Darlene Keju died.
(July 12, 1996) Life-long advocate for the interest of people of the Marshall Islands, Darlene Keju died June 18. She is widely credited for bringing to the attention of the world that many more people in the Marshall Islands were suffering bad medical conditions as a result of the exposure to nuclear radiation from nuclear tests, than previously admitted by the US.
Born in Ebeye Island and educated in Hawaii, Keju became one of the first Marshallese with a Masters degree in Public Health. She became involved in the movement for a nuclear free Pacific, where she met and married journalist Giff Johnson, an American raised in Hawaii. Research carried out by Keju-Johnson at the small outer islands led her to reveal to the world the existence of a high rate of miscarriages, birth defects and "jelly-fish" babies in Marshallese communities. She was involved in numerous speaking tours and addressed the 10.000 delegates at the 1983 World Council of Churches in Canada, which was an important factor in mobilising public awareness.
China changes supplier for reactor vessel. China has cancelled its contract with a South Korean consortium for the supply of the pressure vessel for the 600 MWe Qinshan-2 pressurised water reactor and has accepted a rival bid from Mitsubishi in Japan. Mitsubishi will supply the pressure vessel for Qinshan-2 and will then undertake a technology transfer arrangement to the Shanghai Boiler Works, enabling this company to make the vessel for Qinshan-3. The change in supplier was due to Korea's failure to provide export credits, while Mitsubishi was able to secure them.
Uranium Information Centre (Austr), 21 June 1996
US sperm to Ukraine. A United States' sperm bank will deliver frozen sperm to the Ukrainian authorities in order to help to solve the problems of the gigantic fall in the birth-rate. Ukrainian men suffer the highest rate of infertility in the world provoked by the disaster of Chernobyl.
ContrAtom (Sw), June 1996.
Taipower continues fourth. State-run Taiwan Power Co said on June 19 it would continue to build the island's fourth nuclear power station despite a legislative impasse that threatens to scuttle the project. (see WISE NC 453.4488). Taipower considers the US$4.1 billion project alive unless parliament, which cancelled its funding on May 24, formally rejects the government's appeal to restore the project, a spokeswoman for the utility said by telephone. "Until parliament makes a final decision, we have an obligation to carry out the budget to build the plant because the government has decided not to accept the parliament's decision," she said.
Opposition lawmakers mobilised against the project called Taipower's decision to continue the tender a brazen challenge to constitutional order. Taiwan's government on June 6 appealed the cancellation, forcing the parliament to garner a two-thirds vote to defend its earlier decision. A vote has been delayed indefinitely by opposition-led procedural manoeuvrings.
Reuter, 19 June 1996