Headlines 15 September 1997 LA HAGUE France Sept 14 1997 (AFP) - In the sea near the public beach of Moulinets in northern France Greenpeace divers discovered two drums of nuclear waste probably coming from the reprocessing plant of Cog'ma at La Hague. A spokesman of the company stated that the drums as well as a filtration system and pipes which were also found nearby and used for cleaning operations were due to be removed several days later. Greenpeace has issued an official complaint against Cog'ma and called for an immediate stop of the cleaning work. WILLOW SPRINGS Ill. Sept. 15 1997 (UPI) - Will the Red Gate Woods in suburban Chicago be re-opened at the end of the month? If it is up to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency the 35-acre site where in 1944 the first graphite-moderated reactor was built must be cleaned up more thoroughly. A five-year cleanup program costing $1 million recently was declared finished. TASHKENT Sept 15 1997 (AFP) - About 460 nuclear bombs have been tested between 1949 and 1989 at the test site of Semipalatinsk. According to Dr. Saim Balmukhanov professor of radiology and oncology who has studied the effects of radiation on human health since 1959 the nuclear tests damaged health and environment equal to Hiroshima and Chernobyl combined. Chromosomes themselves have been affected causing a very high mortality rate. A report recently published by the Kazakh official gazette stated that 500 000 people covering four generations had been contaminated and life expectancy in certain areas of former Semipalatinsk is no more than 48 years. WUERZBURG Germany Sept 15 1997 (AFP) - To protest against the transport of nuclear waste from the Grafenrheinfeld reactor to the reprocessing plant of La Hague Greenpeace demonstrators hung up a banner in a crane reading Stop nuclear waste in the North Sea - Stop Castor transports to La Hague . The crane will lift the Castor waste containers onto the train on Tuesday. These will later on be shipped to France. BEIJING Sept 15 1997 (AFP) - New regulations on nuclear exports were passed on September 10 by China's State Council. The main contents are: - the prohibition to provide help to nuclear facilities not monitored by the IAEA. - nuclear exports are placed under the responsibility of departments appointed by the State Council. - there will be a new licensing system for nuclear exports. - exports related to national security will have to be approved by the State Council and the foreign ministry. Beijing increases pressure on Washington in order to lift the ban on nuclear technology exports to China the US imposed in 1989 after the massacre on Tiananmen Square. TASHKENT Sept 15 1997 (AFP) - At a conference on nuclear resources in central Asia attended by delegates from 50 states the ministers of Kazakhstan Kyrgystan Tajikistan Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan urged the UN to declare central Asia a nuclear weapon-free zone. They want nuclear weapons to be banned from their region and the sale of the uranium resources for civilian use only must be controlled. At the opening of conference it was also urged by Uzbek president Karimov to keep close guard over nuclear fuel produced in the region so that it will not end in nuclear bombs. In a letter to the conference Un Secretary General Kofi Anna pointed out that central Asia is politically a very vulnerable region. NEW YORK Sept 15 1997 (Reuter) - Calvert Cliffs 1 nuclear reactor will be shut down in order to have a reactor coolant pump seal replaced. A restart date was not yet provided by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission