13:50:57 ISLAMABAD,, Jan 28 (PNS): The United States wants agreement, both with India and Pakistan, on moratorium, non-deployment and security of nuclear devices and missiles. According to knowledgeable sources, the US administration would work towards implementation of comprehensive nuclear threat reduction programme in South Asia to safeguard Pakistani and Indian missile, nuclear stockpiles and technology. According to the indicated schedule, the whole arrangement should be in place by September 2003. The sources suggested that this initiative had got an added significance in recent weeks as India conducted more missile tests, and there were fears that it might be tempted to resume underground tests to build more pressure on Pakistan. Pakistan, however, had pledged not to respond to India's Agni missile test in Orissa. According to a report of the US government, both India and Pakistan have acquired or developed independently nuclear materials, detonation devices, warheads and delivery systems as part of their nuclear weapons programmes. It added that since the commencement of the military campaign against the Taliban regime and the al-Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan, Pakistan had taken additional steps to secure its nuclear assets from theft by members of al-Qaeda or other terrorists sympathetic to Osama bin Laden or the Taliban. However, the report showed apprehensions that self-policing of nuclear materials and sensitive technologies by Indian and Pakistani authorities without up-to-date western technology and expertise in the nuclear security area is unlikely to prevent determined terrorists or sympathisers from gaining access to such stockpiles over the long term. According to the report, the United States has a significant national security interest in cooperating with India and Pakistan in order to ensure effective nuclear threat reduction programmes, and to review the enabling policies. It suggested that the US Congress had asked the secretary of defence, in cooperation with the secretaries of state and energy, to submit a report on the steps to have been taken to develop cooperative threat reduction programs with India and Pakistan. Such report could include recommendations for changes in any provision of existing law that is currently an impediment to the full establishment of such programmes, a timetable for implementation of such programmes, and an estimated five-year budget that will be required to fully fund such programmes. According to another document, it was stated that it should be the policy of the United States, consistent with its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to encourage and work with the governments of India and Pakistan to achieve the following objectives by September 30, 2003: (1) Continuation of a nuclear testing moratorium. (2) Commitment not to deploy nuclear weapons. (3) Agreement by both governments to bring their export controls in line with the guidelines and requirements of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. (5) Agreement by both governments to bring their export controls in line with the guidelines, requirements, and annexes of the Missile Technology Control Regime. (6) Establishment of a modern, effective system to protect and secure nuclear devices and materiel from unauthorised use, accidental employment, theft, espionage, misuse, or abuse. (7) Establishment of a modern, effective system to control the export of sensitive dual-use items, technology, technical information and materiel that can be used in the design, development or production of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. (8) Conduct of bilateral meetings between Indian and Pakistani senior officials to discuss security issues, establish confidence-building measures and increase transparency with regard to nuclear policies, programmes, stockpiles, capabilities, and delivery systems. The document says that the US president would submit a report on the subject to the appropriate committees of Congress by March 1, 2003, describing the US efforts in pursuit of these, the progress made toward the achievement of those objectives and the likelihood that each objective would be achieved by September 30, 2003 ***************************************************************** 43 Czech Debt Deal (with russia) Gets Even Murkier Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2002. Page 1 By Yevgenia Borisova Staff Writer The more details that emerge from the secretive and complex scheme that reduced Russia's debt to the Czech Republic by $2.5 billion last month, the more mysterious it gets. On Monday, a Russian nonprofit organization that can't be located joined the known list of players in the deal -- the governments of both countries, Unified Energy Systems, Gazprom, Rosenergoatom and a shady Czech company called Falkon Capital. The nonprofit organization, the Center for Support of Energy Reforms, apparently acted as a shell company through which UES funneled $775 million of the $1.35 billion in budget money it received for buying the $2.5 billion Soviet-era debt off Falkon, which bought it off the Czech government for just $550 million. The existence of the center was first reported Monday by Vedomosti, which attributed the information to unnamed "top managers" at UES. Calls to the UES press service went unanswered Monday, and no contact details for the center could be located by The Moscow Times or its sister paper, Vedomosti. "This center was probably created by UES just for this particular deal," said Vitaly Zarkhin, energy analyst with Alfa Bank. The highly unorthodox transaction by which Russia seems to have paid an obscure Czech company to redeem its debt at a steep discount has caused a scandal in Prague and prompted lawmakers there to demand an inquiry into press reports that Falkon has ties to intelligence agencies. Why would Prague sell a $2.5 billion debt for $550 million without even conducting a tender? "It could be part of the election campaign," said Jan Kovalik, an investigative reporter for the Prague-based journal Respekt, referring to national elections scheduled for summer. He said that the $550 million Falkon paid is nearly 3 percent of the entire Czech budget and "such a gain could win voters' sympathy." "But nobody knows the true answer to why was it was sold so cheaply," Kovalik said in an e-mail interview, adding that the Czech government's position is that Russia demanded Falkon broker the deal or Russia would not pay at all. Falkon is a kind of Central European Enron, buying and selling electricity and debt, and has worked with UES for several years. "We would not go for this partnership if it did not prove to be a reliable one," UES spokesman Andrei Yegorov said last week. Indeed, analysts said the big winner is UES, which was paid $1.35 billion by the Russian government for the deal, which basically has two components: In the first component, UES borrowed cash from a Russian bank to pay Falkon. (Vedomosti reported that bank was Sberbank, but Sberbank declined to comment Monday.) Both the Czech side and the Russian side cite a confidentiality agreement as their reason for not being able to disclose exact figures, but a conference call by top UES managers last week shed some light on the deal, allowing analysts to deduce the rest. Troika Dialog said UES borrowed $700 million and transferred it to Falkon's accounts, along with a guarantee to supply $30 million worth of electricity over the next year or so. In the second component, the Russian government gave UES $1.35 billion for buying up its $2.5 billion debt. UES then used that money to offset its liabilities to Gazprom, Rosenergoatom and the Tax Ministry. Troika Dialog describes the deal as follows: UES settled $65 million of its own tax debts to the government. UES loaned $340 million to Gazprom and $170 to Rosenergoatom, which is run by the Nuclear Power Ministry. UES loaned its subsidiaries $775 million so they could settle their debts to Gazprom ($605 million) and Rosenergoatom ($170 million). Sixty-five of UES's 73 subsidiaries participated in these transactions. Gazprom and Rosenergoatom then used the loans from UES plus the payments they received from the UES subsidiaries to settle their own tax obligations, which is where the previously unknown Center for Support of Energy Reforms comes in. Instead of loaning money directly to its subsidiaries, UES "passed" it to them through the center. According to Vedomosti, UES also paid its debts to Gazprom and Rosenergoatom in this way. Now, apparently, regional energy companies owe $775 million to a company that no one can find. Alfa Bank's Zarkhin said that UES probably funneled the cash through the center to expedite the process. "Look, this deal could involve transfers of assets between UES and its subsidiaries, so it includes vested interests," Zarkhin said. "Such deals need the approval of the board of directors. With the center, which I think was created by UES because it is not its commercial subsidiary, things are easier." The deal also allows UES to gain more control over its subsidiaries at a time when the entire sector is going through a huge restructuring that many investors fear may lead to asset transferring. Zarkhin said that some of the subsidiaries would now have to settle their debts to UES with assets because they cannot generate enough profits to pay cash. "And a key question, when it comes up to the payback period, will become the cost of these assets," he said. However, Kaha Kiknavelidze, analyst with Troika Dialog, said that UES's first choice would be cash. "I think that paying off with assets would be the exception. While in 1999, UES collected only about 23 percent of all its payments in cash, now it shoots for 100 percent." Troika says that among the biggest implications of the deal, which it generally describes as "positive," are: UES reduces the general restructuring risk of the sector by restructuring subsidiaries' debts to suppliers; UES gains additional leverage against regional utilities, which now owe large sums to the parent; A high level of commercial debt creates greater financial discipline both in UES and its subsidiaries and increases the responsibility of management.; UES assisted all troubled subsidiaries by not allowing them to sink under their debt load; UES' management did not share the gain from the deal with its subsidiaries, making its own stock more attractive on a relative basis. [http://www.moscowtimes.ru ***************************************************************** 44 [BATN] Letter: DOE must close Livermore's East Avenue Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2002 21:02:08 -0000 Letters to the Editor DOE must act quickly on labs' road closure The Times editorial (Jan. 16), "Oh, just close the road," asked Alameda County officials, and myself in particular, to "take pruning shears to the regulations" and see that East Avenue is closed immediately. While the language is colorful, the situation and accusations are dire. Alameda County officials are well aware of the need to close East Avenue between South Vasco and Greenville roads to help protect the Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories from possible terrorist attacks. This is an issue of national security. To that end, Alameda County has cooperated with the laboratories in an effort to close East Avenue as soon as possible. In no way is the cost of county maintenance to the road an issue. To suggest otherwise implies that the county is holding up the process, which is not true. Nor is there any delay caused by outstanding reports -- one traffic study was required, and that has been submitted. The decision on East Avenue closure now rests with the United States Department of Energy, which holds final approval. While there will be major costs involved in closing the road, all funding will come from either the newly created Office of Homeland Security or the Department of Energy. Despite my disappointment with inaccuracies reported on the East Avenue issue, I agree with the editors that this "is a time to act." Alameda County immediately did everything in its power to act; now is the time for the Department of Energy to do the same. Scott Haggerty Livermore Haggerty is president, Alameda County Board of Supervisors. [Use http://www.contracostatimes.com/contact_us/letters.htm to submit a letter to the editor. -BATN] To change your BATN subscription, send a blank email message to: BATN-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com to unsubscribe, BATN-nomail@yahoogroups.com to suspend email, BATN-digest@yahoogroups.com to switch to digest mode, BATN-normal@yahoogroups.com to switch to individual email mode. See http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/BATN for web access & archives Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ***************************************************************** 45 Composite Power Signs Long-Term Lease With DOE for Power Plant Site PR Newswire - USA; Jan 28, 2002 Composite Power Corporation (CPC) announced today the signing of a 50-year lease with the US Department of Energy for a 1,000 acre power plant site located near Richland, Washington. CEO Roger McCombs stated that CPC is an innovative company with a mission dedicated to a dual strategy for the energy marketplace. "The lease of the WNP-1 and WNP-4 sites is a major milestone in the realization of our strategic plan in helping to solve national energy problems by developing innovative clean and renewable energy projects" said McCombs. "While achieving that goal, we will also use this property to develop, manufacture and market the most efficient, technically advanced energy delivery system in the world. Our plans are specifically designed to fulfill major initiatives in President Bush's National Energy Policy and the Homeland Security Plan." Composite Power's strategic plan is based on the use of these two partially completed nuclear sites to construct an integrated industrial/energy park with a central power complex of multiphase 2500 Megawatts of natural gas-fired generation. The site located along the Columbia River in eastern Washington will provide the cornerstone for CPC's development of an advanced composite manufacturing center and a large-scale secure data storage facility. The natural gas fired generation will provide the base load power for the site with a large segment of the power being provided to the Northwest Power Grid. For the past year Composite Power has worked closely with the United States Department of Energy and several years with major utilities. Additionally, procurement engineering, construction and advanced materials firms such as W. Brandt Goldsworthy & Associates (Torrance, CA), whose arsenal for energy and infrastructure innovations has consistently demonstrated leaps in technology and have been targeted by Composite Power as key partners. This center supports development for their advanced composite energy delivery system, magnetic levitation wind turbine, large-scale biomass energy production, and clean coal technology. An outline of the key elements of Composite Power's master plan is located in the Mission Statement on their website at http://www.compositepower.com/ Statements about the company's future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in the news release other than historical facts are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Since these statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the company's actual results could differ materially form expected results. http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X00611123 Composite Power Corporation Contact: Teresa Brewer of Composite Power Corporation, +1-509-943-6599 Website: http://www.compositepower.com/ World Reporter ***************************************************************** 46 Vit spending bill could get tanked This story was published Sat, Jan 26, 2002 By Chris Mulick Herald staff writer OLYMPIA -- Bills to help Hanford communities handle a population jolt from construction of the vitrification project finally found the hopper late this week, but prospects are dim. Though the 2002 session is only two weeks old, the first legislative cutoff is just two weeks away. At least one of the two bills must be given a hearing and moved out of committee by Feb. 12. Neither House Bill 2693 nor Senate Bill 6674 is scheduled to be heard next week, leaving only a few potential hearing dates remaining. Worse, Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Lisa Brown, who will write the chamber's version of a plan to patch a $1.25 billion state budget hole, is turning away almost everyone asking for new spending. There may be more money included for community colleges to boost worker retraining programs but not much else. "Other than that, I'm saying, 'No,' to everybody," said Brown, D-Spokane. "It's nothing personal about the project. Anything that makes it a bigger gap is going to have a tough time making it." Supporters will argue the proposals won't cut existing state cash flows. The bills target the state's portion of the sales tax surge that will accompany construction of the vit project, which will turn Hanford's most dangerous tank wastes to glass. The bills call for diverting 10 percent of the $67 million in sales taxes associated with construction that is expected to flow into state coffers, most of it during the next six years. That would provide about $6.7 million in cash for Mid-Columbia governments to share. It is believed the crush of workers will add about $10 million to $11 million a year in costs of spiking services, including police and fire. At its peak, the population spike linked to the project is expected to hit about 7,100. About 1,500 workers already are believed to be living in the Tri-Cities, with about 44 percent of them in Richland, said Jill Monley, the city's deputy city manager. Hanford communities will see local sales tax returns increase because of the temporary population surge, but it won't be enough, she said. Ultimately, that will stretch city services thinner. "The service level to existing residents is getting diluted," Monley said. That may not generate much sympathy at the state Capitol, where legislators from other districts are bemoaning slumping economies in their own districts that are in worse shape than the Tri-Cities. The Capitol has been besieged by advocates rallying daily for scores of causes that figure to feel the brunt of the budget pinch. Ultimately, the Hanford communities are competing with advocates of programs for the poor, disabled and other interests. Sen. Pat Hale, R-Kennewick, said she understands Brown's position and is not optimistic her mind can be changed. "She's got more than she can say grace over," said Hale of budget challenges on Brown's plate. But Hale is making a push anyway, starting with a letter she sent to every member of the Ways and Means Committee this week outlining the situation. Hale and Monley said the bill needs to be approved this year because sales tax revenues associated with the vitrification project already are starting to roll in and will begin to dry up by 2007. Rep. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, is working the issue in the House, where passage figures to be a bit easier. But he said the Hanford communities' best bet may be to ride out the recession and run the bill again in a future session when the budget picture is brighter. "I don't think we have to have it this year," said Delvin. "Like I told the cities, timing is everything in Olympia, and you're off on this one, so don't expect too much." Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This ***************************************************************** 47 Activists Allege Local Lab Emits Tritium Pollution The Daily Californian Isotope Can be Harmful By YALDA AFSHAR Contributing Writer Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Although the tritium lab in the Berkeley Hills has been closed for nearly a month, community activists say the lab continues to endanger the city with radioactive emissions. The 20-year-old National Tritium Labeling Facility, which used the radioactive isotope for medical research, lost funding from the National Institutes of Health last fall and is now set to be dismantled. But nearby residents are worried that the site—the grounds of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory—will not be properly decontaminated. Toxic waste may be treated at the site, prompting neighbors to launch a campaign for the waste to be shipped to a different site for disposal. L.A. Wood, a member of the Community Environmental Advisory Commission, and others were pleased by the lab's closure, though some fear it is part of a cover-up resulting from their increased scrutiny of the facility. "Some see it as a tritium lab," said Wood. "I see a backyard garage kind of operation—only a double-wide trailer. I don't see that as high science." Gene Bernardi, co-chair of the Committee to Minimize Toxic Waste, said the lab's research has been "subverted into a waste treatability study" with the lab testing possibilities for getting rid of the tritium waste. Ron Kolb, a spokesperson for the Berkeley lab, said the tritium facility closure was unrelated to pressure from residents. "Tritium, if under strict controls, isn't something to be afraid of as the emissions are absolutely safe and never a danger for people in the lab or the community, according to a study done at the facility," Kolb said. Former member of the environmental commission Gordon Wozniak, also an employee at the lab, has computed the radiation from the lab in a year to be only ten times higher than the amount of radiation in a single banana. The tritium facility closed because it was unable to attract investigators from the health institutes and because researchers at the lab published few scholarly papers in prestigious journals, Kolb said. Though some said the use of tritium was outdated and outmoded, Charles Shank, director of the lab, said tritium is a large contributor to the pharmaceutical industry. The neutron-rich nucleus of tritium is unstable and gives off energy as it decays, allowing observation of otherwise-invisible chemical processes. "In its almost two decades at the laboratory, the (facility) and its outstanding staff have served the nation well," Shank said. "It was an important tool for biological and medical research and provided immense value in our understanding of chemical processes in disease development and suppression." Residents, however, said tritium's biomedical value is outweighed by safety risks, which include the threat of massive exposure to radiation around the lab should a fire consume the facility. "The lab is a national treasure," but it's a huge local problem," Wood said. The radioactive effect of the tritium will be around longer than the lab, he said, because the hydrogen isotope has a 12.5 year half-life. "Right now we just have to sit back and accept what they tell the community," said Wood. "But I want to get to a point that no more emissions are coming from that building." Leuren Moret, an independent environmental scientist who worked at the Berkeley lab and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, said a 1996 study of tritium in the rain exposed tritium in the rain as far away as Albany. Berkeley, California Email: dailycal@dailycal.org ***************************************************************** 48 Livermore Lab names new engineering head ContraCostaTimes.com Published Monday, January 28, 2002 + Glenn Mara is ready to begin a new phase in his 30-year career at Lawrence Livermore on Friday BY ANDREA WIDENER -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRA COSTA TIMES LIVERMORE -- A 30-year veteran of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's science and weapons programs has been chosen as the new head of its engineering division. Beginning Friday, Glenn Mara will lead the 2,200 engineers and technicians in jobs throughout the laboratory. Mara has worked in many of the lab's most high-profile engineering jobs. For the past year, he has served as deputy project manager of the National Ignition Facility, a $2 billion construction and research project to build the world's largest laser. Before that, he led the hands-on engineering side of the stockpile stewardship program, which aims to maintain nuclear weapons without underground testing. "Engineering is right at the precipice to do some really incredible things," said Mara, 54, citing the challenges of new and bigger lasers and stockpile stewardship. Lawrence Livermore has a fairly unusual engineering department structure. While scientists work for the engineering division, they are sent out to different projects based on their skills and on demand. This allows them to work on everything from basic research to construction to weapons projects. Mara said the lab has done a good job maintaining that flexibility. "If we lose that little bit of free energy, we will quickly lose that edge," he said. Mara started at the lab in 1971 after graduating from Ohio State University with bachelor's and master's degrees in welding engineering. His first job was working on defense, energy and environmental problems in the chemistry division. In 1985, after moving up through the materials science research ranks, Mara moved into the nuclear testing program, where he eventually oversaw all of the engineering activities there. Mara lives in Fremont with his wife. They have three children. Andrea Widener covers science and the area's national laboratories. Reach her at 925-847-2158 or awidener@cctimes.com [awidener@cctimes.com] . ContraCostaTimes.com ***************************************************************** 49 DOE will assess risks to wetlands Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 11:24 a.m. on Monday, January 28, 2002 by Paul Parson Oak Ridger staff The Department of Energy says it is going to assess any possible environmental threats to about 3.36 acres of wetlands on a section of land known as Parcel G. David Page, an environmental engineer for DOE, said the study is the result of a draft report addressing potential environmental impacts associated with transferring the American Museum of Energy to the city of Oak Ridge. Parcel G -- 20 acres situated near the intersection of Bethel Valley and Scarboro roads -- and a 0.662-acre tract located on the corner of Laboratory and Administration roads are both included in the transfer deal. The two pieces of property are within the city limits and may be suitable for a small office or retail business. The environmental assessment, which is required by federal regulations, points out that portions of the Scarboro Creek flood plain and three areas of wetlands, which total 3.36 acres, are present on Parcel G. Page said the Parcel G study will focus on any disruptions to the functions wetlands serve within the ecosystem that might arise from the land transfer. Any documents generated from this study would be appended to the environmental assessment. Wetlands are among the most biologically productive natural ecosystems in the world. They provide many benefits, including food and habitat for fish and wildlife; flood protection; shoreline erosion control; natural products for human use; water quality improvement; and opportunities for education and research. Although wetlands vary widely because of regional and local differences in soils, climate, vegetation and other factors, the Environmental Protection Agency defines them as areas where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living there. The city was first hit with the possibility of taking over the museum in October 2000 after DOE eliminated $1.2 million in federal funding for the facility and left UT-Battelle with that responsibility, under its contract to manage Oak Ridge National Laboratory. As a result, UT-Battelle issued a plan to DOE stating it should relinquish control of the museum to the city. Paul Boyer, city manager, then issued to DOE a plan for taking over the museum that included the transfer of Parcel G. and the other piece of land known as Parcel 279.01. For the most part, DOE approved of the plan. Oak Ridge City Council is expected next week to consider hiring Amaze Design Inc., a Boston, Mass., consulting firm, to explore the transfer of the museum from DOE to the municipality. In addition, DOE is holding a public an information session from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Oak Ridge Mall Community Room to obtain public comments on the draft environmental assessment for the museum transfer. Comments will be accepted until Feb. 5 via e-mail at NEPA@oro.doe.gov [NEPA@oro.doe.gov] or by mail addressed to David R. Allen Sr., SE-30-1, Department of Energy, P.O. Box 2001, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831. Paul Parson can be contacted at (865) 220-5533 or pparson@oakridger.com [pparson@oakridger.com] . All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 50 Questions from disabled worker from Piketon plant 3 Oak Ridger Online --> Story last updated at 12:27 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29, 2002 Your Views To The Oak Ridger: My name is Vina Colley. I am a health-impacted worker from DOE's Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio, that made nuclear bomb uranium and reactor uranium. I have been fighting for much-needed job-related illness compensation for workers and myself due to DOE's operations that have harmed worker health. I am a resident of McDermott, Ohio, and a former electrician at the Portsmouth Gas Diffusion Plant. The terrorism of Sept. 11, 2001, was a tragedy to which Americans responded quickly with all appropriate aid. Congressional members, with the full support of the nation, rushed to compensate the families of the victims and survivors of the Sept. 11 attacks with amounts in the $500,000 to $1.5 million range. It was great to see the support of this great nation. In comparison, thousands of sick disabled workers and survivors of the DOE/DOD facilities have fought for decades for compensation that we may never see. DOE and the congressional process for the sick worker compensation bill only placed significance on radiation, beryllium, and silica for coverage of the compensation, and sidetracked chemical injury for gas diffusion workers. Many of my coworkers that worked side by side with me have the right kind of cancers that qualify in the compensation bill and some do not. We ask why are we being left out of this bill when we had the same exposures and our body reacted differently than that of our coworkers with the cancers. We have many other types of problems that are related to the toxic chemical exposures. Some materials, such as uranium, pose a heavy metal risk in addition to radioactive risk. This is not necessarily a cancer risk, but is a health risk that should be compensated. The system is designed not to work. I have in the past been paid Ohio Workers Compensation for my exposure, only to be taken off in 1987, because doctors were not paid to run a test. The Ohio Workers Compensation took the word of the company's doctors and doctors that review records and didn't run the test because workers comp wouldn't pay for the testing. I like to mention that my doctors did run the test ... In 1999, the government came to Piketon and many other sites and said we put you in harm's way and now it is time that we take care of you. If that is true, why are there so many loopholes against the victims? ... All gas diffusion workers have been exposed to the chemical called uranium hexafluoride (UF6) that generates very toxic hydrogen fluoride gas from countless releases in the course of daily employment ... Great lip service has been done in the paper while our government tries to find ways to get around paying these brave workers that helped win the cold war ... Vina K. Colley McDermott, Ohio Resident does the math on mall redevelopment All Contents ©Copyright The Oak Ridger ***************************************************************** 51 Irradiation of Food and Mail Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2002 00:01:10 -0600 (CST) First is today's story regarding the degrading and destruction of materials and substances by mail irradiation. Most people don't realize that nearly all conventional spices and seasonings (from your big chain stores) are also irradiated. If it does this to mail, what does it do to your pepper & cinnamon? Article on spices follows... http://www.coxnews.com/newsservice/stories/2002/0127-MAIL.html Mail zapped for anthrax often damaged, recipients say By Eunice Moscoso / Cox News Service 01-27-02 WASHINGTON -- Eliza Gilligan is deeply concerned about electron beams. The radiation, used to kill potential anthrax in the mail, has not been kind to some of the things she values most, such as books, letters and periodicals. "It's a very destructive process," said Gilligan, a book conservator with the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Several pieces of decontaminated mail sit in her office -- books with yellow, brittle pages, some with pages stuck together because of melted ink and others with binding undone and pages fallen out. "A lot of these books, you just can't fix," she said. "It breaks down the chemical structure of paper fibers. . . . There's nothing you can do to reverse that." Gilligan isn't the only one alarmed. Researchers, curators, retailers and ordinary citizens are all seeing unintended effects of the mail irradiation process, which began last fall after four anthrax-filled letters were mailed to New York and Washington. Investigators believe the bacteria killed five people, including two postal workers. Now, mail addressed to several Washington-area ZIP codes is routed through an irradiation facility run by Titan Industries in Lima, Ohio, or one run by Ion Beam Applications in Bridgeport, N.J. Conveyor belts move the mail into sealed chambers where linear accelerators bombard it with beams of high-energy electrons, killing any bacteria. With the anthrax culprit still at large, the U.S. Postal Service is planning to expand the irradiation process. The service has contracts to purchase eight more irradiation machines and has an option to buy 12 more. It hasn't decided where to put them, said spokesman Gerry Kreienkamp. "It will be other places, outside the D.C. area," he said. The spread of irradiated mail unsettles more than just book lovers. Private companies who mail a variety of products to consumers are also concerned. Medicines subjected to radiation could become ineffective and possibly harmful, especially when it comes to biological products such as vaccines, said Jeff Trewjitt, spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Computer disks can become warped and lose data. An electronics industry group reported earlier this month that tests showed flash memory cards and other digital devices were harmed by the electron beams. The Gemological Institute of America also tested different items, and found that the potential impact of irradiation "is obviously a major concern," said William Boyajian, its president. The institute found that most gems change color after irradiation. White cultured pearls turned gray, pale blue sapphires turned yellowish orange, and pink kunzite turned green. Kreienkamp said the Postal Service knows that some mail is adversely affected by the decontamination process, but says much of it is not. In his own Washington office, some letters have been yellowed and some are perfectly white, he said. In addition, the Postal Service is researching the best way to minimize the impact while still neutralizing biological agents, he said. "We're trying to work on those issues as best we can," he said. "It's a learning process." But Kreienkamp also said the Postal Service must do its job. "The government has told us they want their mail sanitized," he said. "The only process we have to do that at this point is irradiation." In light of that fact, government offices are making adjustments. The Smithsonian library system, with 22 branches and 1.5 million volumes, has limited the lending of books between Washington branches and those in other areas in fear of destroying important materials. In addition, any loaned materials must be returned to Washington by Federal Express or UPS. Gilligan said many rare items are of particular concern. These include microfilm that holds genealogy records and scientific samples and slides, shared by Smithsonian researchers and scientists across the country. Hoping to find a solution to the irradiation dilemma, Smithsonian officials will meet with the Postal Service this week. "We're trying to come up with strategies to get around this," Gilligan said. Other government workers are also searching for alternatives. Some are having documents mailed to their homes in the suburbs outside of Washington to avoid irradiation, while the National Park Service, in an e-mail sent to field offices this month, strongly recommends "an alternative shipper" for sending nominations for the National Register of Historic Places. While government workers are finding ways to avoid the irradiated mail, stamp collectors can't wait to get their hands on it. The damaged mail is part of a genre known as "disinfected mail," which dates back to the time people tried to fumigate letters to kill yellow fever and other diseases, said Kim Kowalczyk of the American Philatelic Society. Previous attempts at sanitizing mail included poking it with holes, baking it, and soaking it in vinegar, she said. Recently irradiated mail is already for sale on the Internet auction site eBay. The seller of one item, with a high bid of $6.77, tried to encourage buyers with a written pitch: "Now's your chance to pick up your own physical piece of history." ----- http://www.emagazine.com/may-june_2001/0501gl_eating.html GREEN LIVING EATING RIGHT Spice it Up Let Organic Seasonings Add Flavor to Your Day By Mark Harris Maybe it's our growing appetite for spicy ethnic and foreign cuisines, or maybe it's just that our palates thrill to the zip added by seasoning anything thrown on the grill. Whatever the reason, Americans are clearly running hot for spices. Last year, we consumed close to a billion pounds of the stuff, almost four pounds per person, according to the American Spice Trade Association, a near 20 percent jump over the last decade. An Indonesian farmer inspects his crops. Through groups like ForesTrade, indigenous spice producers are encouraged to practice sustainable agricultural methods. ) ForesTrade But as liberally as we're shaking out the spices, chances are that few of us -- environmentalists included -- think much about their origin or impact on the planet. We should, according to Thomas Fricke, cofounder and president of ForesTrade, an organic spice company in Brattleboro, Vermont. "Virtually all conventional spices sold in the United States are fumigated [sterilized] with hazardous chemicals that are banned in Europe," he says. "And they may be produced in a manner that is destructive to the ecosystems where they're grown." This includes cultivating spices on clear-cut lands and treating them with pesticides. As a consequence, spices may be contaminated with pesticide residues and with genetically modified ingredients; almost 10 percent are irradiated as well. ForesTrade, for one, is out to change that. Since 1995, it has been bringing organic spices to market at a rate that's taking even some industry insiders by surprise. Organic spices are growing by some 30 percent annually, compared to less than two percent for regular spices, and the growth shows no signs of slowing anytime soon. Farming it Out To procure organic spices, ForesTrade contracts with nearly 5,000 farmers in Indonesia and Guatemala and is creating alliances with others in India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar. These farmers agree to follow sustainable agriculture practices, avoiding the chemical pesticides and fertilizers often used to grow conventional spice plants. Instead, they rely on composting, crop rotation and biological pest and disease control. They also agree not to poach rainforest preserves, where some farmers previously clear-cut slopes to plant crops, despoiling the environment and causing widespread erosion. The company, in turn, provides farmers with ongoing support. "We have field staff who are involved in organizing farmers to help them incorporate ecological techniques into their farming and improve the quality of their production," says Fricke. As with any plant, spices in the field can be tainted by any number of contaminants: insects, molds, yeasts -- even pathogens, like salmonella or E. coli, the virulent bacteria linked to scores of outbreaks of foodborne illness. To combat these, most conventional food manufacturers in the United States sterilize spices with toxic chemicals. The most common is ethylene oxide, a gas that can leave residues on spices that may be harmful to human health and cause cancer in workers who have prolonged exposure to it. The chemical has been banned in many European countries and Japan. They've also turned increasingly to irradiation. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on spices in 1983, irradiation exposes spices to up to a million rads of ionizing radiation -- the equivalent of one billion chest X-rays (the highest amounts allowed for any food). This process kills contaminants without appreciably altering the appearance and taste of the food. But Mark Worth, senior researcher at Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Project in Washington, D.C., says the technology creates as many problems as it solves. Irradiation changes the chemical composition of a spice, potentially creating toxic and carcinogenic by-products in the food. Irradiation facilities may pose an even more serious threat to our health. "Any time you have workers handling radioactive material, there is a potential for accidents to occur," says Worth. Since 1974, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recorded over 50 such accidents at 132 irradiation facilities worldwide. Instead of resorting to irradiation, ForesTrade and other organic spice companies such as Frontier Natural Products sterilize spices mostly with steam heat. "Heat kills bacteria, and so steaming can be an effective, safe way to sterilize non-leaf spices" like clove and nutmeg, says T.J. McIntyre, Frontier's manager of spices. It's less so for herbs, like tarragon, because steaming can strip herbs of flavor and essential oils. In that case, organic companies may fumigate herbs with dioxide or freeze them. Even then, Frontier extensively tests spices for contamination before they're shipped from processing plants abroad and again when they arrive at Frontier's U.S. plant. "We maintain very strict specifications [for purity]," says McIntyre; spices that don't measure up are tossed. ForesTrade works to eliminate contamination at the source, minimizing the need for sterilization by ensuring that farmers sun-dry spices in clean environments and by improving the sanitary conditions of the farms. A Spicier Market Organic spices contain none of the fillers (like sugar), synthetic anti-caking agents, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives that may be found in conventional spices. They're also not irradiated and are free of genetically modified ingredients. But a number of organic spice companies take producing a high-quality product in an environmentally friendly manner a step further and work to improve the lives of farmers and their communities. ForesTrade pays farmers more than they'd receive for conventionally grown crops. In 1995, Frontier launched a project that brought electricity to a village that produces some of the company's organic coffee in northern Peru; two years ago, its fundraiser provided relief to earthquake victims in Turkish villages, which source spices to the company. Yogi Tea, which uses spices in its teas, operates an organic black pepper operation in India that offers housing, health aid and education to local communities. ForesTrade produces 15 different spices, which it supplies to a number of different food and spice companies, including Yogi Tea and The Spice Hunter, which recently began offering a line of more than 30 certified organic spices from allspice to turmeric. But on the retail level, the biggest supplier of organic spices is Frontier. The company sells more than 300 certified organic spices, mostly through natural foods stores; more will be added as Frontier converts all of its spices to organic. You can also get organic spices from Starwest Botanicals and Nur Natur. And that's just the beginning. "Until now, organic spices have kind of fallen through the cracks" of the organic revolution, says Fricke. But as organic manufacturers look to incorporate spices into their packaged foods, and as large conventional spice manufacturers begin to go organic themselves, "we're going to see a strong surge in sales," he predicts. "All in all, the future for organic spices looks very bright." Mark Harris adds spice to E articles from his home in Bethlehem, PA, where he also writes a weekly column for the LA Times Syndicate. ----- http://www.efn.org/~mjk/ ***************************************************************** 52 IAEA Daily Press Review Date 2002-01-28 Number 13 1. Non-proliferation US reverses its weapons plutonium policy and decides to burn plutonium from decommissioned nuclear weapons in reactors, instead of "immobilizing" it in other radioactive waste. US arms negotiator says Iraq and DPRK must cease violations of NPT and allow IAEA to do its work. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister visits China after trip to Russia where he reportedly sought support for his confrontation with US. (NS; NYT - 24/1) Dem. P.R. of Korea; IAEA; Iraq; United States of America 2. IAEA Numerous reports on IAEA's seven-member team carrying routine annual inspection at Iraqi's Tuweitha nuclear research centre. (ana; BBC; CNN; NBC; R - 25/1) IAEA; Iraq; United States of America 3. Terrorism US President reinforces anti-terror pledge. Article by former UN Weapons inspector, Scott Ritter, stating that there is a substantial lack of clarity and credible sources on actual nature of Iraqi threat to US. (BBC; CSM - 23, 26/1) Iraq; United States of America 4. Radiation, health American Indian tribes that fished in Columbia River were exposed to more radiation from bordering Hanford Nuclear Reservation than previously thought, federal report suggests. (G - 25/1) United States of America 5. UN Russian and US negotiators are reported to have agreed to hold another round of consultations early next month on sanctions against Iraq. (BBC - 27/1) Iraq; Russian Federation; UN; United States of America 6. Miscellaneous Tension on Asian subcontinent raised dramatically by India test-firing nuclear-capable ballistic missile. (G; T - 26/1) India; Pakistan ***************************************************************** 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: *****************************************************************