Shoshone-Nation Passports not Valid in Germany.
(February 25, 1994) The United Nations Indeginous People-year had not even ended when a delegation of the Shoshone-Nation travelled from Switserland to Germany on their Soshone Nation's passports. They claim they are an independent Nation (according to a Treaty signed in the 19th century) and don't accept the US-passes. By trying to enter Germany the three were arrested for 'ilegal entering the country' and later expelled to Switserland by the German authorities because they could not show 'valid' travel documents.
The delegation was invited to speak in Germany with several ministers and political parties on the problems of the Shoshone nation and then later travel on to Stockholm (Sweden) where two other Shoshone woman were honoured with the 'Alternative Peace Nobelprice'. The two woman, Mary and Carry Dann, are longtime non-violent activists for the independence of the Shoshone Nation and against nuclear tests on the Nation's land by the US. Frankfurter Rundschau (FRG), 4 Dec. 1993
AEDENAT denounces incineration radioactive graphite. The spanish environmentalist group "Asociacion Ecologista de Defensa de Ia Naturaleza" (AEDENAT), has denounced the plans to incinerate 1.800 metric tons of radioactive graphite from the deactivated nuclear plant of Vandellos, Tarragona, which suffered an accident in october 1989.
When dismantling the plant, many thousands tons of residues with different levels of radioactivity will have to be disposed of, whereas 430 Mt of the most highly active waste will be send to France for reprocessing. Other residues, varying from medium to low radioactivity (including the graphite), will be disposed of at the facility of El Cabril, Cordoba.
According to Mr. Enri Pla Campana, director of the Vandellos Nuclear Plant, the graphite will be incinerated by ENRESA (Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos S.A.) most probably at their installations in El Cabril, where also the other contaminated objects from Vandellos will be dumped. AEDENAT, Campomanes 13, E-28013 Madrid, Espana. Tel: +34 1 541 1071; Fax: +34 1 571 7108
No Cesium on Board Crashed Plane in Swiss Lake? On 24 January a Cessna-plane chrashed into the Switzerland, the lake in Switzerland. Normally not news worth publishing in the NC. But in this case, the crashed plane belonged to two German businessman, known to be traders in illegal radioactive material. Swiss police feared that Cesium-137 was on board of the plane and that it could contaminate the lake. The Cessna came from Riga, the capital of Latvia, where the Cesium was supposed to be boarded. The Bodensee is one of the largest lakes in Europe, located on the borders of Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Intensive measures of the water for radioactivity has not shown any contamination. Strange things happened: two and a half week later the authorities found the plane, but that was not the ending of the mystery but just another phase. No trail of the passengers (3 men, 2 women and a dog) was found. The doors where opened from inside the plane and there was no sign of any load. And it was obvious that there had been no crash but only a (emergency) landing. Had there been any accomplices with a boat on the lake? Or is everybody drown (swimming is impossible: the water is ice cold and it's five kilometers to the shore) and was there never any Cesium on board of the plane? The authorities claimed they found 'something' on the bottom of the lake by radar, but sofar no bodies are actually recovered. De Morgen (Belgium), 1 Febr. 1994 / Trouw (NL), 15 Febr. 1994
Twelve billion of curies were generated from the above-ground nuclear tests at Nevada, said health physicist David Wheeler of the US Energy Department, citing a government report. The radiation scattered world wide, but it primarily affected 180.000 people living in Nevada and neighboring states on its southern borders. But the report is claiming that the dispersal of the radioactivity diluted the effects on humans. Las Vegas Review Journal (US), 6 Febr. 1994
Urenco signed a contract with Eurodif and Cogema to research the feasibility of an enrichment plant for reprocessed uranium in Tricastin in France. The study will be finished this year. Urenco already enriched small amounts of reprocessed uranium. Urenco claims gasdiffusion is less appropriate for enrichment. Last year Urenco signed a test contract with Kansai Power that also included reprocessed uranium. (See also story on Urenco in this issue) NRC (NL), 12 Feb. 1994 and WISE NC 405.in brief)
Algeria's new reactor. On 21 December 1993 Algeria officially opened the countries new research reactor. The 15 Mw reactor is located at Am Ouechtara some 300 kilometers south of the capital Algier and is built with Chinese aid. The Minister of Research Ahmed Djebbar underlined that the reactor is only developed for "exclusive peaceful purposes". Algeria had already one 1 MW research reactor at Algier. The reactor will be used for the production of radio isotopes for medical use. Solar the isotopes were imported from England, France and Germany. Stader Tageblatt (FRG), 22 Dec. 1993 / Süddeutsche Zeitung (FRG), 23 Dec. 1993.
Proposals for reorganization of the Spanish Electric Utility Services. In view of the forthcoming debate by the Spanish Government on the reorganization of the national electric utility services, AEDENAT, an environmental NGO, and the political party Izquierda Unida (IU) have presented a proposal for changing the focus of planning to a supply based on demand, rather than planning according to the possibilities of supply, as has been done until now. It is expected that this change of focus could save energy.
The two organizations also plead for a public campaign to lower the use of electricity, along with the inclusion of environmental costs in the final price and a greater access to the electrical network for self-producing users.
They suggested the creation of a public company for saving electricity (Companhia publica de Ahorro Electrico, CAE), that would compete with the electric companies by offering more efficient electrical devices and information on how to save energy. Source and Contact: AEDENAT, Campomanes 13, E-28013 Madrid, Espana. Tel: +34 1 541 1071; Fax: +34 1 571 7108. Or: Izquierda Unida, Area Politica Ambiental, Gral. Rodrigo 6/50, 28003 Madrid Espana. Tel: +34 1 553 4909; Fax: +34 1 5349747
TMI: Fifteen years on. In a letter to the NRC, General Public Utilities admitted on December 13, 1993, that some 12,000 Curies of radiation are still present in the auxiliary buildings connected to the melted Three Mile Island-2 reactor in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, USA. The Nuclear Monitor, January 31, 1994
National US Conference set for 15th Anniversary of TMI. On March 26-27, 1994 a national conference on the 15th anniversary of the start of the accident at Three Mile Island will take place. The conference subtitled, 'Teaching a New Generation of Activists", will be the largest such gatherings since the 1991 Conference for a Nuclear Free 1990s.
Workshops and plenary sessions will be held all day, Saturday 26 March and on Sunday 27 March. Topics will include radioactive waste, decommissioning, nuclear economics, radiation monitoring, etc. A benefit concert will be held the evening of 26 March. The conference will be held at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Registration, which includes main meals, is $35. Contact Eric Epstein at TMI Alert, (US) 717-233-7897.
Pressurised Water Reactor Performance. A special Briefing from the Consortium of Opposing Local Authorities (COLA) about the performance of PWRs. COLA represents the interests of local authorities opposed to the building of a new NPP at Hinkley Point, Sommerset UK.
The briefing focuses on one of the main determinants of generating costs estimates: PWR operating performance. Different assumptions about plant performances can have a significant impact on cost estimates, so it is not surprising that the figures used for investment appraisal purposes are hotly contested. This was particularly so at the Hinkley Point Public Inquiry (HPPI), where the CEGB estimated that the average availability of the proposed PWR would be 75%, and COLA argued that it should be taken to be 60%. The aim of the briefing is to critically review information about PWR performance. It does this by discussing:
- the conclusions of the HPPI inspector
- Nuclear Electric's recent conversion to an availability assumption of 85%
- the relevance of international PWR operating experience
- evidence about the determinants of reactor performance
- the impact of different performance assumptions on generation cost estimates.
The briefing (No 5, 8 pages) is available at: COLA, Country Hall, Cwmbran, Gwent NP44 2XF, UK. Tel: +44633832668.
For further information: Fred Barker, 3 Birch Place, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 8BH, UK. Tel & Fax: +44 422 845 618
Report: 'Inherente veiligheid' in perspectief ('Inherent safety' in perspective). Study by Dr. Gert Knelfkens, Stichting Natuur en Milieu.
Following the release of the recent report by the Dutch Ministery of Economic Affairs on Nuclear Power options, this report has been presented. The report addresses "inherently safe NPP's", that only exist in the mind of the nuclear industry. The report points out that there are different interpretations of the term. The IAEA stresses inherently safe parts of NPP's, and regards a complete inherently safe NPP as meaningless. Politicians only look to regulations, and thus regard inherent safety meaningless. Some groups regard safety for the reactor as a whole in order to make Nuclear Power acceptable to society, and especially meltdowns are regarded. Environmental oriented groups regard inherent safety as a complete fail safe Power Plant, without discharges into the environment.
Based on the IAEA's interpretation non of the promoted inherently safe power plant concepts comply to this interpretation, including the PRISM, PIUS and MHTGR concepts. Source/Contact: Stichting Natuur en Milieu, Donkerstraat 17, 351 KB Utrecht. Tel. +31 30 331328, Fax. +31 30 331311
A recent report of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) claims that the 50 tons of recovered plutonium from weapons pose a "clear and present danger" to international security and 'Urgent actions are required to secure and account for these weapons and materials," especially in the former Soviet Union (....). The report recommends identification and monitoring as a short-term solution. Vitrification and deep geologic storage are, controversial, recommendations for long-term solutions.
The report says "reactors should not be specifically built or developed for transforming weapons plutonium into spent fuel...", however burning Pu in existing or modified reactors might be feasible, acceptable and would be cheaper then Pu burn-up reactors. NAS also acknowledges the civilian Pu production (70 tons a year...) as a danger to security, but fails to take the next logical step to recommend the end of Pu production. The statement on Pu burn-up reactors puts ammunition into the hands of the opponents of the Advanced Light Metal Reactor (ALMR) breeder program. Although this program has been rejected by the House of Representatives, it was approved by the Senate. The Senates position prevailed in the conference committee. The Senate has another opportunity to vote on ALMR when it considers the budget recision bill passed by the House, which also ends funding for the ALMR program. Both houses will address the issue again when the new Fiscal Year 1995 budget includes any funding on the program. The Nuclear Monitor, January 31, 1994