[see yesterday's items]

* List of 417 new documents today from NRC PDR

Today's source articles

* FirstEnergy takes step to get Davis-Besse on line
Toledo Blade (OH)
The initial step for seeking approval to restart Davis-Besse was taken by FirstEnergy yesterday, as a report was submitted to NRC indicating that all the work necessary to ensure safe operation has been completed or will be completed shortly. The utility wants the plant back online this year. Approval is not pro forma, and public input will be sought.

* Lakeshore Update: Point Beach plant back in operation
Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter (WI)
Point Beach-2 returned to full power at 8 pm Saturday after refueling outage. NRC-required inspection of the reactor vessel head showed no repairs were needed.

* FirstEnergy says Davis-Besse ready
Jim Mackinnon, Akron Beacon Journal (OH)
A federal grand jury is investigating FirstEnergy for possible criminal violations involving Davis-Besse. The grand jury was called after the NRC's Office of Investigations filed a report with the Cleveland U.S. attorney's office. The NRC's investigative branch sends reports to the U.S. Department of Justice when it believes it has found evidence of wrong-doing. Shari Weir of Ohio Citizen Action, a Cleveland-based organization that is trying to keep Davis-Besse from restarting, said the NRC should not even consider allowing a restart until the grand jury finishes its work. But the grand jury investigation should not affect the restart process any more than the Office of Investigations report did, said NRC spokesman Jan Strasma. The NRC officials charged with overseeing the restart process at Davis-Besse have been fully briefed on the report's findings, he said.

* Professors say TVA 'broke'; If it were private utility, report says, it would be headed for bankruptcy
Rebecca Ferrar, Knoxville News Sentinel (TN)
"The TVA is fundamentally insolvent," said Dennis Logue, dean of the University of Oklahoma's Price School of Business. "If it were a private company, it would be in bankruptcy. It continues to borrow money with an implicit guarantee from the federal government." Logue wrote the 40-page report with Paul MacAvoy of Yale's School of Management. However, a Standard & Poor's investment analyst disagrees with parts of the recent study. According to the report, TVA's liabilities - a $25 billion debt - exceed its assets in nuclear, coal and hydroelectric plants and transmission lines. TVA's debt resulted primarily from the cancellation of the completion of several nuclear power plants in the 1980s because the agency realized electricity demand would not be as great as projected. Instead of writing off the cancelled units as losses, TVA carried the plants on the books as a $6.1 billion asset, thus inflating its assets, the report said. The solution called for in the report is privatization of the agency.

* Protests mark Bush's first visit to Las Vegas as president
Ken Ritter, Las Vegas SUN

* Democrats rip Bush stance on Yucca
Jace Radke, Las Vegas SUN

* Bush Traveling to Nevada for Fund-Raiser
David Pace, Las Vegas SUN

* Letters: 'Miracle metal' an embarrassment for Yucca backers
Victor Gilinsky, Las Vegas Review-Journal

* Bush to campaign in Nevada as Democrats pledge tough challenge
Erica Werner, Reno Gazette-Journal

* Perkins calls for president to address 'broken promises'
Suzanne Struglinski, Las Vegas SUN

* Protest at Bush visit prompts ominous call
Mary Manning, Las Vegas SUN

* Democrats: Bush lied about Yucca
Erin Neff, Las Vegas Review-Journal

* Bush in Las Vegas, like his predecessor, probably will take money, run
Jane Ann Morrison, Las Vegas Review-Journal

* Letter(#5): Yucca vote
Dennis Weber, Las Vegas Review-Journal

* Police request surprises activist
Frank Geary, Las Vegas Review-Journal

* Defense bill aids disabled vets
Suzanne Struglinski, Las Vegas SUN

* Fight Over Energy Bill Dooms It This Year
H. Josef Hebert, Las Vegas SUN

* Energy Bill Collapses, May Be Revived in 2004
Julie Vorman, Reuters

* On the Left: Some of worst polluters get more federal dollars
Maya Valverde, The Olympian

* On the Right: Energy bill focus of Congress
Robert Press, The Olympian

* Nuclear reactor shipment delayed
Jason Zacher, Greenville News

* Carrying the biggest stick
Salt Lake Tribune

* Energy bill's demise puts reactor in limbo
KTVB

* Utility requests Davis-Besse restart
John Mangels, Cleveland Plain Dealer

* FirstEnergy files for restart of D-B plant
Rick Neale, Port Clinton News Herald

* Local politicians lobbying for support of Davis-Besse
Rick Neale, Port Clinton News Herald

* FENOC Submits Davis-Besse Restart Report to NRC
PRNewswire

* ORNL to work on high-speed computer network
Paul Parson, Oak Ridger

* Editorial: Injustice -- Sick workers left in limbo
Paducah Sun

* Westinghouse expanding S.C. plant
Bizjournals

* State law: When N-plant closes Lacey still gets funds
Andrew Johnson, Press of Atlantic City

* Maine Yankee Foresees Break for Ratepayers
Greg Foster, Lincoln County News

* Constellation to Buy NY Nuclear Plant
Carolyn Koo, Reuters

* Constellation Energy Group to Acquire Ginna Nuclear Power Plant
PRNewswire

* DOI: New Natural Gas Finds Equivalent to Three Years of Electricity; Energy Bill Incentives Will Inspire More Energy Supplies to Help Families
U.S. Newswire

* Oversight on the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program -- Friday, November 21 2003
US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

* Secretary Abraham Statement on Energy Bill
DOE

* NRC to Hold Public Meeting December 8 on Environmental Scoping Process for North Anna Early Site Permit
NRC

* NOTICES Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Nuclear Power 2010 Program; new nuclear power plant licensing demonstration projects, 66084 [03-29402]
Energy Department

* NOTICES Meetings: Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board - Oak Ridge Reservation, TN, 66084-66085 [03-29403]
Energy Department

* NOTICES Meetings: Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, 66085 [03-29405]
Energy Department

* NOTICES Meetings: Federal Energy Management Advisory Committee, 66085 [03-29404]
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office

* NOTICES Operating licenses, amendments; no significant hazards considerations; biweekly notices, 66131-66144 [03-29107]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission

* NOTICES Applications, hearings, determinations, etc.: Exelon Generation Co., LLC, 66130-66131 [03-29351]
Nuclear Regulatory Commission

* World Bank pledges to reduce danger of radioactive waste in Kyrgyzstan
ENN

* Pair of Pickering reactors taken off line again
Rob Ferguson, Toronto Star

* U.S. plan for 'mini-nukes' gives Japan the jitters
Japan Times

* 'Next talks will agree on security'
Seo Hyun-jin, Korea Herald

* N-sub on lease likely
India Statesman

* Nuclear Waste: Gvt to Amend Decree, Says Marzano
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia

* Nuclear Waste: Lack of Information, Says Lunardi
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia

* Nuclear Waste: Gvt Must Find Solution, Says Matteoli
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia

* Nuclear Waste: Marzano, Matteoli will Issue Gov't Position
Agenzia Giornalistica Italia

* Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
Rashid Alimov, Bellona

* Russia received one more special train for spent nuclear fuel shipment
Bellona

* Revolution in nuclear objects safety technologies
Pravda

* Brookings Briefing: Firsthand Views from Iraq
U.S. Newswire

* The Patriotism Refuge
Richard Cohen, Washington Post

* Theft of Cobalt in Iraq Prompts Security Inquiry
John F. Burns, New York Times

* Radiation sickness case found in Iraq
Washington Times

* U.S., Europeans Reach Deal on Iran Nukes
George Jahn, Las Vegas SUN

* All Claim Victory in Iran Nuke Agreement
George Jahn, Las Vegas SUN

* US 'satisfied' with Iran warning
BBC News

* U.N. nuke resolution leaves Iran no choices - diplomats
Louis Charbonneau, Reuters

* IAEA set to agree on Iran breach
CNN

* Atomic agency to warn Iran about nuke program
George Jahn, Chicago Sun Times

* U.S. Acquiesces to Allies on New Iran Nuclear Resolution
Steven R. Weisman, New York Times

* Editorial: Iran's Nuclear Menace
New York Times

* U.S., Allies Agree on Iran Move
Glenn Kessler and Robin Wright, Washington Post

* Iran's case to be settled at IAEA
IRIB

* MP speaks of wrongful nuclear policies
IranMania